Has this happened to you? You’re about to drift off to sleep when suddenly you feel like you’re falling or coming down on a roller coaster.
You then wake up to realize that you’re safe in your bed. You may have been confused or frightened for a second or two and your heart may be beating faster. You may have also felt the muscles in your body jerk(抽搐) when this all happened. Did you ever wonder why?
This falling sensation, together with a body movement known as a “sleep start”, is what doctors and scientists call a myoclonic(肌阵挛的)jerk, and it usually happens right before going into deeper stages of sleep. Here’s why doctors think the falling feeling and myoclonic jerks happen. When you fall asleep, normally your body temperature goes down and your heart start to beat just a little slower. This is because your brain signals your body to relax to prepare for sleep. When your muscles are relaxed, you go into the very first stages of sleep, but you’re not sleeping too deeply yet.
This brain activity may cause your larger muscles to contract(收缩) a little bit. In response, another part of your brain will make up a very quick mini-dream to go along with what is happening. You might think this would take a while, but your brain works so fast that it makes up the story almost at the same instant that your muscles jerk.
During this light sleep, you can be awakened easily. People who wake up during this light sleep believe they haven’t fallen asleep yet. That’s why you may think that your body jerked right before you were about to fall asleep.
Myoclonic jerk are a normal part of sleep. Most people have them at one time or another. But many people don’t realize their muscles are jerking during night sleep if it doesn’t wake them up.
So the next time you dream about falling and wake up in a sweat, don’t worry! Your body is just telling your muscles to relax and get some rest!People sometimes wake up during a light sleep because______.
| A．they are disturbed by others. |
| B．they are too tired to fall asleep. |
| C．their bodies are preparing for sleep. |
| D．they believe their lives are in danger. |
What does the underlined part “ what is happening” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
| A．The body jerk | B．The mini- dream |
| C．The slow heartbeat | D．The falling body temperature |
The author thinks myoclonic jerks during sleep are _____.
| A．worrying | B．usual | C．abnormal | D．useful |
It can be inferred that myoclonic jerks ________.
A. lead to muscle disease
B. happen in a deep sleep
B. are related to brain disease
D. don’t always wake people up
There once was a little boy who wanted to meet the king. He set off, walking towards the king’s castle. After many years of walking, the king’s castle came into his view. However, as the boy drew closer to the outside of the castle, the guards noticed him.
“Get out of here!” ordered the guards.
Well, the little boy didn’t have to be told twice. He turned…and ran. All he wanted to do was to tell the king wonderful things, and see all the beautiful things in the king’s house. But he couldn’t even get near the castle! The boy finally stopped running, sat down and cried.
A young man happened to be coming down the path at the very moment. He saw the little boy and stopped. “What’s wrong, young man?” he asked.
“Sir, I walked and walked just to see the king. But these guards made me scared. I wanted to tell the king how lovely everything is and just tell the king that I just wanted to see him.!”
The man looked at the little boy thoughtfully. “Look, why don’t you try again. I’ll come with you this time.”
The little boy got up and took the man’s hand. The king’s guards spotted them.
“Look, mister, we don’t have to do this…I don’t want you to get hurt. We can just turn around now.”
The man held the little boy’s hand and went on. The boy really thought the man might be crazy until he looked back up at the guards. They were all smiling now. The little boy was amazed.
“Who are you?” asked the little boy in astonishment.
“Why, I’m the king’s son. You can enter the castle and be with the king.” Said the man.
The little boy broke into a huge smile.Why did the boy want to see the king?
| A．To get some help from the king. |
| B．To invite the king to visit his beautiful village. |
| C．To share wonderful things with the king. |
| D．To ask the king to play with him. |
What does the underlined sentence in the paragraph mean?
| A．The little boy didn’t understand the guards words at first. |
| B．The guards repeated the words to the boy. |
| C．The little boy understood the guards’ words immediately. |
| D．The little boy had been to the castle twice. |
According to the passage, the man is .
| A．kind | B．ambitious | C．stupid | D．mean |
If you are looking for the place that has everything, there is only one place to visit, and that’s New York. It’s a whole world in a city.
The World of Theater: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York!
The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.
The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York.
The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s Roast Beijing Duck in Chinatown, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found everywhere, there is world of great taste waiting for you in New York.
The World of Sight: What other city has a statue (雕塑) of Liberty? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-draw carriage through Central Park, only in New York.From the text we know that “Rembrandt” is most likely to be the name of a famous .
| A．actor | B．painter | C．cook | D．musician |
Which of the following can visitors do only in New York?
| A．To eat Roast Beijing Duck. | B．To taste the finest French coq au vin. |
| C．To enjoy a Beethoven concert. | D．To see the statue of Liberty. |
This passage may be taken from .
| A．a guidebook for foreign travellers | B．a handbook for English learners |
| C．a pocketbook for businessmen | D．a storybook for local readers |
What kind of life do you seek for? One that is frustrating and full of complaints every day? Or one that is filled with thankfulness, gratefulness and a positive mind?
