Ten years ago I was visiting Costa Rica ...

    Penguins are flightless birds that spend half their time on land and half in the water.

1. They have dark and white feathers，and their wings have evolved into flippers(脚蹼).Most penguins feed on fish，squid and other forms of sea life caught while swimming.

2. They are mostly found in groups that include thousands of penguins.Penguins each have their own unique mating call，and they use that to locate their mate and chicks in such a large group.

Although almost all penguin species are native to the Southern Hemisphere, they are not found only in cold Antarctica.3. Several species are even found in the temperate zone, and one species，the Galátpagos penguin，lives near the equator(赤道).

Unfortunately, many penguin species worldwide are facing threats.The biggest is climate change and global warming. As the earth warms up，the sheets of ice have melted，and the algae(藻类)that grow under the ice decrease.The algae are eaten by tiny creatures called zooplankton. When there is a drop in zooplankton, it affects the fish that depend on it.4.

Another major threat is from oil spills. If coated with oil, penguins cannot float or swim in  water. Also, if oil is swallowed, penguins will die from poison.5.

A.These birds are very social.

B.In fact, only a few of them live so far south.

C.Penguins are highly adapted for life in the water.

D.The biggest threat for penguins comes from humans.

E.They have a tendency to live in a community together.

F.As a result，penguins have less fish to eat and thus starve.

G.Others include overfishing，illegal egg harvesting，and natural enemies.

    We often seek food after focused mental activity，like preparing for an exam.Researchers guess that too much thinking consumes a lot of energy from the brain.So the brain，sensing that it may soon require more calories to keep going，apparently leads to bodily hunger，and even though there has been little physical movement，we eat.

The researchers note that tiring activity both increases the amount of blood sugar and lactate(乳酸盐)circulating in the blood and increases blood flow to the head.

Because the brain uses sugar and lactate as fuel，researchers wondered if the increased flow of fuel—rich blood during exercise could feed a worn—out brain and reduce the urge to overeat.

Thirty—eight healthy college students were invited to determine their fitness and metabolic(新陈代谢)rates and to report what their favorite pizza was.Afterward，they sat quietly for 35 minutes before being given as much of their favorite pizza as they wanted.At a later date，the volunteers returned and spent 20 minutes making selections from college and graduate-school entrance exams.

Next，half the students sat quietly for 15 minutes，before being given pizza.The rest of the volunteers spent those 15 minutes doing intervals on a treadmill(跑步机)two minutes of hard running followed by about one minute of walking，repeated five times.These students were then allowed to gorge on pizza，too.But by and large，they did not overeat.

When the researchers factored in(将……作为因素考虑)the calories burnt on running，they determined that those students actually consumed 200 fewer total calories after their brain workouts than the resting students.

The researchers do not know if the runners consumed extra calories at dinner.They also cannot tell whether other types of exercise would have the same effect as running，although the researchers say they suspect that if an activity causes someone to break into a sweat，it should also increase blood sugar and lactate，feeding the brain and weakening hungers call.

1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?

A. We eat for more physical movements.

B. A busy brain can make one hungry.

C. Energy from the brain can’t be used up.

D. An exam results in caloric consumption most.

2.What can a physical movement do?

A. Increase blood flow. B. Increase the amount of blood sugar.

C. Urge one to eat more. D. Make the brain tied.

3.What does the underlined phrase“gorge on”in paragraph 5 mean?

A. Eat. B. Purchase. C. Taste. D. Obtain.

4.What do the researchers want to know from the study?

A. Whether brain uses sugar and lactate as fuel.

B. Whether brain can be tired during exercise.

C. Whether exercise can reduce eating desire.

D. Whether exercise increases blood sugar.

    An unconventional new initiative(首创)in Canada will soon allow doctors to prescribe art to their patients—by giving them free access to a local museum.Wandering through the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts(MMFA)，these patients and their loved ones will be able to feast their eyes on the peaceful collections of art.

The initiative is the first of its kind in the world.And while you certainly can’t replace a conventional treatment with a couple of paintings，the idea is for such“prescriptions”to assist a person’s current treatment plan.Under the new program，members of the Francophone Association of Doctors in Canada(MFDC)will be able to hand out up to 50 prescriptions for their patients.

These prescriptions will be available for those with a wide range of mental and physical illnesses，and each of them will allow two adults and two children to visit the museum for free.

“By offering free admission to a safe，welcoming place，a relaxing experience，a moment of relief，and an opportunity to strengthen ties with loved ones，MMFA—MFDC Museum Prescriptions contribute to the patient’s well-being and recovery，”explains a news conference from the MMFA.

It may look a lot like a marketing effort for the museum but there’s also increasing evidence that the display of visual art，especially if it’s showing nature，can have positive effects on health outcomes.

In some ways，the benefits of looking at art appear a little similar to physical activity.A systematic review of clinical art therapy(疗法) found that visual art has significant and positive effects on depression，anxiety，mood，and self-esteem.Findings like these are slowly gaining attraction in the medical community，making artwork a higher priority(优先)in hospitals around the world.

In the US，nearly half of all health care institutions have reported including art in health care programming，such as art therapy and the placement of visual art in hospitals.With spaces  dedicated(专用的)to art therapy and also a medical consultation room，the MMFA already provides services for people with mental health issues，eating disorders，and Alzheimer’s disease，just to name a few.

