I believe that my actions show my beliefs, not my words.
I wrote a letter to my kids a few years ago. It’s three pages long, and it sums up my life experience of four decades. By the time they reach adulthood, they will have heard most of their father’s advice in that letter: live in the moment, do not attach yourself to physical things, treat others the way you would like to be treated, etc. I sealed the letter in a white envelope, and wrote instructions that nobody should open it unless something horrible happened to me.
As a police officer, I have seen life disappear in an instant. I realize that could happen to me at any time. Yet knowing that letter is there in my locker makes me more comfortable with my own death.
Every day, when I open my locker, I see the letter. It makes me aware that I should be careful at work, and show my children and the people I have connection with that I try to practice everything I have written. If that day comes and my children finally read the letter, I hope that because of my actions, they will take my written beliefs to heart and improve upon my example.
But for me, it’s not enough to write down my beliefs. I try to be the best person I can be every day-even in very difficult circumstances. I am more successful some days than others, but sometimes I curse too much. Sometimes I am cynical, unwilling to believe that people have good and honest reasons for doing something. I also get stressed and upset, yelling at my kids sometimes, and sometimes I am not as loving or as sympathetic as I should be. In fact, I am far from perfect, but I hope my children will eventually realize that perfection is an illusion. What really matters is that, instead of just writing down our beliefs, we all take action to be the best humans we can be.
1. Which of the following can best describe the author?| A．Humorous. | B．Interesting. |
| C．Selfless. | D．Considerate. |
| A．He wanted to confirm his beliefs. | B．The letter served as a reminder. |
| C．He kept adding something new to it. | D．His kids asked him to check it. |
| A．Doubtful about others’ motivations. | B．Curious about everything around. |
| C．Worried about his future life. | D．Unsatisfied about his profession. |
| A．Parents should care for children. | B．To become a successful father. |
| C．To be better today than yesterday. | D．Bad guys deserve to be punished. |
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【推荐1】Mom was a good cook. Her homemade chili sauce was second to none, and the things she could do with a chicken … well, it makes my mouth water to think about it. And I once offered to make my sister Kathy’s bed for a week if she would give me the last slice of toast made by Mom.
No doubt about it, Mom was a great cook —most of the time. If a beef steak was placed in her frying pan, she turned into the anti-cook. She could turn that finest meat into a piece of hard protein with the smell of shoe leather. Of course, she really tried.
One day, my brother Bud took me out for lunch in a popular restaurant and he ordered beef steaks.Since he was paying, I thought I should have at least one or two bites. But when the waitress served our steaks, I was surprised at how good they smelled. Suddenly I understood why others spoke of beef steaks lovingly. I wolfed down my steak. I was a born-again beef-eater.
“You know,” I said to Bud, “I used to think Mom was a great cook. But it’s hard to believe that her steaks came from the same animal as these steaks.”
“Mom is really a great cook,” Bud said. “Think about it. She grew up during the Great Depression. That’s when she learned to cook. How often do you think they had steaks? It is only recently that they could afford to buy steaks. So it isn’t that she isn’t a good cook.”
It’s that way with all of us, isn’t it? Even our strengths have elements (成分) of weakness. That’s why great athletes still train and great actors still practice. Greatness isn’t something we are; it is something we become. And that process of becoming includes learning and growing through both success and failure.
1. What does the underlined sentence mean?| A．The author’s mom was a good cook. | B．The author loved his family members. |
| C．Mom loved Kathy more than the author. | D．The toast made by Mom was the author’s favorite. |
| A．He realized that beef was the best meat. | B．He started to like home-made beef steaks. |
| C．He would eat beef steaks only in that restaurant. | D．He didn’t think beef steaks terrible food anymore. |
| A．She couldn’t afford good beef. | B．She had little experience in cooking them. |
| C．She seldom ate meat when she was young. | D．She actually wasn’t good at cooking meats at all. |
| A．One is never too old to learn. | B．Failure is the mother of success. |
| C．Greatness still needs learning and growing. | D．Everyone has both strengths and weaknesses. |
【推荐2】Every girl dreams and Li Xie is no exception. She has read dozens of books on how to be a ballerina. Lake is her favorite. She hopes one day her dream will come true. She has taken ballet lessons and all her teachers confirm she is a good student.
