lungs (肺), while others insisted it was to increase blood pressure and the heart rate.
While both findings are correct, new studies show that the main point of yawning is to relax.
Researchers point out that we have a tendency to yawn before big events-athletes yawn before races, pilots
yawn before take-offs, and students yawn before exams. Humans are not the only creatures who yawn.
Animals have been observed to yawn before feeding time. while wild animals have a tendency to yawn
before fights.
New findings also show that yawing might be a handover from our ancestors, and represents a need
for change. Our ancestors passed it to us with other life skills. Even babies yawn as they change positions,
but children do not begin to copy other people"s yawns until the age of four or five.
Strangely enough yawning is also related to respect. Hundreds and thousands of years ago,the campfire
(篝火) served as the main gathering point for members of groups. Researchers claim that as people sat
around the fire, warming themselves, they would yawn if the leader yawned, as a mark of respect. Those
who were more supportive of the leader tended to yawn more easily.
Despite all these findings, scientists still haven"t figured out why we yawn before bedtime. Then again,
it may be another way of demanding a change-enough of TV, it"s time to go to bed!
B. Why we yawn.
C. The history of yawning
D. The disadvantages of yawning.
B. you don"t like taking exams
C. you want to control your heart rate
D. you"re sleepy
B. something our ancestors have passed on to us
C. the way in which people copy others"yawns
D. a lost life skill
B. people yawn when they feel warm
C. yawning happened at night in ancient times
D. yawning was a social skill in ancient times
through playing to develop the child"s physical, sensory (感觉的), communicational and social development.
Early childhood education has become a concern of the government, who pushes poor children to be formally
trained before they are old enough for the kindergarten.
There are good reasons for the government to push early childhood education. Studies have shown that
orphan children who did not receive good care and education become developmentally delayed causing failure
in school, and even in life. Further studies show that poor children who take part in Head Start programs are
more prepared for school, less likely to end up in Special Education classes, and are less likely to receive public
help or go to jail.
There are also negative parts of putting a child in formal education programs too early. Time Magazine online
explains that the younger the child, the less his chances of catching up with first-grade work. I have personally
witnessed many children of my generation who went to Head Start programs became frustrated and bored with
school before they finished high school. Yet parents have been sure that the earlier the child starts school, the
better off he or she is, so they push to start childhood education earlier.
Actually while early formal education of poor children does show great gains in the early elementary years,
studies also show that this head start is really a"false start", as the gains are lost in middle and high school years.
It seems that environment is a bigger factor on life"s success than early education. Head Start programs have
not achieved its original goal in closing the achievement gap in poor and middle school children. Perhaps it is
time to find other ways to close that gap.
B. to give orphaned children good care and education
C. to get the children prepared for the kindergarten
D. to train the children formally and regularly
B. The orphaned children are usually unhappy in their life.
C. Children without early education can do well at school.
D. Head Start programs are helpful to the poor children.
B. objective
C. indifferent
D. approving
B. Head Start programs have helped the children a lot
C. environment is the most important to life"s success
D. better ways should be found to help the poor children
power to pump water for irrigating crops 4,000 years ago, and sailing boats were around long before that.
Wind power was used in the Middle Ages, in Europe, to grind (磨碎) corn, which is where the term"windmill"
comes from.
We can use the energy in the wind by building a tall tower, with a large propeller on the top. The wind
blows the propellor round, which turns a generator to produce electricity. We tend to build many of these
towers together, to make a"wind farm" and produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, and
the larger the propellors, the more electricity we can make. It"s only worth building wind farms in places that
have strong, steady winds, although boats and caravans (大篷车) increasingly have small wind generators to
help keep their batteries charged.
The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in
mountains-places where the wind is strong and reliable. Some are offshore. To be worthwhile, you need an
average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall or Wales. Isolated places
such as farms may have their own wind generators. In California, several"wind farms" supply electricity to
homes around Los Angeles.
The propellors are large, to obtain energy from the largest possible volume of air. The blades can be
angled to cope with varying wind speeds. Some designs use vertical turbines (垂直涡轮机), which don"t
need to be turned to face the wind. The towers are tall, to get the propellors as high as possible, up to where
the wind is stronger. This means that the land beneath can still be used for farming.
B. the source of wind power
C. the nations using wind power
D. the history of using wind power
B. isolated farms don"t have enough electricity
C. there are less human activities
D. the wind is strong and reliable
B. wind farms need no fuel because wind is free
C. the blades can be angled to turn to face the wind wherever it comes from
D. the higher and larger the towers are, the stronger the wind is
B. ABC of the using of wind energy.
C. How to make best use of wind.
D. Wind energy is the best energy.
Stingrays are pancake-shaped fish, and you"d never guess it: they"re close cousins of sharks.The smallest
kinds are about the size of a dinner plate. But some 4-metre stingrays live in the waters near Australia. About
170 different kinds of stingrays live in the oceans around the world. And some live in freshwater too. In South
America, a few kinds swim in the Amazon and other rivers that flow into the Atlantic. One ocean kind, the
Atlantic stingray, also lives in the St. Johns River in Florida.
