When we say older people shrink, we don't mean they become tiny enough to fit in your pocket! We just mean that it's common for older people to become a little shorter over time. This kind of shrinking can't be reversed, although people can slow or stop this process. But why does shrinking happen at all?
Because of gravity (the force that keeps your feet on the ground) , cushions between the bones in the spine (脊骨), get compressed (压缩), which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter.
Another reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis (骨质疏松). Osteoporosis occurs when bone is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it's not being replaced. Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured.
Older people—especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with—are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis can get small breaks in bones that are called compression fractures(受压骨折). These breaks cause collapse of the spine and over time the person with osteoporosis can become hunched over (驼背).
Did you know that every day you shrink a little, too? You aren't as tall at the end of the day as you are at the beginning. That's because as the day goes on, water in the disks of the spine gets compressed due to gravity, making you just a tiny bit shorter. Don't worry, though. Once you get a good night's rest, your body recovers, and the next morning, you're standing tall again!
Smoking and drinking alcohol can make this problem worse. Want to do something right now to build strong bones? I believe what I will say will help you.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．For shrinking, people can do nothing about it. |
| B．If someone is injured, he will become shorter. |
| C．Women have smaller and lighter bones than men. |
| D．We aren't as tall at the end of the day as we are at the beginning. |
What should we do if we don't want to shrink faster?
| A．We should try to reduce gravity. |
| B．We should be careful not to be hurt by others. |
| C．We should sleep as long as possible. |
| D．We should keep away from smoking and drinking alcohol. |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．How can we stop shrinking? |
| B．Why do we shrink? |
| C．Some tips on how to keep tall. |
| D．How to live a healthy life. |
About osteoporosis, we know that _______.
| A．gravity is one of the causes of osteoporosis |
| B．once our bone is broken down, osteoporosis will occur |
| C．women are more likely to develop osteoporosis |
| D．if we develop osteoporosis, we are more likely to be shorter |
What will the author talk about in the paragraph to be followed?
| A．Tell us how to grow taller. |
| B．Tell us how to become healthier. |
| C．Tell us how to avoid being shrinking. |
| D．Tell us what to do to have strong bones. |
Miss Wu is a young teacher of English in China. She loves teaching very much. One day when she was giving an English lesson, she found the headmaster sitting at the back of the classroom. After class, the headmaster told her that he came to her class to find out how much English and how much Chinese she was using. The result was about half English and half Chinese. She was using Chinese when she gave instructions to her students and when she wanted to get feedback (反馈） from her students. The headmaster told her that she should use more English in her class.
Miss Wu made a plan like this:
·talk with an Englishman every Sunday for two hours to learn more English expressions;
·write some English expressions on cards. These cards not only remind her to use English in class, but also help her remember some expressions;
·have a five-minute talk in English with students before class.
She used body language to help her if students could not understand.
One year later, she found she could use English freely in class. Miss Wu ______.
| A．has a poor memory | B．is a teacher of Chinese |
| C．loves her job | D．is angry with the headmaster |
The headmaster came to Miss Wu’s class to ______.
| A．write some English expressions on cards |
| B．help her improve her English teaching |
| C．give instructions to the students |
| D．get feedback from the students |
After the headmaster left, Miss Wu realized that she should _____ in her class.
| A．use more Chinese | B．use more English |
| C．use half English and half Chinese | D．use body language |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Use cards in English teaching |
| B．Talk with English-speaking people |
| C．Speak more English in English class |
| D．Learn more English expressions |
In England, we look forward to our birthdays for 364 days a year!
We invite special people to celebrate it with us.
The Presents
Presents are opened as soon as the children are awake. They can’t wait for the birthday cake later in the day!
The Cards
Friends and family send birthday cards. Sending birthday cards is a custom (风俗) that began in England about 100 years ago.
The Party
The birthday child will have a party to which friends and family are invited. Visitors to the party bring presents for the birthday child. The children play games such as musical chairs and pass the parcel (包裹).
The Cake
The birthday cake is decorated on a theme (主题). A candle for each year is lit and placed on top and the child blows out the candles making a wish. We don’t put objects inside the cake as stated on many websites.
The Bumps (碰撞)
It used to be traditional for the birthday child to have the bumps. Friends would hold the child by the legs and under the arms and lift the child up and down bumping them gently on the ground. The number of bumps given is the age of the child plus one for extra good luck. As this can be dangerous, clapping (拍手) is often done instead.
The Sweets
Some children do take sweets to school to share with their classmates on their birthdays. In England, the birthday present is opened _____.
| A．before the child wakes up |
| B．immediately after the child wakes up |
| C．as soon as the child gets up |
| D．during the birthday party |
If Alice is celebrating her 7th birthday, how many bumps will she be given?
| A．Six. | B．Seven. |
| C．Eight. | D．Nine. |
Which of the following facts about birthdays in England is NOT true?
| A．All the children will receive birthday cards on their birthdays. |
| B．Clapping is often done for the birthday child. |
| C．Objects meaning good luck are usually placed inside the birthday cake. |
| D．Nowadays children may share sweets with their classmates on their birthdays. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．How birthdays are celebrated in the world |
| B．Where to hold an English birthday party |
| C．What to send when invited to a child’s birthday |
| D．How English children celebrate their birthdays |
Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.
