Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tire. It sounds absurd. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
| A．Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood. |
| B．Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work. |
| C．The brain could work for many hours without fatigue. |
| D．A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins. |
According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
| A．Challenging mental work. | B．Unpleasant emotions. |
| C．Endless tasks. | D．Physical labor. |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?
| A．He agrees with them. | B．He doubts them. |
| C．He argues against them. | D．He hesitates to accept them. |
We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ___________.
| A．have some good food. | B．enjoy their work |
| C．exercise regularly | D．discover fatigue toxins |
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. |
Aggressive pedestrians are in fact as dangerous as careless drivers. They cause traffic accidents, injury and death.
These dangerous walkers can be seen in any big city all over the world. About 69% of last year’s pedestrian deaths in the US occurred in urban areas. They cross streets ignoring “DON’T WALK” signals, suddenly appear without warning from behind parked vehicles, walk slowly at crossroads with cell phones attached to heads, blocking traffic.
These pedestrians and drivers share a common disregard for the rules of the road, both for selfish reasons. The drivers believe in the power of their machines. If their machines can go faster, they believe they have the right to go faster. If their machines are bigger, they believe they have the right to push smaller vehicles aside. Aggressive pedestrians, on the other hand, believe in the primacy(首位) of the individual, the idea that they are first in any environment, under any circumstances, even when they are on foot in a roaring tide of steel and rubber.
Last year, an estimated 5,220 pedestrians died in traffic accidents. Some 69,000 pedestrians were injured. On average, that worked out to one pedestrian killed in a traffic crash every 101 minutes, and one injured every eight minutes.
The good news is that the accident rate is dropping. For example, the number of pedestrians killed last year was 24 percent less than the number killed in traffic accidents a decade earlier. The bad news is that the basic causes of pedestrian deaths remain pretty much the same----disregard for traffic signals, inattention and crossing roads under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Alcohol, in fact, was involved in 46 percent of the traffic accidents that resulted in pedestrian deaths. Of those, 31 percent of the pedestrians were found to be drunk.
The bottom line is that the pedestrians must do more to protect their lives as well as the lives of other road users. They can start by obeying traffic signals, using marked cross-walks and calling a cab when they’ve had too much to drink.The passage is mainly about _____.
| A．how aggressive pedestrians cause traffic accidents |
| B．why so many Americans were killed on roads last year |
| C．what the traffic rules of the road about pedestrians were |
| D．who are to blame for pedestrian deaths, drunk drivers or the aggressive pedestrians |
What is the pedestrians’ selfish reason for traffic jams?
| A．They know all drivers are skilled and with great care. |
| B．They believe individuals are always first. |
| C．They think traffic rules have nothing to do with them. |
| D．They guess all vehicles will slow down at crossroads. |
What was NOT the basic cause of pedestrian deaths in the US a decade ago?
| A．Disregard for traffic signals |
| B．Paying no attention to surroundings. |
| C．Crossing roads drunk. |
| D．Overspeeding driving. |
What word can best describe the author’s attitude to the traffic accidents caused by pedestrians?
| A．Excited. | B．Cold. | C．Concerned | D．Unconnected. |
We observe today not a victory of party but a celebration of freedom, symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change for I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forbears (ancestors) prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago.
The world is very different now, for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forbears fought are still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs（继承人）of that first revolution.
Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe (enemy) alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage and unwilling to disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage and unwilling to disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.
Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge (promise solemny) and more.
In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility. I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it and the glow from that fire can truly light the world.
And so, my fellow Americans ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the Freedom of Man.
Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own.What should friends and foes know?
| A．That the United States is powerful. |
| B．That a new generation of Americans are responsible for their government. |
| C．That the United States is governed by liberals. |
| D．The rights of man come from the hand of God. |
What is Kennedy’s promise to the world?
| A．To support liberty. |
| B．To abolish all forms of human poverty. |
| C．To visit each country at least once. |
| D．To support and friend. |
What should citizens of the world ask of America?
| A．How America can help them. |
| B．If America plans to invade their country. |
| C．What they can do for freedom. |
| D．What they can do for America. |
Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Human beings have the power to put an end to all forms of poverty. |
| B．We should remember we are the first revolution. |
| C．Our nation has always been committed to human rights. |
| D．We should assure the survival and the success of liberty. |
SYDNEY 2005-01-01 08:33—Mother of two, Jillian Searle, had to choose between her children when she made a life-or-death decision.
Swept up by mountainous tsunami (海啸) waves at a Thai resort ( 旅游胜地), she could not hold on to both her young sons and survive . Fighting to stay above the waters , she had to choose which one would have to take his chances in the swirling torrent (漩流).
