Throughout time, people have loved music for its ability to transport them into a world of rhythm and melody. Recently more and more hospitals and clinics have been tapping into the power of music –not only to comfort patients, but to help cure them as well. Welcome to the world of music therapy(疗法).
After each of the two world wars, musicians visited hospitals and played instruments for injured soldiers suffering from emotional and physical pain. Today's music therapists continue this practice, playing instruments such as guitars and harps to bring comfort to their audiences.
Therapist Eric Mammen encourages his patients at a children’s hospital to participate with him as he plays. During visits with 13-year-old cancer patient Lawrence Garcia, Mammen encourages Garcia to beat on electric drums while he plays the guitar. The therapy won’t cure his cancer, but it does, according to Garcia’s mom, take away much of the boy’s depression(沮丧).
Music therapy can put patients in better moods and ease the symptoms of depression according to the American Music Therapy Association. Other benefits include relieving pain, calming tension, aiding sleep, reducing worry or fear, and easing muscle tension.
Jose Haro personally experienced the benefits of music therapy when he was recovering from heart surgery. During his recovery, he played a piano whose keys lit up, indicating which keys to touch to play along with the background music. Soon he was playing tunes and noticing something strange. “I was searching for my pain.” He says of his experience, “but it was gone.”
While Haro's experience provides an evidence of the power of music to relieve pain, scientific research has proven music also helps patients with Alzheimer's disease and arthritis.
In addition, music therapy helps premature babies. Doctors are tapping into a powerful way to teach premature babies that haven’t yet learned how to suck. Doctors use a device that comforts the babies by playing music when they suck on a pacifier(奶嘴). Soon the babies learn to suck in return for music, gaining weight faster and going home earlier than those who do not use the device.
Even perfectly healthy people are discovering the power of music to calm and heal. Drum circles attract people who find stress relief in beating out rhythms. While music is not a cure-all, it does make life a little easier.In the first paragraph, the underlined phrase “ tapping into “ can be replaced by “_________”
A.discussing on | B.looking for | C.showing interest in | D.making use of |
According to the passage, Jose Haro_______________.
A.went through an obvious effect of music on his recovery |
B.was asked to play the piano with the background music |
C.felt no pain in his surgery because of music therapy |
D.recovered from heart disease completely |
From the passage, we know_________________.
A.music can prevent people from suffering from arthritis |
B.Garcia found much comfort in music according to his mom |
C.musicians cured many soldiers after each of the two world wars |
D.the more music they listen to, the faster premature babies gain weight |
What is the best title for this passage?
A.Music to Patient Ears | B.Music Popular in Hospitals |
C.Musicians Work with Doctors | D.People's life Benefits from Music |
Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed, almost nobody worked, and the highways, as a result, were not the desperate steeplechases(障碍赛跑) they have become today. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother—the same house my father was raised in, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for an hour of devotion, an opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, different from all the other days of the week, because everyone seemed to be on the same schedule, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association. In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visiting someone else’s home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to DO this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road race to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such an answer would feel sepia-toned, an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land and tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast(特质)still harbors at least remnants of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries(反复无常的情况)and a challenging environment.
63.The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when _______.
A. everyone was paying a visit to some relative far away
B. everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure
C. Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house
D. nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school
64.In the fourth paragraph, the writer compares the response “I’m making a Sunday visit to family” to an echo from another era because _______.
A. people nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday
B. such answers are rarely heard in our modern society
C. people in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday
D. visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time
65.From the last paragraph we may infer that _______.
A. people in Maine suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment
B. people in Maine has abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life
C. land in Maine is short, thus the relationship between people is tense
D. people in Maine always help each other when they are in need
66.Which word we may use to describe the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?
A. Unsatisfied. B. Anxious. C. Treasured. D. Teased.
When our son, Alex, was young, he hated to travel. We endured refusals to visit one more museum, even if it was the Louvre. We coped with a child who resisted even a taste of onion soup in Paris and who insisted he would like nothing more than ordering room service at the hotel and watching TV.
Over the years, we have come up with several hard-earned but realistic strategies to help kids cope on long-distance trips.
First, we recognize that some children have trouble adjusting to new environments, food, time zones and schedules. So, in advance of a trip to England, we gave our son a taste of the new culture by making shepherd’s pie for supper. He loved the mashed potatoes, chopped meat and brown gravy(肉汁). For Italy, we sampled homemade pesto(香蒜沙司) served over linguine(扁面条). For Amsterdam, I cooked up a pot of comforting pea soup and baked a delicious apple pancake called pannekoeken. Then, when we traveled to these places, he ate these foods and they seemed like a taste of home.
