Thank 
You Notes: The Essential Life Lessons
There is no greater gift for any of us to give our friends and family than the gift of gratitude. 1.Take a quiet moment to think about the blessings of the season and write a thank you note to everyone who made it special for you. There are some life lessons from thank you notes.
2.Even a child can make some lines on paper, help pick out a pretty stamp, and lick the envelope. This helps create a sense of ownership, confidence, and contribution.
Thank you notes strengthen communication skills. Wherever you are, no skill matters more than the ability to communicate clearly and sincerely. It conveys reliability, confidence and thoughtfulness.3.
Thank you notes remind you about what matters.4. But when we write a thank you note we have to locate within ourselves some way to be grateful and find some way to express it. We do not find happiness in what we get. We find happiness in being grateful for what we have.
5. Not, “Thank you for the sweater. It is cool.” but “Thanks for the sweater!” Not, “Thanks for the game,” but “We had a blast playing that game.”
I think you will soon discover that the more thank you notes you send, the more you become aware of how much there is to be grateful for, and how good it feels to let people know you appreciate them.
A. Everyone can write a thank you note.
B. Maybe the gift was thoughtless.
C. And that can begin with thank you notes.
D. Thank you notes must have specific details.
E. There is no other way to convey this message.
F. You can even write to people you do not know.
G. Those are the qualities that inspire people to trust and respect you.
A “smart drug” taken by students to improve their performance really does work, scientists have found.
The drug modafinil（莫达非尼） is currently used to treat sleep disorder, but it is widely used off-label by students to help them revise for exams or focus on long essays.
Until now, there has been a lack of clear evidence over whether it can actually boost concentration and alertness. But a new analysis of the research revealed it does improve planning and decision making, flexibility, learning and memory, and even creativity.
The findings raise serious ethical(处方的，道德的) questions about whether modafinil should be “classified, tolerated or condemned”, scientists said.
Professor Guy Goodwin, President of the European College said: “It’s the first real example of a ‘smart drug’, which can genuinely help, for example, with exam preparation.”
Previous ethical discussions around smart drugs assumed major effects of the drugs before 
it was clear that there were any, he added.
He continued “If correct, the present update means the ethical debate is real: how should we classify, tolerate or condemn a drug that improves human performance?”[
A fifth of university students across the country claim to have taken smart drugs, according to surveys by student newspaper The Tab.
And the use of modafinil is most widespread at Oxford University, where a quarter of students have reported to have used it.
Over the years, universities have discussed how best to respond to the use of smart drugs, and some have suggested Olympic-style doping tests for students sitting exams.
Professor Goodwin said there should be a society-wide debate on how modafinil should be licenced and regulated, as well as what universities should do ab
out its use.
He said: “Regulation has been and remains uncertain. We cannot know either if demand for modafinil in the same societies will actually be significant, whether society will be more accepting and how regulation will then be framed.”
1.Who are likely to turn to the “smart drug” modafinil?
A. Children who lack strength.
B. Students who have poor memory.
C. Old people who have poor sight.
D. Patients who have a heart disease.
2.Why does the writer refer to the students of Oxford University?
A. To show smart drugs enjoy popularity among college students.
B. To prove Oxford University students suffer from a heavy load.
C. To tell us smarts drugs use have spread to England.
D. To explain why Oxford University students are clever.
3.What is the topic of passage?
A. “Smart drugs” also have side effects.
B. Students are addicted to “smart drugs”.
C. A “Smart drug” raises ethical questions.
D. A more effective “smart drags” should be developed.
4.What does Professor Goodwin think of ‘smart drug’ modafinil?
A. Modafinil used as a ‘smart drug’ should be forbidden.
B. Regulation on modafinil remains to be discussed.
C. Our society should accept the use of modafinil.
D. Regulation on modafinil being used as a “smart drug” is necessary.
In December, after her third fall in a few months, Doris Carpenter was admitted to Rochdale infirmary（养老院）. Carpenter, 84, lives alone, but she is increasingly unsteady on her feet, and if she falls, she hasn’t the strength to get up again. Previously, a call to 111 would call nursing staff who could put her back into a chair, but it was increasingly clear she wasn’t coping, and needed more support.
Th
is isn’t like any old hospital, however. Today Carpenter isn’t in bed but sitting in a chair, dressed in her own clothes, a fat Dan Brown book in front of her. “You don’t feel like you’re in hospital,” she says.
Two side rooms have been furnished with small groups of tables and chairs, with bright tablecloths. Those patients who are able can help themselves to food at mealtimes and sit with others to eat, or go to the library to select another page-turner. A physiotherapist helps Carpenter with her painful back, and is working to help improve her confidence on stairs.
Previously, an elderly person in Carpenter’s condition would most likely have ended up in an acute hospital ward（病房）.
There, very frequently, people of her age would get stuck, and many would go downhill fast.
“They come into hospital, and our model in the NHS is to put them to bed,” says Steve Taylor, the divisional director for community services. “Put your pyjamas on, you stay in that bed, we will feed you and toilet you.”
