Next time you hear a funny joke you’d better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn’t always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: “We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who’d dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs.”
It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that’s right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: “You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm(横膈膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful.”
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you’d use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don’t do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way.
But I don’t want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humor and keep smiling. Life is short anyway.Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT_________.
| A．diaphragm movement |
| B．heart stop |
| C．lung burst |
| D．jaw dislocation |
The underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
| A．nervous | B．funny |
| C．painful | D．hopeless |
How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
| A．About 40. | B．About 2,000. |
| C．About 1,000. | D．About 2,040. |
What is the author’s attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
| A．Uninterested. | B．Favorable. |
| C．Worried. | D．Disapproving. |
Dropouts for Ph. D. s
Educators are seriously concerned about the high rate of dropouts among the doctor of philosophy candidates and the consequent loss of talent to a nation in need of Ph. D. s. Some have placed the dropouts loss as high as 50 percent. The extent of the loss was, however, largely a matter of expert guessing. Last week a well-rounded study was published. It was published. It was based on 22,000 questionnaires sent to former graduate students who were enrolled in 24 universities and it seemed to show many past fears to be groundless.
The dropouts rate was found to be 31 per cent, and in most cases the dropouts, while not completing the Ph. D. requirement, went on to productive work. They are not only doing well financially, but, according to the report, are not far below the income levels of those who went on to complete their doctorates.
Discussing the study last week, Dr. Tucker said the project was initiated 'because of the concern frequently expressed by graduate faculties and administrators that some of the individuals who dropped out of Ph. D. programs were capable of competing the requirement for the degree. Attrition at the Ph. D. level is also thought to be a waste of precious faculty time and a drain on university resources already being used to capacity. Some people expressed the opinion that the shortage of highly trained specialists and college teachers could be reduced by persuading the dropouts to return to graduate schools to complete the Ph. D.’
"The results of our research" Dr. Tucker concluded, "did not support these opinions."
1. Lack of motivation was the principal reason for dropping out.
2. Most dropouts went as far in their doctoral program as was consistent with their levels of ability or their specialties.
3. Most dropouts are now engaged in work consistent with their education and motivation.
Nearly 75 per cent of the dropouts said there was no academic reason for their decision, but those who mentioned academic reason cited failure to pass the qualifying examination, uncompleted research and failure to pass language exams. Among the single most important personal reasons identified by dropouts for non-completion of their Ph. D. program, lack of finances was marked by 19 per cent.
As an indication of how well the dropouts were doing, a chart showed 2% in humanities were receiving $ 20,000 and more annually while none of the Ph. D. 's with that background reached this figure. The Ph. D. 's shone in the $ 7,500 to $ 15,000 bracket with 78% at that level against 50% for the dropouts. This may also be an indication of the fact that top salaries in the academic fields, where Ph. D. 's tend to rise to the highest salaries, are still lagging behind other fields.
As to the possibility of getting dropouts back on campus, the outlook was glum. The main condition which would have to prevail for at least 25 % of the dropouts who might consider returning to graduate school would be to guarantee that they would retain their present level of income and in some cases their present job. The author states that many educators feel that
[A] steps should be taken to get the dropouts back to campus.
[B] the dropouts should return to a lower quality school to continue their study.
[C] the Ph. D. holder is generally a better adjusted person than the dropout.
[D] The high dropouts rate is largely attributable to the lack of stimulation on the part of faculty members. Research has shown that
[A] Dropouts are substantially below Ph. D. 's in financial attainment.
[B] the incentive factor is a minor one in regard to pursuing Ph. D. studies.
[C] The Ph. D. candidate is likely to change his field of specialization if he drops out.
[D] about one-third of those who start Ph. D. work do not complete the work to earn the degree. Meeting foreign language requirements for the Ph. D.
[A] is the most frequent reason for dropping out.
[B] is more difficult for the science candidate than for the humanities candidate.
[C] is an essential part of many Ph. D. programs.
[D] does not vary in difficulty among universities. After reading the article, one would refrain from concluding that
[A] optimism reigns in regard to getting Ph. D. dropouts to return to their pursuit of the degree.
[B] a Ph. D. dropout, by and large, does not have what it takes to learn the degree.
[C] colleges and universities employ a substantial number of Ph. D. dropouts.
[D] Ph. D. 's are not earning what they deserve in nonacademic positions. It can be inferred that the high rate of dropouts lies in
[A] salary for Ph. D. too low.
[B] academic requirement too high.
[C] salary for dropouts too high.
[D] 1000 positions.
The only way to travel is on foot
The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled by anthropologists.
escriptions like 'Paleolithic Man', 'Neolithic Man', etc., neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label 'Legless Man'. Histories of the time will go something like this: 'in the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs.
Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers of that time because of miles each day.
But the surprising thing is that they didn't use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were mangled by the presence of large car parks. '
The future history books might also record that we were deprived of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird's-eye view of the world - or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way.
