There is nothing else but economy that occupies the minds of Americans at present times of economic crisis（危机）. The statistics on unemployment，housing costs and consumer confidence keep coming and coming，leaving people not just scared to spend money but also very stressed and emotionally exhausted. This stress has an effect on everything，starting with our sleep，mood，physical health，relationships and eating habits.
“Time of economic stress leads to increase rates of depression(忧郁)，”says Dr. Christopher Palmer，director of continuing education at McLean Hospital in Belmont，Massachusetts. “It worsens illness in people who have been constantly depressed. But it also causes new cases of depression. Just the fear of losing one’s job can put people over the edge. ”
And，without any doubt，just depression alone can create a variety of bad health effects.
●Sleep
33 percent of Americans reported that they have lost sleep due to the economic crisis. 26 percent say they are sleeping less than 6 hours per night，which is considered to be at least one hour less than the most favorable 7 to 8 hours recommended by sleep experts.
●Mental health，stress and heart attack
80 percent of Americans reported that last year the economy is a huge source of stress; 49 percent said the situation makes them feel nervous or anxious; 48 percent reported that they feel very sad and have developed depression.
Nearly twice the risk of heart attack or death was found in patients with the highest levels of depression or anxiety. Among those individuals，a 10 percent higher rise of heart attack or death was found in those whose anxiety rose over time.
●Relationships
The chances of violent behavior are nearly 6 times higher for individuals who are left without a job. Workplace stress can lead to domestic violence.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Now Americans don’t dare to spend money.
B. Now all Americans have problems in sleeping.
C. Economy is the most troubling problem for Americans now.
D. Economic crisis has destroyed many American families.
2. How does the economic crisis affect most Americans according to the passage?
A. They sleep fewer than six hours. B. They sleep less tha
n the proper amount.
C. Diseases caused by economy make them sleepless. D. They lose sleep at night.
3. If a person is out of work，he might __________. .
A. become more violent B. get divorced C. get rid of workplace stress D. go mad
4. The best title of this passage is probably______________ . .
A. The World Economic Crisis Is Getting Worse
B. Economic Crisis Affects Our Health
C. Economic Crisis Causes Trouble to Sleep
D. Ordinary People Suffer Greatly in Economic Crisis
5.What does the underlined word “favorable” mean?
A. proper B. perfect C. useful D. fashionable
Home to me means a sense of familiarity and nostalgia (怀旧). It’s fun to come home. It looks the same. It smells the same. You’ll realize what’s changed is you. Home is where we can remember pain, love, and some other experiences; We parted here; My parents met here; I won three championships here.
If I close my eyes, I can still have a clear picture in mind of my first home. I walk in the door and see a brown sofa surrounding a low glass-top wooden table. To the right of the living room is my first bedroom. It’s empty, but it’s where my earliest memories are.
There is the dining room table where I celebrated birthdays, and where I cried on Halloween— when I didn’t want to wear the skirt my mother made for me. I always liked standing on that table because it made me feel tall and strong. If I sit at this table, I can see my favorite room in the house, my parents’ room. It is simple: a brown wooden dresser lines the right side of the wall next to a television and a couple of photos of my grandparents on each side. Their bed is my safe zone. I can jump on it anytime—waking up my parents if I am scared or if I have an important announcement that cannot wait until the morning.
I’m lucky because I know my first home still exists. It exists in my mind and heart, on a physical property (住宅) on West 64th street on the western edge of Los Angeles. It is proof I lived, I grew and I learned.
Sometimes when I feel lost, I lie down and shut my eyes, and I go home. I know it’s where I’ll find my family, my dogs, and my belongings. I purposely leave the window open at night because I know I’ll be blamed by Mom. But I don’t mind, because I want to hear her say my name, which reminds me I’m home.Why does the author call her parents’ bed her “safe zone”?
| A．It is her favorite place to play. |
| B．Her needs can be satisfied there. |
| C．Her grandparents’ photos are lined on each side. |
| D．Her parents always play together with her there. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．The old furniture is still in the author’s first bedroom. |
| B．The author can still visit her first physical home in Los Angeles. |
| C．The author’s favorite room in her first home is the dining room. |
| D．Many people of the author’s age can still find their first physical homes. |
Sometimes when she feels lost, the author will _______.
