Smoking is harmful. But as soon as you quit the habit, everything will be OK, right?
Wrong.
New research has found that even if you give up smoking, the damage it has done to your genes (基因) will stay there for a much longer time.
In the research, a team of US scientists studied the blood of 16,000 people. Among them, some were smokers, some used to smoke, and the rest were non-smokers. Scientists compared their genes and found that more than 7,000 genes of smokers had changed-a number that is one-third of known human genes.
According to NBC News, both heart disease and cancer are caused by genetic changes. Some people may have had the changes when they were born, but most people get them in their day-to-day lives while doing things like smoking.
When you stop smoking, a lot of these genes will return to normal within five years.
This means your body is trying to heal (治愈) itself of the harmful effects of smoking. But the changes in some of the genes stay for longer. They can stay for as long as 30 years.It’s almost like leaving a footprint on wet cement (水泥) 一it will always be there, even when you’ve walked away and when the cement becomes dry.
Although the study results may make people unhappy, there is a bright side: the findings could help scientists invent medicine to treat genetic damage caused by smoking or find ways to tell which people have heart disease or cancer risks.
1.The function of Paragraph 1 is to .
A. give an example B. introduce the topic of the passage
C. make an argument D. show the main idea of the passage
2.Most genetic changes happen because of .
A. people’s condition at birth B. environmental pollution
C. people’s bad living habits D. heart disease and cancer
3.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 6 refers to .
A. the cement B. the footprint
C. the harmful effect D. the genetic change
4.Which of the following statements is true?
A. The findings are the fruit of more than three years’ research.
B. The findings have prevented more people from starting smoking
C. The findings offer evidence that a damaged gene can heal itself.
D. The findings help to find cures for genetic damage caused by smoking.
For many people, being on the job might just sound like a picnic compared to a day at home filled with housework, meals and childcare. Even for those with a happy family life, home can sometimes feel more taxing than work.
In a new study, researchers at Penn State University found significantly and consistently lower levels of cortisol(皮质醇) released in response to stress, in a majority of subjects when they were at work compared to when they were at home. This was true for both men and women, and parents and people without children.
Both men and women showed less stress at work. But women were more likely to report feeling happier there. Men were more likely to feel happier at home. Experts say there are other reasons why work is less stressful than home for many. “Paid work is more valued in society,” says Sarah Damaske, the lead researcher on the study. “Household work is boring and not particularly rewarding.”
We get better at our job with time and the increased competence means less stress and more rewards. Yet none of us, no matter how long we’ve been doing it, ever truly feels like an expert at parenting or even at marriage.
The support and friendship of co-workers also offer stress relief. At home, meanwhile, stress spreads and accumulates quickly. “That’s the reason why most housewives wish they were the bread earners,” Dr. Damaske says.
Much of the advice to families and couples include the warning to “leave work stress at the office” and even to change our mind-set from work to home, for example, a walk around the block. The recent findings, though, suggest our home life, not our attitude, might be due for some change.
1.Which of the following can replace the underlined word “taxing”?
A. stressful. B. cheerful. C. worthwhile. D. rewarding.
2.What did the research in the second paragraph prove?
A. Men felt better at home.
B. Women felt they had less time.
C. Women were easier to feel happier.
D. Most people felt more stress at home.
3.What do most people think of work at office?
A. It is competitive. B. It improves ability.
C. It can’t relieve stress. D. It doesn’t always pay off.
4.According to the recent findings, what should we change to solve the problem mentioned?
A. Our attitude. B. Our mind-set.
C. Our home life. D. Our working style.
Finding the Real You
Psychometric testing — personality testing — has been very popular nowadays as studies show their results to be three times more accurate in predicting your job performance. These tests are now included in almost all graduate recruitment (招聘) and are widely used in the selection of managers.
The most popular of these personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is based on the theory that we are born with a tendency to one personality type which stays more or less fixed throughout life. You answer 88 questions and are then given your “type”, such as Outgoing or Quiet, Feeling or Thinking.
Critics of personality testing raise doubts about “social engineering”. Psychologist Dr. Colin Gill warns that the “popular” personality traits (特性) have their disadvantages. “People who are extremely open to new experiences can be butterflies, going from one idea to the next without mastering any of them.” However, the psychometric test is here to stay, which may be why a whole sub-industry on cheating personality tests has sprung up. “It’s possible to cheat,” admits Gill, “but having to pretend to be the person you are at work will be tiring and unhappy and probably short-lived.”
