1 . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?
Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious (有营养的) and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren’t necessarily more nutritious, and they’re no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.
The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. “We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,” says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. “So consumers shouldn’t assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer.”
For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.
While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.
Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn’t always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “Whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.” Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.
1. The new research questions whether organic food ________.| A．should replace traditional food |
| B．has been overpriced by farmers |
| C．is grown with less harmful chemicals |
| D．is really more nutritious and healthier |
| A．organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease |
| B．traditional food was grown with more natural methods |
| C．both organic and traditional food they examined were safe |
| D．there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food |
| A．Organic chicken and pork. |
| B．Organic milk and chicken. |
| C．Traditional chicken and pork. |
| D．Traditional fruit and vegetables. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Approving. |
2 . Although most games have winners and losers, the goal of sports is not to win every game. The real goals include getting exercise, having fun, and learning important social skills, like sportsmanship.
Good sportsmanship is all about respect. Good sports (有体育精神的人) respect their teammates and also their opponents. They respect their coaches, and they also respect the referees or other officials involved in their games.
Kids usually learn sportsmanship good and bad from the adults in their lives.
Learning good sportsmanship is important because it helps you develop an attitude of graciousness (礼貌) and respect that will carry over into all the other areas of your life.
So be a good sport in whatever you do!
| A．Good sportsmanship can be shown in many ways. |
| B．However, bad sportsmanship is all about disrespect. |
| C．Players’ parents and coaches set examples that kids tend to follow. |
| D．We can be good sports by encouraging others but not laughing at them. |
| E．Starting as a good sport earlier will help you be a good sport as you get old. |
| F．If you’re a good sport on the field, you’ll also likely be a good sport in the classroom. |
| G．The example you set can be a powerful teaching tool for others. |
3 . Some colors people see late at night could cause signs of clinical depression. That was the finding of a study that builds on earlier study findings. They show that individuals who live or work in low levels of light overnight can develop clinical depression. Doctors use the word “clinical depression” to describe severe form of depression. Signs may include loss of interest or pleasure in most activities, low energy levels and thoughts of death or suicide.
In the new study, American investigators designed an experiment that exposed hamsters（仓鼠）to different colors. The researchers chose hamsters because they are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and are active at night. The animals were separated into four groups. One group of hamsters was kept in the dark during their night-time period. Another group was placed in front of a blue light, a third group slept in front of a white light, while a fourth was put in front of a red light. After four weeks, the researchers noted how much sugary water the hamsters drank. They found that the most depressed animals drank the least amount of water.
Randy Nelson heads the Department of Neuroscience at Ohio State University. He says animals that slept in blue and white light appeared to be the most depressed. “What we saw is that these animals didn’t show any sleep uneasiness at all but they did mess up biological clock genes and they did show depressive sign while if they were in the dim（微弱）red light, they did not.”
Randy Nelson notes that photosensitive（感光）cells in the eyes have little to do with eyesight. He says these cells send signals to the area of the brain that controls what has been called the natural sleep-wake cycle.
He says there’s a lot of blue in white light. This explains why the blue light and white light hamsters appear to be more depressed than the hamsters seeing red light or darkness.
1. Researchers use hamsters in the experiment because ________.| A．they are similar to humans in dealing with colors |
| B．they are easy to observe and study |
| C．they are active at night and sleep during the day |
| D．they are sensitive to colors like human beings |
| A．They don’t sleep well. | B．They drink less sugary water. |
| C．Their eyesight becomes worse. | D．Their energy level becomes low. |
| A．Blue light | B．Red light |
| C．Dim light | D．Darkness |
| A．Not being exposed to dim red light when using computers. |
| B．Living or working in low levels of light overnight. |
| C．Equipping their computer screens to put it more in the reddish light. |
| D．Going to see doctors of clinical depression regularly for help. |
4 . Have you ever looked at a fashionable item of clothing and felt confused? If so, your confusion may have made sense.
Several months ago, high fashion brand Balenciaga released a “T-shirt shirt”, which is a shirt sewn on the front of a T-shirt. The unusual design has certainly confused a lot of people.
But the “double shirt” isn’t fighting alone on the frontier of strange fashion. Ever since US shoe manufacturer Crocs released its famous hole-filled foam shoes, the so-called “ugly fashion” hasn’t showed any signs of slowing down, the Business of Fashion website noted.
