Ever tried taking smart drugs to perform better in exams? They certainly work. Before last summer's exam, a few of my mates, merely out of curiosity, took a considerable amount of Modafinil, a drug normally used for narcolepsy(嗜眠发作症). Guess what? While I was feeling sleepy, bored by revision, my mates were more focused.
Modafinil is a smart drug that gives a user a feeling of staying awake for hours. It also sharpens the mind, improves memory and helps problem-solving.
But it does more than just keeping you awake. It disturbs your mental system, making you desperate to do what you are doing. You just don't want to do anything else but revise all the time non-stop.
A recent study discovers that healthy people use smart drugs, like Modafinil, to get down to and complete tasks they have been putting off, because these tasks seem more enjoyable when taking these drugs. This might sound like what a stressed student desires. However, the pills have a range of side-effects.
"At present no evidence shows that these drugs are safe in healthy people," as a medical expert puts it, "Ordering online, though easy, is a dangerous way to obtain drugs. You never know what you're actually purchasing. "
In my experience, Modafinil changes people's behaviour too. Over those weeks my friends became different people—in turn aggressive, cold. Even eating became "a waste of time" and so did conversation.
A BBC survey found that of those who had tried smart drugs before, 92% would do so again. My friends say they'd happily do so without considering the practice a form of cheating.
I admit I was curious—but not enough to try it. Seeing the strange behaviour of other users, I feel a little bit upset and scary. Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned!
1.According to the author, his mates took Modafinil for the purpose of______.
A．escaping from reality B．getting better exam results
C．curing their narcolepsy D．leading an active life
2.Taking the smart drug can lead to ______.
A．cheating in the exam B．dropping out of school
C．youth crime(犯罪) D．drug addiction(上瘾)
3.What does the author think of his mates' taking the smart drugs?
A．Worrying. B．Inspiring.
C．Acceptable. D．Reasonable.
4.Which statement about Modafinil is wrong?
A．Modafinil sharpens the mind and helps problem-solving.
B．Modafinil more than just keeps you awake.
C．Modafinil has a range of side effects.
D．Modafinil is safe in healthy people.
5.Who are the target readers of this passage?
A．Teachers. B．Doctors. C．Scientists. D．Students.
Humankind has tried to improve its standard of living since the very beginning of civilization. Back then, as well as today, providing food and security was the basic task for a person. However, nowadays the range of required goods has expanded significantly. People feel the need for not only some primary things, such as a piece of bread and a roof over their heads, but also for various facilities and luxuries. Providing humanity with these things is connected to the use of natural resources, which requires energy. In turn, the common sources of energy we use today cause pollution, so economic growth is almost inevitably associated with environmental damage.
Economic growth is the increase in numbers of goods and services produced over time by an economy, and it's calculated in terms of real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Before growth is calculated, inflation(通货膨胀) is adjusted in order to take into account its misleading effect on the price of goods and services. Economic growth can also be explained as the increase in expected output, which results from an increase in actual output, or total demand.
There are certain aspects of economic growth which affect the environment. The first of these is the fact that in order to produce more goods and products, at a faster rate, the construction of large industrial plants is required. These plants produce a lot of waste, leading to the pollution of water and the atmosphere, which may cause negative long- term health effects to nearby populations of animals, or people. They also lead to global warming.
Industrial manufacturing leads to the constantly increasing energy consumption. The traditional energy sources, which are commonly used nowadays, are considered to be the greatest polluters to the environment. There also exist so-called eco-friendly sources of energy. They are sometimes preferred but replacing the traditional sources with them also requires time, during which people have to make some sacrifices to support these undertakings.
In order to produce economically practical energy, a sometimes significant transformation of the natural site is often inevitable. This is expensive and, has harmful effects on the environment. Application of wind energy would Block airflows' natural speed, which is the reason for their decrease in strength, after crossing the windmill. Consequently, the pressure balance that is brought about by this current will be affected, and it is important to remember that the environment and weather conditions are directly affected by atmospheric pressure.
For these reasons, bringing about economic growth without resulting in any environmental damage is impossible.
1.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．Pollution caused by plant construction
B．Effects of windmills on the environment
C．Economic growth and human civilization
D．Economic growth and environmental damage
2.According to the passage, the author holds the opinion that ____.
A．economic growth should be calculated in terms of GDP
B．use of natural resources causes no damage to the environment
C．industrial manufacturing may cause damage to the environment
D．a windmill is a perfect way to produce economically practical energy
3.Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
CP (Central Point) P (Point) Sp (Sub-point次要点) C (Conclusion)
Froli Cat Dart
While cats require less attention compared to dogs, that doesn’t mean you can just leave them at home all day long. No sir, they too, need some level of attention and will have to keep themselves occupied mentally and physically too. Well, FroliCat Dart makes it possible. Just what is the FroliCat Dart all about? Well, for starters, this device delivers 360° rotation (旋转) that will project laser patterns on the floor, letting your feline (猫科动物) friend chase after it.
Portable USB Power Supply
With modern gadgets, running out of juice happens to some of us more often, simply because today’s devices seem to suck up more juice than before. That’s why the Portable USB Power Supply comes in handy, being a best emergency charger for cell phones and other devices. Capable of holding a charge for up to three months when in standby, it will ship with adapter tips that cater for a certain variety of cell phone brands.
Battery Powered Gloves
For those living in the northern hemisphere(半球)，we are pretty sure that you have already stocked up on your winter supplies to make sure you remain nice and warm throughout the upcoming freezing months. Well, wearing a pair of the Battery Powered Hand Warming Gloves is necessary so as to keep your palms and fingers warm. These gloves come with battery-powered integral (不可缺的) heating elements which is capable of keeping your hands nice and warm for up to eight hours. It requires a quartet of AA batteries in each glove, and since both gloves are fully lined with a waterproof, breathable material, they might just come in handy during your next snowball fight. Too bad it comes only in one color—black.
