In the rush to get to school, you drop a piece of toast on the floor. Do you throw it away or decide it’s still OK to eat? If you’re like most people, you eat it. Maybe you follow the “5-second rule”, which claims foods are safe to eat if you pick them up within 5 seconds after dropping them.
But you might want to think again. Scientists now say that 5 seconds is all it takes for foods to become polluted with enough bacteria to make you sick.
Bacteria can cause many kinds of illnesses. Some kinds of bacteria can grow on food. If you eat foods on which these bacteria are growing, you can become sick.
One of these food-borne bacteria is Salmonella. It makes 1.4 million people sick every year. Salmonella is often found in raw eggs and chicken. Cooking kills these bacteria, which is why it is so important to cook eggs, chicken, and other foods thoroughly.
But how long does it take these bacteria to pollute food? A team of scientists in South Carolina did an experiment. First, they placed an amount of Salmonella on three surfaces; wood, tile (瓦片), and carpet. They placed a piece of bread and a piece of bologna（一种大红肠）on each surface for 5, 30, or 60 seconds. After just 5 seconds, both the bread and the bologna picked up enough bacteria to make you sick.
So, forget the 5-second rule. If your toast drops on the floor, throw it away and get another piece of clean toast. And this time, be careful not to drop it!In which part of a newspaper can you most probably find this passage?
| A．Culture. | B．Health. |
| C．Advertisement. | D．Technology. |
After dropping a piece of toast, a person who follows the “5-second rule” will______.
| A．throw away dirty toast immediately and go away |
| B．pick up the toast as quickly as possible and eat it |
| C．eat the toast within 5 seconds and feel pleased |
| D．get another piece of clean toast quickly and eat it |
The scientists in South Carolina did the experiment to ______.
| A．see how quickly bacteria can pollute food |
| B．show that the 5-second rule is correct |
| C．see how harmful bacteria are to people’s health |
| D．show that bacteria grow at different speeds on different foods |
Not being the greatest fan in the world of live performance, I took a deep breath before I en tered the building, the castle theatre, and prepared myself to be bored, expecting to find it more interesting to watch the audience than the show. Then I got the shock of my life.
Wadaiko Inchiro are a group of ten young Japanese men and women using traditional drums with a history going back more than 1500 years. The drums were once used for festivals and religious ceremonies and also as a means of communication during wars. Today they give an ear-blasting performance which punches out rhythms with the power to wind you. They’re a welcome relief from the Scottish pipers.
Unlike other performances, the best seats are at the back of the house. Not only will your ears be protected from full blast, but you will get a fantastic view of the whole set. On stage are some of the biggest drums you will ever see and a cast wearing red, white and black headscarf.
There had been almost no publicity for the show, but the house was full of people desperate, one could only assume, for something a bit different from the unrelenting performances appearing at this world-famous festival. The solid 60-minutes show starts as it means to go on. The drums rumble into fever-pitch action as the ten-strong company strike their sticks with startling control. Their rhythmic frenzy almost immediately drugs you into submission. Trapped inside the beating of the drums, you carried swiftly through warrior war cries to emotional rhapsodies（狂想曲）. Not only is this display musically impressive, but the dance is strikingly beautiful. Moving between the enormity（巨大）of the drums, the slight Japanese characters have complete synchronicity（同步性）with the flying of their sticks, which they ceremonially cross and use to command.
The biggest drum is played only by Inchiro, the leader of the group. When I ask why this is so, he refuses to admit that he is being precious about this monster of an instrument and says, “When someone else can play it as I do, I will happily move aside.” Dressed all in red, he stands before it as thought he is worshipping at an altar; as he raises his sticks to the drum, he touches it sometimes tenderly and sometimes murderously. Inchiro and his drum produce a range of sounds from thunder to the trickle of rain.The writer took a deep breath before entering the building because she__________ .
| A．was excited |
| B．knew it would be hot in the theatre |
| C．was nervous |
| D．was preparing herself to be bored |
According to the writer, there were many people watching the performance because________.
| A．the drummers are dressed in different colors |
| B．they wanted to see something unusual |
| C．the people in the group are famous |
| D．the show had been well advertised |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．the drums have been linked with religion for a long time |
| B．the show was more exciting at the beginning than at the end |
| C．the drummers make controlled movements with their drums |
| D．the best place to see the show is the seats nearest to the drummers |
Inchiro feels that____________.
| A．no one else should ever play the biggest drum |
| B．he must always make loud noises on his biggest drum |
| C．he is now the only one who can play the biggest drum well enough |
| D．it is very important for him to teach someone else to play the biggest drum |
The word I’m going to introduce to you today is-phubbing. Let’s see the definition of this term:phubbing n. the act of snubbing(冷落)someone in a social setting by looking at your cell phone instead of paying attention As you can probably guess, phubbing is a blend of phone and snubbing. The term was coined by a 23-year-old Melbourne resident Alex Haigh. Obviously, he got fed up with how people are always checking Facebook or Twitter on their phones when they are supposed to be interacting with someone face to face. He wanted to put an end to this social phenomenon, therefore he came up with this catchy term.
