“If you want to see a thing well, reach out and touch it!” That may seem a strange thing to say. But touching things can help you to see them better. Your eyes can tell you that a glass ball is round. But by holding it in your hands, you can feel how smooth and cool the ball is. You can feel how heavy the glass is. When you feel all these about the ball, you really see it. With your skin, you can feel better. For example, your fingers can tell the difference between two coins in your pocket. You can feel a little drop of water on the back of your hand, too.
All children soon learn what “Don’t touch!” means. They hear it often. Yet most of us keep on touching things as we grow up. In shops, we touch things as we might buy: food, clothes. To see something well, we have to touch it.
There are ways of learning to see well by feeling. One way is to close your eyes and try to feel everything that is touching your skin. Feel the shoes on your feet, the clothes on your body, the air on your skin. At first, it is not easy to feel these things. You are too used to them!
Most museums are just for looking. But today some museums have some things to touch. There you can feel everything on show. If we want to see better, reach out and touch. Then you will really see. By touching things,________.
| A．you will have a strange feeling |
| B．you will learn how to reach out your hand |
| C．you can tell the difference of the things |
| D．you can tell what colors they are |
When people buy things in shops, they often_________.
| A．try them on first | B．keep their right hands on them |
| C．ask about them | D．feel and touch them |
Why does it say “At first, it is not easy to feel these things?” Because__________.
| A．the things are used by people, too | B．people feel the things too often |
| C．people know how to use the things | D．the things are hard to feel |
Which of the following can be the best title of the story?
| A．Touching by Feeling | B．To See or to Feel? |
| C．To See Better---Feel | D．Ways of Feeling |
When it came to role models, Diana Ortiz said her mother, Marcia Dominguez, was the “hero”. Ms. Dominguez came to the United States from Cuba in 1979. She went to college and got a job as a social worker --- all the while raising three children in America mostly on her own.
“It was always school first,” Diana said, “My mom had us in a straight line. If we got out of line, she corrected us. She was a perfect woman. She was beautiful, she had the education and she had everything --- but the illness took over. When I was 11, it frightened me to see how quickly my mother’s health was ruined by cancer. A week before I turned 14, my mother died at age 50. I had tried to prepare myself, but on the first morning I woke up without my mother, the sense of loss was painful.”
Diana had not seen her father for five years, who refused to provide for her. Diana then entered the city’s foster care system. She has spent about four years in foster homes.
Despite Diana’s hard teenage years, the values her mother had planted in her mind inspired her to go after higher education. Since August 2010, she has been a fulltime student majoring in law. A public organization offers her tuition but she has part-time jobs to help people like her and earn more life experience. Her goal is a job in the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
For now, Diana works 20 hours a week as a cashier at Marshalls, earning $7.25 an hour. In November, she moved into her own public housing studio apartment on the Lower East Side. She pays $236 a month in rent. Although she is out of foster care, Diana has been speaking at workshops for foster youths. She emphasizes that nothing should get in the way of their success, not the trials of their lives or what they may have lost.
“I tell the young who have the similar experience like me, ‘Why are you going to let what happened to you affect you in the long run?’ ” Diana said. “ ‘Why are you going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself? You’re wasting precious time.’ It is a message my mother would approve of. My mom taught me that everything is not given to you. You have to go out and get it.”Which of the following words can be used to describe Ms. Dominguez?
| A．Learned, independent and strict. |
| B．Positive, simple and graceful. |
| C．Hardworking, dependent and tough. |
| D．Kind, determined and lonely. |
What did Ms. Dominguez find most important for her children?
| A．Staying in a straight line for coherence. |
| B．Making punctual self-correction. |
| C．Struggling to run after perfection. |
| D．Receiving excellent education. |
How did Diana grow up after her mother passed away?
| A．She was provided for by a law institute. |
| B．She depended on foster care system. |
| C．She relied upon the people like her. |
| D．She supported herself by doing part-time work. |
What made Diana go on with her education despite there are so many difficulties?
| A．The sense of loss from her mother’s death. |
| B．The eagerness to achieve success. |
| C．The deep influence of her mother’s values. |
| D．The wish to win prizes to please her mother. |
With provided tuition, Diana still works after school because she knows ______.
| A．success comes with her own struggle and efforts |
| B．rich experience helps her find better jobs |
| C．her tuition will be increased sharply |
| D．nobody is perfect in the world |
Is it okay to keep exercising when you have a cold? What about the flu? With winter viruses going around, it’s important to know how to alter your training if you do catch a germ or two.
