Music is an important part of life today. It is a source of entertainment, and it is a way to express emotions. But music is not only all this, it is also something that can be used to create a strong focus while people are working and is generally beneficial to the human brain and specifically the adolescent brain.
Music can reduce anxiety and depression, as well as improving mood and memory. Adolescents represent a stage in development when stress levels are unsteady. An analysis shows that listening to music lowers the stress hormone in the brain. Ashford University also states that music has also proven to be effective across a variety of treatment ways for conditions ranging from premature birth to depression to Parkinson’s disease.
Music is also a way to stimulate (刺激) the brain and help increase productivity. In Elena Mannes’ study “The Power of Music”through National Public Radio(NPR), she declares the fact that music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function. Tests have also shown that listening to background music can increase productivity, in majors we listen to music as we do our work, "says visual artist, Tow Engel, “It is super helpful because it allows us all to do our own thing to create more art.”
Research done by Dr. Jonathan Burdette, a professor at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Cater, further proves the benefit of music on the brain. Dr. Burdette conducted a study where he and his fellow investigators used a technique called functional magnetic resonance imaging(FMRI), to find changes in blood flow in the brain. To summarize, Dr. Burdette’s research shows that listening to music that you like will improve brain connectivity, especially when doing independent work that requires a lot of internal thought and reflection. As adolescents spend a lot of time working on computers or even just doing work on paper done, music can help teens concentrate on their thinking
1.What’s the main idea of paragraph 2?
A. Music is mind medicine. B. Music is good for the brain’s growth
C. Music helps adolescents free from stress D. Music helps patients recover from cancer.
2.Why does Tow Engel like listening to music according to the text?
A. It stimulates his body. B. It helps her lower stress.
C. It gives her more strength. D. It can improve her creativity,
3.What’s the finding of music in Dr. Burdette’s study?
A. It helps teens play on computer. B. It lets teens get closer with each other.
C. It helps teens focus on their thinking. D. It improves the speed of teens reflection.
4.What may be the best title for the text?
A. Music Helps Students Get Rid of Stress B. Music’s Benefit to the Adolescents Brain
C. Music Makes Adolescents Fond of Art D. Music’s Function on the Brain Development
The sharing economy has grown in recent years to include everything from apartment sharing to car sharing to community tool sharing. Since 2000, a new form of sharing economy has been emerging in neighborhoods throughout the US and around the world- Little Free Library. The libraries are boxes placed in neighborhoods from which residents can take out and put in books. Little Free Maries come in all shapes and sizes. Some libraries also have themes, focusing on books for children, adults or tour guides.
In 2009, Tod Bol built the first Little Free Library as a gift to his mother, who was a devoted reader. When he saw the people of his community gathering around it, exchanging conversation as well as books, he knew he wanted to take his simple idea further. “I think Little Free Libraries open the door to conversations we want to have with each other,” Bol said.
Since then, his idea has become a movement, spreading from state to state and country to country. According to Little FreeLibrary, org, there are now 18, 000 of the little structures around the world, located in each of the 50 US states and 70 countries in Europe, Africa and Asia.
The Internet has helped to spread Little Free Libraries, But an Atlantic article says the little structures serve as a cure for a world of e-reader downloads. The little wooden boxes are refreshingly physical and human. For many people, the sense of discovery is Little Free Libraries’ main appeal. "A girl walking home from school might pick up a graphic novel that gets her excited about reading: a man on his way to the bus stop might find a volume of poetry that changes his outlook on life, "says the Atlantic article, "Every book is a potential source of inspiration”.
1.What was Bol’s purpose of building Little Free Library?
A. To help people in the community communicate often.
B. To make reading books spread around the world.
C. To help neighbors develop the habit of building libraries.
D. To give his mother a birthday Present.
2.How do Little Free Libraries get their books?
A. The communities bought them B. US government provided them.
C. Tod Bol donated them D. Local people shared them
3.What do we know about Little Free Library?
A. calls for people to write more books.
B. It was built up with the help of the Internet.
C. It offers people different kinds of books to read.
D. It needs big rooms to place many books in.
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A. Little Tree Library has replaced the e-book.
B. Little Free Library can make much difference to people.
C. Tod Bol developed Little Free Library on his own.
D. Tod Bol earned much money through Little Free Library
Two local girls recently decided to forgo receiving presents for their birthday from their friends, and gave them to those in need. “I don’t want anyone to be hungry, Mattie Dimmitt said.
Mattie is the daughter of Travis and Elizabeth Dirnrnitt and celebrated her 6th birthday earlier this month. For her birthday, she wanted to do something for other children.
