Growing up in America, I enjoyed the convenience of eating the most attractive, well-packaged foods of the 20th century, including all the candies we often see near the cash register.
During those times I wasn't aware how bad sugar was, and in fact, neither was anyone around me. So I continued to spread jam on my toast and eat ice cream daily.
Strangely enough, I felt that sweet was some sort of wonderful drug: it gave me the energy to function properly, to feel good and to perform at my best, all of which seemed necessary for growth. So why avoid it?
Years later, huge food companies, like General Mills and Post, began pumping more sugar into their products, and then more and more people appeared with bigger bellies. It finally came to my awareness that our society was becoming more miserable and unfit. And from what?
From sugar!
I began to do some research into sugar and what it did exactly to our bodies. To my amazement, I found its damage was just as bad as, if not worse than, what alcohol and cigarettes brought about. You see, when you take in more sugar than you need or burn, your body and brain become over-active. This, in effect, causes your cognitive abilities to slow down, your mood to get to the extremes, your skin to age faster, your blood to become thicker and your liver and kidneys to be worn out.
But what surprised me most, out of all of these horrible side effects, was that sugar adds extra pounds to your waistline, even if you do exercise regularly. And what I've always wanted, for the past few years, is to remove that extra fat around my “love handles” so that I could finally see my abs(腹肌).
I just didn't know, this whole time, what damage I had been doing to myself and my dreams, but I knew I had to do something. Something I had never done before.
1.What did the writer mean by “wonderful drug” in the third paragraph?
A.Sugar could be a cure for some diseases. B.He benefited a lot from consuming sugar.
C.Sugar could make his life more convenient. D.He had a better relationship with his friends.
2.Why did huge food companies add more sugar into their products?
A.To satisfy the taste of the general population. B.To encourage people to eat more properly.
C.To meet the requirements for food safety. D.To raise awareness of keeping healthy.
3.What did the writer find in his research?
A.Sugar causes much less harm than alcohol. B.Sugar lovers gain no weight with exercise.
C.Sugar lovers experience changeable moods. D.Sugar reduces people's ability to understand.
4.After the passage, the writer will most probably write about
A.how he dreams big B.how he takes exercise
C.how he cuts sugar D.how he stops skin aging
I remember that every Saturday night Mama would sit down by the kitchen table and count out the money Papa had brought home in the little envelope.
“For the rent.” Mama would say, counting out the big silver pieces.
“For the groceries.” Another pile of coins.
“Teacher says this week I'll need a notebook.” That would be my sister Christine, my brother Nels or me. Mama would put one or two coins to the side.
We would watch with anxious interest. At last, Papa would ask,” Is that all?” When Mama nodded, we could relax a little. Mama would look up and smile,” Good. We do not have to go to the Bank downtown.” We were all so proud of Mama's Bank Account. It gave us such a warm, secure feeling. No one else we knew had money in a big bank downtown.
I remember when the Jensens down the street were put out because they couldn't pay their rent. We children watched the big strange men carry out the furniture, ignoring the tears of Mrs. Jensens. “Might this, could this, happen to us?”
“We have a Bank Account.” Mama comforted me calmly, and suddenly I could breathe again.
Whatever happened, we always knew we still had the Bank to depend upon.
That was twenty years ago. Last year I sold my first story. When the check came, I hurried over to Mama's and put it in her lap.” For you, I said,” to put in your Bank Account.” I noticed for the first time how old Mama and Papa looked. Papa seemed shorter, and Mama's hair was silver now.
Mama fingered the check and looked at Papa.” Good,” she said, and her eyes were proud.
“Tomorrow,” I told Mama, “you must take it to the Bank.”
“You will go with me, Katrin? But...”Mama stopped for a moment and looked at me.
“There is no account,” she continued. “In all my life, I've never been inside a bank.”
And when I didn't-couldn't-answer, Mama said seriously. “It is not good for little ones to be afraid-to not feel secure.”
1.What can we learn about the family twenty years ago?
A.They lived downtown. B.They were badly in debt.
C.They had money in the bank. D.They were careful with money.
2.What happened to the Jensens made the children feel
A.ashamed B.disappointed C.worried D.amazed
3.What did Mama hesitate about at the end of the story?
A.How to comfort her child. B.How to spend the money.
C.Whether to tell the truth. D.Whether to go to the Bank.