“The guidelines are pretty easy,” says Dr Lorenzo Masci from the Alphington Sports Medicine Clinic. “Anything above the neck --- so if you’ve got a cold for example, a runny nose or a sore throat --- then you should probably cut down your exercise by half and do 50 percent of what you normally do.”
“If you’ve got anything below the neck, like muscle pain, joint pain or fever, you shouldn’t really exercise at all until those general symptoms settle down,” Lorenzo says. He points out that a cough would also fall into this more serious category. “For example, if anyone comes in with a fever and a runny nose, I’d tell them to stop exercising until the fever and the muscle ache settles. Then they can start their training again at 50 percent once all those symptoms settle, even if they’ve got a bit of a runny nose or a sore throat.”
“The reason we tell people to stop exercising is because if you exercise when you’re unwell it can make the illness worse and prolong it.” There is a second reason Lorenzo advises his patients to stop exercising when they have “below the neck” symptoms. In the event you have an illness which affects your heart, exercise can sometimes actually lead to death.
Lorenzo advises to take zinc (锌) and vitamin C as a way of preventing colds. But he admits that this is controversial --- some studies have shown that these supplements can improve immune function while other studies have cast doubt on the issue. The good news is that if you exercise regularly, you’re likely to improve your immune function. “If you exercise too much, it can predispose (使倾向于) you to coughs and sniffles,” he points out. This is often the case for excellent athletes who train every day, such as triathletes (铁人三项运动员). “But what we do know is that if you exercise at a moderate level, your immune system improves such that you’re probably at a lower risk of developing coughs and colds.”How many guidelines does Dr Lorenzo mainly suggest on doing exercises when people catch a cold?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
How should people do exercises with a fever or a cough?
| A．They should probably reduce their training time by 50%. |
| B．They should stop exercising until they recover. |
| C．They should start exercising at 50% after their runny nose settles. |
| D．They should do half of what they normally do. |
What is the worst result if people don’t stop exercising when they are unwell?
| A．Worsening the illness. |
| B．Prolonging the illness. |
| C．Affecting the heart. |
| D．Bringing about threat to life. |
What can be proved from the last paragraph?
| A．Zinc and Vitamin C can help to prevent colds. |
| B．The more exercises we do, the stronger our immune function will be. |
| C．Doing exercises regularly can help us prevent colds. |
| D．Excellent athletes seldom get coughs or sniffles. |
What is this passage mainly about?
| A．Relationship between exercises and flu. |
| B．How to do exercises. |
| C．How to cope with flu. |
| D．When to do exercises. |
Cool temperatures, golden colors of autumn and dramatic events are just three reasons to visit Oregon’s Washington County this fall. The season brings a large number of places to see and things to do. We’ve collected some of the best reasons why you should plan a trip here in the coming months.
It’s a Harvest Season
Autumn marks the height of the agricultural season, which not only means a variety of autumn fruits and vegetables at the farmers’ markets, but also means that the season is heating up with fun, family farm events. Three apple festivals this fall will celebrate the diversity and deliciousness of Oregon-grown apples.
The Colors Are Changing
On a cool, autumn day, the rural, agricultural and forested scenery of Oregon’s Washington County comes alive with bright red, orange and yellow leaves --- a stark contrast to the deep, dark green of the trees that share these landscapes.
Bird Migration Season Is in High Season
September and October are busy months for bird watchers. Migratory and native birds call Washington County “home”, whether it’s for the winter or they’re just visiting on their southern voyage.
Wine Harvest Season Brings Signature Tasting Events
Celebrate the splendor of Oregon wine at two of the region’s biggest wine events, which happen annually in the fall. The North Willamette Harvest Trail and Grand Tasting is a full-day guided bus tour to three wineries featuring hands-on experiences, vineyard exploration, a wine country lunch, and wine tastings.
Experience Tree-to-Tree Adventures at Sunset
Enjoy the crisp temperatures and rich colors of the season at Tree to Tree Adventure Park, an aerial ropes course with six challenging courses and zip-line park, all rolled into one. These are the final months to enjoy this fun and exciting attraction until it closes for the season in November.
