选择知识点

In all the world's cultures, people sing, play instruments, and celebrate with music. It plays such an important role in our lives that all fields focus on its study, including one looking at the biology of music. Experts are finding that because of the way our brains process music, learning to play an instrument or just listening to music can have a wide range of benefits.
  Music education has received a lot of attention. Learning to play an instrument can help children improve math, science, and language skills. One study in Canada tracked children's IQ scores for nine months, discovering that children who studied music had the biggest test score improvements. The secret may lie in the way reading music and playing notes uses several areas of the brain, increasing our ability to learn school subjects. For example, reading notes improves spatial （空间的） reasoning skills, which are helpful in solving math problems like fractions（分数）.
  Music is also used for medical purposes, such as the treatment of diseases which affect memory.The secret lies in the way the brain processes music.One area near the forehead,the medial prefrontal cortex,connects music with memories stored in two other areas：the amygdale and hippocampus.That's why an old song can remind you of something that happened years ago. For patients suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's,listening to music can help unlock buried memories by strengthening musical pathways to memories.
  With the evidence of music's benefits pouring in,it's no wonder some countries make music study a part of their education systems.People are recognizing that more than just a form of entertainment,music is also great for the brain.



Scientists are studying music because ______ .

A. music can be used for medical treatments
B. music plays a very important role in our lives
C. our brains can possess music in different ways
D. music education has received a lot of attention

According to the Canadian study, which children had increased IQ scores？ ______

A. Those who already had high IQs.
B. Those who had always played music.
C. Those who could not play any instrument.
D. Those who studied music for a period of time.

Which of the following is a kind of disease？ ______

A. Spatial reasoning.
B. Alzheimer's.
C. The amygdale and hippocampus.
D. The medial prefrontal cortex.

What can be the best title for the text？ ______

A. Music and health
B. Music and the mind
C. Music and education
D. Music and instruments

Australia is recovering from one of its worst wildfire seasons ever, which occurred during the nation's second-hottest summer on record. Experts believe this year's wildfire season was worsened by climate change. But in another sad blow for the Australian environment, it has now been confirmed that once again climate change has caused damage to one of its greatest natural wonders --- the Great Barrier Reef.
  The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef system,home to some 600 species of coral. But a recent study has confirmed scientists' worst fears,concluding that the reef is experiencing its third large-scale bleaching（白化）event in five years. Coral bleaching is the direct result of warming sea temperatures,which causes corals to become stressed. In this situation,coral drives out the algae（海藻）that live within it, which is responsible for its bright color.
  Terry Hughes from James Cook University led a team of researchers to assess the degree of the coral bleaching across the reef. Hughes said,"We surveyed 1，036 reefs from the air during the last two weeks. For the first time, severe bleaching has struck in all the regions of the Great Barrier Reef."
  But the coral has not died, and there is the possibility of a full recovery. So in order to protect the Great Barrier Reef for years to come, what is the solution？
  Dr. Mark Eakin, who managed a Coral Reef Watch program, said, "This is the third widespread, severe coral bleaching in less than five years. As long as we continue to give out CO2，and other greenhouse gases into the air, corals will continue to bleach and die. Local efforts to reduce pollution on the reef and to recover reefs piecemeal help keep corals alive. If we want to save the Great Barrier Reef and other reefs around the world, we have to move away from fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, as quickly as possible."



What can we learn about this year's wildfire season？ ______

A. It's been the worst in Australian history.
B. It happened in the hottest summer.
C. It became worse due to climate change.
D. It damaged the Great Barrier Reef.

Which is the reason for coral bleaching？ ______

A. The worst wildfire season.
B. Rising sea temperatures.
C. Stressful sea environment.
D. No living algae in the sea.

What's the writer's attitude to a full recovery？ ______

A. Positive.
B. Unclear.
C. Negative.
D. Indifferent.

What can be inferred from Dr. Mark Eakin's words？ ______

A. Coral bleaching becomes less severe.
B. More greenhouse gases are into the air.
C. Local efforts can make a difference.
D. We should use coal and oil like before.

