1 . “Tell me the story of me, Momma,” my daughter Sophie always asks when we sit on my grandmother’s rocking chair at the end of the day. “The first time I saw your beautiful face, it was nearly covered by a blue-and-white hat. You were surrounded by a soft blue blanket (毛毯). All I could see was a rosy face.” “And I looked like a tiny fairy baby?” she asks. “You did, and you weren’t older than a minute,” I always answer. “The nurse handed a tiny little girl to me, and I was so surprised because you felt so light. I thought if I threw off the blanket, I’d find no baby there at all, only air.”
From that moment, I became a mother. But that moment was just special and magical as if she’d come from my body directly into my arms. From that day on, she was my daughter in every way that mattered.
It’s easy sometimes to forget there was another mother out there with whom I share my title. Sophie’s birth mother, who was also my friend, lost her life to cancer not long after giving birth to Sophie. And I’ll never forget that it was her difficult decision — her tears and her pain — that made me a mom.
As my daughter grows, she will understand that sometimes life is a relay race (接力赛), and you never know who in this world will hand you your baton (接力棒). It could be someone you know for years, or it could be someone who you even never meet, someone you will never be able to repay for giving you the life you always wanted.
1. How does the author start the text?| A．By remembering her grandmother. | B．By asking her daughter questions. |
| C．By describing her past life. | D．By showing a conversation. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Worried. | C．Thankful. | D．Surprised. |
| A．Taking up the baton | B．Being thankful for life |
| C．Two mothers’ love | D．The mystery of Sophie’s birth |
2 . It’s 3 o’clock and you’ve been hard at work. As you sit at your desk, a strong desire for chocolate overcomes you. You try to busy yourself to make it go away. But it doesn’t. Here is another situation. Perhaps you are not feeling well. The only thing you want to eat is a big bowl of chicken soup, like your mom used to make when you were sick as a child. Food cravings area strong desire for a specific type of food. And they are normal.
Scientists at the website How Stuff Works compare hunger and cravings this way. Hunger is a fairly simple connection between the stomach and the brain. They even call it simply “stomach hunger.” When our stomachs bur x up all of the food we have eaten, a hormone (荷尔蒙) sends a message to one part of the brain for more food, which regulates our most basic body functions such as thirst, hunger and sleep. The brain then produces a chemical to start the appetite and you eat. Hunger is a function of survival.
A craving is more complex. It activates (使活跃) brain areas related to emotion, memory and reward. These are the same areas of the brain activated during drug-craving studies. So, some scientists call food cravings “mind hunger.” People often crave foods that are high in fat and sugar. Foods that are high in fat or high in sugar produce chemicals in the brain. These chemicals give us feelings of pleasure.
In a 2017 study, researchers at Cambridge University found that “dieting or restricted eating generally increases the possibility of food craving”. So, the more you deny yourself a food that you want, the more you may crave it. However, fasting is a bit different. They found that eating no food at all for a short period of time lessened food cravings.
So, the next time you crave something very specific, know that your brain maybe more to blame than your stomach.
1. What is the function of the first paragraph?| A．To remind readers of their own special food. |
| B．To deepen the understanding of hunger. |
| C．To report the discovery of craving study. |
| D．To lead to the topic of the whole passage. |
| A．It shows food is linked to feelings. |
| B．It ensures a person survives hunger. |
| C．It means the stomach functions well. |
| D．It proves the brain decides your appetite. |
| A．The decrease of chemicals. | B．The increase of food desire. |
| C．The refusal of fat and sugar. | D．The disappearance of appetite. |
| A．The functions of brain areas. | B．What hunger is all about. |
| C．The findings of food craving. | D．What dieting may bring us. |
3 . The beach may seem like an inviting place to run on a cool summer morning, but is running on the sand good for your body? It can be, but it’s important to be aware of the challenges that some beach runners experience before you get ready.
Running on the beach can be a good thing. It’s certainly different from running on a track or a pavement. For starters, sand can be a challenge because it has an uneven(不平坦的) surface. As you push off, you’re going to lose some of your push as the sand moves. So, you’re not going to be able to push yourself forward as you would on a track or a pavement. But this unevenness has an upside: It gives your body an extra workout, forcing you to exercise muscles that don’t get as much use during runs on firm surfaces. For example, your feet, ankles and lower back might feel sorer and more tired than usual after a beach run just because the surface is constantly moving and changing step to step.
