1 . Do you remember what happened on Sponge Bob Square Pants yesterday? The day before? If so, you may be in need of a TV timeout!
Kids today are watching more TV than they watched before, researchers say. Kids ages 6 to 11 in the United States watch more than three hours of TV each day. Ten years ago, children watched only about two hours and 40 minutes of TV each day.
Why the increase? Experts say more TV shows today are focused, or aimed, at kids.
Some people want to limit kids' TV time. Researchers say that children who watch TV shows for more than three hours a day do not do as well in school. However, some programs can help kids learn. One example is BrainSurge. Some people say the show teaches kids facts.
How do you know whether a TV show can make you smart? Think about what you learn from watching, says Aletha Huston. She is a TV expert. But, she warns, don't spend too much time watching. “Limit the amount you watch. Get off the couch and do something else.”
TV Guide
This pie chart shows how long kids ages 6－11 use different types of TV technology each week.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Kids today watch more TV than they did before. |
| B．BrainSurge helps kids learn facts. |
| C．Kids do not watch proper TV shows. |
| D．More TV shows today are created for kids ages 6－11. |
| A．unusual | B．aimed | C．suitable | D．pleasant |
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Four. | D．Six. |
| A．Video games | B．DVD | C．VCR | D．TV |
2 . The Chinese word "Shanzhai" means a small mountain village, but it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假货), after "Shanzhai Cell-phones" produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years. Now besides "Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies, "Shanzhai" stars and even a "Shanzhai" Sprin Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
"Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own, meaning anything that imitates something famous. In Chongqing, "Shanzhai" version "Bird's Nest（鸟巢）" and "Water Cube（水立方）" woven by farmers with bamboo attract(吸引) wide attention from tourists. Both are copies of the famous Olympic buildings in Beijing.
A literature critic said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears timely to attract people. "Although it is often connected with poor techniques and operation, 'Shanzhai' culture meets the psychological needs of common people and could be a comfort to their minds," he said.
To the mainstream（主流） culture, the rise of "Shanzhai" culture is a challenge and a motivation（推动）. People believe different kinds of cultures developing together is a perfect way and it is for the public to choose.
1. The Chinese word "Shanzhai" may have started with_______.| A．electronic products | B．fake(假的) cell-phones |
| C．Spring Festival Gala | D．Olympic buildings |
| A．anything that are copies of something famous |
| B．products with poor techniques and quality |
| C．the action that a person imitates famous people |
| D．those similar names to famous brands |
| A．is stopped by "Shanzhai" culture |
| B．is the challenge of"Shanzhai" culture |
| C．may develop faster because of the challenge of "Shanzhai" culture |
| D．will be replaced by "Shanzhai" culture |
| A．偷窃 | B．做广告 |
| C．仿造 | D．欺骗 |
3 . Most of us marry creativity to our concept of self either we're "creative" or we aren't, without much of a middle ground. "I'm just not a creative person!" a frustrated student might say in art class, while another might blame her talent at painting for her difficulties in math, giving a comment such as, "I'm very right-brained."
Dr. Pillay, a tech entrepreneur and an assistant professor at Harvard University, has been challenging these ideas. He believes that the key to unlocking your creative potential is to ignore the traditional advice that urges you to "believe in yourself." In fact, you should do the opposite: Believe you are someone else.
Dr. Pillay points to a 2016 study demonstrating the impact of stereotypes on one's behavior; The authors. educational psychologists Denis Dumas and Kevin Dunbar, divided their college student subjects into three groups, instructing the members of one to think of themselves as "romantic poets" and the members of another to imagine they were "serious librarians" (the third group was the control). The researchers then presented all the participants with ten ordinary objects, including a fork, a carrot, and a pair of pants, and asked them to come up with as many different uses as possible for each one. Those who were asked to imagine themselves as romantic poets came up with the widest range of ideas, whereas those in the serious-librarian group had the fewest. Meanwhile, the researchers found only small differences in students' creativity levels across academic majors.
These results suggest that creativity is not a fixed individual characteristic but a "malleable product of context and perspective, as long as he or she feels like a creative person. Dr. Pillay argues that, besides identifying yourself as creative, taking the bold, creative step of imagining you are somebody else is even more powerful. So, wish you were more creative? Just pretend!
1. According to the passage， who is more likely to unlock his creative potential?| A．An art major who always believes in himself. |
| B．A math major who has excellent academic performance |
| C．A physics major who likes to imagine himself as a poet. |
| D．A history major who works as a librarian on weekends. |
| A．The creativity of the college students. |
| B．The stereotypes of the college students. |
| C．The impact of stereotypes on one's behavior |
| D．The influence of creativity on one's behavior. |
| A．stable | B．sustainable | C．predicable | D．changeable |
| A．there is no doubt that we are either creative or not |
| B．a student who doesn't do well in art class is not creative |
| C．right brain determines whether a person is creative or not |
| D．if we pretend to be creative， then we might be really creative |
4 . Grandma was going to turn eighty-two on Friday. I heard Mom ordering a cake from the bakery over the phone. “Don’t put any icing on it,” she said, “Just a plain angel cake.” Angel cake with fresh strawberries was her favorite. So Mum was ready.
