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In recent years, stressed-out urbanites have been seeking refuge in green spaces for the proven positive impacts on physical and mental health, but the benefits of “blue space” — the sea and coastline, but also rivers, lakes, canals, waterfalls, even fountains — are less well publicized, yet the science has been consistent for at least a decade: being by water is good for body and mind.
“Many of the processes are exactly the same as with green space — with some added benefits, ” says Dr Mathew White, a senior lecturer at the University of Exeter.White says there are three established pathways by which the presence of water is positively related to health and happiness. First, there are the beneficial environmental factors, such as less polluted air and more sunlight. Second, people who live by water tend to be more physically active. Third — and this is where blue space seems to have an edge over other natural environments — water has a psychologically restorative effect. When you are sailing, surfing or swimming, says White, “you’re really in tune with natural forces there.” By being forced to concentrate on the qualities of the environment, we access a cognitive state honed over millennia. Water is, quite literally, immersive.
Catherine Kelly is a wellness practitioner who teaches classes in “mindfulness by the sea”. She says the sea has a meditative quality.
“To go to the sea is synonymous with letting go, ” says Kelly. “It could be lying on a beach or somebody handing you a cocktail. For somebody else, it could be a wild, empty coast. But there is this really human sense of: ‘Oh, look, there’s the sea’ — and the shoulders drop.”
1.Why do people go to the “blue space” for a relaxation ?
A.To seek positive effect on body and mind.
B.To have a good swim in the blue sea.
C.To consider the beneficial environmental factors.
D.To tend to be more careful and active.
2.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A.The characteristics of the beneficial and friendly environmental factors.
B.The classification of being by water is good for body and mind.
C.The importance of the beneficial and friendly environmental factors.
D.The causes of being by water are good for body and mind.
3.What does the underlined word “immersive” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A.Being interested. B.Being forced.
C.Being involved. D.Being moved.
4.What does Catherine Kelly find about “going to the sea” according to the text?
A.Trick of the lesson B.Secret of the happiness.
C.Sense of human beings D.Broadness of the sea
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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With computers replacing humans in many industries, there have been many reports in recent years _____ warn of future job losses.
A.when B.where C.which D.as
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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In recent years many football clubs ______ as business to make a profit.
A. have run B. have been run C had been run D. will run
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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Three-Dimensional （3D） movies have been becoming more and more popular in recent years．It seems 3D TV sets may be going into family households in the near future．While new digital 3D technology has made the experience more comfortable for many, for some with eye problems, long 3D viewing may result in an aching head, doctors say．
"There are a lot of people walking around with very minor eye problems, which under normal situations, the brain deals with naturally," said Dr Michael Rosenberg, an ophthalmologist （眼科医师） in Chicago．He said in a 3D movie, these people face a completely new sensory experience．"That translates into greater mental effort, making it easier to get a headache," Rosenberg told Reuters．
In normal vision, each eye sees things at a slightly different angle．"When that gets processed in the brain, that creates the perception （感觉） of depth," said Dr Deborah Friedman, an ophthalmologist in New York．The images people see in three dimensions in the movies are not calibrated （校准的） in the same way that their eyes and brain are．"If your eyes are a little off to begin with, then it's really throwing a whole degree of effort that your brain now needs
to exert （竭尽全力）," he said．
Dr John Hagan, a Kansas City ophthalmologist, said some people who do not have normal depth perception cannot see in 3D at all．He said people with eye muscle problems, in which the eyes are not pointed at the same object, have trouble processing 3D images．
Rock Heineman, a spokesman for RealD, a provider of 3D equipment to theaters, said headaches and nausea were the main reasons 3D technology never took off．
Heineman said older 3D technology used two film projectors（放映机）, one that projected a left-eye image and one that projected a right-eye image．Three-D glasses would allow viewers to see a different image in each eye．
"People often complained of headaches and it was really because the projectors weren’t lined up," Heineman said．
Now his company has developed a new single digital projector, which switches between the left and the right-eye image 144 times a second, to help overcome some of the old problems．
"By going to a single digital projector, those problems were solved," he said．Friedman said he thinks most people will do fine with 3D movies and with 3D TVs, but Rosenberg said people may quickly tire of the novelty （新鲜事物）．"I suspect there will be a lot of people who say it's sort of neat, but it's not really comfortable," he said．
1.The text is mainly about ____．
A．the reasons why people like 3D movies
B．how to improve 3D technology
C．the development of 3D technology in recent years
D．causes of headaches and nausea when people watch 3D movies
2.The underlined phrase "took off" could be replaced by "______"．
A．became popular
B．flew in the sky
C．left hurriedly
D．removed one's clothes
3.This article implies that _____．
A．people do not like new things like 3D movies
B．3D TVs will completely take the place of old TV sets
C．3D technology is the most important technology ever
D．those with eye muscle problems should not watch 3D movies
4.We can learn from what Rosenberg said in the last paragraph that
A．a single digital projector could solve all the problems with 3D technology
B．people will gradually become comfortable with 3D movies and TVs
C．the appeal of 3D movies and "TVs may fade
D．most people will actually enjoy the 3D experience
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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In recent years many football clubs______as business to make a profit.
