New findings suggest that brainy card games such as contract bridge may temporarily(临时地) raise production of a key blood cell including in fighting off illness. After 90 minutes of play, bridge players had increased levels of immune(免疫) cells, according to the research reported last week.
A researcher, Diamond, studied bridge players from a women’s bridge club. She chose bridge players because the game includes skills stimulating(刺激) a part of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex. Earlier animal research suggests that this part of the brain may play a role in the immune system.
The findings are based on blood samples drawn from 12 women players. Their blood samples showed a rise in levels of white blood cells called T cells after they played bridge for 90 minutes. T cells are produced by the thymus gland(胸腺) and used by the immune system against diseases.
The T cell count jumped significantly in eight of the bridge players, and slightly in the other four. The findings contribute to the field of neuroimmunology(神经免疫学), whose name reflects the fact that the nervous system and the immune system are not considered separate and isolated(独立的) systems. What isn’t clear is whether the help to the immune system from an activity like contract bridge is lasting or temporary. It is also not clear whether the increase in T cells could finally be targeted against special illnesses. Playing bridge can help one to fight off diseases because it can _______.
| A．raise production of a key blood cell | B．make people joyful |
| C．aid digestion | D．make break away from the bad habits |
Diamond chose to study bridge players for the research because _______.
| A．the players are good friends of hers |
| B．she loves playing bridge |
| C．this game stimulates a part of the brain that has something to do with immune system |
| D．she is a clever manager, who operates her bridge club well |
A T cell is _______ cell.
| A．a brain | B．a white blood |
| C．a red blood | D．a kind of dangerous blood |
Which of the following is true according to this article?
| A．The immune system and the brain system used to be considered separate and isolated systems. |
| B．The help to the immune system that is brought about by playing bridge can last for a long time. |
| C．Cortex is a kind of blood cell. |
| D．The new findings are impossible. |
Rae and Bruce Hostetler not only work very hard，they also relax just as well.Numerous vacations help the couple to maintain their health and emotional wellbeingand it’s no surprise to health care professionals.
“Rest，relaxation，and stress reduction are very important for people’s wellbeing and health.This can be accomplished through daily activities，such as exercise and meditation，but vacation is an important part of this as well，” said primary care physician Natasha Withers from One Medical Group in New York.Withers lists a decreased risk of heart disease and improved reaction time as some of the benefits from taking some time off.“We also know that the mind is very powerful and can help with healing，so a rested，relaxed mind is able to help the body heal better，” said Withers.
Psychologists confirm the value of vacations for the mind.“The impact that taking a vacation has on one’s mental health is great，” said Francine Lederer，a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in stress and relationship management.“Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation，even if it is a 24hour timeout.” The trips could be good for their health，good for their family and good for their businesses.
The online travel agency Expedia conducted a survey about vacation time in 2010，and according to their data the average American earned 18 vacation days—but only used 14 of them.France topped the list，with the average worker earning 37 vacation days and using all but two of them.Americans’ responses may not be surprising in a culture where long hours on the job often are valued，but that’s not always good for the individual，the family or the employer.
Psychologists have also found that people who don’t take enough time to relax may find it harder to relax in the future.“Without time and opportunity to do this，the nerve connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker，making it actually more difficult to shift into lessstressed states，” Mulhern said.How did the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By raising questions. | D．By providing data. |
According to Natasha Withers，vacations can________.
| A．weaken reaction system |
| B．cure serious diseases |
| C．reduce the level of wellbeing |
| D．decrease the risk of heart disease |
Expedia’s survey shows that Americans________.
| A．dislike family gatherings |
| B．have the shortest vacation |
| C．enjoy as many vacations as the French |
| D．think much of spending long hours on the job |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．One should never wait to relax. |
| B．Work and rest go against each other. |
| C．Time and opportunity wait for no man. |
| D．A relaxed mind determines everything. |
What is mainly talked about in the text?
| A．Ways to relax in one’s free time. |
| B．The benefits of taking time off. |
| C．Different opinions on holidays. |
| D．The Hostetlers always on the go. |
An older friend once gave me a piece of advice，“Enjoy the last few weeks of college，” she said，“since college is the best time of your life.”
This was not the first time I’d heard such a statement，but with graduation fast coming close，her words especially struck me.It seemed a bit disappointing to reach one’s life peak at only 22 years of age，but in her opinion，college had been one of the best times in my life so far.I made friends，took classes，and learned a great deal about myself.But I was also excited for the time after college—moving to a new city，starting a new job，and becoming a “real” person.I hoped that my great dreams were practical.
