1 . Nobody needs reminding that exercise is good for our health, but we may need reminding that it needs to be done in the right way.
Light exercises are a great way to improve circulation and keep our muscles active, especially if the rest of the day will be spent sitting in front of a computer or in a lecture hall. However, certain sports like long distance running require training to build up our bodies so they can handle the challenge. If we go into such sport cold, it can shock our muscles, hearts, lungs, and other organs and cause severe pain or in some cases, even death.
Some people are born with medical conditions that go unnoticed until they stress the unstable part of their body. A weak heart may never be seen until we do something that causes extreme physical effort. Recently there have been cases of people dying while running long distances. Also, a university student died after taking a 1.000m running exam. Some universities and high schools have cut long distance races (i.e. 3.000m, 5,000m) from their campus sports games, partly because of the supposed danger and partly because they say fewer people are entering such events.
Maybe education about such events is lacking, especially during primary and high school. People participating in such competitions should realize that a reasonable amount of training is required beforehand and having a medical check is wise, especially for a marathon. People shouldn’t be forced to participate in events that push them past their limits, especially if they haven’t warmed-up completely. Cancelling events could lead to people becoming less healthy and overweight. Maybe these events shouldn’t be cancelled, but organizers and participants should be more careful about regular health checks.
1. Why does the author write the text?| A．To give us some reminding on exercises. |
| B．To persuade us to take less sports. |
| C．To advise students to have regular exercises. |
| D．To require cancelling long distance running. |
| A．Having trained a lot. | B．Without any preparation. |
| C．Having a low temperature. | D．In an unfriendly way. |
| A．Because no students are willing to enter such events. |
| B．Because the students’ physical conditions are too poor to finish them. |
| C．Because long distance running is not fit for students. |
| D．Because they worry about the supposed danger in such races. |
| A．Have a medical check and warm-up exercises. |
| B．Push ourselves past our limits. |
| C．Participate in it confidently. |
| D．Try to lose some weight first. |
2 . Many Beijing residents go to great lengths to avoid breathing the city's smoggy air, especially when it reaches critical pollution levels, but one local entrepreneur decided that canning(灌装) and selling this poor quality air as a souvenir would be a great idea. Believe it or not, he was right.
After seeing a number of companies achieve commercial success by canning fresh air from countries like France, Canada or Australia and selling it in China, Dominic Johnson-Hill, a British-born citizen of Beijing and owner of the Plastered 8 souvenir shop, decided to turn the idea on its head and sell canned Beijing air throughout China and abroad.
"I'd seen people going crazy to buy canned air from Canada and Australia, so I thought it was time to push business the other way," the entrepreneur said. "They' re perfect gifts! What else are you going to take home when you go home from Beijing? A roast duck? A Plastered T-shirt? These cans are light, portable, you can just imagine someone' s face when they unwrap (打开) it for Christmas."
The few mouth-fulls of Beijing air come in standard tin cans featuring a couple of iconic city landmarks as well as a bitter description of the contents: "a unique mix of nitrogen, oxygen and some other stuff". The ironic (讽刺的) souvenirs cost 28 RMB (US $4) and are available at the Plastered 8 shop, as well as on its online shop. But if you're actually considering buying some, you'd better ask shop in advance, as they are virtually flying off the shelves. Johnson-Hill said that his shop is selling hundreds of Beijing air cans every day.
Personally, the well-sold can probably is an awakening for the public to be concerned about the living conditions. Yet one thing that’ s not particularly clear is whether the air is really collected from Beijing, as the cans are labeled as "Made in Shenzhen". There's a big chance that' s just a kind of Plastered 8 humor, as they also list "Choking Hazard" and "May have unidentified objects inside." as warnings.
Anyway, it is probably a unique way to arouse public awareness of protecting the environment.
1. What contributes to Dominic’s idea of canning and selling the poor quality air?| A．Try to get used to it. | B．Sell it all over the world. |
| C．Can it as a souvenir. | D．Try to push business the other way. |
| A．Satisfied. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Frightened. | D．Refreshed. |
| A．liquids | B．objects |
| C．minerals | D．risks |
| A．There are unidentified objects in the canned Beijing air. |
| B．The Plastered 8 souvenir shop is famous for its humour. |
| C．People should make efforts to protect the environment. |
| D．Dominic Johnson-Hill likes the poor quality air in Beijing. |
3 . A Canadian University is trying a new way to help reduce students' exam-time stress: dogs.
