Rae and Bruce Hostetler not only work very hard，they also relax just as well. Numerous vacations help the couple to maintain their health and emotional well-being一and it’s no surprise to health care professionals.
“Rest, relaxation, and stress reduction are very important for people’s well-being and health. This can be accomplished through daily activities, such as exercise and meditation, but vacation is an important part of this as well,” said primary care physician Natasha Withers from One Medical Group in New York. Withers lists a decreased risk of heart disease and improved reaction time as some of the benefits from taking some time off. “We also know that the mind is very powerful and can help with healing, so a rested, relaxed mind is able to help the body heal better,” said Withers.
Psychologists confirm the value of vacations for the mind. “The impact that taking a vacation has on one’s mental health is great,” said Francine Lederer, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who specializes in stress and relationship management. “Most people have better life perspective and are more motivated to achieve their goals after a vacation, even if it is a 24- hour time-out.” The trips could be good for their health, good for their family and good for their businesses.
The online travel agency Expedia conducted a survey about vacation time in 2010, and according to their data the average American earned 18 vacation days一but only used 14 of them. France topped the list, with the average worker earning 37 vacation days and using all but two of them. Americans, responses may not be surprising in a culture where long hours on the job often are valued, but that’s not always good for the individual, the family or the employer.
Psychologists have also found that people who don’t take enough time to relax may find it harder to relax in the future. “Without time and opportunity to do this, the nerve connections that produce feelings of calm and peacefulness become weaker, making it actually more difficult to shift into less-stressed states,” Mulhem said.How did the author introduce the topic of the text?
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By raising questions. | D．By providing data. |
Expedia’s survey shows that Americans _____.
| A．dislike family gatherings |
| B．have the shortest vacation |
| C．enjoy as many vacations as the French |
| D．think much of spending long hours on the job |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．One should never wait to relax. | B．Work and rest go against each other. |
| C．Time and opportunity wait for no man. | D．A relaxed mind determines everything. |
How many people have I met who have told me about the book that they have been planning to write but have never yet found the time? Far too many.
This is Life, all right, but we do treat it like a rehearsal (排演) and, unhappily, we do miss so many of its best moments.
We take jobs to stay alive and provide homes for our families, always making ourselves believe that this style of life is merely a temporary state of affairs along the road to what we really want to do. Then, at 60 or 65, we are suddenly presented with a clock and several grandchildren and we look back and realize that all those years waiting for Real Life to come along were in fact real life.
In America they have a saying much laughed at by the English：“Have a nice day!” They speak slowly and seriously in their shops, hotels and sandwich bars. I think it is a wonderful phrase, reminding us, in effect, to enjoy the moment: to value this very day.
How often do we say to ourselves, "I'll take up horse-riding (or golf, or sailing) as soon as I get a higher position," only to do none of those things when I do get the higher position.
When I first became a reporter, I knew a man who gave up a very well paid respectable job at the Daily Telegraph to go and edit a small weekly newspaper. At the time I was astonished by what appeared to me to be his completely abnormal (反常的) mental state. How could anyone turn his back on Fleet Street in central London for a small local area？I wanted to know.
Now I am a little older and possibly wiser, I see the sense in it. In Fleet Street the man was under continual pressure. He lived in an unattractive London suburb and he spent much of his life sitting on Southern Region trains.
1．The first paragraph of the passage tells us that ___________.
A．we always try to find some time to write a book
B．we always make plans but seldom fulfill them
C．we always enjoy many of life's best moments
D．we always do what we really want to do
2．The underlined phrase "turn his back on" (paragraph 6) most probably means___________.
A．leave for B．return to C．give up D．rely on
3．The man ( paragraph 6) left his first job partly because he was___________.
A．in an abnormal state B．under too much pressure
C．not well paid D．not respected
4．What is probably the best title for the passage?
A．Provide Homes For Our Family B．Take Up Horse-riding
C．Value This Very Day D．Stay Alive
第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题，第一节，每题2分，第二节每题1分，满分45分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
How men first learnt to invent words is unknown; in other words, the origin of language is a mystery. All we really know is that men, unlike animals, somehow invented certain sounds to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they could communicate with each other; and that later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters. These letters could be combined to represent those sounds, and which could be written down. Those sounds, whether spoken, or written in letters, we call words.
The power of words, then, lies in their associations---the things they bring up before our
minds. Words become filled with meaning for us by experience, and the longer we live, the more certain words recall to us the glad and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number of words that mean something to us increases. Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which appeal powerfully to our minds and emotions. This charming and telling use of words is what we call literary style. Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can convey his meaning in words which sing like music and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use them accurately, or they will make our speech silly and vulgar(粗俗的).
1．Which is TRUE about the origin of language?
A．Men, as well as animals, in vented certain sounds to express thoughts.
B．The origin of language is a complicated question.
C．Words did not haven written form, at first.
D．Words were invented to represent meanings.
2．The power of words lies in .
A．the fact that it can associate the things in the world with the ideas in our minds.
B．the fact that once word is connected with another
C．the fact that it can associate one person with another
D．the fact that it can recall to us the events of our past
3．The following statements are true EXCEPT that_____________.
A．the more we read and learn, the larger our vocabulary will be
B．the longer we live, the number of words that mean something to us increases
C．words can be used to represent various meanings
D．literary style is usually very charming
4．What does this passage primarily concern?
A．The Meaning of Words.
B．The Characteristics of Words.
C．The Origin of Words.
D．The Power of Words.
