A.all of whom | B.each of whom | C.all of which | D.each of which |
A.bound | B.subject | C.subsequent | D.committed |
3 . Researchers in the psychology department at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) have discovered a major difference in the way men and women respond to stress. This difference may explain why men are more likely to suffer from stress-related disorders.
Until now, psychological research has maintained that both men and women have the same “fight-or-flight“ reaction to stress. In other words, individuals either react with aggressive behavior, such as verbal or physical conflict (“fight”), or they react by withdrawing from the stressful situation (“flight”). However, the UCLA research team found that men and women have quite different biological and behavioral responses to stress. While men often react to stress in the fight-or-flight response, women often have another kind of reaction which could be called “tend and befriend. ” That is, they often react to stressful conditions by protecting and nurturing their young (“tend”), and by looking for social contact and support from others—especially other females (“befriend”).
Scientists have long known that in the fight-or-flight reaction to stress, an important role is played by certain hormones (激素) released by the body. The UCLA research team suggests that the female tend-or-befriend response is also based on a hormone. This hormone, called oxytocin (催产素), has been studied in the context of childbirth, but now it is being studied for its role in the response of both men and women to stress. The principal investigator, Dr. Shelley E. Taylor, explained that “animals and people with high levels of oxytocin are calmer, more relaxed, more social, and less anxious.” While men also secrete (分泌) oxytocin, its effects are reduced by male hormones.
In terms of everyday behavior, the UCLA study found that women are far more likely than men to seek social contact when they are feeling stressed. They may phone relatives or friends, or ask directions if they are lost.
The study also showed how fathers and mothers responded differently when they came home to their family after a stressful day at work. The typical father wanted to be left alone to enjoy some peace and quiet. For a typical mother, tackling a bad day at work meant focusing her attention on her children and their needs.
The differences in responding to stress may explain the fact that women have lower frequency of stress-related disorders such as high blood pressure or aggressive behavior. The tend-and-befriend regulatory (调节的) system may protect women against stress, and this may explain why women on average live longer than men.
1. The UCLA study shows that in response to stress, men are more likely than women to ____________.A.turn to friends for help | B.solve a conflict calmly |
C.seek comfort from children | D.find an escape from reality |
A.Men have the same level of oxytocin as women do. |
B.Oxytocin used to be studied in both men and women. |
C.Oxytocin has more of an effect on women than on men. |
D.Both animals and people have high levels of oxytocin. |
A.Biological differences lead to different behavioral responses to stress. |
B.In a family a mother cares more about children than a father does. |
C.Male hormones help build up the body’s resistance to stress. |
D.The UCLA study was designed to confirm previous research findings. |
A.anticipating | B.managing | C.claiming | D.dealing |
A.How researchers handle stress-related disorders |
B.How men and women suffer from stress |
C.How researchers overcome stress problems |
D.How men and women get over stress |
4 . Scientists have discovered a new structure that allows lunge feeding whales, also called rorqual whales (长须鲸), to take in massive amounts of water without choking.
To capture prey (猎物), rorqual whales use a method called lunge feeding. They speed up, and take in a volume of water large enough to fill their entire bodies.
Scientists didn’t know how these whales avoided choking on prey—filled water and flooding their respiratory tracts (呼吸道) during a lunge feeding event. Now Dr. Gil and his colleagues have discovered a large structure that they’ve termed the “oral plug” —a structure never before described in any other animal—that they think makes lunge feeding possible.
Dr. Gil and his colleagues analyzed dead fin whales. By physically dissecting (解剖) the mass of muscle and tissue that plug the back of the whale’s mouth, the researchers determined that when the animal is at rest, the plug blocks off the whale’s pharynx (咽道), a tube-shaped structure that leads to both the respiratory and digestive tracts. When a whale lunges, the “oral plug” protects both tracts from being flooded by the water and the living creatures that the animal has taken in.
