1 . There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.
Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friend: don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying.
While some adult relationships are still troubled, many find them to be extremely rewarding. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of the workforce and technology, which may bring them even closer together.
Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. The mother and child relationship is closer than any other. There is not an equal relationship. Daughters should not feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. It isn’t that they don’t care deeply about their mothers. It’s just that they shouldn’t be burdened with their mother’s well-being.
The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.
1. What does the underlined word “preclude” in paragraph 1 probably mean?| A．differ | B．prevent | C．benefit | D．change |
| A．The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend. |
| B．A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship. |
| C．The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friends’ friendship. |
| D．Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother. |
| A．By listing data. | B．By giving explanations. |
| C．By quoting sayings. | D．By giving examples. |
| A．How to Be a Good Mother and Daughter? | B．Who Is a Mother’s Best Friend? |
| C．Mothers or Friends? | D．Can a Mother Be a Daughter’s Best Friend? |
2 . Regardless of how far we’d like to believe gender (性别) equality in the workplace has come, there’s still a yawning gap between male and female leaders in the professional world. A 2018 statistic shows that women nowadays hold just 5.8 percent of CEO positions at S&P 500 companies, according to Catalyst.
While it’s not a huge shock that women are somewhat underrepresented in leadership positions, what is surprising though, is the fact that females may actually be better suited to lead in almost every area, at least according to new findings from the BI Norwegian Business School.
In their research, Professor Martinsen and Professor Lars Glas surveyed 2,900 managers with a special focus on personality types. The results were clear: Women scored higher than men in four of the five major leadership-centric categories.
While some people believe that men inherently make better leaders—probably because they picture a leader with a commanding voice, which is more typical of men than women—this piece of research suggests that women are better at methodical management and goal-setting, openness, sociability and supportiveness, as well as ability to communicate clearly.
There was one area in which men scored higher than women, though, and that was on emotional stability and ability to face job-related pressure and stress. The results suggest that women are more sensitive to the effects of high-pressure or highly emotional situations.
Obviously, its important to consider individual differences.Anyone, regardless of gender may be an inspiring leader and a competent boss. But next time you're hiring for a management position, you just might want to give the resumes(简历)from female candidates a harder look.
1. What makes us shocked much at leadership positions?| A．Women are worse than men. |
| B．Men take almost all high positions. |
| C．There is a huge gap between genders. |
| D．Women might behave better in nearly every field. |
| A．properly. | B．potentially. | C．naturally. | D．normally. |
| A．Why Women Make Better Leaders |
| B．Why Women Are Better Than Men |
| C．How We Can Figure Out The Boss |
| D．How We Can Tell Gender Difference |
| A．Job hunters. | B．Employers. | C．Employees. | D．Male bosses. |
3 . Sugar-free cookies, reduced-sugar cereal, sugar-free candy, diet soda... are these better for you? Since sugar became a taboo (禁忌) in the nutrition and wellness world, sugar-free food items and drinks have acted as substitutes for once beloved sweet drinks and snacks. Claiming to be ZERO sugar means it is healthier,better for diabetics,and helps you slim down... Right?
Wrong. Sugar-free isn’t better for you. In fact, sugar-free is worse.
Sugar-free means that artificial sweeteners (甜味剂) are used instead of real sugar. The problem:these sweeteners do not come from natural sources and they can cause you more harm than good.
Let’s get into what these artificial sweeteners actually are. Sugar-free sugar sounds wrong and that’s because there is no such thing as sugar-free sugar. Some of these sugar-free alternatives still contain sugar and the ones that don’t contain sugar have chemicals your body often does not know how to process.
Most artificial sweeteners are a lot sweeter than sugar,so only a tiny amount is needed. That’s why they can market sugar-free alternatives as “low-calorie” or “no-calorie”. It also means that you get no nutritional value from consuming them, which is why many sugar-free substitutes are classified as “non-nutritive”. These artificial sweeteners tend to hide under sneaky names. Actually, they are 200-600 times sweeter than sugar.
