1 . For those who can stomach it, working out before breakfast may be more beneficial for health than eating first, according to a study of meal timing and physical activity.
Athletes and scientists have long known that meal timing affects performance. However, far less has been known about how meal timing and exercise might affect general health.
To find out, British scientists conducted a study. They first found 10 overweight and inactive but otherwise healthy young men, whose lifestyles are, for better and worse, representative of those of most of us. They tested the men’s fitness and resting metabolic (新陈代谢的) rates and took samples (样品) of their blood and fat tissue.
Then, on two separate morning visits to the scientists’ lab, each man walked for an hour at an average speed that, in theory, should allow his body to rely mainly on fat for fuel. Before one of these workouts, the men skipped breakfast, meaning that they exercised on a completely empty stomach after a long overnight fast (禁食). On the other occasion, they ate a rich morning meal about two hours before they started walking.
Just before and an hour after each workout, the scientists took additional samples of the men’s blood and fat tissue.
Then they compared the samples. There were considerable differences. Most obviously, the men displayed lower blood sugar levels at the start of their workouts when they had skipped breakfast than when they had eaten. As a result, they burned more fat during walks on an empty stomach than when they had eaten first. On the other hand, they burned slightly more calories (卡路里), on average, during the workout after breakfast than after fasting.
But it was the effects deep within the fat cells that may have been the most significant, the researchers found. Multiple genes behaved differently, depending on whether someone had eaten or not before walking. Many of these genes produce proteins (蛋白质) that can improve blood sugar regulation and insulin (胰岛素) levels throughout the body and so are associated with improved metabolic health. These genes were much more active when the men had fasted before exercise than when they had breakfasted.
The implication of these results is that to gain the greatest health benefits from exercise, it may be wise to skip eating first.
1. The underlined expression “stomach it” in Paragraph 1 most probably means “______”.| A．digest the meal easily | B．manage without breakfast |
| C．decide wisely what to eat | D．eat whatever is offered |
| A．Their lifestyles were typical of ordinary people. |
| B．Their lack of exercise led to overweight. |
| C．They could walk at an average speed. |
| D．They had slow metabolic rates. |
| A．They successfully lost weight. | B．They consumed a bit more calories. |
| C．They burned more fat on average. | D．They displayed higher insulin levels. |
| A．A workout after breakfast improves gene performances. |
| B．Too much workout often slows metabolic rates. |
| C．Lifestyle is not as important as morning exercise. |
| D．Physical exercise before breakfast is better for health. |
2 . October 15th is Global Hand Washing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Hand Washing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for hand washing with soap. The goal, they say, is to create a culture of hand washing with soap. The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs. They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas including under the fingernails. Then, rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the chances that people will wash again. It also says that washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea（痢疾）, which is the second leading cause of children deaths. Do remember October 15th-Global Hand Washing Day!
1. What's the best title for this passage?| A．Say no to washing hands. |
| B．Hand washing: so important—it gets a day of its own. |
| C．Find out why washing hands carefully is so important. |
| D．Want to live a longer life?—wash your hands. |
| A．to dry your hands | B．to clean your fingers |
| C．to rub your hands carefully | D．to wash away the soap |
| A．why washing hand with soap is so important |
| B．how to wash your hands correctly |
| C．the dangers of washing hands without soap |
| D．when we should especially wash our hands with soap |
| A．Entertainment | B．Health report |
| C．Public service | D．Advertisement |
3 . Staying connected
When Central Bucks South became one of the first Philadelphia-area high schools to close because of the fear of novel coronavirus exposure in early March, 16-year-old sophomore Andrew Chen knew that things were not going to return to normal as quickly as some of his peers hoped.
But still, the change from seeing his friends on the swim team during daily practices to learning alone at home was jarring.
“I only have three years here at South, and it pains me to see one of them being wasted,” Chen said.
The coronavirus has changed everyone’s lives, but for students, the disruption feels particularly serious. Schools closed and graduation ceremonies were put off. Summer plans, such as camps, are up in the air.
But right now, many students are trying to stay connected, struggling with false information, and finding out the best ways they can help – through online method.
For Josh Harycki, 17, a senior student at the Shipley School in Philadelphia, the best way to help was to create a “social distancing promise” for young people.
“I saw a lot of young people not paying attention,” he said. “They were … still going out, hanging out with others. I thought that there had to be a way to reach younger people, who were possibly not watching the news.”