1.How will some Canadian doctors treat their patients?

A. Introducing fine arts to their patients.

B. Feasting them in a peaceful and welcoming place.

C. Keeping them company through the Montreal Museum.

D. Giving them a prescription to access a local museum for free.

2.MMFA thinks the new initiative in Canada can be_______.

A. a help with patients’recovery B. a chance to make friends

C. the best option for the treatment plan D. a substitute for conventional treatment

3.Why does the museum join in the program?

A. To make visual art known to the public. B. To promote the museum into market.

C. To strengthen ties with doctors. D. To advance the science of medicine.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. Fine arts will take the place of medicine.

B. Artists rarely suffer from some mental diseases.

C. More than 50 prescriptions are available for patients.

D. Art will be included in Canadian doctors’prescriptions.

    The search engine Google celebrated on Thursday the 110th birthday of the first Native American woman engineer.Google honored Mary Ross with a special Google Doodle on its homepage.

Ross was born on August 9，1908，in the state of Oklahoma.She was the great-granddaughter of John Ross，the longest—serving chief of the Cherokee Nation.Her work is considered important to the early stages of the age of space travel.

Ross showed special abilities in math and science from an early age.As a student，she developed an interest in aviation，or the practice of flying aircraft.She went on to earn a master’s degree in mathematics from Colorado State Teachers College，now called the University of Northern Colorado.

During World War II，Ross began working for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation as a mathematician.She earned a special certification in the field from the University of California in1949.Ross was later chosen to join Lockheed’s top—secret Skunk Works team that worked on aircraft designs.The name refers to a group that is permitted to work independently on advanced projects.She was the only female engineer among the team’s 40 members.

Early on，she researched defense systems.By the late 1950s，her work centered on satellites and a series of space rockets called Agenda.The rockets were extremely important in the 1960s during the Apollo moon program.

Ross also helped develop early design ideas for space travel between planets，including flyby space flights to study Venus and Mars.Ross retired from Lockheed in 1973.But she continued to give talks at high schools and colleges to encourage more women and Native Americans to study engineering.She died in 2008，a few months before her 100th birthday.

Many celebrated Ross’life on social media.Twitter user Aaron Perez，for example，wrote:“Mary Ross was an engineer who pioneered in the field of satellites.I never would have known if it wasn’t for the doodle.Women engineers deserve more recognition.”

1.Why did Google celebrate Mary Ross’110th birthday?

A. She invented a new flying aircraft.

B. She had been a great designer ever.

C. She contributed a lot to space travel.

D. She got a master’s degree in mathematics.

2.What did Mary Ross do in the middle of20th century?

A. She worked on Agenda.

B. She gave talks at high schools.

C. She helped women study engineering.

D. She planned the Apollo moon program.

3.Which of the following can best describe Mary Ross?

A. Caring and cautious. B. Talented and creative.

C. Generous and patient. D. Courageous and optimistic.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Social media is very popular in the world.

B. Every Twitter user thinks highly of Mary Ross.

C. More attention should be paid to women engineers.

D. Man has made greater progress in space technology.

    It takes a special person to travel with kids—a parent.Children have their own needs.Their idea of a vacation is more“adventurous”than a parent’s.They need constant inspiration and they can get as tired as they are tiring.

Make sure you have plenty of room while traveling

If you are driving，get a mini-van.Sure，you might be more of a“car”type，and you might have resisted buying a mini—van so far.But pick up a rental van for the vacation just to give the kids a little more room for fighting.

Accommodations along the way can be tricky.Usually it involves a crowded motel for just long enough to sleep，then back in the crowded car.This is not anybody’s idea of a home away from home.An accommodation alternative is to camp，but not everyone enjoys a good early morning wake-up wrestle with a bear as much as I do，so a motel might be required.

Make sure you have plenty of room when you“get there”

Assuming you are actually heading for a destination，make sure to have lots of room when you get there.This part is easy.But it requires thinking outside the box.Forget hotels，motels，and inns.Look for private rental homes.

Probably the biggest destination for families is Walt Disney World in Florida.Good news—Orlando，Kissimmee and the surrounding area is full of private vacation homes for rent.In Florida they call them vacation villas，and they offer all the space of home.

Be prepared for“children being children”events

Sometimes，stress hits you from behind when the unexpected happens.Like a cut or a scrape…or a child getting sick.Sharon Baillie told me that is why she tells all her villa rental guests where the first-aid case can be found，and exactly where to go for medical attention.This is particularly helpful for her many guests from abroad，who are unfamiliar with the US healthcare system.

Booking tickets to theme parks and making reservations for just about everything in advance makes the trip less stressful.Try having your children baby-sat.Hire a local baby-sitter once or twice.Vacation Home owners can set this up for you，and some hotels might be willing to，too.

1.Where does the author prefer to rest on the way to the destination?

A. In a camp. B. In a mini-van. C. At a motel. D. In a car.

2.What does the underlined word“this”in the last paragraph refer to?

A. Booking tickets in advance. B. Hiring a baby-sitter.

C. Making reservations ahead of time. D. Looking for a tour guide.

3.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To introduce ways of travelling.

B. To advertise vacation homes for tourists.

C. To reduce the stress while traveling abroad.

D. To show how to travel comfortably with kids.