Taking a shower is relaxing. You can hum a song, daydream or think about nothing, leaving the real world behind you. But did you know that showering can also benefit your mind?
A research by Scott Barry Kaufman, a psychologist from Yale University in the US interviewed over 3,000 people around the world. It turned out that nearly two-thirds of the interviewees said they had experienced new ideas in the shower and were more likely to have them in the shower than at work.
So why does a simple shower have such magic power? Science can explain it.
Showering can help to raise our level of dopamine, a hormone (荷尔蒙) closely related to our creativity. “People vary in terms of their level of creativity according to the activity of dopamine”, explained Alice Flaherty, a famous American neuroscientist. “Taking a warm shower can make us feel relaxed and therefore make the dopamine level rise and bring ‘Aha!' moment to us.”
Besides the chemical changes, showering may give you a break from what you feel you have been stuck with. Especially when you have thought hard all day about a problem, jumping into the shower can keep you from the outside world so that you can focus on your inner feelings and memories. In this way, according to American psychologist Shelley H. Carson, author of Your Creative Brain, “a showering hour may turn into an ‘incubation (孵化) period’ for your ideas.”
Compared with sitting in front of a computer, taking a shower is something we do less frequently in our daily life. When showering, we get a fresh experience with the change of location, temperature and humidity. “New and unexpected experiences can lead to positive changes in thinking,” explained Kaufman. “Getting off the couch and jumping in the shower may create a distance and force you to think from a new point of view.”
Showering allows us to enjoy the creative juices of our minds, but it needn't just be the bathroom where you get your inspiration. For instance, Gertrude Stein, a female American writer and poet, got new ideas by driving around a farm and stopping at different cows until she found the one that most inspired her. So try to create your own way to free your mind, whether it's a walk near the ocean, a country drive or reading a book at home.
1.According to the article, what changes can showering cause?
A. Bringing the terrible moment to us.
B. Increasing the level of dopamine.
C. Leading to boredom or tiredness.
D. Setting the creative part of the brain free.
2.If one has focused on something all day, showering can help _______.
A. turn one’s attention inwards
B. draw one’s attention to the outside world
C. one make an important breakthrough
D. many chemical changes to take place
3.It can be inferred from the article that _______.
A. changes in the frequency of an action can create a new perspective
B. it is a good idea to talk with others about their sources of inspiration
C. our lives might feel longer and fuller if we frequently try new things
D. it is helpful to try something different rather than stay focused on a difficult task
4.The example of Gertrude Stein in the last paragraph is used to _______.
A. encourage readers to find their own ways of getting inspiration
B. point out to readers that it's hard to find inspiration
C. explain how to link inspiration with readers’ daily lives
D. show that creativity often comes from strange places
The English writer Samuel Johnson famously said, “You find no man who is willing to leave London. No, sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life, for there is in London all that life can afford.” More than two centuries have passed since Johnson’s age, but his words still ring true. Here, you’ll find the historic Tower of London and the Tate Modern both considered must-sees. Shakespeare’s sonnets（十四行诗） are still being uttered by actors. Londoners most certainly still look up to the royals, but they also rock out to Coldplay and Lily Allen. And while they still sip tea, they now drink Starbucks, too.
How to Save Money in London
Find the free attractions. Many of London’s top things to do, including the National Gallery, Hyde Park and the Portobello Road Market, are absolutely free to enjoy.
Ride the Tube. Taking taxis will add up quickly, so buy a pay-as-you-go Oyster Card and travel on London’s underground system, nicknamed the “Tube”.
Dine smart. Corridors like Brick Lane offer fantastic cultural food for bargain prices; fish and chip shops are a cheap standby and takeaway food costs less than dine-in.
London Culture & Customs
London is one of the fashion capitals of the world, and its residents tend to reflect that. Practically, pack an umbrella for the rainy days and a scarf for the cold ones. As for tipping, restaurants and cafes will usually add a 10-to-15-percent service charge to the bill. If a service charge is not allotted（指定）, it’s customary to tip the same (between 10 and 15 percent). If you’re drinking at a pub or wine bar, tipping is flexible. And in a taxicab, tip the driver to the nearest pound or about 10 percent of the cost.
