1 . The benefits of regular exercise are well documented but there’s a new bonus to add to the ever-growing list. New researchers found that middle-aged women who were physically fit could be nearly 90 percent less likely to develop dementia in later life, and as they did, it came on a decade later than less sporty women.
Lead researcher Dr. Helena Horder, of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, said : "These findings are exciting because it’s possible that improving people's cardiovascular （心血管的）fitness in middle age could delay or even prevent them from developing dementia. "
For the study, 191 women with an average age of 50 took a bicycle exercise test until they were exhausted to measure their peak （最大值的） cardiovascular capacity. The average peak workload was measured at 103 watts.
A total of 40 women met the criteria for a high fitness level, or 120 watts or higher. A total of 92 women were in the medium fitness category; and 59 women were in the low fitness category, defined as a peak workload of 80 watts or less, or having their exercise tests stopped because of high blood pressure, chest pain or other cardiovascular problems.
These women were then tested for dementia six times over the following four decades. During that time, 44 of the women developed dementia. Five percent of the highly fit women developed dementia, compared to 25 percent of the women with medium fitness and 32 percent of the women with low fitness.
"However, this study does not show cause and effect between cardiovascular fitness and dementia, it only shows an association. More research is needed to see if improved fitness could have a positive effect on the risk of dementia and also to look at when during a lifetime a high fitness level is most important. " She also admitted that a relatively small number of women were studied, all of whom were form Sweden, so the results might not be applicable to other groups.
1. What is on the ever-growing list mentioned in the first paragraph?| A．Positive effects of doing exercises. |
| B．Exercises suitable for the middle-aged. |
| C．Experimental studies on diseases. |
| D．Advantages of sporty woman over man |
| A．To predict their maximum heart rate. |
| B．To assess their cardiovascular capacity |
| C．To change their habits of working out |
| D．To detect their potential health problems |
| A．It aimed to find a cure for dementia. |
| B．Data collection was a lengthy process. |
| C．Some participants withdrew from it. |
| D．The results were far from satisfactory. |
| A．More Women Are Exercising to Prevent Dementia |
| B．Middle-Aged Women Need to Do More Exercise |
| C．Fit Women Are Less Likely to Develop Dementia |
| D．Biking Improves Women's Cardiovascular Fitness |
2 . The United States rose to global power on the strength of its technology, and the lifeblood that technology has long been electricity. By providing long-distance communication and energy, electricity created the modern world. Yet properly understood, the age of electricity is merely the second stage in the age of steam, which began a century earlier.
"It is curious that no one has put together a history of both the steam and electric revolutions." writes Maury Klein in his book The Power Makers, Steam, Electricity, and the Men Invented Modern America. Klein, a noted historian of technology, spins a narrative so lively that at times it reads like a novel.
The story begins in the last years of the 18th century in Scotland, where Watt perfected "the machine that changed the world". Klein writes, "America did not invent the steam engine, but once they grasped its passwords they put it to more uses than anyone else. "
Meanwhile, over the course of 19th century, electricity went from mere curiosity to a basic necessity. Morse invented a code for sending messages over an electromagnetic circuit. Bell then gave the telegraph a voice. Edison perfected an incandescent bulls that brought electric light into the American home.
Most importantly, Edison realized that success depended on mass electrification, which he showed in New York City. With help from Tesla, Westinghouse's firm developed a system using alternating current, which soon became the major forms of power delivery.
To frame his story, Klein creates the character of Ned, a fictional witness to the progress brought about by the steams and electric revolutions in America during one man's lifetime. It's a technique that helps turn a long narrative into an interesting one.
