Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they forget a great thing that could help them fight illness: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the danger for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties (关系) could improve brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t well realized,” said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “Friendship has a bigger effect on our psychological (心理的) health than family relationships.”
While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart disease. Only smoking was as important a danger factor (因素) as having little social support.
The exact reason why friendship has such a big effect isn’t clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. “People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen, a doctor. “The message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”
1.The three studies in paragraph 2 show that ________.
A.social ties have something to do with health
B.friends can help us lose weight
C.old people need friends the most
D.having more friends makes us healthier
2.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “obesity”?
A.health B.unhappiness C.excitement D.fatness
3.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 3 mean?
A.Friendship is more important to women than to men.
B.What people need most is a friend’s care.
C.The value of friendship hasn’t been fully understood.
D.Friendship is more important than family relationship.
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Smoking and lack of friends are also risk factors for health.
B.Friendship and family relationships have equal effects on health.
C.Close friendships are good for women but not for men.
D.It is clear why friendship has such a huge impact on health.
5.What is the passage mainly about?
A.How to keep healthy.
B.The importance of doctors or self-help books.
C.The relationship between friendship and health.
D.How to improve family relationships.
Simon Groot of the Netherlands introducing high-quality vegetable seeds (种子) to more than 60 countries, was awarded the 2019 World Food Prize.
He is the sixth generation of the Groot family to develop seeds and began his search to create better vegetable seeds to help farmers in Southeast Asia in 1981. He was 47 and his family's company had just been taken over by a larger professional company.
Sixteen years earlier, he made his first trip to Indonesia. There, Groot learned that vegetable seeds did woefully when planted in the hot tropics (热带). He thought there was a great possibility to introduce hybrid vegetables to the area. The area wasn't suitable for these vegetable seeds which were developed for the moderate (温和的) climate of Europe and lacked vegetable seed developers who were trying to create hybrids for the local climate.
Groot partnered with seed trader Benito Domingo of the Philippines. They put together a team of seed researchers and growers from Wageningen University in the Netherlands and the University of the Philippines. Within a few years, they developed a hybrid bitter gourd (苦瓜) that sold well. Then they changed a tomato plant, followed by eggplants, pumpkins and leafy vegetables. The early successes led to the start of the East-West Seed Company, which now has more than 970 improved seeds of 60 vegetable crops. It is reported that the company's seeds are used by 20 million farmers each year in more than 60 countries, said Kenneth Quinn, the former U.S. ambassador to Vietnam.
Of Groot, Quinn said, “He's a truly excellent person with worthy accomplishments that should be recognized.”
The award was stated during a ceremony hosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "The improvements made in these tropical vegetable seeds helped small farmers in developing nations produce more food and importantly get more income for themselves and their families," Pompeo said.
1.Why was Groot awarded the 2019 World Food Prize?
A.Because he is the sixth generation of the Groot family.
B.Because his family's company is a large professional company.
C.Because he helped create better vegetable seeds to help farmers in Africa.
D.Because he introduced better vegetable seeds to more than 60 countries.
2.What does the underlined word "woefully" in Para. 3 mean?
A.Poorly. B.Well. C.Normally. D.Scientifically.
3.What do you know about the East-West Seed Company?
A.Its business is centered in central Asia. B.Its seeds have benefited many farmers a lot.
C.It was started by Groot and local farmers. D.It is changing the seed industry around the world.
4.Quinn thinks that ________.
A.Groot doesn't care about the award B.Groot deserves the award
C.Groot's contribution is of no value D.Groot will donate his prize to poor farmers
5.How did Pompeo think of the improvements made in tropical vegetable seeds?
A.Positive. B.Doubtful. C.Interested. D.Confused.
Bright Side did some research on many places throughout the world where you can buy a house for 1 dollar or for free!
Roubaix, France
If you like France, Roubaix located in the north of France is just for you. The local authorities want it to be populated and attractive. You can buy a small house in the industrial district for just $1. The buyer is supposed to live in this house for 3 years.
Buffalo, USA
Buffalo offers whoever qualifies to buy a house for $1. All you need is to be a lawful citizen of the city and invest amount of money into its decoration. Doing this, the authorities are hoping to make the city beautiful again without spending money.
Liverpool, Great Britain
In Liverpool, most of houses were abandoned by the working class during the years of unemployment. The government is trying to sell the houses for just $1. If you want to buy such a house, it has to be your first deal on buying property (不动产).
Candela, Italy
If you still have any doubts about spending $1 on a house, you should know: the government will pay you some money, if you move to Candela. In order to be paid, you need to become a permanent citizen and have an income of $7500 per year. If moving alone, you will get $700, and if you are going with your family, the pay can be four times as much as only one person.
For more information of other cities, please Click Here.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.It is impossible to buy a house for $1.