Harycki started a call to action on social media and then built a website with a map that followed and kept the locations of people who’d signed the promise. The site also shares links to accurate sources of information like the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Harycki knows that his peers are worried they can’t connected with their friends in the same way, so he created the social distancing promise to strengthen that although everyone might be physically distant, they’re still connected.
“Part of what we’re showing is that you might feel like you’re the only one taking this seriously, but our map shows that you’re not alone,” he said.
1. What does the underlined word “jarring” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．natural |
| B．necessary |
| C．worrying |
| D．reasonable |
| A．Friends who are worried and bored. |
| B．Young people not aware of the situation. |
| C．Younger students trying to help. |
| D．People taking the coronavirus seriously. |
| A．To order young people to stay at home. |
| B．To follow those infected with the coronavirus. |
| C．To tell young folks of latest news about the coronavirus. |
| D．To show young people that they are still connected. |
| A．To explain what worried students most when schools closed. |
| B．To show the different views of students toward the coronavirus. |
| C．To show how the coronavirus affected students’ lives. |
| D．To explain the proper reaction to the close of school. |
4 . In between all the measures to battle the severe air pollution in Delhi,India,there’s one more option-a bar that has”pure air”.
Founded by Aryavir Kumar,Oxy Pure,Delhi’s first-ever oxygen bar,offers 15 minutes of 80-90 percent pure oxygen,costing Rs 299($4.2).Customers are given a lightweight tube for oxygen intake.The device(装置)is placed near the customer’s nostrils(鼻孔)through which they are advised to breathe in the oxygen.
The bar also offers its customers several aromas(气味)to go with oxygen,including lemongrass,cherry and more.According to the aroma people choose,each session promises to improve sleep patterns and digestion,cure headaches,and even claims to work as a treatment for depression.
Bonny Irengbam,a senior sales assistant at the bar,said,”Some people,who try it for the first time,will feel relaxed and fresh.But only people who do this regularly will get real benefits.By regularly,I mean once or twice a month.We don’t encourage back-to-back sessions,as increased levels of oxygen in the body can make a person dizzy.”
Dr.Rajesh Chawla,a senior doctor at the Indraprastha Apollo Hospital,said,”Even if you breathe in the so-called pure oxygen for two hours in a day,you will go back to breathing the polluted air for the rest of the 22 hours.The concept is purely money-driven.”
Recalling the first few months of the bar,Irengbam admitted that people were sceptical. “Many people criticised,saying we were selling air.Others were simply scared to breathe through the tube.”
Irengbam said the bar saw a significant rise in the number of customers two to three days after Diwali,an Indian festival mainly celebrated by fireworks and lights,as the pollution levels were high.
1. What do we know about the oxygen intake?| A．It surely has a promising future. |
| B．It will always cause side effects. |
| C．It was not well received at first. |
| D．It can cure people of depression. |
| A．Once-a-month. |
| B．Once-in-a-while. |
| C．Once-and-for-all. |
| D．One-after-another. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Positive. |
| C．Unconcerned. |
| D．Ambiguous. |
| A．To explain how to breathe in the oxygen. |
| B．To introduce the first oxygen bar in India. |
| C．To show people’s responses to the device. |
| D．To advertise for Aryavir Kumar’s business. |
5 . In the 1970s, chemist James Lovelock and microbiologist Lynn Margulis developed the Gaia hypothesis（盖亚假说）: all organic and inorganic components on the planet are part of one self-regulating system, working to maintain life on earth. Scientists agree that we need take significant action to control emissions（排放）. But where scientists and popular movements have thus far failed to convince the world to act, it seems that Mother Earth may have succeeded, with the never-before-seen COVID-19.
COVID-19 is estimated to have reduced carbon dioxide emission in China by a quarter. It caused factories to shut down, and slowed construction activities. Recent analysis shows a 70 percent drop in flights in February compared with January. And even getting into a car and going to a restaurant, shopping mall, or concert poses a risk of infection, which means that many people are choosing to stay at home and are consuming less, resulting in a significant reduction of their carbon footprints.
Of course, China and the rest of the world will hope to restart normal production and consumption as soon as the virus is under control. However, some positive measures have already been taken as a result of COVID-19. As the virus is thought to originate from wildlife, Chinese authorities are revising laws and regulations regarding the country's massive wildlife trade in order to prevent future epidemics（流行病）—a win for biodiversity.