Dalhousie University is filling a room on campus with dogs from Dec.4 through Dec.6 for students to visit and play with the animals between exams. The pet room will be open for two hours(9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.) on the first two days and for five hours (9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.) on the third day. The dogs will be provided by Therapeutic Paws of Canada, a non-profit organization that trains animals to help people with practical needs.
Dalhousie’s student union posted an advertisement for the pet room on its Facebook page and within 24 hours, it was shared nearly 2,000 times. Hundreds of students expressed their excitement over the pet room on the Facebook.
Athea Costello wrote, ''This is the best idea ever! ''
Michelle Presse wrote, ''Thank you! I'm so excited. I already feel less stressed now. ''
Alumni complained the pet room wasn't offered when they attended this university (this is the first time the school is offering it).
''I think it should be open to alumni. Although we have already finished the exams and graduated, we are still stressed, '' Lola Doucet wrote.
Some dog owners offered up their own pets for the students, but the student union said only trained dogs are allowed to participate.
Dogs have been helping students at a number of U.S. universities, as well.
From Kent State University in Ohio to Macalester College in Minnesota, more and more dogs are around campus during exams to help students relax.
Richelle Reid, a law librarian who started Emory's pet therapy program said, ''it has had positive effects, helping them to just have a moment to clear their minds and not have to think about studies, not to have to think about books. ''
At Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School, students can ''rent'' pets for some alone time.
1. When could a student visit the pet room?| A．At 11:30 a.m. on Dec. 6 |
| B．At 8:00 a.m. on Dec. 5 |
| C．At 3:00 p.m. on Dec. 6 |
| D．At 3:00 p.m. on Dec. 5 |
| A．someone has already felt the effects of animals |
| B．many students knew nothing about the new way |
| C．the university offered the pet room every year |
| D．some students complained the pet room was useless |
| A．have a richer college life |
| B．prepare for the exams better |
| C．learn a skill for the future |
| D．relax from the study stress |
| A．who have graduated from college |
| B．who will take exams in a few days |
| C．who love pets very much |
| D．who feel extremely stressed |
4 . Volunteer Opportunities Abroad
Working place: Brasov, Romania Living place: Host families Age requirements: 16~19 years old Local official language: Romanian |
For those looking to break into the competitive world of journalism, this is for you! You will be working at “The Village”, an English and Romanian language magazine. As a writer you will work on special tasks, reporting local events with guidance from the editor. You will be interviewing local people, writing reports, and taking photographs. You will also have the chance to live with a local host family to experience their culture.
Working place: Koh Sdach, Cambodia Living place: Host families Age requirements: 15~19 years old Local official languages: English & Khmer |
Volunteers joining our project in Cambodia will travel to the island of Koh Sdach. You will become part of this tiny island, learn to dive (潜水), and take part in valuable social projects.
During your stay you will complete a course to learn to dive. After that you will take part in dives to clean up rubbish under the sea and collect information on rare fish. During the two weeks you may also have the chance to join in a village fun day where volunteers play games with the village children.
Working place: Accn, Ghna Living place: Host families Age requirements: 16~19 years old Local official languages: English &Twi |
On this project you will spend two weeks living with a host family and coaching soccer in friendly West Africa! You will spend your two weeks in Accra helping local children develop their soccer skills. You will develop their skills and confidence while having fun playing soccer at the same time.
1. What will the volunteers in Cambodia do?| A．Help with fishing. | B．Give a diving course. |
| C．Do some cleaning work. | D．Teach the village children. |
| A．nursing | B．watching |
| C．playing | D．teaching |
| A．work for two weeks | B．be at least 16 years old |
| C．stay with local families | D．learn the local language |
5 . When I was a little girl, I was foolish enough to believe everything adults said. Even I was scared to death by a word my mother said.
