Rae and Bruce Hostetler not only work very hard，they also relax just as well. Numerous vacations help the couple to maintain their health and emotional well-being一and it’s no surprise to health care professionals.
“Rest, relaxation, and stress reduction are very important for people’s well-being and health. This can be accomplished through daily activities, such as exercise and meditation, but vacation is an important part of this as well,” said primary care physician Natasha Withers from One Medical Group in New York. Withers lists a decreased risk of heart disease and improved reaction time as some of the benefits from taking some time off. “We also know that the mind is very powerful and can help with healing, so a rested, relaxed mind is able to help the body heal better,” said Withers.
Psychologists confirm the value of vacations for the mind. “The impact that taking a vacation has on one’s mental health is great,” said Francine Lederer, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in stress and relationship management. “Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if it is a 24- hour time-out.” The trips could be good for their health, good for their family and good for their businesses.
The online travel agency Expedia conducted a survey about vacation time in 2010, and according to their data the average American earned 18 vacation days一but only used 14 of them. France topped the list, with the average worker earning 37 vacation days and using all but two of them. Americans, responses may not be surprising in a culture where long hours on the job often are valued, but that’s not always good for the individual, the family or the employer.
Psychologists have also found that people who don’t take enough time to relax may find it harder to relax in the future. “Without time and opportunity to do this, the nerve connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker, making it actually more difficult to shift into less-stressed states,” Mulhem said.How did the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By raising questions. | D．By providing data. |
Expedia’s survey shows that Americans _____.
| A．dislike family gatherings |
| B．have the shortest vacation |
| C．enjoy as many vacations as the French |
| D．think much of spending long hours on the job |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．One should never wait to relax. | B．Work and rest go against each other. |
| C．Time and opportunity wait for no man. | D．A relaxed mind determines everything. |
If you are ever lucky to be invited to a formal dinner party in Paris，remember that the French have their own way of doing things, and that even your finest manners may not be “correct” by French custom．For example，if you think showing up promptly（迅速地）at the time given on the invitation，armed with gifts of wine and roses，complimenting（称赞）your hostess on her cooking，laughing heartily at the host’s jokes and then leaping up to help the hostess will make you the perfect guest，think again．
Here Madame Nora Chabal，the marketing director of the Ritz Hotel in Paris，explained how it works．
The first duty of the guest is to respond to the invitation within 48 hours．And，the guest may not ask to bring a guest because the hostess has chosen her own．
Flowers sent ahead of schedule are the preferred gift．They may also be sent afterwards with a thank–you note．It is considered a very bad form to arrive with a gift of flowers vase when she is too busy to do with that．
See，that’s the logic！The type of flowers sent has a code of its own，too．One must never send chrysanthemums(菊花)because they are considered too humble(谦卑)for occasion．Carnations（康乃馨）are considered bad luck，and calla（马蹄莲）are too reminiscent（令人联想）of funerals（葬礼）．A bouquet of red roses is a declaration of romantic intent．Don’t send those unless you mean it，and never to a married hostess．And though the French love wine，you must never bring a bottle to a dinner party．Why？It’s as if you feared your hosts would not have enough wine on hand，and that’s an insult（侮辱）．You may，however，offer a box of chocolates which the hostess will pass after dinner with coffee．
If an invitation is for eight o’clock，the considerate guest arrives at a quarter past eight．Guests who arrive exactly on time or early are mere thoughtless ones who are not giving the hostess those last few minutes she needs to deal with details and crises．Which of the following is right about sending gifts？
| A．If someone in France is dead, send chrysanthemums or calla. |
| B．If someone in Paris is ill in hospital, send carnations. |
| C．If you are invited to a dinner party in UK, never bring a bottle of wine, because that’s an insult. |
| D．If you are invited by a single French hostess whom you love, send red roses. |
What does the word “considerate” in the last paragraph mean？
| A．thoughtful | B．shameful | C．respectful | D．grateful |
If you are invited to a French dinner, the correct custom is to ______.
| A．compliment your host on his cooking |
| B．arrive fifteen minutes behind schedule |
| C．hurry to help the hostess |
| D．show up promptly at the time given on the invitation |
What is the passage mainly about？
| A．Different flowers have different meanings |
| B．How to send flowers |
| C．Good manners at a French dinner party |
| D．Different countries have different manners |
Make the Most of College
Dear Daughter,
As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.
