B
There is an English saying: “laughter is best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter had similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart beating and breathing; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmer. The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny programmer. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemicals in the brain which diminish both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
60.Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that .
A. smiling does good to health B. laughter can be tolerated
C. there is a way to reduce pain D. laughter can work the muscles in the feet
61. The main idea of the passage is .
A. laughter and physical exercise have similar effects on the human body
B. smile can produce the same effects as laughter
C. pain can be reduced by laughter
D. laughter is the best medicine
62.The underlined word “diminish” is similar to .
A. test B. stop C. reduce D. increase
63. Doctors hold laughter clinics _________.
A. to give better condition to their patients
B. in order to improve patients’ health
C. to make patients smile
D. to prove smile and laughter have the same effect
LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology professor is researching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
“The hate we hold within us is a cancer.” Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become volunteers in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian-born Hart.
The students meet in each group of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with a director every two weeks.
The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. “People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness,” he said, “People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”
Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
“The main idea is to give you guidances on how to look at all kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with,” said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said, “I believe forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people want to get free of the past.”From this passage we know that ________.
| A．without hate, people will have less trouble connected with blood pressure and heart disease |
| B．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies |
| C．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors |
| D．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hate |
If you are angry with somebody, you should ________.
| A．attend Hart’s course |
| B．persuade him or her to have a positive talk with you |
| C．never meet him or her any longer |
| D．treat him or her positively instead of negatively |
In Hart’s first 20-week workshop, people there can ________.
| A．meet their enemies |
| B．change their attitudes |
| C．enjoy the professor’s teaching |
| D．learn how to quarrel with others |
If you are a volunteer in Hart’s workshop, you’ll ________.
| A．meet in eight or ten groups |
| B．get rid of the illness of cancer |
| C．attend a gathering twice a month |
| D．pour out everything stored in your mind |
The author wrote this passage in order to________.
| A．persuade Britons to go to Hart’s workshop |
| B．tell us the news about Hart’s research |
| C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart’s |
| D．help us to look at all kinds of angers |
According to legend, the Bridge of Sighs in Venice, Italy, which connects the Palazzo Ducale to an ancient prison, got its name because the walk across it gave prisoners on their way to jail a final chance to enjoy the beauty of the city. The view from the bridge today, however, is more likely to be of a giant billboard selling Bulgari or Coca-cola.
But when the Coke billboards went up this summer on buildings near the Piazza San Marco,which is at the historic heart of Venice, there was a public debate.
"We can't commercialize everything, " said Alessandra Mottola Molfino, a Venetian.
"We couldn't stay quiet, " said Maria Camilla Bianchini d'Alberigo, president of a heritage protection association.
City of officials. however, argue that without these ads, the city could not afford to maintain its heritage. Many have been damaged by centuries of wear and are even a threat to public safety.
"I can't turn down the image of a bottle when there are pieces of the Palazzo Ducale falling to the ground, " said Renata Codello, a Culture Ministry official.
The Culture Minister has a budget of about $ 47 million (315 million yuan) for restoration of monuments. but Italy has a rich architectural heritage, and funds are always tight. Of that amount, $ 1. 8 million was given to the entire Veneto region, which includes Venice.
Two years ago, the city signed an agreement with the Dottor Group, a company responsible for the restoration of the Bridge of Sighs and the Palazzo Ducale. It allows it to sell ad space.
But there is a condition in the agreement: The ads should not offend public taste.
In August, Venice banned US actress Julianne Moore's Bulgrari ad from a billboard in the Piazza San Marco.
The photo shows a naked Moore covered with lion cubs. handbags and jewelry. Mayor Giorgio Orsoni called the image too racy (猥亵) and unsuitable for the Piazza San Marco.
