Losing weight comes with a lot of health benefits—including making your brain sharper.
There have been few studies of overweight and cognitive functioning, (认知功能) possibly because it is generally believed that it is not a primary risk cause for poor cognitive performance. Yet, it turns out that overweight may damage cognitive functions such as memory and attention. Losing weight, therefore, may help improve these mental functions, according to a new research led by John Gunstad, assistant professor of psychology at Kent State University.
Growing evidence suggests that being fat is linked to cognitive deficits (缺陷). So Gunstad and his team guessed that losing weight might improve mental function. For their study, they measured memory and attention in a group of 150 overweight participants, some of whom had some kind of operation for weight loss and some did not. All of the volunteers completed mental skills tests to assess their abilities of memory and attention at the beginning of the study, and again 12 weeks later. To begin with, about 24% of the patients showed damaged learning and 23% showed signs of poor memory when tested. At the end of the study, those who had lost weight after operation improved their scores into the average or above average range for cognitive functions. Scores for the volunteers who didn’t lose weight dropped even further.
The study helped Gunstad to find out whether losing weight had any effect on mental function. Now that he’s seen the positive effect that weight loss can have on memory and attention, he says he will next study those who choose to lose weight by the traditional way—eating healthier and getting more active. He expects that losing weight in this way will have a similarly positive effect on the brain. “If we can improve the condition with operations, then we can probably produce the same change with behavioral weight loss as well,” he says.
1.There is less research on overweight and cognitive functions because researchers _____.
A. believe overweight only affects our body
B. have focused on ways to sharpen people’s mind
C. do not consider overweight a main cause for low cognitive ability
D. are clear about the relation between weight and mental functions
2.The result of Gunstad’s study shows that ______.
A. losing weight has little effect on people’s memory
B. losing weight can improve people’s mental functions
C. overweight people are likely to have psychology problems
D. overweight people’s abilities of concentration differ greatly
3.What is Gunstad planning to prove next in his research?
A. Overweight people will get smarter by taking more exercise.
B. Healthy diet is better than exercise in losing weight.
C. Traditional ways of losing weight are better than operation.
D. Slim people are smarter than overweight people.
4.Which of the following is the best title for the text?
A. Body Weight and Health
B. Losing Weight by Operation
C. Ways to Improve Mental Functions
D. Losing Weight to Sharpen Your Mind
The creative projects of World Food Program (WFP) focused on preventing hunger from taking hold in the future and breaking the cycle of hunger. Here are some of the ways in which we work to prevent hunger in the future:
School Meals
As well as directly addressing hunger, School Meals projects encourage families to keep their children in school and help them build better futures. If children aren’t hungry they will concentrate on their lessons. With a solid education growing children have a better chance of finding their own way out of hunger. These projects benefit girls especially. For more information: www.wfp.org/schools meals.
Food for Assets（有用的人）
WFP’s Food for Assets projects provide the hungry with food to lay the foundation for a better tomorrow. When poor farmers no longer have to worry about the next meal, they have the time and energy to build irrigation（灌溉） systems that can increase production. Similarly, Food for Training projects allow the poor to devote time to learning skills that will sustain（维持） them economically in the future. For more information: www.wfp.org/food-assets.
HIV/AIDS
WFP uses its food rations(配给) to reduce the blow of HIV and AIDS. The agency distributes its rations to people living with HIV and AIDS, so they can keep providing for their families for longer and have time to transfer vital knowledge and skills to the growing number of AIDS children--the next generation of food providers in developing countries. For more information: www.wfp.org/hiv-aids.
Purchase for Progress
WFP buys large amounts of food in developing countries. It has this purchasing power and uses it to help poor farmers contact reliable markets where they can get competitive prices for their produce. With secure markets, farmers will be encouraged to produce more and innovate(创新).The knock-on effect (连锁效应) is producing more food for everyone. For more information: www.wfp.org/purchase-progress.
1.The text is written with the purpose of ____.
A. seeking solutions to some hot issues
B. introducing some of WFP’s projects
C. raising money for the people in need
D. calling readers’ attention to the poor
2.The farmers who want to receive some training should visit_____.
A. www.wfp.org/food-assets
B. www.wfp.org/hiv-aids
C.www.wfp.org/purchase-progress
D.www.wfp.org/school-meals
3.AIDS children can benefit from food rations in that（在于，因为）_____.
A. they no longer go hungry
B. they can take care of their parents
C. they don’t have to worry about food
D. they can learn more skills from their parents
4.By buying large amounts of food in developing countries, WFP aims to ____.
A. help farmers to increase their income
B. introduce new ways of farming to farmers
C. encourage farmers to produce more food
D. motive farmers to plant different kinds of crops.
You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy(嫉妒)? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don’t let jealousy spoil your relationships. Deal with it confidently and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you’ll have to do just that. Don’t approach them and ask why they are jealous of you unless of course you want to appear totally conceited (逞能), just take some time alone with them and let them know that you’ve been feeling like there’s been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunity to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn’t get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise(妥协). Don’t limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be ruined by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can’t, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won’t.
