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When I was 11, I threw a glance into Dad’s lunch box and made the unexpected discovery that my mother still showed her love towards my father. The evidence, a napkin resting on top of the sandwiches packed in wax paper, was certain “Love you!” she had written on the napkin. “ Meat loaf for supper!”
Mom penned all kinds of messages to Dad on those paper napkins, and he saved a whole pile of them. What embarrassed me as a kid has become a precious memory of my parents.
It also started my own brand of lunch box notes. When my kids were young, I’d glue little drawings on their lunches. Lots of sketches(素描) of our dog, Max, along with smiling flowers. When they were teenagers, I’d copy words of wisdom from great people, Einstein, for example, or Bruce Springsteen. Then, my kids grew up making their own handwritten notes. And my husband writes me love notes on recycled paper, because he’s all about being green.
Friends who know about my lunch box notes eagerly share stories of their own family traditions. So many focus on food. Maura’s mom always drew hearts on the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Melinda wrote messages on her kids’ bananas.
We’re into the third generation of lunch box notes in our home. Whenever my 3-year-old grandson, Clayton, spends the night, he knows his lunch is going to have a napkin note from Grandma in the morning. Last week, I drew a picture of me, waving widely and shouting his name. He took one look at it and screamed, “ Where’s Grandpa?” I added a man in a clean shirt. “ You forgot his tie,” he said. I quickly drew a line of stripes(条纹) down the front of the shirt. Clayton smiled. “Grandpa,” he whispered, running his fingers across the napkin. “It’s you!”
1.When the author first saw Dad’s lunch box notes, she felt ______.
A. moved B. awkward
C. proud D. nervous
2.What did the author put in the lunch boxes when her kids were in their teens?
A. Words of love.
B. Pictures of flowers.
C. Drawings of their favorite animals.
D. Famous words of wisdom
3.It can be inferred that ________.
A. the author’s grandson likes drawing pictures on napkins.
B. the author’s children dislike making lunch box notes.
C. the author’s husband is an environmentalist.
D. the author’s friends all had their brand of lunch box notes.
4.What’s the best title for the text?
A. Old generation’s way of expressing love.
B. Different brands of lunch box notes.
C. Lunches packed with love.
D. Some interesting family traditions.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Living near the beach may come with an extra perk (利益): better health. A new study analyzed information from more than 48 million people in England and found that the nearer they lived to the coast, the more likely people were to report good health within the past year.
Living near the coast may be associated with better health because the seaside environment reduces stress, the researchers said. They pointed to another British study that found that people who took trips to the coast experienced more feelings of calmness and relaxation than those who visited urban parks or the countryside.
The difference from living near the coast was relatively small. But a small effect, when applied to an entire population, can have a substantial impact on public health, said study researcher Ben Wheeler of Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry in Exeter, England.
However, it’s too soon to advise people to hit the beach to improve health, Wheeler said. The study only found an association, not a cause-effect link, and it’s possible that other factors could explain the results. For instance, it could be that people who are wealthier, and therefore healthier, are more able to move to desired locations such as the coast, Wheeler said, a phenomenon known as the migrant effect. But the study did find that the association between coastal living and better health was strongest for those living in the poorest areas, which perhaps indicates that wealth cannot explain the results, Wheeler said.
Because the study looked at only England—an island country in which everyone lives within 72 miles of the coast—it’s not clear whether the findings would apply to other populations. Far from England, a health expert not involved in the study said that while the British research certainly doesn’t prove that people’s health and the place they live are linked, it’s possible that proximity to the seas does something for our bodies.
If future studies confirm the results, the next step would be to find out it is what coastal environments that can benefit health. Wheeler said it may then be possible to bring those benefits to people living in other areas, through virtual environments, for instance.
1.We can conclude from the passage that ______.
A. people are encouraged to move to the coast
B. people living near the sea may be healthier.
C. people pay increasingly attention to health
D. people are worried about residential environment
2.According to the researchers, living near the sea ______.
A. doesn’t nearly affect the British population
B. can cure some difficult diseases in a way
C. can help get over one’s stress
D. means freeing from sadness or troubles
3.What Ben Wheeler said means ______.
A. the British public health is decreasing
B. concrete evidence favors life near the sea
C. wealthier people are likely to be healthier
D. exact reasons are proposed for further research
4.What does the underlined word “proximity” in the passage mean?
A. being close B. being distant
C. being similar D. being opposite
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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As we know, Julian Beever is an international well-known sidewalk chalk artist whose drawings have appeared on the streets of London, Buenos Aires, Paris, New York, and countless other cities around the world. Beever creates drawings that look completely three- dimensional when seen from the correct angle.
Now, in his book, Pavement chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever, the artist shares some of his most fascinating and humorous pieces, Here are a few examples you’ll find in the book.
●Philadelphia eagle
In Pennsylvania, Beever created “Philadelphia eagle ”a huge drawing with an eagle landing successfully on an American national flag.
●Meeting Mr. Frog
“Meeting Mr. Frog” was created in Salamanca, Spain, and is about a realistic-looking frog sitting on a Lily pad.
●Swimming pool in the high street
My personal favorite is “Swimming pool in the high street” from Brussels, which is about a woman relaxing in a swimming pool-----a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is!
Along with an introduction about his background, Beever includes a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame with every drawing. He shares information about his time at home in the UK. and abroad; there is a fun story to back up each piece of art.
Beever’s artwork is truly jaw drooping. You’re sure to spend ages turning the leaves back and forth, surprised at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the paintings are a wonder to lay eyes on.
＊Payment chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever is surely worth a look. And another look. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $ 29.95
1.What do we know about the book mentioned in the text?
A. It has a paper cover.
B. It hasn’t been published.
C. It includes some drawing techniques.
D. It’s a biography of Julian Beever.
2.What does the underlined part “ jaw dropping” most probably mean?
A. Romantic. B. Amazing.
C. Frightening D. Depressing.
3.We can infer that the text is ______.
A. a book review.
B. a description of street art.
C. an advertisement for a new book.
D. an introduction to an artist.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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People are being lured (引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook because people don’t really know what their personal data is worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about facebook — you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things — your city, your photo, your friends' names—were set, by default (默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice-president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience”.
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning, which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销) my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That’s too high a price to pay.
1.What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?
A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.
B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.
C. It provides loads of information to its users.
D. It profits by selling its users’ personal data.
2.Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?
A. To provide better service to its users.
B. To follow the Federal guidelines.
C. To improve its users’ connectivity.
D. To expand its scope of business.
3.What does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?
A. Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.
B. Banning the sharing of users’ personal information.
C. Removing ads from all social-networking sites.
D. Formulating(制订) regulations for social-networking sites..
4.Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?
A. He is dissatisfied with its current service.
B. He doesn’t want his personal data abused.
C. He finds many of its users untrustworthy.
D. He is upset by its frequent rule changes.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析