Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern (模式). They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later.

In many parts of the world, people take naps(小睡) in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease.

Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can also happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.

1.Why do people feel sleepy in the early afternoon according to the text?

A．They eat too much for lunch.

B．They sleep too little at night.

C．Their body temperature becomes lower.

D．The weather becomes a lot warmer.

2.If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?

A．About 12:30 pm.                        B．About 1:30 pm.

C．About 3:30 pm                         D．About 2:30 pm

3.What would be the best title for the text?

A．Just for a Rest                          B．All for a Nap

C．A Special Sleep Pattern.                  D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate.

Death Valley is the lowest, hottest, driest area in North America. This California National Park has less than 5 cm of rainfall a year and temperature up to 53℃ in summer. That’s enough to keep Americans away during the hottest months from June to August. But it is the high temperature and terrible heat that draw their most crazy fans, the foreign tourists. From all over the world, they come to the valley floor in cars, carrying maps and water bottles, and fanning themselves with newspapers to keep cool.

About 1.3 million visitors enter the park each year, from June through August. 90% of them are foreigners. They go there to experience the summer heat that gives Death Valley its name. The average high in July is 53.2 ℃ and the low 30 ℃. For August, the average high is 52.2 ℃ and the low 29.4 ℃.

So what do Americans think of the foreign visitors who arrive for the heat, just when locals from the United States try to avoid it? Park manager Brenda Henson says, “ The foreigners want to experience the heat in Death Valley. We think it’s crazy.”

In fact, Death Valley is a series of salt flats (盐滩) 225 km long and 6 km to 26 km wide. Birds and animals are largely absent, and only the hardiest plants have some chance of existence in this extreme place.

One tourist from Paris concluded, “ We come to it because we can tell all our friends and family that we’ve been to the hottest place in the world.”

1.The real attraction of Death Valley for foreigners is that _____.

2.What does the underlined word “ hardiest” in Paragraph 4 mean?

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music classes— they are failing because the “ academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art— there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge — certainly not a good preparation for the real world.

1. 1.

   Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because________.

   1. A.
      the school committee pays no attention to them
   2. B.
      the school is afraid of losing financial support
   3. C.
      the students are not interested in both of them
   4. D.
      the state standardized test is more important.
2. 2.

   Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

   1. A.
      The sufficiency of the classes determines students’ performance in the mastery test
   2. B.
      students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons
   3. C.
      The school committee completely influences students’ attitude towards the arts
   4. D.
      Quite a few students are discouraged from music and art in today’s school system.
3. 3.

   We can learn that music and art can ________.

   1. A.
      make students round-shaped people in future
   2. B.
      provide students with analytical thinking
   3. C.
      motivate students in creativity and expression
   4. D.
      prevent students graduating from high school
4. 4.

   The best title of the passage can be ________.

   1. A.
      Who Killed Music and Drama?
   2. B.
      Can Curriculum Go Without Music?
   3. C.
      Why is Music So Important?
   4. D.
      How To Prepare For the Real World?

Forgiving someone who has hurt you or let you down is never an easy thing. Several new studies, however, say that it could have a lot of health benefits. When you think of forgiveness, you probably don’t think of it as being a health or medical problem. Studies from Stanford University, on the other hand, show that something like anger can change your well-being.

When cartoon book characters like the Incredible Hulk get angry, they change colours and often gain special power. In the real world, anger is less obvious and may be more dangerous. That’s why Professor Fred Luskin, founder of the Stanford Forgiveness Project and author of Forgive for Good, says holding on to anger and hatred can harm your physical and mental health. Two new studies seem to show the same idea.

The studies find that people who are able to forgive feel less stress, less back pain, and less depression. They also have fewer headaches, lower blood pressure, and fewer problems on sleeping.

So it doesn’t matter if your anger is caused by the traffic or other things. Learning to let it go is important. Techniques such as deep breath or thought can help. Or just ask yourself if it’s worth hurting yourself by staying angry with someone else.

Forgiveness does not mean that you simply accept what happened and say it’s OK. Instead, it’s a way of making peace with yourself about what happened in the past.

1.The author of the passage tries to make his viewpoint clear ______.

A．by raising his own examples

B．based on his own experience

C．by mentioning some studies

D．by mentioning some typical patients

2.The example of the cartoon book characters is taken in the passage to______.

A．support the viewpoint that anger and hatred harm physical and mental health

B．introduce a famous expert

C．let the reader know the different colours of cartoon faces

D．show how to control one’s temper

3.The underlined phrase“holding on to”in this passage possibly means“______”.

A．removing         B．keeping up        C．getting rid of       D．learning about

4.The best title for this passage is probably _______.

A．Forgiveness                           B．Forgiveness Is Good for Health

C．A Secret to Keeping Health                D．Anger Is Bad for Health

Puerto Rico may be part of the USA but its music and dance is a mixture of both Spanish and African rhythms. The country, as a result, is a mixture of very new and very old. It exhibits the open American way of yet retains the more formal Spanish influences. This is reflected in the architecture, not just the contrast between the colonial and the modern in urban areas but also in the countryside, where older buildings sit side by side with concrete schools and buildings.

However, if you do not wander beyond the tourist areas on the coast, you will not experience the real Puerto Rico. Old volcanic mountains, long inactive, occupy a large part of the interior（内陆）, with the highest peak, Cerro de Punta, at 1,338m in the Cordillera Central. North of the Cordillera is the karst （岩溶）country where the limestone（石灰石）has been acted upon by water to produce a series of small steep hills and deep holes. The mountains are surrounded by a coastal plain with the Atlantic shore beaches cooled all the year round by trade winds.

The population is 3.8 million, of which about 1.5 million live in San Juan, although about another two million Puerto Ricans live in the USA Average life expectancy is 73.8 years and GDP per capita is US $12,212, the highest in Latin America, although not up to the level of mainland USA. Most Puerto Ricans do not speak English and less than 30% speak it fluently. Second generation Puerto Ricans who were born in New York but who have returned to the island, are called Nuyoricans. The people are very friendly and hospitable but there is crime, liked to drugs and unemployment.

1.What are the disadvantages of Puerto Rico?

A．Too many Puerto Ricans live in the USA

B．Few people in Puerto Rico can speak English

C．Puerto Rico’s GDP is lower than that of the USA

D．Social problem connected with drugs and lack of jobs.

2.We can learn from the passage that Puerto Rico _________.

A．is a state of the United States              B．used to be ruled by Spain

C．is an agricultural country                  D．is gently affected by Africa

3.Nuyorican is a person who _______.

A．has been living in New York

B．is living in New York

C．was born in New York but has returned to Puerto Rico

D．has got the citizenship of America

4.What does the underlined word “retains” mean?

A．loses             B．keeps            C．enjoys            D．returns