| A．Open the window at night |
| B．lie down in bed to have a dream |
| C．try to bring back a sense of home |
| D．go to Los Angeles to visit her mom |
The passage mainly tells us _________.
| A．how much the author is attached to her home. |
| B．why the author is proud of her first house. |
| C．what the state of the author’s family is. |
| D．what good memories are in the author’s childhood. |
In the 1960s Professor Bolin predicted (预测) that the “greenhouse effect”, caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, would lead to important changes in the Earth’s climate. At the time his prediction were regarded as science fiction. But it is now gradually agreed that the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will double from 0.03% to 0.06% in the next 50 years and that temperatures worldwide will rise by 2°C.
Although a temperature rise of 2° may not seem significant, the local effects may be much greater: in polar regions a rise of 10° by 2025 is expected and in Northern Europe a rise of 4°. Indeed the first effects were expected to be felt before the end of the 20th century.
But how does the “greenhouse effect” operate and why should such a tiny proportion (比例) of CO2 have such a harmful effect? When living creatures breathe out or when things are burned, CO2 enters the atmosphere. Until recently all of this was absorbed by plants, which converted (转化) it back into oxygen.
However, the balance of nature has been disturbed. In power stations, in factories and in our cars, we are burning more and more fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and this produces huge quantities of CO2—18 billion tons of it enter the atmosphere every year. Added to this, the destruction of forests means that less CO2 can be converted into oxygen by plants. So, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing every year.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Only a small portion of the atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. |
| B．Professor Bolin’s predictions were taken seriously in the first place. |
| C．No changes in climate will become noticeable for 50 years or more. |
| D．The rise in temperature will probably be 2 degrees in every part of the world. |
The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere is increasing every year because .
| A．Carbon dioxide is produced when we breathe. |
| B．Carbon dioxide is produced when we burn things. |
| C．More forests are destroyed and more fossil fuels are burned. |
| D．The global temperature keeps rising. |
The underlined word “operate” in the third paragraph most probably means “ ”.
| A．play | B．move |
| C．manage | D．function |
My father tried to teach me the importance of hard work and devotion to a career. However, there are also the things he taught me unintentionally.
My father, a self-employed sales trainer, was that sick, that tired. Still, he insisted on traveling to give a lecture. He probably earned a lot of money that day, and he paid the price. He returned to the hospital soon after and was dead within three months, at age 58.
It’s been 10 years since I saw my father come home that night, and since then, I’ve thought a lot about work. My dad once told me that he was unable to just gaze at a sunset; he had to be doing something as he looked at it—writing, reading or playing chess. You could say he was a success: he was a published author, an accomplished musician, fluent in German and American Sign Language. That’s an impressive list, but here’s the thing: I want to gaze at the sunsets. This raises the question: if I leave work at five o’clock to watch the sunset, what are the results? Do I risk not reaching the top of my profession? Maybe, because honestly, knocking off (收工) after eight hours probably won’t earn me a promotion.
But, leaving work at five o’clock means I eat dinner with my family. I get to hop on my bike and pedal through the streets of my hometown as the shadows lengthen and the traffic thins. And I get to see a lot of sunsets. That’s got to be worth something. The author’s father can be best described as .
| A．confident and positive |
| B．hard-working and ambitious |
| C．gentle and kind |
| D．sensitive and bad-tempered |
Her father’s death made the author .
| A．realize that life is very short |
| B．understand the importance of living happily |
| C．realize that one should balance work and life. |
| D．doubt the value of success in career |
What’s the purpose of this passage?
| A．To honor her dear father |
| B．To express her idea about life |
| C．To express her love for work |
| D．To show her love for her family |
Mr.Lang worked in a factory.As a driver, he was busy but he was paid much.His wife was an able woman and did all the housework.When he came back, she took good care of him and he never did anything at home.So he had enough time when he had a holiday.A few friends of his liked gambling(赌博) and he learned it soon.So he was interested in it and hardly forgot anything except gambling.He lost all his money and later he began to sell the television, watches and so on.His wife told him not to do it but he didn't listen to her.She had to tell the police.He and his friends were punished for it.And he was hardly sent away.After he came out of lockup(拘留所), he hated her very much and the woman had to leave him.
