1 . We know it can be hard to put your phone to bed before you sleep. However, if you’re trying to improve your sleep, you really should ditch your phone at least an hour before bedtime. Luckily, our experts can help.
Scientific evidence suggests that the blue light emitted from your phone, tablet, computer, and TV suppresses (抑制) your body’s production of melatonin, a hormone (荷尔蒙) that plays an important role in your sleep cycle. Melatonin release in the evening helps you relax before bedtime. A 2013 study that analyzed technology use and sleep patterns with data from a National Sleep Foundation poll found that using devices like phones was tied to more sleep disruption than electronics that aren’t interactive.
Many of us use the excuse that our mobile devices serve as our wake-up calls, or keep them nearby to use meditation apps. If you want to use your phone as an alarm, consider setting it a couple of hours before you turn in for the night, and then setting the phone itself to bedtime mode for the rest of the evening.
Here’s another groundbreaking idea: You could get a real alarm clock. After reviewing them at Reviewed, we recommend the Sharp Dream Caster. Not only is it easy to set a wake-up time, the clock includes white noises and rain noises to help you sleep, plus a number of volume settings to pick what works best for you.
But an alarm clock won’t help you avoid doom-scrolling through social media. Take things a step further by avoiding using electronic devices. You can try reading a book (one made of paper), taking a bath or drinking a cup of chamomile tea.
Finally, if you want to keep up your meditation practice screen-free, consider the Morphée. It looks like a little music box and comes with a variety of breathing exercises and soundscapes to help you get to sleep.
1. What does the underlined word “ditch” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.Set aside. | B.Pick up. | C.Show off. | D.Turn to. |
A.Relaxing yourself before bedtime. |
B.Sleeping less than you normally would. |
C.Adapting to your sleep cycle more easily. |
D.Reducing the pressure from screen use. |
A.It is sold at a lower price. | B.It can predict a heavy rain. |
C.It is controlled by cellphone. | D.It helps put your eyes together. |
A.Making the best of the eco-friendly products. |
B.Making a change according to circumstances. |
C.Establishing a bedtime routine without electronics. |
D.Keeping a consistent bedtime and wake-up time. |
2 . In America, we have a thing called stand-up comedy. This popular form of entertainment consists of a comedian standing up at the front of a club, holding a microphone, and telling jokes. Of course, comedy is popular in Chinese culture as well, but the performances are quite different from the style in the US. In China, it’s called cross-talk, which usually involves two guys engaging in an entertaining dialogue.
It’s believed that cross-talk came into being in the Qing Dynasty as a bit of a by-product of the imitation shows that were a popular form of entertainment in the Song Dynasty. After the PRC was established in 1949, this comedic art became more and more popular. Today, it’s still heavily featured in the CCTV New Year’s Gala programmes in China. The 1990s was the golden age of cross-talk; even foreigners studied the art of cross-talk. Mark Roswell, a Canadian named Da Shan in Chinese was relatively unknown in his native land but was a superstar in China. At the turn of the century, cross-talk began to decline, and many well-known actors left the stage.
There are four skills that are essential in cross-talk: speaking, imitating, teasing, and singing. Most of the time, it is performed with two actors—one serves as the lead actor while the other plays a support role. However, sometimes it is performed simply as a one-man show, and at other times there are several actors. In order to criticize something, the humor involved in cross-talk is satirical.
1. What’s the difference between American stand-up comedy and Chinese cross-talk?A.Chinese cross-talk actors don’t use a microphone. |
B.American stand-up comedy actors are all men. |
C.Chinese cross-talk is more liked by Canadians. |
D.American stand-up comedy is only a one-man show. |
A.History. | B.Future. | C.Features. | D.Difference. |
A.He was an American stand-up comedian. |
B.He was very popular with Canadians. |
C.He was a famous cross-talker in China. |
D.He left the stage in the early 1990s. |
A.Acid-tongued. | B.Good-tempered. |
C.Warm-hearted. | D.Smooth-tongued. |
3 . There are many podcasts (播客) that teach English and you can listen to them anytime. Here is a list of some of the best podcasts that you must see.
Learn English Podcast
This podcast has three levels.The first is for beginners, the second is for intermediates (中级学生) and the third is for upper intermediates. If a person wants to learn Business English,then episodes are also made for him.Every podcast is short but very informative. Worksheets and vocabulary tasks are also included.
