【推荐2】Tips for Staying Sharp

It’s not abnormal to feel out of it from time to time or perhaps you’re feeling a bit sluggish(迟钝的)when it comes to remembering things. If you’re worried about your forgetfulness, try out these five tips to stay sharp.

    1    

You’ve probably heard the term “you are what you eat.” If you decide to eat sugary foods that are heavy with fats then expect to feel lazy and have no energy. But if you decide to eat fruits, vegetables and make other healthy eating decisions you’ll find that you’re full of energy.

Never stop learning

Challenge yourself constantly---whether it is puzzles, reading, cooking or other tasks that will keep your mind working. If your mind is always learning new things and active, you’ll realize that it’s much easier for you to learn new things and to function.    2    

Stay fit

Being in good health and staying in shape is a big part of staying sharp.    3    If you choose to be lazy then your body is not going to give you the energy that requires remembering things and completing tasks. However, if you put forth the effort into being health then your body will expel(释放)the energy you need to achieve your goals.

Ensure enough sleep

Be sure to get the necessary amount of sleep that your body needs to function on a daily basis.    4    It also helps your body build up an energy reserve so you can improve your ability to focus and avoid distractions.

Socialize more

    5     Social interaction will help you develop multitasking, problem solving and other skills that are necessary in life to keep your mind sharp.

A．Feed your brain

B．Avoid eating too much

C．Your body will only give you what you put into it

D．Lack of sleep contributes to tiredness and slow reaction

E．Conversations require individuals to stay aware and active

F．According to studies, sleep helps strengthen and recover your memories

G．Remember you brain is a muscle and if you want to get the most out of it, you must use it

【推荐3】Our love of music and appreciation of musical harmony (和声) is learnt and not based on natural ability, a new study by University of Melbourne researchers has found. The researchers said previous theories about how we appreciate music were based on the physical functions of sound, the ear itself and a born ability to hear harmony.
The study shows that musical harmony can be learnt, and it is a matter of training the brain to hear the sounds. So if you thought that the music of some foreign culture (or Jazz) sounded like the crying of cats, it’s simply because you haven’t learnt to listen by their rules.
The researchers used 66 volunteers with a range of (一系列的) musical training and tested their ability to hear combinations (组合) of notes (音符) to determine if they found the combinations familiar or pleasing. They found that people needed to be familiar with combinations of notes. If they couldn’t recognize the notes, they found the notes dissonant. This finding put an end to centuries of theories claiming (声称) that physical functions of the ear determine what we find attractive.
The study found that trained musicians were much more sensitive (敏感的) to unpleasant notes than non-musicians. When they couldn’t find the note, the musicians reported that the sounds were unpleasant, while non-musicians were much less sensitive. This shows the importance of training or nurturing (培养) the brain to like particular sound of combinations of notes, like those found in jazz or rock.
Depending on their training, a strange chord (和弦) sound was pleasant to some musicians, but very unpleasant to others. This showed us that even the ability to hear a musical note is learnt.
To confirm (证实) this finding, they trained 19 non-musicians to find the notes of a random (随机的) selection of western chords. Not only did the participants’ ability to hear notes improve rapidly; the chords they had learnt sounded more pleasant—regardless of (不论) how the chords were played.
The question of why some combinations of musical notes are heard as pleasant or unpleasant has long been debated. “ We have shown in this study that for music, beauty is in the brain of the beholder(观看者),” a researcher said.
1. According to the passage, why do people sometimes find foreign music quite unpleasant?

A．Because they don’t like the person playing the music.

B．Because they have no talent for music at all.

C．Because they have no idea about how to listen.

D．Because they hear music too often.

2. The underlined word “dissonant” in Paragraph 3 probably means ___________.

A．informal	B．unpleasant
C．inspiring	D．unfamiliar

3. Although non-musicians were less sensitive to music, they can still _______.

A．find the beauty of chords without training

B．enjoy the beauty of music when played by musicians

C．be trained to like particular music

D．make friends with real musicians

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Improve Your Brain By Listening to Music

B．You Can Be a Musician Without Being Trained

C．Music Can’t be Taught

D．Love of Music Is Not Natural But Nurture

【推荐1】When I tell people I attended an all-girls school since age 4, I'm met with expressions of either confusion, shock, curiosity or some combination of the three. I get the same responses:   Why? Was it horrible? But how did you meet boys?