First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.
Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will cherish forever.
Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.
Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life. Pick a few friends and become really close to them – pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don’t worry about their hobbies, grades, looks or even personalities.
Start planning early – what would you like to do? Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.
Whether it is summer-planning, or coursework planning, or picking a major, or managing your time, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!
College is the four years where you have:
The greatest amount of free time
the first chance to be independent
the most flexibility（灵活性）to change
the lowest risk for making mistakes
So please treasure your college years – make full use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.
May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.
Love,
Dad (&Mom)What does the author think college life holds in store for his daughter?
| A．Uncertainty | B．Pure enjoyment. |
| C．Successes and challenges. | D．Experimentation with life. |
What does the author advise his daughter to do in college?
| A．Plan everything. |
| B．Party with friends in her free time. |
| C．Ignore what others think or say. |
| D．Treasure and make the best of her college years. |
Which of these pieces of advice is given in the article?
a. think and live independently
b. learn how to learn
c. choose friends with similar personalities
d. be genuine and sincere
e. try new things
| A．abe | B．bce | C．cde | D．abc |
From the text, we can conclude the father ______.
| A．is worried about his daughter |
| B．is strict with his daughter |
| C．is optimistic about his daughter’s future |
| D．is sad that his daughter is leaving home |
Part I
If you are hunting a chance to improve yourself in English, TOP ENGLISH CITY will be a smart choice. We are members of "the International Language Workshop" and enjoy both of the good honor in English teaching and high quality of our teaching team. We are devoted to providing affordable, excellent English training programs for those who want to improve both their English knowledge and their language skills.
In TOP ENGLISH CITY, you will be a top English-speaker among your competitors and enjoy the advantage that your competitors have not. You will be proud of being a member of TOP ENGLISH CITY.
Courses designed:
Basic Studies… Sat. 8:00-10:00 a. m.
Intermediate（中级）Spoken English… Sun. 8:00-10:00 a. m.
Standard Spoken English… Sat. 8:00-10:00 a.m.
Basic Business English… Sun.8:00-10:00 a.m.
Intermediate Business English… Sun. 7:00-9:00 p.m.
TOEFL Super Studies… Sun. 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Children's Weekend… Sat. &. Sun. 8:00 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
For more information, please contact:
Room 806 American Plaza Tianhexi Rd, 510150 Guangzhou
Tel: 86668888-8806
Part II
ENGLISH SALON
A place for you to practise your English, to exchange your English learning experiences, to know more about the culture of English-speaking countries, to make more friends who can speak very good English.
You will have free talks, famous English films and songs appreciation, English lectures and games; all are for you to improve yourself in English in the special, full-of-fun Salon.
How to Join:
We are a group with membership system, so if you want to join our group, please make an application to the Tianhe Office of Top English City, filling in the applying forms. You will be given a salon ID card, and becomes our member.
The Qualifications(条件):
You must be fluent in English-speaking or / and an English lover. Those who are now learning English in the Top English City will be advantageous.
For more information, please contact:
Mr Jiu Chan at: 47129198
English Salon, your best friend! Join Right Now!Which of the following can be the best title for Part I?
| A．Top English, your smart choice! |
| B．If you want to learn English, we can teach you! |
| C．Top English, the best English! |
| D．We have what you want! |
If you work in a joint Venture(合资)Company, you probably take the course:
| A．Standard Spoken English | B．Intermediate Business English |
| C．TOEFL Super Studies | D．Children's Weekend |
Which of the following courses can be learned by the same person?
| A．Basic Studies and Standard Spoken English. |
| B．Intermediate Spoken English and Basic Business English. |
| C．Standard Spoken English and TOEFL Super Studies. |
| D．Intermediate Business English and TOEFL Super Studies. |
If you want to join the English Salon, you should at least .