Then，last week I read a column in Real Simple Magazine called 100 Years of Attitude，in which women 100 years or older shared their life experiences and views.I noticed that none of them considered college as the “best” time of their life.Not all of them went to college，but still in most cases their teens and twenties were not the best times of their life.They said some of their favorite times were raising their children，traveling after retirement，and even enjoying their present time and age.
Enjoying one’s present time and age was a clear theme of the interviews.A piece of advice given by the women was about the importance of making the best of all situations.I think it more accurate than that of my friend；I can say with certainty that if I am lucky enough to make it to 100.I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting (跌落) downhill，or even leveling off.
I am sure that our eagerness and devotion will make us college students live a meaningful life.We will not just look backwards or miss our college days.We will look forward in excitement about continued journey uphill.Which of the following opinions does the writer agree with?
| A．College is the best time of one’s life. |
| B．Twenties were the best time of the old people. |
| C．One should make the best of all situations. |
| D．One should not look backwards at their college time. |
In the second paragraph，the writer wants to say________.
| A．her achievements in college would be the peak of her success |
| B．she is looking forward to living as a “real” person in college |
| C．she becomes more and more uneasy with graduation |
| D．she is satisfied with the college life but is hopeful for the future |
The column the writer read is mainly about those old women’s________.
| A．best time of life at youth |
| B．life experiences and views |
| C．different opinions about life |
| D．favorite time with best friends |
By saying “I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting downhill，or even leveling off” (in Paragraph 4)，the writer really means________.
| A．she will not spend the rest of her time at college |
| B．she will not just obtain a college level certificate |
| C．she will not be satisfied with what she has already accomplished |
| D．she will not be content with the life in the future |
Which of the following words can be used to describe the writer?
| A．Ambitious. | B．Practical. |
| C．Imaginative. | D．Proud. |
When Peng Liyuan stepped off the plane in Moscow，the whole world wanted to know who dressed the elegant first lady.The reporter released the secret—Ma Ke. 
Peng Liyuan has been wearing Ma Ke’s designs for more than a decade，a fact that was only highlighted recently when she was on her first state visit，accompanying her husband President Xi Jinping.The elegant and attractive Peng，formerly a popular singer，has been compared with the US’ first lady Michelle Obama and France’s Carla BruniSarkozy，since stepping off the airplane in Moscow on March 22.Suddenly，everyone was curious to know more about the first lady’s wardrobe.
Even so，Ma prefers a lowkey approach.“If you eat a tasty egg why would you want to see the hen？” she says of all the media attention.
Ma’s relationship with Peng began 10 years ago after a concert in Guangzhou when a reporter told Peng she knew the designer behind the label Exception de Mixmind.Peng asked for an introduction because she was a fan of Ma’s designs and had been wearing them for years.
The two naturally became friends.Ma says：“The painting reflects the painter，and clothes reflect both the designer and the wearer.Someone desires fame and wealth，or love and sympathy；what you have in your heart is reflected in the design.Those who don’t share my philosophy won’t buy my clothes.Peng is a caring person，devoted to charity and environmental protection，which is exactly what I’m doing now.”
However，regardless of the brand，Peng’s support of Chinese labels has surprised millions of Chinese who favor foreign fashion brands.
“Instead she presented a vision of Chinese fashion，desiring to bring Chinese designers to the world stage，” says a western designer.
The first lady’s doublebreasted coat and her black leather handbag aren’t available at any of Exception’s shops，though Exception’s physical stores do have seen a rising number of visitors.The passage mainly discusses________.
| A．the designer of the first lady Peng Liyuan’s dress，Ma Ke |
| B．the friendship between Peng Liyuan and her designer |
| C．Peng Liyuan’s clothes on her first state visit |
| D．the reactions to Peng Liyuan’s first visit to Moscow |
In the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 Ma Ke mentioned “an egg and the hen” to show________.
| A．it is hard to explain “Which came first，the egg or the hen？” |
| B．paying such great attention to her was unnecessary |
| C．the outcome was more important than the process |
| D．her dissatisfaction with the media attention on her dress |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．First ladies compete with each other whenever they are together. |
| B．Peng’s suits can be bought in Ma Ke’s clothes stores. |
| C．Ma Ke offered to design the first lady’s clothes through her friends. |
| D．Peng had liked Ma’s designs long before she got to know her in the flesh. |
In the passage，Peng Liyuan________.
| A．often reflects on what she has in her heart before choosing clothes |
| B．is sympathetic and has a strong environmental consciousness |
| C．always desires the exceptional charm of the brand |
| D．is knowledgeable in philosophy |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Peng wears the dress designed by a Chinese designer probably to support Chinese brands |
| B．Many citizens found Peng Liyuan’s choice quite unexpected. |
| C．Black leather handbags like Peng’s are widely sold in bag stores in big cities. |
| D．After Peng Liyuan’s visit to Moscow Ma Ke’s clothes became more popular. |
It can be hard to encourage families of preschoolers to turn off the TV，but there are plenty of highquality shows that promote learning and positive relationships rather than violence，researchers noted.
