1 . You know that old saying that laughter is the best medicine. Well, studies have long shown that laughter can have a positive effect both physically and emotionally. In South Korea, a nation more used to holding back its emotions, at least one hospital is encouraging patients to let loose on their regular basis.
Laughing, for those cancer patients and their families, is a weekly exercise at Seoul National University hospital. It is something that does not come easy for them, but an hour of laughter therapy (疗法） is all it takes to fight depression that often follows chemical treatment. Lim Song Li, a therapist at the hospital, was once a depression patient herself. She now is a laughter therapist and says when you laugh, blood vessels expand,and sugar levels drop, producing an abundance of hormones (激素）linked with happiness and pleasure. But in Korean culture, where Confucian tradition dominates(主导）social behavior,laughing is not a nature thing. Korean men are taught not to cry more than three times in their lifetime. And the sound of a Korean woman's laughter should not be heard outside the fence of her home. But inside this hospital,they are letting it out. By the end of the session, they make belief laughs somehow become their own.
If laughing requires effort,more natural to Koreans, it is singing. The sing-song star therapist, famous for her therapy sessions to fight housewife depression,Jeong Ji Song says singing is an easier way to express inner feelings,especially for Korean women brought up in the conservative background. For some,these classes can be a stress-management tool,but for many more who suffer from depression, learning to sing out their heart can be a healing process.
It not only helped Ying Seung Woo come out of severe depression, but also presented her with a new career. After taking up singing therapy, she found a talent in herself-cheer-leading. And now she is taking courses to become a certified therapist.
1. The author mentions South Korea to show.| A．there are few people suffering from depression in South Korea |
| B．laughter has a positive influence on Korean women' s health |
| C．people in South Korea are used to expressing their inner feelings |
| D．people in South Korea have attempted to use laughter therapy |
| A．Laughter can help ease patients' pain. |
| B．Laughing can help patients fight depression. |
| C．Laughter is a natural thing in the Korean society. |
| D．Laughing is not allowed in the Korean tradition. |
| A．Curing. |
| B．Controlling. |
| C．Suffering. |
| D．Fighting. |
2 . Many of the world’s largest brewers (啤酒商) are using new technologies to replace single-use, plastic six-pack beer rings with more sustainable materials. Though mostly being used in small test trials, full adoption could have a positive environmental impact. Carlsberg, for example, is using glue to adhere cans in a production method that the Danish brewer says would avoid using 1,200 tons of plastic yearly, or the equal of 60 million plastic bags, once fully adopted.
Brewers have zeroed in on plastic six-pack-ring packaging partly because most consumers can recall the miserable image of a seagull, turtle, or some other aquatic (水生的) creature trapped or killed by the plastic rings. The packaging is so deep-rooted in our culture that many children were taught to cut up the rings to lessen the chance that an animal might choke itself to death.
The rings developed by E6PR (Edible Six Pack Ring) programme, which is led by another brewery called Saltwater, are now used by 35 brewers across the globe, including in Africa, Europe, and Australia. These rings are made of waste wheat in beer production. The final goal is to ensure that the rings can be eaten harmlessly by aquatic creatures or break down in nature within a matter of weeks rather than the years it would take for plastic.
Giving up plastic straws and beer rings may help consumers feel better about their carbon footprint, but some experts say we should focus on other efforts. Recycling rates in the U.S.stand at just over 34%. Glass, in which many brewers bottle their beer, can be difficult to recycle and large to transport. If brewers were to focus on using thinner glass, some experts say, the improvement could prove even more beneficial to the environment than giving up plastic rings.
There’s also the risk that if consumers think their E6PR rings are less harmful, they’ll be more likely to litter. “The idea of creating something that’s litter-friendly is an issue in my mind,” says Nina Goodrich, executive director of environmental nonprofit GreenBlue. “What we need in North America is a better system to encourage collection and sorting.”
