Crossing your legs is an extremely common habit; most people don't even notice that they're doing it when they sit down. While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.

A study published in Blood Pressure Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason for this is that the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart and that crossing one leg over the other increases resistance(阻力), making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won't feel any immediate effects, but repeated, drawn-out increases in blood pressure can cause long-term health problems. So, planning to sit for a long period of time? Don't keep your legs crossed.

Crossing your legs at the knee can also cause pressure on the major nerve in your leg that passes just below your knee and along the outside of your leg, explains Richard Graves, a medical expert. This pressure can cause numbness and temporary paralysis (麻痹) of some of the muscles in your foot and leg, preventing you from being able to raise your ankle—what we know as that “pins and needles” sensation. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.

So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.

1.What can we learn about crossing one's legs?

A.It is a very bad social habit.

B.It is usually practiced on purpose.

C.It can do harm to people's health.

D.It can make others feel uncomfortable.

2.According to the study, sitting with your legs crossed can______.

A.affect your blood pressure

B.resist gravity effectively

C.lead to heart attacks easily

D.improve the function of legs

3.In the third paragraph "pins and needles" probably means______.

A.slight sharp pains

B.being a little nervous

C.serious muscle injuries

D.being highly flexible

4.What is the main purpose of the text?

A.To compare common habits.

B.To give readers some advice.

C.To evaluate effects of an experiment.

D.To introduce research methods.

    When Jenny Benson was eight, her mother took her to soccer practice for the first time.

“She’s never played soccer before,” Mrs Benson told the coach.“I’m not sure how she’ll do.”

Jenny ran onto the field and joined the other players. Over the next hour, Mrs Benson and the coach watched as Jenny out­ran many of the more experienced players.

“I knew then that soccer would be Jenny’s sport.” Mrs Benson recalls. And she was right.

It may have helped that Jenny had spent much of her time trying to keep up with her three brothers.“I wanted to be just like them,” Jenny says.“My family has inspired me for my entire life.”

Jenny has retired from the United States women’s national soccer team. She started out on her professional career in the Philadelphia Charge, a team in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA)．Later on, she joined FC Energy Voronezh, and then New Jersey Wildcats.

When the WUSA was being formed, league officials watched many college soccer games, looking for players good enough to join the league. They were very interested in Jenny, who played for the University of Nebraska.

“Throughout that college season, I knew I was being watched,” Jenny says, “I knew I couldn’t be perfect, so I just tried to be very consistent and have fun.”

As a professional, Jenny relied on her focused but fun­loving attitude. “In a game, I try never to put too much pressure on myself. The more I concentrate on having fun, the better I play.” She says. “I have good and bad days, just like everyone else, but I know the sun will always come up after a bad day. So all I have to do is to adjust myself, either to the change of my inner feelings or to the change of circumstances.That helps me get through anything.”

1.What can we learn from Jenny’s first soccer practice?

A.She was not sure how to play soccer.

B.She was gifted in playing soccer.

C.She was instructed by the soccer coach.

D.She was more experienced than other players.

2.Which professional team did she first play for?

A.New Jersey Wildcats.

B.FC Energy Voronezh.

C.The University of Nebraska.

D.The Philadelphia Charge.

3.Which of the following can best describe Jenny?

A.Talented but impatient.

B.Confident and considerate.

C.Concentrated and adaptable.

D.Absorbed but self­centered.

4.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A.How Jenny developed her soccer career.

B.Why Jenny retired from the national team.

C.How Jenny’s brothers influenced her career.

D.What made Jenny a good soccer player.

Are you looking for something to do? You might like to try one of these four experiences.

Crocodile watching

Do you fancy getting up close to some of the most terrifying animals on earth? Crocosaurus Cove, in Darwin (Australia) has the “Cage of Death”. It’s an enclosure that’s lowered into a pool. This gives you a 360 degree view of a crocodile as it’s being fed. The cable broke once and the cage sank to the bottom, but they’ve fixed it since then.

Edge walk

How about walking along the edge of a building several hundred meters up in the air? If that sounds like fun, head off to the CN Tower in Toronto (Ontario, Canada). Built in 1976, the tower is 553.33 meters tall.

