We've all been there, staring at a blank screen, throwing endless drafts in the trash can, pulling out hair, looking through Facebook photos, re-ordering music libraries and even wiping the computer clean. We do anything to pass the time and avoid admitting the painfully obvious—we've hit mental blocks. They are usually a sign that we've taken our focus off what we want and placed it firmly on what we don't. 1.. The following
tips are designed to help clear them away.
Hit the shower
Mental blocks of any nature are a result of one thing： not being firmly in the present. Taking a shower is a simple and effective way to bring your attention back to the present. 2.. And it enables you to develop more
creative ideas to figure out your problems.
3.
Mental blocks arise when you focus on what you don't want, instead of what you do want. A great trick for removing them is to change the channel or input for a few minutes. 4.. For example, you could be writing a piece for a magazine only to be controlled by the hateful block. Now, stop writing and select a video to catch your attention. Twenty minutes later, the new you sits back feeling totally inspired.
Still stuck? Ask for help
5. . So turn to others if you are still stuck. By asking for help, you not only benefit from someone else's
objective view, but you are also able to offer someone else the chance to help work out a problem. Make sure that you ask preferably someone who has successfully dealt with a similar situation before.
A.Find your focus
B.Besides, it allows you to relax
C.Change the channel for a while
D.No one is truly successful alone
E.Turning to others is a great way to focus your attention
F.Sometimes, our mental blocks are stronger than usual, refusing to leave
G.One way is to do something unrelated to the problem you are working on
In the old days, when you had to drive to a movie theater to get some entertainment, it was easy to see how your actions could have an impact（影响）on the environment. After all, you were jumping into your car, driving across town, coughing out emissions（产生排放）and using gas all the way. But now that we're used to staying at home and streaming movies, we might get a little proud. After all, we're just picking up our phones and maybe turning on the TV. You're welcome. Mother Nature.
Not so fast, says a recent report from the French-based Shift Project. According to "Climate Crisis: The Unsustainable Use of Online Video", digital technologies are responsible for 4% of greenhouse gas emissions, and that energy use is increasing by 9% a year. Watching a half-hour show would cause 1. 6 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions. That's like driving 6. 28 kilometers. And in the European Union, the Eureca project found that data centers （where videos are stored） there used 25% more energy in 2017 compared to just three years earlier, reports the BBC.
Streaming is only expected to increase as we become more enamored of our digital devices （设备）and the possibility of enjoying entertainment where and when we want it increases. Online video use is expected to increase by four times from 2017 to 2022 and account for 80% of all Internet traffic by 2022. By then, about 60% of the world's population will be online.
You're probably not going to give up your streaming services, but there're things you can do to help lessen the impact of your online use, experts say. For example, according to Lutz Stobbe, a researcher from the Fraunhofer Institute in Berlin, we have no need to upload 25 pictures of the same thing to the cloud because it consumes energy every time. If instead you delete a few things here and there, you can save energy. Moreover, it's also a good idea to stream over Wi-Fi, watch on the smallest screen you can, and turn off your Wi-Fi in your home if you're not using your devices.
1.What topic is the first paragraph intended to lead in?
A.The environmental effects of driving private cars.
B.The improvements on environmental awareness.
C.The change in the way people seek entertainment.
D.The environmental impacts of screaming services.
2.What does the underlined phrase become more enamored of" in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.Get more skeptical of. B.Become more aware of.
C.Feel much crazier about. D.Get more worried about.
3.What can we infer about the use of streaming services?
A.It is being reduced to protect the planet.
B.Its environmental effects are worsening.
C.It is easily available to almost everyone.
D.Its side effects have drawn global attention.
4.Which of the following is the most environmentally-friendly?
A.Watching downloaded movies on a mobile phone.
B.Downloading music on a personal computer.
C.Uploading a lot of images of the same thing.
D.Playing online games over mobile networks.
More often than not, we think the taste of food is largely to do with the way it's cooked. However, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Research, sitting and standing also affect the taste.
Lead author Dipayan Biswas, a professor from the University of South Florida in the US, looked specifically at how the vestibular（前庭的）sense, which is responsible for balance, posture（姿势）and location awareness, works with our sense of taste.
He found that standing for even a few minutes causes people to feel physical stress. Gravity pushes blood to the lower parts of the body, causing the heart to work harder. This increases the heart rate and leads to increased stress hormones（荷尔蒙）.All of these reduce sensory sensitivity, which affects taste. Our mouths fail to taste or feel temperature as well when this happens. When people experience discomfort, foods that normally taste good aren't as pleasing, says Science Daily.
Biswas gave 350 participants each a piece of biscuit and had them rate its tastiness. Those who stood while eating gave it a lower rating than those who sat in comfortable chairs. Next, Biswas and his team gave participants bite-sized cookies from a well-known local restaurant. These cookies are widely considered to be very tasty. Those who sat down to eat rated them highly. However, when the baker added extra salt, the results were opposite. Participants who stood up to eat the cookies didn't notice that the cookies tasted saltier, while those who were seated found the cookies weren't so tasty.
So if you really want to enjoy your meal, try to find yourself a comfortable seat. But if you're trying to lose weight, eating while standing could be helpful because people tend to eat less while standing.
1.What's the common belief about the taste of the food in the text?
A.It seems associated with people's preferences.
B.It is largely to do with how people sit or stand.
C.It has little to do with the way people eat food.
D.It is mainly determined by how food is cooked.
2.Why do people who stand less enjoy food?
