1 . Lifelong Musicians Have Better Hearing

Playing a musical instrument throughout your life protects your hearing, a Canadian study suggests. The study, which was published in Psychology and Aging, carried out hearing tests on 74 adult musicians and 89 non-musicians.     1    

Action on Hearing Loss said all people - including musicians - should try to prevent hearing damage.    2     By sixty, 10-30% of people have moderate hearing loss. By eighty, that goes up to as many as 60%. Problems are particularly seen in the central auditory processing system, which is associated with understanding speech, especially when there is background noise.

Then a research, by a team at the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto, looked at adults were affected as they aged. They chose both musicians and non-musicians from the age of 18 to 91 and divided them into different groups based on the age. Again musicians were significantly better at picking out speech against noise in all the age ranges.

    3     Benjamin Zendel, who was part of the research team, said: “We found that being a musician may contribute to better hearing in old age, probably due to musicians using their hearing systems at a high level on a regular basis. This advantage widened considerably for musicians as they got older when compared to similar-aged non-musicians.”

This study suggests that musicians might be more able to deal with the consequences of hearing loss.    4     As Dr. Ralph Holme said, all people-including musicians-should try to prevent hearing damage in the first place. It’s necessary for everyone who plays a musical instrument or listens to loud music to wear hearing protection.    5    

A．Hearing normally declines as people age.

B．Previous studies explained the reasons for hearing loss.

C．That can effectively reduce the risk of damaging their hearing permanently.

D．Still, it is far better to minimize damage by using appropriate ear protection.

E．They believed musicians are also likely to experience age-related hearing problems.

F．The researchers concluded that lifelong musicianship delays age-related changes in hearing.

G．It found a 70-year-old musician’s was as good as that of a 50-year-old who didn’t play.

2 . Transplant (移植) recipient John Bell knows exactly where to find his first heart-the damaged one he lived with for 72 years. It’s floating in a container of formaldehyde (福尔马林) at a large storage facility at Baylor University Medical Center, along with hundreds of other human hearts. When he returns to the hospital for a checkup with his cardiologist (心脏病专家), Bell expects to stop by to pay his old heart a visit. Why? Because at Baylor, he can do something almost no one else in the world has ever done. He can hold his heart in his hands.

“It was fairly emotional, that first encounter,” says Bell. “I can’t actually explain why.”

Bell is one of more than 70 heart-transplant patients who have participated in Baylor’s Heart-to-Heart program. It was launched in 2014 by William C. Roberts, MD. Baylor is unique in allowing transplant patients to “meet” their old hearts. “Probably 99.5 percent of hospitals throw the hearts away after they send out a report,” Dr. Roberts says. “We keep them all.” They are used for further research.

The Heart-to-Heart program happened almost by accident. With all those organs stored on the hospital’s shelves, Dr. Roberts would sometimes take a curious patient to visit his or her old ticker. But the doctor discovered that the visits could provide a kind of teachable moment. “Many of the patients are overweight, and I show them the fat on the heart,” says Dr. Roberts. “Some people have so much fat on their hearts that they float in a container of water.”

There’s a larger lesson too. “I try to stress to these people that they are very lucky. They are one of the few that get a heart,” he says. There are an estimated six million Americans living with heart failure, but only 2,000 to 3,000 receive hearts each year in the United States.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ticker”？

A．Friend.	B．Enemy.
C．Heart.	D．Part.

3 . Missing out on deep sleep can leave you feeling slow-acting and sensitive in the morning, but the consequences don’t necessarily end there. Over time, too little deep sleep may also do harm to your heart by contributing to high blood pressure, a new study suggests.

Healthy young and middle-aged adults spend about 25 percent of their sleeping hours in the stages known as deep sleep. This sleep stage has been shown to be important for memory and other mental performance. The new study adds to the growing evidence that deep sleep is also essential to our metabolism (新陈代谢) and heart health.

The research should be considered “exploratory”, and it doesn’t prove a direct link between sleep patterns and high blood pressure. But it suggests that an important aspect of successful aging is the preservation of good sleep quality”. Older people tend to get less deep sleep as they age, find fighting this natural decline —through healthy sleep habits, for example—could be an “extraordinarily important strategy” for heading off high blood pressure.

Sleep problems have been linked to high blood pressure before. Sleep apnoea, a disorder in which a person wakes up struggling for breath time and time again, is strongly linked to high blood pressure, though it’s not clear whether the disorder causes high blood pressure.

