Stepping outside the railway station early
Yet, the breath-taking beauty
After 1966, the year of the worst flooding in Venice’s history, the Italian Government started a project to save the city.
But Venice still needs attentive care. The city remains threatened on several fronts— mass tourism, the possible damage of city development
South Koreans have enjoyed their first close-up look of new baby giant pandas at a name-revealing ceremony that is also
What to name the twin sisters was widely discussed among netizens after they were born on July 7 in theme park Everland. The names were
The baby pandas,
Everland said it would monitor the twins’ health
3 . For years video games have been criticized for making people more antisocial, overweight or depressed. Bui now researchers are finding that video games can actually change us for the better and improve both our body and mind.
Games can help to develop physical skills. Pre-school children who played interactive games have been shown to have improved motor skills, for example they can kick, catch and throw a ball better than children who don’t play video games. A study found that those who played video games were 27 percent faster and made 37 percent fewer errors than those who didn’t.
Games also benefit a variety of brain functions, including decision-making. People who play action-based games make decisions 25 percent faster than others, according to one study. It was also found that the best gamers can make choices and act on them up to six times a second, four times faster than most people. In another study by researchers from the University of Rochester in New York, experienced gamers were shown to be able to pay attention to more than six things at once without getting confused, compared with the four that most people can normally keep in mind.
There is also evidence that gaming can help with psychological problems. At the University of Auckland in New Zealand, researchers asked 94 young people diagnosed with depression to play a 3D fantasy game called SPARX and in many cases, the game reduced symptoms of depression more than conventional treatment.
The effects are not always so positive, however. Indiana University researchers carried out brain scans on young men and found evidence that violent games can adjust brain function after as little as a week of play, affecting regions in the brain associated with emotional control and causing more aggressive behavior in the player. But Danhne Bavelier, one of the most experienced researchers in the field, says that the violent action games that often worry p parents most may actually have the strongest beneficial effect on the brain. In the future, we may see many treatments for physical and neurological (神经的) problems, which include the playing of video games.
1. In what way playing video games benefits very young children?| A．Muscle control. | B．Social interaction. |
| C．Decision-making. | D．The ability to focus. |
| A．Interactive games. | B．Action-based games. |
| C．3D fantasy games. | D．Violent games. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Objective. | C．Worried. | D．Critical. |
| A．The effects of different types of video games. |
| B．The negative effects of playing video games. |
| C．The beneficial effects of playing video games. |
| D．The effects of games on people’s behavior. |
4 . Although problems are a part of our lives, it certainly doesn't mean that we let them rule our lives forever. One day or another, you'll have to stand up and say—problems, I don't want you in my life.
But good news is that all problems can be dealt with. Now read on to know how to solve your problems.
Talk, it really helps. What most of us think is that our problem can be understood only by us and that no talking is going to help.
Write your problems.
Don't lose faith and hope. No matter what you lose in life, don't lose faith and hope. Even if you lose all your money, family…you should still have faith.
Your problems aren't the worst. No matter what problem you get in life, there are another one million people whose problems are huger than yours.
Go about and solve your problems because every problem, however big or small, always has a way out.
| A．Of course, we've been fighting troubles ever since we were born. |
| B．When we have a problem, a pressing, critical, urgent, life-threatening problem, how do we try and solve it？ |
| C．Having a personal diary can also be of huge help if you don't want a real person to talk with. |
| D．But the truth is that when you talk about it, you're setting free the negative energies that have been gathering within you. |
| E．We can often overcome the problem and achieve the goal by making a direct attack. |
| F．Tell yourself：when they can deal with them, why can't I？ |
| G．With faith and hope, you can rebuild everything that you lose. |
5 . Many facts suggest that children are overweight and the situation is getting worse, according to the doctors. I feel there are a number of reasons for this.
Some people blame the fact that we are surrounded by shops selling unhealthy, fatty foods, such as fried chicken and ice cream, at low prices. This has turned out a whole generation of grown-ups who seldom cook a meal for themselves. If there were fewer of these restaurants, then probably children would buy less take-away food.
There is another argument that blames parents for allowing their children to become overweight. I agree with this, because good eating habits begin early in life, long before children start to visit fast food shops. If children are given fried chicken and chocolate rather than healthy food, or are always allowed to choose what they eat, they will go for sweet and salty foods every time, and this will carry on throughout their lives.
There is a third reason for this situation. Children these days take very little exercise. They do not walk to school. When they get home, they sit in front of the television or their computers and play computer games. Not only is this an unhealthy pastime （消遣）, it also gives them time to eat more unhealthy food. What they need is to go outside and play active games or sports.
The above are the main reasons for this problem, and therefore we have to encourage young people to be more active, as well as steering them away from fast food shops and bad eating habits.