Speaking Broadly
This podcast is made for advanced learners. Explained through discussion and interviews, each episode has non-native English speakers and every recording also has expert feedback. You will see some common mistakes made by English learners and you can improve your English by learning from those mistakes.
The English We Speak
This podcast airs one episode daily and every episode is only three to four minutes, which talks about phrases and idioms.There are two people in each episode who communicate with each other. Whatever level you are,you will find it rewarding
Elementary Podcast
This podcast is mainly for beginners and intermediate level learners. The length of a podcast is around 25 minutes but you can pause it anytime and continue whenever you want. The hosts of each episode are different.
1. Which podcast provides exercises going with it?A.Learn English Podcast. | B.Speaking Broadly. |
C.The English We Speak | D.Elementary Podcast. |
A.It records just expert speakers. | B.It aims at beginners. |
C.It presents some typical mistakes. | D.It provides feedback from listeners. |
A.They have the same length. | B.They are both interactive. |
C.They share the same contents. | D.They are suitable for beginners. |
4 . More people than ever are interested in learning to speak Chinese. The challenge that many face is finding the best resources to learn this new language. Fortunately, there are 4 amazing tools that can make learning Chinese much easier.
HelloTalk
This is an app that connects anyone interested in learning a foreign language to a native speaker who is willing to engage in conversation with learners, and help them practice and master their new language. It includes a voice-to-text feature that is perfect if you cannot understand your conversation partner. The text- to-voice feature that is included helps you to learn the proper pronunciations.
iTalki
No tool is going to take the place of one-on-one interaction(互动) with a real person. This is why iTalki is one of the most popular online language learning systems. If you join the iTalki community, you will be connected with an instructor who is a native speaker. They will work with you one on one to improve your vocabulary and conversational language skills.
FluentU
FluentU has made a wide variety of videos for your viewing pleasure. Each one is in Chinese and is a real-world movie or video. With FluentU, you can interact with the videos, pause and get pronunciation and definition information. In addition to this, there are quizzes(小测验) added to the videos to help you evaluate your own progress.
Pleco
This mobile app was designed specifically to help users learn Chinese. It includes an OCR reader that can be used to scan(扫描) Chinese language characters for translation, the ability to translate Chinese words from other apps and web pages, a document reader and an audio translator. It also comes with several dictionaries and the ability to create flashcards.
1. What’s the advantage of iTalki over other tools?A.Providing one-on-one instruction. | B.Providing various learning videos. |
C.Providing the text-to-voice feature. | D.Providing interesting playing games. |
A.They offer the most famous learning tools. | B.They record your learning process directly. |
C.They help you improve your pronunciation. | D.They provide you with various funny videos. |
A.HelloTalk. | B.iTalki. | C.FluentU. | D.Pleco. |
5 . Where does food waste go? In most countries around the world, it goes into landfills (垃圾填埋场). But not in South Korea. The country banned food waste in landfills nearly 20 years ago and today, it is turned into animal feed, fertilizers and fuel.
Around the globe, 1.4 billion tons of food is thrown away every year. The waste goes into landfills where it can pollute the land and water as well as releasing methane — a greenhouse gas — into the air. In fact, food waste is the third-largest source of methane in the US.
The system that is in place in South Korea keeps almost 100 percent of unused food out of landfills. While other cities and local governments have put similar plans in place, it is not done anywhere else on a country-wide basis.
There are two reasons why South Korea passed laws to carry out mandatory (强制性的) recycling of food waste. First, the country’s cooking tradition of numerous small dishes resulted in large amounts of uneaten food. This food waste went into landfills. But the country’s mountainous geography didn’t allow for enough landfills to be built. That’s why the government forced recycling of paper and plastic in 1995 but food waste continued to be buried in landfills. But it was the neighbors of these landfills that demanded that another solution be found due to the very unpleasant smell from rotting food. The government banned organic waste from landfills in 2005. Another law that was passed in 2013 banned dumping liquid food waste in the ocean.
The system is not free but most of the cost is absorbed by the country. People can buy yellow recycling bags that are picked up on the roadside and some local governments have placed autonomous food waste collectors that require residents to pay a weight-based fee by using cards.
