【推荐1】One of the most striking findings of a newly research in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves? It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for money or status. A man doesn’t expect his wife to be in sole (唯一的) charge of running his household and raising his children.

But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago, your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster (牡蛎), you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are raised to an unmanageable degree: good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and right socks. There is no room for error in the first impression.

We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn’t, it should be ended. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don’t put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

1. What is a contemporary family like in UK today?

A．Couples share the burdens.

B．Men begin to depend on women.

C．Women are responsible for housework.

D．It is difficult to take care of a family.

2. Why do people preserve their independence?

A．To live alone happily.

B．To have more choices.

C．To avoid marriages.

D．To ignore traditions.

3. What makes it hard for people to date?

A．Mental headache in dating.

B．The pressure to survive.

C．Bad luck in finding a partner.

D．The faith between life partners.

4. What is the author trying to inform us in this text?

A．Perfect marriages conflict with independence.

B．People should spend more money on marriages.

C．The expectations and reality separate the lovers.

D．Independence is much more important than love.

【推荐2】“One of the reasons I find this topic very interesting is because my mom was a smoker when I was younger.” says Lindson-Hawley, who studies tobacco and health at the University of Oxford.

By studying about 700 adult smokers, she found out that her mom quit the right way—by stopping abruptly and completely.

In her study, participants were randomly assigned to two groups. One had to quit abruptly on a given day, going from about a pack a day to zero. The other cut down gradually over the course of two weeks. People in both groups used nicotine(尼古丁) patches before they quit, in addition to a second form of nicotine replacement, like gum or spray. They also had talk therapy with a nurse before and after quit day.

Six months out, more people who had quit abruptly had stuck with it—more than one-fifth of them, compared to about one-seventh in the other group. Although these numbers appear low, it is much higher than if people try without support.

And the quit rates were particularly convincing given that before the study started, most of the people had said they’d rather cut down gradually before quitting. “If you’re training for a marathon, you wouldn’t expect to turn up and just be able to run it. And I think people see that for smoking as well. They think, “Well, if I gradually reduce, it’s like practice.” “says Lindson-Hawley. But that wasn’t the case. Instead of giving people practice, the gradual reduction likely gave them cravings(瘾) and withdrawal symptoms before they even reached quit day, which could be why fewer people in that group actually made it to that point. “Regardless of your stated preference, if you’re ready to quit, quitting abruptly is more effective.” says Dr. Gabriela Ferreira.“When you can quote a specific number like a fifth of the patients were able to quit, that’s convincing. It gives them the encouragement, I think, to really go for it.”Ferreira says.

People rarely manage to quit the first time they try. But at least, she says, they can maximize the odds of success.

1. What does Lindson-Hawley say about her mother?

A．She quit smoking with her daughter’s help.

B．She studied the smoking patterns of adult smokers.

C．She was also a researcher of tobacco and health.

D．She succeeded in quitting smoking abruptly.

2. What kind of support did smokers receive to quit smoking in Lindson-Hawley’s study?

A．They were offered nicotine replacements.

B．They were looked after by physicians.

C．They were encouraged by psychologists.

D．They were given physical training.

3. How does Dr. Gabriela Ferreira view the result of Lindson-Hawley’s experiment?

A．It is unexpected.	B．It is idealized.
C．It is encouraging.	D．It is misleading.

4. The idea of “a marathon” (Para.5) illustrates the popular belief that quitting smoking

A．is a challenge at the beginning	B．needs some practice first
C．requires a lot of patience	D．is something few can accomplish

5. What happens when people try to quit smoking gradually?

A．They feel much less pain in the process.	B．They are simply unable to make it.
C．They show fewer withdrawal symptoms.	D．They find it even more difficult.

