1 . We’ve known that sitting for long periods of time every day has countless health consequences, like a higher risk of heart disease. But now a new study has found that sitting is also bad for your brain.
A study published last week, conducted by Dr. Prabha Siddarth at the University of California, showed that sedentary（久坐的）behavior is associated with reduced thickness of the medial temporal lobe（中颞叶）, a brain area that is critical to learning and memory.
The researchers asked a group of 35 healthy people, ages 45 to 70, about their activity levels and the average number of hours each day spent sitting and then scanned their brains. They found that the subjects who reported sitting for longer periods had the thinnest medial temporal lobes. It means that the more time you spend in a chair the worse it is for your brain health, resulting in possible damage to learning and memory.
What is also interesting is that this study did not find a significant association between the level of physical activity and thickness of this brain area, suggesting that exercise, even severe exercise, may not be enough to protect you from the harmful effects of sitting.
It then surprisingly turned out that you don’t even have to move much to enhance cognition（认知）; just standing will do the trick. For example, two groups of subjects were asked to complete a test while either sitting or standing. Participants are presented with conflicting stimuli（刺激）, like the word “green” in blue ink, and asked to name the color. Subjects thinking on their feet beat those who sat by a 3-milicond margin.
The cognitive effects of severe physical exercise are well known. But the possibility that standing more and sitting less improves brain health could lower the bar for everyone.
I know, this all runs counter to received ideas about deep thought, from our grade school teachers, who told us to sit down and focus, to Rodin’s famous “Thinker,” seated with chin on hand.
They were wrong. You can now all stand up.
1. What can we infer from Paragraphs 3 and 4?| A．Severe exercise can lessen the damage of sitting. |
| B．Severe exercise can greatly improve our brain health. |
| C．Sedentary behavior will possibly damage our brain. |
| D．Brain health has nothing to do with sedentary behavior. |
| A．blank. | B．edge. |
| C．decrease. | D．difference. |
| A．Sitting more is good for our mental health. |
| B．Sitting is better when we think. |
| C．Exercise more can improve our cognition. |
| D．We should stand while thinking. |
| A．people tend to sit while thinking |
| B．standing more can make our brain healthier |
| C．physical exercise can improve our brain health |
| D．sedentary behavior leads to countless health problems |
2 . Cities all over the world celebrate Christmas in unique and memorable ways. The following international destinations are just a few of the countless choices to consider.
Quebec city
Quebec city has long drawn admirers to its historic district the famed city wall, strange cobblestone lanes（鹅卵石小路）and handsome stone houses. This area transforms into a scenic Christmas village each December. The 403-year-old capital of Quebec province takes pride in the outdoors at Christmas time, when stone buildings shine with lights. Consider cross-country ski on the Plains of Abraham, or skate at the place D’ Youville square.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh, a magic city full of staircases and hills as well as Georgian and neo-Classical buildings, is famous for its mixture of the modern and the old. This is evident in winter, when Scotland’s capital puts on a six-week festival lasting until Jan. 6 that goes way beyond Christmas markets. You can ride roller coasters, climb a wall of ice and attend a vivid Christmas themed show by the cabaret troupe（剧团）La Clique.
Zurich
If buying gifts is on your travel schedule, Zurich is an impressive shopping center, particularly around the holidays, from multiple Christmas markets and the luxury（奢侈品）dress shops of Bahnhofstrasse Street, to the independent designers and antique shops in the merging industrial zones. Another annual lighting spectacle（壮观场面）, Lichterschwimmen, on Dec. 21, includes hundreds of tiny lanterns that are sent floating down the River Limmat.
Sydney
A lack of snow does not dampen the Christmas spirit in Sydney. One great and free way to feel the holiday is to take this Dec. 21 walking tour of George Street, which promises “the most sharable window displays and coloured lights.” One advantage over other destinations: warm, sandy beaches that lie just minutes from downtown, where the natural beauty of Australia’s most popular city will be waiting.
