2 . Fitness Magazine recently ran an article titled “Five Reasons to Thank Your Workout Partner.” One reason was: “You’ll actually show up if you know someone is waiting for you at the gym, ” while another read: “    1    ”   With a workout partner, you will increase your training effort as there is a subtle (微妙) competition.

So, how do you find a workout partner?

First of all, decide what you want from that person.     2     Or do you just want to be physically fit, able to move with strength and flexibility? Think about the exercises you would like to do with your workout partner.

You might think about posting what you are looking for on social media, but it probably won’t result in a useful response.     3     If you plan on working out in a gym, that person must belong to the same gym.

My partner posted her request on the notice board of a local park. Her notice included what kind of training she wanted to do, how many days a week and how many hours she wanted to spend on each session, and her age. It also listed her favorite sports and activities, and provided her phone number.     4    

You and your partner will probably have different skills.     5     Over time, both of you will benefit—your partner will be able to lift more weights and you will become more physically fit. The core (核心) of your relationship is that you will always be there to help each other.

A．Your first meeting may be a little awkward.

B．A workout partner usually needs to live close by.

C．You’ll work harder if you train with someone else.

D．Do you want to be a better athlete in your favorite sport?

E．How can you write a good “seeking training partner” notice?

F．Just accept your differences and learn to work with each other.

G．Any notice for a training partner should include such information.

3 . Human speech contains more than 2,000 different sounds, from the common “m” and “a” to the rare clicks of some southern African languages. But why are certain sounds more common than others? A ground-breaking, five-year study shows that diet-related changes in human bite led to new speech sounds that are now found in half the world’s languages.

More than 30 years ago, the scholar Charles Hockett noted that speech sounds called labiodentals, such as “f” and “v”, were more common in the languages of societies that ate softer foods. Now a team of researchers led by Damián Blasi at the University of Zurich, Switzerland, has found how and why this trend arose.

They discovered that the upper and lower front teeth of ancient human adults were aligned (对齐), making it hard to produce labiodentals, which are formed by touching the lower lip to the upper teeth. Later, our jaws changed to an overbite structure (结构), making it easier to produce such sounds.

The team showed that this change in bite was connected with the development of agriculture in the Neolithic period. Food became easier to chew at this point. The jawbone didn’t have to do as much work and so didn’t grow to be so large.

Analyses of a language database also confirmed that there was a global change in the sound of world languages after the Neolithic age, with the use of “f” and “v” increasing remarkably during the last few thousand years. These sounds are still not found in the languages of many hunter-gatherer people today.

This research overturns the popular view that all human speech sounds were present when human beings evolved around 300,000 years ago. “The set of speech sounds we use has not necessarily remained stable since the appearance of human beings, but rather the huge variety of speech sounds that we find today is the product of a complex interplay of things like biological change and cultural evolution,” said Steven Moran, a member of the research team.

1. Which aspect of the human speech sound does Damián Blasi’s research focus on?

A．Its variety.

B．Its distribution.

C．Its quantity.

D．Its development.

2. Why was it difficult for ancient human adults to produce labiodentals?

A．They had fewer upper teeth than lower teeth.

B．They could not open and close their lips easily.

C．Their jaws were not conveniently structured.

D．Their lower front teeth were not large enough.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．Supporting evidence for the research results.

B．Potential application of the research findings.

C．A further explanation of the research methods.

D．A reasonable doubt about the research process.

4. What does Steven Moran say about the set of human speech sounds?

A．It is key to effective communication.	B．It contributes much to cultural diversity.
C．It is a complex and dynamic system.	D．It drives the evolution of human beings.

6 . A Few Tips for Self-Acceptance

We all want it… to accept and love ourselves. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach.     1     Here’s a handful of ways that will set you in the right direction.

●    2     Do not follow the people who make you feel not-good-enough. Why do you follow them? Are you hoping that eventually you will feel empowered because your life is better than theirs? Know that your life is your own;you are the only you in this world.

●Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made. We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures.     3     You will make mistakes, time and time again. Rather than getting caught up in how you could have done better, why not offer yourself a compassionate (有同情心) response? ＂That didn’t go as planned. But, I tried my best.＂

●Recognize all of your strengths. Write them down in a journal. Begin to train your brain to look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.     4    

●Now that you’ve listed your strengths, list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, why you don’t feel good enough. Now, read these words back to yourself.     5     Turn to a page in your journal to your list of strengths and achievements. See how awesome you are?

A．Feeling upset again?

B．Where do you start?

C．Nothing is too small to celebrate.

D．Remember, you are only human.

E．Set an intention for self-acceptance.

F．Stop comparing yourself with others.

G．When does the comparison game start?

8 . Is Fresh Air Really Good for You?

We all grew up hearing people tell us to “go out and get some fresh air.”     1     According to recent studies, the answer is a big YES, if the air quality in your camping area is good.

