1 . Ms. McIntyre, 38, worked as a publisher. She suffered brain cancer and her health got worse despite some medical treatment. But she realized that in a way, she was luckier than some other people. She had insurance to help pay for her medical care. But Ms. McIntyre and her husband, Mr. Gregory, knew that many people with cancer face tough decisions because of the costs of medical care and wind up owing far more than they can pay.
Though her health was failing, Ms. McIntyre decided to help pay off the medical debts of as many people as she possibly could. The couple began donating money to a group called RIP Medical Debt, which is committed to working to pay off the unpaid medical debts of others. The group can pay off medical bills for about 100 times less money than they cost. In other words, for every 100 donated, the group can pay off 10,000 in unpaid medical bills.
Unfortunately, Ms. McIntyre passed away before long. Mr. Gregory posted a message for Ms. McIntyre on her social media accounts. “If you’re reading this, I have passed away,” the post began. Then the post explained, “To celebrate my life, I’ve arranged to buy up others’ medical debts and then destroy the debts.”
The couple had set up a page on a website to raise money for this purpose. They had hoped to raise about $20,000. Nevertheless, Ms. McIntyre’s last post attracted a lot of attention. The donations on her web page quickly passed the total goal. In less than a week, the site had raised 10 times more than expected and the donations are still coming in. By November 22, 2023, Ms. McIntyre’s web page had raised over $627,000, or enough money to pay off about $60 million in medical debts.
Mr. Gregory planned a special event in December to celebrate Ms. McIntyre’s life and to announce how many millions of dollars of medical debts her efforts had paid for.
1. Why did Ms. McIntyre feel luckier than some other people?| A．The doctors eventually cured her. | B．Her disease didn’t become worse. |
| C．She had a decent job before being ill. | D．She had security about medical care. |
| A．By paying for their daily debts. | B．By giving away money to them. |
| C．By ridding them of debts from treatments. | D．By purchasing medical insurance for them. |
| A．The public involvement. | B．The couple’s commitment. |
| C．The operation of a website. | D．The increase of medical debts. |
| A．Humorous and elegant. | B．Influential and understanding. |
| C．Cautious and promising. | D．Enthusiastic and adaptable. |
1. What was wrong with Tom?
| A．He was hit by a taxi. |
| B．He hurt his head. |
| C．He fell ill with heart trouble. |
| A．She called the doctor. |
| B．She checked Tom carefully. |
| C．She took Tom to the hospital. |
3 . How to Improve Your Mental Health
Your mental health is an important aspect of your overall health. No matter what your situation is, you can take steps to improve your mental health.
Take a self-assessment(评估). Everyone has what is known as “emotional intelligence” or EQ. EQ refers to how well you understand your emotions and actions. Figuring out your EQ is important if you want to improve your mental well-being.
Set goals. After you have completed your self-assessment, you can clearly identify the areas you would like to focus on improving. Take time to set some clear and achievable goals. These can be both long term and short term goals. Write down your goals.
Handle your emotions. An important part of improving your mental well-being is learning to admit your emotions.
Learn how to identify and deal with your triggers (诱因) . Everyone has different triggers.
Gather information. Avoid the bad name that mental health issues are somehow not “real” problems. Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Take some time to learn about the importance of your mental health.
| A．Take some time to look at the big picture. |
| B．This is when you apply a name to the emotion. |
| C．Yours might be certain people, situations, or places. |
| D．Research different ways to improve your mental health. |
| E．This will help you keep them and make your dream come true. |
| F．Sometimes it might feel simple r to set aside an uncomfortable emotion. |
| G．You can find online assessment tools to help you figure out your results. |
4 . Spending time outdoors has long been linked (联系) to better health. Gardening goes beyond just beautifying outdoor spaces—it can have a deep effect on our physical and mental (身心上的) health.
Gardening involves physical activity that works all the main muscle (肌肉) groups, which is helpful for overall health. “Activities such as digging, planting, weeding and harvesting require movement and can help to improve strength,” said Clayton, CEO of an online lawn care company. “Performing these activities regularly can help burn calories, and keep a healthy weight.”
