1 . Running is often tiring and a lot of hard work, but nothing beats the feeling you get after finishing a long workout around the track.
But while it’s long been believed that endorphins (内啡肽) —chemicals in the body that cause happiness—are behind the so-called “runner’s high”, a study suggested that there may be more to this phenomenon than we previously knew.
According to a recent study published by a group of scientists from several German universities, a group of chemicals called endocannabinoids (内源性大麻素) may actually be responsible for this familiar great feeling.
To test this theory, the scientists turned to mice. Both mice and humans release high levels of endorphins and endocannabinoids after exercise. After exercising on running wheels, the mice seemed happy and relaxed and displayed no signs of anxiety. But after being given a drug to block their endorphins, the mice’s behavior didn’t seem to change. However, when their endocannabinoids were blocked with a different drug, their runners’ high symptoms seemed to fade.
“The long-held notion of endorphins being responsible for the runner’s high is false. Endorphins are effective pain relievers, but only when it comes to the pain in your body and muscles you feel after working out,” Patrick Lucas Austin wrote on science blog Lifchacker.
Similar studies are yet to be carried out on humans, but it’s already known that exercise is a highly effective way to get rid of stress or anxiety. The UK’s National Health Service even prescribes (开药 方) exercise to patients who are suffering from depression. “Being depressed can leave you feeling low in energy, which might put you off being more active. Regular exercise can improve your mood if you have depression, and its especially useful for people with mild to moderate (中等的) depression,” it wrote on its website.
It seems like nothing can beat that feeling we get after a good workout, even if we don’t fully understand where it comes from. At least if we’re feeling down, we know that all we have to do is to put on our running shoes.
1. What did scientists from German universities recently discover?| A．Working out is a highly effective way to treat depression. |
| B．The runner’s high could be caused by endocannabinoids. |
| C．Endorphins may contribute to one’s high spirits after running. |
| D．The level of endorphins and endocannabinoids could affect one’s mood. |
| A．To find what reduces the runner’s high symptoms. |
| B．To see the specific symptoms of the runner’s high. |
| C．To identify what is responsible for the runner’s high. |
| D．To test what influences the level of endocannabinoids released. |
| A．Effect. | B．Goal. | C．Opinion. | D．Question |
| A．They can help ease depression symptoms. |
| B．They are the best way to treat depression. |
| C．They only work for those with serious depression. |
| D．They can help people completely recover from depression. |
2 . The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.
According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.
The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.
The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.
Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?| A．Tourists’ enthusiasm. |
| B．Sichuan Province’s policy. |
| C．The Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New archaeological discoveries. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Ruins were first discovered in 1934. |
| B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists. |
| D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| A．Trial. | B．Private. | C．Official. | D．Personal. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history. |
| B．Chinse people make full use of the Qingming Festival holidays to travel. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Ruins are a perfect tourist attraction over the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New discoveries make the Sanxingdui Museum more popular during the Qingming Festival holidays. |
3 . For several days I (Jane Eyre) saw little of Mr Rochester. In the morning he seemed much occupied with business, and in the afternoon gentlemen from the neighbourhood called and sometimes stayed to dine with him. When his foot was well enough, he rode out a great deal.
During this time, all my knowledge of him was limited to occasional meetings about the house, when he would sometimes pass me coldly, and sometimes bow and smile. His changes of manner did not offend me, because I saw that I had nothing to do with the cause of them.
One evening, several days later, I was invited to talk to Mr Rochester after dinner. He was sitting in his armchair, and looked not quite so severe, and much less gloomy. There was a smile on his lips, and his eyes were bright, probably with wine. As I was looking at him, he suddenly turned, and asked me, “Do you think I’m handsome, Miss Eyre?”
The answer somehow slipped from my tongue before I realised it: “No, sir.”
“Ah, you really are unusual! You are a quiet, serious little person, but you can be almost rude.”
“Sir, I’m sorry. I should have said that beauty doesn’t matter, or something like that.”
“No, you shouldn’t! I see, you criticise my appearance, and then you stab (刺) me in the back!You have honesty and feeling. There are not many girls like you. But perhaps I go too fast. Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance (抵消) your few good points.”
I thought to myself that he might have too. He seemed to read my mind, and said quickly, “Yes, you’re right. I have plenty of faults. I went the wrong way when I was twenty-one, and have never found the right path again. I might have been very different. I might have been as good as you, and perhaps wiser. I am not a bad man, take my word for it, but I have done wrong. It wasn’t my character, but circumstances which were to blame. Why do I tell you all this? Because you’re the sort of person people tell their problems and secrets to, because you’re sympathetic and give them hope.”
