1 . The Damage that aging does to a body extends all the way down to the cellular level. But the damage increased by cells in older muscles is especially severe, because the cells do not reproduce easily and they become weaker as their mitochondria （线粒体）, which produce energy, reduce in energy and number. A study, however, suggests that certain sorts of exercise may remove some of what time can do to our mitochondria.
Exercise is good for people, as everyone knows. But scientists have surprisingly little understanding of its cellular impacts and how those might vary by activity and the age of the exerciser. So researchers recently conducted an experiment on the cells of 72 healthy but sedentary （久坐的） men and women who were 30 or younger or older than 64. After baseline measures were established for their aerobic （有氧的） fitness, their blood-sugar levels and the gene activity and mitochondrial health in their muscle cells, the volunteers were randomly assigned to a particular exercise program.
Some of them did intense （强烈的） weight training several times a week; some did brief interval training three times a week on exercise bicycles; some rode exercise bikes at an appropriate pace for 30 minutes a few times a week and lifted weights lightly on other days. A fourth group, the control （对照组）, did not exercise. After 12 weeks, the lab tests were repeated. In general, everyone experienced improvements in fitness and an ability to regulate blood sugar.
But more unexpected results were found in the biopsied （活组织检查） muscle cells. Among the younger subjects who went through interval training, the activity levels had changed in 274 genes, compared with 170 genes for those who exercised more appropriately and 74 for the weight lifters. Among the older group, almost 400 genes were working differently now, compared with 33 for the weight lifters and only 19 for the appropriate exercisers.
Many of these affected genes, especially in the cells of the interval trainers, are believed to influence the ability of mitochondria to produce energy for muscle cells; the subjects who did the interval exercise showed an increase in the number and health of their mitochondria — an impact that was particularly pronounced among the older cyclists. It seems exercise could help contain the decline in the cellular health of muscles associated with aging, especially if it was intense, says Dr. Sreekumaran Nair, the study’s senior author. In fact, older people’s cells responded in some ways more strongly to intense exercise than the cells of the young did — suggesting, he says, that it is never too late to benefit from exercise.
1. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?| A．exercise Might Benefit Aging Muscles |
| B．Exercise Might Increase Aging Muscles |
| C．Exercise Might Do Harm to Mitochondria |
| D．Aging Mainly Occurs in the Cellular Level |
| A．Volunteers cannot be good at exercising. |
| B．All volunteers must have the same baseline. |
| C．It was carried out among the youth of different sexes. |
| D．Volunteers received a random particular exercise program. |
| A．By analyzing every group’s different data. |
| B．By comparing every group’s training time. |
| C．By listing every group’s different training. |
| D．By describing every group’s training results. |
| A．the experiment did not get expected results |
| B．riding exercise bikes has no influence on the volunteers |
| C．weight lifting is the most useful training among these exercises |
| D．interval training brings stronger influence to the elder than to the youth |
| A．change | B．stop |
| C．record | D．cause |
2 . Tiny as they are, bats have the ability to “see” in the dark by using a special skill called echolocation (回声定位法). They make noises and wait for sound waves, or an echo, to bounce (反弹) back off objects. They can tell the distance of various objects by how quickly the sound waves bounce back off them. If no sound bounces back, they can then fly forward.
This special ability has been simulated in the human world for a long time, such as in submarines and planes, whose sonar (声呐) systems are somewhat similar to echolocation. But apart from helping vehicles “see” where they are, what if blind people could use echolocation for themselves? It turns out, some already are.
American Daniel Kish, who is blind, is known as “Batman”. This isn’t because he walks around in a cape (披风) and a mask, but because he has a bat-like ability to locate where he is through sharp clicks he makes by moving his tongue against the roof of his mouth. Kish is so skilled at echolocating that he can ride a bike and hike on his own.
Recently, research carried out at the University of Durham in England shed (揭示) some light on the power of human echolocation.
Kish worked with a group of scientists who studied the way blind people listen to the echoes that they produce from clicks.
The team, which conducted experiments with other volunteers, found that people were capable of hearing even very faint echoes, ones far fainter than had been previously thought.
Speaking to The Independent, Lore Thaler, lead scientist of the group, said, “We found that in some conditions, they were really faint — about 95 percent softer than the actual clicks, but the echolocators were still able to sense this.”
