Amazing Benefits of Listening to Music
If you love listening to music, you’re good company.1..
★Music makes you happier.
When you listen to music, your brain releases a special matter. It biologically causes listeners to feel emotions like happiness, excitement and joy. So the next time you need an emotional increase, listen to your favorite tunes for 15 minutes.
★2..
Listening to music you enjoy decreases levels of the stress in your body. This is an important finding since stress causes many illnesses and diseases. To stay calm and healthy during a stressful day, turn on the radio.
★Music helps you sleep better.
A study showed that students listening to classical music for 45 minutes slept better than students who did nothing. If you’re having trouble sleeping, try listening to a little Bach or Mozart before bedtime.
★3..
Softening the lighting and music can lead people to consume fewer calories and enjoy their meals more. If you’re looking for ways to reduce your appetite, try dimming the lights and listening to soft music the next time you sit down for a meal.
★Music strengthens learning and memory.
Researchers discovered that music can help you learn and remember information that you have forgotten better.4.. Memorize these results. You now have a strategy to study more effectively for your next test.
★Music raises IQ and school performance.
Research shows that taking music lessons predicts higher school performance and IQ in young children.5..
A.Music helps you eat less.
B.Music lowers stress and improves health.
C.Participants who were musicians learned better with light music.
D.Musical training can help raise our IQs and even keep us sharp at old age.
E.Here are amazing scientifically-proven benefits of being hooked on music.
F.Recent research shows that listening to music improves our mental well-being.
G.To help your children achieve academic excellence, encourage them to sing or learn to play an instrument.
Despite the countless differences between people’s characters and careers, or their likes and their dislikes, it seems that we are all connected in this wonderful life by one thing: namely, seeking happiness.
Happiness means, naturally, different things to different people. For myself, happiness is synonymous（同义的）with horse riding, Cadbury’s Creme Eggs and spending time with my friends. Some people are at their happiest at home, while others find their happiness through travelling far-off foreign lands. Happiness can be as simple as a surprise bunch of fresh flowers or a really strong coffee, just when you need it most. Sometimes, happiness comes from spending time with loved ones; for others, it’s having a well-earned quiet night at home, with nothing but a comfortable bed for company.
Since it comes in so many shapes and sizes, it’s sometimes easy to take happiness for granted. It is especially true if it’s been “one of those days”. Maybe you overslept, missed the bus and had to walk to school in the rain, only to be told that you were late. Or perhaps, because of work, you had to cancel plans with friends, despite looking forward to seeing them for ages. Forgotten keys, delayed flights, an argument with your parents, illness or injury... all very frustrating, and understandably guaranteed to make you feel unhappy.
Luckily, there are a few simple, scientifically proven ways to make the glass seem half-full again. To start with, things like trying out cycling or walking instead of driving to work and listening to music are great moodboosters（情绪助推器）. Volunteering and getting involved with a charity are two ways in which you can become happier through helping others. Last, but certainly not least, try hugging your way to happiness; it’s been suggested that we humans need a minimum（最少的）of five hugs a day. If you’ve been having a bad day, there’s nothing better than a good old bear-hug.
1.What would be the main idea of Paragraph 2?
A.Happiness comes from different things.
B.Fresh flowers can give you a surprise.
C.Some people enjoy themselves at home.
D.It is pleasant to spend time with close friends.
2.The underlined part “one of those days” may refer to a day when .
A.it is easy to be happy
B.you go to work on time
C.you have a coffee at home
D.you tend to be sad at your life
3.To tell us that people are easy to take happiness for granted, the writer .
A.performs an experiment B.provides some examples
C.tells an interesting story D.brings up some problems
4.Where does the passage come from?
A.In a scientific report. B.In an advertisement.
C.In a guidebook. D.In a novel.
The great thing about libraries is that they house all types of books—from mysteries to biographies to dramas—all in one location. The bad thing about libraries is that they house all types of books in one location, and if it’s a location you can’t get to, you’re out of luck. Now, mobile library solutions are appearing quickly around the country to bring books to people who need them.
A few years ago, when the Little Free Libraries Movement launched, more people of all ages could have access to books. Now, more than 15,000 free book stands can be found around the world, bringing books to unexpected places. But many folks simply can’t get to the places where the books are. Bookmobile buses are a good solution, but they can be expensive to fund and to operate.
Books on bikes programs are popping up（出现）in areas where there is a strong bike culture, such as Seattle, or a strong need to bring books to the masses, such as in San Francisco.
The Seattle Public Library’s Books on Bikes program is made up of three bike/trailer combos（复合）that librarians bring to community events. The trailers are even Wi-Fi enabled so that visitors can sign up for a library card and browse（浏览）the library’s card catalog on the spot.
“Seattle has a really strong bike culture so we want to tap into that and provide full service library programs but do it in a way that is quick and smart.” librarian Jared Mills said in an interview.
San Francisco’s program, called Bibliobicicleta, was launched in 2013 by librarian Alicia Tapia. Her trailer can hold about 100 books and attracts readers of all ages and income levels. It’s an independent, donation—based library—ike a Little Free Library, but on wheels.
When asked why she would launch a free library on a bike, Tapia answers, “Why not? Bikes are cool, and can go anywhere.”
1.According to the writer, the traditional libraries .
