1 . Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.
A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason this happens is because the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart, crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but sitting for long periods of time will hurt you forever.
Crossing your legs can also lead to neck and back pain. Ideally, it’s best for our bodies to sit with our feet planted flat, hip width apart, on the floor, but it’s not easy to maintain perfect posture all day at the office. When you sit with your legs crossed your hips are in a twisted position, which can cause one of your pelvic bones(骨盆) to rotate. Since your pelvic bone supports your neck and spine（脊椎）, this can cause pressure on your lower and middle back and neck.
You also might notice that when you sit with your legs crossed for long periods of time your feet and legs get painful or have the feeling of being asleep. This is because when one leg sits on top of the other it causes pressure on the veins（静脉） and nerves in your legs and feet. It can cause numbness and/or temporary paralysis in the legs, ankles, or feet. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
1. Which of the following is not the consequence of crossing legs?| A．Neck and back get hurt. |
| B．Feet and legs become numb. |
| C．Blood pressure goes up. |
| D．Pelvic bones keep perfect postures. |
| A．break seriously |
| B．hurt greatly |
| C．move casually |
| D．straighten suddenly |
| A．How to choose a proper sitting posture |
| B．It is advisable not to sit with legs crossed |
| C．How to develop beneficial habits |
| D．Blood pressure harms our bodies. |
2 . With great beauty comes great pain. Lauren Lovette is one of the New York City Ballet’s lead dancers. And her
Lovette
Dancers
“Generally, dancers are just as
| A．dances | B．shoes | C．feet | D．teeth |
| A．make | B．affect | C．observe | D．correct |
| A．Instead | B．Besides | C．Yet | D．So |
| A．peace | B．compromises | C．contact | D．arrangements |
| A．ends | B．shares | C．wins | D．mentions |
| A．hurt | B．hit | C．touched | D．operated |
| A．sit | B．play | C．score | D．run |
| A．in | B．with | C．like | D．on |
| A．fond | B．afraid | C．suggestive | D．protective |
| A．speak | B．speed | C．reflect | D．settle |
| A．expensive | B．tidy | C．gorgeous | D．tight |
| A．born | B．taken | C．ordered | D．taught |
| A．happy | B．strong | C．healthy | D．energetic |
| A．if | B．though | C．unless | D．while |
| A．athlete | B．dancer | C．doctor | D．teacher |
| A．lose | B．prevent | C．balance | D．gain |
| A．Taking up | B．Picking up | C．Getting up | D．Pulling up |
| A．Why | B．How | C．Where | D．When |
| A．polished | B．cleaned | C．worn | D．repaired |
| A．adds | B．agrees | C．answers | D．predicts |
3 . One of the most firmly established idea of manliness(男子汉) is that a real man doesn’t cry. Although he might cry a bit at a funeral, he is expected to quickly regain control. Crying openly is for girls. One study found that women cry significantly more than men do—five times as often, on average, and almost twice as long per period.
Historically, however, men usually cried, and no one saw it as shameful. For example, in the Middle Ages, knights(骑士) cried only because they missed their girlfriends. In The Knight of the Cart, no less a hero than Lancelot cries at a brief separation from Guinevere. There’s no mention of the men in these stories trying to hold back or hide their tears. They cry in a crowded hall with their heads held high. Nor do other people make fun of this public crying; it’s universally regarded as an expression of feeling to show love.
So where did all the male tears go? The most obvious possibility is that this is the result of changes as we moved from an agricultural(农业的) society to one that was urban(城市的)and industrial(工业的). In the Middle Ages, most people spent their lives among those they had known since birth. If men cried, they did so with people who would sympathize(同情). But from the 18th to 20th centuries, the population became increasingly urbanize, and people were living in the midst of thousands of strangers. Furthermore, changes in the economy required men to work together in factories and offices where expressions of feelings and even personal conversations were discouraged as time wasting.
Yet human beings weren’t designed to hide their feelings, and there’s reason to believe that restraining tears can be harmful to your well-being. Research from the 1980s has suggested a relationship between stress-related illnesses and not enough crying. Crying is also, somewhat related with happiness and wealth. Countries where people cry the most tend to be richer and more confident.
1. In history, people considered it ________ for men to cry in public.| A．manly | B．shameful | C．acceptable | D．funny |
| A．By offering descriptions. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By comparing facts. | D．By listing numbers. |
| A．Tony who lives alone and never expresses himself. |
| B．Peter who is outgoing but sometimes cries in public. |
| C．Arthur who is under great stress but never shed a tear. |
| D．Adam who sometimes cries but quickly regain control. |
| A．Men Don’t Cry. Why? | B．Crying Is for Women |
| C．Who Cry More? Men or Women? | D．Crying Makes a Weak Man |
4 . This all started a few months ago, when I had a dull pain in the back of my mouth, around where one of my wisdom teeth was supposed to be coming in. I thought it was a pain that I could live with for a while.
However, during the next few weeks, the pain became more intense, spreading to my teeth, gums and jaw. I was told I had seven wisdom teeth.
Yes, you read that correctly, seven — three more than a normal person. My first reaction when I heard was to laugh. It’s just my luck. My mouth wanted to do more work than it had to.
