It’s well-known that meditation (冥想) has many benefits, but do you know how to practice it for a beginner?
Set a proper scene
Find a space for meditation．It should be private and quiet．Make sure the temperature is comfortable．Sit on a cushion (垫子) if the floor is uncomfortable．You may play soft music if you like.
Take a moment to loosen up．Remember that the goal of meditation is to relax．Loosen your clothing, remove your shoes and have a good stretch．Do your best to ease any muscle tension that might keep you from achieving relaxation．Make an effort to relax your facial muscles．
Focus on your breath
Sit down in the space you’ve prepareD． Close your eyes and breathe．Each time you breathe in, count “one”．Each time you breathe out, count “one”．The idea is to strengthen being in the moment — the last breath doesn’t matter, and the next one doesn’t matter; only this one matters．
Feel your breath inflate (胀大) your lungs and push on your diaphragm (隔膜)．Feel how sweet it is to inhale the fresh air．As you do this, your body will gradually begin to relax and all of your attention will be centered within your minD．
Return to real life
Once you feel fully centered in your mind, allow yourself to gradually drift back to real life．Move your fingers and toes and slowly wake your body up．Open your eyes and remain there for a few minutes until your senses come back, and then slowly stand up．
Even if you can’t make it fully into your mind, you still get some benefits from it．If you want to feel better, you just need to practice．Set about 10 minutes around the same time every day and repeat this exercise.The text is about _________.
| A．steps in practicing meditation for beginners |
| B．tips on how to breathe slowly |
| C．the benefits of practicing meditation |
| D．the best way to stay relaxed |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank?
| A．Forget yourself. |
| B．Prepare yourself for it. |
| C．Avoid being disturbed. |
| D．Pay attention to your inner self． |
The underlined word “inhale” in the text can be replaced by “__________”.
| A．look for |
| B．take in |
| C．keep away |
| D．think of |
To gain greater benefits of meditation, beginners are advised to __________.
| A．do some exercise in advance |
| B．listen to some popular music |
| C．practice it every day |
| D．spend a long time in practicing it |
HANS Christian Andersen put Denmark on the map of the world literature with his stories The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid （小美人鱼） and The Ugly Duckling．Now Copenhagen, the country's capital, has become the center of the world political map, with 190 world leaders attending the climate talks there, not to mention thousands of reporters．
Just how much do you know about the Scandinavian country?
Denmark is famous for its design culture．At the heart of “Danish Design” is the idea that, as poet and designer Piet Hein puts it: “There is one art, not more, nor less, [and that is] to do all things with artlessness （朴实）”．
Danish design places equal emphasis on practicality and quality．From Lego toys to furniture, Danish products are known for their clean lines, simplicity and functionality．“Remove material where it's not needed．Keep things simple and functional and make them carefully,” explained Hans J．Wegner, the first Danish designer to achieve worldwide fame: “The aim is not to create a work of art, but to produce a good chair．”
“The Danes have done a better job than most in promoting arts in Europe, considering their country's size and population, in the fields of architecture, sculpture and design,” writes Helena Smith, reporter with British newspaper the Guardian．
The simplicity of Danish design may extend to the quality of life there．Some even claim that the Danes have the highest quality of life of any nation in the world．
Kate Vial, a 55-year-old American who has lived and worked in Denmark for more than 30 years, explaining why she chooses to live in Denmark rather than the US, told Germany's biggest news weekly Der Spiegel: “I just chose a simpler life
style, one where I could ride my bike all over and where I don't have to make a great living to survive．”What’s the writer’s purpose of mentioning Denmark’s literature?
| A．To show the readers that Denmark is best known for its stories． |
| B．To arouse readers’ interest in Denmark． |
| C．To tell the readers that this passage is related to literature． |
| D．To show why Denmark can attract so many political leaders． |
What is Denmark famous for according to the passage?
| A．Design culture | B．Making chairs |
| C．Writing poems | D．Climate prediction |
Which statement i
s true according to the passage?
| A．Danish design pays more attention to arts than its function． |
| B．Danish products don’t need much material． |
| C．Danish people like to keep simple life． |
D．Compared with other countries in Europe, Denmark does lit tle in promoting arts． |
In Piet Hein’s opinion, the characteristic of Danish cultur
e is _____________．
| A．Creative | B．Complicated | C．Impractical | D．Simple |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Danes conquer the world with simple designs． |
| B．Denmark—a new political center． |
| C．Life in Denmark． |
| D．Designer’s idea of Denmark． |
The Zhoukoudian Beijing Man Site is one of the most important world heritage sites in China．Since the discovery, which changed China’s knowledge of its history, was made in the 1920s, Zhoukoudian has become an important place for ar
chaeologists from all over the world．At the site in the south-west suburb of Beijing, there is, for example, the earliest evidence of the use of fire by humans．It has also been proved that people lived there continuously between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago．
Today, however, Zhoukoudian is in serious danger．Parts of the cave have been badly affected by rain and exposure to the air．Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage．Pollution from nearby cement factories has also contributed to the problem．
The site is extremely expensive to maintain and it will cost between three and five million yuan to repair it．At the moment, visitors are not allowed to v
isit the caves．
Zhoukoudian is on the World Cultural Heritage List, organized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization．The list is constantly checked．Any site which is seriously damaged or which is not properly protected is an endangered heritage, and UNESCO is very quick to do something about situations like this．They have recommended that the site be closed and repaired．If nothing is done to repair it, it could be removed from the list．
This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness about it．They have suggested that the general public be encouraged to help with the problem．A professor at the Academy has proposed that a fund be established to raise money．
Dr Zhu Ming of the Academy said, “ We have requested that the government get involved, but we also need assistance from ordinary people．They can help by c
ontributing to the cost of repairing the caves．They are a precious part of our cultural heritage—it is of vital importance that we do something．If not, it will be a catastrophe．”Why is Zhoukoudian of great importance in China?
