Watching television more than two hours a day early in life can lead to attention problems later in adolescence, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The roughly 40 percent increase in attention problems among heavy TV viewers was observed in both boys and girls. The link was established by a long-term study of the habits and behaviors of more than 1,000 children born in Dunedin, New Zealand, between April 1972 and March 1973.
The children aged 5 to 11 watched an average of 2.05 hours of weekday television. From age 13 to 15, time spent in front of the tube rose to an average of 3.1 hours a day.
"Those who watched more than two hours, and particularly those who watched more than three hours, of television per day during childhood had above-average symptoms of attention problems in adolescence," Carl Landhuis of the University of Otago in Dunedin wrote in his report, published in the journal Pediatrics.
Young children who watched a lot of television were more likely to continue the habit as they got older, but even if they did not the damage was done, the report said.
"This suggests that the effects of childhood viewing on attention may be long lasting," Landhuis wrote.
Landhuis offered several possible explanations for the association.
One was that the rapid scene changes common to many TV programs may over stimulate（刺激）the developing brain of a young child, and could make reality seem boring by comparison. "Hence, children who watch a lot of television may become less tolerant of slower-paced and more mundane tasks, such as school work," he wrote.
It was also possible that TV viewing may supplant other activities that promote concentration, such as reading, games, sports and play, he said.
Previous studies have linked the sedentary固定不动的）habit of TV watching among children to obesity and diabetes, and another study in the same journal cited the poor nutritional content of the overwhelming majority of food products advertised on the top-rated US. children's television shows.
Up to 98 percent of the TV ads promoting food products that were directed at children aged 2 through 11 "were high in either fat, sugar, or sodium," wrote Lisa Powell of the University of Illinois in Chicago.
56. The recent survey shows that _________.
A. watching TV can cause all kinds of diseases for children
B. TV sets have played an important part in our daily lives
C. Watching TV over 2 hours a day early in life can cause attention problems later in adolescence
D. watching TV has side effects on children’s future
57. People used to think that _________.
A. watching TV more than 2 hours every day did good to children’s health
B. the sedentary habit of TV watching among children could easily lead to obesity and diabetes
C. the children wasn’t patient with their homework because of watching TV too much
D. it was very important for children to watching TV early in life
58. The underlined word “Hence” means _________.
A. In that case B. And yet C. On the contrary D. For this reason
59. In Landhuis’ opinion, _________.
A. attention problems caused by watching TV during childhood may be hard to get rid of
B. how to develop children’s attention problems is a lasting problem
C. the key of settling attention problems is not watching TV too much
D. there shouldn’t have many food products ads on children's television shows
Grandma Moses is among the most famous twentieth-century painters of the United States, yet she did not start painting until she was in her late seventies. As she once said to herself: " I would never sit back in a rocking chair, waiting for someone to help me." No one could have had a more productive old age.
She was born Anna Mary Robertson on a farm in New York State, one of five boys and five girls. At twelve she left home and was in domestic service until, at twenty--seven, she married Thomas Moses, the hired hand of one of her employers. They farmed most of their lives, first in Virginia and then in New York State, at Eagle Bridge. She had ten children, of whom five survived; her husband died in 1927.
Grandma Moses painted a little as a child and made embroidery (刺绣) pictures as a hobby, but only changed to oils in old age because her hands had become too stiff to sew and she wanted to keep busy and pass the time. Her pictures were first sold at the local drugstore and at a market and were soon noticed by a businessman who bought everything she painted. Three of the pictures exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art, and in 1940 she had her first exhibition in New York. Between the 1930's and her death, she produced some 2,000 pictures: detailed and lively portrayals of the country life she had known for so long, with a wonderful sense of color and form. "I think really hard till I think of something really pretty, and then I paint it" she said.According to the passage, Grandma Moses began to paint because she wanted to_______.
| A．make herself beautiful | B．become famous |
| C．earn more money | D．keep active |
Grandma Moses spent most of her life ________.
| A．nursing | B．painting | C．farming | D．embroidering |
The underlined word “portrayals ” means ________.
