The pomegranate is one of the oldest known fruits. Pomegranates are found in ancient writings and pictured in the ancient art of many cultures and religions. The pomegranate is also a symbol of health, fertility and long life.
Experts think the pomegranate is native to northern India, Pakistan, Iran and Afghanistan. Today it also grows in Southeast Asia, the western U.S., Armenia and parts of Africa, among other places.
The skin of a pomegranate is strong. It can be red, purple or orange-yellow. The inside is filled with beautiful dark red seeds that shine like rubies. It is not easy to get them out. But the reward is great.
Health benefits
The pomegranate grows on trees. Parts of the pomegranate tree and fruit are used to make medicine.
The pomegranate is used for many conditions. However, the U.S National Institutes of Health says there is not enough scientific evidence to rate pomegranates as effective for any of them.
Still, in traditional medicine, the pomegranate is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and "hardening of the arteries."
The jewel-like seeds of the pomegranate are loaded with many nutrients and chemicals called antioxidants(抗氧化剂). These antioxidants remove poisons from the body.
The antioxidants found in pomegranates may help remove build-up of damage in blood vessels. So, it is a very heart-healthy fruit.
Antioxidants slow the progression of age-related sickness and may slow the growth of cancer cells. Men who have prostate cancer may benefit from a daily serving of pomegranate juice.
Pomegranates are used for weight loss and used as a treatment for sore throat. Pomegranates are also high in vitamin K, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, zinc and iron.
Let's just say pomegranates are loaded with great things for the inside of your body.
Beauty benefits
But let's not forget the outside, too!
Pomegranates are great for the skin. They protect the skin by encouraging new skin growth, healing wounds and repairing tissue. Pomegranates protect the skin against sun damage as well. They may help skin look younger by providing moisture and elasticity.
Recipes for pomegranates
But how does one eat a pomegranate?
Pomegranates seeds are both sweet and tart. A thick liquid, or syrup, from the pomegranate tastes great with lamb, pork or chicken dishes.
Pomegranate seeds provide extra flavor to salads and other vegetable dishes. The seeds are also delicious in rice and grain dishes. And, of course pomegranates make great desserts. In the U.S., pomegranate juice is often added to sparkling drinks, drinks called smoothies and alcoholic drinks.
Fresh pomegranates are only available in the United States from September to January. They can keep, or remain good to eat, in the refrigerator for about two months if kept in a plastic bag.Where does the pomegranate not grow?
| A． Pakistan | B． The northern Asia |
| C． Afghanistan | D． The western U.S. |
According to Health benefits, we can learn _____.
| A．The pomegranate tree and fruit are used to make medicine. |
| B．It is very effective to use pomegranates for many conditions. |
| C．Eating pomegranates may help remove build-up of damage in blood vessels. |
| D．You can’t grow cancer cells if you eat pomegranates. |
The pomegranate is beneficial to the following body parts EXCEPT .
| A．Heart | B． Blood vessels | C． Skin | D．Head |
The best title of this article is _______.
| A． Pomegranate: Best Fruit |
| B． Pomegranates’ health benefits |
| C． Pomegranate: Good Recipes |
| D． Pomegranate: Still Healthy at 5,000 Years Old |
President Abraham Lincoln often visited hospitals to talk with wounded soldiers during the Civil War.Once，Lincoln went over to the bedside of a young dying soldier.
“Is there anything I can do for you？”asked the President. The soldier obviously didn't recognize Lincoln, and with some effort he was able to whisper, “Would you please write a letter to my mother？”
So the President carefully began writing down the soldier's words，“My dearest mother, I was badly hurt while doing my duty. I'm afraid I'm not going to recover. Don't grieve too much for me, please. Kiss my sister Mary for me.May God bless you and Father.”
The soldier was too weak to continue, so Lincoln signed the letter for him and added, “Written for your son by Abraham Lincoln.”The young man asked to see the note and was astonished when he discovered who had written it.“Are you really the President？”he asked. “Yes, I am，”replied Lincoln quietly.Then he asked if there was anything else he could do.“Would you please hold my hand？”asked the soldier.“It will help to see me through to the end.”
In the quiet room, the tall gaunt (憔悴的)President took the soldier's hand and spoke warm words of encouragement until death came.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The dying soldier was filled with love. |
| B．Lincoln only signed his name in the letter instead of the soldier's. |
| C．The soldier was the only child in his family. |
| D．Lincoln often wrote letters for the wounded. |
When the soldier's mother read the letter, she would probably be________.
| A．sad but feel greatly relieved |
| B．apologetic but grateful |
| C．calm and thankful |
| D．sorry and feel it unexpected |
The underlined word “grieve” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by“________”．
| A．feel worried | B．feel sad | C．cry | D．miss |
In writing the passage，the author intends to________.
| A．tell us war is cruel |
| B．make us laugh |
| C．draw our attention |
| D．tell us Lincoln was great |
A farmer grew some vegetables in his garden. One day his wife was ill and he had no money. He had to sell some cabbages and carrots in the market. The next morning he took two baskets of vegetables to town. But it was raining hard that afternoon and there were few people in the street. When his vegetables were sold out, it was dark. He bought some medicine and hurried to his village.
On his way home he saw a person lying on the snow. He placed his baskets on the ground and was going to help the person to get up. At that time he found it was a dead man and there was much blood on his body. He was so afraid that he ran away quickly, without taking the baskets with him.