British designer Paul Surridge believes that the rise of ugly fashion is a sign that people are bored with looking perfect all the time. “Fashion thrives (v. 蓬勃发展) on novelty”, he told the Financial Times.
Indeed, fashion is all about changes. Something that’s considered uncool one minute can then turn out to be the latest must-have fashion item the next.
And in the eyes of US fashion writer Megan Collins, ugly doesn’t necessarily mean the design of the item is ugly. After all, ugly is something subjective. “Ugly fashion means ‘not the mainstream’— it is not what everyone’s wearing; it is not what the general population considers as ‘in’ right now,” she told style news site Fashionista.
But throughout the history of fashion, when any new trend appears, most people tend to hate it, before it eventually becomes loved. As Italian designer Miuccia Prada told The New York Times, “Maybe because it is newer, ugly is attractive. Ugly is exciting.”
Meanwhile, popular social media fashion bloggers also help people to pick up new ugly fashion trends. These bloggers express themselves through their clothes, showing their unique personalities and making statements with their wardrobe choices. However, as Clever-ish Magazine noted, just being comfortable in your own skin could actually be “the best look”.
“I personally love having a unique expression because without ugly fashion and diversity, we’d all look the same,” Australian fashion influencer and model Zanita Whittington told Fashionista. “I appreciate anything that’s out of the norm(n. 规范).”
1. The underlined word “in” in the passage could be replaced by ____________.| A．ugly | B．fashionable |
| C．affordable | D．expensive |
| A．They will dress themselves to look perfect. |
| B．They will try some new and exciting clothes. |
| C．They will make statements with others’ clothes choices. |
| D．They will express themselves by wearing ugly clothes. |
| A．She is in favor of ugly fashion trends. |
| B．She doesn’t care about fashion at all. |
| C．She hopes to be the same as others. |
| D．She wants to look ugly as a model. |
5 . When he was young, Louis Armstrong was taking what was called “Creole jazz”, which was also called dance music, and combining it with trumpeter(小号手) Buddy Bolden, to create what would eventually become today’s jazz.
Armstrong accomplished this with almost no formal training. He received little training before he was placed in the New Orleans Colored Waif’s Home at the age of 12, after a run-in(小争执) with the police. The punishment turned out to be a mixed blessing, for he also had the opportunity to play in a real band.
While at the Waif’s, Armstrong also got the chance to hear some of the city’s finest musicians. Cornetist Freddie Keppard performed in a nearby club. So did trumpeter and bandleader King Joe Oliver, who took the boy under his wing and taught him how to read music and work on his playing technique.
When Oliver left for Chicago, Armstrong chose to stay in New Orleans and work with some of the other top musicians of the day. In Chicago, King Oliver offered him a place in his band in 1922. It became Armstrong’s biggest challenge yet — the band had no parts written for trumpet, so he was forced to listen to King Oliver and improvise(即兴创作).
Soon, Armstrong’s undeniable talent was getting noticed. Even classically trained musicians would come to hear the incredible sounds this young man created.
Lil Hardin, the band’s piano player and the future Mrs. Armstrong, explained that Oliver kept Armstrong in the second trumpet-chair so that Oliver would still be “King”. Hardin convinced him to leave the band.
Armstrong moved to New York City in 1924 to join Fletcher Henderson’s band and then flew solo. In 1925, Armstrong put together the Hot Five, expanding his popularity even more. Armstrong recorded his first composition, Cornet Chop Suey, one of the most copied jazz solos of all time. This monumental 1928 recording blends(混合) artistry, endurance and showmanship that has rarely, if ever, been matched in jazz.
1. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in the second paragraph?| A．To play dance music. | B．To work with Buddy Bolden. |
| C．To play a jazz instrument well. | D．To create modern jazz music. |
| A．Buddy Bolden. | B．Lil Hardin. |
| C．King Joe Oliver. | D．Cornetist Freddie Keppard. |
| A．Because he wanted to get married in New York. |
| B．Because his talent could not develop completely. |
| C．Because he got a better opportunity in New York. |
| D．Because the man forced him to leave the band. |
| A．It asks readers to know more about modern jazz. |
| B．It introduces one of the greatest jazz musicians. |
| C．It introduces the development of jazz. |
| D．It describes the importance of talent in playing jazz. |
6 . Whizzfizzing Festival
As one of the Home Counties to the north and west of London, Buchinghamshire is known for the rolling Chiltern Hills, its pretty villages, and the much-loved children’s author Roald Dahl.