The food waste is collected from the bins every day except Sunday. Some of it is used to make animal feed or fertilizers and some is used to make fuel.
1. What phenomenon does the author describe in paragraph 2?A.The US is worried about landfills. | B.Landfills are the most common. |
C.Greenhouse gas is hard to avoid. | D.Food waste can cause much harm. |
A.Other governments don’t plan to recycle food waste. |
B.100 percent of food waste goes into landfills worldwide. |
C.South Korea is successful in dealing with the unused food. |
D.South Korea should follow others’ way of building the system. |
A.Some people’s appeal. | B.Insufficient landfill sites. |
C.Unhealthy traditional diets. | D.Large amounts of food waste. |
A.By avoiding using cards. | B.By purchasing recycling bags. |
C.By paying the cost of collectors. | D.By picking up waste on the roadside. |
6 . We’re lucky to live in an age when the sum total of human knowledge is pretty available at the click of a button. We’ ve never had access to so much information.
Watch out for confirmation prejudice(偏见).
Acknowledge small differences. In life, most situations are varying and complicated. Admitting that can enrich the way that we view the world. For example, what colour is the sky? Well, the obvious answer is blue. But at sunrise or sunset, it can be red. On a cold misty morning, white or gray.
Practise intellectual humility (谦逊). One approach to, well, arguing, is to let go of the idea of being “right”. Or at least seriously consider that you might actually be wrong.
Engaging in critical thinking isn’t as fun as picking up a pitchfork, or feeling like you’re fundamentally right. But in the long run, it leads to a more curious, educated and harmonious society, which is the biggest win of all.
A.Avoid mistakes |
B.Check your sources |
C.We all enjoy feeling like we’re right |
D.But not all of what’s out there is quite what it seems |
E.So pay attention to differences in many situations |
F.So don’t rush to decide, and be actively prepared to change your mind |
G.Putting yourself into the other person’s shoes can have more fruitful outcomes |
7 . Chinese cuisine is widely known and enjoyed all around the world. Who doesn’t long for a favorite Chinese dish? But there is one interesting concept concerning Chinese food which is almost unheard of in the West, and which is becoming increasingly ignored by the youth of the East—the ancient custom of “tonic food”.
Tonic food is food which is consumed to improve one’s well-being or avoid sickness. For instance, it was once the custom for new mothers to eat a sesame oil(麻油) chicken soup every day for the first month after giving birth. It was believed that this dish would benefit the muscles, reduce pain, improve circulation, stimulate sweating, and warm the body. Some foods, such as goat meat and spinach, are seen as “hot”, while others, such as Chinese cabbage and radishes, are seen as “cold”. One should be careful not to eat too much of either “hot” or “cold” food. However, how much “hot” or “cold” food one should eat depends on the time of the year, how the food is prepared and what it is prepared with, and the individual’s health.
The custom of employing tonic food for a healthier life also influences the catering industry. Chinese herbal medicines, such as wolfberry(枸杞子), can be found on many a restaurant menu, either added to fruit tea or as a beneficial addition to a dish. These herbs attract customers, such as overworked office staff, in need of a modest pick-me-up.
So, whether you need to boost your strength with a large helping of chicken soup, or increase your mental powers with a serving of fish soup, you may find that this ancient Chinese custom could be just the tonic you were looking for.
1. What is the present situation of tonic food?A.It is catching less attention. | B.It is enjoyed by many young people. |
C.It is well-known worldwide. | D.It is becoming increasingly popular. |
A.Chinese cabbage. | B.Fruit tea. |
C.Sesame oil chicken soup. | D.Fish soup. |
A.Medicine. | B.Restaurant. | C.Manufacture. | D.Agriculture. |
A.The Charm of Chinese Cuisine | B.The Popularity of Tonic Food |
C.An Introduction of Chinese Tonic Food | D.Differences Between “Hot” Food and “Cold” Food |
8 . When we’re bored, most of us end up being glued to a phone. That might ease our boredom.
Reading.
People often forget why they’re pursing something in the first place. Some may not even be sure what they’re supposed to be doing in their daily life. This lack of direction then often shows up as boredom. That’s why having goals is important.
Exercise.
Exercise is good and should be done frequently.
Cleaning up your room.
