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.
The latest study by the University of Florida has found that eating from smaller, less beautiful, and even paper plates will help prevent overeating. Eating with a fork instead of a spoon can help you lose weight, the researchers say. Much to their surprise, they find that putting mirrors in the dining room will also help reduce weight.
The researchers asked 185 college students to choose a chocolate cake or a fruit salad, and evaluated the taste. Those who ate in a room with a mirror scored the taste of junk food much lower than those in a room without a mirror. But the taste of fruit salad remained the same in any case.
Lead scientist, Dr. Ata Jami, says that a glance in the mirror tells people more than just about their physical appearance. It enables them to view themselves objectively and helps them to judge themselves and their behavior in the same way that they judge other people.
The mirrors were found to push people to compare and match their own behavior with accepted social standards. The researchers believe it proves that people don’t want to look in the mirror when they feel they are following the social standards. When they look in the mirror with mouths full of junk food, feelings of discomfort and failure can be increased. Therefore, the presence of the mirror lowers the taste of unhealthy food.
However, researchers say this is only the case if people select the food they are eating, because they are responsible for that choice. The researchers suggest that mirrors be placed in dining rooms and other eating spaces, so that people will start eating more healthily.
1.Researchers are amazed to find that ______.
A. paper plates make food look nicer
B. people using a fork will eat more
C. mirrors can help people lose weight
D. people will eat more in front of a mirror
2.What can be inferred from the study?
A. Some teenagers got involved in it.
B. People were required to eat with a spoon.
C. People preferred a chocolate cake to a fruit salad.
D. The mirror may not affect the taste of healthy food.
3.According to Dr. Ata Jami, the mirror ______.
A. makes people judge others correctly
B. makes people well judge themselves
C. is a necessary part of people’s daily life
D. can only show the appearance of a person
4.How does the mirror affect the taste of junk food?
A. By making people hungry.
B. By showing the social standards.
C. By attracting people to healthy food.
D. By causing a feeling of discomfort.
Physics is a different world now. Will there ever be another Einstein?
Scientists say a new Einstein will appear, but it may take a long time. After all, more than 200 years separated Einstein from his nearest rival (对手) , Isaac Newton. Many physicists say the next Einstein hasn’t been born yet, or is only a baby now. That’s because the searching for a unified(统一的) theory that would explain all the forces of nature has pushed current mathematics to its limits. New math must be created before the problem can be solved.
But researchers say there are many other factors working against another Einstein appearing anytime soon. For one thing, physics is quite a different field today. In Einstein’s day, there were a few thousand physicists worldwide, and fewer theoreticians. Education is different, too. One extremely important aspect of Einstein’s training that failed to be considered is the philosophy he read as a teenager. It taught him how to think theoretically about space and time.
And he was a skilled musician. The interplay between music and math is well known. Einstein would fiercely play his violin as a way to think through a knotty physics problem.
Today, universities have produced millions of physicists. There aren’t many jobs in science for them, so they go to Wall Street and Silicon Valley to apply their analytical skills to more practical and rewarding efforts.
Besides, those who stay in science don’t work alone. It’s very difficult to imagine an independent person like Einstein ever tolerating this.
1.Which of the following best explains the reason that the next Einstein hasn’t been born yet?
A. Education today doesn’t pay enough attention to philosophy teaching.
B. We don’t know who will be another Einstein among newly-born babies.
C. There were more physicists in Einstein’s time than today.
D. Math today is limited and cannot help the further development of physics.
2.One of the reasons that made Einstein a great scientist is _________.
A. the philosophy he read in his teens
B. the lack of physicists in his day
C. the knowledge learnt from Isaac Newton
D. his decision of not working at Wall Street
3.The underlined word “knotty” here probably means________.
A. interesting and useful B. important and meaningful
C. difficult and puzzling D. realistic and hard
4.From Paragraphs 3 and 4, how many reasons does the writer give to explain that another Einstein hasn’t appeared?
A. One. B. Two.
C. Three. D. Four.
Vincent Van Gogh was the son of a pastor (牧师) in Holland. Around his early twenties he decided to become an artist. He felt that color was his main influence and he used it to express himself. The way he painted was very unusual during the late 1800s because he paid much attention to colorful abstract art. Van Gogh had many paintings that have changed the way we look at art. His paintings weren’t popular during his lifetime because of an illness that was possibly a mental disorder. However, they are now considered to be the most popular forms of art in the world today. In what ways can we appreciate his paintings?
Learn about the artistic style of expressionism. In Van Gogh’s artwork, the style that he used was expressionism, which was the only one of this kind compared to other paintings.
Look for key symbols that would help you understand his artwork better such as the background of the objects.
Try to understand the artist’s aims. You can do this by watching the use of colors, perspectives, and the subject. Knowing the artist’s aims, you will be able to understand why he created the work.