    2     If the air you’re breathing is clean—which it would be if you’re away from the smog of cities—then the air is filled with life-giving, energizing oxygen. If you exercise out of doors, your body will learn to breathe more deeply, allowing even more oxygen to get to your muscles(肌肉) and your brain.

Recently, people have begun studying the connection between the natural world and healing(治愈).     3     In these places patients can go to be near nature during their recovery. It turns out that just looking at green, growing things can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and put people into a better mood(情绪).Greenery is good for us. Hospital patients who see tree branches out their window are likely to recover at a faster rate than patients who see buildings or sky instead.     4     It gives us a great feeling of peace.

    5    While the sun’s rays can age and harm our skin, they also give us beneficial Vitamin D   . To make sure you get enough Vitamin D—but still protect your skin—put on sunscreen right as you head outside. It takes sunscreen about fifteen minutes to start working, and that’s plenty of time for your skin to absorb a day’s worth of Vitamin D   .

A．Fresh air cleans our lungs.

B．So what are you waiting for?

C．Being in nature refreshes us.

D．Another side benefit of getting fresh air is sunlight.

E．But is fresh air really as good for you as your mother always said?

F．Just as importantly, we tend to associate air with health care.

G．All across the country, recovery centers have begun building Healing Gardens.

9 . Some individuals are born with a gift for public speaking.    1    Do you want to be a good public speaker? Here are some principles you must master.

People want to listen to someone who is interesting, relaxed and comfortable. Too often when you stand up to give a speech, you focus on the “public”at the expense of the “speaking. ”       2     Focus on the speaking. Talk directly to your audience, be yourself and make a connection.

Even the most successful public speaker will make mistakes. Yet, the only one who cares about any mistake is the one who is speaking. People’s attention wanders constantly. In fact,most people only absorb about 20 percent of a speaker’s message. So, don’t stop speaking when you make a mistake unless it’s a truly serious one.    3    

Your goal is not to be a perfect public speaker.    4    And like everything else in life, that takes practice. Remember, even world champion athletes practice their skills on a consistent basis.

    5    It’s rare to hear someone say, “I wish that speaker had spoken longer. “On the other hand, you probably can’t count the times that you’ve thought, “I’m glad that talk is over. It seemed to go on forever! “So surprise your audience. Always make your presentation just a bit shorter than anticipated. It’s better to leave your listeners wishing for more than shifting restlessly in their seats waiting for your speech finally to end.

A．Do the opposite.

B．You want to be an effective public speaker.

C．You don’ t need to apologize for a minor slip.

D．When it comes to public speaking, less is usually more.

E．The objective of most speeches is to benefit the audience

F．Take the fear out of public speaking by focusing on your listeners

G．However, the majority of people are effective speakers because they train to be.

10 . During the rosy years of elementary school(小学), I enjoyed sharing my dolls and jokes, which allowed me to keep my high social status. I was the queen of the playground. Then came my tweens and teens, and mean girls and cool kids. They rose in the ranks not by being friendly but by smoking cigarettes, breaking rules and playing jokes on others, among whom I soon found myself.

Popularity is a well-explored subject in social psychology. Mitch Prinstein, a professor of clinical psychology sorts the popular into two categories: the likable and the status seekers. The likables’ plays-well-with-others qualities strengthen schoolyard friendships, jump-start interpersonal skills and, when tapped early, are employed ever after in life and work. Then there’s the kind of popularity that appears in adolescence: status born of power and even dishonorable behavior.

Enviable as the cool kids may have seemed, Dr. Prinstein’s studies show unpleasant consequences. Those who were highest in status in high school, as well as those least liked in elementary school, are “most likely to engage(从事) in dangerous and risky behavior.”

In one study, Dr. Prinstein examined the two types of popularity in 235 adolescents, scoring the least liked, the most liked and the highest in status based on student surveys(调查研究). “We found that the least well-liked teens had become more aggressive over time toward their classmates. But so had those who were high in status. It clearly showed that while likability can lead to healthy adjustment, high status                                        has just the opposite effect on us.”

Dr. Prinstein has also found that the qualities that made the neighbors want you on a play date—sharing, kindness, openness—carry over to later years and make you better able to relate and connect with others.

In analyzing his and other research, Dr. Prinstein came to another conclusion: Not only is likability related to positive life outcomes, but it is also responsible for those outcomes, too. “Being liked creates opportunities for learning and for new kinds of life experiences that help somebody gain an advantage, ” he said.

1. What sort of girl was the author in her early years of elementary school?

A．Unkind.

B．Lonely.

C．Generous.

D．Cool.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The classification of the popular.

B．The characteristics of adolescents.

C．The importance of interpersonal skills.

D．The causes of dishonorable behavior.

3. What did Dr. Prinstein’s study find about the most liked kids?

A．They appeared to be aggressive.

B．They tended to be more adaptable.

C．They enjoyed the highest status.

D．They performed well academically.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Be Nice—You Won’t Finish Last

B．The Higher the Status, the Better

C．Be the Best—You Can Make It

D．More Self-Control, Less Aggressiveness