As we get older, most of us worry about grey hair, wrinkles and maintaining a youthful body. But people often don’t realize the voice needs looking after. Here, Mr. Rubin, a voice expert, reveals how to keep your voice youthful.
Drink more fluid and avoid spicy food
You need water for the vocal cords(声带) to vibrate(振动) well. The body must be kept hydrated enough to make the vocal cords operate well. Drinking 1.5 liters of water a day at intervals of 15 minutes is very important. Mr. Rubin advises avoiding foods with an annoying effect on the stomach, such as onions, chili, fizzy drinks and chocolate.
Rest the throat and talk regularly
The vocal cords can be scared if you use your voice during a bad cough. If you have a case of laryngitis(喉炎) with a cold, you should rest your voice for a day or two, and seek medical advice.
Simply staying sociable and using your voice is very important. “As older people get less mobile, they can become socially isolated and speak less.” says Mr. Rubin. “The elderly need to communicate with people more. By using the vocal cords, they enable the ageing process to slow down. ”
Improve your posture
Good posture is essential to keeping the voice young, so we’d better stand properly. Exercise helps you take deeper breaths as it means there is better airflow through the voice box, producing a stronger tone.
Sing in the shower
This is one of the best ways to preserve your voice, as it keeps the larynx muscles strong while the steam lubricates(使润滑) the voice box. “Singing is gymnastics for the voice,” says Mr. Rubin. Joining a choir is one of the best ways to preserve a youthful tone.
1.Mr. Rubin gives us advice on ________.
A．ways to keep us from aging
B．ways to talk with other people
C．ways to keep our voice youthful
D．prevention of diseases caused by talking too much
2.Which of the following statements is TRUE in the opinion of Mr. Rubin?
A．We should stand properly to keep our voice youthful.
B．Professional singers’ voices tend to age quickly.
C．The steam can do great harm to the voice.
D．Taking more onions can keep us healthy.
3.To protect the voice, the old people should .
A．get less mobile B．communicate with others more
C．avoid using the voice D．lie in bed more
4.What can we learn from the text?
A．Most people have realized the importance of protecting voice.
B．It’s hard to keep the vocal cords strong through exercise.
C．Singing in the shower is among the best ways to keep our voice youthful.
D．Shouting now and then benefits our vocal cords.
I love it at night. It’s peaceful. And when it cools down I sometimes do some ironing. I don’t really care for it. I work full-time and am too busy for most housework. I remember the old woman who taught me to iron(熨烫). I was about 15 and somehow got a live-in job taking care of a woman who had been an able-bodied, healthy woman until the accident that caused her to be paralyzed.
The woman had an electric wheelchair. She could move her head and arms but not her hands or fingers. She had this clamp（夹子）attached to her arm and I’d have to open it and put a cup or a pencil in it and then she could move it. She would tell me how to do things. She would instruct me in great detail on the correct way to do things. Her home was perfect and beautiful. She would follow me around in her electric wheelchair to make sure I did everything exactly right. I’m sure she had been a perfect homemaker. She would have me fold everything, including socks and pillow cases. I would complain silently and wish terrible things on her. She taught me the right way to make the bed and tuck the corners. I know sometimes she’d get frustrated and impatient with me. I knew she wanted to grab it and do it herself. But she never yelled or scolded. Only she insisted I do it right. I didn’t like it much, but I did it.
Today I can iron pretty well. I know where to start on a shirt, the right way to do the collar and sleeves. Now that I think about it, I don’t think she is an old lady. I think she might have been about my age now. Anyway, when I iron, I think of her and silently thank her for all the things I learned.
1.From the passage we can infer that the writer of the passage now is ________.
A．a housewife B．a full-time worker
C．a clothes maker D．a college student
2.The writer used to take care of the lady because ______.
A．she wanted to earn some money while sleeping and eating there
B．she wanted to learn how to do housework
C．she was a relative of the disabled woman
D．she had to do something in return to the lady for her kindness
3.When the lady taught the writer how to do housework, the little girl was ______.
A．careful to learn B．eager to learn
C．forced to learn D．unwilling to learn
4.What’s the writer’s attitude towards the lady now?
A．Sympathetic. B．Fearful. C．Thankful. D．Hateful.
In this modern world, we rush around all day. There is no 48 for stillness.
And when we are 49 to be still because we’re in line for something, or waiting at a doctor’s appointment, or on a bus or train, we often find something to do. Being still isn’t something we’re 50 .
This comes at a 51 : we lose that time for 52 , for observing and listening. We lose peace. And 53 yet: sometimes too much action is worse than no action at all. You can run around , but get nothing done.
Take a moment to think about how you spend your days. Are you always 54 through your schedule? Is this how you want to spend your life? If not, take a moment to be 55 . Don’t think about what you have to do, or what you’ve done already. Just be in the moment.
1. A．place B．chance C．freedom D．time
2. A．forced B．ordered C．invited D．told
3. A．familiar with B．curious about C．used to D．interested in
4. A．cost B．risk C．moment D．danger
5. A．play B．food C．sleep D．consideration
6. A．further B．worse C．farther D．deeper
7. A．walking B．rushing C．stepping D．going
8. A．silent B．patient C．still D．quiet
After the earthquake, the rescuers arrived at the disaster area as soon as possible. In a(n) 36 house, they found a woman. She was dead when the rescuers found her. Through the ruins, they could see her last 37 . Being on her knees, the upper part of her body was 38 , with her hands on the ground to 39 her body. It looked strange because she was bent out of 40 .
The leader came to the body, reached outhis hands under the woman, feeling and touching, and then he shouted loudly, “There is someone, a 41 , still living.”
Through some effort, rescuers 42 up the bricks covering her body. Under her body was her baby, who was 43 in a small red quiltwith yellow flowers. He was about 3 or 4 months old. Because he was well protected by the mother’s body, he was 44 safe. He was sleeping when the rescuers carried him out, and his lovely and peaceful face 45 everyone around him. The doctor, along with the rescue team, opened the 46 to check if the baby was all right, and he found there was a mobile phone in the quilt. The doctor looked at the screen. A written message was there, “My dear baby, if you live, don’t 47 how much I love you.” The mobile phone was passed on to the other people; every person who saw this message was close to tears.
1. A．destroyed B．old C．nice D．new
2. A．debate B．action C．guide D．quarrel
3. A．forward B．western C．up D．straight
4. A．lower B．rise C．support D．carry
5. A．sight B．question C．job D．shape
6. A．teenager B．citizen C．baby D．fellow
7. A．cleaned B．added C．looked D．called
8. A．gathered B．packed C．locked D．dressed
9. A．totally B．differently C．widely D．narrowly
10. A．encouraged B．delighted C．warned D．warmed
11. A．blanket B．brick C．overcoat D．quilt
12. A．remember B．know C．forget D．keep
Which of these two magazines will you take?
I’ll take________, in case the journey is boring.
A．all B．either C．both D．neither
Will you come to my home for dinner this Saturday?
Thanks. I’m ________it.
A．looking forward to B．getting away with
C．accounting for D．watching out for
