出自:大学英语D252
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 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—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,” Mulhern said.
1-1 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.
学生答案：B
2、1-2 According to Natasha Withers，vacations can________.
A、weaken reaction system
B、cure serious diseases
C、reduce the level of well being
D、decrease the risk of heart disease
学生答案：D
3、1-3 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
学生答案：D
4、1-4 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.
学生答案：A
5、1-5 What is mainly talked about in the text?
A、Ways to relax in one’s free time.
B、The benefits of taking time off.
C、Different opinions on holidays.
D、The Hostetlers always on the go.
学生答案：B
When you tidy your messy bedroom,it gets a lot easier to find things. Dreams may work the same way for a messy brain,helping you learn by organizing memories and ideas.
To test how much dreams can help learning,Robert Stick gold had some students play a shape fitting game called Tetris (俄罗斯方块) for a few hours and then go to sleep.Soon they were dreaming of falling Tetris shapes. Interestingly,the worst Tetris players had the most Tetris dreams and improved their game the most. Similar tests have shown the same results for all kinds of skills.
As we dream,many important tasks are getting done. The brain decides what to keep and what to forget. It is connecting new experiences to older learning. In fact,the brain is learning all night long.
Another important task of dreams may be to help us deal with emotions (情绪).At night,emotions are in the driver’s seat. People who have had an upsetting experience often dream about it afterward. Often the dream event changes somehow—another way the brain tries to make the memory less upset. So if your best friend moves away,you might dream that you’re the one who’s moving. In fact,dreams have a proven power to improve mood,and people who dream about what’s bothering them usually feel better sooner than those who don’t.
Everybody dreams for a couple of hours every night—in the course of your life,you’ll spend about 25 years asleep and 6 years dreaming. There’s probably no single answer to the question why we dream,but there doesn’t have to be. One dream might help you remember your math facts, while another might lead to a new invention,or give you a fun,crazy story to tell your friends. It’s all in a night’s work for our busy,mysterious brains.
2-1 Robert Stickgold’s test shows that_____.
A、games are useful for memory
B、dreams can help improve skills
C、players stop learning in dreams
D、tasks can only be settled through dreams
学生答案：B
7、2-2 We can learn from Paragraph 4 that________.
A、dreams can get rid of sufferings
B、only drivers can deal with emotions
C、one may be less upset after a dream
D、dreams can copy what one experienced
学生答案：C
8、2-3 Which of the following does the author probably agree with?
A、Dreaming does harm to one’s mood.
B、Dreaming affects the quality of sleep.
C、It’s hard to find out the secrets of dreaming.
D、It’s not so important to know the cause of dreaming.
学生答案：D
9、2-4 What does the text focus on?
A、Dreams and memories.
B、Dreams and emotions.
C、The benefits of dreams.
D、The patterns of dreams.
学生答案：C
10、2-5 In which part of a magazine can this text be found?
A、Entertainment.
B、Tourism.
C、Science.
D、Advertisement.
学生答案：C
“Oh,you must have been a spoiled (宠坏的) kid. You must be really bossy. I wonder what you’re going to be like to deal with?” That’s often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she’s an only child,she told ABC News. Despite such negative (消极的) remarks,Hult has decided to have only one child herself. And she’s not alone.
According to the US’ Office for National Statistics,women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of 1.9 children in 2004,compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976.The percentage of one child families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007.
But even though only children are becoming increasingly common,the traditional view that they’re selfish,spoiled and lack social skills holds strong. Even parents of only children,like Hult,are made to feel guilty about having only one child. Worried that they’re being selfish and endangering their child’s future,they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice. Soon,however,they ask themselves:is this social prejudice really reasonable?
“There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers (同龄人),” Susan Newman,a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US,told ABC News.
This raises another question:why are only children still viewed with such suspicion?
“There is a belief that’s been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous,both for you and for the continuation of your race,” Toni Falbo,a professor of educational psychology,told the Guardian.“In the past a lot of children died.You’d have had to be crazy to only have one.”
Times,of course,have changed and infant mortality (婴儿死亡率) has largely reduced.So what do only children themselves say?
Kayley Kravitz,a blogger for The Huffington Post,grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience.“Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all:the ability to be alone,” she said.
3-1 Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A、Are only children lonely?
B、Are only children common?
C、Are only children dangerous?
D、Are only children different?
学生答案：D
12、3-2 What does Susan Newman mean?
A、Only children are as good as their peers.