The moment we open our eyes each day, we should be grateful that we are still alive. We are given a brand-new day. We are given another day to love. We are given another day of hope. We are given anotherchance to do whatever we have failed to accomplish. Those who have chosen to leave this place do not haveany second chance.
We should be grateful every day. By being grateful, we will treasure the things around us. We will learn to appreciate life in a better way. Treat others better and find ourselves in a better mood every day. When we are thankful and grateful for the things we have, the universe tends to give us more.
By being thankful and grateful for our personal health, we will focus our attention on it and we wouldwant to have a better well-being for our health. We will want to eat healthier food to nourish our body. After all, the body is the temple of our soul. We have to treat it well so that it can carry us a longer journey in life.
When we face problems in life, be thankful and grateful too. They are designed specifically for us so that we will be stronger and wiser. We are like a strong oak tree, facing theharshweather time to time. After each storm, we will grow stronger and strengthen our foundations for the next harsh weather.
The year 2013 has come to an end. Have you achieved what you aimed for in the past year? Be grateful for those you have achieved and especially for those you have not—both successes and failures. Failures and mistakes will give you valuable lessons. So, pick yourself up and try again this year. Good luck!According to the text, how many kinds of life are mentioned?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
What does the underlined word “harsh” in the text refer to?
| A．severe | B．pleasant | C．fine | D．mild |
The sentence “We are like a strong oak tree...” in the fifth paragraph, we can see that the author used thewriting technique of _____.
| A．telling a fairy story | B．stating facts |
| C．discussing matters | D．imitating things |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Kinds of Life | B．Be Positive | C．Be Grateful Every Day | D．Pick Yourself Up |
You're in a department store and you see a couple of attractive young women looking at a sweater. Youlisten to their conversation:"I can't believe it—a Lorenzo Bertolla! They are almost impossible to find. Isn't it beautiful? And it's a lotcheaper than the one Sara bought in Rome."
They leave and you go over to see this incredible sweater. It's nice and the price is right. You've neverheard of Lorenzo Bertolla, but those girls looked really stylish. They must know. So, you buy it. You neverrealize that those young women are employees of an advertising agency. They are actually paid to go fromstore to store, talking loudly about Lorenzo Bertolla clothes.
Every day we notice what people are wearing, driving and eating. If the person looks cool, the product seems cool, too. This is the secret of undercover marketing. Companies from Ford to Nike are starting touse it.
Undercover marketing is important because it reaches people that don't pay attention to traditionaladvertising. This is particularly true of the MTV generation—consumers between the age of 18 and 34. It isa golden group. They have a lot of money to spend, but they don't trust ads.
So advertising agencies hire young actors to "perform" in bars and other places where young adults go.Some people might call this practice deceptive (骗人的), but marketing manager Jonathan Ressler calls itcreative. "Look at traditional advertising. Its effectiveness is decreasing."
However, one might ask what exactly is "real" about of young women pretending to be enthusiasticabout a sweater? Advertising managers would say it's no less real than an ad. The difference is that youknow an ad is trying to persuade you to buy something. You don' t know when a conversation you overhearis just a performance.The two attractive young women were talking so that they could _____.
| A．get the sweater at a lower price | B．be heard by people around |
| C．be admired by other shoppers | D．decide on buying the sweater |
Lorenzo Bertolla is _____.
| A．the name of a popular singer | B．an advertising agency |
| C．a clothing company in Rome | D．the brand name of a sweater |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Two Attractive Shoppers | B．Lorenzo Bertolla Sweaters |
| C．Ways of Advertising | D．Undercover Marketing |
| ABOUT LIPITOR Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise，it lowers “bad”，cholesterol(胆固醇)in your blood．It can also raise “good” cholesterol. Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors，including family history of early heart disease，high blood pressure，age and smoking. |
| WHO IS LIPITOR FOR? Who can take LIPITOR： ·People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise ·Adults and children over l0 Who should NOT take LIPITOR： ·Women who are pregnant，may be pregnant，or may become pregnant. Lipitor may harm your unborn baby． ·Women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby． ·People with liver(肝脏) problems |
| POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR Serious side effects in a small number of people： ·Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems，including kidney failure ·Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it． Call your doctor right away if you have： ·Unexplained muscle pain or weakness，especially if you have a fever or feel very tired · Swelling of the face，lips，tongue，and／or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing ·Stomach pain Some common side effects of LIPITOR are： ·Muscle pain ·Upset stomach ·Changes in some blood tests |
 HOW TO TAKE LIPITORDo： ·Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor． ·Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor． ·Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food． ·If you miss a dose(一剂)，take it as soon as you remember．But if it has been more than 12 hours since your missed dose, wait．Take the next dose at your regular time． Don’t： ·Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor． ·Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor． |
What is a major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. | B．To control blood pressure. |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. | D．To lower "bad" cholesterol. |
Taking Lipitor is helpful for__________ .
| A．breast-feeding women | B．women who are pregnant |
| C．adults having heart disease | D．teenagers with liver problems |
Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
| A．Face swelling. | B．Upset stomach. |
| C．Kidney failure. | D．Muscle weakness. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery. |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
| D．To give information about a kind of medicine. |