1 . Many college students turn to ADHD（注意缺陷障碍）medicine during the exam week, which is regarded as “smart drugs” that will help their academic（学术的）performance. The thinking is that if the drugs help students with ADHD improve their focus, they should provide the same benefit for people who don’t have the disorder.
But a new study shows that drugs can actually damage brain function of healthy students who take the drug hoping to boost their intelligence. “It’s not a smart drug which will suddenly improve their ability to understand information they read,” said Lisa Weyandt, a professor at the University of Rhode Island.
To test whether this effect is real or not, researchers organized 13 students to take part in two five-hour study sessions（一段时间）in the lab. The students took the standard 30mg ADHD drugs before one session, and a sugar pill before the other. Students on ADHD drugs did experience an increase in their blood pressure and heart rates. “The medicine was having an effect on their brain,” Weyandt said. The students also showed an improvement in their ability to focus, the researchers found.
However, students on ADHD drugs experienced no improvement in reading comprehension, reading fluency or knowledge reviews, compared to when they’d taken a sugar pill. “We read aloud stories to them and asked them to recall information from the stories, ”she said. “That didn’t improve.”
Worse, the ADHD drug actually harms students’ memory. It’s often misused because people pull all-nighters and they’re tired, and they think it’s going to keep them awake. Maybe it does, but it’s certainly not going to help their academic work. The brain is still developing until the mid to late 20s. It’s important to keep it healthy. There’s also a chance that ADHD drugs could endanger a student’s heart health.
1. Why do some college students take ADHD drugs?| A．To improve their sleeping. | B．To get higher marks. |
| C．To make them feel relaxed. | D．To treat brain disorder. |
| A．Analyze. | B．Affect. |
| C．Improve. | D．Understand. |
| A．They became more focused. |
| B．Their blood pressure was reduced. |
| C．Their reading fluency was greatly raised. |
| D．They could remember better and more quickly. |
| A．In a drug instruction. | B．In a biology textbook. |
| C．In a travel magazine. | D．In a news report. |
2 . “Serena, don’t forget your promise to me that you will mow (割) Mrs Matin’s yard this weekend,” said Dad, “Don’t let me down.” Serena was the oldest child in the family, and one of her chores was to mow their yard. Mrs Martin, their elderly neighbor, was unable to take care of her yard, so Serena’s dad had volunteered Serena for this job. Since Mrs Martin’s yard was not very big, Serena knew the job would go quickly.
However, she still resented her dad’s promise.
“Why didn’t you ask me first?” Serena had complained.
“Did you ask me first when you volunteered me to be in the school festival last fall?” asked Serena’s father.
“Well, no, I didn’t ask you first, but you would have done those things anyway. You’re always willing to help.”
“I try when I can,” Dad answered.
“Serena, we have known Mrs Martin for a very long time. She has often helped our family. Now we can do something for her. Besides, the feeling you get from helping someone makes you wonder who is really helping whom.”
“I don’t know, Dad,” said Serena. “The only feeling I get from mowing our yard is tired.”
“Just you wait and see,” said Dad.
After breakfast, Serena made her way to Mrs Martin’s yard. She was good at her job and soon had Mrs Martin’s yard looking tidy. Mrs Martin came outside with a big glass of orange juice and offered it to her. Serena stopped her work and gratefully enjoyed the drink, while Mrs.Martin talked to her about all of the flowers in her yard. Seeing the joy in Mrs Martin’s eyes, Serena began to understand how much the yard meant to Mrs. Martin.
After finishing her drink, Serena returned to work with a new attitude. A warm feeling began to spread through her body. Her dad was right. It was hard to tell who was helping whom!
1. The underlined word “resented” (Paragraph 2) means___________.| A．understood | B．welcomed |
| C．broke | D．disliked |
| A．Through Dad’s words. | B．Through Serena’s actions. |
| C．Through Mrs Martin’s behaviour. | D．Through the author’s statement. |
| A．Annoyed. | B．Surprised. |
| C．Guilty. | D．Pleased. |
| A．Serena likes the job of mowing her family’s yard. |
| B．Mrs. Martin and Serena did the work together. |
| C．Mrs Martin shared her love for the yard with Serena. |
| D．Dad volunteered himself to take part in the school festival. |
3 . Growing up, we are constantly reminded that young people are heavily affected by technology. We are the “antisocial club”, those who prefer to text our friends in the same room rather than make eye contact with them. And even though never-ending studies reveal to us the extent of our social media addiction, we should at least consider that it’s not only our young people’s problem any more.
