Foreigners with basic Chinese language skills can generally ask for advice on restaurants or how 1. (get) to the subway. But the fact is, many still find it 2. (challenge) to use the language in real-life settings. Some even think that no one in China actually speaks Putonghua, at least not 3. (nature). This is an opinion that many Chinese themselves would be quick to agree with.
However, in a small county 4. (name) Luanping, Chengde City, Hebei Province, you can meet the locals, young and old, 5., despite their education level, talk exactly in 6. same manner as the language recordings you became used to in class. For 7. (generation) , they have known no other mother tongue other than the standard Chinese.
Elderly residents in Luanping still remember the experts from the capital
8. (record) the way they spoke in the 1950s, which began being promoted nationally in 1955. The county 9. turn proudly calls 10. (it) the “hometown of Putonghua”.
In 2010, Alec Johnson presented his father Michael with a Christmas list with a number of high-priced items. Wanting to show his son what really _______ in life, Michael and his wife Mehmaz brought Alec and his best friend Luke to downtown San Diego, where they _______ home-made burritos（墨西哥玉米卷饼）to the people living on the streets.
At first, Alec viewed the exercise as a ________. But after communicating with the _______ in San Diego, Michael says, “The boys had such a great time that they asked if they could do it _______ ” The project quickly grew bigger,
_____ more and more of Alec’s friends got involved.
Over the years, the boys have ________ a lot about not only themselves but the people they’re helping to ________ as well. One volunteer told People that taking part in the project has changed his sense of those less ________. “When you go out there you see they’re just people who have had a hard ________ of luck.”
On Sundays, Michael’s day _______ as early as 4：30 a.m., when he heads to a local restaurant ________ to begin preparing ingredients（配料）that will soon be used to make over 600 burritos. As the morning ________, more and more people come to ________ their services. They quickly create these warm meals. _______ the burritos are all made around 8:30, the _______ pack up and drive to two different
_____ locations in downtown San Diego. _______ round burritos, the group gives out drinks to those in need.
“Our goal is to get people ________ the streets and provide them with a little nutrition, a little hope and a little ________,” says Michael.
1.A. matters B. succeeds C. lacks D. happens
2.A. picked up B. begged for C. handed out D. ate up
3.A. course B. punishment C. relaxation D. reward
4.A. hopeless B. stateless C. nameless D. homeless
5.A. again B. well C. once D. hard
6.A. unless B. as C. if D. although
7.A. attempted B. shared C. conveyed D. learned
8.A. free B. feed C. save D. cure
9.A. intelligent B. anxious C. guilty D. fortunate
10.A. turn B. role C. trial D. plan
11.A. breaks B. comes C. pauses D. begins
12.A. kitchen B. reception C. counter D. court
13.A. catches on B. works on C. wears on D. carries on
14.A. acknowledge B. lend C. purchase D. consume
15.A. Because B. Even though C. Once D. In case
16.A. volunteers B. employees C. waiters D. customers
17.A. production B. camp C. market D. distribution
18.A. In case of B. On account of C. In addition to D. In response to
19.A. into B. off C. near D. on
20.A. confidence B. belief C. pity D. dignity
Technology sometimes goes wrong. And the more you use technology, the more you know it can go wrong. A connection drops. A printer will not print or an app crashes. Tech troubles can let users down quickly. First reactions may be to scream，throw the device（设备）against the wall, or cry. 1. By following these steps, you could solve some of the most common tech problems on your own.
Search the Web. Learn about your tech problem on a search website, such as Google. See what others have experienced. Find expert articles about solving the problem. If your issue is with recent technology, such as a software update, be sure to look for the most recent articles. 372.
Check connection speed. Maybe you find that streaming, downloading orupdating is moving slowly. 3. You may think something is wrong with your device when, really, your network is just noe. A website such as Speedtest. net can check your connection speed.
4. Make sure you have the most recenl version of apps and software. You might ba expperiencing a problem from a bug（漏洞）that has been fixed in an update. But if you have not yet had the latest version you may miss the solution.
Ask the developer. 5. You can communicate with developers over email, Twitter or a contact form on their website. Explain the issue giving as much detail as possible, including the device you are using and the problem you are having.
A. Update.
B. Fix bugs.
C. Tech tips from years ago may not work now.
D. Contact the developer of the app or software.
E. Have you ever struggled when technology went wrong?
F. First, be sure to check your Internet connection speed.
G. However, you may be able to solve the problem by yourself.
When we smile, our system recognizes that there’s an absence of threat, and relaxes: It slows down our heart rate, and may temporarily reduce blood pressure, too, promoting overall heart health. Even forcing your face into a smile can reduce stress and relax your heart rate.
Smiling is a language that everyone understands regardless of age, race, culture, language, and nationality. We all know that when you smile at people, even strangers, they almost always smile back, spreading a kind of peace and goodwill. This contagious（有感染力的）smiling comes from a subconscious tendency to match other people’s emotions. It’s why people who spend time around children，who smile often, naturally smile more than people who keep mostly adults company.
People who are generous with smiles are considered more likeable and approachable than people who wear a deadpan（面无表情的）expression. Consider successful salesmen and politicians. Can you imagine how we’d react if they wore sour expressions? People who smile a lot are more likely to gain our trust — and earn better tips — than someone who provides the same service with an impassive face.
