Over the years I have been interested to read about studies into the power of touch. A study found that holding hands to comfort a loved one can actually reduce their pain. Through a process that’s not fully understood, if one of them is in pain, the pain appears to reduce.
I’ve seen this so many times when the husband or wife of a patient in discomfort reaches out and holds their hand, and as if by magic, in a few minutes they become less painful. Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, as we have known for many years about the importance of touch. It symbolizes safety and love.
The value of touch was proved by a series of experiments on monkeys back in the 1950s by Harry Harlow, an American scientist. His work showed the unbelievable drive for warmth and intimacy (亲密) that we all have. In his experiments, he gave young monkeys a choice between a “mother” made of wire mesh (铁丝网) that had a ready supply of milk and the other a warm, soft mother that did not provide any food. They chose, to everyone’s surprise, the comfort over food. This was unexpected because it had always been thought that food was the main motivator (动力) for living creatures. Yet this appeared to show that it was not food, but being comforted and intimate, that was the most important thing. He described these experiments as a study of love and they showed for the first time how important the feeling of being loved is to us. And his idea has been supported by countless further scientific studies.
Personally I find this so comforting. For me, this really speaks of the power of love.
1. According to the writer and studies, ________.| A．touch can treat illnesses | B．touch by anyone can reduce pain |
| C．touch by a loved one can reduce pain | D．we’ve known why touch can reduce pain |
| A．Monkeys were not interested in milk at all. |
| B．Monkeys were different from other living creatures. |
| C．Monkeys liked being comforted and intimate as well. |
| D．Monkeys were afraid of the “mother” made of wire mesh. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Satisfied. | C．Interested. | D．Unbelievable. |
| A．The latest study. | B．Ways to comfort. | C．The power of touch. | D．A funny experiment. |
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【推荐1】Paca’s life changed the day she watched TV for the first time. It was a rock concert and Paca was fascinated (着迷的) not by the music, but by the singers’ long hair.
“Oh! That’s just what I want! Something that shows I’m special!” But Paca was only a frog. She didn’t even know that frogs don’t have hair. She thought that her hair would grow if she gave concerts. So she began to perform. In fact her croak (呱呱叫声) didn’t work with rock music, opera or pop, but she carried on performing everywhere she went. She went to towns and cities, to the sea and mountains, into streets and gardens until one day she gave a concert in a hairdresser’s.
While Paca was singing, without anyone knowing that there was a frog there, the hairdresser was cutting a customer’s hair. A large piece of hair fell into Paca’s head, and seeing herself with so much pretty hair, she thought that her dream was finally coming true.
In her excitement, she sang so loudly that she woke up Fredo, the hairdresser’s cat. Seeing the pile of moving hair, Fredo caught it, mistaking it for a mouse. Because Fredo didn’t like the cold touch and slippery feel of Paca’s skin, he freed her as soon as possible. So, in that way Paca learned that being a frog also had its good side.
From that moment on, Paca studied all the advantages of being a frog and the best way to use them. Paca started a school for frogs, where she produced the most talented and happiest frogs.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What was Paca’s dream?
| A．To start a school for frogs. | B．To become a famous singer. |
| C．To have long and pretty hair. | D．To give concerts everywhere. |
| A．粗糙的 | B．细腻的 | C．湿滑的 | D．黏手的 |
| A．Because he found Paca was a frog. | B．Because he thought Paca was a mouse. |
| C．Because he was angry with Paca’s song. | D．Because he wanted Paca to sing for him. |
| A．her long hair | B．her loud croak | C．her special skin | D．her musical style |
| A．We should be proud of what we look like. |
| B．We should have a special skill like singing. |
| C．We should work hard to achieve our dreams. |
| D．We should make full use of our own advantages. |
The gemologist didn’t want to teach the young man because he thought the young man have no patience (耐心). The young man asked for a chance. Finally the expert had to agree.
The next morning, the gemologist put a jade (玉) stone in the young man’s hand and told him, “Hold it!” The expert then went about his work: cutting, weighing, and making. The big boy felt a bit strange (奇怪的), but he said nothing. He just sat quietly and waited.
The following morning the expert again placed the jade stone in the young man’s hand and told him to hold it. On the third, fourth, and fifth day the young man did the same job.
A month went by, and the young man felt more and more boring because of holding the same stone.
One morning, the gemologist came and asked him to hold out his hand, he couldn’t go on any longer. But just as the gemologist put the stone in his hand, he said loudly,“This is not the same jade stone!”
“You have begun to learn,” said the gemologist with a smile.
1. What did the young man want to be?
| A．A gemologist | B．A good student |
| C．A stone maker | D．A businessman |
| A．didn’t do like that |
| B．felt excited |
| C．didn’t know why |
| D．did the job happily |
| A．got some real jades |
| B．became a gemologist |
| C．went home without learning anything |
| D．was angry with the expert |
| A．It’s lucky to find a good teacher. |
| B．You have to believe in yourself. |
| C．Keep on, and you can get you what you want. |
| D．Don’t spend time doing anything boring. |
【推荐3】A blind (盲人) boy sat on the street with a hat by his feet. He held up (举起) a sign which said: “I am blind, please help me.” There were only a few coins (硬币) in the hat.
