1 . Weighing too much can damage your health,and obesity is a growing problem for both kids and adults around the world.Sleep might be one answer to the problem.A new study has found that elementary school students who slept too little were more likely to gain pounds.
Past studies have shown a link between sleeping less and weighing more,but scientists have had a tough time determining "which came first,the chicken or the egg," says Julie C. Lumeng of the university of Michigan in Ann Arbor.In other words,it hasn't been clear whether kids who weigh too much have trouble sleeping,or whether sleeping less leads to weight gain.Both scenarios (可能出现的情况) seemed equally possible.
To get a better idea of which causes which,Lumeng and her colleagues interviewed the parents of 785 third graders from around the United States.The parents answered questions about how well their kids slept that year.Three years later,the parents answered the same questions.By sixth grade ,18percent of kids involved in the study were obese.
The scientists found no relationship between weight and the students' race or gender.It also didn't matter how strict their parents were,or whether they were boys orgirls.Obesity struck all of these groups equally.Instead,sleep seemed to be the key factor.Over the three years of study,the children averaged a healthy 9.5 hours of sleepa night.Some kids,however,slept a lot moreor less than others.
For the sixth graders,every hour of sleep above the 9.5houraverage was linked toa 20 percent lower risk of being obese.Sleep appeared doubly important for the third graders.Every extra hour of sleep they got was linked to a 40 percent drop in obesity.
1. What does the underlined sentence on paragraph 2 imply?| A．Scientists have found the exact causes of children's obesity. |
| B．There is always something difficult to understand through theory |
| C．The cause–effect relationship between weight and sleep isn't clear. |
| D．A person's weight has something to do with the amount of his sleep. |
| A．9.5 hours of sleep a night is enough for children. |
| B．The more a child sleeps,the healthier he will be. |
| C．Sixth graders need much more sleep than third graders. |
| D．One’s race or gender has nothing to do with his weight. |
| A．By listing figures | B．By comparing different opinions |
| C．By providing examples | D．By conducting a survey |
| A．The benefits of enough sleep for children |
| B．Sleeping less increases the risk of obesity |
| C．Which comes first,little sleep or obesity |
| D．How many hours of sleep do children need? |
2 . Do you hear that birds of a feather flock together? It certainly appears that they do. We are likely to hang around with individuals who are similar to ourselves. Poor people like to surround themselves with other poor people, and rich people with other rich people. Intelligent people associate with like-minded people, and artists typically seek out other artists.
It appears that we all have comfort zones we attempt to stay within. Very stressed and poor people don’t feel comfortable associating with rich people. We owe it to each other to be successful because success breeds more success. And if we are not feeling successful, looking at who we have as friends and associates can tell us and others a lot about ourselves and why. The longer we associate with a group of individuals, the more our thinking processes become like theirs.
A few years ago, a doctor friend of mine began associating with a new group of people. At the time, he had a successful practice and a positive and grateful attitude to life. However, within the first six months of his association with these individuals, his attitude and goals changed , he was angry at how things were and was dissatisfied with those who’d become his opposition. He became very stubborn. As a result his practice dropped in quality of service. His facial expressions often showed anger and stress.
After about two years of association with this group, he learned some valuable lessons. He realized that always focusing on problems or being dissatisfied with others doesn’t lead to a rewarding life, nor does it solve as many problems as it creates. He decided that he’d rather get back into serving his patients.
This doctor put his heart and soul into his practice, and his life changed again. He began to attract people who focused on solutions instead of problems. His success was now more obvious than his stress—his achievement more obvious than his frustration.
Whom we hang out with does make a difference. The old saying “If you want to soar (翱翔) with the eagles, don’t flock with the turkeys.” has a point.
1. What does the underlined part “birds of a feather flock together”in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Birds like to take a risk to fly high in the sky. |
| B．Birds are more likely to fly together than other creatures. |
| C．People are more likely to have different attitudes to life. |
| D．People of the same kind are found together. |
| A．stressed | B．successful |
| C．patient | D．rich |
| A．show his great literary talent |
| B．make his article more persuasive |
| C．raise another similar question |
| D．suggest the end of his article |
| A．bad luck never comes alone |
| B．success breeds more success |
| C．someone has no control over his own life |
| D．people are likely to become like those who they associate with |
3 . It probably won’t surprise you that teens are texting more than ever before. Experts show great concern for teen texting. Students might not learn correct grammar and spelling if they write a lot of text messages. Also all that texting takes away from hours that could be spent studying, exercising, pursuing hobbies, or talking with others face to face. Some kids even sleep with their phones beneath their pillows and wake up several times during the night to text.
Dr. Elizabeth Dowdell points out teens need to learn that they can—and should—turn off their phones sometimes. She and her team had two teenagers, Kenny and Franchesca, carry out an experiment. They should obey the rules: No phone for 48 hours. No computer or Internet either, unless it was for schoolwork. Would these two teenagers be able to do it?
