What do former American president Bill Clinton and rock musician Pete Townshend have in common.'? Both men have hearing damage from exposure(暴露，接触) to loud music, and both now wear hearing aids（助听器） as a result. As a teenager, Clinton played saxophone in a band. Townshend, who has the more severe hearing loss, was a guitarist for a band called the Who. He is one of the first rock musicians to call the public's attention to the problem of hearing loss from exposure to loud music.
Temporary（暂时） hearing loss can happen after only 15 minutes of listening to loud music. One early warning sign is when your ears begin to feel warm while you listen to music at a rock concert or through headphones. One later is that an unusual sound or a ringing is sometimes produced in your head after the concert.
"What happens is that the hair cells in the inner ear are damaged, but they're not dead," says physician and ear specialist Dr. Sam Levine. According to Dr. Levine, if you avoid further exposure to loud noise, it's possible to recondition the cells（细胞） somewhat. However, he adds, "Eventually, over a long period of time, hair cells are permanently damaged." And this is no small problem.
What sound level is dangerous? According to Dr. Levine, regular exposure to noise above 85 decibels (分贝) is considered dangerous. The chart below offers a comparison of decibel levels to certain sounds. Here's another measurement you can use. If you're at a rock concert and the music is so loud that you have to shout to make yourself heard, you' re at risk for hearing loss. That's when wearing protective devices such as earplugs becomes critical.
The facts are pretty frightening. But are rock bands turning down the volume.'? Most aren't. "Rock music is supposed to be loud," says drummer Andrew Sather."I wouldn't have it any other way. And neither would the real fans of rock. "
Continued exposure to loud music and the failure to wear earplugs can lead to deafness, according to Dr. Levine. He states, "There's no cure for hearing loss. Your ears are trying to tell you something. That ringing is the scream of your hair cells dying. Each time that happens, more and more damage is done. "
Levels of Common Noises Normal conversation 50 — 65 dB Food blender 88 dB Jet plane flying above a person standing outside 103 dB Rock band during a concert 110 — 140 dB |
1.From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ___________ .
A. loud music is a major cause of hearing loss
B. famous people may have hearing problems
C. teenagers should stay away from school bands
D. the problem of hearing damage is widely known
2.In Paragraph 3, the underlined word "recondition" means__________ .
A. not to be seen B. to fill with sound
C. to become larger in size D. to make good again
3.The purpose of the chart at the end of the article is to show__________ .
A. a list of harmful sounds
B. the effect of rock concerts
C. the noise levels of sounds
D. relationship between daily activities and hearing loss
4.Which of the following statements will Dr. Sam Levine probably agree?
A. When your ears feel warm, your hair cells are dead.
B. Drummer Andrew Sather gives good advice.
C. Many are at the risk of losing hearing.
D. Doctors know how to deal with hearing loss.
Dear Alcohol,
You've been around forever. I can remember all the pain you've caused for me.
Do you remember the night you almost took my father's life? I do. He loves you. Sometimes I think he loves you more than he loves me. He's addicted to you, to the way you promise to rid him of his problems only to cause more of them. You just sat back and laughed as his car went spinning through the street, crashing into two other cars. He wasn't the only one hurt by you that night.
Do you remember the night of my first high school party? You were there. My friends were intrigued by you. They treated you as if they were never going to see you again, drinking all of you that they could. I spent two hours that night helping my friends who had fallen completely. "I'm so embarrassed," they said as I held their hair back so that they could vomit (呕吐). "I'm sorry," they said when I called taxies for them, walking them out and paying the driver in advance. "This won't happen again," they said as they were sent to the hospital to have their stomachs pumped. Two 15-year-old girls slept in hospital beds that night thanks to you.
Do you remember the night when you took advantage of my 17-year-old neighbor who had to drive to pick up his sister from her dance lessons? Do you know how we all felt when he hit another car and killed the two people in the other car? He died the next morning too. His sister walked home from her dance lesson, and passed police cars and a crowd of people gathering on the sidewalk just two blocks away from the dance studio. She didn't realize her brother was in the midst of it all. She never saw him again. And it's all your fault.
I wish you'd walk out of my life forever. I don't want anything to do with you. Look at all the pain you've caused. Sure, you've made people happy too from time to time. But the damage you've caused in the lives of millions is inexcusable. Stop luring (引诱) in the people I love. Stop hurting me, please.
