Will you be playing some music at work?
Music is particularly popular in the medical profession, especially among surgeons（外科医生）. A recent survey shows that 90% of surgeons in the UK put music on the sound system in the theatre during operations. Plastic surgeons（整形外科医生）play the most music; it appears that ear, nose, and throat specialists the least.
But it isn’t only in surgeries(外科手术) where music is popular. In another recent survey, one-third of the 1,613 people said they listen to music while working. And 79% of them said that humming（哼歌）along improves their job satisfaction or productivity.
Is listening to music at work a good idea? Yes, say the experts. Many surgeons say that music helps to create a “calm atmosphere”, and a third of them added that it avoids getting bored! Also, listening to music raises the levels of a brain chemical that can help people focus. Office workers say it improves job satisfaction. Several studies suggest that it’s also good for hospital patients. Those listening to music through headphones during surgery require less anesthetic（麻醉剂）, up to 50% less in some cases, and recover more quickly afterwards. “Sure, music reduces anxiety before surgery,” says Zeev Kain, an anesthetist at Yale University.
So, what type of music should we be listening to? Surgeons from the previous survey preferred rock, pop music and classical. And hip-hop is popular too. However, whatever the kind, it appears that self-selected music is the best choice. Pennsylvania State University research showed that when people chose their own music there was more stress reduction(下降). And other researchers found that when listening to self-selected music, surgeons did the maths faster and more accurately than when they were listening to music chosen for them.The underlined word “theatre” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.
| A．an operating room |
| B．a rest room for surgeons |
| C．a waiting room in a hospital |
| D．a building where shows are performed |
The surveys mentioned in the passage show ________.
| A．music is popular in some professions |
| B．most surgeons in the UK are fond of singing |
| C．office workers learn a lot from listening to music |
| D．fewer than half of the people listen to music at work |
What are the advantages of listening to music at work? ________.
①improving memory
②keeping people relaxed
③improving job satisfaction
④improving eyesight
| A．①④ | B．①② | C．②③ | D．②④ |
How should you choose music for work time according to the passage? ________.
| A．Turn to the surgeons for help |
| B．Make your selection by yourself |
| C．Rock, pop music and classical are always good choices |
| D．The most popular music should be taken into consideration |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．how to choose music wisely |
| B．where to find the best music |
| C．the popularity of music in hospitals |
| D．the benefits of listening to music at work |
In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.
In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs .
The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.
Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts (伏特). A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.
Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.
The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under tress. Also on,e should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.People once thought lightning came from ________.
| A．the gods | B．the earth |
| C．the sky | D．nature |
According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?
| A．Metal fences. | B．Machines. |
| C．Electricity. | D．Lightning rods |
Lightning can travel ________.
| A．as quickly as water | B．not so quickly as electricity |
| C．at very high speed | D．at very low speed |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．In the U.S about one person per day dies from lightning. |
| B．Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea. |
| C．The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning. |
| D．A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm. |
Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours—one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there's a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they'll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They'll pay three times the normal rate。
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行车)during rush hours. The city can't make its streets wider, and it can't build new highways, because it doesn't want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古学家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are _______
| A．special lanes on highways | B．many commuters |
| C．four rush hours | D．many cars on the street |
Most of the commuters in Tokyo _______
| A．take subway trains to work | B．are packers |
| C．take taxis to work | D．carry briefcases to work |
To “hail a cab” means to _______
| A．pay double the normal fare | B．try to get a cab |
| C．prefer to take taxis | D．to stand at crossroads |
Commuters in carpools probably_______
| A．live in the city | B．take the subway to work |
| C．save money on gas and parking fees | D．have special license plates(牌照) |
Five people are at our table, including myself. I’ve already learnt a great deal about them in the short time we’ve been at sea, although we rarely meet except at mealtimes.
First of all, there is Dr. Stone. He is a man of about sixty-five, with gray hair and a friendly face. He gave up his work a short while ago and is now traveling round the world before he retires to some quite country village. As a young man, he served for many years as a doctor in the army and visited many countries. He’s told us a great deal about the city to which they are going.
Then there is “Grandmother”. I call her that because her name escapes me. In spite of being a grandmother, she looks remarkable young, no more than fifty. She is on her way to visit a daughter who went to Australia some years ago. Naturally she is very excited at the thought of seeing her again, and her three grandchildren, whom she has never seen.
Then there is a man I don’t care for very much, the engineer by the name of Barlow. He has been on leave in England and is now returning to his work in Singapore.
The other person who sits at our table is Mrs. Hunt. I’ve found out hardly anything about her. She’s extremely quiet and rarely talks, except to consult the doctor about children’s various illnesses. She is on her way to join her husband in India.What can we know about Mr. Stone?
| A．He is a doctor in the army now. |
| B．He is going to give up his work. |
| C．He has been retired for many years. |
| D．He knows a lot about the city the author is going to visit. |
Who live in India?
| A．Mrs. Hunt | B．Grandmother | C．Mr. Hunt | D．The doctor |
The writer calls the second person “Grandmother” because _____.
| A．She looks old. | B．he respects her | C．She has three daughters | D．he can’t think of her name |
The underlined phrase “on leave” in Paragraph 4 probably means _____.
| A．on vacation | B．at home | C．about to leave | D．leaving |
A man accused of failing to return more than 700 children’s books to five different libraries in the county was released from prison after a book publisher agreed to post his bond（保释金）of $1,000．The publisher said．“There’s a story here．This is a man who loves books．He just can’t let go of them．He hasn’t stolen a single book．So what’s the crime ? We think that Mr．Banish has story to tell．We plan to publish his story．”
When asked why he didn’t return the books, Mr．Banish said，”Well，how could I? They became family to me．I was afraid to return them，because I knew that kids or dogs would get hold of these books and chew them up，throw them around，tear the pages，spill soda on them，get jelly﹙糊状物﹚ on them，and drown them in the toilet．
He continued，“Books are people，too! They talk to you，they take care of you，and they enrich you with wisdom，humor and love．A book is a guest in my home．How could I kick it out? I repaired tor n﹙撕破的﹚ pages．I dusted them with a soft clean cloth．I turned their pages so they could breathe and get some fresh air．”
“Every week I reorganized them on their shelves so they could meet new friends，My books were HAPPY books．You could tell just by looking at them．Now they’re all back in the libraries，on the lower shelves，on the floors，at the mercy of all those runny-nosed kids I can hear them calling me．I need to rescue them．Excuse me．I have to go now．”Why was the man put into prison?
| A．Because the book publisher persuaded the police to do so． |
| B．Because he stole 700 children’s books from the five different libraries． |
| C．Because he refused to return the books that he had borrowed． |
| D．Because he wanted to publish his story． |
From the passage we can learn that the man is
| A．a thief | B．a writer | C．crazy about books | D．unfortunate |
What might happen after the man was set free?
| A．He might stop borrowing books． |
| B．He might start a library of his own． |
| C．He might go on borrowing books from libraries． |
| D．He might return all his books． |
What is mainly talked about in this passage?
| A．A funny thief who loves stealing books． |
| B．A person who refuses to return borrowed books and wants to look after them． |
| C．A person who is crazy about books so he keeps stealing them from the library． |
| D．A person who may have some mental problems |
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 hand-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﹙动手﹚ 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(木偶) making. | D．Give performances. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A science textbook. | B．A tourist map. |
| C．A museum guide. | D．A news report. |