The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. Paintings of Egyptians dating back over
4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup. In 18th-century France, wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发) of long, white hair to make themselves attractive. Today, people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive: beauty is power. Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money, get called on more often in class, and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It’s difficult to describe it clearly, and yet we know it when we see it. And our awareness of it may start at a very early age. In one set of studies, six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs. The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students. In the studies, the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers. In studies by psychologists, men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes, fuller lips, and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and a narrow waist. According to scientists, the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits—the full lips, clear skin, strong shoulders—equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way. What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another. Look at most Western fashion magazines: the women on the pages are thin, but is this “perfect” body type for women worldwide? Scientists’ answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world. They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse, beauty plays a role in our lives. But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another. Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing, it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single, uniform standard. Beauty really is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder (观看者).
1.People’s ideas about beauty__________.
A.can be easily described
B.are based upon strict criteria
C.have existed since ancient times
D.have little influence on a person’s success
2.In Paragraph 3,the babies in the study__________.
A.were rated for their appearance
B.showed a preference for women with larger eyes
C.were shown photos of a group of college students
D.were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones
3.We can learn from the passage that__________.
A.the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up
B.the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches
C.the search for beauty is the power to motivate the beholder
D.the understanding of beauty is rooted in cultural backgrounds
4.What can probably be the best title for this passage?
A.The History of Beauty
B.The Mystery of Beauty
C.The Standards for Beauty
D.The Attitudes toward Beauty
We already know that exercise is good for our bodies. Daily exercise fights the loss of muscle tone and flexibility that tends to increase slowly with age. And it turns out that it has the same fountain-of-youth effects on our brains.
Studies show that over time our minds also become less nimble. We lose the ability to process new information or switch between mental tasks quickly — and now we know why.
A recent study examined nearly 100 individual studies on exercise and brain function and discovered exercising an average of 52 hours over six months is “associated with improved cognitive (认知的) performance in older adults with and without cognitive damage.” The type of exercises that are beneficial include aerobic, strength-training and mind-body exercises like yoga or tai chi.
In previous studies, researchers from Japan’s University of Tsukuba wanted to explore this idea by looking at the effect of exercise on the weakening of the brain. They tested the oxygen ability of 60 Japanese men between the ages of 64 and 75 who did not show any signs of dementia (痴呆) or other mental symptoms. Next, they looked at the brain activity of each man as he completed a mental task. They found that the fitter a participant was, the less brain power he used to complete the tasks when compared with his out-of-shape peers, which made him more efficient.
Although much research is focused on how exercise may benefit an aging brain, exercise offers brain health benefits at almost any age, and this includes children. A review of 14 studies showed that more physically active schoolchildren do better academically. Exercise actually causes your brain to grow in size. So get moving and keep moving for best results.
1.The underlined word “nimble” in Paragraph 2 most probably means__________.
A.dull-witted B.single-minded
C.absent-minded D.quick-witted
2.What can we infer about the participants’ less-active peers?
A.They had significant brain advantages.
B.Their brains were younger than their age.
C.Their cognitive performance would decline.
D.They had a quick mind when doing the task.
3.How does the author support his idea?
A.By making comparisons.
B.By analyzing study results.
C.By describing the processes.
D.By telling peers’experiences.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Exercise is beneficial for your bodies.
B.Exercise can benefit your brain health.
C.Exercise is especially good for dementia.
D.Exercise may lower your risk of mental problems.
Filmmaker Jennifer Nelson was sued (起诉) for $1,500 for having a song “Happy Birthday to You” sung in the movie she’s making. The money went to Warner Music Group, a company that claims to own the copyright on the song. A copyright is the legal right to use or sell a creative product such as a song, a TV show, a book, or a work of art. Warner has claimed the copyright for “Happy Birthday to You” since 1988.
“I never thought the song was owned by anyone,” Nelson said in an e-mail to The New York Times. “I thought it belonged to everyone.”
Nelson’s movie is a documentary—a film that uses pictures and/or interviews with people to create a factual report of real-life events—and is actually about the history of the “Happy Birthday” song itself.
Two sisters named Mildred and Patty Hill wrote a song called “Good Morning to All” in 1893. Over a short period of time, people began to sing the words “happy birthday to you” in place of the original lyrics to the tune of the Hill sisters’ song.
A number of history experts say that there is no record of who actually wrote the “Happy Birthday to You” lyrics. Historians also say there is no way to know when the general public began singing the “Happy Birthday” song, but they believe it had been sung by the public long before it was printed and owned by a company.