Contrary to what many people immediately assume, judging from their looks of sympathy, I really enjoyed going to an all-girls school. Going to a single-sex school shaped me in many valuable ways and allowed me to build amazing friendships.

When it comes to single-sex education, I reject the idea that being in a single-sex environment makes one unable to interact with members of the opposite sex later in life.   Contrary to this popular belief, everyone I knew at my school and other single-sex schools not only knew how to interact smoothly with members of the opposite sex, but they were also able to form actual friendships with those people outside of school time. Although the majority of my close friends were girls, I didn't get away from the outside world. Being in a single-sex environment also encouraged me to make more friends outside of school. These experiences gave me invaluable skills, many of which I have used in my first few weeks here at Stanford in making friends and building relationships.

Another common belief about all-girls schools in particular is the presence of unfriendly behavior between students. There are unavoidably conflicts in all schools at some points, but I never noticed a connection between single-sex schools and much disagreement. I would say that conflicts don't depend on whether you're at a single-sex or not, but rather on the personalities of the people you surround yourself with.

I will be forever grateful for the experiences I had and the relationships I formed in my all-girls school environment, but I'm equally so happy to be where I am now, experiencing new things everyday and growing more and more in the process.

1. What does the author intend to do in paragraph l?

A．Lead in to the topic.

B．Ask readers some questions.

C．Summarize people's responses.

D．Provide background information.

2. What does the underlined phrase “this popular belief” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Students in single-sex schools can’t make new friends.

B．Students in single-sex schools can't get along well with others.

C．Students in single-sex schools can't have the right concept of sex.

D．Students in single-sex schools can't communicate with the opposite sex.

3. According to the author, what causes conflicts in schools?

A．Single-sex environment.	B．Disagreement.
C．People's character.	D．Mixed-sex environment.

4. What does the author think of all-girls schools?

A．They have beautiful environment.

B．They have more friendly students.

C．They are better than ordinary schools.

D．They offer students valuable experiences.

【推荐2】A United Nations report warns that technology in classrooms may not help as much as many believe. The report suggests that technology should be used less in schools, and that smartphones should be banned (禁止) from classrooms.

The goal of the report was to improve how technology is used in education. The report says that technology can be helpful, but it shouldn’t be the focus. Instead, technology should be used to support learning.

UNESCO says that technology changes so fast that it’s hard to study how it really affects students. Many of the studies showing that technology helps students come from rich countries.

The report also points out that some of the studies in favor of technology come from companies that sell technology to schools. UNESCO agrees that technology can help in many ways. It can allow students to learn in ways that are more interesting; it can help teachers explain difficult ideas; it can also help students who have special needs. But UNESCO says technology can also be very distracting (使人分心的). When students use phones in class, it can disturb their learning. One study that was carried out in 14 countries showed that even just having a smartphone nearby can be distracting. Even so, UNESCO says that less than 25% of the world’s countries ban phones in schools.

“We need to teach children to live both with and without technology,” said John Smith, the director behind the UNESCO report. The report suggests that the best way to learn is still to work closely with teachers. Working with other classmates also helps students learn. UNESCO says that most schools should spend more money on things like books, classrooms, and teachers.

1. What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Technology should be used less in schools.

B．UNESCO calls for a stop of using technology.

C．Schools should spend more money on education.

D．Smartphones can be very distracting for students

2. What does UNESCO say about the technology in paragraph 3?

A．Schools support companies selling technology.

B．The technology is only good for rich countries.

C．The technology changes too fast to keep track of.

D．Teachers can not explain difficult ideas without technology.

3. What can we learn from the fourth paragraph?

A．Smartphones are important for school lessons.

B．Most countries do not allow smartphones in class.

C．Keeping a smartphone close is not a distraction at all.

D．Smartphones might make it hard for students to focus.

4. What’s John Smith’s attitude to the technology in schools?

A．Positive.

B．Objective.

C．Uninterested.

D．Negative.

【推荐3】A person once told me that a quick way to know if you are in the right job is to count the number of good and bad days that you have at your current job. If the good days outweigh the bad days by a long shot, then you are probably in the right place.

While I like that as a quick test, it does not get at the heart of the matter. Is this the right job for me now and in the future? I think it takes time, introspection (内省) and willingness to ask yourself difficult questions to know if you are in the right job.

Here are a few suggested questions that can help you evaluate whether your current job is fit for you. How motivated are you to do the work every day? Are you passionate about the work? Do you feel you can make an impact? Are you learning and growing? Is the work challenging? Do you desire to take on more responsibility or be your manager one day? Do you enjoy working with the people on your team and at your company? Are you in line with the values at the company?