A man walked by. He put a few coins into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by could see the new words.
Soon the hat started to fill up (装满). That afternoon the man who had changed (改变) the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized (认出) his footsteps (脚步) and asked, “Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?”
The man said, “I only wrote the truth (真相). I said what you said but in a different way.” His words were “Today is a beautiful day, but I cannot see it.”
Do you think the first sign and the second sign said the same thing?
Of course, both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign only told people to put some money in the hat. The second sign told people that they could enjoy the day, but the boy could not enjoy it, because he was blind.
The first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign reminded (提醒) people they were lucky that they were not blind.
There are at least (至少) two lessons we can learn from this simple story.
The first is: Be thankful for what you have.
The second is: Be creative. Think differently. There is always a better way.
1. The boy on the street ________.| A．sold his old hat | B．begged (乞求) for money |
| C．was busy collecting (收集) coins | D．showed his good handwriting (书法) |
| A．He took the boy’s sign away. | B．He only gave the boy some money. |
| C．He changed the words on the sign. | D．He talked to the blind boy. |
| A．scary | B．strict | C．kind | D．interesting |
| A．胜利的 | B．有创新的 | C．有同情心的 | D．感激的 |
| A．Enjoy a sunny day | B．A blind boy on the street |
| C．Help the disabled (残疾) people | D．Different words make the difference |
【推荐1】If you go to Dubai（迪拜）during the summer holiday, you may see a special kind of "taxi". It is a drone（无人机）. It is said that Dubai decided to use Chinese-made drones as a self-flying air taxi.
The drone taxi is named EHang 184 which is made by a Chinese company（公司）. The drone taxi can fly up to 3,500 meters high. It can fly at a top speed of 160 kilometers an hour. It can only take one person.
How do you call an EHang 184? You use its app on your phone. When the drone comes, you choose the place you want to go to on a touch screen.There is no pilot in the drone. But some people on the ground will be watching it. They will make sure your trip is safe. So you don't have to worry about it.
EHang 184's battery（电池）can only keep about 30 minutes. So it cannot take you further than 50 kilometers. The battery needs to be improved. We all wish it would last longer.
1. Which of the following is NOT true about EHang 184?| A．There is no pilot in it. | B．It can take two passengers at one time. |
| C．It can fly up to 3,500 meters high | D．The trip in it is safe. |
| A．using a key | B．using an app | C．booking online | D．making a call |
| A．On the Internet. | B．In a market research. |
| C．In a story book. | D．In a dictionary. |
【推荐2】What makes you fall asleep? The main cause is your body clock, a time-keeper inside your body. But how to control and use your body clock? Scientists suggested having a shower before bed. Jumping into the shower around an hour before bed could mean you sleep better.
A warm shower helps you relax, and then after it warms you up, your core（核心）body temperature drops. This encourages you to fall asleep more quickly and sleep more soundly.
A study in 2019 said that a water temperature of 40℃ to 42. 4℃ produces the best-quality（最优质的）sleep. After people lie down, most of them take about 20 minutes to fall asleep. However, if you have a shower one to two hours before going to bed, you will fall asleep 10 minutes earlier.
Core body temperature drops naturally before you sleep, then drops further during the night. It rises again as you wake up. It is thought that taking a warm shower will speed up the drop in temperature before bed, as it brings blood to the surface of the body, and then the heat is given off.
1. What did scientists suggest people do before bed to sleep better?| A．Sleep an hour earlier. | B．Jump into bed. |
| C．Have a warm shower. | D．Set a time clock. |
| A．Deeply. | B．Poorly. | C．Kindly. | D．Slowly. |
| A．44.2℃ | B．41.5℃ | C．36.4℃ | D．32.4℃ |
| A．Art. | B．Weather. | C．History. | D．Health. |
【推荐3】When Shanghai introduced a new rubbish sorting policy(垃圾分类政策) in July last year, the people in this city took some time to get used to it. They joked that every time they took out their litter, the aunt standing by the bins would ask, “What kind of litter are you?”
Starting on May 1, Beijing joined many Chinese cities by introducing a new rubbish sorting policy. People should sort their litter into four groups: kitchen, recyclable, harmful and other waste. These groups are represented(代表) by four different colors of rubbish bins—green, blue, red and gray. Those who fail to sort their litter correctly in those cities may face fines(罚款) of up to 200 yuan.
The way Beijing sorts its rubbish sounds different from cities like Shanghai and Qingdao. These cities use four different groups: wet, recyclable, harmful and dry. Although their names are different, the groups are actually the same. Wet rubbish in Shanghai is, in fact, kitchen rubbish. And dry rubbish is the same as other waste.