When the animal is ready to swallow its latest meal, the oral plug shifts upward to protect the upper respiratory tract. At the same time, the larynx (喉) closes up and shifts downward, blocking the lower respiratory tract. In other words, during swallowing, the pharynx only leads to the digestive tract.
“This fills in a blank that we didn’t even know really existed,” said Dr. Gil of the team’s findings. Ari Friedlaender, who studies whale feeding behaviors at the University of California but was not involved in this research, sees great value in filling in these anatomical blanks about whales.
“The more we can understand how they develop these means for being able to eat so much, the more we understand about what their abilities are, and how they function as part of marine ecosystems,” Dr. Friedlaender said.
1. Which words can best describe the lunge feeding method of rorqual whales?①speedy ②massive ③precise
A.②③ | B.①② | C.①③ | D.①②③ |
A.It just blocks off the two airways when the whale rests. |
B.It just protects the upper airway when the whale swallows. |
C.It just blocks the lower airway when the whale lunges. |
D.It ensures that the meals and water just go into the pharynx. |
A.Dr. Friediaender shared his findings of whale feeding behavior with Dr. Gril. |
B.Dr. Friedlaender praised the research for it further explains how marine ecosystems function. |
C.Dr. Friedlaender will cooperate with Dr. Gil and his team for the future research. |
D.Dr. Gil was probably surprised to find the existence of the “oral plug”. |
A.Negative. | B.Indifferent. | C.Cautious. | D.Positive. |
A.Why do whales lunge for food? | B.Why don’t whales choke? |
C.Why do whales have respiratory tracts? | D.Why are whales unique? |
“I never lied to my father. When I was young, my father told me that if I tried to lie to him, he would always know. My body would tell him the truth because the body’s movement never lies.”, said Martha Graham, an influential American dancer and teacher, fascinated with the ideal that “movement never lies”. Martha realized that the body is its own storyteller. She just wanted to find ways to tell those stories through dance.
She began by studying ballet, but soon realized that it wasn’t right to her. From the very beginning of her dancing career, Martha saw dance differently. She was tiny, not tall like ballerinas (芭蕾舞女演员) at that time. But she had a strong, powerful body and dark, soulful (热情的) eyes. So she developed a style of movement different from traditional romantic ballet and called it modern dance. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture.
Unlike ballet, which took place in a fairylike world, Martha’s modern dance expressed real emotions. Martha believed that it was important that the audience see themselves within her dances. She created and arranged many dances that showed emotions such as anger, jealousy, love or hate of common people.
Martha loved to wear long, dark, flowing robes when she performed. In the dances she used her robes in many different ways. Martha’s most important prop (支撑物) was the floor. She always danced in her bare feet, and her feet worked hard to tell their stories. The technique catching on, she founded the Dance Repertory Theater, and later, the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.
Martha Graham died in 1991, just short of 100 years old. During her life she never stopped dancing. A part of Martha Graham lives on in modern dancers everywhere who continue to study the “Graham technique”. They strive for her honesty, always remembering that movement never lies.
1. Why did Martha Graham never lied to her father when she was young?(no more than 12words)2. What does the underlined word“ideal”mean in paragraph 1?(no more than 2 words)
3. For what reason did Martha Graham develop modern dance?(no more than 15 words)
4. What is unique of her modern dance?(no more than 20 words)
5. What impresses you most of Graham’s story? And why?(no more than 20 words)
6 . We were five minutes into a severe winter storm — approaching Boston’s Logan International Airport when I turned to the woman next to me and said, “Hey, would you mind chatting with me for a few minutes?” My seatmate seemed friendly and I suddenly felt desperate for a human connection.
“Sure. My name is Sue,” the woman replied, smiling warmly. “What brings you to Boston?” I started to explain that I was on a business trip. Then the plane trembled violently, and I blurted out, “I might need to hold your hand too.” Sue took my hand in both of hers, patted it, and held on tight.