It all started when my elder brother came home with a heavy bag of cherries(樱桃)a friend gave him. In order to spend a pleasant afternoon, my sister suggested we have a competition to see who could eat the most cherries in as short a time as possible and be the winner. We all jumped at her idea, and the competition began in no time. Our action had to be fast and we must know how to bite in the middle of the cherry to chew and spit the seed out losing no time. I realized that this wasn't a good game to play. And I suddenly found that I have swallowed more than one seed down to my stomach. Then Mother came and laughed and said to me, "tonight when you sleep, a cherry tree will grow out from your head." I was jittery and scared. I believed every word she said at that age. I was rather frightened that night thinking how I was going to make it to school the next morning if I had a tree on top of my head or how I would leave this world just like that because of the cherry seeds in my stomach. I couldn't sleep the whole night.
Well, the next morning, I woke up to my surprise, and discovered nothing had changed. My head was normal as it was. But one thing remains unchanged until this day. My love for cherries stays forever.
1. Why did they start the cherry eating competition?| A．Because they wanted to challenge their friends. |
| B．Because their mother asked them to do that. |
| C．Because they wanted to have a happy afternoon. |
| D．Because they just wanted to please their brothers. |
| A．pleased | B．disappointed |
| C．lucky | D．nervous |
| A．She was just joking. | B．She wanted to help the writer |
| C．She didn't know what to do | D．She was too strict with her children |
| A．Because her mother asked her to do that. |
| B．Because she was too young at that time. |
| C．Because her brother had the similar experience before. |
| D．Because she wanted to have a good relationship with her mother. |
| A．Introduce a kind of fruit to readers | B．Show her anger to her mother |
| C．Show the reason why she hates the fruit | D．Tell an interesting story of her childhood |
6 . People all have something to say. Some express their passion (强烈的感情) through clothe, art, or community involvement. Others express themselves with poetry, which has diverse poetic forms to express unique thoughts, experiences, and imagination at the fourth annual People’ s Poetry Festival held Feb. 28 through March 2.
“The People’s Poetry Festival keeps getting bigger and bigger—it’s an event we’re really proud of,” said Dr Mark Hartlaub, College of Liberal Arts Dean at Texas. The festival covered a wide variety of topics including nature, humor, women and history. From the panels to the open microphone night, the islander’s community, along with 43 published poets from around the country, local high school students, and the general public came together to share their love of poetry.
The panels were full of passionate readings and lively discussion. For the first time ever, musical poetry was performed at the event. The “Homebrewed” panel was made up of all local poets. The “From Page to the Stage” panel focused on slam (抨击) poetry, and the “Humor” panel greeted levels of laughter from the crowd. All the panels were live streamed on the People’s Poetry Facebook page. “The poetry and poets were all my students wanted to talk about in class this week,” said Dr. Chuck Etheridge, professor of English who attended many of the panel readings.
Celebrating exceptional writers is another part of People’s Poetry Festival. On opening night, the People’s Poetry Festival committee named Madeline Ricondo of Tuloso-Midway as the winner of the Robb Jackson Writing Award for high school students. This award honors the late Dr. Robb Jackson, Texas A&M University System Regents Professor and professor of English at A&M-Corpus Christi, whose poetry shared his life experiences and observation of Corpus Christi. Ricondo received a $100 gift card, plus, three poetry books with local ties including a copy of Jackson’s “Open Heart”. The people’s Poetry Festival committee also recognized Juan Manuel Perez, award-winning poet and local history teacher, as the 2019—2021 Poet Laureate (桂冠诗人) of Corpus Christi.
1. What can be inferred about the People’s Poetry Festival?| A．It tends to last a week. | B．It is held once a year. |
| C．Its poetic form is single. | D．It is catching on globally. |
| A．Groups. | B．Days. |
| C．Topics. | D．Poems. |
| A．It was on live television. |
| B．Diversity was highlighted. |
| C．All the poets were local. |
| D．Musical poetry was introduced. |
| A．Celebrating award-winning poets. |
| B．Honoring the late Robb Jackson. |
| C．The 4th Peoples Poetry Festival. |
| D．Poet Laureate of Corpus Christi. |
7 . Do you live in a city? You’ve probably noticed how noisy and crowded life in a city can be. What if you could live next to a calm lake instead?
