Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. Researchers in the United States studied one hundred thousand women during an eight-year period, beginning in nineteen ninety-four. All of the women were fifty years of age or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.

The women were asked questions that measured their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers identified each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.

The study found that hopeful individuals were fourteen percent less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also thirty percent less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.

Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.

The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.

Some women who answered the questions were found to be cynically hostile, or highly untrusting of others. These women were sixteen percent more likely to die than the others. They also were twenty-three percent more likely to die of cancer.

The study also found that women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.

Professor Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.

1. What’s the purpose of carrying out the study?

A. To gather information for the National Institutes of Health.

B. To find out the relationship between women’s personality and their health.

C. To decide who is more likely to enjoy happier life.

D. To identify each woman’s personality 8 years after gathering the information.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. It’s uncertain whether optimism affects a person’s physical health.

B. Negative emotions do cause shorter life.

C. The connection between personality and health has been established.

D. The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy.

3. According to the passage, who is more likely to die of cancer?

A. A woman who has high blood pressure or diabetes.

B. A woman who doesn’t exercise.

C. A woman who has poor physical health.

D. A woman who always doubts what others say.

4. Which of the following is true?

A. American Psychosomatic Society organized the new study.

B. Women who were optimistic were less likely to smoke.

C. More questions were given than those measuring women’s beliefs or ideas.

D. Hopeful women were 16% less likely to die from heart disease.

Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic Society. Researchers in the United States studied one hundred thousand women during an eight-year period, beginning in nineteen ninety-four. All of the women were fifty years of age or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.
The women were asked questions that measured their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers identified each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.
The study found that hopeful individuals were fourteen percent less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also thirty percent less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.
Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.
The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.
Some women who answered the questions were found to be cynically hostile, or highly untrusting of others. These women were sixteen percent more likely to die than the others. They also were twenty-three percent more likely to die of cancer.
The study also found that women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.
Professor Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.
1. What’s the purpose of carrying out the study?
A. To gather information for the National Institutes of Health.
B. To find out the relationship between women’s personality and their health.
C. To decide who is more likely to enjoy happier life.
D. To identify each woman’s personality 8 years after gathering the information.
2. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. It’s uncertain whether optimism affects a person’s physical health.
B. Negative emotions do cause shorter life.
C. The connection between personality and health has been established.
D. The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy.
3. According to the passage, who is more likely to die of cancer?
A. A woman who has high blood pressure or diabetes.
B. A woman who doesn’t exercise.
C. A woman who has poor physical health.
D. A woman who always doubts what others say.
4. Which of the following is true?
A. American Psychosomatic Society organized the new study.
B. Women who were optimistic were less likely to smoke.
C. More questions were given than those measuring women’s beliefs or ideas.
D. Hopeful women were 16% less likely to die from heart disease.

We all have to give gifts during the year. No matter what the occasion is, birthday, holiday or a special event, we make it a point to show we care by buying something nice for that special person. Well, the waste created by gift giving can really add up in the trash. Keep in mind that there are several ways that you can cut down on the remaining waste next time you buy that special someone a gift. w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

Make sure that your gift will be used. It’s almost impossible to make sure that the receiver will find your gift to their liking, but if you do your homework, you can be as sure as possible. Consider a gift wish list or just ask them, if you’re really not sure. It may cut down on the surprise, but if they give you a list of two or three things that they’d truly appreciate, then you can shop with the confidence that it won’t end up in the garbage five miuntes after it’s opened. w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

When you buy a gift, make sure that it’s as ecofriendly(有利于生态的) as possible. Buy hemp(麻布) clothing, or products made with natural dyes(染料). w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

Give the gift of donation. If you have no idea what to buy, then consider making a donation to a charity. Take into consideration their interests and passions and donate in their name.

Make it or bake it. Give something that can be eaten or can be used, like some homemade vinegar or cookies. Homemade candles are very popular and can be made to be more eco-friendly than store-bought ones.