The next afternoon the farmer was sent to the police station. Having shown the baskets, an officer asked: “Are these yours?” “Yes, sir.” the farmer answered timidly(胆怯地)。”Have you killed the man?” “No, no, sir.” the farmer said in a hurry.” When did you see the dead man?” ”About seven last evening.” “Did you see who killed the man?” “No, Sir.” The officer brought out a knife and asked, “Have you seen it yet?” ”No, Sir.’ The officer became angry and told the policemen to beat him up and send him into prison.
That evening the officer went on trying .Pointing to the knife, he asked again,” Have you seen it yet?” ”Yes, Sir.” The officer was happy and asked,” When and where?” “I saw it here this afternoon, sir.”The farmer decided to sell the vegetables to.
| A．buy some food for his family |
| B．buy some medicine for his wife |
| C．go to see a doctor |
| D．go to the cinema |
The farmer didn’t sell out his vegetables until the evening because.
| A．they were too bad |
| B．they were very expensive |
| C．it rained hard that morning |
| D．few people liked to go out on such a bad day |
As, the farmer decided to help the person to stand up.
| A．he wanted to get some money from him. |
| B．the person was one of his friends |
| C．he thought the person would thank him. |
| D．he thought the person had drunk too much |
The farmer ran away quickly because.
| A．the policemen were coming towards him. |
| B．his wife was waiting for him at home |
| C．he was afraid to see a dead man. |
| D．it was so late that he couldn’t stay there any longer. |
The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.
Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang (团伙). Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them glued to a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.
Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence.
Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school.According to the passage, music could make students smarter by _______________.
| A．improving their classroom skills and paying attention |
| B．improving their classroom skills and imagination |
| C．improving their attention, direction and imagination |
| D．learning music, making music and trying out their own ideas |
What does the underlined phrase "glued to" in the second paragraph mean?
| A．unwilling to turn on | B．always looking |
| C．unwilling to leave | D．always playing |
The third paragraph mainly tells us that music could _______________.
| A．give children self-expression and self-confidence |
| B．bring to children achievement and success |
| C．give children something to be proud of |
| D．develop children's self-confidence |
What's the best title of this passage？
| A．Music is a must as a course at school |
| B．Music builds children's self-confidence |
| C．Music makes students much smarter |
| D．Learning music and making music |
As an English speaker, you must know a lot of English words. You can read, speak and understand. But there is another kind of language you have to know — the language of the body, a part of what is called non-verbal communication. All over the world, people “talk” with their eyes. When Chinese people meet, they usually shake their hands. What do American and British do?
Americans are more informal than the British. They like to be friendly. They use first name, they ask questions and they talk easily about themselves. When they sit down, they like to relax in their chairs and make themselves comfortable.
British people are more quiet. They take more time to make friends. They like to know you before they ask you home.
When British and American people meet someone for the first time, they shake hands. They do not usually shake hands with people they know well. Women sometimes kiss their women friends, and men kiss women friends (on one cheek only). When a man meets a man friend, he just smiles, and says “Hello”. Men do not kiss each other. Even fathers and sons do not often kiss each other.What is “body language”?
| A．Body language is the system of human expression newly invented recently. |
| B．Body language is the system of human expression by means of words. |
| C．Body language is a common system of human expression with words and signs. |
| D．Body language is the system of human expression by sign, movements, etc. |
People use body language .
| A．in Asia | B．in America |
| C．in Britain | D．all over the world |
What will an American man do when he meets a woman friend?
| A．He will say “Hello”. | B．He will just smile. |
| C．He will kiss her. | D．He will shake hands. |
What does the underlined phrase in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Ask you about your home address. |
| B．Invite you to be a visitor of their home. |
| C．Name you as “home”. |
| D．Ask you some questions. |
There is one language that is used in every country in the world. The people who use it are young and old, short and tall, thin and fat. It is everybody’s second language. It is easy to understand, although you can’t hear it. It is sign(手势) language.
When you wave to a friend who is across the street, you are using sign language. When you smile at someone, you are saying, “I want to be friendly”, but you are not using speech. You are using body language. When you raise your hand in class, you are saying, “Please ask me. I think I know the correct answer.”
Babies who can’t talk can point at things. They are using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop traffic holds up his hands. He is using sign language.
Many years ago, a French priest, Charles Michel de Epee, became interested in education for deaf people. He invented a finger alphabet (字母表). It is still in use. People can make the sign(手势) for letters and spell words with their hands, and deaf people can read and understand them. Soon there were schools for the deaf in many countries. The only university for the deaf is Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C.
Today, in the United States, there are special TV news programs for deaf people. The newsreader tells the news in sign language. At the same time, the words appear on the TV screen.
The actors in the Theatre of Deaf don’t spell every word. Sometimes they use hand signs. When they put two hands together, it means sandwich. They can make a roof with their hands when they want to show a house. One finger in front of an actor’s mouth can mean quiet. You can talk to people who are behind windows that are closed. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have conversations under water.
How many hand signs do you use every day?Which of the following about sign language is TRUE?
| A．It is a special language used in a few countries in the world. |
| B．It is a way to express one’s ideas without words. |
| C．It is only used by the deaf. |
| D．It can be heard. |
If you want to express the idea that “I am very friendly” to someone, you will ______.
| A．raise your hand |
| B．put one hand onto the other |
| C．smile to the person |
| D．make a roof with your hands |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Hand signs instead of finger signs are used every day.
B. There are schools, colleges and universities for the deaf in the USA.
C. The French priest Charles invented sign language.
D. Even babies are using sign language.The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．an introduction to sign language |
| B．the importance of sign language |
| C．a famous priest in France |
| D．how to use sign language |