As many as 60,000 people worldwide die each year from too much sun, but simple safety steps could prevent many deaths, according to a World Health Organization report.
The report, released on Wednesday, was treated as the first overall look at the global health burden from UV radiation, which is linked to up to 90 percent of melanoma（恶性黑色素瘤） and other skin cancers. UV radiation can also cause sunburn, more rapid skin aging, eye diseases, and reactivation of the herpes（疱疹） virus that causes cold sores, and pterygium, a fleshy growth on the surface of the eye.
“We all need some sun, but too much sun can be dangerous—and even deadly,” said Dr Maria Neira, the director of WHO’s agency of public health and the environment, who released the report.
To prevent cancer and other diseases linked to UV radiation, the agency recommends that people:
— Limit time in the midday sun.
— Use shade wisely and seek shade when UV rays are most intense.
— Wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses.
— Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor 15+.
— Avoid sunlamps and tanning parlours.
People under age 18 should not use them at all.
“The application of sunscreens should not be used to prolong sun exposure but rather to protect the skin when exposure is unavoidable,” the report warned.
The report also noted that the ground’s surface can make a difference:
— Fresh snow reflects as much as 80 percent of ultraviolet light.
— Sea foam reflects about 25 percent.
— Dry beach sand reflects about 15 percent.
Small amounts of exposure to the sun help the skin to produce vitamin D.
48. The report was highly spoken of mainly because ____.
A. it had listed up to 60,000 deaths from UV radiation
B. it related the deaths to UV radiation
C. it showed the advantages and disadvantages of UV
D. it found out the approaches to preventing deaths from UV radiation
49. According to Dr Maria Neira, which of the following is TRUE?
A. In fact we need only a small amount of sunlight.
B. Receiving large amounts of sunlight will cause deaths.
C. Midday sunlight has stronger UV radiation.
D. Melanoma will disappear if we follow the report’s advice.
50. As a construction worker, it is strongly recommended that ____.
A. he should stay inside the building B. he spread sunscreen on the face
C. he should wear good sunglasses D. he be equipped with sun protection
51. Which of the following can be the headline of the passage?
A. UV—A Deadly Killer From The Sun B. Melanoma Can Be Prevented Today
C. UV—A Great Need For Vitamin D D. Teenagers Mustn’t Stay Outside
The first day of school always goes wrong. For many students in the United States, however, this year it was even more so. It was all due to one extra school policy – they are now required to follow a new standardized dress code.
According to the handbooks of all high schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania, students must wear short- or long-sleeve polo shirts and khaki (卡其色) or black pants. Skinny jeans, leggings and open-toe shoes are not allowed.
Allentown schools are not alone. At Edgewater High School in Florida, shirts must have collars or sleeves, and pants must not sag (下垂) and reach at least mid-thigh (大腿中部). No see-through shirts or T- shirts with references to sex on them are allowed.
Overall, more than half of US public schools now enforce dress codes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 57 percent of schools now have a “strict dress code”, up from more than 47 percent a decade earlier, USA Today said.
Among young people, there are mixed emotions. Some don’t mind wearing similar clothes every day while others aren’t happy. Despite dress codes in many school districts, some students still come to school – even on their first day – in skirts that are too short, necklines that are too low and sagging pants that don’t stay up on their hips.
But there are punishments. If they are out of dress code, students can be removed from the classroom until they fix the problem. In Florida, wearing sagging pants is illegal for youths according to a state law issued in 2011. Breaking the rule results in not being able to do after-school activities, and even being forbidden to attend class.
Some US schools go further and require students to wear uniforms. Many say that they simplify their jobs, saving teachers from having to punish students for wearing skirts or shorts that are too short, for instance. They can also prevent feelings of competition and envy among students.
“It takes away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing field a little bit with the haves and have-nots,” longtime school safety consultant Ken Trump told USA Today.
Critics of uniforms say they rob students of individuality. But for some people, that’s a lazy argument.
“Clothing isn’t the only form of self-expression. Students should know that it’s what they do that counts,” commented a parent named Beth Kassab in The Orlando Sentinel in Florida.According to the new standardized dress code, students in the US are allowed to wear.
| A．knee-length pants | B．shirts without sleeves |
| C．transparent T-shirts | D．jeans sticking to skin |
What is the main idea of Para 5?
| A．What the new dress code is. |
| B．How students dressed themselves. |
| C．What punishments students may receive. |
| D．How students responded to the code. |
Students in some US schools are required to wear uniforms Not to.
| A．pay less attention to their appearance |
| B．prevent comparison among students |
| C．bring out the best in students |
| D．spare teachers from punishing students for their improper dress |
What do Beth Kassab’s words imply?
| A．Uniforms limit the individuality of students. |
| B．Students should pay more attention to their behavior. |
| C．Clothing is of no importance to students. |
| D．Students should concentrate more on their study. |
Night after night, she came to tuck me in(掖好被子), even long after my childhood years. Following her longstanding custom, she'd lean down and push my long hair out of the way, then kiss my forehead.
