1 . Protecting your eyesight is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your quality of life.     1     Consider these simple guidelines:

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.     2    

Look for warning signs of changes in your vision.     3    Some trouble signs to look for are double vision, hazy (模糊的) vision and having difficulty seeing in low light conditions. Other signs and symptoms of potentially serious eye problems that require immediate attention include red eyes, frequent flashes of light, eye pain and swelling.

    4     A comprehensive eye exam, including enlarging your pupils (瞳孔), can determine your risk for major eye diseases that have no early warning signs or symptoms. An eye exam also can make sure that your prescription for eyeglasses or contact lenses (隐形眼镜) is up to date.

    5     But keeping a healthy lifestyle and having regular eye exams will certainly decrease your risk of developing a sight-stealing eye problem that otherwise might have prevented.

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.

2 . Researchers at Brigham found about one in five teenagers now have some degree of hearing damage. The researchers did not say why hearing loss has risen, but other experts have strong suspicions. One likely culprit, they say, is MP3 players.

An MP3 player can be dangerous to hearing when its decibel level is turned up too high. High-decibel sounds can damage nerve endings, called hair cells. If a sound is loud enough, the damage can be permanent. A loud sound can shake the membrane (薄膜) on which the hair cells sit- “like an earthquake”. That shake can break or even uproot hair cells. When that happens, the hair cells are finished. Human ears cannot regrow hair cells. Therefore, when listening to an MP3 player, set a volume limit and avoid exposure to loud sounds.

On the other hand, the loudness of today’s music may not be totally under your control. Music companies have been purposely turning up the volume. It’s a trend called the fight for loudness.

Play a CD from the 1990s. Then play a newly released tune. Don’t touch the volume control. You’ll probably notice that the new CD sounds louder than the old one. Why? Sound engineers who create CDs are using dynamic range compression (压缩), a technology that makes the quiet parts of a song louder and the loud parts quieter. The overall effect of compression is a louder recording.

Many musicians and sound engineers aren’t pleased. They say that compression is driving down the quality of today, s music, making it sound flat and blaring. Gray Hobish, a sound engineer, explains that music should be a combination of loudness and softness. But music companies want to make music louder so it will stand out. That’s important in the competition among recording companies.

What about listeners? Many teenagers listen to music on the go in noisy places and through headphones, all of which reduce sound quality. So young listeners may not notice the poorer quality of modem recordings. “To their ears,” says Hobish, “the music sounds fine. And they are not aware of the hidden threat of the music they are enjoying.”

1. The phrase “like an earthquake” in Para. 2 aims to explain       .

A．that volume can strongly affect parts of the ear

B．how our body is unable to regrow hair cells

C．how much damage the ear can avoid

D．that hair cells are easily damaged

2. What can we learn about today’s music business?

A．New technology improves the quality of music.

B．Young listeners today prefer louder sound.

C．Music companies sacrifice quality for loudness.

D．Sound engineers face tough competition.

3. What is probably the best title for the passage?

A．The Loudness War

B．Your Hearing Is Going!

C．The Damaged Ears

D．Are You a Good Listener?

3 . Feifei, an 11-year-old boy from Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, suffered from a sudden acute eye disease which has almost led to blindness. The disease was caused by excessive(过度的)eye fatigue(疲劳)during the winter vacation, during which he played computer games for continuous 10 days and nights.

Many youngsters in China nowadays are increasingly addicted to computer games and other electronic products. This is followed by a series of health problems, with the most typical case being myopia, or nearsightedness.

According to the latest research report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), the myopia     rate among Chinese teenagers ranks first in the world—70 percent of high school and college students. The rate is nearly 40 percent in primary school students, while it is only 10 percent for their peers in the United States.

There are at least 10 million people in China with severe myopia, and they are likely to get pathological(病理性的)myopia in middle age. Pathological myopia can't be treated with glasses or surgery, and it is one of the biggest factors that lead to blindness, Xu Xun, director of the ophthalmology(眼科学) department at Shanghai General Hospital, pointed out.

Experts explain that two major factors lead to the high rate of myopia among Chinese people. One is high academic pressure, and the other one is excessive use of electronic devices over a long period of time. Genetics, on the other hand, are not the main reason, as only 20 percent of Chinese people had myopia in the 1960s.

"Teenagers are now faced with severe academic pressure, which means they often study without natural light. This increases their risk of becoming nearsighted," Xu said.

Experts suggest that youngsters maintain a proper balance between study and rest so as to protect their eyesight, and parents should play an active role in the process.

1. Why does the author mention Feifei's experience in the first paragraph?

A．To advise people to protect their eyes.

B．To introduce the topic of nearsightedness.

C．To inform people of the cause of blindness.

D．To show that Feifei developed an eye disease.

2. What can be learnt from the passage?

A．Nearsightedness may cause other health problems.

B．There are more nearsighted students in the United States.

C．70 percent Chinese students in primary school are nearsighted.

D．Pathological myopia is most likely to cause blindness.

3. Which of the following can be a main reason for myopia?

A．Genetics factors.

B．Low academic pressure.

C．Overuse of electronic devices.

D．Reading in natural light.

4. What will be probably discussed in the following paragraph?

A．The significance of protecting eyesight.