One day she saw an advertisement that a famous ballerina troupe(演出团) will be performing in her hometown. Her thoughts ran wild, “I must meet up with the leader of the troupe and show him my skills.” she murmured to herself.
She dressed herself in her ballerina costume and managed to avoid the guards and hid in the dressing room. To her luck，the leader entered and she timidly knocked at the door. She bravely approached him and handed him a bunch of red roses and in her excitement the thorns(刺) pricked her hand but she did not make any complaints about the pain. The leader observed her action as she told him her dream. “Alright, you dance and I will give you my verdict(评审意见).” But half way through the dance he stopped her and said, “I’m sorry you’re not good enough!” On hearing this, Li Xie ran as fast as her legs could carry her and was ashamed. She gave up her dream.
Many years later, she heard that the same ballet troupe was performing in her town again. Bitter memories of the leader’s unpleasant words came flooding back to her. This time she was determined to find out why the leader had told her she was not good enough when all her teachers thought otherwise.
This was his reply, “I tell this to every student.” She angrily talked back, “You’ve ruined my life!” Then she got a further shock, “I remember your gift of roses and how the thorns had pricked your fingers but you carried on bravely. If you only had treated ballet like that and did not give up so easily; therefore, you still deserve my verdict!”
1. According to the whole passage, which of the following can best describe the character of the girl?| A．full of flame but stubborn | B．professional but argumentative |
| C．childish and narrow-minded | D．easy to quit and undetermined |
| A．The girl wanted to pay the leader back for his unpleasant words. |
| B．The girl recalled the bitter comments of the leader on her performance. |
| C．The memories were so unbearable that the girl wanted to forget. |
| D．The girl recognized the performance as her another chance to succeed. |
| A．her ballet skills weren’t still good enough to win his recognition |
| B．she was supposed to be brave enough just like the thorny rose |
| C．she should learn to stick to her dreams and not to be defeated easily |
| D．she was not meant to be an outstanding ballerina of this troupe |
| A．A good medicine tastes bitter. | B．More haste, less speed. |
| C．Never do things by halves. | D．Pride hurts, modesty benefits. |
【推荐3】I’ve spent a long time thinking about one of the lessons life has to offer uncertainty. I often hear,“ Nothing could have prepared us for this pandemic.” While it came as a surprise, some of us have had to deal with times of great uncertainty before.
This was the case for my family when my father began falling over. We would blame the ice. Then just the road.“ Who makes these things so high?” we wondered. Then, he slowed. He began to drag his feet.“ Well,” we said,“ he’s getting older.”
When his speech became worse, it became harder to explain. When did he last see a doctor anyway? We searched the Internet as he worsened—because we felt real medical attention was not required.
Uncertainty.
It’ s uncomfortable. It makes your stomach tighten. If you don’ t fight it, it will seep through (渗入)your body, lighting your brain up with anxiety. When a neurologist(神经病学家) explained the problem, it wasn’t what we wanted to hear. Instead, we opened a Pandora’ s box of even more unknowns.
When we found out he had AIS (肌肉萎缩性侧面硬化病)the uncertainty became a burden. He was losing control of his muscles, his speech, ability to swallow—and we were paralyzed on how to prepare.
ALS is cruel. It traps you in your body. When the future looks so dark, you have to take comfort in the tiniest pleasures. I wish I’d done more. But I was new to uncertainty. I’d never experienced such a lack of control. I was focused on solving problem that couldn’t be solved.
I worried about how my father would get worse. I read everything I could to try and help his situation, but there was nothing I could do. But my dad didn’t live long enough for me to prepare for his condition to get worse. Life doesn’t go according to plan and there is a difference between preparation and worry.
As we battle global uncertainty, it is teaching us the same lesson. A lesson about humility (谦卑) . About the fact that you cannot save something you love alone. If COVID -19 is disturbing everyone, we should consider what we can learn. These lessons are hard, teaching us to hold on to what matters and how to let go.