1. What is Klein's understanding of the age of electricity?| A．It is closely linked to the steam age. |
| B．It began earlier than proper thought. |
| C．It is a little-studied period of history. |
| D．It will come to an end sooner or later. |
| A．He was born in New York City. | B．He wrote many increasing stories, |
| C．He created an electricity company. | D．He lived mainly in the 19th century. |
| A．A biography. | B．A book review. | C．A short story. | D．A science report. |
3 . Last year I decided to do some volunteer work. I began to
I was sent to the Coronado National Forest for my first 8-day
My job was to
Three days later, a beautiful stairway came into being. The
But on the last night we were
| A．calculate | B．negotiate | C．advertise | D．research |
| A．imagined | B．introduced | C．enjoyed | D．found |
| A．annoyed | B．surprised | C．scared | D．excited |
| A．arriving | B．sleeping | C．thinking | D．walking |
| A．confident | B．friendly | C．energetic | D．curious |
| A．funny | B．good | C．lucky | D．easy |
| A．tour | B．project | C．campaign | D．course |
| A．drop | B．make | C．carry | D．buy |
| A．nice | B．safe | C．long | D．quick |
| A．build | B．test | C．clean | D．guard |
| A．helped | B．ended | C．allowed | D．meant |
| A．hunted | B．trained | C．seen | D．fed |
| A．satisfaction | B．ambition | C．expectation | D．intention |
| A．work | B．memory | C．record | D．story |
| A．left | B．caught | C．attacked | D．separated |
| A．boiling | B．average | C．normal | D．freezing |
| A．tidy | B．dry | C．new | D．soft |
| A．By the way | B．Regardless of that | C．Needless to say | D．In either case |
| A．survived | B．resisted | C．escaped | D．recovered |
| A．smarter | B．stronger | C．happier | D．busier |
4 . Regardless of the weather or the distance, Paul Wilson will make sure low-income students in his neighbourhood arrive at their college classes on time.
A retired engineer, 76-year-old Wilson has been
Tina Stern
Wilson first worked as a driver through a student-support programme of the non-profit organisation. On Point for College. Although the
For many students, Wilson’s help is not only appreciated, it’s also entirely
| A．linking | B．sending | C．offering | D．distributing |
| A．donating | B．lending | C．delivering | D．volunteering |
| A．paved | B．covered | C．measured | D．wandered |
| A．arguments | B．interviews | C．negotiations | D．conversations |
| A．met | B．driven | C．addressed | D．greeted |
| A．even | B．ever | C．once | D．already |
| A．earned | B．received | C．assessed | D．demanded |
| A．transportation | B．style | C．time | D．communication |
| A．forced | B．awkward | C．ridiculous | D．suspicious |
| A．selects | B．recites | C．guesses | D．remembers |
| A．act on | B．settle on | C．check on | D．agree on |
| A．club | B．league | C．college | D．programme |
| A．far | B．around | C．beyond | D．forwards |
| A．assist | B．watch | C．urge | D．warn |
| A．expects | B．attempts | C．manages | D．hesitates |
| A．extra | B．unusual | C．necessary | D．adequate |
| A．share | B．fuel | C．repair | D．exchange |
| A．required | B．allowed | C．reminded | D．convinced |
| A．experience | B．arrangement | C．appreciation | D．employment |
| A．effort | B．ambition | C．privilege | D．convenience |
5 . No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own
I learned this lesson from a(n)
It was a tradition for the school’s old team to play against the
I started doing anything I could to help them build a little
Six months after suffering our
From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can
Winners are made, but born.
1.| A．luck | B．tests | C．efforts | D．nature |
| A．experiment | B．experience | C．visit | D．show |
| A．operating | B．editing | C．consulting | D．coaching |
| A．successful | B．excellent | C．strong | D．new |
| A．cheer for | B．prepare for | C．help with | D．finish with |
| A．believe | B．agree | C．describe | D．regret |
| A．realize | B．claim | C．permit | D．demand |
| A．reacting to | B．looking for | C．depending on | D．caring about |
| A．decision | B．attitude | C．conclusion | D．intention |
| A．pride | B．culture | C．fortune | D．relationship |
| A．leaders | B．partners | C．winners | D．learners |
| A．rewards | B．vacations | C．health | D．honor |
| A．risked | B．missed | C．considered | D．practiced |
| A．defeat | B．decline | C．accident | D．mistake |
| A．relax | B．improve | C．expand | D．defend |
| A．shame | B．burden | C．victory | D．favor |
| A．chances | B．thrills | C．concerns | D．offers |
| A．surprise | B．serve | C．interest | D．affect |
| A．encouraged | B．observed | C．protected | D．impressed |
| A．honestly | B．individually | C．calmly | D．differently |
6 . Smartphones are our constant companions. For many of us, their glowing screens are a ubiquitous (十分普遍的) presence, drawing us in with endless distractions. They are in our hands as soon as we wake, and command our attention until the final moments before we fall asleep.
Steve Jobs would not approve.
In 2007, Jobs took the stage and introduced the world to the iPhone. If you watch the full speech, you will be surprised by how he imagined our relationship should be with this iconic (标志性的) invention. This vision is so different from the way most of us use these devices now.