1.According to the author, the jealousy emotion is________.
A. normal B. productive
C. destructive D. extreme
2.What does the author intend to tell us in paragraph 2?
A. How to solve the problem of jealousy.
B. Why we need to solve the problem of jealousy.
C. How to explain your jealousy to your friends.
D. Why it is hard to deal with the problem of jealousy.
3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. There’s always a solution to solve the problem of jealousy.
B. Jealousy can turn best friends into worst enemies.
C. You should go a long way with your friend to work out a solution
D. You may lose a friend to keep your own gifts, chances or self-development.
4.This passage is mainly intended for________.
A. female readers
B. students
C. teenagers
D. best friends
A drunken burglar in the Orrell Park area of Liverpool, ended up leaping out of a window after a 10-year-old girl asked him to prove he was a superhero.
The drunken thief who pretended he was Superman to stop a child raising the alarm has been caught after he leapt from the apartment building in his pants to make the girl convinced.
Thief Ethan Adamson, 25, told police that he had broken into a fifth-floor flat after a drinking party, believing it was empty.
But he was horrified when the owner’s 10-year-old daughter woke up while he was there.
From his hospital bed, the thief told reporters, “To keep her quiet, I told her I was really Superman and I’d soon be flying off back to my secret headquarters.”
“She called my bluff (向…摊牌) and told me, ‘If you’re Superman, show me you can fly or I’ll scream’.
“I had no choice so I stripped to my pants to look more like a superhero and went to the window. I saw another roof below and I thought I could make it but it turned out to be a lot further down than thought. I know it doesn’t make sense but it did to me when I was drunk.”
Police later found him on the roof in just his yellow pants, covered in cuts and bruises(淤青) after a neighbor heard his cries of pain.
He now faces seven years behind bars for burglary.
Police spokesman Frank Armado said, “He was in quite a serious state and couldn’t move until we got up there using ladders. He was treated for his injuries and we got him some fresh clothes, before taking him to hospital where he is being kept under guard until he is well enough to be arrested.”
1.What does the underlined part in the passage mean?
A. I could land safely on the roof.
B. I could make the girl trust me.
C. I could prove I was a superhero.
D. I could make a successful escape.
2.What’s the right order of the event?
a. Ethan Adamson told reporters of the burglary.
b. The 10-year-old girl called Ethan Adamson’s bluff.
c. Ethan Adamson attended a drinking party.
d. Ethan Adamson leapt out of a window.
A. cabd B. dbca C. cbda D.dcab
3.What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
A. To report on a joking burglary.
B. To call our attention to the burglary.
C. To explain how the burglar was caught.
D. To look back on an adventure story.
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
As we all know, life is full of dreams and having a good dream is of great importance in our daily life. Without a good dream, people can’t make progress; without a good dream, countries can’t develop; without a good dream, the world can’t become so beautiful! And I hold the strong belief that everyone, whether he is old or young, poor or rich, junior or senior, does have a good dream! After all, dreaming is certainly a positive part of our life, and wishing for good things, however, costs nothing!
What’s more, it is important to fly our dreams, especially for those who are Senior 3 students. It is high time for them to fly their dreams. If they can’t let their dreams fly, the dream would just die!
Therefore, it is no wonder that so many people have a dream since their childhood. With a nice dream, China succeeded to host the 29th Olympic Games in 2008; with a nice dream, Hong Kong returned to the motherland peacefully in 1997; with a nice dream, Yuan Longping rids the world of hunger; with a nice dream, Michael Jordon becomes the most popular basketball star; with a nice dream I can stand on this stage to compete in the final English speech contest. And with an aim of achieving success, I must do the best!
So my good friends, if you want to realize your dream, please do not be afraid in face of difficulties or give up in face of failure nor lose your dream in face of pains. You must keep going forward bravely! Just fly your dream highly above the sky!
【写作内容】
1. 阅读短文后用30词左右概括短文的要点。
2. 就“放飞梦想”为主题，以120词左右发表自己的看法，并包括以下内容要点：
（1）列举自己或身边现实生活中中学生梦想成真的一件事例；
（2）结合自己的实际，谈谈你现在的梦想，并说明打算如何实现。
【写作要求】
1. 在作文中可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得直接引用原文中的句子；
2. 作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
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完成句子
1.到目前为止，他们已经多次在动物身上试用于过这种药物了。
So far, they have _________ __________ the drug on animals a dozen of times.
2.他很难过地发现在选举中被他自己的好朋友反对。
He was very sad to find himself his own good friends in the election.
3.他不同意我的看法---这个地方的很多犯罪都是与滥用毒品有关。
He didn’t _________ _________ our view that much of the crime in this area is relevant to drug abuse.
4.在喝了很多酒后，那个人不小心向同事们透露出他的秘密，他曾以为偷窃而蹲监狱两年。
After drinking much alcohol, the man carelessly ___ ___ his secret to his colleagues that he had been in prison for two years for theft.
5.通过望远镜你不能看清楚东西，除非你正确地调节它以适应你的视线。
You can’t see things clearly through a telescope unless it is _________ correctly ________ your sight.