1. Why is the pandemic mentioned in the beginning ?| A．To explain its impact on the author’s life. |
| B．To lead up to the topic of uncertainty. |
| C．To show how the author got used to it. |
| D．To tell the lessons the author learned from it. |
| A．Anxious | B．Peaceful | C．Annoyed | D．Optimistic |
| A．It makes people stronger. | B．It leads to a lack of control. |
| C．It brings family closer to each other. | D．It can remove the darkness in life. |
| A．Be humble to the unknown. | B．Prepare for uncertainty in advance. |
| C．Express our love before it’s too late. | D．Cherish what matters and learn to let go. |
【推荐1】We recently went to a friend’s backyard to meet her new puppy. He was lovely beyond words. Our friend was wearing smiles as she told us about his first days at home. It was truly puppy love.
Later that night, I walked behind my own dog to help her climb up the stairs, and heated up the homemade food that helps control her kidney (肾) disease. You can’t imagine these extra cares when you began raising a puppy. For me, I am lucky to know this more “mature” love. To love, and to be loved, by an old dog is truly an honor.
For a long time, I denied the fact that our dog was getting old, or I really didn’t notice that Skyler was getting older. But these days, there is no denying the fact. Sometimes, she will fall while eating from her bowl and wait patiently for someone to help her up.
I still remember the first days of Skyler. In the home, she always needed to be beside someone, with at least one part of her touching one part of you. At the park, it was different. If we started running toward the end of a field, she would cross the finish line before we had even made it halfway.
Now, at 15, Skyler still needs to be right beside you on the couch. But it is hard. It is sad to see this once fast, strong dog struggle to walk up the front steps or to see her begging eyes whenever she needs help to get up on the couch. Over the past few years, we have had to forgo certain family trips because we wanted to take care of her at home.
However, I know this experience has taught our children about sacrifice and unconditional love. It has taught me the same. Dogs give us unconditional love. The least we can do is give it back. There will likely be times of great sadness and hardship, but in the end, you will feel very lucky for the time you have together.
1. In paragraph 2, why does the author mention what he did late that night?| A．To complain about the troubles of raising a dog. |
| B．To show her regret of meeting her friend’s new puppy. |
| C．To tell readers that she is taking care of an old sick dog. |
| D．To illustrate the correct way of caring for dogs. |
| A．When the author first got Skyler, she was always running in the house. |
| B．Skyler has always been eager to have people beside her. |
| C．Skyler will beg for some food before she gets up. |
| D．To take care of Skyler, the author often brings her during the journey. |
| A．cancel | B．forget | C．organize | D．delay |
| A．She is strongly against keeping a dog. |
| B．She considers it a double-edged sword to keep a dog. |
| C．She suggests we should think twice before keeping a dog. |
| D．She thinks keeping a dog is worthwhile for the whole family. |
【推荐2】It was Thanksgiving Day a few years ago. My daughter was sitting on the couch watching the parade. My dogs kept lifting their noses to sniff the turkey slowly cooking in the oven. And my sons and I were secretly getting a piece of pumpkin pie with cream to hold us until dinner was done. As we lifted our forks I said, “Life is short! Eat dessert first!” Then I smiled as we ate our pie with delight and gave the outside part to the dogs.
Later I decided to take my oldest dog, Snoopy out for a walk. As we slowly walked through the ankle deep leaves I let my mind wander to memories of Thanksgivings past. I could see my grown children as babies sitting in their high chairs covered in mashed potatoes. I remembered all of those years spent visiting their grandparents and all of the special foods they made. There was sausage stuffing, noodles and cheese, and fried potatoes. There was turkey and delicious desserts made with love. And there was the three day nap (小睡) you wanted to take after dinner.
Even more than the food were the memories of joy that stuck in my mind and stayed in my heart. There were the smiles and hugs, the shared stories and laughter, the love so freely given at this time of the year. I went back inside with all of them flowing through me. I felt both glad and sad at the same time. I was happy for all the blessed times we had shared over the years and sad that they had flown by so fast. Most of all, though, I felt at peace and thankful to God for this wonderful life we are given here.
The truth is the more you love, the more thankfulness fills your heart. The more you love, the more joy you create in your life. Make the most of each day you are given here then. Be thankful for the glorious gift of life. Be the blessing you were meant to be and make every day Thanksgiving Day.
