Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances are that you' 11 be disturbed by jet planes, transistor radios, oil - powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they’re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much (music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
1. According to this passage, the noise pollution __
A. has become the worst in the countryside B. has become better in big cities
C. has spread from cities to villages D. has been controlled in modern cities
2. What does background music refer to?
A. Music played while people are working.
B. Music played in the backyard.
C. Noise that continues while you’re listening to other noises.
D. Music used to help people to concentrate.
3. Some people have their hearing harmed __
A. while listening to pop music B. in complete silence
C. when speaking loudly D. while watching TV
4. Which of the following isn't included among the things causing noise?
A. trucks B. motorcycles C. electric engines D. jet planes
5. Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is
A. all kinds of noise B. great changes in the level of noise
C. background noise D. popular music
By the age of almost four, Elijah Edney has never had a haircut in his life. But now he can ' t wait to visit the barber's - for two reasons: losing his two - foot - long golden hair will mean that strangers stop mistaking him for a girl; the hair will be donated to charity to provide a wig (假发) for a child with cancer.
Mrs. Edney, who works in a restaurant, says, "Elijah has always had beautiful hair, so I let him grow it as he w8nted. It' s like silk. But now it is at a stage where people mistake him for a girl and he wants it cut into a boy's haircut. "
Mrs. Edney and her husband want to collect enough money-£350-to process Elijah's hair for a sick child. She says, "I couldn't bear to see all Elijah's beautiful hair go to waste and my mum mentioned charities that have human hair made into wigs. "
Mrs. Edney says, "If we can raise the amount we want, it will mean a family will not have to pay for the wig and can receive it for free. When you've got children yourself, you hope that if they lost their hair someone would do the same for them by donating their hair. "
The two-foot-long hair will be donated to the Little Princess Trust (小公主信托基金) to make a wig for children suffering cancer. Elijah keeps telling people he is giving his hair to poor princesses and he is so excited about it.
A spokesman for the Little Princess Trust says, "We're very grateful to anyone who decides to have their hair cut to donate it to the Little Princess Trust. As a result of hair donations like this, the charity receives real-hair wigs for free to pass on to families whose children have sadly lost their own hair through cancer treatment. "Why has Mrs. Edney let Elijah's hair grow so long?
| A．Because Elijah has beautiful hair. |
| B．Because she likes long hair. |
| C．Because Elijah looks nice with long hair. |
| D．Because she wants to donate his hair to charity. |
Who first thought of charities that use human hair?
| A． Elijah's father. | B． Elijah's mother. |
| C． Elijah himself. | D． Elijah's grandmother. |
Elijah's parents try to raise money to _________.
| A．pay the barber for his work |
| B．process his hair into a wig |
| C．give the Little Princess Trust along with a wig |
| D．give a child who lost his hair through cancer treatment |
What does Elijah think of his hair being given to a charity?
| A．He doesn't care about it. | B．He wants to keep it a secret. |
| C．He is excited about it. | D．He feels sad for poor children. |
According to the last paragraph, the Little Princess Trust________.
| A．encourages people to cut their hair to donate it |
| B．welcomes and gives thanks for such donations |
| C．gives free wigs to children who have lost their hair |
| D．provides treatment for children with cancer |
The entire house was lit with lights. It was Meera's wedding the next day. Seema walked to her daughter's bedroom. Meera was not there, so she left the envelope on Meera's bed and went away. When Meera came out of the bathroom, her eyes fell on the envelope. She picked it up and opened it. Sitting on the bed, she started to read it:
My darling daughter, I am so happy for you. My darling is getting married! To such a good man! At the same time, I am a little worried, too. The reason? You are going to a new house where everything is going to be new: the people, relationships and surroundings. Yes, you are smart and Vinod will be there with you to help, but I have a few things to say:
Accept Vinod's parents as your parents. Remember that your mother-in-law will have her own understanding about you. So it is up to you to give her a good impression.
Earn respect from family members. If that means changing yourself a little bit and adapting to their customs, just do it. It will help you to settle into your new home.
Never compare your mother's home and their home. It may not be appreciated.
The kitchen is one place where small fights can appear. It is your mother-in-law's king- dom, so ask her permission if you want to cook something. If she offers help, accept it. This will help in building trust between you. Similarly, offer her your help when she is busy cooking. Thus, a new relationship will be born: one of respect and understanding.
Finally, respect your husband, as he is your life partner. Remember that a marriage requires trust, love and compromise (妥协).
I could have sat with you and told you, but I felt that writing all this down would make you understand better and I am sure you will give your whole heart to this relationship. Remember that both Papa and I are here for you always.
Love, MaWhere was Meera when her mother went to her bedroom?
| A．In the kitchen. | B． In Vinod's house. | C． In the bedroom. | D． In the bathroom. |
What was Seema's attitude towards Vinod?
| A．Satisfied. | B．Cautious. | C．Doubtful. | D．Worried. |
According to the mother, the daughter should NOT_____ in the new family.
| A． earn respect from family members |
| B． accept Vinod's parents as her parents |
| C． compare her mother's home and their home |
| D．ask permission if she wants to cook something |
What will help if Meera wants to build trust with her mother-in-law, according to the mother?
| A．Living with her. |
| B． Cooking meals instead of her. |
| C．Making compromises with her. |
| D．Accepting her help in the kitchen. |
The mother wrote the letter mainly to teach her daughter ______.
| A．how to respect her husband |
| B．how to trust her mother-in-law |
| C．how to adapt to her married life |
| D．how to better understand her parents |
Educating girls quite possibly harvests a higher rate of return than any other investment available in the developing world. Women's education may be an unusual economical field, but increasing women's contribution to development is actually as much an economic as a social issue. And economics, with its focus on encouragement, provides an explanation for why so many girls are rid of an education.
Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make an economic contribution to the family: girls grow up only to marry into somebody else's family and bear children. Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and are kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school -- the prophecy (观念) becomes self-fulfilling, trapping women in a vicious (恶性的) circle of neglect.
An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices. She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, ensuring that her daughters are given a fair chance. The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls, as well as of boys, will be educated and healthy. The vicious circle is thus transformed into a virtuous circle.
Few will argue that educating women has great social benefits. But it has enormous economic advantages as well. Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers. Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling. Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments, but they are just the beginning. Educating women also has a significant effect on health practices, including family planning.
Topic: The significance of female (1)______________ in developing countries
| Viewpoint |
Educating girls is more beneficial and worthy of being (2)_______________ . |
|
| Families |
From low-income families |
From educated mothers' families |
| Attitudes |
Girls are of less (3)______________ than boys. |
Development should be for all the (4)______________. |
| Practices |
There is (5)________________ investment in daughters, while boys are sent to school. Girls are made to stay at home, (6)______________ housework. |
It is insisted that girls and boys be offered chances to be educated (7)_____________ . |
| Consequences |
A vicious circle |
A virtuous circle |
| Significance |
Educating women (8)___________ to social benefits, has economic advantages and (9)____________ health practices significantly, including family planning. |
|
| (10)_________ |
Educating girls in developing countries is important and rewarding. |
American researchers say drinking tea may help strengthen the body’s defense system against infection. Doctors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, did the study. The team studied a chemical found in black, green, oolong and pekoe tea. This chemical is an amino acid called L-theanine. The scientists say it may increase the strength of gamma delta T cells. That’s the letter T, not the drink. Gamma delta T cells are part of the body’s defense.
First, the researchers mixed some of these cells with antigens found in the amino acid(氨基酸). Antigens help the body react to infection. Then the scientists added some bacteria. Within twenty-four hours, the cells produced a lot of interferon, a substance that fights infection. Cells not mixed with the antigens did not produce interferon.
In the second part of the study, eleven people drank five to six cups of black tea every day. Ten other people drank the same amount of instant coffee. That is dried coffee mixed with hot water.
Two weeks later, and again two weeks after that, the researchers tested the blood of all twenty-one people. They also looked at what happened when they added bacteria to the blood cells. They found that the tea drinkers produced five times more interferon after they started drinking tea. The coffee drinkers did not produce interferon.
Doctor Jack Bukowski led the study. He says the antigens added to the gamma delta T cells were responsible for the increased reaction to the bacteria. He says that the study also showed that the cells were able to remember the bacteria and fight them again the next time.
Earlier research already has found that tea can help prevent heart disease and cancer. Doctor Bukowski says the new study must be repeated by more people. “If the findings prove to be true,” he says, “then tea drinking might also help protect against bacterial infections.” He says the amino acid L-theanine could be removed from the tea and used as a drug to strengthen the body’s defenses.We may know from the text that ______ can be found in different kinds of tea.
| A．L-theanine | B．Gamma delta T cells |
| C．interferon | D．bacteria |
Tea may help strengthen the body’s defense system because it helps ______.
| A．to add some bacteria to the blood cells |
| B．the body to produce more gamma delta T cells |
| C．the body to produce more interferon |
| D．to mix antigens with some of the cells in the body |
According to Dr Bukowski, ______.
| A．the findings of the study have already proved to be true |
| B．further study is needed to prove the findings true |
| C．he has taken some amino acid L-theanine from tea and made a drug with it |
| D．he is not sure whether tea help prevent heart disease and cancer |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A．Tea Is Better than Coffee | B．Our Body Needs Tea |
| C．Tea Can Help Prevent Cancer | D．Tea May Help Fight Infection |
A mouse looked through a crack in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package: What food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse declared the warning, “There is a mouse trap in the house, there is a mouse trap in the house.”
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, “Mr Mouse, I can tell you this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me, I cannot be bothered by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, “There is a mouse trap in the house.” “I am so sorry, Mr Mouse,” sympathized the pig, “but there is nothing I can do about it but pray; be assured that you are in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow, who replied, “A mouse trap, am I in grave danger, huh?”
So the mouse returned to the house, head down and depressed to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house, like the sound of a mouse trap catching its prey. The farmer’s wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she did not see that it was an evil snake whose tail the trap had caught. The snake bit the farmer’s wife. The farmer rushed her to the hospital. She returned home with a fever. Now everyone knew to treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient. His wife’s sickness continued so that friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig. The farmer’s wife did not get well, in fact, she died, and so many people came for her funeral. The farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide meat for all of them to eat.
So the next time you hear that someone is facing a problem and think that it does not concern you, remember that when the least of us is threatened, we are all at risk.We may infer that the passage is most probably a ______.
| A．fairy tale (神话) | B．Fable (寓言) | C．science fiction | D．news report |
We could see from the passage that the mouse was ______.
| A．kind and warm-hearted | B．well-informed |
| C．good at cheating others | D．foolish and rude |
The underlined word “ingredient” (Paragraph 7) refers to ______.
| A．the mouse | B．the pig | C．the snake | D．the chicken |
What can we learn from the story?
| A．Better safe than sorry. |
| B．Traps are usually well disguised. |
| C．To help others is just to save you. |
| D．To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all. |