Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”. Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa— the main ingredient in chocolate— and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart. Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症)。
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼). In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks.
Better for your skin
German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day. After three months, the women’s skin was moister(润滑的) and smoother. The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
Brain gains.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain.What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues” in the first paragraph?
| A．Stop talking. | B．Speak up. |
| C．Think of it. | D．Listen to it. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
| A．Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk. |
| B．sports drinks can make people easy to be tired. |
| C．Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work. |
| D．we should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Chocolate, a Healthy Food |
| B．More Chocolate, Less Health |
| C．Chocolate and Blood Pressure |
| D．Advice on Eating Chocolate |
Throughout my 41 years at General Electric, I've experienced a lot．In the media, I've gone from prince to pig and back again．And I've been called many things．
In the early days, some called me a crazy, wild man．When I became CEO two decades ago, Wall Street asked, "Jack who?"
When I tried to make GE more competitive by cutting back our workforce in the early 1980s, the media called me "Neutron Jack．" When they learned we were focused on values and culture at GE, people asked if "Jack has gone soft．" I've been No．1 or No．2 Jack, Services Jack, Global Jack, and, in more recent years．Six Sigma Jack and e-Business Jack．
When we made an effort to acquire Honeywell in October 2000, and I agreed to stay on through the transition （ 过渡期 ） , some thought of me as the Long-in-the-Tooth Jack hanging on by his fingertips to his CEO job．
Those characterizations said less about me and a lot more about the stage our company went through．Truth is, down deep, I've never really changed much from the boy my mother raised in Salem, Massachusetts．
When I started on this journey in 1981 , standing before Wall Street analysts for the first time at New York's Pierre Hotel, I said I wanted GE to become " the most competitive enterprise on earth．" My objective was to put a small-company spirit in a big-company body, to build an organization out of an old-line industrial company that would be more high-spirited, more adaptable, and more flexible than companies that are one-fiftieth our size．I said then that I wanted to create a company " where people dare to try new things ?where people know that only the limits of their creativity and drive, their own standards of personal excellence, will be the ceiling on how far and how fast they move．"
I've put my mind, my heart, and my courage into that journey every day of the 40-plus years I've been lucky enough to be a part of GE．According to the first two paragraphs, the author ______．
| A．had many ups and downs |
| B．had a poor image in public |
| C．became CEO of GE 41 years ago |
| D．suffered from some mental illnesses |
As the author sees it, the many nicknames of him indicate ______．
| A．the change of his character with the time |
| B．the various opinions of different journalists |
| C．his company's different stages of development |
| D．his popularity among his friends and relatives |
According to the author, GE in 1981 ______．
| A．should seek broader space for development |
| B．was the most competitive company in the world |
| C．differed from many old-line industrial companies |
| D．was a big company with a small-company's spirit |
You know what it’s like．You've just arrived in Toronto after a long flight, and all you really want to do is to lie down and relax in your hotel room．But first you have to make a few quick notes for tomorrow's meeting, then check your e-mails, and perhaps print out a few things．And you need to make a few local telephone calls, and one call home to your family．
And what do you usually get? Your desk is just about big enough for a cup of coffee; there's no desk lamp; the stationery （办公用品） is a couple of sheets of headed notepaper; and a pen doesn't work．Printing has to be arranged with the Reception, and when you try to use your cell phone you find that it won't work in Canada．
Well, Harmony is different．Just tell us in advance what you're going to need, and we'll see that it's waiting for you when you arrive．There will be a printer in your room if you want one, and a cell phone that really works．All you have to pay for is the calls you make．
We can also arrange a room for business meetings, and, using the very best employment agency, even supply a secretary to take minutes．All we ask is a few days' notice．
All our-rooms are of the same high standard, and we guarantee not to increase prices in the next twelve months．But book now, because we're already filling up fast, and we'd hate 1:0 disappoint you．
Harmony-the hotel you ye always wanted; but never been able to find-until now.The advertisement is intended for
| A．airline staff |
| B．business people |
| C．secretaries |
| D．tourists |
What must the guest do if he wants a secretary?
| A．Inform the hotel in advance． |
| B．Tell the Reception on arrival． |
| C．Call an employment agency． |
| D．Put up a notice in the hotel． |
Why is it best to book now?
| A．The best rooms go first． |
| B．Prices might increase soon． |
| C．It ensures high standard rooms． |
| D．Rooms may become unavailable． |
What is special about Harmony^
| A．It offers telephone calls for free． |
| B．It provides printing at the Reception． |
| C．It gives high standard information services． |
| D．It makes arrangements to meet guests' needs． |
Fear may be felt in the heart as well as in the head, according to a study that has found a link between the cycles of a beating heart and the chance of someone feeling fear.
Tests on healthy volunteers found that they were more likely to feel a sense of fear at the moment when their hearts are contracting（收缩）and pumping blood around their bodies, compared with the point when the heartbeat is relaxed. Scientists say the results suggested that the
heart is able to influence how the brain responds to a fearful event, depending on which point it is at in its regular cycle of contraction and relaxation.
Sarah Garfinkel at the Brighton and Sussex Medical School said, “Our study show for the first time that the way in which we deal with fear is different depending on when we see fearful pictures in relation to our heart.
The study tested 20 healthy volunteers on their reactions to fear as they were shown pictures of fearful faces. Dr. Garfinkel said, “The study showed that fearful faces are better noticed when the heart is pumping than when it is relaxed. Thus our hearts can also affect what we see and what we don’t see---and guide whether we see fear.”