【推荐3】Last night, I found my mother sit with her legs crossed on the sofa, looking through her iPhone with her glasses. This is not the first time I have caught her like this. My father once tapped (敲) away on his phone with a serious look on his face, saying the “I’ll be with you shortly” line. I have learned by now that this is to tell me to leave him alone for the next 10 minutes. Although they don’t like admitting it, both of my parents                    couldn’t go without their phones as I do.

Growing up, we are repeatedly reminded that we are those who prefer to text our friends in the same room rather than make eye contact with them. We are ruining the English language because we like using heart-eyes emojis (表情符号) instead of spelling it out. And even though I can recognize myself as a social media (媒体) addict, I think parents should at least consider that not only the young generation (代), but also they like phones.

I get upset when I receive the “I’ll be with you shortly” line from a parent. But, at the same time, leaving the room to wait until my father is finished with his “serious business” has now become the norm.

Whether you want to escape your noisy children for a while, or want to stay up late tapping through Twitter, all of these are common. But you should fully understand it. We—your children—know how addictive it can be and how difficult it is to turn it off. So before calling us out and telling us to “put our phones away at the table” or even worse, saying how damaging social media can be to us, maybe you should lead by example and consider how much time you spend on the phone as well as how this is influencing your children and your relationship with them. Maybe in this way we can work on our addiction together.

1. What can we learn about the author’s parents?

A．They become addicted to phones like him.

B．They’ve been forced to use phones by him.

C．They like buying their phones online at home.

D．They often communicate with him by phone.

2. What is the young generation’s weakness according to paragraph 2?

A．Having fewer chances to learn social skills.

B．Failing to express themselves in a right way.

C．Getting angry easily when facing their parents.

D．Giving up the ways of communicating directly.

3. What does the underlined word “norm” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Fixed tradition.	B．Accepted behavior.
C．Expected decision.	D．Unforgettable experience.

4. What advice is given to parents in the last paragraph?

A．Behaving well in front of children.	B．Putting the phones away at the table.
C．Taking more time to stay with children.	D．Having good communication with children.

【推荐1】During the rosy years of elementary school (小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.

Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.

Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage (从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”

In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys (调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status has just the opposite effect on us.”

Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date --- sharing, kindness, openness — carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.

In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage,” he said.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The classification of the popular.

B．The characteristics of adolescents.

C．The importance of interpersonal skills.

D．The causes of dishonorable behavior.

2. What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?

A．They appeared to be aggressive.

B．They tended to be more adaptable

C．They enjoyed the highest status.

D．They performed well academically.

3. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last

B．The Higher the Status, the Better

C．Be the Best—You Can Make It

D．More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness

【推荐2】Think about a remote control. Something so simple in function is seemingly capable of invisible magic to most of us. Only few have any real idea of why a remote control works. The rest of us just assume it should. And the longer a given technology exits, the more we take it for granted.

Consider for a moment a screen showing modern remote control users versus the first remote control users： the original users would be carefully aiming the remote directly at the television, reading the names of the buttons, and intentionally pressing the button. The modern users would be leaning on a sofa, pointing the remote any which way, and instinctively feeling for the button they desired.

Humans are known for being handy with tools, so it is no surprise that we get so comfortable with our technology. However, as we become increasingly comfortable with how to use new technologies, rather than being humbled by is originality, we consumers often become unfairly demanding of what our technology should do for us Once wonderful new inventions （such as televisions） quickly became commonplace. The focus of consumer attitudes towards them changed from gratitude with respect to discriminating preference. Televisions needed to be bigger and have a higher resolution. Video games needed to be more realistic. Computers needed to be more powerful yet smaller in size.

For children of the last twenty years born into this modern life, these technological wonders seem like elements of the periodic （周期的） table： a given aspect that is simply part of the universe. Younger generations don't even try to imagine life without modern conveniences. They do not appreciate the unprecedented （史无前例的） technology that is in their possession； rather, they complain about the ways in which it fails to live up to ideal expectations. "My digital video recorder at home doesn't allow me to program it from my computer at work. "

If it sounds as though were never satisfied, we aren't. Of course our complaints do actually motivate engineers to continually refine their products. After all, the expectation is that someone, somewhere is working on how to make the existing product even better.

