There is an English saying:“ laughter is the 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 programs. The group that tolerated(忍耐)the pain for the longest time was the groups which listened to a funny program. 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.
46.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
47.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
48.The students who tolerated the pain for the longest time .
A .listened to different radio programs
B .slept in the room
C. don’t have stress of pain
D .listened to a funny program
49.The underlined word “diminish” is similar to .
A. test B .stop C. reduce D. find
50. 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
B
The aims of the Illustrators’ (插图画家的) Exhibition, staged as part of the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, organized by BolognaFiere and held from 23to 26 December 2011, are to bring illustrators and publishers together and to promote illustrators and their works among publishers.
QUALIFICATIONS
•Individual illustrators or groups of illustrators of any nationality, if they were born before 31st December 1992, whose artwork is intended for use in children’s books, are qualified to enter the Exhibition, either directly or through publishing houses or schools.
•Please state in the application form whether you are entering work for the Fiction or Nonfiction Category. Illustrators may only enter one category.
•Artwork previously presented to the Exhibition may not be re-entered.
•The confirmation (确认) form must be filled in and a photograph attached, then presented together with illustrations no later than 15 October 2011.
SHIPMENT
Entries may be delivered by post, express delivery service or by hand. From abroad, please use the following forms: Form “A” for registered mail or post by air; Form “B” if using an international forwarding agent or airline. To avoid delays, material should not be sent by normal post. Material should be sent “carriage paid”, including any customs and delivery costs.
BolognaFiere may not be held responsible for the non-arrival or late arrival of artwork. All published works must be accompanied by a declaration bearing the ISBN number, publisher’s name and address.
REQUIREMENTS
The illustrations (i.e. the size of the sheet) must not exceed (超过) the following dimensions:
Fiction: 32×42 cm (or 42 × 32 cm)
Non-fiction: 50 ×70 cm (70 × 50cm)
Illustrations in larger formats will not be considered, nor will they be returned by BolognaFiere. The illustrations must be on paper or flexible board, maximum thickness 2mm (for scanner separation purposes).
SELECTION PROCESS
All artwork received by the stated deadline and meeting the specified requirements will be examined and selected by an international group (whose decision is final), including five members (from publishing house and art schools) appointed each year by BolognaFiere.
EXHIBITIONS ABROAD
After the Bologna event, the Illustrators Exhibition will travel to Japan under the supervision of JBBY. The Illustrators Exhibition may afterwards be transferred to other venues(场馆) in other countries. The exhibitions of illustrations held abroad follow the same rules and regulations as the Illustrators Exhibition, and the provisions (条款) of the regulations are extended to the organizers of the exhibitions held abroad.
RETURN OF ARTWORK
All the works will be returned to their owners by BolognaFiere or directly by the organizers of the exhibitions and held abroad by the end of July 2013.Which of the following of the Illustrators’ Exhibition is true?
A.It will last five days in all in July every other year. |
B.It is intended for college students who are good at painting. |
C.It is held by the Bologna Children’s Book Fair in BolognaFiere. |
D.It can strengthen the relationship between illustrators and publishers. |
The illustrators of the Illustrators Exhibition __________.
A.should be at least 16 and no more than 25 |
B.may re-enter their artwork after it is returned |
C.should state the category of their artwork clearly |
D.may choose to attach a photo to the application form |
What is BolognaFiere responsible for?
A.Paying for the delivery costs |
B.Late arrival of artwork |
C.Confirmation of ISBN number |
D.Returning the illustrators’ works |
The illustrators’ works will not be considered if they .
A.are received after the day of 15 October 2011 |
B.are smaller than the required size |
C.have already been published abroad before |
D.don’t meet the demands of the international experts |
A
Katharine Meyer Graham was once described as “the most powerful woman in America.” She was not a government official or elected representative. She owned and published The Washington Post. Under her leadership, it became one of the most important newspapers in the country.
Katharine Meyer was born in New York City in 1917. Her father was a successful investment banker and became an important financial official. Her family was very rich. Katharine grew up in large houses in New York and Washington. Her parents were often away from home, traveling and working, Katharine was often lonely. Katherine Meyer graduated from the University of Chicago in Illinois in 1938. In 1933, her father bought a failing newspaper, The Washington Post. It was the least successful one of five newspapers in Washington.
Katharine Graham returned to Washington and got a job editing letters to the editor of her father's newspaper. She married Philip Graham. He was a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter but soon accepted a job at his wife's father's newspaper. Mr. Graham improved The Washington Post. He bought Newsweek and several television stations. He also established close ties with important political leaders. However, Mr. Graham treated his wife badly. He had an affair with a young reporter. For many years, Mr. Graham suffered from mental illness. He killed himself in 1963.
