1 . Eating too much fatty food, exercising too little and smoking can raise your future risk of heart disease. But there is another factor that can cause your heart problems more immediately:the air you breathe.
Previous studies have linked high exposure (暴露) to environmental pollution to an increased risk of heart problems,but two analyses now show that poor air quality can lead to heart attack or stroke (中风) within as little as a few hours after exposure. In one review of the research, scientists found that people exposed to high levels of pollutants (污染物) were up to 5% more likely to suffer a heart attack within days of exposure than those with lower exposure. A separate study of stroke patients showed that even air that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)considers to be of “moderate” (良好) quality and relatively safe for our health can raise the risk of stroke as much as 34% within 12 to 14 hours of exposure.
The authors of both studies stress that these risks are relatively small for healthy people and certainly modest compared with other risk factors such as smoking and high blood pressure. However, it is important to be aware of these dangers because everyone is exposed to air pollution regardless of lifestyle choices. So stricter regulation by the EPA of pollutants may not only improve environmental air quality but could also become necessary to protect public health.
1. The text mainly discusses the relationship between ________.A.heart problems and air quality |
B.heart problems and exercising |
C.heart problems and smoking |
D.heart problems and fatty food |
A.relatively high | B.extremely low |
C.relatively low | D.extremely high |
A.Eating fatty food has immediate effects on your heart. |
B.The EPA conducted many studies on air quality. |
C.Moderate air quality is more harmful than smoking. |
D.Stricter regulations on pollutants should be made. |
A.inform | B.persuade |
C.describe | D.entertain |
In the early days of the automobile, almost every car maker raced his cars. It was the best way of gaining public notice. Henry Ford decided to build a racing car. Ford's most famous race was his first one. It was also the last race in which he drove the car himself.
The race was in 1901, at a field near Detroit. All of the most famous cars had entered, but only two were left: the Winton and Ford's. The Winton was famous for its speed. Most people thought the race was over before it began.
The Winton took an early lead. But halfway through the race, it began to lose power. Ford started to gain. And near the end of the race, he took the lead. Ford won the race and defeated the Winton. His name appeared in newspapers and he became well-known all over the United States. Within weeks of the race, Henry Ford formed a new automobile company. In 1903, a doctor in Detroit bought the first car from the company.
The Model T was a car of that kind. It only cost $850. It was a simple machine that drivers could depend on. Doctors bought the Model T. So did farmers. Even criminals. They considered it the fastest and surest form of transportation. Americans loved the Model T. They wrote stories and songs about it. Thousands of Model T's were built in the first few years.
1. What do we know about Henry Ford from Paragraph 1?
A.He made good use of ideas from others. |
B.He produced the first car in the world. |
C.He knew how to improve auto parts. |
D.He invented the production line. |
A.To show off his driving skills. |
B.To draw public attention. |
C.To learn about new technology. |
D.To raise money for his new company. |
A.the selling of Ford cars at reduced prices |
B.the sale of Model T to the mass of people |
C.he selling of a car to a Detroit doctor |
D.the sales target for the Ford Company |
A.Producing cars for average customers. |
B.Building racing cars of simple design. |
C.Designing more car models. |
D.Starting more companies. |
The problem is twofold(双重的).First, there is a limit on the number of people we can hold in mind and have a meaningful relationship with. That number is about 150 and is set by the size of our brain. Second, the quality of your relationships depends on the amount of time you invest(投入)in them. We invest a lot in a small number of people and then distribution what’s left among as many others as we can. The problem is that if we invest little time in a person, our engagement with that person will decline(减弱)until eventually it dies into “someone I once knew”.
This is not, of course, to say that the internet doesn’t serve a socially valuable function. Of course it does. But the question is not that it allows you to increase the size of your social circle to include the rest of the world, but that you can keep your relationships with your existing friends going even though you have to move to the other side of the world.
