Need to relax after a few stressful months? Perhaps you need to go to a spa.
First of all, what exactly is a spa? Traditionally, spas were places with a natural spring producing warm waters that could be used in hydrotherapy (水疗法) treatments. They were places where you “took the waters” --- meaning you drank some of the water or bathed in it.
But nowadays, a “spa” can mean a variety of things. In general, the term is often used to refer to commercial establishment that provides many services for health, fitness, weight loss, beauty and relaxation. This may include exercise classes, mud baths, body treatment, facials (美容), etc.
In Japan, traditional hot springs have attracted visitors for centuries. And thermal baths (温泉浴) have been found in the ruins of the Cretan Palace of Knossos (2000-1400 B.C.). It was the Romans who made spas popular in Europe. They established a number of towns around thermal waters. These include the English town of Aquae Sulis (which is called Bath today), and the Belgian town of Aquae Spadanae (which is known as Spa these days).
In the 18th century, spas became the fashionable places to go on holiday. Bath and Harrogate in the UK were popular with British rich people. And in Europe Carsbad (now called Larlovy Vary), Marienbad and Franzensbsf were Europe’s most important holiday centers.
A typical day in Carsbad in the 19th century went as follows. Visitors got up at 6:00 a.m. to take the waters and listen to music by a band. Next, came a light breakfast, a bath in the waters, and then lunch. In the afternoon, visitors went sightseeing, walked or attended concerts. After dinner, there were theatrical performances. Guests returned to their hotels at about 9 p.m. to rest until six the following morning. Visitors would stay for as long as a month. Some of the more famous patients at these spas included the composers Beethoven and Chopin, and the Russian writer Turgnev.
Marienbad was the best spa town. It was popular with the inventor Thomas Edison, the writer Johann Goethe, and many famous people and European emperors.
Today, although taking the waters isn’t as common as it used to be, spa treatments are more popular than ever. What can we learn about a spa?
| A．It makes profits mainly on facials. |
| B．It is a center for rich people to relax. |
| C．It provides more services than before. |
| D．It is where one can get medical treatment. |
From Paragraph 4, we can infer that ___________.
| A．spas have a history of about 200 years |
| B．Japan has more spas than any other countries |
| C．the Romans played a positive part in the popularity of spas |
| D．ordinary people could enjoy thermal baths in 18th-century UK |
At the spas in Carlsbad, ____________.
| A．many visitors had facials |
| B．guests often stayed for at least a month |
| C．Thomas Edison was a regular guest |
| D．guests had a bath between breakfast and lunch |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The former name of Larlovy Vary was Carlsbad. |
| B．Spa treatments are not so popular as before. |
| C．Chopin visited Marienbad frequently. |
| D．Marienbad is located in the UK. |
Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries -- like the UK or France -- people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment (多元文化环境) will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other. In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to _______.
| A．develop closer relations | B．share the same culture |
| C．get to know each other | D．keep each other company |
The author mentions his experience in Thailand to show that _________.
| A．the English prefer to make long speeches |
| B．too many words are of no use |
| C．people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature |
| D．even talk and silence can be culturally different |
According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?
| A．By sharing different ways of life. | B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognizing different values. | D．By speaking each other’ s languages. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Multicultural Environment. | B．Cross-Cultural Differences. |
| C．How to Understand Each Other. | D．How to Build Up a Relationship. |
(NEW YORK)---Scientists have discovered small signs of awareness in some vegetative(植物人的) brain injury patients and have even communicated with one of them---findings that are beneficial to how to assess and care for such people.
The new research suggests that standard tests may ignore patients who have some consciousness, and that someday some kind of communication may be possible.
In the strongest example, a 29-year-old patient was able to answer yes-or-no questions by picturing specific scenes the doctors asked him to imagine.
“We were stunned when this happened,” said one study author, Martin Monti of the Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge. “I find it really amazing. This was a patient who was believed to be vegetative for five years.”