In addition to food, we always sample the culture beforehand by reading books and renting movies from the countries we will be visiting. For Italy, the book Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino and the films Johnny Stecchino, Cinema Paradiso, and Il Postino gave our son a glimpse of the Italian way of life. For Britain, we rented Mr. Bean and Billy Elliot, and enjoyed stories by J.R.R. Tolkien and E. Nesbit. For Amsterdam, he finished The Diary of Anne Frank.
Before we leave home, we also ask Alex to go through our tour books and pick out activities that appeal to him. He was excited about visiting the London Dungeon and the Imperial War Museum, and taking a ride in the London Eye. They turned out to be big hits. Because Alex’s preferences were given equal attention, he was more tolerant of his parents’ selections, such as visiting Charters Cathedral and the Van Gogh Museum.
We’ve also learned the hard way that dragging our son out of bed early in the morning ,thus making him grumpy all day. Now that he is a teenager, we let him sleep in while we sip coffee at a café, work out at the hotel gym, or take a long walk. This makes our time together much more enjoyable
59.According to the writer, parents are advised to _______.
A. cook children’s favorite food
B. postpone traveling until the kids are in college
C. allow their kids a ride in the London Eye
D. take children’s interest and preferences into account
60.Cinema Paradiso and Il Postino are mentioned as _______.
A. particular desires of children B. an approach to interest the future possible visit
C. highly appreciated films for tourists D. comfortable activities children could pick out
61.The underlined word “grumpy” in the last paragraph is similar in meaning to _______.
A. bad-tempered B. tolerant C. energetic D. nervous
62.Which of the following might serve as a possible title for this passage?
A. Kids and Parents. B. Joys of Traveling.
C. Whether You Go or Not. D. How to motivate Kids to travel
When it comes to your skin, there is an extremely important fact that you must keep in mind: Your skin is the largest organ of your body. As an obvious result, skin health and maintenance(保养) is vital. Your skin does everything from protecting you from the elements to assisting you with breathing. Your skin keeps your body hydrated(含水的) and regulates your body's temperature. In the end, this really is only the beginning of all of the various vital functions that your skin provides to you.
Despite the extreme importance of a person's skin, the reality is that many people simply do not pay much attention to issues relating to the health of their skin. With that in mind, there are some prime tips and pointers that you must always keep in mind when it comes to the health and protection of your skin.
Protection against harmful rays from the sun is one of the most important steps that you need to take. With this in mind it is vitally important that you make certain you use solid protection when you go out into the sun.
Your diet also has a direct effect on the health of your skin. The most important aspect of your diet in relation to the health of your skin is to make certain that you eat a proper amount of food items that contain the proteins and nutrients necessary for cellular maintenance, repair and regeneration(再生). With this in mind, your skin cells actually rely on a sufficient amount of carbohydrates.
Water is also important to the Health of your skin. While you certainly have heard it before, it actually is true that you should drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of fresh and pure water every day. There are many health benefits you can get from drinking water daily, including maintaining healthy skin.
Finally, when it comes to the health of your skin today and into the future you should avoid smoking all together. In addition, you should drink alcohol only in moderation. Both smoking and too much alcohol consumption can negatively affect the health of your skin in significant ways.
55.The underlined word elements in the first paragraph probably refers to _______.
A. bad weather B. a favorable environment
C. all the chemicals D. the cells making up the skin
56.The writer lists some of the functions of skin in the beginning part to _______.
A. make an analysis of the main topic of the passage
B. draw readers’ attention to the main topic of the passage
C. give a brief introduction to the main topic of the passage
D. give the readers a summary of the main topic of the passage
57.Which of the following does not help maintain the health of skin?
A. Drinking alcohol in moderation.
B. Including adequate carbohydrates in diet.
C. Using solid protection when exposed to the sun.
D. Drinking enough fresh and pure water every day.
58.The most suitable title of the passage may be _______.
A. An essential organ of our body B. Tips for soft and smooth skin
C. Habits and skin health D. How to keep our skin healthy
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分, 满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Mr. Whitson taught sixth-grade science. On the first day of class, he gave us a lecture about an animal called the Cattywampus, a nocturnal (夜间活动的) animal that was wiped out during the Ice Age. He passed around a skull as he talked. We all took notes and later had a quiz.
