If music makes you smarter and exercise helps you to think, surely exercising to music can turn you into an intelligent person.
A team of scientists from Ohio State University did experiments on 33 volunteers who were getting better from heart disease following operation. They found that people who exercised while listening to Italian musician Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” did much better on language ability tests than without music.
“Facts suggest that exercise improves the learning ability of people with heart disease,” said the psychologist Charles Emery, who led the study. “And listening to music is thought to enhance understanding. We just wanted to put the two results together,” he added.
The volunteers said they felt better emotionally and physically after working out with or without the music. But their improvement on the test doubled after listening to music during exercise. Scientists have proved that music can be good for health, education and well-being. It helps reduce stress, sadness and nervousness; encourages relaxation or sleep; wakes up the body and improves memory and thoughts.
In medical fields, music is used widely for patients who have had head hurts before and after operation. “The Four Seasons” was used because of its moderate tempo（舒缓的节拍）and positive results in earlier research. “Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system(神经系统) and these changes may have a direct result on learning ability,” Emery said.
Scientists have been studying the results of music on understanding since the early 1950s. By 2000, psychologists were using Mozart’s music, especially his violin pieces, to help children with speech disorders. Mozart was chosen because his music is not overexciting and has clear structures. A study showed students who listened to Mozart went on to score higher marks in an intelligence test. With important exams drawing near, your parents will not probably allow you to listen to music. But perhaps now you have good reasons to argue with them.
| A．impress | B．improve | C．provide | D．produce |
| A．music and exercise lead to relaxation or sleep |
| B．33 volunteers work on music in medical fields |
| C．exercising to music makes people healthy and bright |
| D．scientists give suggestions on choosing music to exercise to |
| A．you are supposed to follow your parents’ words |
| B．students should not listen to music before exams |
| C．you have some good reasons to exercise to music |
| D．music might help you to get higher grades in tests |
| A．Exercise seems to cause negative changes without music. |
| B．Exercise reminds people with head hurts of what they’ve learned. |
| C．Scientists often use Mozart’s music, for it is not too exciting. |
| D．“The Four Seasons” is used to help children with speech disorders. |
A young woman was diagnosed with a terminal illness（不治之症）and given three months to live. So as she was getting her things “in order”, she asked her pastor（牧师）to come to her house to discuss her final wishes. With everything in order, the pastor was ready to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.
“What’s that?” asked the pastor.
“I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”
The pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing what to say.
“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.
“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the pastor.
The young woman explained, “In all my years of going to church meetings and dinners, I remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would always lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming, like chocolate cake or apple pie，some dessert like that. Something wonderful! I just want people to see me there in that casket（棺材）with a fork so that when they ask you why I have a fork, you can tell them: ‘Keep your fork—the best is yet to come.’”
The pastor hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.
At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the pretty dress she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the pastor heard the question “Why does she have a fork?” And over and over again he smiled.
So the next time you reach down for your fork, let it reminded you of this young woman gently. Send the message to everyone you consider a friend even if it means sending it back to the person who sent it to you.
And, keep your fork!!In the author’s opinion, the woman in this passage is _______.
| A．bored | B．optimistic |
| C．pessimistic | D．crazy |
When enjoying a Western dinner, in the later part you have to “Keep your fork.” This usually mean “____________”
| A．Watch out for your fork. |
| B．I wish you good luck with the fork |
| C．Prepare your fork so that you can enjoy the dessert |
| D．You can not take away your fork |
Which of the following is WRONG about the young woman?
| A．She is optimistic about life and diseases. |
| B．She loves sweet food. |
| C．She wants her friends to remember her forever. |
| D．She is a regular church-goer. |
According to the passage, “Keep your fork”, the message may mean “__________”
| A．Don’t be discouraged. Everything will be better. |
| B．What is the matter? I am worried. |
| C．Have you heard the story of a young woman? |
| D．Enjoy your dinner. |
Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in intercultural experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm even when things do not go as one wants them to, or hopes they will, or has even been sure they will. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in her own reactions than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
“The awareness of being unclear” is a more difficult concept than patience or a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear to the newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in the situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said, “things are just so different here.”The passage mainly tells us .
| A．that it’s not easy to travel abroad |
| B．that humor is very important in communication |
| C．about some characteristics in dealing with foreigners |
| D．about three main ways useful for communicating with foreigners |
According to the passage, what characteristic should be most focused on?
| A．Patience | B．The awareness of being unclear |
| C．The sense of humor | D．Understanding each other. |
“The awareness of being unclear” refers to .
| A．knowing the meaning of an exact situation |
| B．not stating clearly what happens |
| C．realizing the possible misunderstanding in a situation |
| D．being aware of the unclear situation |
According to the writer, the Chinese students is .
| A．a hard-working student | B．recently back from the moon |
| C．interested in the study of moon | D．not used to the culture in America |
OUR PROMISE
Making your stay a complete success is our goal. Just let our manager on duty of front-desk staff know if any part of your stay isn’t satisfactory. We promise to make it right or you won’t pay for that part of your stay.
FORGET SOMETHING?
