I was raised in a house where the TV was rarely switched on. With one wall in my bedroom entirely lined with _______, most of my childhood was spent on books I could _______. In fact, I grew up thinking of reading as _______ as breathing and found books unbelievably powerful in shaping perspectives (观点) by creating worlds we could step into, _______ and live in.
With this unshakable belief, I, at fourteen, decided to become a _______. Every writer starts off knowing that he has _______ to say, but being unable to find the right _______ to say it. He has to find his own voice by reading widely and _______ which parts of the writers he agrees or disagrees with, or agrees with so _______ that it reshapes his own world. He cannot write without loving to read, ________ only through reading other people’s writing can one discover what works, what doesn’t and, in the end, together with lots of practice, what________ he has.
Now I am in college, and have come to realize how ________ it is to read fiction. As a law student, my reading is in fact________ to subject matter. The volume (量) of what I have to read for ________ every week means there is little time to read anything else. Such reading made it ________ to me that I live in a very small part in this great place called ________. Reading fiction reminds me that there is life ________ my own. It ________ me to travel across high seas and through deserts, all from the ________ of my own armchair, to experience, though second-hand, ________ experiences that I wouldn’t necessarily be able to have in my lifetime.
1.A. beds B. tables C. shelves D. sofas
2.A. keep track of B. get hold of C. take care of D. make fun of
3.A. natural B. fierce C. difficult D. comfortable
4.A. give in B. participate in C. look in D. move in
5.A. teacher B. professor C. lawyer D. writer
6.A. everything B. nothing C. something D. anything
7.A. ways B. accesses C. keys D. attitudes
8.A. creating B. watching C. inventing D. discovering
9.A. strongly B. gently C. highly D. mildly
10.A. unless B. while C. because D. if
11.A. success B. dream C. progress D. voice
12.A. instant B. impossible C. tiresome D. important
13.A. used B. limited C. increased D. devoted
14.A. class B. recreation C. pleasure D. word
15.A. attractive B. possible C. clear D. clean
16.A. house B. college C. life D. world
17.A. within B. beside C. near D. beyond
18.A. allows B. arranges C. require D. forces
19.A. place B. laziness C. comfort D. satisfaction
20.A. peace-loving B. time-consuming C. heart-breaking D. fun-creating
Whenever I hear a recording of John Denver singing “Sunshine on My Shoulders,” I find myself smiling, drawn to a love of the sun and outdoors I’ve had for decades as a Michigan native. Walking barefoot to the lake, playing shiftless in the sunlight, and breathing fresh air feel good. 1.
Studies have found higher rates of high blood pressure among people with the lowest sun exposure. One reason may be due to nitric oxide, a gas whose production is stimulated when your skin is exposed to the sun’s rays. 2. Vitamin D, which sunlight helps your body produce, is also linked to better heart health. So walk outdoors for 15 to 30 minutes daily.
3.Research on 280 volunteers there found that people had a reduced heart rate, and lower blood pressure when they walked through a forest than when they spent time in an urban area.
One of the consequences of modem society is that rarely is our body in direct contact with the ground. The earth has an electrical current. 4. Although “earthing” or “grounding” is considered alternative by mainstream medicine, research shows that the practice seems to be able to reduce heart disease risk. So, walk around barefoot whenever possible, let your backyard grass tickle your feet, and dig your toes into sandy beaches.
5. A 2011 British review of 11 studies found that people who exercised outside generally reported more energy and less anger, tension, and depression—all factors contributing to heart attack—than those who worked out indoors.
A. Exercising indoors is another option.
B. It reduces both heart attack and stroke risks.
C. As a doctor, I can tell you they are also very good for your heart.
D. Direct contact with it may be a stabilizing force for good health.
E. In Japan, walking through forests for healing has become a popular practice.
F. Exercising outdoors may be more beneficial than working out indoors.
G. You’ll get greater health benefits exercising where it’s green.
As the parent of a 7-year-old boy, sometimes I feel like “no” is my most frequently said word. But if I look honestly at the big picture of my daily vocabulary, I probably would conclude that it actually contains too much “yes”. Saying yes means opening myself up to new experiences, inviting new or deeper relationships. But too much “yes” leaves any of us feeling anxious, overcommitted (过分受约束的) and powerless to set and maintain boundaries in our lives.
This had been on my mind when The Book of No: 365 Ways to Say It and Mean It —and Stop People-Pleasing Forever came across my desk. The new edition of this decade-old book by psychologist Susan Newman is a must-read book for those of us who struggle to say “no” with authenticity, confidence and kindness.
