Nobody likes home economics (家政学). But restoring the program could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic (慢性的) diseases today.

The home economics movement was founded on the belief that housework and food preparation were important subjects that should be studied scientifically. The first classes occurred in the agricultural and technical colleges that were built in the 1860s. When most departments of universities rejected women, home economics was a back door into higher education.

Indeed, in the early 20th century, home economics was a serious subject When few people understood germ (微生物) theory and almost no one had heard of vitamins, home economics classes offered vital information about washing hands regularly, eating fruits and vegetables and not feeding coffee to babies.

However, today we remember only the fixed ideas about home economics, forgetting the movement’s most important lessons on healthy eating and cooking. Too many Americans simply don’t know how to cook. Our diets, consisting of highly processed foods made cheaply outside the home, have contributed to many serious health problems. In the last decade, many cities and states have tried to tax junk food heavily or to ban the use of food stamps (食品券) to buy soda. Clearly, many people are doubtful about any governmental steps to promote healthy eating. But what if the government put the tools of obesity prevention in the hands of children themselves by teaching them how to cook?

My first experience with home economics happened two decades ago when I was a seventh grader in a North Carolina public school. A year later, my father’s job took our family to Wales, where I attended a large school for a few months. It was the first time I had ever really cooked anything. I remember that it was fun, and with an instructor standing by, it wasn’t hard. Those lessons stuck with me when I first started cooking for my husband and myself after college and they still do. Teaching cooking in public schools can help solve some problems facing Americans t day. The history of home economics shows it’s possible.

1.Home economics______.

A. is a subject becoming more and more popular with Americans

B. is often used to help fight against obesity and chronic diseases

C. once offered women a. special approach to university education

D. was first taught in the agricultural and technical colleges in the early 1900s

2. The third paragraph mainly tells us______ .

A. the importance of regular hand washing

B. the health benefits of fruits and vegetables

C. the contents of home economics classes in the early 20th century

D. the significance of teaching home economics in the early 20th century

3. In the opinion of the author, how should we fight against childhood obesity?

A. Children should be taught how to cook.

B. A heavy tax should be put on junk food

C. Healthy eating should be promoted at school

D. Using food stamps to buy soda should be banned

4. What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A. Her family moved frequently in her childhood.

R Cooking classes have a far-reaching influence on her later life.

C. To receive a better education, she went to a large school in Wales.

D. Teaching cooking is the key to solving Americans’ health problems.

 

About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.

We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.

The next scene was a complete contrast (对比).The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen. An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!

Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film “Stars”!

1.Who is the author?

A.A cameraman.                          B.A film director.

C.A workman for scene setting               D.A crowd-scene actor

2. What made the author feel cold?

A.The heavy snowfall.                      B.The film being shown.

C.The low temperature.                    D.The man-made scene.

3.What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned, in the last paragraph?

A.A new scene would be filmed.

B.More stars would act in the film.

C.The author would leave the studio.

D.The next scene would be prepared.

 

D

Parties, iPods, concerts, movies, TV shows, video games, traffic. All of these things of the modern world make life entertaining and enjoyable. But our 21st-century lifestyle is also loud and, if we don’t take notice, it can have an effect on our hearing.

Most teenagers don’t think about hearing loss. But if you experience any of the following symptoms(症状), you may already be hearing damaged: you make efforts to hear normal talk, you have to turn up the TV or radio so high that others complain, you watch other people’s expressions to understand what they are saying, you ask people to repeat themselves, you misunderstand what people are saying or you hear ringing in your ears.

iPods and other MP3 players are as common as the clothes you wear, and just as fashionable. But if you turn up an iPod to more than 60 percent of its maximum volume(最大音量), and listen to music for more than an hour, you are asking for trouble. And, it does not matter if the music you play is classical, rock or heavy metal.

Some researchers find that young people who break the so-called 60-percent/60-minute rule in listening to iPods are at the risk of suffering hearing loss.

Why is an iPod dangerous? With ear buds placed directly in the ear canal and high-volume music played over a long period of time, it’s like working in a loud factory all day, being a maintenance(修理)person under a jet airplane or using a jackhammer(手提钻)on a building site.

Similarly, iPod music can cause a short time or permanent(永久的)hearing damage. A loud iPod can cause a ruptured(破裂的)eardrum and, over time, may cause permanent damage to the tiny hairs in the inner ear. If these tiny hairs are damaged, they cannot effectively send sounds to the auditory nerves(听觉神经)that connect to the brain. If this happens, hearing loss becomes permanent.

1.Which of the following shows that you are suffering hearing loss?

A.You are interested to listen to others’ talking.

B.You have to read others’ expressions to understand them.

C.You can only understand others over the phone.

D.You always think you hear the ringing of the phone.

2. Which of the following is TRUE when you listen to music?

A.Listen at least an hour every time.

B.Turn up the volume to the highest level.

C.keep the sound lower than 60% of its highest volume.

D.Choose classical, rock or heavy metal music.

3.What is the correct order of causing permanent hearing loss?

a. The eardrum is broken.

b. The auditory nerves cannot receive sounds.

c. Tiny hairs are damaged.

d. Ear buds are placed directly in the ear canal.

e. High-volume music is played over a long time.

A.d-a-c-b-e          B.e-c-a-b-d          C.b-c-a-d-e          D.d-e-a-c-b

4.This passage is mainly about      .

A.music that teenagers like                 B.hearing problems caused by the loud world

C.ways that teenagers enjoy music            D.dangerous modern lifestyles of teenagers.

 

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