“I think I’m going to feel really alone,” Kenny worried. Franchesca was nervous but brave. “I’m excited for the challenge,” she said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.” They handed their phones to their mothers for safekeeping. The challenge was on.
The team caught up with Kenny and Franchesca after 48 phone-free hours. “Wow, it was pure suffering,” Kenny joked. “Though life with no phone wasn’t easy,” he admitted, “it had benefits. I felt less stressed because I didn’t have to be involved.” Sure, Kenny missed his friends, and he was sad at times. But he also felt relief from the constant texting. Instead of texting, Kenny went to the gym and caught up on schoolwork. He said that the first night he slept for 10 hours. He also spent time sitting with his family and talking. “I felt closer to my parents,” said Kenny.
Franchesca had an even happier result when she put away her phone. “I loved it!” she said. “I was going to the gym and hanging out with friends and playing basketball. I had a wonderful experience.” She slept better too, and she decided to continue the experiment for a while. “I think I’ll be so much smarter and healthier,” she explained. “Everybody in the world should try it.”
Kenny doesn’t plan to give up his phone again. But he now knows that he can live without it. “It was a reality check,” said the teen.
1. Experts are concerned about teens’ texting because it ______.| A．leads to learning disabilities |
| B．takes up their learning time |
| C．develops the habit of staying up late |
| D．causes misunderstandings with each other |
| A．Teens will live a healthier life without phones. |
| B．Expecting teens to live without phones is not realistic. |
| C．Experimenting with phone use is popular among teens. |
| D．Teens don’t realize how different their lives are without phones. |
| A．Only Kenny participated in physical activities. |
| B．Only Kenny spent time talking with his parents. |
| C．Only Franchesca benefited from a really good sleep. |
| D．Only Franchesca appreciated the freedom of having no phone. |
| A．Giving up Texting | B．Rules for Using Phones |
| C．Two Days with No Phone | D．Problems Caused by Texting |
4 . The aggressive spread of market economics and communication technologies—often under the control of Western multinational companies—brings new challenges to local cultures and values in non-Western societies. Sometimes it seems as if a tidal wave of the worst Western culture is creeping across the globe like a giant strawberry milkshake spill oat and over the planet, with a flavor that is distinctly sweet, sickly and apparently homogeneous (同质的).
For some, especially the young, change may mean escape from oppressive traditions. It may also bring new opportunities for cultures to be combined in creative ways. However, there is genuine cause for concern about the rate at which cultures are being worn away in such a globalized world.
Perhaps by far the most important far-reaching effect of cultural globalization is the commercialization of culture, which has a disturbing impact on local people’s existing values. They are increasingly bombarded with new images, new music, new clothes and new values. The familiar and old are to be abandoned. While there was cultural change long before globalization, there is a danger that much will be lost simply because it is not valued by global markets. In West Africa for example, traditional values have been overtaken by Coca-Cola culture which the local people don’t yet have the values to deal with successfully.
Another common aspect of the globalized culture is that it pursues (追求) the same “one size fits all” American ideal. The result of this cultural process of homogenization is that a large section of the world’s population dreams of living like Cosby & Co. or like the characters in any other stereotype American soap opera. In addition, the dream of living a better life causes thousands of people to move to already overcrowded cities whose population has boomed by millions within the last decades. The majority of these new immigrants end up in slums leading to poverty, pollution and misery.
Such gradual aggression against people’s existing values and cultures has a destructive impact on their sense of who they are, what they want and what they respect. It attacks spiritual values and faith traditions. The accumulative (累积的) effect in non-Western societies is a crisis of cultural confidence, combined with the increased economic uncertainty and crime which global integration (一体化) may bring. This creates real problems for social stability» whether it is at the level of nation, community or family.
In conclusion, cultural globalization, or worldwide McDonaldization, destroys diversity and displaces the opportunity to sustain decent life through a mixture of many different cultures. It is more a consequence of power concentration in the global media and manufacturing companies than the people’s own wish to abandon their cultural identity and diversity.
1. It can be learned from Paragraph 1 that ______.| A．non-Western societies willingly accept economic globalization |
| B．Western culture unites the world、economies and technologies |
| C．the booming of Western culture destroys non-Western societies |
| D．despite its appeal, westernization shows an unpleasant uniformity |
| A．McDonald receives more criticism abroad than at home. |
| B．Many Africans dream of a middle class American lifestyle. |
| C．Chinese food wins great approval in the United Kingdom. |
| D．Some western young people fancy a visit to African countries, |
| A．Cautious. | B．Critical. |
| C．Positive. | D．Neutral. |
| A．cultural diversity in globalization |
| B．challenges to non-Western cultures |
| C．drawbacks of cultural globalization |
| D．disappearance of non-Western cultures |
One of the biggest challenges facing brick-and-mortar retailers (实体零售店) in recent years has been the “showrooming” . Driven by the desire to get the best prices, many shoppers are now visiting brick-and-mortar stores to personally check on products that interest them, only to leave and then buy the items online. The new trend is forcing retailers to find out new ways to keep consumers from leaving their store for cheaper prices online.
