1. Penguins Mate for Life
During the mid-2000s, films like "Happy Feet" made penguins all the rage, and young lovers went around spreading the facts like "penguins mate for life." While the idea is sweet, it's not exactly true.
Penguins usually stick with their partners through the mating season, but when it's time to mate again, they choose whomever is convenient, not necessarily their old flame.
2. Vincent Van Gogh Cut Off His Entire Ear
This is not entirely true. It was not his entire ear - just the tip of the lobe（耳垂） - and some say he didn't even do it. Van Gogh lived with artist Paul Gauguin, who had quite a violent temper, and many believe Gauguin actually did the cutting.
Either way, Van Gogh did reportedly send the tip to a prostitute.
3. Napoleon Bonaparte was Short
Everyone knows Napoleon Bonaparte was a tiny man - after all, his nickname was "le Petit Corporal." His reputation for being short even inspired the phenomenon known as the "Napoleon complex."
In reality, Napoleon stood around 5 feet and 7 inches tall, which was very average back in the day. Many believe his nickname was meant as a term of endearment, not a reference to his height.
4. Ben Franklin Preferred a Turkey to a Bald Eagle
The bald eagle is certainly a well-known representation of America, but legend has it that if Ben Franklin had his way, a turkey would have been much better. In reality, Franklin wrote a letter to his daughter mocking the eagle symbol used in a seal(印章) by the Society of the Cincinnati, a private military group.
He said it looked like a turkey and may as well be one.
5. You Have Five Senses
If you remember learning about the senses in elementary school, you know humans possess five: sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste. Most scientists agree, however, that you have more like 10-20 senses, including pain, hunger, thirst, temperature, and more.
6. George Washington had Wooden Teeth
George Washington is known for three things: being the first president, chopping down a cherry tree, and having wooden teeth. At least one of these is certainly not true. While Washington did have bad teeth, his dentures(假牙) were not wooden.
7. Einstein was a Bad Student
If you ever made bad grades and pulled the old "Albert Einstein used to make bad grades" card with your parents or teachers, you are lucky you got away with it. In reality, Einstein was at the top of his class and mastered calculus when he was barely a teenager.
The reputation he developed for being a bad student had more to do with his behavior. He liked to talk back to his teachers.Which is the true fact according to the passage?
| A．Penguins usually stick with their partners through their whole lives. |
| B．Franklin laughed at the eagle symbol used in a seal and said it looked like a turkey. |
| C．Napoleon was much shorter than average. |
| D．George Washington’s false teeth were made of wooden. |
Why do most people hold the idea that Albert Einstein used to make bad grades?
| A．Because he used to like to talk with his teachers. |
| B．Because he used to be criticized by his parents. |
| C．Because he used to be different from other students. |
| D．Because he used to behave badly and usually didn’t respect his teachers. |
FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (Health Day News) -- Middle school studentswho are physically fit are likely to score higher on standardized tests measuring reading and math abilities, a new study has found. And, the average scores went up in connection with levels of fitness, the findings showed.
“The more physically fit kids were, the higher their scores,” said the study’s lead author, Trent Petrie, director of the Center for Sport Psychology at the University of North Texas in Denton. “Parents should encourage their kids to be physically active. There are some real cognitive (认知的) and academic benefits that come from physical fitness”, Petrie said.
Results of the study are scheduled to be presented Friday at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association in Orlando, Fla. The study included more than 1,200middle school studentsfrom five schools in a suburban area of Texas, with 561 boys and 650 girls. About 57 percent of the children were white, and nearly one-quarter were Mexican American. Nine percent were black and about 2 percent were of Asian descent.
The school district provided the researchers with information on the children’s race, age, grade level and whether they qualified for the free school lunch program, which was an indicator of the family’s socioeconomic status. The schools also provided scores to the tests, which were given between one and four months after the researchers had assessed the children’s levels of fitness. Fitness tests were administered duringphysical educationclasses to determine the youngsters’ heart and lung health (cardiorespiratory fitness), as well as their body mass index (BMI), an indicator of how much body fat a person has. The children also filled out questionnaires that helped the researchers determine factors such as self-esteem and social support.
After accounting for factors such as age, sex, family income and self-esteem, the researchers found that for both boys and girls, higher levels of heart and lung healthpredicted better scores on both the math and reading tests.
For boys, perceived (感观的) social support also seemed to increase their reading scores, the investigators found. In girls, while being physically fit predicted higher reading scores, so too did a higher BMI-- which indicates more body fat. “We were a little surprised by this finding,” Petrie said.
