The American Journal of Epidemiology (流行病学) did a study in 2010 on the correlation (相互联系) between sitting and an individual's physical health. In the study, 53,440 working men and 69,776 working women were surveyed on their time spent sitting. The subjects were all disease free when employed. The researchers identified 11,307 deaths in men and 7,923 deaths in women during the 14-year follow-up.
The findings: Women who reported sitting for more than six hours per day had an approximately 40 higher all-cause death rate than those who reported less than three hours a day, and men had an approximately 20 higher death rate.
Well, now's a fine time to get this information. But why didn't they tell me this years ago? I would have planned on taking a more active job instead of the sedentary (坐着的) job of an editor.
So what can you do if you have to work for a living at a job that requires a lot of sitting? Here are some ideas:
Take frequent breaks. It is recommended that workers vary activities, change their position, and take short breaks every 20 minutes to rest muscles and increase blood circulation. Get a standing desk. Some studies have shown that working from an upright position may be better for health. The serious fitness people can even purchase a treadmill (跑步机) desk. It only goes about one mile per hour. Have a walking meeting. If your group is kind of small, going for a walk while discussing topics is a good alternative.
1. According to the text, the study in 2010 ______.
| A．found men reporting shorter sitting time than women |
| B．surveyed more men than women on their daily sitting time |
| C．identified fewer deaths in men than in women during the 14-year follow-up |
| D．discovered correlation between sitting and physical health in men and in women |
| A．using a standing desk | B．resting one's muscles |
| C．quitting sedentary jobs | D．taking a walk while discussing |
| A．Things being discussed. | B．People being studied. |
| C．Areas of knowledge being learned. | D．Objects being painted. |
| A．Your job could be killing you. |
| B．Working out leads to health risks. |
| C．Long-time sitting is positively associated with health. |
| D．A study on sitting time and physical health was completed. |
2 . Learning a second language is tough at any age. Now, in a new study, scientist have found out the exact age after which your chances of reaching fluency（流利）in a second language seem to plummet:10.
The study published in the journal Cognition, found that it's "nearly impossible" for language learners to reach native-level（母语水平）fluency if they start learning a second language after age 10. "It turns out you're still learning fast," says study co-author Joshua Hartshorne. "It's just that you run out of time, because your ability to learn starts dropping at around 17 or 18 years old," People who start a few years after age 10 may still become quite good at a language, the authors say, but they are unlikely to become fluent.
Kids may be better than adults at learning new languages for many reasons. Children's brains are more plastic than those of adults, meaning they're better able to adapt and respond to new information. Kids may also be more willing to try new things than adults are. Their comparatively new understanding of their native language may also be advantageous.
These findings may seem discouraging, but it was inspiring for scientists to learn that the key period for fluent language learning might be longer than previously thought. Some scientists believed that the window begins to close shortly after birth, while others made it longer to very early childhood. Compared with those judgments-age 17 or 18 —when language learning ability start to drop off—seems relatively old.
For this study, the researchers created an online test promising to guess people's native language and home country based on their responses to English grammar questions. Almost 670,000 people took it, giving the researchers huge amounts of data from English speakers of many ages and backgrounds. Examining the responses and grammar mistakes allowed them to made unusually exact judgments about language learning.
1. What does the underlined word "plummet" in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Drop sharply. | B．Increase greatly. |
| C．Appear gradually. | D．Double suddenly. |
| A．Adults tend to perform badly in learning a second language. |
| B．Children are at an advantage in acquiring a new language. |
| C．All these new findings are quite discouraging for scientists. |
| D．People have different key periods for mastering a language. |
| A．The purpose of the study. | B．The findings of the study. |
| C．The subject of the study. | D．The process of the study. |
| A．Kids Are Better at Learning New Languages |
| B．Adults Can't Learn a Second Language Well |
| C．Never Say Die When Learning a New Language |
| D．Better to Learn a New Language Before Age 10 |
3 . A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares. The word came from Old English. At first, holidays honored some holy events or persons. People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations.
Every nation has its special holidays. China observes New Year’s Day(January 1), May Day and National Day as it was on Oct.1, 1949 that the People’s Republic of China was founded as legal（法定的） holidays. The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year. In the United States, Congress has declared several days as legal holidays such as New Year’s Day(January 1), Martin Luther King, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and so on. Some holidays celebrate special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day and Italy’s Liberation Day.