| A．Because the site tells some information about how man lived in the old times． |
| B．Because it has brought in lots of money as a place of interest． |
| C．Because it is the only place in China on the World Cultural Heritage List． |
D．Because it chan ged our knowledge of China’s history of the 1920’s． |
What is the second paragraph about?
| A．Zhoukoudian’s discovery | B．Zhoukoudian’s future |
| C．Zhoukoudian’s in danger | D．Zhoukoudian’s protection |
The following has caused the damage of the site except________________．
| A．Weeds | B．Rain | C．Fire | D．Cement factories |
The passage suggests that to repair Zhoukoudian, Chinese Academy of Sciences is seeking help from_________．
| A．Archaeologists from all over the world |
| B．Government and the public |
| C．Experts from UNESCO |
| D．Visitors |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word “catastrophe”?
| A．case | B．worry | C．wonder | D．disaster |
Phys ed （physical education） is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum（核心课程）， but with a difference．While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class．Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance（忍耐力）．In this way，kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life．
Considering that 15 percent of American children 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum．In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P．E．on the chopping block（砧板）, cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids．The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard．"Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added．
The wisd
om of the new approach has some scientific support．Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be．They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country （越野）than when they played sports．The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant students were able to sit on the bench．
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school．The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood．According to the passa
ge, what is usually taught in the old gym class?
| A．Lift weights | B．Climb a rope |
| C．Cycle | D．Have a balanced diet |
What does Alicia Moag-Stahlberg mean by saying “some school boards put P．E．on the chopping block”?
A．Schools do not pay  enough attention to P．E．． |
| B．Schools welcome P．E．but do not have time for it． |
| C．Schools put P．E．in the first place． |
D．Schools cut down other s ubjects’ time for P．E．． |
Which is NOT the reason to carry out phys ed programs according to the passage?
| A．More teenagers are overweight． |
| B．Traditional group sports teaching is not effective． |
| C．Students need to learn some skills to help them lead a physically active life． |
| D．Phys ed programs need less money to support． |
How many problems are mentioned in the passage with simply teaching group sports?
| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four | D．One |
What’s the difference between the come-back phys ed and the ordinary gym-class model？
| A．The Phys ed teaches group sports． |
| B．The Phys ed provides more fitness programs． |
| C．The Phys ed teaches tools and skills which could be used in the future life． |
| D．The Phys ed has more support from the government． |
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America．We were on the bus then．
I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to loo
k at me．I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning．
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again．In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives．When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures．The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then．
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea
did not come to me at once．For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves．I did not quite know what I was or what I should be．Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me．Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other．I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times．"
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home．I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives．
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy．How did the author get to know America?
| A．From her relatives． | B．From her mother． |
| C．From books and pictures． | D．From radio programs． |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______．
A．confused B．excited C．worried zedFor the first two years in New York, the author _________．
| A．often lost her way |
| B．did not think about her future |
C．studied in three different schools |
| D．got on well with her stepfather |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
| A．She worked as a translator． |
| B．She attended a lot of job interviews． |
| C．She paid telephone bills for her family． |
| D．She helped her family with her English． |
The author believes that______．
| A．her future will be free from troubles |
| B．it is difficult to learn to become patient |
| C．there are more good things than bad things |
| D．good things will happen if one keeps trying |
Since the 1950s, most of the stars of pop music have come from Britain and America. Howver, in the last ten years, when many different kinds of music have established themselves on the pop scene, more and more stars have come from other countries.
Pop music changes all the time and new stars appear and become famous. For a musician to stay popular and still produced good, original music over a long period of time, is a sign of true star.
Most stars start their careers in a simple way---- playing in unknown night clubs or dance-hall where people want to dance to the music, not listen to it. They may have continued doing this for many years untill they get a “break”---- a chance to perform in a well –known place or get a recording contract. To become a star is the aim of every singer or musician and the dream of many a pop-crazy teenager.
However a group or star makes it to the top, they can be sure that their lives will change once they are successful. Ordinary teenagers living at home with their parents may suddenly find themselves rich enough to buy their own houses. An established superstar may be able to buy several.
Despite the large amount of money that are earned, life at the top is not easy for many stars.. The pop scene is hard work and many stars need to spend a lot of time away from home. For a lot of them, this means they have no home life and their personal relationships suffer. Despite great public success, life at the top can be very lonely.Since the 1950s,most of the stars of pop music have come from______.
| A．America | B．America and Britain |
| C．America and Europe | D．other countries |
According to the passage， a “break” may mean a chance to ______.
| A．perform in a well-known concert | B．get a recording contract |
| C．play in dance-halls | D．meet a lot of pop-crazy teenagers |
If a star becomes successful,.he ______ according to the passage.
| A．will live at home with their parents |
| B．will have an easy life because of the larger amount of money earned |
| C．may have a happy home life and good person relationships |
| D．may have a lonely life |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号