1 . Many people believe that teaching children music makes them smarter, better able to learn new things. Researchers, however, have found that there’s one thing musical training does not do. They say it does not make children more intelligent.
Samuel Mehr is a graduate student at Harvard’s School of Education. He said it is wrong to think that learning to play a musical instrument improves a child’s intellectual development. He says the evidence comes from studies that measured the mental ability of two groups of 4-year-olds and their parents. One group attended music class, the other went to a class that places importance on the visual arts — arts that can be seen. “The evidence there is ‘no.’ We found no evidence for any advantage on any of these tests for the kids taking part in these music classes,” said Mehr.
Samuel Mehr says researchers have carried out many studies in an effort to learn whether musical training can make children smarter. He says the results have been mixed. He says only one study seems to show a small percentage increase in IQ, intellectual scores among students after one year of music lessons. He does not believe that IQ is a good measure of a child’s intelligence. He says researchers in his study compared how well children in the musical training group did on mental processing tasks or projects, then the results were compared to those of children who did not take lessons. There was no evidence that the musical training group did much better on the mental tasks than the other group. The researchers confirmed the results with a larger group of children and their parents.
Mr Mehr says music lessons may not offer children a fast easy way to gain entry to the best schools later of their life. But he says the training is still important for cultural reasons. In his words, “We teach music because music is important for us.”
He notes that the works of writer William Shakespeare are not taught, so the children will do better in physics. He says Shakespeare is taught because it is important. “And I don’t think music needs to be any different than that.”
1. Different from the common belief, Samuel Mehr believes that ______.| A．playing musical instrument makes children more intelligent |
| B．musical training has no evident link to children’s intelligence |
| C．learning to play musical instrument is not worthwhile at all. |
| D．music lessons can increase children’s IQ and make them smarter |
| A．By attending music lessons himself. | B．By consulting experts. |
| C．By comparing different groups. | D．By talking to parents. |
| A．Music lessons probably help to gain better performance. |
| B．Musical training has no positive effect on children at all. |
| C．Music lessons have different influences on different people. |
| D．Musical training cannot possibly make children smarter. |
| A．To tell us music is taught because of its great importance. |
| B．To show us the importance of studying Shakespeare’s works. |
| C．To argue that music lessons cannot make children smarter |
| D．To make us realize Shakespeare is as important as music. |
2 . What makes people happier: money or having happy friends and neighbors? Researchers from Harvard University have found an answer as part of a study.
Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler based the study on the emotional (情感的) health of almost five thousand people. They used information gathered over a period of twenty years, until two thousand three, in the Framingham Heart Study.
The new study found that friends of happy people had a greater chance of being happy themselves. And the smaller the physical distance between friends, the larger the effect they had on each other's happiness. For example, a person was twenty percent more likely to feel happy if a friend living within one and a half kilometers was also happy. Having a happy neighbor who lived next door increased an individual's (个人的) chance of being happy by thirty-four percent. The effects of friends' happiness lasted for up to a year.
The researchers found that happiness really is contagious. Sadness also spread among friends, but not as much as happiness. People removed by as much as three degrees of separation still had an effect on a person's happiness. Three degrees of separation means the friend of a friend of a friend.
The study showed that having an extra five thousand dollars increased a person's chances of becoming happier by about two percent. But the researchers found that the influence of a friend of a friend of a friend can be greater than that.
Another finding is that people who are married or work together do not have as much of an effect on happiness as friends do.
The study is described as the first to show the indirect spread of happiness. In other words, that your emotions can be affected by someone you do not directly know.
Earlier studies by the two researchers described the effects of social networks on obesity and efforts to stop smoking. The new study shows that happiness spreads through social networks like an emotional virus.
