Toronto---A pleasant attitude can do wonders for patients’ recovery, according to researchers who reviewed 16 studies that looked at patients’ attitudes toward health. The studies lasted 30 years and looked at patients’ attitudes after operation.
“In each case the better a patient’s expectations about how they would do after operation or some health procedure, the better they did,” said the author Donald Cole,
of the Institute for Work and Health in Toronto.
“This mind-body connection that we have been toying with for the past couple of decades really does have hard science behind it. The result shows that the power of positive thinking is real,” Cole said.
New York-A Pable Picasso painting sold at Christie’s auction house in New York Wednesday for 55-million dollars. The price set a new auction record for a Picasso, and is the fifth-highest price ever paid for any work of art at auction.
The painting---Woman with her arms crossed---was purchased by an telephone bidder(投标者).Painted in 1902 in Barcelona, the portrait is one of the best-known works from what is called Picasso’s blue period.
Christie’s says the painting by the famous Spanish artist is of a quality not seen on the market in more than 10 years.It sold for more than twice its pre-sale estimate.
Xinhua Agency---It had not come up until the very last minute in Premier Wen Jiabao’s two-hour press conference that concludes the annual sessions of the national legislature and political advisory body. But when it did it, it became an immediate catch phrase at home.
“I think fairness and justice are more glorious than the sun.” said Wen, responding to the laast question in yesterday’s press session. Which turned out to be the most-quoted lines in domestic media.
1.News Item 1 intends to make us believe that______.
A. positive thinking can make people healthy
B. a better attitude results in a better operation
C. researchers have observed 16 patients’ recovery during the past 30 years
D. great attention has been paid to how attitudes affect health
2.Which of the following is NOT true about the painting Woman with her arms crossed?
A. The painting was once thought to be worth around $25 million.
B. The painting is one of the most expensive pictures ever sold at auction.
C. The painting was purchased through telephone.
D. The painting has not been seen on the market for more than 10 years.
3. “I think fairness and justice are more glorious than the sun.” where does Wen say this?
A. At an online interview
B. At a press conference
C. At a meeting to all the leaders
D. At a speech in Beijing University
When first entered, Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics, watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, an reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large. Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
The food, especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill （烤肉架）.
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different style of grilled meat. One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grille chicken pieces served with either rice or bread. Another great kabob is the Cbelo Kabob, kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant is small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ______.
| A．is splendidly decorated |
| B．has pleasant smells of kabobs |
| C．is crowded with dining tables |
| D．looks like a common restaurant |
What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
| A．Watching news events on TV. |
| B．Drinking a kind of black coffee. |
| C．Reading local English newspapers. |
| D．Discussing world topics in low voices. |
The food of the restaurant ______.
| A．is served in small amounts | B．is rather expensive |
| C．is rich in variety | D．is very healthy |
What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
| A．Rice | B．Chicken | C．Bread | D．Beef |
It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant ________.
| A．occupies a large space |
| B．owns a favorable location |
| C．is popular for its special food |
| D．has a quiet environment inside |
We know the famous ones--the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells --but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper (雨刮器) ? Shouldn' t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean thinks so. In fact, Mclean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she' s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning "who" invented "what" , however, Mclean also likes her students to learn the answers to the "why" and "how" questions. According to Mclean, "When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try. "
Her students agree. One young man with a patent（专利）for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean's statement. "If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper' s invention," said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major. "I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rain storm into something so constructive. " Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn' t be a built - in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever (操作杆) on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It' s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan' s traffic light. It' s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett' s innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses? By mentioning "traffic light" and "windshield wiper”, the author indicates that countless inventions are_______.
| A．beneficial, because their inventors are famous |
| B．beneficial, though their inventors are less famous |
| C．not useful, because their inventors are less famous |
| D．not useful, though their inventors are famous |
Professor Joan McLean' s course aims to _____.
| A．add color and variety to students' campus life |
| B．inform students of the windshield wiper' s invention |
| C．carry out the requirements by Mountain University |
| D．prepare students to try their own invention |
Tommy Lee' s invention of the unbreakable umbrella was _____
| A．not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer |
| B．inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper |
| C．due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm |
| D．not related to Professor Joan McLean' s lectures |
Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
| A．How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers? |
| B．How to Design a Built -in Device for Cleaning the Window? |
| C．Shouldn't We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper? |
| D．Shouldn' t We Develop Invention Courses in Universities? |
Two of the hardest things to accomplish in this world are to acquire wealth by honest effort and, having gained it, to learn how to use it properly. Recently I walked into the locker room(衣帽间) of a rather well known golf club after finishing a round. It was in the late afternoon and most of the members had left for their homes. But a half - dozen or so men past middle age were still seated at tables talking aimlessly and drinking more than was good for them. These same men can be found there day after day, and, strangely enough, each one of these men had been a man of affairs and wealth, successful in business and respected in the community if material prosperity were the chief necessity for happiness, then each one should have been happy. Yet, it seemed to me, something very important was missing, else-there would not have been the constant effort to escape the realities of life through scotch（苏格兰威士忌） and soda. They knew, each one of them, that their productivity had ceased(停止). When a fruit tree ceases to bear its fruit, it is dying. And it is even so with man.