B、Only children are more selfish and spoiled.
C、Parents feel guilty about having only one child.
D、Parents will endanger their only child’s future.
学生答案：A
13、3-3 What is the common belief since human existed?
A、The infant death rate always stays high.
B、People are crazy to have only one child.
C、It’s easy for only children to earn their living.
D、It’s hard to continue the family line with only one child.
学生答案：D
14、3-4 An only child like Kayley________.
A、must be difficult to persuade
B、can possibly learn to be alone
C、should value special skills
D、need ignore bad experience
学生答案：B
15、3-5 What’s the author’s attitude towards having only one child?
A、Neutral.
B、Negative.
C、Positive
D、Doubtful.
学生答案：A
Part of a research study,by scientists at McMaster university,which is ongoing into the influence of drinking milk after heavy weightlifting,has observed that milk helps exercisers burn more fat.
The scientists took three groups of young men 18 to 30 years of age,56 in total,and put them through a strict,five day per week weightlifting program over a 12 week period. Following their workouts,study participants drank either two cups of skim milk (脱脂奶),or a soy beverage with equivalent amounts of protein and energy,or a carbohydrate beverage (碳酸饮料) with an equivalent amount of energy.
Upon the study’s conclusion,scientists observed that:the milk drinking group had lost nearly twice as much fat—two pounds—as those in the carbohydrate beverage group,who lost one pound of fat. Those drinking soy lost no fat. At the same time,the gain in muscle was much greater among the milk drinkers than either the soy or carbohydrate beverage participants.
As published in the first stage of the study,the milk drinking group came out on top in terms of muscle gain with an estimated 40 percent or 2.5 pounds more muscle mass than the soy beverage drinkers. In addition,this group gained 63 percent or 3.3 pounds more muscle mass than the carbohydrate beverage drinkers.
“I think the evidence is beginning to increase,”says Stuart Phillips—the leader of the study.“Milk may be best known for its calcium (钙) content in supporting bone health,but our research,and later others’,can continually support milk’s ability to aid in muscle growth and also promote body fat loss. Milk is the ideal post workout drink for recreational exercisers and athletes alike.”
6-1 According to the study，which is the best drink for exercisers to lose weight?
A、Fruit juice.
B、Soy beverage.
C、Skim milk.
D、Carbohydrate beverage.
学生答案：C
27、6-2 From the passage we can learn that milk has a good effect on all of the following EXCEPT________.
A、muscle gain
B、brain development
C、bone health
D、fat loss
学生答案：B
28、6-3 According to the passage，we can know that________.
A、the scientists chose people aged 18,30 and 56 as participants of the research
B、the weightlifting program which study participants attended was 84 days in total
C、people who drink milk every day are always healthier and thinner than others
D、soy beverages are better than carbohydrate beverages for exercisers to gain muscle
学生答案：D
29、6-4 What does Philips want to tell us?
A、More evidence is needed to strengthen their research.
B、Milk has more calcium than soy or carbohydrate beverages.
C、The calcium in milk can also help gain muscle and lose fat.
D、Athletes should be forbidden to drink other beverages except milk.
学生答案：A
30、6-5 What does the passage mainly talk about?
A、What exercisers should do to lose weight.
B、How milk influences people’s health and figure.
C、The differences between milk and soy or carbohydrate beverages.
D、A research on the effect of drinking milk—gain muscle and lose fat.
学生答案：D
Give yourself a test. Which way is the wind blowing? How many kinds of wildflowers can be seen from your front door? If your awareness is as sharp as it could be, you’ll have no trouble answering these questions.
Most of us observed much more as children than we do as adults. A child’s day is filled with fascination, newness and wonder. Curiosity gave us all a natural awareness. But distinctions that were sharp to us as children become unclear; we are numb(麻木的)to new stimulation(刺激),new ideas. Relearning the art of seeing the world around us is quite simple, although it takes practice and requires breaking some bad habits.
The first step in awakening senses is to stop predicting what we are going to see and feel before it occurs. This blocks awareness. One chilly night when I was hiking in the Rocky Mountains with some students, I mentioned that we were going to cross a mountain stream. The students began complaining about how cold it would be. We reached the stream, and they unwillingly walked ahead. They were almost knee-deep when they realized it was a hot spring. Later they all admitted they’d felt cold water at first.
Another block to awareness is the obsession(痴迷) many of us have with naming things. I saw bird watchers who spotted a bird, immediately looked it up in field guides, and said, a “ruby-crowned kinglet” and checked it off. They no longer paid attention to the bird and never learned what it was doing.
