Do you want to live a happier, less stressful(有压力的) life? Try laughing for no reason at all. That’s how millions of people start their day at Laughter(笑声) Clubs around the world and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.
The first Laughter Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria.“Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day,” says Dr. Kataria. “Everyone is naturally good at laughing — it’s the common language. We want people to feel happy with their lives.” There are now more than 500 Laughter Clubs in India and over 1,300 in the world.
Many doctors are also interested in the effects(效果) of laughter on our health. According to a 5-year study at the UCLA School of Medicine in California, with laughing there is less stress in the body. Laughter improves our health against illness by about 40%.
So what happens at a Laughter Club? I went along to my nearest club in South London to find out. I was quite nervous at the beginning of the class, to be honest, I wasn’t interested in laughing with a group of strangers, and I was worried about looking silly. Our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say “ho ho ho, ha ha ha” while looking at each other. However, our bodies can’t tell the difference between real laughter and unreal laughter, so they still produce the same healthy effects.
Surprisingly, it works! After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real and some people just couldn’t stop! At the end of the class I was surprised by how relaxed and comfortable I felt. So if you’re under stress, then start laughing. You might be very pleased with the results.The first Laughter Club was started in __________.
A.India | B.America | C.Britain | D.China |
How many Laughter Clubs are there in the world today?
A.Over 300. | B.Over 500. | C.Over 800. | D.Over 1,300. |
How did the writer feel at the beginning of the class?
A.Surprised. | B.Pleased. | C.Nervous. | D.Tired. |
When did the people in the club begin to laugh for real?
A.After ten minutes. | B.After ten hours. |
C.After ten seconds. | D.After ten days. |
The article mainly tells us __________.
A.young children laugh much more often than adults in a day |
B.laughing is one of the best ways to stay healthy |
C.many doctors are also interested in the effects of laughter on our health |
D.real laughter and unreal laughter are both good for health |
Here are some of the fastest animals in the animal world. Let me tell you that a man can run 20 to 25 miles an hour.
Heavy people can not run very fast. But some heavy animals can.Black rhinos are more than 3,500 pounds. They can run almost 30 miles an hour. Cheetahs are the fastest land animal over short distances(距离).They can run over 70 miles an hour. But they get tired quickly and usually stop after a few minutes.Pronghorn antelopes are the fastest animals over long distances. They can run 35 miles an hour for many miles. Their top speed is more than 50 miles an hour.Ostriches can’t fly, but they can run faster than other birds. They can run 43 miles an hour for a short distance. And can keep up a speed of more than 30 miles an hour over long distances.How heavy may a black rhino be?
A.More than 4,500 pounds. |
B.More than 3,500 pounds. |
C.2,000 pounds. |
D.1,500 pounds. |
What are the fastest land mammals over short distances?
A.Cheetahs. | B.Pronghorn. | C.Horses. | D.Elephants. |
The top speed of pronghorn antelopes may be over _______ miles an hour.
A.20 | B.30 | C.35 | D.50 |
Ostriches can run more than _______miles an hour over long distances.
A.50 | B.43 | C.35 | D.30 |
Which is the best title for this passage?
A.The biggest birds. |
B.What animal has the largest eggs. |
C.The fastest animals. |
D.The land mammal.s |
A car stops outside a small shop. A man is hungry and he wants to buy some cakes. It’s raining hard, he doesn’t want to go out in the rain. He sees a boy. “Come here, boy!” he cries. “Do you know how much the cakes are?” The boy says yes. The man gives the boy four dollars(美元) and asks him to buy two cakes. “One is for you and one is for me.” Three minutes later, the boy comes back. He’s eating a cake. He gives the man two dollars and says: “Sorry, there is only one cake left.”Where is the man?
A.He’s near the bus. | B.He is at home. |
C.He’s on the bus. | D.He is in the car. |
The man doesn’t want to go out because_______.
A.He is tired. | B.He is hungry. |
C.He is hungry. | D.It’s raining hard. |
How many cakes does the boy get?
A.One. | B.Two. | C.Three. | D.Four. |
How much are they if we buy five cakes?
A.Five dollars. | B.Four dollars. |
C.Ten dollars. | D.Fifteen dollars. |
What’s the result (结果)?
A.The man eats the cake. |
B.The boy eats the cake. |
C.The boy doesn’t eat the cake. |
D.The boy and the man both eat the cakes. |
On August 18,2012, the White House workers prepared for a special group of guests(宾客). The First Lady was hosting an important lunch. At 10:00, her guests arrived. Fifty-four children, each with a parent or grandparent, walked into the White House. The lucky guests were the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. It was a competition created by the First Lady a few months ago. She asked kids ages 8 to 12 to think up healthy, delicious lunch recipes(食谱).Winners from across the country, one from every state, were brought to Washington, DC, for the “state dinner”.
At the start of the meal, the First Lady welcomed her guests and congratulated them on winning the competition. “You were the winner in your state――the whole state,” she said. “You guys won! Cool!” She also explained what made the recipes win. “You thought of dishes that are good for you, but more importantly, they taste good, too,” she said.
Just before the dessert time, Michelle stood up to make an announcement(宣告). “We have a special guest who wanted to stop by and say hello,” she explained. “So it’s pleasant to introduce the President of the United States.”
The president walked to each table, shaking hands with the winners and their family members. For the kids, this was the icing on the cake. “It was amazing to watch the President,” Kayla, one winner said. “His visit was a surprise and that’s a really big meal.”___________guests took part in the important lunch.
A.54 | B.108 | C.162 | D.90 |
How many winners were there in each state?
A.One | B.Two | C.Three | D.Four |
What made the recipes win according to the First Lady?
A.Being big and healthy |
B.Being cheap and delicious |
C.Being healthy and delicious |
D.Being expensive and healthy |
The underlined phrase probably means _____________________.
A.作茧自缚 | B.走马观花 |
C.叶公好龙 | D.锦上添花 |
Britain’s smallest school was closed down because its only pupil failed to turn up for class, a famous British newspaper reported in May. The newspaper said the six-year-old girl’s parents were unhappy with a teacher who just got the new job to teach the only pupil.
The school had been closed for the last nine months after its former (前任的) teacher retired(退休)and the only other pupil moved on to a secondary school. The new teacher, Ms Puckey, was to start teaching the girl and reopen the school. But the girl’s mother is keeping her daughter at home. “I was not pleased with the new teacher,” the mother said, “I had told the old teacher as far back as last September that if Ms Puckey got the job, my children would not be going to school.” The school lies on an island off the northeast coast of Scotland. Although there was only one pupil, the school is very good in many ways and has a headmaster, three computers, a television and an art room as well as a school house with three bedrooms.The reading is about_________.
A.the smallest school that was closed down |
B.the only pupil in the smallest school |
C.the new teacher and her teaching |
D.the old teacher who just retired |
From the reading we can know that the school_____.
A.is too far for the students |
B.does not have enough teachers |
C.does not have many pupils |
D.is new but small |
The reading doesn’t say but we can infer (推断) that_______.
A.the girl’s mother had only one child |
B.the new teacher was not kind to the girl |
C.the old teacher was fit to teach the girl |
D.the parents were unhappy with the school |
You may telephone ____________ for help if your younger brother or sister is ill.
A.Yang Jun | B.Liu Hong |
C.Li Nan | D.Zhang Hui |
We can call ___________ when we want to take a taxi to the Hangzhou Railway Station.
A.13973098479 | B.0745-2709348 |
C.1992301636 | D.13704348529 |
Of the four, we can’t send a fax to the _____________.
A.driver | B.teacher |
C.doctor | D.Farmer |