Why should you read every day?
When was the last time you read a book? If you're one of countless people who don't make a habit of reading regularly, you might be missing out. Reading has many benefits, and just a few benefits of reading are listed below.
Mental Stimulation
Studies have shown that staying mentally stimulated can slow the progress of Alzheimer's and Dementia. 1.. Just like any other muscle in the body, the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy.
Wider Knowledge
Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. 2..
Stress Reduction
No matter how much stress you have at work, in your personal relationships, or countless other problems, it all just slips away when you lose yourself in a great story. 3.. And an interesting article will distract you and keep you in the present moment, allowing you to relax.
4.
When you read a book, all of your attention is focused on the story— the rest of the world just falls away. Try reading for 15 to 20 minutes before work, and you'll be surprised at how much more focused you are once you get to the office.
Tranquility(安宁)
5.. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about a sense of calm,while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders or mental illnesses.
A. Stronger thinking skills.
B. Improved focus and concentration.
C. A well-written novel can transport you to other worlds.
D. Reading a good book can also bring about great inner peace.
E. That's because keeping your brain active prevents it from losing power.
F. Reading books is also important for learning new languages and cultures.
G. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to deal with your future challenges.
They already guide blind and disabled people; now dogs are to be trained to help people with dementia(痴呆) or Alzheimer's. Alzheimer's can make people confuse night and day or forget basic things such as washing and drinking enough water.
The dogs will be trained to respond to sound triggers(触发器) in the home that make them perform tasks. The duties will include reminding their owners to take medicine, as well as encouraging them to eat, drink and sleep regularly.
The idea was developed by design students at the Glasgow School of Art and will now be put into practice by Alzheimer's Scotland and Dogs for the Disabled. The first dogs will be distributed to four Scottish couples, where one of the partners is in the early stages of dementia. 670,000 people in Britain have dementia and one in three over 65 will develop the condition. By 2021 this is expected rise to one million.
John Gray of Alzheimer's Scotland said, "People in the early stages of dementia are still able to live a relatively normal life, and dogs help to maintain routine. " Another advantage of using the pets as companions is that dogs can give them a sense of silent support and companionship. Ms Gray said: "The evidence is that people may forget familiar faces but not pets. It's such a strong bond that people often remember them longest. People don't need to communicate verbally(口头上) but they can still interact. You can have a speechless bond."
Helen McCain, director of Dogs for the Disabled, said, "People with dementia often forget to take medicine. If a dog presents them with a bag with pills in it, there is a greater chance of them taking it. The dogs would also encourage the owners to take them out for walks, ensuring they keep exercising and interacting with other people."
1.In Britain people with dementia_____________.
A. are likely to increase in number
B. are mostly over 65 years old
C. will be trained to respond to sound triggers
D. will be able to live a relatively normal life
2.The dogs are trained to perform tasks by______________.
A. making some sound signals
B. communicating with the patients
C. reminding the patients by barking
D. reacting to some sound triggers
3.What does the underlined word "them" in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Faces. B. Triggers.
C. Pets. D. Companions.
Next time you hear a funny joke you'd better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn't always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says, "We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their hearts, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who'd dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs."
It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it's not all doom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that's right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: "You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm(横隔膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful."
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you'd use about 2, 000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don't do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way.
But I don't want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humour and keep smiling. Life is short anyway.
1.Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT _____
A. heart stop
B. diaphragm movement
C. lung burst
D. jaw dislocation
2.The underlined phrase "doom and gloom" in Paragraph 2 probably means "______".
A. hopeless
B. funny
C. painful
D. nervous
3.How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
A. About 40.
B. About 1, 000.
C. About 2, 000.
D. About 2, 040.
4.What is the author's attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
A. Uninterested.
B. Disapproving.
C. Worried.
D. Favorable.
A person's nose is important for breathing and smelling. The nose is also used in many popular expressions. Some people are able to "lead other people by the nose". For example, if a wife "leads her husband by the nose", she makes him do whatever she wants him to do. Some people are said to be "hard-nosed". They will not change their opinions or positions on anything. If someone is "hard-nosed", chances are that he will never "pay through the nose", or pay too much money, for an object or service.
It is always helpful when people "keep their noses out of other people's business"—they do not interfere. The opposite of this is someone who "noses around all the time". This kind of person is interested in other people's private matters. He is considered "nosey". Someone who "keeps his nose to the grindstone "works very hard. This can help a worker "keep his nose clean" or stay out of trouble.
One unusual expression is "it is no skin off my nose". This means that a situation does not affect or concern me. We also say that sometimes a person "cuts off his nose to spite his face". That is, he makes a situation worse for himself by doing something foolish because he is angry. More problems can develop if a person "looks down his nose" at someone or something. The person acts like something is unimportant or worthless. This person might also "turn his nose up" at something that he considers not good enough. This person thinks he is better than everyone else. He is "with his nose in the air".
In school, some students "thumb their noses" at their teacher—they refuse to obey orders or do any work. Maybe these students do not know the correct answers. My mother always told me, if you study hard, the answers should be "right under your nose" or easily seen.
1.Which of the following can best describe a "hard-nosed" person?
A. Stubborn. B. Wise.
C. Jealous D. Generous.
2.A person is not welcome if he __________.
A. "keeps his nose clean"
B. "noses around all the time"
C. "keeps his nose to the grindstone"
D. "keeps his nose out of other peoples business"
3.The expression "turn one's nose up" is similar to__________.
A. "it is no skin off one's nose"
B. "look down one's nose"
C. "with one' s nose in the air"
D. "thumb one's nose"
假定你是李华，昨天你有一次不愉快的就餐经历，对餐厅的服务员态度非常不满意，于是你给该餐厅老板写一封投诉信。要点如下：
1.问题：牛肉面(beef noodles)里有苍蝇(fly)，服务员态度粗鲁。
2.要求：餐厅赔礼道歉。
3.希望能改进服务。
注意：1.词数：100左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sir / Madam,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
Last Sunday, sixty students from our school pay a visit to China Science and Technology Museum.
The museum, which main task is to spread the knowledge of science and technology, covers area of 48,000 square meters. The moment when we entered the museum, the exhibition caught their attention. In the museum, we saw the latest progresses in science and technology. Moreover, we did an amazed scientific experiment by ourselves. What appealed for us most was the 3D film that made us feel we were in real events.
Though the visiting time was slight short, we gained a lot. It is so an instructive activity that we hope more will be organized in the future.
