My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can't be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying“What do you want? Take my wallet” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house—Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen's voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy's head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremyand I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn't crouch (蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help” at eight o'clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the? more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy's screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to? come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely“Please go and eat. We're OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of? bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I? was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer? sentences wouldn't change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was? directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes? talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy? and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out? in force twenty minutes later. They were ill?tempered about what was, to them, much trouble? about nothing.? After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to? describing the gunmen. “Typical” said one policeman when we couldn't even agree on how tall? the men were.? Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two? policemen who stayed to make the report didn't think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter?of?fact about the whole thing. The thin one said“That was a? stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do? what you're told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the? house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys” he said. “If you? had gone into the house with them...” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” ——he twisted his head toward me——“and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look” said the fat policeman kindly, “ there's no right or wrong in the situation. There's just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car? window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many? hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time—no? intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There's only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time.? It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone.Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they're fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window________.

Ashe felt very annoyed

Bshe lost consciousness

Cshe felt very much nervous

Dshe lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

AJeremy's fighting.

BThe author's screaming.

CTheir neighbour's brave action.

DThe police's arrival.

3.When the author called for help, the neighbors didn't come out immediately because________.

Athey were much too frightened

Bthey were busy preparing dinners

Cthey needed time to find baseball bats

Dthey thought someone was playing a trick

4.What the author wants to tell us is that________.

Aneighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

Bthe police are not reliable when one is in trouble

Csecurity is impossible as long as people can have guns

Dpreventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

 

Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse (冲动), but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ‘‘in”, fat is “out”.

It’ s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed (着迷) with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people’s obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate , millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day.    

1.What does the word “taboo’’ refer to in the passage?

A.A crime committed on impulse.

B.An unfavorable impression left on other people.

C.A strong desire to do something strange or terrible.

D.Behavior considered unacceptable to the society.

2.What does the underlined phrase “in” look probably mean?

A.The fashionable look.                    B.The hidden look.

C.The usual look.                         D.The inside look.

3.According to the passage, the common belief is that _________.

A.fat people are full of energy               B.thin people are more successful

C.fat people prefer to have fat bosses         D.thin people are less image-conscious

4.People pay more attention to diet and exercise because of _________.

A.their need to kill time                    B.their love for sports

C.their concern for health                  D.their belief in hard work

 

Younger adults who get either little sleep or a lot of it may see a greater expansion in their waistlines(腰围)over time, a study published suggests. Researchers found that among black and Hispanic adults younger than 40, those who typically slept for five hours or less each night had a greater accumulation of belly fat over the next five years, versus(相比于) those who averaged six or seven hours. Those who slept eight hours or more in bed each night also showed a bigger fat gain - but it was less obvious than that seen in "short sleepers."

The study, reported in the Journal Sleep, does not prove that too little or too much sleep directly leads to excess fat gain. But the findings support and extend those of other studies linking sleep duration - particularly a lack of sleep - to weight gain and even to higher risks of diabetes(糖尿病) and heart disease. Among participants younger than 40, the study found, those who said they slept for five hours or less each night gained more belly fat than those who averaged six or seven hours of sleep. On average, short sleepers showed a 32 percent gain in visceral(内脏的)fat, versus a 13 percent gain among those who slept six or seven hours per night, and a 22 percent increase among men and women who got at least eight hours of sleep each night. A similar pattern was seen with superficial abdominal(腹部)fat.

   The findings, according to lead researcher Dr. Kristen G. Hairston, support the belief that sleep habits affect weight and health in general. "Sleep is an important part of your overall health - not just in whether you're tired during the day," she said.

There may be indirect effects; people who get too little sleep may be too tired during the day to exercise, while those who spend a lot of time in bed may spend less time being active, relative to people who sleep fewer hours. Research also suggests that sleep loss alters people's levels of appetite-regulating hormones(荷尔蒙)- which could, in theory, cause them to overeat. Depression, which often affects people's sleep and has been linked to weight gain, could also be a factor, Hairston noted.

1.Who may have the higher risk of being fat over the next five years?

A. Jack, a Hispanic man, aged 35, sleeps for 3 hours every night.

B. Candy, a black woman, aged 41, sleeps for about 5 hours every night.

C. Bob, an American, aged 50, sleeps for more than 12 hours every day.

D. John, a student in Africa, sleeps for more than 6 hours every week.

2.What does the study, reported in the Journal Sleep find?

A. Too little or too much sleep directly gives rise to the fat gain.

B. People are subject to heart disease due to the lack of sleep.

C. It is admitted that sleep plays an important part in our health.

D. Researchers find a longer sleep time is better for our health.

3.What does the lead researcher Dr. Kristen G. Hairston agree with?

A. People should do some exercise in their daily life.

B. There is a close link between sleep habits and health.

C. More nutrition is greatly needed when we lack sleep.

D. More and more people tend to sleep less than before.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A. Younger adults getting little or much sleep may become fat.

B. We are supposed to do exercise as much as possible to keep fit.

C. We should keep a good sleep habit to improve our health.

D. We have to spare no efforts to drive depression away.

5.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Sleep Habits Linked to Fat Gain in Younger Adults.

B. Doing Exercise Is the Best Way to Keep Fit.

C. Our Waistlines Can Be Driven Away Right Now.

D. Diabetes No Longer bother all of Young People.

 

 

I know what you’re thinking : pizza (比萨饼)? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers in the a. m. if you want to 

I know lots of women who skip breakfast (不吃早餐) , and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it . Some say they don’t have time. others think they’re “saving” calories (卡路里), still others just don’t like breakfast food .  

But the bottom line is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating just about anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking , R , D , who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, and you stick to one small piece.  

Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southem California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.  

So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast altogether, and have just coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers-it may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it…you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.  

1.The word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.  

A. food remaining after a meal      B. things left undone 

C. meals made of vegetables          D. pizza topped with fruit 

2.What can we infer from the text? 

A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.  

B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.  

C. There are some easy ways of cooking a meal.  

D. Eating vegetables helps save energy.   

3.According to the last paragraph, it is important to____________.  

A. eat something for breakfast        B. be careful about what you eat 

C. heat up food before eating it        D. eat calorie-controlled food 

4.The text is written mainly for those_____________.  

A. who go to work early        B. who want to lose weight 

C. who stay up late            D. who eat before sleep 

 

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