The concept of “the body” is closely related to the ideas of “illness” and “health”. 1. The main reasons for the differences are genetic, and the fact that people’s bodies change as they age. However, a huge range of research indicates that there are social factors too.
Poorer people are more likely to eat “unhealthy” foods, to smoke cigarettes and to be employed in repetitive, physically difficult work. 2. That is to say, the physical shapes of bodies are strongly influenced by social factors.
These social factors are also closely linked to emotional wellbeing. People with low or no incomes are more likely to have mental health problems. 3. For example, certain people with mental health issues may be at risk of becoming homeless, just as a person who is homeless may have an increased risk of illnesses such as depression.
4. Bodies are young or old, short or tall, big or small, weak or strong. Whether these judgements matter and whether they are positive or negative depends on the cultural and historical contexts. The culture, and media, of different societies promote very different valuations of body shapes. 5. Currently, in rich societies the idea of slimness is highly valued, but historically this was different. It is easy for people to feel undervalued because of factors they have no power to change, for example, their age and height. Equally, they can feel pressured into making changes to their appearance when there is a choice, which in some cases can lead to an unhealthy interest in weight loss. Therefore, sociologists are suggesting that we should not just view bodies and minds in biological terms, but also in social terms.
A.There are other types of social factors too.
B. All of these factors affect the condition of a person’s health.
C. Their housing conditions and neighbourhoods need to be improved.
D. What is considered as attractive or ugly, normal or abnormal varies greatly.
E. All of us exist in “bodies” of different shapes, heights, colours and physical abilities.
F. Social factors in general play an important role in the development of people’s body conditions.
G. It is not clear, however, whether the situation of being poor causes mental illness, or whether it is the other way around.
An open office is supposed to force employees to cooperate. To have them talk more face to face. To get them off instant messenger (IM) and brainstorming new ideas. But a recent study by two researchers offers evidence to support what many people who work in open offices already know: It doesn’t really work that way. The noise causes people to put on headphones and tune out. The lack of privacy causes others to work from home when they can. And the sense of being in a fishbowl means many choose email over a desk-side chat.
Ethan Bernstein and Stephen Turban, two Harvard Business School professors, studied two Fortune 500 companies that made the shift to an open office environment from one where workers had more privacy. Using “sociometric” electronic badges (徽章) and microphones, as well as data on email and instant messenger use by employees, the researchers found in the first study that after the organization made the move to open-plan offices, workers spent 73% less time in face-to-face interaction. Meanwhile, email use rose 67% and IM use went up 75%.
The participants wore the badges and microphones for several weeks before the office was redesigned and for several after, and the company gave the researchers access to their electronic communications. The results were astonishing. “We were surprised by the degree to which we found the effect,” Bernstein said. The badges could tell that two people had a face-to-face interaction without recording actual spoken words. The researchers were careful to make sure other factors weren’t in question—the business cycle was similar, for instance, and the group of employees were the same.
In a second study, the researchers looked at the changes in interaction between specific pairs of colleagues, finding a similar drop in face-to-face communication and a smaller but still significant increase in electronic correspondence.
Another wrinkle in their research, Bernstein said, is that not only did workers shift the way of communication they used, but they also tended to interact with different groups of people online than they did in person. Moving from one kind of communication to another may not be all bad—“maybe email is just more efficient,” he said—but if managers want certain teams of people to be interacting, that may be lost more than they think. The shift in office space could “have strong effects on productivity and the quality of work”.
Bernstein hopes the research will offer evidence that will help managers consider the possible trade-offs of moving to an open office plan. In seeking a lower cost per square foot, they buy into the idea that it will also lead to more cooperation, even if it’s not clear that’s true. “I don’t blame the architects,” he said. “But I do think we spend more of our time thinking about how to design workplaces based on the observer’s angle”—the manager—“rather than the observed.”
1.Employers prefer an open office because they think it can ______.
A. increase competition
B. improve communication
C. create a safe environment
D. motivate workers’ responsibility
2.Why was there an increase in electronic correspondence among employees?
A. Because they thought little of desk-side chat.
B. Because they shifted to a new business cycle.
C. Because they wanted to protect their privacy.
D. Because they needed to complete more tasks.
3.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. The researchers.
B. The managers.
C. Certain teams of people.
D. Different groups of workers.
4.As for the design of workplaces, what is Bernstein’s major concern?
A. Connectivity.
B. Accessibility.
C. User-friendliness.
D. Cost-effectiveness.
Why Black Friday Shoppers Still Crowd Stores
To many of us, the ideas of rushing out to a superstore the day after Thanksgiving is appealing. Why would anyone race to crowded stores when they could stay in with family, or watch college football? We can’t say we know the answer for sure. But we do feel amazed at those who pour into stores looking for Black Friday bargains. Seemingly, nothing can stop them. Not the weather. Not the crowds. And not the fact that hurrying to a store in the age of instant e-commerce seems so…last century.
