Sometimes, you just can’t say no to another spoonful of ice cream and maybe one more after that. Why not? You deserve it.
There’s no need to beat yourself up about it later. The truth is that you were probably bound to do that from the very first spoonful. That’s because there is a switch in your brain, and for whatever reason, it can get stuck in the “on” position.
According to a new study, this impulse (冲动) control may come down to a very specific circuit (回答) in the brain which occasionally produces melanin-concentrating hormone, or MCH—a chemical linked with our desire for food or drugs. And that circuit always says yes.
By manipulating this circuit, it is possible that we might be able to develop cures for overeating that help people stick to a diet without reducing normal appetite or making delicious foods like donuts less delicious.
For their research, the scientists treated rats to a self-serve buffet. Bur the treats were on a timed delivery system, making tasty food every 20 seconds, and only when a rat pressed a lever (杠杆). Hit that lever too early—as impatient test subjects occasionally did—and the counter would start from scratch. Lever-happy rats would have to wait another cycle before the food became available again.
A second experiment offered the rats two dining options. Push Lever A and get an immediate small reward. Pushing Lever B meants waiting for around40 seconds, but the food reward would be much bigger. Guess which lever those impatient rats were most food of? That’s right. They picked the now-now-now switch.
Their impulsiveness, however, rose sharply when scientists gave the rats MCH. These animals become more impulsive. MCH, it seemed, could talk rats into loosening its inhibitions (拘束). The result? More please.
Researchers can now see where that conversation between the brain’s reward system and its impulse control center takes place. The next step will be to map it—and potentially influence the discussion. It may eventually be possible to control a food-eating impulse.
1.Which of the following can best replace the underlined word “manipulating” in paragraph 4?
A.Strengthening. B.Controlling.
C.Classifying. D.Creating.
2.What would happen when a rat pressed a lever earlier than the fixed time?
A.A bigger food reward would appear.
B.Tasty food would be delivered much sooner.
C.Longer time would be needed for food to appear.
D.The lever would be stopped form delivering food.
3.Why did the researchers conduct the experiments?
A.To find out the effect of MCH on animals.
B.To prove rats are also greedy for more food.
C.To study how levers influence rats’ impulse.
D.To show rats and humans have similar impulse for food.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.What Is the Effect of Your Impulse?
B.What Can You Do to Resist More Food?
C.Why Can’t You Say “No” to Your Impulse?
D.Why Do You Always Give in to One More Mouthful?
We’re drowning in plastic. If you want to reduce your own contribution to the plastic pollution problem, recycling might seem like an easy solution.
But what happens after you clean out those plastic containers and pour them into a recycling bin? Unfortunately, the outcome isn’t as rosy as many people think; recycling is unlikely to give plastic to-go containers new life. “Of all the waste produced in 2017, only 8.4% of it eventually got recycled. It’s not that consumers aren’t motivated to recycle or that they don’t have ready access to recycling programs; the United States simply doesn’t have the proper facilities (设施),” said John Hocevar, a marine biologist with Greenpeace USA.
A recent report surveyed the United States’ 367 materials recovery facilities—the facilities that sort our recycling—and found only plastic bottles were regularly recycled. The fate of most other types of plastic such as packaging usually ends up being buried or burnt.
Not all plastic is created equal. If you turn over a transparent plastic bottle, like those used to hold water, you’ll notice a number “1” inside a triangular recycling symbol. Non-transparent jugs, like the kind that hold milk, get a “2”. At materials recovery facilities, or MRF’s, plastics get sorted based on these numbers, which indicate how recyclable they are.
Numbers 1 and 2 are relatively recyclable. Recycling gets more difficult with higher numbers, called “mixed plastic”. This waste makes up around 69% of all the plastic we use. It’s much more expensive to process than numbers 1 and 2.
So what the United States needs is facilities equipped to process other kinds of plastic. But Hocevar came up with a different solution: “The really simple answer is that we have to stop making so much throwaway plastic.”
That said, is recycling worth it? For bottles labeled (贴标签) “1” or “2”, the answer is “yes”. There’s also a growing market for plastics labeled “5”. For other numbers, Hocevar’s answer was simple: a resounding (响亮的) “no” on numbers 3, 4, 6 and 7.
1.Which problem is the USA facing according to the text?
A.People don’t know the best way to recycle.
B.Ready recycling programs are not accessible.
C.People lack awareness about plastic recycling.
D.There isn’t suitable equipment for plastic recycling.
2.What may John Hocevar think of plastic recycling in the USA?
A.Productive. B.Promising.
C.Unsatisfying. D.Controversial.
3.What information can the numbers on plastic bottles convey?
A.Whether it is easy to recycle them.
B.The recycling technology they need.
C.They places where they were produced.
D.Which dustbin we should put them into.
4.What should we do with plastic according to Hocevar?
A.Give up the use of plastic.
B.Develop more cheaper facilities.
C.Only recycle plastics labeled 1 to 5.
D.Reduce the production of mixed plastic.
Tyler and I stopped by our corner store. A few police cars caught Tyler’s attention. “Mom, can I use my allowance money and buy the policemen some doughnuts to say ‘thank you’?” he asked.
“Certainly!” I said, feeling proud that I was achieving my aim to raise my children to be grateful, tender-hearted and caring.
After we left the store, Tyler asked a question that would change our lives and the lives of countless others forever.
“Why were the police so happy about the doughnuts?”
I explained some people are not always friendly to police officers. Tyler was very sad to hear this, and instead of shrugging it off, he said that he was going to thank every cop in America and buy them each a doughnut!