Beyond burning calories and building muscle, lots of studies have shown that gardening can improve the immune system (免疫系统). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that people get at least 150 minutes of exercise each week, and gardening is listed as a suitable activity. Doing garden work for that time each week can reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure and heart disease. Additionally, spending time outdoors makes us get close to natural sunlight, which is important for vitamin D synth.
Gardening provides a chance for social connection, too. It can be a shared activity among family members, friends or neighbors, building relationships and a sense of belonging.
Gardening also offers cognitive (认知的) benefits. It excites the senses, improves focus and encourages problem-solving and creativity. It provides a chance to learn about plants, ecosystems and the environment, developing a deeper understanding and appreciation for nature.
1. What is Clayton’s attitude towards gardening?| A．Supportive. | B．Doubtful. | C．Unclear | D．Uncaring. |
| A．It improves focus. | B．It is a waste of time. |
| C．It can keep a body in shape. | D．It helps to reduce the risk of diseases. |
| A．It contributes to creativity. | B．It encourages problem-solving. |
| C．It builds relationships between people. | D．It improves people’s awareness of safety. |
| A．How to Start a Garden | B．Choose a Garden or Not |
| C．What Plants Grow Best in a Garden | D．Start Gardening and Get the Health Benefits |
Eating ultraprocessed foods (超加工食品) for more than 20% of your daily calorie intake every day could lead to cognitive decline, a new study revealed. Studies have found these foods can raise our risk
The key problem with ultraprocessed foods is that they are usually very high in sugar, salt and fat, all of
6 . Scientists recently discovered that our brains may be just as busy at night as they are during the day. While we sleep, our brains are doing much more than getting ready for the next day. Scientists found that the brain may be busy cleaning out harmful waste materials.
As with many studies, scientists turned to mice for help. They studied the mice brains as they slept and when they were awake. They saw that the brains of sleeping mice were hard at work.
Dr. Maiken led the study. The brain expert says our brains perform two very different jobs. It seems they have daytime jobs. Later they “moonlight” at a nighttime job. And this study says that is what our brains seem to be doing. “When we are awake, the brain cells are working very hard at processing all the information around us. When we are asleep, they work very, very hard at removing all the waste that builds up when we are awake.” The scientists say that the waste material includes poisons.
They also found that during sleep, the brain’s cells become smaller, which allows waste to be removed more successfully. Dr. Maiken says these poisons end up in the liver(肝脏). There, they are broken down and then removed from the body. “So we need to sleep because we have a cleaning system that removes many of the poisonous waste products from the brain.”
Dr. Maiken says the next step is to look for the process in human brains. She says the results show how important sleep is to health and fighting disease. The research may also one day lead to treatments to prevent or help fight mental disorders(精神疾病).
1. According to the scientists, when we sleep, our brains .| A．clean themselves | B．turn off for the night |
| C．process information | D．store energy for the next day |
| A．you work in the moonlight | B．you work hard |
| C．you work only at night | D．you have an extra job |
| A．breaking it down | B．sending it to the liver |
| C．building it up in order | D．removing it from the body |
| A．Opposed. | B．Indifferent. | C．Supportive. | D．Critical. |
7 . For three days, the doctor didn’t get single patient. Then on the fourth day, a woman opened the door to his office, saw him and ran away.
“I had to run after her, saying I can help her with the problem,” said Diarra Boubacar. The 53-year-old still has a good laugh when he talks about his first day working as a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) at a private hospital in Chengdu, Sichuan province.
“If my approach is not effective, I will not take any money from you,” he promised the woman. The woman finally accepted his treatment and felt better. “She started bringing her parents and her husband, and they all became my patients.”
Born in the African country of Mali, Boubacar first came to China in 1984 on a student exchange programme majoring in Chinese language and culture at Beijing Language and Culture University. After the course, he studied TCM at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine.
Since TCM is also related to Chinese history and culture, students have to study ancient Chinese literature as most of the medical texts were written in ancient Chinese characters. “That’s a subject even the Chinese find difficult; so think of me, a foreigner!” he said.
However, the greatest challenge for him was to convince people that even though he was a foreigner, he could still treat them effectively with TCM.