That afternoon when Dad came home, he showed me the phone he had bought for Grandma. “It has speed-dialing,” he said. “She won’t have to push so many buttons when she calls the doctor’s office or her sister.” Dad looked pleased. “Her fingers are so stiff with arthritis (关节炎) that the phone seems a good idea.”
But what about me? Here I was with only one dollar in my pocket and one night to think of a gift. Even though Mom always insisted that “it’s the thought that counts,” I had a big problem. My mind was even more empty of ideas than my wallet was empty of money.
When I have a problem, it sometimes helps to shoot a few baskets in the driveway. Dribble, shoot, rebound.
For a while I just played without even trying to think. I began to remember back before Granddad died, when we used to visit them in Kentucky, Granddad showed me how to do a jump shot. Thinking about Granddad made me sigh. Grandma’s life was a lot happier when he was alive.
Swish! I’d made two in a row.
Suddenly, I remembered a green glass dish in the shape of a leaf that Grandma used to keep on a table back in Kentucky. It was always full of those red-and-white-striped peppermint candies. I hadn’t thought of that dish for a long time. Maybe it was lost or broken when Dad rented the truck and brought Grandma and the belongings to Ohio.
Just thinking about that candy dish made me taste the peppermint slowly dissolving on my tongue. I could almost hear Grandma saying，“Help yourself to a piece of peppermint, Burt.” That voice had a smile behind it. It was a voice I hadn’t heard for a long time.
Aha! I took one last shot, then dribbled to the back door, ran up the steps two at a time, and grabbed my wallet.
1. What do you know about the author’s grandma?| A．She has difficulty moving fingers. | B．She loves high-tech products. |
| C．She doesn’t like a plain cake. | D．She has a sweet tooth. |
| A．Melting. | B．Chewing. | C．Swallowing. | D．Fading. |
| A．Something decorative for candies. | B．Something bringing good memories. |
| C．Something convenient to use. | D．Something to Grandma’s taste. |
| A．The Good Old Days | B．The Gift of Gratitude |
| C．The Thought That Counts | D．The Inspiration from Basketball |
5 . Artists are continually trying to find creative ways to show their talent. Some, like Iris Scott, paint with their bare fingers. Now Turkish artist Garip Ay has become well-known worldwide by adopting Ebru, an ancient technique that allows him to create amazing paintings on water.
Believed to have originated in Central Asia in the 13th century, Ebru made its way to Turkey by the 16th century, where it was perfected. The art form remains popular in Turkey, with many painters using the technique to create attractive pieces, coveted by both collectors and tourists.
Ebru artists begin by adding some gum to water to help increase the water's viscosity(黏 度)and prevent it from mixing with the paint. The solution (溶液)is then poured into a wooden container with the same dimensions as the solid surface on which the painting will finally rest. To keep the colors afloat, and improve their ability to spread across the water's surface, some drops of ox bile(胆汁)are mixed in with each color.
To create the paintings, the artists first splash(泼洒)the paints on the water using brushes made with horsehair. They then use droppers(滴管)to carefully shape the colors and create the perfect designs. When complete,an absorbent surface, such as paper, is carefully placed on top to get the painting. Once dry, the artwork is flattened and polished by hand.
Ebru was initially used for book covers or to decorate the inside pages with wildly colorful papers. However, artists like Ay have added a modern twist by using absorbent fabrics, glass, and wood as solid surfaces.
Though Ay has created several amazing paintings since he began using Ebru in 2007, the most famous is his 2016 recreation of Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night. Those seeking a more modern Ebru creation is pleased to know that in 2017. The artist also painted characters from the popular Netflix series, Stranger Things.
1. What does the underline word "coveted" in paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Produced. | B．Impressed. |
| C．Desired. | D．Learned. |
| A．The preparations for creating Ebru paintings. |
| B．How to mix up water and a variety of colors. |
| C．The whole process of creating Ebru paintings. |
| D．How to spread paints across the water's surface. |
| A．He makes some improvements on it. | B．He discovers it in Starry Night. |
| C．He comes up with it and spreads it. | D．He adds a traditional twist to it. |
| A．Great Artists Create a Lot of Unique Paintings |
| B．An Ancient Technique Is Used to Paint on Water |
| C．Painting on Water Becomes Possible Eventually |
| D．A Turkish Artist Is Famous for His Paintings |
6 . Listening to music is considered a good thing for adults. Indeed it is. Scientific studies have proved it. Music has so many good effects on our body, mind and mood that this world will certainly not be a good place without music. Then, is music good for children? Some parents think so and let their children learn or listen to music. But some parents don't know the importance of music to children. Here are some reasons why music is important to children.