The deaths of thousands of people worldwide should also serve as a lasting reminder of the fragility of life. We humans frequently ignore or repress uncomfortable thoughts of death and extinction. We would rather get on with our lives as usual, thinking everything will somehow work out in the end. Only in the face of suffering and death are we forced to view the bigger, longer-term perspective—and this is what is needed in order to react appropriately to climate change. COVID-19 has sent alarm bells ringing throughout the world.
1. What does the author mention the Gaia hypothesis for?| A．To tell the main idea of the text. |
| B．To introduce the topic for discussion. |
| C．To show the need to protect the planet. |
| D．To stress the importance of self-regulating system. |
| A．The unexpected benefit of COVID-19. |
| B．The economic influence of COVID-19. |
| C．The preventive measures for COVID-19. |
| D．The possible causes of COVID-19. |
| A．Control. | B．Hold. |
| C．Vary. | D．Test. |
| A．It's urgent to fight the virus. |
| B．The virus has caused many deaths. |
| C．Life is fragile in face of disasters. |
| D．Action is needed for climate change. |
6 . Australia and New Zealand’s health organizations have given their advice on when to use sunscreen (防晒霜), suggesting Australians apply it every day to avoid bad health effects.
A Sunscreen Summit took place in the Australian State of Queensland. During the summit, representatives from some of Australia’s leading research, medical and public health organizations examined the evidence on sunscreen use the determined that in most parts of the country it is beneficial to apply sunscreen every day.
“Up until now, public health organizations have recommended applying sunscreen ahead of planned outdoor activities but haven’t recommended applying it every day as part of a morning routine (惯例),” professor Rachel Neale from QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute said. “In recent years, it has become clear that the DNA damage causes skin cancer and melanoma (黑色素瘤), which is caused by repeated small exposure to sunlight over a period of time,” Neale said. “In Australia, we get a lot of sun exposure from everyday activities such as walking to the bus stop or train station,” Neale said.
A study showed that one in two Australians believed it was unhealthy and potentially dangerous to use sunscreen every day. However, Terry Slevin from the Public Health Association of Australia says it is wrong. “There is consistent and compelling evidence that sunscreens are safe,” Slevin said. “Importantly, medical trials have found that people who use sunscreen daily have the same levels of vitamin D as those who don’t,” Slevin added.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, which is made worse by the country’s close to Antarctica where there is a hole in the ozone layer (臭氧层), letting in higher numbers of UV rays.
1. What made Australian health organizations advise Australians to use sunscreen?| A．The makers of sunscreen. |
| B．Australian government. |
| C．The Sunscreen Summit. |
| D．New Zealand’s researchers. |
| A．Using sunscreen as a morning routine. |
| B．Using sunscreen before outdoor activities. |
| C．Reducing the use of sunscreen. |
| D．Reducing outdoor activities. |
| A．Sunscreen will never take effect. |
| B．Sunscreen is bad for people’s health. |
| C．People using sunscreen have the same levels of vitamin. |
| D．D. People using sunscreen won’t have skin cancer. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Disappointing. |
| C．Boring. | D．Convincing. |
7 . This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers（young people aged from 13—19）from all over the world will spend about ten months in U. S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. The school was completely different from what he had expected-much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea.“I suppose I should criticize American schools,”he says.“It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
1. This year teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.| A．twenty three hundred | B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand | D．less than two thousand |
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．let students learn something about other countries |
| C．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
| A．a better education should include something good from both American and Germany |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools |
| D．the easy life in the American school was more helpful to students |
| A．praise | B．regret |
| C．ignore | D．accuse |
8 . There are some special traditions（传统）in Hawaii. People are very friendly and always welcome visitors. They give visitors a lei, a long necklace of beautiful fresh flowers. Men wear bright flowered shirts, and women often wear long flowered dresses. There are traditional Chinese, Japanese and Philippines Holidays and all the holidays from the United States. They call Hawaii the Aloha State. Aloha means both hello and goodbye. It also means I love you.
Usually when people from different countries, races and traditions live together, there are serious problems. There are a few problems in Hawaii, but, in general, people have learned to live together in peace.
Hawaiians get most of their money from visitors, and most of the visitors come from the mainland and from Japan. There are so many people living in Hawaii now that there are residential areas（住宅区）where there used to be farms. Some of the big sugar and apple companies have moved to the Philippines, where they do not have to pay workers as much money. The families of the first people who came from the U. S. mainland own the important banks and companies. Japanese are also buying or starting businesses.
