Cold Truths
Is there any truth behind the saying “You are what you eat”? We put this to the test by asking three people to open their fridge doors and talk about their lifestyles.1.Maybe you can recognize your own fridge here!
“You might find bean products in our fridge, but hamburgers? Never!”—Amy, Teacher
2. This means we don't eat meat, and any milk or cheese had better be dairy-free. We like cooking at home and make our meals from fresh, seasonal fruit and vegetables. If we have children, I want to bring them up just like us, but my husband says that everyone should be able to make their own lifestyle choices.
“3.”—Mike, Chef
With five children, we're one big family! My wife and I both work full-time, so life can get pretty busy! Like a lot of chefs I know, I don't really do much cooking at home. Sometimes I bring home food from the restaurant where I work. Once a week we do a big shop and buy a lot of frozen food. I know we should eat more fresh fruit and vegetables...4.
“There isn't really much in my fridge. I'm too busy and tired to cook at home!”—Ted, Doctor
There's not enough room to swing a cat in my small apartment, so I don't cook very often. My fridge is usually half empty and I'm often too tired to eat much anyway.5.. As a doctor, I know I had better change the way I eat, but I just don't have the time or the energy right now.
A.My husband and I avoid all animal products.
B.Can you guess which fridge belongs to which person?
C.But ready meals are so convenient for full-time workers.
D.The food in our fridge comes from my workplace and shops.
E.My fridge is a total mess for all I do is party and hit the books.
F.I still don't think that anything can beat my mum's T-bone steaks.
G.Some evenings I'll have something quick like toast or even just a yogurt.
I thought I knew a lot about Hamlet.As an English literature major,I have to!Having seen quite a few productions of Hamlet and read the play many times,I was full of confidence-until Peking Opera came to town!
Peking Opera has over two hundred years of history,so does this mean it's easier than a Shakespeare play to understand?To find out the answer,I just had to go and see The Revenge of Prince Zidan- the Peking Opera version(版本）of Hamlet.
The opera brought a completely new sound to my Western ears.At first,I thought it was a violin.but later I learnt that it was a traditional Chinese instrument called jinghu.Then. seeing the characters in fantastic costumes and masks,I was amazed!They of course sang in Chinese,but the music and exaggerated movements helped get the meanings across to the audience.The voices sounded really unique-some of the female voices were so high that I was sure they could break glass!
Easily my favourite part of the show was how the characters moved on stage.I had never seen Prince Hamlet do a backflip(后空翻）before!It was so dazzling and energetic that I wasn't sure if the characters were performers or athletes!
Before experiencing The Revenge of Prince Zidan,I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it.But, in fact,I was on the edge of my seat!Feeling the strong emotions of love,anger,fear and grief in the performance,I could easily recognize the theme of Hamlet.So,if you want to see a show that combines music,singing,drama,poetry and costume design with explosive effect, The Revenge of Prince Zidan ticks all the right boxes!
1.Why did the author go to see The Revenge of Prince Zidan?
A.To have a full understanding of Hamlet.
B.To know about Shakespeare and his works.
C.To prove Peking Opera is a better way to perform Hamlet.
D.To see if Peking Opera is more understandable than English plays.
2.Which part of the opera attracted the author most?
A.The music effect.
B.The costume design.
C.The performers'movements.
D.The Chinese instrument jinghu.
3.What does the underlined"I was on the edge of my seat!"in Paragraph 5 suggest?
A.I became tired of the show.
B.I missed the best of the show.
C.I was held spellbound by the show.
D.I was to leave halfway through the show.
4.How did the the author feel about the Peking Opera version of Hamlet?
A.It's puzzling.
B.It's impressive.
C.It's humorous.
D.It's disappointing.
Last year,hundreds of people spent good money on an experience that they knew would include crowds,discomfort and danger.Many would become sick,due to the extreme cold and low air pressure,and a few would even lose their lives.However,by the end of the trip many were already planning a return to Qomolangma.For these people,climbing Qomolangma is an experience like no other,making some feel weak and others,powerful.
Mallory wrote of climbing Qomolangma,"What we get from this British climber George adventure is pure joy...We do not live to eat and make money.We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life.That is what life means."He added."There are a thousand reasons to turn going.You really have to focus on the one reason that matters around and only one to keep the most."
With most attempts(尝试）to climb Qomolangma resulting either in total success or failure,is there also a scientific reason behind this risk-taking?Recent studies indicate that risk-taking may be part of human nature,with some of us more likely to take risks than others. Psychologist Frank Farley has spent years studying people who jump out of planes and drive fast cars,as well as those who climb Qomolangma.He refers to the personalities of these people as"Type T",with the"T"standing for“thrill(激动）”Speaking to the LA Times about the"Type T”personalities,Farley said,"They'll say,'I'm not taking risks,I'm an expert...' They don't want to die and they don't expect to die."
With this in mind,is climbing Qomolangma worth the risks?It's totally up to you.
1.Why did many Qomolangma climbers decide to try again?
A.They didn't make it in early attempts.
B.They hoped to stay away from crowds.
C.They wanted to take unique adventures.
D.They couldn't live a life without climbing.
2.What can be inferred from George Mallory's words in Paragraph 2?
A.People care much about eating and making money.
B.It's hard to find a reason for climbing Qomolangma.
C.Nothing but joy can be felt in climbing Qomolangma.
D.Climbing Qomolangma is a journey of gaining life pleasure.
3.According to Frank Farley,which of the following best describes"Type T”people?
A.Sports-loving.
B.Thrill-seeking.
C.Strong-willed.
D.Quick-minded.
A
A woman is swimming at night in a dark sea. Suddenly, she is pulled underwater. She surfaces, cries in terror, then disappears forever. This is the opening scene from the 1975 film Jaws. This film was a great hit, but it made things worse.