There’s the rise of the Instagram mums, who like to post an abundance of cute baby pictures, share their mom feelings along the way and show their wonderful lifestyles. They are the so-called “Facebook mum generation”, a growing group of parents that like to overshare.
While all of this might be fine, and even a little humorous, new research suggests that parents’ technology addiction is negatively affecting their children’s behavior. According to the study, 40% of mothers and 32% of fathers have admitted having some sort of phone addiction. This has led to a significant fall in verbal interactions within families and even a decline in mothers’ encouraging their children.
There is no denying that I get annoyed when receiving the words “I’ll be with you soon” from a parent, when all I want to do is ask one question. But, at the same time, every day leaving the room to wait until my father is finished with his “serious business” (Farmville), has now become the norm. Whether you want to escape your disturbing children for a bit, or want to stay up late flicking through Twitter, know that wanting to do all of these is normal. We, your children, know how addictive it can be and how difficult it is to switch off. But before telling us to put our phones away at the table or even worse, listing statistics of how damaging social media can be for us, maybe lead by example, considering how much time you spend on the phone and how this is impacting your children and your relationship with us. Maybe in this way we can work on our addiction together.
1. From Paragraph 1, we can know that teenagers nowadays ________.| A．enjoy socializing with their friends | B．send messages to their friends every day |
| C．hate to make eye contact with their friends | D．are heavily addicted to their mobile phones |
| A．Boring. | B．Selfish. | C．Funny. | D．Meaningful. |
| A．security | B．standard | C．routine | D．custom |
| A．To share the author’s own experience with the readers. |
| B．To call on parents to get rid of their own media addiction. |
| C．To reveal that parents are always addicted to mobile phones. |
| D．To show the author’s dissatisfaction with parents’ phone use. |
4 . One of the easiest ways to stop the spread of disease is to simply wash your hands. Twenty seconds of handwashing with soap and water can reduce illnesses and save lives. But, many people, especially children, do not have good handwashing habits. One problem is that children do not wash their hands often enough or long enough. Children may think that it is a tiresome thing to do.
To help handle this problem, two businesswomen from India created a product to turn handwashing into a fun activity. Amanat Anand and Shubham Issar created a tool called SoaPen, aimed at teaching kids good handwashing habits and encouraging kids to wash their hands with soap appropriately and regularly.
“It’s such a simple habit to do, but the fact is that people aren’t doing it, and it’s resulting in actual deaths---which is shocking. So, we decided to come up with a fun method, said Issar.
As the name suggests, SoaPen is a pen made out of soap. The children draw on their hands with the soap pen and then wash the drawing off. If they don’t spend enough time washing it off, the colors remain on the children’s hands. Issar said it makes sure that children take enough time to wash their hands. This may be especially helpful in a classroom. Often a teacher does not have the time to make each child wash his hands properly.
Kids actually wash their hands for the proper amount of time because they’re drawing on their hands. To obliterate the drawing, they actually wash their hands instead of just going under water and, you know, a one-second wash and off.
Good news is that the school children in Mumbai, India, will soon most likely wash their hands after handling a pet. Issar and Anand stated that SoaPen to be created everywhere will help promote good habits through handwashing in the city across the globe.
1. Why is SoaPen invented?| A．To teach kids the importance of handwashing. |
| B．To make money from children consumers. |
| C．To help kids wash their hands correctly. |
| D．To rid kids of some kinds of diseases. |
| A．SoaPen is designed for classrooms. |
| B．Handwashing is anything but little. |
| C．Some teachers ignore kids’ health in school. |
| D．Kids don’t know the right way of handwashing. |
| A．Remove. | B．Reserve. | C．Learn. | D．Show. |
| A．SoaPen has become popular worldwide. |
| B．Kids’ health should be paid more attention to. |
| C．SoaPen has been applied in Mumbai schools. |
| D．The inventors think SoaPen has a bright future. |
5 . As I drove along the road, small car flew across the center divider from the opposite direction and crashed into my car head-on. I fell unconscious and was awakened by the ringing of my mobile phone.
