Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression.
Those who suffer from “ the autumn blue” are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. "The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is not known yet," says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. "But recent studies indicate that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability(得到) of sunlight."
One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. "It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart," Chen says. “Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues.”Autumn blues is also called autumn________.
| A．depression | B．sunshine | C．blue music | D．cold winds |
From the 3rd paragraph we know that there _______ that can help to deal with autumn blues.
| A．is no biological clock | B．is a real example |
| C．is no possibility | D．are some ways |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown. |
| B．Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness. |
| C．People feel tired in autumn. |
| D．Weather doesn’t change people. |
Which of the following CAN’T you do in order to deal with autumn blues?
| A．Reset the biological clock regulating mood, sleep and hormones. |
| B．Eat more food very low in calories and sugar. |
| C．Keep the balance of nerves that transmit information. |
| D．Take outdoor activities or sports. |
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast, I had to have cereal, eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch, while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess, my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself, just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9:00 each night and up at 7:45 the next morning. So while my friends slept, my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years, our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing, red for failing. My mother, however, would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background, I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. | B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early | D．Letting mother know where they were |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
| A．the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies |
| B．mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law |
| C．all the other kids studied better than the writer |
| D．the writer’s family lived a miserable life |
Which of the following statements is Not true according to the passage ?
| A．Mother practiced economy in running her home |
| B．The writer is very thankful for her mother |
| C．The writer is severe with her children when bringing them up |
| D．The wrier has a deep hatred for her mother |
The passage was written in a way of _________ tone.
| A．humorous | B．hateful | C．ridiculous | D．critical |
A． “Better road design and training hold the key to cycle safety”, the new Transport Secretary said today as he pledged to restore Britain’s safety record. Patrick McLoughlin told Conservative Party Conference that while cycling was enjoying a post-Olympics boom, the number of casualties among cyclists was also rising. “But the number of accidents has gone up too. That means it needs better design and better education too.” Mr McLoughlin said in his first speech as Transport Secretary.
B. Cycling in the UK will become safer through “sheer weight of numbers,” the founder of one of the world’s leading cycle brands has said as he backed The Times’s Cyclesafe campaign. Simon Mottram, founder and chief executive of Rapha, has added his support to 40 cross-party MPs who have signed a letter urging David Cameron to use his speech at the Conservative Party Conference to promote measures to make the streets safer for cyclists.
C. Commuters who cycle to work face an increased danger as the casualty toll during peak hours rose by 10 percent last year. The rate at which cyclists were killed or seriously injured rose sharply last year, official figures showed yesterday.
D. In future decades, Londoners will look back on the way cyclists jostled with buses and lorries on major roads as an absurd anachronism. Some risks are unavoidable. But other risks survive only because we are too slow to embrace bold solutions. That is the message from designers who are proposing an ambitious plan to create cycle lanes suspended above London’s busiest streets. London is one of the most dangerous places in the world for cycling. “SkyCycle” would remedy that problem by attaching dedicated cycle paths to existing railway viaducts.
E. Money should be apportioned from the funding for major transport projects, such as the new Forth Crossing, to create a pot of cash for cycling, campaigners have told MSPs. Cycle groups have given warning that not enough money is being put into routes and promotion. They want the Scottish government to take a percentage of the funding allocated to key national projects and create an “active transport” fund to be distributed gradually.
F. We’d like you to tell us why you love cycling by sending a photo of yourself, a family member or friend with their bike and a note about why it is so brilliant. To take part, instagram your photo with the hashtag #ilovemybike or email it to us at ilovemybike@thetimes.co.uk. We’ll post the best pictures here ilovemybike.tumblr.com.
请阅读以下信息，并为他们匹配合适的新闻内容。“Cycle lanes in the sky” answer to traffic danger
More cyclists are seriously injured on Britain’s roads
Share a picture of you and your bike and help us promote the fun and freedom of cycling
“Weight of numbers” will bring safe cycling
Transport Secretary calls for better road design and training to help cyclists
The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked. The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.The best title for the passage would be “________”.
| A．Development of the National Flag | B．Power of the National Flag |
| C．Types of Flags | D．Uses of Flags |
The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means ________.
| A．impossible to make sure of | B．likely to be protected |
| C．easy to be damaged | D．difficult to find |
The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because ________.
| A．they could tell direction |
| B．they could bring good luck to ancient fighters |
| C．they were handed down by the ancestors |
| D．they were believed to stand for natural forces |
What does the author know of the first national flag?
| A．He knows when it was sent to Europe. |
| B．He believes it was made in Egypt. |
| C．He thinks it came from China. |
| D．He doubts where it started. |
What will the author most probably talk about next?
| A．The role of China in the spread of the national flag. |
| B．The second ancestor of the national flag. |
| C．The use of modern flags in Europe. |
| D．The importance of modern flags |
LEEDS, England—A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Britons forgive their enemies.
"The hate we hold within us is a cancer, " Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
More than 70 people have become members in Hart's first 20-week workshop in London—a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.
These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian- born Hart.
The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.
The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. "People have lots of negative attitudes towards forgiveness," he said, "People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one."
Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.
"The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you are angry with," said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project.
Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people "want to get free of the past".From this passage we know that________.
| A．high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hate |
| B．high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors |
| C．without hate, people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart |
| D．people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies |
If you are angry with somebody, you should________.
| A．attend Hart’s course |
| B．never meet him or her any longer |
| C．persuade him or her to have a positive talk with you |
| D．treat him or her positively instead of negatively |
In Hart's first 20- week workshop, people there can ________.
| A．meet their enemies | B．change their attitudes |
| C．enjoy the professor's teaching | D．learn how to quarrel with others |
If you are a member in Hart's workshop, you'll________.
| A．meet in eight or ten groups |
| B．get rid of the illness of cancer |
| C．attend a gathering twice a month |
| D．pour out everything stored in your mind |
The author wrote this passage in order to________.
| A．persuade Britons to go to Hart's workshop |
| B．tell us the news about Hart's workshop |
| C．tell us how to run a workshop like Hart's |
| D．help us to look at various kinds of angers |
Every year many students went to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more than, college fees.
Many people think that college bookstores are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually kept and students may purchase new textbooks or choose to buy second-hand books and save money. But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.
More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they keep a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they surf online since there are so many ‘unreal’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shopping costs and delivery time when making their decision.
Online auctions(拍卖) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you must depend on the auction seller's timetable.
One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
| A．Learning to Save on Textbooks | B．Why Buy Textbooks |
| C．Online Shopping | D．Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?
| A．College bookstores. | B．Online used bookstores. |
| C．Online auctions. | D．Second-hand bookstore centres. |
The underlined expression “pros and cons” (paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.
| A．professionals and conservatives | B．joy and sadness |
| C．advantages and disadvantages | D．processes and conditions |
According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.
| A．a government project aimed at helping English majors |
| B．a project to help poor students get free learning materials |
| C．a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts |
| D．a website for students to get free sources for English learning |
From the passage, we can learn that__________.
| A．the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition |
| B．online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books |
| C．students should visit many websites before buying their books |
| D．students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision |