【推荐2】The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance (香气). From air fresheners to scented (有香味的) candles, we live in a world of scent.
Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies (过敏), headaches and asthma (哮喘) .
One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called “contact” allergy—where perfumes and scented products cause eczema (湿疹) when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy.
“Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy,” says Dr. Baron. “You don’t react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you.”
People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable (易受影响). “The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes,” says Dr. Baron. “But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy.” You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. “Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products –soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder—contain fragrances,” says Dr. Baron.
And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose’s nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact.
“Fragrance suggest cleanliness – yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture,” says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. “We often use them to mask one problem – as with air fresheners – but create a greater one – adding poisonous chemicals to the air.”
1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The world trend of using fragrance.

B．The benefits of using non-fragranced products.

C．The health problems caused by fragrance

D．The ways of removing allergy.

2. According to Dr. Baron,            .

A．our bodies have an immediate reaction to fragrance.

B．seven in ten have suffered fragrance allergy.

C．fragrance can affect people who don’t have allergy

D．people can avoid contacting with fragrance easily

3. Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer?

A．Which products contain fragrance?

B．What’s the influence of fragrance in the air?

C．What are the air fresheners made up of?

D．How are headaches caused by fragrance?

4. The following paragraph might discuss           .

A．the asthma caused by strong scents.

B．people’s efforts to protect fresh air.

C．the methods of curing eczema

D．the bad effects of air fresheners.

【推荐1】The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana (大麻). That is the statement of researchers who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to 10 points off the user’s IQ. This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have described the phenomenon of improved stupidity as “infomania”. The research conducted by Hewlett Packard, the technology company, has concluded that it is mainly a problem for adult workers, especially men.
It is concluded that too much use of modern technology can damage a person’s mind. It can cause a constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the task in hand. The report also added that, in a long term, the brain will be considerably shaped by what we do to it and by the experience of daily life. At a microcellular level, the complex networks of nerve cells that make up parts of the brain actually change in response to certain experiences.
Too much use of modern technology can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to their social relationship. 1100 adults were interviewed during the research. More than 62 per cent of them admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mails and text messages so often that they scrutinized work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an email and will even interrupt a meeting to do so. It is concluded that infomania is increasing stress and anxiety and affecting one’s characteristics. Nine out of ten thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude.
The effects on IQ were studied by Dr Glenn Wilson, a psychologist at University of London. “This is a very real and widespread phenomenon,” he said. “We have found that infomania will damage a worker’s performance by reducing their mental sharpness and changing their social life. Companies should encourage a more balanced and appropriate way of working.”
1. We can learn from the passage that “infomania” ______.

A．has a positive influence on one’s IQ

B．results in the change of part of the brain

C．lies in the problem of lack of concentration

D．is caused by too much use of modern technology

2. The research mentioned in the passage is most probably about ______.

A．the important function of advanced technology

B．the damage to one’s brain done by unhealthy habits

C．the relevance between IQ and use of modern technology

D．the relationship between intelligence and working effectiveness

3. The underlined word “scrutinized” probably means “______”.

A．examined carefully	B．copied patiently
C．corrected quickly	D．admitted freely

4. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．The regular use of text messages and e-mails can be compared to smoking marijuana.

B．The regular use of text messages and e-mails can harm your IQ.

C．Modern technology can damage a person’s mind.

D．Electronic messages have side effects on the user’s life.

【推荐2】When talking about colds, maybe some people say it is very common. During the cold winter days, many people will complain the cold winter makes them catch a cold, and what they feel upset are not only the headache, cough but also the runny nose. It is so embarrassing when they forget to take a handkerchief of tissue along with them.

What to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face.

“Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from cold, according to a new study. It’s possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses,” said the researchers from New University.

“It seems that positive feelings may reduce the danger of illness,” said the study’s chief researcher Sheldon Cohen.

In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often. People who showed feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill.

In this study, Cohen has interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers that they were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days.

The results showed that everyone in the study was equally likely to get ill. But for people who said they felt happy during the research period, their illness are less serious and lasted for a shorter time.

Cohen believes that when people experience positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried about your health, look on the brighter side more often.

1. The underline part in Paragraph 5 is probably means ___________.

A．sad	B．bad-tempered
C．thoughtful	D．outgoing

2. What did the study find?

A．People who felt happy never got ill.

B．People’s feelings didn’t influence their health.

C．People with good feelings became ill more easily.

D．People with positive feelings had less serious illnesses.

3. According to Cohen, which of the following may help fight illness?

A．Eating.	B．Laughing
C．Crying	D．Sleeping.

【推荐3】Could being a little overweight help you live longer? A new international analysis (分析) shows a surprising answer: while obesity (肥胖) increases the risk of dying early, being slightly overweight reduces it. These studies included almost 3 million adults from around the world, yet the results were clearly the same, the authors of the analysis said.

“If you have a medical condition, your chances, of living are slightly better if you are a bit on the heavy side,” says study author Katherine Flegal, “Several factors may contribute to this finding.”

“Heavier people may tend to see the doctor earlier,” she says, “and may be more likely to be treated according to the doctor’s advice. Obesity itself may protect the heart, or someone who is heavier might be better able to fight against a shock to the system.”

For the study, Flegal’s team collected data on more than 2.88 million people included in 97 studies. The researchers looked at the participants’ body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat that takes into consideration a person’s height and weight.