I was brought to Kuala Lumpur General Hospital bleeding on from my nose, mouth and legs. But the hospital staff was too busy to attend to me, so I called a friend to tell him about the accident. Some friends arrived very soon and sent me to a private hospital nearby. I saw my injured feet hanging from my body, blue and lifeless, and I begged the doctors to save them at all cost. They calmly promised to do their best.
The doctors made it. After I was discharged, I was given ten months medical leave. My heart sank, knowing that it meant I, a big man, couldn't work. How was I going to support my 65-year-old mother and other family members? I felt completely helpless, but a la of unexpected blessings came my way. When I was recovering at home, friends and relatives helped me with my banking, insurance or simply came to cheer me up.
When the casts（石膏）were removed, I did not let the sight of my weak legs discourage me. I worked hard at my physiotherapy（物理疗法）with only one aim. After eight months, I was walking without the aid of a walking stick. Oh February the following year, I returned to my job again. Today, after eight years, I have travelled to many counties as a tour leader.
The accident makes me realize how lives can change in a second. I value life more, not only of my own but also of everyone I know, and I will always try to help when I know of someone in trouble.
1. What made the author come back to life in the traffic accident?| A．Someone made a call to him. |
| B．A car crashed into his ear head-on. |
| C．One of his friends gave him first aid. |
| D．His mobile phone was out of order suddenly. |
| A．Was inspired. | B．Got injured. |
| C．Was discovered. | D．Left hospital. |
| A．He is honest and strong. | B．He is learned and intelligent. |
| C．He is optimistic and determined. | D．He is discouraged and desperate. |
| A．Life is very precious to people. | B．It's a hard job to be a tour guide. |
| C．Many people are in trouble in life. | D．It's a must for someone to help others. |
6 . The police in Canada had to deal with the escape of 12 million bees on Monday. The bees flew off after the truck that was carrying them turned over. Most of the insects stayed close by, but enough were loose to cause a possible danger to the public. Police told people to stay indoors and keep their windows closed. Bee expert Chris Maund said it was lucky that the accident happened in the countryside. “Fortunately it happened in an area where there are no restaurants or houses around. If it happened in an area like a city center, all the bees would have been killed right away.” Mr. Maund said that people are not in danger as long as they keep their distance.
The bees were on their way back to their main beehives (蜂房) after being used to pollinate (授粉) blueberries. Bees and the traveling pollination service are an important part of Canada’s fruit industry. Maund said the truck and broken hives were being left on the highway overnight. He believes the bees will return naturally. The bees probably did not go very far because of the rainy weather. Bees breathe through their skin and can drown(溺死) in the rain. Firefighters wearing full protective clothes were at the scene making the bees wet to keep them from flying around. They also sprayed (喷) the bees with smoke to make them feel sleepy. The smoke can also make them think there is a fire, causing them to return to save their honey.
1. Where did the accident happen?| A．On the highway in the Canadian countryside. |
| B．Near an international bee research center. |
| C．On the way to a highway restaurant. |
| D．Near a big city center in Canada. |
| A．The bee experts. | B．The fire fighters. |
| C．The local people. | D．The police. |
| A．The bees had just pollinated blueberries. |
| B．The Canadian traveling pollination service is in trouble now. |
| C．The experts believed that these bees had gone far away. |
| D．Smoke and water often make bees feel energetic. |
| A．crops in Canada that need the work of bees |
| B．brave and respectable firefighters in Canada |
| C．12 million bees that had an accident in Canada |
| D．the relationship between crops and bees |
| A．free | B．hard | C．sure | D．easy |
7 . A trip across the Pacific will guarantee you a different experience with a tipping culture you’ve never come across in China.
In the US, giving a little extra money to service workers on top of your bill is a common practice.
Though US national law requires that businesses pay workers at least $7.25 (45 yuan) per hour, employees receiving tips—often waiters and waitresses—are the exceptions. They usually only receive at least $2.13 an hour, and tips make up the difference. As The Wall Street Journal put it, “ The American system of tipping holds the promise of great rewards for waiting staff.”
So how should you tip if you are in the US?
Normally you pay tips as a percentage of the bill. Offering an extra 15 percent of the bill to the waiter or waitress in a restaurant and to the delivery man or woman is customary and expected. You can offer more for great service and less for poor service.
