When I was a little girl, I spent memorable (难忘的) school holidays with my grandmother. She was a farmer. Early in the morning, she set out to the farm. I would run ________ alongside trying to keep up. On our way, my grandmother would ________ everyone we met in the village.
These were ________ greetings: “Did you sleep well? Are the grandchildren in good health? And what about their parents?” If she passed the same person on our return later, she would greet again.
The people my grandmother greeted would ________ similarly, “I see your granddaughter with you today. How is her father?” As a ________ girl, I found these greeting habits ________ time-consuming (耗时的). But I now realize that the greetings strengthened (加强) the ________ that get the people closer in my grandmother’s village. They also strengthened a sense of ________.
I believe in the gift of a deliberate greeting. I believe it is more than mere good ________. It is like ________ the pause button among the noise of our daily lives, as we ________ from home to work, from one meeting to another, to ________ and drop off children. It is stopping to ________ the person in front of you as if to simply say, “I see you.”
My grandmother ________ me that there is always time to greet someone before getting down to business. I believe you can take a few extra seconds to make a greeting to a person. I believe we can enrich our society when we acknowledge (确认) the ________ of another.
1.A.aimlessly B.carelessly C.freely D.breathlessly
2.A.respect B.visit C.greet D.praise
3.A.popular B.common C.rare D.fancy
4.A.complain B.respond C.announce D.explain
5.A.patient B.lovely C.young D.smart
6.A.unusually B.unintentionally C.unexpectedly D.unnecessarily
7.A.signals B.wires C.ties D.systems
8.A.belonging B.direction C.humor D.achievement
9.A.suggestions B.impressions C.decisions D.manners
10.A.removing B.repairing C.breaking D.pressing
11.A.change B.rush C.return D.measure
12.A.pick up B.take up C.bring up D.come up
13.A.describe B.recognize C.memorize D.imagine
14.A.offered B.scolded C.taught D.awarded
15.A.feature B.voice C.status D.presence
The effect of having no friends
A study has found that people who are lonely have more physical and mental health problems than those who feel connected with others. It affects your health in four ways.
You are more likely to be depressed (抑郁的).
1. Researchers have shown that when you’re lonely, brain hormones associated with stress such as cortisol (皮质醇) become active, which can cause depression. The previous research has found that the more positive social interactions (交流) people with depression have, the more improvement in symptoms they experience.
2.
Research has shown you’ll eat less healthily if you frequently dine alone. Researchers have pointed out that if you are cooking for other people, you are more likely to prepare a healthier meal that contains a range of foods—meat, starch (淀粉) and vegetables. 3. People who are lonely are also more likely to be physically inactive.
You are more likely to suffer from heart disease.
Research has repeatedly shown lonely people have a higher risk of heart disease, and it’s for many reasons. Since they don’t have social support, they’re more likely to be affected by stress. 4. If they’re lonely, they’re less likely to be physically active or eat properly. If they don’t feel well, they’re much less likely to go to see a doctor.
5.
Research has found that loneliness can affect the immune (免疫的) system. People who are lonely produce more inflammation (发炎)—related proteins in response to stress than folks who feel more socially connected. Inflammation is linked to numerous health conditions including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease.
A.You are likely to eat more food.
B.You had better get on well with others.
C.You are less likely to take care of yourself.
D.You could have a weaker system to fight off disease.
E.This increases the possibility of getting heart disease.
F.Otherwise, you’re just throwing something together for yourself.
G.The more lonely you feel, the more likely you are to be depressed.
Imagine stepping out your front door and standing in the middle of a national park. Daniel hopes this might soon be possible for millions of London residents. Daniel is leading a campaign to make London a national park city.
Although London has much more concrete than a national park usually would, it is home to more than 13,000 kinds of wildlife. These species live in its 3,000 parks, along with 15,000 varieties of flowering plants, and more than 300 species of birds. In fact, 47 percent of the land in London is green space.
“We have 8 million trees in London; it’s the world’s largest urban forest,” Daniel says. That’s almost one tree for every person living in London! Yet, even though London has thousands of outdoor spaces, one in seven children living there hasn’t visited a green space in the past year.
Daniel believes that making London into a national park will protect the animal life and green spaces in London. He hopes it will also encourage people, especially young people, to spend more time outdoors. Daniel takes his own son out to explore in London, and he thinks that other parents should do the same. Daniel believes that people who spend a lot of time in nature live happier and healthier lives. What do you think?
1.The campaign led by Daniel is________.
A.to create a new beautiful village B.to attract more visitors to parks
C.to build a modern town in England D.to make London a national park city
2.We can learn from Paragraph 2 and 3 that ________.
A.London has 8 million trees B.London is a small urban forest
C.there are few parks in London D.more than 50% of London is green space
3.In Daniel’s opinion, other parents should________.
A.take care of themselves B.help their children with their schoolwork
C.spend a lot of time indoors D.take their children out to explore in London
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.A New Type of Park B.People’s Busy Life
C.A Traditional Festival D.Children’s Museum
Bonnie often walks on two legs, like humans. And you can find the 32-year-old great ape copying her keepers by sweeping the floor of her zoo home. Sometimes she uses a piece of cloth to clean the window.
“Apes (猿) in general are very clever, but Bonnie is surely even more so,” said Erin Stromberg, a great ape keeper who works with Bonnie and recently wrote a research paper about her ability to whistle.