A stingray has a mouth and nostrils (鼻孔) on the bottom of its body. These nostrils are for smelling, not
for breathing. When water flows into a stingray"s nostrils, the fish may pick up the smells of creatures it wants
to eat. It can also find prey (牺牲者) by sensing the tiny amount of electricity that animals give off. Slowly,
slowly the fish hunts by moving along the ocean or river bottom. When it senses a worm, clam, shrimp, or
other creature, it flaps (拍打) its fins until the prey is uncovered. Then the fish lies down over the prey, sucks
it in, and crunches it with its small teeth. A stingray"s flat shape helps it hide. It stirs up a cloud of sand by
flapping its big, flat fins. When the sand settles down over the fish, everything is covered but its eyes,
breathing holes, and sometimes its tail. Its tail gave the"sting" to a stingray"s name. When a stingray is attacked
by an enemy, it whips its tail around. Then a sharp stinger releases a powerful poison into the enemy. When
stingrays are on the ocean bottom, it"s easy for a diver to step on one by mistake. Then the fish usually stings
the person in the ankle. The poison is very painful, and the wound may hurt for a day or two. Worse yet,
pieces of the stinger can break off and infect the ankle. But stingrays don"t chase after prey or people to sting
them. In fact, divers can swim among friendly stingrays without getting hurt.
B. To give readers facts about an interesting fish.
C. To warn readers about dangers in the ocean.
D. To teach readers how fish hunt their prey.
B. can cover themselves with sand
C. move slowly above the ocean floor
D. live in freshwater as well as in oceans
B. To escape from the prey.
C. To find the prey.
D. To frighten the prey.
B. Pieces of the stinger come loose in the wound.
C. Electricity from the stinger shocks the wound.
D. Fins beside the stinger throw sand into the wound.
You don"t need millions to be happy. In fact, at The Happiness Institute in Australia, a couple of hundred
dollars may be enough.
The institute opened its doors last year, and, since then, men and women of all ages have been paying A
$ 200 an hour (US $140) for lessons on how to feel great.
" You can actually increase your happiness levels. That"s what we teach," said Timothy Sharp, founder
of the institute.
Experts say that only about 15 percent of happiness comes from income, assets and other financial factors. As much as 85 percent comes from things such as attitude, life control and relationships.
Most of us are significantly better off financially than our parents and grandparents, but happiness levels
haven"t changed to reflect that.
Studies show that once the basic needs of shelter and food are met, additional wealth adds very little to
happiness. Many decades ago, the "sage of Baltimore, Maryland", editor HL Mencken, defined wealth as
earning US $100 more than your “wife"s sister"s husband.”
Behavioral economists now say part of the reason we are richer but not happier is because we compare
ourselves to people better off materially.
"The argument is that if you want to be happy there"s a very simple thing you can do: Compare yourself
to people who are less well off than you- poorer, smaller house, car," said Sharp.
The Happiness Institute aims to show you how to overcome these unhappiness factors by focusing on
" more than just your bank account."
"If I compare myself to Bill Gates then I"m always going to be down," said Sharp.
A better thing to compare with, he said, might be Kerry Packer, Australia"s richest person who has had
a kidney transplant and heart surgery in recent years.
B. Most of us are happier than our parents or grandparents since we earn more.
C. Earning US $100 more than your wife"s sister"s husband if you want to be happy.
D. Both Bill Gates and Kerry Packer are examples of those who are extremely rich but obviously unhappy.
B. 450
C. 350
D. 250
B. unhealthy
C. free
D. wealthy
B. wealth is the foundation of happiness
C. have fun at the Happiness Institute
D. money doesn"t always mean happiness
Childhood is a happy time, right? Not necessarily. Consider these facts.
Depression may occur in as many as 1 in 33 children.
Once a child has an episode(一段情节) of depression, he or she has a 50 percent chance of experiencing
another episode in the next 5 years.
Suicide(自杀) is the 6th leading cause of death for 5-to-15-year-olds.
If your child experiences 5 or more of these signs or symptoms (症状) for at least 2 weeks, he or she
may be experiencing depression or another mental illness.
Feeling-Does your child demonstrate: Sadness Emptiness Hopelessness Guilt Worthlessness Lack of
enjoyment in everyday pleasures
Thinking-Is your child having trouble: Concentrating Making decisions Completing schoolwork Maintaining
grades Maintaining friendships
Physical problems-Does your child complain of: Headaches Stomachaches Lack of energy Sleeping
problems ( too much or too little) Weight or appetite changes ( gain or loss )
Suicide risk-Does your child talk or think about: Suicide Death Other morbid (生病的) subjects
Behavior problems-Is your child: Irritable Not wanting to go to school Wanting to be alone most of the
time Having difficulty getting along with others Cutting classes or skipping school Dropping out of sports,
hobbies or other activities Drinking alcohol or using drugs. Sometimes, a child who causes problems at school
or at home may actually be depressed, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry. If you think your child may be depressed, it"s important to have your child treated. Discuss your
child"s problems with his or her doctor. The doctor may suggest a referral to a children"s psychologist (心
理医生) or psychiatrist (精神病医生). Treatment may include individual and family therapy (治疗), along
with an antidepressant medication (抗抑郁药).
B. teachers
C. children
D. psychologists
B. The child always feels tired but sleeps only four hours a day.
C. The child hates to study.
D. The child can not concentrate on one thing for a long period.
B. may have suicide risk
C. may have behavior problems
D. may have physical problems
B. Ask them to take antidepressant immediately.
C. Go to see the doctor.
D. Ask them to have a good rest.
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