London Dining
London used to be highly criticized for its heavy and common menu items. Now, London is considered as one of the most gourmet cities in the world. And with its melting pot of cultures, it’s not difficult to see why. London offers everything from modern British to Malaysian. For Indian food, we suggest visiting the curry houses on Brick Lane. If you want a real high tea experience, book reservations at the Ritz, at Fortnum & Mason, or at the Dorchester — but be sure to dress the part. Pub culture is still alive and well, so if you have a hankering for fried fish and salty chips (or French fries), you’ll still find them here. And for a quick bite, exchange a few pounds for a kebab, a quick sandwich or some to go sushi, which can be found in restaurants throughout the city.
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Life in London is exciting but tiring.
B. Londoners are traditional and fashion conscious.
C. Many well-known writers like to live in London.
D. Coffee is more popular with Londoners than tea.
2.The underlined word “hankering” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “________”.
A. preparationB. respectC. desireD. talent
3.In which column of a newspaper can we find the passage?
A. Travel.B. Culture.C. Education.D. Entertainment.
Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t make us tired. It sounds absurd. But years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (tiredness). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins (毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.
So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?
Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.” Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”
What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction? No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety, tenseness, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated—those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.
1.What surprised the scientists a few years ago?
A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.
B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.
C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.
D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.
2.According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?
A. Challenging mental work.
B. Unpleasant emotions.
C. Endless tasks.
D. Physical labor.
3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?
A. He agrees with them.
B. He doubts them.
C. He argues against them.
D. He hesitates to accept them.
4.We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.
A. have some good food
B. enjoy their work
C. exercise regularly
D. discover fatigue toxins
Compassion is a desire within us to help others. With effort, we can translate compassion into action. An experience last weekend showed me this is true. I work part-time in a supermarket across from a building for the elderly. These old people are our main customers, and it’s not hard to lose patience over their slowness. But last Sunday, one aged gentleman appeared to teach me a valuable lesson. This untidy man walked up to my register (收款机) with a box of biscuits. He said he was out of cash, had just moved into his room, and had nothing in his cupboards. He asked if we could let him have the food on trust. He promised to repay me the next day.
I couldn’t help staring at him. I wondered what kind of person he had been ten or twenty years before, and what he would be like if luck had gone his way. I had a hurt in my heart for this kind of human soul, all alone in the world. I told him that I was sorry, but store rules didn’t allow me to do so. I felt stupid and unkind saying this, but I valued my job.
Just then, another man, standing behind the first, spoke up. If anything, he looked more pitiable. “Charge it to me,” was all he said.
What I had been feeling was pity. Pity is soft and safe and easy. Compassion, on the other hand, is caring in action. I thanked the second man but told him that was not allowed either. Then I reached into my pocket and paid for the biscuits myself. I reached into my pocket because these two men had reached into my heart and taught me compassion.
1.The aged gentleman who wanted to buy the biscuits _______.
A. promised to obey the store rules
B. forgot to take any money with him
C. hoped to have the food first and pay later
D. could not afford anything more expensive
2.Which of the following best describes the old gentleman?
A. Kind and lucky.
B. Poor and lonely.
C. Friendly and helpful.
D. Hurt and disappointed.
3.The writer acted upon the store rules because _______.
A. he wanted to keep his present job
B. he felt no pity for the old gentleman
C. he considered the old man dishonest
D. he expected someone else to pay for the old man
4.What does the writer learn from his experience?
A. Wealth is more important than anything else.
B. Helping others is easier said than done.
C. Experience is better gained through practice.
D. Obeying the rules means more than compassion.
假如你是李华，你在布告栏中看到学校每日早操前将开展“疯狂英语”集中训练活动，需要招募一位英语资料编辑兼领读员，请你根据以下要点写一封自荐信，内容包括：
1. 写信的目的； 2. 你的特长； 3. 希望被招聘。
注意：
1. 总词数 100 左右； 2. 可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
Dear Sir or Madam,
_________________________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________________________
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Yours sincerely
Li Hua
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在此处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在下面写出增加的词；
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉；
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
只允许修改10处，多者（从11处起）不计分。
One day a lady saw a mouse running across his kitchen floor. She was very afraid of mice, so she ran out of the house, getting on a bus and went to a nearby shop. Here she bought a mousetrap and was advised to put any cheese in it. The lady went home with her mousetrap, and could not find any cheese. She had no choice but cut a picture of some cheese out of a magazine and put it in the trap. Surprising, the picture of the cheese is quite “successful”! When the lady came down to the kitchen in the next morning, she found a picture of a mouse in the trap besides the picture of the cheese!