When he returned my paper, I was shocked. There was a big red “X” through each of my answers. There had to be some mistakes! I had written down exactly what Mr. Whitson said. Then I realized that everyone in the class had failed. What had happened? Very simple, Mr. Whitson explained. He had made up all that story about the Cattywampus. The information in our notes was, therefore, incorrect. Did we expect credit for incorrect answers? Needless to say, we were outraged. What kind of text was this? And what kind of teacher is he?
We should have figured it out, Mr. Whitson said. After all, at the very moment he was passing around the Cattywampus skull (in truth, a cat’s), hadn’t he been telling us that no trace of the animal remained? He had described its amazing night vision, the color of its fur and any number of other facts he couldn’t have known, he had given the animal a ridiculous name, and we still hadn’t been suspicious. The zeroes on our papers would be recorded in his grade book, he said. And they were. Mr. Whitson said he hoped we would learn something from this experience. He told us not to let our minds go to sleep, and to speak up if we ever thought he or the textbook was wrong.
We carded our new skepticism (怀疑主义) into all our classes. This caused problems for the other teachers, who weren’t used to being challenged. Our history teacher would be lecturing about something, and then there would be clearings of the throat and someone would say “Cattywampus”.
If I’m ever asked to propose a solution to the crisis in our schools, it will be Mr. Whitson. I haven’t made any great scientific discoveries, but Mr. Whitson’s class gave me and my classmates something just as important: the courage to look people in the eye and tell them they are wrong. He also showed us that you can have fun doing it.
51.The best title for this passage would probably be _______.
A. Cattywampus
B. An interesting and unforgettable Lesson
C. A new teaching method
D. The Best Teacher I Ever Had
52.The underlined word outraged in the second paragraph here means _______.
A. angry B. excited C. disappointed D. discouraged
53.From this passage, we know that Mr. Whitson was a teacher _______.
A. difficult to get along with B. creative in teaching
C. fond of being challenged D. full of energy and enthusiasm
54.We can infer from the passage that _______.
A. teachers and textbooks are not always right
B. Cattywampus could be found in the Ice Age
C. the history teacher didn’t like to be challenged
D. Mr. Whitson always made a bad impression on his students
Pupils are ordered not to wade into ankle-deep water unless teachers first carry out a full risk assessment and put“proper measures in place”.
Staff are expected to check rivers, ponds and the sea for currents and rocks before allowing children to dip their feet.
Guidance issued to schools warns that any“impromptu (事先无准备的) water-based activities”could pose dangers to children.
The recommendations were outlined in a document-available to all 21,000 schools in England — to help teachers organize more school trips. Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families is intended to cut red tape (官样文章) and give staff practical tips.
But the guidance caused argument after teachers were presented with a series of orders surrounding swimming and the use of minibuses.
It said:“Swimming and padding or otherwise entering the waters of river, canal, sea or lake should never be allowed as an impromptu activity. The pleas of young people to bathe — because it is hot weather, for example, should be resisted where bathing has not been prepared for.”
“In-water activities should take place only when a proper risk assessment has been completed and proper measures put in place to control the risks.”
Teachers are urged to check the weather, currents, weeds, rip tides, river or sea beds and breakwaters before allowing children into the water. No child should be able to swim deeper than waist height, the guidance added.
Margaret Morrissey, from campaign group Parents Outloud, said:“Wading out into the ocean is one thing but there’s nothing wrong with padding where the waves break.”
“Part of children’s learning is to walk along the water’s edge and get your feet wet. There are dangerous currents further out and you stay at the edge.”
She added:“I want to see schools and youth groups taking advantage of opportunities that learning outside the classroom can provide.”
But the Department for Children, Schools and Families said teachers had to plan activities carefully.
“We are not banning padding,”said a spokeswoman.“We have seen cases in the past where things have not been planned and assessed for the risk. Unplanned activities around water can be dangerous.”
67.Guidance issued to schools in England gives the information that _________.
A.school trips to oceans are forbidden in the country
B.school swimming pools should be surrounded with fence
C.school staff must plan water-based activities carefully
D.school children shouldn’t have a walk along river banks
68.Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families shows us that _________.
A.they are strongly against the guidance
B.they are fond of the outline of the guidance
C.they don’t understand the aim of the guidance
D.they want the guidance to become more useful
69.To the guidance, Margaret Morrissey holds the opinion that _________.
A.oceans are dangerous place for children to visit
B.young people should be encouraged to learn outside
C.children should learn padding in rough ocean alone
D.schools should stop students from walking along beaches
70.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A.No padding on school trips, children told.
B.No walking along the rivers, teachers told.
C.No swimming after school, parents told.
D.No learning out of school, students told.