Editor’s notes: AWL is well known for its dictionaries and English language teaching materials. Some readers have written in to ask us for the latest information on high quality books on English, so here we introduce two texts that aim to improve spoken English fluency.
Let’s speak (Beginner)
By Bev Dusuya, Naoko Ozeki and Kevin Bergman
ISBN: 962001359X
Speak Up(Pre-Intermediate)
By Bev Kusuya, Nako Zeki
ISBN: 0583338050
“Teach the students about your culture and help them talk about their own.” How often are these worthy goals kept from being achieved by the limitations of your beginner level learners? Students at all levels want to talk about culture.
Topics include food, shopping, sports, fashion, the roles of men and women, health, music, and many more.
These are all chosen from surveys of over 15,000 students about their own interests in cross-cultural communication.
“Let’s Speak” and “Speak Up” share a special but excellent way that allows all students to take part in.
The series has questions which start thinking and then help collect opinions about personal topics. Conversation practice is provided by ready to use (现成的)models of basic exchanges on the topic. Also, the cultural information presented in the series comes in the form of interesting, relevant（相关的）facts and ideas from other countries through listening tasks and Culture Quiz exercises.
Team activities in books provide lively problem solving games to enable sharing and comparison of cultural values.
“Let’s Speak” is fit for entry level students of all ages. “Speak Up” provides for the needs of higher level beginners, offering the same careful listening and speaking help, but with slightly more open ended discussion.
For any information about AWL’s books, please get in touch with the following addresses:
Beijing Addison Wesley Longman Information Center
Room 2306, FLTRP Beijing
19 Xi San Huan Beilu, Beijing 100081
Tel: (010)68917488 (010) 68917788
Fax: (010) 68917499
E-mail: zrh@public.bat.net.cn
1．In the sentence “Teach the students about your culture and help them talk about their own”, “your culture” here means the culture of___________.
A．the English native speakers B．the English learners
C．the readers of the two books D．the readers of the newspaper
2．Which of the following are mentioned about the two books in the passage above?
a．publisher b．titles c．content d．writers
e．prices f．pages g．book number
A．a,b,d,f B．a,c,d,g C．b,c,d,e D．b,c,e,f
3．The two books have in common everything EXCEPT___________
A．the same interesting topics
B．the same level of learners
C．proper ways to excite the learners to talk
D．right kinds of activities for cultural communication
4．The passage above is probably taken from the___________section in a newspaper.
A．EDUCATION B．NEWS
C．ENTERTAINMENT D．BOOKSHELF
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school. she decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital , she also set up the first medical school for women.Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?
| A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school |
| B．She decided to further her education in Paris |
| C．A serious eye problem stopped her |
| D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States |
What main obstacle(障碍) almost destroyed Elizabeth’s chances for becoming for a doctor?
| A．She was a woman. |
| B．She wrote too many letters. |
| C．She couldn’t graduate from medical school. |
| D．She couldn’t set up her hospital. |
How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?
| A．Eight years | B．Ten years | C．Nineteen years | D．Thirty-six years |
According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blacekwell except that she ______.
| A．became the first woman physician |
| B．was the first woman doctor |
| C．and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children |
| D．set up the first medical school for women |
Eilzabeth Blackwell spent most of her lift in _______.
| A．England | B．Paris | C．the United States | D．New York City |
A young British sailor was missing at sea yesterday in similar circumstances(情况)to the way his father died five years ago．
The dinghy(救生橡皮船)，used to take Richard Smith，21，to his yacht(快艇)，was discovered empty, floating in seas off the Caribbean island．An air and sea search was carried out but he has still not been discovered．
Richard’s mother, Bicknell，said from her home in Hampshire，“It’s so much coincidence．Richard always carried a photograph of his father attached to a poem，which included the date of his disappearance．”
“Now, it’s very strange because all they have found is Richard’s dinghy．We need to know this time what has happened one way or another．If you know at least you can go through the grieving process(悲痛的过程)．”
In November 1996，Mr. Smith’s father, Charlie，was sailing in the Tasmen sea between the Australian mainland and the island of Tasmen with his new wife．They lost radio contact with the shore and they, together with their yacht were never seen again，and their disappearance remains a mystery．
Richard is described a talented(有才能的)and experienced sailor who has crewed for the champion ocean racer．He had sailed to the。Caribbean in November to crew ocean racing yachts for entertainment．He ended the evening drinking in the Abracbabra bar but left after local police closed it for being too noisy．
About 2 am the following day Richard headed back for his dinghy．He started its outboard motor before giving all elderly woman a lift to her yacht after her dinghy had gone missing．It was the last time he was seen．
Riehard Smith was in 2000．
| A．ten | B．fifteen | C．twenty | D．eighteen |
People searched for Richard using ．
| A．ship only | B．ship and radio | C．ship and plane | D．yacht and car |
According to the passage，we know Richard died because ．
| A．he was a green hand in sailing |
| B．some unknown animal attacked him |
| C．that was a maze in the area he was sailing |
| D．of something we don’t know |
Which statement is NOT true according to this passage?
| A．Young Smith had lost radio contact with the shore before he died． |
| B．Richard’s father had married two women at least． |
| C．Richard didn’t drink on the evening before he was lost because the policeman closed the bar． |
| D．Richard was seen at about 2 am the day he disappeared． |
The writer tells us ．
| A．a story about two heroes | B．a piece of news about a merchant ship |
| C．a coincidence | D．the dying process of Richard |
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