So can we change our personality? “Your basic personality is fixed by the time you’re 21,” says Gill, “but it can be affected by motivation and intelligence. If you didn’t have the personality type to be a doctor but desperately wanted to be one and were intelligent enough to master the skills, you could still go ahead. But trying to go too much against type for too long requires much energy and is actually to be suffered for long. I think it’s why we’re seeing this trend for downshifting — too many people trying to fit in to a type that they aren’t really suited for.”
Our interest in personality now exists in every part of our lives. If you ask an expert for advice on anything, you’ll probably be quizzed about your personality. But if personality tests have any value to us, perhaps it is to free us from the idea that all of us are full of potential, and remind us of what we are. As they say in one test when they ask for your age: pick the one you are, not the one you wish you were.
1.The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on the belief that __________.
A. personality is largely decided from birth
B. certain personality traits are common
C. some personality types are better than others
D. personality traits are various from time to time
2.According to Dr. Gill, what is the problem with personality tests?
A. The results could be opposite to what employers want.
B. People can easily lie about their true abilities.
C. Employers often find the results unclear.
D. They may have a negative effect on takers.
3.In Dr. Gill’s view, how easy is it to change your personality?
A. It’s possible in your adult life.
B. It’s easy if you have great motivation.
C. It’s unlikely because it requires much energy.
D. It’s difficult before the age of 21.
4.What final conclusion does the author reach about the value of personality tests?
A. They are of doubtful value to employers.
B. They are not really worth doing.
C. They can strengthen the idea we have of our abilities.
D. They may encourage greater realism.
假定你是高中生李华，你们学校要在三月十日举办英语配音比赛（dubbing contest），你想参赛，但是不知道该选什么电影。你给笔友Peter写封邮件，请他推荐。
要求： 1. 主题是关于友谊； 2. 时间限定在4到5分钟； 3. 每个节目最多6个角色。
注意：1. 词数100左右；2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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（Λ），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，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。
The time we have is usual limited. However, even an hour is of much valuable. We should make full use of your time to do useful things. As students, we mustn’t study hard so as to serve for our society and our nation in the future. But it is pity that there are a lot of people who didn’t know the importance of time. They spend their valuable time smoke and drinking. They don’t realize that wasting time is the same as wasting a part of their life. Remember, don’t put off which you can do today until tomorrow.
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
A short guide to surviving a post-election Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in the US is a celebration of the blessings of the previous year. This time it included one of the most divisive presidential campaigns. Even now it is over, the possibility of argument has not disappeared. Here we have some tips for you to survive this Thanksgiving.
●Cover up any signal of union
It might be fine to have your Hillary bumper sticker in New York, but it isn't going to go down well in Wyoming, where 70% voted Trump. Similarly, your "I love Trump" T-shirt will probably not be popular in California, where 62% voted Hillary.1.．
●Practice your facial expression beforehand
They say a picture tells 1,000 words. Your face is the same. 2.You need to invest some energy in making sure your true feelings are completely buried. Ten minutes in front of the mirror should be enough to perfect your neutral face. 3.Well, we suggest closing them. Easy.
●Have a list of neutral topics for the dinner table
The weather is A favorite subject of the British. It is inoffensive, bland and can provide a good half-hour's chat, if done well. Everyone has an opinion on whether or not it is colder/hotter/wetter/windier than last year/10 years ago/when they were little. You can involve the whole family.4.With Clinton and Trump supporters largely split on whether climate change exists, it could inadvertently lead to politics. So it's maybe trickier for Americans than the weather-worn Brits. 5.After all, the rivalry between your American football team of choice and your cousin's may have a long and vitriolic history, but it is likely to be less poisonous than the current differences in your politics.
A. Sports may not be a neutral subject.
B. Biting your lip is simply not enough this holiday season.
C. There are hundreds of outstanding topics for Thanksgiving.
D. There is one slight downfall to this particular favorite.
E. Are you one of those people whose eyes always tell the truth?
F. So we advise leaving the T-shirt at home, and covering up the stickers.
G. It would be fine, if people of different opinions would not spend Thanksgiving together.
