Press your fingers into the back of your head, just above your neck. If you feel a small bony bump (突起), you will find evidence of human evolution: it could be your body responding to common smartphone use in the 21st century.
According to a recent study, published in Scientific Reports, young people increasingly have bony bumps at the base of their skulls (颅骨) right above the neck. Medical professionals call them enlarged external occipital protuberances(EEOPs, 枕外隆突).
Australian health scientist David Shahar, author of the study told the BBC that over the past 10 years, he’s seen more and more patients with EEOPs. Together with other researchers from the University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia, they examined 1200 skulls x-rays from people aged 18 to 30. They also measured the bumps and noted each person’s posture (坐姿).
They found that one in four people have developed these growths. This led to their theory that smartphones are the cause.
According to their research, looking down at their phones adds the stress onto the top of our spines (脊柱). To prevent damage to our spines, Shahar believes our bodies add fresh bony bumps to help reduce the extra stress.
Most of the EEOPs measurea just a few millimeters. However, several subjects were found with EEOPs as large as 30 mm.
In his report, Shahar said the results “highlighted the need” for prevention. In other words, we need to change our posture while using our phones.
Many people assume our bones are solid and are unmoving once we reach adulthood. In reality, they are alive and covered with blood vessels (血管), which allows them to develop in unique ways for each person.
Aside from EEOPs, other noticeable recent changes in human bodies include smaller jaws, elbows and skeletons (骨格). The human body is changing with modern life. So who knows what people in the future might look like?
1.What did the recent study find about EEPOs?
A.They grow on one’s neck.
B.They could lead to many mental problems.
C.They increasingly occur among young people.
D.They may stop growing when they reach 30.
2.What is the main cause of EEPOs?
A.Gene problems. B.Cellphone use.
C.Blood vessels. D.Extra stress.
3.Which of the following would Shahar probably agree with?
A.EEPOs increase the stress on our spines.
B.Young people’s bones develop in similar ways.
C.EEPOs are actually beneficial to our spines.
D.Young people should exercise to improve their posture.
4.What’s the main purpose of the text?
A.To persuade readers to protect their spines.
B.To recommend some healthy habits of using phones.
C.To show some recent changes in human bodies.
D.To explain why human bodies develop EEPOs.
McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Jack in the Box... These fast food companies have something in common. Can you spot it?
Besides all being fast food chains, they’re all red. And it’s not a coincidence. Color is one of the many strategies companies use to connect with customers. And if swearing off fast food wasn’t hard enough, those colorful red logos might make it even harder to ignore.
Fast food companies all use the color red heavily in their logos. Why? The answer goes back thousands of years. The average human can see ten million colors, but red is special. It’s one of the first colors our ancient ancestors thought important enough to name. In early human languages, there were words for “black!” and “white” and “red” but not much else. In fact, blue didn’t show up until thousands of years later in 200 A. D.
As a result, we have a deeper connection to red than any other color on the spectrum and we react to it in certain ways that actually play to fast food companies’ advantage. For starters, researchers have found that red can bring a sense of urgency into our minds. In addition to that, it also has a born ability to whet our appetites. And when you pair those two together you’ve got the perfect recipe to attract hungry customers who want food, fast So that red logo isn’t just a welcoming sign, it’s a sly attraction to your brain.
In fact, red is one of the few colors today that cultures all over the world view positively. And it’s no wonder companies dedicate so much thought to their logos. After all, we’re a visual creature. Despite having five senses, 80% of the information our brains process on a daily basis comes from our eyes. Colors are what give brands that impressive stamp of recognition.
1.Why do fast food companies prefer the color red?
A.To highlight the importance of red in human history.
B.To help customers out in case of emergency.
C.To welcome and fascinate customers.
D.To stand out among various brands.
2.The underlined word “whet” in Para. 4 probably means “________”.
A.lose B.affect
C.increase D.exchange
3.What’s the author’s attitude toward “red”?
A.Positive. B.Uncertain.
C.Doubtful. D.Negative.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Color Psychology: a Fun Study
B.Why Are So Many Fast Food Logos Red?
C.Food Culture: a Healthy Trend
D.Why Are Fast Food Companies So Popular?
When my mother died, I was cooking.
One weekend, my husband suggested we cook together. I’d spoken to my mother earlier that day on the phone. I’d told her about our life. She yawned and we said goodbye to one another.
I didn’t know then what I would know 16 hours later. I hadn’t even asked how she was doing. My mother died.
My mother was my best friend. After she died, I felt so lonely. The only person I wanted to talk to about my grief was my mother. The only person who could help me was the one who was missing, however much love and support people gave me.
My mother gave me many things, but an education in cookery was not one of them. She liked eating more than cooking.
But she had learned to cook when she was a teenager and she had some brilliant recipes (食谱).
I know everyone says this, but my mother made the best roast beef dinners in the world. And, above all, fish pie! Almost every week, she would buy a prepared fish pie. Then she would bring it home and make her own white sauce (沙司).
My mother never got around to teaching me how to make a white sauce—and I never got around to asking her. Now that she was gone, I would have to teach myself.
So this became my focus. For the first few weeks, I managed to live on instant foods. But one night, a fish pie mix caught my eye at the store.
When I got home, I set myself in front of our electric stove. Armed with a recipe, I tried to teach myself to make a white sauce.
Halfway through the recipe, I couldn’t believe it—I’d made a white sauce! On my own! I could do this! Then I remembered: I had always hated fish pie.
Admiring my sauce, I wondered why I was so committed to making a dish I had hated for 25 years. Why was it suddenly so important to me?
I spooned the sauce over the fish. Then I ate the pie. It was delicious. More importantly, something strange had happened. The act of making a meal had calmed me.
