The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place

Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically and physically.

Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale(秤)instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.

On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don't have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pain, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.

The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients. Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only because the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemicals that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.

Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemicals. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological and physical harm that comes from using them.

1.From Paragraph 1, we learn that .

A. diet products fail to bring out people's potential

B. people have difficulty in choosing diet products

C. diet products are misleading people

D. people are fed up with diet products

2.One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to .

A. try out a variety of diet foods

B. hesitate before they enjoy diet foods

C. pay attention to their own eating habits

D. watch their weight rather than their diet

3.In Paragraph 3, “gain comes without pain” probably means .

A. losing weight is effortless

B. it costs a lot to lose weight

C. diet products bring no pain

D. diet products are free from calories

4.Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products .

A. are over-consumed

B. lack basic nutrients

C. are short of chemicals

D. provide too much energy

Getting your children to study can be a little like getting them to eat their vegetables.1. Make a study time and have it at the same time every day. This will help your kids to learn to schedule their day and will give them a sense of control over how they spend their time.

Allow them to study in blocks of time，such as for half an hour with a five-minute break in the middle. 2. Ideal(理想的) study times are after dinner or right after school before dinner.

Never allow your children to study in front of the television，as that will encourage passive activity. 3.You'll also need to help your kids find the right place to study. After you've set up a good study time for little learners，set up a good place where they can get those creative juices flowing. 4. Make sure there is a table or a desk and a comfortable chair.

5. This includes helping them out with their homework sometimes and being there for them with the answers to any questions. The input you give your children during study periods will help form a bond and help make studying enjoyable.

A．Pick a place where your children can study properly.B．Hold them to the schedule they create for themselves.

C．Finally，spend time with your kids when they're studying.

D．Keep the atmosphere light and offer lots of encouragement，too.

E．Instead，use TV as a treat or a reward when the homework is completed.

F．Try to stop this bad habit by offering some sort of reward.

G．One of the best ways to form good study habits for your kids is to design a schedule that they keep to.

On August 26,1999,New York City experienced a torrential downpour.The rain caused the streets to____and the subway system almost came to a stop.

Unfortunately,this happened during the morning rush hour.Many people who were going to work were____to go home.Some battled to____a taxi or to get on a bus.Still others faced the____bravely,walking miles to get to work.

I____to be one of the people on the way to work that morning.I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most____had stopped.After making my way____crowds of people,I finally found a subway line that was ____.Unfortunately,there were so many people waiting to____the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the____.So I took the train going in the opposite direction,and then switch back to the downtown train.Finally,after what seemed like an forever,the train____my stop.Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office,I was____through,exhausted and____.

My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off.When it was 5:00 pm,I was ready to go home.I was about to turn off my computer____I received an email from Garth,my Director:

I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and____reported to work.It is always reassuring（今人欣慰）,at times like these,when employees so clearly show their____to their jobs.Thank you.

Garth's email was short,but I learned more from that____message than I ever did from a textbook.The email taught me that a few words of____can make a big difference.The rainstorm and the traffic____had made me tired and upset.But Garth's words immediately____me and put a smile back on my face.

1.A. break B. flood C. sink D. crash

2.A. forced B. refused C. adjusted D. gathered

3.A. order B. pay C. call D. search

4.A. climate B. scenery C. storm D. burden

5.A. used B. promised C. deserved D. happened

6.A. practice B. routine C. process D. service

7.A. to B. through C. over D. for

8.A. operating B. cycling C. turning D. rushing

9.A. check B. carry C. find D. board

10.A. street B. ground C. floor D. platform

11.A. paused B. crossed C. reached D. parked

12.A. wet B. weak C. sick D. hurt

13.A. ashamed B. discouraged C. surprised D. puzzled

14.A. while B. when C. where D. after

15.A. hardly B. casually C. absolutely D. eventually

16.A. devotion B. donation C. connection D. reaction

17.A. accurate B. urgent C. brief D. humorous

18.A. promise B. appreciation C. advice D. guidance

19.A. troubles B. signals C. rules D. signs

20.A. corrected B. supported C. amazed D. refreshed

One day,Nick invited his friends to supper.He was cooking some delicious food in the kitchen.Suddenly,he 1.(find) that he had run out of salt.So Nick called to his son,“Go to the village and buy some salt,but pay a fair price for it: neither too much2.too little.”

His son looked surprised.“I can understand why I shouldn't pay too much.Father,but if I can pay less,3.not save a bit of money?”

“That would be a very4.(reason) thing to do in a big city,but it could destroy a small village like ours,”Nick said.

Nick's guests,5.had heard their conversation,asked why they should not buy salt more cheaply if they could. Nick replied,"The only reason a man would sell salt6.a lower price would be that he was desperate for money. And anyone who took advantage of that situation would be showing a lack of respect7.me sweat and struggle of the man who worked very hard to produce it."

