Which part of the world has the most nearsighted students? Just look around you– it’s East Asia. Nine in ten school leavers in major East Asian cities are nearsighted, according to the BBC. Experts say books and video games are not to blame (责备). East Asian students, they say, aren’t getting enough sunlight.
People become nearsighted because their eyeballs grow out of shape and light entering their eyes cannot focus correctly. The body can produce a chemical called dopamine (多巴胺) to stop eyeballs from changing shape. And guess what scientists have just discovered? Sunlight can help our bodies produce more dopamine, reported AFP.
According to the study, primary school students in Singapore spend only 30 minutes outdoors every day; in Australia, by contrast (相反), kids spend about three hours a day outside. As a result, fewer children in Australia are nearsighted – only 10 percent, compared with 90 percent in Singapore.
“Children in East Asia just go to school, go home and stay inside. They study and they watch television,” Ian Morgan of the Australian National University told AFP.
But being a bookworm or a couch potato does not directly harm the eyes, added Morgan. “As long as they get outside, it doesn’t seem to matter how much study they do,” he explained. “There are some kids who study hard and get outside and play hard and they are generally fine. The ones who are at major risk are the ones who study hard and don’t get outside. As a result of massive (巨大的) educational pressures and the construction (构成) of a child’s day, the amount of time they spend outside in bright light is minimized.”
Experts suggest children should stay outside for two to three hours every day. This can include time spent in the playground and walking to and from school.
1.What is the main reason for the large number of nearsighted students in East Asia?
A. Too much reading or gaming. B. Being short of sunlight.
C. Genetic (基因) reasons. D. Being short of exercise.
2.How long do experts suggest children stay outside every week?
A. Two to three hours. B. Fourteen to twenty-one hours.
C. Two to three days. D. Over twenty-one hours.
3.In the writer’s opinion, why can’t East Asian students get enough bright light?
A. Because they don’t like sports.
B. Because their parents don’t allow them to.
C. Because they have great pressures from study.
D. Because they spend more time playing video games.
4.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Dopamine is a chemical that causes eyeballs to grow out of shape.
B. Dopamine can stop light entering the eyes from focusing correctly.
C. Spending time in the sun can make the loss of dopamine in the body.
D. The more dopamine a person has in their body, the better eyesight he or she has.
Have you ever been sad because you failed in something? If so, please remember, for often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Here is a story to tell you why.
One day a little boy decided to dig a hole behind his house after watching a science program. As he was working, a couple of boys stopped by to watch. “What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors. “I want to dig a deep hole all the way through the earth!” the boy answered excitedly. The older boys began to laugh, telling him that it was impossible to do it. Then they left.
The little boy kept on digging and digging. Suddenly, a few small colorful stones caught his eyes. He collected them and put them into a glass jar (罐) patiently. Humming (哼唱) a song, he went on digging. The jar was full soon. Then he talked to himself calmly and proudly, “Maybe I can’t finish digging all the way through the earth, but look at what I have found in the process (过程) of digging!”
The boy’s goal (目标) was too difficult, but it did cause him to go on, in other words, to cause us to keep working!
Not every goal will be achieved. Not every job will end up with a success. Not every dream will come true. But when you can’t achieve your goal, maybe you can say, “Yes, but look what I’ve found along the way! There are so many wonderful things that have come into my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging that life is lived. It is the unexpected joy on the journey that really has a meaning.
1.What did the boy do after watching a program?
A. He bought a glass jar.
B. He started to dig a hole.
C. He played with some visitors.
D. He went on watching the program.
2.What did the older boys think of the little boy?
A. He was silly.
B. He was strict.
C. He was strong-minded.
D. He was energetic.
3.What does the underlined sentence “It is in the digging that life is lived.” mean according to the article?
A. Life is to make a big success.
B. Life is to find the colorful stones.
C. Life is difficult but colorful.
D. Life is on the way to achieve the goal.
I would like to talk to you about one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I was born and raised there and now I visit it from time to time. My family moved to the city, so I only go back to see friends or to camp and fish.