In the United States, banks and school usually close on a legal holiday. When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed. Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and business do not close then. Those holidays include Valentine’s Day and Halloween.
1. From the passage we know that China’s National Day is on ________ .| A．January 1 | B．October 1 | C．May 1 | D．June 1 |
| A．celebrates | B．spends | C．cares | D．praises. |
| A．China’s National Day. | B．Italy’s Liberation Day. |
| C．Valentine’s Day. | D．Independence Day. |
| A．Sunday | B．the following Sunday |
| C．the following Monday | D．the following Tuesday |
The best known puppet characters in Britain are Punch and Judy, glove puppets with woodenheads. In summer, one basic play of about half an hour is performed on beaches all around Britain .Mr. Punch, who has an enormous nose and wears a curved hat, gets into trouble and has argumentswith his wife, Judy. A policeman, a crocodile, and a hangman, and all of them run after Mr. Punch. He ,of course, invariably manages to survive to fight another day .
In Belgium wooden puppets first appeared in the 1820s in cities like liege . The liege puppetsare in fact string puppets without strings！They have a single rod (棒) attached to their heads, whichmeans the puppeteers aren’t able to raise the arms and legs, but can move the body up and down and the head from side to side. Many of the stories used to be historical or religious but it is Tchantches,a comic character wit patched trousers and a big black hat, who is the best loved character today. LikeMr. Punch, he is a simple man who is also greedy, quarrelsome and lazy. He makes fun of everyone, but is often warm--hearted and tender.
1. We can learn from the first paragraph that______________.| A．puppets are much more popular nowadays . |
| B．people prefer puppets to special effects |
| C．puppets were mainly intended for children |
| D．people used puppets to make fun for adults |
| A．constantly | B．naturally |
| C．immediately | D．bravely |
| A．performing time |
| B．operating ways |
| C．producing material |
| D．decorating characters |
| A．different kinds of puppets |
| B．how puppets came into being |
| C．why puppets are popular |
| D．story---telling through puppets |
5 . Are you wondering whether it’s worth going for a little jog? Don’t hesitate, and get your sports shoes on. A new study shows that proper running lowers the risk of premature (过早的) death.
In an analysis of 14 previous studies from the US and Denmark, the group of researchers from institutes in Australia and Finland concluded that increasing running participation would probably lead to substantial improvements in population health and longevity. The studies involved 232,149 participants over time periods ranging from 5.5 to 35 years.
Overall, people running any distance were associated with a 27% lower risk of death from all causes than those who did not, the analysis shows. Running was also associated with a 30% and 23% lower risk of death from cardiovascular (心血管的) disease and cancer, respectively.
Previous studies had concluded “inconsistent findings” about whether running could lower the risk of premature death, according to the researchers. Lead researcher Jim White, a professor at Victoria University in Melbourne, told CNN, “Our recent findings may motivate physically inactive individuals to take up running and those who already run to keep on doing it.”
He added that doctors may be encouraged by our findings to promote running as a part of “lifestyle medicine”. In their paper, which will be published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers say health professionals are sometimes wary of promoting running because vigorous (剧烈的) use of it has been linked with sudden cardiac death.
Jim and his team countered this by noting that the benefit of running outweighs the risk. However, they did say advice should be given on a case-by-case basis, as running might not be appropriate for everyone. Although running has a clear overall health benefit, the researchers point out that higher “doses” of running may not reduce the risk of premature death further. According to the WHO’s guidelines, adults aged between 18 and 64 should take 150 minutes of gentle exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week.
1. What did the new study focus on?| A．The benefit of jog. | B．People’s lifestyles. |
| C．People’s living conditions. | D．The popularity of jog. |
| A．Researchers’ promotion of sport. |
| B．People’s involvement in running. |
| C．Doctors’ quicker treatment. |
| D．People’s losing weight. |
| A．Certain. | B．Capable. |
| C．Confident. | D．Cautious. |
| A．The risk of exercising vigorously. |
| B．The suggestion on running appropriately. |
| C．The reason why people should keep running. |
| D．The argument about whether running benefits people. |
6 . A loving father lost much weight after being shamed into dieting when he became so fat that he couldn’t play with his young daughter. Chris Willis, 47, weighed 172 kg following a lifetime of fatty foods.