As it turns out, living near bodies of water – lakes, rivers, ponds, even oceans – can help us feel both happier and healthier. Those who live less than a kilometer from the coast are around 22 percent less likely to have mental health problems than those who live 50 kilometers or more away, according to a study by researchers from the University of Exeter, UK. People who visit the coast at least twice a week tend to experience better general and mental health as well.
So how does “blue space” make us feel better? For one thing, aquatic environments tend to have less pollution and more sunlight, both of which are linked to better mental and physical health. People who get more sun tend to be happier than those who do not.
There’s also the air above the sea. After spending time near the ocean, you might find that you feel more relaxed than usual. This is because sea air is filled with negative ions（负离子）. These ions balance our levels of serotonin（血清素）, a chemical that affects our moods. With balanced serotonin levels, we feel more calm and relaxed, according to Daily Mail.
Finally, people who live near water tend to be more physically active, according to the Guardian. Water sports like swimming and rowing can help us stay in shape, which in turn keeps us healthy.
1. What did the researchers from the University of Exeter find?| A．Living near water can improve our mental health. |
| B．An increasing number of people don’t like living in cities. |
| C．Living near water has more advantages than living in cities. |
| D．People with mental health problems mainly come from cities. |
| A．natural |
| B．outdoor |
| C．oceanic |
| D．clean |
| A．They are chemicals in our bodies. |
| B．They can only be found in sea air. |
| C．They can help people reduce stress. |
| D．They increase serotonin in our bodies. |
| A．Health. |
| B．Travel. |
| C．Environment. |
| D．Entertainment. |
8 . Delhi has been the centre of a succession of mighty empires and powerful kingdoms in India. Numerous ruins scattered throughout the territory offer a constant reminder of the area's history, which makes the city always be a fascinating place for tourists.
With the development of the city and more and more people moving, the city has expanded several times in size. That is why it is called New Delhi. New Delhi, a city with a population of over 20 million people, has its newest problem: never before has this city met with the worst air problem.
Air pollution in Indians capital surged to its worst levels in years, covering the city in a thick smog that has become an annual public-health emergency despite government vows to solve the problem.
Hundreds of flights were diverted, delayed and canceled over the weekend due to poor visibility, schools and offices were closed Monday and officials rushed to take emergency measures to try to reverse the eroding air quality. Millions of antipollution masks were distributed at schools, colleges, hospitals and markets.
New Delhi, is engulfed each year as the weather cools and a thick haze builds up from the pollutants emitted from cars and coal-based power plants, swirling dust from construction sites and roads and smoke from crop stubble burning in neighboring states. Fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the Hindu festival of Diwali then arrives, leaving Delhi the world's most polluted city.
The city's air quality index, which measures a mix of dangerous pollutants, registered an average score of 494 Sunday. That is the highest 24-hour average since Nov. 6 , 2016 , when it hit 497, according to data measured by the Central Pollution Control Board.
1. Which of the following is NOT true?| A．Diwali is one of the most important festivals in India. |
| B．The government did little to protect its citizens against the serious pollution. |
| C．Such a serious air pollution in New Delhi appears on a regular basis. |
| D．The index of the recent air pollution is not the worst in the history. |
| A．The parents whose children have to stay at home. |
| B．The pilots whose planes have been diverted or delayed. |
| C．The manufacturers who produce antipollution masks. |
| D．The officials who have to work out of their offices. |
| A．Sent out. | B．Sent up. |
| C．Sent in. | D．Sent on. |
| A．Problems Caused by the Development of New Delhi |
| B．Dangerous Pollution Envelops New Delhi |
| C．Antipollution Masks Are in Great Need in New Delhi |
| D．Farmers in the Neighboring States are to Blame for Burning Crop Stubble |
9 . According to a new study， teens focus on rewards and have a hard time learning to avoid punishment or consider the consequences of alternative actions.
University College London researchers compared how teens and adults learn to make choices based on the available information. They tracked the way in which 18 volunteers aged 12-17 and 20 volunteers aged 18-32 completed tasks in which they had to choose between abstract symbols.
Each symbol was consistently associated with a fixed chance of a reward, punishment, or no outcome. As the trial progressed ， participants learned which symbols were likely to lead to each outcome and adjusted their choices accordingly. Teens and adults were equally good at learning to choose symbols associated with reward， but teens were less good at avoiding symbols associated with punishment. Adults also performed significantly better when they were told what would have happened if they had chosen the other symbol after each choice， while teens did not appear to take this information into account.