Plan your own Oregon’s Washington County autumn getaway. Read this great digital visitor guide for ideas and inspiration.When you go to the farmers’ markets ______.
| A．you can get kinds of apples for free |
| B．you can make friends with farmers |
| C．you can join in the celebrations |
| D．you can feel satisfied with fun |
The bird watchers go to Washington County ______.
| A．because they are attracted by colorful leaves |
| B．because the native birds leave their home |
| C．because they can see different kinds of birds |
| D．because the birds start their southern voyage |
It can be inferred from the fifth paragraph that ______.
| A．the wine event is to be held in the coming winter |
| B．farmers are good at growing grape in Oregon |
| C．the three wineries are most famous in America |
| D．few tourists like tasting the wine in wineries |
If you love the aerial ropes course ______.
| A．you must face six competitions in Oregon |
| B．you should have experience in rolling |
| C．you must take ropes course in advance |
| D．you can visit Oregon in the fall season |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Reasons to Visit Oregon’s Washington County |
| B．Washington County Welcomes its Best Season |
| C．Charm of the Colorful Season |
| D．Take Adventures in the Coming Autumn |
BEIJING，Feb．5，2013（Xinhua）－Chinese health authorities on Tuesday launched a campaign to fight against assisted reproductive technology （ART：辅助生育技术） abuse．Unauthorized ART use，surrogate motherhood and the illegal collection and supply of sperm and eggs，as well as the illegal sale and abuse of ovulation induction（诱导排卵） medicine，will be targeted．
The Ministry of Health and health department of the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department jointly announced the campaign at a conference．Both departments also ordered all of their local branches to suspend permits for new organizations that wish to offer ART treatments．That is，new organizations will not appear recently．Official figures showed that at the end of 2012，China had 358 organizations authorized to conduct ART treatment．
The health ministry also delivered a brief statement of the country's current infertility rate（不孕率） and ART use．The infertility rate in China is now between 7 and 10 percent，the ministry said．Some 70 to 80 percent of women who are suffering from infertility can be pregnant after changing their lifestyles and receiving medical treatment．Around 20 percent of infertile couples have to resort to ART to have babies．In 2011，about 350，000 people received ART treatment and more than 60，000 infertile couples successfully had children with the help of ART，the ministry said．ART abuse DOSEN'T include________．
| A．surrogate motherhood |
| B．unauthorized ART use |
| C．the regular usage of medicine |
| D．the illegal supply of sperm and eggs |
What does the underlined word “suspend” （paragraph 2） probably mean?
| A．Support． | B．Pause． | C．Allow． | D．Ban． |
From the last paragraph we can know________．
| A．Nearly10 percent of couples could not have their own babies |
| B．70 to 80 percent of women could not be pregnant now |
| C．Over 350，000 infertile couples had their babies with the help of ART |
| D．About one fifth of infertile couples have to turn to ART for help |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．China targets ART abuse |
| B．ART is used in China |
| C．ART is illegal in China |
| D．China increases ART using |
Growing strawberries in pots
·The best way to start growing strawberries is to buy pot-grown strawberry plants m spring：5 plants are plenty for a hanging basket and 10 for the average 13 inch-sized pot．
·Plant them immediately in soil-based compost（混合肥料） and they will produce a modest crop in their first year．The second year should see a bumper（特大的）crop，followed by a slightly lower yield（产量）the third summer ．Then start again with fresh stock ．
·Careful watering and feeding are essential If you are to harvest a good crop，you must never let the compost dry out, particularly when the fruit is forming and ripening；if you do．most of your crop will drop off血e bush almost immediately．
·Water well then leave the pots for up to 3 weeks，until they reach the point of drying out be careful not to overwater them during the winter months．
Pruning apple trees
·A one-year-old tree is known as a “maiden”．It has a single stem when purchased．Immediately after planting, cut it back by about half to leave 4 good buds at the base of the stem．．This will force growth from the base or the plant during the summer．
·In the second year ,prune in winter by cutting all side branches back by about one-third, Make sure each cut is made cleanly just above an outward-facing bud．In the third and fourth years, new side branches will have emerged from the previous year’s growth．Cut back all these new side branches by a third, pruning to an outward-facing bud．
·By the fifth year the tree should have a well-balanced shape．From then on ,cut back all new branches by one-third in winter．Remove any diseased wood and broken branches, and ensure the centre is open to air circulationThe two pieces of advice probably appear in_________
| A．a scientific repot | B．a gardening guide |
| C．a book review | D．a fashion column |
A good crop of strawberries mainly depends on_________
| A．the size of a pot |
| B．the season of harvesting |
| C．the number of plants in a pot |
| D．careful watering and feeding |
Cutting back all side branches by a third is to__________
| A．remove the diseased and broken branches |
| B．keep the whole tree open to air circulation |
| C．force the apple tree to grow from the base in winter |
| D．help the apple tree to form a well-balanced shape |
The two pieces of advice suggest that planting is closely related to_______
| A．season | B．water | C．compost | D．cutting |