1. What can you do in Quebec city during Christmas?| A．Ride roller coasters. |
| B．Take part in a walking tour. |
| C．Enjoy cross-country ski. |
| D．Watch a Christmas-themed show. |
| A．Quebec city. | B．Edinburgh. |
| C．Zurich. | D．Sydney. |
| A．A guidebook. | B．A diary. |
| C．A novel. | D．A research paper. |
3 . If you’ve spent any amount of time boating, fishing, or bird-watching at lakes and rivers, you have most likely seen fishes jumping out of the water. I have seen it many times. Certainly, fishes will exit water in desperate attempts to escape enemies. Dolphins take advantage of the behavior, forming a circle and catching the frightened fishes in midair. But just as we may run fast from fun or from fear, different emotions might motivate fishes to jump.
Mobula rays（蝠鲼）aren’t motivated by fear when they throw their impressive bodies—up to a seventeen-foot wingspan (the distance from the end of one wing to the end of the other) and a ton in weight—skyward in leap（跳跃）of up to ten feet. They do it in schools（鱼群）of hundreds. They usually land on their bellies, but sometimes they land on their backs. Some scientists think it might be a way of removing parasites（寄生虫）. But I think that the rays are enjoying themselves.
In the clear waters of Florida’s Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, I watched several schools of fifty or more mullets（鲻鱼）moving in beautiful formation. Their well-built bodies were most evident when they leaped from the water. Most of the time I saw one or two leaps by a fish, but one made a series of seven. They usually land on their sides. Each jump was about a foot clear of the water and two to three feet in length.
Nobody knows for sure why the fish leaps. One idea is that they do it to take in oxygen. The idea is supported by the fact that mullets leap more when the water is lower in oxygen, but is challenged by the likelihood that jumping costs more energy than is gained by breathing air. It is hard to imagine they will feel any fresher when back in water.
Might these fishes also be leaping for fun? There is some new evidence. Gordon M. Burghardt recently published accounts of a dozen types of fishes leaping repeatedly, sometimes over floating objects—sticks, plants, sunning turtle—for no clear reason other than entertainment.
1. What can we say about the dolphins in Paragraph 1?| A．They have great escaping skills. | B．They are easily frightened. |
| C．They are very clever. | D．They love jumping. |
| A．Both do it in groups. | B．Both land on their bellies. |
| C．Both jump many feet out of water. | D．Both make leaps one after the other. |
| A．It is valuable. | B．It is interesting. |
| C．It is imaginative. | D．It is questionable. |
| A．To remove parasites. | B．To amuse themselves. |
| C．To take in more oxygen. | D．To express positive emotions. |
4 . When I was little, I showed great interest in the TV show Bob the Builder. I was
However, as I got a little older and understood the show more, I
Now, I’m a senior in high school taking three science
Recently, I was talking to my parents about my childhood and they
| A．amused | B．shocked | C．attracted | D．relaxed |
| A．watch | B．buy | C．receive | D．read |
| A．agreed | B．declared | C．suggested | D．realized |
| A．though | B．while | C．unless | D．once |
| A．attention | B．mistakes | C．manners | D．fears |
| A．appeal | B．enquiry | C．injustice | D．excuse |
| A．show | B．role | C．speech | D．business |
| A．record | B．attach | C．offer | D．do |
| A．performances | B．departments | C．sections | D．courses |
| A．changed | B．improved | C．occurred | D．remained |
| A．idea | B．aim | C．job | D．game |
| A．leadership | B．relationships | C．theories | D．strength |
| A．helping | B．observing | C．teaching | D．saving |
| A．identifies | B．separates | C．compares | D．combines |
| A．carried out | B．referred to | C．held on | D．looked up |
| A．true | B．last | C．second | D．different |
| A．nicer | B．busier | C．older | D．happier |
| A．requests | B．deserves | C．obtains | D．prefers |
| A．character | B．director | C．guide | D．star |
| A．modest | B．careful | C．ready | D．curious |
5 . One of the most important things that has happened to me occurred long before I was aware of it. As the story goes, I was three days old and Mom was singing “The Name Game” song to me: “Christine Bo-Bean-Banana-Fanna-Fo-Feen.” By day four, I was given a new name—Christine-Bo-Bean, or just Bo-Bee to my mother. Now, I am Bo to her and close friends.
