Here's a hotel worth writing something about: a company in Poland plans to build tourist accommodation under the sea. The structure can be dragged to a suitable location and placed on supports on the sea bed. The ‘Water Discus’ will be made up of an underwater disc containing 22 bedrooms with sea views, connected by lift and stairs to a disc above the surface containing other hotel facilities.
Project manager Robert Bursiewicz says: “Nowadays it's possible to build submarines ('潜艇) which go deeper than 500m below the sea surface, so building an underwater hotel is not a problem. ”
In fact, they don't plan to have the hotel very deep. Water acts like a filter (过滤器) for sunlight, and below 15m most colors, apart from blue, are washed out. And we all want to see colorful marine life, don't we?
But this isn't the first hotel to offer underwater views from the bedrooms. The two-bedroom Jules' Undersea Lodge, off the coast of Florida, has been taking in guests 10m beneath the surface since 1986.
The company that operates the hotel also runs a diving course for beginners to help get guests down and into the hotel. It is accessible only through an opening at the bottom.
And you'll find all the usual facilities in the room, according to Teresa McKirma, Jules's chief financial officer. It has a television, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. But for the staff, simple things like cleaning and making beds can be challenging, since the lodge is in sea water.
"It actually takes quite a lot of work to get anything down there," she says. "We have to put everything in waterproof boxes and attach weights to them to counter their buoyancy (浮力). "
The hotel has suitably sized waterproof boxes so that pizzas can be delivered by divers to guests who order them for their evening meal. And after a meal, if you can't sleep because of the excitement of the experience, you don't have to count sheep. You'll fall asleep quicker if you count fish.
1.According to the passage, the new hotel will ______.
A. contain three discs B. come into use soon
C. have a movable structure D. be built 500m beneath the surface
2.Why won't they plan to have the hotel very deep in the water?
A. They have financial problems.
B. They lack advanced technology.
C. They refuse to enjoy colorful life.
D. Most colors are washed out below 15m.
3. According to Teresa McKirma, ______.
A. entertainment is impossible in the hotel
B. the staff's work is difficult to finish
C. it's easy to get things down there
D. the built hotel is badly equipped
4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
A. Passengers can't enjoy their meals.
B. Passengers will feel fed up with the views.
C. Passengers have no choice but to count fish.
D. Passengers may get excited about the experience.
The Rugby (英式橄榄球) World Cup is currently being held in New Zealand. The tournament, due to finish on October 23, is living up to the famous English saying, “Rugby is a thug's (暴徒) game played by gentlemen. ”
The games are physically aggressive; the tackles (冲撞) on the pitch are brutal; but the end of each match is a civilized affair. Players shake hands and applaud each other. Of course, the other side to this saying is: "Football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. " Indeed, unlike soccer players, rugby players don't often question the referee's (裁判员) decisions or pretend to be injured when they are not.
“Football could learn a lot from rugby," said Brian Moore, a former England rugby player "The wonderful spirit of rugby is: there is a gentlemanly code to it. You play hard on the pitch, but you always respect your opponent..
Rugby is mainly played in Europe. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa. "It is more enjoyable to play than soccer because you are always involved in the game," said Peter, a Welsh rugby coach. "Rugby is also a far superior test of strength, stamina (耐力) and determination. "
Most professional rugby players are large, strong and weigh over 90 kilograms. People who play the sport need to be tough and be prepared to get hurt. Black eyes, broken bones, lost teeth and being knocked unconscious—all these are common injuries. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is blind in one eye thanks to a rugby accident at school.
In England, children begin playing the game at school at the age of 8. When they enter high school, many begin to play full contact rugby. Children are taught to play for around one hour a week during their PE lessons. Most schools have a rugby team. Children who play for the school team are usually the sportiest kids, and are seen as brave and athletic.
1. What can be concluded from the first three paragraphs?
A. Football players are not real gentlemen.
B. There is a better spirit in playing rugby than football.
C. Football players are not as athletic as rugby players.
D. Brian Moore thinks that rules should be stricter in football.
2. According to the passage, Peter thinks ______.
A. rugby players pretend to be injured when they are not
B. rugby is not very popular in America and Asia
C. rugby makes people enjoy sports better than soccer
D. rugby needs players' strong will rather than strength
3.The example of Gordon Brown is mentioned in order to .