B．Youngsters’ bad behavior leading to myopia.

C．The relationship between youngsters and their parents.

D．Parents’ role in helping youngsters protect their eyesight.

4 . What Does the Length of Your Fingers Say About You?

Are you the peace-loving type or the ambitious go-getter? Your finger length might be a clue. Take a look at your fingers. Would you believe me if I told you that the length of your fingers in relation to one another can predict your personality? I know that it sounds like one of those silly tests you see on Facebook, but I have to admit that it is exactly correct for me. Here’s how it works.

Look at your three middle fingers of your hand. Is your index finger longer than your ring finger? Is your ring finger longer than your index finger? Or are the two of the same length? Find the situation that best matches your hand and see if what follows is an accurate description of your personality.

Longer ring finger: The Sweet Talker

If your ring finger is longer than your index finger, research shows that you’re likely a charming type, and you can probably talk yourself out of any situation. Others often find this personality type irresistible and will go to great lengths to help you. You’re more likely to take risks, and you’re good at problem-solving. People in this category make great engineers, soldiers and crossword-puzzle solvers.

Longer index finger: The (Over) Confident One       

If your index finger is longer than your ring finger, chances are you are full of confidence—possibly even to the point of being over-confident and proud. You are not necessarily introverted (内向的), but you do enjoy time to yourself, especially when you’re trying to complete a project. You are a dream pursuer who can make things happen, but you may be shy when it comes to taking the first step in a relationship. You are also probably happy with what you have, but you’re always wishing for more.

Index and ring finger are of the same length: The Peacemaker

If your index finger and ring finger are roughly of the same length, you are likely to avoid conflict at all costs and seek to keep the peace in your relationships. You are well-organized, faithful and sympathetic. But deep down under all of that caring and peace-loving, you also have a hot-tempered side that can appear unexpectedly when you’re pushed too far. You will try your hardest to avoid a fight.

How well do these descriptions match your personality? I was surprised at the accuracy in my case, but I’m not going to tell you which one it was!

1. Which of the following hand could be an engineer’s hand?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. We can learn from the passage that the author ______.

A．is very charming and helpful	B．always tries hard to avoid a fight
C．often takes silly tests on Facebook	D．thinks the descriptions suit him well

3. What does the passage intend to tell us?

A．How accurate the description of the test is.

B．The length of fingers can reveal personality.

C．Why your fingers are not of the same length.

D．Personality is determined by your finger length.

4. Where can you probably find the text?

A．A popular magazine.	B．An official report.
C．A public advertisement.	D．A biology textbook.

5 . Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don't even notice that they're doing it when they sit down. 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 for this is that the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart and that crossing one leg over the other increases resistance(阻力), making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won't feel any immediate effects, but repeated, drawn-out increases in blood pressure can cause long-term health problems. So, planning to sit for a long period of time? Don't keep your legs crossed.

Crossing your legs at the knee can also cause pressure on the major nerve in your leg that passes just below your knee and along the outside of your leg, explains Richard Graves, a medical expert. This pressure can cause numbness and temporary paralysis (麻痹) of some of the muscles in your foot and leg, preventing you from being able to raise your ankle—what we know as that “pins and needles” sensation. 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. What can we learn about crossing one's legs?

A．It is a very bad social habit.

B．It is usually practiced on purpose.

C．It can do harm to people's health.

D．It can make others feel uncomfortable.

2. According to the study, sitting with your legs crossed can______.

A．affect your blood pressure

B．resist gravity effectively

C．lead to heart attacks easily

D．improve the function of legs

3. In the third paragraph "pins and needles" probably means______.

A．slight sharp pains

B．being a little nervous

C．serious muscle injuries

D．being highly flexible

4. What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To compare common habits.

B．To give readers some advice.

C．To evaluate effects of an experiment.

D．To introduce research methods.

6 . Easy Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp

Everyone is forgetful, but as we age, we start to feel like our brains are slowing down a bit- -and that can be a very annoying thing.     1    Read on for some techniques worth trying.

1.     2    

People who regularly made plans and looked forward to upcoming events had a 50 percent reduced chance of Alzheimer’s disease (早老性痴呆症)，according to a recent study.     3    Something as simple as setting a goal to have a weekly coffee date with a friend will do. There’s evidence that people who have a purpose in life or who are working on long or short-term goals appear to do better. In other words, keep your brain looking forward.

2. Go for a walk.

Mildly raised glucose (葡萄糖) levels can harm the area of the brain that helps you form memories and physical activity can help get blood glucose down to normal levels. In fact, exercise produces chemicals that are good for your brain.     4    

3. Learn something new.

Take a Spanish class online, join a drawing club, or learn to play cards. A study found that mental stimulation (刺激) limits the weakening effects of aging on memory and the mind. But the best thing for your brain is when you learn something new and are physically active at the same time.     5    Or go dancing with your friends.

A．Focus on the future.

B．This can be especially harmful to the aged.

C．It should be something like learning gardening.

D．So take a few minutes each day to do some reading.

E．But don’t worry if your schedule isn’t filled with life changing events.

F．Luckily, research shows there is a lot you can do to avoid those moments

G．In other words, when you take care of your body, you take care of your brain.