| A．be a university graduate |
| B．be a student learning English in the Top English City |
| C．be an English lover or can speak English well |
| D．make more friends and know more about the culture of the English |
| HELP PROTECT AUSTRALIA |
|
| Food, plant material and animal products from overseas — including many common souvenirs(纪念品) — could introduce some of the world's most serious pests (害虫) and diseases into Australia. Failing to declare quarantine items (要检疫的物件) on arrival could destroy our agriculture, tourism industries and natural environment. |
|
| Declare (申报)Or Be on Your Guard You must declare for inspection (检查) all food, plant material and animal products to check that they are free of pests and diseases. |
Every piece of luggage is now screened or. x-rayed on arrival in Australia. If you fail to declare or get rid of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration:： ☆you will get caught; ☆you could be accused (指控) and fined more than A$60,000 and risk up to 10 years imprisonment(监禁); ☆you could be fined over A$200 on the spot. If you're not sure about items you are carrying, ask a quarantine officer. |
Why are you asked to declare quarantine items on arrival?
| A．They could contain some drugs inside. |
| B．They can’t be carried into Australia free of charge. |
| C．They are often the cause of various crimes. |
| D．They may carry pests or diseases into Australia. |
Which of the following items need you NOT declare if you have them in your luggage?
| A．A bottle of honey. | B．Dried flowers. |
| C．A hair-drier. | D．Wooden chopsticks. |
If you don’t declare quarantine items, ______.
| A．you can probably get away with them |
| B．you will be discovered and punished |
| C．you can turn to the customs officers for help |
| D．you can give them away to a quarantine officer |
Which of the following information can also be included in this notice?
| A．Inspection equipment. | B．Size of your luggage. |
| C．Examples of quarantine items. | D．Souvenirs you can buy here |
In our culture, the sources of what we call a sense of “mastery”- feeling important and worthwhile—and the sources of what we call a sense of “pleasure”—finding life enjoyable—are not always the same. Women often are told “You can’t have it all.” Sometimes what the speaker really is saying is: “You choose a career, so you can’t expect to have closer relationships or a happy family life.” or “You have a wonderful husband and children—what’s all this about wanting a career?” But women need to understand and develop both aspects of well-being, if they are to feel good about themselves.
Our study shows that, for women, well-being has two aspects. One is mastery, which includes self-respect, a sense of control over your life, and low levels of anxiety and depression. Mastery is closely related to the “doing” side of life, to work and activity. Pleasure is the other aspect, and it is made up of happiness, satisfaction and optimism. It is tied more closely to the “feeling” side of life. The two are independent of each other. A woman could be high in mastery and low in pleasure, and vice versa（反之亦然）. For example, a woman who has a good job, but whose mother has just died, might be feeling very good about herself and in control of her work life, but the pleasure side could be damaged for a time.
The concepts(概念)of mastery and pleasure can help us identify(找到)the sources of well-being for women, and correct past mistakes. In the past, women were encouraged to look only at the feeling side of life as the source of all well-being. But we know that both mastery and pleasure are important. And mastery seems to be achieved largely through work. In our study, all the groups of employed women were valued significantly higher in mastery than women who were not employed.
A woman’s well-being is developed when she takes on multiple（多项的）roles. At least by middle adulthood, the women who were involved in a combination of roles—marriages, motherhood, and employment—were the highest in well-being, in spite of warnings about stress and strain.It can be inferred from the first paragraph that ________.
| A．for women, a sense of “mastery” is more important than a sense of “pleasure” |
| B．for women, a sense of “pleasure” is more important than a sense of “mastery” |
| C．women can’t have a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” at the same time |
| D．a sense of “mastery” and a sense of “pleasure” are both necessary to women |
The author’s attitude towards women having a career is________.
| A．negative | B．positive | C．neutral（中立的） | D．realistic |
One can conclude from the passage that if a woman takes on several social roles,_____.
| A．it will be easier for her to overcome stress and strain |
| B．she will be more successful in her career |
| C．her chances of getting promoted will be greater |
| D．her life will be richer and more meaningful |
Which of the following can be considered as a source of “pleasure” for women?
| A．Family life | B．Multiple roles in society |
| C．Regular employment | D．Freedom from anxiety |