To be sure, holiday shopping habits do appear to be shifting. The National Retail (零售) Federation has stopped breaking up its holiday sales numbers by whether they come from e-tail purchases or from physical stores. It’s a pretty good sign that retailers don’t want to bring further attention to the declining fortunes of brick-and-mortar stores.
But there is no denying that people still love going to stores. Actual shopping in actual places remains an important part of the holiday ceremony for millions of Americans. To many, it’s the difference between playing a sport and playing a video game. As commercial as stores may be, they are still places where actual human beings interact. In a store, the “courageous” shopper performs the approving act of finding a present. That item might be heavily promoted by the store, but it doesn’t drop into one’s cart. It is picked up and examined before a decision is made. Maybe it gets put back on the shelf when the shopper changes his or her mind. Maybe there is a conversation with a sales clerk. The process is not that different than it would have been decades ago.
Online, the shopper has barely logged in before being faced with disturbing algorithmic (大数据的) suggestions based on earlier purchases. This hardly qualifies as shopping. This hardly qualifies as thinking.
Perhaps we are reading too much into the Black Friday phenomenon. But we suspect one reason Black Friday remains is that it involves an act of resistance against the Internet age. That would hardly be unreasonable. There aren’t many studies showing that time spent in stores is bad for one’s health, while there are quite a few drawing a link between time spent online and depression. Perhaps the people crowding into stores aren’t the crazy ones after all.
1.What can we infer from the first two paragraphs?
A. Physical stores are not so popular as before.
B. People spend more on Black Friday bargains.
C. Americans have an unhealthy shopping habit.
D. Goods in stores are cheaper than those online.
2.The author thinks people love to go holiday shopping mainly because ________.
A. they feel tired of shopping online
B. they think it is good for their health
C. they hope to pass down the holiday tradition
D. they can have real communication with others
3.What does the author think of the Black Friday phenomenon?
A. Puzzling.
B. Unusual.
C. Out-of-date.
D. Understandable.
4.What is mainly discussed in the passage?
A. The psychology of shopping.
B. The development of retailing.
C. The influences of e-commerce.
D. The features of holiday economy.
Every year, 1.5 million kids around the world die as a result of not getting vaccines (疫苗). This is partly because transporting and storing medicines can be a huge challenge in some countries.
Anurudh Ganesan, 17, knows this firsthand. When he was a baby in India, his grandparents carried him 10 miles to a health clinic in a remote village to receive a vaccine. But by the time they arrived, the vaccines were no longer usable because they had been overheated.
Vaccines, Anurudh later learned, must be kept cool to stay effective. But refrigerating them requires electricity or ice – precious resources that many developing countries lack.
Although Anurudh eventually received the vaccine he needed, his experience as a baby and the sad reality that so many other children aren’t as lucky motivated him to take action. The high school student invented Vaxxwagon, a portable vaccine-carrying device that generates its own power to keep lifesaving medicines cool as they’re delivered to remote areas around the world.
Anurudh first got his idea for Vaxxwagon in 2014. He read several textbooks to learn everything he could about refrigeration, and then he did research online to learn more about vaccines. Rather than relying on electricity or ice, Anurudh figured out a way to use wheels to power a refrigeration system for about eight hours. The entire rechargeable cooling system can be pulled to areas in need of vaccines by a bicycle, a car, or an animal. Eventually, Anurudh took his design to professors at Johns Hopkins University for advice. Not only did they confirm Vaxxwagon could work, but they offered him funding to help build it.
Anurudh was rewarded with the 2015 Google Science Fair LEGO Education Builder Award for his invention. Anurudh says his final goal is to start selling Vaxxwagon to relief organizations, so it can be used to help people around the world.
Anurudh, who plans to pursue engineering degree in college, says, “Don’t give up on your ideas. But always try to help others with your projects. That’s the point of engineering – to help people.”
1.Why do many children die every year?
A. They lack qualified medical teams.
B. They cannot afford usable medicines.
C. They don’t have an electricity system.
D. They have no access to effective vaccines.
2.What is special about Vaxxwagon?
A. It can serve as a fridge.
B. It can produce safe vaccines.
C. It can detect deadly diseases.
D. It can be a means of transport.
3.Which of the following words can best describe Anurudh?
A. Caring and creative.
B. Modest and sympathetic.
C. Loyal and determined.
D. Honest and hard-working.
4.What can we learn from the story?