1. What do the first two paragraphs focus on?| A．The preparations for Thanksgiving |
| B．The happy memories of Thanksgiving |
| C．The various ways to celebrate Thanksgiving |
| D．The customs of celebrating Thanksgiving |
| A．Happy times spent with her family seemed short. |
| B．She wished she were young again. |
| C．She had many regrets in those happy times. |
| D．Things changed much and she never felt the same. |
| A．Desserts were the author’s favorite. |
| B．The author’s grandparents were good chefs. |
| C．Delicious food was the best part of her memories. |
| D．The get-together of the family was full of love. |
| A．We should make the best of Thanksgiving Days. |
| B．Everybody should treasure the time with their family. |
| C．People should live at present and be grateful for what they have. |
| D．Thanksgiving Days are the best time for people to express their love. |
【推荐3】If our kids don’t fall, they don’t learn to get up. I still remember the day in high school that my mom forgot to pick me up from school. I’m the oldest of four children, and no doubt she’d had a long day with the other kids and it’d slipped her mind. After waiting at school for an hour, I walked the three miles home, and when I got to my house, I shut our front door with anger, stormed into the kitchen and screamed in my mom’s face that she’d forgotten me.
Later that night, my dad told me I no longer had a ride to school the next day. I figured my mom would still take me, but when the morning came, she refused. It was midterm, and as a straight-A student ready to start college applications, being late wasn’t an option. In my mind, missing these tests would have been the end of my academic career. I begged my mom. I told her she was ruining my future and everything I’d worked for. But she held her ground, and that day, I walked to school. And I missed my tests.
My mom didn’t rescue me from failure. She let me suffer from it. She let me figure it out. She let me learn. Now, as a mom myself, I’ve realized that I want my kids to experience failure because failure is how we grow, learn and think outside of ourselves. It’s how we self-educate to learn what’s right and respectable, and what’s not. It’s how we become responsible and enthusiastic.
Falling down makes us better, because we learn how to get up.
1. Why did the author shout at her mother?| A．Because she was tired after walking home. |
| B．Because she missed some important tests. |
| C．Because her mother had ruined her future. |
| D．Because her mother didn’t pick her up home. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Merciful. |
| C．Beneficial. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Stuck to her decision. | B．Gave in to me. |
| C．Said yes to me. | D．Stayed in the place. |
| A．Offer Your Kids Help if Necessary | B．Stop Rescuing Your Kids from Failure |
| C．Be Responsible for Your Kids’ Failure | D．Try to Meet Your Kids’ Demands |
【推荐1】Not that long ago, the world wondered whether clean energy could survive without government support. Now the question is how far it can spread. The number of electric vehicles, which was about 1 million in 2015, last year reached 2 million. In electricity generation, too, trend is with the greens. In the first half of this year, wind, solar and hydro generated a record 35% of Germany's power.
Greater success is breeding greater ambition. California is proposing to reach 60% renewable energy by 2030. 176 countries have clean-energy goals. Hawaii, America’s most oil-dependent state, has promised to be 100% renewable by the middle of the century and so have 48 poor countries vulnerable to climate change. This week the number of multinationals making a commitment to running their operations on 100% renewable energy rose to 100.
But not every target is helpful. To see why, consider that goal of 100% renewable energy. It makes solving climate change seem easy. In fact, though wind and solar can generate the whole country’s electricity some day, renewables still account for less than 8% of the world’s total power output. Moreover, cleaning up electricity is only part of the battle. Even though gas-fired heating and cooking can be at least as big a source of greenhouse-gas emissions, renewable heating gets little attention. Transport policy is unpredictable, too. Car manufacturers may hit their goal of annual sales of 10 million electric vehicles in a decade, but battery-powered road transport, shipping and aviation (航室) are dreams. A much-quoted claim that America could rely on wind, solar and hydro alone for its electricity has recently been bitterly criticized by a group of respected academics.
Most importantly, a 100% renewables target confuses means with ends. The priority for the planet is to stop net emissions (净排放量) of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. Putting too much emphasis on wind, solar and other renewables may block off better carbon-reduction paths. New technologies, such as “direct air capture” systems designed to separate carbon dioxide from the air, may in time prove vital. Likewise, greater energy efficiency could reduce emissions by even more than using renewables would.
