Maps of the world’s population show that the majority of people today live near water. 1.We also vacation at the beach and find comfort fishing on a lake. Nothing makes small children happier than the chance of playing in water. More interesting, this human favor for water makes evolutionary sense. 2.
Neuroscientist(神经系统科学家) Michael Crawford of the University of North London has proposed that our ancient ancestors attached to the sea, and that their devotion paid off by allowing the human species to develop large and complex brains. Crawford claims that when humans separated from apes and appeared in the forests of Africa, they stuck close to rivers and beaches and started catching fish and crabs.3.
It's no coincidence, Crawford claims, that human brain growth began to increase rapidly once we left the woods and headed for the beach.
4.Psychiatrist(精神病学家)and biochemist Joseph Hibbelin of National Institutes of Health has shown that across cultures there is direct link between amount of fish eaten each week and rates of depression. More interesting, Hibbelin and researcher Laura Reis have found that fish is commonly used as a symbol of happiness and good health in various religions and cultures.
5.We vacation on the coast and see the waves come and go, feeling happiness has taken over our brain. When we move inland, or go home from vacation, we lose touch with our sea roots and feel unhappy.
A. Sure, we need drinking water to live, but we have also benefited from what’s swimming under waves.
B. We know that fish and the sea are good for us, and we seek them out.
C. We live along coastlines, around bays, up the course of rivers and streams and on islands.
D. Scientists help people overcome depression.
E. Scientists have also discovered that people who eat fish regularly are less likely to suffer from depression than those who eat less seafood.
F. It is good for our health to swim under the waves.
G. That sea food was packed with omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids that promote brain cell growth.
Now that so much data is stored and circulated electronically, a library might seem to be a slightly outdated concept. However, a huge proportion of the world’s information and learning is still not available electronically, so libraries retain their importance for research and study. It is should also be remembered that libraries store books, inscriptions(铭文), and documents that are beautiful, and valuable not just for their contents, but also for their historic and artistic significance.
British Library (United Kingdom, London)
The British Library was created by Act of Parliament in 1972. Previously, the library had been part of the British Museum, where the famous circular reading room had accommodated researchers including Karl Marx, who worked on Das Kapital there, as well as Oscar Wilde and Mohandas Gandhi. The British Library is now housed in a new building in St. Pancras, London, where its treasures include two Gutenberg Bibles, the Lindisfarne Gospels, and one of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks.
Library of Congress(United States, Washington, D. C)
Founded in 1800 with the private collection of Thomas Jefferson, the Library of Congress is in fact the USA’s National Library, although only Congress members and employees can borrow books. It receives two copies of everything published in the United States. The Library of Congress was burned by the British Army in 1812, and severely damaged by fire again in 1851. The collection includes many rare books and drawings, and two Stradivarius violins.
National Library of China(Beijing)
Holding over 30 million books and documents, and visited by over five million people every year, this is the largest collection of Chinese writing in the world, and the largest library is Asia. It includes Chinese inscriptions on bone, stone, and tortoise shell which date back as far as the sixteenth century BC, and some of the oldest printed documents in existence as well as items in foreign languages and many rare books.
1.Despite the current electronic world, libraries are of importance because ________.
A. they are historically and artistically significant
B. they play an important role in preserving written accounts
C. they have available places for readers to rest
D. they are as convenient as electronic resources
2.Which of the following statements on British Library is TRUE?
A. The library has the most famous circular reading room in the world
B. Both Karl Marx and Oscar Wilde worked and lived in British Library
C. British Museum was once in charge of the British Library
D. All of Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks are kept there
3.Library of Congress differs from other two libraries in the fact that ________.
A. not all people are allowed to borrow books
B. its collection includes many rare written works
C. it was created by the British Army in 1812
D. Thomas Jefferson has nothing to do with its foundation
4.In National Library of China, you are able to ___________.
A. find copies of everything published in the US
B. read Chinese inscriptions on various materials before the 16th century BC
C. borrow rare books and books written in different languages
D. have access to treasures like Gutenberg Bibles and Lindisfarne Gospels
A technology company is developing a lie detector app for smartphones that could be used by parents, teachers—and even Internet daters.
The app measures blood flow in the face to assess whether or not you are telling the truth. Its developers say that it could be used for daters wanting to see if somebody really is interested in them. Parents could use it on their children to see if they are lying and teachers could work out which of their pupils are honest.
The app is being developed by Toronto startup NuraLogix and the software is called Transdermal Optical Imaging. The idea is that different human emotions create different facial blood flow patterns that we have no control over. These patterns change if we are telling the truth or telling a lie.
Using the footage(拍摄的片段) from the smartphone camera, the software will see the changes in skin colors and compare them to standardized results. A study found last year found that anger was associated with more blood flow and redness while sadness was associated with less of both.
Developmental neuroscientist(神经病学家)Kang Lee, who has been researching the field for 20 years, said, “It could be very useful, for example, for teachers. A lot of our students have math anxiety but they do not want to tell us, because that’s embarrassing.” Lee added that the technology would not replace lie detectors used in a court of law. He said: “They want the accuracy to be extremely high, like genetic tests, so a one-in-a-million error rate. Our technique won’t be able to achieve an extremely high accuracy level, so because of that I don’t think it’s useful for the courts.” He added that it will be a few years before the app is available to consumers.
1.How does the app work to identify whether the person is lying or not?