It seemed he had quite a lot to talk to me. He didn’t seem to like to finish the talk quickly, as was the case for the first time.
“Don’t be afraid of me, Miss Eyre.” He continued. “You don’t relax or laugh very much, perhaps because of the effect Lowood School has had on you. But in time you will be more natural with me, and laugh, and speak freely. You’re like a bird in a cage. When you get out of the cage, you’ll fly very high. Good night.”
1. What’s not Miss Eyre’s impression of Mr Rochester in the beginning?| A．Busy. | B．Sociable. |
| C．Friendly. | D．Changeable. |
| A．tell her all his troubles |
| B．tell her his life experience |
| C．change her opinion of him |
| D．change his circumstances |
| A．rude | B．cold |
| C．friendly | D．encouraging |
Marathon participants in China
1. What key information is shown in this chart?
2. What reasons lie behind the phenomenon?
BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS
Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.
2. What are the best ways to experience some Irish traditions and culture?
3. What is the meaning of “breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song”?
4. What are the best ways to experience Chinese traditions and customs?
6 . The more women and minorities make their way into the ranks of management, the more they seem to want to talk about things formerly judged to be best left unsaid. The newcomers also tend to see office matters with a fresh eye, in the process sometimes coming up with critical analyses of the forces that shape everyone’s experience in the organization.
Consider the novel views of Harvey Coleman of Atlanta on the subject of getting ahead. Coleman is black. He spent 11years with IBM, half of them working in management development, and now serves as a consultant to the likes of AT&T, Coca-Cola, Prudential, and Merch. Coleman says that based on what he’s seen at big companies, he weighs the different elements that make for long-term career success as follows: performance counts a mere 10%; image, 30%; and exposure, a full 60%. Coleman concludes that excellent job performance is so common these days that while doing your work well may win you pay increases, it won’t secure you the big promotion. He finds that advancement more often depends on how many people know you and your work, and how high up they are.
Ridiculous beliefs? Not to many people, especially many women and members of minority races who, like Coleman, feel that the scales have dropped from their eyes. “Women and blacks in organizations work under false beliefs,” says Kaleel Jamison, a New York-based management consultant who helps corporations deal with these issues. “They think that if you work hard, you’ll get ahead—that someone in authority will reach down and give you a promotion.” She adds, “Most women and blacks are so frightened that people will think they’ve gotten ahead because of their sex or color that they play down(淡化)their visibility.” Her advice to those folks: learn the ways that white males have traditionally used to find their way into the spotlight.
1. According to the passage, the underlined sentence probably refers to_________.| A．criticisms that shape everyone’s experience |
| B．the opinions which contradict the established beliefs |
| C．the tendencies that help the newcomers to see matters with a fresh eye |
| D．the ideas which usually come up with new ways of management in the organization |
| A．work as a consultant to your superiors |
| B．project a favorable image to the people around you |
| C．let your superiors know how good you are |
| D．perform well your tasks given by your superiors |
| A．know someone in authority will reach down and give them a promotion |
| B．don’t want people to think that their promotions were due to sex or color |
| C．don’t want to give people the impression that they work under false beliefs |
| D．believe they can get promoted by reason of their sex or color |
| A．The Importance of Being Visible |
| B．Job Performance and Advancement |
| C．Role of Women and Minorities in Management |
| D．Sex and Career Success |
In 138 BC, Chinese diplomat Zhang Qian carried with him the great expectations of the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCAD 24) to travel westward, seeking closer links with China’s neighbors in Central Asia. Dayuan, as it was called in ancient Chinese documents, became his first station on the route.
This state, located in Fergana Valley in present-day Uzbekistan, was influenced by Greek culture.
Zhang Qian’s journey has been widely hailed by scholars as one of the earliest recorded contacts between Chinese and Western civilizations, lifting the curtain on the centuries-long saga(传奇故事) of the ancient Silk Road.
From 2012 to 2018, a group of Chinese archaeologists cooperated with their Uzbek counterparts to unearth history in Fergana Valley. The splendor of the 2,000-year-old Mingtepa site emerged from beneath the soil.
According to Liu Tao, an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who led the excavation for a time, a large complex of city walls, gates, streets, remains of handicraft workshops and tombs were discovered at the site.
“That was the largest-scale excavation ever done at the Mingtepa site,” Liu recalled. “As the largest city ruin in the Fergana Valley, we had demonstrated that it was probably the capital city of Dayuan.”
In the past decade, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese archaeologists have had frequent academic exchanges with Uzbekistan, helping to unveil(揭开) a grand historical picture concerning a much longer time spectrum.