A.Their mental health declines. B.Their hearts work more slowly.
C.They are less sensitive to taste. D.They have no sensory sensitivity.
3.How did Dipayan Biswas get his conclusions in paragraph 4?
A.By classifying examples. B.By doing experiments.
C.By studying previous theories. D.By analyzing abundant data.
4.What's the best title for the text?
A.Sitting Has Various Effects on Eating
B.Posture Affects How People Enjoy Food
C.Eating While Standing Helps to Lose Weight
D.Sitting and Standing Are Common Postures
My mother spreads joy wherever she goes. Right now she is probably writing an encouraging note to a friend, praising someone she has come across in the hallway, or reading the newspaper to someone in her retirement community（社区）.
Growing up, my mother thought about becoming a dancer, but she didn't have the chance until retirement. Then she joined her first group, The Hot Flashes. Once she put on the tap shoes, "Dancing Grammy” was born.
There seems to be no end to her energy as she tap-dances her way into people's hearts, bringing smiles to sad places. But this is nothing new for my mother.
Being a lifetime educator, she was recognized in 2015 as her school district's Teacher of the Year. I remember her evening phone calls to her students' homes when she took a break from grading papers. They weren't the typical bad-news calls many parents would expect. Usually she was calling about something positive.
I was the youngest of seven children and life wasn't easy for my mother. I remember sitting on the back of her bike as she took me to a daycare center for low-income families on her way to Rosary College, where she was seeking an education degree. At home she was tough as she had to be. She had been strict in my childhood, but I learned from watching her. Her work ethic（道德）and determination passed down to me.
I could write a book about my mother, and probably I will someday. Better yet, we may write one together, as her dream to be a writer hasn't yet been realized. But she got one step closer by attending the Erma Bombeek Writers* Workshop in Dayton, Ohio, where she was inspired to write a book.
From mother of seven to grandmother of eighteen, my mother continues to inspire everyone she meets. She has many titles, but my favorite is Mother.
1.What does the author's mother tend to do?
A.She often helps poor people. B.She changes her aims constantly.
C.She joins energetic people. D.She brings happiness to others.
2.Why did the author's mother often make calls to her students, homes?
A.To know her students' performance at home.
B.To help her students' parents build confidence.
C.To tell her students' parents some good news.
D.To ask her students to grade their papers fast.
3.How was the author's childhood?
A.Dull but smooth, B.Difficult but rewarding.
C.Relaxing and enjoyable. D.Rough and meaningless.
4.What is the author's main purpose in writing the text?
A.To show her love and respect for her mother.
B.To keep a record of her mother's retirement life.
C.To find inspiration to write a book for her mother.
D.To praise her mothers professional achievements.
Join us for an exciting day of music at the UNI Dome with the Panther Marching Band!
Band Day is perfect for high school band students in grades 9—12. Come and join us for an outstanding, positive and friendly musical and social experience for high school band students! We hope you'll enjoy the fellowship with other band students throughout the state and the fantastic performances of bands!
Directors who wish to bring their full bands or a smaller group of band students should find this to be an easy and fun event to organize and attend! Individual（个体的）students who wish to participate as single performers are strongly encouraged to attend! You'll have a chance to meet our fantastic students and perform in a friendly, welcoming environment!
Date： November 9
Music： A link to download music will be included in your confirmation email after you register. Music will be available at that link no later than September 1.
Registration:
●Band directors registering full bands or groups of students from the same band should register here： https: //bands, uni. edu/band-day-group-registration
●Individual students registering independently may register here： https：//bands. uni. edu/panther-band- day-individual-registration
Cost： $ 10. 00 per student includes： admission to the game, pizza dinner, music and a Band Day T-Shirt.
Notes：
●We've changed our payment method to improve the registration process. Individual students must pay using a credit card at the time of registration. Band directors may either pay with credit card or mail a check made out to Panther Marching Band.
●Final deadline for registration submissions is Monday, October 14.
●Due to space limitations, band/individual students may be limited to a first-reply basis.
1.How can a participant benefit from the event?
A.Listen to their favorite popular music.
B.Get a chance to join a band they love.
C.Chat with famous musicians face to face.
D.Know new people and enjoy performances.
2.When can a participant use the link in the confirmation email to download music?
A.On August 30. B.On September 2.
C.On October 14. D.On November 9.
3.What are you expected to do to participate as an individual student?
A.Ask for a band director's company. B.Send a 10-dollar check to the Band.
C.Pay 10 dollars with your credit card. D.Email the Band just on November 9.
请阅读下面文字，并按照要求用英语写一篇150词左右的文章。
Yuan Longping, 90, known as the “father of hybrid rice”，plays a crucial role in helping China achieve food security. Every morning what he does first is go to the field and works as a “farmer”. When asked how much his shirt was, he told the reporter that it was 35 yuan.
Deng Jiaxian, the Founding Father of China’s A-Bomb and H-Bomb, was the founder and promoter of China’s nuclear weapon cause. However, it was not until he died that his parents and many of his friends realized that he had produced such extraordinary achievements.
Li Junxian, without whom it would have been impossible for us to send the rocket into space, is one of the academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In 2018, this 90-year-old party member, donated 3 million yuan to set up the Doctor Innovation Fund and the Hardship Assistance Fund.
（写作内容）
1. 用约30个词概括上述信息的主要内容；
2. 分析上述国家功臣身上有哪些值得我们学习的优良品质；
3. 谈谈其中某一品质对你的启发，并举例说明。
（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. 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。
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