I received pictures of my daughter floating (漂浮) on a lake in California. Right there under the sun during the hottest time of the day, she has only her swimsuit to cover her.
When I showed it to my students, it was as if I had shown them scenes from a horror (恐怖) movie.
“But she will get dark,” they said.
“That’s what she wants,” I told them. “We think darker skin (肤色) is beautiful.”
They looked at me in disbelief. It was as if I came from the moon.
For years, American girls spend their summer trying to get as tanned (晒黑) as possible. In China, on the other hand, girls use umbrellas all year round.
What in the world is going on?
The pale skin we think looks unattractive (不漂亮) is what Asian women want. Both groups want to meet their culture’s standard (标准) of beauty.
In the US, if you can afford to go on vacation in the summer, you head for a river, a lake or a beach, where you try to get as much sun as possible. If you are rich you take a winter vacation in some sunny spot. Your winter tan shows your wealth.
In China, once upon a time, the few wealthy were the ones who didn’t have to work out in the hot sun. So the whiter the skin, the richer the woman. The folk opera performers who play these ladies wore lots of white makeup (妆容). The tradition survives to this day.
So it comes naturally that none of my students wishes to follow the Western ways in this regard.
But now I am noticing that a new business – the tanning booth (美黑店) – started up in China. I admire those brave enough to define（给…下定义）their own idea of beauty, but I do wonder what their grandmothers would have to say to them about it! The students were shocked at the picture the writer showed them because ______.
| A．they thought it shameful for a girl only to wear a swimsuit |
| B．the writer’s daughter was wearing very little while out in the sun |
| C．it is dangerous for a girl to be out on a lake alone |
| D．with the powerful sunlight the writer’s daughter would have got a suntan |
According to the article, which kind of woman meets the American standard of beauty?
| A．Women with blond hair. | B．Women w ith a slim figure. |
| C．Women with tanned skin. | D．Women with pale skin. |
In the US a winter tan usually means the person _____.
| A．is hard-working | B．doesn’t have to work |
C．has a  lot of money and spare time |
D．is from a very poor family |
The writer ______ the tanning booth started up in China.
| A．is not interested in | B．doesn’t understand |
| C．doesn’t like | D．has mixed feelings about |
In Singapore，most of us love window-shopping while some others enjoy having a picnic at East Coast Park or Changi Beach on sunny days．Singaporeans are never bothered by the occasional thunderstorm．However，we know that if it rains for long continuous periods，there will be more serious effects．Just recently the main shopping street of Orchard Road was flooded and some part of Bukit Timah was impassable(不能通行的)to traffic．People reacted by writing in to the newspaper to complain about this! We forget that other countries suffer much worse effects.
Elsewhere，heavy tropical(热带的)storms often result in floods that ruin crops especially in Thailand and Malaysia．This in turn usually means that the price of rice and vegetables here in Singapore will rise because we import these products from them．If there is a typhoon or tsunami，thousands of lives are lost too．This happened in Indonesia and Phuket in Thailand in 2004 and It serves to remind us of how Mother Nature can cause great damage．
Weather patterns in general have changed dramatically in recent years．Scientists believe that global warming and the resulting melting of the polar ice-cap has caused the level of the ocean to rise．This in turn causes flooding of low-lying areas in countries where the land is rather flat and some parts of which is below water level．It is believed that human activities have caused Mother Nature to show her extreme anger，so it is now important that we really work together to cut down on harmful activities，for example，illegal logging(伐木)or irresponsible forest-burning to clear land for farming．．From Paragraph 1，we can see that most Singaporeans love ______________．
| A．making complaints | B．going out for picnics |
| C．doing window-shopping | D．traveling along the coast |
．What will happen in Singapore if there are floods in its neighboring countries?
| A．Heavy tropical storms will follow shortly． |
| B．The price of rice and vegetables will go up． |
| C．Many people will write in to the newspaper． |
| D．More rice and vegetables will be imported． |
．The underlined word“it”in Paragraph 2 refers to ___________．
| A．the arrival of heavy tropical storms |
| B．the import of rice and vegetables |
| C．the rising price of rice and vegetables |
| D．the loss of lives in natural disasters |
．What’s the right order of the following events?
a．global warming
b．the rise in ocean level
c．harmful human activities
d．the flooding of low-lying areas
e．the melting of the polar ice-cap
| A．c→a→e→b→d | B．a→c→e→b→d |
| C．c→a→b→e→d | D．d→a→c→b→e |
．What should we do in order not to make Mother Nature angry?
| A．Clear more land for farming． |
| B．Reduce harmful human activities． |
| C．Bring down the price of food． |
| D．Improve the quality of weather． |
At some time in your life you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse（冲动）, but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years within the same society, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.