Managing a popular tourist attraction can be kind of like throwing a party - everyone wants to come and have fun, but nobody wants to help clean up when it's over. But the Faroe Islands have come up with a creative way to take care of their home and welcome visitors at the same time.
  An official notice on the islands' national tourism website reads "closed for maintenance（维护），open for voluntourism." Following a successful plan this year, the country has made the decision to "close" its major tourism sights and attractions during the weekend of April 16-17， 2020. Hotels will be open, and flights will continue. That weekend, people all over the Faroe Islands will be working on environmental protection projects.
  However, people who are just dying to visit the Faroe Islands during that weekend can sign on to help with the housekeeping. The islands are looking for 100 volunteers to come to the country to help with the caretaking efforts. There were thousands of applications for the 2019 plan,so would-be islanders better apply fast.
  "For us, tourism is not all about numbers," Director at Visit Faroe Islands told CNN Travel earlier this year."We welcome visitors to the islands each year,but we also have a responsibility to our community and to our beautiful environment, and our aim is to protect the islands, ensuring responsible growth." The first group of voluntourists included travelers from Mexico, Israel, Australia, China and the United States. The director said that because of the surprising popularity of the volunteering weekend in 2019， the Faroes will host the event yearly. According to the Faroes' tourism authority, visits to the country have increased by 10% over the past few years.



Who can visit the Faroe Islands on April 16-17， 2020？ ______

A. Any tourists.
B. Selected voluntourists.
C. Housekeepers.
D. All islanders.

Why do the Faroes host the yearly event？ ______

A. To protect and develop their home.
B. To make more money in tourism.
C. To attract more foreign visitors.
D. To please the tourists.

What can we infer from the passage？ ______

A. All travelers have a chance to volunteer in 2020.
B. The Faroe Islands are likely to hold a party yearly.
C. The plan has made some difference in recent years.
D. Some tourism sights and attractions are closed for all.

What's the writer's attitude towards the voluntourism？ ______

A. Indifferent.
B. Doubtful.
C. Negative.
D. Objective.

In which section of a newspaper can you probably find this article？ ______

A. Sports.
B. Travel.
C. Technology.
D. History.

Why do Americans struggle with watching their weight, while the French, who consume rich food, continue to say thin？ Now a research by Cornell University suggests how life style and decisions about eating may affect weight. Researchers concluded that the French tend to stop eating when they feel full. However, Americans tend to stop when their plate is empty or their favorite TV is over.
  According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a health expert, the French see eating as an important part of their life style. They enjoy food and therefore spend a fairly long time at the table, while Americans see eating as something to be squeezed between the other daily activities. Mercola believes Americans lose the ability to sense when they are actually full. So they keep eating long after the French would have stopped. In addition, he points out that Americans drive to huge supermarkets to buy canned and frozen foods for the week. The French, instead, tend to shop daily, walking to small shops and farmers' markets where they have a choice of fresh fruits, vegetables, and eggs as well as high-quality meats for each meal.
  After a visit to the United States, Mireille Guiliano, author of French Women don't Get Fat, decided to write about the importance of knowing when to stop rather than suggesting how to avoid food. Today she continues to stay slim and rarely goes to the gym.
  In spite of all these differences, evidence shows that recent life style changes may be affecting French eating habits. Today the rate of obesity-or extreme overweight-among adults is only 6%． However, as American fast food gains acceptance and the young reject older traditions, the obesity rate among French children has reached 17%-and is growing.



In what way are the French different from Americans according to Dr. Joseph Mercola？ ______

A. They go shopping at supermarkets more frequently.
B. They squeeze eating between the other daily activities.
C. They regard eating as a key part of their lifestyles.
D. They usually eat too much canned and frozen food.

This text is mainly the relationship between ______ ．

A. Americans and the French
B. life style and obesity
C. children and adults
D. fast food and overweight

The text is mainly develop ______ ．

A. by contrast
B. by space
C. by process
D. by classification

Where does this text probably come from？ ______

A. A TV interview
B. A food advertisement
C. A health report
D. A book review

Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of proper physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
  But what about those times when you are sick？ If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit？ Following are the answers from health experts （专家）.
  Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise properly（not hard），he explains,if your symptoms（症状）are all "above the neck". These signs may include a runny nose,sneezing（打喷嚏）or a sore throat.
  Geralyn Coopersmith,a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise offers similar advice. However, both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appears "below the neck". Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion（胸闷）， bad cough or pain in the stomach.
  There are other symptoms that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling very tired, and widespread muscle（肌肉） pain.
  Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad,take a break and let your body rest. If you don't feel too bad, these experts both suggest cutting down the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.



How long should people do exercise according to doctors？ ______

A. No less than two and a half hours a week.
B. One hundred and fifty minutes each day.
C. At least a few minutes every day.
D. About 150 minutes every other day.