Why is this nickname（昵称）so important to me? I once read a book with a passage about True Names which explains that when a person’s true name is spoken, she has a distinct aura（光环）around her. Although I have been Bo to my mother all my life, I recently discovered that my true name is not on my birth certificate; it’s the name that is as unique and memorable as I am.
People usually know me as Christine. They still see me as a quiet, bookish child. They don’t know who I am now. My most recent hopes, fears, goals, dreams and opinions escape their notice; it is easier to think of me as I was. In their minds, they have a box labeled “Christine” in which I fit neatly, and as Christine, I was content with the perfect packaging.
Those who call me Bo or Bo-Bee really know me. They remember who I was and realize I have changed. Bo is a tight squeeze in the old “Christine” boxes. The Bo I am is ever-changing, ever-growing and ever-learning.
When I was Christine, I was quiet, and easily scared. I feared groups, meeting new people and sharing my opinions. I was more comfortable with a book than my best friend. As Christine, I thought everyone was better than I was.
As Bo, I still love my books, but I want to discuss them. As Bo, my dream is to live where I can experience new things and meet new people. I dream about being alone on a stage lit by a single spotlight; I have that confidence now. I am equal to those I once saw as better than me.
A name shouldn’t make such a difference, but sometimes, when a person finds his or her True Name, they develop a new shine visible to friends, family and especially themselves.
I can’t always be Bo. Sometimes exposing myself is still scary and I feel too nervous; I want to hide in those old boxes. Mostly, however, I am ready for the world. So, just call me Bo.
1. When was the author given a nickname?| A．When she was three years old. |
| B．On the fourth day after she was born. |
| C．Seven days after she was born. |
| D．When she received the old “Christine” box. |
| A．They think the author is active and crazy. |
| B．They care about the author’s most recent feelings. |
| C．They don’t realize the author has changed. |
| D．They don’t know the author has changed her name. |
| A．She showed no interest in reading. |
| B．She took pleasure in finding new things. |
| C．She loved reading and sharing books with friends. |
| D．She lacked confidence and preferred to be alone. |
| A．Bo—the True Name |
| B．A Unique Name |
| C．Remember the Past |
| D．The Meaning of Nickname |
6 . Thomas Edison was one of ten said to be the greatest genius of his age. There are only a few men in all of the history, who have changed the lives of other men as much as the inventor of the first useful electric light. But Edison could never be happy only because someone said he was a genius. “There is no such thing as genius,” Edison said. He said that what people called genius was mostly hard work.
But Edison was a dreamer as well as a worker. From his earliest days as a child he wandered about the secrets of nature. Nature he often said, is full of secrets, He tried to understand them; then, he tried to learn what could usefully be done with them.
Edison enjoyed thinking. He knew that most people will do almost anything instead of the difficult work of thinking, especially if they do not think very often. But he knew, too, that thinking can give men enjoyment and pleasure.
Edison could not understand how anyone could be uninterested in life. As he loved to think, he also loved to work. On the day he became 75 years dd. someone asked him what ideas he had about life. “Work,” he answered. “Discovering the secrets of nature and using them to make men happier.” He said he had enough inventions in his mind to give him another 100 years of work.
