1 . Accents are an important part of our identity. An accent gives clues about who we are, and the community we belong to or wish to belong to.
What is the difference between accents and pronunciation?
Accents are about localized ways of speaking a language. A French person may speak English flawlessly (完美无瑕地), just with a French accent.
If you think back historically people were much more localized with generation after generation of families living in the same small villages and few people traveled out of that area during their lifetimes. So over many generations differences in accent emerged and became very distinct to particular areas. Mountainous villages that are not easily accessible often develop very strong and distinctive accents.
How important is it to get an accent right?
If you’re moving to a certain part of a country, you might want to integrate better with your new community.
How to improve your accent?
| A．Where do accents and pronunciation emerge? |
| B．They’re also important for those learning a new language. |
| C．Try to adapt your speech to sound more like the locals’ speech. |
| D．The best way is to learn the specific accent of that region. |
| E．Where do different types of accents come from? |
| F．That’s fine because there is no wrong or right with an accent. |
| G．Learners should first think about which sounds don’t exist in your native language. |
2 . Four Tips to Discover Your True Passion
True passion is the emotion, feeling, and desire that arises out of love for something. It’s the force that magnifies (放大) your capabilities for the benefit of excellent performance. This is because it’s a powerful motivation for best performance and everyone wants to get there.
Search your childhood.
The purity and truth of your being are in the early stages of life. To that end, going back to the things you loved back then is always an excellent indication of marked preferences. Did you want to be a doctor?
Experiment and discover.
Doing the same activities day after day closes any probabilities to succeed in finding your true passion.
Focus to find your true passion.
You must forget about the myth that doing what you’re passionate about will be easy and pleasant. This is because there’ll always be inconveniences in any activity you undertake. Beyond that, don’t lose focus on the fact that these are temporary moments.
Remember that your age doesn’t matter.
| A．Were you interested in insects? |
| B．Take a variety of courses each month. |
| C．Do you know the meaning of passion? |
| D．Age isn’t necessary to find out your true passion. |
| E．Be calm while finding out your motivation. |
| F．It’s vital to figure out what you’re passionate about. |
| G．Understanding this will make it easier to keep motivated. |
3 . A blind skateboarder has proven that his lack of sight won’t stop him from living a normal life—and now he’s learned some of the most complicated tricks.
Dan Mancina, 34,from Michigan,the US,was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at 13,a rare genetic disease and it causes loss of vision. Around five years ago,Dan lost his vision completely and now is defined as a blind person—but refuses to let it hold him back. Dan said that he was discouraged by other people’s behaviors and was determined to prove people wrong,so he started skateboarding,practiced every day,and soon he was landing trick after trick.
Dan started performing tricks that some might not expect a blind person to be able to do—like throwing darts(飞镖)—but they would be wrong. He said he felt a need to prove himself to those who doubted his abilities. So Dan,who has been skateboarding since he was seven years old,recently posted a video of himself performing a trick on the Internet.
The experience reminded him of his love for the sport and inspired him to continue pursuing his passion,but now his methods are somewhat different. Before skating at a park,Dan uses a stick to measure the different ramps(斜坡)and corners,and get a feel for the area. He also uses a beeper box or a Bluetooth speaker to bounce the sounds off anything in the environment—such as a nearby road—warning him of any dangers in the area.
The skateboarder said, “I get a mental map of the area where I am and use every other sense I have. I'm always trying to progress and keep pushing myself further and further. I have certain goals that I want to achieve. One day I want to film full-length skateboard videos without any cuts. That’s really my goal.”
1. What happened to Dan Mancina when he was thirteen?| A．He became completely blind. | B．He was not allowed to skateboard. |
| C．He suffered from a severe eye disease. | D．He got injured while skateboarding. |
| A．To show he could live a normal life. | B．To achieve his childhood dream. |
| C．To shoot a video about his success in life. | D．To become the focus of public attention. |
| A．Dan’s training field. | B．Dan’s passion for sport. |
| C．Dan’s training equipment. | D．Dan’s preparations for skateboarding. |
| A．He who laughs last laughs best. | B．All that ends well is well. |
| C．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart. | D．A good beginning makes a good ending. |
4 . More than two thirds of students are experiencing poor sleep quality and this is linked to mental health problems, new research suggests. The findings, based on more than 1,000 men and women attending university full-time, also show those with depressive (抑郁的) symptoms were almost four times as likely to suffer from inadequate sleep.
Excessive (过度的) daytime sleepiness (EDS) was a problem among over half the students—they were almost twice as likely to have depression or experience high stress levels.
The authors warn stressors, such as course demands, make college students have sleep disorders which in turn affect academic performance and health. They’re calling on universities to do more to promote positive sleep habits and good mental health.
Living away from home for the first time, using stimulants (刺激物) that damage sleep and keeping irregular bedtimes are all factors that make students suffer from a lock of quality rest at night. An average of seven hours’ sleep has been reported by those attending college while nine hours is considered the ideal for young adults.