1. What does the underlined word “adhere” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Collect. | B．Stick. | C．Open. | D．Reuse. |
| A．To collect the rings for recycling. |
| B．To make the rings break down more easily. |
| C．To prevent the rings harming aquatic animals. |
| D．To increase children’s awareness of loving nature. |
| A．Low recycling rates in the U.S. |
| B．Benefits of giving up plastic beer rings. |
| C．Difficulty in transporting beer glass bottles. |
| D．Another way to protect the environment. |
| A．They will be thrown away more casually. |
| B．They will not be accepted by consumers. |
| C．They will be more difficult to recycle. |
| D．They will be still made of plastic. |
3 . Five years ago, when I taught art at a school in Seattle, I used Tinkertoys as a test at the beginning of a term to find out something about my students. I put a small set of Tinkertoys in front of each student, and said:”Make something out of the Tinkertoys. You have 45 minutes today - and 45minutes each day for the rest of the week.”
A few students hesitated to start. They waited to see the rest of the class would do. Several others checked the instructions and made something according to one of the model plans provided. Another group built something out of their own imaginations.
Once I had a boy who worked experimentally with Tinkertoys in his free time. His constructions filled a shelf in the art classroom and a good part of his bedroom at home. I was delighted at the presence of such a student. Here was an exceptionally creative mind at work. His presence meant that I had an unexpected teaching assistant in class whose creativity would infect(感染) other students.
Encouraging this kind of thinking has a downside. I ran the risk of losing those students who had a different style of thinking. Without fail one would declare, ”But I’m just not creative.”
“Do you dream at night when you’re asleep?”
“Oh, sure.”
“So tell me one of your most interesting dreams.” The student would tell something wildly imaginative. Flying in the sky or in a time machine or growing three heads. “That’s pretty creative. Who does that for you?”
“Nobody. I do it.”
“Really-at night, when you’re asleep?”
“Sure.”
“Try doing it in the daytime, in class, okay?”
1. The teacher used Tinkertoys in class in order to ________?| A．teach the students about toy design | B．make the lessons more exciting |
| C．raise the students’ interest in art | D．know more about the students |
| A．Mistake. | B．Drawback. |
| C．Difficulty. | D．Burden. |
| A．To find out about their sleeping habits. |
| B．To help them to see their creativity. |
| C．To help them to improve their memory. |
| D．To find out about their ways of thinking. |
4 . I'm a student in my third year at Robert Gordon University, but I also work 35 hours a week at Sainsbury's to make ends meet.
I constantly have to force myself to stay awake, and to be alert, whatever it takes. The work I do at Sainsbury's is very physical like stacking shelves. I am lucky because the amount I lift at work is nothing compared with the weight I lift in the gym. I know I have the strength to bear it.
I am originally from Nigeria. I came here when I was seven. Money was always tight. My parents gave me everything I needed, but there was no money for luxuries. I worked hard at school though and, with the help of professors, I got the best A﹣level grades in my class.
Unfortunately, though I had applied for "settled "British residential status the Home Office waited until I was in sixth form to approve my application. That meant I was not eligible for a student loan. The only way I could afford to go to university was that I got a job that would pay for all my living costs and my parents paid for my tuition fees.
I don't have much time to socialize because of my job. Ideally, I’d like to have more time to study so I can excel at my course. Yes, I have a lot on my plate, but working hard isn't new for me. Growing up, my parents cultivated in me the importance of working hard for what I want in life.
My dream is to get a job in the NHS. But now, I'm just focused on trying to get the best grades I can. Whenever I find life hard, I tell myself this is about my future.
1. Why does the author work long hours and sometimes overtime every week?| A．To pay for his own living expenses | B．To pay for his tuition fees |
| C．To prove his ability to earn money | D．To help his parents pay off the debts |
| A．Responsible | B．Anxious | C．Qualified | D．Accessible |
| A．Persistent | B．Diligent | C．Sociable | D．Ambitious |
5 . “It’s raining cats and dogs!” Although this phrase is not very common in England any more, it clearly shows how we don’t always say what we mean. One thing that is often frustrating (灰心的) for language learners is that they understand every word in a sentence and yet the meaning remains unclear—like this sentence that actually means “it’s raining very heavily!” However, it’s not just idioms that cause difficulties for people learning English.