“It was not as strong an association as the one with physical fitness,” he added. The authors suspect it may have something to do with girls this age entering adolescence, which may be related to a higher BMI and slightly higher brain development. He said he plans to make great effort to look for this relationship again in larger studies to see if it was a chance finding, or if the association holds up.
“While we can’t say 100 percent thatphysical fitnesscauses better academic performance, we can say that there is a strong and predictive relationship between physical fitness and academic performance,” Petrie said.
“It’s hard to tease apart (梳理) the exact reason for this association,” said Becky Hashim, an attending clinical psychologist and assistant professor in the departments of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Children’s Hospital of Montefiore, in New York City.
“It may be that the children are getting more oxygen. When the heart and lungs are working at a higher capacity, it may allow the brain to work at peak performance. Children who are less fit may be sleepier during school,” she noted. “I personally feel that there’s probably a strong relationship between the confidence you get from being able to do something physical well and academic performance.”
Whatever the reason behind this association may be, “there’s certainly no harm in pushing physical fitness,” Hashim added. “Physical fitness may make you feel better, give you more confidence and improve your performance across the board,” she said.
Petrie agreed. “Physically fit kids are happier, have higher self-esteem and, tend to have better relationships, and now we’re beginning to see that there also seem to be benefits cognitively and academically. Our study sends a strong warning to policymakers to reconsider the service program of physical education classes for kids,” he said. How did the school district help the researchers carry out the study?
| A．By analyzing the data of fitness tests. |
| B．By giving some basic information. |
| C．By completing some questionnaires. |
| D．By offering a certain amount of Money. |
According to the passage, the result of the study will be published ______.
| A．in a book | B．in a journal | C．at a conference | D．on the Internet |
What’s the suitable title of the passage?
| A．Parents should be aware of the benefit of fitness. |
| B．Fitter kids are likely to make better grades. |
| C．Fitness affects kids’ social behavior greatly. |
| D．Teachers should value physical education classes. |
What’s Becky Hashim’s attitude towards the relationship between physical fitness and academic performance?
| A．Supportive | B．Indifferent | C．Critical | D．Doubtful |
What does the underlined word “one” in Paragraph refer to?
| A．The BMI. | B．The body fat. | C．The brain development. | D．The test score. |
From the last paragraph we can infer that physically fit kids ______.
| A．deserve to be treated well | B．live much longer than others |
| C．get along well with others | D．enjoy a peaceful life |
As China becomes increasingly urbanized (城市化), it has to find space for its urban and rural citizens as both groups become increasingly integrated. Experts suggest a possible model way may be “re-inventing” a “garden city”.
China’s mega-cities are bursting at the borders and the country is now undergoing the quickest and biggest urbanization in the history of mankind. It is estimated that by 2025, China will have 400 million more people living in its cities, raising its urban population to 900 million. Besides, new satellite towns are mushrooming on the urban fringes while city ring roads are rippling outwards into the countryside at amazing speed. Satellite maps collected by Professor Joshua Bolchover at the University of Hong Kong bring the problem sharply into focus. They track the changing rural-urban framework in the past 30 years, and suggest that cities are cruelly destroying surrounding rural land and rapidly reducing the amount of arable (可耕种的) land, which gives way to new residential blocks, new industrial zones, new financial centers and the other inevitable signs and signatures of economic growth.
This, however, is not sustainable growth pattern, especially when China has the world’s largest population to feed. So concerned urban planners are starting to note the social and physical effects of diaspora (大移居) when replaced rural communities are forced into the cities.
On the other hand, a trend of thought is gradually taking shape and this is the concept of the “garden city”, a combination of country and city that is being proposed by architects and city planners. Hua Li, from Tao Architects, is among the many professionals with such a voice. His argument is supported by a long-term study on this subject. As Hua says, the answer is to preserve patches of productive farmland within urban boundaries. Less transportation means we have fresh agricultural products at lower costs and less carbon emission in the city. And urban farmland can also be showcased for agricultural tourism and education.
The concept is already practiced at the grassroot level. Agriculture has gone into the air, up to roof and balcony in some communities in the cities. It’s common to see organic “hanging garden” on the roof of some traditional courtyard home. According to some people, the rooftop project translate to tangible (=" practical)" benefits, such as safe, nutritious vegetables, a cooler home in summer. Some say thanks to the tomatoes they plant that are natural insect killers, there’re fewer mosquitoes. Apart from these, it also contributes to better bonding with neighbors. Zhang, a doctor in Beijing, began creating his hanging garden five years ago. Since his garden became home to 30 kinds of vegetables and fruit --- all enough to feed his family, neighbors have enjoyed dropping by for a relaxing chat or just to see how well the lovely vegetables and fruit are doing.
