Tai Chi is on the rise as more and more people discover the health benefits that come from regular practice. 1. It's also a relaxing exercise that calms the mind while it energizes and strengthens the body. Many Westerners love Tai Chi because it provides a low-impact (低强度) workout that strengthens the belly and thigh muscles without putting any tension on the joints.
Tai Chi is quite easy to learn. Many recreation centers and community groups offer classes, sometimes in parks and other public places. 2. Wear loose-fitting, comfortable clothing when you go to class, and tennis shoes or shoes you don't mind standing and moving in.
One of the major benefits of Tai Chi is that it's a sport you can practice for life. 3. The strengthening and balance moves are hugely beneficial to their continued mobility. Also, the slow pace of Tai Chi makes it a great stress-reliever. As you focus on your breathing and posture (姿势), your mind can clear itself of its worries, and that does your whole body good.
4. All you need is your own body and enough room to stand in. You can do Tai Chi on a mountaintop, in the desert, on an ocean beach, or in the middle of a forest. 5. And it’s a lot of fun. So next time you see someone doing Tai Chi, ask them about it. They just might offer to teach you the forms of this fascinating sport.
A.It's a perfect outdoor activity.
B.Finally, you’ll keep a low center of gravity.
C.Best of all, Tai Chi can be performed anywhere.
D.Often these classes are free and open to anyone who shows up.
E.It's the focus on energy that sets Tai Chi apart from other sports.
F.With its gentle movements and focus on forms, Tai Chi is more than just a sport.
G.In China, many elderly people continue to do Tai Chi well into their eighties and nineties.
Blue Planet II's latest episode (情节) focuses on how plastic is having a destructive effect on the ocean and slowly poisoning our sea creatures. Researchers recently also found that sea creatures living in the deepest place on Earth, the Mariana Trench, have plastic in their stomachs. Indeed, oceans are drowning in plastic.
Though it seems that the world couldn't possibly function without plastics, plastics are a remarkably recent invention. The first plastic bags were introduced in the 1950s, the same decade that plastic packaging began gaining popularity in the United States. This growth has happened so fast that science is still catching up with the change. Plastics pollution research, for instance, is still a very early science.
We put all these plastics into the environment, but we still don't really know what the outcomes are going to be. What we do know, though, is disturbing. Ocean plastic is estimated to kill millions of marine animals every year. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by it. One in three leatherback turtles, which often mistake plastic bags for jellyfish, have been found with plastic in their bellies. Ninety percent of seabirds are now eating plastics on a regular basis. By 2050, that figure is expected to rise to 100 percent.
And it's not just wildlife that is threatened by the plastics in our seas. Humans are consuming plastics through the seafood we eat. I could understand why some people see ocean plastic as a disaster, worth mentioning in the same breath as climate change. But ocean plastic is not as complicated as climate change. There are no ocean trash deniers (否认者), at least so far. To do something about it, we don't have to remake our planet energy system.
This is not a problem where we don' t know what the solution is. We know how to pick up garbage. Anyone can do it. We know how to deal with it. We know how to recycle. We can all start by thinking twice before we use single-use plastic products. Things that may seem ordinary, like using a reusable bottle or a reusable bag-when taken collectively, these choices really do make a difference.
1.Why is plastics pollution research still a very early science?
A.The plastics pollution research is too difficult.
B.Plastics have produced less pollution than coal.
C.Plastics have gained popularity too fast for science to catch up.
D.The world couldn't possibly function without plastics.
2.How did the author support his opinion in Paragraph 3?
A.By citing quotes from leading experts. B.By making a comparison and contrast.
C.By listing examples from his own experience. D.By presenting solid statistics.
3.What does the author intend to tell us in the last paragraph?
A.We reap what we sow. B.The shortest answer is doing.
C.All things are difficult before they are easy. D.Actions speak louder than words.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.The oceans become choked with plastic. B.Ocean plastic is a global issue.