The researchers found that, compared with people of normal weight, overweight people had a 6 percent lower risk of death. Obese people, however, had an 18 percent higher risk. For those who were the least obese, the risk of death was 5 percent lower than people of normal weight, but for those who were the most obese, the risk of death was 29 percent higher, the findings showed.

While the study found a relation between weight and the risk of early death, it did not prove a cause-and-effect relationship. Indeed, one expert warned that body weight alone cannot tell health and the risk of death.

“There are other factors that play a role in health,” says Dr. William, a professor at Louisiana State University. “BMI simply is a parameter (参数); it doesn’t take family history, smoking, fitness, and other factors into consideration.”

1. What did Flegal’s team do for their study?

A．They interviewed almost 3 million adults.

B．They did 97 experiments with fat people.

C．They collected data on 2.88 million people.

D．They talked with doctors for medical conditions.

2. According to the finding, the risk of death is listed from high to low as follows ________.

A．the least obese—overweight—obese—the most obese.

B．the most obese—obese—overweight—the least obese.

C．the most obese—overweight—obese—the least obese.

D．the most obese—obese—the least obese—overweight.

3. Which of the following may Dr. William agree with?

A．Weight contributes to the risk of early death.

B．Weight has no relation with the risk of death.

C．BMI is only a factor to judge people’s health.

D．BMI alone can tell people’s health conditions.

4. What can be the suitable title for the passage?

A．Obesity kills.	B．The thinner, the healthier.
C．BMI counts.	D．A bit overweight, a longer life.

【推荐1】Almost everyone has a question or two about living in space. What is life really like in space? And what do astronauts do there?

Astronauts living in space have the same hygiene needs people do on Earth. When they wake up, they wash their hair, brush their teeth and go to the bathroom as well. However, because of microgravity (微重力), astronauts take care of themselves in different ways. For example, they use a kind of special matter to wash their hair and leg restraints (腿部固定装置) when they use the toilet.

Astronauts eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some food can be eaten in the natural form such as fruit. Other foods needs mixing some special water such as noodles. There are no fridges in space, so space food must be stored and prepared properly to avoid going bad.

As well as morning routine (常规) and eating in space, astronauts need to finish many things including checking the machines, updating computer equipment, etc. At the same time, the control center on Earth sends messages to the astronauts through voice or email with new instructions (说明) to help them in their daily routines.

What’s more, living in space is not just all work and no play. A popular way to relax is looking out of the window. And they can also enjoy themselves by watching films, reading books, playing cards and talking to their families during their free time.

1. The underlined word “hygiene” in this passage probably means “______” in Chinese.

A．卫生

B．情绪

C．心理

D．饮食

2. Which statement is TRUE about eating in space?

A．Astronauts eat three meals a day as people do on Earth.

B．Fruit can’t be eaten in the natural form.

C．Food can be kept fresh in fridges.

D．Noodles needn’t mixing water.

3. What’s the main idea of Paragraph Four?

A．Eating in space.	B．Working in space.
C．Relaxing in space.	D．Planting in space.

4. As well as checking the machines and updating computer equipment, astronauts also need to ______ in their daily work.

A．communicate with friends on Earth

B．read books about the Earth and space

C．control the people at the control center on Earth

D．receive messages and follow the instructions from the control center on Earth

【推荐3】Although the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have English as an official language, the United States does not have an official language. This is how it’s possible to become a US citizen without speaking English. Canada also has French as an official language, though it is mostly spoken in the province of Quebec. Because many of the English speakers who originally inhabited (居住) Canada came from the US, there is little difference in the American and Canadian dialects of English. Similarly, Australian and New Zealand English have few differences, except Australia was originally settled as a penal colony (流放地) and New Zealand was not.

British colonialism has spread English all over the world, and it still holds prestige (影响力) in South Africa, India, and Singapore, among other nations. In South Africa, English became an official language, along with Afrikaans and 9 African languages, in the 1996 constitution (宪法). However, only 3% of the country’s 30 million people are native English speakers. Twenty percent are descendants (后代) of Dutch farmers who speak Afrikaans, and the rest are native Africans.

India became independent from Britain in 1947, and the English language was supposed to be phased out (淘汰) by 1965. However, today English and Hindi are the official languages. Indian English is characterized (具有…的特征) by treating mass nouns as count nouns, frequent use of the “isn’t it?” tag, use of more compounds, and a different use of prepositions. In Singapore, Chinese, Malay and Indian languages have an effect on the form of English spoken. Everyone is taught English in the school system, but there are a few differences from British English as well. Mass nouns are treated as count nouns, “use to” means usually, and no articles (冠词) are used before occupations (职业).

1. Why can people become a US citizen without speaking English?

A．Different languages are spoken in the US.

B．The US doesn’t have an official language.

C．They can speak their own language there.

D．They can learn English there.

2. Compared with Australian English, the English spoken by New Zealanders       .

A．is closer to American English	B．is a kind of old English
C．is very similar in many ways	D．is different from British English

3. What do we know about South Africa?

A．It has 11 different official languages.

B．English is its only official language.

C．20 percent of its people are native English speakers.

D．English is becoming less important there.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The Indians are poor with English grammar.

B．Singaporean English is similar to Indian English.

C．People in Singapore tend to misuse count nouns.

D．English is a required subject in Singaporean schools.