People with symptoms "below the neck" are advised to ______ .

A. stop exercise
B. walk instead of run
C. ignore the symptoms
D. do less exercise

What does the underlined part "listening to your body" in the last paragraph mean？ ______

A. Taking good care of yourself.
B. Learning to take advice of your body.
C. Making decisions according to your physical condition.
D. Listening to music when exercising to keep healthy.

What is the text mainly about？ ______

A. Warnings against exercise when you are ill.
B. Harmful results of exercise when you are ill.
C. Time for exercise when you are ill.
D. Professional suggestions on exercise when you are ill.

There are many ways to travel within a city. We can walk, cycle or take a bus. But no matter which way we travel, we have to stick to the route（线路）the city planners laid down for us.
  Parkour practitioners（跑酷爱好者），however,see the city in a completely different way. To them, there are no fixed routes. There are no walls and no stairs - since they jump, climb, roll and crawl to move across, through, over and under anything that they find in their path. The city is their playground.
  The International Gymnastics Federation（FIG）has noticed that this activity is drawing more and more people to it - there are 100，000 people taking part in parkour today in the UK alone, according to the Guardian - and how it is helpful for people to be much stronger：It trains coordination（协调性）and balance. So,the organization is thinking about recognizing parkour as a new sport and adding it to the Olympics by 2024.
  But parkour practitioners themselves don't seem to be happy with the idea. They see parkour as "a lifestyle"，wrote the website Next Sport Star. "It's a competition against the conditions rather than just a sport."
  Indeed,many do parkour just to "escape the daily routine and experience the city in different ways"，wrote reporter Oli Mould on The Conversation. They see parkour as a way to express themselves through relaxing moves and creative routes while freeing themselves from the pressure.
  It's great that the FIG wants to develop a new sport and stay close to a new cultural form. But it would be greater if they knew that not everything in life is a competition.



How do the parkour practitioners do parkour？ ______

A. They run faster than others.
B. They plan the way themselves.
C. They move on as they wish.
D. They stick to certain routes.

Why does the FIG want to add parkour to the Olympics？ ______

A. It's a special way of life.
B. It's good for people to keep healthy.
C. It draws their attention.
D. It needs some rules and instructions.

What is the author's idea on parkour？ ______

A. It helps people to be creative.
B. It is more formal than other sports.
C. It's worth adding to the sporting event.
D. It calls on people to work as a team.

What is the best title for the passage？ ______

A. A new sports competition
B. Parkour practitioners
C. Making the city their own
D. Training in a different way

"What kind of rubbish are you？" This question might normally cause anger,but in Shanghai it has become a special "greeting" among people over the past week. On July 1st,the city introduced strict trash-sorting regulations that are required to follow and expected to be used as a model for our country.Residents must divide their waste into four separate categories and toss it into specific public dustbins.They must do so at specified times, when monitors are present to ensure correct trash-tossing and to ask the nature of one's rubbish. Individuals who fail to follow the regulations face the possibility of fines and worse. They could be punished with fines of up to 200 yuan（$29）. For those who repeat to go against them, the government can add black marks to their credit records, making it harder for them to get bank loans or even buy train tickets.
  Shanghai government is responding to an obvious environmental problem. It generates 9 million tons of garbage a year, more than London's annual output, which is rising quickly. But like other cities in China, it lacks a recycling system. Instead, it has relied on trash pickers to sift（筛选）through the waste,picking out whatever can be reused. This has limits. As people get wealthier,fewer of them want to do such dirty work. The waste, meanwhile, just keeps piling up.
  Many residents appear to support the idea of recycling in general but are annoyed by the details.Rubbish must be divided according to whether it is food, recyclable, dry or harmful, the distinctions among which can be confusing, though there are apps to help work it out. Some have complained about the rules concerning food waste. They must put it straight in the required public bins,forcing them to tear open plastic bags and toss it by hand. What they complain most is the short periods for dropping trash,typically a couple of hours, morning and evening. Along with the monitors at the bins, this means that people go at around the same time and can keep an eye on what is being thrown out. No one wants to look bad.



What do we know about the trash-sorting regulations in Shanghai？ ______

A. They are the first of their kind.
B. They are tied to one's bank account.
C. They have the highest fines.
D. They're aided by monitors.