Scholars from Northwest University based in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, joined local researchers to investigate and excavate along the western edge of the Tianshan Mountains. Among the 39 sites that were investigated, 31 were newly found by the joint team, revealing the histories of many key ancient civilizations such as the Bactria, Yuezhi and Kushan, as well as other nomadic cultures.
“The research also enabled Chinese archaeologists to contribute on the international stage in terms of Silk Road studies,” said Wang Jianxin, an archaeology professor at Northwest University. “We also bear the responsibility to protect the relics throughout our research. Archaeology can thereby enhance people-to-people connectivity.”
Based on an intergovernmental agreement reached between China and Uzbekistan in 2014, from 2016 to 2019, experts from the China Academy of Cultural Heritage carried out restoration work on two historical buildings located in the ancient city of Khiva－a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chinese experts faced the tough task of restoring the Amir Tura Madrasah, built in 1870, and the Khasahmurad Mosque, built in 1770, two buildings in Khiva that had fallen into unstable condition.
The team’s dedication to preserving history helped it overcome difficulties, such as ensuring that all restoration work used the same ancient materials as centuries earlier. Despite walls being cracked and foundations subsided, Chinese restorers also used the traditional constructional methods.
“Much historical information was left in those old components,” recalled Yan Ming, an engineer from the academy who led the restoration. “It would have been easier to replace them with modern materials, but we cannot lower our standards because history is important.”
The restoration team visited residents across the ancient city to look for old bricks, and they also patiently deferred to local artisans when discussing traditional craftsmanship in construction.
According to Yan, some local restorers of historical constructions were also provided with training during this program.
For the conservators of cultural heritage, another major concern was how to improve people’s livelihood and revitalize the glory of the ancient city through the restoration.
The historical neighborhood of Khiva was unsuitable for receiving large numbers of tourists, and so the conservation program aimed to not only bring historical glamour back to the two historical monuments, but also provide a comfortable environment for visitors. Better infrastructure was put in place, including lighting, roads and urban landscaping.
“We’re fully aware of how important these sites are to the local residents,” said Xu Yan, deputy director of the academy. “We’re like doctors trying to cure a patient, and we cannot fail in their trust.” (from www. chinadaily.com.cn)
1. What can be the best title for the passage?2. What did Zhang Qian’s journey mean to the ancient Silk Road?
3. What exact cultural relics did the experts need to restore?
4. What difficulties did the experts meet when restoring the work?
5. How did the experts overcome their difficulties in restoration?
6. How did the experts keep the balance between the past and the present of the relics?
7. What does the underline word “hailed” mean in the third paragraph?
8 . South Korean researchers say they have developed a skin-like material that behaves like the skin of a chameleon(变色龙). It can change colours to look like its surroundings.
The team led by Ko Seung-hwan, a mechanical engineering professor at Seoul National University created the skin with a special liquid that turns colours in different temperatures. These changes are controlled by flexible heaters made of very small wires.
If you are in a desert, and you wear forest-coloured clothing, you can easily be seen. Changing colours and forms actively with the temperature is central to the technology, Ko said. The technology uses something called thermochromic liquid crystal(水晶)and silver nanowire heaters. Thermochromic means heat causes the colours to change. Nanowires are just like normal electrical wires, but they are extremely small.
Ko and the team demonstrated this technology using a chameleon-shaped robot with colour-seeking sensors. The skin tried to copy whatever colours the sensors “saw” around it. In a video, the robot walked on red, blue and green floors. It immediately changed colour to look like its surroundings.
Ko explained when the sensors find colour information, they move that information to a very small processor. Then, the information goes to silver nanowire heaters. When the heaters reach a specified(规定的)temperature, the thermochromic liquid crystal changes its colour.
Though the skin is made of many layers, its total thickness is less than a hundred micrometers. In other words, it is thinner than a human hair. By adding more silver nanowire layers in simple shapes like lines or squares, the skin can create complex designs. “The flexible skin can be developed as a wearable device and used for fashion,” Ko said. It can also be used in military(军事的)clothing and to create designs on the outside of cars and buildings.
