Scientists found that sleeping considerably improves our creativity. After taking a nap people are able to think faster and put more imagination into their thinking. Besides, if we dream, the thinking abilities are improved even more.
Researchers consider that sleeping on a problem in most cases leads to elucidation(解释). They say when a person enters a phase called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) during sleep, it increases the effect. Such phase takes place right before we awake and according to scientists it helps our brain make links between unrelated subjects.
In the study, led by Professor Sara Mednick, scientists made a conclusion that the REM was “important for assimilating(消化) new information into past experience” in order to find solutions to creative problems.
Prof. Mednick is a psychiatrist at the University of California. Her study involved the analysis of 77 adults. Each participant was given several word-associated creative tasks. All tasks were given in the morning, with participants being shown a number of groups of 3 words, for example: cookie, heart and sixteen. They were asked to come up with a word that would be associated with all three given terms—like sweet. Sometime later, after some participants were allowed to sleep, they were asked to perform the same tasks and some new ones. It is worth mentioning that while some people slept, researchers used brain scans to see the type of sleep each participant entered.
When given the same tasks, participants, who took a nap, were able to give more varied solutions, some of which were much better than they gave earlier. But when given new tasks, researchers found that those who entered REM sleep had a 40 percent better result compared to the performance they showed in the morning.
1.What does “it” refer to in the second paragraph?
A. The effect.B. REM.C. Sleep.D. A problem.
2.Why do the researchers study the REM?
A. Because REM takes place just after you sleep.
B. Because REM can store more information.
C. Because REM can help find creative solutions
D. Because REM can make a creative invention.
3.What can we know from this passage?
A. Taking a short nap is good for your thinking during the day.
B. Sleeping has three processes which is good for creativity.
C. Each adult was allowed to sleep after the task was given.
D. REM is a process taking place right after we awake when we nap.
4.The important stage in the study is________.
A. to think of a creative word
B. to show a group of 3 words
C. to give participants time to think
D. to let some participants sleep for a while
Fighting racial stereotypes（模式化）on US campuses often begins by putting students of different ethnic backgrounds together — under one dormitory roof.
Sam Boakye was a freshman at Ohio State University and the only black student on his floor. He was determined to get good grades — in part to make sure his white roommate had no basis for negative racial views. "You're pushed to do better, to challenge the stereotype that black people are not that smart," he told the New York Times.
Several recent studies have found that having a roommate of a different race can reduce prejudice(偏见), diversify(使多样化) friendships and even promote students’ academic performance. In a study by Ohio State psychology professor Russell Fazio, black freshmen who came to college with high test scores earned better grades if they had a white roommate—even if the roommate’s test scores were low. Another study on student interaction by Duke University suggests that freshmen with roommates of a different race were the most likely to diversify their friendships. “Just having diversity in classrooms doesn’t do anything to increase interracial friendships,” said Claudia Buchman, an author of the Duke study. “But living together with a different-race roommate does lead to more interracial friendships.”
There are, however, some problems with such room assignments. Fazio’s study found that three times as many randomly(随机地) assigned interracial roommates weren’t living together at the end of the semester, compared with white roommates. Interracial roommates also spent less time together, had fewer joint activities and were less involved with each other’s friends than white pairs.
As for Boakye, this is not the case. “A lot of white students come without much exposure（暴露）to diversity, so when their first interaction with a black guy isn’t bad, they will make more black friends. I think I made a good impression on my freshman roommate. I saw him this year, and he said, ‘Hey dude, you’re not the only black friend I have.’ That felt good.”
1.Having a roommate of a different race can have the following benefits EXCEPT ________.
A. making more friends
B. reducing prejudice
C. earning better grades
D. improving physical health
2.Sam Boakye was determined to get good grades partly because ________.
A. he wanted to prove he was a smart boy
B. he intended to please his parents
C. he wished to earn the scholarship
D. he wanted to show black people are as smart as white people
3.We can conclude that Boakye ________.
A. got along well with his white roommate
B. shared fewer joint activities with his white roommate
C. had a negative attitude towards his white roommate
D. is still living together with his freshman white roommate
4.The 4th paragraph is mainly about ________.
A. the interracial friendship
B. some problems with having an interracial roommate
C. some comments on the interracial roommates
D. the interaction between the black student and the white student
A mother’s love
I’M a New York City firefighter. Every day, I see terror — sometimes even death. But the day I found Scarlett was different. That day I saw life. And love.
We were responding to a call about a burning garage. Outside, I heard the sound of cats crying. I couldn’t stop — I would have to look for the cats after the fire was put out.
It took a long time to finally bring the big fire under control, but we did it. No one inside was hurt.
At that point I was free to investigate the cat noises. There was still a lot of smoke and heat coming from the building. I followed the meowing(猫叫) to a spot on the sidewalk near the front of the garage. There, crying and huddled(挤作一团) together, were five terrified kittens. They must have been inside the building, as their fur was badly singed(烫烧).
I left the five kittens in a box on a neighbor’s porch(门廊).
I wanted to find the mother. It was obvious that she had gone into the burning garage and carried out all of her babies, one by one — unbelievable.