Give a gift of your time. Offer babysitting services or a day of housecleanin g. Most people would appreciate a little lessening of stress or responsibility on any given day.

Wrap(包装) with care. The paper products you use for gift wrap should be recycled at the very least. Gift bags can be found made from recycled materials and can be reused over and over again for many gift giving occasions.

According to Paragraph 2, when you need to give somebody a gift, you’d better_______. A．prepare a special one              B．find out what they like in advance

C．finish your school homework first   D．shop for the gift confidently

By saying “It may cut down on the surprise” in Paragraph 2, the author probably means_______.

A．your gift may be a big surprise to the receiver w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

B．the receiver will open the gift with surprise

C．the gift will cost you much less money

D．the receiver will be less surprised at your gift

Which of the following ways of gift giving will the author most probably agree with?

A．Helping to clean the house.

B．Wrapping a gift with thin paper.

C．Donating something to a charity in your name.

D．Buying a beautiful plastic toy.

Who are probably interested in reading the passage? w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．Those who like to go shopping every day.

B．Those who like to give eco-friendly gifts. w w w.k s 5 u.c o m

C．Those who have little money to buy gifts.

D．Those who manage a gift shop.

Do you know that men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.

　　The largest study of the effects of ageing(变老) on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.

　　“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

　　“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the aging process.”

　　What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.

　　“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink. They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease. “The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart,” said Goldspink.

　　The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.

1. The underlined word “longevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to “________”.

A．health            B．long life           C．ageing            D．effect

2. The text mainly talks about ________.

A．men’s heart cells                      B．women’s ageing process、

C．the gender difference                    D．hearts and long life

3.According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ________.

A．women have more cells than men when they are born

B．women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat

C．the female heart loses few of the cells with age

D．women never lose their pumping power with age

4.If you want to live longer, you should ________.

A．enable your heart to beat much faster

B．find out the reason for ageing

C．exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy

D．prevent your cells from being lost

5.We can know from the passage that ________.

A．the reason why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out

B．scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells

C．the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss

D．women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20

There was a boy in India who was sent by his parents to a boarding school. Before being sent away this boy was the brightest student in his class. He was at the top in every competition. He was a champion.

But the boy changed after leaving home and attending the boarding school. His grades started dropping. He hated being in a group. He was lonely all the time. And there were especially dark times when he felt like killing himself. All of this was because he felt worthless and that no one loved him.

His parents started worrying about the boy. But even they did not know what was wrong with him. So his dad decided to travel to the boarding school and talk with him.

They sat on the bank of the lake near the school. The father started asking him casual questions about his classes, teachers and sports. After some time his dad said, “Do you know son, why I am here today?”

The boy answered back, “to check my grades?”

“No, no” his dad replied, “I am here to tell you that you are the most important person for me. I want to see you happy. I don’t care about grades. I care about you. I care about your happiness. YOU ARE MY LIFE.”

These words caused the boy’s eyes to fill with tears. He hugged his dad. They didn’t say anything to each other for a long time.

Now the boy had everything he wanted. He knew there was someone on this earth who cared for him deeply. He meant the world to someone. And today this young man is in college at the top of his class and no one has ever seen him sad!

Thanks a lot, dad. YOU ARE MY LIFE.

1.The boy changed after he went to the boarding school because________.

A．his grades were not as good as before       B．his classmates didn’t like him

C．his father seldom went to see him           D．he felt no one cared about him

2.The father went to the boarding school to_________.

A．know if he was still the best student

B．find out what was wrong with his son

C．ask some questions about his classmates

D．talk with the boy’s teacher about his grades

3.The underlined word “ casual” in Paragraph 4 means _______.

A．unimportant       B．strange           C．special            D．difficult

4.The passage mainly tells us never to _________.

A．send a small boy to a boarding school

B．care too much about a student’s grades

C．pay no attention to the power of caring

D．miss the chance to say thanks to our fathers