According to a survey, only 4% of the people in the world are left-handed. Why? One theory centers on the two halves of the brain. For example, the left half and the right half, each of which functions differently. Medical science believes that the left half of the brain dominates over the right half. The foundation of this theory is the fact that nerves from the brain cross over at neck-level to the opposite side of the body, and nerves from the other side of the brain reciprocate (互换). The end result is that the opposite sides of the body are controlled by the opposite sides of the brain.
The dominant left half of the brain, which kindly supplies the right half of the body, theoretically makes it more skillful in reading, writing, speaking, and working, and makes most people right-handed. Lefties, however, whose right half of the brain dominates, work best with the left side of their bodies.
Theory number two focuses on the asymmetrical nature of the body. Examples of the asymmetry, which flows from head to toe, are that the right side of our faces differs slightly from the left, that our legs differ in strength, or that our feet vary in size. One aspect of this asymmetry is that for most people the right hand is stronger than the left.
There is no doubt that all exist in a “right-handed society”, which produces most basics, including scissors, doorknobs, locks, screwdrivers, automobiles, buttons on clothing, and musical instruments for the 96%. Left-handed people make up for the unfairness by being members of an elite (精英) society, which includes many of the greatest geniuses, including Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Left-handed people are better at speaking
B. Left-handed people are believed to have stronger left halves of the brains
C. Right-handed people are cleverer than left-handed people
D. Right-handed people work best with the right side of their bodies
2.Which of the words or phrases is closest in meaning to the word “asymmetrical”?
A. valuable B. not typical
C. not balanced D. negative
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Left-handed people may feel inconvenient in this right-handed society
B. This is an equal society for the left-handed people
C. Most great geniuses are left-handed
D. Left-handed people are considered to be disabled
4. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Which proves to be the better way to live, right-handed or left-handed?
B. How do left-handed people differ from right-handed ones?
C. Why are some people left-handed?
D. Are left-handed people equally treated in society?
On the broad landing between Miss Havisham's own room and that other room in which the long table was laid out, I saw a garden chair -- a light chair on wheels that you pushed from behind. It had been placed there since my last visit, and that same day I pushed Miss Havisham in this chair (when she was tired of walking with her hand upon my shoulder) round her own room, and across the landing and round the other room, which, from that day on, became my regular job.
As we began to be more used to one another, Miss Havisham talked more to me, and asked me such questions as what had I learnt and what was I going to be? I told her I was going to be apprenticed(做学徒) to Joe, my sister’s husband; then I explained my knowing nothing and wanting to know everything, in the hope that she might offer some help. But, she did not; on the contrary, she seemed to prefer my being ignorant. Neither did she ever give me any money - or anything but my daily dinner - nor even mentioned that I should be paid for my services.
Estella was always about, and always let me in and out, but never told me I might kiss her again. Sometimes, she would coldly tolerate me; sometimes, she would be seemingly kind to me; sometimes, she would be quite familiar with me; sometimes, she would tell me energetically that she hated me. Miss Havisham would often ask me in a whisper, or when we were alone, “Does she grow prettier and prettier, Pip?” And when I said yes, Miss Havisham would seem to enjoy it greedily. Also, when we played at cards Miss Havisham would look on Estella's moods, whatever they were. And sometimes, when her moods were so many and so contradictory of one another that I was puzzled what to say or do, Miss Havisham would hold her tightly with great fondness, saying something quietly in her ear that sounded like “Break their hearts my pride and hope, break their hearts and have no mercy!”
1.What did Pip regularly do at Miss Havisham’s home?
A. He placed the garden chair on the broad landing.
B. He walked with Estella’s hand upon his shoulder.
C. He learned knowledge from Miss Havisham.
D. He pushed Miss Havisham in the wheel chair.
2.What can we infer from the second paragraph?
A. Pip was excited to learn from Joe, his sister’s husband.
B. Pip desired to improve his present situation.
C. Miss Havisham felt sorry about Pip’s being ignorant.
D. Miss Havisham helped Pip by paying for his services for her.
3.What’s Estella’s attitude towards Pip?
