Your house may have an effect on your figure . Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.
Open the curtains and turn up the lights . Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating , for people are often less self-conscious（难为情）when they’re in poorly lit places--and so more likely to eat lots of food . If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.
Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.
Don’t forget the clock-or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories（卡路里） per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.
Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12-inch plate instead of a 10-inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one ,total intake（摄入） jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.The text is especially helpful for those who care about_______.
| A．their home comforts | B．their body shape |
| C．house buying | D．healthy diets |
A home environment in blue can help people_________.
| A．digest food better | B．reduce food intake |
| C．burn more calories | D．regain their appetites |
What are people advised to do at mealtimes?
| A．Eat quickly. | B．Play fast music. |
| C．Use smaller spoons. | D．Turn down the lights. |
What can be a suitable title for the test?
| A．Is Your House Making You Fat? |
| B．Ways of Serving Dinner |
| C．Effects of Self-Consciousness |
| D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing? |
People without homes have always been present in America. In the past，they were called hobos，bums，or drifters. It was not until the early 1980s that these people received a new name，when activists named them the homeless.
The types of people who were homeless also changed in the 1980s. No longer were they primarily older men. They were younger，with an average age of 35. Their numbers consisted of women，children，adolescents and entire families. They were of many races and cultures. No longer were they only in the inner city. They lived in rural areas and in large and small cities. No longer were they invisible to the people with homes and jobs. The homeless of the 1980s lived in packing crates (装货箱) and doorways. They slept on sidewalks and in public parks. They begged money from passersby.
Counting the numbers of homeless people is difficult. However，in 1984 the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated the homeless population at between 250,000 and 350,000. In 1990 the Census Bureau counted about 459,000 people in shelters，in cheap hotels，and on the streets. In 1995 the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that there were 750,000 homeless Americans.
The homeless of the 1980s also began to speak out for themselves. Some spoke to Congress and to government committees controlling funding for social programs. Street newspapers，such as Chicago’s Streetwise and Boston’s Spare Change，had stories，poems，and essays that expressed the homeless viewpoint. The visible and vocal presence of the homeless prompted help from volunteers and government agencies. But what is still needed is a solution to the plight of America’s homeless population.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．one homeless person’s story |
| B．the history of the homeless |
| C．the changes of the homeless in the late 20th century |
| D．a way to provide homes for the homeless |
How did the homeless speak out about their problems?
| A．By writing books. |
| B．By moving to rural areas. |
| C．By being elected to the government committees. |
| D．By expressing their viewpoints in street newspapers. |
Who is responsible to get the number of the homeless population according to the passage?
| A．Government agencies. |
| B．Street newspapers. |
| C．The homeless themselves. |
| D．The volunteers. |
The underlined word “plight” in the last paragraph means “______”.
| A．income | B．flight |
| C．difficulty | D．employment |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The homeless all lived in urban cities in America. |
| B．The name “the homeless” was given in the early 1980. |
| C．Not only the disabled belong to the homeless family. |
| D．There were about 800,000 homeless people in western countries. |
Around the world, honeybee groups are dying in huge numbers: About one-third of nests collapse each year. For bees and the plants they pollinate (授粉) — as well as for beekeepers, farmers, honey lovers and everyone else who appreciates this marvelous social insect — this is a catastrophe.
Honeybee collapse has been particularly worrying because there is no one cause, but rather a thousand little cuts. The main elements include the mixed impact of pesticides (杀虫剂) applied to fields, as well as pesticides applied directly into nets to control bugs, pests and diseases; nutritional shortages caused by vast acreages of single-crop fields that lack diverse flowering plants; and commercial beekeeping itself, which destroys groups by moving most bees around the country multiple times each year to pollinate crops.
The real issue, though, is not the volume of problems, but the interactions among them. Here we find a major lesson from the bees that we ignore at our risk: the concept of synergy (协同作用), where one plus one equals three, or four, or more. A typical honeybee colony contains remains from more than 120 pesticides. Alone, each represents a benign dose (良性剂量). But together they form a poisonous soup of chemicals whose interplay (相互作用) can greatly reduce the effectiveness of bees’ immune systems, making them easier to suffer from diseases.