The British are often considered to be polite but this can be very confusing for non-native speakers. We often don’t say what we are thinking—in fact we often say the opposite! Here’s an example that will hopefully explain what I mean: “You should come round for tea!”
British people are less open than people from other cultures, so we aren’t as quick to invite people into our homes. This phrase is one of those that we say but often don’t really mean, so when no further details are given, you can probably assume (认为) it was made in the name of politeness! But how does this compare to other countries?
When I lived in India, lots of people would invite me into their homes but I always assumed that they were just being polite. Of course, I was wrong. The invitations were almost always genuine, and people expected me to visit them. I was always surprised by how welcoming people were. In fact, I think I spent more time at other people’s houses than my own!
In England, we often think it’s polite to offer or suggest something even if we don’t actually want to do it, while in other cultures people are more direct. Perhaps if English people just say what they were thinking, things would be a lot easier—especially for non-native speakers!
1. The example “It’s raining cats and dogs!” is mentioned to show that ______.| A．it is time for people protect these pet animals |
| B．the weather condition in England is rather awful |
| C．what British people say is different from what they think |
| D．it is difficult for non-native learner to understand idioms |
| A．Direct and honest. | B．Too traditional to accept. |
| C．Serious and formal. | D．Difficult to understand. |
| A．personal. | B．real. | C．informal. | D．special. |
| A．To encourage people to show politeness. |
| B．To teach people how to avoid misunderstandings. |
| C．To discuss how to learn English idioms effectively. |
| D．To advise people to understand politeness culturally. |
6 . Have you ever wondered what wild animals do when no one is watching?
Low cost, dependable and small modern cameras offered a big help. Cameras placed in hard-to-reach places have shot everything from small desert cats to larger snow-lowing cats in the northern Rocky Mountains. Scientists have been able to document the “private” moments of wildlife with leading technology.
Grant Harris is a government biologist with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In his words, “there’s no doubt that these wild cameras are important tools to learn new information on wildlife.” Harris said some images help scientists see the influences of climate (气候) change.
Researchers with the Wyoming Migration Initiative, or WMI, are among those using wild cameras along with global positioning systems, or GPS. But WMI director Matthew Kauffman says as those devices (设备) are limited (有限的), so is the amount of information they can gather. However, cameras can be left in very wild areas for days, weeks or even months. They can provide information on how many animals are moving over a given period of time.
Putting those cameras in place requires careful planning. Wild video can show details about animal behavior. However, wild cameras have their problems too. Animals such as wolverines and bears sometimes attack (袭击) them. Scientists do not know if the attacks are the result of anger or interest. Also, the devices have become popular tools to help hunters look for animals. Some people argue that it is unfair to use the cameras that way.
Even with such problems, wild cameras are clearly an important scientific tool in researching wild animals.
1. What does the underlined word “document” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Remind. | B．Enrich. | C．Produce. | D．Record. |
| A．They cannot be left in the wild over a long period. |
| B．They cannot be placed in hard-to-reach areas. |
| C．They provide limited information. |
| D．They might be stolen by people. |
| A．It is difficult to fix the cameras. |
| B．It helps hunters find animals easily. |
| C．It is hard to achieve careful planning. |
| D．It makes animals interested in the cameras. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Supporting. | C．Uncertain. | D．Uninterested. |
7 . Brownie and Spotty were neighbor dogs who met every day to play together. Like pairs of dogs you can find in any neighborhood, these two loved each other and played together so often that they had worn a path through the grass of the field between their houses.
One evening, Brownie’s family noticed that Brownie hadn’t returned home. They went looking for him with no success. Brownie didn’t show up the next day, and, although they made their efforts to find him, by the next week he was still missing, Curiously, Spotty showed up at Brownie’s house alone, barking and jumping. Busy with their own lives, they paid no attention to the nervous little neighbor dog.
