1 . Important Things to Know When Dining Out
Cultural dining etiquette (礼节) might surprise you with some of its important rules.
The way you handle chopsticks is important to avoid annoying your companions. When you put them down between bites, always put them down together so they are parallel with the edge of the table in front of you.
In India and the Middle East, it’s considered very rude to eat with your left hand. People in France expect you to eat with a utensil in each hand.
Some of these cultural dining etiquette rules may seem random and strange, but they are important in various countries.
A.The more friends you make in your lifetime |
B.The more time you spend in any given country |
C.Mexicans consider it inappropriate to eat with utensils |
D.Don’t get caught making an embarrassing mistake at a restaurant |
E.It’s a good sign for the chef if you make a mess around your plate |
F.Never stick them upright in your food or cross them as you use them |
G.It may seem like a simple request to ask for salt and pepper at a meal |
2 . 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 |
3 . 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. |
5 . Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be "the easy subject" at school, insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?
Art can connect culture with commercial products in a way that not many other things can; art generates money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert, they are paying for music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don't just want material things anymore, they want to experience life一the arts are a perfect crossover(交迭)between culture and commerce.
Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation's experience.
The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people's wellbeing. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.
Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development; encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life.
Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.
1. Art products differ from most other commercial products because .A.most people purchase them for collection |
B.they are more expensive and less accessible |
C.they have both commercial and cultural values |
D.their prices may climb up as time passes |
A.keep the community safe from illnesses |
B.develop a stronger tie between them |
C.learn to appreciate their own works of art |
D.offer honourable solutions to their problems |
A.They enjoy better living conditions. |
B.They like to compare themselves with others. |
C.They are particularly good at both music and art. |
D.They tend to be healthier physically and mentally. |
A.It promotes their academic performance and emotional growth. |
B.It gives them more confidence in exhibiting their learning skills. |
C.It inspires their creativity in designing their future career. |
D.It helps to make responsible people out of them. |
A.How Art Cures Our Hearts |
B.Art: A Blessing to Humankind |
C.How Art Benefits Communities |
D.Art: A Bridge Between Cultures |
A.system | B.method | C.investment | D.environment |
Recent research suggests that if an argument gets resolved,the emotional response tied to it is significantly reduced or almost completely erased.Thus,it may be worth bringing up issues with your friends, family members,or classmates rather than holding them back.
There is a difference between arguing and fighting.Arguing is that you and your opponent present your concerns and discuss the feelings and issues related to those concerns.You can engage in an argument respectfully without stirring up(激起) anger.Fighting,however,usually involves personal attacks,raising of voices, and storming out.Discussing your issues and resolving them instead of stuffing them down can improve your emotional health.In a study,2.000 people were asked to record their feelings and experiences for eight days in a row.When people had an argument that they considered resolved, they had half the reactivity (情绪反应) of those who avoided an argument.Reactivity is an increase in negative emotions or a decrease in positive emotions.In other words,resolving an argument cuts your negative feelings by half.One day later, people who had a resolved argument reported no increase of negative emotions compared with those who avoided an argument. This means that resolving an argument can feel like you have reached a state of resolution——and you are less likely to be annoyed.
Moreover,the older you are,the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument.This may be because more life experience usually leads to more defined priorities.You are more likely to distinguish between what matters and what does not.
It is easier to avoid a discussion,but risking talking about it may eventually lead to a better outcome.
1. According to this passage,what is arguing?2. Why is it that“the older you are, the more likely you will come to a resolution after an argument”?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement,then underline it and explain why.
Resolving arguments can improve your emotional health,because it increases your reactivity and reduces the chance of you getting angry.
4. In addition to improving emotional health,what do you think are some other benefits of resolving an argument? (In about 40 words)
8 . Recently,I took a trip home by train.I got a seat opposite a middle-aged man with sharp eyes,who kept
As the night wore on,people began to close their eyes,but the seats were so uncomfortable that only a very heavy sleeper could manage to get any
The train moved on.The little boy was
The
A.guiding | B.bothering | C.watching | D.monitoring |
A.adjusted | B.changed | C.packed | D.waved |
A.air | B.joy | C.space | D.rest |
A.nervous | B.embarrassed | C.angry | D.disappointed |
A.almost | B.still | C.hardly | D.even |
A.drag | B.climb | C.knock | D.push |
A.grabbed | B.rocked | C.touched | D.picked |
A.alarm | B.quarrel | C.risk | D.noise |
A.sorrow | B.relief | C.panic | D.pain |
A.astonished | B.confused | C.concerned | D.inspired |
My dad, George, only had an eighth grade education. A quiet man, he didn’t understand my world of school activities. From age 14, he worked. And his dad, Albert, took the money my dad earned and used it to pay family expenses.
I didn’t really understand his world either: He was a livestock trucker, and I thought that I would surpass (超过) anything he had accomplished by the time I walked across the stage at high school graduation.
Summers in the mid-70s were spent at home shooting baskets, hitting a baseball, or throwing a football, preparing for my future as a quarterback on a football team. In poor weather, I read about sports or practiced my trombone (长号).
The summer before my eighth grade I was one of a group of boys that a neighboring farmer hired to work in his field. He explained our basic task, the tractor fired up and we were off, riding down the field looking for weeds to spray with chemicals. After a short way, the farmer stopped and pointed at a weed which we missed. Then we began again. This happened over and over, but we soon learned to identify different grasses like cockleburs, lamb’s-quarters, foxtails, and the king of weeds, the pretty purple thistle. It was tiring work, but I looked forward to the pay, even though I wasn’t sure how much it would amount to.
At home, my dad said, “A job’s a big step to growing up. I’m glad you will be contributing to the household.” My dad’s words made me realize that my earnings might not be mine to do with as I wished.
My labors lasted about two weeks, and the farmer said there might be more work, but I wasn’t interested. I decided it was not fair that I had to contribute my money.
注意:1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右;
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语;
3.续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好;
4.续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:The pay arrived at last.
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Paragraph 2:I understood immediately what my parents were worried about.
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It doesn’t impress like George Washington’s plantation on the Potomac, but Lincoln’s home in downtown Springfield, Illinois,
When the house was built, it was much
Although Mary loved flowers,