【推荐1】Feeling achy and feverish? Your misery has plenty of company. By the end of December, the tally (计数器) of flu-like illnesses in the state exceeded the peaks in the two previous seasons, when the biggest number of cases occurred in February and March. This time, the flu virus seems to be hitting even harder.

Flu is unique among human diseases. It circulates constantly in cool and dry areas. Because it spreads from person to person and can be picked up easily, nearly everyone is exposed. While it’s unclear whether the annual flu epidemic (流行病) will worsen this year, or just arrived earlier, fears have been increased by the severity of flu in Australia during its most recent season and the fact that the vaccine may protect against the predominant (盛行的) kind of the flu only 30 percent of the time.

Despite the worries, doctors and public health officials say there is no evidence that people are getting sicker than usual. Flu cases in Massachusetts started rising around Thanksgiving and increased steadily, with an especially steep climb in the last week of the year. “This is a bad flu season but not a horrible one,” said Dr. Andrew G. Villanueva, a lung specialist and chief quality officer at the Lahey Hospital & Medieal Centre in Burlington.

The flu season, while clearly in full swing, doesn’t “feel different” from previous years, Villanueva said. “We’re not seeing a lot of people being hospitalized because of flu,” he said. “Most people with the flu recover on their own without medical care.”

1. What’s the function of the first paragraph?

A．A lead-in.

B．A comment.

C．A summary.

D．A background.

2. What can be learned about the flu this year according to the text?

A．The outbreak of the flu is terrible.

B．The flu has arrived earlier than before.

C．The vaccine against the nu is highly effective.

D．Everyone feels horrible at the mention of the flu.

3. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Crowded

B．Changeable

C．Permanent

D．Active

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To explain what flu is.

B．To rid people of flu panic.

C．To warn readers of how serious the flu is.

D．To inform readers how to prevent the flu.

【推荐2】Aspirin has long been believed to help prevent heart attacks and strokes(中风).Some studies have shown that it also has a protective effect against certain types of cancer. As a result, some people religiously pop a low-dose(低剂量的) aspirin after breakfast every day (never take one on an empty stomach). But now its status as a wonder drug has come into question, following a meta-analysis of trial evidence.

A meta-analysis reviews the results of a large number of trials and can therefore come to more certain conclusions. This latest review was published this May in The Journal of the American Medical Association.It focused on the connection between aspirin use and cardiovascular(心血管的) and bleeding events. It found that the well-known risk that aspirin can cause internal bleeding is as great as the benefits of preventing heart attacks and strokes. In some cases, the risk even outweighs the benefits.

Aspirin thins the blood, thus helping to prevent blood clots (血栓). For his reason, it is a good drug for protecting people who have already had a heart attack or stroke from having another. However, the 164,225 people in these trials had no history of cardiovascular disease. They were monitored for an average of six years, during which time they took a daily aspirin or placebo(安慰剂).Among those who took aspirin, there were about 11% fewer heart attacks and strokes but 43% higher likelihood of a major bleeding episode in the stomach, brain or intestine(肠道).

Dr Sean Zheng, a cardiology(心脏病学) researcher at King’s College London, said that taking a daily aspirin couldn’t be recommended for healthy people. But there might still be a case for people with a higher risk of a heart attack or stroke, he added. However, it would be important to consider the bleeding risk.

“Aspirin use requires discussion between the patient and their physician, with the knowledge that any small potential cardiovascular benefits are weighed up against the real risk of severe bleeding." he said.

The findings reflect the average likelihood of bleeds or heart attacks among the patients in all the trials. There will be people among them who would be better off taking aspirin and those who will be worse. It's yet another situation where we need to weigh up our individual risk and benefit--- maybe with the help of an understanding GP.

1. Which of the following is NOT a reason why some people take an aspirin every day?

A．They want to lower their risk of having a heart attack

B．They hope to protect themselves against some cancers

C．They want to ensure they don't have a sick stomach

D．They aim to make sure they won't suffer another stroke

2. What can be concluded from the recent meta-analysis?

A．That aspirin does more harm than good to the human body

B．That aspirin frequently causes internal bleeding because it thins the blood

C．That previous research into the effects of aspirin on the human body was unreliable.

D．That taking aspirin is not worth the risk or those with no history of heart tacks or strokes.

3. What should people do before taking aspirin, according to the article?

A．To have a thorough physical examination

B．To ask for others' opinions on the internet.

C．To read the findings of new studies on aspirin

D．To talk with a doctor familiar with their condition

4. The article was probably written by ________

A．the director of a hospital

B．a public health journalist

C．the CEO of a medical company

D．a representative for an insurance company

【推荐3】Mental illness and disability were family problems for English people living between 1660 and 1800. Most women and men who suffered from mental illness were not institutionalized as this was the period before the extensive building of mental hospitals. Instead, they were housed at home, and cared for by other family members.

Now a new study by Cambridge historian Dr. Elizabeth Foyster will reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives.