Ever since a research paper four years ago described obvious signs of awareness in a vegetative patient, families of patients have been demanding brain scans, said Dr. James Bernat, a spokesman for the American Academy for Neurology.
But experts said more study is needed before the specialized brain scans could be used in medical treatment. “It’s still a research tool,” Bernat said.
Experts also pointed out that only a few tested patients showed evidence of awareness. And they said it is not clear what degree of consciousness and mental abilities the signs imply.
They also noted that the positive signals appeared only in people with traumatic(外伤的) brain injury---not in patients whose brains had been lacking in oxygen, as can happen when the heart stops.
The new study used brain scanning called functional MRI, for 23 patients in a vegetative state and 31 that are minimally(极微地) conscious.
Patients are said to be in a vegetative state if they are tested and found unable to do such things as move on command or follow a moving object with their eyes. Minimally conscious patients show signs of awareness, but they are minimal and discontinuous. What is the practical use of the research?
| A．It leads to studying how to cure vegetative patients. |
| B．It attracts society to pay more attention to vegetative patients. |
| C．It helps doctors know whether patients are vegetative or not. |
| D．It drives the government to care about vegetative patients. |
What does the underlined word “stunned” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
| A．Relaxed | B．Amazed | C．Excited | D．Worried |
One is considered vegetative if _______________.
| A．his eyes can’t follow a moving thing | B．his brain only has a little oxygen |
| C．he has a traumatic brain injury | D．his heart stops beating |
The passage mainly deals with ________________.
| A．how to recognize a vegetative patient | B．the significance of a new scientific finding |
| C．how family members look after a vegetative patient | |
| D．the latest findings on awareness in some vegetative patients |
Researchers who study relationships have discovered that a big difference between those who make new friends easily, and those who don’t, is that socially successful people tend to make eye contact with their conversation partners much more frequently than those who are less successful socially. In fact, you may be able to become much more socially successful by making this one simple change to your behavior.
Most Americans prefer to have a lot of eye contact when they are talking with someone. When a person doesn’t make eye contact with them, they tend to think that the person is hiding something or the person doesn’t believe in himself/herself.
When you are having a conversation and you want to leave a friendly impression, be sure to keep looking at that person frequently while you are talking. If it really bothers you to look directly into another person’s eyes, you can gaze generally at, not above, the eyebrow area or the bridge of the nose; this is close enough to the eye region that you will appear to be looking at the person’s eyes. But neither the hair or the shoulders have the same effect. Don’t stare at other people too intensely, otherwise, you will look aggressive(攻击性).
Keep the majority of your focus on the other person. If you glance around the room too much, or look too frequently at other people, your conversation partner may guess that you are looking around for someone else you would rather talk with.
You can lighten your nervousness by smiling more often, nodding, and by gazing at the entire face as well as the eyes. In addition, you can frequently look away for very short periods.
When people get the sense that you are really paying attention to them, they will be much more likely to want to have conversations with you!Which of the following is NOT the impression left by those who don’t make eye contact during the talk?
| A．They are not telling the truth. | B．They are bored with the partner. |
| C．They are lacking in confidence | D．They are angry and ready to attack. |
Besides the eyes of the partner, during the talk, you can look at his/her ___________.
| A．hair | B．shoulders | C．the bridge of the nose | D．area above the eyebrows |
From the passage, we can learn that ____________________.
| A．looking away during conversation should always be avoided. |
| B．looking at a person frequently can give him/her a good impression. |
| C．many Americans feel like being stared at for a long time. |
| D．all successful people are good at making eye contact. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to make yourself socially successful |
| B．How to use eye contact to make a good impression |
| C．How to make friends with the people around you |
| D．How to leave a good impression during a talk |
Dear Michelle,
My mother is not a good example for me and my sister. She smokes, stays out late, and she curses. I love her but I am ashamed of her. I do not want to bring home my friends because she does not act like any of the other mothers. She says I am a loser because I sit at home and I study. I wish I could live in another family that is normal, but that will not be for another 5 years when I am 18 and legal. What am I supposed to do until then?