“I knew I had to let go of one of them and I just thought I’d better let go of the one that’s the older,” she told Sky News television in a report broadcast on Thursday. She said she was accompanied by the two boys, Lachie, 5, and two-year-old Blake, and their father, Brad, who had watched the drama helplessly from their first-floor hotel room, when the waves struck. “And I was screaming, trying to find him, and we thought he was dead,” she told reporters on arrival back in Australia. Lachie was found alive about 2 hours later clinging to a door and, looked uninjured as his mother spoke to reporters.
British surfer (冲浪运动员) Martin Markwell is also a lucky man. He had always dreamed of catching that perfect wave –but when it finally came along, it was a nightmare. He was on his surfboard when he was swept up by a tsunami wave.
“It was really terrible because I was surfing, I was really surfing on a wave I wasn’t supposed to be on,” he said. “As an experienced surfer, when I saw the wave come I realized something was wrong, but I couldn’t escape because my surfboard was tied to my ankle.”
His wife Vicki and son Jake looked on in horror from a hotel balcony as he crashed towards the shore. Luckily , he stayed on top of his board until he reached the hotel , jumped off and got to safety as the ocean rolled back to feed a much larger tsunami wave on its way . The family regrouped and ran to safety just minutes before a giant tsunami wave 10 meters high.When the waves struck, the father Brad .
| A．reported the disaster to Sky News television |
| B．was watching a drama play on TV in the hotel |
| C．tried to find his son lost in the waters |
| D．watched things going on , unable to do anything |
The underlined word “him” refers to .
| A．an old man | B．Lachie | C．Brad | D．Blake |
Which of the following is wrong ?
| A．Lachie and Martin were both with their family members when the disaster happened. |
| B．Lachie and Martin both survived from the high waves when tsunami struck. |
| C．Lachie and Martin were both travelers from Europe on holiday in Thailand. |
| D．Lachie and Martin were both alive owing to their good luck. |
The best title of this news story would be .
| A．Narrow Escape | B．Disaster Caused by Tsunami |
| C．Exciting Surfing Experience | D．Struggle Against Tsunami |
How did a ban on smoking in public places come into place?
In 1998 the Smoking Kills White Paper set out a national strategy (策略) to reduce smoking prevalence (流行) and passive smoking, including in public places. The measures were voluntary and poorly carried out. After a public conference in England in 2004, the Government decided to choose for lawmaking. Scotland went first, with a ban in 2006, followed by the other nations a year later.
What is the current law?
Any person who smokes in enclosed (封闭的) public places, including pubs, offices, on public transport and work vehicles, is breaking the law. It does not extend to private houses. It is also an offence for people in charge of premises (营业场所) to permit others to smoke in them.
How was it received?
It was welcomed by most organizations except for some pub owners and restaurateurs. Many workplaces in the UK had already introduced smoke-free policies consistent with the legislation (法律，法规) before it was carried out, while others have gone beyond its basic requirements.
All railway facilities, including platforms, footbridges and other areas--whether or not fitting the definition of an enclosed public space--are covered, as are all football grounds and some cricket and athletics stadiums. School grounds are not required to be smoke-free under the legislation, but the majority now are.
How has it been forced?
Compliance (服从) in public premises has been high, with inspections suggesting that 99 per cent of places were sticking to the rules. The number of people charged for smoking in cars has been very low, which was due to the problems defining and identifying "work" vehicles. They said that a total ban on smoking in vehicles would end this confusion.
Has it improved health?
Studies in early adopters of the law, including in Scotland, suggest a reduction in hospital admissions for heart disease, which has been shown to be linked to passive smoking. There is also strong evidence of improved rates of smoking end and a drop in the number of cigarettes consumed by those who continue to smoke. When did the first law come out to ban smoking in public places?
| A．1987 | B．1998 | C．2004 | D．2006 |
Which of the following behaviors may NOT be against the law?
| A．Jack often smokes in the office when he is alone. |
| B．A taxi driver is smoking with a lady in his car. |
| C．Tom smokes while thinking of his future at home. |
| D．Max smokes for relaxation during time-out in the stadium. |
Who might feel unhappy about the law according to the article?
| A．A restaurant owner. | B．A company manager. |
| C．A car owner. | D．A policy maker. |
What can you infer from the article?
| A．Most heart diseases have been proved to be linked to passive smoking. |
| B．A new law will soon come out with a total ban on smoking in vehicles |
| C．Cigarette-making factories will disappear soon. |
| D．Most of the school grounds are not smoke-free, as it is not banned in the law. |