Although people like Zhang are still rare and the greening of roof space with vegetables and fruit takes skill and energy, with more positive media exposure and advanced technology there is the prospect that garden city will become common practice in the near future. By then, cities will no longer look so gray when seen from the satellites. Some experts suggest re-inventing a “garden city” because ______.
| A．it is the only model way to save the cities |
| B．it helps stop destroying the rural areas |
| C．increasing urbanization takes place in China |
| D．China has the largest population to feed |
What is the purpose of paragraph 2?
| A．To show the experts’ concern about the increase of population. |
| B．To persuade people into supporting economic growth in cities. |
| C．To explain the reasons for the change of rural-urban framework. |
| D．To inform the readers of the consequences of quick urbanization. |
In Hua Li’s opinion, a combination of country and city will ______.
| A．benefit the environment and lower living costs |
| B．become a project that needs a long-term study |
| C．lead to more rural communities being replaced |
| D．attract more farmers to take tours in cities |
Zhang is mentioned (Paragraph 5) to show that ______.
| A．he achieves his dream to own a hanging garden |
| B．hanging gardens are becoming more popular |
| C．the garden contributes to a better neighborhood |
| D．he is a pioneer to practise the gardening concept |
As for the concept of the “garden city”, the writer feels ______.
| A．desperate | B．hopeful | C．disappointed | D．concerned |
Shower Radio --- Warranty (保单) and Directions
Introduction
Congratulations! You are now the owner of a So Fine Shower Radio! It is sure to provide entertainment for many hours. In addition, the radio features a timer for those days when you are in a hurry.
Before using the radio, please read all directions, fill out and mail in the warranty card, and put warranty information in a safe place. Although we do not expect problems with the radio, you may need to refer to the warranty information at a later time.
Warranty
This radio is warranted for a one-year period that begins on the date of purchase. If it fails to work because of a problem of materials, please return it to the following address: So Fine Radio Corp, 1279 Delta Way, Monga.
We will not pay shipping costs for returning the radio to us. We will either repair or replace the radio. Please allow at least four weeks for looking at the problem and repairing the radio. If you have not heard from us within six weeks, call our customer service department at 1-800-123.
Radios that are returned to us for problems other than a problem of materials will be subject to service fee as well as the cost of the repairs. Customers will be informed of the charge by postcard. Radios will not be returned to customers until these fees are paid.
Directions
Please read all directions before using it.
Please note that this radio is designed and built to operate well in a damp environment. The self-contained batteries and circuits (线路) are contained in the enclosed space that will bear heat and humidity.
To Operate the Radio
1. Put two AA batteries in the enclosed space at the back of the radio. Be certain to follow the diagram, or the batteries will not provide electricity. The radio should NOT be adapted in order to be fixed into the wall; this will damage the waterproofing (防水).
2. Turn the POWER dial in a clockwise direction until it clicks. Continue turning the dial until the desired volume is achieved.
3. To find the desired station, press the station selector button. The tuner (调谐器) will automatically go to the next highest signal. The station’s call number will be visible in the digital screen. When the station with the highest frequency has been reached, the selector will start again at the lowest frequency.
4. To switch between AM and FM stations, move the sliding AM/FM switch.
To Operate the Timer
1. Press the Timer Set button. Each time the button is pressed, five minutes will be put on the timer. The amount of time on the timer will be visible for five seconds on the digital screen.
2. When the time on the timer doesn’t work, a beep will sound for ten seconds. The timer may be reset again one minute.
Troubleshooting
Before returning the radio for service, please check the following items:
Problem: Radio cannot be heard.
1. Check batteries to be certain that they still have power and are put in correctly.
2. Check Power/Volume Control.
Problem: Timer does not work.
1. Check batteries to be certain that they still have power and are put in correctly.
2. Follow directions above for setting timer.
3. Turn the power control on. The timer will not work when the radio is not on.
4. Adjust the volume control which regulates the volume of the beep as well as the radio volume. The digital screen will show both ______.
| A．the volume level and the AM/FM indicator |
| B．the AM/FM indicator and the radio station |
| C．the time remaining on the timer and the date |
| D．the call number and time on the timer |
Which of the following is covered within this text?
| A．How to operate the radio and the timer. |
| B．What other owners say about the radio. |
| C．Who will benefit from using the radio. |
| D．Where to purchase the radio. |
What question might a reader still have about this product?