I don't remember when it first started annoying me — her hands pushing my hair that way. But it did annoy me, for they felt work-worn and rough against my young skin. Finally, one night, I shouted at her: "Don't do that anymore — your hands are too rough!" She didn't say anything in reply. But never again did my mother close out my day with that familiar expression of her love. Lying awake long afterward, my words rang in my mind. But pride overwhelmed my conscience, and I didn't tell her I was sorry.
Time after time, with the passing years, my thoughts returned to that night. I missed my mother's hands, missed her goodnight kiss upon my forehead. Sometimes the incident seemed very close, sometimes far away. But always it appeared in the back of my mind.
Well, the years have passed, and I'm not a little girl any more. Mom is in her mid-seventies, and those hands I once thought to be so rough are still doing things for me and my family. She's been our doctor, reaching for medicine to calm a young girl's stomach or ease the pain of a boy's injured knee. She cooks the best fried chicken in the world…gets stains out of blue jeans like I never could…and still insists on dishing out ice cream at any hour of the day or night.
Through the years, my mother's hands have put in countless hours of toil, and most of hers were before automatic washers!
Now, my own children are grown and gone. Mom no longer has Dad, and on special occasions, I find myself drawn next door to spend the night with her. So it was that late on Thanksgiving Eve, as I drifted into sleep in the bedroom of my youth, a familiar hand hesitantly stole across my face to brush the hair from my forehead. Then a kiss, ever so gently, touched my brow.
In my memory, for the thousandth time, I recalled the night my surly young voice complained: “Don't do that any more —your hands are too rough!” Catching Mom's hand in hand, I blurted out how sorry I was for that night. I thought she'd remember, as I did. But Mom didn't know what I was talking about. She had forgotten —and forgiven —long ago.
That night, I fell asleep with a new appreciation for my gentle mother and her caring hands. And the guilt I had carried around for so long was nowhere to be found.Why was the author annoyed with her mother?
| A．Her mother disturbed her rest by tucking her in. |
| B．She felt uncomfortable with her mother’s non-smooth hands. |
| C．Her mother leant down and kissed her forehead. |
| D．She was not accustomed to her mother’s action. |
Which of the following best describes the author’s mother?
| A．devoted and hardworking | B．caring and intelligent |
| C．thoughtful but stubborn | D．optimistic but careless |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．The author lived separately from her mother |
| B．The author’s father has passed away |
| C．The author alone took care of her children |
| D．The author’s mother never kissed her again since that night |
What’s the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To thank her mother’s help |
| B．To express her regret |
| C．To appreciate her mother’s love |
| D．To call up memories of her childhood. |
Eating at a slow speed may help reduce hunger, the U.S. researchers said on Monday. Previous research suggests that the ability to control energy intake may be affected by the speed at which we eat, and a high eating rate may damage the relationship between the sensory signals and processes that control how much we eat.
In order to learn more about the link between eating speed and energy intake, researchers examined how eating speed affects calories consumed during a meal in both normal-weight subjects as well as overweight or obese subjects.
In the new study, a group of normal-weight subjects and a group of overweight or obese subjects were asked to consume two meals in a controlled environment. All subjects ate one meal slowly, took small bites, chewed thoroughly, and paused and put the spoon down between bites, and are a second meal quickly, took large bites, chewed quickly, and did not pause and put the spoon down.
At the conclusion of the study, the researchers found only normal-weight subjects had a statistically significant reduction in caloric consumption by eating slowly. “A lack of statistical significance in the overweight and obese group may be partly due to the fact that they consumed less food during both eating conditions compared to the normal-weight subjects,” Professor Meena Shah said, “it is possible that the overweight and obese subjects felt more self-conscious, and thus ate less during the study.”
Despite the differences in caloric consumption between the normal-weight and overweight and obese subjects, the study found some similarities. Both groups felt less hungry later on after the slow meal than after the fast meal, which indicates that greater hunger suppression（抑制）among both groups could be expected from a meal consumed more slowly. Also, both the normal-weight and overweight or obese groups consumed more water during the slow meal. “The higher water intake during the slow eating condition may have affected food consumption,” said Shah. According to Shah, slowing the speed of eating may help suppress hunger levels and “may even improve the enjoyment of a meal”.
The findings were published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.What does the previous study have in common with the new one?
| A．There is a link between eating speed and energy intake. |
| B．Eating at a slow speed may help feel hungry. |
| C．Eating too fast may impair your stomach. |
| D．Eating rate may affect processes controlling how much we eat. |
What should the subjects do during the research?
| A．Both groups could totally eat the meals at any speed as they liked. |
| B．Both groups had to consume one meal in controlled eating conditions. |
| C．Both groups were asked to eat one meal slowly while the other quickly. |
| D．One group should eat slowly while the other one quickly. |
What caused the lack of statistically significant reduction in the overweight and obese group?
| A．They were told not to eat a lot. |
| B．In the study they had no appetite to eat. |
| C．They lost consciousness in the study. |
| D．They ate less food on purpose. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．New research findings about how to control eating rate. |
| B．A study about the link between eating speed and energy intake. |
| C．One may feel less hungry later on after the slow meal than after the fast meal. |
| D．Water intake may have affected food consumption. |
“I say, I’m pleased to see you,” said the little man standing by the letter-box.