And it did catch on. The word’s earliest media mention dates back to June 2012, and in a little over a year’s time, phubbing has already been picked up by almost all the mainstream media outlets one can think of.
Here is a typical example from the British newspaper The Independent. In the article titled The Rise of Phubbing, which was published on August 5, 2013, Tom Chatfield writes, there’s an uncomfortable truth at the heart of phubbing: other people are easier to handle when seen on screen. They’re less likely to demand unreasonable efforts such as undivided attention or clean shirts.
While the term phubbing has undoubtedly taken off, some people question why it is called phubbing instead of phnubbing. Alex Haigh has not personally addressed the issue, but word has it that phubbing sounds more crispy and thus easier to remember.
Phubbing is indeed a univers al problem that can no longer be ignored. So why do people keep phubbing each other if they know it’s rude? Is there anything we can do to stop it? Or maybe we should just be more kind, because sometimes there are good excuses to phub.
I think there is plenty we can do to try and stop phubbing. For starters, we can jo in Alex Haigh in his Stop Phubbing campaign. Remind our friends and family that phubbing is not appreciated. We can also make or download some anti-phubbing posters to spread the word in public places. And don’t forget that some phubbers simply do not realize the harmful effect their behavior has on others，so be b rave enough to stop them, even if you are a total stranger.This passage is mainly talking about __________.
| A．the rise of phubbing in all the mainstream media outlets |
| B．a new term “phubbing”and its problem |
| C．the campaign of keeping phubbing |
| D．different opinions on phubbing |
The author’s attitude towards the act of phubbing can be described as ___________.
| A．bearable | B．Unacceptable |
| C．reasonable | D．understandable |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．People are easier to handle when seen on screen. |
| B．Alex Haigh doesn’t like the term “phnubbing” |
| C．More and more people have become phubbers. |
| D．We can phub if we have proper excuses. |
The writer suggests we should __________.
| A．stop phubbing in public places |
| B．not be afraid of the harmful effect |
| C．be brave to support a st ranger phubbing |
| D．remind our friends of Stop Phubbing campaign |
Your brain isn’t a muscle, but you can treat it like one
Many people focus on physical fitness, but few know that brain fitness is also something you can work on. In fact, you can exercise your brain as often as you do to your arms or legs-and the results can be positive and empowering.
To improve your brain, you can’t simply repeat the same exercises over and over. Just as lifting a two-pound weight will stop challenging you, so will repetitive exercises such as crosswords or Sudoku. Once you master easy exercises, you must move on to harder ones in order to push your brain-like your muscles-to a new level.
The science behind brain training
Scientists once believed that your mental abilities were fixed in adulthood. Since studies have shown just the opposite, millions of people around the world have adopted the new practice of brain training. The most popular of these brain training products is made by the San Francisco-based Lumosity. Lumosity’s scientists with an experienced team of game designers have developed a fun，effective online brain training program that measures, tracks, and adapts to your progress, so you’ll always be challenged.
Promising studies on the effects of brain training
In a 2013 Stanford study, a treatment group of 21 breast cancer survivors used 12 weeks of Lumosity training to work on processing speed, mental flexibility, and working memory tasks. On average, those who trained improved on tests of these abilities, compared to a group that did not train with Lumosity.
There is even some evidence suggesting that Lumosity may be beneficial to normal, healthy adults. In a 2011 study by Lumosity and San Francisco State University researchers. 13 people who trained over 5 weeks improved working memory scores by 10％and attention scores by 20％.
Brain training is designed to meet real-life needs
The design of brain train ing is targeted at real-life benefits instead of improving game scores. Better attention, for example, can mean greater focus in the classroom or at an important business meeting. With improved processing speed, you might react and adapt faster to the demands of a busy life. And a better memory could mean stronger, longer relationships with the people closest to you.We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．brain training speeds up the recovery of breast cancer |
| B．your brain is like a muscle because it gives you power |
| C．people’s mental abilities can’t develop after they grow up |
| D．Lumosity can measure, track and suit your level as you improve |
Which skill may brain training not improve?
| A．Better attention. |
| B．Better writing skills. |
| C．A better memory. |
| D．Higher processing speed. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People should care more about physical health instead of mental health. |
| B．Brain training has been proved effective through scientific researches. |
| C．A bad memory is the only reason for weak relationships with people. |
| D．Playing online games is the best way of brain training. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Brain Training Makes a Difference |
| B．Train Your Brain like a Muscle |
| C．Lumosity, Your Best Choice |
| D．How to Train Your Brain |
Are you single or married? Are you a cat or a dog owner? Do you exercise, or are you a “couch potato” (a person who sits on the sofa all day watching TV, eating and basically doing nothing)? These questions and many others are about your lifestyle.