It helped me find peace.
1.What do we know about the author?
A.She didn’t get along well with her husband.
B.She rarely called her mother on the phone.
C.She had a close relationship with her mother.
D.She regretted not visiting her mother that day.
2.By describing her mother’s cookery, the author ________.
A.expressed her wish to be a person like her mother
B.complained that her mother didn’t teach her to cook
C.wanted to show how good her mother was at cooking
D.meant to tell what was special about the white sauce
3.What does the underlined word “this” refer to?
A.Living a lonely life. B.Learning to cook.
C.Living on instant foods. D.Looking back on the old days.
4.How did the author feel when she made the white sauce?
A.Sad. B.Peaceful.
C.Dependent. D.Strange.
Food & Drink Service. We offer snacks like chocolate, crisps, biscuits and salted peanuts. A wide range of soft drinks, fruit juice, tea, milk, yoghourt, vegetable juice and mineral water can be provided. However, since taking a flight may be a process of removing water from your body, water and nonalcoholic beverages are strongly advised.
Electronic Facilities. Cellular phones, FM/AM radios, portable television sets and electronic toys with remote controls must not be used in the cabin, as their signals may interfere with the aircraft’s navigational instruments. Laptop computers and CD (MD, MP3) players may be used during cruising portions of the flight but not during the take-off and landing.
In-flight Entertainment. A wide selection of international publications are available for your reading pleasure. You may keep this free copy of Morning Calm magazine, but kindly return all other reading materials after you have finished with them for the benefit of fellow passengers. A selection of music is available on eight channels, from channel 3 to 10. The channel changer is on your armrest. We also offer a selection of popular films; you may listen in English on channel 2. Poker and chess are available on request, and we have free postcards and stationery.
Medical Needs. We keep a selection of nonprescription medicine for any passenger suffering from mild sicknesses. An emergency medical kit is also accessible for more serious illnesses.
Travelling with Infants and Children. Baby bassinets (摇篮式婴儿床) are provided on a first come first serve basis and should be requested at the time of booking. Special meals for children and infants can be served if the request is made 24 hours before departure. Selected giveaways for children aged 2 to 12 are available on all international flights.
1.The services above are probably offered by ________.
A.a travel agency B.an airline
C.a medical center D.a five-star hotel
2.If you turn on Channel 5 on your armrest, what will you enjoy?
A.International news. B.Poker and chess.
C.Fashion magazines. D.Popular music.
3.When should a passenger request special meals for children and babies?
A.24 hours before departure. B.At the time of booking.
C.Soon after the take-off. D.At the time of landing.
You should see the photo. I’m sitting in red dirt, ________ an ugly purple T-shirt. My face is pink and my ________ is wet with sweat. Flies buzz around my head. I’m in the northwest of Australia, on a school trip with 20 parents and 20 kids
It was a strange choice for a holiday. I like sitting by the pool with a cola, not flies and frogs. I like being ________ and quiet, not a busload of kids. I like ________ washed sheets, not dirty-looking blankets.
But here’s the thing about that photo: I am smiling!
The trip sounded good when I ________. We were told that guides would take us into the heart of the place and I would see a new part of Australia and learn about local ________. Besides I knew it would be a valuable chance for me to stay with my youngest daughter. I would also stay with 40 strangers. I just hope there would be good coffee.
In Darwin we got onto a bus. It quickly became tiresome. The kids were ________ and kept on talking but I hate making small talk.
But later when I looked out at the large empty land, I was surprised at and moved by its ________. Our local guide told us about the land and his culture. I felt far from home.
At a national park, we ________ a natural swimming hole, kids and parents having a great time.
Finally we reached our ________. There the small room I shared with my daughter was a brick cell, full of crickets (蟋蟀), but too dark to see them.
It didn’t ________. The next nine days were ________. Waterfalls, lakes, community visits, and a trip around Katherine Gorge where we ________ saw giant crocodiles!
On our last night, a water pipe (管子) ________. We awoke to a mess, everything in water. Usually I would have ________, but it just seemed ________ to be dirty.
Indeed, it was ________ to stay clean. We were hiking in red dirt with temperatures of 35 degrees. Still, I felt a kind of energy I hadn’t ________ in years.
Yes, the coffee was bad, but I was too focused on keeping crickets off my face.
I love that photo of me in the dirt. I look ________ but happy. Sometimes it’s another way of traveling. There is beautiful ________ and there is dirt. There was always someone to talk to someone to laugh with.
1.A.washing B.wearing C.waving D.watching
2.A.mind B.eye C.heart D.hair
3.A.noisy B.busy C.alone D.shy
4.A.shortly B.cautiously C.freshly D.clearly
5.A.signed up B.showed up C.stood up D.woke up
6.A.guide B.business C.culture D.resource
7.A.silent B.encouraged C.moody D.excited
8.A.coldness B.beauty C.enthusiasm D.emptiness
9.A.enjoyed B.broadened C.missed D.constructed
10.A.goal B.agreement C.destination D.decision
11.A.matter B.work C.appear D.happen
12.A.killed B.packed C.wasted D.booked
13.A.still B.already C.even D.ever
14.A.cut B.expanded C.shortened D.broke
15.A.scared B.complained C.laughed D.saddened
16.A.normal B.strange C.unbelievable D.perfect
17.A.impossible B.probable C.easy D.important
18.A.tested B.stored C.valued D.experienced
19.A.pretty B.energetic C.bitter D.messy
20.A.dress B.weather C.scenery D.room
—I can drive you home.
—________, but are you sure it’s not too much trouble?
A.That would be great B.Don’t bother
C.I’m afraid not D.Congratulations
