【推荐1】Are you sometimes stressed? Singing is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It is beneficial mainly in the following three aspects.

Physical Benefits

    1     This is especially recommended for the elders and those who have some form of disability in their voice. However, it is important to find a capable instructor to employ good singing techniques so as not to further damage vocal cords (声带) or lungs.

Singing also helps to improve your posture (姿势). Most people think that singing begins and ends with their mouth.     2     Singing practice will get you used to the proper body position of standing and help you form the good habit of standing straight.

Emotional Benefits

Singing helps in reducing your depression and lowering your stress level. When you sing, your body releases chemicals that make you feel happy, easing the tension and helping you to relax.     3    

Social Benefits

The social benefits of singing are huge.     4     So people who suffer from stage fright are advised to sing in front of family and friends before a live performance.

Singing is also very good for improving your communication skills. It is said that singing to babies helps to prepare their brains for language and may lessen the risk of language problems later in life.     5     The time spent in group singing, whether in a choir or at karaoke, creates a deep and lasting bond of friendship.

A．Try to regain your memory by singing.

B．First, it can help build up your confidence greatly.

C．When you sing, you can give your lungs a workout.

D．Singing helps you to strengthen your immune system.

E．For adults, singing also enlarges your circle of friends.

F．In fact, the position of each body part affects your voice.

G．So, start to sing your favorite song next time you are feeling upset.

【推荐2】Speaking in public is most people’s least favorite thing. The reason is that we are all afraid of making fools of ourselves.     1    

But stop biting your finger-nails. Public speaking is easy. It’s just plain talking, and you talk all the time. Although I’m basically shy (honest!), I’ve been making speeches and talking on radio and television for more than 30 years, and I can tell you that public speaking is not a “gift” like musical talent.     2     Here are some of the lessons I have learned:

Your audience is going to come away with one or two of your main ideas. One or two. Not ten or 20.     3     And if you don’t have a clear idea of what you want to say, there’s no way your audience will.     4    —how you are going to open, what major points you want to make and how you’re going to close.

When I do a radio or TV piece, I often write the last sentence first.     5     A strong close is critical: the last thing you say is what your audience will most likely remember.

The standard length of a vaudeville (杂耍) act is usually 12 minutes. If all those performers singing and dancing their hearts out couldn’t go on longer without boring the audience, what makes you think you can?

A．Some people are born to be good at making speeches.

B．Anybody who can talk can speak in public.

C．Try to relax yourself before making the speech.

D．The more important the speech is, the more frightened we become.

E．If you can’t express in a sentence or two what you intend to get across, then your speech is not focused well enough.

F．When you know where you’re headed, you can choose any route to get there.

G．No matter how long or short your speech is, you’ve got to get your ducks in a row.

【推荐3】How does a place become a World Heritage Site (世界遗产)? It takes a lot of people to decide.

First, if a country wants one of its places to be on the List of World Heritage Sites, it has to ask the UNESCO (联合国教科文组织). The place must be important and special. The UNESCO put the Great Wall on the list in 1987 because, it said, it was a great part of Chinese culture and beautifully made to go with the land. When a country asks, it must also make a plan for taking care of the place.

Second, the World Heritage Committee of the UNESCO talks about different places and decides whether to put them on the list. The committee meets every June. Many experts help the committee to decide.

Third, after a new place goes on the list, the UNESCO gives money to help keep it looking good. If a place is in serious danger, it may be put on the List of World Heritage in Danger. The UNESCO gives special care and help to those places.

Then, countries have to give the UNESCO regular reports about places on the list. If the UNESCO thinks a country isn’t taking good enough care of a place, the site will be taken off the list.

1. What can we infer from the passage?

A．Becoming a World Heritage Site takes hard work.

B．A place with beautiful scenery is often on the List of World Heritage Sites.

C．A place which is taken good care of is often on the List of World Heritage Sites.

D．The Great Wall became a World Heritage Site for its long history.

2. If a place successfully becomes a World Heritage Site, the country ________.

A．can ask the UNESCO for more money and help

B．should continue to take special care of it

C．won’t take trouble to care for it

D．will try to put it on the List of World Heritage in Danger

3. What’s the passage mainly discussing?

A．How the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO decides a World Heritage Site.

B．How the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO protects a World Heritage Site.

C．How the Great Wall became a World Heritage Site.

D．How a place becomes a World Heritage Site.

4. What’s the purpose of putting a place on the List of World Heritage Sites?

A．To attract more tourists from other countries.

B．To get more money and help from other countries.

C．To have it taken better care of.

D．To make it known to other countries.