That “Monday morning feeling” could be a crushing pain in the chest which leaves you sweating and gasping for breath. Recent research from Germany and Italy shows that heart attacks are more common on Monday mornings and doctors blame the stress of returning to work after the weekend break.
The risk of having a heart attack on any given day should be one in seven, but a six-year study helped by researchers at the Free University of Berlin of more than 2,600 Germans showed that the average person had a 20 per cent higher chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than on any other day.
Working Germans are particularly not protected against attack, with a 33 per cent higher risk at the beginning of the working week. Non-workers, by comparison, appear to be no more at risk on a Monday than any other day.
A study of 11,000 Italians proved 8 am on a Monday morning as the most stressful time for the heart, and both studies showed that Sunday is the least stressful day, with fewer heart attacks in both countries.
The findings could lead to a better understanding of what is the immediate cause of heart attacks, according to Dr Stefan Willich of the Free University. “We know a lot about long-term risk factors such as smoking and cholesterol（胆固醇）but we don’t know what actually causes heart attacks, so we can’t give clear advice on how to prevent them,” he said.
Monday mornings have a double helping of stress for the working body as it makes a rapid change from sleep to activity, and from the relaxing weekend to the pressures of work.
“When people get up, their blood pressure and heart rate go up and there are hormonal（内分泌）changes in their bodies,” Willich explained. “All these things can have an unfavourable effect in the blood system and increase the risk of a clot（血凝块）in the arteries（动脉）which will cause a heart attack.”
“When people return to work after a weekend off, the pace of their life changes. They have a higher workload, more stress, more anger and more physical activity,” said Willich.Monday morning feeling, as this passage shows, .
| A．is not so serious as people thought |
| B．is harmful to working people in developed countries. |
| C．is the first killer in Germany and Italy. |
| D．is created by researchers in Germany and Italy |
To protect people from suffering from heart attack, doctors have paid much attention to .
| A．people’s working time | B．people’s living place |
| C．people’s diet and lifestyle | D．people’s nationalities |
It can be learned from this passage that heart attack has nothing to do with .
| A．blood pressure | B．heart rate | C．hormonal changes | D．blood group |
If the researchers give us some advice to avoid Monday morning feeling, what might it be?
| A．Stop working on Monday | B．Create a pleasant working environment |
| C．Get up late on Monday morning | D．Go to work with a doctor |
Rivers are one of our most important natural resources. Many of the world’s great cities are located on rivers, and almost every country has at least one river flowing through it that plays an important part in the lives of its people.
Since the beginning of history, people have used rivers for transportation. The longest one in the United States is the Mississippi. The lifeline of Egypt is the Nile. To the people of India , the Ganges is great, but it is also important for transportation; ships can travel along it for a thousand miles. Other great rivers are the Congo in Africa and the Mekong in southeast Asia, The greatest of all for navigation(航海), however, is the Amazon in Brail, It is so wide and so deep that large ships can go about two thousand miles upon it.
Besides transportation, rivers give food, water to drink, water for crops, and chances for fun and recreation for the people who live along their banks. In order to increase the supply of water for crops, engineers sometimes build a dam across a river and let a lake form behind the dam. Then people can use the water not only to irrigate their fields but also to make electricity for their homes and industries.
However, large cities and industries that are located upon rivers often make problems. As the cities grow in size and industries increase in number, the water in the rivers becomes polluted with chemicals and other materials. People are learning the importance, however, of doing more to keep their rivers clean if they want to enjoy the benefits of this natural resource.
| A．the Amazon | B．the Nile |
| C．the Mekong | D．the Mississippi |
| A．The Nile is an important river in India. |
| B．Almost every country has at least one important river. |
| C．Many cities are located on rivers. |
| D．Rivers play an important part in the lives of people. |
| A．keeping the rivers clean |
| B．only making electricity |
| C．washing clothes |
| D．irrigation and making electricity |
| A．people’s drinking water too much |
| B．people’s swimming in the river too much |
| C．chemicals and other materials |
| D．people’s building a dam across a river |
| A．Rivers in cities | B．The importance of rivers |
| C．Transportation | D．Natural resources |
Christmas in Australia is often very hot. Whereas the northern hemisphere is in the middle of winter, Australians are baking in summer heat. It is not unusual to have Christmas Day well into the mid 30 degrees Celsius, or near 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
A traditional meal includes a turkey dinner, with ham, and pork. A flaming Christmas plum pudding is added for dessert. In the Australian gold rushes, Christmas puddings often contained a gold nugget. Today a small favor is baked inside. Whoever finds this knows s/he will enjoy good luck. Another treat is Mince Pies.
