【推荐1】“Tooth loss and gum disease, which is inflammation (发炎) of the tissue around the teeth that can cause shrinkage (萎缩) of the gums and loosening of the teeth, are very common, so evaluating a potential link with brain diseases is incredibly important. Our study found that these conditions may play a role in the health of the brain area that controls thinking and memory, giving people another reason to take better care of their teeth,” said study author Satoshi Yamaguchi, Ph.D. of Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.

The study involved 172 people with an average age of 67 who did not have memory problems at the beginning of the study. Researchers found that the number of teeth and amount of gum disease was linked to changes in the left hippocampus of the brain. For people with mild gum disease, having fewer teeth was associated with a faster rate of brain shrinkage, which was the same for people with severe gum disease having more teeth. After adjusting for age, researchers found that for people with mild gum disease, the increase in the rate of brain shrinkage due to one less tooth was equal to nearly one year of brain aging. By contrast, for people with severe gum disease, the increase in brain shrinkage due to one more tooth was equal to 1.3 years of brain aging.

“These results highlight the importance of preserving the health of the teeth and not just maintaining the teeth,” Yamaguchi said. Though the study does not prove that gum disease or tooth loss causes diseases like Alzheimer’s, it only shows an association. Yamaguchi added, “Future studies are needed with larger groups of people.” The current experiment involved only a small group of people in one region of Japan, and that too from one particular region of the world.

1. What does Satoshi Yamaguchi’s research focus on?

A．The reason for gum disease.

B．The influence of brain shrinkage.

C．The advances in memory improvement.

D．The link between dental health and brain.

2. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．Supporting evidence for the research results.

B．Basic theories and results of a previous research.

C．A further explanation of the research methods.

D．The detailed procedures of the scientific research.

3. What does Yamaguchi suggest people do?

A．Treat a brain problem with replacing teeth.

B．Frequently visit the dentists to maintain teeth.

C．Protect gums and teeth in their original good state.

D．Pull out one of their unique teeth as a study object.

4. What probably can be involved in the follow-up study?

A．The application in related fields.

B．The further research in wider range.

C．The difficulties of making the previous studies.

D．The suggestions for preventing teeth disease.

【推荐2】Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit- -and that can be a very annoying thing.     1    Read on for some techniques worth trying.

1.     2    

People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer’s disease (早老性痴呆症)，according to a recent study.     3    Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There’s evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

2. Go for a walk.

Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain.     4    

3. Learn something new.

Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time.     5    Or go dancing with your friends.

A．Focus on the future.

B．This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C．It should be something like learning gardening.

D．So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.

E．But don’t worry if your schedule isn’t filled with life changing events.

F．Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments

G．In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.

【推荐3】Many people experience problems with their spine(脊椎) as they age. The tissue that protects the joints in the spine gradually breaks down. As a consequence, the bones, in the spine begin to rub against each other. This further harms that issue as well as the bones. The result is pain in the joints and, sometimes, in nerves near the spine

This painful problem is actually a disease called osteoporosis. Some people are more at risk of osteoporosis because of genes that they inherited from their ancestors. Extremely heavy people are also more likely to suffer from this disease because their extra weight puts much pressure on their joints. Fortunately, there are steps that people can take to help prevent osteoporosis from developing in their spine.

The most important step is exercise. Stretches can help the muscles around the spine relax and allow bones to shift into better alignment(排列), Strength exercises with light weights or bodyweight exercises like pushups can also help by strengthening the muscles around the spine. However, people should not overdo these exercises as repeated motions can strain the muscles around the spine. Trying to lift heavy weights with poor technique can have the same effect.

Another important factor is diet. It affects the health of spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. These include B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids, all of which helps keep nerves healthy. People can get more B vitamin and omega 3 fatty acids by taking supplements sold by stores. Another important factor is vitamin D. which is essential for strong bones. All of these vitamins and acids can be obtained from food. Thus people can help themselves by including them in their daily diets

1. What does this article mainly explain?

A．Various aspects of a medical condition.