Shockingly quickly, he says, patients can lose what abilities they previously had. “And then, when it comes time to discharge you, you can no longer walk.”
This is probably the biggest challenge facing the NHS – the problem of an older population, the long years of illness that many of us will face and a fragile social care system underpinning it all.
1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. Carpenter often falls at home.
B. No one looks after Carpenter.
C. There is something wrong with Carpenter’s legs.
D. Carpenter is in such poor condition that she had to go to hospital.
2.How might Carpenters feel living in the new hospital?
A. Lonely. B. Desperate.
C. Relaxed. D. Curious.
3.In which section of a newspaper can you find this text?
A. Society. B. Technology.
C. Family. D. Medicine.
Ask any American what he/she is doing on Sunday, February 7 and the answer is likely to be either hosting or attending a Super Bowl Party. Played for the title of the National Football League Champion, Super Bowl is the most watched annual television program in the United States.
That's because Super Bowl which is celebrating its Golden Anniversary this year, is more than just a 60-minute football game—it is a well-designed production that features half-time performances, fireworks shows and television ads that people discuss for days.
But most important of all, it is the day to set aside all diets and enjoy foods one would normally avoid or at least not consume at the same time. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest food consumption days in the U.S. — Second only to Thanksgiving.
The noshing will start early in the day, long before matches begin and continue long after the 2016 NFL Champions have retired to celebrate.
As a result, it is estimated that on Sunday, the nation will consume 1.2 million pounds of potato chips, 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips, 3.8 million pounds of popcorn and 3 million pounds of nuts.
When the real hunger pains start to hit, they will seek out comfort foods. Not surprisingly, pizza tops the list. Chicken wings are also very popular. It is estimated that almost 1.3 billion wings will be consumed on Super Bowl Sunday. Other favorites include bacon, hot dogs and burgers.
But the food consumption is not without consequences. Data released indicates that antacid (解酸药) sales increase by 20% on the Monday following the big game. Additionally, over seven million Americans call in sick. It is no wonder that fans have been urging the government to declare Super Bowl Monday a holiday.
1.Why does Super Bowl become the most popular television program?
A. It is the longest football game.
B. It is hosted by famous film stars.
C. It contains the most wonderful ads.
D. It involves in various performances.
2.Which can replace the underlined word “noshing” in Paragraph 4?
A. playing B. eating
C. competing D. resting
3.Which comfort food is consumed the most？
A. Hot dogs. B. Pizza.
C. Nuts. D. Chicken wings.
4.What bad result might Super Bowl Sunday lead to?
A. Lots of food is wasted.
B. Public disorder is caused.
C. Some people have an upset stomach.
D. Many people lose their work.
Plays
Father Comes Home from the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)
These three short plays by Suzan Lori-Parks are the start of an ambitious attempt to retell the story of the American civil war. The focus is on a slave promised his freedom by his master if he joins in the fight against the Union. Steve Toussaint and Jimmy Akingbola head the cast, and Jo Bonney is in charge.
• 15 September to 4 October, Royal Court, London. Box office: 020-7565 5000.
A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer
Bryony Kimmings and Brian Lobel consider our attitudes to cancer and the language we employ to deal with it through the stories of five people. This is an all-singing, all-dancing affair with music by Tom Parkinson, wiping off the pink charity ribbons to look at the realities of diagnosis(诊断)and what it means for the wider family.
• 20-24 September, Home, Manchester. Box office: 0161-200 1500.
The Nest
Every parent wants the best for their baby. Kurt and Martha are prepared to work hard to ensure theirs has everything he needs, even if that means Kurt taking on extra work. Franz Xaver Kroetz’s extraordinary play about the damage that profit causes to individuals and the environment gets a new translation from Conor McPherson.
• 15-22 October, Lyric, Belfast. Box office: 028-9038 1081.
The Red Barn
David Hare’s new play is based on La Main, a psychological thriller by the great Georges Simenon. The story concerns two couples who, on their way back from a party, struggle through the snow. The play is directed by Robert Icke, and the cast is headed by Mark Strong and Hope Davis.
• 6-20 October, Lyttelton, London. Box office: 020-7452 3000.
1.What do we know about Father Comes Home from the Wars?
A. It is set in the USA.
B. It is put on throughout September.
C. It tells of the hardship slaves suffered.
D. It is the first play to describe the cruelty of war.
2.When can you see the play directed by Robert Icke?
A. 19 September. B. 3 October.
C. 10 October. D. 21October.
3.In which play can we feel parents’ love for children?
A. The Nest
B. The Red Barn
C. Father Comes Home from the Wars
D. A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer
4.What do the plays mentioned in the text have in common?
A. They are all comedies. B. They are put on in autumn.
C. They are highly thought of. D. They are works of the same writer.
最近一段时间，共享单车在城市的大街小巷随处可见，它给人们带来便利的同时，各种问题及不文明现象也随之而来。请你根据所见所闻，说说自己的看法并提出建议，以“Bike Sharing”为题写一篇英语短文。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
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