Focusing on the positive, one of the great things about having extra teeth is watching people’s reactions when they find out. So far, I haven’t grown tired of repeating myself.
The extra teeth are also a good excuse for me being tongue-tied. I can now blame it on my overcrowded mouth rather than my slow brain.
Of course, with wisdom teeth come the intellect jokes. My parents say my intelligence comes from my extra teeth and not my hard work. My friends agree that once the teeth are pulled, my brain will be that of a 5-year-old.
I’ve also thought about how I might profit from this. If only I still believed in the tooth fairy, I could make a lot of cash. Maybe I could sell my extras to someone in need. Advertisement: Seven teeth for sale, unused, in almost perfect condition.
Don’t be fooled by my jokes. I am worried about having surgery. I’m also going to be sad to see the Lucky Seven go. I’ve developed quite an attachment to them over the past two days. Once they’re removed, I’ll just be normal again, and who wants that?
1. When the author found that she had three more wisdom teeth than a normal person, she ________.| A．found it quite funny | B．dealt with the pain calmly |
| C．was confused and anxious | D．kept it secret from others |
| A．persuade the author not to remove her wisdom teeth |
| B．advise the author to work hard to improve her intelligence |
| C．make fun of the author in a light-hearted way |
| D．let the author know why she is often tongue-tied |
| A．thought she could rely on it to make a living |
| B．had already made up her mind to make money |
| C．believed that her wisdom teeth were in perfect condition |
| D．was deeply aware that the idea couldn’t become reality |
| A．People’s different reactions to the author’s wisdom teeth. |
| B．How the author has gotten on with her extra wisdom teeth. |
| C．The author’s ideas for making use of her wisdom teeth. |
| D．How the author has decided to remove her wisdom teeth. |
5 . Eye Health Care Daily
Healthy habits mean healthy eyes. Here are some daily tips for eye health.
◆Clean your eyes with pure cold water regularly. This is one of the best ways to keep eyes healthy and disease free.
◆Avoid looking directly at the sun.
◆Roll your eyes up and down, then side to side. Then move your eyes in a circular motion (圆周运动). Exercise 5 to 10 times a day to relax your eyes.
◆ Keep a good distance from the computer screen-sit about 22-28 inches away from it.
◆Visit your eye doctor on a regular basis.
There are also some tips for healthy contact lens (隐形眼镜) wear and care to help prevent eye infections (感染). Please visit CDCS healthy contact lenses website and you can also follow them on social media (www.cdc.goy/contactlenses).
1. _____is not good for your eyes.| A．Eating vegetables | B．Wearing sunglasses |
| C．Wearing contact lens | D．Looking at the sun directly |
| A．Clean eyes with pure cold water. | B．Look at the sun directly. |
| C．Make eye movements. | D．Wear contact lens. |
| A．Education. | B．Health. |
| C．Entertainment. | D．Advertisement. |
6 . Protecting your eyesight is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your quality of life.
Protect your eyes from harmful UV(紫外线的) light. When you stay outdoors during daytime, always wear sunglasses that protect your eyes from 100 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Look for warning signs of changes in your vision.
| A．This may help reduce your risk of cataracts(白内障) and other problems. |
| B．Test your eyesight for free in an online eye exam. |
| C．In a word, eye care is very important, no matter how old a person is. |
| D．With a little careful and loving care, you can keep your eyes healthy as you age. |
| E．Get your eyes checked at least every two years. |
| F．It’s true that following these steps is no guarantee of perfect vision through your lifetime. |
| G．If you start noticing changes in your vision, see your eye doctor immediately. |
1. How did the woman find her airplane ride?
| A．Terrible. | B．Relaxing | C．Exciting.. |
| A．Because she didn’t like music. |
| B．Because she wanted to chat with the couple. |
| C．Because her ears ached when she did that. |
| A．She watched a movie. | B．She went to see a doctor. | C．She bought a pair of earphones. |
8 . Have you ever wished you could see in the dark as well as an animal? In action movies, we often see characters wearing special glasses that reveal（显示）things that can't be seen in darkness. Everything looks green, but we can see the shapes and outlines clearly. As a matter of fact, this is somewhat similar to the way animals' night vision (视力) works.
You may have noticed eyeshine in pictures of animals, or seen it for yourself when light hits an animal's eyes. Dogs, cats, and many other animals have tissue (组织) called the tapetum lucidum（光神经纤维层） in each eye. The purpose of this tissue is reflect (反射) light deeper into the eye. For many animals, it leads to their excellent night vision, and it helps them hunt.
Different types of animals have different colors of eyeshine. The light reflecting back from the eyes of dogs and cat is likely to be yellow. Rats and birds usually have eyes that shine red. Other animals’ eyes may reflect white, yellow, green, or pink light. In each case, the color is related to the type of cells that make up the tapetum lucidum, as well as the chemicals inside the cells.