I grew up in a small town called Antonito Co. It is surrounded by mountains. So camping is a big source of happiness in the valley. There are so many beautiful places to hike.
The town itself is very small. It is said that if you blink (眨眼) when you’re going through it, you’ll miss it. This has some truth in it considering the size of the town. We have one grocery store (杂货店), a tiny post office , and a tiny bank. There are also a few gas stations, bars, some excellent restaurants, a small hospital and of course several schools. However, for clothing and shoes, you have to drive thirty miles to Alamosa to shop there.
Everyone in the town is nice and we all know each other. The crime rate (率) is zero unless you count some weekend fights that break out because some people drink too much. The classes in school are small, so you get a lot of attention from the teacher.
You’re probably wondering why I don’t live there. Well, I can’t get a job there. A lot of the businesses are family-owned. And they never fire(解雇) their employees. So the employees work there usually until they retire(退休). Most people have to go to other places to get a job.
1. What can you find in the writer’s hometown?
a. bank
b. a post office
c. some gas stations and bars
d. a clothing store
e. a shoe shop
f. some restaurants and a hospital
A. abce B. bdef C. abcf D. cdef
2.Which is the following statements is TRUE?
A. Teachers pay more attention to the students because they work hard.
B. It is great fun for the writer to go camping in the valley.
C. It’s common to see some drunken people in the writer’s hometown.
D. The writer moved to the city because he didn’t like his hometown.
3. We can learn from the last paragraph that in the writer’s hometown .
A. not many job chances are provided
B. employees don’t make much money
C. most people live a very hard life
D. only the old still live there
Television is good. You’d like to watch it all day and all night. But watching too much TV is a very bad thing. Scientists find that kids who watch too much TV may have more trouble learning to read. They can’t focus on their work.
Kids learn language skills best by reading, talking and playing with others. If they spend too much time watching TV, they’ll have less time for those things. Watching too much TV is bad for people’s health. People don’t move much while watching TV. What’s more, they may eat a lot offood while watching. This can make them fat. We call these people “couch potatoes”.
Fighting on TV is a big problem for kids. Young people are good at following. Scientists have found that those who watch a lot of fighting shows are more likely to fight.
1.Scientists say if kids watch too much TV, they will .
A. learn language skills more easily
B. be healthier
C. find it hard to learn to read
D. eat less food
2.Kids learn language skills best by .
A. reading B. talking
C. playing with others D. all of the above
3.While watching TV, what DON’T people do?
A. Eat a lot of food. B. Have less time for reading.
C. Hardly move. D. Focus on their work.
Think of life as a game in which you are playing with five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you keep all of them in the air. You will soon understand that is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce（弹跳）back.
But the other four balls, family, health, friends and spirit, are made of .If you drop one of these, they will be broken. They will be the same. You must understand that and try to have balance in your life. How?
Don't look down on your by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different and each of us is special.
Don't let other people set for you. Only you know what is best for yourself.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid of difficulties. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be .
Don't love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only you've been, but also where you are going.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words .You can't get them back. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that's why we call it "the present". Life is not a competition, but a trip, step by step.
1.A. work B. health C. friend D. family
2.A. wool B. leather C. glass D. wood
3.A. still B. never C. even D. also
4.A. use B. cost C. price D. worth
5.A. difficulties B. goals C. records D. problems
6.A. Everything B. Anything C. Nothing D. Something
7.A. brave B. happy C. curious D. modest
8.A. take B. get C. shut D. catch
9.A. how B. who C. where D. what
10.A. carelessly B. excitedly C. cheaply D. Differently
—I think this will be the best movie of this year. It’s so great!
—Well, . Anyway, the story itself is not bad.
A. It’s my pleasure.
B. That’s a very good idea.
C. I totally agree with you.
D. I’m not sure if you are right.
