Following the crowd may not always be in a person’s best interest.But new research suggests that teens who go along with their friends may end up healthier as adults.

Scientists have known that close friendships help boost health.That’s true for both teens and adults.The finding inspired Joseph Allen,a psychologist at the University of Virginia,and his team to study whether experiences during teen years would influence adult health.

So they followed 171 teens,starting when the kids were just 13.They interviewed each one every year for five years,and also spoke to these teens’closest friends,who provided additional information about the quality of their friendships.The same 171 people were interviewed again at ages 25,26 and 27.This time,the questions surveyed each person’s overall health.When the researchers analyzed the data they found a strong connection between a teen’s behavior and adult health.Teens who had close friends grew up to be the healthier adults.Whether teens held back their feelings or expressed them to a close friends also influenced later health.Those who held back were more likely to be sick as adults.The connection held up even after the scientists accounted for other possible influences on health.Weight,family income and drug use were all examined.So were mental health issues,such as anxiety and depression.And in these people,such other factors did not explain adult health as well as teen friendships did.

Going along with the crowd may have benefits,says Allen,but there are also drawbacks.Teens who are more independent tend to do better at school and work.And peer pressure may lead some kids to engage in risky behavior,such as smoking,drinking or using drugs.Dealing with it is an ongoing challenge,Allen acknowledges.“Finding the right balance is the key.Teens shouldn’t lose heart for not finding this easy.”And,he adds,“Parents need to be understanding about the pressures teens face.”

1.Where can you probably read this passage?

A. Science fiction

B. Health column

C. Fashion magazine

D. Entertainment newspaper

2.We can learn from Allen’s study that _______________.

A. many other factors have a greater influence on adult health than teen friendships

B. mental health issues have nothing to do with adult health

C. the same 171 teens were interviewed each year from 13 to 27

D. the teens who couldn’t express themselves grew up to be unhealthier

3.According to what Allen said,we can know that _______________.

A. in order to do better at school,teens should not follow the crowd

B. though it’s challenging for teens to deal with peer pressure,they should not give up

C. teens will engage in smoking,drinking or using drugs when facing peer pressure

D. parents should understand their teens and stop them going with friends

4.What can be inferred from the passage?

A. There is nothing bad for teens to follow the crowd.

B. Close friendships are the most important for people’s health.

C. Teen friendships may turn out healthier adults.

D. Adult health is only influenced by teen friendships.

My father used to be an amateur wrestler (业余摔跤者) and national champion. He was forced by his father to give up the sport in order to obtain gainful employment, which meant he wouldn’t be able to win a medal for our country. Therefore, he made a vow that his unborn son would. 1.

He was about to give up hope when one day, my younger sister Babita and I beat up two boys accidentally in response to critical comments. My dad found our potential to become wrestlers and began coaching us. 2. We were required to do physical training early in the morning and have a short haircuts to avoid lice.

3. We would complain about him all the time. Gradually, I realized that he wanted us to have a good future and not grow up to be ordinary housewives. Motivated, we willingly participated in his coaching.

With great efforts, he made us competitive wrestlers and I won the junior and senior championships, providing me with a chance to gain training in a National Sports Academy, where pride and pain fulfilled my mind.4. As a result, I found myself losing every match at the international level. After that, I tearfully made peace with papa and turned to him for help. Then he coached me patiently.

Despite difficulty, I finally became the first Indian female wrestler to qualify for the Olympics, inspiring dozens of Indian women to take to wrestling. Even now, papa’s words are still in my mind “Geeta, think about all the girls who are thought to be inferior to boys, girls who are forced to do chores, girls who are married and have children. Not only will you compete with other countries, but also with those who look down upon women!”. I will never forget our father’s instruction. 5..

A. But his methods were cruel.

B. I almost gave up what papa had taught me.

C. Disappointingly, my mother gave birth to all girls.

D. My sister and I tried to escape.

E. I will always owe all success to him.

F. At first, my sister and I did not understand our father.

G. However, my mother didn’t agree with him.

My mother was a giver. The occasion never ______ – Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries or no occasion at all.

She was always thinking about who might ______ what. Creativity and ______ went into the gifts she gave, and she ______ a thank you note. Once she sent out a note to her own children and grandchildren who had not acknowledged gifts, ______ that they were now on her “Fecal Roster(黑名单)” and would not be removed

____ she had received a proper thank you.

Even if you didn’t ______ a thank you, she’d give you another gift the next ______ she had. She figured

____ manners were your problem, not hers.

Every time Mom and Dad ______ to visit, all of us would gather in the driveway as they unloaded luggage. There was always something for the kids, ______ a couple of little toys or a big ______ of homemade cookies. They weren’t gifts for particular occasion. They were ______ “Isn’t life great?” gifts.

