When you think of American culture, what first comes to your mind? McDonald’s? Coca Cola? Levi’s? Disneyland? Michael Jordan? Julia Roberts? Many people imagine American culture is a collection of popular symbols like these. Actually, these symbols are only one small part of American culture — pop culture.
What is pop culture? Well, pop is short for popular. The origins of pop culture can often be traced(追溯) to popular movies, television shows, music stars and sports figures. Pop culture is also promoted by business and advertising. The most common examples of American pop culture appear among high school and college students. Trends(潮流) set by famous people quickly become part of young people’s lifestyles.
American pop culture has spread around the world. One major reason for its popularity is that English is a world language. English is the language of diplomacy, international business and transportation. Since language and culture go together, learning English means becoming aware of English-speaking countries’ cultures. Also, America is a world leader in movies, music and magazines. The kind of American culture communicated in those media is pop culture. Finally, pop culture is easy to package and to export. For that reason, it is easy to “sell” to the world.
Many people suppose that American pop culture is what America is all about. Does pop culture reflect(反映) the true culture of America? Yes and no. Pop culture does represent(代表) a part of American society — especially urban young people that are turned into the media. But American pop culture is faddish and ever-changing. It is man-made and surface picture of America. If you want to learn about real American culture, you’ll have to go a little further than McDonald’s.
1.Paragraph 3 is mainly about .
A.why language and culture go together B.how American pop culture leads in media
C.why American pop culture is popular D.how American pop culture is exported
2.The underlined word “export” probably means .
A.to buy from a foreign country B.to sell to a foreign country
C.to send to others D.to store in some places
3.Which of the following is TRUE about American pop culture according to the passage?
A.Pop culture isn’t a part of American culture.
B.Young people always set the trends of pop culture.
C.It is popular in the world mainly because of the popularity of English.
D.If you want to know real American culture, you can go to McDonald’s.
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A.American pop culture is a part of American culture.
B.McDonald’s, Coca Cola, Levi’s etc. are all symbols of American pop culture.
C.American pop culture is easy to sell to the world only because it’s popular.
D.To learn about real American culture, you should study more than pop culture.
What’s the first thing that you notice when you walk into your favorite restaurant? Is it the smell of fresh pizza, or the sight of your favorite desserts? Food that looks and smells good will probably taste good, but what about sound? Is that important?
Scientists now believe that the taste of food can change when your ears hear different sounds, but it has to be the right kind of sound. When you turn on a microwave with popcorn in it, it soon starts to pop. Do you think “That sounds tasty!”? Not really, you probably think it’s nearly ready. But when smell it, you go to get the salt and the butter. Hearing the popcorn make you think about it, but smelling it tells you that it tastes good. So what are the sounds to change the tastes of the things?
In an experiment in a fish restaurant, customers listened to the sound of the seaside while they were eating. Did it make a difference? Yes, it did. Listening to the seaside seemed to improve the taste of the food. It was fresher and saltier. When the restaurant tried the same experiment with the sound of the farm animals, there was no difference in taste. The results are going to be useful for restaurants. Perhaps they will try to use fewer unhealthy things, like salt and sugar in food. With the right music or sounds, perhaps we won’t taste the difference.
Restaurants are also setting a connection between food and the sound that the packet(包装袋) makes. Pick up a packet of your favorite potato chips, what does it sound like? One restaurant recently changed the material that they used to make their potato chip packets because experiments show that the packet which makes a right sound will make customers think the potato chips are fresher. Another idea is that a list of music will begin to appear on food packets, so if you don’t like your green vegetables, the right music or sounds could help you learn to love them.
1.According to the passage, what makes you think the popcorn tastes delicious?
A.Turning on the microwave. B.Smelling the popcorn in the microwave.
C.Hearing the popcorn. D.Taking the popcorn out of the microwave.
2.What was the result of the experiment in the restaurant?
A.The sounds of the seaside made the food taste better. B.The customers didn’t like the food.
C.The music changed the food. D.The customers preferred the sounds of the farm animals.
3.Why is the material of the food packet important?
A.Because customers want it to sound and look right.
B.Because customers enjoy looking at the different materials.
C.Because customers think the food is good if it makes the right sound.
D.Because customers don’t like noisy packets.
4.The passage mainly tells us .
A.sounds make a difference to the taste of food
B.the smell of food makes a difference to the taste of food
C.right music could help people love green vegetable
D.there is a connection between the sight of food and the taste of food
Discoveries
Growing up in a home full of books is good for you. According to researchers from Australian National University, people who grow up with books at home are better at reading and communicating with others. But how many books are enough to make a difference? The magic number seems to be 80 or above. | Chocolate smells so good. But do you know where chocolate comes from? Chocolate is made from cacao. Scientists used to think cacao was first found in Central America and Mexico about 3,900 years ago. But scientists from Canada have found that people in Ecuador grew cacao. They grew the plant over 5,000 years ago. |
With this scarf, you won’t be cold during the winter. The Sustain Sport Heated Scarf from Taiwan can heat itself. Just put on the scarf and press a button. Within 15 seconds, the scarf becomes warm. There are two heat choices for the scarf: 42℃ and 46℃. The scarf can stay warm for 3.5 hours on one charge. You can charge it with a USB port. | On Nov. 9, 2018, Chinese science fiction writer Liu Cixin, 55, won the Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society in Washington D.C., US. It is named in honor of(为纪念) British science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. Liu said Clarke’s works introduced him to sci-fi and have encouraged his imagination ever since the 1980s. |
1.Which of the following numbers has a relationship with the history of a kind of food?
