If you ever have the desire to break out into song—in the shower, in the car, maybe at your neighbor's karaoke night—you should embrace it whole-heartedly. This ancient art not only makes you feel good, it can also improve your well-being, reduce your feelings of pain, and even extend your life.
Using your voice to sing, rather than simply carryout a conversation, offers unique benefits because singing affects our bodies. Also, studies link singing with a lower heart rate，decreased blood pressure and reduced stress according to Patricia Preston-Roberts, a music therapist. She uses song to help patients who suffer from a variety of problems.
Singing, particularly in a group, seems to benefit the elderly particularly well. As part of a three-year study examining how singing affects the health of those fifty-five and older, a Senior Singers Chorus was formed by the Levine School of Music in Washington, D. C. The seniors involved in the chorus, as well as seniors in two separate arts groups about writing and painting, showed significant health improvements compared to those in the control groups (控制组).Obviously, the arts groups reported thirty fewer doctors' visits, fewer eyesight problems, less depression, and less need for medication.
Even lead researcher Dr. Gene D. Cohen, director of the Center on Aging at George Washington University, was surprised at how big an effect the seniors' arts participation had on their health. Cohen said, “The average age of all the subjects was eighty. This is higher than life expectancy. So, if an effect were to be achieved, one would ordinarily expect to see less decline (下降) compared to the control group. The fact that there was so much improvement in many areas was the surprising factor." The seniors also noticed health improvements and they reported feeling better both in daily life and while singing.
The part of the brain that works with speech is different from the part that processes music. “People seem to enjoy doing something jointly with other people. There are a lot of facts that being socially involved is good for people with dementia (老年痴呆).”Ballard said.
The arts are showing up as a treatment tool in hospitals across the country. If you are thinking of volunteering, singing at a hospital may be a good choice—not only for the patients, but also for yourself.
1.In the first paragraph, the author ________.
A. expresses a desire for singing
B. offers some advice on singing
C. puts forward his point of view
D. states the importance of health
2.Why was Cohen surprised at the results of the study?
A. The study was not expensive as expected.
B. Arts acted as a treatment tool in hospitals.
C. People's health in the arts group improved greatly.
D. The seniors themselves noticed health improvements.
3.What is the author's attitude towards arts?
A. Doubtful. B. Positive.
C. Negative. D. Worried.
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How to Avoid Getting Dementia
B. How Seniors Live a Healthy Life
C. How to Keep Our Brains Healthy
D. How Singing Improves Your Health
The Climb to the Top
My life as a kid was a sweet life. I lived in a beautiful house with the beautiful surroundings in Puerto Rico. There was one particular thing I loved and it was a huge tree that was in my backyard. As a child, I used to climb the tree every day. Every time I went, I climbed higher and higher, reaching new branches, obstacles, and pathways on my way up. One day, I reached the top and I could see my island. I felt I was on top of the world, and nothing could stop me. Then, there was the day that seemed like the end of my life. This specific day changed my life forever.
It was a nice summer day. After breakfast, my family headed to the park to see my baseball game. In the evening we went to a carnival (嘉年华) in my town. My grandma was selling blankets under a tent. Suddenly, the mood of the day changed when my parents took me to my grandma's tent. Still to this day, I remember the exact words my dad said to me, “Son, how would you like to move to the United States?” I couldn't believe what he said. I then ran away from him as the tears rolled down my cheeks. My perfect life was being taken away from me.
Two weeks later, we arrived at New York in late July, and my aunt and uncle drove us to Springfield，Massachusetts where we lived for seven years. Once we got there, I met my mom's family for the first time. September came and school started. I was afraid to go to a new school and make new friends. Most kids ignored me and some tried to talk to me, but I couldn't understand them or say anything. My first year in the United States was not fun or easy but I worked hard and got through it.
Now that I'm grown, I look back on the journey that I've been through: living in a new place with no friends, new language, and new schools. Despite all those problems, I still remembered that special tree. That tree taught me to never give up and reach higher. I have beaten every difficulty that I have met in life and I just kept moving forward. My perfect life was never taken away from me; it has just started.
1.When the author was a kid, he _________.
A. thought his life was very pitiful
B. expected to live in a beautiful house
C. dreamed of traveling around the world
D. enjoyed the pleasure of climbing a tree
2.Why does the author mention the baseball game and carnival in the passage?
A. To compare life with that in America.
B. To introduce his family tradition.
C. To show he didn't like studying.
D. To state his daily life routine.
3.Paragraph 3 mainly tells us about _________.
