Next time you hear a funny joke you’d better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn’t always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: “We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who’d dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs.”
It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that’s right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: “You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm(横膈膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful.”
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you’d use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don’t do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way.
But I don’t want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humour and keep smiling. Life is short anyway.
1. Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT_________.
A. heart stop B. diaphragm movement
C. lung burst D. jaw dislocation
2.The underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
A. hopeless B. funny C. painful D. nervous
3.How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
A. About 40. B. About 1,000.
C. About 2,000. D. About 2,040.
4.What is the author’s attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
A. Uninterested. B. Disapproving.
C. Worried. D. Favorable.
Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinese-style spelling bee(拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show’s popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy(书法)to be one of their primary contributions to civilization. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet. The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It’s possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there’s still hope for the paint brush. China’s Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of six-year-olds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher’s examples before carefully attempting to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. “If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?” we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. “The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture,” she reasons. “Students must learn now so they don’t forget when they grow up.” says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?
A. It’s open to people of all ages and all walks.
B. It’s the most-viewed TV programs in China.
C. It aims to spread Chinese culture to the world.
D. It draws great public attention across the country.
2.Why are Chinese people forgetting how to write the characters?
A. Chinese people don’t refer to dictionaries very often.
B. Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy.
C. Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters.
D. Chinese people needn’t write by hand as often with the help of technology.
3.According to Shen Bin, being able to write characters by hand is_________.
A. necessary for adults to survive in China
B. a requirement made by the Education Ministry
C. helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive
D. an ability to be developed only when you are students
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A. A news report. B. A science report.
C. An advertisement. D. Children’s literature.
Restaurants in the USA
Steve’s Pizza
So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach, but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they’ll tell you about Steve’s. This is New York–style pizza, handmade with care and good ingredients(成份). New branches of Steve’s are opening elsewhere in Miami, all in non-tourist areas.
Opening hours: 11am-3am
Cattleman’s Steakhouse
This place is 20 miles east of the city, but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here. The food is good, and the scenery is even better. Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch, where you’ll see everything from rabbits to buffalo (水牛), then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.
Opening hours: 5pm-10pm
Absolute Baking & Cafe
The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts. Try the green chili on eggs – it’s made from scratch, as are the organic(有机的) breads. Lunch includes salads, big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t miss a square of soft, fresh carrot cake.
Opening hours: 7am-2pm
Walt’s Wharf
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA), Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re accepted for lunch), but it’s worth the wait for the tree fire–grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain’s chairs.
Opening hours: 11am-3:30pm
1.The new branches of Steve’s Pizza are mainly intended for_________.
A. New Yorkers B. tourists C.the locals D. foreigners
2.Cattleman’s Steakhouse offers the wonderful _________as well as good food.
A. wine B. view C. discount D. service
3.Which restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch?
A. Steve’s Pizza. B. Walt’s Wharf.
C. Absolute Baking & Café. D. Cattleman’s Steakhouse.
某海外学校举办英语夏令营，开设了如下课程：园艺（Gardening）、烹饪（Cooking）、防身术（self-defense）、护理（Nursing）。假如你是李华，请写一封申请信，报名参加其中一门课程的学习。内容包括：
1.你感兴趣的课程；
2.你期望从这门课程中学到什么。
备注：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头已为你写好。
Dear Sir or Madam,
I’m writing to apply for the admission to the English Summer Camp in your school.
___________
___________
___________
Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（
），并在其下面写出该加的词。
侧除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Some days ago there was a theft in our house in that we lost some precious item. A few days later I speak to my neighbor，an elderly retired man，about the need for collective security in our community so as that such an incident wouldn't happen in other houses. To my surprise，her advice is” You protect your own house and let others defend for themselves.” I was terrible disappointed at his response. Until today--，I am similarly frustrating to see many people feel that mind our own business is the top rule. But please remember we are living a shared society.” Unit we stand，divided we fall”.
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式，并填在答题卡的相应位置。
Since I was a baby，I 1. （have） a breathing problem. When the trees are letting their seeds fly on the wind，I'm really in trouble！I sneeze all day and can 2. （hard）breathe all night. And forget about 3.（visit ) any-one who has a dog or a eat in their house！The hair makes me cough.I’ll even start choking if I’m close to bird feathers.The only animal I can be around 4. having a reaction is fish.At least when I was growing up，I wasn't alone-my twin sister also had allergy problems when we were young. Her syndrome was so bad that she had to go to 5. specialized hospital many times. The doctors would hook 6. up to a machine that helped her breathe.When she was 5 years old，a successful operation was carried out 7. (fix）her problem-lucky her！The doctors thought I would grow out of my problem. I'm 17 now， 8. it still hasn't happened！In spite of this，there are many children 9. have allergies worse than me. So，the bright side of having allergies 10. （be）that I can understand other people much better.