Much has been written about the insane themselves but few studies have considered mental illness from the perspective of the carers. The lifetime burden of caring for those individuals whose mental development did not progress beyond childhood, and who contemporaries labeled as ‘idiots’ or ‘fools’, has been little explored by historians. Foyster’s research, which has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will carefully examine the emotional and economic consequences for families at a time when the Poor Law bound them to look after their mentally ill and disabled family members.

By asking key questions about the impact of ‘care in the community’ in the 18th century, Foyster hopes that her research will bridge social and medical history. Specifically, she aims to provide an historical perspective for contemporary debates such as how resources can be stretched to provide for children with learning difficulties and an aging population.

“The stresses and strains of family were worsened by high infant mortality and low life expectancy, and many individuals were pushed towards mental breakdown,” she explained. “Moreover, inherited conditions, senility(高龄) and what today would be described as ‘special needs’ could put great emotional demands on family members who had primary responsibility for their sick or disabled relatives.”

The research will shed light upon how caring for the mentally ill and disabled raised difficult issues for families about the limits of intergenerational responsibility, and whether family ties were weakened or strengthened by the experience. The questions of how far shame was attached to having insanity or idiocy within a family, and at what point families began to seek outside help, will also be addressed.

“The family must have seemed an inescapable feature of daily life between 1660 and 1800,” said Foyster. “Although there were those who were abandoned and rejected, for the majority, mental disability was accommodated within the family unit. I aim to get to the heart of what this really meant for people’s lives.”

1. Which is NOT the reason why those mentally ill and disabled were not institutionalized from 1660 to 1800?

A．Mental illness and disability were family problems then.

B．The extensive building of mental hospitals didn’t start yet.

C．They were abandoned by the government and the family.

D．The family would be found guilty if they didn’t care for them.

2. Why does Foyster want to carry out this study?

A．Because it can provide some food for thought for some current social issues.

B．Because the stresses and strains of family life have driven many people crazy.

C．Because she’s looking for ways to communicate with the sick or disabled people.

D．Because the limits of intergenerational responsibility in such families, interest her.

3. Which question will NOT be studied in the research?

A．How should resources today be stretched to provide for an aging population?

B．How did caring for the sick and disabled affect the family’s earning power?

C．How shameful did a family feel when their insane or disabled relatives were found out?

D．At what point did those families have to begin to look for outside help?

4. The passage is written in order to ________.

A．reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives

B．provide an historical perspective to contemporary debates

C．shed light upon whether family ties were weakened or strengthened

D．introduce a new historical study carried out by a Cambridge historian

【推荐1】We buy because it makes us happy. For some people, if they're feeling blue, shopping will make them happier because it restores some control in their lives.It's making the choice to buy or not to buy that helps people feel more in control.Retail therapy proves to be a useful and practical thing.

Doing something we find rewarding lights up the brain's pleasure center, which when activated leads to the release of dopamine(多巴胺), which makes us feel good. It's why we can even get addicted to the pleasure of buying. Experiments with the brain's dopamine releases in pleasurable situations have found that expectations also kicks them off to leave us in a joyful atmosphere; we experience pleasure, in other words, when we're looking forward to a fun event as well as during and after it.   A trip to the mall is also enjoyable in our schedules for the weekend.

Pleasure is not the only reason why we buy things we don't need at all. Ryan Howell, an professor of psychology at San Francisco State University said back in our hunter and gatherer days，when people saw something they wanted, they'd grab it, even if they didn't need it, because it was likely they wouldn't come across that item again. “If you see something that seems to be running in short supply，you're going to get it,” Howell said. These days, such scarcity isn't an issue — we can buy nearly anything we want if we have the means — but we often still approach life like our ancestors did, especially when it comes to a sale. When we see a 50% off clearance price tag, that scarcity impulse kicks into gear, Howell said. The feeling is, if we don't buy that item now, it's going to be gone forever — or at least at that good price.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．People may lose control of life occasionally.

B．People tend to be controlled by purchasing desire.

C．Purchase can comfort people when they are upset.

D．The concept of retail therapy was once a false idea.

2. What does the underlined word “them” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Experiments.	B．Expectations.
C．Dopamine releases.	D．Pleasurable situations.

3. What can we infer according to the last paragraph?

A．A good bargain can’t be missed.

B．Our ancestors grabbed things for survival.

C．We should watch out for the trap of the sale.

D．Our ancestors had similar attitude with us to things wanted.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Why We Buy Things

B．To Purchase As You Wish

C．The Approach to Happiness

D．The Relaxation in Modern Life

【推荐2】Depression(抑郁) can be a destructive illness, plaguing millions of people worldwide with feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and fatigue. Despite numerous antidepressant drugs, as many as a third of patients don’t respond to medication. This has forced doctors to be more creative in finding different treatments for the condition.

In the past two decades, researchers have tied depression to a seemingly unrelated condition: inflammation(炎症), the body’s natural response to stress. It could rise from injury or inflection, or even emotional issues like an unhappy marriage or problems at work. Some amount of inflammation is generally beneficial, as it increases production of cytokines(致癌因子)，proteins that help us heal and protect us from the effects of overwork.