Eyeshine has the function of improving animals' night vision, but humans have found other uses for it. For example, when people are searching for certain types of animals, their eyeshine may be helpful in recognizing or discovering them. Also, eyeshine has inspired humans to invent substance (物质) that reflect light at night. Strips containing this substance are used to warn us of safety risks such as raised parts of roads. Even though humans cannot see so well at night, we have still found ways to benefit from this amazing animal feature.
1. How does the tapetum lucidum help animals' night vision?| A．It sends out light in the dark. | B．It makes everything appear green. |
| C．It reflects light back into the eyes. | D．It enables them to see colors at night. |
| A．By providing reasons. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By following space order. | D．By doing experiments. |
| A．They've put it to practical uses. |
| B．They're using it to protect some animals. |
| C．They're trying to include more animal types. |
| D．They've invented special glasses based on it. |
| A．How humans' night vision works. | B．Different colors of animals' eyes. |
| C．How animals see in the dark. | D．Eyeshine and its benefits. |
9 . We’re a nation — a globe, in fact — obsessed with our hair. Analysts estimate the global hair product industry to be worth €22.6 billion, growing at a rate of up to seven percent a year.
There seems to be no limit on what we’ll spend to avoid a bad hair day. But for devotees of an underground beauty movement, the secret lies in throwing away the shampoo, in fact all the hair products, for good.
The “no-poo” method, which involves using natural substitutes or just water in place of shampoo and conditioner, is supported by several circles.
Beauty insiders, including writers for women’s magazines and professional hairdressers, speak highly of how hair becomes thicker, fuller, softer and brighter.
And environmentalists who are mindful of money feel great joy at the lack of chemicals in and on their bodies—not to mention the impact on their budgets.
Now one devotee is hoping to take it mainstream. Lucy Aitken Read, whose book Happy Hair: The definitive guide to giving up shampoo was released last week, hasn’t used shampoo for two years and her glowing brown hair is visibly in perfect condition.
For her, the motivation came after reading a study that claimed women put 515 chemicals on their bodies daily. “I initially thought ‘Ha! They didn’t research me!’,” Aitken Read says. “Then I looked at the back of my shampoo bottle and realized there were loads of chemical components I didn’t recognize in the slightest.”
Strangely it’s oily hair that could benefit the most from giving up shampoo. The theory behind the “no-poo” method is that shampoo removes the hair from its natural oils, which causes the scalp (头皮) to generate more oils to replace them. This results in oil overload — oily hair—which we then attempt to “fix” with more shampoo. It’s a vicious (恶性的) circle and quite a brilliant success for the shampoo industry, because the more shampoo you use, the more you need to use and the more frequently you need to use it.
Left to its own devices or washed with natural substitutes, the scalp eventually theoretically returns to its natural balance. The result should be healthier hair that is stronger, thicker and fuller as it is less damaged than shampooed hair.
1. What can we know from the first paragraph?| A．More and more people produce hair products. |
| B．More and more people waste money on their hair. |
| C．More and more hair products are wasted every year. |
| D．More and more hair products are produced every year. |
| A．it has the same chemicals as shampoo does |
| B．it helps reduce their budgets on daily expenses in a way |
| C．natural substitutes are friendly to the environment |
| D．they know shampoo has an impact on their health |
| A．She didn’t realize shampoo contains so many harmful chemicals. |
| B．She didn’t realize shampoo contains all the necessary chemicals. |
| C．She couldn’t recognize the description on the shampoo bottle. |
| D．She didn’t recognize she was quite different from other women. |
| A．It adds more oils to the hair. |
| B．It prevents the scalp producing oils. |
| C．It badly impacts the shampoo industry. |
| D．It makes people addicted to using it more often. |
10 . What do Leonardo da Vincii, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein have in common? They were all left-handed, along with other famous people including Brad Pitt Prince William, and Barack Obama. In fact, an estimated 13 percent of the world's population may be left-handed and still most people around the world are right-handed.
What makes a person become right-handed rather than left-handed? As yet no one really knows for sure. One simple idea suggests that people normally get right-handedness from their parents. Studies have found that two right-handed parents have only a 9.5 percent chance of having a left-handed child, whereas two left-handed parents have a 26 percent chance of having a left-handed child. Another common theory is that left-handed people suffer mild brain damage during birth, which makes them left-handed. However, if this theory were true, it would not explain why the percentage of left-banded people is so similar in every society, when birth conditions vary so much from society to society.
Whatever the reasons behind it, people's attitudes toward left-handedness have changed a lot over the years. Statistics show that although 13 percent of young people (10-20 years old) are left-handed, only 6 percent of the elderly are left-handed. Left-handed children used to be punished until they began using their right hand like other children, but today people who are left-handed are no longer looked down on nor are they considered abnormal. For most people today, either case is perfectly acceptable.
1. What makes one right-handed?| A．The environment. |
| B．Mild brain damage during birth. |
| C．The reason is uncertain. |
| D．Other people. |
| A．Because the elderly are forced to become right-handed. |
| B．Because left-handed people are considered abnormal. |
| C．Because left-handedness can be cured. |
| D．Because the young are easily damaged. |
| A．Left-handed people are looked down upon. |
| B．General facts about left-handed people. |
| C．Some famous left-handed people. |
| D．The reasons why people are left-handed. |
