1 . Have you ever heard of “children of the stars”? It might sound mysterious, but the expression refers to children with autism (自闭症). World Autism Awareness Day falls on April 2. It was initiated by the United Nations to raise awareness and promote acceptance of people with autism.

According to the US-based Autism Research Institute, autism is a disorder with symptoms (症状) that appear within the first three years of life. The condition is believed to involve deficits (缺陷) in social communication and interaction as well as restricted, repetitive behaviors, interests, or activities.

Meng Lingdi, whose daughter was diagnosed (诊断) with autism at 2 years old, shared that her daughter wouldn’t pay attention to her when Meng asked her to do something. “She made less eye contact with people compared to other kids,” Meng added.

Children with autism also suffer from physical pain. “Many children with autism experience epilepsy (癫痫) due to differences in brain activity,” said Sun Zhongkai at Beijing Stars and Rain Education Institute for Autism. Epilepsy among people with autism becomes even more prevalent (普遍的) starting from adolescence (青春期), he added.

At present, the precise cause of autism remains unknown, but research indicates that it is likely a result of a mix of developmental, genetic (遗传的), and environmental factors.

“According to our statistics, older parents are more likely to have autistic children than younger parents,” said Sun. “If the first child in a family has autism, the chances of subsequent children also having autism are about 10 times higher than in families where the first child is not autistic. The likelihood of identical twins both having autism is also significant.”

Although autism is a lifelong condition, there are various treatments available. According to Liu Wei, a teacher at the institute with 20 years of experience in teaching people with autism, it is crucial not to view people with autism with a sense of strangeness. Affirmations (肯定) from others will make them feel proud, enabling them to interact with others more effectively. For those close to autism sufferers, such as friends or family, it’s useful to establish certain principles for the individual, such as what is permissible and what is not. They should also have a deep understanding of autism and how to deal with it, which, for children with autism, may “benefit them for a lifetime,” said Sun.

1. What is the purpose of the World Autism Awareness Day’s foundation?

A．To make people with autism easier to get various treatments.

B．To arouse people’s attention to autism and make people with autism easier to be accepted.

C．To make people with autism have a deep understanding of autism.

D．To enable people with autism to interact with others more effectively.

2. What is autism primarily characterized by?

A．High anxiety.	B．Sleeping disorders.
C．Communication difficulties.	D．Exceptional athletic skills.

3. What can we know about autistic children with epilepsy?

A．They are more active physically.	B．They exhibit heightened sensitivity.
C．Their condition worsens with age.	D．Their brain functions unusually.

4. According to the text, which factor may be linked to an increased likelihood of having a child with autism?

A．Gender of the child.	B．Age of the parents.
C．Education of the parents.	D．Environmental pollution.

5. How should we approach individuals with autism, according to the text?

A．Offer encouragement and support.	B．Communicate our ideas clearly to them.
C．Be as generous as possible.	D．Allow freedom in their choices.

2 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the man?

A．A nurse.

B．A doctor.

C．An IT worker.

2. Who would be the last to get the medicine?

A．A woman of 89.

B．A hospital cleaner.

C．A college student.

3. Which medicine did the man prefer?

A．The British one.

B．The German one.

C．The American one.

3 . Parkinson’s is a progressive brain disease which leads to shaky hands and slow movement, and there is no cure. Tai Chi, a traditional Chinese martial art that combines (结合) slow, gentle movements with deep breathing and relaxation, may be an effective means of reducing the suffering. Recently, the researchers say that those who practised the martial art twice a week had fewer complications (并发症) and better quality of life than those who didn’t. Experts say the findings back up previous studies on the benefits of exercise for those with Parkinson’s.

The study, from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, monitored the health of hundreds of Parkinson’s patients for up to five years. One group of 147 people practised regular Tai Chi while another group of 187 did not. The researchers found that the disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group on measurements of symptoms (症状), movement and balance. This group also saw fewer falls, less back pain and dizziness, with memory and concentration problems also lower than in the other group. At the same time, sleep and quality of life continuously improved.

Prof. Alastair Noyce, professor in neurology and neuroepidemiology at Queen Mary University of London, called it “an important study”—the positive effects on aspects of motor (运动的) and non-motor functions are impressive — but said there were limitations in its design, and more tests were needed.

“We already recommend Tai Chi, as well as other forms of exercise, but understanding which forms of exercise are most beneficial is an important goal to improve the long-term management of patients,” he said.

1. Why was the study conducted?

A．To find a cure for Parkinson’s disease.

B．To improve the sleep quality of Parkinson’s patients.

C．To remove the misunderstanding of the previous studies.

D．To research the benefits of Tai Chi for those with Parkinson’s.

2. Which of the following is not the researchers’ finding?

A．Concentration problem was lower in the Tai Chi group.

B．The disease progressed more slowly in the Tai Chi group.

C．Patients in the non-Tai Chi group continuously fell down.

D．Back pain and dizziness were relieved in the Tai Chi group.