The dad cut out all the fatty foods that he had enjoyed, and began exercising. He now weighs 105 kg after losing 10 kg every month since July. Chris had to take long rests just to climb the stairs or walk more than a few yards, saying, “The hardest thing was seeing my little girl in the garden and not being able to join in because I was so unhealthy. But now I am making up for the lost time — we do so much together and it is just great.”
Before switching (转变) to a healthy lifestyle, Chris would have five slices of bread for breakfast as a midmorning meal before a full English breakfast. He would then have a sandwich, a large pack of crisps and a pasty for lunch before chewing a whole packet of biscuits in the afternoon. For dinner, Chris would demolish a chicken curry, and ice cream, and also four pints of beer before feeding on fatty snacks all evening.
Chris said, “At 13, I was 118 kg and I remember a teacher pointing this out to the whole school. From then on I was picked on and bullied (欺负). My weight went up and up. But I now have a newfound freedom. My family and friends have been so supportive and my wife and daughter are so pleased for me. In fact, it’s them that I did it for more than anyone else. The whole journey has been amazing and I am still shocked myself that I have managed to lose so much weight.” Chris is now aiming for a new target weight of 96 kg.
1. How long do you think Chris has been dieting?| A．Many years. |
| B．About 6 months. |
| C．About one year. |
| D．Since he was 13. |
| A．He was bullied by others. |
| B．He weighed as much as 172 kg. |
| C．He was too unhealthy to play with his daughter. |
| D．He wanted to switch to a healthy lifestyle. |
| A．Drink. |
| B．Pack. |
| C．Destroy. |
| D．Eat. |
| A．Power of Father’s Love. |
| B．Harm of Fatty Foods. |
| C．Importance of Health. |
| D．Benefit of Exercise. |
7 . I came to study in the United States a year ago .Yet I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the accident I had to see a doctor and go to court.
After the accident .my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury, I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer .Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every day I went to see the doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time .The final examination report consisted of ten lines, and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made me pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance company the date I was leaving America. Knowing that, they played for time…and I left without getting a cent.
1. The author’s roommate offered to help him because________.| A．he felt sorry for the author |
| B．he thought it was a chance to make some money |
| C．he knew the doctor was a very good one |
| D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer |
| A．be properly treated |
| B．talk with the person responsible for the accident |
| C．recover before he leaves America |
| D．eventually get the responsible party（当事人） to pay for his injury |
| A．be responsible | B．accuse | C．ask as a price | D．demand |
| A．friendly | B．selfish | C．professional | D．busy |
8 . A huge colored map of the Silk Road from a royal court of the mid-Ming Dynasty was officially welcomed home at the Forbidden City in Beijing on Thursday.
The 30-meter-long by 59-centimeter-wide map, named the Landscape Map of the Silk Road, is painted on silk. It describes trade routes starting at Jiayuguan, at the western end of the Great Wall during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), through Central and West Asia to the Middle East.
As many as 221 cities in what now are some 10 countries are on the map. key places on the ancient Silk Road included Gansu province’s Dunhuang, Mecca, Damascus, Esfahan in Iran and Samarqand in Uzbekistan.
The map’s return was made possible as a donation from Hui Wing Mau, a Hong Kong-based real estate entrepreneur, who paid $20 million for it this year.
“The map, with plenty of geographic information, proves that China had the world’s best mapping skills at that time,” said Lin Meicun, a history professor from Peking University, at the receiving ceremony on Thursday. “It also shows Chinese people had a clear understanding of the outside world before Western maps came into the country,” he added.
Lin said it’s a pity that one-fourth of the original drawing, showing the route from Mecca to Istanbul, was lost, based on a modeling board for this map he found in historical records. “Maybe that part was cut off by some antique trader to sell separately,” he said.
Shan Jixiang, director of the Palace Museum, said “The map is a devotion of ancient Chinese geography to the whole world. It shows the frequent business and cultural communication between China and countries along the ancient Silk Road.”