Observing the death of honeybees should warn us that our own well-being might be similarly threatened, and the widespread collapse of so many groups presents a clear message: We must demand that our regulatory authorities require studies on how exposure to low dosages of combined chemicals may affect human health before approving compounds.
Bees also provide some clues to how we may build a more collaborative relationship with the services that ecosystems can provide. Bees could offer some of the pollination service needed for agriculture. People discovered that crop harvests, and thus profits, are maximized if some cropland are left uncultivated for bees. Meanwhile a variety of wild plants means a healthier, more diverse bee population, which will then move to the planted fields next door in larger and more active numbers.Which of the following is NOT the cause that leads to bees dying?
| A．Lack of nutrition from enough diverse flowering plants. |
| B．The pests and diseases of the bees. |
| C．The beekeepers’ destroying without intention |
| D．The pesticides applied to crops. |
By saying “one plus one equals three, or four, or more” in Paragraph 3, the author means that ____.
| A．bees united mean they are much more powerful |
| B．bees united mean they are much more poisonous |
| C．pesticides mixed mean they are much more poisonous. |
| D．pesticides mixed mean they are much more effective. |
The lesson people can learn from bees dying is that ____________.
| A．medicine is as powerful as pesticide |
| B．our health might be threatened by pesticides |
| C．we should protect bees by reducing the usage of pesticides |
| D．medicine may be harmful to us when used together |
What is the last paragraph mainly about?
| A．Keeping a balance with nature is important |
| B．More plants mean more and healthier bees. |
| C．Bees are very important to agriculture. |
| D．Bees can bring in good higher profits to farmers |
There is a very instructive incident involving the life of Alexander, the great Greek king. Alexander, after conquering many kingdoms, was returning home. On the way, he fell ill and it took him to his death bed. With death staring him in his face, Alexander realized how his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth were of no consequence. So, he lay helplessly waiting to breathe his last. He called his generals and said, "I will depart from this world soon, I have three wishes, please carry them out without fail."
"My first desire is that," said Alexander, "My physicians alone must carry my coffin." After a pause, he continued, "Secondly, I desire that when my coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard be strewn（撒满） with gold, silver and precious stones which I have collected." The king continued， "My third and last wish is that both my hands be kept hanging out of my coffin.” Alexander's favorite general kissed his hand and pressed them to his heart. "Oh King, we assure you that your wishes will all be fulfilled. But tell us why do you make such strange wishes?"
At this Alexander took a deep breath and said, “I would like the world to know of the three lessons I have just learnt. I want my physicians to carry my coffin because people should realize that no doctor can really cure any body. They are powerless and cannot save a person from the clutches of death. So let people not take life for granted.
The second wish of strewing gold, silver and other riches on the way to the graveyard is to tell people that not even a bit of gold will come with me. I spent all my life earning riches but cannot take anything with me. Let people realize that it is just a waste of time to chase wealth.
And about my third wish of having my hands hanging out of the coffin, I wish people to know that I came empty-handed into this world and empty-handed I go out of this world.” With these words, the king closed his eyes. Soon he let death conquer him and breathed his last.The first paragraph suggests that Alexander _________.
| A．was conquering many kingdoms. |
| B．realized that what he got in his life was nothing to him at all. |
| C．wanted to leave as he came empty-handed. |
| D．regarded his conquests, his great army, his sharp sword and all his wealth as the most important things. |
The underlined word “clutches” in paragraph 3 means “_______”.
| A．sentence | B．attention |
| C．control | D．shadow |
The author intends to ________.
| A．tell us the story of Alexander |
| B．introduce readers to the instructive lessons of Alexander |
| C．stress the powers of Alexander the Great |
| D．persuade people to realize what Alexander said |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Death of Alexander. |
| B．The Greed of Alexander |
| C．Three Wishes of Alexander |
| D．The Life of Alexander |
There are some strange driving laws in different countries.
