A growing number of workers at Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and other employers are trading in their sit-down desks for standing ones, saying they feel more comfortable and energized. They also are motivated by medical reports saying that sitting for too long leads to increased health risks.
A standing desk sits high off the floor so a worker can either stand at it or sit on a high stool to use it. Officials at Palo Alto-based Facebook say a number of employees asked about standing desks after news articles were published about the health risks of sitting all day.
The stories cited medical studies that tied excessive sitting to increased obesity and other health problems because of factors including a drop in physical activity. A 2010 study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat more than six hours a day were 37% more likely to die prematurely than women who sat for less than three hours, while the early-death rate for men was 18% higher. The American College of Cardiology released a study in January that found increased mortality (死亡率) among people who sat longer at home than those who didn't.
No one seems to compile statistics on the standing-desk trend. But anecdotal reports suggest Silicon Valley is embracing the movement.
Facebook officials say they have seen an upsurge in requests for standing desks to five to eight a week with a total of between 200 and 250 deployed (配置) at the company of more than 2,000 employees. Facebook also is trying out a treadmill station ─ where a worker can walk or run on a treadmill while tapping at a computer.
Google spokesman Jordan Newman said that 'many employees at Google opt for standing desks, and we offer them as part of our wellness program' though he said he didn't know the exact number.
Greg Hoy, 39 years old, asked for a standing desk shortly after joining Facebook seven months ago as a design recruiter. 'I don't get the 3 o'clock slump anymore,' he said. 'I feel active all day long.'The underlined word “motivated” in paragraph 1 can be replaced by .
| A．frightened | B．inspired | C．missed | D．discouraged |
According to paragraph 3, we can know that .
| A．a drop in physical activity was the only reason why excessive sitting caused increased obesity. |
| B．women who sat longer were more likely to die prematurely according to a 2010 study by American College of Cardiology |
| C．according to the study, the early-death rate for men was 18% higher than that for women. |
| D．the mortality among people who didn’t sat long at home was lower than that among people who did. |
According to paragraph 5, which of the following statements is true about a treadmill station ?
| A．is a computer that a worker can take along when he walks or runs |
| B．has been tried out by Facebook and now is very popular with other companies |
| C．is a place where workers can exercise while working. |
| D．is a treadmill on which workers can run or walk only after work |
The passage mainly talks about .
| A．sitting for too long leads to increased health risks |
| B．standing desks have replaced sit-down ones in Facebook Inc. |
| C．more and more workers choose standing desks instead of sit-down ones |
| D．many employees at Google opt for standing desks |
When Dean Arnold got his first job, he was miserable (痛苦的), Each time he went to work, he coughed and he couldn’t breathe. Working in a bakery(面包房) when you are allergic to (对…过敏) flour can be painful.
But Arnold stayed with the National Biscuit Company for ten years. He was a businessman and he helped them improve production. At last his health problems became too serious. He left and formed his own company.
With his wife and mother, he founded Arnold Bakery. They tried new recipes (配方). changing the kind and amount of flour used. This enabled Arnold to work there without too much pain. The bread, made with unbleached flour (标准粉), was baked in a brick oven (烘炉).
They began by baking two dozen loaves. The bread was sold door to door for fifteen cents a loaf. Winning customers to his unusual, old-fashioned bread took time. But Arnold, struggling against his allergy, built his bakery into one of the largest in the United States.
61. A good title for this passage would be .
A. A Sick Baker B. A Brick-oven Bread Baker
C. An Old-fashioned Baker D. How to Overcome Allergy
62. Dean left the National Biscuit Company because he _______.
A. suffered from allergy to flour B. didn’t like the job
C. wanted to make more money D. wanted to form his own company
63. During his stay in the National Biscuit Company, _______.
A. he founded Arnold Bakery
B. he tried a new method of baking
C. he helped the company improve their production
D. he became successful in his business
64. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Arnold’s bread was baked in a brick oven.
B. Arnold’s bread was made with unbleached flour.
C. Arnold’s bread was sold at a low price.
D. Arnold’s bread was of poor quality.
65. From the passage we can conclude that Arnold was ________.
A. determined B. brave C. usual D. unhealthy
One day a few years ago a very funny thing happened to a neighbour of mine. He is a teacher at one of London’s big medical schools, He had finished his teaching for the summer term and was at the airport on his way to Russia to give a lecture.