However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.
Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.
The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?
| A．Australians speak Standard English with no local accents. |
| B．You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents. |
| C．The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed. |
| D．There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners. |
| B．The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports. |
| C．The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe. |
| D．The pace of life is different in the city and in the country. |
We can infer from the passage that _____.
| A．there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities |
| B．Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia |
| C．immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems |
| D．“riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities |
3D cinema has been around since the early 20th century, but Hollywood brought the technology back in 2007. Many thought it was just a trick to make more money. But then came Avatar, the first must-see movie in 3D.
But since Avatar, 3D cinema has struggled. In 2010, several 3D movies bombed at the box office. And by late 2010, some people said the technology was dead. Of course, this isn’t the first time Hollywood has struggled technology. Although sound was added to movies in the late 1920s, it took audience time to get used to the new technology. But in the end, sound and color became the standard. James Cameron, director of Avatar, thinks we’re going through the same process with 3D.
Some day cinemas are charging too much for 3D movies. In the Us, seeing a 3D movie can cost up to $7.5 more than seeing it in 2D. Also, a recent study at California State University has found audience don’t actually enjoy movies in 3D any more than in 2D. Walter Murch, a famous movie editor, wrote in 2011 that human beings have no ability to process 3D images. Watching a 3D movie confuses our brain and this is why some people get headaches.
But James Cameron disagrees. In fact, he recently predicted that in five years all movies will be in 3D. And there are signs that 3D is fighting back. More 3D movies were put on the market in 2012 than ever before. The Lion King 3D recently made over $150 million at the box office, and Cameron’s Titanic 3D made even more.
Who knows what the future holds for 3D? Steven Spielberg recently said, “ I’m hoping 3D gets to a point where people don’t notice it because then it just becomes another tool and helps tell a story.”The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 probably means that in 2010, 3D movies ________.
| A．were not successful | B．became popular |
| C．developed quickly | D．were of poor quality |
The example of sound and color is used mainly to show that ______.
| A．Hollywood tends to absorb what is new |
| B．3D technology takes time to be accepted |
| C．Hollywood struggles with new technology |
| D．high technology helps to make better movies |
In Walter March’s opinion, 3D movies_______.
| A．bring movie makers great profits. |
| B．are more expensive than 2D movies. |
| C．do great harm to people’s health. |
| D．are unsuitable for people to watch. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Avatar was the first 3D movies. |
| B．3D cinema has existed for years. |
| C．Titanic 3D has made the most money. |
| D．2012 witnessed the coming of 3D’s time. |
Old Bear
Kevin Henkes (2008), under 40 pages
Target Audience: Preschoolers
Price: $3.8
Content: It is snowing really hard and Old Bear is getting ready for his long nap. As he sleeps, he dreams of being a cub again and enjoying the wonders of nature. He dreams about summer, fall, winter and spring and how each season brings him so much joy! The illustrations (插图) show the beauty of the seasons that Old Bear dreams about. Great book!
Half-Minute Horrors
Susan Rich (2009), 120~160 pages
Target Audience: Intermediates (4th~ 6th grade)
Price: $9.6
Content: Looking for a scary book that is also quick to read? How about a one-paragraph tale of terror or a simple drawing that will make your skin crawl? This book is a collection of very short stories, pictures and cartoons from an impressive group of authors and illustrators.
Leaves
David Ezra Stain (2007), under 40 pages
Illustrated by David Ezra Stain
Target Audience: Toddlers, Preschoolers
Price: $3.4
Content: It’s Little Bear’s first year. Fall has come to his island. When the leaves begin to fall, he wonders what to do. However, after following his instinct and sleeping through the winter, he awakens in spring to find everything blooming once again.
Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’
Eileen Spinelli (2003), under 40 pages
Illustrated by Megan Lloyd
Target Audience: Preschoolers
Price: $3.5
Content: The Tappletons (bears) are gathered together for their big Thanksgiving feast. However, all is not going well during the preparations. The turkey slides out of the house, down a hill and into a pond. There are no pies at the bakery and the lettuce for the salad has been given to the rabbits. As they sit down for the feast, Grandmother reminds them that although they have nothing to eat, they can still be thankful that they have each other.What can we learn from the book Thanksgiving at the Tappletons?
| A．We should always keep things in order. |
| B．We should try to make more delicious food on Thanksgiving. |
| C．If we don’t work hard, there will be no food. |
| D．Family love is the most important thing. |
If you like reading horror stories, which book would you like?
| A．Old Bear. |
| B．Half-Minute Horrors. |
| C．Leaves. |
| D．Thanksgiving at the Tappletons’. |
Who are the main readers of these books?
| A．Adults. |
| B．Old people. |
| C．Little children. |
| D．Middle school students. |
Where can you probably find this passage?
| A．In a travel guide. |
| B．In an advertisement. |
| C．In a science textbook. |
| D．In an official report. |