Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria(细菌) than if it is left for longer periods of time, according to the findings of research carried out at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences. The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis to the “5 second rule” --- the belief about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less. Although people have long followed the 5 second rule, until now it was unclear whether it actually helped.
The study, undertaken by final year Biology students and led by Anthony Hilton, Professor of Microbiology at Aston University, monitored the transfer of the common bacteria from a variety of indoor flooring types (carpet, cement floor etc.) to toast, pasta, a biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds. The results showed that: Time is a significant factor in the transfer of bacteria from a floor surface to a piece of food; and the type of flooring the food has been dropped on has an effect, with bacteria least likely to transfer from carpeted surfaces and most likely to transfer from cement flooring surfaces to moist(湿的) foods making contact for more than 5 seconds. Professor Hilton said: “Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time.”
The Aston team also carried out a survey of the number of people who employ the 5 second rule. The survey showed that: 87% of people surveyed said they would eat food dropped on the floor, or already have done so. 55% of those who would eat or have eaten food dropped on the floor are women. 81% of the women who would eat food from the floor would follow the 5 second rule. Professor Hilton added, “Our study showed that a surprisingly large majority of people are happy to consume dropped food, with women the most likely to do so. But they are also more likely to follow the 5 second rule.”According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A.A toast dropped on the carpet is easier to be polluted than that dropped on the cement floor. |
B.A sticky chocolate dropped on the carpet is easier to be polluted than that dropped on the cement floor within 5 seconds. |
C.The food dropped on the carpet shares the same potential of being polluted with the food dropped on the cement floor. |
D.The food dropped on the cement floor is not as safe as food dropped on the carpet within 30 seconds. |
Eating food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk because it relies on _________ at that time.
A.the type of bacteria |
B.the carpet |
C.the cement floor |
D.the surface of table |
The passage is developed probably by __________.
A.time | B.space |
C.contrast | D.example |
What is the main idea of this passage?
A.The food which is dropped on the floor can be eaten safely. |
B.The bacteria have no negative effect on the safety of food. |
C.A research on the safety of food dropped on the floor is undertaken. |
D.People surveyed in the research are willing to accept the idea. |
Are you looking for some new and exciting places to take your kids (孩子) to? Try some of these places
·Visit art museums. They offer a variety of activities to excite your kids' interest. Many offer workshops for making land-made pieces, traveling exhibits, book signings by children's favorite writer, and even musical performances and other arts.
·Head to a natural history museum. This is where kids can discover the past from dinosaur(恐龙) models to rock collections and pictures of stars in the sky. Also, ask what kind of workshops and educational programs are prepared for kids and any special events that are coming up.
·Go to a Youtheater. Look for one in your area offering plays for child and family visitors. Pre-show play shops are conducted by area artists and educators where kids can discover the secret about performing arts. Puppet(木偶)making and stage make-up are just a couple of the special offerings you might find.
·Try hands-on science. Visit one of the many hands-on science museums around the country. These science play-lands are great fun for kids and grown-ups alike. They'll keep your child mentally and physically active the whole day through while pushing buttons, experimenting, and building. When everyone is tired, enjoy a fun family science show, commonly found in these museums.If a child is interested in the universe, he probably will visit
A.a Youtheater |
B.an art museum |
C.a natural history museum |
D.a hands-on science museum |
What can kids do at a Youtheater?
A.Look at rock collections. |
B.See dinosaur models. |
C.Watch puppet making. |
D.Give performances. |
What does "hands-on science" mean in the last paragraph?
A.Science games designed by kids. |
B.Learning science by doing things. |
C.A show of kids' science work. |
D.Reading science books. |
Where does this text probably come from?
A.A science textbook. |
B.A tourist map. |
C.A museum guide. |
D.A news report. |
They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon; on foot, on mules(骡子) or by air. We chose the first. Up early; my husband and I and our three children couldn’t wait to get started. We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out, I was shocked at how narrow the path was. And I couldn’t help noticing that the other tourists weren’t like us. They had heavy backpacks, water bottles, and hats. But as usual we were dressed, As the sun rose higher, Arizona’s famous heat seemed to roast(烘烤) us. There was no shade and our legs were aching. We decided to go back, with the girl on my back and the boys far behind. By the time we finally got back, our legs were like jelly.
The next day, after we’d had a long rest and a good breakfast, we were ready for another view of the Canyon by air. After our last walk, this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon. But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed(翻转) the plane around, pretending he was going to hit the ground. I shouted, “STOP, TAKE US BACK!” When we finally arrived back on land, once again our legs were like jelly. We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said, there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon. We never tried the mules, but personally I’d suggest a fourth: buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic. That way, you can see the Canyon, without fear or tiredness. Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?
A.They made a careful preparation before the trip |
B.They children were more joyful than their parents. |
C.Bright Angel Trail was not as lovely as they expected. |
D.The summer heat prevented them from enjoying the view. |
The underlined expression “Our legs were like jelly” probably means.
we were weak
B. we were unhappy
C. we were dissatisfied
D. we were disappointed Which of the following best describes their Canyon trip by air?
A.It proved to be frightening. |
B.It was more comfortable |
C.It turned out to be exciting |
D.It made each of them tired. |
We can infer from the passage that .
A.experiencing the Canyon on mules would be the best way |
B.one needs to dress less when visiting the Grand Canyon. |
C.the writer was not serious when she made the suggestion. |
D.the whole family narrowly escaped from the air accident. |
When I first entered university, my aunt, who is an English professor, gave me a new English dictionary. I was _____to see that it was an English English dictionary, also known as a monolingual dictionary.