In one sense, that’s a good thing. But it also has a disadvantage. If you continue to invest in your old friends even though you can no longer see then, then certainly you aren’t using your time to make new friends where you now live. And I suspect that probably isn’ t the best use of your time. Meaningful relationships are about being able to communicate with each other, face to face. The internet will slow down the rate with which relationships end, but it won’t stop that happening eventually.
1. What is stressed in the first paragraph?
A.The present situation of the internet. |
B.The difficulty in communication on the internet. |
C.The socially valuable function of the internet. |
D.The role of the human mind in the internet communication. |
A.appointment | B.connection | C.interview | D.agreement |
A.the internet fails to play so valuable a role in communication as it promised |
B.the Internet determines the quality of social relationships |
C.the internet greatly increases the size of social circles |
D.the internet communication is no less effective than the face-to-face talk |
A.He is uncertain about it. | B.He is hopeful of it |
C.He approves of it | D.He doubts it |
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌肉萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew.
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
1. The boy looked forward to meeting the author because _________.
A.he was also good at weight lifting |
B.he wanted to get to the Olympics and win a medal |
C.he was one of the author’s fans |
D.he admired the author very much |
A.the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease |
B.the boy never complained about not being able to go to school |
C.the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before |
D.the boy never complained about not getting a medal |
A.Matthew was an athlete |
B.Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy |
C.The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had |
D.Matthew became a champion before he died |
A.he thought it was too expensive |
B.he was sure that he could win one in the future |
C.he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon |
D.he would not be pitied by others |
A.A sick boy. | B.A special friend. |
C.A real champion. | D.A famous athlete. |
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red?
A.On the other hand, black is depressing. |
B.They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favorite color as grow up — we are born with our preference. |
C.The rooms are painted in different colors as you like. |
D.If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. |
E.Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. |
F.Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors. |
G.Colors do influence our moods—there is no doubt about it |
Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑的)in Japan because most streets there don’t have names. In Japan, people use landmarks(地标)in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “ Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat. In many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “ Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map. They measure distance in time, not miles. “ How far away is the post office?” you ask. “ Oh,” they answer, “ it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “ Yes, but how many miles is it?” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “ Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “ I don't know”. People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually _______ .
A.describe the place carefully |
B.show him a map of the place |
C.tell him the names of the streets |
D.refer to recognizable buildings and places |
A.New York. | B.Los Angles. |
C.Kansas C. Iowa |
A.in order to save time | B.as a test |
C.so as to be polite | D.for fun |
A.It’s important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
B.It’s useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
C.People have similar understanding of politeness. |
D.New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |
University tuition fees (学费) are currently capped at £3,000 annually, but this will be reviewed next year and the Government is under enormous pressure to raise the ceiling.
In the researeh, the teenagers were presented with die terms of four different loans but 76 per cent failed to identify the cheapest. The young people also predicted that they would be earning on average £ 31.000 by the age of 25, although the average salary for those aged 22 to 29 is just £ 17,815. The teenagers expected to be in debt when they finished university or training, although half said that they assumed the debts would be less than £ 10.000. Average debts for graduates are £ 12,363.
Stephen Moir, head of community investment at the Royal Bank of Scotland Group which owns NatWest, said. "The more exposed young people are to financial issues, and the younger they become aware of them, the more likely they are to become responsible, forward-planning adults who manage their finances confidently and effectively."
Ministers are deeply concerned about the financial pressures on teenagers and young people because of student loans and rising housing costs. They have just introduced new lessons in how to manage debts. Nikki Fairweathcr. aged 15. from St Helens, said that she had benefited from lessons on personal finance, but admitted that she still had a lot to learn about money.
1. Which of the following can be found from the five-year researeh project?
A.Students understand personal finances differently. |
B.University tuition fees in England have been rising. |
C.Teenagers tend to overestimate their future earnings. |
D.The students' payback ability has become a major issue. |
A.to raise the student loans | B.to improve the school facilities |
C.to increase the upper limit of the tuition | D.to lift the school building roofs |
A.are too young 10 be exposed 10 financial issues |
B.should learn 10 manage their finances wellC- should maintain a positive attitude when facing loans |
C.benefit a lot from lessons on personal finance |
A.Many British teenagers do not know money matters well |
B.Teenagers in Britain are heavily burdened with debts. |
C.Financial planning is a required course at college. |
D.Young people should become responsible adults. |
“Aren’t you cold, Dad?” I’d ask. “No,” Dad would reply. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”
Many times I wondered whether my father was an extremely tough man, or whether he was foolish.