1. According to the first paragraph, it is true that ________.| A．Edison invented the electric light with the help of other American inventors |
| B．Edison was satisfied that he was regarded as the greatest genius of his age |
| C．the invention of the electric light by Edison has changed the lives of many people |
| D．the lives of many people would have been the same without Edison’s inventions |
| A．he could be happy if he was a genius |
| B．hard work could do better than genius |
| C．genius plays the most important part in one’s success |
| D．genius could do better than hard work |
| A．Edison made 100 inventions in his life |
| B．Edison was able to live and work for 100 years |
| C．People of his time were ready to give Edison another 100 years’ work |
| D．Life is too short for Edison to invent more for human beings |
7 . LONDON- Every eight minutes, a child in Britain becomes homeless, the worst rate for 12 years, according to figures published in a new report by homelessness charity Shelter. The charity, which campaigns to end homelessness and bad housing, revealed that each day 183 children lose their home and 135, 000 children will spend this Christmas in temporary accommodation. The charity 's Generation Homeless report also highlights 5, 683 homeless families with children who are currently living in emergency bed and breakfasts and hostels.
Will, aged 10，lives with his parents and younger brother in a single room in emergency bed and breakfast accommodation in Ilford, East London.”Life in the B&B is horrible,” Will said.”There's no room to do anything, even if I'm reading my book, as I'm still going to get annoyed by someone. I've been told off by someone for running in the small corridor. You can't do much. You can't play much. I don't get to play that often.”The family is still living . in temporary accommodation, despite being told it would only be there for six weeks.
Families are often packed into one room with little space to cook, play or eat their meals and Shelter said people are also forced to share bathrooms with strangers as well as living in . accommodation that is often located kilometers away from schools and jobs.
“Sometimes, my little brother Harry and I fight for the one chair, because we both want to sit at the table, and sometimes he wins and sometimes I win. I find it really hard to do my homework as I get distracted by my little brother and I don't have another room to work in peace,” Will said.
The charity said an additional 4,026 children will be made homeless by Christmas Day if action is not taken to deal with the lack of social homes, expensive private rents and welfare cuts that are driving the country 's housing emergency.
Polly Neate，chief executive of Shelter, said: “ The fact that 183 children become homeless every day is an unacceptable figure and a sharp reminder that political promises about dealing with homelessness must be turned into real action.
“Day in，day out we see the devastating impact the housing emergency is having on children across the country. They are being uprooted from friends; living in cold, cramped B&Bs and going to bed at night scared by the sound of strangers outside.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing，Communities and Local Government said: “Every child should have somewhere safe to live, and councils have a duty to provide temporary accommodation to those who need it.'
1. What can we infer from what Will said in Para. 2?| A．He showed his great regret. | B．He apologized to someone. |
| C．He made some complaints. | D．He expressed his gratitide. |
| A．The charity aims at ending homelessness and bad education in Britain. |
| B．The charity revealed that each week 183 children lose their home in Britain. |
| C．An additional 5, 863 children will be made homeless by Christmas Day in Britain. |
| D．135 ,000 children will spend this Christmas in temporary accommodation in Britain, |
| A．Convincing. | B．Shocking. | C．Puzzling. | D．Thrilling. |
| A．Britain's child homelessness crisis worsens |
| B．Every British child should have somewhere safe to live |
| C．British families living in emergency bed and breakfasts and hostels |
| D．Britain's dealing with homelessness must be turned into real action |
8 . When I was a little girl in school, I wanted someday to become a doctor. It was an unbelievable dream for any child in my
My mother was a housemaid for a retired couple, the Raos, in Bangalore. Fortunately, they were always
Life at home was always