Finally, one morning Spotty refused to take “no” for an answer. Ted, Brownie’s owner, was continuously disturbed by the angry, determined little dog. Spotty followed Ted about, barking all the time, then darting toward a nearby empty lot and back, as if to say, “Follow me! It’s urgent!”
Eventually, Ted followed Spotty across the empty lot as Spotty stopped to race back and barked encouragingly. The little dog led the man to a deserted spot a half mile from the house. There Ted found his beloved Brownie alive, one of his legs crushed in a steel trap (圈套). Frightened, Ted now wished he had taken Spotty’s earlier appeals seriously.
Then Ted noticed something. Spotty had done something else besides leading Brownie’s human owner to his trapped friend. In a circle around the injured dog, Ted found some food remains of every meal. Brownie had been fed that week! Spotty had been visiting Brownie regularly, in the hope of keeping his friend alive. Spotty had actually stayed with Brownie to protect him from hunger and other dangers, and keep his spirits up.
Brownie’s leg was carefully treated and he soon got well again. For many years thereafter the two families watched the faithful friends chasing each other down that well-worn path between their houses.
1. At the very beginning, Ted paid little attention to Spotty because __________.| A．he was not free at the moment | B．he was sure Brownie would be OK |
| C．he didn’t like Spotty at all | D．his missing dog made him sad |
| A．rushing | B．shouting | C．walking | D．looking |
| A．managed to free his dog at once | B．was very thankful to Spotty |
| C．regretted not following Spotty earlier | D．was angry with the trap-maker |
| A．humans and animals depend on each other for comfort |
| B．it’s not right to hunt for animals in any neighborhood |
| C．Ted has to take better care of his beloved dog later on |
| D．Brownie would have died without Spotty’s timely help |
8 . For your next out-of-this-world vacation, you now have the option of literally going out of this world—but it’ll cost you $ 40 million. Then again, can you really put a price tag on having the time of your life? According to a new report from Popular Mechanics, Russia is looking to build a luxury hotel in outer space. There you will wake up to a breathtaking blue planet—the earth! The hotel is expected to be stationed on the International Space Station (ISS).
While space tourism itself isn’t exactly a novel idea, the notion of building a hotel out there hasn’t been raised before. Really, other companies are still focused on the transportation part of the puzzle — after all, a trip to space is enough for most folks.
According to Popular Mechanics, the hotel will include a luxury orbital suite with big windows, personal hygiene (卫生) facilities, exercise equipment, and yes, WiFi. Because if you can’t share your experience on social media, did it really even happen?
Of course, the reasons behind the hotel aren’t just for fun and games. Apparently, space tourism might be able to help the Russians pay for another module to add to the international Space Station. Russian space contractor RKK Energia is currently building the first such module, which will give scientists a laboratory and power supply station from which to conduct tests.
If any of this is going to happen, however, Russia is going to have to hurry. With the ISS expected to be out of use in 2028, there’s little time to build the hotel and find wealthy tourists to actually buy a trip into outer space.
So if you’ve recently come into a fortune and are interested in investing in what could be the time of your life, ISS is calling your name.
1. What do we know about the hotel from the first paragraph?| A．It is quite affordable. |
| B．It will be built in Russia. |
| C．It will offer an amazing view. |
| D．It costs $ 40 million to build. |
| A．An orbital suite. | B．Space tourism. |
| C．Space exploration. | D．A creative idea. |
| A．Hotel guests won’t be able to see into space. |
| B．Visitors are required to take exercise each day. |
| C．Space travel is not possible without the Internet. |
| D．Tourists tend to share traveling experiences online. |
| A．fun and games | B．financial support |
| C．space contractors | D．more time in space |
9 . The nine woman of Bella Mondo win over yet another audience. The group is one of just a handful of all-women ensembles (乐队) in Ivory Coast.