A.are popular among the readers
B.are large enough to hold any book
C.are not very convenient to the readers
D.can bring books to people who need them
2.Which of the following may be the disadvantage of the bookmobile buses?
A.They are full of many travelers.
B.They cost a large amount of money.
C.They hold the limited number of books.
D.They bring books to unexpected places.
3.The writer mentions Seattle to tell us that .
A.bikes are popular in it
B.visitors can use free Wi-Fi in it
C.it is the same as the city of San Francisco
D.the library card is useful to the visitors
4.Tapia’s answer suggests that she .
A.enjoys showing off by bike
B.shows impatience to the readers
C.is eager to make the readers happy
D.thinks libraries on bikes are practical
As a famous doctor, Sigmund Freud has problems telling his left from his right. He writes in his diary: I do not know whether it is obvious to other people which is their own or other’s right or left. In my case, I have to think which is my right and no organic feeling tells me. To make sure which is my right hand, I have to make a few writing movements quickly.
Neuroscientist Eric Chudler at the University of Washington referred to a recent study where 71 of 364 (19.5 percent) college professors and 311 of 1,185 (26.2 percent) college students said that they occasionally, frequently or all of the time had difficulty when they had to quickly identify right from left. Chudler told The Washington Post that 95 percent of the 3,719 people who tried his test reported more difficulty with left/right than with up/down.
In most cases, left/right confusion is rarely a big deal. But knowing your directions obviously can be critical if you’re a surgeon or a pilot. That’s why in key situations, there are plans in place to minimize（使减到最少）the chance of problems. In a health care situation, someone may write “not this leg” on a limb（肢）, for example. And in the air, because distractions（分心）can cause any number of errors, pilots must avoid all non—essential conversation during the critical phases of flight.
Experts say that right/left confusion doesn’t mean you’re not smart. But scientists aren’t totally sure what causes the right/left confusion. There does, however, seem to be a link between right/left confusion and brain lateralization（偏侧性）—the fact that the right and left halves of the brain each control unique functions.
There may, however, be an association with gender（性别）. Several studies have found that women are more likely than men to say they are sometimes unable to distinguish between their right and their left. But some researchers say that’s only because women are more likely than men to admit they may have a problem.
1.According to Sigruund Freud’s diary, he .
A.can’t tell the right directly
B.doesn’t know which is his right hand
C.is more foolish than other people
D.isn’t satisfied with his organic feeling
2.Eric Chudler mentions the numbers in Paragraph 2 to tell us that .
A.it is easy to tell up from down
B.left/right is as important as up/down
C.many people have trouble with left/right
D.most people can judge left/right easily
3.Which of the following may be the important moment of flight according to the text?
A.When the plane is taking off.
B.When the plane is coming down.
C.When the pilot is talking with others.
D.When the pilot is judging the directions.
4.Where can you probably read the text?
A.In a private diary. B.In a science fiction.
C.In a latest newspaper. D.In a fashion magazine.
Whether you choose a relaxing vacation stay or an active adventure at Yellowstone National Park or on the Yellowstone River, Flying Pig Adventure Company can accommodate your wishes.
Overnight at the Ranch（牧场）
Check In at 2:30 pm, Daily May through August
Based at our private ranch located at an altitude of 7500 feet, bordering Yellowstone National Park, you’ll enjoy about four hours of riding over two days with an evening at the ranch—including Sue’s legendary cowboy cookout（野餐）. Limited to 5 families per day. All meals included.
Day One: We’ll greet you in the afternoon and provide you with directions to the best ranch in the northern Yellowstone area, called Hells A Roarin’ Ranch. Surrounded by forest service and miles of wilderness, the ranch has 2 cabins（小屋）and 3 wall tents for guests to settle in before a delightful two-hour horse riding with attractive views overlooking Yellowstone.
Day Two: Breakfast served at 8:00 a.m.. By 9:00 a.m. you’ll be on top of your horse heading into the wilderness for a two-hour horse riding. You’ll be glad for photo stops in this Montana scenery—few people get to experience this wild country. When you return to the ranch, you can enjoy a picnic lunch and wander around to absorb all the ranch life before winding back down the hill to Gardiner Hotel. You will be content with all the high mountain fresh air!
Choose between 2 Cabins and 3 Wall Tents
Cabin Stay: $295 each for the first two people; $245 for each additional person
Wall Tent Stay: $245 each for the first two people; $220 for each additional person
1.Where is the private ranch mentioned above?
A.It is 7500 feet away from a famous park.
B.It is right next to Yellowstone National Park.
C.It is just across the Yellowstone River.
D.It is close to the Adventure Company.
2.After settling in the cabins or tents, the guests can .
A.enjoy four hours of riding in the ranch
B.take a wonderful view of Yellowstone National Park
C.drive a car in the forests and wilderness
D.ask about the direction to the former ranch
3.If a family of 4 persons hopes to settle in a cabin, they will spend .
A.$735 B.$1008
C.$835 D.$1080
假定你是李华，你的英国网友Tom对中国传统节日非常感兴趣，他写信向你询问。请你根据以下要点，给他写一封回信，向他介绍一个你最喜爱的节日。
要点：1.节日的名称、时间；
2.节日的庆祝方式；
3. 邀请他来体验。
注意：1.词数：100词左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom，
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Yours,
Li Hua