Susan Redline, a professor of sleep medicine, says going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, especially keeping away from alcohol and tobacco before going to bed and other good “sleep hygiene (卫生)” can help people sleep longer.

However, the researchers followed the men’s sleep only on a single nights, and they likewise measured blood pressure just once or twice. Therefore, the study failed to rule out factors besides sleep quality, such as diet or medical conditions, which may independently contribute to high blood pressure. More research will be needed to address these shortcomings, the study notes. Nor is it clear whether habitual sleep loss has long-term effects on overall sleep quality and deep sleep.

1. What effect does lack of deep sleep have on people?

A．Their hearts stop functioning.

B．Their metabolism always accelerates.

C．They are less easily hurt in body and spirit.

D．They may perform worse physically and mentally.

2. What does the underlined word “apnoea” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Habit.

B．Medicine.

C．A condition where somebody stops breathing temporarily.

D．A disease which somebody suffers from because of overwork.

3. Which of the following is typically good sleep hygiene according to the text?

A．Getting up soon after waking up.

B．Going to bed early by taking sleep medicine.

C．Avoiding alcohol and tobacco before bedtime.

D．Trying to sleep as long as possible every day.

4. What is the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．Major findings of the study.

B．Some limitations of the study.

C．Different factors affecting sleep quality.

D．Some possible causes of high blood pressure.

4 . Transplant (移植) recipient John Bell knows exactly where to find his first heart-the damaged one he lived with for 72 years. It’s floating in a container of formaldehyde (福尔马林) at a large storage facility at Baylor University Medical Center, along with hundreds of other human hearts. When he returns to the hospital for a checkup with his cardiologist (心脏病专家), Bell expects to stop by to pay his old heart a visit. Why? Because at Baylor, he can do something almost no one else in the world has ever done. He can hold his heart in his hands.

“It was fairly emotional, that first encounter,” says Bell. “I can’t actually explain why.”

Bell is one of more than 70 heart-transplant patients who have participated in Baylor’s Heart-to-Heart program. It was launched in 2014 by William C. Roberts, MD. Baylor is unique in allowing transplant patients to “meet” their old hearts. “Probably 99.5 percent of hospitals throw the hearts away after they send out a report,” Dr. Roberts says. “We keep them all.” They are used for further research.

The Heart-to-Heart program happened almost by accident. With all those organs stored on the hospital’s shelves, Dr. Roberts would sometimes take a curious patient to visit his or her old ticker. But the doctor discovered that the visits could provide a kind of teachable moment. “Many of the patients are overweight, and I show them the fat on the heart,” says Dr. Roberts. “Some people have so much fat on their hearts that they float in a container of water.”

There’s a larger lesson too. “I try to stress to these people that they are very lucky. They are one of the few that get a heart,” he says. There are an estimated six million Americans living with heart failure, but only 2,000 to 3,000 receive hearts each year in the United States.

1. Why does Bell want to visit his old heart?

A．He intends to take it back home.

B．He expects to observe and hold it.

C．He wants to compare his with that of others.

D．He thinks it is a good chance to learn about oneself.

2. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “ticker”？

A．Friend.	B．Enemy.
C．Heart.	D．Part.

3. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that       .

A．Dr. Roberts is an excellent teacher

B．Most people are overweight in the U.S.

C．The Heart-to-Heart program is important

D．Hearts are in great need in the U.S.

5 . Are you content with the shape of your nose? If not, the climate may be to blame, not your parents.

This is according to a recent study carried out by scientists from Pennsylvania State University, US. They found that climate played a key role in shaping our noses. The findings were based on an examination of the size and shape of noses of 476 people from four regions — West Africa, East Asia, South Asia and Northern Europe, using 3D facial imaging technology.

“People have thought for a long time the difference in nose shape among humans across the world may have arisen as a result of natural selection because of climate,” Arslan Zaidi, one of the lead authors of the study, told the Guardian. But while previous studies were based on measurements from human skulls(头骨), Zaidi and his team looked at nose shape itself.

The result showed that wider noses are more common in warm and humid climates, while narrower noses are more common in cold and dry climates. That, Zaidi said, could be because narrower nasal passages (鼻道) help to increase the wet content of air and warm it, which is easier on our lungs. This, in turn, led to a gradual decrease in nose width in populations living far away from the equator (赤道).