In his remarks, Jobs spent an extended amount of time demonstrating how users could utilize (应用) its touch screen before detailing the many ways Apple engineers had improved the age-old process of making phone calls. “It’s the best iPod we’ve ever made,” Jobs exclaimed at one point. “The killer app is making calls,” he later added. Both lines drew thunderous applause.
The presentation confirms that Jobs imagined a simpler iPhone experience than the one we actually have more than a decade later. For example, there was no App Store when the iPhone was first introduced, and this was by design. Jobs was convinced that the phone’s carefully-designed native features were enough. He did not seek to completely change the rhythm of users’ daily lives. He simply wanted to take experiences we had already found important — listening to music, placing calls, generating directions — and make them better.
The minimalist (简约主义者) vision for the iPhone Jobs offered in 2007 is unrecognizable today — and that is a shame.
Under what I call the “constant companion model,” we now see our smartphones as always-on portal (通道) to information. We have become so used to it over the past decade that it is easy to forget the novelty (新奇) of the device. It seems increasingly clear to me that Jobs probably got it right from the very beginning: Many of us would be better-off returning to his original minimalist vision for our phones.
Practically speaking, to be a minimalist smartphone user means only using your device for a small number of features that do things of value to you. Otherwise, you simply put it away outside of these activities. This approach removes this gadget (小玩意) from the position of a constant companion down to a luxury object, such as a fancy bike, that gives you great pleasure when you use it but does not dominate your entire day.
Early in his 2007 keynote jobs said, “Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone.” What he didn’t add, however, was the follow-up promise: “Tomorrow, we’re going to reinvent your life.” The smartphone is fantastic, but it was never meant to be the foundation for a new form of existence. If you return this innovation to its original role, you will get more out of both your phone and your life.
1. According to Steve Jobs, what was the main selling point of Apple’s first iPhone?| A．It allowed its users to have access to the Internet. |
| B．It was actually an iPod that could make phone calls. |
| C．It was installed with applications by third-party developers. |
| D．It could fulfill people’s desire to multitask in their daily lives. |
| A．expect to reinvent his life with the device |
| B．buy the latest model of iPhone and see it as a luxury |
| C．spend more time working than playing with his device |
| D．remove the unnecessary applications from the device |
| A．the native features of smartphones | B．the information on the Internet |
| C．the novelty of the device | D．the constant companion model |
| A．The minimalism of iPhone helps users bring out the best of the device. |
| B．Jobs expected iPhone to be the foundation for a new form of existence. |
| C．Smartphone users have changed their life to enjoy pleasant experiences. |
| D．The invention of App Store has made smartphones luxury objects. |
| A．tell readers why Steve Job created the iPhone |
| B．remind readers not to be addicted to their smartphones |
| C．show readers that smartphones can greatly change their lives |
| D．encourage readers to block Internet access on their smartphones |
7 . Gone are the days when a mother’s place was in the home: in Britain women with children are now as likely to be in paid work as their unburdened sisters. Many put their little darlings in day care long before they start school. Mindful that a poor start can spoil a person’s chances of success later in life, the state has intervened ever more closely in how babies and toddlers are looked after. Inspectors call not only at nurseries but also at homes where youngsters are minded; three-year-olds follow the national curriculum. Child care has increasingly become a profession.
For years after the government first began in 2001 to twist the arms of anyone who looked after an unrelated child to register with the schools, the numbers so doing fell. Kind but clueless neighbours stopped looking after little ones, who were instead herded into formal nurseries or handed over to one of the ever-fewer registered child-minders. The decline in the number of people taking in children now appears to have halted. According to data released by the Office for Standards in Education on October 27th, the number of registered child-minders reached its lowest point in September 2010 and has since recovered slightly.
The new lot are certainly better qualified. In 2010 fully 82% of nursery workers held diplomas notionally equivalent to A-levels, the university-entrance exams taken mostly by 18-year-olds, up from 56% seven years earlier, says Anand Shukla of the Daycare Trust, a charity. Nurseries staffed by university graduates tend to be rated highest by inspectors, increasing their appeal to the pickiest parents. As a result, more graduates are being recruited.
But professionalization has also pushed up the price of child care, defying even the economic depression. A survey by the Daycare Trust finds that a full-time nursery place in England for a child aged under two, who must be intensively supervised, costs £194 ($310) per week, on average. Prices in London and the south-east are far higher. Parents in Britain spend more on child care than anywhere else in the world, according to the OECD, a think-tank. Some 68% of a typical second earner's net income is spent on freeing her to work, compared with an OECD average of 52%.