3. What can we learn from Prof. Alastair Noyce’s words?

A．Tai Chi should be given more preference.

B．Finding the most beneficial exercise is of importance.

C．It is unnecessary to do more related studies.

D．Improve the long-term management of patients is impossible.

4. What is Prof. Alastair Noyce’s attitude towards the study?

A．Confused.

B．Doubtful.

C．Positive.

D．Worried.

4 . There are a fair few benefits of waking up early. There is increasing evidence (证据) that suggests morning people could be healthier. According to a new study, women in particular who wake up earlier could be less likely to develop depression. Researchers wanted to see if a woman’s chronotype (睡眠类型) — whether they were an “early bird” or “night owl” — had any influence on their risk of depression (抑郁).

They used data from a large study that recorded the health of more than 32.000 female nurses in the US, with an average age of 55 for-nearly thirty years. In 2009, they were asked to tell whether they were a morning or evening person, then they followed up after four years to see how many of them developed depression. During that time there were 2,581 new cases of depression, and those morning types were somewhere between 12 and 27% less likely to develop depression.

The results show that someone’s chronotype could be a reason for developing depression, but the risk is small. The study was based on a special group of people, who are in a highly emotionally and energetically demanding job, and so there is no certainty that the risk of depression is influenced by their sleeping habits. The results are not necessarily suitable for other women of the same age, or men, or children, either.

However, the study does raise some interesting points of discussion. For example, recent research found that disrupting (干扰) our body clock can increase our risk of mood disorders like depression. Nurses work long hours and they often work at night. That may cause psychological problems.

Research has also found that too much sleep and too little sleep are both likely to be bad for your health, and the best way to make sure you’re getting the right amount is to stick to a schedule. That means that even if you have a late night, you should try and get up at the same time every day.

While the answer isn’t as simple as early birds being healthier than night owls, what is clear is that sleep is important to avoiding diseases.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about the research?

A．The subjects of it are all female nurses all over the world.

B．Researchers have followed the subjects for nearly thirty years.

C．Those people who got up early were less likely to have depression.

D．Those people who aged over 55 were more likely to develop depression.

2. What can we infer from the study results?

A．They are one-sided.	B．They are useless.
C．They are correct.	D．They are reasonable.

3. According to the passage, nurses are at risk of psychological problems because ______.

A．they have much work to do	B．their body clock is disordered
C．they always sleep late	D．their sleep time is short

4. What does the fifth paragraph mainly suggest?

A．Working less time.	B．Not working late at night.
C．Sleeping as long as possible.	D．Keeping the body clock.

5. What’s the best title for the passage?

A．The benefits of waking up early.	B．Is sleeping earlier better than late?
C．Nurses are likely to have depression	D．Can keeping early hours prevent depression?

5 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What does Bill have for lunch?

A．A sausage.

B．A salad.

C．A hamburger.

2. Why does Bill pay attention to sodium-rich foods?

A．To delay the aging process.

B．To prevent high blood pressure.

C．To lower the risk of heart attack.

3. What will Mary do tonight?

A．Eat out.

B．Watch TV.

C．Join a health club.

6 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the result of eating a few hours before bed?

A．A higher risk of being fat.

B．Burning off more calories.

C．Eating healthier food.

2. When we eat earlier, how do we feel?

A．Very full.

B．Less hungry.

C．Hungrier than ever.

3. How many participants are there in all?

A．16.

B．25.

C．59.

4. What are participants required to do by researchers?

A．Take some medicine.

B．Exercise as usual.

C．Keep a sleep diary.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker mainly talking about?

A．A measure to deal with being overweight.

B．A school to offer cooking lessons.

C．A way to set up cooking clubs.

2. What do we know about the cooking lessons?

A．They will be given in primary schools.

B．They will be provided one hour a week.

C．They will last for the whole school year.

3. Why are schools setting up “Let’s Get Cooking” clubs?

A．To teach children to cook healthy food.

B．To train more cookery teachers for schools.

C．To help students remember simple recipes.

4. What does the government promise to do?

A．Buy the equipment.

B．Build new kitchens.

C．Help poor students.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. Who is the woman probably?

A．A scientist.

B．A teacher.

C．A nutritionist.

2. What is the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization’s attitude toward eating mealworms?

A．Concerned.

B．Supportive.

C．Ambiguous.

3. How will the man try mealworms?

A．By having mealworm biscuits.

B．By eating whole mealworms.

C．By crushing them into pieces.

9 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. How much did the man weigh last month?

A．About 155 pounds.

B．About 160 pounds.

C．About 165 pounds.

2. What does the woman like?

A．Alcohol and tea.

B．Meat and coffee.

C．Fruit and milk.

3. What does the man want to do?

A．Jog with the woman.

B．Swim 4 times weekly.

C．Go to bed early tonight.

10 . Why are the man’s eyes red?

A．He is sick.

B．He didn’t get much sleep.

C．He has terrible eye problems.