Newman calls people who feel forced to say yes all their way through life “people-pleasers”. The chief symptoms of this condition include associating helping others with your self-respect, holding expectations that you will care for others and feeling unwilling to state your own needs when a request comes your way. For people-pleasers, “yes is the path of least resistance and the way to avoid damaging your relationship with the asker,” Newman writes.
The book offers brief dialogues for hundreds of scenarios in which “no” is the right answer, for reasons ranging from time management to financial pressures to emotional boundaries. Newman considers what came about among friends, at work, within families and in parenting. Reading through the scenarios, I realized they have some things in common — things that immediately started helping me improve my “no” skills.
Do you think this book might be helpful to you? It’s OK if the answer is “no”, but I do highly recommend it for your Positive Reading List shelf.
1.Why does the author include his own personal experience in Paragraph 1?
A. To blame himself. B. To show how to guide kids.
C. To tell his likes and dislikes. D. To help recommend a book.
2.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
A. How to deal with a request.
B. Why askers turn to others for a favor.
C. Why people-pleasers say “yes” too often.
D. How to strengthen relationships with askers.
3.What does the underlined word “scenarios” probably mean?
A. Occasions. B. Processes.
C. Adventures. D. Stories.
4.What does the author advise us to do?
A. Give no response to any demand.
B. Learn to say “no” in a positive way.
C. Keep open all channels of communication.
D. Say “yes” constantly without feeling guilty.
Most people have had songs stuck in their heads at some point. The scientific name for this is involuntary musical imagery (INMI), which simply means that the people do not choose to keep the songs in their heads. Experts have nicknamed this condition “earworm,” even though it is not an actual worm, and it does not take place in the ear. Rather, it takes place in the memory centers of the brain. It occurs when a catchy tune “sticks” in a person’s mind. What makes a song stick depends on the individual. Some people get stuck on their favorite songs, while others end up fixated (念念不忘的) on songs they find annoying.
Nobody knows exactly why, a particular song gets caught in a person’s brain. It can be brought on after recently hearing a song, or it can be started by a memory. Although earworm can happen to anyone at any time, certain people are more likely than others to suffer from it. Most commonly, musicians experience it, but people who simply listen to music more frequently than others are also more prone to (倾向于) earworm.
No evidence has proven one effective cure, but anything that disturbs the brain can help. The best way to shift the brain is to occupy it with a new activity. For example, actively chewing gum might switch the brain’s focus from the repeating song to the moving jaw. Engaging in a task that requires concentration can remove the annoying earworm as well. However, if the task requires too much effort, it can actually make the earworm last, because the mind tends to wander to escape the difficulty of the job at hand.
While earworm can be very annoying, there is no evidence that suggests it is actually harmful. In fact, some experts are studying earworm to see what they can learn about memory centers. After all, these songs repeat automatically with no effort. What if science could apply this information to learning? What if everyone could learn new things without having to try so hard? If scientists can figure out how to tap into this type of memory, learning might look different in the future.
1.Which description is right about earworm?
A. It is shaped like an insect in the ear.
B. It results from listening to amazing songs.
C. It is a nickname for a disease called INMI.
D. It is a condition happening in one’s brain.
2.Who is more likely to suffer from earworm?
A. A brain scientist. B. A retired physicist.
C. A famous painter. D. A pop music fan.
3.Which of the following activity can stop earworm effectively?
A. Reflecting on the song. B. Going on listening to a song
C. Enjoying a tasty snack. D. Solving a hard math problem.
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Earworm may make learning less painful.
B. Earworm has little to do with memory.
C. Earworm can be cured by the scientists.
D. Earworm does more good than harm.
The discussion on renewable energy has been going on for at least a decade and people have relied on fossil fuels almost entirely for more than a century. However, the situation when fossil fuels were the most efficient and the cheapest source of energy has been left far in the past. Many countries such as Germany and Sweden have already made significant efforts to fix this situation, employing numerous power plants working on the renewable resources of energy. The most effective among these resources is geothermal (地热的) energy.
Geothermal energy does not depend on the world’s economic and political situation as strongly as fossil fuels do. Besides, extracting (提炼) fossil fuels adds to the price of energy produced from them. Therefore, geothermal energy is much cheaper than traditional ones, saving up to 80% of the costs over fossil fuels.
Being a renewable resource, geothermal energy produces less waste and pollution than traditional energy sources. In geothermal systems, carbon dioxide makes up about 10% of air produced. Overall, in order to produce the electricity that can be used for one hour, the geothermal systems produce 0.1 pound of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases. For a comparison, a power plant producing from gas produces up to 2 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and those power plants that work on coal (煤) produce an astonishing 3.6 pounds of greenhouse gases.