The pressures of “time” and “destination” are further blocks to awareness. I encountered many hikers who were headed to a distant camp-ground with just enough time to get there before dark. It seldom occurred to them to wander a bit, to take a moment to see what’s around them. I asked them what they’d seen.“ Oh, a few birds,” they said. They seemed bent on their destinations.
Nature seems to unfold to people who watch and wait. Next time you take a walk, no matter where it is, take in all the sights, sounds and sensations. Wander in this frame of mind and you will open a new dimension to your life.
7-1 According to Paragraph 2,compared with adults, children are more_____.
A、anxious to do wonders
B、sensitive to others’ feelings
C、likely to develop unpleasant habits
D、eager to explore the world around them
学生答案：D
32、7-2 What idea does the author convey in Paragraph 3?
A、To avoid jumping to conclusions.
B、To stop complaining all the time.
C、To follow the teacher’s advice.
D、To admit mistakes honestly.
学生答案：A
33、7-3 The bird watchers’ behavior shows that they______.
A、are very patient in their observation
B、are really fascinated by nature
C、care only about the names of birds
D、question the accuracy of the field guides
学生答案：C
34、7-4 Why do the hikers take no notice of the surroundings during the journey?
A、The natural beauty isn’t attractive to them.
B、They focus on arriving at the camp in time.
C、The forest in the dark is dangerous for them.
D、They are keen to see rare birds at the destination.
学生答案：B
35、7-5 In the passage, the author intends to tell us we should______.
A、fill our senses to feel the wonders of the world
B、get rid of some bad habits in our daily life
C、open our mind to new things and ideas
D、try our best to protect nature
学生答案：A
When I was 17,I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She had requested the community to turn it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum. She asked,“ Do you have the address? ”“No, but I’ll recognize it, there was a picture in the magazine.”
“Oh, stop. There it is!”
The museum was free. We entered, excited. A group of people sitting in the hall stopped talking and stared at us.
“May I help you?” a man asked.“ No,” I said.“ We’re fine.” Tour guides got on my nerves. What if they talked a long time about a painting you weren’t that interested in? Sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very nosy(爱窥探的),keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? I saw some nice sculptures in one room. Suddenly I sensed a man standing behind me.“ Where do you think you are?” he asked. I turned sharply.“ The McNay Art Museum!” He smiled, shaking his head.“ Sorry, the McNay is on New Braunfels Street.” “What’s this place?” I asked, still confused.“ Well, it’s our home.” My heart jolted(震颤).I raced to the staircase and called out,“ Sally! Come down immediately! ”
“There’s some really good stuff(艺术作品)up there.” She stepped down, looking confused. I pushed her toward the front door, waving at the family,saying,“Sorry, please forgive us, you have a really nice place.” Outside, when I told Sally what happened, she covered her mouth, laughing. She couldn’t believe how long they let us look around without saying anything.
The real McNay was splendid, but we felt nervous the whole time we were there. Van Gogh, Picasso. This time, we stayed together, in case anything else unusual happened.
Thirty years later, a woman approached me in a public place.“ Excuse me, did you ever enter a residence, long ago, thinking it was the McNay Museum?”
“Yes. But how do you know? We never told anyone.”
“That was my home. I was a teenager sitting in the hall. Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before. You thought it was a museum. My feelings about my home changed after that. I’ve always wanted to thank you.”
8-1 What do we know about Marian McNay?
A、She was a painter.
B、She was a community leader.
C、She was a museum director.
D、She was a journalist.
学生答案：A
37、8-2 Why did the author refuse the help from the man in the house?
A、She disliked people who were nosy.
B、She felt nervous when talking to strangers.
C、She knew more about art than the man.
D、She mistook him for a tour guide.
学生答案：D
38、8-3 How did the author feel about being stared at by the people in the hall?
A、Puzzled.
B、Concerned.
C、Frightened.
D、Delighted.
学生答案：A
39、8-4 Why did the author describe the real McNay museum in just a few words?
A、The real museum lacked enough artwork to interest her.
B、She was too upset to spend much time at the real museum.
C、The McNay was disappointing compared with the house.
D、The event happening in the house was more significant.
学生答案：D
40、8-5 What could we learn from the last paragraph?
A、People should have good taste to enjoy life.
B、People should spend more time with their family.
C、People tend to be blind to the beauty around them.
D、People tend to educate teenagers at a museum.
学生答案：C