A. Practice makes perfect.
B. One good turn deserves another.
C. Motivation is the mother of success.
D. All things are difficult before they are easy.
Pastime is a bi-monthly magazine for curious young minds. Many of the topics we write about won’t be covered in the classroom. All the articles are written in a lively style, and each one is paired with drawings by some of the country’s most talented artists.
♦ History focuses on archaeological (考古的) sites around the world where archaeologists work to unearth important finds.
♦ World includes stories about daily life, folk tales, and history and traditions of the people and places.
♦ Sport includes nutrition tips, information about up-and-coming young athletes, and sports events.
♦ Art stimulates a child’s cultural life, from film to theatre through to writing and music.
On top of all that, Pastime is packed with items to stimulate a youngster’s imagination, including pages of puzzles and a step-by-step guide to creating their own impressive-looking drawings.
In every issue, we review the latest books top authors write for youngsters. There are also short works of fiction written especially for Pastime by some of our best writers.
We know that children at this age are dealing with many emotions and sometimes difficult feelings, so we have a personal advice page to reply to questions dealing with personal and moral problems.
Unlike many of today’s throwaway comics, Pastime is written and designed to be kept and treasured. We know children love going online — but we also know how much they enjoy holding a printed magazine in their hands, and the excitement they get when each new issue drops through the letterbox personally addressed to them.
Subscription
Pastime is published six times a year. An annual subscription costs just £20 and makes a great gift for any child aged eight to twelve.
To order by phone: Dial 1-800-821-0156 and use Offer Code WEBSAVE86 for print-only subscriptions.
You can cancel at any time for magazines that haven’t shipped yet.
1.If a reader is interested in festivals, he can read ______.
A. History
B. World
C. Sport
D. Art
2.What does the magazine provide?
A. Photos of talented artists.
B. Stories created by children.
C. Suggestions on readers’ problems.
D. Book reviews written by students.
3.For subscription, one needs to know that the magazine ______.
A. offers electronic copies
B. costs £20 for each copy
C. is for kindergarten children
D. is published every two months
The universe has a way of sending help from even the most unlikely of places.
When Tony received a wrong-number message on his mobile phone, he could have just _______ it. Instead, he gathered five of his six children and _______ a picture to send to Syd, the girl on the other end of line, just to give her a little _______ However, he had no idea that replying to this random message would _______ his family’s life.
The message was from Syd, who was dress shopping when she decided to get a second _______. So she took a picture of herself in the new dress that she had chosen and sent the message to who she thought was her friend.
Tony sent her a message _______ right away, but he also wanted to let her know that her pretty picture hadn’t ended up in the _______ hands, so he included a picture of his kids giving a big thumbs-up. “I figured that the children’s _______ would be far better than some middle-aged man!”
Syd’s friend Mandi was deeply touched by the _______ that she posted it online, where it quickly went viral. Not only is it just a sweet ________ of kindness on Tony’s part, but look at those cute kids of his!
Once the story ________ the web, people discovered that one of Tony’s children was ________ from the picture. The youngest child, Kaizler, wasn’t home at that time ________ his mom had taken him to his chemotherapy (化疗) appointment.
Once Mandi read about Kaizler’s cancer diagnosis, she shared his GoFundMe page, which snowballed into a widespread ________ of giving. Thousands of people have donated to the little boy’s page.
Kaizler’s mom says she can’t express how ________ her family is for the financial help, and no one can believe this rush of good fortune ________ from a simple wrong-number message!
“It is so refreshing to be ________ that there are good people in the world who still care about others and are quick to be ________ and kind to others,” she stated, “I would also like to thank EVERYONE from bottom of my heart ________ all the kind words, all the donations, all the love and support. We honestly would never have been able to ________ it this far in our journey without every single of you!!!”
1.A. copied B. returned C. ignored D. recognized
2.A. borrowed B. invented C. found D. took
3.A. space B. peace C. encouragement D. description
4.A. change B. ruin C. control D. plan
5.A. picture B. opinion C. place D. chance
6.A. off B. over C. up D. back
7.A. different B. wrong C. ordinary D. free
8.A. company B. response C. explanation D. permission
9.A. exchange B. participation C. preference D. strategy
10.A. act B. talk C. state D. smile
11.A. caught B. ran C. hit D. searched
12.A. hiding B. escaping C. dropping D. missing
13.A. unless B. although C. because D. once
14.A. anxiety B. prediction C. roll D. wave
15.A. grateful B. concerned C. famous D. eager
16.A. fell B. came C. left D. heard
17.A. reminded B. arranged C. greeted D. persuaded
18.A. outspoken B. generous C. faithful D. energetic
19.A. of B. with C. about D. for
20.A. urge B. pass C. make D. build
