Scientists are making new studies of color and its effects on our health. They have known for a long time that the color of a room or the color of the light in it can affect our feelings and emotions. Many prisons and hospitals have at least one room that is painted pink. Officials have found that light and color can produce physical changes in our bodies.
Professor Falfan worked with a group of 9 disabled children at school in Albert. Two of the children were blind. The other seven had normal sight. The scientists changed the color of the school room, and then looked for changes in blood pressure, heart beat and breathing rate. The effects of color changes were the same for the blind children as for those with normal sight. Their blood pressure dropped from about 120 to 100. Similar changes were reported in heart-beat and the breathing. The children were also calmer and less excited. Then the colors of the room were returned to orange and white. Blood pressure, heart-beat and breathing rate went up and the children became excited again.
Professor Falfan said different colors produce different levels of light energy. He said the differences seem to affect chemicals in the brain that carry messages from nerve to nerve and from nerve to muscle. Light and color can affect .
| A．only one’s feelings and emotions |
| B．one’s energy |
| C．one’s mental changes |
| D．one’s heart-beat, brain activities, blood pressure, feelings and emotions |
The color of pink had a calming effect, that is to say, the color affects .
| A．the chemicals in the brain |
| B．the eyes |
| C．the skin |
| D．the muscle |
According to the text, orange and white are colors which can make people .
A. calm B. active C. sick D. blind
13. The colors in the school room mentioned in the passage were changed from .
A. orange to white
B. orange to dark blue
C. orange and white to pink or some other colors
D. gray to more colorsAfter reading the passage we can conclude that .
| A．blind people can be affected by colors, too |
| B．one’s heart will beat faster in a colorful room than in a white room |
| C．the chemicals in the brain change with feelings and emotions |
| D．if one’s blood pressure drops, his breathing will get slower and slower |
Japanese students work very hard but many are unhappy. They feel heavy pressures from their parents to do well in school. Most students are always being told by their parents to study harder so that they can have a wonderful life. Though this may be good ideas for those very bright students, it can have very bad results for many students who are not quick enough at learning.
Unfortunately, a number of students killed themselves. Others are after comfort in using drugs. Some do bad things with trouble-makers and turn to crime. Many of them have tried very hard at school but have failed in the exams and have disappointed their parents. Such students feel that they are less important and leave school before they have finished their study.
It is surprising that though most Japanese parents are worried about their children, they do not help them in any way. Many parents feel that they are not able to help their children and that it is the teachers’ work to help their children. To make matters worse, a lot of parents send their children to special schools called juku-cram schools. These schools are open during the evening and on weekends, and their only purpose is to prepare students to pass exams. They do not try to educate students in any real sense of the real world. It thus comes as a shock to realize that almost three quarters of the junior or high school population attend these cram schools.
Ordinary Japanese schools usually have rules about everything from the students’ hair to their clothes and things in their school bag. Child psychologists now think that such strict rules often lead to a feeling of being unsafe and being unable to fit into society. They regard the rules as being harmful to the development of each student. They believe that no sense of moral values is developed and that students are given neither guidance nor training in becoming good citizens.A lot of Japanese students are unhappy at school because_______.
| A．they work very hard |
| B．they find they can't do well at school |
| C．they feel unimportant |
| D．they are under too much pressure |
Because of their failure at school, some students take drugs to .
| A．kill themselves | B．seek comfort |
| C．disappoint their parents | D．make trouble |
In juku-cram schools students_________.
| A．are taken good care of by the teachers |
| B．feel no pressure |
| C．are trained to pass exams |
| D．can learn a lot of useful things |
In ordinary Japanese schools,______________ .
| A．there are strict rules |
| B．students feel safe |
| C．students can do anything |
| D．learning is not important |
A flock of hungry pigeons were flying across the sky in search of food. Having traveled a long distance, they felt tired and settled down on a tree. Just below the tree, they saw grains strewn (撒满) all over the ground. The pigeons were happy to have found enough food to eat. All the pigeons came down from the tree and started eating the grains. As they were doing so, a huge net fell on them and trapped them all.