Sometimes a stranger can significantly improve our day. A pleasant meeting with someone we don’t know, even an unspoken exchange, can calm us when no one else is around. It may get us out of our own heads — a proven mood lifter — and help broaden our vision. Sandstrom, a psychologist and senior lecturer at the University of Essex, has found that people’s moods improve after they have a conversation with a stranger. And yet most of us resist talking to people we don’t know or barely know. We worry about how to start, maintain, or stop it. We think we will keep talking and disclose too much, or not talk enough. We are afraid we will bore the other person. We’re typically wrong.
In a study in which Sandstrom asked participants to talk to at least one stranger a day for five days, 99 percent said they had found at least one of the exchanges pleasantly surprising, 82 percent said they’d learned something from one of the strangers, 43 percent had exchanged contact information, and 40 percent had communicated with one of the strangers again.
You don’t even have to talk to complete strangers to obtain the benefit. Multiple studies show that people who interact regularly with passing acquaintances or who engage with others through community groups, religious gatherings, or volunteer opportunities have better emotional and physical health and live longer than those who do not. One person took up the cell phone after chatting with a woman on the subway who was carrying one. Another recalled how the smile of a fruit salesman from whom he regularly bought bananas made him feel less lonely after he’d first arrived in a new city.
When Sue took my hand on that scary flight to Boston, I almost wept with relief. “Hey, this is a little bumpy, but we will be on the ground safely soon,” she told me. She looked so encouraging, and confident. I asked her what she did for a living. “I’m a retired physical education teacher, and I coached women’s volleyball,” she said. Immediately, I could see what an awesome coach she must have been.
When we said goodbye, I gave Sue a big hug and my card. A few days later, I received an e-mail with the subject line “Broken hand on Jet Blue.” “I have to admit that I was just as scared as you were but did not say it,” Sue wrote. “I just squeezed your hand as hard as I could. Thank you for helping me through this very scary situation.” She added that when she’d told her friends about our conversation, they teased her because they know she loves to talk. I told my friends about Sue too. I explained how kind she was to me, and what I learned: It’s OK to ask for help from a stranger if you need it. Now if I mention to my friends that I am stressed or worried, they respond, “Just think of Sue!”
1. The writer struck up a conversation with her seatmate because ________.A.they were heading for the same city on business |
B.she was in urgent need of emotional comfort |
C.the plane’s abrupt movement was unbearable |
D.the woman was friendlier than other passengers |
A.It lights up our otherwise unsuccessful life. |
B.It saves us the trouble of talking too much. |
C.It lifts our spirits up and expands our mental horizons. |
D.It guarantees us a lasting feeling of happiness. |
A.To present the benefits of interacting with acquaintances. |
B.To show it lifts mood to make and meet with new friends. |
C.To introduce some ways to associate with unknown people. |
D.To relieve the anxiety about communicating with strangers. |
A.The writer was impressed with Sue’s ability to inspire others. |
B.The writer herself could have been a volleyball placer. |
C.Sue possessed obvious characters of a qualified PE teacher. |
D.Sue became the coach of the writer as a consequence. |
A.Regretful. | B.Surprised. | C.Disappointed. | D.Satisfied. |
A.The flying experience with strangers |
B.The interesting small talk with strangers |
C.The surprising boost you get from strangers |
D.The expected friendship you established through chatting |
7 . I was living in Cali, Colombia. One day my younger sister decided to visit me for a holiday and I was supposed to go to meet her at the airport. I somehow lost
The driver said that I would be dropped
However, most of the situations we encounter in our lives are much less dramatic and can often be
Now more than ever, in this rapidly changing world,
A.heart | B.sight | C.track | D.touch |
A.heading | B.leaving | C.driving | D.going |
A.better | B.easier | C.funnier | D.worse |
A.picked up | B.checked up | C.ended up | D.came up |
A.down | B.off | C.by | D.out |
A.choice | B.evidence | C.hope | D.reason |
A.arrive | B.pass | C.reach | D.return |
A.station | B.direction | C.location | D.position |
A.in time | B.on time | C.behind time | D.ahead of time |
A.allowed | B.reminded | C.forced | D.begged |
A.agreed | B.appeared | C.succeeded | D.signed |
A.advice | B.control | C.responsibility | D.risk |
A.coming into effect | B.getting into trouble | C.putting into practice | D.taking into account |
A.approves of | B.looks up | C.goes after | D.turn to |
A.accessed | B.altered | C.approached | D.avoided |
A.dangerous | B.essential | C.pointless | D.priceless |
A.extremer | B.faster | C.better | D.stranger |
A.capability | B.flexibility | C.reliability | D.stability |
A.breaks down | B.settles down | C.gets over | D.carries away |
A.assistance | B.endurance | C.guidance | D.insurance |
8 . Sitting back in my seat, I can’t quite believe that I’m about to travel along the railway that many foreign experts claimed was “impossible”. The train has been racing along steadily since it left Xining. All this time, the song “Sky Railway” has been
I was one of the people who came from all parts of China to work on this railway.