"But such a small thing couldn't8.(possible) destroy a village."

“In the beginning,there was only9.very small amount of unfairness in the world,but everyone added a little, always10.(think) that it was only small and not very important,and look where we have ended up today.”

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下短文。短文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在此符号下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Dear Ms Smith,

I am secretary of the City Student Union (CSU).We were organizing an art exhibition for high school students in city.This will be held on the 9th of July in the Exhibition Hall of Beihai.More than 1000 painting will be on show, but high school students and teachers from all the eight districts will come to the event.As you are very popularly with us Chinese high school students,we'd like to invite for you to the exhibition.We would be grateful when you could join them that day.Looking forward to hear from you soon.

Yours,

Li Ming

假定你是李华，David是你的美国笔友。他对中国鼓励使用环保购物袋很感兴趣，来信向你询问此事。请你给他写封回信。主要内容如下：

◇感谢他的关注。

◇简要介绍相关情况。

◇谈谈你的感想。

注意：

1.词数100左右，信的格式已为你写好。

2.可根据内容要点适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

3.参考词汇：环保购物袋—environment-friendly shopping bag；关注—concern。

Dear David,

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

It may not come as a surprise but the world as a whole is getting richer. Some people have more disposable income to spend on luxuries such as holidays, cars, TVs and smartphones. Recent data has shown that the number of people living in extreme poverty has halved in recent decades. So should we celebrate the fact that more of us now have a better standard of living?

Maybe not. While the gap between rich and poor in some countries is narrowing, there is still a lot of inequality in other places-some people have a lot of money and opportunities and others don’t. A recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse revealed how divided many of us are when it comes to wealth. A lot of the money in the world is in the hands of very few people. In fact, 48% of global wealth is owned by the richest 1% of the population.

But some countries are attempting to reduce this inequality and make the poor less poor. According to David Bryer from Oxfam, Brazil has been taking “some really sensible measures-measures around having more progressive tax, around investing in a higher minimum wage and investing in central public services.” Having a higher minimum wage(提高最低工资标准), can help people eat better and seek a better education. And more people with more money buy more things-and factories can produce more. In turn, a factory which produces more will need more workers. So, more jobs are created.

Other wealthy individuals are doing their bit to help reduce inequality. Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, earned a lot of money from his company but when he retired, he and his wife Melinda, created a foundation to help the poor. He thinks that rich people should, of course, pay their taxes but he also advises that they should all “look at taking their wealth and being philanthropic, both in their own country and to help the global poorest.”

Bill Gates feels that giving money to help poor people is “fulfilling”. But if other super-rich people don’t want to experience this fulfilment then, according to Oxfam, very soon the wealthiest 1% will soon own more money than the rest of the world’s population. Do you think that is fair?

1.According to a recent report by Oxfam and Credit Suisse, .

A. the gap between the rich and poor is widening gradually

B. increased wealth helps people to reduce the inequality

C. people should be happy about the world’s getting richer

D. a small number of people possess the major world wealth

2.What’s the author’s attitude towards Brazil’s measures?

A. Cautious B. Approving

C. Doubtful D. Critical

3.What is the meaning of the underlined word “philanthropic” in Paragraph 4?

A. Broadminded B. Responsible

C. Realistic D. Merciful

4.The author develops the article mainly by .

A. comparing opinions from different fields

B. listing detailed numbers and analyzing them

C. presenting research findings and giving some examples

D. presenting a trend and analyzing its cause and effect

Guide Dogs of America, A History is the book that we all have been waiting for. It’s a book that tells how and where the guide dog movement really started, with information never before revealed--until now. After reading this 200-page, picture-filled work, you will know about every aspect of Guide Dogs of America(GDA) from its inception to how it has become one of the top guide dog schools in the country.

Joseph W. Jones, Sr., was refused a guide dog because of his age--he was fifty seven--but he would not accept defeat. He researched the guide dog movement and with the help of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, established his own school, one that would provide guide dogs free of charge to visually impaired people regardless of their age.

The school graduated 18 guide dog teams the first year with students staying at, GDA’s first trainer, Lambert Kreimer’s house on South Virginia Avenue in Burbank, and Jones manning the office on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood.

In 1952, Jones addressed the quadrennial(四周年纪念的) IAM Grand Lodge Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. “I sincerely prayed to God for two things,” Jones said. “After my wife passed away and left me with a ten-year-old boy, I prayed that I would be spared long enough to see this organization well established and that my ten-year-old boy would become a man. Both prayers have been answered. The organization is well established, it is in the hands of the IAM and my boy is a man, and I am proud to say that today he is a member of the IAM.”

Jones’ pray for a successful organization had been answered now, ten years after he was rejected for being too old, his dream of having a guide dog for himself, hundreds of others had already been given the gift of sight because of his drive and determination. That school, now known as Guide Dogs of America, has provided guide dogs to thousands of people free of charge.

