“Old wives tales” are beliefs lasting for many generations. For example, most of us remember our parents’ telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time.
Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic is good for you, too. It can kill the type of virus that causes colds.
Unfortunately, not all of Mom’ s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes. However, sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives’ tales. After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of years of experience in family health care. We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear scientific support to prove it true or false.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the test?
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A．Eating garlic is good for our eyes. |
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B．Sticky sweets are damaging our teeth. |
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C．Swimming after a meal is dangerous. |
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D．Carrots prevent people from catching colds. |
2. The phrase “hold water” in the last paragraph most probably means”_____”.
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A．to be believable |
B．to be valuable |
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C．to be admirable |
D．to be suitable |
3.What is the author’s attitude toward “old wives tales” in the text?
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A．Subjective |
B．Objective |
C．Dissatisfied |
D．Curious |
A young woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness（不治之症）and given three months to live. So as she was getting her things “in order”, she asked her pastor（牧师）to come to her house to discuss her final wishes. With everything in order, the pastor was ready to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
“What’s that?” asked the pastor.
“I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”
The pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing what to say.
“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.
“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the pastor.
The young woman explained, “In all my years of going to church meetings and dinners, I remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would always lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like chocolate cake or apple pie，some dessert like that. Something wonderful! I just want people to see me there in that casket（棺材）with a fork so that when they ask you why I have a fork, you can tell them: ‘Keep your fork—the best is yet to come.’”
The pastor hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question “Why does she have a fork?” And over and over again he smiled.
So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it reminded you of this young woman gently. Send the message to everyone you consider a friend even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you.
And, keep your fork!!
1.In the author’s opinion, the woman in this passage is _______.
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A．bored |
B．optimistic |
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C．pessimistic |
D．crazy |
2.When enjoying a Western dinner, in the later part you have to “Keep your fork.” This usually mean “____________”
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A．Watch out for your fork. |
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B．I wish you good luck with the fork |
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C．Prepare your fork so that you can enjoy the dessert |
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D．You can not take away your fork |
3.Which of the following is WRONG about the young woman?
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A．She is optimistic about life and diseases. |
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B．She loves sweet food. |
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C．She wants her friends to remember her forever. |
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D．She is a regular church-goer. |
4.According to the passage, “Keep your fork”, the message may mean “__________”
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A．Don’t be discouraged. Everything will be better. |
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B．What is the matter? I am worried. |
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C．Have you heard the story of a young woman? |
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D．Enjoy your dinner. |
-- I’d like to invite you to watch a movie, INCEPTION, this Saturday, Samantha.
--_____________________.
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A．Oh, no. I really go wild about movies. |
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B．I’d rather have a day off. |
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C．That’ll be a good point. |
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D．I’m very sorry, but I really don’t feel in the mood for movies. |
–There is _______ on using mobile phones at the gas station.
--Do you mean talking on the mobile phone ________ at the gas station?
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A．a ban; is banned |
B．ban; banned |
C．a ban; banned |
D．ban; is banned |
–So far _______________.
-- That’s too bad.
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A．we received no letter from him |
B．he haven’t send us any message |
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C．nothing from him has been received |
D．we won’t hear from him |
China is a country __________ 56 different nationalities, among which Han ________ the majority of its population.
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A．making up of; consists of |
B．consisting of; makes up |
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C．made up of; consisting of |
D．consisted of; making up of |