Katharine Graham had four children to raise and a newspaper to operate. At first, she was only concerned about finding a way to keep control of The Washington Post until her sons were old enough. She did not think she had the ability to do an important job. She had no training in business or experience in operating a large company. In those days, it was unusual for a woman to be the head of a business. Women were expected to look after their homes and children.
Katharine Graham met with officials of The Washington Post. She was elected president of The Washington Post Company. She had no idea about how to operate a newspaper. So she decided to learn. She began by hiring Benjamin C.Bradlee. He later became chief editor. Mr. Bradlee improved the newspaper. He hired excellent reporters and editors. They began doing important investigative reporting. In 1969, Mrs. Graham became publisher as well as president of The Washington Post Company. In the 1970s, The Washington Post became famous around the world because of two major successes.Katharine Graham is considered powerful because ____________.
A.she was born of a very rich family |
B.she had the most important newspaper |
C.she was in charge of the The Washington Post |
D.she gained much money from newspapers |
We can infer from the second paragraph that Katharine Graham _____________.
A.was one of the top students at university |
B.helped her father in purchasing the paper |
C.didn’t take interest in managing a bank |
D.lived a rich life when she was young |
After Katharine Graham got married ___________.
A.her husband gave up his previous job |
B.she got a job editing letters for the editor |
C.she made The Washington Post improved |
D.her husband wanted to be a political leader |
Faced with the death of Mr. Graham ____________.
A.Katharine Graham had confidence to operate the newspaper well. |
B.Katharine Graham made up her mind to raise the kids. |
C.KatharineGraham thought more about gaining experience. |
D.Katharine Graham seemed to be trapped in the dark world. |
What do you think of Benjamin C. Bradlee?
A. He was an expert when it came to earning money.
B. He brought The Washington Post back to life.
C. He intended to buy The Washington Post.
D. He should have given more help to Katharine Graham.
D
Many years ago, I went through a tough time. One afternoon, I picked my girls up. It was late when we returned home. I went to unlock the door and found my key wouldn’t go in. I kept trying while my daughter went to get a flashlight. When she returned with it we found somehow the lock had been “stuffed” with sunflower seed shells. Thinking that one of the neighborhood children had been up to no good, I really didn’t give it much consideration.
I found all windows were locked up tight. So I returned to the back door. Oh my God, I will never forget the shock of that moment. The house was empty! Other than a few things remaining on the back porch, everything was gone! Then I heard a car pull into the driveway and found two policemen walking up. They inquired why I had broken into the house. They then asked me for proof that I lived at that address, so I asked them to wait a minute while I went to get my rent receipt and identification from inside the house. I explained the matter to them and showed them the door lock.
At this point they were not buying any of my story. I could tell from their actions and tone of voice that they thought I was breaking into an empty house for somewhere to sleep.
I asked a neighbor for the phone number of house owner and the officer made a call. The owner was quite shocked to hear my story. She said that my roommate had been going through an eviction(驱逐) process with the court when I moved in with her and had lost the case. She had been ordered to move by 10 am on that date. The court order had been issued the same day I had paid her 1/2 of the rent and a deposit of $300,000.
The owner was very kind and understanding but there was nothing she could do. The house had been rented already and the people were to move in the following weekend.
The officers let me go and I went to gather my girls into the car. They were both exhausted and old. Also very frightened, because they thought their mamma was going to jail. I had to pull over because the tears took control. I couldn’t believe it! Everything we owned was gone, I had used up all our money moving in and paying my “friend” our share of costs. I knew very few people in town, as we had just moved there recently.
I went to sit back in the car with the girls, I talked to the girls, explaining our situation to them so that they wouldn’t be afraid. During this time there was a “street person” with a bag, looking in the garbage for cans, bottles, and anything that might bring him some cash. But I didn’t pay much attention to him. I decided to get the girls something to eat for breakfast. We grabbed some bread, and chips and returned for a “picnic”. When we got there, I noticed that the man was not alone. He was with a small group of others like him and they were passing a hat amongst themselves.
I was busy setting up our little “picnic” when I heard a voice saying, “MaAm, please excuse… but…well…I overheard the situation you are in, and well… I and the fellows took up a collection for you and your little girls. It’s not very much, but maybe it’ll help a little.” I looked up at this man---dirty, needing a shave ----and saw the face of an angel. I started crying. The man tried to hand me $30. I folded his hand back over the money and just hugged him as tight as I could. I told him, “Thank you for your more than generous offer, but we are going to be just fine.” He didn’t believe me at first, but I convinced him that it was okay.