Jaws made people frightened of sharks, especially of the great white shark. Some stopped swimming in the sea, afraid of the horrible creature from the film. Others started fishing for sharks, killing as many as they could. At that time, nobody cared if sharks were killed, or how many were killed. People just wanted them killed.
After 1975,the number of large sharks fell quickly around the world.This was not only due to fear of sharks, but also finning, a type of fishing where sharks are caught and their fins cut off. Unexpectedly, finning would have a powerful effect upon Peter Benchley, who wrote the book the film Jaws was based on.
One day in 1980,Benchley was diving when he came across an awful sight.He saw fishermen finning and sharks being killed,which caused a deep change in him.From then on, he saw people as a danger to sharks,rather than the other way round.Also,he admitted that his book was wrong about sharks' behavior."Sharks don't target(以…为目标）humans,"he said.Experts have proved that sharks do not see people as food, and they attack us by mistake. Only around six people are killed by sharks every year.
Today,as we learn more about sharks,more people than ever want to protect them from extinction.
1.The film Jaws led to
A.an end of shark fishing
B.a rise in shark population
C.the popularity of shark movies
D.people's scare about sharks
2.How did the sight of finning affect Peter Benchley?
A.It woke him up to his false idea of sharks.
B.It inspired him to do research about sharks.
C.It drove him to learn how to protect sharks.
D.It encouraged him not to be afraid of sharks.
3.What is the best title for the text?
A.Sharks:Dangerous or Endangered
B.Jaws:the Hottest Shark Movie Ever
C.Shark Attacks:Not a Problem Anymore
D.Humans:the Favourite Target of Sharks
请阅读下面文字，并按照要求用英语写一篇150 词左右的文章。
Twenty years ago,getting sick meant visiting a doctor.Now,many internet tools seek to identify what disease a person has based on symptoms described.The following are some studies. |
Study 1 A study led by an American researcher showed these web-based tools may be useful for patients who are trying to decide whether they should get to a doctor quickly. Besides,online symptom checkers can help seriously-ill patients for a guided care.According to the findings,overall the 23 symptom checkers provided correct advice in 58 percent of cases in more critical cases. |
Study2 Australian researchers at Edith Cowan University in Perth.did a new study,which examined 36 international internet-based symptom checkers,finding these online symptom checkers were rarely correct and could be harmful. Michella Hill,a leader of the research,said,"While it may be tempting to use these tools to find out what may be causing your symptoms,most of the time they are unreliable and sometimes can be dangerous.” |
（写作内容）
1. 用约30个单词概括上述信息的主要内容；
2.谈谈你如何看待在线症状检查工具，用2-3个理由或论据支撑你的观点。
（写作要求）
1.写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
3. 不必写标题。
（评分标准）
内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
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Hedonic Adaptation
Generally speaking, people often return to a set level of happiness despite life’s ups and downs. For instance, people who win the lottery tend to return to roughly their original levels of happiness after the novelty of the win has worn off. The same is true for those who are in major accidents and lose the use of their legs. The change in ability can be damaging at first, but people generally return to their pre-accident levels of happiness after the habituation period. This phenomenon is called hedonic adaptation, a concept studied by positive psychology researchers.
There are activities that are more or less affected by hedonic adaptation. Some of these activities are known as pleasures. They can lift your mood and leave you feeling wonderful, but their effects can be relatively a short time. What’s more, we get used to them relatively quickly. If you have the same meal every day for a week, for example, you may find it to be less pleasurable by the end of the week. Gratifications (满足) are also such activities affected by hedonic adaptation. They can get us into a feeling of “flow” where we don’t notice the passage of time, and where we’re thoroughly engaged in what we’re doing. Gratifications are activities that require more effort and thought, but the payoff is higher as well. The more we engage, the more we enjoy!
Knowing that pleasures don’t last long in their effects may make them seem less worth the effort than gratifications. There are reasons why they can be perfect for certain situations, however. First, they bring a quick lift in mood without a great deal of effort. This is actually quite valuable because there is significant research that shows that a lift in mood can lead to chain reaction of positive feelings. Second, gratifications do take more effort, so when you only have few minutes or a very limited amount of energy, pleasures are often the simpler and more accessible option.
Thankfully, we can do something to move away from the limiting effects of hedonic adaptation and engage in activities that can create a greater level of happiness in life. For example, be sure to make time for hobbies! It doesn’t really matter what the hobby is; as long as it’s one you enjoy, you’ll benefit from it, and these benefits will extend into the rest of your life. It’s also a good idea to help other people as this can create greater meaning in your life, and thus create greater happiness. Enjoying your positive experiences is also a great way to maximize the positive in your life. So at the end of the day, a few days a week, write about three things you enjoyed that day. Then, you’ll be reliving these positive experiences as you write about them, and can relive them again when you read.
Hedonic Adaptation | |
Concept of hedonic adaptation | Hedonic adaptation refers to people’s general tendency to return to a set level of 1. despite life’s ups and downs. |
Two kinds of activities influenced by hedonic adaptations | ● Pleasures are activities whose positive effects are 2., and our adaptation to them is also gone fast. ● gratifications are activities that take us more effort but can bring more 3. results. In other words, compared with pleasures, they are more 4. to the effects of hedonic adaptation. |
Advantages of pleasures over gratifications | ● Pleasures not only can lift our moods quickly but also are relatively 5. to achieve. ● Pleasures are a better choice when were too 6. or worn out. |
Tips on 7. the effects of hedonic adaptation | ● Take up hobbies that 8. to you whatever they are. ● Do others a favor and it can make you live more 9.. ● Enjoy your positive experiences by taking a regular 10. about them. |