The writer who penned Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Witches, Matilda and The Big Friendly Giant is the inspiration for the Whizzfizzing Festival, which will transform the market-town of Aylesbury into all kinds of music, color and fun on Saturday, 1 July.
Formerly known as The Roald Dahl Festival, this year’s event will involve a broad range of children’s films and bring to life some of their best-loved characters — from Alice in Wonderland and Gruffalo to The Big Friendly Giant and Harry Potter.
Things to See and Do
The festivals start at 11 a.m. with a colorful children’s parade. More than 650 local school children and teachers, many in fancy dress, will march through the town carrying giant carnival puppets(木偶), with thousands of audiences lining the street to watch.
The parade will be followed by a range of child-friendly activities and workshops held in venues across the town.
Don’t be late for the Mad Hatters Tea Party in the Bucks County Museum, catch a splendid screening of a Roald Dahl film in the Old Court House, watch leading children’s authors, including Julian Clary, and read in the Market Square.
CBeebies’ children’s chef Katy Ashworth will once again cook up a storm with her interactive Concoction Kitchen, located outside Hale Leys Shopping Centre. Little chefs will have lots of opportunities to get involved in preparing, cooking — and best of all, tasting — Katy’s wonderful dishes.
With hands-on arts and crafts workshops, storytelling sessions, live music, a fancy dress competition, street theatre and more, there is something for everyone.
For more information, visit: https://www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/aylesbury-whizzfizzing-festival-inspired-roald-dahl.
1. Who is Whizzfizzing Festival intended for?| A．Children. | B．Film stars. |
| C．Publishers. | D．Children’s authors. |
| A．The Gruffalo. | B．Harry Porter. |
| C．Alice in Wonderland. | D．The Big Friendly Giant. |
| A．Market Square. | B．Old Court House. |
| C．Bucks County Museum. | D．Hale Leys Shopping Center. |
| A．Varied. | B．Global. |
| C．Boring. | D．Ordinary. |
7 . It’s almost camp season!
Summer is wonderful. Summer at one of the following awesome camps? Even more wonderful.
Tahosa High Adventure Base
Location: Ward, Colorado
People puzzle: Tahosa’s ropes courses are some of the nation’s best. Use your hands, feet and brains to take up high-flying challenges and overcome your fears. Fly fishing at 9,000 feet? Yes. Fishing licenses or experience needed? No, sir!
Choose your adventure: Go all-inclusive, where the staff prepares meals and runs the program, or take control and plan your perfect week. The choice is yours.
Camp Raymond
Location: Parks, Arizona
Don’t look down: When looking up at the stars, light pollution is your enemy. But Camp Raymond’s location and elevation (海拔) of 6,700 feet offer perfect conditions for seeing otherwise invisible stars.
That’s cool: Don’t forget your camera and a jacket. During the day, you could spot bears and deer. At night, temperatures can fall sharply. Hot cocoa at summer camp? Cool.
Pamlico Sea Base
Location: Blounts Creek, North Carolina.
Go coastal: Explore the Carolina coast by boat. You choose the route, and Pamlico provides the equipment. Keep an eye out for wild horses, lighthouses and boatloads of fish.
Set sail: Even if you don’t know the difference between starboard and star-lord, Pamlico’s sailing journey will make you a first-rate sailor in no time. You’ll even practice finding your way using the stars.
Base Camp
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Big upgrade: What happens when you change a 1907 cavalry drill hall (骑兵训练场) into an adventure destination in the heart of the city? You get Base Camp for overnight lock-ins, weekend retreats (隐居处) and summer camp.
Inside out: Most of Base Camp is indoors, meaning the activities like climbing walls can be undertaken on winter’s coldest days.