| A．How can I know the service fee? |
| B．Where should I send a nonworking radio? |
| C．How is the radio placed in the shower? |
| D．What kind of batteries does the radio use? |
According to the text, what should you do before returning the radio for service?
| A．Contact the store where you purchased it. |
| B．Check whether certain problems exist. |
| C．Call the producer for a repair number. |
| D．Consult the telephone book for local repair service. |
Looking for a new weight loss plan? Try living on top of a mountain. Mountain air contains less oxygen than air at lower altitudes, so breathing it causes the heart to beat faster and the body to burn more energy. A handful of studies have found that athletes training at high altitudes tend to lose weight. Doctor Florian Lippl of the University Hospital Of Ludwig-Maximilians-university Munich wondered how the mountain air would affect overweight individuals if they weren’t doing any more physical activity than usual.
Lippl and his colleagues invited 20 overweight men to an environmental research station about 300 meters below the summit of Zugspitze, a mountain around 2,970 meters near the Austrian border. They were allowed to eat as much as they liked. The men also gave blood so that researchers could test for hormones linked to appetite and fatness. At the end of the week, the men, whose mean weight starting out was 105kg, had lost on average about l.5kg. The men’s blood pressure also dropped, which the researchers believed was due to weight lost.
Exactly what caused the weight loss is uncertain. Loss of appetite is common at higher altitudes, and indeed the men ate significantly less than usual—about 700 calories fewer per day. Lippl also notes that because their consumption was being recorded, they may have been more self-conscious about what they ate. Regardless, eating less accounts for just l kg of the l.5 kg lost, says Lippl. He thinks the increased metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate, which was measured, also contributed to weight loss but cannot separate the different effects with the given data.
Appetite loss at high altitudes could certainly be key, notes Damian Bailey, a physiologist at the University of Glamorgan, UK, who recently lost 11 kg during a 3-month expedition to the Andes in Chile.
Unfortunately, for the average person there is no treatment that can resemble living at high altitude, says Lippl. The only alternative is hypobaric chamber, which exposes subjects to low oxygen and isn’t practical as a treatment. He says, half- jokingly, “If fat people plan their holidays, they might not go to the sea, but maybe to the mountain.”What contributes the most to one’s heart rates according to the first paragraph?
| A．our bodyweight | B．the consumption of energy |
| C．the rates of our breathing | D．the amount of oxygen provided |
Hormones are tested in the research because they can affect ______.
| A．one’s bodyweight | B．one’s blood pressure |
| C．one’s way of living | D．one’s metabolic rate |
What was found about the 20 overweight men in the process of the research?
| A．They controlled what to eat self-consciously. |
| B．They took in much fewer calories than usual. |
| C．They lost appetite because of lack of physical activity. |
| D．They were provided with a healthier diet than before. |
Why does Damian Bailey agree with the idea of appetite loss at high altitudes?
| A．He experimented with the new weight loss plan in the Andes. |
| B．He found no other reasons for his loss of weight in the Andes. |
| C．He researched the related subject in the Andes. |
| D．He lost much weight in the high altitude Andes. |
In what manner does Lippl talk about the way of losing weight by spending holidays on mountains?
| A．casual | B．inaccurate | C．uncertain | D．confident |
_____Susan is a big eater. She usually has a lot at every meal. So she wonders whether she could only eat less for the first meal of a day to lose weight.
_____Tina is a fat girl who doesn’t like exercise much. She just wants to lose weight by eating less but not doing exercise.
_____Maggie is a busy office lady. She usually has to work overtime every day. So she could only have her dinner late at night. She wants to be slimmer so that she could be much more attractive.
_____ Judy is a fashionable designer. She hopes to have a slim shape as models. She usually doesn’t have any regular meal, but has some snacks when she is hungry.
| A．If you eat less for breakfast, you have a lower chance of losing weight. Breakfast is important. It gives the body sufficient energy to sustain itself through the morning, and it also stimulates metabolic (新陈代谢) activity in the body. Metabolism is what consumes fat and what makes us slimmer. So, don’t forget to eat something for the breakfast. |
| B．If you ate your last meal right before going to bed, the calories accumulated from this meal could be twice the amount accumulated from a same meal if you ate it another time during the day. |
| C．Many people stop doing exercise when they eat less. When you do this, your body will burn less fat. So even if people take in less calories, they get rid of less too. The balance is then unchanged. |
| D．People gain fat not from the food they eat, but from the number of calories in the food. For example, a bunch of vegetables has just one tenth the calories contained in a small bit of chocolate cake. So make sure you have adequate regular meals, but firmly say no to various snacks, milk tea or even instant noodles. |