B．The actions of viruses that cause illnesses.

C．Drugs often used to solve the physical issue.

D．The location of organs in the human body.

2. How does the writer begin this article?

A．By predicting improvement.

B．By analyzing a series of data.

C．By introducing minor injuries.

D．By describing a gradual process

3. What can readers find in this article?

A．A warning about working out too hard.

B．A method for improving sleep quality.

C．A slogan used to promote health classes.

D．A big criticism often aimed at doctors.

4. What does the article imply about supplement?

A．They are mainly for youngsters.

B．They are commercial products.

C．They are now being researched.

D．They are seldom truly effective

【推荐1】The character "duang" is so new that it does not even exist in the Chinese dictionary.
But it has already spread like wildfire online in China, appearing more than 8 million times on China's micro-blog site Weibo, where it spawned a top-trending hashtag that drew 312,000 discussions among 15 ,000 users.   On China's biggest online search engine Baidu,it has been looked up almost 600,000 times.   It's been noticed in the west, too.

But what does it mean? "Everyone's duang-ing and I still don't know what it means! Looks like it's back to school for me," said Weibo user Weileiweito. Another user asked, “Have you duang-ed today? My mind is full of duang duang duang.’’‘‘To duang or not to duang, that is the question," wrote user BaiKut automan.

“Duang"seems to be an example of onomatopoeia（拟声词），a word that phonetically imitates a sound.   It all seems to have started with Hong Kong action star Jackie Chan, who in 2004 was featured in a shampoo commercial where he said famously defended his sleek（光亮的）,   black hair using the 'rhythmical-sounding "duang".   The word resurfaced again recently after Chan posted it on his Weibo page. Thousands of users then began to flood Chan's Weibo page with comments, coirung the word in reference to his infamous shampoo appearance.

The word appears to have many different meamngs, and there's no perfect translation, but you could use it as an adjective to give emphasis to the word that follows it. A kitten might be "duang cute", for example.   Or you might be "very duang confused" by this blog.

For readers of Chinese characters, the Jackie Chan theme is also apparent from the quirky way in which the word is written:a combination of Chan's Mandarin names.

1. What does Paragraph l mainly talk about?

A．Many countries use the word "duang".

B．Debates arise online about the word "duang".

C．Chinese dictionaries will contain a new character.

D．The word "duang" is used very often on the Internet.

2. From what the persons mentioned in Paragraph 2 said, we can learn          ．

A．“duang"is popular among students

B．young users can use "duang" freely

C．using "duang" is recognized as afashion

D．different people have their own understanding of“duang"

3. Why did Jackie Chan use the word "duang"in 2004?

A．To invent a new character.

B．To advertise for an action film.

C．To show off his good hair in an ad.

D．To ask his fans to flood his Weibo page.

4. The underlined word "quirky" in the last paragraph probably means“        ”．

A．unusual

B．modem

C．perfect

D．quick

【推荐2】Feet help us walk, run, dance, and jump. The words feet and foot are also used in everyday speech.

To be under someone’s feet means to be troublesome. In other words, you are standing too close to someone and are getting in their way. Some adults criticize (批评) children for being under foot.

Speaking of children, if someone says their home will soon have the pitter-patter of tiny feet, it means the family is expecting a baby!

Now, people who are active do not let grass grow under their feet. They are never in one place for very long. People who can think and take action at the same time are said to be able to think on their feet.

Some people appear to have it all. They have money, a good education, good looks, a great family and a large circle of friends. You could say they have the world at their feet. This means whatever they want seems to be there for them.

People who have both feet firmly on the ground are realistic and practical. They are not dreamy. You might say such a person is well grounded. If you are a bad dancer, you might be described as having two left feet. To dance well, it is better to have a right foot and a left foot.

Sam loves skiing. He thinks that it would be fun to own a ski resort (滑雪场) high in the mountains. But he knows nothing about running a business. So, he decides to get his feet wet. In other words, he wants to get used to a new situation.

