TheotherdayIheardafewlocalmusi-优题课

New findings suggest that brainy card games such as contract bridge may temporarily(临时地) raise production of a key blood cell including in fighting off illness. After 90 minutes of play, bridge players had increased levels of immune(免疫) cells, according to the research reported last week.
A researcher, Diamond, studied bridge players from a women’s bridge club. She chose bridge players because the game includes skills stimulating(刺激) a part of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex. Earlier animal research suggests that this part of the brain may play a role in the immune system.
The findings are based on blood samples drawn from 12 women players. Their blood samples showed a rise in levels of white blood cells called T cells after they played bridge for 90 minutes. T cells are produced by the thymus gland(胸腺) and used by the immune system against diseases.
The T cell count jumped significantly in eight of the bridge players, and slightly in the other four. The findings contribute to the field of neuroimmunology(神经免疫学), whose name reflects the fact that the nervous system and the immune system are not considered separate and isolated(独立的) systems. What isn’t clear is whether the help to the immune system from an activity like contract bridge is lasting or temporary. It is also not clear whether the increase in T cells could finally be targeted against special illnesses.
Playing bridge can help one to fight off diseases because it can _______.

A．raise production of a key blood cell	B．make people joyful
C．aid digestion	D．make break away from the bad habits

Diamond chose to study bridge players for the research because _______.

A．the players are good friends of hers

B．she loves playing bridge

C．this game stimulates a part of the brain that has something to do with immune system

D．she is a clever manager, who operates her bridge club well

A T cell is _______ cell.

A．a brain	B．a white blood
C．a red blood	D．a kind of dangerous blood

Which of the following is true according to this article?

A．The immune system and the brain system used to be considered separate and isolated systems.

B．The help to the immune system that is brought about by playing bridge can last for a long time.

C．Cortex is a kind of blood cell.

D．The new findings are impossible.

I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top
of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer, none came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded(折叠) and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.
The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.

A．after Mother died	B．before she became a writer
C．when she was a child	D．when mother gave it to her

The passage shows that _______.

A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter

B．Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done

C．Mother cared much about her daughter in words

D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words.

The world “gulf” in the passage means _______.

A．deep understanding between the old and the young.

B．different ideas between the mother and the daughter.

C．free talks between mother and daughter.

D．part of the sea going far in land.

What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?

A．She had never received the letter.

B．For years, she often talked about the letter.

C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life.

D．She read the letter again and again till she died.

What’s the best title of the passage?

A．My letter to Mother	B．Mother and Children
C．My Mother’s Desk	D．Talks between Mother and me.

Parents whose children show a special interest in a sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children's careers. Should they allow their children to train to become top sportsmen and sportswomen? For many children it means starting schoolwork very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It's very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.
Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is available from government for the very best young sportsmen and sportswomen. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child's development and sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc. All can be very expensive.
Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may he damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional trainers, however, believe that it is only by training when young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.
This passage is most probably taken from _______.

A．a letter

B．an advertisement

C．a personal diary

D．a newspaper

According to the passage, parents whose children show a special interest in a sport ____.

A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or sportswomen

B．try to get financial support from the government for their children's training

C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods

D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．By starting young, you won't have much time for your schoolwork.

B．Early training may damage your muscles.

C．Most children may become top sportsmen after a long period of training.

D．It' s very expensive for parents to support their child's development in sports.

The phrase "to take a second place" underlined in first paragraph means "_______".

A．to repeat the activities some other day

B．to become less important

C．of all the things, they are the most important

D．to happen again

_____ can become the best players after many years of training.

A．Most people

B．Many people

C．merely a few people

D．No people

Phillip Island Penguins(企鹅)
The Little Penguin has called Phillip Island home for untold generations. Get to Phillip Island in plenty of time to watch s summer sunset at Summerland Beach – the stage is attractively set to see the little Penguin leave water and step onto land.
·Leave Melbourne at 5:30 pm for a direct journey to Phillip Island.
·See the Gippsland area – Guinness Book of Records place for the world’s longest earthworm(蚯蚓)
·Journey along the coastal highway around the Bay with French Island and Churchill Island in the distance
·Cross the bridge at San Remo to enter Phillip Island – natural home for Little Penguins and many animals
·Take your place in special viewing stands(看台) to watch the daily evening performance of the wild Little Penguins
Ultimate Penguins (+U)
Join a group of up to 15. This guided tour goes to an attractive, quiet beach to see Little Penguins. You can see penguins at night by wearing a special pair of glasses.
Adult(成人) $60.00 Child $30.00
Viewing Platform Penguin Plus (+V)
More personalized wildlife viewing limited to 130 people providing closer viewing of the penguin arrival than the main viewing stands.
Adult $25.00 Child $12.50
Penguin Skybox (+S)
Join a group of only 5 in the comfort of a special, higher-up viewing tower. Gain an excellent overview of Summerland Beach.
Adult 16yrs
What kind of people is the text mainly written for?

A．Scientists.

B．Students

C．Tourists.

D．Artists.

We can learn from the text that Little Penguins__________.

A．have been on Phillip Island for years

B．keep a Guinness record for their size

C．are trained to practice diving for visitors

D．live in large groups to protect themselves

How much would a couple with one child pay for a closer viewing tour?

A．$37.50.

B．$62.50.

C．$180.00.

D．$150.00.

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery(电池)was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much.
The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City_________.

A．to visit a friend

B．to see his parents

C．to pay at the cash register

D．to have more gas for his car

What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?

A．He had it pulled back to the gas station.

B．The couple sent him a business card.

C．The couple offered to help him.

D．He called his friend for help.

The battery of the author’s car was dead because_______.

A．something went wrong with the lights

B．the meeting lasted a whole day

C．he forgot to turn off the lights

D．he drove too long a distance

By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show______.

A．how to write a thank-you letter

B．how to deal with car problems

C．the kind-heartedness of older people

D．the importance of expressing thanks

A．musicians	B．managers
C．negative people	D．people wanting to succeed