1. According to the passage, what is the best answer to the question raised in paragraph 1?| A．A large sum of money. | B．Friendly neighbors. |
| C．Happy coworkers. | D．Happy friends. |
| A．happiness spreads among friends | B．happiness is more welcome than sadness |
| C．happiness benefits health greatly | D．happiness influences friendship in a way |
| A．A virus people would try to stay away from. |
| B．A virus people would be happy to catch. |
| C．A virus that has proved to be most harmful. |
| D．A virus that would help a friendship last . |
| A．inform | B．persuade |
| C．advertise | D．argue |
3 . Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cell phones?
Texting while crossing the street will soon be forbidden in the city of Honolulu, Hawaii. Beginning on October 24, you could be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to forbid what is called "distracted (分心的) walking." It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says: "No pedestrian (行人) shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device (设备)." In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined.
The law’s creators hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city. Mayor Kirk Caldwell told Reuters news agency, "We hold the unfortunate distinction (区分) of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors (老年人), than almost any other city in the country."
The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cell phones, tablets, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers. The law does permit an exception. Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.
Pedestrian deaths have been increasing as the use of cell phones rises. The Governors Highway Safety Association says pedestrian deaths in the United States increased 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend (趋势) continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015.
If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu (and be safer, in general) by using a voice-controlled digital assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. Or you could just wait until you are again, safely, off the street.
1. What is the new law about in Honolulu, Hawaii?| A．Pedestrians must follow traffic rules while on the street. |
| B．Texting is not allowed while crossing the street. |
| C．Cell phones cannot be used for the sake of safety. |
| D．Ways to reduce deaths caused by traffic accidents. |
| A．He will be grounded. | B．His electronic device will be taken away. |
| C．He will receive a fine. | D．His identity will be made public online. |
| A．Only voice-controlled digital assistants can be used while walking. |
| B．Only police officers can use such devices when emergency arises. |
| C．Only one such device can be allowed to use when crossing the street. |
| D．Only in case of emergency can a pedestrian be allowed to use a cell phone . |
| A．To cut down on accidents caused by "distracted walking". |
| B．To make sure electronic devices will be properly used. |
| C．To make the city as safe as the other ones while walking. |
| D．To force parents to teach their children to walk with care . |
1、电脑科技的迅速发展；
2、机器人对人类生活的可能影响；
3、询问他的看法。
注意：
1、词数80左右；
2、可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5 . How to make sure of safe running
We all know that running is good for your health. It may help to protect against heart disease and other health problems. It also may help you live longer.
Take it easy
Listen to your body
Most running injuries do not come out of the blue.
Get good running shoes
Take good notes
Take some time after each run to write down notes about what you did and how you felt. Look for patterns, things that happen over and over again. For example, you may find that your knees ache when you run on consecutive（连续的） or back-to-back days. But perhaps you feel great when you rest in between running days.
Cross train
As we said earlier, running is hard on your body. So physical fitness experts suggest some form of cross training to improve muscle balance and to help you stay injury free. They say swimming, cycling, and yoga are good exercises to combine with running. These exercises are easier on the body.
| A．Usually, there are warning signs. |
| B．However, running can be difficult on the body. |
| C．Do not run too much, too soon or too fast. |
| D．There is no single best shoe for every runner. |
| E．It also does not matter how fast or even how often you run. |
| F．These notes will help you identify the best workout for you. |
| G．About 1,200 of the deaths were linked to heart disease or a heart attack. |
6 . “Beauty is only skin deep.” This expression means that beauty is only a temporary(暂时的)surface quality. And some beauty products can cause lasting damage that goes far below the surface of the skin.
But people, especially women, will risk a lot for beauty. In the United States, many people use sunlight and non-natural light to darken their skin. Health experts advise against what is called “tanning” because of its links to skin cancer(癌症). In the African country of Senegal, some women take health risks trying to do the opposite. They use products that lighten skin(美白皮肤).
The World Health Organization says that 25 percent of Senegalese women use skin-lightening products on a usual basis. These products can contain dangerous chemicals, which can cause cancer and possibly other physical damage to the skin. They can actually burn the eyes and skin.
