【推荐1】Health is the most important thing in the world. Nothing is more important than health. If one takes away our money, houses, cars or even our clothes, we can still survive.     1     That is why we always try to eat in a healthy way and exercise regularly.

How can we keep healthy? In order to eat healthily, I usually avoid eating food high in fat, like French fries or cookies, which are junk foods.     2     Besides, I only eat little meat.

    3     Taking exercise every day helps us build a strong body. Regular exercise is an important part of keeping me healthy.

What’s more, I think friends are an important part of one’s health.     4     I always feel better when I am with friends than when I am alone. When I am with my friends, I always laugh. Laughing is also an important part of health. It is good to stay with my friends.

By eating properly and exercising regularly, I can keep my body at a proper weight and keep healthy. By spending time with my friends, I can keep my mind as well as my body happy. These things sound easy to do, but not many people can manage them.     5    

A．On the other hand, exercising is very important.

B．Some people appear fat because they often eat too much.

C．But if our health were taken away, we would surely die.

D．I think a strong will is necessary if we want to keep healthy.

E．I eat a lot of vegetables and fresh fruit which are full of vitamins.

F．There are some people who like staying alone, but they keep healthy.

G．Many studies show that people with a narrow range of social contacts often get sick.

【推荐2】Since you are applying for a visa for a short-term study in the USA, here are a few steps you should take to ensure you can do it smoothly.

You can apply for it if you

●do a short course of study in the USA, such as an English language course or a training course.

●do a short period of research as part of a degree course in the USA.

You must prove that you

●have been offered a place on a course in the USA at an accepted place of study.

●have enough money to support yourself without working or help from public funds.

●can pay for your return or onward journey.

●have permission from your parents or guardian to study in the USA if you are under 18.

You must provide

●proof of the course you're studying, for example, a letter of acceptance from the educational institution — an official headed paper; stating the course's name, duration and cost (including accommodation).

●a current passport or other valid travel identification.

●evidence that you can support yourself during your trip, for example, bank statements or payslips for the last 6 months.

●details of where you intend to stay and your travel plans.

●contact details for at least one parent or guardian in your home country if you’re under 18 years old.

You must

●apply online for a short-term study visa.

●have your fingerprints and photograph taken at a visa application centre as part of your application.

●pay £97 for a 6-month visa or £186 for an 11-month visa.

You may

●be allowed to stay an extra 30 days if your total stay in the USA is no more than 6 months.

1. Who is the passage intended for?

A．A graduate to pick up a full time job in the USA.

B．A university professor to teach Chinese in the USA.

C．A high school student to have a short-term travel in the USA.

D．A scholar to conduct a short degree-related research in the USA.

2. What is needed to apply for this kind of visa?

A．Your previous passport.

B．Details of your study plans.

C．A proof of your parents’ support.

D．An official document of your target course.

3. Which is true according to the passage?

A．It is free for a one-year study visa.

B．You need to apply through the Internet.

C．You can extend one-month stay as you please.

D．Your photo must be taken and submitted online.

【推荐2】Research suggests public support for spanking (打屁股) has been falling over the years. But surveys also show that 75 percent to nearly 90 percent of parents admit spanking their child at least once.

I was raised in a zero-tolerance home for disrespect, and my parents often turned to physical punishment. And, no, I don’t feel I was damaged by it.

Nothing is more annoying than watching ill-mannered behavior from children.

But two years ago, Newsweek reported that it had found data suggesting that teens whose parents used physical punishment were more likely to become aggressive.

Murray Straus, professor at the University of New Hampshire in America, has studied the topic of children and spanking for decades. He said that children who were physically punished have lower IQs than their peers. It may be that children with lower IQs were more likely to get spanked, but the punishment may have been counterproductive (反作用的) to their mental development, as well.

Some researchers make the argument that occasional open-handed smacks (用巴掌打) on the bottom are not only harmless but can have some benefit.

Last year, Marjorie Gunnoe, a psychologist at Calvin College, studied teens who have never spanked. There are a greater number of children growing up without ever having been physically punished. Gunnoe’s research suggests they don’t turn out any better than those who were sometimes spank.

There are some parents who simply cannot control their tempers. But I still believe that the best parents are the ones who are able to offer fair and firm discipline without ever turning to physical punishment.

1. What might be the best title of the passage?

A．What makes some parents spank their children?

B．Why spanking is not supported?

C．How should parents teach their children?

D．Should parents hit their children?

2. According to Murray Straus, children who are physically punished ________.

A．are less aggressive toward others when they get older

B．may develop lower IQs than their peer

C．benefit from occasional spanking

D．have slower physical development

3. Which of the following statements is not true according to the article?

A．More than half of the parents admit that they have spanked their children.

B．Children who suffer no physical punishment may not better students.

C．Occasional open-handed spanking on the bottom are mentally harmful.

D．Researchers disagree over whether smacking is mentally harmful to children.

4. The author’s attitude towards the physical punishment is ________.

A．disapproving

B．optimistic

C．objective

D．indifferent

【推荐3】Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music.

Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure to obey a stereotype (陈规旧俗), a US study says.

Boys at single-sex schools were said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that helped develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they had to obey the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.

The findings of the study go against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.

Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warned that boys were being failed by the British education system because it had become too focused on girls. He criticized teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.

The research argued that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female peers do better earlier in speaking and reading skills.

But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, wrote the study’s author, Abigail James, of the University of Virginia.

Teachers could encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have more acute vision learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer the modern type in which violence and sexism are major themes,” James wrote.

Single-sex education also made it less likely that boys would feel they had to obey a stereotype that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys feel forced to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reported.

1. The author believes that a single-sex school would ______.

A．force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men”

B．encourage boys to express their emotions more freely

C．help to cultivate masculine aggressiveness in boys

D．naturally reinforce in boys the traditional image of a man

2. It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys ______.

A．perform relatively better	B．grow up more healthily
C．behave more responsibly	D．receive a better education

3. What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

A．It fails more boys than girls academically.

B．It focuses more on mixed school education.

C．It fails to give boys the attention they need.

D．It places more pressure on boys than on girls.

4. According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is ______.

A．teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys

B．boys can focus on their lessons without being distracted

C．boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in

D．teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit

5. Which of the following is characteristic of boys according to Abigail James’ report?

A．They enjoy being in charge.	B．They obey stereotypes.
C．They are violent and sexist.	D．They have sharper vision.