More study is still needed to test the link between climate and nose shape, but Zaidi believes the current findings are valuable in understanding potential health issue. “As we become more of a global community, we are going to come across climates that we are not adapted to,” he told the Guardian. This means moving to a very different climate might increase the risk of breathing problems.

However, he added, “This may not be necessarily true for various reasons such as of modern medicine and the fact that our current climate is very different from what it used to be.”

1. According to the passage, people from China might have ________ noses than those from Norway.

A．wider	B．narrower
C．smaller	D．bigger

2. Narrower noses are helpful to ________.

A．cool the air	B．warm the air
C．take in more oxygen	D．dry the air

3. What can be learned about the study?

A．Shapes of our noses are determined by our parents.

B．Nose shape helps people adapt to the environment.

C．Zaidi’s team measured human skull using 3D technology.

D．It’s certain that people living nearby equator will suffer from more breathing problems.

4. Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A．What factors shape noses	B．How to make your nose attractive
C．Nose shapes cause breathing problems	D．Climate shapes noses

6 . Humans were designed to stand upright(直立). And yet in this modern world, too many of us spend our days with our heads lowered for a simple reason: we’re staring at the tiny screen of a smart phone.

People spend an average of 2 to 4 hours each day with their neck bent while shooting off emails or texts. That’s 700 to 1,400 hours a year. The success of social media has led to a rapid development of bad smart phone posture.

The average adult head weighs 10 to 12 pounds when it’s in the upright position. However, because of the gravity, bending your head at a mere 15 degree puts 27 pounds of pressure on your spine(脊椎)；a 30 degree neck bend could equal(等于) 40 pounds of pressure; a 45 degree bend adds the force of 49 pounds, according to the research from Dr. Kenneth Hansraj from New York. These stresses may lead to many problems.

It’s no secret that correct posture is better for your back. According to the researchers, good posture is described as ears aligned(成一条直线) with the shoulders. In proper alignment, spinal stress disappeared. It is the best position for the spine. Standing tall doesn’t just make you look better; it improves your health, too. Other studies have found good posture has even been connected to ways of behaving. People who have poorer posture often have poorer physical and emotional health.

The researchers describe bad posture（姿势）as “the head in a forward position and the shoulders dropping forward in a rounded position”. Bad posture has been connected to many medical problems, including headaches and other problems, depression and heart disease. This is why Hansraj said it’s important to be mindful of your smart phone posture. While it is nearly impossible to avoid the technologies that cause these problems, people should make an effort to look at their phones with a correct posture.

1. Through the underlined sentence in paragraph 2, the author wants to show that _______.

A．the social media have its bad side

B．the social media have made a great success

C．people have to use social media unavoidably

D．more and more people are using smart phones

2. What does the third paragraph mainly tell us?

A．It’s healthy to bend your back regularly.

B．Your back is getting exercise as you bend it.

C．The average weight of an adult head always changes.

D．The more you bend your neck, the heavier the head becomes.

3. What is the correct posture?

A．Bend your head within 15 degrees.

B．Raise and lower your head in turn.

C．Drop your head forward in a rounded position.

D．Keep the positions of the neck and shoulders in a line.

4. Where does the text most probably come from?

A．A text book.	B．A health report.
C．A research plan.	D．A book review.

7 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Guides on how to prevent hair lossHair loss is a condition that affects a good number of the human population. There are many reasons for that.    1    Drink at least eight glasses of water as the day wears on if you want to improve the texture (质地) of your hair. Water helps to reduce the free radicals (自由基) inside your body, so that you can have a strong head of hair for many years. Make water your primary liquid during the day.    2    Research has shown that men who live in polluted neighborhoods may experience hair loss, because polluted things enter their bloodstream and damage their hair.Find at least one hour during the day to exercise.    3    Aim to exercise at least three days a week to keep a healthy head of hair.Keep a balanced diet, including plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. Keeping your whole body healthy will also keep your hair healthy, and healthier hair is likely to last longer.    4    Making sure that you’re eating foods rich in iron is a great way you can help strengthen your hair and prevent it from falling out. Think of eating foods like green leafy vegetables, raisins (葡萄干) and other dried fruits, and even whole grain foods.    5    

A．Avoid areas high in pollution.

B．These food sources are a great source of iron.

