Smoking in indoor public places including public working place, public transportation vehicles and some other special outdoor working spaces has been banned in China since January 2011. Should smoking be banned in public places? Of course, it should be. First, banning smoking in public places will not only help in saving smokers from various kinds of heath conditions and diseases, but will also be beneficial for passive smokers.
Second, banning smoking in public places will put pressure on smokers to quit. Since a smoker is forbidden from smoking in public places, he will learn how to live without smoking a cigarette for long hours. Moreover, when a smoker doesn’t see anybody around him smoking or smelling of cigarette, it might reduce his urge to smoke too. Thus, people have to quit smoking as a result of smoking ban.
Smoking in public places influences nonsmokers to take up smoking, especially adolescents. Since teens are in an impressionable age, when they see people around them smoking, they get encouraged to try it and then it becomes a habit, increasing the incidence of teen smoking. Moreover, asthma(哮喘) and ear infections are commonly seen in children who live around smokers, so if it’s banned in public places, these places will become safe for children and teens, healthwise.
Looking from the economic point of view, since smoking is a major contributing factor to many diseases, it leads to absence from work. Moreover, employees who smoke tend to take breaks now and then to smoke, thus cutting back on their working hours. So, if employers want to increase work productivity and want to make sure that their employees remain healthy, they should ban and stop smoking in and around offices.
At last, smoking cigarettes adds to the pollution of the air, so if it is banned, it will help in saving the environment from further deterioration(恶化)．
1.According to the passage, in what situation do smokers reduce their urge to smoke? (No more than 11 words)
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2.Seen from the environmental point of view, why shouldn’t people smoke in public places? (No more than 7 words)
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3.How does smoking in and around offices affect work productivity? (No more than 13 words)
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4.What is the main idea of the passage？(No more than 8 words)
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Read the following passage. Fill in the numbered by using the information from the passage.
Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer.
Learning to improve your focus is difficult, because you are talking long hours a day. However, if you break down your day into manageable time sections, it would be much easier to learn to improve your focus.
Focus, or concentration, is a skill that can be taught, so there are some exercises you can do to improve your focus.
Start with easy exercises like staring a picture on the wall for a few minutes without moving or talking. Once you learn how to block out your surroundings, your focus will improve.
Other mind exercises are internalizing (内化). This is when you imagine yourself in a desired situation, and then you work around your imagination. Actors and singers do this to block all distractions.
If this sounds a little strange, you could try making lists? List the things you need to accomplish for the morning, for the afternoon, and finally for the evening. For instance, if you have a dinner that evening, don’t arrange everything in the afternoon, and give yourself some time to relax before the guests arrive.
Another way to improve your focus is to take breaks. During your breaks, you should allow yourselves a drink or 30 minutes on TV. If you are having coffee breaks in your office, use this time wisely. Don’t spend it with your co-worker talking about problems. Your breaks should be as quiet as possible.
The reason why you lose focus so easily is that you have too much on your minds. Of course, it could also be because you are bored with nothing to do all day. A good balance between a too relaxed brain and an overly active brain is a desirable situation. Improving your focus also mean knowing what you can do and being confident about doing it well.
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1. to improve your focus |
●Staring at a picture |
Staring at a wall picture for a few minutes 2. to learn to block out surroundings |
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●Internalizing |
Concentrating on imagining a potentially stressful work place to block 3. |
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● 4. |
Dividing a day into 5. , and arranging time for relaxation as well |
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●Taking breaks |
Wisely using time to have a drink, watch TV instead of 6. |
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7. for losing focus |
● 8. on minds |
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●Doing nothing all day |
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Conclusion |
●Being 9. between extremely relaxed brain and too active brain ●Improving your focus means knowing 10. and being confident about doing it well. |
Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses say she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she’s not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan (猩猩) let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter.
“It’s very different from their normal call,” said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. “The lemurs (monkey-like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm call if they see or hear something highly unusual.”
But you can’t see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can — if you’re an animal. “Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing,” said Brandie Smith. “That’s part of their special abilities. They’re more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive.”
Primates weren’t the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound. And a huge lizard (蜥蜴) ran quickly for cover. The flamingoes (a kind of bird) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped.
So what kind of vibrations were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough says earthquakes produce two types of waves — a weak “P” wave and then a much stronger “S” wave. The “P” stands for “primary”. And the “S” stands for “secondary”. She said she thinks the “P” wave might be what set the animals off.
Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith says the zoo’s giant pandas didn’t jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. “I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said.
1.Why did Mandara act strangely one day?
A. Because it sensed something unusual would happen.
B. Because its daughter Kibibi was injured.
C. Because it heard an orangutan let out a loud call.
D. Because an earthquake had happened.
2.According to Brandie Smith, _____.
A. many animals’ hearing is sharp
B. earthquakes produce two types of waves
C. primates usually gather together before a quake
D. humans can also develop the ability to sense a quake
3. Which word in the passage has a close meaning to the underlined word “cover”?
A. vibration B. shelter C. quake D. range
4. Which animal seems unable to sense a quake?
A. A giant panda. B. A flamingo. C. A lemur. D. A lizard.
5. What is the best title for the passage?
A. How animals survive a quake.
B. How animals differ from humans.
C. How animals behave before a quake.
D. How animals protect their young in a quake.
If English is not your first language, it is a good idea to take English language classes to improve your written and spoken communication skills. There are many ways to learn English. You can learn from a book, a DVD, on the Internet or by attending classes. One of the most successful ways to improve your English is to join a course in a country where English is widely spoken. The more you practice, the more you will learn. But why learn the English language? English is an important language for anyone who is planning to travel or become involved in business.