Low costs is another reason why using geothermal power plants should be the first choice for many countries. Geothermal heat systems require 25% to 50% less energy for work compared with the traditional systems for heating or cooling. Besides, geothermal equipment is less big: due to the very nature of geothermal energy, geothermal power plants have only a few moving parts, all of which can be easily sheltered inside a relatively small building. What’s more, the life span of geothermal equipment is rather long. All these make geothermal power stations easy to build and keep.
1.Fossil fuels are more expensive than geothermal energy partly because _______.
A. it is free to use geothermal energy
B. fossil fuels are nearly used up
C. the production of fossil fuels costs a lot
D. geothermal energy doesn’t depend on political situation
2.According to Paragraph 3, what can be concluded from the comparison?
A. Coal is much more efficient than gas.
B. Gas and coal are often used to produce electricity.
C. Geothermal energy is environmentally friendly.
D. The geothermal systems don’t produce harmful gases.
3.Geothermal equipment is usually not as big as that of traditional energy because of ________.
A. the nature of geothermal energy B. geothermal power plants
C. life span of geothermal equipment D. the small buildings
4.What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Many countries have benefited from geothermal energy.
B. Geothermal energy is well accepted.
C. Geothermal energy has many advantages.
D. Fossil fuels are being run out of.
Northern Ireland Visitor Guide
Passport/Visa Requirements
Passport Advice Line (UK) T: 0300 222 000
www.ips.gov.uk
UK nationals can travel without a passport but will need photographic identification. Passports are not required for travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic. For further information, contact the British Embassy in your country of origin.
Telephone
To call Northern Ireland from abroad, dial 0044 + area code (without 0) + local number. From the Republic of Ireland, dial 048 + area code(without 0) + local number. From elsewhere in UK or to make an internal call, dial area code (with 0) + local number. To call the Republic from Northern Ireland, dial 00353 + the area code (without 0) +local number.
Shopping
Victoria Square, Castle Court and many Belfast City centre stores have extended opening hours from 09:00 until 19:00 each weekday evening. Thursday is late night shopping until 21:00. On Sundays shops are open from 12:00/13:00 and stay open until 17:00/18:00.
Public Holidays
Banks are closed and transport services are reduced on public holidays. See www.discovemorthermrcland.com for up-to-date details.
Money
Sterling currency. Most large stores accept Euro. Main credit cards are in general use but bring cash too. In main towns, bank hours are 09:30-16:30. Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) dispense cash at hundreds of locations, banks, garages and shopping centres. Bureau de Change are in larger bank branches, travel agents, the Belfast Welcome Centre, some other tourist information centres, big hotels and at a few visitor attractions.
Tipping
Check your bill to see if a service charge has been made. If not and you’re satisfied with the service, add 10-15%.
Left Luggage
T: +44 (0)28 9024 6609
Belfast Welcome Centre is the only place that provides this service. £ 3 per item for up to 4hrs. £4.50 4hrs+. Last pick up is 15 minutes before closing.
Medical Insurance
T: 0845 606 0707
(UK), +44 (0) 191 212 7500 www.ehic.org.uk
You need to obtain a European Health Insurance card (EHIC) which will allow you to access state-provided healthcare in all European Economic Area (EEA) countries at a reduced cost or sometimes free of charge. You can apply online at their website or by telephone. Visitors are strongly advised to take out private travelinsurance.
Emergency Services
Dial 999 for emergency services. If your passport is lost or stolen, contact the local police station, embassy or consulate.
All Ireland Information
For details on the rest of Ireland visit: www.diseoverireland.com.
1.If Jack wants to call his friend in Northern Ireland from London, he should dial ________.
A. are code (with 0) + local number
B. 048 + area code (without 0) + local number
C. 0044 + area code (without 0) + local number
D. 00353 + the area code (without 0) + local number
2.While travelling in Northern Ireland, you ________.
A. can shop until 21:00 on Thursdays
B. needn’t leave a tip after receiving service
C. can use American dollars to buy what you want
D. can draw money from banks from 9:00 to 16:30 every day
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the above Visitor Guide?
A. A German needn’t a passport to travel in Northern Ireland.
B. A visitor can dial 999 in emergency situations while in Northern Ireland.
C. Any European can get healthcare in Northern Ireland at a reduced cost or free of charge.
D. A visitor will be charged £ 3 for leaving luggage in Belfast Welcome Centre for 6 hours.