After you go through this exercise of self-reflection, it can be helpful to check in with an advisor or someone that knows you well like a friend or family member. They can offer different perspectives or help remove a blind spot for you.

I have had a few notable experiences where someone has shared feedback that suggested I was not in the right job and should consider other options. It caused an overwhelming sense of loss at first because I was quite comfortable in my role (or at least I thought I was). However, it was several days before I realized it was the best feedback that I had ever gotten because it led me to the next opportunity that was even better than the current one. It turned out that when I was doing my self-reflection and answering the questions above, I was not being honest with myself. Had I only relied on my own thinking, I would have not obtained the opportunities that came next.

1. What question CAN’T help you assess whether you are enjoying the work itself and accomplishing something?

A．Are you passionate about the work?

B．Do you feel you can make an impact?

C．Are you in line with the values at the company?

D．How motivated are you to do the work every day?

2. It can be helpful to tell an advisor or people acquainted with you after you finish 8 important questions of self-reflection because _________.

A．they get to the point of the matter

B．they are resourceful with numerous experiences

C．they can encourage you to figure out the number of sunny days and rainy days

D．they can view things from different angles and remind you of things likely to be neglected

3. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．It’s wise to answer questions right away.

B．Prior to the shared feedback, the author received the best suggestion.

C．The author was satisfied initially when others suggested considering other choices.

D．Having considered others’ shared feedback, the author had a better opportunity.

4. Which of the following best describes the author?

A．Open-minded.	B．Stubborn.
C．Loyal.	D．Knowledgeable.

【推荐1】There is proof that, in the past, large comets（彗星）or asteroids（小行星）have struck the Earth. Thirty-five million years ago, a three-kilometer-wide rock hit the ocean floor, 160 kilometers from what is now Washington, D. C., leaving an 85-kilometer-wide crater（坑）buried beneath Chesapeake Bay. Another giant rock, called Titan, ten kilometers in diameter smashed into the Gulf of Mexico around 65 million years ago, giving off thousands of times more energy than all the nuclear weapons on the planet combined. "The whole Earth burned that day," says Ed Lu, a physicist and former astronaut. "The chaos and destruction were unimaginable. Three-quarters of all life forms, including the dinosaurs, died out."

Astronomers have found numerous asteroids big enough to cause a disaster for the whole planet. None is on course to do so in our lifetimes, but there are many smaller asteroids that could strike in the near-future, with destructive effects. On June 30, 1908, an object as big as a 15-story building fell in Tunguska, a remote part of Siberia. The object, an asteroid or a small comet, exploded several kilometers before impact, burning and blowing down trees across 2, 000 square kilometers. Clouds of dust and ice filled the sky. The particles reflected the surfs light onto the Earth, and for days people in Europe could read newspapers outdoors at night. More recently, in 2013, a 20-meter meteor（流星）exploded over Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, injuring dozens of people on the ground. It was the largest object to enter the Earth's atmosphere since Tunguska.

The next time a large object falls out of the sky, we may be taken by surprise. Currently, there is no early-warning system for near-Earth objects. However, over the next decade, sky surveys, like the one being done by Tholen should begin filling that gap. Astronomers are making a list of thousands of asteroids to help us predict the next strike. "Every couple of weeks," says Lu, "we're going to be finding another asteroid with, like, a one-in-a-thousand chance of hitting the Earth."

1. When did the largest object mentioned in the text enter the Earth's atmosphere?

A．65 million years ago.	B．35 million years ago.
C．In 1908.	D．In 2013.

2. What does the author want to tell us by the examples in Paragraph 2?

A．The recent findings of rare stars.	B．The significance of disaster prevention.
C．The new knowledge of space travel.	D．The threat of comets and asteroids.

3. What can we infer from Ed Lu's words?

A．The chance of the earth being hit is decreasing.

B．Titan destroyed most life forms on earth.

C．The dinosaurs died out due to a nuclear explosion.

D．We have already had mature warning systems.

4. What is the author's attitude towards future predictions?

A．Pessimistic.	B．Indifferent.
C．Optimistic.	D．Neutral.

【推荐3】Cooking programs and classes for children seem to positively influence children's food preferences and behaviors，according to a recent review. And，although the review didn't look at long-term effects of such programs，the findings suggest that such programs might help children develop long-lasting healthy habits.