A. Changeable B. Sincere
C. Warm-hearted D. Indifferent
4. Miss Havisham held Estella tightly because _______.
A. she wanted to blame Estella for hurting Pip.
B. she felt worried about Estella’s moods.
C. she thought Estella did something right.
D. she treated Estella like her own daughter.
Geneva（日内瓦） Tourist Guide
* Universal compact app for iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus / iPhone 5 / iPhone / iPod / iPad GENEVA TOURIST GUIDE with attractions, museums, restaurants, bars, hotels, theatres and shops with traveler reviews and ratings, pictures, rich travel information, prices and opening hours.
Discover what's on and places to visit in Geneva with our new cool app. It will guide you to top attractions and shopping malls, and tell you directions to hotels, bars, and restaurants. This is an all-in-one app for all the local attractions. Our travel guide to Geneva features up-to-date information on attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, travel tips and more.
Highlights :
◆ Geneva Information -- Overview, climate, geography, history and travel
◆ Attractions -- Ancient sites, beaches, botanical gardens, coffee farms, museums, scenic drives, towns, waterfalls, religious and historical sites, etc.
◆ Hotels -- From luxury hotels to budget accommodations, including reviews, price comparison, address and more.
◆ Map -- It is an interactive map and get turn-by-turn driving directions. Find traffic details, road conditions, street maps, multi map, satellite photos, and aerial maps. Allow you to easily search and find local businesses with directions.
◆ Gallery -- Picture galleries of Geneva's most beautiful sights, interesting events, unusual occasions and more.
◆ POI Search -- Search everything at Geneva.
Enter any keyword or name to search. Find Name, address, distance, route map, call, and directions to every business location.
◆ Translator - Supports 52 languages, Large text Translation.
◆ World Clock - All major cities of the world (1000 Cities).
1. What is Geneva Tourist Guide?
A. An app B. A book
C. A map D. An advertisement
2.Geneva Tourist Guide provides tourists with all the following help except ______.
A. to discover what's on and places to visit in Geneva
B. to guide tourists to top attractions and shopping malls
C. to offer latest information on attractions in Geneva
D. to help tourists make friends with Geneva locals
3. Which of the following is not among highlights of Geneva Tourist Guide?
A. Information about both expensive and cheap hotels in Geneva
B. Chances to visit Geneva galleries without paying any money
C. A search system that can find everything at Geneva
D. Being able to be used by tourists from all over the world
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。
For people with thousands of pages to read, speed reading seems like manna （甘露） from heaven. In addition, speed reading helps lighten the load of information you have to absorb since it provides a filter that you can use in screening all bits of information before you approach it.
1. Examining how much information you need will help you identify how you should read a certain document to maximize your learning and comprehension. Thorough reading may no longer be necessary in some cases, such as when you only need an outline of a certain document.
Another skill that can ease the burden of a reader is the ability to read words in blocks. Make sure you do not spend too long on a certain block. 2. This will also make reading less tiresome and boring.
To master this important skill, you have to practice reading more and more words in a certain block at a time. A suggestion shared by some experts regarding this step is to increase the distance between you and the document you are reading. If you can read more and more words in one block, you can cut down on the time it usually takes you to read a certain text and you will be able to read more in a shorter period.
Readers should also practice reducing the number of times they go back to previous sections or blocks. Using a pointer such as the tip of a pencil or pen can also help to make the flow of your reading smoother and faster. 3. Thus, your speed in reading will largely depend on the speed of the movement of your pointer.
If you still find yourself confused about the topic even after you have finished reading the document, do not re-read right away. Re-reading immediately will just lead to slower speed in reading. 4. Getting your own reading corner will also help.
5. Continue practicing and practicing the techniques aforementioned and soon, you'll achieve the reading speed that will work best for you.
A．In this technique, your eyes will follow the tip of the pointer．
B．This saves time and reduces the effort that you have to make．
C．Taking a short break first is recommended before reading the material again．
D．As a final note, the most important point is consistent and deliberate practice．
E．Your invaluable time can be saved if you can have your reading speed doubled．
F．The first step to increase your reading speed is to identify the specific information you need．
G．Reducing the time you spend on a specific number of words in a block will make no big difference．
Imagine having an idea, drawing it on paper, bringing it to a store and seeing it turned into a
physical object. This is now possible with the help of 3D printers. Such machines were once used just
by universities and big companies, but now, stores with 3D printing services are appearing around the
United States.
Bryan Jaycox and his wife opened The Build Shop LLC in Los Angeles two years ago. The store
is filled with tools like a laser cutter, an industrial sewing machine and 3D printers. The Jaycoxs offer
3D printing classes and services for anyone who is interested.