1. According to the text, what kind of children may eat more unhealthy food?| A．Those who often do sports | B．Those who often walk to school |
| C．Those who often watch television | D．Those who often have meals at home |
| A．their parents often cook meals for them |
| B．they are too busy to go out and play |
| C．they can't choose what to eat |
| D．there are too many fast food shops around |
| A．moving | B．forcing. |
| C．driving | D．guiding. |
| A．tell a story | B．provide facts |
| C．give advice | D．compare opinions |
6 . Whatever happened to the familiar scene from the past of children playing “tag(捉人游戏)” in the streets while their parents chatted with the neighbors over the garden fence? This picture is fading fast today, as children are now leaving the streets in favor of a screen.
Several organizations are attempting to change this situation. One of these organizations is Play England, which aims to improve opportunities for children to play outside. A leading figure in the campaign is 50-year-old Adrian Voce, who has childhood memories of days spent in the “Big Woods” near his house with his older brothers. “We were given a packed lunch and told not to talk to strangers. I can still remember wandering in and out of each other’s houses.” he says.
However, it is not only the children that Mr. Voce and his organization have to convince. In many cases the parents themselves block his efforts. A survey in 2014 found that 85 percent of adults agreed that it was important for children to be able to play safely in the road or street where they live. However, many of them were not prepared to park their cars an extra 50 meters away from their homes.
Mr. Voce’s attempts to encourage children to play outside include the organization of campaigns like National Playday. Hundreds of communities all over the country take part in this effort, yet it can take a lot of people to give children a taste of what it is like to play in the streets. On one street in Aldershot last year there were five policemen, three community support officers, a traffic management crew, a closed-circuit television van, and a team of "play workers.”
Society today has changed to such an extent that children do not feel safe on the streets and their parents no longer feel comfortable about letting them play there. It is not only the appeal of computers and video games that has driven children inside, but also the presence of traffic, crime, and violent young people. However, thanks to the efforts of people like Adrian Voce, it may not be too late to turn back the clock.
1. What kind of feeling does Adrian Voce show when he looks back on his childhood?| A．Regret | B．Shame |
| C．Delight | D．Surprise |
| A．They don’t want their children to be outside. |
| B．They are worried about the safety of the streets. |
| C．They are not optimistic about Mr. Voce’s campaign. |
| D．They won’t make the street safer for their children to play in. |
| A．It has rapidly spread to other countries. |
| B．A lot of people are needed to make it work. |
| C．It has not lived up to the organizers’ expectations. |
| D．It aims to call on parents to play with their children. |
| A．Worried. | B．Hopeful. |
| C．Unclear | D．Shocked. |
7 . A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love (早恋), may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression. The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr.Marianm Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression. She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression-eating or mood changes-and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?| A．Romance is a two-edged sword for adults. |
| B．Puppy love may bring young people depression. |
| C．Parents should forbid their children’s love. |
| D．Romance is good for young people. |
| A．Careless parents whose children are deep in love. |
| B．Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness. |
| C．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior. |
| D．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions. |
| A．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly. |
| B．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents. |
| C．The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance. |
| D．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression. |
| A．Confused | B．Neutral |
| C．Scared | D．Disapproving |
8 . The Internet plays a big part in human life. We use it for work and entertainment. We can find new recipes on the Interact or advice on staying healthy. We can even use it to learn a new language. We use the Internet to keep in contact with family and friends and stay in touch with issues we care about. The list goes on and on.
Well, there may be no going back to an Internet-free life. But can using the Internet too much be bad for our health? It might be, say researchers. A new study finds that heavy Internet use may be connected to high blood pressure in an unlikely group---teenagers. So, try to be a responsible guardian for your children.
The study results show that teens who spend at least 14 hours a week online are more likely to have high blood pressure. High blood pressure makes your heart and blood vessels work too hard. Over time, this extra strain increases your risk of a heart attack or stroke. High blood pressure can also cause heart, kidney and brain diseases.
The Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan did the study. It involved 335 young people, from 14 to 17 years old. One hundred and thirty-four of the teens were described as “heavy Internet users”. Researchers found that out of these 134 teens, 26 had high blood pressure. The researchers say the study is the first one to connect heavy web use with high blood pressure. Another research has connected that heavy Internet use with health problems including anxiety, depression and obesity.
The lead researcher of the study is Andrea Cassidy-Bushrow. For the purpose of the study, she explains, teens considered heavy Internet users were online on average “25 hours a week”. In a statement she said, “Using the Internet is part of our daily but it shouldn’t consume us.”
Ms. Gassidy-Bushrow adds that it is important for teens to take regular breaks from their computers or smart phones and to do some kinds of physical activities. She also suggests that parents limit their children’s use of the Internet to two hours a day, five days a week.
1. The author mainly wants to tell us .| A．how to prevent high blood pressure. |
| B．too much Internet use may be bad for teenagers. |
| C．it’s necessary for teenagers to avoid the Internet. |
| D．heavy Internet use will worsen teenagers’ memory. |
| A．People shouldn’t buy goods through the Internet. |
| B．People shouldn’t waste too much time on the Internet. |
| C．People shouldn’t fall in love with the Internet. |
| D．People should control the time length of using the Internet |
| A．25 hours a week | B．fourteen hours a week |
| C．ten hours a week | D．five hours a week |
| A．parents | B．teachers |
| C．web-designers | D．students |