Yet there is an exception. For take-out food, you don’t have to provide tips, though some people say that filling an order still requires work and time that deserve a little extra—but maybe a little less.
Tips are not expected at fast food restaurants, pizza parlors, cafés or ice cream shops either, though a tip jar might be right by the cash register (收银机). Don’t feel obligated to throw some money in, but also remember that it doesn’t hurt. Those workers do not rely on tips.
Other service workers also receive tips. For taxi drivers, 15 percent is the norm (标准), more if they help with your bags. Hairdressers often receive about 15 percent of the bill. The same goes for spa therapists(理疗师) and tour guides.
Today, you can even pay tips on a credit card. When receiving a copy of the bill to sign, you are free to fill in how much you’d like to tip.
Though thinking about when to tip and how much you should tip causes a big headache for many Chinese people, it’s important to bear in mind that as long as you show respect and use your reasoning, things will be just fine.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．How tipping culture started in the US. |
| B．New ways to give tips in the US. |
| C．How to give tips properly in the US. |
| D．The different attitudes that people have toward tipping. |
| A．Paying waiters and waitresses less than $7.25 per hour. |
| B．Refusing to give tips to your tour guide. |
| C．Tipping taxi drivers less than 15% because of poor service. |
| D．Ignoring the tip jar at fast food restaurants, cafés, or ice cream shops. |
| A．being forced to do something |
| B．being grateful for something |
| C．being surprised at something |
| D．being embarrassed about something |
| A．don’t necessarily have to follow the tipping rules in the US |
| B．should use their credit cards to give tips |
| C．should take it easy and give the correct tips for different occasions |
| D．must argue about the amount of tip they have to pay |
8 . The New Year is a time for celebrations for almost everyone around the world. In Britain, people go to pubs and nightclubs to dance the old year away, and to welcome in the new one at midnight. Everyone wants to kiss someone special (boyfriend, girlfriend or even a complete stranger! ) as the bells ring out at midnight.
In recent years, street parties have become more popular. Hundreds or even thousands of people gather in squares, main streets or on the river banks to listen to bands playing and to see fabulous fireworks displays.
For people who stay at home, most watch special, live New Year shows on TV and countdown, along with the presenters, from 10 to 1 as the last seconds of the old year tick away and the bells of the New Year are rung.
In Scotland, on New Year’s Eve, people visit their neighbours and drink, dance and generally have a good time. If you’re invited to a Scottish home, it’s important to know what to bring with you: a lump of coal, some shortbread and some whisky.
The coal shows warmth so you’re wishing that the people you visit will have enough heat in the coming year. The shortbread represents food, so you’re hoping that the people will have enough to eat in the New Year. Some Scots call whisky “the water of life”, so when you hand over your bottle to your hosts, it means you want them to have enough to drink over the next 12 months.
There’s one more key task you still have to perform if you can. The first person to knock on a neighbour’s door is supposed to be a tall, dark, handsome man. If you are, you’ll bring good luck to the household. But what if that’s not you? Well, don’t ring the bell just yet. Wait a while and the right person will turn up soon!
1. What is the best title for this passage?| A．Seeing the old year off in Britain. |
| B．Celebrations of a Scottish New Year. |
| C．Visiting Scottish homes on New Year. |
| D．Sending good luck in the New Year. |
| A．British people hate to think of the old year and wish to dance it away quickly |
| B．street concerts have become more popular on New Year’s Eve |
| C．British people let off fireworks in public places to celebrate the New Year |
| D．people stay at home doing nothing but wait for the bell of the New Year to ring |
| A．To share good food and warmth. |
| B．To help those poor families. |
| C．To send best wishes to the families. |
| D．To show respect and richness. |
| A．the host of a special TV show |
| B．a tall, dark, handsome man |
| C．a man with coal, shortbread and whisky |
| D．a neighbor |
9 . Do you always struggle to understand others’ feelings? Perhaps you should listen to your heart.
According to a team of scientists at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, people who are more aware of their own heartbeat are better at understanding others’ emotions.
Researchers have long suspected (怀疑) that this ability is important for understanding others’ thoughts and feelings.
To test this theory, the British team asked 72 volunteers to count their own heartbeats without feeling a pulse (脉搏). This aimed to see how aware they were of the feelings inside their own bodies.