1. What can we infer from paragraph 2？

A．Modern remote controls have no button and instructions.

B．Consumers' behavior towards new technologies changes over time.

C．Remote controls have become far more effective over the years.

D．Modern remote controls are designed more user﹣friendly.

2. What best fit into consumers' "discriminating preference"？

A．Less realistic video games.

B．Wanting to make sacrifices.

C．Needing to understand technology.

D．More powerful smartphones.

3. What does the underlined statement in paragraph 4 mean？

A．The inspiration of modern technology comes from chemistry.

B．Younger generation loam technology while they learn chemistry.

C．Children naturally take modern technology for granted.

D．Children regard many technological inventions as remarkable.

4. The tone of the passage can best be described as .

A．blessing

B．approving

C．satisfied

D．critical

【推荐3】When we give our kids holiday gifts, many of us can’t wait to hear their appreciative cries of“thank you!”once the wrapping gets ripped off. But here’s a tip: You’d be wise not to expect much gratitude from them for what they receive.
Gratitude can make us happier, healthier, and even fitter. But do the kids show their gratitude for the stuff we buy them? All the research I’ve done has convinced me that it won’t happen. One mom told me that when she asked her 16-year-old son to thank her for buying him a cellphone, he said, “But that’s what moms should do.” From a teenager’s angle, it’s a parent’s responsibility to take care of the family. According to Dunham, Yale’s assistant professor of psychology, “When teenagers code it that way, a gift is no longer something given freely and voluntarily”—it’s just mom and dad living up to their obligation.
Parents do have the right to demand good manners and children should thank sincerely whoever gives them something. But kids can’t know how blessed they are unless they have a basis for comparison. And they don’t learn that by a parent complaining that they’re ungrateful. We need to give our children the gift of a wider world view. Show by example that gratitude isn’t aboutstuff—which ultimately can’t make any of us happy anyway.It’s about realizing how lucky you are and paying your good fortune forward.
You can collect all the charitable appeals and sit down together with the kids to go through them. You set the budget for giving and the kids decide how it’s distributed. Once the conversation about gratitude gets started, it’s much easier to continue all year. Also you can set up a family routine at bedtime where kids describe three things that have made them grateful. When kids go off to college, you can text them a picture each week of something that inspires your appreciation.
Teaching children to focus on the positive and appreciate the good in their lives is perhaps the greatest gift we can give them. And we can all learn together that the things that really matter aren’t on sale at a department store.
1. How do children respond when receiving gifts from their parents?

A．They show no interest in their parents’ gifts.

B．They can’t wait to open their parents’ gifts.

C．They show much gratitude to their parents for the gifts.

D．They take their parents’ gifts for granted.

2. To make children grateful for what they have, parents should _________.

A．live up to their obligation

B．ask their children to have good manners

C．teach their children by setting an example

D．complain their children are ungrateful

3. What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?

A．No gifts are greater than teaching children to be positive and grateful.

B．Children ought to realize how lucky they are to have considerate parents.

C．Children are supposed to decide how to distribute their own money

D．It is easy for parents to start the conversation about gratitude.

4. What’s the purpose of the author writing this text?

A．To explain the reason why children offer no gratitude to their parents.

B．To give advice to parents on how to help children develop gratitude.

C．To encourage parents to do things together with their children.

D．To remind parents of their responsibility to educate their children.

【推荐1】The key to losing weight is to understand what really drive you to do so. Have you ever been excited about losing a few pounds? If so, you must find a way to turn that excitement into determination.     1    

Ask questions. When you’re researching different dieting products and plans or even talking to a doctor about diets, ask as many questions as you can.     2     Ask questions like: Do I have to buy special meals or supplements? Does the program include a part to help me maintain my weight loss?