C.Blue Planet II has left viewers heartbroken. D.Plastics gain in popularity all over the world.
Researchers in Singapore found that eating mushrooms over twice per week could help prevent memory and language problems later in life.
According to the study, published in The Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, there is a unique antioxidant (抗氧化物质) present in mushrooms that helps protect certain brain functions.
Researchers observed 663 Chinese adults aged over 60 whose diets and lifestyles were tracked from 2011 to 2017. In the study, the participants were asked how often they ate six different types of mushrooms: oyster, shiitake, white button, dried, golden and tinned. The findings showed that eating more than two shares of mushrooms per week somehow lowered the chances of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by 50% against those who ate fewer than one share.
MCI is a condition that can make people forgetful, affect their memory and cause problems with language, attention and finding the exact position of objects in space. Changes in behavior can be not very noticeable and not serious enough to be known as dementia (痴呆).
Participants who ate more mushrooms were found to perform better in thinking and processing exams and also exhibited a faster processing speed. The advantage was reportedly more apparent in those who ate more than two shares a week or more than 300 grams.
The scientists pointed out, however, that they have yet to put up a direct link between the fungi(蘑菇) and brain function.
The researchers also acknowledged that since this study mainly relied on self-reported information on mushroom intake and other dietary factors, further studies may be required. Still, the lead study author Lei Feng is encouraged by their findings. ''This relevance is surprising and encouraging, '' Lei said.
Mushrooms are one of the richest dietary sources of ergothioneine (麦角硫茵氨基酸) — a substance which we humans can’t make on our own.
1.What aspect of research did researchers mainly do in paragraph 3?
A.Culture of diets. B.Existence of MCI.
C.The types of mushrooms. D.The benefit of eating mushrooms.
2.What can we know about MCI?
A.It can affect memory seriously.
B.It can result in language problems.
C.It can make people easy to be lost.
D.It can reduce the chance of forgetfulness.
3.What is the result if students often eat more mushrooms?
A.They love communicating with others.
B.Their thinking ability is quicker than the majority.
C.Their processing speed will be faster.
D.Their academic performance improves significantly.
4.Where is this passage most likely from?
A.A science report. B.An advertisement.
C.Adult’s literature. D.Scientific fiction.
I was in the middle of a sweet dream when a noise startled me. Bam! Bam! It sounded like a hammer pounding on a tough nail. Bam! Bam! Bam! Who could be hammering at three in the morning? It must be Charlie again, making another invention.
Just as I was putting on my slippers and clothes, the noise changed. I sat at the edge of my bed and listened. Tick! Tick! Tick! It reminded me of my first wristwatch. Its regular pace had always helped me fall asleep.
I started dozing off, dangerously leaning to the left, when the ticking stopped. It was now replaced by a buzz, similar to the noise coming from a beehive in midsummer, only louder. I shivered. I’m allergic to bees! Even just thinking about it or hearing a bee-like sound makes me swell.
“That’s it!” I shouted, now wide awake. “I can’t take it anymore!” I marched to the next apartment and knocked. My neighbor immediately opened the door. His curly brown hair tumbled every which way. He wore baggy striped pants and a loose raspberry shirt.
“Hi, Lucy! What’s up?” he asked.
I pointed at my noiseless watch. “Do you know what time it is?”
He grabbed my arm and glanced at my timepiece. “Oh, my God! I didn’t realize it was that late. I’m busy working on a machine that can cure insomnia(失眠). It’s almost finished. You want to see it?”
I should have known. His last invention was supposed to annihilate bad smells, but it was powered by rotten eggs.
1.What made the author sleepy again?
A.The ticking sound . B.His neighbor’s silence.
C.The coming of the bees. D.The smell of the rotten eggs.
2.What was Charlie doing?
A.He was fixing a broken clock. B.He was inventing a wristwatch.
C.He was making a new machine. D.He was working with the bees.
3.How did Charlie feel when he saw the author?
A.Frightened. B.Surprised.