Women in Senegal say they lighten their skin for the same reasons women all over the world make changes to their appearance. They want to look beautiful, to find a husband, to stand out in a crowd or to simply look great for a special event.
An average beauty supply shop in Dakar has many kinds of skin-lightening creams and soaps. But some products are so strong. They must be mixed with others before they are used. One such soap is called “Day Before the Wedding.”
This thinking troubles Senegalese filmmaker Khardiata Pouye Sall. So, she made "This Color That Bothers Me," a film about the subject of skin lightening.
"I used the most shocking images(形象)so that women would see the dangers. It is hard to understand why a woman would tell herself that dark skin is not beautiful. It is in their heads. They want to please a man, to be loved. Or they want to please society, to succeed."
Ms. Sall says the government needs to better control the marketing and sale of skin lighteners. But she adds education is the best way to persuade people against using them.
1. What is the common problem caused by skin darkening and skin lightening?| A．Hair loss. | B．Some cancer. | C．Heart failure. | D．Ugly appearance. |
| A．To make women realize the danger of skin lightening. |
| B．To control the sales of skin lightening products. |
| C．To teach women how to do skin lightening properly. |
| D．To persuade women not to darken their beautiful skin. |
| A．How to make yourself beautiful. | B．Beauty matters a lot in life. |
| C．Skin lightening means success. | D．Beauty is only skin deep. |
7 . The man must build the fire again. This time, he must not fail.
He reached again into his pocket for the matches. But his fingers were frozen because of the extreme cold. He could not hold them. All the matches fell onto the snow. He tried to pick one up, but failed.
He pulled on his glove and beat his hand against his leg. Then he took the gloves off both hands and picked up all the matches. He gathered them together. Holding them with both hands, he scratched the matches along his leg. They immediately caught fire.
He held the blazing matches to a piece of wood. After a while, he realized that he could smell his hands burning. Then he began to feel the pain. He opened his hands, and the blazing matches fell on to the snow. The flame went out in a puff of gray smoke.
The man looked up. The dog was still watching him. An idea struck the man. He would kill the dog and bury his hands inside its warm body. When the feeling came back to his fingers, he could build another fire. He called to the dog. The dog, sensing danger in the man's voice, backed away. The man called again. This time the dog came closer. The man reached for his knife. But he had forgotten that he could not bend his fingers. He could not kill the dog, for he could not hold his knife.
The fear of death came over the man. He jumped up and began to run. The running began to make him feel better. Maybe running would make his feet warm. If he ran far enough, he would reach his friends at Henderson Creek. They would attend to him.
It felt somewhat strange to run and not feel his feet when they hit the ground. He fell several times. He decided to rest a while. As he lay in the snow, he noticed that he was not shaking. He could not feel his nose or fingers or feet. Yet, he was feeling quite warm and comfortable. He realized he was going to die.
Well, he decided, he might as well take it like a man. There were worse ways to die.
The man closed his eyes and floated into the most comfortable sleep he had ever known.
1. What was the man trying to do?| A．Build a fire. | B．Find the matches. | C．Kill the dog. | D．Locate his friends. |
| A．exploding | B．bursting | C．burning | D．shaking |
| A．Whether he could collect enough firewood. |
| B．How he could get the matches out of his pocket. |
| C．How he could remove the gloves off both hands. |
| D．Whether he could get feelings back to his hands. |
| A．He would survive with the help of the fire he made. |
| B．He would be trapped in the snow and die of cold. |
| C．He would be helped out of the situation by his devoted dog. |
| D．He would be rescued by his friends who were searching for him. |
8 . The following true story may deeply touch your soul!