1. Why is Germany mentioned in Paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To provide a successful example of producing clean energy. |
| C．To compare with the USA. |
| D．To prove the possibility of the 100% renewables target. |
| A．A tough fight against climate change. | B．A huge market of electric vehicles. |
| C．A promising future of clean energy. | D．A fierce competition between countries. |
| A．Car makers cannot produce enough batteries. |
| B．New energy doesn’t receive its due attention in every aspect of society. |
| C．Use of traditional energies causes air pollution. |
| D．We are lacking in enough wind and solar energy to generate electricity. |
| A．Energy efficiency is superior to using renewables. |
| B．People can only use new energy in reality. |
| C．Mixing up means with purposes matters most. |
| D．The target of 100 renewables is too high to reach. |
【推荐2】Thailand's southern beaches attract travelers with their clean water and dramatic cliffs (峭壁), but there's more to explore in this Southeast Asian country.
Lopburi for history buffs
Bypass the tour groups at the ancient city of Ayutthaya and head two hours north of the capital, Bangkok, for a peaceful walk through Thai history. Lopburi, one of Thailand's oldest cities, boasts Khmer-era temples and the uncrowded ruins of King Narai's Palace, which was built in the 1600s. It's also known for the monkeys that gather at Phra Prang Sam Yot temple in the center of town.
Ban Krut for beach bums
In Ban Krut, travelers will find one of the cleanest and quietest stretches of white sandy beach within driving distance of Bangkok. This sleepy seaside community, known mostly by locals, is a five-hour drive or six-hour train trip down the Gulf of Thailand. Don't miss the magnificent Wat Tang Sai, a huge, fairy tale castle-like Buddhist temple.
Cave for holiday hikers
Hiking trails, wetlands and forests make Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park a weekend adventure worthy of topping your Thailand to-do list. The park's crown jewel is the extraordinary Phraya Nakhon Cave. Come early to catch the picturesque chamber flooded with morning sunshine that spotlights the royal pavilion that sits inside.
River Kwai for nature lovers
Most visitors come for the beaches, but the rivers and parks in Thailand's Kanchanaburi province have much to offer. Scenic trails and waterfalls abound in Sai Yok and Erawan national parks. Just two hours from Bangkok is the bridge made famous in the book Bridge over the River Kwai by French author, Pierre Boulle, and the 1957 Academy Award-winning 1957 film adaptation of the same name. Stay on the river at one of Kanchanaburi's many floating hotels, where you can travel to your front door.
1. From which of the following can you learn more about Thai history?| A．Ban Krut |
| B．Kanchanaburi |
| C．Phraya Nakhon Cave |
| D．Lopburi |
| A．Visit temples. |
| B．Meet lovely monkeys. |
| C．Go hiking. |
| D．Go to the beach. |
| A．River Kwai was made famous by a book and a film |
| B．Tourists can stay at the floating hotels on River Kwai. |
| C．Most visitors visit Thailand for rivers and parks |
| D．Travellers can find Khmer-era temples in Ban Krut. |
【推荐3】Parts of Africa are covered by a dark cloud. But this is no rain cloud. It is a living cloud made of billions of locusts (蝗虫) that are traveling across the continent eating everything in their path.
And now in the battle to stop this disaster, a radio station in Senegal, West Africa, is offering listeners 50 kilograms of rice if they can catch and kill 50 kilograms of locusts. “We think this idea will get more people to take part in the war on the locusts.” said Abdoulaye Ba, from Sud-Fm, a radio station in one of Senegal's worst affected area.
This is West Africa’s biggest locust disaster in 15 years, and it is moving east, causing huge damage to crops. As they move they produce young and increase their number and will soon threaten (威胁) Sudan in the northeast of Africa. Some say it could reach Asia. Experts say the harmful effect on crops in areas already suffering from food shortage and war could cause many people to go hungry. Governments in the areas are not well equipped to fight the pest.