You also might feel sore afterward because beaches tend to slope (倾斜) down to the water. If you’re going for a long run on the beach, you might notice that one side of your body might feel sorer because you’re putting more pressure on it due to the slope.
Some beach runners prefer to run barefoot-- not wearing anything on feet. However, if you’re not used to barefoot running, start slowly and don’t run long distances at first. That’s because running barefoot uses more different muscles than running with shoes does, and it’s important to strengthen these muscles and adapt your feet. If you want to run barefoot and as long as you run carefully enough into it, go for it!
Running on the sand can be a smart choice for you, because running on softer ground surfaces can reduce muscle damage.
1. Why is it difficult to run on the beach for starters? ________| A．The soft surface makes people fall over easily. |
| B．It’s hard to keep one’s balance on its hard surface. |
| C．People need to run carefully on its smooth surface. |
| D．Running on its uneven surface takes much effort. |
| A．Challenge. | B．Advantage. | C．Reason. | D．Character. |
| A．Positive. | B．Critical. | C．Doubtful. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．a primary school textbook | B．a tourist guide |
| C．a sports magazine | D．a scientific report |
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1. What do Tour Route 1 and Tour Route 2 have in common?| A．They have cycling activities. |
| B．They include a visit to Tibet. |
| C．Visitors enjoy the Three Gorges scenery. |
| D．Visitors pay the same amount of money. |
| A．Tourists can travel by bike. |
| B．Tourists can visit a huge dam. |
| C．Tourists can dine with a family. |
| D．It is the most expensive of the four. |
| A．Tour Route 1. |
| B．Tour Route 2. |
| C．Tour Route 3. |
| D．Tour Route 4. |
5 . Organic food (有机食品) is very popular. It is also expensive. Some organic food costs twice as much as non-organic food. Some parents and pet owners pay up to 200 percent more for organic food while some people think organic food is a waste of money.
There is one main difference between organic and non-organic food. Organic farms do not use agricultural chemicals, such as pesticides (杀虫剂). This makes sure that the products are natural.
Some people think “organic” means “locally grown”. In the beginning, this was true. Over time organic farming became more difficult. The demand for organic food grew larger than the supply. Small companies had to sell out to large companies. There weren’t enough organic materials. This made it difficult for many organic companies to stay in business. Today, many large companies have an organic line of products.
Is organic food more nutritious ( 有 营 养 的 )? This is part of the debate. Many farmers and consumers (消费者) believe it is. They think agricultural chemicals cause health problems, such as cancer. Many health experts disagree. Few studies prove that organic food prevents health problems. Health experts worry more about bacteria (细 菌 ). These can come into contact with organic and non-organic food. Doctors recommend washing produce very carefully.
Most people agree that naturally grown food tastes better. Is tastier food worth the extra money? This is a matter of opinion. Whether it is healthier or not may require more research. However, organic consumers argue it is better to be safe than sorry.
1. What is the doctors’ suggestion?| A．Grow your own food. | B．Reduce the use of pesticides. |
| C．Make sure the food is clean. | D．Buy large companies’ products. |
| A．It tastes better. | B．It is easier to grow. |
| C．It contains more fat. | D．It is more nutritious. |
| A．Price. | B．Safety. | C．Freshness. | D．Variety. |
| A．A health magazine. | B．A medical report. |
| C．A chemistry paper. | D．A menu of a restaurant. |
6 . Love your parents
Even if you think that your parents are mean-spirited at times, loving your parents is a normal and fulfilling （满意的）part of life. You love them for the fact that they created you, raised you, and are in part a source of who you are. Here are some ways to love your parents.
Respect them more and cherish（珍惜）these moments. You can use these moments to learn from them when you're off on your own. It's OK to get angry but angry actions don't help you or your parents. Act calmly, cool off, journal about your feelings, or talk to a friend.
Obey their requests. It will make your attitude better and earn you more respect from them. It may seem like you are going through hell when you don't get what you want or you have to clean. However, you had better remember they keep a roof over your head when it's cold, raining, snowing, or too hot. Understand that parents are human beings and make mistakes.
Keep company with them. Do things with your parents like watching TV, or go somewhere with them.
Some people simply may not be able to love their parents. .
| A．There can be realistic reasons for this, family violence for example. |
| B．Anyway, spend as much time with them as you can. |
| C．Tell them you love them every morning. |
| D．Forgiveness is the key. |
| E．Parents will turn express their love to you. |
| F．After this, share your feelings with your parents. |
| G．Please remember parents are as important as friends. |
Global warming refers to the fact that the earth's atmosphere is warming near
One popular theory relates to the “greenhouse effect”. Gases that make up the atmosphere are similar to
While scientists agree that human-produced compounds (化合物) like carbon dioxide and others are being released into the atmosphere, some argue it's not clear how this results
Global warming can
8 . While we may think it feels good to complain, complaining has some bad effects associated with it.