A. expressions B explanations C. descriptions . D. impressionsFrom Grandma Moses' description of herself in the first paragraph, it can be inferred that she was ________.
| A．pretty | B．nervous | C．rich | D．independent |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Children of Grandma Moses. | B．Grandma Moses: Her Life and Pictures. |
| C．Grandma Moses: Her Best Exhibition. | D．Grandma Moses and Other Older Artists. |
Visitors to Fiji enjoy not only some of the world's best lagoons, with beautiful blue waters and the famous Rainbow Reef，but also rich history and culture spanning thousands of years．While you'll surely spend plenty of time on the beach in Fiji, why not check out some of these cultural destinations to get a sense of traditional life in Fiji?
The Meke is a native dance performed by indigenous Fijians wearing leis and grass skirts．Although similar in importance to the hula dance of Hawaiian the Meke is like nothing you'll see on any other island．Experiencing this culturally and historically significant dance is something that visitors to Fiji simply must do．
Indigenous Fijians are very proud of their heritage，something you'll notice immediately upon walking into the National Museum．The Fiji Museum is located in the beautiful botanical gardens of Suva，the capital city of Fiji. There，you'll find an archaeological collection dating back thousands of years，evidence of Fiji's long history．The lengthy history of Fiji can also be seen in its buildings, including the Parliament Houses and Sri Siva Subramaniya, a Hindu temple．
While you're in Suva to visit the Fiji museum，take plenty of time to absorb the local culture. Suva offers a very active nightlife, including live bands and other forms of entertainment. If you're looking for a Meke show，Suva is a good bet on any night of the week. The city is also a popular destination for tourists looking for souvenirs，including carved Tiki masks and statues．
Like any tropical island vacation, Fiji offers white sandy beaches，palm trees，and beautiful blue skies .If you're planning a variation to Fiji，don’t forget to schedule plenty of time to visit cultural and historical sites，and to take in the parts of Fiji that truly can’t be found anywhere else in the world．The word”lagoons”(in Paragraph 1)probably refers to “”.
| A．lakes | B．theatres | C．museums | D．stadiums |
Which of the following may be the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
| A．Suva is a modern city in the world． |
| B．Suva is a place well worth visiting． |
| C．Fiji's nightlife is especially active. |
| D．Fiji’s culture includes all kinds of art． |
This passage is most likely taken from．
| A．an advertisement | B．a news report |
| C．a research paper | D．a travel book |
It was an afternoon Truman would never forget．
Rayburn and his friend were talking in the office before Truman arrived. The telephone rang. It was a call from the White House asking whether Vice-President Truman had arrived yet. No, Rayburn replied. The caller asked to have him telephone the White House as soon as he arrived.
Truman entered a minute later. He immediately called the White House. As he talked, his face became white. He put down the phone and raced out of the door to his car.
Truman arrived at the White House within minutes. An assistant took him to the president’s private living area. Eleanor Roosevelt, the president’s wife, was waiting for him there. “Harry,” she said, “the president is dead.” Truman was shocked. He asked Mrs. Roosevelt if there was anything he could do to help her. But her reply made clear to him that his own life had suddenly changed. “Is there anything we can do for you ?” Mrs. Roosevelt asked the new president, “You are the one in trouble now.”
Truman had been a surprise choice for vice-president at the Democratic Party nominating convention in nineteen forty-four. Delegates considered several other candidates before they chose him as Roosevelt’s running mate. That was at a time when presidential candidates did not make their own choices for vice-president．
Harry Truman lacked the fame，the rich family and the strong speech-making skills of Franklin Roosevelt．He was a much simpler man．He grew up in the Midwestern state of Missouri．Truman only studied through high school but took some nighttime law school classes．He worked for many years as a farmer and a small businessman，but without much success．
Truman had long been interested in politics．When he was almost forty，he finally won several low-level positions in his home state．By nineteen thirty-four，he was popular enough in Missouri to be nominated and elected to the United States Senate. And he won re-election six years later．
Most Americans, however, knew little about Harry Truman when he became president．They knew he had close ties to the Democratic Party political machine in his home state．But they had also heard that he was a very honest man．They could see that Truman had strongly supported President Roosevelt’s New Deal programs．But they could not be sure what kind of president Truman would become．
At the center of all the action was Harry Truman．It was not long before he showed Americans and the world that he had the ability to be a good president．He was honest，strong and willing to make decisions．When Mrs. Roosevelt said”You are the one in trouble now”，she really meant that ．
| A．Truman’s life had suddenly changed |
| B．Truman was at the center of all the action |
| C．Truman was a surprise choice for vice-president |
| D．Truman had close ties to the Democratic Party |
According to the passage，of Truman’s day，the president’s running mate was ．
| A．decided by delegates |
| B．recommended by presidential candidates |
| C．chosen by the Democratic Party |
| D．elected by vice-president |
Truman served as the U．S．Senator ．
| A．for ten years | B．before he was forty |
| C．before 1943 | D．for two terms |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．An Unforgettable Afternoon |
| B．Vital Telephone Call Makes a Difference |
| C．Truman Makes His Decisions |
| D．Roosevelt’s Death Makes Truman President |
Going Zero Waste means more than just managing the rubbish we create．It means reducing it too．While it might seem like a difficult thing to do, it's well worth it．And what better time to start than Christmas?