The first
To prevent
The journey has been flying by, and before I know it, we have reached Tanggula Station.
As we pass Cuona Lake, I feel a sense of pride and achievement. Using thousands and thousands of sandbags, we built a twenty-kilometre wall along the lake to protect it from construction waste. Cuona Lake is so close to the railway that I want to
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been attracting people’s admiration for centuries. Now, thanks to our efforts, passengers from all over the country have been enjoying these magical landscapes. I am proud that we built our “impossible” railway, and did so with the care that the environment
A.playing | B.expressing | C.viewing | D.singing |
A.legal | B.cute | C.vivid | D.formal |
A.Spending | B.Taking | C.Investing | D.Wasting |
A.create | B.determine | C.suffer | D.overcome |
A.protect | B.destroy | C.ignore | D.mix |
A.entrance | B.landmark | C.impression | D.event |
A.leisure | B.request | C.risk | D.expense |
A.condition | B.habitat | C.state | D.common |
A.bridges | B.railways | C.mountains | D.passages |
A.grateful | B.guilty | C.unaware | D.happy |
A.spread | B.infection | C.damage | D.panic |
A.a long history of | B.a large area of | C.a high cost of | D.a total length of |
A.Located | B.Started | C.Ended | D.Instructed |
A.strongest | B.fastest | C.newest | D.highest |
A.mild | B.warm | C.changeable | D.stable |
A.challenge | B.talent | C.limit | D.opportunity |
A.quiet | B.healthy | C.calm | D.open |
A.commercial | B.regular | C.formal | D.casual |
A.blow away | B.pay off | C.reach out | D.give in |
A.influences | B.provides | C.collects | D.deserves |
9 . On a cold morning in May, I received a fascinating email from a high school friend. inviting me to a 10-day all-female surfing adventure in Portugal. The offer was irresistible, and I instantly knew my answer was yes.
The trip seemed simple enough. Ten women, ranging from 30 to 45 years old, all strangers, will gather on the Portuguese coast to embrace the challenge of surfing the Atlantic waves.
As a travel enthusiast, I quickly sought permission from my boss for this once-in-a- lifetime journey.
Through my 33 years, I’ve observed a common adult tendency: we often limit ourselves to refining skills we already possess. There’s a certain pride in improving our expertise, becoming increasingly knowledgeable in our chosen fields, yet unintentionally, this focus often leaves other skills undeveloped and leads to neglecting other areas of potential growth.
Two days later, I arrived in Ericeira, a charming surf town, where I met my surfing group. Despite our different personalities and backgrounds, we were all united in a persistent desire to challenge ourselves, learn, tackle and grow.
The shores at Ericeira, where the beginners learn to surf, are shallow and covered with slippery rocks. They make for softer waves but are difficult to navigate (驾驭).
Guided by our amazing coaches, together, we faced the waves. Sometimes, it poured with rain, and the waves crashed around us, but we were still out there. And with every slip and fall, words of encouragement filled the air.