Take a look around right now. Chances are that the space you’re in, is far from clean. However, you have to change that, as our physical environment has a huge impact on our cognition, behavior and decision making.
A.Pursuing a dream. |
B.Planning and goal setting. |
C.But there’s an opportunity cost. |
D.Most people only do reading after school. |
E.But for some reason, not everyone does it. |
F.When our surroundings are a mess, so are we. |
G.Most people don’t read anything after they’ve finished school. |
9 . Olly Neal grew up in Arkansas. He didn’t care much for high school. One day during his senior year, he cut class and walked into the school library. He discovered a book written by Frank Yerby. The book was The Treasure of Pleasant Valley and it attracted Neal’s attention. But there was one problem — if Neal took the book to the check out counter (收银台), his friends would know he was reading books.
“Then my fame (名誉) would be down,” Neal said. “I wanted them to know that all I could do was fight and cuss (咒骂).” Finally, Neal decided to steal the book.
A week later, Neal had finished the book. He brought it back to the library. But when he put it back, there was another book by Yerby. He took it as well. The same thing happened again. He read four of Yerby’s books that term — checking out none of them.
But Neal’s sneaky action turned out not to have been so sneaky after all. Attending his 13-year high school get-together, Neal met the school’s librarian, Mildred Grady. She saw Neal take that book. She said, “My first thought was to call him out, and then I realized what his situation was. So I decided that if Neal was showing an interest in books, I would find another one for him and put it in the same place where the one he had taken was.”
This was not an easy matter, because Frank Yerby’s books were not especially available. But the woman’s efforts paid off: Neal went on to attend law school and later became a great judge. When Grady died, Neal told the story and he said, “I thank Mrs. Grady for helping me get into the habit of enjoying reading, so that I was able to go to law school and survive.”
1. Why did Neal steal the book instead of checking it out?A.To prove he was a skillful thief. |
B.To show the book to his friends. |
C.To keep being known as a troublemaker. |
D.To avoid communicating with the librarian. |
A.Secret. | B.Dangerous. | C.Brave. | D.Illegal. |
A.She taught Neal how to survive. |
B.She persuaded Neal to be honest. |
C.She encouraged Neal to study law. |
D.She helped Neal develop reading habits. |
A.Reading changes people’s life |
B.A librarian changed a boy’s life |
C.A senior student became a judge |
D.Frank Yerby’s books attracted a boy |
10 . Musicians want to be heard. Making that happen involves time and effort that could be spent making music, however. Fortunately, Richmonders Elijah Hedrick and designer Rian Moses-Hedrick have started a platform to help. HearRVA shines a spotlight on Richmond musicians. “We’re basically trying to play matchmaker with music fans here in Richmond,” Rian says.
The promotion platform was created in July last year by the designer and her husband, Elijah. HearRVA’s website offers videos of local performances, a list of live music spots and playlists of songs from Richmond-based musicians. Musicians submit links to their work to be considered for promotion at no cost. The site is a passion project for the married couple and is supported by money donations from the natives.
One of the next steps is an interview series, “Liner Notes,” which highlights local musicians and the motivations behind their music. The series was launched in November with local singer Devonne Harris, who plays recorded popular music on the local radio. “It’s a great way for listeners to get a close look into what’s going on behind some of the creative forces in the city,” Harris says. “Sometimes having extra insight adds more of a connection, so people can really go back to listen to your music and be grateful for what you do and listen to it from a different angle.”
Rian and Elijah are looking ahead to season two of “Liner Notes”, which they plan to release next year. For them, everything ties back to providing exposure to local musicians. “People always want to go to LA or New York because they think they have a better shot there, and the market’s bigger,” Rian says, “but why don’t we grow the market here?”
1. What is the main purpose of HearRVA?A.To bring local artists close together. |
B.To build a useful source for musicians. |
C.To show how to appreciate local music. |
D.To connect local musicians with music lovers. |
A.The great local demand for it. |
B.Local musicians’ desire for fame. |
C.Local people’s financial support. |
D.The married couple’s gift for music. |
A.The comparisons between different musicians. |
B.Effective ways of composing or playing music. |
C.Different opinions on a certain kind of music. |
D.Reasons why local musicians create their music. |
A.Negative. | B.Positive. | C.Uncertain. | D.Indifferent. |