One spring when they came to visit, she handed me a ______ bag. Inside was a painting that ______ : “A Special Daughter. You’ve ______ laughter and joy to our lives and so much love to our hearts. The most precious things we can ______ for you are the things you have given us… ______ and Love.”

Mom was a ______ gift giver, but the best gifts we will always remember her for were her lover for______and her love for us.

1.A. mattered B. occurred C. varied D. arose

2.A. wonder B. praise C. enjoy D. approve

3.A. thoughtfulness B. sympathy C. justice D. authority

4.A. ignored B. appreciated C. promised D. resisted

5.A. assuming B. abusing C. stating D. correcting

6.A. once B. after C. when D. until

7.A. send B. purchase C. conduct D. obtain

8.A. time B. chance C. festival D. holiday

9.A. mistaken B. bad C. silly D. ridiculous

10.A. walked by B. wandered around C. drove over D. rode away

11.A. often B. always C. never D. seldom

12.A. tank B. cage C. container D. holder

13.A. fairly B. apparently C. especially D. simply

14.A. cookie B. toy C. hand D. gift

15.A. read B. told C. wrote D. appeared

16.A. showed B. awarded C. devoted D. brought

17.A. apply B. wish C. recommend D. ask

18.A. Assistance B. Privilege C. Happiness D. Satisfaction

19.A. extreme B. serious C. grand D. great

20.A. life B. kids C. families D. gifts

Imagine the tallest building in the United States. Fill that large building 44 times with rotten (腐烂的)fruits and vegetables.Now you know how much food Americans waste every year.

It is hard to believe, right? About 133 .billion pounds of food get .thrown away. That's one, third of all the food we produce. And a lot of it is thrown away for one simple reason: It's ugly.

The problem is that nature isn't perfect. Apples can get scarred(留下疤痕)by storms. Cucumbers grow in C shapes. Carrots change into unusual fork-like forms. Watermelons get too big to fit on a refrigerator shelf. These crazy-looking fruits and vegetables may .taste great. But most grocery stores refuse to sell them. Store owners say people judge food by how it looks. No one wants a tomato that looks like a two-headed monster. (怪物). But what if you could buy that tomato for half-price?

A new movement is trying to make people see the "beauty" in ugly food. Some stores are selling ugly produce. It tastes the same. And you pay less for it because the. food doesn't, look perfect.

Usually, the stores find a nicer word than "ugly'; A Canadian chain uses "naturally imperfect". In some US stores, it's "misfit produce". Whatever you call it, ugly food helps many .people. Farmers get paid for food they were going to have to throw away. Shoppers get cheaper fruits and vegetables. The ugly-food movement will also help some of the 44 million Americans who don't have enough to eat. Many groups give the ugly produce to hungry people.

So really, who cares if that carrot looks a little ... ugly?

1.We can know from the text that ________.

A. food is thrown mostly because it goes bad

B. food waste is a serious problem in America

C. the uglier the food is, the better it tastes

D. America produces more food than Americans can eat

2.What is the "beauty" in ugly food?

A. It tastes the same but costs much less.

B. It does much good to people.

C. It is useful to hungry people.

D. It tastes just as good as normal-looking produce.

3.The ugly-food movement is intended to ________.

A. call on people to help the poor

B. persuade grocery stores to sell ugly produce

C. prove the value 0fugty produce

D. advise people not to waste food

In recent years, little free libraries of all shapes and sizes have popped up. Often built by community members, they could be found on street corners and the sidewalks across the United States, hoping to share their book collections with their neighbors. Minneapolis, Minnesota, even hosted the first Little Free Library Festival, where book fans came together to promote literacy (读写能力)in their communities.

For the most part, little free libraries have more in common with book sharing shelves in hotels, local parks, coffee shops and other public spaces than the traditional public library. Based on the rule of "take a book, leave a book," these little libraries can take many forms from birdhouse-like wooden structures to redesigned newspaper selling machines, Robert Wirsing writes for the Bronx Times.

The little free library organization began when a citizen of Hudson, Wisconsin, named Todd Bol built a little one-room schoolhouse, filled it with books and placed it in his front yard to honor his mother who passed away in 2009. Together with a local educator named Rick Brooks, the two began placing little free libraries across Wisconsin and sharing the idea with people across the country.

"Something we are eager for in this information age is that connection between people," Bol tells Margret Aldrich for Book Riot. "I want to show how Little Free Library is about readers inspiring readers. It goes on and on."

While Little Free Libraries seem like a harmless means to promote literacy by sharing books with neighbors, a few of the roadside landing libraries have caused minor legal problems. officials in Los Angeles and Shreveport, Louisiana, have told some citizens that their homemade libraries broke city roles and that they would have to remove them to avoid being fined.