One time when I was quite young, perhaps five or so, I went ice fishing with Dad. It was a bright, clear day—and bitterly cold.
After we’d been out on the ice for a little while, my feet started getting cold.
“Daddy, my feet are cold.” I said.
“Yeah, it’s cold out here today,” he replied.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Walk around. Make some circles in the snow. See how many different patterns you can make. That will get your feet warm.”
I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking, “How in the world will walking around in the snow make my feet warm? Dad must be out of mind.”
But he was my father, after all. I made circles in the snow. I made squares. Pretty soon I was having so much fun making patterns in the snow. I forgot about my feet being cold.
Now, all these years later, I know, too, from personal experience how my father was able to take his coat off and work outside in the winter wearing just a shirt, a cap and gloves. Because I do it, too. “Aren’t you cold?” my husband asked one winter day. “No,” I replied. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”
I hope my husband has decided I’m both tough and smart. But I guess quite a bit of the time he thinks I’m foolish.
Wherever Dad is on that great big farm in the sky—I’m sure he can’t help but smile whenever I take my coat off while I’m working outside in the winter.
1. When the author’s feet felt cold, her father advised her to ________.
A.go home alone first | B.keep walking in the snow |
C.draw pictures in the snow | D.light a fire on the ice |
A.forgettable | B.warm-hearted | C.crazy | D.cruel |
A.Tough. | B.Smart. | C.Brave. | D.Foolish. |
A.remember her tough and smart father |
B.show how her father cared about her |
C.describe memories of her childhood |
D.explain why her father loved her so much |
Parents who help their children with homework may actually be bringing down their school grades. Other forms of prenatal involvement, including volunteering at school and observing a child's class, also fail to help, according to the most recent study on the topic.
The findings challenge a key principle of modern parenting(养育子女) where schools except them to act as partners in their children's education. Previous generations concentrated on getting children to school on time, fed, dressed and ready to learn.
Kaith Robinson, the author of the study, said, "I really don't know if the public is ready for this but there are some ways parents can be involved in their kids' education that leads to declines in their academic performance. One of the things that was consistently negative was parents' help with homework." Robinson suggested that may be because parents themselves struggle to understand the task." They may either not remember the material their kids are studying now, or in some cases never learnt it themselves, but they're still offering advice."
Robinson assessed parental involvement performance and found one of the most damaging things a parent could do was to punish their children for poor marks. In general, about 20% of parental involvement was positive, about 45% negative and the rest statistically insignificant.
Common sense suggests it was a good thing for parents to get involved because "children with good academic success do have involved parents ", admitted Robinson. But he argued that this did not prove parental involvement was the root cause of that success." A big surprise was that Asian-American parents whose kids are doing so well in school hardly involved. They took a more reasonable approach, conveying to their children how success at school could improve their lives."
1. The underlined expression "parental involvement " in Paragraph 1 probably means .
A.parents' expectation on children's health |
B.parents' participation in children's education |
C.parents' control over children's life |
D.parents' plan for children's future |
A.Modern parents raise children in a more scientific way. |
B.Punishing kids for bad marks is mentally damaging. |
C.Parental involvement is not so beneficial as expected. |
D.Parents are not able to help with children’s homework. |
A.help children realize the importance of schooling |
B.set a specific life goal for their children |
C.spend more time improving their own lives |
D.take a more active part in school management |
A.That kept cities very small. |
B.The rest live in small towns. |
C.The effects of urban living on people should be considered. |
D.Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies. |
E.But even 200 years ago, only a few people could live in cities. |
F.Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive. |
G.Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings. |