This research comes at a time when childhood obesity( 肥 胖 ) rates have been rising rapidly. More than one-third of adolescents in the United States were obese in 2012 ， according to the U．S.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)．This trend has been caused，at least in part，by a significant decrease in the amount of meals that people consume at home since the 1980s， according to background information in the study.

Cooking education programs，such as Food Explorers，teach children about new healthy foods and how to prepare them. They also stress the importance of eating five fruits and vegetables every day. A volunteer parent explains a new food to the group，and the kids make something based on the lesson，such as fruit or vegetable salad. Depending on the program，kids may be sent home with information about healthy foods to bring to their parents，the review explained.

The study team reviewed eight other studies that tested different types of cooking education programs. Children in these classes were between 5 and 12 years old，according to the review. The goal of the study team was to learn more about developing an efficient program to encourage healthy food choices that last a lifetime. The study found that it is particularly important to expose kids to healthy foods on a number of occasions. This makes them feel comfortable with the new foods，which helps them build healthy habits.

The study stressed the importance of getting parents involved in(参与) their children's eating habits. Parents who are unable to enroll their kids in a cooking class can achieve similar benefits   by having their kids help them while they prepare meals at home. Children are more comfortable at home，which makes them more receptive to new foods because they will make the connection to a positive experience.

1. What can we infer from the second paragraph?

A．Eating out frequently causes obesity.

B．Childhood obesity is totally caused by eating habit.

C．Childhood obesity rates have been rising rapidly since 2012.

D．Food consumption has decreased significantly since the 1980s.

2. On cooking education programs，__________．

A．children learn how to prepare foods from their parents

B．children will learn how to cook in the company of their parents

C．children may learn information unknown to their parents

D．children focus more on cooking skills than on information about healthy foods

3. Which of the following categories does this passage belong to?

A．Education Systems.	B．Science and Technology.
C．Parent-child Relationship.	D．Public Health Research.

4. The purpose of the passage is_______．

A．to inform the reader	B．to entertain the reader
C．to discuss with the reader	D．to warn the reader

【推荐1】Thanks to a program called Hunger： Not Impossible (HNI), hungry people could have access to fresh, healthy food in their neighborhood by texting one simple word: Hungry. On one hand. people in charge of the program learn that each year 42 million Americans go hungry including 15. 9 million children. On the other hand, grocery stores, restaurants, and food providers throw out 60 million tons of unused food. HNI had a solution—connectivity.

HNI started fundraising and developing partnerships. Then they make plans with organizations and charities to help locate people who suffer from food insecurity. And they reached out to technical experts at Salesforce who developed an easy-to-use text-driven platform using a chat box. With all the elements in place, a simple text started the goodwill rolling.

When a needy person types in “Hungry” and sends the text message to HNI. they receive a message, back showing the closest locations that are offering free food. They also get a text displaying different menu options. They simply select a restaurant, choose the meal, then heads to the takeout counter where they pick up their free meal alongside paying customers. No questions are asked and dignity is preserved. The pilot project began in Venice Beach, California, providing over 250 meals to more than 50 youth in three weeks. HNI then grew to Bentonville. Arkansas, Klamath Falls Oregon? and St; Louis. Missouri.

"Providing food is the first step in transforming lives for the best. ” Michelle DiBattiste, operations and volunteer manager at Safe Place for Youth said in the press release, "By satisfying that initial survived instinct of finding food. Hunger： Not Impossible provides necessary space for personal growth, self-realization and finding stability. If there were less hungry people in the world, the crime rate would be reduced? there would be fewer homeless people, and the cost of healthcare would cut down. ”

1. What does HNI do to help hungry people?

A．Make a link between hungry people and food providers.

B．Offer hungry people fresh and healthy food.

C．Ask some restaurants to donate money.

D．Text a message to a grocery store.

2. What does the underlined word “elements” refer to in paragraph 2?

A．Fund, restaurants, technical experts and the number of hungry people.

B．Text messages, location of the stores, menu options and the takeout counter.

C．The pilot project, people suffering from food insecurity, a chat box and plans.

D．Fund, partnership, locating hungry people, and an easy-to-use text-driven platform.

3. What can we infer from what Michelle DiBattiste said?

A．Hungry people will live a better life.

B．HNI is good at helping hungry people.

C．HNI is good for the people and society.