One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that Americans talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious(注意形象的) society like the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”.
It’s not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have become obsessed with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for America’s fascination with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of North Americans has changed dramatically during the course of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak and vulnerable to disease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans are spending more of their time exercising. From the passage we can infer taboo is .
| A．a strong desire to do something strange or terrible |
| B．a crime committed on impulse |
| C．behavior considered unacceptable in society’s eyes |
| D．an unfavorable impression left on other people |
Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude “being fat”in American society.
| A．will always remain a taboo |
| B．is not considered a taboo by most people |
| C．has been a taboo long before |
| D．may no longer be a taboo some day |
The topic of fat is many other taboo subjects.
| A．the same as | B．different from |
| C．more boring than | D．less often talked about than |
In the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”, this means .
| A．thin is “inside”, fat is “outside” |
| B．thin is “diligent”, fat is “lazy” |
| C．thin is “youthful”, fat is “spiritless” |
| D．thin is “fashionable”, fat is “unfashionable” |
The main reason the passage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is.
| A．their changed life-style |
| B．their eagerness to stay thin and healthy |
| C．their appreciation of the importance of exercise |
| D．the encouragement they have received from their companies |
Google has started Google Science Fair (GSF) 2014, its annual online competition for bright, creative and ambitious teenagers who want to change the world with science. While the project is led by Google, it also has the support of the Lego Group and world-famous publications National Geographic and Scientific American. The competition is open for students aged 13 to 18, who can sign-up now, form a team and begin working on a submission(提交申请).
The winner will be rewarded with a ten-day exploration to the Galapagos Islands aboard the National Geographic Endeavor, as well as a VIP tour of “Spaceport America” in New Mexico. Google is also throwing in a $50,000 scholarship and $10,000 for the winner’s school to purchase cutting-edge science lab equipment.
Google suggests that each project should be “an in-depth investigation of a science question or engineering problem” but otherwise, it’s up to students to pick and develop an idea that follows the competition rules.
Completed projects need to be submitted by May 12, 2014 at 11:59 PDT. Google will announce the regional competitors in June, ahead of global finalists in August and the competition winners in September.
Interested? Here are the rules.
If you want to enter the competition as an individual, you should register first. Complete requested information about yourself and your project in the registration section before creating your project. You may edit this later. Click the box stating that you have read, accept, and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and Terms.
Upon completion of registration you may begin working on your project. The project must follow the technical, creative, and legal entry requirements set out in these Official Rules and the Googlesciencefair.com Site. You will be required to complete all sections of the Project Site.
You may begin working on your project after completing the registration process, however, you may not submit it for judging until you have requested and received parental consent (允许). Once you have done this, your parent or guardian will receive an email from Google with instructions on how they can give their consent for you to participate. The project will not be judged unless this consent is received. From the first paragraph, we can learn that .
| A．GSF is a science competition |
| B．teenagers should form a team |
| C．every teenager can take part in it |
| D．GSF is organized by Google alone |
If you win in the competition, you will get the following except .
| A．a ten-day exploration to the Galapagos Islands |
| B．a tour of “Spaceport America” in New Mexico |
| C．a sum of scholarship of $50,000 |
| D．a school equipped with advanced science labs |
If you plan to enter GSF alone, .
| A．you should create your project as the first step |
| B．you needn’t follow the official rules at all |
| C．you should provide some personal information |
| D．you should start your project before registration |
What is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
| A．Parental consent. | B．Submission time. |
| C．Registration process. | D．Project requirements. |
The main purpose of the passage is to .
| A．explain problems on how to enter GSF |
| B．provide information about GSF |
| C．persuade teenagers to enter GSF |
| D．tell us the importance of GSF |
They tell us when to get up or when we’re running late for work and whether we are in danger of missing our favourite TV programme. But while our daily routines rely on clocks that tell us the time, science is discovering that our well-being is influenced by a very different kind of timepiece. Circadian rhythms---the human body’s own internal clock---have a powerful influence on our health and behaviour. They are programmed from birth and control functions ranging from temperature and blood pressure to sleep patterns.
In recent years researchers have also discovered that this built-in mechanism can influence everything from the way we react to medicines to how well we learn music.