Get real. Losing one to two pounds a week is a realistic goal.     3     Remember, large amounts of weight loss are not realistic and are most likely not safe or healthy. Talk with your health care professional to determine a healthy weight goal.

Stay balanced.     4     Just 30 minutes of fast walking in most days can take about 10 pounds off your weight each year.

    5     It’s important to track your weight on any diet or weight loss plan, but don’t get on the scale every day. Weighing daily won’t show you the big picture. Once a week is fine.

A．Weigh yourself weekly.

B．Stick with your healthy eating plan.

C．Don’t burden yourself with unrealistic expectations.

D．Being well-informed will help you choose the best diet for you.

E．And to keep your weight under control, you need some strategies.

F．Regular weight check-ins will show you your progress over time.

G．To maintain your weight, you must balance your intake of calories with the energy your burn off.

【推荐2】Restricting meals to early in the day did not affect weight among overweight adults with prediabetes or diabetes(糖尿病), according to a research presented at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2020.

“We have wondered for a long time if when one eats during the day affects the way the body uses and stores energy,” said study author Nisa M. Maruthur, associate professor of medicine in Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. “Most previous studies have not controlled the number of calories, so it wasn't clear if people who ate earlier just ate fewer calories. In this study, the only thing we changed was the time of eating in the day.”

Maruthur and colleagues followed 41 overweight adults in a 12-week study. Most participants(参与者)（90%）were African American women with prediabetes or diabetes, and average age of 59 years. Twenty-one of the adults followed a time-restricted eating pattern, limiting eating to specific hours of the day and ate 80% of their calories before 1 pm. The remaining 20 participants ate at usual times during a 12-hour window, consuming half of their daily calories after 5 pm for the entire 12 weeks. All participants consumed the same pre-prepared, healthy meals provided for the study. Weight and blood pressure were measured at the beginning of the study；then at 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.

The analysis found that people in both groups lost weight and had decreased blood pressure no matter when they ate. "We thought that the time-restricted group would lose more weight,” Maruthur said. “Yet that didn't happen. We did not see any difference in weight loss for those who ate most of their calories earlier versus later in the day. We did not see any effects on blood pressure either.”

The researchers are now collecting more detailed information on blood pressure recorded over 24 hours, and they will bring this information together with the results of a study on the effects of time-restricted feeding on blood sugar, insulin(胰岛素)and other hormones and making analyses on the data. "Together, these findings will help us to more fully understand the effects of time-restricted eating on cardiometabolic(心血管代谢)health," Maruthur said.

1. What made this study different from earlier ones?

A．Participants' age.	B．Participants' daily eating time
C．The number of participants.	D．Research members.

2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Research procedure.	B．Research result.
C．Research purpose.	D．Research institution.

3. What do we know from Maruthur's words in paragraph 4?

A．Blood pressure is connected with eating time.

B．Taking in less calories earlier makes for weight loss.

C．Eat calories earlier doesn't affect weight loss.

D．Eating time determines your effect of losing weight.

4. What may the researchers do next according to the last paragraph?

A．Stop research.	B．Announce findings.
C．Write essays.	D．Analyze data.

【推荐3】Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically（心理上的）and physically.
Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.
On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don’t have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.
The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(营养成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.
Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.
1. From Paragraph 1, we learn that ________.

A．diet products fail to bring out people’s potential

B．people are fed up with diet products

C．people have difficulty in choosing diet products

D．diet products are misleading people

2. One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to _____.

A．hesitate before they enjoy diet foods

B．pay attention to their own eating habits

C．watch their weight rather than their diet

D．try out a variety of diet foods

3. The purpose of writing this passage is _________.

A．to warn people of the side effect of diet products

B．to tell people how to lose weight

C．to advise people to eat diet products

D．to introduce some diet products

4. Which of the following shows the structure（结构） of the passage?
CP: Central Point          P: Point            Sp: Sub-point(次要点)     C: Conclusion

A．	B．
C．	D．