"l consider the fact that Venice is part of the real world_ but we cannot accept these Hollywood-style images. There are wise sponsors. and we need to come up with advertising that suits Venice. not Times Square, " he said in a speech.The article is mainly about__________in Venice.
| A．restoration of cultural heritage |
| B．widespread commercialization |
| C．the conflict between ads and cultural heritage |
| D．the difficulty of restoring monuments |
In the first paragraph, the beautiful view from the Bridge of Sighs is mentioned to__________.
| A．introduce other monuments of the ancient city |
| B．show many ancient structures need repairing |
| C．indicate that the view is blocked by huge ads |
| D．attract readers' interest in the famous city |
From the article we can conclude that Renata Codello__________ the advertising.
| A．is in favor of | B．is worried about | C．objects to | D．doesn't mind |
Why do many Venetians complain about the ads?
| A．They support commercialization. |
| B．They feel the ads are damaging the city. |
| C．The ads are usually racy and in an American style. |
| D．The ads don't present a traditional view of Venice. |
It can be inferred from the passage that
| A．Hollywood stars' ads cannot go up in Venice |
| B．people can buy Bulgari or Coca-cola on the Bridge of Sighs |
| C．the Dottor Group may stop its restoration work for lack of funds |
| D．the mayor of Venice is expecting new advertising |
I have always known my kids use digital communications equipment a lot. But my cellphone bill last month really grabbed my attention. My son had come up to nearly 2,000 incoming text messages, and had sent nearly as many. Of course, he was out of school for the summer and communicating more with friends from a distance. Nevertheless, he found time to keep a summer job and complete a college course in between all that typing with thumb.
I was even more surprised to learn that my son is normal. "Teenagers with cellphones each send and receive 2,272 text messages a month on average, " Nielsen Mobile said.
Some experts regret that all that keyboard jabber(键盘闲聊) is making our kids stupid, unable to read non-verbal cues such as facial expressions, gestures, posture and other silent signals of mood and attitude. Unlike phones, text messaging doesn't even allow transmission of tone of voice or pauses, says Mark Bauerlein, author called The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future.
Beyond that, though, I'm not sure I see as much harm as critics of this trend. I' ve posted before on how I initially tried to control my kids' texting. But over time, I have seen my son suffer no apparent ill effects, and he gains a big benefit, continuing contact with others.
I don't think texting make kids stupid. It may make them annoying, when they try to text and talk to you at the same time. And it may make them distracted. when buzzing text message interrupt efforts to noodle out a math problem or finish reading for school.
But I don't see texting harming teens' ability to communicate. My son is as accustomed to nonverbal cues as any older members of our family. I have found him more engaged and easier to communicate with from a great distance. because he is constantly available by means of text message and responds with faithfulness and speed.What is Mark Bauerlein ' s attitude to texting?
| A．It is convenient for teens to communicate with others. |
| B．It is likely to cause trouble in understanding each other. |
| C．It is convenient for teens to text and call at the same time. |
| D．It will cause damage to the development of teens' intelligence. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．For Teens, Texting Instead of Talking |
| B．For Parents, Caring Much for Their Kids |
| C．Disadvantages of Texting |
| D．The Effect of Communication |
What does the underlined word "distracted" in the fifth paragraph mean?
| A．Confused. | B．Absent-minded. |
| C．Comfortable. | D．Bad-tempered. |
The author's attitude to texting is ___________ .
| A．objective | B．opposed | C．supportive | D．doubtful |
According to the passage, which of the statements is NOT true?
| A．It is normal for a teen to send or receive 60 text messages per day. |
| B．Texting is a very popular way of communication among teens. |
| C．The writer limited his son to send or receive messages at first. |
| D．When texting, teens don't mind talking with you. |
Normally a student must attend a certain number of courses in order to graduate, and each course which he attends gives him a credit which he may count towards a degree. In many American universities the total work for a degree consists of thirty-six courses each lasting for one semester. A typical course consists of three classes per week for fifteen weeks; while attending a university a student will probably attend four or five courses during each semester. Normally a student would expect to take four years attending two semesters each year. It is possible to spread the period of work for the degree over a longer period. It is also possible for a student to move between one university and another during his degree course, though this is not in fact done as a regular practice.