I was shocked, but it never occurred to me to say “no”. In fact, I thought it was an excellent but unachievable idea. I suggested many other options, but nothing was enough for him on the newfound mission (使命).
I didn’t know how to put this passion into action, but I knew one thing: Tyler had found his purpose, and it was my duty to help him. I e-mailed our local office and asked if Tyler could host a thank-you event for them. They were delighted. At the event, they called Tyler “The Donut Boy”, a name that has become known throughout the nation.
Then we kept planning thank-you events and many caring people joined in. We were invited to TV stations, and flew to Washington, D.C. for National Police Week. It has been three years since a simple act of kindness sparked a wonderful idea in an eight-year-old boy,
In forty-eight states, more than 90,000 doughnuts have been delivered so far, with no end in sight. We’re made memories that will last a lifetime, but most importantly, we have served those who serve us daily and made our mark on this world.
1.What quality of Tyler made the author feel proud?
A.Kindness. B.Honesty.
C.Confidence. D.Independence.
2.How did the author react to Tyler’s wish to thank all the police at first?
A.She tried to change his idea. B.She told him it was impossible.
C.She praised him for his ambition. D.She expressed her doubt about it.
3.What can we infer about Tyler?
A.He is eight years old. B.He has become world-famous.
C.He’s influenced many people. D.His mission has been completed.
4.What conclusion can we draw from the text?
A.Well begun, half done. B.Strike while the iron is hot.
C.God helps those who help themselves. D.Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.
Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair 2020
Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair is a fun and delicious way to celebrate the incredible work of the honeybee on June 14.
Your ticket to Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair includes:
◎ Tastings & sales of local, regional and international honeys
◎ Admission to all of the Museum Village’s exhibits
◎ Live bluegrass music by the Breakneck Annie Band
◎ Meet Museum Village’s farm animals
◎ See Museum Village’s own active beehive
◎ Free face painting for children
Tickets are available online for just $15/adult & $10/child (age 4—12)
VIP Tickets ($35/each) include a Honey Festival bag, a VIP badge, a special surprise Honey Festival gift, a Museum Village souvenir and a VIP guided tour of museum Village at 12 pm & 2 pm.
Tickets purchased at the door are $21/adult & $16/child (ages 4—12)
Children under 4 years old are free at this location.
A “Late Day Special” ticket is available online for just $10/person (all ages, 4 and up) for the last two hours of the Honey Festival between 3 pm and 5 pm when crowds are typically smaller and the atmosphere is more relaxing. Most vendors (摊贩) still have plenty of goods, and plenty of products are typically available for purchase during this later part of the day. “Late Day Special” tickets purchased at the door are $16/person (all ages, 4 and up).
Please note that “Late Day Special” ticket holders will NOT be admitted before 3 pm.
Tickets purchased online will be sent to you electronically in a PDF file. Print out these tickets and bring them to Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair. You may also purchase tickets on your mobile phone using the Eventbrite App. We can scan your ticket barcode directly.
Parking: There is free parking onsite at Museum Village. Free shuttle buses will be available, and there is also a walkway from Lot B to the Museum.
Please visit our website www.HoneyFestival.com for more information.
1.What can visitors do on Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair?
A.Have a look at some farm animals.
B.Get a chance to perform with a hand.
C.Taste various local and international foods.
D.Appreciate paintings by some famous artists.
2.How much can Mr. Green save if he buys two adult tickets online?
A.$41. B.$30.
C.$15. D.$12.
3.What can we learn about Sweet Bee’s Honey Festival & Country Fair?
A.No public transport can get there.
B.It closes at 5:00 in the afternoon.
C.Visitors must show paper tickets at the gate.
D.It is in honor of the hard-working beekeepers.
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
Sally had anxiety disorder trouble that made her fail to speak in social situations. I’m a nurse and use Bella to help children in my community, to bring them comfort and confidence the way only a dog can. I thought back to the day when I’d first brought Bella to the school.
That morning in January, her teacher led us to a room. “Sally hasn’t spoken outside her home in two years,” she told me. “Her parents have taken her to doctors, but nothing has worked.” A little girl stood shyly just inside the doorway. Her eyes brightened when she noticed my dog.
“This is Bella,”I said, “She does tricks. Would you like to see?”
Sally nodded. I motioned with my hand. Bella lay down and then rolled over. Sally’s eyes lit up. I showed Sally the hand signals for various commands. She was a natural with Bella, maybe because she couldn’t rely on the spoken word herself. Bella sensed that and responded. Soon Sally was able to put Bella through her paces all on her own. I could see her standing taller, more sure of herself each time we met.
One morning in March when she was working with Bella, I heard a tiny voice, barely a whisper, “Good dog.” Sally didn’t take her eyes off Bella, but I wanted to jump for joy. Sally spoke a little more each week, only to Bella at first, but then to me. Later,she started giving voice commands with her hand signals and her confidence rose.
Now, five-year-old Sally stood nervously in front of her kindergarten class,with Bella, my trained dog, sitting calmly by her side. All the eyes of her classmates were focused on Sally. They were waiting for her to speak. It was June-only one week of school left-but they had never heard her voice. Not once.
注意:
1.所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2.至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3.续写部分分为两段,每段的开头语已为你写好；
4.续写完成后,请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
But not a word came out.
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Paragraph 2:
The next week, she told me she wanted to try again, looking up at me with determination.
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前段时间，由于传染病，课，很多学生由于用眼过度，视力下降很快。假如你是扬州中学的学生李华，请你用英文向全校同学发起以”爱护眼睛”为主题的倡议书，内容包括:
1. 用眼存在的问题；
2. 爱护眼睛
意义；
3. 提出倡议。
注意:1.词数80左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.参考词汇: 传染病epidemic
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