Japanese professor Yoji Kimura believes laughter is a weapon that in healthy doses（剂量） can end the world’s wars. To measure it, the expert on communications has invented a machine to chart out laughter—and a new unit of “aH” to calculate it.
“We have found that children laugh more freely, releasing（释放）10 aH per second, which is about twice as much as an adult,” Kimura, a professor at Kansai University in the western city of Osaka, told reporters. “Adults tend to calculate whether it’s appropriate to laugh and under those restraints（克制） they eventually forget how,” he said.
“Laughing is like a restart function on a computer. Laughing freely is very important in the course of human development,” he said.
Kimura, who believes in “a change from a century of wars to a century of humor and tolerance,” has studied the science of laughter for decades in Osaka. In his theory, human laughter is produced in four emotional stages. “I believe there is a circuit（回路） in the human brain that creates laughter,” Kimura said confidently.
To measure laughter, he attaches sensors on the skin of a tested people’s stomach, particularly the diaphragm（横膈膜）, and detects muscle movements. “I have a theory that humor detected in the brain gets directly released through the movement of diaphragm,” he said. By checking the movement of the diaphragm and other parts of the body, it will be possible to see if a person is only pretending to laugh while also telling different types of laughter, Kimura said.
Kimura wants to make the measuring device as small as a mobile phone and possibly market it as a health and amusement device. Kimura said he planned to present his findings this summer to the US-based International Society for Humor Studies, adding that he looked forward to looking at differences in laughter internationally.According to the passage, Professor Yoji Kimura _____.
| A．thinks banning weapon can end wars in the world |
| B．has put his machine calculating laughter into market |
| C．has been studying laughing for many years |
| D．is an expert in people’s health problem |
Why do adults laugh less freely?
| A．Because they are busy with their work. |
| B．Because they are affected by some factors. |
| C．Because they use computers too often. |
| D．Because they don’t think it good to laugh much. |
The measuring device of Yoji Kimura _____.
| A．has functions of a mobile phone |
| B．can make people laugh more |
| C．can recognize different kinds of laughter |
| D．will be popular in the international market soon |
The passage mainly tells us something about _____.
| A．how to measure laughter | B．Yoji Kimura and laughing |
| C．laughing as much as possible | D．a device that is made to measure laughter |
Researchers in the US say they might have discovered how to fight against and even reverse some processes of ageing, at least in mice. Injecting the blood of young mice into the older ones improved their brainpower, a study found. Scientists at Stanford University plan to carry out trials in people in the hope that new treatments for dementia(痴呆症) can be developed.
“There are factors present in blood from young mice that can recharge an old mouse’s brain so that it functions more like a younger one,”says Dr. Tony from Stanford University School of medicine. In the study published in Nature Medicine, mice aged 18 months were given injections of the blood taken from mice aged 3 months. The injected mice performed better on memory tests than mice of the same age that had not been given the blood. Dr. Tony said it was not known whether the same was true of humans, but a trial was planned.
A research center in UK said the treatment restored certain aspects of learning and memory in mice, but was of unknown importance to humans. The research, while very interesting, did not test the type of brain damage that was seen in dementia, which is not a necessary consequence of ageing.
Meanwhile, two similar studies by a separate team have thrown more light on how young blood may benefit the old, in mice at least. A substance in the blood of mice previously shown to have an anti-ageing effect on heart muscle also improved brain cells, according to a Harvard team. The research, published in Science, found the blood factors encouraged the growth of brain cells in old mice, and restored their sense of smell. The same chemical also improved muscle power of aged mice, the researchers found. The underlined word in paragraph 1 probably means _________.
| A．change | B．destroy |
| C．speed | D．increase |
Scientists in the US will test the discovery in humans with the aim of __________.
| A．proving the possibility to live longer. |
| B．showing the importance of scientific research. |
| C．publishing the study in Nature Medicine. |
| D．treating an age-related disease successfully. |
According to the studies, the blood from young mice benefits the old in certain ways except in_________.
| A．memory | B．muscle power |
| C．fur color | D．brain cells |
What’s the author’s attitude to the anti-ageing studies?
| A．supportive | B．objective |
| C．negative | D．doubtful |
If you're not a fan of KFC's famous Double Down hot dog, don't worry! KFC in the UK is developing a new treat: an edible coffee cup.