We need to copy the way Nature wastes nothing．Many things are created by human society that we know will soon become useless and be thrown out．How many plastic bottles or even PCs end up in the rubbish bin? Instead，we should design products that can be more easily repaired，reused and recycled．
Kamikatsu, a Japanese village，has already gone Zero Waste．The 2，000 villagers compost their leftovers，and recycle everything else．There are 34 different boxes at the re-cycling centre! Residents grumble about the inconvenience，but they also see the benefits．
People who live Zero Waste lives are careful about what they do．They never take more than they need．Reusing plastic bags at supermarkets is a great way to reduce waste．And those who plan before they shop avoid having to throw food out later．Also，it’s best not to go food shopping when you’re hungry：You’ll be sure to buy too much!
Let’s think about how to enjoy a Zero Waste Christmas．By sending recyclable cards，we can help our friends and family reduce waste．And what better way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas than with a real tree that can be replanted in the spring?
Going Zero Waste requires us to think more about what happens before and after we act．It takes ambition，and it's not always easy．But just think how good it would be，both for ourselves and for the environment, if we never had to waste anything．When is this passage probably written?
| A．After a Christmas． | B．Before Zero Waste starts． |
| C．Before a Christmas． | D．When Zero Waste is very popular． |
What should we do to reduce waste according to the passage?
| A．To stop using plastic bottles or even PCs． |
| B．To create more things that can be repaired quickly． |
| C．To avoid sending cards on Christmas． |
| D．To copy the way Nature wastes nothing． |
If we want to live Zero Waste lives we should do the following except .
| A．taking no more than we need |
| B．reusing plastic bags |
| C．not going food shopping when we’re hungry |
| D．not making a plan before we shop |
What’s the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To enjoy a clean Christmas． |
| B．To complain about the pollution． |
| C．To educate people to behave well． |
| D．To call on people to attend Zero Waste． |
Small talk is meaningless conversation in terms of content，but is often seen as socially important in certain situations，or context．In many English-speaking countries，it can be viewed as rude or unfriendly not to make small talk.
Discussing the weather with people who you don’t really know is an example of small talk that many of us are very familiar with on a daily basis．We may chat about the weather with the cashier at the supermarket or with the attendant at the gas station．Small talk may also be related to the situation such as waiting in line．People in the line may comment to others about how slow it is in the post office or bank that day，for instance．We also engage in small talk with people we may see every day but don’t really know such as those we share the elevator with in our office building．
Small talk is common at parties when guests may know the host but not each other．It is considered rude not to mingle and speak with other guests at social functions，so small talk can break the ice and get guests chatting．Compliments(赞美)may be a type of small talk such as one woman at party complimenting another on her dress．
Some people like small talk because they find silence uncomfortable and／or they enjoy communicating verbally．Others enjoy meeting new people and use small talk to start conversations. When making small talk，especially with strangers or those you don’t know very well，it’s important to observe certain socially acceptable conventions．First，small talk should be general and not personal or about controversial topics. Second，while compliments are acceptable，they shouldn't refer to the person’s body or sound like a pick-up line．What do people usually talk about in small talk?
| A．Light topics． | B．Personal topics． |
| C． Meaningless things. | D．Controversial affairs． |
Who do we usually have small talk with?
| A．Close friends． | B．People we don’t really know． |
| C．Family members． | D．Our seniors． |
At parties，it’s considered rude to ．
| A．speak to one guest only and not speak with other guests |
| B．speak to several guests at the same time |
| C．compliment a woman on her dress |
| D．have small talk with the host |
We can infer from the last paragraph that．
| A．compliments are the most acceptable in small talk |
| B．we should refer to a person’s body when complimenting in order to sound sincere |
| C．there are some rules in making small talk |
| D．some people use small talk to make new friends |