The human body is designed to move. But modern lifestyles and office jobs rarely give us the chance to move around. As we know. we're while we're eating; we sit in the car and we sit while we watch TV. And many of us sit for many hours at work.
New research shows that sitting less than three hours a day might extend your life by two years. Peter Katzmarzyk，a scientist at the University of Louisiana in the southern United States，says that sitting is ubiquitous in our lives，meaning it is something we do all the time，everywhere.
However，Mr. Katzmarzyk says that does not mean you can sit for the rest of your waking hours. He also says you may exercise often，“We can't throw away physical activity. It's extremely important. We have 60 years of research showing us that. ”
Mr. Katzmarzyk and his coi leagues are part of a new generation of researchers studying how sitting all day affects length of life. “Studies that have assessed the relationship between sitting and mortality(死亡率)or television viewing and mortality are very rare. There's only been a few of them，actually five or six now，in the last four or five years. ”They found that cutting television time to less than two hours a day could add one-point four years to life.
Luckily，change is already coming to some offices，especially in the design of desks. A “standing desk”lets people stand while they work. Another new design is called the “treadmill desk. ” A treadmill is an exercise machine that lets you walk in one place. Even some U. S. schools are beginning to experiment with desks that are part bicycle to keep children moving. That's one of the strategies that many companies are using now.
Mr. Katzmarzyk also says studying this problem has inspired his team to make a few changes in their own lives.Which view agrees with the opinion of Mr. Katzmarzyk?
| A．Sitting too long may help increase one's life. |
| B．Exercise is important and don't sit too long. |
| C．Watching TV is bad，but can broaden one's horizons. |
| D．Stopping watching TV is a necessary but hard task. |
What does Mr. Katzmarzyk think of his study in Paragraph 4?
| A．It's a ly new area of study. |
| B．It's a hot subject studied by experts. |
| C．It's a study that begins too late. |
| D．It's not ignored by many experts. |
Why are the desks of all kinds designed for those who sit more?
| A．To give them more comfort. |
| B．To improve their work efficiency. |
| C．To offer them the chance to exercise. |
| D．To seek pleasure while working. |
This year 2,300 teenagers (young people aged from 13-19 ) from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions (印象) of the real American teenagers. American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and have a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In return, George’s son, Mike, spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study, the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected — much harder. Students rose respectfully (尊敬地) when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The family’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual (个人). Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize (批评) American schools.” he says. “It is far too easy by our level (水准). But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens (市民). There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”The whole exchange program is mainly to ____.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
What did Fred and Mike agree on?
| A．American food tasted better than German food. |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools. |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly. |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America. |
What is particular (特别的) in American schools?
| A．There is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings.. |
| B．There are a lot of after-school activities. |
| C．Students usually take 14 subjects in all. |
| D．Students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car. |
What did Mike think after experiencing the American school life?
| A．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany. |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens. |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools. |
| D．The easy life in the American school was more helpful to students. |
Different countries and different people have different manners. We must find out their customs, so that they will not think us ill-mannered. Here are some examples of the things that a well-mannered person does or does not do.
If you visit a Chinese family you should knock at the door first. When the door opens, you’ll not move before the host says “Come in, please!”. After you enter the room, you wouldn’t sit down until the host asks you to take a seat. When a cup of tea is put on a tea-table before you or sent to your hand, you’ll say “Thank you” and receive it with your two hands, not one hand, or they’ll think you are ill-mannered.
Before entering a house in Japan, it is good manners to take off your shoes. In European countries, even though shoes sometimes become very dirty, this is not done. In a Malay (马来西亚的) house, a guest never finishes the food on the table. He leaves a little to show that he has had enough. In England, a guest always finishes a drink or the food to show that he has enjoyed it. This will make the host, especially (尤其) the hostess pleased.In China, when the host opens the door, ____ before he says “Come in, please!”
| A．you won’t leave |
| B．you won’t walk |
| C．you won’t stand in front of him |
| D．you won’t get in |
In European countries,____ when you get into a house.
| A．you needn’t take off your shoes | B．you must take off your dirty shoes |
| C．you are not allowed to wear dirty shoes | D．you should put on clean shoes |
In a Malay house, a guest leaves a little food to show that ____.
| A．he has enjoyed it | B．he is quite full |
| C．he is not hungry at all | D．he needs some drink |
A Concussion（脑震荡） happens when the brain is shaken, often in a car crash or a fall or a strike on; the head in sports．Concussions can be mild, but doctors may order a CT scan to look for a more serious injury．But a recent study warned that more children than necessary are being exposed to radiation this way．
A national team led by two doctors at the University of California, Davis, studied hospital records from thousands of children with head injuries. They found that in many cases, the risk of developing cancer from the radiation outweighed the risk of a serious brain injury.