Andrew Kolarik of the University of Cambridge is another expert in echolocation. Reacting to the Durham study, he told BBC News that echolocation “can be very useful at providing information at face or chest height” and could help people “avoid objects like low hanging branches that might not get detected by the cane (盲杖) or a guide dog”.
Although Kish’s skill is remarkable, there’s hope for other blind people who want to use echolocation. According to BBC News, echolocation is a skill blind people can acquire and develop, just like learning a language. As Kolarik said: “Teaching echolocation skills could provide blind people with the means of exploring new places.”
1. The underlined word “simulated” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.| A．copied | B．discovered |
| C．improved | D．challenged |
| A．By using his great sense of hearing. |
| B．By listening to the echoes produced by his cane. |
| C．Via the sonar system attached to his body. |
| D．Via the echoes from the clicks he makes with his tongue. |
| A．It is hard for echolocators to sense faint echoes. |
| B．Humans can echolocate better than we thought we could. |
| C．Echolocators can pick up all types of echoes. |
| D．Blind people are better echolocators than those who can see. |
| A．is not easy to put into practice |
| B．will enable them to get rid of their cane |
| C．will open up new possibilities for them |
| D．will improve their ability to learn a new language |
| A．Different types of human echolocation. |
| B．The importance of human echolocation. |
| C．Studies on blind people using echolocation. |
| D．Why bats’ echolocation could be used by humans. |
One out of many important things for the whole family to do is to have dinner together. Researchers began reporting the benefits of family dinner about a decade ago, focusing mainly on how it affects children. Studies show that those families who eat dinner at least 3 or 4 times a week together, benefit in many ways.
Eating together helps families achieve open communication and build stronger and healthier relationships. Children have better grades at school and are better adjusted as teens and adults, and the entire family enjoys healthier nutrition. For many families, eating dinner together proves to be a good and effective way to reduce the risk of youth rates of addiction, and helps to nurture healthier children. It is also a great time to share the events of the day, discuss news and ideas and just be together and enjoy each other’s company.
During dinner time parents have better opportunity to show that they are the prior to their children. Sitting at the same table and sharing meals is where and when parents can find out more about their children’s school performance, daily activities and attitudes toward life. When parents have all this information they can better direct their kids toward positive things in life. They also have better chance to reduce the possibility that children will get involved with alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs.
However, family researchers say that the benefits of family dinner by no means can be considered as automatic. Parents can sit down to dinner with their kids every day and achieve nothing. Family dinner may not benefit if there is too much arguing going on, if there is no meaningful conversation or, what is even worse, if there is just plain silence during gathering.
1. What may be the best title for this passage? (no more than 8 words)2. What benefits can children get from eating together? (no more than 15 words)
3. How do you explain the underlined word “nurture” in Paragraph 2? (no more than 2 words)
4. What information can parents probably get about their children at family dinner? (no more than 15 words)
5. What should be avoided at the dinner table according to the author? And why? (no more than 15 words)
4 . Apart from psychological illness，we are all largely responsible for our own emotional health.What we say to ourselves over and over for days, weeks, months，and sometimes years, has a great effect on how we see ourselves. This also contributes to many mental health disorders.
Many of us have problems with negative thoughts playing on the channel of our minds, but if you’re buried in them and believe them, they could be wearing your sense of self-esteem. Here are a few beliefs that indicate you may need to switch the channel：I’m not good enough? /I don’t deserve...? /No one likes me? /I’m a failure?
Negative thoughts remind you of your bad feelings and they bring your focus on your failures, and they get you nowhere.
What can you do? Here are some suggestions：
Switch the channel when negative thoughts appear. Self-talk is not so obvious that we often don’t notice its effect on our mood and belief systems. Key things to notice are “if only” or “what if” statements: the former keeps you caught in the past with regret, while the latter keeps you fearful of the future. There is nothing you can do about the past, and the future isn’t here yet, so stay in the present moment.
Recognize that actions always follow beliefs. You’ll find yourself behaving in ways that are consistent to your beliefs. So, start believing the best about yourself：act as if you believe that you’re a valuable and worthy person.
Develop positive selftalk rather than negative self-talk. Instead of always looking down upon yourself in your head, think of some things you actually like about yourself. What are your strengths? What are you good at? Instead of saying “I’m a loser”，try saying，“I am capable./I’m good at.../I accept myself the way I am.”
Thinking poorly about ourselves gets us nowhere and is extremely self-limiting. Decide today to turn off the negative self-talk channel in your mind and develop your true potential.