B.The houses in some parts of the world are sold for $1 just for the same reason.
C.The authorities of Roubaix want more people to live there.
D.In Liverpool unemployed people have a lot of houses.
2.Why do the authorities of Buffalo provide a house for people with $1?
A.To improve the lives of poor people. B.To solve the problems of employment.
C.To make the city attractive at no cost. D.To attract people to the big cities.
3.What is required to buy a house for 1 dollar in Liverpool?
A.You must be making the first house purchase.
B.You should live in the house for 3 years.
C.You need to be an unemployed citizen.
D.You have to repair and decorate the house.
4.How much money can you get if moving to Candela with a whole family?
A.$1 B.$2800 C.$700 D.$7500
5.Where is this passage most likely to come from?
A.a novel. B.a magazine. C.a letter. D.the Internet.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文。续 写的词数应为150左右。
Cold December wind passed right through my worn coat. I might have wished to be at home, but those days it wasn’t much warmer there than it was standing at the bus stop. Mama had written a letter to the electric company explaining that we were late paying our bill because my sister was ill and Daddy had been laid off, but the power was cut off anyway. That’s why we were on our way into town to pay the bill in person.
I sat close to Buddy Earl for warmth on the bus when it finally showed up. The walk to the electric company office from the bus stop was only a couple of blocks, but it was a relief to get inside.
After settling the bill Mama brought us over to Rich’s department store. There was Santa in a big wooden chair. “You two go talk to him,” she said. “Just don’t expect to get all you ask for.” Buddy Earl and I joined the line of children waiting, and Mama sat on a bench nearby.
Then Santa started talking with us and asked us what we wanted. Santa reached in his pocket, pulled out a notepad and scribbled something with a pencil. “Is your mother with you two?” he asked. I pointed to the bench. “That’s our mama over there. She’s waiting for us to finish.” Santa lifted Buddy Earl off his knee. “Could you ask her to come and talk to me?” he said.
Later, Mama and Santa talked for a few minutes. Santa took a couple more notes. Then Mama brought us home. We didn’t dare ask about their private conversation. Christmas morning Mama and Daddy gathered us around our tree to give thanks for all we had. There were no toys from Santa under the tree. No presents at all, really. But that was okay, especially since we had electricity again. I felt pretty good as I took my seat at the kitchen table.
Paragraph 1:
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph2:
Mama and Daddy looked at each other, and she unpacked the food from the box.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
假定你是李华，你校学生会拟于暑假期间组织一次英语夏令营活动，请给你的外教Mr. Tony发一封邮件，邀请他参加。要点如下：
1. 时间：8月2日—8月10日 ；
2. 主要活动：练习英语口语，朗诵英语诗歌，唱英文歌曲等。
注意：
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：夏令营Summer Camp
Dear Mr. Tony,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hu
A couple of months ago, I was texting a friend in Australia during their widespread bushfires, begging her to come back to New York. “It’s just not _________” I said. “You can’t even breathe!”
She simply replied, “No. I need to bear witness (见证),” _________ the way her government poorly handled the problem, ignoring scientists’ _________ about global warming. Her need to “see” was _________ in her deep love for her people and country.
Now here I am, _________ my own city on “fire”. A fire that should have taken no one by surprise. This isn’t just about Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd or any black citizen. This is about a _________ that exists within this country that makes our lives seemingly less valuable to the people in power who _________ most times, to be white.
In all this good trouble, we can’t keep looking away. We can’t keep _________. If we don’t bear witness to these moments of unfairness, they have the chance to _________ themselves.
If we’re afraid and confused, that’s __________, because we are only human. But on the other side of fear is __________. On the other side of __________ is knowledge and power. Maybe we are unsure what to do or really what we can do in this moment __________ there are so many confusing suggestions. But the only thing we __________ have to do is keep being our unique selves.
I’m Black. My father, mother, brother, and everyone in between are Black. I __________ being Black. Friends and family from all over have asked me to leave. And I say no.
I, too, need to bear witness.
1.A.harmful B.important C.safe D.beautiful
2.A.referring to B.cheering up C.defending against D.carrying on
3.A.limits B.warnings C.manners D.wishes
4.A.absorbed B.filled C.rooted D.buried
5.A.setting B.putting C.making D.watching
6.A.support B.statement C.schedule D.system
7.A.happen B.promise C.manage D.intend
8.A.alive B.balanced C.silent D.bored
9.A.hurt B.repeat C.beat D.win
10.A.unbelievable B.enjoyable C.reliable D.understandable
11.A.interest B.bravery C.luck D.sadness
12.A.confusion B.fool C.loss D.news
13.A.when B.where C.what D.that
14.A.nearly B.gently C.hardly D.truly
15.A.regret B.avoid C.love D.try