The latest example, from experts at Harvard University in the US, shows that the human body clock can even dictate whether or not we are likely to tell the truth. Researchers found it was easier for people to fib（撒小谎） in the afternoon because, as they were tired, the self control that would normally prevent them from lying started to break down. Tiredness made it harder to resist the temptation to tell lies---especially if it meant they got a financial reward at the end.
“The body clock has a great effect on us all,” says Professor Jim Horne from the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University. “Most people tend to feel good around late morning and then decline in the early afternoon. But the time most of us will feel our sharpest is between 6pm and 8pm. That’s because sleepiness tends to build up throughout the day. By early evening our body clock kicks in to wake us up. One reason may be to ensure we get home safely. When our ancestors were coming home after hunting all day their internal clocks kicked in to get them home in one piece.”
So what effects do circadian rhythms have and what’s the best time of day to take advantage of them?The underlined word “They” in the first paragraph refers to.
| A．our clocks | B．scientists and experts |
| C．our daily routines | D．circadian rhythms |
The research referred to in Paragraph 3 found that people tend to.
| A．tell lies when they are tired |
| B．tell lies if they are rewarded |
| C．lose temper as they become tired |
| D．break down because they are tired |
According to the passage, when are people most quick-thinking?
| A．In the morning. | B．Around midday. |
| C．In the late afternoon. | D．In the early evening. |
What information will the writer probably present following the last paragraph?
| A．Some practical suggestions to prevent people from lying. |
| B．Examples of how the human body clocks control the body. |
| C．Examples of the most suitable time to do different activities. |
| D．An explanation of how the human body clock controls the body. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Rebuild your body clock | B．Timing is everything |
| C．Sleep more, lie less | D．Your time is limited |
A newly-wedded couple on a four-month honeymoon were hit by six natural disasters, including the Australian floods, Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami (海啸).
Stefan and Erika Svanstrom left Stockholm, Sweden, on December 6 and were immediately stuck in Munich, Germany, due to one of Europe's worst snowstorms.
Travelling with their baby daughter, they flew on to Cairns in Australia which was then struck by one of the most violent cyclones in the nation's history.
From there, the couple, in their 20s, were forced to shelter for 24 hours on the cement (水泥) floor of a shopping centre with 2,500 others.
“Trees were being knocked over and big branches were put down across the streets, ” Mr. Svanstrom told Sweden's Expressen newspaper. “We escaped by the skin of our teeth.”
Mr. Svanstrom said they then headed south to Brisbane but the city was experiencing massive flooding, so they crossed the country to Perth where they narrowly escaped burning bush fires.
The couple then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, arriving just after a massive magnitude (震级) 6.3 earthquake attacked the city on February 22.
Mrs. Svanstrom said, “When we got there the whole town was like a war zone. We could not visit the city since it was completely blocked off, so instead we travelled around before going to Japan.”
But days after the Svanstroms arrived, Tokyo was rocked by Japan's largest earthquake since records began.
“The trembling was horrible and we saw roof tiles fly off the buildings,” Mr. Svanstrom said. “It was like the buildings were swaying back and forth.”
The family returned to Stockholm on March 29 after a much calmer visit to their last destination China.
But Mr. Svanstrom --- who also survived the destructive Boxing Day tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004 --- said the marriage was still going strong.
He added, “I know marriages have to experience some difficulties, but I think we have been through most of them. We've certainly experienced more than our fair share of disasters, but the most important thing is that we're together and happy.”In Svanstrom's opinion, a marriage.
| A．has to go peacefully and happily for all time |
| B．has to experience many disasters at the beginning |
| C．must always allow the couple be together and happy |
| D．should experience difficulties to make it steady |
Why were Stefan and Erika Svanstrom stopped in Munich?
| A．Christchurch earthquake stopped them. |
| B．Because of Europe's worst snowstorm. |
| C．The plane was damaged. |
| D．The trains broke down. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The family were stuck in a mall of Australia for twenty-four hours. |
| B．The family didn't experience any disaster in China. |
| C．During their stay in New Zealand, they also visited a war zone in the town. |
| D．The earthquake the family experienced in Tokyo was the largest one recorded in Japan. |
The Svanstroms thought that Christchurch of New Zealand was.
| A．disordered | B．interesting |
| C．beautiful | D．shaking |
The best title for this passage is.
| A．Meeting Disasters During Honeymoon |
| B．Six Natural Disasters |
| C．Newly-wed Couple Met Australian Floods |
| D．Japanese Tsunami |