Why isn't complaining beneficial? Research shows that it connects our brain with negativity. The brain is designed to work efficiently. This means that when we repeat a thought, negative or positive, the nerve cells form a bridge between each other to pass information at a higher speed. Therefore, the next time we have a similar type of thought, it is more easily passed. This explains why certain thought patterns become habits.
Yet the harmful effects don't stop there. A study shows that complaining causes the hippocampus(海马区), which plays a vital role in problem-solving, to become smaller.
In addition to causing brain damage, complaining also releases a stress hormone(激素): cortisol, a kind of chemical the body produces when we meet with some danger. Constantly having a high level of cortisol results in high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and lower immunity(免疫力).
The ill effects of our complaining aren't just limited to ourselves: they also involve those around us. We tend to mirror the moods of our friends. For this reason, we should be cautious about having stubborn complainers in our circle of companions.
The best way to deal with constant negativity is to develop a sense of gratitude (感恩). Just like complaining acts as a poison, gratitude acts as a medicine. Research shows it lowers cortisol levels by 23 percent, as well as reduces blood pressure and blood sugar. It also decreases tiredness and depression. Gratitude is the perfect cure for complaining, a behavior that steals our brain power, happiness and physical well-being.
What have you observed about the effects of complaining in your own life or in the lives of others? Have you noticed that when you are grateful, you feel better all over? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.
1. What do Para 2-3 mainly talk about?| A．The diseases caused by complaining. |
| B．The decrease of a vital part of our brain. |
| C．The bad effects of complaining on brain power. |
| D．The reason why certain thought patterns become habits. |
| A．Gratitude is an effective cure for cortisol. |
| B．Our body produce cortisol when we feel exited. |
| C．Cortisol is a chemical that can cause brain damage. |
| D．Having a high level of cortisol can lead to many health problems. |
| A．Grateful. | B．Tolerant. | C．Disapproving. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a medical report. | C．On a website. | D．In a radio program. |
9 . I had a picnic one day with my sister. We both like to ride her motorcycle and that day we rode it to the nearest park. We bought some coffee and cakes, and then we enjoyed our food. Within a few hours, the sky changed and looked ready for a heavy rain. We packed everything and were ready to go. My sister, who was sitting on a bench suddenly was very still and couldn't talk to me.She couldn't move. Her eyes were rolling and she was about to lose consciousness(知觉). I held her in my arms and asked if she wanted to rest. She didn’t answer and only said“Sorry.”
It started to rain and I didn't know what to do. She was fighting to stay aware but her skin was pale and her eyes were acting strangely. Suddenly, from nowhere, a woman on a bicycle appeared. wearing a raincoat." She isn't looking good. Do you want me to call an ambulance(救护车)?”“Yes, please,yes!”I begged.
She did. Struggling with the rain, she managed to call some policemen, who quickly helped me carry my sister to a safer place. The ambulance arrived and we went to a hospital where she was treated in time and she came to life the next morning after some rest and medical help.
An interesting fact was that I guessed the woman in the raincoat was a doctor or a nurse. I later learned from one of the police officers who told me: “No.She was an ordinary person who took some courses on emergency situations(紧急情况).”
I am so grateful that she appeared exactly at the moment I don’t know why or how .I didn’t even get the chance to say thanks to her.
1. What happened when the author and her sister were ready to go?| A．They had a fight. | B．The sister fell ill suddenly. |
| C．They were caught in the rain. | D．They had difficulty packing things. |
| A．By giving first aid to her sister. | B．By protecting her sister from the rain. |
| C．By carrying her sister to the hospital | D．By asking for emergency medical help |
| A．To keep order in the park. |
| B．To send the sick girl to hospital. |
| C．To carry the sick girl to a safer place quickly. |
| D．To carry the sick girl onto the ambulance. |
| A．Thankful | B．Friendly |
| C．Doubtful | D．Admirable |
1. What is under repair now?
| A．The roof. | B．The entrance hall. | C．The outside walls. |
| A．The bedroom. | B．The music room. | C．The dining room. |
| A．The kitchen. | B．The garden. | C．The tearoom. |
| A．£3.50. | B．£5.50. | C．£7.00. |
