The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance (香气). From air fresheners to scented (有香味的) candles, we live in a world of scent.
Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies (过敏), headaches and asthma (哮喘) .
One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called “contact” allergy—where perfumes and scented products cause eczema (湿疹) when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy.
“Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy,” says Dr. Baron. “You don’t react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you.”
People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable (易受影响). “The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes,” says Dr. Baron. “But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy.” You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. “Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products –soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder—contain fragrances,” says Dr. Baron.
And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose’s nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact.
“Fragrance suggest cleanliness – yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture,” says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. “We often use them to mask one problem – as with air fresheners – but create a greater one – adding poisonous chemicals to the air.”What is the text mainly about?
A.The world trend of using fragrance. |
B.The benefits of using non-fragranced products. |
C.The health problems caused by fragrance |
D.The ways of removing allergy. |
According to Dr. Baron, .
A.our bodies have an immediate reaction to fragrance. |
B.seven in ten have suffered fragrance allergy. |
C.fragrance can affect people who don’t have allergy |
D.people can avoid contacting with fragrance easily |
Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer?
A.Which products contain fragrance? |
B.What’s the influence of fragrance in the air? |
C.What are the air fresheners made up of? |
D.How are headaches caused by fragrance? |
The following paragraph might discuss .
A.the asthma caused by strong scents. |
B.people’s efforts to protect fresh air. |
C.the methods of curing eczema |
D.the bad effects of air fresheners. |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows,there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist(社会心理学家)Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger,conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control(控制)the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do,the higher the children’s IQ scores.”
Lewis says,“And the more children there are,the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹).Lewis found that in families with three or four children,dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child,who has the most to talk about,and the youngest,who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible(看不见的),”says Lewis.“ When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner,chances are it’s the middle child.” There is,however,one thing that stops all conversations and prevents anyone from having attention:“When the TV is on,” Lewis says,“ dinner is a non-event.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ________.
A.show the relationship between parents and children |
B.teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
C.report on the findings of a study |
D.give information about family problems |
Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ________.
A.they are busy serving food to their children |
B.they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
C.they have to pay more attention to younger children |
D.they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in Paragraph 3,Lewis means that middle children ________.
A.have to help their parents to serve dinner |
B.get the least attention from the family |
C.are often kept away from the dinner table |
D.find it hard to keep up with other children |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
A.It is important to have the right food for children. |
B.It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
C.Parents should talk to each of their children often. |
D.Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner. |
Travelling can be a way to gain life experiences,especially during Spring Break—a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
Save:This probably is the most important preparation for travelling. Cut expenses to fatten_your_wallet so you will have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead:Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework:No matter where you go,research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly:Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups:Find someone who is interested in visiting the same place. By travelling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go:Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path:Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesser-known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
Pack necessary things:The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
Use the Internet:The Net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.Travelocity.com,www. bargains-lowestfare.com and www.economictravel.com.
By planning sensibly,even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.This passage is about ________.
A.how to get life experiences |
B.how to travel with enough money |
C.how to make your travel interesting |
D.how to plan your travel |
The underlined words “fatten your wallet” probably means ________.
A.make your wallet larger | B.put some fat in your wallet |
C.save some money | D.put some choices in your wallet |
During your trip,________.
A.you need more shoes than clothes |
B.you can gain valuable life experiences |
C.you shouldn’t look for work all the way |
D.you should forget to do your homework |
Suppose you were a student without enough money. If you’d like to travel,you’d better do the following things EXCEPT ________.
A.doing your homework before traveling |
B.traveling with others |
C.going to a place that is not so famous |
D.taking some medicine and food in case |
The purpose of this passage is________.
A.to encourage the students to have a trip |
B.to give some advice on travelling |
C.to introduce some websites about travelling |
D.to teach the students how to save money during their trip |
Warm water freezes more quickly than cold water. Sir Francis Bacon said that almost four hundred years ago. But few people believed him until 1970. In that year a Canadian scientist George Kill proved the English professor was right. Dr Kill filled an open oil pail(桶) with cold water. He filled another with warm water. He put both in the same low temperature. The warm water froze first. The lack of covers on the pails is the secret. Some of the warm water changed into vapor. This meant that less of the warm water was left to be frozen. And so the warm water froze faster than the cold water even though it had a greater temperature drop to make.Hundreds of years ago, Sir Francis Bacon found _______.
A.the temperature of warm water drops faster than that of cold water |
B.warm water is heavier than cold water |
C.warm water has the same temperature as cold water |
D.warm water is not as useful as cold water |
What Sir Francis Bacon said was right, but people didn't believe him until _______.
A.late in the 19th century | B.early in the 20th century |
C.three years ago | D.late in the 20th century |
Leave a pail with warm water and another pail with cold water in the same low temperature, you’ll find that _______.
A.cold water freezes first |
B.warm water turns into ice before cold water |
C.warm water and cold water freeze at the same time |
D.much of cold water is changed into air. |
Why does warm water freeze first in the same freezing weather?
A.Because some of the warm water turns to vapor, the amount(数量) becomes less than that of cold water. |
B.Because warm water is lighter than cold water. |
C.Because the temperature of warm water is lower than that of cold water. |
D.Because cold water freezes with more difficulty than warm water. |
Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴). The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies(殖民地)began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布)the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbors. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .
A.in spring | B.summer | C.in autumn | D.in winter |
The first to celebrate thanksgiving were .
A.some people from England | B.the American Indians |
C.Sarah Josepha Hale | D.Governor Bradford |
The passage mainly tells us .
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
I arrived at the bus station much too early for the London bus, which was not to leave until five to twelve. I pushed through the crowds, looking for somewhere to sit down. Scores of people were standing about, or struggling along with their bags and the cases to find the right lines. There was a party of school girls. I could see teachers trying to keep them in order. But there was nowhere for me to sit.
I stepped into the station buffet. I looked up at the clock there. It was only twenty to twelve. I found a seat opposite a large mirror on the wall. Just then a friend of mine called Jim came in and sat with me. "What time is your bus?" asked Jim. "Oh, there's a plenty of time yet," I answered. "Oh, I'll get some drinks then," said Jim. We talked while drinking. Then I looked at the clock again. "Good heavens! It's going backward!" I cried. "A moment ago it was twenty to twelve and now it's half past eleven." "You are looking at the clock in the mirror," said Jim. I could kick myself for being so stupid. I had not realized that the marks for one and eleven on the face of the clock were the same. The next bus was not to leave for another hour. I have never liked mirror since then. The writer went to the station buffet because ________.
A.he was thirsty |
B.he saw the station buffet was not so crowded |
C.it was still early for his bus and he couldn't find a place to sit at the bus station |
D.he had changed his mind; he wouldn't go to London |
The writer sat ________.
A.behind a mirror | B.facing a mirror |
C.under a mirror | D.near a mirror |
Jim came to the station buffet at about ________.
A.twenty to twelve | B.twenty past twelve |
C.half past one | D.twenty past eleven |
What time was it when the writer looked at the clock again?
It was ________.
A.half past eleven | B.twelve thirty |
C.twelve twenty | D.eleven thirty |