Some Australians and particularly tourists often have their Christmas dinner at midday on a local beach, Bondi Beach in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs attracts thousands of people on Christmas Day. Other families enjoy their day by having a picnic. If they are at home, the day is punctuated(不时中断) by swimming in a pool, playing Cricket out the backyard, and other outdoor activities.
The warm weather allows Australians to enjoy a tradition which started in 1937. Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve, where tens of thousands of people gather in the city of Melbourne to sing their favorite Christmas songs. The evening is lit by as many candles singing under a clean cut night sky. The sky with its Southern Cross stars is like a mirror. Sydney and the other capital cities also enjoy Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
Australians surround themselves with Christmas Bush, a native plant which has little red flowered leaves.
| A．the country is in the Northern Hemisphere |
| B．people go shopping in shorts and T-shirts |
| C．the festival is not in winter but in summer |
| D．Santa Claus is on a surfboard at many beaches |
| A．ham | B．pork | C．turkey | D．pumpkin |
| A．Tourists like to have Christmas dinner on a beach |
| B．People play outdoor activities at home after picnic. |
| C．Carols by Candlelight is held every year on Christmas Eve |
| D．Sydney enjoys Carols in the weeks leading up to Christmas. |
| A．the warm weather |
| B．the Christmas Bush |
| C．the activities at daytime |
| D．the Southern Cross stars |
| A．Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs |
| B．Christmas meals in Australia |
| C．Christmas in Australia |
| D．Christmas shopping in Australia |
How to improve my life? Many people think that they have to accept whatever life throws at them. They'll say, "This is my fate, my destiny. I cannot change it."
Of course not! You don't have to suffer needlessly. Your destiny depends on you, not on any other outer factors.
I know someone who says she just accepts what life gives her because she has done everything she can to improve it. Guess what her lifestyle is? She wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes back home, relaxes, chats with people, watches TV, then goes to sleep. Next day, the same things cycle follows.
Huh! Is this what she calls "doing her best"? She believes she has tried her best and just accepts it in her heart that this is the life that God has intended for her to live; that her luck can only change if God wills it. Of course God wants us to be happy and live our life to the fullest, but we have to do our share of exerting (运用) the effort to live the life of our dreams.
Remember that you reap what you sow. You just don't sit around and wait for a million dollars to fall from the sky. You have to get off the couch, get your eyes off the TV screen, get your hands off the phone. Don't expect your luck to change unless you do something about it. If something goes wrong, don't just regard it as a temporary(临时的) setback; but use it as feedback. Learn your lesson, make the most of the situation, and do something to solve the problem. It's not enough to think positively（积极地）; you also have to act positively.
If someone's life is in the trouble, do you just hope and pray that things will turn out fine? Of course not! You get to do anything you can to save the person. So it is with your own life. It is not enough to hope for the best, but you have to do your best. In other words, don't just stand (or sit ) there, do something to improve your life.According to the woman mentioned in Para.3, her life _______.
| A．doesn't need improving |
| B．couldn't be improved |
| C．will be better some day |
| D．Will be worse in the future |
What does the author think of the woman's life?
| A．positive | B．satisfying |
| C．colorful | D．passive |
Which of the following statements is the author's opinion?
| A．Your temporary problem is not discouraging. |
| B．Your luck can be changed by your hard work. |
| C．You can only achieve success when God wills it. |
| D．You should treat yourself in the way you treat friends. |
In Para.5, the author emphasized the importance of _______.
| A．positive action |
| B．positive thinking |
| C．hope for the best |
| D．intention to succeed |
The text is mainly written to advise you to _______.
| A．understand yourself |
| B．improve your life |
| C．believe in yourself |
| D．change your normal way |
“I love you Bob.” “I love you too, Nancy.” It was 2 a.m., and I was hearing my parents’ voices through the thin wall separating my bedroom from theirs. Their loving words were sweet, touching —and surprising.