Although leaders of 12 countries have agreed on a plan, it is not expected to be enough. “We are now treating 6,000 hectares (公顷) per day with pesticide (杀虫剂), but we need to treat 20,000 hectares per day in order to have any hope of controlling this disaster ,”said Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah, director of locust control in Mauritania.
Requests are being made for international aid, which is only way to limit the disaster, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization warned.
1. By using "dark cloud" to describe locusts in the first paragraph, author of the article .| A．shows the size and speed of the mass of locusts |
| B．suggests the great damage that locusts can cause |
| C．warns that locusts would sweep the continent like rain clouds |
| D．both A and B |
| A．West Africa's united effort in fighting a disaster |
| B．the difficulty in controlling locusts |
| C．how locusts caused great damage to West Africa |
| D．a struggle to fight against a disaster brought by locusts in West Africa |
| A．would be even more serious in Asia |
| B．is out of control |
| C．affected only the warning areas |
| D．cannot be stopped unless twice as much pesticide is provided for the affected areas |
| A．Sud-Fm offers a rewarded for fighting locusts so that more people will join in the effort. |
| B．Senegal is to the southwest of Sudan . |
| C．The locusts can cause such damage mainly because it has no natural enemy in West Africa . |
| D．12 countries affected by locusts have united but still lack pesticide. |
【推荐1】Turtles have a problem. They are delicious. And so are their eggs. That has led to the eggs of marine turtles being poached (偷猎).
To deal with the problem Kim Williams-Guillen and Helen Pheasey of the University of Kent, have come up with a handy gadget (小装置). It is a global-positioning-system (GPS) transmitter (发射机) enclosed in a plastic shell made by 3D printing. The result looks like a turtle's egg and weighs about the same. Dug up and carried away by poachers, it can lead the police to those poachers' bases of operation.
As they report this week in Current Biology, Dr Williams-Guillén and Dr Pheasey have now tested their invention in Costa Rica. They placed a decoy egg into each of 101 turtle nests on four beaches where poaching is a problem. The decoys remained inactive until their shells were exposed to the air. At that moment—presumed to signal the arrival of poachers—the “egg” in question starts broadcasting its location once an hour.
In all, 25 of the decoys were poached. They told different stories. Some travelled just a few kilometres, with one ending up at a bar 2km away from the nest it was taken from, where its signal abruptly ended. Others went quite a distance. One, for example, was carried 137km inland, to a supermarket.
To make sure that they, themselves, were not harming what they were intending to protect, the researchers monitored all of the decoy-laden nests which had survived the attentions of poachers and compared these nests' outputs of hatchlings with those of 44 other surviving nests that had no decoy in them. Both sorts of nest had the same hatching rates, suggesting that adding a decoy did not affect the development of the eggs it was hidden among.
Given the success of their project, Dr Williams-Guillen and Dr Pheasey propose that the idea should be used more widely for turtles. They also suggest that similar decoys might help protect the eggs of other endangered reptiles—and birds—that are collected and traded illegally.