A(n)
Two days after his
Walking slowly --- for days --- they
| A．amazing | B．awful | C．perfect | D．lucky |
| A．enemy | B．hero | C．owner | D．trainer |
| A．hunted | B．caught | C．rescued | D．fought |
| A．damage | B．arrival | C．return | D．death |
| A．hello | B．yes | C．no | D．goodbye |
| A．frequently | B．patiently | C．secretly | D．angrily |
| A．Witnessing | B．Recognizing | C．Ignoring | D．Remembering |
| A．humans | B．tools | C．elephants | D．sheep |
| A．amusing | B．stubborn | C．organized | D．attractive |
| A．made | B．felt | C．fought | D．pushed |
| A．in | B．to | C．for | D．at |
| A．satisfied | B．devoted | C．moved | D．curious |
| A．where | B．how | C．whether | D．that |
| A．obviously | B．officially | C．strangely | D．honestly |
| A．animal | B．human | C．insect | D．forest |
| A．which | B．when | C．what | D．that |
| A．charging | B．eating | C．ruining | D．exploding |
| A．Before | B．Unless | C．After | D．Although |
| A．commanded | B．proved | C．checked | D．supposed |
| A．appeared | B．settled | C．cheered | D．left |
9 . Do you work to earn money?
A report by the Bank of Scotland found that 77% of teenagers get pocket money.
A part-time job is a choice for teenagers. About 15% of teenagers have a job. Popular part-time jobs for teens include babysitting, delivering newspapers, shop work, and working in a restaurant of café.
| A．Are you good with money? |
| B．There’re strict laws about working hours. |
| C．Or do you get pocket money from your parents? |
| D．Having a part-time job outside can make you earn more. |
| E．In Britain some children and teenager have a bank account. |
| F．And different families offer different amounts of pocket money. |
| G．To get their pocket money, lots of young people have to do housework. |
10 . Breakfast is food for the brain and for the rest of your body. And downing those morning calories is worth it, even for people worried about their weight, a new study finds.
The study was led by Marlene Schwartz, a psychologists who studies obesity (肥胖). Her group studied some 600 middle-school students. Over three years, students from 12 different schools were asked about their breakfasts. Throughout the study about 34%---44% of all students said that they regularly ate breakfast at home. Up to 17%, or almost one in every six kids, regularly ate breakfast at school. Overall (总的来说), about one in every 10 kids reported eating breakfasts both at home and at school. Eating habits changed somewhat as the kids got older. For instance, fifth graders were more likely to regularly eat breakfast at home. But by seventh grade, 22% of the studied kids often skipped breakfast.
Surprisingly, at every age, kids who ate breakfast were less likely to be overweight. This was true even for those who ate breakfast at home and at school. It also found that students who skipped breakfast most often were those most likely to be overweight. These findings may seem puzzling. Yet Schwartz’s team can think of several possible explanations.
Skipping breakfast may set people up to be “over-hungry” later in the day, she says. Then someone may eat more food than their body needs. When that happens, it might take the brain longer to realize “you have enough food and can stop eating now.” What’s more, not eating in the morning prevents our brains and bodies from working properly. It’s very difficult for children to stay concentrated in class if they arrive without having breakfast.
But why should eating two breakfasts not lead to weight gain? One explanation may be that school breakfasts are very healthy and controlled in size, notes Schwartz. Also, most of the double-breakfast eaters are boys. These kids are active and actively growing. They sometimes eat twice as much as other people.
1. The example underlined in the second paragraph is meant to tell us ________.| A．having breakfast is of no use at all |
| B．skipping breakfast is rather harmful to kids’ health |
| C．kids will change their eating habits as they grow older |
| D．it is important to have breakfast regularly |
| A．The study was carried out among middle-school students. |
| B．The study was going on for over three years. |
| C．Skipping breakfast often will actually lead to weight gain.. |
| D．We can never eat too much in the morning. |
| A．He may put on weight. | B．His brain and body will work properly. |
| C．He will be in perfect health. | D．He will be absent-minded in class. |
| A．Kids moving a lot need more energy. |
| B．Kids should eat more to stay healthy. |
| C．Eating two breakfasts will lead to weight gain. |
| D．Schools must provide healthy breakfasts. |