Sincerely,
Anonymous
1.What is author's purpose in writing to alcohol?
A. To introduce Mr. Alcohol to the readers
B. To describe the harm alcohol did to his family.
C. To show how much alcohol can hurt people.
D. To show the great fun that alcohol can bring to people's life.
2.What did alcohol do to the author's father?
A. It made him crash into two other cars and killed his life.
B. It made him drink too much and he had to get his stomach pumped.
C. It made him kill two other people when driving.
D. It made him get into a car accident and badly injure himself.
3.The underlined phrase "were intrigued by" is closest in meaning to ______.
A. were familiar with B. were interested in
C. were disappointed with D. were satisfied with
4.What is the tone of the article?
A. Critical. B. Doubtful. C. Unconcerned. D. Humorous.
Handshaking, though a European practice is often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed(无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of friendship. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other's hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. This practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. "Let's shake (hands) on it" sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or-her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding(误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved(保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.
1.In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other ______.
A. to make a deal B. to greet each other
C. to show friendliness D. to reach an agreement
2.The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. where handshaking was first practised
B. how handshaking came about
C. about the relationship between handshaking and trade
D. about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China
3. According to the text, which of the following statements is true?
A. Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese.
B. Westerners are unwilling to shake hands.
C. We should make a judgement before shaking hands.
D. We shouldn't shake hands with European women.
4.The main purpose of the text is ______.
A. to tell us some differences between the East and the West
B. to offer us some important facts about handshaking
C. to introduce us to some different customs in the West
D. to give us some advice before we travel abroad
Honey Sweet Cake(Prep. Time: 12 mins.) Ingredients Strawberries in syrup(糖浆), 1 package(unfrozen) Heavy cream, 1 cup Corn flour, 2 tablespoons Process Mix the strawberries, cream and corn flour in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for about 8～10 minutes, while constantly mixing until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and refrigerate for two hours. Fill the frozen mixture in cake, and serve. |
Rosy Cake(Prep. Time: 10 mins.) Ingredients Sugar, cup Water, 1 cup Corn flour, 3 tablespoons Strawberries, 2～3 cups Process Take a large saucepan and mix all the ingredients. Cook until the mixture thickens over medium heat. Let it cool naturally and completely. Fill up your cake with the mixture, and serve. |
Triangle Sweet(Prep. Time: 15 mins.) Ingredients Sugar, cup Whipping cream, cup Unflavoured gelatin(明胶), 1 tablespoon Cold water, 2 tablespoons Boiled water, 3 tablespoons Strawberries crushed, 2 cups Process Add sugar to the crushed strawberries and set them aside. In cold water, soften gelatin, and once it is softened, add boiling water. Stir(搅动) until the gelatin dissolves(溶解)．Add the dissolved gelatin mixture to the strawberries and let it cool. Now whip(搅打) the cream till it becomes stiff. When the strawberry mixture is of syrup thickness, add the whipped cream to it. Refrigerate until it sets. Fill it into your cake, and serve. |
Flaming Maple(Prep. Time: 10 mins.) Ingredients Fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoons Honey, 2 tablespoons Maple syrup, 2 tablespoons Strawberries, ripe, 2 pints Process Make a fruit butter of half of the strawberries. Add honey, lemon juice, and maple syrup until it forms a smooth sauce. Add the remaining strawberries. Fill the mixture in the cake, and serve. |
1.Which of the following ingredients (is) are used in all the recipes?
A．Heavy cream. B．Sugar syrup.
C．Corn flour. D．Strawberries.
2.Chefs needn't freeze the ingredients when preparing ________．
① Honey Sweet Cake ② Rosy Cake ③Triangle Sweet ④Flaming Maple
A．①② B．②③ C．①④ D．②④
3.Which of the following is TRUE?
A．Triangle Sweet takes the longest time to prepare.
B．Strawberries used in the recipes aren't all fresh.
C．Most strawberries are used when making a Rosy Cake.
D．Honey Sweet Cake is the best choice for busy mothers.
4.In how many recipes should chefs thicken the mixture by heating?
A．Only one. B．Two. C．Three. D．Four.