The price of child care is not only eye-watering, but has also become a barrier to work. Soon after it took power the coalition government pledged to ensure that people are better off in work than on benefits, but a recent survey by Save the Children, a charity, found that the high cost of day care prevented a quarter of low-paid workers from returning to their jobs once they had started a family. The government pays for free part-time nursery places for three-and four-year-olds, and contributes towards day-care costs for younger children from poor areas. Alas, extending such an aid during stressful economic times would appear to be anything but child’s play.
1. Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph?| A．Nursery education plays a leading role in one’s personal growth. |
| B．Pregnant women have to work to lighten families’ economic burden. |
| C．Children in nursery have to take uniform nation courses. |
| D．The supervision of the state makes child care professional. |
| A．the registered child-minders are required to take the university-entrance exams |
| B．the number of registered child-minders has been declining since 2001 |
| C．anyone who looks after children at home must register with the schools |
| D．the growing recognition encourages more graduates to work as child-minders |
| A．prevents mothers from getting employed |
| B．may further depress the national economy |
| C．makes many families live on benefits |
| D．is far more than parents can afford |
| A．Objective. | B．Skeptical. | C．Supportive. | D．Biased. |
| A．The professionalization of child care has pushed up its price. |
| B．The high cost of child nursing makes many mothers give up their jobs. |
| C．The employment of more graduates makes nurseries more popular. |
| D．Parents in Britain pay most for child nursing throughout the world. |
8 . Jonathan Cranwell sat on hard bench behind the long narrow desk and watched the flies fly lazily in the sun. The drone of the younger boys reading letters and older boys reciting Latin verbs made him sleepy. Jonathan had to force his eyes to stay open. He wanted to learn something new!
He looked up at the schoolmaster’s high desk in the front of the room. The new teacher was from Harvard College. Jonathan’s father had been impressed with him. The boys had already had several other teachers, but none of them seemed to inspire Jonathan. So far, there was nothing to show that this one was special, though he’d only been there two days.
“It’s too hot to sit and memorize lessons,” the schoolmaster said. “We’ll move outdoors for the next part of our lesson.” He led the group of boys into the schoolyard. “You younger boys, dig for grubs and beetles (幼虫和甲虫). Count their feet. See if you can describe their shells (壳).”
Jonathan watched the teacher surrounded by laughing young students. No one had ever used the schoolyard itself for a classroom. “What next?” he thought. Soon he didn’t have time to think about the younger boys, for he was running after butterflies and dragonflies himself.
Jonathan and his friends liked this new way of learning.
“It will be a clear night tonight. Go outside and look at the sky,” said the schoolmaster. “Look at the stars and notice their brightness and the patterns they make. These patterns have names from Greek mythology (神话), names like Orion, Aries, and others. Tomorrow we will learn about the ancient stories on them.”
“How is the new schoolmaster?” asked Jonathan’s father that evening, when Jonathan announced he was going out to look at the sky.
“He’s different from any schoolmaster we’ve had,” Jonathan admitted. “He seems interested in everything around him, and he wants us to be curious too. He even used the schoolyard as a classroom!”
“So Mr. John Adam and his new ways make school useful to you after all,” joked Jonathan’s father.
“I believe he has,” said Jonathan. “I know I won’t forget the lessons he has taught us!”