“Oh, hello,” I said, remembering he was a new neighbor. “Simpson, isn’t it?”
“Yes, that’s right.” He seemed quite pleased by my ready recognition.
“I wonder if you could lend me some money,” he continued. “My wife gave me a letter to post, and I’ve just noticed it isn’t stamped.”
“yes, they never are,” I said, sympathetically（同情地）.
“It must go tonight—it really must! I’d get stamps out of the machine,” explained Simpson,” Only I find I have no small change about me.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I haven’t either,” I said.
“Oh, dear, dear,” he said.
“Yes, well,” I said, intending to move off. But he looked so unhappy standing there with the blue unstamped envelope that I really hadn’t the heart to desert him.
So I took him to my house and found some pennies and gave them to him, who, in the most business like way, made a note of the loan in his pocket-book, and left. But soon he turned up again.
“I’m sorry I am a stranger round here and —well, I’m rather lost…”
It took me several minutes to explain to him where the post office was. In the end I felt as lost as Simpson and had to accompany him to the post office, but, only to find the automatic stamp-machine was empty!
“Oh!” Simpson was so desperate that he dropped the letter on the ground and when he picked it up there was a large black spot on its face.
“Dear me,” he said, “My wife told me to post it tonight. I’d better post it, if you know what I mean.”
I did know. Or, at least, I knew Mrs Simpson.
Then I got a good idea, “Post the letter unstamped—let the other man pay double postage on it in the morning. ” And he had to agree.
Finishing off our job, I took him home.
“I’m so grateful to you, really,” he said when we reached his home. “That letter—it’s only an invitation to dinner to Mr… Dear me!”
“Why, what’s the matter?”
“Nothing. Just something I’ve remembered.”
“What?”
But he didn’t tell me. He just opened his eyes and his mouth at me like a wounded gold- fish, murmured（低声说话）a “Good-night”, and went inside.
All the way home I was wondering what it was that he had remembered.
But I stopped wondering the next morning, when I had to pay the postman double postage for a blue envelope with a large black spot on its face.Simpson was very happy when the writer greeted him because ____.
| A．they were good friends |
| B．he had a very important letter to post |
| C．he saw somebody he could turn to at last |
| D．he didn’t expect the writer to recognize him instantly |
In the writer’s view, ____.
| A．the consequence would be very severe if Simpson didn’t obey his wife |
| B．wives never gave their husbands money to post a letter |
| C．it bothered him to lead Simpson to the post office |
| D．he was as foolish as Simpson |
What did Simpson suddenly remember when they got his home?
| A．His wife was waiting for him to return. |
| B．The letter was only an invitation to dinner. |
| C．The letter was just addressed to the writer. |
| D．It’s unfair for the other man to pay for the letter. |
How would the writer describe Simpson?
| A．Stupid and careless. | B．Careless but warm-hearted. |
| C．Optimistic and kind. | D．Cautious but stubborn. |
I can’t think of a better way of appreciating a new culture than by taking part in one of its festivals. Some festivals are celebrated by an entire country, while others many be unique to a single city. Festivals play an important role in a certain culture. Just enjoy them!
Batalla del Vino—Haro, Spain
For many years, June 29th is a good day to visit Haro, Spain. Bring a bottle of wine and prepare to be washed in red wine in the heart of Spain’s grape-growing area. After a church ceremony, crowds flock（集结）to the hills for the battle, where white shirts will be made bright purple by the end of the morning.
Bay to Breakers—San Francisco, California
Created after the terrible 1906 earthquake as a way of encouraging people, the race has become one of the region’s most important events. Held every year on the third Sunday of May, the race runs through the city from the Bay to the Pacific Breakers. The real highlight, however, is the thousands of people dressed up in a show.
Pillow Fight Day—Worldwide
These events are organized mainly through the Internet. Tens of thousands of people participated in the 4th annual International Pillow Fight Day on April 2,2013. From London to Vancouver to many other cities, the festivals were held in more than 100 countries. So just bring a soft pillow in early April, and watch feathers flying.
Koninginnedag— The Netherlands
Although their Queen’s birthday is really during the winter, she celebrates it on April 30th — the country’s official “Queen’s Day” since 1949.
Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of shining wigs（假发）and body paints, as crowds gather in the squares and on boats in the canals. Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.People celebrated Batalla del Vino by ____.
| A．wearing bright purple shirts |
| B．pouring wine onto others’ white shirts |
| C．flocking to the hills after a ceremony |
| D．holding a drinking wine competition |
The underlined word “highlight” in the passage means ____.
| A．the most exciting part | B．the brightest part |
| C．the highest part | D．the hardest part |
Which of the festivals has the shortest history?
| A．Batalla del Vino. | B．Bay to Breakers. |
| C．Pillow Fight Day. | D．Koninginnedag. |
Which of the statements is NOT true?
| A．June 29th is a good day to visit Haro, Spain. |
| B．The race is held every year to encourage people. |
| C．Pillow Fight Day is held in more than 100 countries. |
| D．The Queen of the Netherlands was born on April 30th. |