A. By controlling the blood flow patterns in our face when people are speaking
B. By measuring blood flow patterns and comparing changes in skin colors
C. By taking footage to replace lie detectors used in a court of law
D. By creating different facial blood flow patterns people needed
2.Why Transdermal Optical Imaging cannot be applied in courts at present?
A. It is too complicated to standardize results in courts
B. It hasn’t reached the required accuracy yet
C. Genetic tests are enough for situations like this
D. Its use is forbidden by law
3.What can be inferred from Kang Lee’s remarks in the last paragraph?
A. Students with math anxiety rarely ashamed of themselves
B. Lie detectors and Transdermal Optical Imaging are of the same function
C. The result of genetic tests is far more accurate than that of Transdermal Optical Imaging
D. Consumers will be able to download the app in the near future
You might think male models lead glamorous lives, filled with endless travel and invitations to socialize with the rich and beautiful. Almost everyone has formed an unrealistic picture of their lives, believing that they spend one afternoon beside the Mediterranean Sea sipping coffee and getting suntanned and the next moment they are on board flying to Rome. However, according to a 2016 documentary made by the pop culture news site Fusion, the financial reality of male models is not very pretty.
The main subject of the documentary, titled Unglamorous, is a male model named Cameron Keesling who went to New York to start his career, hoping to make a fortune in the world of models. Keesling is not a supermodel but he has certainly made his name known in the industry. He was “working in the industry for about a year before landing the cover of Italian Vogue” in 2014. But “Keesling and his companions were paid nothing for the shool”, Fusion reporter Nikita Redkar wrote.
Keesling also appeared at Paris Fashion Week and won lots of praise, while his compensation wouldn’t even cover the cost of traveling to and from Paris.
According to the documentary the most common way models get paid is by receiving free clothes, rather than money. In order to make ends meet, consequently, many of them have to take another job simply to make a living. Many of these models are in debt. Once they find an agency to represent them, a living income is provided by the agency to accommodate their rent, food, clothing and other expenses. Models are expected to pay off these costs once they find work, but many of the industry’s jobs don’t pay at all. Believe it or not, there is a pay gap between male models and female counterparts. Based on a survey conducted by Fortune.com, female models can make millions more than males, especially if you compare the top ten earners of each gender.
1.In common people’s eyes, male models are living __________.
A. a busy and simple life B. a tiring and dull life
C. an easy and comfortable life D. a hard and embarrassing life
2.Why does the author mention Cameron Keesling in the second paragraph?
A. To introduce his real life
B. To explain why he went to New York
C. To illustrate the hardship of male models’ lives
D. To encourage models to make a fortune in New York
3.What does the underlined word “counterparts” mean in the last paragraph?
A. Partners B. Peers
C. Opponents D. Competitors
4.What is the writer’s attitude towards the lives of the male models?
A. Supportive B. Doubtful
C. Critical D. Objective
In my profession as an educator and health care provider, I have worked with numerous children infected with the virus that causes AIDS. The relationships that I have had with these special kids have been gifts in my life. They have taught me so many things, but I have especially learned that great courage can be found in the smallest of packages.
Tyler was born infected with HIV and from the very beginning of his life, he was dependent on medications to survive. When he was five, he had a tube surgically inserted in a vein in his chest. This tube was connected to a pump, which he carried in a small backpack on his back. Medications were prepared inside this pump and were continuously supplied through this tube to his bloodstream. At times, he also needed supplemented (补充的)oxygen to support his breathing.
Tyler wasn’t willing to give up one single moment of his childhood to this deadly disease. It was not unusual to find him playing and racing around his backyard, wearing his medicine - laden backpack and dragging his tank of oxygen behind him. Tyler’s mom often teased him by telling him that he moved so fast she needed to dress him in red. That way, when she peered through the window to check on him playing in the yard, she could quickly spot him.
This fateful disease eventually wore down Tyler. He grew quite ill and, unfortunately, so did his HIV - infected mother. When it became apparent that he wasn’t going to survive, Tyler’s mom talked to him about death. She comforted him by telling Tyler that she was dying too, and that she would be with him soon in heaven.
A few days before his death, he whispered to me, " I might die soon. I’m not scared. When I die, please dress me in red. Mom promised she’s coming to heaven, too. I’ll be playing when she gets there, and I want to make sure she can find me."
1.What do we know about the tube inserted in Tyler’s chest?
A. It contained oxygen that helped Tyler breathe freely
B. Medications in the pump could be supplied through it
C. It was filled with medications that Tyler needed
D. It should be replaced by a new one after a year
2.Tyler’s mom dressed him in red in order to _______.
A. stress the importance of the color
B. find him as quickly as possible
C. meet the demand of him
D. encourage him to play and race happily outdoors
3.Tyler’s mom helped him face the death in the following ways except that _______.
A. she said to him that it would not long before she died
B. she promised to meet him in heaven soon
C. she had a frank talk with him about death
D. she gave him a medicine-loaded package
4.Which of the following might be the best title for the text?
A. Gifts in My Life B. A Fateful Disease
C. Dying in Red D. No More Tears in Heaven
假定你是李华，你校的交流生Lucy下周打算去老师家做客，但是她不知道中国人做客有哪些传统，她给你发了一封电子邮件，请你给她一些建议。请你依据下列要点，给她回复一封电子邮件。
要点如下：
1.适当地送一些礼物；
2.介绍中国的餐桌礼仪。
注意：
1.词数100左右。（开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数）
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Lucy,
I have received your email.You asked me for some suggestions on how to be a guest in China._____________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
I do hope you will enjoy yourself ill your teacher's home.
Yours Sincerely,
Li Hua
