1 . Constantly forcing knowledge and experiences into your brain may seem like the quickest path to self-improvement. But sometimes the best thing you can do for your brian is absolutely nothing at all.
Taking time to space out — whether by showering, pulling weeds, or petting a dog — provides an opportunity for what psychologists call wakeful rest. It’s a time when you can put immediate tasks aside like how to meet the work deadline and instead focus on current feelings, reflect on the past, and think about the future.
In the blankness, MRI (磁共振) brain imaging shows a harmony of gray matter called the default mode network (默认模式网络) takes control. Neuroscientists (神经系统科学家) still don’t completely understand how this system works, but they think it connects inharmonious parts of our brains, which can help us find meaning in our messy lives. “This blankness might also reduce anxiety, boost creativity, and improve memory,” says Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, a neuroscientist at the University of Southern California’s Brain and Creativity Institute.
The trouble is, the battle of life leaves little room to let your mind wander. Many spend their free time-consuming entertainment. It may feel relaxing but requires brainpower to enjoy. Fortunately, there are ways to encourage your resting-state network to take over:
FIND YOUR JOY
Casual hobbies that are totally different from your day job can help prevent out-of-office anxiety.
GET AWAY
New surroundings give your brain a break from environmental cues, like the sight of your desk and laptop, that tell it to work.
SWITCH OFF
Information can be too attractive to ignore. Turning off any and all devices helps maintain relaxation mode.
1. What is “wakeful rest” according to the psychologists in the text?| A．It is a time to space out. | B．It is a system to take control. |
| C．It is a state to concentrate. | D．It is an opportunity to work. |
| A．Promoting creativity. | B．Managing moods. |
| C．Removing anxiety. | D．Controlling brains. |
| A．Working on his desk in a new office. |
| B．Playing his favorite computer games. |
| C．Doing some gardening in the backyard. |
| D．Developing a software with colleagues. |
| A．A book review. | B．A science journal. |
| C．A guide book. | D．A film poster. |
2 . Counseling(咨询)Services
Counseling Services is a place on campus where you can find someone to talk when you're feeling hopeless, lonely, depressed, confused, upset over a relationship, or just anxious. If you or anyone you know has been disturbed by recent events, please come to Counseling Services, which can provide a safe and comfortable environment for all students.
Service Time
Counseling Services will be closed from Monday. December 21st 2020 through the beginning of Spring Term 2021. But we will continue to provide Tele-health services by phone and email Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. We will be fully closed on the following dates: December 24th. 25th. 30th. 31st. January 1st. 2021.
Appointment
To make an appointment, call (715) S36-552I during our business hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am-12:00 am, 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm. We are open 8:00 am to 6:00 pm on Wednesdays.
What You Can Get
In addition to services on phones or on line, you can now check out our Attacking. Anxiety and Depression Workshop Videos, or see what our office is up to on Instagram and Facebook. We have also been collecting COVID-19 specific online resources.
If you want to know more, please click here.
1. Who may need Counseling Services?| A．Anyone living alone | B．Pupils wanting to live comfortably |
| C．Students suffering from anxiety | D．Students feeling hopeful |
| A．Wednesday | B．Friday | C．Monday | D．Tuesday |
| A．Counseling Services will be closed on Monday. |
| B．COVID-19 specific online resources are provided. |
| C．Counseling Services is a place outside school. |
| D．Counseling services are available on December 25th. |
| A．A textbook. | B．A guidebook. |
| C．A magazine. | D．A website |
3 . It was about 10 p.m. when Janice arrived at the train station. She jumped into her car and began the 20﹣minute drive home. She'd traveled the route so many times that she almost knew every bump on it. But out of nowhere on that awful night,a car T-boned her car,moving her backward onto the railroad tracks. She sat in her car，frightened by the impact and the vehicle's airbags.
As this happened，Peter was getting ready for bed. He'd just closed his book when he heard glass coming from not far outside his bedroom window. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher，Peter never stopped to think. He grabbed a flashlight and ran out of the door. "Any firefighter would have done what I did" he said. "We're always on duty."
The first car he came upon was the one that hit Janice. Once Peter concluded the driver was OK，he looked around and spotted Janice's car straddling(横跨)the railroad tracks. And then he heard the bells signaling an oncoming train and saw the headlight of the train.
Peter dashed to Janice's car and banged on the driver's side window. She just looked at him，her eyes unfocused. "I don't know where I am" she said.