Many people don’t know how to sort their litter correctly, so Beijing government is offering online guidelines. If people don’t know how to throw away rubbish, they can search for it on the WeChat account Guanchenglishi (管城理市) to find out. By searching a key word or taking a photo, people can find out which group their litter belongs to at once.
1. Kitchen rubbish is called ________ in Shanghai.| A．wet rubbish | B．dry rubbish | C．recyclable rubbish | D．harmful rubbish |
| A．Rubbish sorting is being carried out all over the country. | B．Rubbish sorting started in Beijing on May 1. |
| C．In Qingdao, people who don’t sort their litter correctly may be fined 200 yuan. | D．People in Beijing dislike rubbish sorting policy. |
| A．Green bins. | B．Blue bins. | C．Gray bins. | D．Red bins. |
| A．People are made to sort their litter and they are unhappy. | B．Four cities are using the new rubbish sorting policy in China. |
| C．Many people had some problems with rubbish sorting at first. | D．People should sort their litter into four groups. |
【推荐1】Getting electricity has always been a problem for the 173 people living in Nuevo Saposoa, a small village in Peru,South America. However, things went from bad to worse in March 2015 after heavy rains damaged the only power cables(电力电缆) in the area. The villagers were forced to use oil lamps, which are not only expensive but also dangerous because of the harmful gases they produce.
Luckily, researchers at the University of Technology（UT）in Lima, Peru heard about their problem and found a wonderful solution. They made a lamp that can be powered by plants and soil, both of which can be easily found in the Amazonian rainforest where the village lies. The lamp takes energy from a plant growing in a wooden box and uses it to light up an LED light bulb.
While that may sound amazing and even impossible, the science behind the ides is quite simple. As plants create their food (using the sun’s energy, water and chemicals from the soil), they also produce waste which they return to the soil. Tiny animals in the soil eat this waste and they produce electrons—the building blocks of electrical energy. The UT team put special sticks inside the soil to capture the energy and keep it in the lamp’s batteries for later use. The researchers say a single charge can power a 50-watt Led light for two hours-enough time for local villagers to get their evening work done.
The university gave ten Plant Lamps to the villagers of Nuevo Saposoa in October 2015. So far, they have been a huge success! Elmer Ramirez, the UT professor who invented the lamp, believes the Plant Lamp could help improve the lives of many people, especially small rainforest communities, 42% of whom have no electricity.
1. What are the problems of oil lamps according to Paragraph 1?| A．They are difficult to use and create pollution. |
| B．They are expensive to buy and easily damaged. |
| C．They are difficult to repair and produce little light. |
| D．They are expensive to use and can be bad for health. |
| A．plant food | B．plant waste | C．the soil’s heat | D．the sun’s energy |
| A．It can be made by local people. |
| B．It is much easier to use than oil lamps. |
| C．It can produce all the electricity the village need. |
| D．The things it needs to make electricity are easy to find. |
| A．The rainforest communities. | B．Poor people in cíties. |
| C．Farmers in Lima. | D．The UT team. |
| A．To report on a new invention. | B．To explain a new scientific theory. |
| C．To describe how electricity is made. | D．To discuss the problems of poor villages. |
In France the potato was not grown for a long time. Here is a story about Louis. In 1778 he saw some potato flowers for the first time. He liked them so much that he picked one and put it in his buttonhole. He was interested in the flowers not the potatoes themesleves.
根据短文内容判断对错。
1. Potatoes are grown and eaten in Europe.
2. The potatoes are grown only in the rich soil.
3. Louis was the first man to eat the potato.
4. At first the Europeans grew potatoes to eat.
5. Louis liked the potato flowers better than the potatoes.
【推荐3】Making friends at school can be a little tricky - but it doesn’t have to be! Try out a few of these methods to talk to people in your class and hang out with them outside of school. Before you know it, you’ll have a group of friends to have fun with every day!
■ Be friendly.
Using proper body language will help, Stand up straight, make eye contact with people, and smile! Try to avoid crossing your arms over your chest and looking closed off. The more open and friendly you look, the more people will want to get to know you.
■ Sit at a new table during
Look for tables with an open seat. If you’re feeling a little nervous, pick a table that only has one or two people sitting down. Head over and ask if you can sit there, then join in on the conversation. If you like the people you sit with, ask if you can join them again the next day.
■ Try out for a sports team.
Pick a sport that you like (it could be soccer, basketball, softball, baseball, or anything in between), and try out for the team. Over time, you could become good friends with some of the other people on your team! If your school doesn’t have a sports team, try looking for one at your local community center.
■ Join an after-school club.
Meet friends who have the same hobby as you. Ask a teacher or your parents for a list of after school activities and pick 1 or 2 of them that you’re the most excited about. Introduce yourself to everyone when you attended your first club meeting to meet new people and start a fun conversation.
1. Which word is the most suitable for ________?| A．holiday | B．class | C．meeting | D．lunch |
| A．how to talk to a stranger | B．how to make friends |
| C．how to start a conversation | D．how to choose activities |
| A．school students | B．school teachers |
| C．younger parents | D．older parents |