1. What is the purpose of the new invention?| A．To make man-made turtle eggs. |
| B．To track the poachers of turtle eggs. |
| C．To protect turtle eggs from poachers. |
| D．To locate turtle eggs and send signals. |
| A．About a quarter of them were poached. |
| B．They appeared different from real turtle eggs. |
| C．Their shells would break if exposed to the air. |
| D．They gave warnings about approaching poachers. |
A．It may cause widespread damage to turtle eggs . |
| B．It will help raise people's environmental awareness. |
| C．It can be applied to more wildlife conservation fields. |
| D．It needs further improvement before being put into practice. |
| A．A New Device May Help Stop the Robbery of Turtle Eggs |
| B．Researchers Propose a New Idea to Save Poached Turtle Eggs |
| C．GPS Will Update Researchers on the Developments of Turtle Eggs |
| D．Decoy Eggs Can Help Turtle Eggs Survive the Attention of Poachers |
Bridget Shield has been conducting studies and advising people on the effects of all sorts of noises, such as traffic and sirens, as well as noise made by the children themselves． "Everything points to a harmful impact of the noise on children’s performance, in numeracy, in literacy, and in spelling,” says Shield．
Shield says the sound of “babble” －the chatter of other children, is particularly distracting in the classroom．。People are very distracted by speech-particularly if it is understandable, but you’re not involved in it．” This phenomenon is also known as the irrelevant speech effect, she says, adding that “it’s a very common finding in open-plan offices as well．’’
In a series of studies published last year, Ravi Mehta found that people were more creative when the background noises were played at a medium level than when volume was low． Loud background noise, however, damaged their creativity． Ravi Mehta suggests there maybe some benefit to playing music or other sounds in an art class or other situations where creativity is the key．
Many teachers all over the world already play music to students in class． Many are inspired by the belief that hearing music can boost IQ in their tasks, the so-called Mozart effect． While the evidence actually suggests it’s a guess to say classical music boosts brainpower, researchers do think pleasant sounds before a task can sometimes lift your mood and help you perform well, says Ravi Mehta," If you like the music or you like the sound-even listening to a Stephen King novel-then you did better． It didn’t matter about the music,“ he says．
However, it’s worth considering that music is not always helpful while you’re trying to work． Trying to perform a task which involves serial recall - for instance, doing mental mathematics-will be distracted by sounds with audio variation, says Ravi Mehta． Songs with lyrics, on the other hand, are more likely to interfere（干扰）with tasks that involve languages-such as reading comprehension．
This isn’t the only sense being related to affecting learning．
1. The second paragraph implies that _________.
| A．general noise also has a harmful effect． |
| B．students are sensitive to noise． |
| C．some children need special sounds to do tasks． |
| D．children aren't affected by their own noise． |
| A．you don’t understand what others are talking |
| B．you are interrupted by the chatting of others |
| C．you are unwilling to chat with other people |
| D．you find what others are talking irrelevant to you |
| A．music matters when you want to do better． |
| B．music will help you do mental arithmetic． |
| C．any music can be beneficial as long as you like it． |
| D．songs with lyrics will improve your reading comprehension． |
| A．Whether music is helpful all the time． |
| B．What sound can promote a person’s creativity． |
| C．When smell can improve students’ behavior． |
| D．How smell affects children’s performance． |
【推荐3】In ancient China tea was probably used as a relish (开胃小菜) and as a medicine. Tea was first brewed (煮泡) as a medicine around 2,700 BC in the western mountains of China. Tea was likely seen as healthy in part because it was made with boiled water, which is safer to drink in an area of polluted water.
Tea drinking, and commercial cultivation (种植), spread during the Tang Dynasty, 618-907, especially after a Buddhist monk (佛教僧侣), wrote a book on the virtues of tea, Cha Ching. Tea gradually became one of the seven basic necessities of Chinese life (The others are fuel, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar. )
A Japanese Buddhist priest, Saicho, is believed to have introduced tea to Japan, when he returned from a visit to China in 805. In Japan tea drinking was considered medicinal, and became closely associated with Zen Buddhism (禅宗).
Tea drinking also spread to Korea and Southeast Asia, and was taken over the Silk Road to Central Asia, Russia, and the Middle East.
Dutch explorers became familiar with tea in the 1590s and were soon importing tea to Europe. In 1657 the British East India Company held the first public sale of tea in England, while that same year Thomas Garraway began offering tea at his London coffee house.
In 1662 tea received a big boost (推进) in England when the Portuguese Catherine of Braganza, married King Charles II and introduced tea drinking to the British court.
Gradually, the British fell in love with tea, and with the sugar that went in it. In 1665, less than 88 tons of sugar was imported to Great Britain. By 1700, it had increased to 10,000 tons of sugar. In 1768 the East India Company imported 10 million pounds of tea to Britain.
1. Tea began to spread as a popular drink in China because of _________.| A．the silk road | B．the basic necessities of Chinese life |
| C．a famous book about tea | D．its association with Zen Buddhism |
| A．In 805 | B．in 1657 |
| C．in1662 | D．in 1763 |
| A．first introduced tea to Europe. |
| B．was the first country to trade with China for tea. |
| C．was the first country to have learned about tea from China. |
| D．may be the biggest imported country of tea in Europe even today. |
| A．The history of tea | B．Benefits of tea drinking |
| C．The home of tea | D．The importance of tea |