1. What does the underlined word “drone” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Boring sounds. | B．Clear talks. | C．Enthusiastic responses. | D．Loud noises. |
| A．“Go outside and look at the sky,…” | B．“See if you can describe their shells.” |
| C．“It’s too hot to sit and memorize lessons,…” | D．“Tomorrow we will learn about the ancient stories…” |
| A．silly | B．confused | C．delighted | D．easygoing |
| A．Mr. Cranwell had met the new schoolmaster | B．Jonathan had previously complained about school |
| C．Mr. Cranwell was not satisfied with the new ways | D．Jonathan had shown his father his homework |
| A．Science is all around us. | B．School provides us with the best education. |
| C．Homework is an important part of education. | D．There is more than one way to learn. |
9 . In October, I told the eight-year-olds about my plan. “I’d like all of you to do extra jobs to
Early in the week, the boys and girls arrived in class seizing their hard-earned money and couldn’t wait to go shopping. I watched
“Flowers!” Kristine cried. The group rushed toward the holiday
Then we set off for the house of a needy grandmother and finally
We returned to the car. Fastening seat belts, we could see the kitchen window. The woman inside waved goodbye, then turned and walked across the room, past the turkey, past the trimmings,
| A．spend | B．earn | C．withdraw | D．save |
| A．either | B．though | C．otherwise | D．anyway |
| A．experience | B．expect | C．advocate | D．clarify |
| A．enjoy | B．receive | C．accumulate | D．share |
| A．better than | B．rather than | C．other than | D．more than |
| A．alive | B．wrong | C．fresh | D．fair |
| A．until | B．before | C．as | D．since |
| A．Gradually | B．Eventually | C．Frequently | D．Occasionally |
| A．observed | B．confirmed | C．recognized | D．spotted |
| A．plants | B．lights | C．cards | D．foods |
| A．Panicked | B．Moved | C．Defeated | D．Determined |
| A．pulled up | B．settled down | C．turned out | D．got through |
| A．accompany | B．welcome | C．inspect | D．instruct |
| A．puzzle | B．astonishment | C．pleasure | D．disappointment |
| A．surprised | B．depressed | C．embarrassed | D．amused |
| A．straight | B．abruptly | C．gradually | D．close |
| A．terror | B．shock | C．pain | D．smile |
| A．chance | B．decision | C．moment | D．condition |
| A．energy | B．power | C．talent | D．interest |
| A．sensed | B．noticed | C．marked | D．checked |
10 . When you hear “I have a dream…”, one of the most famous speeches in human history, you’ll never have the idea how the audience on the scene were fueled by emotional intelligence. When Martin Luther King. Jr. presented his dream, he chose language that would stir the hearts of his audience. Delivering this electrifying(震撼性的) message required emotional intelligence—the ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotions.
Emotional intelligence has been highly recommended by leaders, policymakers, and educators as the solution to a wide range of social problems. Emotional intelligence is important, but the uncontrolled enthusiasm has obscured (掩盖)a dark side. New evidence shows that when people sharpen their emotional skills, they become better at controlling others. When you’re good at controlling your own emotions, you can hide your true feelings. When you know what others are feeling, you can motivate them to act against their own best interests.
Social scientists have begun to document this dark side of emotional intelligence. In a research led by University of Toronto professor Jochen Menges, when a leader gave an inspiring speech filled with emotion, the audience was less likely to scrutinize (细察) the message and remembered the content. Ironically(讽刺 的是), audience members were so moved by the speech that they claimed to recall more of it.
The authors call this the awestruck effect, but it might just as easily be described as the dumbstruck effect. One observer reflected that Hitler’s persuasive impact came from his ability to strategically express emotions—he would “tear open his heart”—and these emotions affected his followers to the point that they would “stop thinking critically and just emote.”
Leaders who master emotions can rob us of our abilities to reason. If their values are out of step with our own, the results can be destructive. New evidence suggests that when people have self-serving motives, emotional intelligence becomes a weapon for controlling others.
Throwing light on this dark side of emotional intelligence is one mission of a research team led by University College London professor Martin Kilduff. According to these experts, emotional intelligence helps people disguise (伪装) one set of emotions while expressing another for personal gain. Professor Kilduff’s team writes, “The strategic disguise of one’s own emotions and the controlling of others’ emotions for strategic ends are behaviors evident not only on Shakespeare’s stage but also in the offices and corridors where power and influence are traded.”
Of course, people aren’t always using emotional intelligence for nefarious ends. More often than not, high EQ is helpful in most aspects of our life. Emotional intelligence—like any skill—can be used for good or evil. So whether it is a gift or a curse lies in your hand.
1. Why does the author mention Martin Luther King, Jr?| A．To honor the great leader for his courage. |
| B．To recommend his speech to other leaders. |
| C．To introduce the major topic to readers. |
| D．To advocate a society with fewer problems. |
| A．Developing the capability to control one’s own emotion. |
| B．Influencing people to do what brings disadvantages to them. |
| C．Appealing to the audience to concentrate and remember more. |
| D．Encouraging the moved audience to learn more of the speech. |
| A．His followers would tear open their hearts to him. |
| B．His followers would express emotions strategically. |
| C．His followers would lose the ability to reason properly. |
| D．His followers would develop the self-serving motives. |
| A．They disguise their true emotions and show another one. |
| B．They help their colleagues to build up confidence. |
| C．They present their strategic behaviors on the stage. |
| D．They lower their own dignity to gain popularity. |
| A．Immoral. | B．Unimportant. | C．Illegal. | D．Uncontrollable. |
| A．The benefits of emotional intelligence. |
| B．The advantages and disadvantages of emotions. |
| C．The reasons for using emotional skills. |
| D．The dark side of emotional intelligence. |
