Sitting is art that isn’t getting passed along. People these days feel as though they have to be doing something. If they are not working, they are jogging, or playing tennis or golf, or taking courses to improve their minds or bodies –or they are parked in front of the TV. Sitting in front of the TV isn’t sitting – it’s watching.
People used to sit a lot. You would walk down the street or drive down the road, and there they would be, out on the doorsteps, sitting. You could go down to the store and sit on the bench out front in the summer or around the fire in the winter. There were sitting benches out in the town square. At the garage, there were straight-backed chairs. There among the oilcans and tries and spare parts, you could kick back and sit.
Houses used to have sitting rooms, where the grown ups would go after Sunday dinner. Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Aunt Ruby would sit and digest (消化) the fried chicken and talk about Aunt Ethel’s illness, and how well the minister did today. Outside, the children would play, and the afternoon would pass by in a comfortable haze (悠闲的氛围).
That sort of thing looks like doing nothing. A recharging battery (正在充电的电池) doesn’t look as if it’s doing anything either. Sitting restores your soul if you want to enjoy a truly full life, don’t just do something –sit there.
【小题1】What message does the author try to get through to us ?

A.People should make better use of their sitting room.
B.People should spend less time watching TV.
C.People should pass down their good habits.
D.People should take things easy for their own good.
【小题2】We can learn from the second paragraph that  _____________
A.people lived a more restful life in the past
B.towns were built to make living convenient
C.small town garages had a lot to offer
D.people enjoyed going out for a drive
【小题3】The sitting room mentioned in the text used to be a place for______________.
A.eating food .B.watching TV .C.gathering together.D.playing with children.
【小题4】 From the text we know the writer believes_______________
A.sitting has a good spiritual effectB.sitting helps people remember the past
C.sitting rooms may have different purposesD.a sitting room is important for the old.

Your chair is your enemy. That is the conclusion of several recent studies. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t.
So what’s wrong with sitting? The answer seems to have two parts. The first is that sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.
You may think you have no choice about how much you sit. But this isn’t true. Suppose you sleep for eight hours each day, and exercise for one. That still leaves 15 hours of activities. Even if you exercise, most of the energy you burn will be burnt during these 15 hours, so weight gain is often the cumulative(累积的) effect of a series of small decisions: Do you take the stairs or the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store, or drive?
But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting. Some evidence suggests that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you.
Lipoprotein lipase(蛋白脂酶) is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being moved. The result is that when you sit, an important part of your metabolism(新陈代谢) slows down. You may also have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes(糖尿病).
Some people have advanced radical solutions to the sitting syndrome(综合症): replace your sit-down desk with a stand-up desk, or watch television in a rocking chair. But whatever you choose, know this. The data is clear; look out for your chair.
【小题1】What would be the best title of this passage?

A.Become an Athlete to Be Healthy.
B.Choose a Better Chair for You.
C.How to Speed Up Your Metabolism.
D.Stand Up While You Read This.
【小题2】Paragraphs 2 and 3 tell us that         .
A.taking too much exercise harms people’s health
B.sitting a lot reduces the benefits of taking exercise
C.people needn’t depend on exercise to keep healthy
D.healthy people are those who sit less and stand more
【小题3】Which of the following is the best advice on how to control our weight?
A.Exercising at least an hour a day.
B.Standing as long as possible.
C.Using our energy actively in daily life.
D.watching TV in a rocking chair.
【小题4】The author mentions lipoprotein lipase mainly to          .
A.show that it plays a big part in keeping us healthy
B.tell us that it isn’t produced while we are sitting
C.suggest that we should take less exercise to be healthy
D.prove sitting for long is bad for our body

The opening of the Sherlock Holmes Museum to the public on March 27, 1990, was an event that should have happened several decades ago. Baker Street is, after all, one of the world’s most famous streets because of its long association with the great detective.

Thousands of people all over the world write to Sherlock Holmes, they form clubs and societies in his honor, and they celebrate his anniversaries. Now it is also possible to see where and how he lived in Victorian times!

Here visitors will recognize familiar objects mentioned in the stories. You can take as many photographs as you want (the maid will be pleased to assist) and when you are ready to leave, a ride home in a horse-drawn carriage will complete your 19th century experience!

Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson lived at 221b Baker Street from about 1881 to 1904. Apartment 221b was on the first floor of a lodging house, which they rented from a Mrs Hudson. The famous study that Holmes and his friend Dr Watson shared for almost 25 years is on the first floor overlooking Baker Street.

We know from Doctor Watson’s descriptions that their sitting room overlooking Baker Street was “illuminated(照明、照亮) by two broad windows” and that it was quite small.

Doctor Watson’s bedroom was on the second floor next to Mrs Hudson’s room and it overlooked an open yard at the back of the house. These rooms are used today for exhibits, where center stage is taken by a magnificant bronze bust(半身像)of Mr Holmes. Visitors can browse through literature, paintings, photographs and newspapers of the period. Memorabilia(纪念品) from the adventures and a selection of letters written to and from Mr Holmes are also on display.

The museum’s large and attractive souvenir shop is located on the ground floor. Here you will find a unique collection of gifts, objects of art, figures, busts, prints, books, playing cards, T-shirts, -novelties of every description available exclusively to museum visitors.

1.According to the article, we can conclude that Sherlock Holmes’ admirers      .

A.expect replies from him

B.made the opening of the museum possible

C.treat him as if he were a real person

D.often adapt his books into films or plays

2.Which of the following is TRUE?

A.The sitting room is small but has two big windows.

B.Mrs Hudson’s rooms are not used as exhibit rooms.

C.Mr Holmes’ and Dr Watson’s bedrooms are on the same floor.

D.Mr Holmes and Mrs Hudson shared ownership of Apartment 221b Baker Street.

3.When in the museum, which of the following can visitors not do?

A.Take photos of the rooms or objects on show

B.Buy unusual and interesting souvenirs

C.Learn some news of Mr Holmes’s times

D.Ask the maid to serve you tea in the Victorian times

 

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