1 . How to improve your memory?
It’s generally accepted that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered this old saying simply isn’t true.
Don’t skip the physical exercise. While mental exercise is important for brain health, that doesn’t mean you never need to break a sweat. Physical exercise helps your brain stay sharp.
Get enough sleep. There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get and the amount you need to function at your best. The truth is that over 95% of adults need 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Make time for friends. When you think of ways to improve memory, do you think of “serious” activities such as mastering chess strategies, or is it more relaxing pastimes—hanging out with friends or enjoying a funny movie?
A.Keep stress in check. |
B.Give your brain a workout. |
C.If you’re like most of us, it’s probably the former. |
D.Even losing a few hours of sleep makes a difference! |
E.In fact, interacting with others may provide the best kind of brain exercise. |
F.The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change, even into old age. |
G.It increases oxygen to your brain and reduces the risk for disorders that lead to memory loss. |
2 . There are countless stories of man’s best friend stepping in to
Single mom Nicole Evans was out of town when a fire
The fire completely
Meanwhile, Nicole won’t face this
Our pets not only provide us with companionship and unconditional love, but can even act as our furry
A.approach | B.rescue | C.inspire | D.reward |
A.broke out | B.set off | C.gave away | D.checked in |
A.confirmed | B.satisfied | C.aware | D.concerned |
A.selfishly | B.strangely | C.badly | D.professionally |
A.pretending | B.agreeing | C.refusing | D.determining |
A.debate | B.mission | C.request | D.reaction |
A.disappear | B.hide | C.escape | D.depart |
A.destroyed | B.affected | C.removed | D.threatened |
A.disaster | B.adventure | C.drought | D.contest |
A.speech | B.idea | C.experience | D.journey |
A.Instead | B.However | C.Gradually | D.Similarly |
A.arranged | B.recognized | C.caught | D.survived |
A.unique | B.valuable | C.replaceable | D.useful |
A.challenge | B.opportunity | C.reason | D.relief |
A.character | B.performance | C.talent | D.responsibility |
A.specific | B.pleasant | C.boring | D.tough |
A.pouring in | B.running out | C.showing up | D.taking off |
A.suffer | B.benefit | C.struggle | D.recover |
A.support | B.creation | C.advice | D.information |
A.leaders | B.instructors | C.protectors | D.neighbors |
3 . The holidays can be a divisive season. Because the holidays are full of merriness, some love them. Others can feel troubled by them, affected by the financial pressure and family gatherings often accompanying the holidays.
Begin tracking how you’re feeling on the day-to-day life. You can keep a journal or take a brief walk where you can reflect at the end of your day. Doing this lets you see a pattern of what may be activating your negative feelings.
After getting your triggers written down, let’s make a plan. If it is money fueling the discomfort, let’s strategize how you can cut down the financial expectations. You can select a thoughtful low-cost decoration or a bunch of flowers.
Rethink how to love yourself rather than care for others too much. If you have to be with someone, are you at risk of yourself because of arguments or conflicts?
A.Keep track of your daily actions. |
B.It will help you get through the tense situation. |
C.Hosting a gathering can be another costly issue. |
D.Feeling joyless during the holidays can be really awful. |
E.You can also offer meaningful time spent with loved ones. |
F.The truth is that it is hard to engage with people who hurt you. |
G.Let’s begin by identifying what is causing you the intense anxiety. |
4 . I often felt there was a lack of ceremony in my life. The ceremony of passage to mark transitions was
It was a long drive and we started out early,
A.happening | B.recovering | C.developing | D.missing |
A.curious | B.confident | C.excited | D.puzzled |
A.sympathetic | B.symbolic | C.severe | D.sufficient |
A.visited | B.accompanied | C.persuaded | D.accomplished |
A.guide | B.friend | C.teacher | D.partner |
A.lesson | B.greeting | C.ceremony | D.problem |
A.wonderful | B.ordinary | C.unimportant | D.unsuitable |
A.walking | B.climbing | C.jumping | D.winding |
A.fashion | B.wilderness | C.travelling | D.business |
A.wildflowers | B.cultures | C.clothes | D.houses |
A.hid | B.unfolded | C.disappeared | D.stopped |
A.attraction | B.attention | C.association | D.accommodation |
A.forget | B.break | C.keep | D.change |
A.Fortunately | B.Strangely | C.Occasionally | D.Interestingly |
A.sad | B.awkward | C.historic | D.teachable |
A.lighter | B.clever | C.healthier | D.older |
A.gifts | B.plans | C.purposes | D.disadvantages |
A.escape | B.rest | C.notice | D.laugh |
A.adapt to | B.pay for | C.wait for | D.object to |
A.attempt | B.influence | C.function | D.attitude |
5 . Tokyo restaurant Sushiya no Nohachi reportedly serves great sushi, but it is most famous for its gimmick—making the world’s smallest sushi with a single grain of rice.