1. Where might the Silk Road begin and end on the entire map?| A．Dunhuang and Mecca. | B．Jiayuguan and the Middle East. |
| C．Dunhuang and Samarqand in Uzbekistan. | D．Jiayuguan and the western end of the Great Wall. |
| A．Design. | B．Present. | C．Reward. | D．Reception. |
| A．provides useful information for history study |
| B．stands for the frequent business in ancient China |
| C．comes from a royal court of the mid-Ming Dynasty |
| D．improves cultural communication of different countries |
| A．30-meter-long by 59-centimeter-wide. | B．30.75-meter-long by 59-centimeter-wide. |
| C．40-meter-long by 59-centimeter-wide. | D．120-meter-long by 59-centimeter-wide. |
9 . Anything made of plastic or metal can be 3D printed nowadays — bicycles, toys, tools... even replacement body parts! But the latest trend in 3D printing may be food. Scientists and chefs are putting their heads together to create printed food.
Several 3D printers designed for food are now on the market. Anything that can be made into a soft wet mixture can be squeezed (挤压) from a tube in a 3D printer. Instead of ink, these printers can use fruits, vegetables, proteins, sweets, and more. This makes for lots of combinations that can be healthy, yummy, and even artistic.
Most 3D printers don’t actually cook the food, at least not yet. Engineers at Columbia University’s Creative Machines Lab invented an oven (烤箱) that cooks 3D-printed pizza with laser beams (激光束). A special computer program controls the lasers, heating each part of the pizza to perfection. Unlike regular ovens, lasers can carefully cook each thin piece of 3D-printed food.
In the future, food can be made with a 3D printer to meet our needs. For example, a hospital could design meals to meet patients’ dietary needs. Vitamins, minerals, and even medicines can be mixed right in. A 3D printer can make food appealing. Foods that someone may not like might be more attractive after 3D printing. Maybe that food you dislike wouldn’t seem so bad if it looked like a castle!
The idea of 3D printed food may seem very modern. In fact, NASA (美国国家航空航天局) has been researching the topic for more than ten years. On a long travel, it’s important to have food that is easy to make, tastes good, and has the nutrients astronauts need to stay healthy. Printing food on demand may soon be into the space!
1. What will be the latest trend in 3D printing?| A．3D printed bicycles. |
| B．3D-printed toys. |
| C．3D-printed food. |
| D．3D-printed body parts. |
| A．It is invented by students at Columbia University. |
| B．It is made from strong laser beams. |
| C．It can make 3D-printed food carefully. |
| D．It can cook each part of 3D printed food perfectly. |
| A．Attractive. |
| B．Fresh. |
| C．Healthy. |
| D．Terrible. |
| A．Anything Can Be 3D Printed |
| B．3D Printing: the Future of Food |
| C．NASA’s New Research |
| D．How to Cook 3D Printed Pizza |
Fair Way
The Westborough High School golf team had taken the official photos with the state prize. The other teams, disappointed, were on the bus heading home. And then Westborough instructor Greg Rota noticed something wrong on one of the score cards. A 9 had been recorded as a 7. They were not the state prize winner; Wobum High had won. "No one would have known," said Wobum's instructor, Bob Doran. For Rota, it wasn't a difficult decision: "The prize wasn't ours to take."
Coin Stars
"College students are lazy, but they also want to help," says University of Pennsylvania graduate Dana Hork. So she made it easy, placing cups in rooms where students could leave their spare coins, and handing out cups to first-year students to keep in their rooms. Her " Change for Change" effort has collected $40,000 for charities （慈善机构) , which were decided upon by students.
Never Forgotten
A school in Massachusetts received a $ 9.5 million check from Jacques LeBermuth. But it took officials several days of digging to discover his connection to the school. Records showed the LeBermuth came from Belgium and studied in the school in the 1920s. When his family fell on hard times, he was offered free room and board. LeBermuth became a trader, owned shares of AT&T and lived off the earnings until he died, at age 89.
1. What did Greg Rota probably do in the end?| A．Took photos of Doran. |
| B．Had a meeting with Doran. |
| C．Returned the prize to the organizer. |
| D．Apologized to Wobum High School. |
| A．Idea | B．Decision | C．Cups | D．Coins |
| A．They tried to find out why he gave them the money. |
| B．They went to Belgium to pay their respects to him. |
| C．They dug out the records that were buried underground. |
| D．They decided to offer their students free room and board. |
| A．the school asked for it |
| B．he had no need for that much money |
| C．the school had helped him in the past |
| D．he wanted to be remembered by the students |