A. have run B. have been run C had been run D. will run
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析
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In recent years many countries have been faced with the problem of how to make their workers more productive. Some experts believe that the answer is to make jobs more varied. Do more varied jobs lead to greater productivity? There is something to suggest that while variety certainly makes the worker's life more enjoyable, it does not make him work harder. So variety is not important.
Other experts feel that giving the worker freedom to do his job in his own way is important and there is no doubt that this is true. The problem is that this kind of freedom cannot easily be given in the modern factory with its complicated machinery which must be used in a fixed way. Thus while freedom of choice may be important, there is very little that can be done to achieve this.
Another important consideration is how much each worker contributes to the product he is making. In most factories the worker sees only one small part of the product. Some car factories are said to be experimenting with having many small production lines rather than a large one, so that each worker contributes more to the production of the cars on his line. It would seem then that the degree of worker contribution is important.
To what extent does more money lead to greater productivity? The workers themselves certainly think this is important, but perhaps they want more money only because the work they do is so boring. Money just lets them enjoy their spare time more. A similar argument may explain demands for shorter working hours. Perhaps if companies succeed in making workers' jobs more interesting, they will neither want more money, nor will shorter working hours be so important to them.
72. Which of the following things will not increase productivity?
A. Making jobs more varied.
B. Longer working hours.
C. Giving workers the freedom to do his jobs in their own way.
D. Increasing the workers' contribution to production.
73. The last sentence in this passage means that if companies manage to make workers' jobs more interesting, _________.
A. they will want more money
B. they will demand shorter working hours
C. more money and shorter working hours are important
D. more money and shorter working hours will not be so important to them
74. In this passage, the writer tells us _________.
A. how to make the workers more productive
B. possible factors leading to greater productivity
C. more money leads to greater productivity
D. how to make workers' jobs more interesting
75. The writer of this passage is probably a _____________.
A. teacher B. worker C. manager D. physics
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
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To our great joy, the problem, _________for a number of years, has been settled recently.
A.having discussed B.being discussed C.having been discussed D.to be discussed
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
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It may have been unusually cold recently but experts say it's ________ for this time of year.
A．normal B．formal C．ordinary D．common
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The quality of water supply in southern Beijing has been improving in recent years, an official said.
In addition to improvements in the network of pipes, the government has been upgrading three recycled water plants in the south of the capital, said Zhao Lei, spokesman for the Beijing Municipal Commission of Development and Reform.
"The transformation of the three plants has increased the recycled water processing capacity by 160,000 cubic meters per day," he said.
In addition, the city is also speeding up the construction of sewage treatment plants to further recycle the sewage, Zhao said.
Zhang Xiang, a researcher from Nature University, an environmental protection NGO in Beijing, said recycled water use should be promoted, especially in water-scarce cities such as Beijing.
Setting up more recycled water plants in the capital will not only promote efficient water use, but also reduce costs because recycling water is much cheaper than transferring it over long distances, he said.
According to the Beijing Water Authority, the capital will set up 46 more recycled water plants citywide in the next three years while upgrading 20 sewage treatment plants.
The treatment rate of domestic sewage in downtown Beijing will reach 98 percent by the end of 2015, it said.
The capital's recycled water is mainly used for industry, landscaping and cleaning, Zhang said.
Many new communities in southern Beijing are equipped with a network to recycle water.
In the past, people were not enthusiastic about using recycled water. However, as the government has boosted the quality of recycled water and set up more recycled water plants, more residents are gradually accepting it.
Residents in southern Beijing will also enjoy more clean energy, as the government will replace traditional coal-burning stoves with electric radiators as part of a three-year plan to develop southern Beijing from 2013 to 2015.
Since 2010, Beijing has taken measures to develop its southern areas. Earlier efforts have seen the region, which used to rely heavily on low-end industries such as cement factories and small coal mines, being turned into a bustling commercial center and home to many educational institutions.
1.This passage may appear in ________ section.
A．business B．life C．politics D．forum
2.which statement is true according to the passage
A．Recycled water will be mainly used for drink.
B．As usual, recycled water is accepted by people.
C．Traditionally people in southern Beijing use coal-burning stove for cooking.
D．The water Transferred over long distance is cheaper than recycled water.
3. How many recycled water plants will the capital city have in about 3 years?
A．46. B．20 C．3 D． 49
4. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A．Southern area in Beijing has taken on a new look.
B．The southern area is hone to many educational institutions
C．Southern area in Beijing is more beautiful now.
D．Southern area in Beijing is a busy place now .
5. Which is the best title for the passage?
A．Beijing government has taken measures to improve its people`s life.
B．Recycled water flows to southern Beijing.
C．More recycled water plants will be built.
D．The southern Beijing residents will enjoy clean water
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
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The science of computer, rapid progress has been made in recent years，plays a very important role in our daily life．
A. from which B. in which
C. with which D. to which
高三英语单项填空困难题查看答案及解析