1. From the first two paragraphs we can learn that________.| A．lots of people have no sense of self-esteem |
| B．focusing on negative thoughts may have bad effect on people |
| C．negative thoughts will strengthen our sense of self-esteem |
| D．few people have negative thoughts and mental problems |
| A．strengthening | B．protecting |
| C．weakening | D．replacing |
| A．Our beliefs always come after actions. |
| B．Positive self-talk does good to our mental health. |
| C．Looking down upon ourselves is a sign of modesty. |
| D．“What if” keeps you stuck in the past with regret. |
| A．get rid of negative thoughts |
| B．get anywhere we like |
| C．think highly of others |
| D．turn off the self-talk channel |
| A．a recreation guide | B．a medical journal |
| C．a science textbook | D．a travel brochure |
5 . Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose long-term health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner. Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple’s diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, “The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration.”
1. According to the passage, moving in with a girlfriend, men _______.| A．have few changes of their dietary habits |
| B．have to eat more unhealthy foods |
| C．don’t like foods high in fat and sugar at all |
| D．try to eat foods that their girlfriends like |
| A．not very heavy | B．less in fat and sugar |
| C．gentle | D．not serious or important |
| A．women put on weight only because they want to suit their other half |
| B．when men are faced with emotional stress, they will change their dietary habits |
| C．eating together in the evening is a good way to communicate for couples |
| D．it is wrong to change your dietary habits to suit your partner |
| A．women should pay more attention to their partner’s influence on them |
| B．more men will play roles of shopper and cook in most households |
| C．couples will not change their dietary habits and lifestyle to please their partner |
| D．long-term health of men benefits when they move in with a female partner |
| A．Don’t be silly any more, women! |
| B．Which are better dietary habits? |
| C．Boyfriends make you fat |
| D．Dr. Amelia Lake and his study |
6 . Being attractive isn’t usually considered much of a disadvantage in today’s world. Actually, there is the endless potential benefit about it, but researchers have found one area that being pretty makes life a challenge securing yourself a boring, low-paying job.
This stands in contrast to a large body of research that attractiveness, in general, helps candidates in the selection process. For the most part good looks is a blessing. We treat pretty people more favorably in general, often vote for them more in elections, and pay them more in their professions. The research suggests that attractive people may be discriminated against in selection for relatively less desirable jobs.
Researchers carried out four experiments involving more than 750 participants, including university students and managers who make hiring decisions in the real world. Participants were shown photos of two potential job candidates, one attractive and the other unattractive. Participants were then asked a series of questions designed to measure their opinions of the job candidates and whether they would hire these candidates for a less-than-desirable job.
The less desirable jobs included a warehouse worker, housekeeper, customer service representative and the more desirable jobs included things like a manager, project director, IT elite(精英). In all experiments where they were asked, participants were significantly less likely to hire the attractive candidate for the less desirable job and more likely to hire the attractive candidate for the more desirable job.
Ms Lee said, “In the selection decision for an undesirable job, decision makers were more likely to choose the unattractive individual over the attractive individual. Co-author Dr Madan Pillutla said, “It is interesting that decision makers consider others’ opinions in their decisions. They thought that attractive individuals would want better outcomes, and therefore would be less satisfied, so they favored unattractive candidates when selecting for a less desirable job.”
The research also suggests the established view that attractive candidates are favored when applying for jobs might be limited to high-level jobs.
1. What do people generally think of being attractive?| A．It is a disadvantage. |
| B．It is a blessing. |
| C．it is not important. |
| D．It has nothing to do with jobs. |
| A．The participants of the experiment |
| B．The importance of the experiment |
| C．The process of the experiment |
| D．The result of the experiment. |
| A．a manager |
| B．a project director |
| C．a warehouse worker |
| D．an IT elite |
| A．Because they are more hardworking. |
| B．Because they will be more satisfied. |
| C．Because they have no requirements at all. |
| D．Because they will want better outcomes. |
| A．Attractive people are more fit for high-level jobs. |
| B．Less attractive people are easy to find high-level jobs. |
| C．Attractive people can always be hired when applying for jobs. |
| D．Less attractive people can easily get highly paid if they work hard. |
7 . Hacking isn’t just for computers and smart phones. According to a study, scientists have found a way to hack a plant’s genes in order to make it use sunlight more quickly. Someday, the results could increase the number of food produced around the world.