Then, the volunteers were shown video clips of social interactions (互动), which tested their ability to read the minds of the characters.
During the clips, they were asked questions that required an understanding of the emotions of a certain character — for example, “What is Sandra feeling?” In addition, they were asked questions that did not involve any emotions, such as “What is Michael thinking?” They were also asked non-social questions, like “What was the weather like that evening?”
The results showed that those who had counted their heartbeats most accurately were better at answering questions relating to the characters’ emotions. However, there was no link between the ability to feel what’s going on inside your body and questions that did not involve any emotions.
Punit Shah, lead author of the study, used an example to explain this: If your colleague Michael is rude toward Sandra in public, your body processes (处理) this by increasing your heart rate. This may make you feel anxious and allow you to understand that Sandra is embarrassed.
“If you do not feel your heart rate increase, it may reduce your ability to understand that situation and respond (反应) appropriately,” Shah told The Telegraph.
Researchers believed their findings mean it could be possible to make people more empathetic by training them to listen to their hearts.
This also lends support to the argument that feelings are, at the very least, deeply rooted in physical sensations (感觉).
1. What does the new study find?| A．People are better at understanding others’ emotions than thoughts. |
| B．People with quicker heartbeats are more sensitive to others’ feelings. |
| C．The ability to feel your heartbeat is important for understanding others’ thoughts. |
| D．Your ability to feel others’ emotions is related to your ability to feel your own heartbeat. |
| A．The volunteers were asked to count their heartbeats while watching video clips. |
| B．Researchers designed emotional, non-emotional and non-social questions. |
| C．The volunteers were required to describe each other’s thoughts and feelings. |
| D．Researchers trained the volunteers to listen to their hearts and observed them. |
| A．willing to accept ideas that are different from your own |
| B．not influenced in any way by other people or things |
| C．being able to understand others’ feelings |
| D．willing to help those in trouble |
| A．We react to a situation more slowly when our heart rates increase. |
| B．Physical sensations in our bodies are believed to cause emotional changes. |
| C．Our ability to feel emotions is part of us and can’t be changed. |
| D．How we feel has nothing to do with the state of our bodies. |
10 . I have been dancing since I was 14 years old, when my best friend dragged me to an after-school dance class. I enjoyed that dance class so much that I have been dancing ever since. After every dance class, however, I always have to stretch out my legs and back to make myself relaxed! It feels like as much exercise as going to the gym---but dancing is not widely considered to be a sport. Does that dancing is expressive and artistic mean that it is not a sport?
Some dancers would argue that dancing is a sport, as it requires great physical stamina, strong muscles and impressive flexibility. No matter what style of dance you are participating in, you will always be using all of your muscles while dancing and this can often be for several hours a day. Additionally, in the more traditional dance style (like ballet), men often lift their female dance partners high in the air. That means the dancers are often just as athletic as footballers, runners or swimmers.
On the other hand, many people argue that dance is an art form. Dance often exhibit emotion, represent characters and tell stories. Dancing to music is creative and visually appealing to the eyes and ears, just like watching a play or a professional show. The shiny costumes, the stage make-up and the big hairstyles are artistic and imaginative. It is easy to see why many people consider dance to be an art form.
I personally believe that dance is both a sport and an art. I believe that a great dancer will be a mixture of an athlete and an artist. You could have the strongest muscles in the world but not necessarily be a great dancer. Likewise, you could be a great actress who can express emotions easily but you still might not be able to dance. However, whether you consider dance to be an art or a sport, the important thing is to enjoy it! Dancing is a great way to make new friends and it’s a really fun way to exercise!
1. Why does the author think having a dance class is like taking exercise?| A．Because she finds it also needs physical effort. |
| B．Because she takes interest in dancing as well as in sport. |
| C．Because she should do much exercise before dancing. |
| D．Because she finds dancing has hurt her legs and backs. |
| A．activity | B．shape |
| C．strength | D．condition |
| A．Topic—Comparison—Opinion. |
| B．Opinion—Discussion—Effect. |
| C．Main idea—Argument—Discussion. |
| D．Introduction—Supporting Examples—Conclusion. |
| A．Having a large amount of exercise. |
| B．Being creative and imaginative. |
| C．Requiring great physical strength. |
| D．Creating emotions accurately. |