Nelson’s lawyers say this piece of music’s history proves that “Happy Birthday to You” belongs to everyone in the general public. That would mean Warner Music Group has no right to charge anyone a fee to sing the song in any setting.
Experts estimate that Warner/Chappell, the publishing division of the Warner Music Group, has made about $2 million a year from licensing fees for “Happy Birthday to You.” Nelson’s lawyers are asking a court in New York City to order Warner/Chappell to return fees they have collected over the past four years for use of the “Happy Birthday” song.
1.Why did Warner Music Group sue Jennifer Nelson?
A.Because she sold “Happy Birthday to You” for money.
B.Because she secretly used “Happy Birthday to You” song in her film.
C.Because she didn’t own the copyright on “Happy Birthday to You” song.
D.Because she used the “Happy Birthday to You” song without permission.
2.How was the “Happy Birthday” song produced?
A.Someone replaced “happy birthday to you” in the song.
B.It was written by Mildred as a gift for her sister’s birthday in 1893.
C.It was created by someone who used the tune of “Good Morning to All”.
D.People were asked to sing the words “happy birthday to you” in the movie.
3.The history experts’ statement can prove that the “Happy Birthday” song__________.
A.has always been very popular B.was definitely released by the public
C.does not belong to Warner Music Group D.has more than 32 years’ history since 1988
4.If the court supports the claim from Nelson’s lawyers,__________.
A.Warner will return about $8 million B.she can obtain the copyright on the song
C.Warner will have to pay her for her damage D.she can sell the song for about$2 million a year
News China
Circulation (发行量): 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $47.88 Price For You: $19.99
Product Description: News China is the English edition of China Newsweek. The magazine covers the latest Chinese domestic news in politics, business, society, environment, culture, sports and travels. It is the first comprehensive news magazine for readers interested in China.
Better Life
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55 Price For You: $15.00
Product Description: Designed for those who have a strong interest in personal lifestyle, Better
Life is America’s complete home and family service magazine. It offers help with food, recipes, decorating, building, gardening, family health, money management, and education.
Apple Seeds
Circulation: 1 Year, 9 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55 Price For You: $33.95
Product Description: Apple Seeds is an award winning magazine filled with stories for kids aged from 7 to 9. The cover is very soft, providing durability that allows each issue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Besides, there is a big surprise for you — it’s being sold at a more favorable discount than usual.
Humor Times
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $36.00 Price For You: $11.95
Product Description: Humor Times is for those who love to laugh! Full of cartoons and humor columns, it shows up in your mailbox once a month and keeps you smiling all year round! In today’s world, you need a reason to laugh. So let’s find it in Humor Times.
1.What kind of people may buy News China?
A.People who are keen on English learning.
B.People who want to learn more about the Asian nations.
C.People who are interested in the development of today’s China.
D.People who have an interest in personal lifestyle of the Chinese.
2.Better Life can help you in__________.
A.learning how to make recipes
B.making your apartment more beautiful
C.finding interesting stories for your kids
D.knowing more about people’s private life
3.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Humor Times is going to surprise you all year round.
B.Better Life can help you order food from the restaurant.
C.Apple Seeds offers the biggest discount among all the magazines.
D.The soft cover of Apple Seeds enables it to be read and kept long.
假设你是李华,某中学高一(1)班班长,准备期末考试后组织一次全班的野餐聚会.现在请你根据以下图表的信息给你班的外籍英语教师Mr. White写一份邀请信。
行驶路线:从学校出发,骑乘自行车沿人民路(Ren Min Road)向北2公里。
活动内容:中午野餐;餐后湖中划船。
注意: 1.词数120左右,信的开头已给出,不计入总词数2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯.
Dear Mr. White,
I would like to invite you to
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文,请你修改你同桌写的以下作文.文中共有10处语言错误,每句中最多有两处.每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加,删除或修改.
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词.
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉.
修改:在错的词下划一横线,并在该词下面写出修改后的词.
注意: 1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;2.只允许修改10处,多者(从第11处起)不计分.
I’m sorry to know that you are having so a bad time at the moment. The truth is that everyone will have one of those periods which things seem to be going wrong, so there is no need worry too much. What matter most is to learn to control your temper so that you may not do and say anything that you’ll regret .Here are two useful tips.
First of all, talking to someone you trust about how you feel ,which is a good way of letting your anger out without hurting the others or yourself .Besides, that also helps to go outdoors and play team games with your friends as physical exercise is an effective way to get rid from anger.
I am sure that my suggestions would be of great beneficial if you stick to them.