He had put a few clothes and his lecture notes in his shoulder bag, but he had put Rupert, the skeleton (人体骨骼) to be used in his lecture, in a large brown suitcase (箱子). At the airport desk, he suddenly thought that he had forgotten to buy a newspaper. He left his suitcase near the desk and went over to the shop.
When he got back he discovered that someone had taken his suitcase by mistake. He often wonders what they said when they got home and found Rupert.
56. Who wrote the story?
A. Rupert’s teacher.B. The neighbour’s teacher.
C. A medical school teacher. D. The teacher’s neighbour.
57. Why did the teacher put a skeleton in his suitcase?
A. He needed it for the summer term in London.
B. He needed it for the lecture he was going to give.
C. He wanted to take it to Russia for medical research.
D. He wanted to take it home as he had finished his teaching.
58. What happened at the airport?
A. The skeleton went missing . B. The skeleton was stolen .
C. The teacher forgot his suitcase. D. The teacher took the wrong suitcase .
59. Which of the following best tells the teacher’s feeling about the incident?
A. He is very angry . B. He thinks it rather funny .
C. He feels helpless without Rupert. D. He feels good without Rupert .
60. Which of the following might have happened afterwards?
A. The teacher got back the suitcase but not Rupert.
B. The teache
r got back neither the suitcase nor Rupert.
C. The teacher got back Rupert but not the suitcase.
D. The teacher got back both the suitcase and Rupert.
C
Flags have existed for over 3000 years.The earliest flags were wooden or metal poles topped with a carving.About 2000 years ago pies of fabric were added to some poles for decoration.Over the next 500 years the free-flying part of the flag became more important.
Every country today has its own flag.Many groups and organizations also have a flag which stands for,or symbolizes,the aims of the group.
The flag depicts (描绘)a world map,centered on the north pole.The map is surrounded by an olive(橄榄)wreath(花环)symbolizing peace and co-operation.The flag is blue and white.
8.Flags have been in existence for _________.
A.500 years B.over 3000 years
C.about 2000 years D.between 500 and 2000 years
9.A very old flag is likely to _________.
A.be made of fabric B.have a map on it
C.have white shapes on it D.be made of carved wood
10.An olive wreath is used to represent _________.
A.peace B.purity C.justice D.equality
B
Below is a table which shows the melting(液化)and boiling points of common substances.Study the table.Then do Numbers 4—7.
| Substance |
Melting point(C) |
Boiling Point(C) |
| Water Alcohol Nitrogen Oxygen |
0 –117 –210 -218 |
100 78 –196 –183 |
4.The underlined word‘substances'means‘a type of'_________.
A.matter B.liquid C.solid D.gas
5.Which of the four should be a liquid at-90 degrees?
A.water B.alcohol C.nitrogen D.oxygen
6.Mixing alcohol and water is often used to wash windscreens of cars during the wintertime because _________.
A.it is easier for alcohol to change into gas
B.alcohol is not easily separated from water
C.alcohol freezes at lower temperature than water
D.the mixture is not expensive
7.In order to change water from a solid to a liquid energy must be _________.
A.removed B.added C.created D.destroyed
六、Reading comprehension.(阅读理解)20分
A
Air is an odorless(that cannot be smelled;smelless),invisible(that cannot be seen)gas that surrounds the planet earth.It is everywhere on the planet.An “empty” drinking glass and an “empty” room,to give two examples,are not really empty.Each is filled with air.When the glass is filled with water,the water pushes the air out of the glass.
Air,as a gas,has no definite(fixed,particular)shape,but,because it is matter,it takes up space.It is easy to prove that air is something that takes up space.Stuff a dry handkerchief into the bottom of a glass so that it will not fall out when the glass is turned upside-down.Push the upside-down glass,hold it straight into a jar of water till the glass is completely covered.When the glass is taken out of water,the handkerchief will be dry.The air inside the glass took up space and kept the water from coming in.
1.“Stuff a dry handkerchief into…”.The underlined word means.
A.Press tightly B.Take out C.Put down D.Turn fully
2.The writer tells us that _________.
A.the experiment was done in the laboratory
B.the experiment was done outside the room
C.the experiment is easily done
D.the experiment is carried out indoors
3.Which of the following pictures gives us the correct result?
(W—water;A—air;H—handkerchief)