Inspiration can be a strange thing. You never know when it might hit. And sometimes, it can come from the most _______places.
I recently read about an author named Nnedi Okorafor. When she was in college, she had a serious spine disorder（脊椎病）. Okorafor was told that a simple operation could_________it. But when she woke up from her_________, she found that she couldn’t move her legs and was in great pain.
Okorafor got well later. But before she did, she saw strange things in her hospital room. She imagined her_________as a beast that hunted her from the shadows. But she also_________a woman-a woman who could fly. In fact, this _______woman inspired her and helped her forget her pain. “I felt myself become_________.” she wrote in her book Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected.
We never know where we might find the inspiration to create. As a_________, most of my inspiration comes from other people’s music. But I also find_________in other places. Books, movies and__________just moments in everyday life can lead to new creations.
__________, I recently rewatched the film Blade Runner. I’ve seen it plenty times before; it’s one of my favorite movies. But this time, for some reason, I saw it__________. I decided to make that could create the same feeling as the ________. It’s not done yet, but the music I’m working on now is heavily influenced by the movie’s setting and characters.
Anything can __________us. You just have to be__________to catch inspiration when it hits.
1.A.interesting B.ordinary C.unexpected D.dangerous
2.A.fix B.make C.remove D.control
3.A.dream B.shock C.recovery D.operation
4.A.curiosity B.pain C.anger D.fear
5.A.asked B.met C.imagined D.visited
6.A.confident B.smart C.honest D.magical
7.A.richer B.greater C.busier D.quieter
8.A.director B.dancer C.musician D.writer
9.A.tips B.messages C.examples D.ideas
10.A.even B.again C.not D.only
11.A.In short B.In addition C.For example D.After all
12.A.differently B.perfectly C.vividly D.smoothly
13.A.story B.song C.play D.film
14.A.impress B.inspire C.amuse D.challenge
15.A.free B.thankful C.ready D.careful
You know that eating healthy, staying active, and solving a few brain games can help keep your memory. But the following lesser-known habits work wonders too.
1. 1.
When we sit with our shoulders bent forward, this defeated position actually causes us to feel anxious or depressed — which makes it harder to think clearly and remember things. Conversely (反过来), straight upright posture apparently improves memory because it boosts blood and oxygen flow to the brain.
2. Exercise — Once
Having trouble remembering faces? 2. In a study, pictures of faces were shown to
older folks after they pedal a stationary (静止的) bike at an intense pace or simply sit on a self-pedaling bike. On average, people remembered the faces better after the intense exercise. What’s more, the memory gains after a single workout were similar to the gains after 3 months of regular exercise.
3. Limit TV
Every parent and grandparent has heard that too much screen time can hurt a child’s
cognitive development. 3. According to a study, people (aged 50 or older) who watched
more than 3.5 hours of TV a day for 6 years experienced a greater drop in verbal memory test scores than those who watched less.
4. Draw aimlessly
A research shows those who drew the words remembered the most when recalling words. That’s because while some parts of the brain about getting memory back become worse as people
grow older, the picture processing regions usually don’t. 4.
5. Walk Backward
5. Walk back! Backward motion — whether real, imagined, or watched — helps people remember the information better than sitting still and, in most cases, better than forward motion. It may be that moving backward in space mentally helps us move back in time to the moment we learned something.
A.Sit Tall.
B.Stand Straight.
C.Start more workouts.
D.Sweat for physical training.
E.Thus sketching can help adults keep their memory sharp.
F.But what about those at the other end of their life span?
G.Next time you’re trying to recall something, don’t just think back.
What Is Social Media?
Not many people ask the question “what is social media?” anymore. Social media has been around for years now, and most of us would probably describe it as any Internet medium that can be used to share information with others, including blogs, forums, applications, games, websites and other stuff.
But let me ask you this: what exactly is so “social” about sitting before a computer setting up a blog and blogging for days without anybody reading it, or scrolling through your Facebook feed of information from 500 friends you barely know? If you ask me, it can be way more anti-social than anything.
Social media is not a “thing”. It’s not just Facebook, WeChat and Weibo It’s more of a frame of mind and a state of being. It’s about how you use it to improve your relationships with other people in real life. However, we tend to rely on technology and social media so much that it can actually tear apart those relationships.
Social media isn’t about numbers. When someone says “social media,” web giants like Facebook, Twitter, WeChat and Weibo instantly pop into our minds, often because they have more updates, more friends, more followers, more links, more photos, more everything. We tend to get distracted by the number game, thinking “volume, volume, volume”. It’s led to a lot of meaningless noise and information overload. As the old saying goes, quality over quantity is usually the way to go. So, social media is not just about lots of people aimlessly pushing around lots of information.