When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on: they never want to stop. Is it the lure of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention.
It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: 'I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.' The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says 'I've been there. ' You mention the remotest, most evocative place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say 'I've been there' - meaning, 'I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. '
When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again.
By traveling like this, you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present.
For him traveling and arriving is one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travelers.Anthropologists label nowadays men 'Legless' because .
A people forget how to use his legs.
B people prefer cars, buses and trains.
C lifts and escalators prevent people from walking.
D there are a lot of transportation devices.Traveling at high speed means .
A people's focus on the future.
B a pleasure.
C satisfying drivers' great thrill.
D a necessity of life.Why does the author say 'we are deprived of the use of our eyes' ?
A People won't use their eyes.
B In traveling at high speed, eyes become useless.
C People can't see anything on his way of travel.
D People want to sleep during traveling.What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A Legs become weaker.
B Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.
C There is no need to use eyes.
D The best way to travel is on foot.What does 'a bird's-eye view' mean?
A See view with bird's eyes.
B A bird looks at a beautiful view.
C It is a general view from a high position looking down.
D A scenic place.
Read the following advertisements and then choose the correct answers.
| (China Daily, March 3, 1996) the biggest shopping center will open on March 8. Every body with today's China Daily will get a small present that day. You are welcome. Telephone: 38990688; address: No. 6 Xidan Road …… |
| (ENGLISH NEWSPAPER, March 19) English Newspaper needs a foreign editor. He (She ) must have worked in China for more than 2 years. British nationality is necessary. The salary is $ 100,000 a year. The term is 3 years. In ten days this piece of advertisement will not be useful. Telephone: 3890666; addreses: No. 6 Xinling Road … |
| (CHINA FOOTBALL, February 3, 1996) Shanghai Shenhua Team Vs Beijing Guo'an Team TIME: February 8. Sunday (3:00) PLACE: Hongkou Stadium TICKET PRICE; RMB 25 yuan (for adults ) RMB 15 yuan (for students) NAME: China Cup Football Contest COACHES: Xu Genbao, Jin Zhiyang … |
If an Englishman who has worked in China for 3 years comes to English Newspaper office to ask for the job in April, he will _____.
| A．get the job | B．not get the job | C．be a good editor | D．not be useful |
If three adults and six students went to watch the match, the tickets would cost them _____ yuan.
| A．165 | B．135 | C．196 | D．255 |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE?
| A．The shopping center is at NO. 6 Xidan road. |
| B．The telephone number of English Newspaper is 3890666. |
| C．The match was between Beijing Team and Guo'an Team. |
| D．Xu Genbao is a coach. |
Computers are very important to modern life．Many people think that in the future computers will be used in lots of everyday life．It is thought that we won’t have to go shopping because we will be able to get most things which are sold in shops on the Internet．There will be no more books because we will be able to get all texts from computers．The Internet will be used to play games, see films and buy food．Most telephone calls will be made by computers, too．
Some people are glad about those new ways of shopping and communicating(交流)．Others do not think that computers will replace（代替）our old ways．
Some people think that one day we will not read books made of paper. Instead, we will buy and read books using computers, which will keep many different books in them at the same time．We won’t need to turn lots of pages and paper will be saved．Computerized (计算机化的) books will be used more and more．
While many people say it is a pleasure to go into shops and look at things you want to buy．It is also unlikely that many people will want to read large texts on our computers. Because paper books will perhaps be more friendly．Maybe computers won’t change these two habits．Which is the main idea of this passage?
| A．People like going shopping | B．Reading books is important |
| C．Computers are important | D．Computer can be used to play games |
.There will be no more books because________.
| A．There is no paper in the future. | B．People don’t like reading books. |
| C．They are very expensive. | D．We can read passages from computers. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．We can see films by computers. | B．People all like to go shopping by computers. |
| C．We can’t buy anything using computers. | D．All the people like reading books from computers. |
Which of the following is mentioned (提到) in the passage?
| A．Computers can help us e-mail our friends. | B．We can chat by using computers. |
| C．Computers can help us make telephone calls. | D．We can listen to the music by computers. |
Everyday we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat（闲谈）with friends—you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you—loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout of appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease（轻松）but the situation is somewhat（一点儿）different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard.When you speak to the class, you should speak ________.
| A．as loudly as possible | B．in a low voice |
| C．loudly | D．forcefully |
Usually, when you speak to the class, the class is __________.
| A．noisy | B．quiet | C．having a rest | D．serious |
The situation in the class is ________ that in your house.
| A．not very different from | B．sometimes the same as |
| C．sometimes not the same as | D．not the same as |
If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is _______.
| A．to show your ability | B．to be very gentle |
| C．to make sure that you can be heard | D．to put the official at ease |
The main idea of this passage is ________.
| A．that we must use different ways at different situations |
| B．that we must speak loudly |
| C．that we must keep silent at any time |
| D．that we must talk with the class |