The Raos, who once taught at Banalore's Atma Darshan Yogashram, came to our
In the many years that followed, thanks to the Raos' help and encouragement, I was able to
| A．street | B．campus | C．compositions | D．situations |
| A．serious | B．enthusiastic | C．concerned | D．cautious |
| A．attend | B．found | C．praise | D．accept |
| A．remembered | B．offered | C．refused | D．learnt |
| A．just | B．still | C．never | D．even |
| A．catch up with | B．make up for | C．break away from | D．look down upon |
| A．boring | B．comfortable | C．tough | D．relaxing |
| A．prepared | B．struggled | C．competed | D．compensated |
| A．away | B．inside out | C．off | D．upside down |
| A．sorrow | B．sympathy | C．horror | D．doubt |
| A．traffic | B．electricity | C．family | D．food |
| A．on behalf of | B．by means of | C．for fear of | D．in spite of |
| A．approval | B．space | C．time | D．forgiveness |
| A．mind | B．ability | C．anxiety | D．aid |
| A．employ | B．recognize | C．admire | D．memorize |
| A．now that | B．ever since | C．so that | D．even if |
| A．precious | B．accessible | C．appealing | D．significant |
| A．Faith | B．Teamwork | C．Intelligence | D．Education |
| A．continue | B．supply | C．review | D．summarize |
| A．follow | B．define | C．realize | D．share |
9 . Last Sunday afternoon, a truck rolled into the Animal League on Long Island, carrying more than four dozen homeless cats and dogs that lost their homes in the hurricane hit on South Carolina. These animals were
After communicating
Moriates and another member
The return trip with 53 cats, kittens, dogs and puppies,
Hours before the truck
| A．building | B．expecting | C．buying | D．losing |
| A．from | B．through | C．with | D．by |
| A．left | B．came | C．moved | D．opened |
| A．donated | B．sold | C．wasted | D．reused |
| A．stopped | B．controlled | C．reached | D．filled |
| A．immediately | B．eventually | C．gradually | D．suddenly |
| A．led | B．flew | C．drove | D．called |
| A．picked | B．looked | C．climbed | D．held |
| A．belief | B．fortune | C．program | D．space |
| A．train | B．return | C．watch | D．rescue |
| A．approached | B．abandoned | C．kept | D．protected |
| A．received | B．included | C．avoided | D．counted |
| A．energy | B．attention | C．chance | D．response |
| A．delighted | B．moved | C．excited | D．frightened |
| A．little | B．hard | C．complete | D．false |
| A．admires | B．ignores | C．desires | D．carries |
| A．arrived | B．joined | C．fell | D．escaped |
| A．see | B．adopt | C．save | D．observe |
| A．practical | B．difficult | C．reasonable | D．available |
| A．skills | B．supports | C．examinations | D．records |
10 . Recommended Tours in the USA
Adventure is calling, and whether a challenging hike or an urban hotspot depends on you. We rounded up some of the best tours for you to enjoy.
The Havasupai Falls Tour, Arizona
Duration (时长): 10 hours
These gorgeous blue-green waterfalls can be found deep in the Grand Canyon (峡谷). The views are breathtaking, but to reach this paradise, you must be able to hike 10 miles there and back. We think this beautiful place is totally worth the effort to get there.
The Chicago Architecture Tour, Chicago
Duration: 8 hours
You’re going to take in the most famous buildings on the Chicago Architecture Tour. On this particular tour, you can also taste different wine, beer, or cocktails as you stretch your neck to enjoy the beauty of some of the tallest skyscrapers in the world.
The Library Hotel Tour, New York
Duration: 5 hours
The crowds and chaos of New York can be unbearable, but this cozy hotel offers the perfect escape for any bookish traveler. Stop by the large bookshelf that reaches up to the ceiling or head for the poetry garden with a friend, enjoying the sights of midtown.
The Foreign Cinema Tour, California
Duration: 8 hours
Combine your love of fine food and film at the Foreign Cinema in San Francisco, California. It plays a variety of movies, from Singin’ in the Rain, to Princess Bride, to Gravity. Guests can enjoy these screenings in a room with foods like oysters, sea bass, and sirloin beef steak.
1. If you want to go hiking, which tour is the best choice?| A．The Havasupai Falls Tour. | B．The Chicago Architecture Tour. |
| C．The Library Hotel Tour. | D．The Foreign Cinema Tour. |
| A．Watch different kinds of movies. |
| B．Get a beautiful sight of waterfalls. |
| C．Enjoy the scenery of tall buildings. |
| D．Read books and chat with a friend in the garden. |
| A．They are all tours in the city. |
| B．They are all short tours within a day. |
| C．They can let tourists enjoy all kinds of foods. |
| D．They are all sightseeing tours in the USA. |