C．To prevent hair loss, work with what you have.

D．The following tips will help you prevent hair loss.

E．It is difficult to find the source of hair loss due to its many causes.

F．Exercising helps to reduce stress and remove waste from your body.

G．Keeping your hair healthy will result in shinier hair, improving your appearance.

8 . When we say older people shrink,we don't mean they become tiny enough to fit in your pocket!We just mean that it's common for older people to become a little shorter over time.This kind of shrinking can't be stopped, although people can slow this process.But why does shrinking happen at all?

Because of gravity,cushions between the bones in the spine（脊骨）get compressed（压缩）,which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.

Another reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis（骨质疏松）.Osteoporosis occurs when bone is broken down and not enough new bone material is made.Over time,bone is said to be lost.Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured.

Older people—especially women,who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with—are more likely to develop osteoporosis.As years go by,a person with osteoporosis can get small breaks in bones that are called compression fractures.These breaks cause collapse of the spine and over time the person with osteoporosis can become hunched over（驼背）.

Did you know that every day you shrink a little,too?You aren't as tall at the end of the day as you are at the beginning.That's because as the day goes on,water in the disks of the spine gets compressed due to gravity,making you just a tiny bit shorter.Don't worry,though.Once you get a good night's rest,your body recovers,and the next morning,you're standing tall again!

Smoking and drinking alcohol can make this problem worse.Want to do something right now to build strong bones?I believe what I say will help you.

1. What can we infer from the text?

A．For shrinking,people can do nothing about it.

B．If someone is injured,he will become shorter.

C．Women have smaller and lighter bones than men.

D．We aren't as tall at the end of the day as we are at the beginning.

2. What should we do if we don't want to shrink faster?

A．Reduce gravity.

B．Sleep as long as possible.

C．Be careful not to be hurt by others.

D．Keep away from smoking and drinking alcohol.

3. We can learn from the text about osteoporosis that______.

A．it makes people shorter

B．shorter people usually suffer it

C．women are more likely to develop it

D．once our bone is broken down,it will occur

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Why do we shrink?

B．How to live a healthy life

C．How can we stop shrinking?

D．Some tips on how to keep healthy

9 . 假设你是李华。你的英语老师把你班同学分成几个小组来调查班里患近视(short-sightedness)的同学的人数和原因。你们小组调查后做了如下图所示的统计，请分析下面的饼状图，并谈谈你的看法及建议。

注意：
1. 词数100左右;
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . In the latest beauty craze(狂热) sweeping social media in China, women—and even some men—are boasting that they are paper thin, by posting photographs of their waists behind a vertical(垂直) piece of A4 paper. To qualify, the waist must be entirely hidden by the paper. A piece of A4 paper is 8.3 by 11.7 inches, roughly the size of a sheet of American letter paper.

With the A4 Waist, the trend is attracting hundreds of photographs and thousands of comments on Weibo and other social media networks like Weixin or WeChat. Being abnormally thin is a widespread standard of beauty for women, one that has been criticized as an unhealthy ideal of female attractiveness.

The tiny waist has a long tradition in China, going back at least to King Ling of Chu, who ruled from 540 to 529 B.C. Many in China know the passage from the Book of Han, the history of the Western Han Dynasty: “The King of Chu loved a narrow waist. Many people at court starved to death.’’

Several commentators have found the A4 trend disturbing. In a telephone interview, He Xiaobin, senior fashion features editor at the Chinese edition of GQ magazine, said, “I find it completely stupid. Everybody has a different frame and body shape. Using a single size to define all human beings and thinking you have created a new standard is foolish.’’ The A4 waist challenge annoyed him, saying that it allows certain people to gain bragging rights, while leaving others in depression.

Luckily, some who do not qualify are turning to humor for comfort. Can they substitute a different paper size, such as A3, which is 11.7 inches across or measure a body part besides the waist?

1. What do we know about the latest beauty craze?

A．Women with A4 waists are considered beauties.

B．The love for slim waist is a new modern trend.

C．A4 waist is an old standard of being slim in China.

D．It is a new method to help people go on a diet.

2. According to He Xiaobin, showing A4 waist in social media is ________.

A．traditional	B．challenging
C．disturbing	D．instructive

3. According to the last paragraph, some who don’t have A4 waists take the craze as a ________.

A．lie	B．joke
C．dream	D．target