A. prove that playing rugby can earn people fame
B. explain why Gordon Brown is blind in one eye
C. support the point that rugby players often get hurt
D. warn teenagers against playing rugby at school
4.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Teenagers will lose interest in football.
B. English children have a talent for rugby.
C. Playing rugby doesn't involve skills.
D. Rugby is not suitable for everyone.
During the teenage years, hormonal (荷尔蒙的) changes lead to physical changes like rapid muscle growth, burst in height, and weight gain in both boys and girls. Take a look at the information and height and weight charts for teens presented in this article if the question “How much should I weigh for my age and height” is bothering you.
Average Height and Weight Charts for Teens
Faster growth in kids usually can be noticed at age 8. Genetic factors also determine the physical growth of a child. So, it is perfectly normal for two kids of the same age to have different weights and heights. The following figures should be used as guidelines only.
| For Boys | For Girls | ||
Age | Height | Weight | Height | Weight |
in Years | in Inches | in Pounds | in Inches | in Pounds |
12-13 | 58-62 | 85-100 | 60-63 | 95-105 |
14-15 | 63-66 | 105-125 | 63-64 | 105-115 |
16-17 | 67-70 | 130-150 | 64 | 115-120 |
18-20 | 68-70 | 150-160 | 64 | 125-130 |
Ideal Body Fat Percentage
Fit men have 14% - 17% body fat.
Fit women have 21% -24% body fat.
Male athletes have 6% -13% body fat.
Female athletes have 14% - 20% body fat.
The ideal body fat percentage varies mainly according to age, sex and the physical activity of the individual. But it is a fat. So, it can be observed that other than the above mentioned factors, genetic factors also influence the body-fat rct that some female athletes have body fat as low as 10 % and some male athletes had lower than 4% body faatio.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
You may use the following formula to calculate your BMI:
As per SI Units (国际单位) : BMI = mass (kg)/[height (meters) ]2
Imperial (英制的) Units 1: BMI = mass (Ib. ) x703/[ height (in. ) ]2
Imperial Units 2: BMI = mass (Ib. ) x 4. 88/[ height (ft) ]2
Following conclusions can be derived from (得到) calculating the BMI:
BMI Calculated | Conclusion |
BMI 18.5~25 | Normal or ideal weight |
BMI > 25 | Overweight |
BMI < 18. 5 | Underweight |
BMI < 17. 5 | Extremely underweight |
BMI = 30 or BMI > 30 | Obese(病态肥胖的) |
BMI = 40 or BMI > 40 | Extremely obese |
1.According to the Average Height and Weight Charts for Teens, ____.
A. girls keep on growing taller during the teenage years
B. girls grow faster at the end of teenager years than boys
C. girls grow faster at the beginning of teenager years than boys
D. boys' average weight is always heavier than girls' during the teenage years
2. Which of the following statements about ideal body fat percentage is RIGHT?
A. Fit men have higher body fat percentage than fit women.
B. Male athletes have higher body fat percentage than fit men.
C. Female athletes have lower body fat percentage than male athletes.
D. Male athletes have much lower body fat percentage than female athletes.
3.After calculating the BMI, you can reach the conclusion whether ____.
A. your weight is normal
B. your hormone level is normal
C. your height is right for your age
D. your body fat percentage is ideal
4.If a boy is 1. 5 meters in height and weighs 68 kilograms, then he is ____.
A. normal B. obese
C. extremely obese D. Underweight
If you saw another kid ride her bike too fast around a corner and fall down, you might ride your bike more slowly on that turn. Yes, we humans are very sensitive to others' mistakes. And the same is true for other animals. Animals mess up all the time. They might eat poisonous leaves, fall off a tree or let their prey (猎物) slip away. By watching others fail, an animal can avoid making the same mistakes, thus improving its chance of survival.
Scientists suspected that one part of the brain helps animals process information about others' errors. Cells in that part appear to become more active when a person sees someone else making a mistake. But researchers didn't know whether individual cells in this part of the brain play different roles in detecting errors.
To investigate the brain's response to errors in more detail, the researchers taught a game to two macaques, a type of monkey. One monkey could press a yellow or green button while the other watched. If the first monkey pressed the right button, the team gave both animals a treat. Every couple of rounds, the two monkeys switched roles. Meanwhile, the scientists monitored individual cells in the animal's brains.