For her party, Mattie’s friends arrived with gifts, but the packages weren’t filled with toys, cans and boxes of food instead. Once her party was over, Mattie, with some help, took the donations of food to the Maryville Ministry Center and presented it to Ministry Center coordinator Merlin Atkins,
“It shows her character. She’s an empathetic kid and she feels things deeply, ”Elizabeth said. “If she sees someone upset, sad or in need. she wants to help them out.”
Mattie was not the only local child who recently decided to give back to their community for their birthday. Mattie’s best friend, Eliana, celebrated her 5th birthday in February and decided that she wanted to give back, as well.
“If we could pay the support and love we get from people forward, it would be a great thing, ”Eliana’s father, Tim Wall, said, "For Eliana’s birthday, she wanted to invite her friends and instead of asking for more toys or presents, she thought it would be a good idea to raise some food for the Ministry Center.”
“For being so young, it’s a blessing to have kids that are living for something more than themselves,” Wall said. “I’m hopeful that it will continue over time and it’s amazing to see kids doing things for others.
1.What does the underlined word “forgo” in paragraph 1 mean?
A. Give up. B. Agree with.
C. Consider D. Admit
2.How did Mattie do to help the people in need?
A. By inviting them to her birthday party. B. By giving a birthday cake to them to eat
C. By refusing to accept gifts from her friends. D. By donating some food as an action of charity.
3.What similarity do Mattie and Eliana have?
A. They don’t want to be famous B. They are fond of helping others
C. They were born in the same year. D. They don’t like birthday presents.
4.What do we know about Wall according to the text？
A. He decided to give more food to his daughter.
B. He supported what his daughter had done.
C. He felt worried about his daughter’s action.
D. He wanted to do something to help his daughter.
Including the following food or fruit in your breakfast makes you healthier and full of energy.
Grapefruit
“Even if you changed nothing else about your diet, eating half a grapefruit before each meal may help you lose up to a pound a week, ”says Patricia Bannan, author of Eat Right When the Time Is Right, “Researchers found that when obese people ate half a grapefruit before each meal, they dropped an average of 3. 5 pounds over 12 weeks, ”she says.
Tart Cherry
Tart cherries have been shown to benefit heart health as well as body weight in a study on obese rats, A 12-week study by the University of Michigan found that rats fed tart cherries showed a 9 percent belly fat reduction. Moreover, the researchers noted that the cherry consumption had great ability to alter the expression of fat genes. Enjoy them during breakfast to kick your morning off right.
Sweet Potato
Sweet potatoes are packed with nutrients and ean help you burn fat. They are high in fiber and have a low glycemic index（血糖指数）， which means they re absorbed slowly and keep you feeling full longer. Min Chen likes to use them to whip up a sweet potato hash. “I love any kind of this dish because it provides rich vitamins, minerals and fiber. It is very filling, which helps keep appetite and portions under control as the day goes on, ”she says.
Bell Pepper
Green, red or yellow, fresh or frozen, peppers are never a bad companion for your eggs. Thanks to their high vitamin C content, eating them can help burn stored fat. Studies also indicate that vitamin C helps muscles process a fatty acid called carnitine that’s essential to muse growth and recovery.
1.Which food or fruit is beneficial to the patients who suffer from heart diseases?
A. Grapefruit B. Sweet potato
C. Tart cherry D. Bell pepper
2.What benefit do these food and fruit have in common
A. Making people live longer.
B. Makine muscles grow strong-
C. Helping control glycernic index
D. Helping people lose weight.
3.In which part of newspaper can you read the text?
A. Education. B. Health
C. Agriculture. D. Technology
作文题目：A letter to your pen-pal
次词数要求：80～100词
写作要点：假如你叫李华，你交了一个美国笔友Mike，请你写信介绍中国。你选择了介绍京剧Peking Opera和饺子。
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改错：从A、B、C、D四个画线处找出一处有错误的选项，填入相应题号后的括号内并在横线上写出正确答案
1.He was[A]praised[B]because[C]what he[D]had done for the disabled boy.
（__________） 应为_______________
2.He[A]said[B]that the picture[C]is worth[D]looking.at.
（__________） 应为_______________
3.[A]Try[B]to not depend[C]on[D]others.
（__________） 应为_______________
4.This[A]is the[B]steel plant[C]where we[D]visited last week.
（__________） 应为_______________
5.[A]Following the road[B]and you[C]will[D]find the house.
（__________） 应为_______________