1. What do we know about Tahosa High Adventure Base?| A．It requires fishing licenses |
| B．It offers lessons on flying a plane |
| C．It’s a camp that is intended for brave kids |
| D．It is a camp where you can set your own pace |
| A．How to tell starboard from star-lord | B．How to choose camping equipment |
| C．How to use the stars for directions | D．How to make a boat on your own |
| A．Base Camp | B．Camp Raymond |
| C．Pamlico Sea Base | D．Tahosa High Adventure Base. |
8 . Travel is one of the most exciting experiences a human being can have. Imagine how Italian traveler Marco Polo must have felt when he found himself on Chinese soil, seeing a way of life quite different from anything he’d seen before.
And how marvelous must it have been to listen to Zhang Qian when he returned to China from his journey through Central Asia and West Asia? His brain must have been packed with everything he’d seen and heard, leading to the founding of the Silk Road.
Some people have traveled all over the world, and travel is a way of life to them. They perhaps know what to expect before they travel. That’s why the best travel is when it’s for the first time. Imagine a person who has always wanted to travel to the United States. Of course, they’ve probably seen the Statue of Liberty a thousand times on TV, and the White House, and all the other famous sights. But none of that would compare to the thrill of looking out of the cabin window as the plane lands, watching the cities and streets of the real America come into view.
Although travel is often just for recreation, it’s also educational. We may not know that we are getting an education, but we still are.
We’re learning every day: new words in a new language, new people, and new ways of life. But this learning takes place in the school of the world, not the classroom. One of the lessons we learn is undoubtedly a moral one. As we get to know foreign places, we come to understand that there are many different ways to live, and that the way we live isn’t necessarily the best way. The British politician Benjamin Disraeli summed this up well when he said, “Travel teaches toleration.”
1. The author uses Marco Polo and Zhang Qian as examples to .| A．explain how the Silk Road was founded |
| B．present travel as an amazing experience |
| C．show how the way people travel has changed |
| D．describe important cultural exchanges in history |
| A．one’s first trip is usually the most challenging |
| B．no other trip is better than one’s first trip |
| C．there is always much to learn on one’s first trip |
| D．people usually make better preparations for their first trip |
| A．learning | B．knowledge |
| C．fun | D．risk |
| A．traveling should be included in formal education |
| B．traveling improves people’s confidence in their lifestyle |
| C．a foreign journey may raise people’s cultural understanding |
| D．there is more to learn from adventures than being in classroom |
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become a compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. This obsessive behavior has affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades, and success at schools. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society,
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from the society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life.Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real life friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect the whole world.
1. The passage is about ________.
| A．the cause of weboholism | B．the advantage of weboholism |
| C．the popularity of weboholism | D．the influence of weboholism |
| A．attractive | B．addictive | C．professional | D．potential |
| A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers |
| B．teenagers can hardly balance real and virtual life |
| C．people are addicted to games on the Internet |
| D．virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway |
| A．It contributes to the development of the web. |
| B．The chat room language may change social culture. |
| C．The problem will have a negative influence on our future. |
| D．People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life. |
| A．objective | B．positive | C．opposed | D．acceptable |
10 . Why play games?Because they are fun,and a lot more besides.Following the rules...planning your next move...acting as a team member...these are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child,such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek.Such games are entertaining and fun.But perhaps more importantly,they translate life into exciting dreams that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives,such as taking turns and cooperating(合作).
Many children’s games have a practical side.Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups.For instance,some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones,which sharpens the hand-eye coordination(协调) needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride.The most famous games of all,the Olympic Games,bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition.People who watch the event wave flags,knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country,not just the athlete who earned it.For countries experiencing natural disasters or war,an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people.Soccer is the most popular sport in the world.People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living.Nicolette Iribarne,a Califomian soccer player,has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer.He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport,think about why you enjoy it,what skills are needed,and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.
1. Through playing hide-and-seek,children are expected to learn to .| A．be a team leader |
| B．obey the basic rules |
| C．act as a grown-up |
| D．predict possible danger |
| A．describe life in an exciting way |
| B．turn real-life experiences into a play |
| C．make learning life skills more interesting |
| D．change people’s views of sporting events |
| A．It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
| B．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
| C．It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
| D．It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
| A．bring fun to poor kids |
| B．provide soccer balls for children |
| C．give poor kids a chance for a better life |
| D．appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
| A．Games benefit people all their lives. |
| B．Sports can get all athletes together. |
| C．People are advised to play games for fun. |
| D．Sports increase a country’s competitiveness. |