The Edge walk consists of a 20-30 minute stroll along a 1.5 meter wide platform that runs around the tower’s restaurant roof. During the walk, you’re encouraged to lean forwards as you look over Toronto’s skyline (轮廓线).

Plastic ball rolling

Do you fancy rolling down a hill in a plastic ball?

Plastic ball rolling is popular all over the world, but the place to give it a go is in Rotorua (New Zealand). Brother David and Andrew Akers came up with the idea in 1994. A typical orb (球) is about 3 meters in diameter, with an inner orb size of about 2 meters. There’s no brake or steering mechanism, but the inner layer of the plastic ball helps absorb the shock.

Volcano bungee jumping

If you’re looking for the adventure of a lifetime, how about going bungee jumping off a helicopter into the crater of a live volcano? As part of the jumping, a helicopter ride takes you to the Villarreal volcano, one of the most active in Chile. Once you’re at the drop zone, you leap off the helicopter and fall into the volcano. Finally, you enjoy the ride back to the airport flying at 130kph.

Attracted by the above? If so, please contact us. Only half price from March 22 to April 25th For more information, please click here.

1.According to the passage, there was an accident once when people _____.

A.jumped into the Villarreal volcano

B.walked along the platform of the CN Tower

C.rolled down a hill in a plastic ball in Rotorua

D.watched crocodiles in the “Cage of Death” in Darwin

2.Which of the following was first invented in New Zealand?

A.Edge walk. B.Crocodile watching.

C.Plastic ball rolling. D.Volcano bungee jumping.

3.It can be inferred that all the four experiences are ______.

A.interesting sports B.exciting and extreme

C.held on high places D.fit for middle to old people

假定你是李华，你所在的学校要征集一封英文感谢信，以致意奋战在抗击新型冠状病毒肺炎第一线的医护人员，请你根据下列要点写一封信用于投稿。

1. 表达谢意； 2. 个人感受； 3. 表达信心。

注意：1.词数120左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3.开头语和结束语已为你写好。

参考词汇：流行病epidemic 疫情 epidemic situation 新型冠状病毒 novel corona virus

Dear Medical workers，

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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处错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误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。

Last Sunday, I went to a shop to have my watch repair. After checking the watch, the shop assistant said she would call her manager to see that if this kind of problem could be fixed. As I was waiting the response from the manager, I saw an old man in a wheelchair roll himself over to the counter. No one seems to have noticed him, so I went over to his wheelchair and offered to give him some helps. Kindly as I was, I found that I could do something to help him. At that moment, the assistant replied that it would cost myself much money to fix this problem. I was very sad and about to leave the shop while the old man said, “You are a nice and thoughtful boy, but I would like to help you pay for it.”

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

I believe different people have experienced  different adolescence.I must admit I was still an angry __1____ in my first year of college.My ____2__ was that my parents didn't please me at all.

Our finances were __3____， so I chose to go to a (n) ___4___ college and take a bus to classes every day. One day I had a(n) __5____ fight with my father.We both exploded into shouts.I ___6___ out of the house and missed my bus to school.

I rushed all the way to school.As I ___7___ across the campus toward my class, I suddenly realized I didn't have the ___8___ that was due: a thought card.My professor asked us to __9____ an index card with our names and the dates every  Tuesday. ___10___ what was on the rest of the card, we could write a thought, a question or something else.

Now, outside the door, ten minutes later, I took an index card. _11_____ to write something on it, I could only think about the ___12___ I'd just had with my dad.I wrote “I am the son of an idiot！”，then ___13___ into the room, and handed it to our professor.

Next day, our professor __14____ the thought cards and I ___15___ he wrote, “What does the ‘son of an idiot’ do with the rest of his life？” The professor's innocent­seeming question ___16___ me to the issue: whose problem is it? __17____， my thinking began to shift.I realized that I had created a life ___18___ I was not a central figure!

The __19____ of growth wasn't easy or fast. ____20__ later，from a struggling student, I became a successful student and then a successful teacher.

