Everyone knows we must exercise regularly to maintain good health.Indeed, staying physically fit is a big part of our culture.We consider (and rightly so) that healthy people are attractive people.Since most of us want to be attractive, there is no shortage of exercise clubs, training videos, magazines, and books offering to help us stay physically fit.
Unfortunately, however, our culture does not place the same emphasis on mental fitness.Although we admire and love men and women with strong and healthy-looking bodies, we don’t have the same degree of respect or attraction for smart, educated and mentally healthy people.This is a shame, because there are immense rewards for people who have developed the ability to think well.
If your mind is well trained and flexible, you will be able to understand a great deal of what happens around you.And if you are also well educated--- that is, if you understand basic science, mathematics, music, art, literature, history and so on--- you will find it much easier to make good decisions throughout your life.Over the long run, this leads to a sense of control over your destiny and a much better life than otherwise.
People who are poorly educated or who don’t think well--- that is, people who are not mentally fit see things differently.Their world is controlled by mysterious, but often malevolent (恶意的) forces.Such people live within a system they will never master, forced to follow the rules they will never understand.Although it may not be obvious, most people spend their lives being manipulated (控制) by others.They are told what to do, what to think, how to spend their money, and what they should and should not aspire (渴求) to in life.
In my opinion, if you want to live well, you must be able to use your mind well.For this reason, I want you to be able to concentrate, solve problem, understand complex ideas, and think clearly and quickly.Such skills will make it easier for you to make informed decisions, understand current events, choose good friends, manage your money well, make wise long-term decisions, and appreciate music, art and literature.
The key to developing such skills is to enjoy learning, and to have the ability and motivation to teach yourself.
67.The writer of the passage feels disappointed that______________.
A.some people have not the skill to make good decisions
B.the world of the physically healthy people is controlled by mysterious forces
C.mentally healthy people are not as popular as physically people
D.too much has been done to help people stay physically fit
68.The underline word “this” refers to___________.
A.the understanding of a great deal of what goes on around you
B.the understanding of basic science and mathematics
C.good training in body and mind
D.being able to make good decisions in life
69.The writer of the passage thinks that those who are not mentally fit___________.
A.live a poor and mysterious life B.can’t control over their life
C.often do what others do D.enjoy being fooled and ruled
70.The best title of the passage will most probably be______________.
A.Mind Helps You More B.Train Your Mind
C.Make Informed Decisions D.Learn More to Help Yourself
Shirley Temple Black, who lifted America’s spirit as a bright-eyed child movie star during the Great Depression, peacefully passed away at her California home on Monday evening at 85, surrounded by her family and caregivers.
Temple, born on April 23, 1928, started her entertainment career in the early 1930s and was famous by age 6. Temple was 3 when her mother put her in dance school, where a talent scout spotted her and got her in Baby Burlesks, a series of short movies with child actors playing in adult movies.
Movie studio directors took notice of her and in 1934 she appeared in the film Stand Up and Cheer! and her song and dance caught people’s attention. Movies such as Little Miss Marker and Bright Eyes featured her signature song. In 1935, she received a special Oscar for her “outstanding contribution to screen entertainment” in the movie Stand Up and Cheer!
She made some 40 feature movies, including The Little Colonel, Poor Little Rich Girl, Heidi and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, in 10 years, starring with big-name actors like Randolph Scott, Lionel Barrymore and Jimmy Durante. Temple was a superstar before the term was invented. She said she was about 8 when crowds shouting their love for her made her realize she was famous. “I wondered why,” she recalled. “I asked my mother and she said, ‘Because your films make them happy.’ ”
Her child career came to an end at 12. She tried a few roles as a teenager—including opposite future president Ronald Reagan in That Hagen Girl – but retired from the screen in 1949 at 21.
Temple was only 17 when she married for the first time to John Agar, who would eventually appear with her in two movies. Their five-year marriage produced a daughter. In 1950 she wed Charles Black in a marriage that lasted until his death in 2005. She and Black had two children. Temple’s interest in politics was sparked in the early 1950s when her husband was called back into the Navy to work in Washington.For which movie did Shirley Temple win the Oscar?
A.That Hagen Girl |
B.Little Miss Marker |
C.Stand Up and Cheer |
D.The Little Colonel |
When Temple first caught the audience’s eyes, ____.
A.she hoped to play a role in a series of movies |
B.her family was offered |
C.her mother sent her to a local dance school |
D.the United States was in fact in financial straits |
After Temple got married to Charles Black, ____.
A.she might have begun her political life |
B.she had to raise her two young children |
C.she decided to work for the Navy |
D.she ended her film career on screen |
It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that ___.
A.people could find happiness in Temple’s films |
B.Temple’s mother only focused on income |
C.Temple disliked crowds shouting at her |
D.Temple’s mother was worried about her |
A beer bottle thrown from the stands landed near Usain Bolt in the moments before the 100-meter final Sunday night in London.
As Bolt and seven other competitors ducked into their starting crouches, a bottle sailed from the first row of the stands at Olympic Stadium.
It harmlessly bounced in the lane belonging to Yohan Blake and didn’t appear to cause a distraction(分心) to the runners, who started a moment later. The thrower’s lack of distance was a blessing. Had he gathered tips from the competitors of the hammer throw(链球) competition, which was taking place in the infield at the same time as the 100 final, the bottle could have hit one of the competitors. It ended up landing a few feet from Blake (lane5).