Poor sleep and EDS in those attending university have already been identified by studies, but few have probed any link with stress or depression. This new research is the first of its kind. Participants were asked about their sleep quality, EDS, socioeconomic status, and their body mass index (BMI) was also assessed.
The data was used to evaluate the level of association between sleep quality and stress levels. Results showed a significant link between these factors, and depressive problems and high stress levels. The study also found that students studying biological and health sciences were more likely to suffer from poor quality of sleep than those studying social and human sciences. The mechanism (机制) behind sleep disturbance and depression is not unclear, as is whether mental health problems cause poor quality sleep or vice versa.
1. Why is it necessary for universities to promote positive sleep habits?| A．Because college students are under heavy course pressure. |
| B．Because college students are more likely to have depression |
| C．Because sleep disorders affect college students academically. |
| D．Because sleep disorders are common among all college students |
| A．approved of | B．believed in | C．left out | D．looked into |
| A．Majors play a role in students’ sleep quality. |
| B．The mechanism disturbing sleep is still unknown. |
| C．Mental health problems result from poor sleep habits. |
| D．Students studying health sciences have better sleep habits. |
| A．Good Sleep Habits Are Vital to Students |
| B．Lack of Sleep Affects Students’ Mental Health |
| C．Mental Health Problems Affect Students’ Sleep Quality |
| D．Mental health Guarantees Students’ Academic Performance |
5 . A mysterious illness is turning some black bears friendly and unafraid of humans, among other strange symptoms.
Researchers believe the illness, which young bears around a year old appear to suffer from, is a kind of encephalitis (脑炎), according to a news report by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife late last month. Since 2014, a handful of bears in Nevada and Caledonia have shown signs of the condition, and four California bears were confirmed to have it last year. One of them walked into a school and entered a classroom where she sat down among the children, behaving very much like a friendly dog.
The encephalitis has other serious effects on the nervous system of the bears, including tremble, head tilts and seizures (癫痫). Affected bears also tend to be seriously underweight. One female bear, observed in February picking up an apple and eating it among humans in a yard, weighed only 21 pounds when she should have been around 80 pounds. She was also covered in ticks (扁虱), walked strangely and was ultimately euthanized (安乐死).
It’s still unclear exactly what's causing the brain illness. But in the course of studying the phenomenon, scientists have identified five previously unknown viruses in the affected bears.
Bears suffering from encephalitis typically have to be euthanized. Their symptoms make them unequipped to survive in the wild, and those placed in zoos or shelters can become a huge burden due to the lifelong medical care they need.
Two bears exhibiting neurological (神经系统的) issues in recent years, however, were able to find new homes. One, now named Elinor, was brought to the Orange County Zoo. The other bear, who has become famous after being caught on camera sniffing a snowboarder and is now named Benji, lives at the San Diego Humane Society’s Ramona Wildlife Center. Last month, Benji celebrated his third birthday there with a cake made out of fruit and potatoes. Details are as follows.
1. Which of the following is uninvolved in the symptoms of the bears’ disease?| A．Serious weight loss. | B．Getting close to humans. |
| C．Some neurological issues. | D．Desiring to learn knowledge. |
| A．An environmental change. | B．A severe shortage of food. |
| C．Some unknown kinds of viruses. | D．The lack of necessary medical care. |
| A．Add some background knowledge. |
| B．Provide some advice for the readers. |
| C．Summarize the previous paragraphs. |
| D．Introduce some further information about Benji’s birthday. |
| A．Black Bears in Nevada and California |
| B．A Disease Making Bears Endangered |
| C．An Unknown Bear Species |
| D．Black Bears Getting Much Friendlier |
6 . Living a Balanced and Healthy Life
What are the most important steps to follow if you want to feel good from morning to night? Feeling good means that your body and mind are working at their peak level. And you have a general sense of well-being.
To feel good day after day, try the following tips:
Get sunlight during the day.
Sunlight stimulates the brain chemical serotonin (血清素), which plays a role in helping you feel happy. While you’re outdoors in the sun, use the time to exercise.
Set yourself up for good sleep.
In the evening as the sky grows darker, your brain makes a hormone called melatonin (褪黑素).
* Be sure to get that daily exercise in the sun, since it also helps you sleep at night.
*
Eat “ feel-good ” foods
* Focus on multicoloured whole foods that are recently alive. That means fresh vegetables, fruit, beans, and whole grains instead of processed foods.
* Make room for vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, and kale.
* Avoid foods that make your blood sugar soar like sweetened sodas and sugary baked goods. They aren’t good for your health, or your energy level.
| A．Turn off the lights. |
| B．Turn on the lights. |
| C．This helps you get sleep. |
| D．They’re super-foods for feeling good. |
| E．Health depends on good food, fresh air and enough sleep. |
| F．The way you eat makes a bit difference in whether you feel strong or weak. |
| G．Research has found that physical activities can work well for treating depression. |