People in the United States feel that they can choose their lifestyles and even shape their own identities. The great variety of lifestyles leads to constant national discussion of choices that people make. This freedom of choice is fun and exciting, but it also creates stress and uncertainty. In newspapers, lifestyle issues are discussed in the features or style section. In The Chicago Tribune this section is called “Tempo”. People turn to this section for lively discussion on lifestyle choices they face with regard to their personal identities, their families, and their social lives.
Many American people believe that they can make their lives happy and satisfying despite their problems. If they lack confidence or tend to feel anxious, shy, angry, or depressed, they believe that they can change themselves. Self-help books, magazines, and feature articles are filled with advice from experts about steps to take to become a happier or more satisfied person and to improve one’s self-respect. Part of this research for self-improvement is a belief that even one’s own appearance can be controlled. This is why there are so many articles in the newspaper about looking young, wearing the latest fashions, and becoming physically fit.
Lifestyle choices also involve moral and social issues. How should children be raised? How should people behave on a date? How should elderly people be treated? How can people stay happily married? All these kinds of issues are constantly discussed and are constantly changing. Not only are experts such as psychologists consulted, but stars from the political and entertainment worlds are held up as lifestyle leaders as well. In the newspaper, feature articles called profiles（简介）discuss in detail the personal lives or public work of movie stars, authors, artists, and excellent individuals who are not stars. The lifestyle choices these people make contribute to the public discussion of all the issues that people think about.
A well-known advertising slogan is “Just do it.” In the culture of the United States, people believe that they can take action and become the kind of people they want to be and live the way they want to live.The section “Tempo” in The Chicago Tribune mainly discusses _________.
| A．lifestyle choices |
| B．current affairs |
| C．experts’ opinions on life |
| D．how to improve one’s self-respect |
According to the author, Americans are pretty sure that they can _________.
| A．live a happy life in spite of their problems |
| B．solve all the problems in their life |
| C．improve their life by following the elders’ advice |
| D．control their own appearance |
According to the passage, people’s opinions on moral or social issues can be influenced by _________.
| A．their bosses |
| B．family members |
| C．friends and colleagues |
| D．experts and famous people |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Changes in the lifestyle |
| B．Choosing the Way We Live |
| C．Lifestyles in the United States |
| D．Make Our Lives Happy |
When Scotsman Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, it was a revolution in communication. For the first time, people could talk to each other over great distances almost as clearly as if they were in the same room. Nowadays, though, we increasingly use Bell’s invention for taking photographs, surfing the internet, or watching videos, rather than talking. Over the last two decades a new means of spoken communication has appeared: the mobile phone.
The first real mobile telephone call was made in 1973 by Dr Martin Cooper, the scientist who invented the modern mobile handset (手机). Within a decade, mobile phones became available to the public. The streets of modern cities began to feature sharp-suited characters shouting into giant plastic bricks. In Britain the mobile phone quickly became the same with the “yuppie”, the new type of young urban professionals who carried the expensive handsets as status symbols. Around this time many of us said that we would never own a mobile phone.
But in the mid-90s, something happened. Cheaper handsets and cheaper calling rates meant that, almost overnight, it seemed that everyone had a mobile phone. And the giant plastic bricks of the 80s had changed into smooth little objects that fitted nicely into pockets and bags.
Moreover, people’s timekeeping changed. Younger readers will be amazed to know that, not long ago, people made spoken arrangements to meet at a certain place at a certain time. But later Meeting time became inexact under the new order of communication: the Short Message Service （SMS） or text message. Going to be late? Send a text message! It takes much less effort than arriving on time, and it’s much less awkward than explaining your lateness face to face and the text message has changed the way we write in English. Traditional rules of grammar and spelling are much less important when you’re sitting on the bus, hurriedly typing “Will B 15mm late - C U @ the bar. Sorry! -).”
Alexander Graham Bell would be amazed if he could see how far the science of telephony has progressed in less than 150 years. If he were around today, he might say “That’s gr8! But I’m v busy rite now. Will call U 2nite.”What does the underlined part in Para.2 refer to?
| A．Houses of modern cities. | B．Sharp-suited characters. |
| C．New type of professionals. | D．Mobile phones. |
According to Paragraph 4, why did Meeting time become inexact?
| A．People were more likely to be late for their meeting. |
| B．SMS made it easier to inform each other. |
| C．Young people don’t like unchanging things. |
| D．Traditional customs were dying out. |
If you want to meet your friend at the school gate this evening, which of the following message can you send him?
| A．Call U@ SKUg8 2nite. | B．IM2BZ2CU 2nite. |
| C．W84U@ SKUg8 2nite. | D．CU@ the bar g8 2nite. |
What does the passage mainly tell us about?
| A．Alexander Graham’s invention. |
| B．SMS as a new way of communication. |
| C．The development of the mobile phone. |
| D．New functions of the mobile telephone. |