He joins an organization for resort owners and attends their meetings. He travels to ski areas all over the United States. This helps Sam get his foot in the door. Having a foot in the door is a starting point. This expression comes from people selling things door-to-door. They would block the door with their foot so people couldn’t close the door on them.

1. What would you say to someone who is “under your feet”？

A．Oh, I’m terribly sorry.

B．Take off your feet!

C．Sorry for the trouble.

D．Excuse me, you are in the way.

2. Which of the following describes people who keep moving about?

A．They are always under foot.

B．They can think on their feet.

C．They have the pitter-patter of tiny feet.

D．They never let grass grow under their feet.

3. What should you try to avoid if you want to succeed in doing something?

A．Having two left feet.

B．Getting your feet wet.

C．Getting your foot in the door.

D．Having both feet firmly on the ground.

4. What do we know about Sam’s new business?

A．It’s a big success.	B．It’s not started yet.
C．It lies high in the mountains.	D．It opens only in winter.

5. What may be the best title for the passage?

A．Use your feet properly.	B．Feet help us walk and run.
C．How to be a good dancer.	D．Ready for a new business.

【推荐3】Although English is not as old as Chinese, it is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always creating new words, and we are often able to know where most words come from.

Sometimes, however, no one may really know where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburger. They did not speak good English, but they ate good food. When some Americans saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered. “We came from Hamburger.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of beef like those which the men from Hamburger ate. Then he put each between two pieces of bread and started selling them. Such bread came to be called “ hamburgers”. Today “hamburgers” are sold in many countries around the world.

Whether this story is true or not, it is certainly interesting. Knowing why any word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason, for most English words, can be found in any large English dictionary.

1. According to the writer, English is________ .

A．as old as Chinese	B．older than German
C．not so old as Chinese	D．very difficult to learn

2. About a hundred years ago, Hamburg is________.

A．a kind of food	B．a round piece of beef
C．the name of a village	D．the name of a city in Germany

3. Which of the following can often be found in any large English dictionary based on para. 3?

A．Where all the words come from

B．Where those Germans came from

C．The reason why a word has a certain meaning.

D．The reason why English is spoken around the world

【推荐2】Spring is coming, and it is time for those about to graduate to look for jobs. Competition is tough, so job seekers must carefully consider their personal choices. Whatever we are wearing，our family and friends may accept us, but the workplace may not.

A high school newspaper editor said it is unfair for companies to discourage visible tattoos (纹身）nose rings, or certain dress styles. It is true you can’t judge a book by its cover, yet people do “cover” themselves in order to convey certain messages. What we wear, including tattoos and nose rings, is an expression of who we are. Just as people convey messages about themselves with their appearances, so do companies. Dress standards exist in the business world for a number of reasons, but the main concern is often about what customers accept.

Others may say how to dress is a matter of personal freedom, but for businesses it is more about whether to make or lose money. Most employers do care about the personal appearances of their employees ,because those people represent the companies to their customers.

As a hiring manager I am paid to choose the people who would make the best impression on our customers. There are plenty of well-qualified candidates, so it is not wrong to reject someone who might disappoint my customers. Even though I am open-minded, I can’t expect all our customers are.

There is nobody to blame but yourself if your set of choices does not match that of your preferred employer. No company should have to change to satisfy a candidate simply because he or she is unwilling to respect its standards, as long as its standards are legal.

1. Which of the following is the newspaper editor’ opinion according to Paragraph 2?

A．People’s appearances carry messages about themselves.

B．Customers’ choices influence dress standards in companies.

C．Candidates with tattoos or nose rings should be fairly treated.

D．Strange dress styles should not be encouraged in the workplace.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Candidates have to wear what companies prefer for an interview.

B．What to wear is not a matter of personal choice for companies.

C．Companies sometimes have to change to respect their candidates.

D．Hiring managers make the best impression on their candidates.

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Employees Matter	B．Personal Choices Matter
C．Appearances Matter	D．Hiring Managers Matter