"Honey，you're on the railroad tracks" Peter shouted. "We have to get you off right now!" He pulled on the handle，but the door was jammed shut. The train,traveling at 65 mph，was running toward them. Peter ran to the passenger side and threw open the door. He pushed aside the airbags,grabbed Janice's arms，and pulled her toward him across the passenger seat until he could help her out and speed walk her to safety. Within six seconds,he estimated,the train plowed into the car. "It was like a Hollywood movie." Peter said.
1. What caused Peter to run out of the door？| A．The sound of a fire alarming. |
| B．The noise of glass flying in his direction. |
| C．The sound of two cars exploding. |
| D．The noise of his bedroom window broken. |
| A．He carried her out of her car. |
| B．He broke the driver's window and pulled her out. |
| C．He pushed her car off the tracks. |
| D．He pulled her out of car and supported her to safety. |
| A．Entertainment. |
| B．Travelling. |
| C．Society. |
| D．Education. |
4 . Black Valley, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing, is one of the best preserved natural wonders around the municipality. The national 5A-level scenic spot is a popular summer resort for sightseeing, forest adventures, outdoor camping, hunting and angling.
Located in Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, the scenic spot spans over 103 square kilometers, 97 percent of which are covered by primitive forests. With over 110,000 negative oxygen ions in each cubic centimeter of air, it is dubbed as a natural oxygen bar and “the most beautiful healthcare-themed valley.”
Black Valley is also known as “the natural gene bank of Chongqing and Guizhou regions” for the diversity of its rare plants and wildlife, including Cathaya argyrophylla, Davidia involucrata, Trachypithecus francoisi and clouded leopards.
Scenic spot level: AAAAA
Address: Heishan town, Wansheng Economic Development Zone, 63 kilometers from downtown Chongqing Opening hours: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm (peak season from November to February), 9:00 am-3:00 pm (off season from March to October)
Ideal sightseeing season: from May to September
Ticket price: 60 yuan ($8.72) during off season and 100 yuan during peak season, sightseeing bus and cable not included.
Notes:
1. It is recommended that tourists start from the higher southern area for a downward journey.
2. The average temperature is 18.1 degrees.
3. It’s a good idea to experience the local folk culture of the Miao ethnic group, especially when you choose to visit in May when the traditional Caishan Festival of Miao ethnic group is celebrated.
1. What can we know about Black Valley?| A．It lies in downtown Chongqing. |
| B．Plants and wildlife are rarely seen there. |
| C．A visit there costs at most 100 yuan. |
| D．The air is very high in negative oxygen ions there. |
| A．January. | B．March. | C．May. | D．July. |
| A．Culture. | B．Travel. | C．Nature. | D．Wildlife. |
5 . About IVHQ
At International Volunteer HQ, we bring people from all walks of life together to make a difference on the adventure of a lifetime. Established in 2007, we have grown to become the world’s leading volunteer travel company, working in over 50 destinations around the world and placing thousands of volunteers abroad every year.
We’re focused on providing affordable volunteer travel experiences that are responsible, safe and high quality. Our programs heighten global awareness and cultural understanding through the skills and expertise taken by volunteers to their host communities, and through the experiences and lessons that volunteers take back to their own countries and cultures.
How IVHQ Works
IVHQ provides affordable volunteer programs by partnering with organizations based in each of our program countries. We believe this is the best approach to international volunteering.
First, local organizations are in the best position to see where volunteers are genuinely needed. The staff in these organizations are locals, they have been raised in the area and know it inside and out.
Second, partnering with local organizations reduces the costs associated with hosting volunteers, making programs more affordable. This means more people are enabled to volunteer and that enables greater social outcomes to be achieved.
Why Volunteer Abroad with IVHQ
Having supported thousands of people to volunteer abroad since 2007, IVHQ is proud to be the most popular volunteer travel organization for international volunteers. One of the major strengths of IVHQ is our careful selection process in choosing our partner organizations and the high quality volunteer programs that we offer through these partners. Every program that IVHQ offers has been personally inspected by IVHQ. We have experienced the programs first-hand, we have assessed the local teams and we have provided comprehensive IVHQ training to all of our local teams.
How to Get Started
Want to make a difference? Click this simple step-by-step guide to choose the perfect volunteer program and secure your place with IVHQ. We’re here for you from start to finish.
1. According to the passage, we can learn that IVHQ ________.| A．is the largest and most popular international adventure agency |
| B．has helped promote international cultural exchange and understanding |
| C．is experienced and has already made huge profits since it was established |
| D．has provided various and expensive volunteer programs all over the world |
| A．Comprehensive and practical. | B．Reliable and affordable. |
| C．Environmental friendly and cheap. | D．High-quality and adventurous. |
| A．A fashion magazine. | B．A science newspaper. |
| C．A website. | D．A guide booklet. |
In this instant New York Times bestseller and “multigenerational story that’s nothing short of brilliant” (People), two sisters’ lives from the 1950s to the present are explored as they struggle to find their places—and be true to themselves—in a rapidly changing world.