The study found that one in five children over age two had a low risk of serious injury but received CT scans anyway. The same was true of almost one in four children under two years of age.
The researchers have developed rules to predict if a head injury is serious enough for a scan. For children under two, doctors are advised against it if there is:
·Normal mental activity.
·No swelling in the back of the head.
·No feeling of a broken bone in the skull. (头骨)
·And no loss of consciousness for more than five seconds.
Doctors should also consider how the child was injured and whether the parents say the child is acting normally.
For patients from two to eighteen, the guidelines are similar ——except there should be no loss of consciousness, no vomiting（呕吐） and no severe headache.
Earlier this year, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published new guidelines for concussions in children and teens. International experts said they should not return to sports or school until fully recovered. The brain also needs a "cognitive rest," they say, by restricting activities like video games, texting and watching TV.
It often takes young people longer than adults to recover from a concussion. The experts say individual progress and not a set time period should always guide a decision to return to play. More than one million cases of concussion are reported each year in the United States alone. A congressional committee has called a hearing Wednesday to discuss legal issues related to head injuries in football.The researchers at the -University of California found that children who received CT scans
| A．were likely to suffer brain injuries |
| B．wouldn't have normal mental activity |
| C．would lose consciousness now and then |
| D．were likely to develop cancer |
For patients from two to eight, the guidelines are similar to the ones for children under two except___________.
| A．there is normal mental activity. |
| B．there is no swelling in the back of the head. |
| C．there is no feeling of a broken bone in the skull. |
| D．there should be no loss of consciousness |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．Texting is harmful to patients’ recovery from concussions． |
| B．Patients with brain injuries can play many sports． |
| C．Adults need a longer time than teens to recover from concussions． |
| D．It takes at least a year for individuals with brain injuries to fully recover． |
The author of the passage mainly___．
| A．describes the risks of brain injuries |
| B．suggests CT scans are of practical use |
| C．tells us about the risks of brain injury tests |
| D．argues against new guidelines for concussions |
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. Some cases have brought attention internationally to the increased use of imported ingredients to make food and medicine.
In Panama, medicine made with a poisonous chemical killed or sickened more than one hundred people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （ [化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine（三聚氰胺）, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And itdismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report. I’m Mario Ritter.How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six | B．Five | C．Four | D．Three |
How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A．Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B．The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C．More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B. It can be inferred but not clearly stated that ________.
| A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products. |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
There is no doubt that much of the profit of a business—sometimes the whole of its success—depends upon the use of the odds and ends．The odds and ends are various small things，which are left over when the main things are produced．But they possess a real value of their own．
If a business，big or small，looked down upon these odds and ends，it would mean a big difference in the amount of the benefit of the business．Take a meat factory for instance， there are countless odds and ends—bones and hair，which can be made into glue and rope to increase its profit greatly．
Then，if we are college students，what about our odds and ends—the odd moments？ Take time for example．Every one of us has the exact same amount of it．Everyone’s success or failure depends on the use of their time．But everyone uses the time more or less in the same way．However，why many great men in science or art have made huge successes for themselves in the world？Because they have made best use of their odd moments．Take Thomas A．Edison， he never allowed his odd moments to slip by．He thought，planned，and tried his inventions．He always worked twenty hours out of each twenty-four．His inventions made him famous all over the world，and provided valuable wealth for the human beings．
So, remember this axiom：very busy people always find time for everything．However，people with great spare time find time for nothing．Is it very strange？Not at all！The question is how to gather up fragments of time and make full use of them．As many big businesses have found，that the real profit is in using the odds and ends．We also must do in this way to make best use of our odd moments and manage to be successful in something that we do． What are odds and ends？
| A．They are nothing useful． |
| B．They are various small，but valuable things． |
| C．They are the main things that factories produce． |
| D．They are odd moments students deny to gather up． |
Why should the odds and ends be made full use of ？Because ____ ．
| A．lots of factors in success or in failure depend on the best use of odds and ends |
| B．they control to possess a value of their own |
| C．they are various small things people don’t want |
| D．they are useless things left over when the main things are produced |
What does the word “Axiom” in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．clear and evident without proof |
| B．statement accepted as true without proof of argument |
| C．statement that can be argued |
| D．regulation accepted in scientific usage |
“Fragments of time” equals “____”in the above passage．
| A．the odds and ends | B．immense leisure |
| C．the main things | D．the odd moments |