"I think 3D printing is going to be huge. It's going to have a huge effect on society as a whole."
One of the students in a recent class was KiChong Tran. He plans to open a 3D printing business in
Cambodia.
3D printing services are becoming available for American consumers.
The UPS Store is a nationwide retailer (零售商 ) that provides shipping, copying and other
services. The UPS Store recently put 3D printers in three of its independently-owned stores. Burke
Jones owns one of the stores in San Diego.
"The demand has been amazing. It's been much more than I would have imagined." The UPS
Store plans to add 3D printers in three more stores.
At The UPS Store, the cost of the object depends on the amount of materials used. The store
charges up to $95 an hour to design the object with computer software that creates a digital file to
guide the printer.
Mr. Jaycox predicts that within five years, 3D printing technology could become more popular.
But KiChong Tran says even current technology can make a difference in a developing country like
Cambodia.
"With 3D printing, you can give them tools; you put it in their hands so they are responsible
more for their own development and they learn skills beyond just learning English and becoming a
tour guide or something like that or working at a bank; you can actually create things that give value
to the world."
He says it's not just in Cambodia but anywhere where there is a 3D printer that it can turn a good
idea into reality.
1.The purpose of the passage is to _
A. attract consumers to buy 3D printers B. explain the importance of 3D printing
C. introduce a new technique-3D printing D. describe the rapid development of technology
2.The Build Shop LLC is a store .
A. promoting 3D printers B. offering 3D printing classes and services
C. selling sewing machines D. known for tools like laser cutters
3.At the UPS Store, the price of a 3D object depends on
A. the person who makes it B. the materials to make it and time to design it
C. the size of the object D. the labor service it needs
4.The attitude of KiChong Tran towards the development of 3D printing technology is
A. positive B. objective C. uncertain D. critical
We know that hugs make us feel cosy inside. And this feeling could actually ward off stress and protect the immune (免疫) system, according to a new research from Carnegie Mellon University.
It’s a well-known fact that stress can weaken the immune system. In this study, the researchers sought to determine whether hugs could protect individuals from the increased sensitivity to illness brought on by the particular stress that comes with interpersonal conflict.
“We know that people experiencing ongoing conflicts with others are less able to fight off cold viruses. We also know that people who report having social support are partly protected from the effects of stress on psychological states, such as depression and anxiety, ” the study’s lead author, psychologist Dr. Sheldon Cohen , said in a statement. “We have tested whether awareness of social support is equally effective in protecting us from sensitivity to infection caused by stress and also whether receiving hugs might partially account for those feelings of support and thus protect a person against infection.”
In the experiment, over 400 healthy adults filled out a questionnaire about their perceived (感知到的) social support and also participated in a nightly phone interview for two weeks. They were asked about the frequency that they engaged in interpersonal conflict and received hugs that day.
Then, the researchers exposed the participants to a common cold virus, and monitored them to assess signs of infection. They found that both perceived social support and more frequent hugs reduced the risk of infection associated with experiencing interpersonal conflict. Regardless of whether or not they experienced social conflicts, infected participants with greater perceived social support and more frequent hugs had less severe illness symptoms.
“This suggests that being hugged by a trusted person may act as an effective means of conveying support and that increasing the frequency of hugs might be an effective means of reducing the effects of stress,” Cohen said. “The apparent protective effect of hugs may result from the physical contact itself or hugging being a behavioral indicator of support and closeness. Either way, those who receive more hugs are somewhat more protected from infection.”
If you need any more reason to wrap your arms around someone special, consider this: hugs also lower blood pressure, reduce fears, improve heart health and decrease feelings of loneliness.
1.In Paragraph 1, the underlined words “ward off “can be replaced by ____.
A. produce B. increase C. prevent D. support
2.Dr. Sheldon Cohen’s experiment shows that ____.
A. hugs can hide serious illness symptoms
B. social conflicts can monitor signs of infection
C. social support can reduce the risk of having a cold
D. depression and anxiety result from less social support
3.The passage aims to convey that ____.
A. hugs can have protective effects
B. social support can cure diseases
C. interpersonal conflicts cause infections
D. stress can weaken our immune system
4.The passage is most likely to be found in ____.
A. a social science magazine
B. a commercial brochure
C. a medical report
D. an academic essay