Price | New from | Used from | |
Kindle (电子书) | $8.99 | — | — |
Hardcover | $1.27 | $9.61 | $1.27 |
Paperback | $5.59 | $4.86 | $1.82 |
Product details Publication date: June 11, 2019 Text-to Speech: Enabled Word Wise: Enabled
Measure Up: Mastering Your Career Search Like a Boss
Measure Up helps those desiring or going through career transition understand their value and how to best communicate their value.
Price | New from | Used from | |
Kindle | $0.99 | — | — |
Hardcover | $13.25 | — | $11.75 |
Paperback | — | $16.95 | — |
Product details Publication date: March 2, 2021 Text-to-Speech: Enabled Word Wise: Enabled
Information: A Reader
Information: A reader establishes a classic framework for thinking about information in humanistic terms. Together with Information: Keywords, it sets forth a major humanistic vision of the concept of information.
Price | New from | Used from | |
Kindle | $18.34 | — | — |
Hardcover | — | $110.00 | — |
Paperback | — | $28.005 | — |
Product details Publication date: September 14, 2021 Texto Speech: Enabled Word Wise: Not Enabled
Julius and Macy: A Very Brave Night
A fantastic woodland tale about bravery and friendship from an author-illustrator. With its attractive characters, this gently told tale reminds us that we each have courage within us and that kindness can make all the difference.
Price | New from | Used from | |
Kindle | $4.99 | — | — |
Hardcover | — | $6.99 | — |
Product details Publication date: April 1, 2021 Text-to-Speech: Not enabled Word Wise: Not Enabled
For more, click here.
| A．$8. 99. | B．$0. 99. | C．$18. 34. | D．$4. 99. |
| A．Julius and Macy | B．Measure Up |
| C．Mrs. Everything | D．Information |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A book review. |
| C．A book-selling website. | D．A science magazine. |
7 . Living in a city can be stressful. But some people in Bogota, Columbia have found a place to help ease stress and get a peaceful break from busy life. The place is a protected park for hummingbirds (蜂鸟) .
The park sits at the top of Monserrate Hill, east of the city, in a place known as the Paramuno corridor. The area contains a forest that has turned into a peaceful place for both people and birds. As the hummingbirds fly from flower to flower, some people study the animals through binoculars. Others take pictures with cameras or phones. “Sometimes it doesn’t seem real because we are close to a city of eight million citizens who produce noise every day,” said Camilo Cantor, a caretaker in the park. His job is to mix water and sugar that is put in bird feeders along a 300-meter path. Cantor explains, “You can hear noise from the city, the generation of pollution and aggressiveness.” But, he adds, the park is a special place, like an oasis. It is a place where people can go to release stress and forget about the pressures of city life.
Visitors to the park can see between 25 to 35 different species of birds, Cantor said. Ten years ago, the hill was completely deforested, meaning there were not any trees left on it. But workers began to replant local trees and flowers to bring the forest back to life. Presently, there are 115 species of birds, including 18 kinds of hummingbirds and some migratory (迁移的) species. Hummingbirds are only found on the American continent and Columbia is home to many different kinds.
1. What can you learn about the park in Paragraph 2?| A．It sits east of the Paramuno corridor. | B．It is in the charge of Camilo Cantor. |
| C．It annoys the people with lots of noise. | D．It is a peaceful place for people and birds. |
| A．To inform the readers of the development of a park in Columbia. |
| B．To encourage readers to live in harmony with the hummingbirds. |
| C．To introduce a park where people can ease stress and get relaxed. |
| D．To compare the past and the present situation of the hummingbirds. |
| A．Life. | B．Economy. | C．Entertainment. | D．Education. |
8 . The quiz tries to test non-native English speaker's vocabulary size. New results show the largest proportion of participants know 4,500 words （in the range from 4,250 to 4,749）, with the median vocabulary size of 7,826* under the influence of the following factors.
Factors
Academic performance: In class, how about your homework, study, exam, logic, etc.?
Classroom participation: In class, how much did you participate, talking and asking questions? Natural ability: In class, how much do you feel about learning English? Is it easy or difficult? Outside of class: How much do you use English in real life, learning things outside of class? Being abroad: Did you travel to English-speaking countries? How much time did you spend?
Findings
Academic performance helps, up to doubling your vocabulary size. Classroom participation matters too, giving you up to a 50% increase in vocabulary. Outside of class is the biggest difference. Students who do lots of things in English outside of class have more than twice the vocabulary of those who don't. Being abroad brings the average student from around 7,000 to 10,000 words.