“From this experimental lab study we can draw conclusions about learning during the teen years. We find that teens and adults learn in different ways， something that might be relevant to education," said lead author Dr. Stefano Palminteri. " Unlike adults, teens are not so good at learning to adjust their choices to avoid punishment. This suggests that incentive systems based on reward rather than punishment may be more effective for this age group. Additionally, we found that teens did not learn from being shown what would have happened if they made alternative choices."
To interpret the results, the researchers developed computational models of learning and ran simulations （模拟）applying them to the results of the study. The first was a simple model, one that learned from rewards, and the second model added to this by also learning from the option that was not chosen. The third model was the most complete and took the full context into account, with equal weight given to punishment avoidance and reward seeking. For example, obtaining no outcome rather than losing a point is weighted equally to gaining a point rather than having no outcome.
Comparing the experimental data to the models, the team found that teens" behavior followed the simple reward-based model while adults" behavior matched the complete, contextual model. “Our study suggests that teens are more receptive to rewards than they are to punishments of equal value, ” said senior author Dr. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore. “As a result, it may be useful for parents and teachers to frame things in more positive terms.”
1. It can be learned from the study that .| A．adults made choices faster than teens |
| B．adults understood rewards better than teens |
| C．teens reacted better to reward than punishment |
| D．teens were aware of the outcome of each choice |
| A．They reflected people’s strong desire for punishment avoidance. |
| B．They gave circumstances different degrees of consideration. |
| C．They paid equal attention to reward and punishment. |
| D．They shaped the behavior of people at different ages. |
| A．accustomed | B．opposed |
| C．sympathetic | D．responsive |
| A．“If you insist on doing things in this way， you will lose ten points. " |
| B．“If we had talked about this earlier， you wouldn’t have made the mistake. " |
| C．“ If you hand in your assignment ahead of time， you will get an extra bonus." |
| D．“If you want to approach a problem differently ， you can talk to your parents. " |
10 . Recently, as I watched my son Nathan play basketball for his school team, I was feeling sorry for myself and for him. His team was facing adversity(困境) on the court, trailing for three quarters of the game. As for me, I had just been dismissed from my job.
As I watched what my son was experiencing, I recalled the events earlier in the day—packing up everything in a box and saying goodbye to my colleagues. During the drive home, I kept telling myself that I will find work again—I am confident in my experience and abilities, but self-doubt was still sticking its foot in the door.
The game entered the fourth quarter with Nathan’s team still trailing. I saw the determination on his back to not only tie the game, but then go ahead by three points. Then, a player from the other team made an unbelievable shot to tie the game up again. With a tie game and seconds on the clock, Nathan found himself with the ball and with skill and confidence, he made the basket with a defender hanging all over him. The other player was called for a foul(犯规).
As Nathan stood preparing for a shot that would put his team up by three points, I saw the focus and determination on his face, with no room for self-doubt. After he made the free throw, his team managed to stop the other team from scoring, winning the game and moving on to the finals.
As I sat there, my heart bursting with pride, it dawned on me. I had taught him perseverance(毅力) in the face of adversity, and he had just taught me the same lesson. That brief moment of self-doubt and feeling sorry for myself was blown away by the actions of my son on the basketball court. He will play in the finals, but it doesn’t matter if he wins or loses. At this moment, we both won.
1. We can learn from the text that ________.| A．I lost my job for lack of experience and abilities. |
| B．Nathans team won a narrow victory in the basketball game. |
| C．I was proud of Nathan because he won the game in the finals. |
| D．Nathan had never doubted himself whenever he was in trouble. |
| A．losing | B．falling behind |
| C．being defeated | D．winning |
| A．My son would win in the finals and I would find a job soon. |
| B．I had once taught my son face to face that we should never give up. |
| C．It was my encouragement and help that made my son win the game. |
| D．I would become more confident about my future after this experience. |
| A．An Inspiring Game | B．A Moment of Self-doubt |
| C．Lesson from My Son | D．An Unforgettable Experience |