Recent research found that 40 percent of U.S. shoppers have showroomed previously, with big-box retailers suffering the most. Specifically, the study shows that Best Buy, Walmart and Target are the most likely brick-and-mortar stores to have shoppers test out a product in-store and then purchase it online later, while Amazon is benefiting most from the practice, with nearly 60 percent of shoppers using the online retail giant (巨人) most often to make their showrooming purchases.
Smartphones have pushed showrooming into the front. Shoppers no longer have to wait until they get home to see if they can find a cheaper price for the products they’re considering buying. With smartphones, consumers can now compare virtual prices, at both other brick-and-mortar stores and online ones while still inside a retail store. If they can find what they’re seeking for less online, the majority will be seeking the first exit. A recent study showed that 45 percent of customers shopping at brick-and-mortar stores walk out and buy their purchase online for a discount of as little as 2.5 percent.This puts pressure on retailers to provide both an in-store experience worth staying for and an online presence that can attract shoppers who are showrooming in other businesses.
To cut down on showrooming, many retailers are adopting new methods to keep shoppers in their stores. Among the steps they’re taking are price-matching guarantees that allow shoppers to pay a discounted price if they find it cheaper online. This ensures that even a showrooming shopper can make the purchase in the store—regardless of whether they find the cheaper price online.
Another popular method to fight against showrooming is to give shoppers the ability to buy something online and pick it up at the store. This reduces shipping costs and gets customers in the store, where they may be encouraged to make an additional purchase.
It is also important for businesses to take into consideration what makes shoppers purchase something in-store rather than online, and meet those needs. Research has found that more than 8 in 10 Americans consider being able to take the goods home immediately and the ability to touch and feel them—the most important aspects when deciding to purchase in a store rather than online.
1. According to the passage, a showrooming shopper tends to ______.
| A．pay for everything online |
| B．have better bargaining skills |
| C．rush to buy things in a store |
| D．purchase online for a lower price |
| A．The wide use of smartphones． |
| B．The competition between big stores. |
| C．The advertisement by online retail giants. |
| D．The decline of the brick-and-mortar stores. |
| A．searching for lower prices |
| B．leaving as soon as possible |
| C．locating the first exit quickly |
| D．making a purchase on the spot |
| A．increasing sales at stores |
| B．preventing purchase online |
| C．satisfying customers’ needs |
| D．advising shoppers to buy more |
6 . The rising costs of health care have become a problem for many countries in the world. To deal with this problem, it is recommended that a big part of the government’s health budget（预算)be used for health education and disease prevention instead of treatment. Actually, many kinds of diseases are preventable in many ways and preventing a disease is usually much cheaper than treating it. For example, people could avoid catching a cold if they dressed warmly when the weather starts getting cold. But many people get sick because they fail to do so, and have to spend money seeing a doctor.
Daily habits like eating more healthy food would have kept millions of families from becoming bankrupt if the patients had taken measures for early prevention. For example, keeping a balanced diet, such as not consuming too much animal fat and insuring a steady intake of vegetables and fruits, seems to be quite important.
One very effective and costless way of prevention is regular exercise, which is necessary for a healthy mind and body. Regular exercise, such as running, walking, and playing sports is a good way to make people feel better or reduce stress.
In addition, health education plays a key role in improving people’s health. By giving people more information about health, countries could help people understand the importance of disease prevention and ways to achieve it. For example, knowing one’s family medical history is an effective way to help keep healthy. Information about health problems among close relatives will make them aware of what they should do to prevent certain diseases through lifestyle changes, which will work before it is too late.
However, stressing disease prevention does not mean medical treatment is unimportant. After all, prevention and treatment are just two different means toward the same effect. In conclusion, we could save money on health care and treat patients more successfully if our country spends more money on health prevention and education.
1. What’s the best title of the passage?| A．Prevention or Education? | B．Prevention or Treatment? |
| C．Health or Illness? | D．Exercise or Illness? |
| A．Unable to be cured. |
| B．Unable to pay one’s debts. |
| C．Stronger than ever before. |
| D．More successful than ever before. |
| A．dressing warmly can prevent diseases |
| B．a balanced diet is cheaper than regular exercise |
| C．It’s better to have more health education. |
| D．the government’s health budget should be increased |
CP(Central Point) P(Point) S(Sub—point次要点) C(Conclusion)
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