A. the family that he had met before
B. his new friends in Springfield, Massachusetts
C. the living conditions when he arrived in America
D. his difficult experiences during the first year in the US
4.The author has realized that to live a perfect life is _________.
A. to never give up B. to always make new friends
C. to forget all problems D. to remember sweet memories
Amazing Movies
Are you looking for some movies? You've landed on the right place. Let's take a look at the list I've collected.
A Beautiful Mind A Beautiful Mind is the story of John Nash, a mathematician who went on to win the Nobel Prize for his Game Theory. This movie brings his whole journey on screen—from his beginning to his downhill ride. The first half is all about his rise to fame while the second half shows how he slowly falls into madness. After many years of fighting, he finally is victorious. |
I. Q. The story is about an auto mechanic who falls for Albert Einstein's niece. The only problem is that she is engaged (订婚) to someone else. Fortunately, Einstein likes him. He pretends to be a physicist to run after her, but things don't go as he'd planned. If A Beautiful Mind was alittle too heavy for you, I.Q. would be the perfect fit. It's a light-drama that is funny and heartwarming for the most part. |
Good Will Hunting Good Will Hunting is a touching tale of a troubled young man called Will Hunting who is gifted with a natural talent in mathematics. However, he is struggling to find his identity. He can solve any math problem, but not the one he seems to be struggling with in his life. His life seems to be getting only worse until one day he meets Sean, a therapist, who helps him find direction in life. |
Creation Creation is a story of famous scientist, Charles Darwin, best known for his evolution theories. This movie attempts to bring his struggling days into focus; the time when he was dealing with the loss of his daughter and was suffering from hallucinations (幻觉). At the same time, he was working on a book called On the Origins of Species, which he finally completed. All in all, Creation is a great historical drama. |
1.If you are interested in a relaxing movie, you can go and see ________.
A. I.Q. B. Creation
C. A Beautiful Mind D. Good Will Hunting
2.Which two characters are experts in mathematics according to the passage?
A. Will Hunting and Sean. B. John Nash and Will Hunting
C. Charles Darwin and Sean. D. John Nash and Charles Darwin.
3.The main purpose of the passage is to __________.
A. recommend actors B. promote movie sales
C. introduce movies D. compare movies
The Grass Cutting Days
Every time we headed out to cut grass, Dad was there to watch. I used to______why he came with us. He stood watching us in the sticky Florida heat when he could have been inside_______with air conditioning and an icy drink.
One day we were cutting our next-door neighbor's yard. She always waited until the grass was knee-high to call us over. To make matters worse, we had an old lawn mower that kept breaking down as we tried to cut ______ her backyard jungle. This particular afternoon, I was finishing up and was tired and sweaty. I ______ the tall glass of cold juice I would drink in a minute to cool down.
I was just about to turn off the lawn mower ______ I saw Dad pointing to one single blade of grass (一片草). I thought about the small amount of money I was getting ______ for cutting grass so high that it almost broke the mower. I ignored him and kept walking. Dad called me out and yelled, “You missed a blade.”
I frowned (皱眉)，hoping he would let me go home. He kept pointing. Though ______ and discouraged, I still went back to cut that blade of grass. I thought to myself, “That one blade isn't ______ anyone. Why won't he just let it go?”
But when I reached adulthood, I understood his ______ : When you're running a business, the work you do says a great deal about you. If you want to be seen as an honest businessman, you must deliver a quality product. That single blade of grass ______ the job was not done.
Other neighbors took ______ of the good work we did and we soon gained more ______. We started out with one customer, but by the end of the summer we had five, which was all we cared to handle because we wanted time to enjoy our summer break from school.
The lesson my dad taught me stayed with me: Be ______ , If you say you are going to perform a job at a certain time, ______ your word. Give your customers the kind of ______ you would like to receive. It shows how sincere you are and how much pride you take in your work.
1.A. wonder B. understand C. know D. expect
2.A. hiding B. relaxing C. playing D. talking
3.A. in B. back C. up D. through
4.A. pictured B. decided C. required D. invented
5.A. until B. before C. when D. while
6.A. involved B. caught C. changed D. paid
7.A. tired B. ashamed C. touched D. shocked
8.A. surprising B. frightening C. hurting D. embarrassing
9.A. punishment B. message C. cruelty D. expression
10.A. seemed B. realized C. meant D. found
11.A. care B. notice C. place D. control
12.A. business B. workers C. experience D. prizes
13.A. patient B. powerful C. prepared D. professional
14.A. break B. give C. save D. keep
15.A. advice B. service C. attention D. warmth
请阅读下面图画和短文，并按要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章.