What is the answer to a long and happy existence in this world of ours? I think I found it long ago in a passage from the book of Genesis which caught my eye while I was looking through my Bible. The words were few, but they became memorably impressed on my mind. " In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread. "
To me, that has been a challenge from my earliest recollections ( memories). In fact, the battle of life, of existence, is a challenge to everyone. The immortal words of St. Paul, too, have been and always will be a great inspiration to me. At the end of the road I want to be able to feel that I have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith.Which of the following is indicated in the first paragraph?
| A．Wealth results from honest effort. |
| B．The men seated at tables in the locker room are lost in the significance of life. |
| C．For some people, no way can be found to escape the realities of life other than scotch and soda. |
| D．The men acquire wealth by planting fruit trees. |
The underlined sentence "In the sweat of the face shall you eat the bread " means "_______
| A．Bread tastes delicious when sweat pours off your face |
| B．No pains, no gains |
| C．Failure is the mother of success |
| D．Bread comes from the sweat on your face |
45.We learn from the passage that the author_______ .
| A．was a wealthy person in the community |
| B．held a positive attitude towards an active life |
| C．was fond of associating with celebrities (名人) |
| D．kept a secret of the reason why he was so impressed |
What is implied in the passage by the writer?
| A．To use wealth properly, eat, drink and be merry. |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| C．As life is but like a dream, a man is like a fruit tree. |
| D．If you cease to struggle, you cease to live. |
The English proficiency of Chinese women is much better than that of men, according to a study released in Shanghai yesterday, Chinese women scored three points higher than men in the English Proficiency Index(英语水平指数) released by EF Education, a language training company, mainly English. Worldside, women scored one point higher than men on average.
“This shows that Chinese women are more used to the Chinese education mode, the report said. Chinese women use their gift of language to gain success.”
However, Chinese mainlanders English proficiency ranked second to last in Asia, despite the great time and effort that many people invest in learning the language, the report said, China’s mainland is ranked the 36th in the index of 54 countries and regions where English is not the native language. That’s down by seven places comparing with that last year. The Chinese mainland belongs to the low-proficiency tier(低水平层次) and is ranked just above Thailand in Asia. This year’s index has increased the weight of listening tests, while decreasing the importance of grammar and vocabulary exams, which partly caused the ranking change, researchers said. Moreover, test-oriented(以考试为目的) and rote-based(死记硬背)learning methods often used in China hurt the language skills of Chinese students, education experts said.
The study compared test scores of more than 1.7 million adults in the 54 countries and regions. Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands have the best command of English, while Libya has the lowest English proficiency level. European countries generally performed well. But Italy, Spain and Portugal, some of the countries at the heart of the euro zone crisis, are being dragged down by poor English, according to the report. Singapore is 12th, the best in Asia, followed by Malaysia and India, South Korea; at 21st, and Japan, at 22nd, performed disappointingly low despite their focus on education; the report said.
One in every four people frequently uses English at work on China’s mainland, nevertheless nearly 15 percent said they never use English, lower than the world average level, according to the study.What is EF Education?
| A．It is a language test organization |
| B．It is an English teaching school. |
| C．It is a language training company. |
| D．It is an organization studying human. |
By what do Chinese women gain success in English learning?
| A．Cheating. | B．Gift. |
| C．Learning by heart. | D．Asking for help. |
What can we learn from paragraph 3?
| A．Chinese mainlanders’ English proficiency ranked second in the index of 54 countries and regions. |
| B．Chinese mainlanders’ English proficiency ranked 29th last year. |
| C．The Chinese mainland belongs to the midproficiency tier. |
| D．This year’s index has increased the weight of grammar and vocabulary exams. |
Which of the following order is TRUE in the ranking of the English Proficiency Index?
| A．Denmark > India > Japan > Singapore > Libya |
| B．Denmark > Japan > Singapore > India > Libya |
| C．India>Japan > Denmark > Singapore > Libya |
| D．Denmark > Singapore > India > Japan > Libya |
No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管). A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University’s clinical trials unit, said “These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that’s a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
| A．We can eat too much tomato food. |
| B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks. |
| C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements were put into pills. |
| D．We had better not eat tomatoes. |
We can learn from the passage that the pills ____.
| A．are at the experiment stage |
| B．can cure all the disease |
| C．are widely used among patients |
| D．cost patients so little money |
Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?
| A．Children. | B．Youth. |
| C．Working people. | D．old healthy people. |
What Was Ian Wilkinson’s opinion on the trial?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Surprising. |
| C．Satisfactory. | D．Terrible. |