It’s common knowledge that some countries have higher life expectancies(预期寿命) than others, but the city you live in can also affect your health.
Some cities are hard on their residents. In places with poor city planning, for example Lagos, which was called out recently by the Economist Intelligence Unit, public spaces are few, making outdoor activities hard. Lack of infrastructure(基础建设) blocks the streets with cars and the air with pollutants, and residents work long hours for little money.
These are just some of the factors added up by Spotahome, a rental agency. They’ve analyzed data from a range of sources, including the World Health Organization and TripAdvisor to score each city on health, life expectancies, obesity, green space and other elements to make a list to work out which are the world’s healthiest cities.
The list is certainly Eurocentric and sunshine is seen as a positive factor. It does go some way toward suggesting which cities are getting it right in providing a good life for their residents. It may not be surprising to learn that most of the healthiest cities are in northern Europe, known for its people-first approach to city planning. The cities of Australia and Canada also do well. However, the first American city is only in 34th place. The U.K. doesn’t fare too well either—its only city in the top 50 list is London, in 40th.
Whether you’re planning a pleasant holiday, or simply wondering what your city can do better in its pursuit for happy citizens, the list of the 50 healthiest cities will give you pause for thought about the future of city planning. Here are the slender, healthy-eating, clean-aired cities that are getting it right.
1.What plays the key role in building a healthy city according to the text?
A.Local culture. B.City planning. C.Economic condition. D.Geographical position.
2.What does paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A.How the list of the healthiest cities came into being.
B.What Spotahome discovered in the recent study.
C.The reasons why Spotahome carried out the study.
D.The places where the data of the study came from.
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.Cities in America lack enough sunshine.
B.The U. K. ranked higher than America in the list.
C.Australia and Canada have the best city planning.
D.Some people in Lagos may live a poor life.
Spotify can tell if you’re sad. Here’s why that should scare you. Want to figure out if someone is a patient with a mental disability? Ask them what their favorite song is. A New York University study last year found that people who loved Eminem’s Lose Yourself and Justin Bieber’s What Do You Mean? were more likely to have trouble with mental disabilities than people who were into Dire Straits.
Over the past few years, Spotify has been improving the ability to analyze information to help businessmen target consumers with advertisements made specially for their needs. They conclude this from the sort of music you’re listening to, combined with where and when you’re listening to it, along with third-party data that might be available.
Now, to be clear, there’s nothing significantly illegal about what Spotify is doing with your information. I certainly don’t think that they are working with consulting firms to serve you relevant ads while you’re listening to music that suggests you might be in a terrible situation. However, I find it disappointing that our private moments with music are increasingly being turned into information points and offered to advertisers.
You can see where this could go, can’t you? As ad targeting gets even more accurate, businessmen will have the ability to target our feelings in potentially improper ways. According to one study, you are more likely to spend more on a product if you’re feeling sad. You can imagine some companies might take advantage of that. And on that note, I’m feeling a little down about all this. Head off to treat myself to something expensive.
1.What’s the purpose of the first paragraph?
A.To introduce a new song. B.To draw readers’ attention.
C.To help more patients. D.To promote a new medium.
2.Spotify improves its ability to analyze information to ________.
A.provide services for the government B.work with consulting firms
C.get listeners’ personal information D.help businessmen attract consumers
3.Who is the text probably designed for?
A.Internet users. B.Officials. C.Researchers. D.Managers.
My violin is like a soul mate that whispers words of wisdom to me. Together, we’ve gone through both tears and happiness.
About 12 years ago, I made acquaintance with it following an order from my mom. Many hours of boredom were spent practicing it. And to make things worse, the disappointment in my teacher’s eyes as I played the wrong notes was like an invisible hammer, striking on my heart. One day, I finally decided: I hate it!
By chance, things changed when I was seven. I was at home lying on the sofa, wondering how those famous violinists dealt with this terrible dilemma. I searched online for the E-minor Concerto, a well-known violin work by German composer Felix Mendelssohn, and listened to it.
A beautiful and mysterious sound came from the violin as the bow moved across it. It was like the music slid over the flowers, rose up, and started to fill the air. The violin’s voice woke up the sun, made the trees green, and freshened the air. As the music changed, the sky turned back to gray. A gloomy shade covered the grass as all the sunshine disappeared. I could hear children crying and men shouting. It was like an invisible claw had grabbed my heart tightly, making it unable to beat.
That glorious day set off my passion and interest in violin — I grabbed mine and never let it go. Before the memories faded, I stared at my instrument. Without hesitating, I picked it up, rosined(用松香擦) the bow, and began to play. Peace filled my heart.
My violin has been by my side for 12 years. When I feel happy, an energetic tune makes it even better; when I’m deep in sorrow, a peaceful tune washes it away, when I’m walking on air, feeling especially pleased with my achievements, solemn(庄严的) tunes calm me down. Gradually, it has become a part of my life.
My violin, shall I compare you to a summer’s day?
1.What further contributed to the author’s dislike of violin-playing?
A.Orders from mum. B.Boredom of practice.
C.Loss of passion for violin. D.Disappointment in the teacher’s eyes.
2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
A.The author’s feeling was continuously influenced by the music.
B.The weather actually changed because of the tune.
C.The sudden change made the author’s heart unable to beat.
D.The scenery outside the room was quite attractive.
3.Why did the author pick up the violin again?
A.The invisible hammer and claw are gone.
B.The beautiful imagination changed his attitude.
C.A famous tune aroused his interest and passion.
D.He was crazy about Felix Mendelssohn’s works.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Deep love for music B.My dislike and like of violin
C.An inspiring story of violin D.Musical soul mate—violin
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.How many books has the author of the series finished so far?
A.Three B.Five. C.Seven.
2.Why wasn’t the series turned into a movie?
A.The story was too complex. B.There was too much violence.
C.The author didn’t want it to be a film.
3.When was Game of Thrones first shown on television?
A.In 2006. B.In 2008. C.In 2011
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where might the apartment building located?
A.Near the ocean. B.In the bar district. C.In the countryside.
2.In addition to his rent, what will the man have to pay for?
A.All bills B.Cable TV. C.Heating and water.
3.What is the rent for the basement suite?
A.$3,000 per month. B.$2,000 per month. C.$1,400 per month.
4.What is the disadvantage of the studio?
A.It’s noisy at night. B.It’s too far from the city. C.It’s hard to move in the furniture.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where are the speakers?
A.In a hotel room. B.Just outside a hotel. C.At a hotel registration desk.
2.What might have happened, according to the woman?
A.Someone locked the door from inside. B.The man forgot where he put his passport.
C.Some animal came into the room through the window.
3.Where is the man’s wallet likely to be now?
A.By the tree. B.In the drawer. C.In the fruit bowl.