When the first monkey messed up the game by pressing the wrong button, a group of cells in the second monkey's brain fired. But if the second monkey also made the wrong choice during its turn, some of the cells in that group didn't respond. Those unresponsive cells reacted specifically to mistakes made by others, not to the monkey's own mistakes.
Scientists believe other parts of the brain also might help people process information about another's errors. "You start to think about this other person and see things from his angle. " Ellen de Bruijn, told Science News. She studies the brain at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
1. According to Paragraph 1 , animals' ability to learn from others' mistakes ______.
A. used to be ignored by humans
B. ensures that they will never fail
C. is being lost because of humans
D. helps them to survive better
2.The underlined word "detecting" in Paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. correcting B. making
C. sensing D. drawing
3. In the experiment mentioned, those unresponsive cells are only sensitive to ______.
A. the same buttons B. others' mistakes
C. one's own mistakes D. the monkey's brain
A group of frogs （青蛙）were traveling through the woods. And two of them fell into a deep pit. When the other frogs saw how deep the pit was, they told the two frogs that they were as good as dead. The two frogs didn't listen and tried to jump out of the pit with all their might. The other frogs kept telling them to stop. Finally, one of the frogs heard what the other frogs were saying and gave up, so he died.
The other frog went on jumping as hard as he could. Once again, the other frogs cried at him and told him to stop and just allow himself to die. He jumped even harder and finally made himself out. When he got out, the other frogs said, "Didn't you hear us?" The frog explained to them that something was wrong with his hearing. He thought they were encouraging him the whole time.
There is power of life and death in the tongue. An encouraging word to someone who is down can lift him or her up and help them make it through the day. Be careful of what you say. Speak life to those who cross your path. The power of words—anyone can speak bad words that rob another of the spirit to go on in difficult times. But an encouraging word can go such a long way.
【写作内容】 1. 用约30个词概括上面这篇文章的内容。
2. 以约120个词就“语言的力量”发表你的看法和感受，内容包括：
(1) 语言在现实生活中的正负面影响；
(2)举一个发生在你或你认识的人身上的例子，说明语言的正或负面的影响；
(3) 日常生活中，我们应该如何利用好语言，让语言产生积极的影响。
【写作要求】 在作文中可以使用自己亲身的经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，
但不得直接引用原文中的句子。
Until just a few years ago，we doctors believed that the brain stopped making new neural(神经系统的)connections (meaning that your memory began to get worse)when the body stopped developing，usually in your early 20s. And we knew that，like any other body part，neurons weaken as we age. Loss of brain function due to neural breakdown was assumed to be a normal，unavoidable part of aging.
It turns out that we were wrong. In the past few years，it has been discovered that you can，in fact，make new neurons starting in your 20s and continuing well into old age. You can literally rewire the brain with new parts as the older parts wear out. How？Simple：Keep learning. Just as your body can pack on and condition new muscle，your brain can rebuild used-up neurons.
How strong is the evidence for this？Strong enough that a $200 million industry devoted to brain boosting software (products like Brain Age，MindFit，and Lumosity that supposedly improve your memory function)has sprung up out of nowhere. All“mental fitness”means are keeping your memory intact(everything from phone numbers to how to throw a football)．So what can you do to stay smart?
Keep blood pressure down. People with high blood pressure are more likely to develop cognitive impairment later in life.
Eat more vitamins. Like E(in nuts and sunflower seeds)，B6 and B12(beef，tuna)，and folic acid(leafy greens，citrus，berries)，which help keep your brain’s chemistry in balance.
Exercise your brain. This is the best way to rebuild and strengthen those precious neurons. Learn to play chess or the guitar. When you’re at a stoplight，try to recall the starting lineup of the 1983 Celtics. See a movie that doesn’t feature Ben Stiller. Or read，like，a book.
Title：How to keep the 1.________smart？
Previous 2.____ | The brain no longer makes new neural connections once the 3.________ of one’s body has stopped. |
New 4. ________
| ●New neurons continue to occur even in one’s old age. ●5.________contributes to the development of the new parts of your brain. ●Many products which claim to improve your brain function appear in 6.the _________. |
7. _______ | ●Keep yourself away from 8._________blood pressure. ●9._________in more vitamins for the needs of your brain. ●10._______your brain as much as you can. |
