Here is a surprising and important fact: Mental work(脑力劳动) alone can’t make us tired. It sounds absurd(荒谬的). But a year ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could work without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer(工人), we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
In fact, brain can work as well at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists say that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes(态度). One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hartfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue is of mental origin(源于精神的). In fact, fatigue of physical origin(源于身体的) is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He says, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting workers in good health is because of emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? A feeling of being bored, angry, nervous or worried, a feeling of not being appreciated(被欣赏)--- those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
1.What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.
B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel tired after a day’s work.
C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.
D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.
2.According to the writer, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
A. Challenging mental work.
B. Unpleasant emotions.
C. Endless tasks.
D. Physical labor(体力劳动).
3.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the scientists’ ideas?
A. He agrees with them.
B. He doubts them.
C. He argues against them.
D. He is not willing to accept them.
4.We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.
A. have some good food
B. enjoy their work
C. exercise regularly(规律地）
D. discover fatigue toxins
Going green seems to be fad(时尚) for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every day for a whole year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted others to know that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic(有机的) stores. We eat less meat and choose green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar(醋) and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners(化学清洁剂). We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home, anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are thankful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.
1.What might be the best title for the passage?
A. Celebrating Our Green Year.
B. Protecting the Planet.
C. Keeping Open-Minded
D. Going Green.
2.It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.
A. they needed to complete unusual green tasks
B. they didn’t know how to educate other people
C. they were unwilling to reduce their energy
D. they were expected to follow the green fad
3.What did the couple do during Our Green Year?
A. They sold their home-made food.
B. They paid no attention to others’ ungreen actions.
C. They chose better chemical cleaners.
D. They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.
4.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. The couple may continue their project in the future.
B. The government will give support to the green people.
C. Some people don’t agree with the couple’s green ideas.
D. Most people in their country are interested in Our Green Year.
One afternoon last week, I saw three tearful children from my son’s school being comforted by teachers. That morning, my 11-year-old had stomachaches. Talking to other mothers later, I heard about other children with stomachache or difficult sleeping the night before.
What caused so much pain? Sports day! Sports day might be necessary at some schools, but not at a village primary school. For the children who can fly like the wind, sports day causes no problem. For those who are overweight or just not good at sport, it is nightmare(噩梦). Even for those who enjoy running but fall behind in front of so many students and their parents, it can prove a disaster.
Why do we put our children through the painful and difficult event every year? Some may say competition is helpful to build character; or it’s taking part, not winning, that’s important; or that’s a tradition of school life. I just felt great pity for those children in pain.
Team games at the end of sports day produced some close races, wild enthusiasm(热情), lots of shouting — and were fun to watch. More importantly, the children who were not so fast or quick were hidden a little from everyone’s eyes.
I wish that sports day could be given up or replaced(代替) with some other events. Perhaps an afternoon of team games, with a few races for those who want them, would be less stressful for the children and a lot more fun to watch.
1.What can we learn about the writer’s son from Paragraph 1?
A. He talked with some mothers.
B. Something was wrong with his stomach.
C. He had difficulty in sleeping.
D. He comforted his classmates.
2.Sports day is still a yearly event in this school probably because __________.
A. this is a competitive city school
B. children enjoy watching sports
C. it helps children lose weight
D. it is a tradition of the school
3.What does the writer think about team games?
A. They should include more stressful races.
B. They are less fun for those who love running.
C. They should be given up at primary school.
D. They are acceptable only to some children.
Last week my youngest son and I visited my father at his new home in Tucson, Arizona. He moved there a few years ago, and I couldn’t wait to see his new house and meet his friends.
My earliest memories of my father are a tall, handsome, successful man devoted to his work and his family, but uncomfortable with his children. As a child I loved him. He seemed unhappy with me if I didn’t get A’s in my exams and unhappy with my friends if their fathers were not as “successful” as he was. Whenever I went out with him on weekends, I used to try hard to think out things to say, feeling on guard.
On the first day of my visit, we went out with one of my father’s friends for lunch at an outdoor cafe. We walked along that afternoon, did some shopping, ate on the street table, and laughed over my son’s funny facial expressions. Gone was my father’s critical(挑剔的) air and strict rules. Who was this friendly and interesting person now? What had made him so critical before?
The next day dad pulled out his childhood pictures and told me quite a few stories about his own childhood. Although our times together became easier over the years, I never felt closer to him at that moment. After so many years, I’m at last seeing another side of my father. And I’m happy to be with my new friend. My dad, in his new home in Arizona, is back to me from where he was.
1.Why did the writer feel bitter(痛苦) about her father when she was young?
A. He was silent most of the time.
B. He was too proud of himself.
C. He expected too much of her.
D. He didn’t love his children.
2.When the writer went out with her father on weekends, she would feel ________.
A. safe B. sorry C. tired D. nervous
3.What does the writer think of her father after her visit to Tucson?
A. More critical. B. Easy-going and friendly.
C. More humorous. D. Strict and hard-working.
4.The underlined words in the last paragraph refer to ________.
A. the writer’s son
B. the writer’s father
C. the friend of the writer’s father
D. the cafe owner
As a single mother of four children and working at a low-paid job, I couldn’t get enough money for the family, but we had ____ on the table, clothes on our backs, and if not a lot, always enough. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was ____. I’ve always been glad about that.
Christmas was coming, and although there wasn’t enough ____ for a lot of gifts, we planned to hold a family party. And the big excitement for the kids was the fun of Christmas ____.
The children planned weeks before, asking ____ what they wanted for Christmas. Luckily, I had saved $120 for them to buy ____.
The big day arrived. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar note and ____ them to look for gifts of about four dollars each. Then everyone scattered(散开). We had two hours to shop; then we would ____ again at the “Santa’s Workshop”.
On the way home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, ____ my younger daughter, Ginger, who was unusually ____. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies — fifty-cent candies! I was so angry, but I didn’t say anything ____ we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door, ready to be angry again.
This is what she told me: “I was looking ____, thinking of what to buy, and I ____ to read the little cards on the ‘Giving Trees.’ One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she ____ for Christmas was a doll(玩具娃娃). So I took the card off the tree and bought the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn’t have anything.”
I never felt so ____ as I did that day.
1.A. bowls B. forks C. chopsticks D. food
2.A. busy B. serious C. strict D. kind
3.A. effort B. room C. time D. money
4.A. shopping B. traveling C. parties D. greetings
5.A. the other B. each other C. another D. all of them
6.A. toys B. clothes C. presents D. bills
7.A. made B. reminded C. invited D. spoke
8.A. draw B. stay C. move D. meet
9.A. including B. besides C. except D. beside
10.A. quiet B. excited C. happy D. sad
11.A. since B. after C. while D. until
12.A. out B. over C. forward D. around
13.A. forgot B. stopped C. failed D. hated
14.A. wanted B. did C. got D. played
15.A. painful B. rich C. helpless D. angry
I am wondering ________ my invitation and join me for the trip to Hainan this summer.
A. will John accept B. if John will accept
C. that John will accept D. when will John accept