1.What can we known about the book Guide Dogs of America, A History?

A. It only tells us where the guide dog movement started

B. There are no pictures in the book

C. It mainly deals with Guide Dogs of America

D. It was written by Lambert Kreimer

2.Why did Joesph W. Jones, Sr. fail to get a guide dog?

A. He couldn’t afford to buy one

B. He was too old to get one

C. There were not enough guide dogs

D. He didn’t know how to make use of a guide dog

3.According to the passage, Guide Dogs of America .

A. trained 18 guide dog teams in 1952

B. received much help from the guide dog movement

C. has provided guide dogs to thousands of affordable people

D. had Lambert Kreimer as its first trainer

4.The underlined sentence in the passage means “ ”.

A. I prayed I could live long enough to set up a school to train guide dogs

B. I prayed I could have enough money to establish an organization

C. I prayed I could have a guide dog to help me realize my dream

D. I prayed I could have good health in the rest of my life

Pixels

Genre: Action, Comedy, Sci-fi

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Michelle Monaghan

Plot: When aliens(外星人) misunderstand video information of classic games as a declaration of war, they attack the Earth in the from of the video games.

Showing: Friday--Thursday: 12:40 PM, 2:40 PM, 4:40 PM, 6:40 PM, 8:40 PM

Fantastic Four

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Starring: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jorden, Jaime Bell

Plot: Four young outsiders teleport(远距离传送) to a dangerous universe which changes their physical from in shocking ways. The four must learn their new abilities and work together to save the Earth from a former friend turned enemy.

Showing: Friday--Saturday: 12:50 PM, 2:55 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:10 PM, 7:10 PM, 8:25 PM, 9:15 PM, 10:25 PM

Tempting Fate

Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller

Starring: Trinitee Stokes, Ramsey Nouah, Nicholas Alexander

Plot: Edu and Ugo are brothers of the same blood with different interests. One is gentle and talented while the other is quite the opposite. Ugo is trapped in a life of crime in which death may be the only way out.

Showing: Friday--Thursday: 2:00 PM, 6:00 PM, 8:00 PM

Survivor

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller

Starring: Paddy Wallace, Parker Sawyers, Bashar Rahal

Plot: A Foreign Service Officer in London tries to prevent a terrorist attack set to hit New York, but is forced to go on the sun when she is framed for crimes she did not commit.

Showing: Friday--Thursday: 2:40 PM, 7:00 PM, 9:00 PM

1.Why do aliens in Pixels attack the Earth?

A. Because they want to control the Earth through video games

B. Because they have found humans teleporting to their world

C. Because they think the Earth declares war on them

D. Because they want to start a terrorist attack

2.What can we learn about the four young people in Fantastic Four?

A. They fight together against an enemy who was once their friend.

B. They are forced to run away for crimes they didn’t commit

C. They themselves change their physical from to survive

D. They are brothers from one family with different interests

3.If you want to go to the cinema at 6:00 PM on Wednesday, you can choose to watch .

A. Fantastic Four B. Survivor

C. Pixels D. Tempting Fate

There are plenty of beauty schools throughout the country that can help you to start a career in cosmetology(美容业). Nowadays, young people may not be able to afford a four-year college. Students can look forward to attending a beauty school program which will only take a few months to complete and start their career right away to earn money.

There can be many benefits of going to beauty school. The expense is much less than attending a four-year university. Besides, attending beauty school is mostly a hands-on(动手的) experience which appeals to many people. Some students don’t like sitting all day listening to lectures and then having to study at night. What’s more, most beauty school programs keep up with the changing trends and fashion. So you will always be working on different hair types which can be fun and will give you a lot of experience throughout the years of your career.

If you are worried about finding a job after graduation, many beauty schools will offer assistance for immediate job placement and give you peace of mind that you will not be stranded looking for a job. Most colleges and universities are not equipped to do that because of the large number of graduates each year.

Cosmetologists will also make a good salary. The average salary will depend on your location, but you may earn a salary around $3,000--$3,500 a month. This is not including tips which could be $600 or more a month. Not only can young people go to cosmetology school, but people of all ages can start this career. As you can see, there are many benefits of beauty schools that can be the perfect opportunity for anyone to become a great cosmetologist.

1.Some students prefer not to go to college probably because .

A. they are interested in beauty school

B. they don’t have enough money

C. they are not young any longer

D. they are too busy doing something useful

2.How many advantages does the second paragraph introduce to us?

A. Five B. Two

C. Three D. Six

3.We can learn from the third paragraph that .

A. beauty school can help find a job

B. many people don’t go to university

C. lots of students compete for beauty schools

D. going to college costs a large amount of money

4.Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A. The types of school for children

B. The benefits of beauty schools

C. The advantages of going to college

D. Going to college or beauty school