1 . Oliver’s journey with tai chi began in her early 20s, when she was suffering from a back injury, which left her lying in bed for six months.

“As an active youngster at that time, I couldn’t bear resting in bed,” she explained. “My muscles became wasted and stiff(僵直的) for lack of use, and I was often in a lot of pains. So, I felt that some physical exercise would help.”

She then discovered tai chi when she spotted by chance a poster advertising classes and decided to try the mysterious and exotic(异国的) sport. Oliver was immediately struck by the gentle and beautiful movements of tai chi, and to her delight, found that her occasional pains disappeared after years of practice.

“It not only helps me improve physical strength, but also provides me with many mental benefits, such as improved mood and focus, and less anxiety and depression,” she added.

To further understand tai chi and the Chinese philosophy behind it, Oliver decided to begin a journey to China. In 2005, Oliver established the Double Dragon Alliance Cultural Center, which acts as a bridge for foreign people seeking to gain a better understanding of Chinese culture. The center supports kung fu masters in teaching martial arts(武术) and organizes events for people to experience various aspects of Chinese culture.

Apart from her tai chi classes, Oliver now serves as the director of the British Cultural Center at Shanghai University. Reflecting on her work, Oliver said, “For quite many years, my work is actually like a cultural bridge. If you don’t have someone in the middle who is appreciative of all the cultures and have the desire to connect people, then it’s hard for them to get to know each other. I hope I can be the bridge to bring people close together. We need to foster mutual understanding among cultures to promote peaceful relations and friendship across the globe.”

1. Why did Oliver try tai chi?

A．To solve a mystery.	B．To recover physical state.
C．To treat her mental illness.	D．To advance her knowledge of China.

2. How was Oliver after practicing tai chi?

A．Her well-being improved.	B．She became talkative.
C．Her pain came less often.	D．She became open-minded.

3. What does Oliver mainly do in Shanghai?

A．Give kung fu performances.	B．Learn Chinese philosophy.
C．Bring kung fu masters together.	D．Promote cultural exchange.

4. What is a suitable title for the text?

A．Try Tai Chi to Relieve Pain

B．Tai Chi: a Global Cultural Bridge

C．A British Tai Chi Lover Builds Cultural Bridge in China

D．Tai Chi Enjoys Great Popularity Around the World

2 . Consider what goes through your mind after you’ve taken your seat on an airplane. You’ve not seen the captain, but his or her voice comes over the air. “Hello, this is your captain speaking.” Are you about to fly the friendly skies? What you probably don’ realize is that you do make quick judgments (判断) based on very few factors the moment you hear “hello”.

Experts have discovered that “hello” carries enough information for listeners to draw judgments about the speakers personality, such as how reliable (可信赖的) he or she is. They recorded 64 students reading a telephone conversation. The word “hello” was then picked from each recording, and 320 different students listened to that word through a computer. The students were asked to score the voices according to personality, including attractiveness and warmth, giving them points from l to 10. Although every voice was played in one third a second, the students formed an opinion quickly.

It is amazing that from such short voices of speech they can get such an obvious impression of a person. And whether it is correct, their impressions are mostly the same as what the other listeners get. The research also suggests that people’ impressions are based on the tone (语调) of voice. Men and women who present the strength of their voices are regarded as more reliable.

The speed with which the students made their judgments makes much sense. Deciding who to trust can be important to your survival. There’s no point in listening to someone talk for 5 minutes to decide if they’re reliable or not — you could be dead already. The discovery may help improve computer-made voice technologies, experts say.

1. Why does the author mention “the captain” in paragraph 1?

A．To present a fact.	B．To make a prediction.
C．To introduce a new research.	D．To explain the rule on a plane.

2. How did the students tell the speakers’ personality?

A．Making telephone calls.

B．Playing voices at high speeds.

C．Picking “hello” from conversations.

D．Listening to and scoring the records of “hello”.

3. What can we do to leave a good first impression?

A．Make a long speech.	B．Give powerful voice.
C．Follow other listeners.	D．Speak as fast as possible.

4. What will probably be talked about in the following paragraph?

A．The secret to tallying for 5 minutes.	B．The different ways you say “hello”.
C．The application in voice technologies.	D．The method of listening with attention.