My parents married on September 14, 1940, after a brief dating. She was nearly 30 and knew it was time to start a family. The handsome well-educated man who came by the office where she worked looked like a good bet. He was attracted by her figure, her blue eyes. The romance didn’t last long.
Seeds of difference grew almost immediately. She liked to travel; he hated the thought. He loved golf; she did not. He was a Republican, she a loyal Democrat. They fought at the bridge table, at the dinner table, over money, over the shortcomings of their parents.
There was a hope that they would change once they retired (退休), and the angry winds did calm somewhat, but what remained changed itself into bright, hard bitterness. “I always thought we’d …” my mother would begin, before making a detailed list of my father’s faults. The complaints were recited so often, I can repeat them by heart today. As he listened, my father would say something angrily in a low voice.
It wasn’t the happiest marriage, but as their 60th anniversary (纪念日) came nearer, my sister and I decided to throw a party. Sixty years was a long time, after all. Why not try to make the best of things? We’d provide the cakes, the balloons, the toasts, and they’d follow one rule: no fighting.
The agreement was honored. We had a wonderful day. When we thought back, we found it was an important celebration, because soon after, things began to change for my parents.
Bob married Nancy because of ______.
| A．her nice appearance |
| B．her good education |
| C．her romantic nature |
| D．her position as an office girl |
When the writer told the story, the mother was probably ______ years old.
| A．60 | B．70 | C．80 | D．90 |
What do we know about the writer’s parents?
| A．Their marriage is a total failure. |
| B．They had different hobbies. |
| C．They had serious money problem. |
| D．They stopped quarrelling after they had children. |
The purpose for the writer to hold the party is ______.
| A．to recall the 60 years’ marriage life of her parents |
| B．to stop the long fighting between her parents |
| C．just to celebrate her parents’ 60th anniversary |
| D．to have a good time for family’s reunion |
Suppose this passage is taken from the Reader’s Digest, which column do you think it is taken from?
| A．Everyday Heroes | B．My Planet |
| C．Turning Point | D．Unforgettable |
When talking about colds, maybe some people say it is very common. During the cold winter days, many people will complain the cold winter makes them catch a cold, and what they feel upset are not only the headache, cough but also the runny nose. It is so embarrassing when they forget to take a handkerchief or tissue along with them.
Want to stay away from colds? Put on a happy face.
Compared to unhappy people, those who are cheerful and relaxed are less likely to suffer from colds, according to a new study. It’s possible that being happy helps the body fight illnesses, say the researchers from New York University.
“It seems that positive(积极的) feelings may reduce (减少)the danger of illness,” said the study’s chief researcher Sheldon Cohen.
In an earlier study, Cohen found that people who were cheerful and lively caught coughs and colds less often. People who showed feelings were also less likely to tell their doctors that they felt ill.
In this study, Cohen has interviewed 193 adults every day for two weeks. During the interviews, the people told researchers that they were given colds by doctors and had to stay alone in a room for six days.
The results showed that everyone in the study was equally(相等地) likely to get ill. But for people who said they felt happy during the research period, their illness are less serious and lasted for a shorter time.
Cohen believes that when people experience positive feelings, their body may produce a chemical that helps fight illness and disease. So if you are worried about your health, look on the brighter side more often.The underline part in Paragraph 5 is probably means ___________.
| A．sad | B．bad-tempered |
| C．thoughtful | D．outgoing |
What did the study find?
| A．People who felt happy never got ill. |
| B．People’s feelings didn’t influence their health. |
| C．People with good feelings became ill more easily. |
| D．People with positive feelings had less serious illnesses. |
According to Cohen, which of the following may help fight illness?
| A．Eating. | B．Laughing | C．Crying | D．Sleeping. |
This passage is a/an_______.
| A．advertisement | B．story |
| C．newspaper report | D．scientist’s diary |
What is the best title for this passage? ________
| A．Smiles can fight colds | B．Cause of colds found |
| C．The danger of colds | D．How people get sick |