1. In which condition does the skin-like material change its colours?| A．In the cold climate. | B．In the hot weather. |
| C．In different temperatures. | D．In different surroundings. |
| A．A chameleon-shaped robot. |
| B．A sensor finding colour information. |
| C．Forest-coloured clothes worn in the desert. |
| D．Thermochromic liquid crystal with silver nanowire heaters. |
| A．How Ko did the research. | B．How the material works. |
| C．How the robot changes its colour. | D．How the robot “saw” the nearby colours. |
| A．It can be made into cars. | B．It can be applied to many fields. |
| C．It is a little thicker than a human hair. | D．It is popular in the fashion world. |
9 . In the fall of 1915, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance (耐力号) sank off the coast of Antarctica. While all of the expedition’s 28 crew eventually were rescued, the ship’s final resting place has remained a much-discussed maritime mystery. That is, until today. A team of researchers has announced they’ve located the wreck at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, almost the northernmost part of Antarctica.
Endurance was backed by the British government and private donors and supported by Winston Churchill to deliver a group of explorers to the coast of Antarctica and then travel overland across the continent via the South Pole.
It set out from South Georgia on December 5, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. But the enemy that Shackleton and his men faced was of a different sort. The Weddell Sea, covering an area of more than a million square miles, is one of the most remote and unforgiving environments in the world, littered with icebergs and roiled by strong surface winds. Shackleton called it “the worst sea in the world.”
The expedition made good progress at first, but as the Antarctic winter of 1915 closed in, the men found themselves trapped in the sea ice on Tuesday, October 26. The next day, the men removed tools, instruments, and provisions and set up camp on the ice floe. Endurance finally sank on November 27. Shackleton famously said, “What the ice gets, the ice keeps.” . But Endurance’s story did not end with the ship’s sinking.
In 2019, the Falklands Heritage Maritime Trust began its first expedition to find the ship but had been unable to locate the wreck. This winter, they tried again, organizing and funding Endurance22.
One of the toughest problems, besides the sea ice, was establishing the ship’s location. After Endurance was initially trapped in the ice, it continued to drift as the floes moved with the current. Due to poor visibility on the day the men abandoned the ship, however, the captain had been unable to take proper measurements that would help calculate the direction and speed of the floes.
1. Which can show the positions of Weddell Sea and Antarctica?A． | B． |
C． | D． |
| A．Endurance hasn’t been found since the fall of 1915. |
| B．Endurance was only supported by Winston Churchill. |
| C．Ernest Shackleton died and sank off the coast of Antarctica in the fall of 1915. |
| D．Ernest Shackleton’s goal was to travel across the Antarctica via the South Pole. |
| A．The sea ice. |
| B．The Antarctic winter. |
| C．The things they carried. |
| D．The captain’s unreasonable command. |
| A．The way how to establish the ship’s location. |
| B．The reason why locating the ship is difficult. |
| C．The measurements that the captain took to locate the ship. |
| D．The time when Endurance22 was organized and funded. |
10 . Death is a serious theme worthy of great poets. For example, John Keats’ When I Have Fears That I May Cease to Be and John Donne’s Death, Be Not Proud both discuss death in reflective ways. However, the imagery in these poems shows that while Keats believed death can only bring destruction, Donne believed death can be overcome.
Keats was afraid of death, because to him death meant the loss of those things that made his life worth living: “…on the shore/Of the wide world I stand alone, and think/Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.“ In other words, Keats’ fear was that death was a ”nothingness” that would arrive before he could finish his life’s work or find his true love.
Donne had a different attitude toward death, and so the imagery in his poem is different, too. To Donne, death should “be not proud”, because it was not “mighty and dreadful”. He also said that death was like “rest and sleep”. Donne believed that we would all wake from the sleep of death to everlasting life, just as we wake from our normal sleep to our everyday lives.
Keats and Donne both knew that death was a part of life, and both poets used powerful imagery to talk about that difficult theme. The differences in this imagery show two very different attitudes toward the subject, one of which is much more positive than the other. Which poet to believe is up to the reader to decide.
Not surprisingly, the readers’ own experiences may play a part in the way they respond to these poets’ approaches. Like the two poets and their beliefs, contemporary readers also may be divided on the subject. This may explain why Keats’ and Donne’s poetry remains fascinating years after their deaths.
1. Which of the following may Keats agree with?| A．Death could stop him from writing poetry. | B．Death could help him find true love. |
| C．Death was not mighty and dreadful. | D．Death could be overcome by people. |
| A．Death was generally powerful and terrible. | B．Death was only a ceaseless sleep. |
| C．Death was merely the loss of work and love. | D．Death was hardly worth the fear. |
| A．Because they are attracted to the two poets’ everlasting opposite beliefs. |
| B．Because they are divided naturally by their positive or negative personalities. |
| C．Because their own life experiences affect the understandings of the poems. |
| D．Because their preferences for the poets’ strong imageries are various. |
| A．Analysis. | B．Argument. | C．Comparison. | D．Reasoning. |