First, music is good for children’s intelligence. Studies have proved that children who learn music are likely to have higher intelligence than those who have no interest in or dislike music. This is because the brain gets stimulated (刺激) by the rhythm and tone of music.
Music also has soothing (抚慰的) effect on children and helps remove their stress. Today’s children are under a lot of stress from schoolwork. Being under too much stress impairs children’s health. Luckily，listening to music can help them feel better.
Music can improve children’s moods. Some children are sad by nature. They seem to be lost in their own thoughts and don’t take interest in their surroundings. In such cases，a method known as “music therapy” comes to their rescue. It changes their moods and places a new kind of spirit in them.
Music is also a universal language that children ought to learn. Our world has become a global village. People are getting more and more interested in other cultures and countries. Music can help them in understanding foreign cultures.
Now we can say that music is very important not only to adults but also to children. So children should be encouraged to learn music or listen to music.
1. By mentioning scientific studies in Paragraph 1, the author wants to show .| A．Children should listen to music |
| B．Why adults should listen to music |
| C．Listening to music is only good for adults |
| D．Why scientists are interested in music |
| A．shows. | B．changes. |
| C．improves. | D．harms. |
| A．Understanding foreign cultures better |
| B．Learning languages better |
| C．Accepting the fast developing world easily |
| D．Showing greater interest in other cultures |
| A．Why do Children Love Music? |
| B．How to Choose Music for Children |
| C．Why is Music Important to Children? |
| D．How to Teach Children Music Easily |
7 . If you think that running marathons will help you live a long and healthy life, new research may come as a shock. According to a recent scientific study, people who do a very strenuous workout are as likely to die as people who do no exercise at all.
Scientists in Denmark have been studying over 1,000 joggers (慢跑者)and non - joggers for 12 years. The death rates from the sample group indicate that people who jog at a proper pace two or three times a week for less than two and a half hours in total are least likely to die. The best speed to jog at was found to be about 5 miles per hour. The research suggests that people who jog more than three times a week or at higher speeds of over 7 mph die at the same rate as non - joggers. The scientists think that this is because strenuous exercise causes structural changes to the heart and arteries(动脉). Over time, this can cause serious injuries.
Peter Schnohr, a researcher in Copenhagen, said, “If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy(寿命)，jogging a few times a week at a proper pace is a good strategy. Anything more is not just unnecessary, and it may be harmful. “
The implications (暗示 ) of this are that moderate forms of exercise such as tai chi, yoga and walking may be better for us than “iron man events, triathlons and long - distance running and cycling. According to Jacob Louis Marott, another researcher involved in the study, “You don't actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health. And perhaps you shouldn’t actually do too much”.
1. The underlined word “strenuous” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “____“.| A．regular | B．hard | C．practical | D．flexible |
| A．suggest giving up jogging | B．show risks of doing sports |
| C．provide supportive evidence | D．introduce the research process |
| A．It may injure the heart and arteries. | B．It can make the body tired out. |
| C．It will bring much pressure. | D．It consumes too much energy. |
| A．No exercise at all is the best choice. | B．More exercise means a healthier life. |
| C．Marathons runners are least likely to die. | D．Proper exercise contributes to good health. |
8 . Screens during meals rob kids of opportunities to improve language and communication skills （storytelling, making jokes, etc.）, as well as to develop patience and even imagination as they entertain themselves waiting for food to arrive.
Meals are an opportunity to connect, to learn more about and enjoy each other. They strengthen the bonds that will bring benefits to the rest of our lives. We squander that opportunity when we stick a screen in front of our kids during dinner.
Of course, we all want to have enjoyable family meals, which is why I love Bruce Feiller's book "The Secrets of Happy Families", in which he devotes an entire chapter to ways to make them fun and meaningful for everyone---such as "fill in the blank" sentences you make up. Sharing something good and something challenging makes for pleasant conversations, too. And I've had fun playing Uno with my daughters until the food arrives in a restaurant.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (小儿科）also offers guidelines to help families manage children's screen time. The academy recommends avoiding digital media for children under 2, except for video-chatting, and limiting screen time to just one hour a day of high-quality programming for children ages 2 to 5.
Fundamentally, we all benefit from more human connection, not less — and that's especially true for children. Schools, airplane trips, most jobs, games, even "social" interaction were all once done without screens but now are filled with them. And while we have gained some advantages, including new connections, we have lost something fundamental, as well.