1. The word“Lei”in the first paragraph is a .| A．necklace of flowers | B．bright flowered shirt |
| C．way to say hello and goodbye | D．group of flowers |
| A．we all should go to Hawaii |
| B．it is impossible to live together in peace |
| C．Hawaii is the only place where there is peace |
| D．it is possible for people from different places to learn to live together in peace |
| A．Modern industry | B．Agriculture |
| C．The air line | D．Business in travel |
| A．Hawaii, the Aloha State | B．Living in Peace Together |
| C．The Flowers of Hawaii | D．The Problems of Hawaii |
9 . Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. However, a new study finds an interesting downside: children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
The study, conducted by a group of researchers in Paris, France, builds upon early research that having older brothers is associated with poor linguistic(语言的)development. Now, researchers say they have come to a more specific conclusion: only children with an older brother show these linguistic difficulties. One would assume(假设) that children with older brothers would grow up around more conversation on a daily basis, thus speeding up their language development. But researchers say such children actually take longer than their older brothers to begin developing these skills. Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3, and 5.5, using tests specially designed to measure many aspects of language development such as vocabulary and syntax(句法). What the research team discovered was significant: children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister. As far as explaining this phenomenon, researchers have given two assumptions. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would make up for parents being less present than they were for their first child. The second assumption is that older sisters usually compete with their brothers and sisters less than older brothers for their parents’ attention.
So far, the study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they’d like to investigate it further.
1. What does the word “downside” mean in the first paragraph?| A．slide. | B．advantage. |
| C．upside down. | D．disadvantage. |
| A．Children with older brothers will speak earlier. |
| B．No one knows exactly the reason why children with brothers speak later. |
| C．Children with an older sister had a two-month delay in speaking. |
| D．Researchers studied over 1,000 children of all ages. |
| A．The parents will never care about them any more. |
| B．The older brothers will always fight with them. |
| C．The development speed of their linguistic skills will be put off. |
| D．They won’t enjoy life-long close relationships with the older brothers. |
| A．Young brothers usually speak earlier? |
| B．Having older brothers always benefits you? |
| C．Parents love older brothers more? |
| D．Sisters often compete with brothers? |
10 . Encouraging pupils to keep noise to a minimum should be a valuable component of all children’s education, according to new research.
Dr. Helen Lees, from Sterling University’s school of education, says that “enforced（强制的）silence” is seen as a punishment and often acts to suppress children’s natural ability. But she says that teaching children about the benefits of “enforced silence”—deliberate stillness that gives them the opportunity to focus and reflect in a stress-free environment—can have a significant effect on pupils’ concentration and confidence.
It is the latest in a series of researches to establish a link between the classroom environment and pupils ‘academic ability.
A study almost a decade ago in London found that children’s exam results were cut by as much as a third if they were taught in noisy classrooms. Teaching unions have also called for a limit of 26℃ to be put on classroom temperatures because teachers and pupils struggle to work in hot conditions, and some educationalists claim that too much chaos in the classroom can prevent children from concentrating.
Dr. Lees said, “When we take some research on school settings and put it all together, what we see is that education without silence does not make much sense. In areas of better learning out-comes, better self-confidence and well-being measures, enforced silence in a person’s life and an individual’ s education is shown throughout the relevant research to be a benefit.”
Dozens of schools across Britain have already introduced periods of “reflective silence” into the timetable.
Kevin Hogston, head of Sheringdale Primary, south London, has just introduced a minute’s silence at the start of twice-weekly meetings in which children are taught breathing techniques and encouraged to reflect. The school plans to introduce it into classrooms every day.
1. What does Dr. Helen Lees think of “enforced silence”?| A．It is an effective way of punishment. |
| B．It does not make much sense in class. |
| C．It can improve pupils’ concentration and confidence. |
| D．It can make pupils more creative. |
| A．Prevent something from developing. | B．Making something, better than before. |
| C．Get something back. | D．Unite with something. |
| A．Students are more active if taught in noisy classrooms. |
| B．Silence makes a great difference to pupils. |
| C．Noisy circumstances can help students concentrate. |
| D．Most schools are not satisfactory in terms of classroom temperatures. |
| A．How to arrange classroom settings. |
| B．How to achieve silence in class. |
| C．Encouraging pupils in class is beneficial. |
| D．Keeping quiet in class can improve academic ability. |