1.A.child B.adult C.adolescent D.student

2.A.temper B.anger C.mood D.pain

3.A.limited B.special C.practical D.fantastic

4.A.ordinary B.private C.local D.state

5.A.serious B.controversial C.unfriendly D.anxious

6.A.stormed B.wandered C.slipped D.stepped

7.A.leaped B.walked C.ran D.headed

8.A.duty B.assignment C.commitment D.material

9.A.take up B.put down C.hand out D.bring along

10.A.Due to B.Regardless of C.As for D.Thanks to

11.A.Concerned B.Desperate C.Excited D.Active

12.A.issue B.conversation C.dispute D.fight

13.A.poured B.entered C.dashed D.approached

14.A.gave back B.checked out C.put away D.passed on

15.A.explored B.recognized C.discovered D.ignored

16.A.awoke B.forced C.scared D.adjusted

17.A.Slowly B.Rapidly C.Generally D.Swiftly

18.A.what B.in which C.which D.that

19.A.process B.progress C.period D.challenge

20.A.Weeks B.Terms C.Months D.Years

Below are some ways to show appreciation to your parents:

Obey and respect them—This is a very important thing to do. Parents are very pleased when their daughters or sons obey and respect them. They feel like they are so important, and they feel like everything they have done for their daughters or sons is very worth it. 1.. Obeying and respecting parents is also a way to show you value them so much.

Give time to them—I know we are all growing up. 2.. You have work, or you have school activities that keep you busy. But hey, do you forget that as you grow up, your parents are also getting old? When your parents see you every day, they feel more alive. So give them time. It's not that hard.3.－Well, I know all parents have their own special occasions. You must remember them and celebrate them. Nothing can make your parents happier than celebrating their special occasions with their loved ones, especially their birthdays.

Keep eating together at mealtimes—Even though you are busy or you don't live with your parents, at least find some time to eat together with your parents. You are even luckier if you are living together with your parents. Lots of families are losing the practice of eating together. 4. So you can discuss family matters, or family conflicts. Your parents can also discuss proper behavior and manners during eating together. 5..

A.Remember and celebrate special occasions

B.This is also family bonding and you get to know each other

C.Take some time this Sunday to take them to the movie theater

D.If ever your parents are busy, ask them to find time to eat together

E.Do not make your parents feel they don't have a place in your life

F.You need to do things to be successful because you keep on growing up.

G.Pick up some items from your local grocery and cook something delicious for your parents

    It is important to protect yourself from harmful rays. But if you think a high-factor sunscreen keeps you safe from harmful rays, you may be wrong. Research in this week’s Nature shows that while factor 50 reduces the number of melanomas(黑素瘤)and delays their occurrence, it can’t prevent them. Melanomas are the most aggressive skin cancers. You have a higher risk if you have red or blond hair, fair skin, blue or green eyes, or sunburn easily, or if a close relative has had one. Melanomas are more common if you have periodic intense exposure to the sun. Other skin cancers are increasingly likely with long-term exposure.

There is continuing debate as to how effective sunscreen is in reducing melanomas—the evidence is weaker than it is for preventing other types of skin cancer. A 2011 Australian study of 1,621 people found that people randomly selected to apply sunscreen daily had half the rate of melanomas of people who used cream as needed. A second study, comparing 1,167 people with melanomas to 1,101 who didn’t have the cancer, found that using sunscreen routinely, alongside other protection such as hats, long sleeves or staying in the shade, did give some protection. This study said other forms of sun protection—no sunscreen—seemed most beneficial. The study relied on people remembering what they had done over each decade of their lives, so it’s not entirely reliable. But it seems reasonable to think sunscreen gives people a false sense of security in the sun.

Many people also don’t use sunscreen properly applying insufficient amounts, failing to reapply after a couple of hours and staying in the sun too long. It is sunburn that is most worrying—recent research shows five episodes of sunburn in the teenage years increase the risk of all skin cancers.

The good news is that a combination of sunscreen and covering up can reduce melanoma rates, as shown by Australian figures from their slip-slop-slap campaign. So if there is a heat wave this summer, it would be best for us, too, to slip on a shirt, use sunscreen and slap on a hat.

1.What’s people’s common expectation of high-factor sunscreen?

A.It will protect them from sunburn.

B.It will keep their skin smooth and fair.

C.It will work for people of any skin color.

D.It will delay the occurrence of skin cancer.

2.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A.Sunscreen can prevent all kinds of skin cancers.

B.The studies are based on direct observation of the subjects.

C.The studies may help people select the most effective sunscreen.

D.Daily application of sunscreen helps reduce the incidence of melanomas.

3.What does the author suggest in order to reduce melanoma rates?