But excessive cytokine levels, and the inflammation they bring on, could come at a cost—a number of studies suggests that high levels of cytokines could contribute to depression.

Cytokines can reach the brain several ways: directly through the blood-brain barrier or indirectly by binding to nerve fibers elsewhere, which send signals to the brain to produce the inflammation molecules. In the brain, cytokines can disturb the production and release of several important signaling chemicals, including serotonin, dopamine and glutamate, which help control emotion, appetite, sleep, learning and memory. It’s though that a lack of serotonin activity in the brain causes depression; most antidepressants increase the activity. But cytokines also have been shown to activate stress hormone signaling in the brain, which man also serve to develop depression.

With all the evidence implicating inflammation in depression, doctors have been anxious to test anti-inflammatory drugs as a potential treatment. Four small studies published between 2006 and 2017 by research groups in Europe and Iran found that adults diagnosed with depression who took aspirin or another anti-inflammatory drug called Celecoxib, along with an antidepressant, got more relief from feelings of sadness, hopelessness, guilt and fatigue compared with those taking an antidepressant alone. However, Andrew Miller, a professor of psychiatry at Emory University, thought something was wrong in these small, limited studies. None of them looked at whether the participants had to have high levels of cytokines before they’d see a benefit from anti-inflammatory drugs.   “Unfortunately, much of the field has fallen into the trap of viewing inflammation as the be-all, end-all,” Miller says. He and his colleagues wanted to see whether the effect of these drugs was limited to the depression patients with high cytokine levels, or if it helped all people diagnosed with depression.

1. Which of the following illustrated how depression is developed?

A．stress → overwork → inflammation → depression

B．inflammation → infection→ stress → depression

C．cytokine → stress→ infection → depression

D．infection → inflammation → cytokine → depression

2. The underlined word “excessive” in Para. 3 is closest in meaning to “________”

A．intermediate

B．overmuch

C．mild

D．appropriate

3. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A．depression will be a curable disease for a long time

B．only aspirin can effectively help relieve people of many emotional problems

C．people who are hard–working are more likely to get depression

D．we have a long way to go before depression can be satisfying treated

4. Which of the following shows the right structure of the passage?
( ①—⑤ represent Para 1—5 )

A．

B．

C．

D．

【推荐3】Fortunately, the days of being spread on thick baby oil and lying in the sun to get you skin yellowish-brown—or more likely burnt—are long over. Many sunscreens work by filtering (过滤) the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays to keep them from reaching skin cells and causing the DNA damage that can lead to wrinkles and skin cancer. But in recent years, the safety of some of those filtering chemical ingredients, particularly oxybenzone (氧苯铜), has been in question.

A 2019 study published in JAMA found evidence that oxybenzone is absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to concerns about whether it might affect functions of our body. Oxybenzone has also been detected in breast milk for newborn babies. Because of concerns about higher intake in children, doctors from the American Academy of Pediatrics advise against sunscreen with oxybenzone for kids.

The Environmental Working Group, an activist organization that monitors chemical safety, has called for a ban, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers sunscreens with oxybenzone safe. “It’s uncertain,” says Deborah S. Sarnoff, president of the U.S. Skin Cancer Foundation. “Just because you’re absorbing the chemical doesn’t mean it’s dangerous.” Further study is required.

But oxybenzone is a risk to coral reefs. Hawaii and the U.S. Virgin Islands have banned the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone. In a 2022 study published in Science, researchers found that some certain sea plants, when exposed to sunlight, turn oxybenzone into energy or something needed in a way that damages and kills corals.

Some companies have been trying to stop using oxybenzone gradually in stages, and many big brands offer oxybenzone-free options. For anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding, or simply looking to avoid these chemical filters, Dr. Sarnoff recommends mineral sunscreens, which contain mainly physical barriers.

1. What is the advantage of sunscreen?

A．It gets your skin yellowish-brown.	B．It stops wrinkles and skin cancer.
C．It keeps UV rays from harming you.	D．It prevents skin cells from DNA damage.

2. Why do doctors advise against sunscreen with oxybenzone for kids?

A．They don’t want children to absorb more oxybenzone.

B．They don’t want oxybenzone to hurt babies’ functions.

C．They know oxybenzone can affect children’s bloodstream.

D．They know oxybenzone has been found in newborn babies.

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

A．Coral reefs in Hawaii were damaged or killed by sunscreens.

B．More research is needed to prove the danger of oxybenzone.

C．Some organizations have already banned the use of sunscreens.

D．Mineral sunscreens are much safer than those with oxybenzone.

4. What’s the text mainly about?

A．The findings about sunscreens with oxybenzone.

B．Questions on safe use of oxybenzone raised by doctors.

C．Discussion on safety of oxybenzone between organizations.

D．Effects of sunscreens on humans and plants in recent studies.