Bonnie is one of the six adult great apes at the National Zoo. Bonnie and other great apes are part of a research project. Scientists there are trying to learn more about the way the great apes think and act. One part of the project is to learn whether great apes can develop a way to remember long lists.
Stromberg helped with a project on Bonnie’s unusual ability to whistle. Years ago Bonnie started to whistle, probably after hearing a keeper do it. In the project, Stromberg made different whistling noises to see if Bonnie could repeat them. She did. Bonnie’s whistling shows some apes have the ability to learn a new sound from another species.
The finding is especially important because, Stromberg said, it can help scientists better understand how human speech developed. Great apes, after all, are the closest relatives to human beings in the animal kingdom.
Bonnie was born in 1976 at a zoo in New Mexico and arrived at the National Zoo in December 1980. Bonnie has physical features common to great apes, such as a large belly. Her dark red coat makes her easy to spot on a visit to the zoo.
1.The main purpose of the research project is to ________.
A.find out how clever the great apes are
B.know more about how the great apes think and act
C.learn whether the great apes can remember long lists
D.see whether the great apes can copy humans’ action
2.Why is the finding especially important?
A.It can help people raise great apes more easily.
B.It makes scientists know more about their living habit.
C.It proves some apes have the ability to learn a new sound.
D.It can help scientists better learn the development of human speech.
3.People can notice Bonnie easily among the others at the zoo because ________.
A.she is too old
B.her belly is very large
C.her hair is of a special color
D.she is able to whistle like humans
4.Which of the following can be the theme of the passage?
A.A great ape that can whistle
B.A research project on great apes
C.The cleverest animal at the zoo
D.A great ape that can do housework
At 12 years old, Braeden Mannering is already well on his way to running an empire! A 2016 win of Delaware's Healthy Lunchtime Challenge brought Braeden to the White House, where the president asked the children at the event to think about how they could pay the experience forward.
A few days later, on the drive back home, Braeden saw a homeless man in the rain. He had his parents stop so that he cold give the man a bag of snacks. Braeden knew at that moment that this was how he wanted to pay it forward. He knew what he wanted to do in the future. He felt that it was his duty to help people in trouble.
Since that day in July,2016,Braeden has handed out over 8,000 bags to the homeless through his organization Brae's Brown Bags, also known as 3B.These bags vary (各不相同) in contents, and include food, toiletries (化妆品) and even books for the kids 'bags.
In addition to packing and distributing (分发) bags, Braeden travels the country, giving talks in schools to inspire other young people to help their communities. On his travel, he's raised$60,000 to expand his program. He also is a leader at the annual Delaware Hunger Conference, where he encourages kids to write to lawmakers and help pack bags, showing them how to make a difference.
This is a huge accomplishment, especially for someone of his age. But, as he says, “Anyone can change the world, as long as you dream big."
1.What does the underlined word "it" in Para.2 refer to?
A.The bag. B.The experience.
C.The event. D.The moment.
2.What does the boy's organization try to do?
A.Provide children with clothes.
B.Help homeless women with make-up.
C.Hand out bags for people to do shopping.
D.Donate things in bags to people losing their homes.
3.Which of the following is NOT the reason why Braeden travels the country?
A.To raise some money.
B.To give talks in schools.
C.To pay a visit to some lawmakers.
D.To inspire young people to help their communities.
4.How does the author like the boy's career?
A.It is great considering his young age.
B.It is not a little boy's task to do so.
C.The government should give him more help.
D.He sets a good example for other children.
Although being the second-smallest independent state, only 0.7 square mile in the world, Monaco benefits from an excellent climate and beautiful settings between the Mediterranean Sea and France. Monte Carlo is its only city and capital.
Attractions
Every May Monaco has car racing events, such as the Monaco Grand Prix. In the main harbour, expensive yachts and boats make Monaco a good destination for the rich and famous. Monaco's pleasant climate and environment as well as the absence of taxes contribute to this situation. Tourism contributes about 25% of the government income. Museums, zoos and gardens are tourist attractions, so are the beaches, the royal palace and the opera house.
History
Monaco was built by the Phoenicians who occupied the area from the 10th to the 5th century B.C. The House of Grimaldi has ruled Monaco since 1297 and the first Prince Rainier got the throne (王位) in 1304.Later Monaco was under the protection of Rome, France, Spain, and Sardinia. In 1612 when Honore ll was granted the title of prince by the French crown, he signed a treaty of friendship with France, and the country has remained independent from that time on.
People and Religion
Half of the residents of Monaco are the French with many Americans, Italians, the British and Belgians making up the other half. Although the official religion of Monaco is Roman Catholic, there is religious freedom in this French-speaking country.
Government
Prince Rainier Ill rules the country with a minister of state who is French. A National Council with 18 members must approve laws. Its legend was further spread by the marriage of Prince Rainier II to the American actress Grace Kelly in 1956.
1.Which of the following is true about Monaco according to the text?
A.It is on the Mediterranean Sea.
B.It has two cities including its capital.
C.It is the smallest country in the world.
D.Its economy mainly depends on agriculture.
2.Monaco has kept independent till now under the protection of
A.France B.Spain
C.Sardinia D.Rome
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.The residents of Monaco are mainly Americans.
B.Prince Rainier II married an American actress.
C.Half of the residents in Monaco speak English.
D.The minister of Monaco was appointed by the prince.