Located in Asakusa, a slightly quieter part of Tokyo, Sushiya no Nohachi is the place to go if you want to enjoy the tiniest, most adorable sushi in the world. Each piece is made with only a grain of rice and a tiny slice of topping wrapped in the thinnest piece of nori(海苔). Every served piece is actually perfect, which hints at the amount of work and patience that Bes into making them. They are the work of Hironori Ikeno, the chef of Sushiya no Nohachi, who came up with the idea in 2002 when a client asked him how small he could make his sushi. He answered, “as small as a grain of rice”, and proceeded to demonstrate that he wasn’t kidding. Over the years, the restaurant has become internationally famous for making the world’s smallest sushi.
Despite its size, miniature sushi actually takes a bit longer to make than regular-sized me, because of the precision and concentration required to put the tiny ingredients together. That is part of the reason why the restaurant only prepares tiny sushi for customers a few times a week and no more than five times a day, although they do sometimes make exceptions for foreign visitors who travel to the restaurant just to experience the world’s smallest sushi.
“I had a client from Sweden who came just to see my tiny sushi and the moment she saw it, she literally cried with joy.” Hironori Ikeno said.
Interestingly, one cannot simply order the tiny sushi at the restaurant. It is served for f re upon request with a regular-sized sushi course. Considering the sushi served at this place is reportedly delicious, you should probably be more excited about that. Plus, it also justifies the gimmick that the restaurant is so famous for.
1. What does the underlined word “gimmick” in paragraph 1 probably refer to?A.A class to teach cooking skills. |
B.A trick to attract customers. |
C.A plan to promote the sushi. |
D.A dish to win over opponents. |
A.His pursuit for perfection. |
B.The curiosity of a customer. |
C.The requirement from his boss. |
D.A bet he made with others. |
A.Take more time to make one |
B.Unpopular among customers |
C.costs more money to buy one |
D.needs more expensive materials |
A.Diversity of the customers. |
B.His lack of experience. |
C.Special treatment to foreigners. |
D.His sense of achievement. |
6 . Several years ago, I was driving down a busy freeway in Portland, Oregon, when my tire blew out. I pulled over and made a (n)
Three hours later, a car finally
I thanked them and tried to give them money as a (n)
Then I heard their small daughter call out, to ask if I was
I know the
A.deal | B.sign | C.attempt | D.promise |
A.pulled up | B.moved on | C.went off | D.dropped out |
A.coach | B.rescuer | C.advisor | D.interpreter |
A.wipe | B.unlock | C.fix | D.polish |
A.rope | B.hammer | C.nail | D.log |
A.replace | B.return | C.kick | D.blow |
A.reminder | B.reward | C.comfort | D.donation |
A.last | B.least | C.superior | D.minor |
A.refuse | B.notice | C.deserve | D.accept |
A.apparently | B.confidently | C.eventually | D.temporarily |
A.hungry | B.alone | C.nervous | D.thirsty |
A.displayed | B.exchanged | C.identified | D.demanded |
A.unwrapped | B.unloaded | C.emptied | D.gathered |
A.came across | B.got through | C.passed by | D.ran after |
A.sympathy | B.support | C.attention | D.confirmation |
A.shook | B.raised | C.covered | D.bent |
A.meaning | B.connection | C.expression | D.background |
A.claim | B.reveal | C.suppose | D.appreciate |
A.different | B.traditional | C.gradual | D.universal |
A.advance | B.trouble | C.question | D.action |
Cheng Yongmao was born in a village in Huairou, Beijing and began to learn the skill of building under the
Cheng received his first Great Wall assignment in 2004. He led a construction team of dozens of members, most of
In 2016, he started to work on the Jiankou section, which
After years of efforts, the section has regained its historical appearance. “Protecting the Great Wall is my responsibility,” he said, “As long as I can climb up the mountain, I’ll do my best to lead my team, especially to assist them in gaining experience
8 . Polly Arrowsmith is a clever bargain shopper, and knows exactly when her three local supermarkets make their daily price down. She estimates that hunting out food with yellow discounted labels saves her hundreds of pounds a year. But all this could soon be coming to an end. That’s because supermarkets are adopting dynamic pricing, controlled by artificial intelligence (AI) software.
It involves digital price tags that are displayed either on the shelf below the food items, or on high-tech labels attached the product itself. These prices are automatically, and wirelessly, updated by the AI when a particular item approaches its sell-by date. The AI also examines how much stock (库存) the store is holding of that item and makes the decision as to whether a markdown is requiredor not. Besides, it can help supermarkets better understand how to manage stock supply and avoid over-ordering. So we’re actually turning the current food waste problem into an opportunity and can help cut supermarkets’ food waste by more than a third.
Matt Wills, the co-founder of a firm called Acumen, warns that there are potential disadvantages to dynamic pricing. “Not knowing what the reference price is, consumers might not realise they are getting a deal at all,” he says. “This could also cause added complications for people who retired, if items are seen to be continually changing in price.”
The key, Mr. Wills believes, will be for supermarkets to have strict guidelines to ensure they can offer the benefits that dynamic pricing can bring, while ensuring AI doesn’t create unintended negative consequences for shoppers. Whether shoppers will welcome the change is another question, but Mr. Wills believes they’ll be won over by the price reductions they receive.