Social media needs to have an “IRL” factor-an Internet slang standing for “In Real Life”. It should affect how a person thinks or acts offline. After all, social media shouldn’t be an end in itself. It was built to enhance your actual social life, in real life. Take for example an event that a person attends because they are invited by the host on Facebook through a Facebook event page. Something like that definitely has the IRL factor. Likewise, a WeChat photo that touches someone so much that they feel the need to bring it up and describe it to someone else during a dinner date also has the IRL factor.
So, is it really considered to be social to spend an hour scrolling through photos on Weibo, with no thoughtful or emotional effect and no interaction with others? In fact, there is no wall between real life and Internet life where true social media exists. Social media is not a specific place on the Internet or just a thing you use to see what other people are doing. It’s all about creating meaningful experiences and relationships wherever you may be.
1.What does the underlined phrase “tear apart” in Paragraph 3 mean in the text?
A.Destroy. B.Change.
C.Continue. D.Strengthen.
2.The writer thinks that social media should be ________.
A.a number of websites where people communicate
B.a set of social tools like Facebook. WeChat and Weibo
C.a collection of online applications where ideas are exchanged
D.a group name for online platforms used to strengthen meaningful relationships
3.According to the author, which of the following cases has an IRL factor?
A.Updating Facebook on a regular basis.
B.Following new friends in real life on Facebook.
C.Visiting a museum with friends after reading a story on Weibo.
D.Reading Twitter to see what other people are doing and thinking about.
4.What is the author’s purpose of writing this article?
A.To explain the importance of social media.
B.To inform the negative effects of social media.
C.To call on readers to use social media to promote real social life.
D.To encourage readers to interact with others in real life more often.
Health advice on hand sanitizers
Antibacterial hand sanitizers（免洗洗手液）are marketed as a good alternative（替代品）when soap and water are not available. Manufacturers say that their sanitizers kill 99.9 percent of germs（细菌）, but research suggests that this not the case.
How do hand sanitizers work?
Most sanitizers are alcohol-based; they work by removing the outer layer of oil on our skin, then the alcohol kills the bacteria.
However, Barbara Almanza, associate professor at Purdue University, notes that hand sanitizers do not significantly reduce the amount of bacteria, and in some cases, can increase it.
So the question arises, how can manufacturers say sanitizers kill 99.9 percent of bacteria?
How can manufacturers make the 99.9 percent claim（声称）?
Manufacturers test their products on bacteria-tainted surfaces. In this controlled environment, hand sanitizers do kill 99.9 percent of bacteria. However, the human hand is a lot more complex and goes through a lot of different changes in a day compared to a controlled surface.
These tests allow manufactures to obtain consistent results. But , in reality, how effective are hand sanitizers in killing bacteria in everyday life?
Hand sanitizer VS hand soap and water
Almanza says that soap and water are the best way to clean your hands. Hand sanitizer cannot and should not be a direct replacement.
However, they are a useful alternative. To effectively kill bacteria, studies recommend that people use sanitizers that are at least 60 percent alcohol. Also, sanitizers won’t work if you have dirty hands, so wipe them with a tissue or napkin before sanitizing.
What about antibacterial soaps?
Research has shown that regular soap is just as effective as antibacterial soap in reducing bacteria-related illnesses.
In fact, some consumer antibacterial soap may increase some bacteria’s resistance to antibiotics（抗生素）, making them more dangerous.
Other studies show that overly clean environments will negatively affect children by preventing their immune（免疫的）system development. Children need to fight off common germs to develop their immune systems.
1.What do we know about antibacterial hand sanitizers?
A.Most work similarly to hand soap.
B.Most use alcohol to kill the bacteria.
C.Most can’t remove oil on our skin.
D.Most bring more bacteria to people.
2.What problem does the research find about the manufacturers’ claim?
A.Their conclusion isn’t drawn from real-life environments.
B.Manufacturers don’t test their products before selling them.
C.Their products don’t kill the bacteria people usually have.
D.Manufacturers don’t tell the public how they get their conclusion.
3.Which is the first choice to clean your hands, according to Almanza?
A.Wet tissue.
B.Hand sanitizer.
C.Hand soap and water.
D.60 percent alcohol and water.
4.What does the text tell us about antibacterial soaps?
A.Some contain dangerous antibiotics.
B.They kill more bacteria than regular soaps.
C.They might be harmful for children’s development.