1.How does FroliCat Dart work?
A．It can make cats run around your house.
B．It can project laser patterns to make cats chase.
C．It can make cats much sleepier than before.
D．It can provide food and drink for cats.
2.From the second paragraph, we know that________
A．Lack of power happens to some of us less often than before.
B．The adapter tips cater for all kinds of cell phone brands.
C．The Portable USB Power Supply can charge for some phones.
D．The Portable USB Power Supply can only last for three months.
3.Where do the Battery Powered Gloves sell well?
A. Iceland B. India C. Australia D Singapore
Bertie knew there was something in the wind. His mother had been sad in recent days, not sick, just strangely sad. The lion had just lain down beside him, his head warm on Bertie's feet when Father cleared his throat and began," You'll soon be eight, Bertie. A boy needs a proper education. We've found the right place for you, a school near Salisbury in England."
His heart filled with a terrible fear, all Bertie could think of was his white lion. "But the lion," he cried, "What about the lion?"
"I'm afraid there's something else I have to tell you," his father said. Looking across at Bertie's mother, he took a deep breath. Then he told Bertie he had met a circus(马戏团) owner from France, who was over in Africa looking for lions to buy. He would come to their farm in a few days.
"No! You can't send him to a circus!" said Bertie. "People will come to see him. He'll be shut up behind bars. I promised him he never would be. And they will laugh at him. He'd rather die. Any animal would! " But as he looked across the table at them, he knew their minds were quite made up.
Bertie felt completely betrayed. He waited until he heard his father's deep breathing next door. With his white lion at his heels, he crept downstairs in his pyjamas, took down his father's rifle from the rack and stepped out into the night. He ran and ran till his legs could run no more. As the sun came up over the grassland, he climbed to the top of a hill and sat down, his arms round the lion's neck. The time had come.
"Be wild now," he whispered. "You've got to be wild. Don't ever come home. All my life I'll think of you. I promise I will." He buried his head in the lion's neck. Then, Bertie clambered down the hill and walked away.
When he looked back, the lion was still sitting there watching him; but then he stood up, yawned, stretched, and sprang down after him. Bertie shouted at him, but he kept coming. He threw sticks. He threw stones. Nothing worked.
There was only one thing left to do. With tears filling his eyes and his mouth, he lifted the rifle to his shoulder and fired over the lion's head.
1.Bertie's mother was sad probably because she ______.
A．had been seriously ill recently
B．had decided to send Bertie to school
C．knew selling the lion would upset Bertie
D．knew Bertie would hate to go to England
2.The underlined word "they" in Para.4 probably refers to ______.
A．some audience B．other animals C．Bertie's parents D．circus owners
3.In the last paragraph, the boy lifted the rifle to ______．
A．kill the lion out of fear
B．threaten the lion back to the wild
C．protect himself from the lion
D．show his anger towards his father
4.The passage intends to show that ______.
A．animal-hunting is popular in Africa
B．parents are sometimes cruel to their children
C．animals usually lead a miserable life in circuses
D．people and animals can be faithful to each other
Whenever my kids have a party at school, I am the mom who always signs up to bring the juice boxes. It’s not because I’m 36 or that I don’t care if my kids have a good party. I am just not good at making homemade bread into holiday-themed shapes like other mothers. 37 , I’m happy to try, even though it’ll 38 me a long time to do it.
People say that housewives should have the 39 to make delicious meals, keep their houses clean, and 40 every minute of their child’s life. Their words used to 41 me a lot. I felt that I should also be able to do those things as a housewife. So 42 I couldn’t make the turkey-shaped cookies, I 43 feeling like a failure as a mom.
After many 44 attempts at baking, and many afternoons spent crying over my inabilities as a mother, I finally accepted the 45 that my lot(命运) in life is to be the juice box mom. I worked hard to be the 46 one in the elementary school. And after one of my daughter’s class parties, it 47 . Her teacher stopped me as I was leaving and said, “Thank you so much for always bringing 48 drinks. Sometimes parents forget that other children will also 49 class parties, and they end up being left out because we don’t have enough 50 for everyone.”
I just accepted her appreciation, rather than telling her that I brought extra drinks because I could 51 remember how many kids were in the class. But her 52 taught me an important lesson: I’m not a failure as a mom.
Not everyone is cut out to be a(n) 53 mom. I believe it’s okay to be the juice box mom. I may not bake cookies and decorate them beautifully, but I 54 something to drink. And I think that’s just as 55 .
1. A．smart B．lazy C．tired D．desperate
2. A．However B．Therefore C．Otherwise D．Besides
3. A．cost B．give C．introduce D．take
4. A．dream B．ability C．experience D．tool
5. A．compare B．save C．treasure D．teach
6. A．reflect B．puzzle C．upset D．amuse
7. A．unless B．because C．though D．when
8. A．ended up B．went on C．insisted on D．set out
9. A．failed B．careless C．successful D．useful
10. A．goal B．opinion C．fact D．impression
11. A．slowest B．best C．worst D．quickest
12. A．stood out B．got out C．came back D．paid off
13. A．cold B．soft C．extra D．fresh
14. A．attend B．hold C．enjoy D．leave
15. A．cookies B．drinks C．books D．cups
16. A．already B．always C．ever D．never
17. A．contribution B．appreciation C．congratulation D．comprehension
18. A．loyal B．clever C．able D．rich
19. A．provide B．make C．buy D．retell
20. A．believable B．ridiculous C．interesting D．important
--- Would you mind not littering in the classroom?
--- ______. I’ll pick up the waste paper.
A．With pleasure B．Thanks
C．No, not at all D．Yes, that’s all right.