D．Personal growth is extremely important.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Programme Connects Hungry People with Food

B．Feeding the Needy Is Necessary for Social Stability

C．A Simple Word Helps People in Need of Food

D．Hungry People Are Grateful to Restaurants

【推荐2】Throwing away unwanted food has become a big issue in the world. While some of us throw away unwanted items, people in other parts of the world face food shortages and are starving. It’s a shocking fact that a third of the world’s food is wasted each year, which is enough to feed a billion hungry people.

You may think supermarkets are the main contributors to this mountain of food. After all, they do desert stuff that is past its sell-by-date and they often refuse to sell fruits or vegetables that are in the wrong shape or look damaged. They’ve also been criticized for encouraging customers to buy more than they need through promotions such as “buy one and get one free”.

But the biggest culprit for creating food waste is us human beings. In Europe, an incredible 53% of food waste comes from households, which results in 88 million tons of food waste a year. So instead of filling our bellies, our food is filling up landfill sites.

In Denmark, a woman called Selina Juul has been working hard to solve this problem. She moved from Russia many years ago and was amazed to see the abundance of food available in the supermarkets. But despite so much availability, she found that people were buying more than they needed and throwing too much away.

She convinced some supermarkets to stop selling their items in bulk (大量) so that people bought only what they needed. She produced a leftover cookbook and set up an education program in schools, which has helped create a significant 25% reduction in food waste.

Clearly, we need to think twice when we buy something in supermarkets or online, and when we’re at home we should make the most of the food we have — using recipes that use up our leftovers or even sharing our remaining food with our friends and neighbors.

1. Why are supermarkets to blame for food waste?

A．They store spare items.	B．They damage bad stuff.
C．They display new arrivals.	D．They hold sales promotion.

2. What does the underlined word “culprit” in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Benefit.	B．Demand.
C．Cause.	D．Challenge.

3. What do we know about Selina Juul?

A．She contributed to reducing food waste.	B．She made an extraordinary discovery.
C．She was a pioneer in cooking leftovers.	D．She focused on the availability of food.

4. What does the author advise us to do in the last paragraph?

A．Start sharing extra food.	B．Switch to online shopping.
C．Increase the varieties of food.	D．Improve our cooking methods.

【推荐3】Rather than rolling your eyes when it’s your turn to bow your head and give thanks, try being grateful. The result just might be good for you, from improving your feeling to your relationships. If you don’t want to voice your gratitude, writing a letter may work, according to various studies by Steve Toepfer of Kent State University and his colleagues.

Toepfer and his colleagues had 219 students with an average age of 25 fill out questionnaires（问卷）to measure their happiness. They returned to the lab to fill out the survey three more times, with each visit about a week apart. Some of the students wrote a letter of gratitude each time they returned to the lab, while the control group didn’t write about being thankful.

“The letter writers were instructed to write a letter of gratitude to anyone they wanted, however, the letter couldn’t be a‘thank you’note for a gift,” Toepfer said. “The participants had to write about something that was important to them.”

The results showed that their levels of happiness and life satisfaction improved after each letter they wrote. In addition, depressive symptoms decreased over time with the letter writing.

Gratitude doesn’t just cheer you up—it can improve your health and energy levels as well. A 2007 study conducted by researchers found that organ-transplant(器官移植) receivers who kept “gratitude journals” listing five things or people that they were grateful for each day scored better on measures of general health, and mental health than those who only made routine notes about their days.

A successful relationship may depend on your gratitude. Research reported in 2011 looking at more than 65 couples who were in satisfying relationships showed that each couple’s relationship quality corresponded with one partner’s feelings of gratitude. Researchers show that one partner expressed feelings of gratitude; both partners experienced a positive emotional response.

1. According to the passage, if you want to get along well with others, you’d better________.

A．write letters to them frequently

B．pay more attention to their feelings

C．show your thanks from time to time

D．take care of them when they are in need

2. The underlined phrase “the control group” in Paragraph 2 refers to the group that _________.

A．is cold to others’ kindness

B．is not good at writing letters

C．is unwilling to express their feelings

D．is not allowed to write thank-you letters

3. From the passage we can infer that people who often show gratitude are less likely to be __________.

A．nervous	B．careless
C．depressed	D．optimistic

4. From the passage, we can learn that _________.

A．it’s better to write a thank-you letter than to say gratitude with words

B．the results of different ways of showing gratitude are all the same

C．the good relationship of each couple is based on trust

D．gratitude is beneficial to health

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

A．Why you should be grateful

B．Ways of changing your feeling

C．How to show your gratitude to others

D．Thank-you letters’ role to human relations