When you eat sweet stuff, your body continues to desire it and, even though your body cannot metabolize (代谢) these sugar-free alternatives, your brain does not know the difference. In turn, sugar-free alternatives connect to weight gain and type 2 diabetes (糖尿病).
Artificial sweeteners also damage your gut’s ability to break down sugar,which impacts everything you eat. In other words, your body doesn’t know how to handle artificial sweeteners because they have nothing real to process.
A good rule of thumb: stay away from artificial sweeteners and look for non-sugar, natural sweeteners like Stevia or date sugar. In the war against artificial sweeteners and real sugar, both lose. Satisfy your sweet tooth with natural sugars that come from fruits and stay away from products claiming to be sugar-free or diet!
1. What can be learned about sugar-free products?| A．They don’t taste sweet. | B．They are more nutritious. |
| C．They contain artificial sweeteners. | D．They contain natural sweeteners. |
| A．They won’t lead to weight gain. | B．They are greener and healthier. |
| C．They are much to everyone’s taste. | D．Small quantities of artificial sweeteners are used. |
| A．They present a bigger health risk. | B．They can be easily broken down. |
| C．They are as sweet as sugar. | D．They improve our ability to metabolize. |
| A．Real sugar is a better choice. | B．Stay away from sugary products. |
| C．Sugar-free products are healthier. | D．Choose sugar from natural sources. |
4 . Teenagers who spend more time on after-school activities and less than two hours of screen time after school are more mentally (心理上) healthy, according to a study published in the journal Preventive Medicine. The new study was carried out by researchers from the University of British Columbia.
The study used information collected from more than 28, 000 seventh-grade Canadian students between 2014 and 2018. The students first answered questions about their usage of screen time after school, including how much time they spent watching TV, Netflix or something else. Then, students reported how many days they had taken part in after-school activities such as sports or arts programmes. After that, researchers asked students to describe their state of mind. For example, when given a statement such as “I start most days thinking that I will have a good day”, they could choose to what level they agreed with it on a scale (等级).
Some of the results were expected, researchers said in the study. Students with no after-school activities usually had high levels of screen time, for example. And they expected girls would score higher on negative indicators (消极指标) of mental health, as earlier research had found that they tended to have higher levels of anxiety (焦虑) compared to boys.
What was noteworthy, researchers say, is that even among students who took part in after-school activities, 46% still went beyond the recommended screen time of two hours. At the same time, 67% of students who didn’t take part in after-school activities also had more than two hours of screen time. Together, this suggests high screen time among teenagers generally.
“The findings suggest that after-school activities are valuable for the happy growing of teenagers,” the study said. “While past studies have proved the importance of after-school activities for social and academic (学业的) development, the present study shows their importance for good mental health results.”
1. Which of the following came last when students took part in the new study?| A．Talking about their lifestyles. | B．Introducing their after-school activities. |
| C．Reporting their mental states on a scale. | D．Answering questions about screen time use. |
| A．They often have higher levels of satisfaction. |
| B．Few of them take part in after-school activities. |
| C．Anxiety has become a serious problem among them. |
| D．Too much screen time may be more harmful to them. |
| A．Earlier findings about screen time are wrong. |
| B．High screen time is common among teenagers. |
| C．No after-school activities mean no screen time. |
| D．Screens attract teenagers more than after-school activities do. |
| A．They are good for teenagers’ physical health. |
| B．They help to improve teenagers’ mental health. |
| C．They encourage teenagers’ social development. |
| D．They allow teenagers to become better learners. |
5 . It can be tough to pull kids away from their computers and mobile devices these days. While they’re playing games, wouldn’t it be great if they could be learning at the same time? Good educational apps offer fun challenges that teach specific grade-level skills. Here are four that combine fun and learning.
Understanding Math($3.99; iOS)
Understanding Math goes beyond basic comprehension to gain a deeper understanding of the whys and hows of math. The app tracks your child’s progress to determine strengths and weaknesses in different skill areas, and you can customize(订制)your child’s learning experience to suit the needs.