Less is always more when it comes to screens, even if they are effective at keeping kids quiet. But soon after complaining that they are "bored, ” kids have a natural tendency to fill the screenless void （空虚）with creative games, art, exploration and conversation. There are no studies that warn against having too many hours of those activities.
Let's all work harder to keep family meals special by getting rid of the iPads and nourishing our personal connections as we nourish our bodies.
1. What's the author's attitude to the kids' staring at screens during meals?| A．Disapproving. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Cautious. | D．Unconcerned. |
| A．Take. | B．Waste. |
| C．Expect. | D．Create. |
| A．Keep quiet. |
| B．Refuse to eat. |
| C．Feel bored all the time. |
| D．Find ways to entertain themselves. |
| A．To introduce the iPads to the children. |
| B．To stress the importance of family meals. |
| C．To appeal for family meals without screens. |
| D．To teach parents how to punish their children. |
9 . Do you know how children in other countries spend their schooldays and what kind of games they always play?
Children in Brazil
| School | The school year runs from February to December. Children attend (上学) school for about four hours in the morning or the afternoon. About a quarter of children in Brazil do not attend school at all. |
| Play | Football is the most popular sport. Brazil’s beautiful beaches also make swimming and volleyball popular. |
| Family | Brazilian families are often large. Nearly a third of the population is under eighteen! |
| School | The school day begins from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, with a two-hour lunch break. Schools close on Wednesday and Sunday, and are closed for a half day on Saturday. |
| Play | Football, bicycling and tennis are favorite sports in France. In some areas, pelote, a traditional ball game, is also very popular. |
| Family | Most French mothers work. The majority of preschool (幼儿园) children attend day care centres known as crèches. France has laws about naming children and all names have to be chosen from an official list. |
| School | Schools in Japan are very competitive (竞争的). Even pre-schoolers may attend “cramming (填鸭式教学的) schools” to prepare for exams. There is a summer break about six weeks, but the children have homework during this time. |
| Play | Comic books have been popular in Japan since the 1700s. Comics now account for about 40% of all published materials in Japan. Kite flying is enjoyed by people of every age. |
| Family | Homes in Japan are small on average. The typical family of four lives in five small rooms. Most fathers in Japan work long hours. As a result, some children only see their fathers on weekends or holidays. |
① Kite flying. ② Bicycling. ③ Football. ④ Pelote.
| A．②③④ | B．①②③ |
| C．①④ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Places with beautiful beaches. |
| B．The name of the place where French mothers work. |
| C．A day care centre for preschool children. |
| D．Cramming schools to improve children’s exam results. |
| A．like to read comic books | B．write their names on an official list |
| C．only see their fathers on weekdays | D．do not attend school |
10 . A study of 27,000 men showed those skipping (不吃) breakfast were at a greater risk of heart problems. The British Heart Foundation said breakfast helped people resist (抵制) sugary snacks before lunch.
The men, aged 45-82, were studied for 16 years. During that time there were more than 1,500 heart attacks or cases of deadly heart failure. However, people who skipped breakfast were 27% more likely to have heart problems than those who started the day with a meal. The researchers took into consideration other lifestyle risk factors (因素) such as smoking and exercise.
Researcher Dr Leah Cahill told the BBC: “The take-home message is to eat in the morning when you wake up, preferably within an hour. The results show that something is better than nothing, but it’s always better to have something healthy and balanced.”
She said the timing of the meal seemed to be key and waiting until lunch rather than “having breakfast” may be straining (损伤) the body over time. This could be increasing the risk of high blood pressure and fatness which could in turn damage the heart. “Don’t skip breakfast,” Dr Cahill suggested.
Victoria Taylor, an expert with the British Heart Foundation, said: “These researchers only looked at men aged over 45, so we would need to see further research to prove that breakfast has the same effect on the heart health of other groups of people. What we do know is that a healthy breakfast can make that mid-morning biscuit less tempting, as well as giving you another opportunity to widen the variety of foods in your diet. Cereals (谷类食品) with low fat milk are a good way to start the day. Try a banana or dried fruit on top and you’ll be on your way to a fine day before you’ve even left the house.”
1. What does the text mainly deal with?| A．The effects of snacks on the health of the heart. |
| B．An interview by the BBC on people’s lifestyles. |
| C．What a healthy and balanced diet should contain. |
| D．The relationship between breakfast and a healthy heart. |
| A．fix the time for each meal we eat in a day |
| B．make sure our breakfast is always balanced |
| C．eat our breakfast immediately after getting up |
| D．have breakfast within an hour after waking up |
| A．attractive | B．valuable |
| C．obvious | D．familiar |
| A．men over 45 are more likely to get heart diseases |
| B．fresh fruits like bananas are necessary for a healthy breakfast |
| C．it’s healthy to eat some biscuit between breakfast and lunch |
| D．the researchers should have covered other age groups in their study |