The pigeons were taken aback(大吃一惊). They noticed a hunter sitting at a distance from the tree, a bow and arrow in hand. The pigeons realized it was the hunter who had trapped them in the net. The hunter got up and began to move towards the pigeons.
The leader of the pigeons spoke, “Friends, we are in great trouble. The hunter will catch us if we do not act swiftly in a few seconds. There is only one option available at this moment. Let all of us use our force together and fly up along with the net. If all of us use our force and fly together, we can fly carrying the net along with us. Let us start now.”
All the pigeons agreed with him and flew high carrying the net along with them. After traveling enough distance away from the hunter, the pigeons settled on a tree and carefully came out of the net one by one and thus escaped the evil design of the hunter.Who strewed the grains over the ground?
| A．A villager. | B．The hunter. |
| C．The pigeon owner. | D．The writer. |
What does the underlined word “option” mean?
| A．reason | B．choice | C．action | D．opinion |
How did the pigeons react when they got trapped?
| A．They didn't know what to do. |
| B．They tried to fly in all directions. |
| C．They remained calm. |
| D．They decided to fight against the hunter. |
This story wants to tell us that ________.
| A．two heads are better than one |
| B．confidence will save everyone |
| C．teamwork can work wonders |
| D．actions speak louder than words |
Four Simple Keys to Transform Your Life
The Power of Choice．Every one of us makes countless choices every day．Every choice we make has an impact on our lives．Even insignificant choices can affect what we experience and how we feel．When hunger strikes, we can reach for a healthy, nutritious snack, or we can choose the sugar high of junk food．The more important the decision, the greater its effect．For instance, how do I act towards that person who treated me badly? Do I generally choose to be passive, or do I actively set clear intentions and create what I want in my life? Every choice we make, however big or small, affects us in some way．
How Do You Make Choices? If you are interested in living a richer, fuller life, there is a foundation upon which you can base all of your decisions which can make life better not only for you, but also for those around you．This foundation is to choose based on what's best for all．Imagine a world where every parent, spouse（配偶）, friend, teacher, businessperson, and politician truly did their best to choose what's best for all involved in every decision they made We would certainly live in a more caring, supportive world．
It's the Intention．"But how do I know what is really best?" you might ask．The answer is simple．It doesn't matter．What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice．What matters is that whatever decision you make, you are clear in your intention of choosing based on what's best for all．If it later turns out that you made what appears to have been a bad choice, there's no need forguilt．Knowing that you did your best to choose with a sincere desire for what's best for all, your conscience stays clear and open．This then allows you to more easily learn from your mistakes, and to live with a clear heart and mind．
What's Best for Me, Too! Choosing what's best does not mean you have to always sacrifice yourself for others．An overly(过度的) exhausted mother can lose her temper easily．Some time off for this mother might seem selfish, yet in the long run, it can help her to be a better mother to her children．So as we move through each day of our lives, let us remember to include ourselves as we do our best to choose what's best for all．Which of the following is FALSE?
| A．Whenever hunger strikes, we will reach for a junk snack |
| B．Every choice, however big or small, has an influence on us． |
| C．Even small choices affect how we feel． |
| D．We make choices every day． |
How should we make choices?
| A．To be interested in a richer, fuller life． |
| B．To make life better for ourselves． |
| C．To imagine a world where everyone did their best． |
| D．To choose based on what's best for all． |
Why does the author say, “What matters is not the choice you make, but rather the intention behind your choice”?
| A．Because the choice you make is not important． |
| B．Because you may have made a bad choice． |
| C．Because this allows you to stay clear and improve． |
| D．Because there is no need for guilt． |
How to choose what is best for us?
| A．We need to devote all our life to others． |
| B．We need to put away some time for ourselves． |
| C．We need to sacrifice ourselves for others． |
| D．We need to be selfless every minute． |
With the press of a button, a person with severe spinal cord (脊柱）injuiy is able to walk again, thanks to the Walking Assistive Exoskeleton Robot (WAER).
Powered suits that could help paralyzed (瘫痪）people walk and others lift and carry heavy loads with ease have been a dream since late 19th century. But they can realize their dreams in the 21st century.