It all started in 2007. Prisca Allou was a music student. A music producer came to see her. He said he wanted to make an all-female ensemble to keep a promise to his late mother.
Allou got on board and was charged with recruiting (招募) other members. “It wasn’t easy at first. Some parents were against it. You know, in Africa, the place of women is often seen as being either in an office or at home. That was the fixed image.” Allou spread the word and took out ads in local papers. Most of the girls she found were not professional players. “I just played some tamtam. I learned to play drums when I joined Bella Mondo.” The girls spent the next four years learning to play their instruments. Many gave up along the way, but eight of them soldiered on with Allou, and Bella Mondo was founded.
The band plays original songs and covers. Their music spans a wide range of styles: funk, reggae, pop music. They released their first album in 2013... and have performed in Paris, Dakar, Cotonou and, of course, here at home in Abidjan.
You can see them nearly every Thursday at this bar, the same place that gave the band its start years ago. “Oh yes, I was surprised at first. A woman singing, you see that every day, but an entire band, playing all the instruments and everything? It was extraordinary. I was dumbstruck. Bella Mondo is a great band.”
The women are now working on their second album.
1. Why did the music producer want to form a female ensemble?| A．To sponsor music students. | B．To comfort his mother. |
| C．To carry out his promise. | D．To win over an audience. |
| A．The band charged too much. |
| B．A number of parents didn’t support it. |
| C．Most women prefer to work in a government office. |
| D．African women are not allowed to leave their homes. |
| A．What Allou experienced. |
| B．How Bella Mondo was born. |
| C．Why most girls gave up halfway. |
| D．How the girls learned to play instruments. |
| A．Astonished. | B．Amused. | C．Determined. | D．Satisfied. |
10 . The electronic cigarette（e-cigarette）industry is rapidly growing in the United States and the use of e-cigarettes is a public argument which continues because researchers do not yet know if e-cigarette use results in more benefit than harm. Now new research quantifies the balance of harm and benefit using the most current scientific evidence.
“Although the tobacco industry markets e-cigarettes as a tool to help adult smokers quit smoking, e-cigarette use actually only slightly boosts the adult smokers who are able to successfully quit,” says Samir Soneji, PhD, an associate professor at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. “On the other hand, e-cigarettes may promote cigarette smoking starting and afford much harm to adolescents and young adults once they are introduced to nicotine.”
Soneji's team calculated the expected years of life gained or lost from the impact of e-cigarette use on smoking pause among current smokers, and transition to long-term cigarette smoking among never-smokers. “E-cigarettes could lead to more than 1.5 million years of life lost because their use could largely make more and more adolescents and young adults eventually become cigarette smokers,” says Soneji.
Effective national, state, and local efforts are needed to reduce e-cigarette use among youth and young adults unless e-cigarettes are to afford a net population-level benefit in the future. “E-cigarettes will likely cause more public health harm than public health benefit unless ways can be found to largely decrease the number of adolescents and young adults who smoke and increase the number of smokers who use e-cigarettes to successfully quit smoking,” says Soneji. “We also need to close the regulatory（监管的）gaps that make e-cigarettes appealing to adolescents and young adults by reducing the availability of kid-friendly flavors and issuing product standards that reduce the level of some harmful and unhealthy materials in e-juice.”
1. What does the underlined word “boosts” in the second paragraph mean？| A．Affects. |
| B．Slows. |
| C．Increases. |
| D．Guides. |
| A．By causing them to ignore the meaning of life. |
| B．By causing them to lose interest in study. |
| C．By causing them to get involved in smoking. |
| D．By causing them to live an unhealthy lifestyle. |
| A．The data of e-cigarettes on the Internet. |
| B．The amount of nicotine in e-cigarettes. |
| C．The time of smokers’ using e-cigarettes. |
| D．The effect of e-cigarettes on smokers’ life. |
| A．Making e-cigarettes less accessible. |
| B．Making e-cigarettes taste worse. |
| C．Getting support from the government. |
| D．Changing the materials of making e-cigarettes. |