D.Some are proved to increase the amount of bacteria.
Retired judge Davison hated all the quiet. Evy, his wife of 66 ears, had passed away, and he was lonely and sad in the months after her death. But he knew how to beat those feelings; he decided to build a pool.
Davison contacted a family-run company in Hopkins, Minnesota, that had built a pool for his previous house 40 years ago. “They did such a great job before and were still in business, so they came out and planned it,” Davison said.
Kevin, who works on new pools for the company, helped Davison with everything, from initial planning and completing contracts back in March to teaching him how to filter the water once the pool was finish in July.
“If You build it, they will come,” he thought. He invited all the neighborhood kids over to swim. Now it’s not so quiet anymore.
He hears the sounds of laughter and splashing as he sits on a chair in the shade, watching happy children play in his backyard.
“I knew they’d come.” 94-yvear-old Davison told KARE-TV.
Neighbor Jessica thought the judge was joking when he talked about putting in a pool until she saw the work starting. Now she and her four kids have been regulars since the pool was finished in July.
“It’s him spreading joy throughout our neighborhood for these kids.” Jessica said.
Davison’s pool includes a diving board and reaches nine feet in the deep end under the board. It’s especially welcome in a town that doesn’t have a public outdoor pool.
Although Davison has three adult children, he doesn’t have any grandchildren.
Jessica says she’s told him, “You kind of adopted our whole neighborhood of kids. These are your grandkids.”
The judge’s rules require that a parent or grandparent stay while the children are swimming. Once the kids leave. he likes to swim, too.
Davison tells KARE-TV that he realizes that putting in the pool didn’t make a lot of financial (经济的) sense for an old man. But that didn’t matter to him.
“I’m not sitting by myself looking at the walls.” he says. “What else would you think of doing where you could have a whole bunch of kids over every afternoon?” The 94-year-old judge now hears laughter all day as he watches children splash in his backyard pool.
1.Why did Davison build a swimming pool?
A.To remember his dead wife. B.To earn some money for a living.
C.To fight against his loneliness. D.To please the kids in the neighborhood.
2.What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A.The neighborhood children. B.His three adult children.
C.Reporters from KARE-TV. D.The workers who built the pool.
3.What rules do children have to follow while swimming in the judge’s pool?
A.They shall wear life jackets. B.They shall be in company with the adults.
C.They shall receive some training. D.They shall get their parents’ permission.
4.What can we learn from the story?
A.Action speaks louder than words.
B.True success comes from spiritual riches.
C.The value of life lies in respect and love.
D.One’s search for happiness brings others great joy.
Home Laundry Automatic Dryer Product
Full Two Year Warranty（保修）
Limited Five Year Warranty on Cabinet（机箱）
Warranty Provides for：
FIRST TWO YEARS Amana will repair or replace any faulty part free of charge.
THIRD THRU FIFTH YEARS Amana will provide a free replacement part for any cabinet which proves faulty due to rust（生锈）.
Warranty Limitations：
• Warranty begins at date of original purchase.
• Applies only to product used within the United States or in Canada if product is approved by Canadian Standards Association when shipped from factory.
• Products used on a commercial or rental basis not covered by this warranty.
• Service must be performed by an Amana servicer.
• Adjustments covered during first year only.
Warranty Does Not Cover It If：
• Product has damage due to product change，connection to an improper electrical supply> shipping and handling, accident, fire, floods, lightning or other conditions beyond the control of Amana.
• Product is improperly installed（安装）or applied.
Owner’s Responsibilities：
• Provide sales receipt.
• Normal care and repair.
• Having the product reasonably accessible for service.
• Pay for service calls related to product installation or usage instructions.
• Pay for extra service costs, over normal service charges, if servicer is requested to perform service outside servicer^ normal business hours.
* In no event shall Amana be responsible for consequential damages（间接损坏）.
* This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may have others which vary from state to state For example, some states do not allow the exclusion（排除）or limitation of consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you.
1.According to Warranty Limitations, a product can be under warranty if .
A.used in the U.S. A. B.rented for home use
C.repaired by the user himself D.shipped from a Canadian factory
2.According to Owner’s Responsibilities, an owner has to pay for .
A.the product installation B.a servicer’s overtime work
C.the loss of the sales receipt D.a mechanic’s transportation
3.Which of the following is true according to the warranty?
A.Consequential damages are excluded across America.
B.A product damaged in a natural disaster is covered by the warranty.
C.A faulty cabinet due to rust can be replaced free in the second year.
D.Free repair is available for a product used improperly in the first year.