Prisoner of a Crazy House
Dear 7th Grade,
I am glad that you love your mother because the rest of your feelings about her may change as you mature and get older.
While it is true that your mother’s smoking, partying and cursing bring you shame, the fact that you want to stay separate from her doing is notable and very smart. It shows that you are a winner, not a loser.
I am guessing, therefore, that you do not bring shame to yourself, and that is a good thing. So, keep it that way and keep away from your mother’s habits.
In the meantime, get the best grades as possible and join clubs and after-school activities. Offer social service on weekends and visit with your friends at their homes.
Unfortunately, you are not alone. Many teens live in homes with immature, misguided, selfish parents. Those kids often feel lonely and separate from the rest of their friends because of their parents’ terrible deeds.
Yet, despite this, some of these very teens grow up to be just fine. They develop good friendships with nice kids, do well in school, and often find a teacher of guidance advisor who makes all the difference!
Do it, Miss Winning 13-year-old, and keep looking forward to your own fine future. Maybe by then your mother may even see the light and realize how surprising you really are.
Best luck!
MichelleThe kids asks for advice on how to _________.
| A．make her mother change | B．grow up in her present situation |
| C．get along well with her mother | D．start a new family with her sister |
Michelle doesn’t call her letter receiver a “Prisoner of a Crazy House” possibly because she ________.
| A．tries to be polite | B．doesn’t write to that kid alone |
| C．knows that’s a girl in Grade 7 | D．wants to cheer up the kid |
Michelle advises the girl to ___________.
| A．try talking to her mother | B．get used to the habits of her mother |
| C．stick to her attitude towards her mother | D．improve her relationship with her mother |
What does Michelle express by the paragraphs beginning with “Unfortunately” and “Yet”?
| A．Many parents act terribly | B．You’re not speaking for yourself |
| C．Parents’ manners make little difference | D．Don’t worry too much about your problem |
Getting ready for a big test? Want to get some extra energy for your next sports event? Or do you just need to relax? Match the mood you’re in( or the mood you’d like to be in) to the descriptions below and find out what color may help.
Feeling tired: Red can help you meet the demands of a busy day. If you’ve got a tough day ahead, try wearing a red sweater or painting your fingernails a rich red to boost(增加) your energy.
Feeling tense or depressed: Green may give you a sense of peace. Take a long walk through a tree-filled park or read a book in a grassy area.
Wanting to use your creativity: Violet(紫罗兰色) helps increase creativity. Think of a creative project you’d like to start and use the color violet as your main theme.
Experiencing lack of interest: Yellow helps to improve thought process and mental sharpness. Start keeping a diary on yellow notepaper, and get some sunlight on your face.
Needing to boost your imagination: Indigo(靛蓝色) strengthens dream activity. Put on your favorite pair of jeans and a pair of indigo sunglasses.
Feeling sad, self-conscious, nervous: Orange may help start your emotions and make you more social. Buy yourself an orange book bag or purse and carry it with you on the days when you’re feeling low.
Having trouble sleeping: Blue helps calm your nerves and brings relaxation. Buy some blue sheets for your bed and curl up with your favorite magazines for a relaxing night. If you’re trying to calm yourself down, you may ________.
| A．wear a red sweater | B．walk through green fields. |
| C．put on a pair of jeans | D．buy a yellow bag |
Which of the following is most helpful in producing unique artwork?
| A．Red | B．Green | C．Violet | D．Orange |
According to the passage, orange____________.
| A．helps fire one’s imagination | B．helps you deal with people easily |
| C．helps have a good rest | D．helps save energy |
If you want to be in high spirits, which colors may help?
| A．Red and yellow | B．Yellow and blue |
| C．Green and violet | D．Blue and green |