Take what you have learned from the artwork and put it in your feelings to see how it affects you and is related to you. This will allow you to make a connection with the artist.
1.The article is mainly about _____.
A. how we should appreciate Van Gogh’s paintings
B. how Van Gogh expressed himself in paintings
C. why Van Gogh wanted to become an artist
D. why Van Gogh wasn’t famous in his lifetime
2.Van Gogh wanted to become an artist because _____.
A. his father was a famous artist B. he liked to express himself with color
C. he had a serious mental illness D. he grew up in a religious culture
3.According to the passage, which of the following about Van Gogh is NOT true?
A. Expressionism was usually used to describe his work.
B. He was likely to have suffered from a mental disorder.
C. When he was alive, his artwork wasn’t popular.
D. Like many others, he focused on colorful abstract art.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A. Van Gogh’s paintings were difficult to understand.
B. Van Gogh’s illness helped him paint.
C. Only after death can painters become famous.
D. We can’t understand Van Gogh’s feelings from his artwork.
City College
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All high school graduates and anyone 18 years of age or older, with or without a high school diploma, are suitable for admission. Individuals under the age of 18 who possess a high school diploma are also suitable for admission.
HOW TO ENROLL IN CREDIT COURSES
New and readmitted students must complete and hand in a credit admissions application form available online at www.ccsf.edu.
BEFORE YOU REGISTER:
Learn about your skill level in English and Math through our assessment service;
Attend an orientation (新生报到会) to hear about support services
Meet with a counselor (adviser) to select your courses;
Find out if you are required for attending the entrance examinations.
HOW TO ENROLL IN NONCREDIT COURSES
Courses in Noncredit Programs are free of charge (no enrollment fee). For information on how to enroll in noncredit courses, click here.
PARKING
Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to use public transit. Click here for Parking Regulations.
SERVICES
City College services include a bookstore, cafeteria, health center, tutoring center, career and transfer center, counseling, financial aid, library, learning resource center, student government offices, campus police, disabled students programs and more.
1.Which kind of the following people could not be admitted to City College?
A. A high school graduate
B. An adult without a high school diploma
C. Anyone who possesses a high school diploma
D. A sixteen boy without a high school diploma
2.What do we know about the entrance examinations from the passage?
A. All new and readmitted students must take the examinations.
B. Those who are poor in English and Math must take the entrance examinations.
C. Not all the new students are required to take the entrance examinations.
D. The entrance examinations are free of charge.
3.Where can this passage be found?
A. In a college news report B. In a newspaper advertisement
C. In a tour guide D. On an education website
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
Hi, I am Jane. I like the book named The Story of My Life by Helen Keller, which is the most influential book in my life. It is filled with courage, struggle and faith throughout. Helen Keller was once in deep despair in her childhood, but finally she decided to overcome her physical defects and live happily. Furthermore, she showed great patience in her long and hard learning period. I have learned, above all, three lessons from her story. First, she taught me that often the road to success is to face hardships bravely. Maybe you are born under a star yet you can stand a better chance than others. It is therefore important that you screw up your courage when courage is needed. Second, the destruction of part of her senses did not prevent her from learning: on the contrary, she had made continual efforts to go deeper into the realm of knowledge, and her perseverance had thus helped her overcome many handicaps. Third, she advised that we should make the most of our sense-organs as if we would lose them soon because in this way we would observe the world more carefully than ever before.
The book is inspiring in that it is one brimming over with the unbending will of a gallant woman set with seemingly insurmountable (adj.不可克服的) difficulties. I hope I can be as courageous as she.
[写作内容]
你的英语老师在上英语口语课时，要求同学们每人就“影响我一生的一本书”的话题进行讨论，你参加讨论。听完Jane的发言之后，请你以“The Most Influential Book in My Life”为题，准备一份发言稿。内容包括以下内容：
1．以约30个词概括Jane的发言要点；
2．然后以约120个词谈谈影响你的一生的某一本书，内容包括：
1)这本书令你印象最深的是什么? 2)这本书如何影响你的人生? 3)你的感想。
[写作要求]
1．作文中可使用自己的亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容，但不得直接引用原文中的句子；标题自定。
2．作文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
[评分标准]概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯。
[写作辅导]
1．写作有可能用到的主要短语和单词：印象impression，影响affect／have influence on sth．／have an effect on sth．
2．本文的概要必须包含以下要点：I like the book named The Story of My Life by Helen Keller,
which is the most influential book in my life./The book is inspiring.../It is filled with courage, struggle and faith throughout./I hope I can be as courageous as she.
3．本文要注意，概要一定要根据文段的时态来写。同时，绝对不能抄袭原文的句子。文章是谈谈影响你的一生的某一本书，属于评论性文字和结论性的观点，故用一般现在时或一般将来时态较为合理。
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