Honestly, I probably spent most of my days frozen to the bone, but that didn’t matter because a new level of genuine joy and personal achievement had been unlocked.
Learning a new skill taught me the humbleness that can come from doing badly at something new, and the pride that develops when you finally manage to grasp something you’ve been working on.
While surfing might not be my calling, trying it out inspired me to take more risks in life, to step outside of my comfort zone and to never stop believing in myself. You never know what you’re capable of if you don’t go out there and try.
1. What motivated the author to join the surf trip to Portugal?A.The opportunity to improve existing skills. |
B.The need to reconnect with a high school friend. |
C.The chance to undertake work duties in Portugal. |
D.The desire to embrace a challenge and learn a new skill. |
A.It narrows one’s abilities. | B.It is essential for career success. |
C.It disrupts one’s work-life balance. | D.It develops creativity and exploration. |
A.Tough but rewarding. | B.Boring and uneventful. |
C.Difficult and frustrating. | D.Relaxing but unpredictable. |
A.She used to lack confidence in herself. |
B.She became more willing to take risks. |
C.She went on to become an expert surfer. |
D.She discovered the surfing was her true calling. |
A.The value of pushing your limits and trying new things. |
B.The need to seek professional training in all new skills. |
C.The benefit of traveling with unknown companions. |
D.The importance of being an expert in one field. |
10 . We say that technology is a double-edged sword—while it brings convenience, it also brings new problems. The sword of “social media” even has a gender preference in its damage. It cuts deeper into girls than boys.
Earlier studies have shown that spending too much time on social media is bad for teenagers’mental health. Constantly watching their friends show off “perfect” lives can hurt their own self-esteem. That’s not to mention the problems caused by online shaming and bullying.
Jean Twenge, a professor at San Diego State University in the US, recently discovered an alarming trend: Since 2010, the number of teenage girls who suffer from major depression—showing signs like self-harm and suicide—has increased much faster than that of boys. In an article she wrote at The Conversation, Twenge said social media, again, was to blame.
For starters, girls use social media more than boys. Boys tend to spend their screen time on games, where they talk to their teammates through headphones. This counts as real human contact. Girls, however, simply type and browse through posts, which is a much isolated experience. “They’re not having a real-time conversation with someone,” Mary Fristad, psychologist at The Ohio State University, told NPR.
And when it comes to online shaming, girls are also more vulnerable than boys. “Girls face more pressure about their appearance, which could be exacerbated (加重) by social media,” wrote Twenge.
Shannon McLaughlin, for example, is an 18-year-old from Blackburn College in the US. She shared with the Guardian how social media made her feel depressed. “I was constantly confronted by women with skinny bodies who were praised for the way they looked. This was only made worse by the diet fixes and skinny culture,” she said. But McLaughlin found a solution. She started volunteering with the National Citizen Service, where she made face-to-face contact with people. “It's so easy to forget the importance of real connections when we have hundreds of people that we’re trying to impress at our fingertips,” she told the Guardian. And she hopes that others “look up from their phones and focus more on the world around them”.
1. What did Twenge find in her recent study?A.Overuse of social media harms teenagers’ mental health. |
B.Social media does more harm to girls than boys. |
C.Girls suffered more t rom bullving than boys. |
D.Online shaming and bullving are to blame for teenagers’ depression. |
A.Girls have less real-time interaction with people. |
B.Playing games allows boys to have more fun than girls. |
C.Girls suffer more pressure on social media. |
D.Girls usually desire more contact with others. |
A.adjusting oneself well | B.fighting back bravely |
C.being unconcerned about something | D.being likely to be at risk of something |
A.Ignore social media and stop following a diet. | B.Connect more with the real world. |
C.Constantly take part in volunteer work. | D.Make better use of phones for socializing. |
A.A gender preference | B.Skinny culture |
C.Social media anxiety | D.A double-edged sword |