“Although clearly kids watch too much，what’s more worrying is that they watch poor quality shows，” said Dr Christakis，the lead researcher on the new study from the University of Washington in Seattle.His former survey of parents of threeto fiveyearold children showed the kids often watched violent cartoons and movies that are “totally inappropriate”．
For their study，he and his colleagues randomly divide 565 preschoolers into two groups.In one group，parents recorded notes about kids’ normal TV viewing，without receiving any guidelines to reduce or change those habits.In the other group，researchers made visits and calls and sent monthly newsletters encouraging parents to replace violent TV with educational programming.After six and 12 months，parents reported their kid’s angry，aggressive or anxious behaviors on a questionnaire.At both time points，children in the TV intervention (干预) program had slightly fewer problems than those in the comparison group.Boys in lowincome families seemed to benefit most from the change in programming，the researchers found.
“The point is，this is something that is as effective as other things we do to try to guide behavior in children，and it’s fairly simple，” Christakis said.
Another study published in Pediatrics found the more TV kids and teens watched，the more likely they were to have a crime or other problems in society.Children may imitate violence they see—or more time in front of the TV could simply mean less communication with peers and families，and worse performance in school.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids watch no more than one to two hours of highquality programming each day.Researchers agreed parents should be mindful of what exactly their young kids are watching on TV as well.“It’s not just about turning the TV off，it’s about changing the channel，” Christakis said. What is the positive effect of highquality TV shows on kids?
| A．Good learning results and relationships. |
| B．Being affected by violence. |
| C．Spending less time on TV programming. |
| D．Encouraging them to turn on the TV. |
For Christakis，what is more concerning?
| A．Kids watching too much TV. |
| B．TV shows being of poor quality. |
| C．Kids watching too many cartoons. |
| D．Parents receiving no guidelines. |
We can learn from the survey mentioned in Para.3 that________.
| A．Children don’t like being disturbed while watching TV |
| B．Preschoolers seems to like newsletters more than TV |
| C．Poor children prefer to watch educational programming |
| D．Kids watching highquality programs have fewer problems |
Christakis thought the effect of educational programming on children’s behaviour was________.
| A．unclear | B．slight |
| C．obvious | D．great |
According to the researchers，________.
| A．getting preschoolers away from TV is difficult |
| B．shows on TV in America are full of violence |
| C．parents should communicate more with their kids |
| D．parents should keep an eye on what kids watch on TV |
Moving to a new neighborhood，town，state，or even country can be a pretty scary experience.All you know is that things will be different and chances are you won’t know the kids at your new school.
The experiences that go with moving make many kids feel nervous and worried.This is perfectly normal but don’t let these emotions overrun your thoughts！You will soon get used to your surroundings and find new friends at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult.However，as you begin the moving process，keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house，school，and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent！If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long nme，don’t despair.Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write them letters.Also，thanks to the Internet，it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technologies.With your parent’s permission，you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle all of your new experiences.Include your thoughts，tales of your new adventures，even pictures of new friends，your new house，and new town.Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation program where a student already established at the school shows a new student around for their first week.This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age，high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens.“I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience，especially if you are into your junior high or senior year.Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives.Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases，and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment (怨气)．” However，Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy，there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you cope with the change.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Education experts. | B．School teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Students. |
Which of the following is mainly suggested in Paragraph 3?
| A．Staying in contact with old friends. |
| B．Expressing yourself when it is possible. |
| C．Forming good habits at school. |
| D．Keeping positive about your new school. |
According to the passage，an orientation program________.
| A．helps local students in many ways |
| B．is organized by new students |
| C．offers help to new students |
| D．focuses on all the students at school |
According to the passage，Karen Turner may agree that________.
| A．many parents seem to care little about their children |
| B．teens can easily be attached to their friends |
| C．parents should communicate with the school teachers |
| D．teens tend to behave rudely in a new school |
If this passage continues，what would the author further discuss?
| A．What a new school is like. |
| B．why parents move with their children. |
| C．How parents and the school can help the children. |
| D．How children can express their anxiety. |