The product is still in the trial stage and not yet available for purchase, but according to a KFC news report, the treat is made from a unique biscuit, wrapped in sugar paper, and lined with a layer of heat-resistant white chocolate, which helps keep the coffee hot. As you drink the coffee in the cup, the white chocolate lining will begin to melt slowly, and the biscuit begins to soften.
But it doesn't end there --- the cups are not only edible, they also have a pleasant smell. KFC partnered with The Robin Collective, an experimental food company, to make the cups with coconut sun cream, freshly cut grass and wild flowers scents. According to the news report, that's because the scents arouse the positive memories we associate with warm weather, sunshine and summer holidays. Sounds ... delicious?
A manager at KFC said, “We have been experimenting with the edible packaging in limited quantities to see if it could be a popular product in the market. We believe if our customers occasionally like to have their cake and eat it, why wouldn’t they want to have their cup and eat it instead! ”
The edible cups will only be available in the UK when it comes out. According to a spokesperson for KFC, there are at present no plans to bring it to the U.S. yet.The cup is lined with a layer of white chocolate to_________.
| A．make the cup smell delicious |
| B．prevent the heat giving off soon |
| C．help the cup look beautiful |
| D．keep the biscuit tasting soft |
What does KFC do with the new product in its trial stage?
| A．Promote it by adding different scents. |
| B．Sell it at a lower price in the US first. |
| C．Invite customers to eat it for free. |
| D．Test it in the market in small quantities. |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The cup not only tastes good but also smells delicious. |
| B．The cup is developed with the help of The Robin Collective |
| C．Customers all over the world can soon try the edible cup. |
| D．The cup is made from biscuit, sugar paper and chocolate. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．KFC’s new product---Edible coffee cups |
| B．A new treat---Coffee cups and positive memories |
| C．Coffee cups made from biscuits and chocolate |
| D．The development of KFC company in the UK |
Have you ever had a science class that you look forward to? It doesn’t happen often. But when you have a teacher like Mrs. Field, it’s more than a science class. It’s a science class where learning is easy and fun. There is no getting down to a huge textbook or listening to a teacher about something you don’t care about.
My experience with Mrs. Field didn’t start with science class, but with her as my tutor. I was always a weak reader and wasn’t getting any better. My parents told me I needed to be tutored. One day after school, I went into the library with my mom for my first tutoring time. I had no idea who was tutoring me. My mom practically had to drag me into the library. The first thing we did was to play a game to get to know each other and get rid of the awkwardness. We didn’t even play a reading game.
We also went around the library and I got to pick out a book I wanted to read. She didn’t make me read a boring textbook about something I didn’t care about. I didn’t even pick a book. I picked out a magazine about remote control cars. I thought to myself, how bad could it be? To my surprise, She told me even though I was reading a magazine, I was still reading. After the first magazine, she picked out a book she liked. I would read a chapter and then she would read a chapter to me, in this way I didn’t have to read for long periods of time.
As I got better and faster at reading, I was able to read two chapters in the same amount of time, which used to take me to read one chapter.
Reading is one of the most important things in high school and college to be successful. If it were not for her, I would not be the reader I am today ! The writer tutored by Mrs. Field because____________.
| A．he was too shy to talk with others. |
| B．he found science fun but hard. |
| C．he was eager to learn science. |
| D．he lacked the skills of reading. |
It can be inferred from the second paragraph that __________.
| A．the writer knew Mrs. Field very well |
| B．the writer was unwilling to be tutored |
| C．the writer felt awkward to read in the library |
| D．the writer went to the library to play a reading game |
At the library, the writer __________.
| A．chose any book he was interested in |
| B．played a reading game with Mrs. Field |
| C．was asked to read one chapter after another |
| D．had to read textbooks rather than magazines |
What’s the author’s feeling about Mrs. Field according to the last paragraph?
| A．unsatisfied | B．worried |
| C．grateful | D．regretful |
Your car is a necessary part of your life. You use it every day. Of course, you want to hold on to it so you make sure it has the latest alarm and immobilizer. But despite all these, cars like yours are still stolen every day. In fact, in this country, one car is stolen almost every minute! And if your car is stolen, you only have a 50:50 chance of seeing it again.