Word Creativity Kit($2.99; iOS)
Word Creativity Kit aims not only to make creative writing fun but also build up grammar rules. The app presents a series of words from seven categories, such as space or fantasy. Kids add their own words to finish the complete thoughts that these words have inspired.
Barefoot World Atlas($4.99; iOS)
Barefoot World Atlas helps kids learn about geography and world cultures with a touch of the screen. Each region features a set of sub-topics, from wildlife and natural features to native people, landmarks, and architecture. These facts and illustrations are delivered in photographs, sounds, and hundreds of mini videos.
My Grades & Homework($0.99; iOS)
A combination of grades and homework tracker, My Grades & Homework can help your child stay organized and on top of the progress in school. A convenient calendar and course list format and offer a glance at your child’s assignment schedule that he or she might not normally get from standard homework planners.
1. Which app is beneficial to children’s writing skills?| A．Understanding Math. | B．Word Creativity Kit. |
| C．Barefoot World Atlas. | D．My Grades & Homework. |
| A．They need purchasing when downloaded. |
| B．They help children improve their grades. |
| C．They make studies fun because of mini videos. |
| D．They inform parents of their children’s progress. |
| A．To wish readers to bring in more similar apps for children. |
| B．To encourage parents to allow their students to play apps. |
| C．To design the educational apps to combine fun and learning. |
| D．To introduce four educational apps for readers to buy and use. |
6 . As is known to us all, the stories we share with one another are significant, which shows our wisdom, providing our inspiration and attaching importance to our development. But occasionally people choose not to tell.
Consider the negative effects of not sharing a story in the news: People are wondering if public health officials are holding back too much information about the recent outbreak of Ebola.
There is a danger in holding back stories that ought to be told. Bobette Buster said it was like this, “The fact is, history has shown us that stories not told can become like a dangerous genie (妖怪) left in a bottle. When they are finally uncorked, their power to destroy is set free.”
There are a number of reasons why we hide parts of our story: they often show our weaknesses or expose our disadvantages; they require courage and strength to share, and of course, there are some stories that should be kept secret—especially those that embarrass someone else.
Most of us have two selves: the one we display on the outside and the one we actually are on the inside. And the better we get at hiding the stories that show our true selves, the more damage we may be causing to ourselves and to others.
Honesty and openness is important. It proves we are trustworthy. It displays we are human. We are not perfect or better. It highlights the importance of hard work and personal development. Hard work may not allow us to overcome our disadvantages completely. But with hard work, we do not have to be restricted to our mistakes.
Does this mean we admit every weakness, every disadvantage, and every secret regret to everybody we meet? No, of course not. There is a time and a place and a certain level of relationship necessary for some stories to be told in an appropriate manner.
1. What’s the function of the example in Paragraph 2?| A．It reflects that people are concerned about the spread of Ebola. |
| B．It concludes that one should share a story at a proper time. |
| C．It shows the bad effect caused by sharing a story. |
| D．It proves not sharing a story can cause trouble. |
| A．Broken. | B．Unfolded. | C．Untouched. | D．Freed. |
| A．People sometimes have no courage to share their stories. |
| B．Story-sharing highlights the importance of hard work. |
| C．People are used to exposing their weaknesses. |
| D．Some stories make people feel sad. |
| A．share stories appropriately for the good of others and ourselves |
| B．realize the importance of being honest when making friends |
| C．remove the dangers that can be caused by untold stories |
| D．be open to people close to you by sharing some secrets |
7 . Living in a city is a well-known risk factor for developing a mental disorder, while living close to nature is largely beneficial for mental health and the brain. A central brain region, the amygdala (大脑杏仁核) involved in stress processing, has been shown to be less activated during stress in people living in rural areas, compared to those who live in cities, hinting at the potential benefits of nature. “But so far the hen-and-egg problem could not be resolved, namely whether nature actually caused the effects in the brain or whether the particular individuals chose to live in rural or urban regions,” says Sonja Sudimac.
To achieve causal evidence, the researchers from the group examined brain activity in regions involved in stress processing in 63 healthy volunteers before and after a one-hour walk in Grunewald forest or a shopping street with traffic in Berlin. The results revealed that activity in the amygdala decreased after the walk in nature, suggesting that nature elicits beneficial effects on brain regions related to stress.
“The results support the previously assumed positive relationship between nature and brain health, but this is the first study to prove the causal link. Interestingly, the brain activity after the urban walk in these regions remained stable and showed no increases, which argues against a commonly held view that urban exposure causes additional stress,” explains Simone Kühn, head of the group.
The authors show that nature has a positive impact on brain regions involved in stress processing and that it can already be observed after a one-hour walk. This contributes to the understanding of how our physical living environment affects brain and mental health. Even a short exposure to nature decreases amygdala activity, suggesting that a walk in nature could serve as a preventive measure against developing mental health problems and reducing the potentially disadvantageous impact of the city on the brain.
In order to investigate beneficial effects of nature in different populations and age groups, the researchers are currently working on a study examining how a one-hour walk in natural versus urban environments impacts stress in mothers and their babies.
1. What does the hen-and-egg problem mean by Sonja Sudimac?| A．Living in rural areas actually affects brain activity. |
| B．People in cities tend to have a higher risk of mental problems. |
| C．It’s unnecessary to work out the complex issue of stress and health. |
| D．It’s hard to clarify the impact of living environment on mental health. |
| A．By quoting authoritative experts. |
| B．By interviewing healthy volunteers. |
| C．By researching on a previous theory. |
| D．By comparing volunteers’ amygdala activities. |
| A．Confirming the assumption of nature’s benefits to brain health. |
| B．Supporting a commonly held view of urban exposure. |
| C．Revealing the link between age and mental health. |
| D．Identifying the causes of mental health problems. |
| A．Benefits of a regular walk in nature. |
| B．The focus of the follow-up research. |
| C．An appeal for living in urban regions. |
| D．Nature’s positive effects on women and children. |
8 . Bioluminescence (生物荧光) is to California as the Aurora Borealis is to the Arctic. These events occur when single-celled organisms, known as dinoflagellates (甲藻), suddenly give off a kind of light after being disturbed. They’re most common in spring and into summer, especially during years with a combination of good rains and warm weather. Here are a few tips to help you witness bioluminescence:
Monitor Social Media
The first reports of a bioluminescence event are likely to show upon Instagram and Twitter, which are easily searchable. You can also setup a warning on Google that will round up news coverage.
Check With Aquariums
Such institutions as the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla, the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey might post updates on their websites or social media feeds, especially if bioluminescence is happening locally.
Find a Dark Location
If bioluminescence is ongoing, try to find a stretch of coast that’s as far away from light as possible. Get out before the moon rises for the best conditions and some experts also suggest that two hours after sunset is a good bet Give your eyes time to adjust and use your flashlight’s red light, which will keep your vision adjusted to the darkness.
Track Hotspots
The best displays can vary from night tonight, so check again on social media for updates. The environmental website Treehugger named San Diego one of the world’s eight best places to see bioluminescence. Meanwhile, north of San Francisco at Point Reyes National Seashore, To males Bay is a dependable spot for bioluminescence and you can go out on guided trips with Blue Waters Kayaking.
1. What kind of condition is better for witnessing bioluminescence?| A．Hot dry weather. | B．Warm rainy weather. |
| C．Cold rainy weather. | D．Cold dry weather. |
| A．Water. | B．Sunset. | C．Darkness. | D．Light. |
| A．In La Jolla. | B．In Long Beach. | C．In San Diego. | D．In San Francisco. |
9 . When asked about her childhood in the documentary Alive Inside, a 90-year-old woman with dementia replies,“I’ve forgotten so much.” Film-maker Michael Rossato-Bennett then plays music from her past for her. “That’s Louis Armstrong,” she says. “He’s singing When the Saints Go Marching In and it takes me back to my school days.” She then recalls exact details from her life.