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.My first check B.Mama's Bank Account C.Sense of security D.Struggle for better life
Would you like to see the festival from a different perspective?
A volunteer position at Canada Blooms might be a good fit for you.
Bringing with you energy and expertise to help make Canada Blooms a world-class event. Come and join us in celebrating our 24th festival, and put your love and knowledge of gardening to use.
Volunteer schedules are flexible and you will receive a free entrance for any day of the festival. 3-4 hour shifts in either the morning, afternoon or evening, are available. Feel free to stay and enjoy the show after your shift.
We are looking for:
Garden/Landscape/Nursery Aides(before/after festival, change over night)
Ice cream Ambassador
Bus/Tour Greeting Ambassador
General Greeting Ambassador
General Help/Runner
Please complete the Volunteer Sign-up Form and send an email to bloomsvolunteers @gmail.com with your preferred day(s),time(s)and position(s).
If you are interested in helping with the pre-festival horticultural set-up, contact Tanya Smith at bloomshortvolunteers@gmail.com.
Additional Information:
Free parking is available on outside lots Mon-Fri after 4 pm.
If you are offered a position, we need to be able to count on you to be responsible. If you are unsure of what day or time you will be available, we can still use your help, just sign up as General Help and we will offer you a position when you arrive.
1.What's the purpose of the passage?
A.To raise Canada Blooms to a world-class level.
B.To advertise volunteer positions for the festival.
C.To encourage people to practice their gardening skills.
D.To offer volunteers chances to better enjoy the
2.The volunteers are supposed to__________.
A.have bus driving skills B.stay after the their shifts
C.take their responsibilities D.park outside on weekends
3.If you are uncertain when you are free, you can__________.
A.complete the Volunteer Sighup Form B.email to bloomsvolunteers@gmail. com
C.contact Tanya Smith by sending emails D.sign up and volunteer as General Help
Directions: Write an English composition in 120-150 words according to the instructions given in Chinese.
假设你是明启中学高三学生 Alice，你的好朋友 Mary 进入高三以后，学习热情骤减， 成绩下降，甚至产生厌学情绪，她写信向你倾诉，说学习压力太大，生活没有目标，家长老师不能够理解她等等。针对她的情况，请你给她写封回信，安慰她，并向她提出合理的建议。
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Directions: Translate the following sentences into English, using the words given in the brackets.
1.显然，他缺乏经验，无法胜任这份工作。 (lack)
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2.遍布我们城市各个角落的便利店满足了人们适应快节奏生活的需要。(adapt)
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3.现在越来越多的野生动物正面临着灭绝的威胁，所以是我们要采取措施保护他们时候了。(time)
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4.只有队员之间加强配合并全力以赴，我校篮球队才能在决赛中战胜对手赢得冠军。(Only)
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Directions: Write a summary of the passage in more than 60 words and the original sentences in the passage are not allowed to use.
Why do some people live to be older than others? You know the standard explanations: keeping a moderate diet, engaging in regular exercise, etc. But what effect does your personality have on your longevity? Do some kinds of personalities lead to longer lives? A new study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at this question by examining the personality characteristics of 246 children of people who had lived to be at least 100.
The study shows that those living the longest are more outgoing, more active and less neurotic (神经质的) than other people. Long-living women are also more likely to be sympathetic and cooperative than women with a normal life span. These findings are in agreement with what you would expect from the evolutionary theory: those who like to make friends and help others can gather enough resources to make it through tough times.
Interestingly, however, other characteristics that you might consider advantageous had no impact on whether study participants were likely to live longer. Those who were more self-disciplined, for instance, were no more likely to live to be very old. Also, being open to new ideas had no relationship to long life, which might explain all those bad-tempered old people who are fixed in their ways.
Whether you can successfully change your personality as an adult is the subject of a longstanding psychological debate. But the new paper suggests that if you want long life, you should strive to be as outgoing as possible.
Unfortunately, another recent study shows that your mother’s personality may also help determine your longevity. That study looked at nearly 28,000 Norwegian mothers and found that those moms who were more anxious, depressed and angry were more likely to feed their kids unhealthy diets. Patterns of childhood eating can be hard to break when we’re adults, which may mean that kids of depressed moms end up dying younger.
Personality isn’t destiny, and everyone knows that individuals can learn to change. But both studies show that long life isn’t just a matter of your physical health but of your mental health.
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