| Countries |
Laws |
| Vietnam |
If you’re in Vietnam without a Vietnamese driver’s license, you risk a prison sentence of up to three years. |
| Russia |
In Moscow, if your car is dirty enough to draw dust art, you will be fined about 2,000 rubles (about US $55). Worse yet, it’s illegal to wash your car by hand in public places — forcing you to take it to one of the few car wash facilities. |
| Thailand |
Drivers —male or female — can’t drive shirtless, whether it’s a car, a bus, or a tuk-tuk cab. |
| France |
France requires its drivers to carry a portable breathalyzer(酒精测量仪) at all times when driving a car. The one-time breathalyzer cost around US$5, and if you don’t have one, you will be fined US$15. |
| Cyprus |
Raising your hands in the car can get you fined of US$35. The law states a driver can be fined if the person “is in an irregular position inside the car or raises his hand from the steering wheel unnecessarily. |
| Japan |
Politeness isn’t just the culture in Japan; it’s part of driving laws. Splashing a person by driving through a puddle(水坑) with your car will cost you over US$60. The country is also strict with its DUI(酒驾) laws — riding with or lending your car to a driver who gets caught drinking and driving can lead to a fine costing thousands of dollars. |
Where should you go to wash your car when you are in Moscow?
| A．The car wash facilities. |
| B．Any public place |
| C．Your home |
| D．The forest |
What can get you fined for in Cyprus?
| A．Forgetting to carry a portable breathalyzer. |
| B．Not having a Cyprus driver’s license. |
| C．Putting your hands above your head when you are driving. |
| D．Driving without a shirt. |
If you are fined thousands of dollars in Japan, you may have been ____.
| A．in an irregular position in your car |
| B．sitting in a car with a drunk driver |
| C．splashing a person with mud |
| D．impolite to other drivers |
This text can most likely be found in _______.
| A．a law document |
| B．a fashion magazine |
| C．an international newspaper |
| D．a column on interesting cultures |
Bobbi Kristina Brown's family has been gathered around her since she was hospitalized on Saturday after being found unconscious in the bathtub of her suburban Atlanta townhome.
Whitney Houston's only child is now at Emory University Hospital and is still fighting for her life, as a family statement said on Monday.
Nothing has changed, despite reports that are popping up and painting a more serious picture.
Fox News reported Wednesday that the situation is horrific. "It's now a matter of when the family wants to let go and accept that she's pretty much not going to make it," a source told FOX411. "They've left it up to the family as to how long they want to keep her alive."
People Magazine is also reporting that a doctor told Brown's family on Wednesday that nothing more could be done. "Everyone is coming to the hospital to say goodbye," said a family member.
And the Daily Mail says Brown has been taken off life support.
But Bobby Brown issued a statement late Thursday denying these reports.
"If we issued a statement every time the media published a false report regarding this matter, that's all we would be doing 24 hours a day. This is false, just as is the vast majority of the other reporting that is currently taking place," he said, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
A source close to the family tells USA TODAY that it's wrong to say the family is gathering to say goodbye, because the family has been there since the beginning, so nothing is any different today for them.
Also, Brown is "not brain dead," as has been reported.
And, as for other stories saying that the Houston family is feuding with Bobbi Kristina's dad, Bobby Brown? Those aren't true either. They "are NOT fighting," says our source.According to Fox News, Bobbi Kristina is _________.
| A．within an inch of life |
| B．on the way to success |
| C．left aside by her family |
| D．in a good state |
Bobby Brown holds the opinion that _________.
| A．they are busy issuing statements all day |
| B．the family is saying goodbye to Kristina |
| C．he is getting along well with the Houston family |
| D．most journalists are getting the wrong end of the stick. |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．An Accident In The Bathtub |
| B．Kristina, We’re Still Praying And Waiting On A Miracle |
| C．False Reports From Different News Media |
| D．Bobbi Kristina’s Final Days |