To further understand this relationship, the scientists also used a brain scanner（扫描仪）to show how the brain influences the way the heart changes a person’s feeling of fear.
“We have found an important mechanism by which the heart and brain ‘speak’ to each other to change our feelings and reduce fear” Dr. Garfinkel said.
“We hope that by increasing our understanding about how fear is dealt with and ways that it could be reduced, we may be able to develop more successful treatments for anxiety disorders, and also for those who may be suffering from serious stress disorder.” What is the finding of the study?
| A．One’s heart affects how he feels fear. |
| B．Fear is a result of one’s relaxed heartbeat. |
| C．Fear has something to do with one’s health. |
| D．One’s fast heartbeats are likely to cause fear. |
The study was carried out by analyzing .
| A．volunteers’ heartbeats when they saw terrible pictures |
| B．the time volunteers saw fearful pictures and their health conditions |
| C．volunteers’ reactions to horrible pictures and data from their brain scans |
| D．different pictures shown to volunteers and their heart-brain communication |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to “mechanism” in Paragraph 6?
| A．Order |
| B．System |
| C．Machine |
| D．Treatment. |
This study may contribute to .
| A．treating anxiety and stress better |
| B．explaining the cycle of fear and anxiety |
| C．finding the key to the heart-brain communication |
| D．understanding different fears in our hearts and heads |
Sharing Beauty
It was in October. I was aimlessly wandering down the street, heading into a most gloriously beautiful sunset. I had an urge to speak to someone on the street to share that beauty, but it seemed everyone was in a hurry.
I took the next-best action. Quickly I ducked into a department store and asked the lady behind the counter if she could come outside for just a minute. She looked at me as though I were from some other planet. She hesitated, and then seemingly against her better judgment, she moved toward the door.
When she got outside I said to her, “Just look at that sunset! Nobody out here was looking at it and I just had to share it with someone.”
For a few seconds we just looked. Then I said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world.” I thanked her for coming out to see it; she went back inside and I left. It felt good to share the beauty.
Four years later my situation changed greatly. I came to the end of a twenty-year marriage. I was alone and on my own for the first time in my life. I lived in a trailer park which, at the time, I considered a real come-down, and I had to do my wash in the community laundry room.
One day, while my clothes were going around, I picked up a magazine and read an article about a woman who had been in similar circumstances. She had come to the end of a marriage, moved to a strange community, and the only job she could find was one she disliked: clothing sales in a department store.
Then something that happened to her changed everything. She said a woman came into her department store and asked her to step outside to look at a sunset. The stranger had said, “God is in his heaven and all is right with the world,” and she had realized the truth in that statement. From that moment on, she turned her life around. The author asked the woman to go outside to ______.
| A．admire the sunset |
| B．cheer her up |
| C．offer some help |
| D．have a chat |
Four years later, the author______.
| A．found her dream job |
| B．put an end to her marriage |
| C．worked in a laundry room |
| D．lived in the same community |
After reading the article in the magazine, the author was probably ______.
| A．disappointed |
| B．puzzled |
| C．inspired |
| D．overjoyed |
D
A recent research shows that most people while attending their very first or second interview face the problem of interview nerves. This interview nerves simply make them nervous and depressed. This mainly happens due to lack of confidence and belief in oneself. Most of them even suffer from sleepless nights.
They feel as if interviews are nothing but a questioning by an unknown person who will judge them by their answers. They simply can't understand or comprehend that the interviews are as beneficial for them as for the company.
To overcome these problems, people need to make their mind set for facing the interview full of confidence. This can be done by building up confidence that this job is for me only. They need to make preparations for the estimated questions to be asked in the interview. They also need to be familiar with a few details of the company like its products, vision, recent achievement, etc. This is just to have an upper hand in the interview so that you can explain that you are the right candidate for the company. One must be completely relaxed before the interview. Because stress is one of the major reasons which reduces one's performance ability.
Another way of getting over with your nerves is by a well known therapy called as hypnosis. Hypnosis is a very effective therapy which is generally used for curing nerves of Examinations, Interviews, Meetings, etc. Hypnosis mainly activates your subconscious mind so that you are extra alert and attentive what you are doing. Thus this gives you a lot more confidence to deal with.
Now here are some of the tips you must follow for your interview.
• You must be fully prepared for the interview and you must possess everything required.
• You must maintain a complete eye contact with the interviewer, because it will show your confidence.
• You must not do any nervous acts like being fidgety, fixing your tie or touching your clothes dress again and again.
• Be positive while talking and use your hands to express yourself.
• With hypnosis you can come in terms with such a situation and will be well prepared to face a barrage of questions that come your way.People feel nervous while attending interview in that__________.
| A．they doesn’t sleep well |
| B．they lack confidence |
| C．they doesn’t know about the company |
| D．they are afraid to miss the chance |
What does the underlined word in Paragraph 2 mean___________?
| A．know about | B．care about |
| C．talk about | D．bring about |
How many ways does the author mention to overcome nerves____________?
| A．1 | B．2 | C．3 | D．4 |
Why do people need to be familiar with the details of the company__________?
| A．To show that he or she knows a lot |
| B．To express his or her wish |
| C．To have an upper hand in the interview |
| D．To fool the interviewer |
What’s the purpose of the passage__________?
| A．To help overcome interview nerves |
| B．To tell people the meaning of interview nerves |
| C．To tell people how to attend interviews |
| D．To help people become more confident |