Be aware that the results above are suggestive only. More research will tell.
1. What is the vocabulary size of most participants in the quiz?
| A．4,500. | B．4,250. | C．4,749 | D．7,826 |
| A．Academic performance. | B．Being abroad. |
| C．Outside class activities. | D．Classroom participation. |
| A．An English poster. | B．An English dictionary. |
| C．A notice about a quiz. | D．A survey of English learning. |
9 . New parents who clean their homes very often to protect their babies from bacteria and other organisms might cut back their efforts.
A new study suggests high levels of contact with cleaning products are linked to an increased risk of the childhood breathing condition known as asthma (气喘).
Researchers asked a group of parents how often they used 26 common household cleaners during their babies’ first three to four months of life. By age three, the children who had come in contact with cleaning products the most were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma. The researchers said children who had a lot of contact with cleaners were 37 percent more likely to have asthma than children with the least contact. The study also found a lot of exposure to cleaning products caused children to be 35 percent more likely to have chronic difficulty breathing. In addition, they were 49 percent more likely to have chronic allergies.
Tim Takaro, who helped lead the study, suggested that parents should question the belief that their home is clean only if it smells like chemical-based cleaning products. He also advised them to look for products free of substances like chemical colors. Besides, they should consider natural cleaning products instead of chemical ones.
The American lung Association recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain volatile (易挥发的) organic substances and other irritants (刺激物). But companies in Canada and the United States are not required to list all the chemicals in cleaning products. Some products labeled as environmentally friendly, or "green", may contain harmful substances.
Elissa Abrams, a doctor with the University of Manitoba, admitted the effects of cleaning products are not well understood. But she believed these products and the chemicals they contain act as irritants to growing children "The take-home message is that parents should be careful with cleaning products they use in the home", she added.
1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?| A．The suggestions on using cleaning products. |
| B．The parents’ opinions of household cleaners. |
| C．The conduct of the study and the findings. |
| D．The reason for using cleaning products. |
| A．Have a full understanding of cleaning products. |
| B．Keep their home free of all kinds of cleaning products. |
| C．Use natural cleaning products rather than chemical ones. |
| D．Make their homes smell like chemical-based cleaning products. |
| A．They are environmentally friendly without any harm. |
| B．They are asked to list all the chemicals contained. |
| C．They are free of irritants if labeled "green". |
| D．They are not always safe to be used. |
| A．Arts & Culture. | B．Lifestyle & Health. |
| C．Life & Technology. | D．Climate & Environment. |
10 . A teenager from the UK almost died because of an addiction to unhealthy exercise.
Lisa Fouweather, 19, was so addicted to working out that she ran half marathons before breakfast. She started to practice running, hoping to become excellent at her running club, but quickly became addicted.
She was hardly eating to keep in shape. The teen’s meals would only include a few pieces of food from her “safe foods” list which was mainly fruit and vegetables. She would avoid anything containing sugar or fat. “I would throw my orange juice and bread out of the window when my parents left the room,” she said. At one point, her weight dropped to just 75 pounds — around 34 kg.
This helped to improve her running in the short-term when, in fact, her whole life was falling apart. It affected her education as she would turn up late to school every day to finish her morning running. She said, “Six-mile runs became half marathons, all on an empty stomach before breakfast. Upon my return, I would eat only fruit.”
However, although warned by her parents, Lisa refused to admit she had a problem and wouldn’t give up her way of working out until one day she had a heart attack after her running and was rushed to hospital, where she was diagnosed with anorexic (厌食症) and banned from exercise. “I was told that I could have died because my heart was under great pressure.” She was given dieting advice by doctors to help treat her eating disorders. Thanks to hard work and professional help, she managed to put a stop to her extreme exercise and dieting and has been in recovery for nearly three years.
Lisa said, “I want people who are going through the same problem as I did to know that there is help and support out there, and don’t wait until you’re at breaking point to seek that help.”
1. Why did Lisa start practicing running at first?| A．To become great at the running club. |
| B．To keep in shape. |
| C．To help her with her diet. |
| D．To improve her education. |
| A．She ran half marathons on an empty stomach. |
| B．She had an unhealthy way of eating. |
| C．She didn’t get any warning from others. |
| D．She wouldn’t quit her wrong way of exercise at first. |
| A．There are many people going through the same problem as Lisa did. |
| B．Lisa can provide help and support to people with the same problem. |
| C．You can wait for help if you’re going through the same problem. |
| D．People with the same problem should ask for help in time. |
| A．Science. | B．Technology. |
| C．Health. | D．Nature. |