A.Staying in the shade whenever possible.

B.Using covering up instead of sunscreen.

C.Using both covering up and sunscreen.

D.Applying the right amount of sunscreen.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.No Way to Stop Harmful Rays!

B.Does Sunscreen Prevent Skin Cancer?

C.Did You Use Sunscreen in the Right Way?

D.Skin Cancer—The Biggest Threat to Human Beings!

    The Israeli farmers who pioneered the revolutionary technology known as drip irrigation（滴流灌溉） weren’t trying to solve one of the world’s most urgent problems. They were just trying to survive. They lived in the desert, and they didn’t have enough water to grow their crops.

In its simplest form, it was little more than a pipe with holes in it. But behind each hole was a hi-tech dripper that let out just the right amount of water. Snaked along a row of crops so that the holes were positioned directly above the roots, the pipe could direct each precious drop of water directly to the plants, getting a bigger harvest while using a very small amount of water.

Over time, the farmers improved upon the technology, perfecting the drippers that regulated the flow of water, and connecting the pipelines to computers that could determine exactly how much water each plant needed and when.

If the global population kept growing, the rest of the world would increasingly resemble their little community in the desert. So they began selling their irrigation systems in other parts of the world, eventually expanding to more than 110 countries. Netafirm, the company says it’s lifting people out of poverty and conserving water at a time when the importance of doing so has never been clearer.

The mass adoption of drip irrigation won’t save the world by itself. To avoid the coming catastrophe, nearly everybody will, in some way, have to do more with less, perhaps through accepting and using other new technologies. Otherwise, it’s going to get ugly.

1.Why is drip irrigation called “the revolutionary technology”?

A.It saves the world all by itself.

B.It is controlled by computers.

C.It makes irrigation more effective.

D.It provides deserts with water.

2.What does “one of the world’s most urgent problems” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A.Lacking water. B.Lacking labor.

C.Lacking food. D.Lacking energy.

3.How does the drip irrigation help farmers with crops?

A.By drilling holes on the pipes.

B.By regulating water via drippers.

C.By snaking pipes along the crops.

D.By placing pipes just above roots.

4.Which of the following will be the best slogan for Netafirm to sell the irrigation systems?

A.Less water; More harvest.

B.New technology; New world.

C.More grain; Less starvation.

D.Water saving; World surviving.

    Once an old man used to go out to jog every morning. One day he was running around a track that circled the high school football field while the football team was conducting their practice. When the players began running their races up and down the field, the man said to himself determinedly, “I'll just keep running if they don't stop.” So they ran and he ran. They kept on running and he kept on running.

Finally, totally exhausted, the old man had to stop. When he stopped, an equally exhausted football player walked over to him and said, “Sir, I'm glad you finally stopped. Our coach has told us that we have to keep running as long as you are jogging!

It seems to me that we can sometimes find ourselves in a similar kind of situation when it comes to conflicts—that is when we have different opinions about something with someone and get into an argument with him or her, our voices get raised. Neither side wants to be the first to give in, to stop speaking in anger. Everyone has the attitude, “I'll just keep on till he gives in.” So the other party stays mad. So we stay mad. And on we go, finally finding ourselves emotionally and even physically exhausted by the continuing animosity(敌意).

Let me challenge you to do something very difficult. The next time you get into an argument, be the first to give in. Be the first to stop the shouting and the name-calling. Be the first to say, “I'm sorry.” It's the quickest way to stop that. As a saying goes, “A soft answer turns away extreme anger, but a harsh(严厉的）word stirs up anger.”

1.What happened to the old man that day?

A.He guided the students to practice running.

B.He joined the football team to play a game.

C.He asked the players to take care of the football field.

D.He decided to compete with the football players.

2.Why did the football player come to the old man?

A.To show respect for his great courage.

B.To praise him for his good performance.

C.To express satisfaction with his stopping running.

D.To complain to him about his keeping running.

3.What does the underlined word “conflicts” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A.Misunderstandings. B.Disagreements.

C.Misfortunes. D.Disappointments.

4.What's the purpose of the last paragraph?

A.To provide the effective way to make an apology.

B.To show it is hard for us to take up the challenge.

C.To warn us to control our bad emotion properly.

D.To advise us to take active action when we disagree with others.