_it was a dictionary intended for non—native learners, none of my classmates had one __
__, to be honest, I found it extremely
_ to use at first. I would look up words in the dictionary and _
_ not fully understand the meaning. I was used to the _
__ bilingual dictionaries, in which the words are _
_ both in English and Chinese. I really wondered why my aunt __
_ to make things so difficult for me. Now, after studying English at university for three years, I _
__ that monolingual dictionaries are __
_ in learning a foreign language
As I found out, there is ___ often no perfect equivalence(对应)between two _
___ in two language. My aunt even goes so far as to
___ that a Chinese “equivalent” can never give you the __
__ meaning of a word in English! ___
, she insisted that I read the definition(定义) of a world in a monolingual dictionary __
___ I wanted to get a better understanding of its meaning. ____
_, I have come to see what she meant.
Using a monolingual dictionary for learners has helped me in another important way. This dictionary uses a(n)number of words, around 2, 000, in its definitions. When I read these definitions, I am
exposed to(接触)the basic words and learn how they are used to explain objects and ideas.
this, I can express myself more easily in English.
A.worried B.sad C.surprised D.nervous
A.Because B.Although C.Unless D.If
A.but B.so C.or D.and
A.difficult B.interesting C.ambiguous D.practical
A.thus B.even C.still D.again
A.newB.familiar C.earlier D.ordinary
A.explained B.expressed C.described D.created
A.offered B.agreed C.decided D.happened
A.imagine B.recommend C.predict D.understand
A.natural B.better C.easier D.convenient
A.at best B.in fact C.at times D.in case
A.words B.names C.ideas D.characters
A.hope B.declare C.doubt D.tell
A.exact B.basic C.translated D.expected
A.Rather B.However C.Therefore D.Instead
A.when B.before C.until D.while
A.Largely B.Generally C.Gradually D.Probably
A.extra B.average C.total D.limited
A.repeatedly B.nearly C.immediately D.anxiously
A.According to B.In relation to C.In addition to D.Because of
E
The CEO of Apple,Steve Jobs’story about death
When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it were your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?"
Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choice in life.
I was diagnosed with cancer.The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that was incurable, and that I would live no longer than three to six months.My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is my doctors' code for preparing yourself to die.
I lived with that diagnosis all day.I was completely in despair.Later that evening, I had another biopsy (活组织检查) and my wife told me that tumor turned to be curable with surgery.I had the surgery and I'm fine now. This was the closest I've been to facing death.
To tell the truth, no one wants to die.And yet death is the destination we all share.No one has ever escaped it.It clears out the old to make room for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.
Your time is so limited that you shouldn't waste it repeating someone else's life.Don't be trapped by dogma (教条)-which is living with the results of other people's thinking.Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice.And most importantly, have the courage to follow your heart. It somehow already knows what you truly want to become.Everything else is secondary. The doctor advised the author to go home and get his affairs in order because________.
A.he had to rest at home |
B.his disease was not serious at all |
C.his disease couldn't be cured |
D.he had to wait for the result of the test |
How did the author feel after the diagnosis?
A.Angry. |
B.Excited. |
C.Optimistic. |
D.Hopeless. |
What does the author think of death?
A.He thinks it is nothing to be scared of. |
B.He thinks it is not the end of life. |
C.He thinks it is impossible to avoid. |
D.He thinks it is the beginning of a new life. |
In Steve Jobs' opinion, we should ________.
A.follow others' advice |
B.take no notice of diseases |
C.take exercise and keep healthy |
D.have the courage to follow our heart |
D
Something big is happening to the human race, something that could be called the Great Transformation.
The Transformation consists of all the changes that are occurring in human life due to advancing technology. For thousands of years such progress occurred slowly. Now everything is changing so fast that you may find yourself wondering where all this progress is really leading.
Nobody knows what all these changes really will mean in the long run. But this mysterious Transformation is the biggest story of all time. it is the story of the human race itself.
Some people worry about what will happen when the deposits (蕴藏) of petroleum are gone, but already researchers are finding all kinds of new ways to obtain energy. Someday, solar power collected by satellites circling the earth or fission (裂变) power produced by mankind may give us all the energy we need for an expanding civilization. Space exploration promises to open up much new land for human settlement, as well as leading to the harvest of mineral resources.
Like it or not, our advancing technology has made us masters of the earth. We not only control all the other animals, but we are reshaping the world's plant life and even its soil and rocks, its waters and surrounding air.
Technology gives us the power to build a magnificent new civilization, if we can just agree on what we want it to be. But today, there is little global agreement on goals and how we should achieve them.
So it remains to be seen what will happen as a result of our technology. Pessimists (悲观者) worry that we will use the technology eventually to blow ourselves up. But they have been saying that for decades, and so far we have escaped. Whether we will continue to do so remains unknown, but we can continue to hope. The great Transformation is caused by___________.
A.changes in human life |
B.the development of science and technology |
C.space exploration |
D.unknown reasons |
Today it is impossible for people to build a remarkable new civilization because___________.
A.nobody is optimistic about the future |
B.human beings are unable to do so |
C.people disagree with each other in many ways |
D.people are worried too much |
According to the passage, pessimists believe that___________ .
A.the future of the world will remain unknown |
B.technological advances will destroy the human race at last |
C.technological advances help little in people's life |
D.there is no need to develop technology |