If you forget to pack any standard toiletry item(tooth brush, toothpaste, shaving cream, razor or comb), just call the front desk and we’ll get you a free replacement（替代）right away.
PLEASE REUSE THE TOWELS
We invite you to join with us to save water by using your towels（毛巾）more than once.
In addition to decreasing water and energy waste, you can help us reduce the amount of waste water that must be recycled within our community.
Please hang the towels up if you wish to participate in the program---if not, simply leave them on the floor.
We appreciate your help!
PLEASE CHANGE THE SHEETS TODAY
The Project Planet Program is an effort of this hotel to protect the environment through saving water and decreasing waste water. If you are staying with us more than one night, as part of the Project Planet Program, we will wash your sheets every three days.
If you would prefer not to participate in this program, simply hang this card on the outside of your door and sheets will be changed right away. As always sheets are automatically changed after every guest checks out.
We appreciate your help! We can find this passage in a in a hotel.
| A．café bar | B．front desk | C．fitness center | D．guest room |
If you forget your comb, you can .
| A．buy one in the hotel shop | B．replace one with a tooth brush |
| C．ask for one from the service center | D．go in person and get one at the front desk |
Leaving the towels on the floor means .
| A．you want to participate in the program | B．you want the room-maid to hang it up |
| C．you need them collected and washed | D．you want to use them more than once |
What is the Project Planet Program trying to do?
| A．Make your bed sheets cleaner. | B．Work for a better environment. |
| C．Help guests checking out faster. | D．Persuade guests to stay longer. |
One woman in nine will develop breast cancer (乳腺癌) over her lifetime. However, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing the disease by 40 to 60 percent.
Generally speaking, eating more vegetables can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 60 percent. Vegetables like cabbage are rich in fiber (纤维), can lower your risk of developing breast cancer. To get the most from their goodness, it’s recommended that you eat at least three to four cups of these vegetables per week.
It’s the oleic acid (油酸) contained in olive oil. American scientists conducting laboratory research have observed that oleic acid has a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells. Olive oil is the richest source of this acid, so whenever possible, use it in place of butter.
Eating fruit is another excellent way to help prevent the development of breast cancer. In fact, women who do eat fruit are six percent less likely to develop the disease. The American Institute for Cancer Research considers berries (浆果类) (blueberries, strawberries, etc.) to be powerful for breast cancer fighters.
It’s the lycopene (番茄红素), found in great quantities in tomatoes, that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The lycopene found in canned tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body than that contained in fresh ones, so add tomato juice, paste, and sauce to your diet.
As a result of various studies, the American Institute for Cancer Research has concluded that components (成分) found in green tea can help halt the development of cancerous tumours (瘤) and even prevent them from appearing in the first place. Three cups a day will help you get the benefits of green tea. What does the author mainly tell us?
How to cure breast cancer by eating healthy foods.
Healthy diets help fight against breast cancer.
Proper fruits, vegetables and drinks keep you fit.
Breast cancer is the most terrible killer for women.We learn from the passage that ________.
eating more fruit and vegetables can stop your risk of developing cancer
olive oil can help breast cancer cells develop
women eating tomatoes won’t suffer from breast cancer
components found in green tea can reduce the risk of developing cancerWhat does the underlined word "halt"in the last paragraph mean?
| A. stop |
B. increase |
C. change |
D. pull |
According to the passage, the author may agree that ________.
| A．Ten percent of women suffer from breast cancer |
| B．Berries are the richest source of the oleic acid |
| C．The lycopene found in olive oil has a good effect on breast cancer cells |
| D．Drinking green tea properly can help you keep healthy |
President Obama's plan to improve former president George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind program is an improvement on a good thing. But it doesn't go far enough.
Obama outlined a goal that by 2020, all grade school and high school students are on a path toward college.
However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We've provided a free public education through the 12th grade. If we're going to keep up—or catch up——with some other countries (like China) in preparing young people for careers, a 12-year education programme no longer is enough.
About 3 million students across the US will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCFES). For the more than 1 million who won't go on, money is a main reason. If tuition(学费) were free, about half of them could make up other costs from family or part-time jobs.
Critics (批评家) of free college tuition will say we can't afford it because of the federal deficit (联邦赤字) and other rising costs. Let's see some government spending in detail:
In the last nearly 10 years, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us $ 1,000 billion. Federal money which was spent on public primary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was $ 47 billion. If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation-building efforts abroad, the federal government could provide more money on public education, for which state and governments now carry most of the burden.What's the program No Child Left Behind about this year?
All children being taken good care of by the government.
All grade school and high school students receiving college education.
No child being left alone at home.
All children having good jobs in the future.The author probably agrees that President Obama's plan ________.
has nothing to do with George W. Bush's program.
will surely succeed in ten years
is about 12-year education for all the children
doesn't contain practical measures(措施) to achieve its goal If tuition were not paid for, about ________ American students could afford college education.
|
What can we learn from the passage?
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were necessary.
The federal government has enough money for the plan.
Critics of free tuition think highly of the plan.
Obama's plan might be difficult to carry out.