The 20-kilogram robot has four battery-powered motors that can run for up to three hours. Inventor Wu Chenghua, from Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute, says it has successfully been in tests on 12 patients. “We have learned from our research process that patients whose injuries are below the fourth chest joint (关节）are able to use our robot to stand, walk and sit down,” he said.
Since walking contributes to muscle exercise, Wu says patients receive some additional benefits. “In the clinical process, we would check their bone mineral density (密度)，and we found that the bone mineral densities of these patients had been improved.” he said. Wu says his exoskeleton may be available for consumers by 2018.
Meanwhile, baggage handlers at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport will soon start testing a similar robot, developed by the Japanese firm Cyberdyne. The battery-powered robot weighs only 3
lift a heavy object, the machine monitors the movemen”，says Yoshiyuki Sankai, the developer and CEO of Cyberdyne.
“This robot suit monitors the signal from the human nerve (神经）system to support the waist’s movement，” Sankai said, “It self-adjusts the level support to reduce the load on the human waist, light and smart. We believe that it will change the life of paralyzed people in many ways and have a promising future.”With the help of WAER, patients will probably .
| A．recover from spinal cord injury |
| B．improve their bone mineral density |
| C．walk as fast as normal people |
| D．monitor their waist’s movement |
What can we learn about the invention of Wu Chenghua from the passage?
| A．It weighs 3 kilograms and can run for up to three hours. |
| B．It will soon get tested at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. |
| C．It may be put into use for consumers by the year 2028. |
| D．It can be used by patients with injuries below the fourth chest joint. |
How does Sankai feel about the future of the robot suits?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Worried. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Puzzled. |
Telemedicine is the name for when doctors give advice to patients by telephone or the Internet, or when health care providers in rural areas connect with specialists in big cities.
Telemedicine has existed for a long time, but the rise of smart phones, tablets and webcam-equipped computers is raising telemedicine to new levels. Some health care systems in the United States now offer Virtual Urgent Care, patients see a doctor by video chat without having to leave home.
Diana Rae is a nurse educator in the western state of Washington. She recently showed how Virtual Urgent Care works. She used an iPad tablet and skype — the video chat service.
Doctor Green has the patient describe her symptoms, then the doctor performs a physical exam by demonstrating what he wants her to do. Doctor Green decides that the problem is a silence infection. For medicine, he prescribes an antibiotic. He says about 3 out of 4 patients have health problems that can be treated like this —through Virtual Urgent Care, that means a video chat could replace a visit to the doctor's office.
The Franciscan Health System is based in Tacoma, Washington. Franciscan charges $35 for this kind of virtual house call, that is much less than the cost of going to an emergency room, a doctor's office or an urgent care clinic.
After trying the video conference, Diana Rae says, “I would've paid twice that for the convenience of getting taken care of without having to sit in a waiting room, wait, and get exposed to everyone else's germs.”
Franciscan has a deal with a company called Carena to add virtual urgent care by Skype or phone. Carena is one of several companies doing this kind of work around the country. But a company official says state rules have not kept progress with developments in telemedicine. The workers who provide virtual urgent care must be separately licensed in each state where the company does business. For now, that means Carena doctors can treat patients in Washington state and California for example, but not in neighboring Oregon or Idaho.The second paragraph is mainly used to show ________.
| A．why telemedicine becomes popular |
| B．the advantages of telemedicine |
| C．many factors contribute to telemedicine |
| D．what telemedicine is |
Doctor Green decides that the problem is a silence infection ________.
| A．through his observation of the patient |
| B．through a careful examination |
| C．by knowing what he wants her to do |
| D．by prescribing an antibiotic |
The major health problems, in Doctor Green’s opinion, _________.
| A．are tough to deal with |
| B．can be treated through a video chat |
| C．should result from work pressure |
| D．nearly cost little to recover |
By mentioning what Diana Rae says, the author wants to show _________.
| A．he finds it convenient to see a doctor by using a video chat |
| B．he sings high praise for this kind of treatment form |
| C．he must be tired of waiting too long in the hospital |
| D．it should be very unhealthy while staying in hospital |