（写作内容）
1. 用约 30个单词概述上述信息的主要内容；
2. 结合上述信息,简要分析目前人们回家过春节的意愿变化的原因; (不少于两点)
3. 结合自己的例子，谈谈人们是否应该回家过春节？说明原因。
（写作要求）
（1）写作过程中不能直接引用原文语句；
（2）作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
（3）文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称；
（4）不必写标题。
（评分标准） 内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当。
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。
注意：每个空格只填1个单词。请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。
Why We Struggle to Say ‘I Love You’
For many Asian-Americans, the phrase belongs to the wonderful world of white people we see in the movies and on television.
So many of our Asian parents have struggled, and suffered in ways that are completely beyond the imaginations of their children born or raised in North American comfort. This struggle and sacrifice was how Asian parents say “I love you” without having to say it. And so many of us children are not expected to say it either, but instead are expected to express love through gratitude, which means obeying our parents and following their wishes for how we should live our lives.
Our parents, for the most part, told us to get a good education, get a good job and not speak up, things they had to do to survive. They have encouraged, or forced, many of us to become doctors, lawyers and engineers, and to feel ashamed if we do not. What these parents did not do was tell us we could become artists, actors or storytellers, people engaged in seemingly trivial, unsafe and unstable professions.
I have met so few who have proudly told me that their children are English majors or have become writers or artists. But I became a writer despite, and perhaps because of, their resistance to the idea, my inarticulate(难以言喻的) desires pushing against their inarticulate sacrifice, all of it taking place before a backdrop of refugee（难民）life and racial reality.
I grew up in the relatively diverse city of San Jose, Calif., in the 1980s. My neighbors were older white working-class people, Mexican immigrants and Vietnamese refugees. Then I went to a mostly white high school, with only a handful of students of Asian descent. We knew we were different, but we found our difference a little difficult to put into words. We called ourselves “the Asian invasion.”
The irony was that we had not invaded America. America had invaded us, or at the very least had occupied or fought in our countries of origin or heritage. We were here because America was there.
Looking back, what I only belatedly realized was that I needed — we all needed — more stories featuring us. More voices belonging to us. More advocates telling our stories in our way with our faces, our inflections, our concerns, our intuitions. We just needed to be at the center of a story, which would include all the aspects of human subjectivity, not just the good but the bad, the three-dimensional fullness that white people took for granted with the privilege of being individuals.
When it came to mass media’s representations of us — film and television, morning radio disc jockey jokes— we got only the bad. We were the servants, the enemies, the houseboys, the invaders.
As a result, so many of us who watched these distorted(扭曲的) images and heard the stupid jokes learned to be ashamed of ourselves. We learned to be ashamed of our parents. And the shame compounded the inability to say “I love you,” a phrase that belonged to the wonderful world of white people we saw in the movies and television.
We had to learn better, but the truth is that Asian parents have to learn better, too. You cannot be proud of your artist and storyteller children only when they win Golden Globes. We honor your sacrifice for us, but you have to encourage your children to speak up as well, to claim their voices, to risk failure, to tell their stories and your stories. At the very least, you cannot stand in their way.
We are still the Asian invasion in the eyes of many. We cannot accept this as our price of entry into American society. If we must assert ourselves and speak out against racism when it is directed against us, we must also do so when it benefits us. And we do that by challenging and changing the American story. We do it by taking the stage and by telling our own stories, which is really, in the end, our way of saying “I love you” to our parents, our families, our communities and our country.
Outline | Detailed information |
Facts about Asian-Americans’ family | ●Children cannot 1.their parents’ sufferings. ●The 2.resulting from the distorted images make Asians too ashamed to express love. |
Asian parents’ 3. | Their children should obey them and do something for 4.. ●Get a good education ●Keep silent ●Become doctors, lawyers and engineers rather than artists, actors or storytellers |
My experience | ●I take up writing because my parents are 5.to my choice and my desires 6.with their sacrifice. ●Our nationality 7.us from others and labels ourselves as “the Asian invasion.” |
My suggestions | ●We need to get across our inner voice to others with more stories featuring us. ●We should be regarded as an individual, not8.but with the three-dimensional fullness. ●Asian parents should encourage their children to pursue their interest even when they 9. |
Conclusion | It is our way of saying “I love you” to our parents to try to have a 10.in the American story. |