We finally found her. She was badly burnt: her eyes were blistered (起水泡), her paws(爪子) were blackened, and her fur was singed all over. You could even see her reddened skin beneath the burned fur. She could barely move. I picked her up, and she relaxed in my arms as much as her pain would allow. Sensing her trust, I shed a tear. I was determined to save this brave little cat and her family.
The vet told me they would observe the kittens and their mother overnight, but they weren’t optimistic about the mother’s changes.
About a week later, I found out she was going to live. One of the technicians suggested we name her Scarlett, because of her reddened skin.
Knowing what Scarlett endured(忍受) for her kittens, it melted my heart to see her reunited with them. She touched each of them again, nose to nose, to make sure they were all safe. She had risked her life five separate times — and it had paid off. All of her babies had survived.
As a firefighter, I see heroism(英雄事迹) every day. But what Scarlett showed me that day was the kind of bravery that can only come from a mother’s love.
1.Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?
A. The author went to rescue the cats as soon as he heard them crying.
B. The firefighters put out the big fire quickly and no one was hurt.
C. The mother cat moved all of her five babies to a safer place despite the fire.
D. The author didn’t find the cats until the smoke and heat were gone.
2.Why was the author determined to save the cats?
A. He refused to watch someone else die in his work.
B. He was impressed by the mother’s strong love and courage.
C. The cat’s story had made many people concerned.
D. It had taken much time and effort for him to save them.
3.Which best describes the author’s tone in the article?
A. Objective.B. Admiring.C. Excited.D. Optimistic.
Marlene Dietrich is finally to be honored by her home city, Berlin.
For more than half a century, the famous film star won huge fame in Hollywood, but remained a highly controversial（引起争议的） figure in Germany.
When the city’s new film museum is opened on September 26, three of its 15 rooms will show the star’s possessions collected over a lifetime.
In addition to various collections by Marlene, visitors will be able to see all Marlene Dietrich’s movies. There will also be key except for a vast range of Germany-made films.
Dietrich became a world star after her wonderful performance in a movie. After that, she turned her back on Germany, horrified by the sudden movement of Nazi in her hometown.
A few years after the war, the star was persuaded to pay a short visit to Berlin. But the trip proved a disaster. At a city hall gathering in West Berlin, crowds turned out to see her, but not all friendly.
She was attacked at times. She found herself being blamed for wearing an American uniform during the war to please U.S. troops in Europe. She was also scolded for “turning her back on the country”.
Dietrich, deeply hurt, decided she would never return to Berlin again. But she softened her judgment.
When she died in Paris in 1972, it was at her express wish that her body should be sent back to Berlin for burial alongside her mother in a local cemetery.
1.From the second paragraph, we can get to know that ________.
A. Germans were narrowed-minded
B. Germans were difficult to get along with
C. all Germans admired Dietrich
D. some Germans disliked Dietrich
2.The underlined sentence “she turned her back on Germany” (in paragraph 5) means ________.
A. Dietrich looked down upon her country
B. Dietrich turned away from her country
C. Dietrich gave up performance in her country
D. Dietrich lost her job in her country
3.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Visitors can see various collections by Marlene in Berlin’s new film museum.
B. Dietrich was a famous film star in Hollywood.
C. After the war, Dietrich paid a short visit to her country.
D. Wearing an Australian uniform during the war, Dietrich was regarded a betrayer(背叛者) to her country.
4.The famous film star, as a whole, ________.
A. hated her country because she was once scolded for betraying Germany
B. enjoyed her life in France
C. loved her country from her heart
D. felt satisfied with her performance
假设你是育才一中的学生会主席李华，你从网上新闻得知2016年诺贝尔文学奖得主Bob Dylan要来中国。你们学校准备在2017年1月1日上午8:00—10:00在学校会议厅举办一次主题为“音乐与文学”的英语演讲比赛，来自各个年级的十位优秀学生将会参赛。请你代表学校学生会写一封电子邮件，邀请他来做评委。
写作内容要点如下：
1. 表明写信目的；
2. 介绍演讲比赛相关信息(如时间，地点，主题，参赛人员等)；
3. 期待他接受邀请。
注意：1.文章开头已给出，不计入总词数。2. 可适当增加细节，使文章内容充实、连贯。
3. 字数：100字左右
提示词：诺贝尔文学奖 Nobel Prize in Literature 评委 judge 会议厅 conference room
英语演讲比赛 English Speaking Competition
Dear Bob Dylan,
I’m very glad to know from the online news that you will visit China soon.________________
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Yours,
Li Hua
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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（^），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
During the holiday of National Day, I saw a heated crime action movie naming Operation Mekong，that was based on a true story known as the Mekong Massacre. Two Chinese commercial vessels were hijacked while traveling down the Mekong River of the Golden Triangle, one of the large drug-manufacturing region in the world. All 13 sailors killed, and 900,000 methamphetamine pills were found on the spot by Thailand officials. The Chinese government sent a group of admirable officers to the Golden Triangle so as to uncover a truth of the case. The police informer in Thailand concentrated all her attention on the usual clues. By updating clues constant, he assisted his colleagues to acquire thorough evidence of the crime. Eventually officers cracked the criminal organization and brought criminals to justice. All in all, I highly recommend this film to all of you, so it is eye-catching and thought-provoking, and I think it is worth to seeing.