Many people love travelling, but if their English is poor, it can be difficult to understand signs, read directions and make themselves understood. Before travelling, it is important to understand the culture and customs of the places you visit. Learning basic English before you travel will help you to understand these customs and avoid mistakes that could be embarrassing. When you are travelling, you will also enjoy meeting new people. If you can speak English, you will have a better chance of being able to communicate with the people you meet. Many of your new friends will speak English and others will have English as a second language. Without English, your friendships will be limited as you travel around the world.
If you are involved in business, it is important to be able to communicate in English. The Internet, world travel and modern communication systems have made the world seem like a much smaller place. These days business people interact with customers and other business people from all over the world. That makes your English language skills more important than ever. There are many English language courses that major in business communications. Improving your English skills is one of the best things you could ever do to increase your chances of business success.
1. What kind of people is English important to according to the passage?
A. Travelers. B. Teachers. C. Students. D. Language experts.
2.Which of the following is the best way to learn English well?
A. Travelling around the world with English-speakers.
B. Taking a course in an English-speaking country.
C. Learning from all kinds of books or DVDs.
D. Learning on the Internet by yourselves.
3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT the aim of learning basic English?
A. To research the causes of cultural differences.
B. To understand the customs of your destination.
C. To avoid embarrassing mistakes on your journey.
D. To have more opportunities to communicate with others.
4. What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. The more you practice, the more you will learn.
B. Doing business helps to improve your communication skills.
C. English is important for anyone who is involved in business.
D. The Internet has made the world become smaller and smaller.
5.We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. learning English well will make you achieve goals more easily
B. learning English only aims at achieving business success
C. without learning English, your friendships will be limited wherever you are
D. you needn’t learn English if you don’t want to travel
A 34-year-old mother has spoken of how she woke up thinking she was 15 years old and living in 1992.
Naomi Jacobs, from Manchester, was convinced she was still a teenager. In her mind, John Major was Prime Minister and George Bush Sr. was running the White House. She also showed how she screamed when a boy appeared and called her “Mum”. Mobile phones and e-mails were puzzling and Google, Facebook and YouTube sounded like made-up words, she said.
Ms. Jacobs, who had no memory of the years, was told by doctors that she had Transient Global Amnesia (TGA). She has now written a book about the experience which happened in 2008.
“I fell asleep in 1992 as a brave, very confident know-it-all-15-year-old, and woke up as a 32-year-old single mum living in a rented house,” Ms. Jacobs said. “The last thing I remember was falling asleep in my bed, dreaming about a boy in my class. When I woke up, I looked in the mirror and had the fright of my life when I saw an old woman with wrinkles staring back at me. Then a little boy appeared and started calling me Mum. That’s when I started to scream. I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t think he was much younger than I was, and I certainly didn’t remember giving birth to him. I began sobbing uncontrollably. I just wanted my mum. I couldn’t get my head around going to bed one night and waking up in a different century.”
TGA is a rare type of amnesia which can occur suddenly, affecting around three people per 100,000 each year. Fortunately, permanent memory loss is rare. Ms. Jacobs’ memory started to return after eight weeks.
Some people who often suffer from migraines (偏头痛) also appear to be more likely to have TGA. The cause of TGA is unknown. Some think that it may be caused by a temporary cut of blood flow to parts of the brain involved in memory.
1. When a little boy came to call her “Mum”, Naomi Jacobs was _____.
A. excited B. frightened C. worried D. embarrassed
2.What was the last thing Naomi Jacobs could remember?
A. She was a brave and confident girl.
B. She met an old woman with wrinkles.
C. George Bush Sr. was elected President.
D. She fell asleep dreaming of a boy in her class.
3.According to the text, TGA _____.
A. is quite common
B. is caused by brain injuries
C. results in permanent memory loss
D. causes people to lose part of their memory
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A. Naomi Jacobs has a poor memory.
B. Naomi Jacobs gets an amazing career after TGA.
C. Naomi Jacobs wakes up with the memory of her youth.
D. Naomi Jacobs succeeds in overcoming the disease.
5.According to the passage, we know _______.
A. Ms. Jacobs’ memory returned to normal now
B. Ms. Jacobs often doesn’t remember things
C. Ms. Jacobs has not got married yet
D. Ms. Jacobs is very young now in deed
Complete the following passage by filling in each blank with one word that best fits the context.
Now it is becoming more and more popular to chat over the Internet, because you can find it 1.______ expensive to do that than to make a long distance call. This makes Internet chatting2.______ attractive option if you live far away from family and friends, 3.____ you are on a budget.
You can also complete 4.______ tasks while chatting over the Internet. For example, you can read and reply to emails, finish typing a document, or have a conversation 5._____ someone who is in the room. This can be an advantage 6._____ you are busy and don’t have much time for personal chatting. This can also be a disadvantage because you aren’t giving the other person or task your full attention.
Because you can do kinds of tasks 7.______ chatting on the Internet, it can become easy to lose track of time. You can end up chatting longer than you intended to, 8._____ can make it difficult to complete other tasks.