It was New Year's Day.Mr.Lang didn't go to work.He felt lonely and wanted to gamble again.He called his friends and they came soon.But they were afraid the police would come.He told his fiveyearold son to go to find out if there were the policemen outside.They waited for a long time and didn't think the police would come and began to gamble.Suddenly opened the door and in came a few policemen.
“I saw there weren't any policemen outside, daddy，” said the boy, “so I went to the crossing and asked some to come.”Mr. Lang was paid much because__________.
| A．he was a driver |
| B．he had a lot of work to do |
| C．he worked in a factory |
| D．he had worked there for a long time |
Mrs. Lang did all housework because__________.
| A．she couldn't find any work |
| B．her husband spent all time in gambling |
| C．she thought her husband was tired |
| D．she wouldn't stop her husband gambling |
__________， so he was put into lockup.
| A．Mr.Lang was late for work |
| B．Mr.Lang often gambled |
| C．Mr.Lang didn't help his wife at home |
| D．Mr.Lang wasn't polite to the police |
The woman had to leave Mr.Lang because__________.
| A．he was hardly sent away by the factory |
| B．he wouldn't stop gambling |
| C．he had been put into lockup |
| D．he didn't love her any longer |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The boy thought his father needed some policemen. |
| B．The boy hoped his father to be put into lockup again. |
| C．The boy hoped his father to stop gambling soon. |
| D．The boy hoped his mother to come back. |
An amazing 7-night / 8-day belly dancing (肚皮舞) course is set in Istanbul, Turkey, beginning on the first or the fifteenth of every month. Professional Turkish dancers will give the dance classes. Only $707.00 per person.
| Day 1 |
After arriving in the afternoon, you will be met at the Istanbul airport and taken to our beautiful hotel. After that, you will meet our teachers in the evening along with your guides and the rest of the group. At night we will celebrate your arrival with a welcome dinner in a traditional restaurant. |
| Day 2 |
After breakfast you will have your first belly dancing class (2 hours). In the evening you can relax and prepare for your next day’s classes. |
| Day 3 |
After breakfast you will enjoy your second belly dancing class (2 hours) and the first rhythm (韵律) class (1 hour). In the afternoon you will experience a new style of rhythm and you will be taught the famous Turkish rhythm during another rhythm class (1 hour). |
| Day 4 |
In the morning you will have a belly dancing class (2 hours) and a rhythm class (1 hour). |
| Day 5 |
You will enjoy breakfast as usual at the hotel. After lunch you will enjoy 2 hours of belly dancing and Turkish folk dancing both performed by local dancers. |
| Day 6 |
After breakfast you will have another two classes — a belly dancing class (2 hours) and a rhythm class (1 hour). |
| Day 7 |
This is a big day and after your free time during the day, you are welcome to take part in the performance for the tourists in the evening. And experts will also give you some advice. |
| Day 8 |
After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport for your flight back home. |
For more information, please call 0330-333-6737.Which of the following is TRUE about the classes?
| A．There are belly dancing classes of 6 hours and rhythm classes of 3 hours. |
| B．There are belly dancing classes of 7 hours and rhythm classes of 4 hours. |
| C．There are belly dancing classes of 8 hours and rhythm classes of 4 hours. |
| D．There are belly dancing classes of 10 hours and rhythm classes of 6 hours. |
What will the students do on the last evening?
| A．Have a chance to go on stage. |
| B．Enjoy the performance given by expert dancers. |
| C．Have the dancing class and the rhythm class for the last time. |
| D．Enjoy a wonderful good-bye dinner in an old traditional restaurant. |
The students have the same classes on .
| A．the 1st and the 3rd day | B．the 2nd and the 5th day |
| C．the 4th and the 6th day | D．the 5th and the 7th day |
The students may have a lot of free time without classes in the daytime on .
| A．Day 2 | B．Day 3 |
| C．Day 6 | D．Day 7 |
Which of the following can be used as the title of the passage?
| A．An advertisement for belly dancing classes |
| B．Where you can give belly dancing performance |
| C．Difference between belly dancing and other kinds of dancing |
| D．How to learn belly dancing with the help of some famous teachers |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号