C.Disappointed. D.Annoyed.
4.What does the underlined word “annihilate” in the last paragraph mean?
A.Tell apart. B.Make use of.
C.Give off. D.Get rid of.
Teen Summer Camps Abroad
Adventure, Volunteer, Study &Travel Programs
Educational Travel for High School Students and Groups
Celebrating 26 years of community-service-based adventure travel programs for high school students and groups! Choose from Community Service, Global Action and Adventure travel opportunities.
Location: Worldwide
Dates: 1-4 week programs; June through August
Cost: $1,950 per week (10% off book before May l0th)
Tel: 403-545-2202
ARCC Programs: Meaningful Service. Real Connections. True Adventure.
ARCC provides international adventure programs in 20 countries and 4 western states. With over 30 years of experience, ARCC has remained a pioneer of adventure travel and teen summer programs for young people.
Dates: 2-5 week programs; June through August
Cost: $1,900 - $2,200 per week
Tel: To get more information or request a catalog, call our headquarters at 415-332-5075.
French Summer Camp in the French Alps
High-quality Teenage French Summer program in Morzine in the French Alps, just an hour’s drive from Geneva. Combine language learning with great cultural and outdoor activities in a fun, safe mountain village environment.
Dates: July 8th - August 19th
Cost: $2,412 for 2 weeks
Tel: 450-790-0838
Abbey Road High School Summer Program in Florence, Italy
Spend this summer learning about Italian art history, language, cuisine, film, and fashion in the beautiful and historic city of Florence. Enjoy delicious authentic pastas, and go on weekly trips to discover Italy.
Dates: 2-5 week programs; June l st-August 30th
Costs: $4,095(2 weeks) | $6,295(3 weeks) | $7,095(4 weeks)
Tel.:888-462-2239
1.If you choose a two-week program with the lowest cost, which number would you call?
A.450-790-0838 B.888-462-2239
C.403-545-2202 D.415-332-5075
2.What most probably makes ARCC Programs special?
A.Its provider. B.Its location
C.Its dates. D.Its cost.
3.What do we know about French Summer Camp in the French Alps?
A.It lasts the whole summer.
B.It provides different week options.
C.It offers chances to learn the history of Geneva.
D.It helps participants learn French and have fun.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。 续写的词数应为150左右。
David knew the waterfall was coming. It wasn't his first visit to the river in central California. He figured he would hop out of his raft into the sallow water, rappel down the rocks (沿岩壁下降)on either side of the fall, and continue on his way, as he had on a previous trip.
But this year was different. Heavy snow and spring rains had turned the usually manageable falls into something fierce. And this year, instead of his friends, David's companions were his girlfriend, Sara, and his l3-year-old son, Hunter. As the three of them approached the falls late in the afternoon of the third day of their camping trip, David could tell from the increasing roar of water in the narrowing valley that they were in serious trouble. There was no way they 'd be able to rappel down the rocks as planned.
They could wade (蹚水) to the shore, but would anyone find them there? They had no phone service, and they hadn't seen a single person in the past three days. And David knew they'd be sharing the ground there with snakes and mountain lions.
As he wondered what to do, David hit on a bit of luck he heard voices coming from the other side of the fall. He yelled, but the sound of the rushing water drowned him out.
We had to do get these people a message, David thought. He caught a branch and pulled out his pocketknife to carve“Help" in it. Then he tied a rope to it so the people would know it wasn't just any branch. He tried flying it over the falls, but it floated away in the wrong direction.
Then he spotted his green water bottle David grabbed it and carved “Help!” on it Sara also reminded him that he had a pen and paper, which she'd brought to play games with, in his backpack.
David knew it was just an attempt. But he wrote down“6- 15-19 We are stuck here at the waterfall. Get help please”and pushed the note into the bottle.
Paragraph l:
This time, his throw over the waterfall was perfect.
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Paragraph 2:
The next morning. they heard a helicopter hovering (盘旋) above them.
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