You may know your mother, but how well do you really know Mother's Day? Cards,flowers,sales,TV specials,and a day off for someone who really deserves it―those are what probably come to mind for many people when they think of Mother's Day. But there's more to the story.

The earliest Mother's Day celebrations were held during spring in ancient Greece. The cele?brations honored Rhea,the Mother of the gods. During the 1600's,England celebrated a day called Mothering Sunday. On this day even servants(仆人) were given the day off to spend with their families. A mothering cake was even served with the family meal.

In the US,Mother's Day began in 1872 when Julia Ward Howe,who wrote the words to the famous song The Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested it as a day devoted to peace. But it didn't really become popular until 1907 when Anna Jarvis started a campaign to honor mothers. She believed that mothers could help people get over the pain they experienced during the Civil War. The US isn't alone in devoting a day to mothers. Many other countries including Denmark,Finland, Italy,Turkey, Australia, Japan, and Belgium also honor their mothers in May. Other countries honor their mothers at different times of the year.

Learning more about Mother's Day and celebrating Mother's Day are important,but probably not as important as understanding what your own mother,or grandmother,or aunt has really done for you. And that will certainly be appreciated more than one day in a year. 

(   ) 5. What is the passage mainly about?

    A. The reason why people celebrate Mother's Day.

    B. The ways people honor mothers.

    C. The history of Mother's Day.

    D. The great contribution of mothers.

(   ) 6. Where was the earliest Mother's Day celebrated?

    A.  In ancient Greece.

    B.  In the US.

    C. In England.

    D. In Italy.

(   ) 7. We can learn from the passage that        ,

    A. Rhea is the mother of a king in ancient Greece

    B. not all the countries celebrate Mother's Day in May

    C.  only mothers were given a day off on Mothering Sunday

    D. it was in 1872 that Mother's Day really came into being 

(   ) 8. The last paragraph tells us that        .

    A. all the people should celebrate Mother's Day

    B. only mothers are honored on Mother's Day

    C.  understanding mothers' work is more important than just celebrating Mother's Day

    D. people should celebrate Mother's Day every day

  We know the effect calories have on your body. For each pound of weight that your body carries,it takes about 12 calories per pound per day to keep it alive. If you weigh 150 pounds, you therefore need about 1 , 800 calories per day to keep yourself alive and maintain that same weight.

If you were to eat more than 1 , 800 calories per day,the surplus(剩余) turns into fat. It takes about 3,600 excess(过量的) calories to make a pound of fat.

  Let's say that you were to eat,on average, 2,000 calories per day. That extra 200 calories per day is going to turn into fat. However, you will eventually hit a point of equilibrium(平衡, 均衡) because as you gain weight, you need more calories to maintain that weight. So,a person eating an average of 2,000 calories per day will hit equilibrium at (2,000/12) 166. 67 pounds.

  So let's say that you eat,on average, 2 , 000 calories per day and reach equilibrium at 166 pounds. Then you go on a crash diet where you eat only 1 , 000 calories per day for 60 days. You lose 16 pounds and reach your target weight of 150 pounds. But then you go right back to eating 2 , 000 calories per day again. The graph below shows your eating pattern before, during and after the diet:

Note that the graph assumes that you,like most people, eat a random(无计划的) number of calories per day. Some days you are "good" and eat less,and some days you are "bad" and eat more,but the assumption is that it averages out to 2, 000 calories per day over the long run.

This graph shows what happens to your weight before ,during and after the diet :

  

 The diet really takes the weight off. But the weight comes right back when you return to your "normal" eating pattern. The weight appears to come back so quickly because when you are at your lightest,you tend to gain more weight each day. The lighter you are,the fewer calo?ries you need. If you only need 1,500 calories per day and you're eating 2,000,you're going to gain weight faster than if you need 1,800 and you're eating 2,000.

There are only two ways to keep the weight off :

Change your overall eating pattern so that you take in,on average,fewer calories than be?fore you go on the diet.

Start exercising so that you "burn" the extra calories you take in.

The best course of action is a combination of these two choices.

(   ) 5. The problem that the writer tries to deal with is        .

   A. how to lose weight fast while changing the diet

   B. why the weight comes back so quickly once one stops dieting

   C. how to reach the point of equilibrium

   D. what your target weight is

(   ) 6. What can we learn from the two graphs?

   A. It is hard to keep one's normal weight.

   B. The better way for you to lose weight is keeping your dieting.

   C. You will gain weight faster than before dieting.

   D. It is not necessary for you to lose weight by dieting.

(   ) 7. According to the passage,if you weighed 100 pounds and you were to eat on average 1400 calories per day,a year later,you would be        .

   A. 100 pounds

   B. 166. 67 pounds

   C. 97 pounds

   D. 116. 67 pounds

(   ) 8. What is the best way to keep the weight off according to the passage?

   A. Keep your diet and never stop.

   B. Return your overall eating pattern and exercise more.

   C. Take in fewer calories than before your diet and exercise more.

   D. Go on your diet and start exercising to burn the extra calories.




  Hey,all you Muggles, witches, and wizards―are you ready for the grand finale of the Harry Potter series? J. K. Rowling announced on Thursday the title for book seven―Harry Pot?ter and the Deathly Hallows. Book seven in the Harry Potter series will pick up where book six, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,left off. With the last chapter of book seven,the mag?ical adventures of Harry,Hermione, Ron,and friends will come to an end.

  "I am alternately delighted and worried," says Rowling on her official Web site. She made the announcement of the book title on the Web site. Rowling is currently busy putting the finish?ing touches on the book.

  "I'm now writing scenes that have been planned, in some cases, for a dozen years or even more," says Rowling. Rowling adds that she has been working very hard on this final install?ment in the series. With the title now set,she assured fans that she will indeed finish this book.

  "I both want,and don't want,to finish this book," Rowling says.

It's not too late to catch up on the rest of the series. You can also reread your favorite books while waiting for the last one. The publication date for book seven has not been set. To make the waiting a little easier,there's always the next Harry Potter movie,Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is scheduled for release in July 2007. 

(   ) 5. What's the name of the last issue of the Harry Potter series?

   A.Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling

   B.Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

   C.Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

   D.Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(   ) 6. Muggles, Harry,Hermione and Ron could probably be         .

   A.the best friends of J. K. Rowling

   B.the characters of the Harry Potter series

   C.the fans of Harry Potter

   D.the publishers of the Harry Potter series

(   ) 7. Which of the following is probably the closest in meaning to "alternately"?

   A. in turn   B. in time   C. in general   D. in full

(   ) 8. Which statement is true according to the passage?

   A.Harry Potter Series will be published on the Website.

   B.Book Seven of Harry Potter Series will be published before July 2007.

   C.Book Seven is being written as planned years ago.

   D.Harry Potter will come to the end of his life. 

(   ) 9. In the last paragraph, the writer         .

   A.encourages readers to act out a play following the Harry Potter movies

   B.persuades readers into reading their favorite book rather than Harry Potter series

   C.states that seeing the Harry Potter movies is the best way to catch up the series

   D.advises readers to wait for the publication of Book Seven patiently

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