Scientists used tobacco plants in the study because it is easy to change the plants’ genes. Hacked plants are larger than normal plants.
Photosynthesis is the word used to describe how plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food. Scientists say this is a very slow process. Plants use less than 1 percent of the energy. But by hacking a plant’s genes, the scientists were able to increase the amount of leaf growth on plants between 14 and 20 percent. Scientists hacked the plant’s protective system. Normally, this system starts when a plant gets too much sunlight. When the plant senses the light, it creates more leaves. When the plant is in shade, the protective system is turned off. But the process is slow.
The new study sped up the process by changing the plant’s genes, the protective system turned on and off more quickly than normal. As a result, leaf growth on the plants scientists used in the study increased. Leaf growth on two plants increased by 20 percent, while leaf growth on a third plant increased by 14 percent. Scientists conducted the study on tobacco plants. But they think the genetic changes would produce the same results in corn and rice.
Agriculture professor Tala Awanda said the study makes sense, but cautioned the yield（产量）might not be quite so high for conventional food crops. Still, she added in an email, “this study remains a breakthrough,”
1. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 1 ?| A．We can find hacking only in digital devices. |
| B．A plant’s genes can be changed by hacking. |
| C．Hacking has been used in improving food production. |
| D．Hacking can be used to change whatever you want. |
| A．Because they are very easy to get. |
| B．Because their genes are easy to change. |
| C．Because they are larger than other plants. |
| D．Because they can absorb sunlight quickly. |
| A．It helps plants to produce energy. |
| B．It is regarded as a productive system for plants. |
| C．It can increase leaf growth on plants by 14 percent. |
| D．It is made up of sunlight，water and carbon dioxide. |
| A．useless | B．deadly |
| C．effective | D．unrealistic |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Neutral. |
| C．Objective. | D．Critical. |
8 . In recent years, a growing body of research has shown that our appetite and food intake are influenced by a large number of factors besides our biological need for energy, including our eating environment and our perception（感知） of the food in front of us.
Studies have shown, for instance, that eating in front of the TV (or a similar distraction) can increase both hunger and the amount of food consumed. Even simple visual clues, like plate size and lighting, have been shown to affect portion size and consumption.
A new study suggested that our short-term memory also may play a role in appetite. Several hours after a meal, people's hunger levels were predicted not by how much they’d eaten but rather by how much food they'd seen in front of them—in other words, how much they remembered eating.
This disparity (新旧研究的差异）suggests the memory of our previous meal may have a bigger influence on our appetite than the actual size of the meal, says Jeffrey M. Brunstrom, a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol.
"Hunger isn't controlled individually by the physical characteristics of a recent meal. We have identified an independent role for memory for that meal，" Brunstrom says. "This shows that the relationship between hunger and food intake is more complex than we thought."
These findings echo earlier research that suggests our perception of food can sometimes trick our body’s response to the food itself. In a 2011 study, for instance, people who drank the same 380-calorie milkshake on two separate occasions produced different levels of hunger-related hormones （荷尔蒙），depending on whether the shake’s label said it contained 620 or 140 calories. Moreover, the participants reported feeling more full when they thought they'd consumed a higher-calorie shake.
What does this mean for our eating habits? Although it hardly seems practical to trick ourselves into eating less, the new findings do highlight the benefits of focusing on our food and avoiding TV and multitasking while eating.
The so-called mindful-eating strategies can fight distractions and help us control our appetite, Brunstrom says.
1. What is said to be a factor affecting our appetite and food intake?| A．How we feel the food we eat. |
| B．When we eat our meals. |
| C．What element the food contains. |
| D．How fast we eat our meals. |
| A．You would probably be more particular about food. |
| B．You would not feel like eating the same food. |
| C．You would have a good appetite. |
| D．You would not feel so hungry. |
| A．Food labels may mislead consumers in their purchases. |
| B．Food labels may influence our body’s response to food. |
| C．Hunger levels depend on one's consumption of calories. |
| D．People tend to take in a lot more calories than necessary. |
| A．Trick ourselves into eating less. |
| B．Choose food with fewer calories. |
| C．Concentrate on food while eating. |
| D．Pick dishes of the right size. |
| A．Eating distractions often affect our food digestion. |
| B．Psychological factors influence our hunger levels. |
| C．Our food intake is determined by our biological needs. |
| D．Good eating habits will contribute to our health. |
9 . With child behavior, there is almost much more than it meets the eye. Because it occurs at so many different levels, child behavior that seems simple at one level can often be much more complex and meaningful at another.