Why does it happen? Music tends to accompany events that arouse emotions or otherwise make strong impressions on us—such as weddings and graduations. These kinds of experiences form strong memories, and the music and memories likely become intertwined(紧密相连) in our neural(神经的) networks, according to Julene Johnson, a professor at the University of California. Movements, such as dancing, also often pair with our experience of music, which can help form memories. Even many years later,hearing the music can bring back memories of these long-past events.
As Alive Inside shows,music has this power even for many people with dementia. Researchers note that the brain areas that process and remember music are typically less damaged by dementia than other areas, and they think it may explain the phenomenon.
They also pay attention to elderly people with dementia, especially those in nursing homes. “It’s possible those long-term memories are still there,” Johnson says,“but people just have a harder time accessing them because they’re in a strange place and there’re not a lot of circumstances in which someone could pull out those memories.”
Johnson also notes that music is not universally useful for all people with dementia since there are some people with dementia whose brain area that recognizes music is damaged.
Despite music’s apparent benefits, few studies have explored its influence on memory recall in people with dementia. “It’s really an untapped area,” Johnson says. Petr Janata is a researcher investigating the topic of music and memory. He says that scientists still do not have the answers to why and how music reawakens memories in people with dementia, but this phenomenon is real and it’s just a matter of time before it’s fully borne out by scientific research.
1. What helps the old woman in Alive Inside recall her childhood?| A．The description of her school days |
| B．A film she watched before. |
| C．A song she listened to before. |
| D．The voice of her childhood friend. |
| A．It helps make lasting memories. |
| B．It helps cure patients of dementia. |
| C．It helps arouse emotions in special events. |
| D．It helps remember dance movements easily. |
| A．Send them to nursing homes for good care. |
| B．Provide familiar environments for them. |
| C．Play lots of classical music to them. |
| D．Talk to them about their past. |
| A．It is criticized by Petr Janata. |
| B．It is a ground-breaking study. |
| C．It is supported by solid evidence. |
| D．It applies to all people with dementia. |
10 . Ranjan and Summer were good friends. They went to the same school and were in the same class.
Ranjan was not strong. He could not play football or other games with boys of his age. All that he did was to watch Summer and other boys play. He usually went with them to the playground. When they ran off to play, he would sit under a tree and read storybooks. Books became his best friends. The reading made him successful in all the exams. He always stood first in the class.
Summer was tall and strong. He spent most of his time running, swimming or riding bicycles. He was an extremely good player in every game. He was a member of the school’s football team and cricket team. The PE teacher thought he would make it big in the game when he grew up.
One day, the two friends went for a walk. Ranjan got tired soon. “I have no strength. What is the use of all this knowledge if I am not healthy? I would give away all my knowledge if I could be half as healthy and strong as you,” said Ranjan.
Summer was surprised and replied, “So you are not happy with yourself too? I always wished I could have done as well as you did in the studies. I even thought I could have given away my sporting skills for better grades in those exams.” The two friends looked at each other and cried out at the same time. “The grass looks greener on the other side of the hill.”
1. What did Ranjan usually do when he went to the playground with Summer?| A．He studied for the exams. |
| B．He played with his friend. |
| C．He read his favorite books. |
| D．He took care of the clothes. |
| A．Summer was very tall. |
| B．Summer was very strong. |
| C．Summer was good at doing sports. |
| D．Summer spent a lot of time playing sports. |
| A．Ranjan was proud of his knowledge. |
| B．Summer was unhappy with his studies. |
| C．Summer could do as well as Ranjan did in the studies. |
| D．Ranjan and Summer decided to learn from each other. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. |
| B．Nobody knows his own advantages. |
| C．Grass usually appears greener in faraway places. |
| D．We always want something better and feel unhappy. |