Ms. Arrowsmith admits she will miss the yellow discount stickers that have become part of her shopping routine. However, she also says she wants to see less food going to waste. “I’m happy to forgo really cheap pricing,” she says.
1. Why are yellow discount labels disappearing?A.They are easy to hunt out. |
B.They expose some safety issues. |
C.They cause great damage to shoppers. |
D.They are replaced with digital pricing. |
A.The advantages of using the AI. |
B.The display of digital price tags. |
C.The management of stock supply. |
D.The problem of current food waste. |
A.It offers the cheapest price. | B.It greatly reduces food stock. |
C.It has side effect on retirees. | D.It gives rise to legal problems. |
A.Pay off. | B.Give up. | C.Agree on. | D.Cut down. |
9 . Mr. Riccardi was working for an Italian university at the time, 10 years ago, and had to go to the city of Potenza in the south of the country for a conference. He wanted to book an environmentally-friendly hotel, but it was not so easy to find one online and book.
So it gave him the idea for a business — a website called Ecobnb, where people can search for sustainable accommodation. When someone finds a place that they would like to book, Ecobn b does not take the payment. Rather it contacts the property, which then emails the person directly. Ecobnb makes its money by charging the accommodation providers a monthly subscription to list on its website.
Today Ecobnb, based in Trento, in northern Italy, lists more than 3,000 properties worldwide, from an organic farmhouse in Tuscany, to an eco-mountain cottage in Costa Rica. 2.8 million travellers now use Ecobnb per year, up from 780,000 in 2018. Mr. Riccardi says the number is still rising. Some accommodation providers offer discounts for guests arriving by bicycle, or those not using a car during the trip.
“Holidaymakers are rethinking their relationship with planet Earth,” Mr. Riccardi says. “Thereis a new awareness, especially in young people, about our responsibility for our future and for the planet.” Statistics appear to back this up. A study has found that 69% of travellers are now actively seeking sustainable travel options.
Although Ecobnb is focused on sustainability, how sustainable is it when many people might be flying to arrive at the accommodations it lists? “The impact of the travel of the flights is very big,” agrees Mr. Riccardi. “We are pushing the staycation (就近旅游) model a lot, inviting people to discover their own countries and to avoid the flights when it’s possible.”
“More people are interested in green lifestyles every day,” he says. “And now they are looking for the same green choices also during their holidays. These little choices can come together, and we can change things and make something different. We can be the change we want to see in the world.”
1. What inspired Mr. Riccardi to start the website Ecobnb?A.His pursuit for a better future. | B.His motivation to find a green hotel. |
C.His teaching experience in an university. | D.His desire to invest in sustainable tourism. |
A.It enjoys great popularity. | B.It owns 3,000 properties in Italy. |
C.It offers discounts to all visitors. | D.It charges payment from customers. |
A.To promote sustainable travel. | B.To attract more young travelers. |
C.To reduce the accommodation list. | D.To make flights available for others. |
A.Discouraged. | B.Tolerant. | C.Uncertain. | D.Optimistic. |
10 . Throughout history, remarkable leaders have started to appear, leaving an indelible mark on their civilizations and shaping the course of human history. Here are some historical leaders whose impact reverberated far beyond their lifetimes, leaving a lasting legacy that transformed the civilizations they led.
Julius CaesarAs a brilliant military strategist and charming statesman, Caesar played a vital role in the transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire. His military conquests, including the famous crossing of the Rubicon, expanded the Roman territories and altered the political landscape, Caesar's vision for a centralized and stable Rome laid the groundwork for the imperial era, shaping the development of Western civilization.
Queen Elizabeth lQueen Elizabeth I became the English throne in the 16th century and entered a period of cultural flourishing known as the Elizabethan Era. Under her rule, England saw remarkable achievements in literature, exploration and the arts, with master minds like William Shakespeare contributing to the cultural renaissance. Elizabeth's reign not only strengthened England's status as a global power but also left an enduring legacy of artistic and intellectual brilliance.
Nelson MandelaSouth Africa in the 20th century bore witness to the transformative leadership of Nelson Mandela, A symbol of resistance against apartheid(种族隔离), Mandela spent 27 years in prison before emerging as a unifying figure in seeking for racial equality. Elected as South Africa's first Black president in 1994. Mandela made efforts to unify a divided nation. promoting forgiveness and inclusivity.
Emperor Qin Shi HuangIn ancient China, the remarkable leadership of Emperor Qin Shi Huang laid the groundwork for a unified and centralised state. As the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, Qin Shi Huang standardised writing systems, currencies and measurements, fostering unity across diverse regions. Perhaps most famously, he initiated the construction of the Great Wall of China as a defence against invasions.
1. What was Julius Caesar's major influence?A.The vision for a military Rome. |
B.The impact on Western civilization. |
C.The foundation of Roman Republic. |
D.The expansion of the Roman landscape. |
A.Personal right. | B.Economic boom. |
C.National power. | D.Racial equality. |
A.Qin Shi Huang. | B.Queen Elizabeth I. |
C.Nelson Mandela. | D.Julius Caesar. |