A.80 or above. B.3,900. C.42℃. D.The 1980s.
2.Li Yi is a 12-year-old boy. He likes reading very much and his dream is to be a great writer. He may be interested in .
A.Discovery 1 and Discovery 2 B.Discovery 2 and Discovery 3
C.Discovery 3 and Discovery 4 D.Discovery 1 and Discovery 4
3.Which of the following sentences is WRONG from the passage?
A.Scientists have found that chocolate is made from cacao which was first grown over 5,000 years ago.
B.Growing up in a home with books is better at communicating with people.
C.Liu Cixin won the award which is named in honor of American science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke.
D.The heated scarf can become warm for 3.5 hours on one charge with a USB port.
4.Where can we most probably see the discoveries?
A.In a dictionary. B.In a storybook.
C.On a website. D.In a guidebook.
While he was playing with his toy car, Tom found his mother crying. He ran to her and wiped the tears on her face with his little dirty hands, saying, “I won’t play with the toy any more and I’ll be a good boy.”
After a while, he asked his mom, “Why are you crying?” “Because I am a mother, boy,” she told him.
“I don’t understand,” he said. His mom took him in her arms and said, “You will never.”
Later, the little boy asked his father about it. “All mothers cry for no reason,” answered his father.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why mothers cry. One day while he was reading a story, he happened to find the answer. In the story, a lovely girl asked a granny, “Granny, why do mothers cry so easily?”
Granny said, “You see, girl, mothers are born to be special. Mothers’ shoulders are strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet soft enough to give comfort. Their hearts are kind enough to stand the misunderstanding which comes from their children. Mothers take care of their families without saying anything. They love their children, even when their children hurt them badly. This kind of great love makes a child who made mistakes feel better, and it helps mothers share a teenager’s worries and fears. Mothers have the ability to know others’ feelings. Only mothers can use tears whenever it is needed.”
1.When did Tom find out the reason why his mother cried one day?
A.After he asked his father about this question. B.After he grew up as a father.
C.After his granny told him about the reason. D.After he read a story.
2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Children sometimes hurt their mothers. B.Children have their own worries and fears.
C.Mothers have the ability to know others’ feelings. D.Mothers always cry because of their children’s playing.
3.The best title for the passage is .
A.Fathers’ Reasons B.Mothers’ Tears
C.A Granny’s Answer D.A Child’s Question
根据首字母填空。
Dr. Li Wenliang, one of the eight “whistleblowers” who tried to w1.fellow medics of the novel coronavirus when it f2. emerged in Wuhan, d3.early on Friday. Wuhan Central Hospital confirmed in a statement released on i4.official Weibo account. “Our hospital’s ophthalmologist Li Wenliang was u5.infected with coronavirus during his work in the fight a6.the coronavirus epidemic,” the statement read, adding “He died at 2:58 a.m. on February 7 after attempts to resuscitate were u7..” “After emergency treatment, Li Wenliang passed away,” the Central Hospital of Wuhan announced on Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “We deeply r8.and mourn Li’s death.” Dr. Li is a hero, w9.will live in our hearts forever. May God bless all the courageous doctors and n10.fighting on the front line.
Many of us have had this experience: we lie down in a bed other than our own, perhaps at a friend’s house or in a hotel room, and find it difficult to fall asleep. Is it because the bed is uncomfortable? Maybe, but perhaps there can be other reasons.
According to a new study published in Current Biology, a significant reason is what the scientists call “first night effect”. They believe that one side of the brain acts as a “night watch” to warn us about potential (潜在的) dangers. It forces us to stay awake on the first night in a new environment.
For the study, 35 young volunteers were told to sleep in a lab for several days. Meanwhile, researchers watched their brain activities.
According to the researchers, on their first night, the left brains were more active than the right brains and people had a hard time sleeping. However, left-brain activity reduced as days went by, falling even to the point of complete calm. In this process, the volunteers got an increasingly better sleep experience.
The findings suggest that the different rhythms (节奏) of the sides of the brain influence our sleep. When the two sides work differently, the balance between them is broken. Thus, the brain can’t relax and is sensitive to anything strange in the surroundings, just as it is in the daytime.
“At some level, the brain is continuing to analyze(分析) things, even though you don’t realize the analysis,” US professor Jerome Siegel told Smithsonian Magazine. “If something unusual happens – if a door opens or you hear a key in a lock – you can be alert (警惕的).”
More surprisingly, this situation is similar to the way some animals sleep. Whales, dolphins, and many birds can sleep with half of their brain while the other half stays awake.
If you have ever had what you think is “first night effect”, researchers suggest that you bring your own pillow or sleep in a room similar to your bedroom next time you sleep away from home.
1.can’t you get to sleep? | |
Introduction | People can’t fall asleep2.when staying in a new environment. |
Reason | One side of the brain stays awake to warn us about potential (潜在的) dangers. |
Process and findings of the3.
| Researchers told some 4. to sleep in a lab to watch their brain activities. Too many left-brain activities 5.the bad sleep experience on the first night. Their left brains became 6.active as time went by and became calm gradually. |
Explanations to findings | Whether you can have a good sleep 7.on the balance between the two sides of the brain. You yourself don’t realize it,8.your brain doesn’t stop analyzing things. It’s surprising to find out that the way humans sleep is just9. some animals do. |
10. | Take a pillow or live in a similar room when staying in a new place. |