Jayne Fisher watched anxiously as her 17-year-old daughter Katie pulled her lamb（羊羔） into the Madison County Junior Livestock for sale.
Katie was battling cancer. This was her first chance in months to be outdoors having fun, away from hospitals and treatments, and she had come with high hopes for earning some money for her treatment. She had wavered a little on her decision to part with the lamb, but with lamb averaging two dollars a pound, Katie was looking forward to it. So the bidding（出价began.
That’s when Roger Wilson, the auctioneer(拍卖师), had a sudden inspiration that brought some unexpected results. “We sort of let everybody here know that Katie had a situation that wasn’t too pleasant,” is how he tells it. He hoped that his introduction would push the bidding up, at least a little bit.
Well, the lamb sold for $11.50 a pound, but things didn’t stop there. The buyer paid up, then decided to give the lamb back so that it could be sold again.
That started a chain reaction, with families buying the animal and giving it back, over and over again. When local businesses started buying and returning, the earnings really began to pile up. The first sale is the only one Katie’s mom remembers. After that, she was crying too hard as the crowd kept shouting, “Resell! Resell! ”
Katie’s lamb was sold 36 times that day, and the last buyer gave it back for good. Katie ended up with more than $16,000 to pay her medical expenses——and she still got to keep her famous lamb.
1.Katie sold her lamb in order to_______.
A. earn an amount of money to cover her medical expenses
B. help her mother support their family and keep more lambs
C. show her lamb was a famous one and raise some money
D. get some unexpected results from a chain reaction
2.Why did families buy Katie’s lamb and return it repeatedly?
A. They had fun in reselling it.
B. The auctioneer ordered them to do so.
C. They wanted to help Katie from the heart
D. Katie’s mother cried for help.
3.The word “waver” in the second paragraph probably means _______.
A. agree B. hesitate C. refuse D. focus
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Battling cancer B.A warm-hearted auctioneer
C. Bidding from the heart D.A wise lamb
The requirements for high school graduation have just changed in my community.As a result，all students must ____sixty hours of service learning，____ they will not receive a degree.Service learning is a kind of learning that helps the community.__ __ of service learning include cleaning up a polluted river，working in a soup kitchen，or instructing a student.__ __ a service experience，students must keep a journal(日志) every day and then write a ____ about what they have learned.
Supporters claim that there are many ____ of service learning. Perhaps most importantly，students are forced to think ____ their own interests and become ____ of the needs of others.Students are also able to learn real－life skills that ____ responsibility，problem－solving，and working as part of a team.____，students can explore possible careers ____ service learning.For example，if a student wonders what teaching is like，he or she can choose to work in a school classroom a few afternoons each month.
____ there are many benefits，opponents(反对者)____ problems. First，they ____ that the main reason students go to school is to learn core subjects and skills.Because service learning is time－consuming，students spend ___ time studying the core subjects.Second，they believe that forcing students to work without ____ goes against the law.By requiring service，the school takes away a student's freedom to choose.
In my view，service learning is a great way to ____ to the community，learn new skills，and explore different careers.____，I don't believe you should force people to help others—the ____ to help must come from the heart.I think the best ____ is one that gives students choices： a student should be able to choose sixty hours of independent study or sixty hours of service.Choice encourages both freedom and responsibility，and as young adults，we must learn to handle both wisely.
1.A.spend B．gain C．complete D．save
2.A.and B．or C．but D．for
3.A.Subjects B．Ideas C．Doubts D．Examples
4.A.With B．Before C．During D．After
5.A.diary B．report C．note D．notice
6.A.courses B．benefits C．challenges D．features
7.A.beyond B．about C．over D．in
8.A.careful B．proud C．tired D．aware
9.A.possess B．apply C．include D．agree
10.A.Gradually B．Finally C．Luckily D．Hopefully
11.A.through B．across C．of D．on
12.A.So B．Thus C．Since D．While
13.A.deal with B．look into C．point out D．take down
14.A.argue B．doubt C．overlook D．admit
15.A.much B．full C．less D．more
16.A.cost B．pay C．care D．praise
17.A.contribute B．appeal C．attend D．belong
18.A.Therefore B．Otherwise C．Besides D．However
19.A.courage B．desire C．emotion D．spirit
20.A.decision B．purpose C．solution D．result