For every course that he follows a student is given a grade, which is recorded. and the record is available for the student to show to potential employers. All this imposes(增加) a constant pressure and stress of work, but in spite of this some students still find time for great activity in student affairs. Elections to positions in student organizations arouse much enthusiasm. The effective work of maintaining discipline is usually performed by students who advise the academic authorities. Any student who is thought to have broken the rules, for example, by cheating has to appear before a student court. With the enormous numbers of students. the operation of the system does involve a certain amount of activity. A student who has held one of these positions of authority is much respected and it will be of benefit to him later in his career.Normally a student would at least attend __________classes each week.
| A．36 | B．12 | C．20 | D．15 |
According to the first paragraph an American student is allowed
| A．to live in a different university |
| B．to change permanently his or her university |
| C．to live at home and drive to classes |
| D．to get two degrees from two different universities |
American university students are usually under pressure of work because__________.
| A．their academic performance will affect their future careers |
| B．they are heavily involved in student affairs |
| C．they have to obey university rules |
| D．they want to run for positions of authority |
Some students are enthusiastic for positions in student organizations probably because_________.
| A．they hate the constant pressure and stress of their study |
| B．they will then be able to stay longer in the university |
| C．such positions help them get better jobs |
| D．such positions are usually well paid |
The student organizations seem to be effective in__________.
| A．dealing with the academic affairs of the university |
| B．ensuring that the students observe university regulations |
| C．evaluating students' performance by bringing them before a court |
| D．keeping up the students' enthusiasm for social activities |
Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination and physical, cognitive (认知的), and emotional strength. Play is important to healthy brain development. Play allows children to create and explore a world they can master, conquering their fears while practicing adult roles. Undirected play allows children to learn how to work in groups, to share, to negotiate, and to resolve conflicts.
Ideally, much of play involves adults, but when play is controlled by adults, children acquiesce (顺从) to adult rules and concerns and lose some of the benefits play offers them, particularly in developing creativity, leadership, and group skills. In contrast to passive entertainment, play builds active, healthy bodies. In fact, it has been suggested that encouraging unstructured play may be an exceptional way to increase physical activity levels in children, which is one important strategy in the resolution of the obesity problem.
Children’s development is critically influenced by appropriate, affective relationships with loving and consistent caregivers as they relate to children through play. When parents observe their children in play or join with them in child-driven play, they are given a unique opportunity to see the world from their children’s vantage point as the child navigates a world perfectly created just to fit his or her needs. The interactions that occur through play tell children that parents are fully paying attention to them and help to build enduring relationships. Parents who have the opportunity to look at their children’s world learn to communicate more effectively with their children and are given another setting to offer guidance. Less verbal children may be able to express their views, giving their parents an opportunity to gain a fuller understanding of their perspective. Quite simply, play offers parents a wonderful opportunity to engage fully with their children.
Play is essential to the academic environment. It ensures that the school setting attends to the social and emotional development of children as well as their cognitive development. It has been shown to help children adjust to the school setting and even to strengthen children’s learning willingness. Social-emotional learning is best integrated (融合) with academic learning; it is concerning if some of the forces that enhance children’s ability to learn are improved at the expense of others. Play and unscheduled time that allow for peer interactions are important components of social-emotional learning.Compared with undirected play, play which is controlled by adults ________.
| A．doesn’t benefit the children at all |
| B．doesn’t help develop leadership and group skills |
| C．makes children become more active |
| D．helps increase physical activity levels |
The third paragraph mainly tells us that ________.
| A．play offers parents a good chance to establish good relationships with children |
| B．children’s development is greatly influenced by relationships with parents |
| C．play helps children better express their views |
| D．play offers parents a unique opportunity to see the world from a different perspective |
From the last paragraph, we know that ________.
| A．play can’t help children become adapted to the school setting |
| B．play makes social-emotional learning and academic learning separated |
| C．play is beneficial to social-emotional learning as well as academic learning |
| D．it is necessary to strengthen children’s academic development at the expense of others |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Undirected play can help children develop team spirit. |
| B．Play can improve children’s willingness to learn. |
| C．Play helps adults gain a better understanding of the children’s thoughts. |
| D．Adults shouldn’t be involved in children’s play. |