Besides his work in the community, Boubacar is also known as the “African Norman Bethune”. Doctor Bethune was a Canadian frontline doctor who ran mobile hospital in north China in the 1930s.
“I want to build not only a hospital but also an educational centre where people can come and learn about Chinese medicine,” Boubacar said.
He plans to build a hospital with an educational centre where people can learn TCM in Africa. “If they learn TCM, they will be able to treat people in Africa in a very cheap and effective way.”
1. Why did the woman introduce her family to Boubacar?| A．The treatment is free. | B．The curative effect is good. |
| C．It is a private hospital. | D．The doctor is from Africa. |
| A．To run an educational centre. | B．To start a private hospital. |
| C．To learn Chinese language and culture. | D．To learn from Norman Bethune, |
| A．Understanding his teachers. |
| B．Studying Chinese language. |
| C．Convincing his classmates of his ability. |
| D．Understanding ancient Chinese literature. |
| A．Creative and modest. | B．Talented and patient. |
| C．Determined and ambitious. | D．Humorous and diligent. |
8 . People who are overweight are often seen to have a strong desire for food at any time of the day. They keep on eating till they reach their satisfaction level. This often pushes them towards overeating.
Do not rush while eating food. Take your time and eat slowly as this technique develops the feeling of fullness before your stomach is actually full.
Do not watch television while eating because it causes distractions.
| A．Eat when you begin feeling hungry. |
| B．Overeating is a major cause behind poor health. |
| C．Start with the dish that seems more interesting to you. |
| D．Frequent overeating will result in unwanted weight gain. |
| E．Instead, sit at a dining table to concentrate on what you’re eating. |
| F．Decide how much you want to eat before actually eating your food. |
| G．To know if you are full during a meal, take deep breaths in between. |
9 . We’ve all heard the expression, “Money doesn’t buy happiness.” Since happiness is a side effect of laughter, shift your focus from the secret of happiness to experiences that bring you laughter. Instead of asking yourself “How can I be happy?”, ask “What makes me laugh?” This approach creates space for more actionable practices.
•Look at the situation through a child’s eyes.
When times get stressful, take a moment to think about how you saw things as a kid. The more we can experience that childlike wonder and enthusiasm, the less we sweat even the big stuff.
•Add laughter to your mornings.
•Learn to laugh at yourself.
Relieving yourself of pressure is the joy of learning to laugh at yourself. It also allows you to show more of your true self.
•
There is no better way to practice laughing at yourself than going outside your comfort zone. From learning German to taking up rollerblading and Zumba, plenty of new activities will fuel your laughter. With so many ways to laugh more, why wait for your bit of happiness?
| A．Hang out with friends. |
| B．Take up something new. |
| C．Permit yourself to be silly. |
| D．Morning routines set the tone for the entire day. |
| E．Read on four ways to get your daily amount of laughter. |
| F．Money doesn’t buy happiness but it can help us find happiness. |
| G．Instead, try any of the ideas above, and start feeling better now. |
10 . Regular jogging (慢跑) can reduce your risk of health problems. If you’re new to jogging, getting started can seem a little difficult.
Fuel your body 2 hours before jogging
Eat a healthy meal rich in fruit and vegetables before jogging.
Warm up for 5 minutes before jogging
It’s very important to warm up before you jog.
Most people think how far and how long you run has to do with patience and a strong will. However, having the proper running form plays an important role in jogging. To make the most of your jogging, remember to keep your head straight and your muscles relaxed, avoid lifting your knees too high, and touch the ground lightly with the middle of your foot.
Cool down after your jogging
After jogging, you can avoid strain on your heart and muscles by doing cool-down exercise. Finish your jog with 5～10 minutes of walking.
| A．Breathe regularly as you jog |
| B．Practise proper forms while jogging |
| C．Healthy food can give you enough energy |
| D．Then do some gentle stretches to relax your muscles |
| E．Spend at least 5 minutes doing a warm-up before jogging |
| F．However, if you plan ahead, you’ll see the benefits of jogging |
| G．You can try the following steps to form your healthy jogging habit |