Each year, car crime costs nearly £3 billion. Of course, if you’re insured, you won’t lose out, or will you? Firstly, you will have to pay extra insurance later on, and then you may not be offered the full amount by the agent. You will probably have to hire a car and you will also lose the value of the contents and accessories (配件) in the car.
Now comes the solution. An RAC Trackstar system, hidden in one of 47 possible secret locations in your car, is the key of our system. If your car is stolen, radio signals are sent at twenty-second intervals from the car to the RAC Trackstar National Control Center via a satellite network. Then a computer gives the vehicle’s exact location, speed and direction.
The RAC Trackstar National Control Center, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, will immediately inform the police in the area where the car is located. Because the police receive information every twenty seconds, they will always know the vehicle’s location. Once the thief has been arrested, your car will be returned to you.
RAC Trackstar is unique in being able to provide the National Control Center with details of the exact location of your car, its speed and direction. And speed is the key to successful recovery of a stolen vehicle. RAC Trackstar Control will immediately tell the police if you report your car stolen and under the 24-hour Guardian Option. It will also tell you if your car has been stolen. RAC Trackstar’s constant updates mean the police are kept informed of the car’s location. All these greatly improve your chances of seeing your car again. If your car is stolen, you will have to ______.
| A．hire a new car |
| B．pay more insurance |
| C．buy a RAC Trackstar system |
| D．inform the National Control Center |
The Trackstar system can tell the police ______.
| A．how the car is stolen | B．who the thief is |
| C．what brand the car is | D．where the car is |
The underlined word “It” in the last paragraph refers to ______.
| A．the local police station |
| B．the Guardian Option |
| C．the insurance company |
| D．the RAC Trackstar Control |
According to the passage, people with RAC Trackstar ______.
| A．automatically find directions |
| B．seldom get their vehicles damaged |
| C．have less chance of being in an accident |
| D．are more likely to get the stolen cars back |
A castle is a type of fortified（加固的）structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages. This is different from a palace, which is no fortified-though there are many similarities among these types of construction. Usage of the term has varied over time and has been applied to diverse structures.
The European castles originated in the 9th and 10th centuries, resulting in its land divided among nobles. These nobles built castles to control the area surrounding them, and they were both offensive and defensive structures. Although army uses are often emphasized in castle studies, the structures also served as centres of administration and symbols of power. Urban castles were used to control the local people and important travel routes, and rural castles were often built near farmland.
Many castles were originally built from earth and wood, but had their defences supplanted later by stone. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries, scientific approaches to castle defence appeared, and could function to maximize the castle’s firepower. These changes in defence came from a mixture of castle technology. Although gunpowder was introduced to be built well into the 16th century, improved cannon（大炮）fire made them uncomfortable places to live in. As a result, true castles went into decline.
From the 18th century onwards, there was a renewed interest in castles with the construction of mock（仿造的）castles, part of a romantic revival（复活）of Gothic architecture, but they had no defensive purpose.According to the first paragraph, we can know .
| A．the palace is a fortified structure |
| B．the castle is different from the palace |
| C．the palace changed over time |
| D．the structures of the castle in different ages look the same. |
what does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．Symbols of the European castles. |
| B．Functions of the European castles. |
| C．Influences of the European castles. |
| D．Characteristics of the European castles. |
The underlined word “ supplanted ” in the third paragraph is closet in meaning to “ “.
| A．produced | B．saved | C．protected | D．replaced |
What can be inferred from the river?
| A．Castles have nothing in common with palaces. |
| B．Castles have a history of more than 1,000 years in Europe. |
| C．Castles were mainly used for defensive purposes after the 18th century. |
| D．The introduction of gunpowder instantly influenced castle building in Europe. |