Edith Bosch, a female Dutch judoka who won a bronze medal earlier during the Olympics, claimed that the man who threw the bottle was sitting near her and that she “beat” him. Whether that’s true or the hyperbole (夸张的语句) of an aggravated athlete was unclear in the minutes after the incident. Pictures show a group of Dutch athletes sitting behind the starting area.
Police took the man into custody(监护). He will appear in court on Monday morning.
Neither Bolt nor Blake said they knew of the incident until they were informed by reporters. “I don’t know who would have done that,” Bolt said.
Gatlin was aware of it but implied it was only a slight distraction. “I didn’t know what it was,” he said, according to the BBC, “but when you’re in those blocks, the whole stadium is so quiet that you can hear a pin drop.”How many exact athletes are mentioned in the text?
A.Two | B.Four | C.Seven | D.Eleven |
What is the text mainly about?
A.Usain Bolt along with seven other competitors |
B.A female Dutch judoka sitting behind the starting area. |
C.The lane belonging to Yohan Blake before 100 final. |
D.A beer bottle thrown at Usain Bolt before 100 final. |
What’s the writer’s attitude towards the athletes for the 100-meter final?
A.Critical | B.Doubtful |
C.Disapproving | D.Positive |
Helen Thomas, the pioneering White House reporter known for putting presidents on the hot seat, died at 92.
To those who regularly watch presidential press conferences, Helen Thomas is a familiar figure.Usually dressed in red and always seated in the front row, she is always the first or second reporter the president calls upon.It is an honor she has earned.Besides, it affords her the perfect opportunity to do what she does best ---- challenge the president and other public officials to tell the plain truth.She said, "We reporters' priority(首要事情) is the people's right to know ---- without fear or favor.We are the people's servants."
Helen Thomas was born in Kentucky in 1920.All the nine Thomas children were brought up to value education, and all were expected to make something of themselves through working hard.She made up her mind while still in high school to become a reporter after writing for the student newspaper.After receiving her bachelor's degree in 1942, Thomas headed straight for Washington, D.C.in search of a newspaper job.Before long, she landed one at Washington Daily News.Her duty included fetching coffee and doughnuts for the paper's reporters and editors.The eager young woman found the atmosphere exciting and was convinced she had made the right career choice.
Her big break came when she was sent to Florida to report on the vacation of President-elect John F.Kennedy and his family.Once President Kennedy took office, Thomas changed her focus from the president's family to his policies.She began attending the daily press briefings at the White House as well as presidential press conferences.Thomas has covered every president since Kennedy.Over the years, Thomas found her job "thrilling and inspiring," but never boring.And she took very seriously her duty to "keep an eye on the president" and keep American people informed.What can we learn about Helen Thomas from the passage?
A.Her career took off after covering the Kennedys. |
B.Her first job was to deliver doughnuts to a news agency. |
C.She was born to a large family in Kentucky in 1942. |
D.She decided to be a reporter while in college. |
Paragraph 3 is written to show Helen Thomas
A.is a good decision maker for her career |
B.appreciates education and hard work |
C.wants to be famous by writing reports |
D.has great support from her family |
What does Helen Thomas think other work?
A.Unbearable. | B.Exciting. |
C.Challenging. | D.Unforgettable. |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.A reporter sticking to the facts. |
B.A reporter challenging President Kennedy. |
C.A reporter from an ordinary family. |
D.A reporter for Washington Daily News. |
If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don't need to feel surprised.They are a flash mob (快闪族), which is a group of people who come together suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly break up.They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communication network.At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some distractions(消遣) such as waving their hands and exchanging books, Then, they quickly break up before the police can arrive.Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its location if the first one has been replaced for any reason.
Bill Lasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3, 2003 - after the first attempt was foiled at Macy's department store.Lasik claimed that the activity was designed to make fun of hipsters (起时髦的人), and call attention to the cultural atmosphere.
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people.Such an activity might seem amusing and untrue, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place.Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction.They also have great economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product.
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular.People use it to do many things.For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson's fans took part in a flash mob to remember him.Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael's famous song "Beat It" together.Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory.The undefined word "foiled" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by .
A.forgotten | B.prevented |
C.announced | D.confirmed |
What can you learn about the flash mob from the passage?
A.The flash mob usually breaks up quickly for lacking enough time. |
B.Once the place for the activity is determined, it can't be changed. |
C.The flash mob can be made use of in many fields just for fun. |
D.It gives people the chance to come together to do something unusual. |
The main purpose of the passage is ______
A.to entertain | B.to encourage |
C.to inform | D.to persuade |
The writer's attitude towards the flash mob is
A.negative | B.favorable |
C.objective | D.doubtful |
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
A.the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered |
B.the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise |
C.the good enough data has been collected from only one country |
D.the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree |
According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
A.have little time to exercise |
B.hate to get regular exercise |
C.take more exercise to lose weight |
D.exercise more than men in their country |
The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
A.powerful | B.rich | C.lazy | D.unpopular |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise |
B.New Health Discovery |
C.Evolvement of Human Beings |
D.Benefits of Taking Exercise |