In a study, Major League Baseball players from 1952 who wore full-faced, genuine smiles on their baseball cards lived longer, around 79.9 years, compared to players who only partly smiled or didn’t smile at all, who lived 5 to 7 years less. Smiling can make us look younger, too: People who smile frequently seem to age more slowly, appearing around three years younger than their less smiley counterparts.
We now have evidence that we are hardwired to smile. While smiling used to be considered a learned behavior that babies acquired at around six weeks of age, more advanced ultrasound testing has shown that even babies who are bom blind can smile. Babies have been known to make breathing and sucking movements while still in the womb（子宫）, and these reactions are thought to prepare them for their life outside. Now smiling has joined the list. Say cheese!
1.What can smiling do according to Paragraph 1?
A. Remove your life pressure.
B. Improve the condition of the heart.
C. Make your blood pressure steady.
D. Prevent you from being absent-minded.
2.What should you do if you want to smile more according to the author?
A. Stay more with people smiling more.
B. Approach smart children.
C. Care more about others’ feelings.
D. Volunteer together with more strangers.
3.What does the author want to show by mentioning salesmen and politicians?
A. A false smile may hurt people.
B. Smiles contribute to a career.
C. Generous people tend to smile more.
D. Work pressure stops people smiling.
4.What does the author suggest in the last paragraph?
A. Babies smile within 2 months.
B. Blind babies learn to smile.
C. Smiling is a natural ability.
D. Breathing and sucking are similar to smiling.
A nerve-zapping（电击神经）headset caused people to get rid of fat in a small preliminary study. Six people who had received the stimulation（刺激）lost on average about 8 percent of the fat on their trunks in four months, scientists reported at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience,
The headset stimulated the vestibular nerve（前庭神经）, which runs just behind the ears. That nerve sends signals to the hypothalamus, a brain structure thought to control the body’s fat storage. By stimulating the nerve with an electrical current, the technique shifts the body away from storing fat toward burning it.
Six overweight and obese people received the treatment, consisting of up to four one-hour-long sessions of stimulation a week. Because it activated the vestibular system, the stimulation created the sensation of gently rocking on a boat or floating in a pool, said the study’s co-author Jason McKeown of the University of California, San Diego.
After four months, body scans measured the trunk fat for the six people receiving the treatment and three people who received unreal stimulation. All six in the treatment group lost some trunk fat, despite not having changed their activity or diet. In contrast, those in the unreal group gained some fat. Researchers suspect that changes in the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within human cells are behind the difference. “The results were a lot better than we thought they’d be,” McKeown said.
Earlier studies found that vestibular nerve stimulation causes mice to drop fat and pack on muscle, resulting in what McKeown called Schwarzenegger mice. Though small, the current study suggests that the approach has promise in people. McKeown and his colleagues have started a company based on the technology and plan to test it further.
1.What is an electrical current used for?
A. Causing the body to bum its fat.
B. Controlling the body’s storage of fat.
C. Seeing if the headset will be affected.
D. Speeding the process of one’s digesting.
2.What’s the probable reason for the different results in participants?
A. The length of stimulation they received.
B. The type of stimulation they received.
C. The difference in their vestibular system.
D. The way chemicals process in their body.
3.Which is true about McKeown’s current findings?
A. They have a kind of practical value.
B. They go against those of earlier tests on mice.
C. They were widely recognized at the meeting.
D. They have been tested by MeKeown’s company.
4.What can be the best title of the text?
A. The science of zapping fat
B. A new trial of weight loss
C. Zapping certain nerves leads to fat loss
D. Exercise for weight loss and get fit
When Seattle-based poet Heather McHugh won $500,000 from the Mac Arthur Foundation, she didn’t buy a Maserati or fly to Paris. Instead, she put the money in the bank and continued teaching college courses and writing poetry. It wasn’t until about two years later, in 2011, that she finally figured out what to do with it.
She discovered there are millions of caregivers in the United States taking care of the chronically（长期地）ill or disabled. “It’s a heartbreaking contract of love,” she says. So in 2012, Heather formed Caregifted, a non-profit organization that offers a seven-day, all-expenses-paid vacation to Vancouver Island to people who have been caregivers for at least ten years.”It’s hard physical, psychological, and emotional work. “It’s clear they deserve and need a respite,” she says.
Tricia Eisner, a single mother of 19-year-old triplet（三胞胎中的一个）boys，two of them with severe illness, was one of the first caregivers to go on vacation, in 2013. When Tricia got a phone call saying Caregifted wanted to send her to Eastport，Maine，she “couldn’t believe” someone would pay for her to go on a vacation; disbelief gave way to concern about her sons. But after two days away, the worry was gone. n After being in Maine by myself, with nobody to take care of or think about except myself, I realized that rock was gone," says Tricia. She was afraid the heaviness would return when the week was over, but to her surprise, it hasn’t been back since.
Heather says, “Everybody needs restorative time. For some, it’s life-extending.” Tricia and the other guests aren’t the only ones to benefit from Caregifted ； Heather has too. “I thought I was the queen of love, being a poet, ” Heather says. “But I didn’t know a thing about love until I met these people.”
1.Whom is Caregifted intended for?
A. The disabled. B. The kids.
C. The caregivers. D. The patients.
2.What does the underlined word “respite” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. reward B. rest
C. job D. promotion
3.How did Tricia feel after staying in Maine for two days?
A. Concerned. B. Relieved.
C. Excited. D. Doubtful.
4.What does the last paragraph suggest?
A. People benefit when they give.
B. Poets are full of love and helpful.
C. Caregifted is life-extending.
D. Heather once lackedlove.