For instance, a little child’s pattern of getting into cupboards, drawers and closed rooms, even after being told not to, is easily considered as bad behavior. When viewed at that level, the pattern is unacceptable and could lead to punishment. But it can be viewed at a more complex and meaningful level, namely child exploration. If a child regularly experiences an angry parent who seems determined to prevent any exploratory activities, the child will decide to continue to achieve future discoveries. When parents view this behavior as born out of natural curiosity rather than simple opposition, they are more likely to accept and appropriately monitor it. Although it may lead to warning responses to ensure the child’s safety, it is less likely to lead to punishment.
There are countless other examples. Holding a goldfish outside its bowl is foolish at one level but also can be seen as a young child’s attempt to express physical affection for a pet. Spending time with friends rather than family is selfish at one level but also indicates a teen’s need for independence.
The point here is that child behavior is often exhibited in simple forms that can appear to be oppositional, selfish or generally unacceptable if viewed only at that basic level. However, when viewed at a more meaningful level, the same apparently simple behavior can be seen as something larger and potentially more adaptive. This doesn’t mean the behavior should be ignored, especially if it is inappropriate. But looking at the bigger picture of a child’s behavior, adults might gain a fuller understanding of what they’re dealing with, which can create more flexibility in how they respond.
1. According to Paragraph 1, we can know that child behavior ________.| A．is very changeable | B．is inacceptable |
| C．occurs at different levels | D．is fully understood by adults |
| A．parents should properly punish child behavior |
| B．parents should keep children’s safety in mind |
| C．children’s behavior shows their interests |
| D．there are different attitudes to child behavior |
| A．The child will insist on doing things with determination. |
| B．The child will have to make frequent decisions. |
| C．The child will make new discoveries in the future. |
| D．The child will develop a strong sense of achievement. |
| A．child behavior usually reflects a child’s need |
| B．what a child does can mean differently when seen from different aspects |
| C．children tend to do something to show their dependence to their parents |
| D．children spending time with friends show their selfishness |
| A．Have a positive attitude towards it. |
| B．Ignore the improper behavior. |
| C．View it at the basic level. |
| D．Watch over it from head to foot. |
When we see something we don’t like，we wish it could be different．We cry out for something better．That may be human nature，or perhaps it’s something ingrained(根深蒂固的) in our culture．The root of the unhappiness isn’t necessarily that we want things to be different．However, it’s that we decided we didn’t like it in the first place．We’ve judged it as bad，rather than saying, “It's not bad or good，and it just is it．”
In one of my books，I said“You should expect people to mess up and expect things to go differently than you planned”．Some readers said it's too sorrowful to expect things to go wrong．However, it’s only negative if you see it as negative and judge it as bad．Instead，you could accept it as the way the world works and try to understand why that is．
This can be applied to whatever you do：how other people act at work，how politics works and how depressing the news media can be．Accept these things as they are，and try to understand why they’re that way．It will save you a lot of sadness，because you’ll no longer say,“Oh．I wish bad things didn’t happen!’’
Does it mean you can never change things? Not at a11．But change things not because you can’t accept things as they are，but because you enjoy the process of changing，learning and growing．
Can we make this world a better place? You can say that you’11 continue to try to do things to help others，to grow as a person，to make a difference in this world．That’s the correct path you choose to take，because you enjoy that path．Therefore，when you find yourself judging and wishing for difference，try a different approach：accept，and understand．It might lead to some interesting results．
1. The author believes that we feel unhappy maybe because ___________.
| A．it is our natural emotion in the life |
| B．culture asks us to be different from others |
| C．everyone has their own opinions on things |
| D．we dislike something in the beginning |
| A．depressing | B．frightening | C．delighting | D．idealistic |
| A．acting well at work and in politics |
| B．feeling depressed for the news media |
| C．accepting and understanding what has happened |
| D．saying something negative when bad things come |
| A．to help others and make a difference |
| B．to enjoy what you have to do in the work |
| C．to judge yourself and make a wish for you |
| D．to try a new way when making the world better |
| A．Expecting things to be different gives us hope． |
| B．Accepting can make our life happier and better． |
| C．Traditional culture becomes root of unhappiness． |
| D．Judging good or bad is important for our world． |