Later that afternoon I went to the market and bought the making for a barbecue and off to that little park. It didn’t take us very long to find those gentlemen and invite them to join us for lunch. I had a wonderful afternoon that day, sitting there with those old guys, singing songs. They had some of the most entertaining stories and they shared the dreams they once had. They shared themselves… from the heart.The writer couldn’t open the door because ________
A.she didn’t have the right key |
B.there was something else in the lock |
C.someone had changed the lock |
D.the owner of the house refused her living there |
How did the writer come into the house?
A.She came in with the help of the policemen. |
B.She came in by breaking the glass. |
C.She came in with the help of a flashlight. |
D.She came in from the back door. |
When the writer came into her house, she must feel _____
A.excited | B.confused |
C.shocked | D.frustrated |
The writer was not allowed to stay at the house because ____
A.she was cheated by her roommate and the house had been rented to others |
B.the house owner was angry about her breaking the glass of the house. |
C.she hadn’t paid her share of rent. |
D.she was ordered to move out by the court |
The underlined sentence “At this point they were not buying any of my story” may mean
A.the policemen didn’t have enough money |
B.the policemen didn’t believe the writer’s words |
C.the policemen helped the writer to break the window |
D.the policemen wanted to get rent receipt |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
A.The street person was poor and didn’t dress well |
B.The writer accepted the money the street person gave her |
C.The street person didn’t know the writer before |
D.The writer got along well with the street person and his fellows |
C
People are being lured(引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service, and don’t realize that they’re paying for it by giving up loads of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their datato advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook, because people don’t really know what their personal details are worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you could keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends’ names—were set, by default(默认), to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience.”
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senators rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade(侵犯)our privacy, it’s only the beginning,which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t trust. That is too high a price to pay.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A.It is a website that sends messages to targeted users. |
B.It makes money by putting on advertisements. |
C.It earns money by selling its user’s personal data |
D.It provides a lot of information to its users |
What does the author say about most Facebook users?
A.They don’t know their personal data enriches Facebook |
B.They are unwilling to give up their personal information |
C.They don’t identify themselves when using website |
D.They care very little about their personal information |
Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A.To help its users make more friends |
B.To obey the Federal guidelines |
C.To make money by attracting more users |
D.To offer better service to its users |
What does Senator Charles Schumer argue for?
A.Setting guidelines for advertising on websites |
B.Setting rules for social-networking sites |
C.Stopping sharing user’s personal information |
D.Removing ads from all social-networking sites |
Why does the author plan to stop using his Facebook account?
A.He is dissatisfied with its service. |
B.He finds many of its users untrustworthy. |
C.He doesn’t want his personal data abused. |
D.He is upset by its frequent rule changes. |
Winners Club
You choose to be a winner!
The Winners Club is a bank account specially designed for teenagers. It has been made to help you better manage your money. The Winners Club is a transaction account (交易账户) where you receive a key – card so you can get to your money 24/7 – that's 24 hours a day, 7 days aweek!
It's a club with impressive features for teenagers:
●No account keeping fees!
You're no millionaire so we don't expect you to pay large fees. In fact, there are no account keeping or transaction fees!
●Excellent interest rates!
You want your money to grow. The Winners Club has a good rate of interest which gets even better if you make at least two deposits (储蓄) without taking them out in a month.
●Convenient
Teenagers are busy – we get that. You may never need to come to a bank at all. With the Winners Club you can choose to use handy tellers and to bank from home using the phone and the Internet ... You can have money directly deposited into your Winners Club account. This could be your pocket money or your pay from your part – time job!
●Mega magazine included
Along with your regular report, you will receive a FREE magazine full of good ideas to make even more of your money. There are also fantastic offers and competitions only for Winners Club members.
The Winners Club is a great choice for teenagers. And it is so easy to join. Simply fill in an application form. You will have to get permission from your parent or guardian (so we can organize that cool key-card) but it is easy. We can't want to hear from you. It's the best way to choose to be a winner!The Winners Club is a bank account intended for _________.
A.parents | B.teenagers |
C.winners | D.adults |
The Winners Club provides magazines which _________.
A.encourage spending |
B.are free to all teenagers |
C.are full of adventure stories |
D.help to make more of your money |
If you want to be a member of the Club, you must _________.
A.be an Internet user |
B.be permitted by your parent |
C.have a big sum of money |
D.be in your twenties |
Which of the following is TRUE about the Winners Club?
A.Special gifts are ready for parents. |
B.The bank opens only on work days. |
C.Services are convenient for its members. |
D.Fees are necessary for the account keeping. |
What is the purpose of this text?
A.To set up a club. |
B.To provided part – time jobs. |
C.To introduce a new banking service. |
D.To organize key – cards. |