Still, little free libraries have been well accepted by their commnunities. For anyone interested in making their own at home, the organization has posted helpful tips and guides for building the little book lending boxes in their neighborhoods.

1.What can we know about the little free libraries in America?

A. They are state-owned.

B. They are popular nationally.

C. They are set up to sell books.

D. They help those with no books to read.

2.What is a common character of little free libraries?

A. They lie in many public places.

B. They share a large collection of books.

C. They compete with traditional public libraries.

D. They exist mainly in the form of wooden houses.

3.What is Todd Bol's primary aim of building, a library?

A. To remember his dead mother.

B. To help people form a habit of reading.

C. To set an example to other communities.

D. To share his knowledge, with other citizens.

4.What does Todd Bol think of the little free libraries?

A. They cause minor legal problems.

B. They should continue to exist.

C. They mean a lot to community members.

D. They should be supported by the government.

JOHANNESBURG—They say cats have nine lives.Now a Chinese toad(蟾蜍)has joined the club of clever survivors.

South Africans are shocked by a toad that got trapped in a ship from China to Cape Town, after jumping into a candlestick(烛台)that was made there.South African officials reportedly planned to put down the creature, fearing it would cause harm as an invasive species if it were let go in the wild.

But the toad got a last-minute pardon. Mango Airlines, a south African airline, transported the toad on Friday to Johannesburg to an animal center, after officials decided to find a way to let the toad live. The two-hour flight was comfortable compared to the trip from China, a long way of many weeks and thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean.

Airline spokesman Hein Kaiser said the toad got "first-class treatment", sitting in a plastic container together with Brett Glasby, an expert looking, after animals. There was even a ceremony, in which the toad's boarding pass was handed to Glasby.

"He was the star of the Show on the flight. He was the unusual passenger, I think every passenger stopped to have a look." Kaiser said.

On landing in Johannesburg, the toad was brought out of its container for a photo shoot. Observers said the brown toad seemed like a cool customer. It belongs to the Asian Toad species. It is believed to have survived the trip from China by hardening its skin to prevent it from drying out, and also by slowing its breathing and heart rate—-methods that help the species survive in times of drought(干旱).

"We've had snakes in imported wood and insects in fruit. We were called because the toad was right inside the candlestick, and we had to break it to get it out." Glasby, the expert, told The Star, a South African newspaper.

1.The underlined phrase "an invasive ~species" in second paragraph may refer to ________.

A. something which is not used to the local conditions

B. something which is probably harmful to the native creatures

C. something which has never appeared in local areas

D. something which is greatly good to the local people

2.The toad was able to arrive in South Africa alive ________.

A. because it slowed its breath on the way

B. because it used methods in times of drought

C. because it formed hard skin to protect itself

D. because many people looked after it carefully

3.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. sometimes animals are transported by accident

B. no one has seen such a big toad in Africa

C. a candlestick is the best place for a toad

D. droughts make toads live longer

4.What is the best title of the text?

A. A journey-loving toad. B. An amazing China toad.

C. A toad that has nine lives D. A toad in a candlestick.

You may probably recognize most of the powerful graduation speakers, who are welt-known people in their fields, but I think the schools couldn't have picked better speakers than them, because the most important inspiration anyone can ever get is someone who lives his living by example.

Steve Jobs, Stanford University:

"Remembering you are going to die, the best way I know is to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. There is no reason not to follow your heart. Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice..."

Oprah Winfrey, Stanford University:

I consider the world, this Earth, to be like a school... And the secret I have learned to get ahead is being open to the lessons from the grandest universe of all. Don't react against a bad situation. And the solution will arise from the challenge.

Bono, University of Pennsylvania:

"For .four years, you've been buying, trading and selling everything you've got in this marketplace of ideas, Your pockets are full even if your parents' are empty and—and now you've got to figure out what to spend it on. The world is more flexible than you think and it's waiting for you to hammer it into shape..."

Michael Dell, University of Texas at Austin:

"Now it is time for you to move on to what's next and obtain your desire. But you must not let anything prevent you from taking those first steps. Don't spend so much time trying to choose the perfect opportunity but you missed the right opportunity. Recognize that there will be failures and obstacles. But you will learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others."

1.Who wants to express "Don't be affected by what other people say."?

A. Michael Dell. B. Bono.

C. Steve Jobs. D. Oprah Winfrey.

2.Which of the following can best describe what Oprah Winfrey says?

A. To break some of the rules.

B. To overcome the fear of loss.

C. To try hard to achieve our goals.

D. To meet challenges in your life.

3.What Michael Dell said is to encourage people to ________.

A. listen to our heart B. be open to new ideas

C. create our own journey D. learn from our mistakes

4.What can we be likely to gain from these powerful: graduation speeches?

A. Some life lessons. B. Some personal experiences.

C. Some social skills. D. Some creative ideas,

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