Why has Shanghai introduced the trash-sorting regulations？ ______

A. There are fewer and fewer trash pickers.
B. It aims to build a new recycling system.
C. It faces more and more serious garbage problems.
D. People throw the rubbish here and there.

What makes the residents upset most about the regulations？ ______

A. Limited time for tossing the trash.
B. Confusing distinction among the categories of trash.
C. Being fined due to improper behavior.
D. Being watched by monitors when throwing the garbage.

What can be the best title for the text？ ______

A. A Good Way of Trash-sorting
B. A New Era of Garbage Classification
C. A Great Time in Dealing with Litter
D. An Effective Solution to Rubbish Problem

The artificial control of the weather, known as weather modification, seems like something out of a science fiction novel, but now it seems to have become a reality. Weather Modification International,a North Dakota-based company, is using planes to target clouds and draw out more rain from them.
  The concept behind the practice, which is called cloud seeding, has been around for decades. But there is new urgency due to climate change and a rapidly growing global population, which have disrupted（中断）global water supplies.
  Weather Modification describes cloud seeding as "an improvement" of the natural raining process.The technology makes storms more efficient by getting additional moisture（水汽） out of clouds.
  "If there are no clouds in the sky that have any moisture in them, then we can't do anything." said Brian Kindrat, an aircraft captain at Weather Modification. "What we can do is tap into what is there and assist mother nature."
  To do this, pilots target clouds with lots of moisture and put small amounts of a silver iodide（碘化银）mixture. The water in the clouds condenses（凝结）and becomes heavy. Then, it falls to the ground as rain.
  The company sees cloud seeding as part of a solution for droughts. "We aren't going to solve large climate shifts in areas, but if you went back and you looked in California and said if we had an additional 10%，15%，20% of snowpack and rain over the last 10 year,it would be significantly different." said Neil Brackin, president of Weather Modification. "With such a program as cloud seeding, additional water for cities and agriculture is available. In fact everybody can benefit from it." Brackin added.
  But there are concerns about cloud seeding's long-term impacts. For example,it's unclear how making it rain in one state affects a neighboring state. It's also up for debate who "owns" the water-such as which state or country-that comes out of the clouds. There are also environmental questions,such as ones related to the long-term impacts of silver iodide.
  Although some critics may have concerns about companies impacting the weather, the company denies that it's "playing God". "We're not really playing God. I think that's really overstating what we're doing." Brackin said. "We're being very specific and environmentally friendly in what we're doing to enhance the natural raining."



What can we learn about cloud seeding？ ______

A. It has not been put into practice yet.
B. It will enable people to control the weather at will.
C. It is a new concept put forward recently.
D. It can help deal with drought.

What did Brian Kindrat want to say about Weather Modification？ ______

A. It can create rain magically.
B. It can only depend on nature.
C. It has the ability to change nature.
D. It can produce rain from any cloud.

What can be inferred from Brackin's words in the last paragraph？ ______

A. He is full of confidence in the future of cloud seeding.
B. He thinks the existing cloud seeding needs to be improved.
C. He disagrees with the criticism aimed at the impact of cloud seeding.
D. He believes cloud seeding can do much more than increasing rainfall.

What's the author's attitude to the practice of cloud seeing？ ______

A. Objective.
B. Critical.
C. Approving.
D. Doubtful.

Some people think going to the gym takes time and effort. It often hurts,and it can be extremely boring. Most weight-related exercises are a combination of sets and reps（几次几组）. In order to see any significant change from any exercise, it will probably need to be repeated six to eight times for a minimum of three sets for about three months. Then there's aerobics（有氧运动）. For some, there's nothing more boring than endless miles spent running on a treadmill（跑步机）.
  But what if there is a way to reduce the boredom of exercise while still getting a good workout？
  Luckily for us,there's virtual reality（VR）.
  "In the past,playing video games was a sedentary（久坐不动的） experience," says Jo Stauffer of the VR Health Institute,"but VR changes all of that." Many VR games are played while standing. In order to play properly, the players are forced to move around swinging their arms or using their legs. After an hour of this on a regular enough basis, it's not surprising that many people unexpectedly find themselves a little fitter. There are already a number of virtual reality games which, deliberately or not, result in their player "getting a good sweat on" if played for enough time. For example,there's a music game which forces players to shadow-box（做空拳攻防练习） in order to hit the notes-that's an upper-body workout.
  The benefit of VR has been noticed by one company. They want to take the whole experience into the gym. They are making a resistance machine, designed to be used in combination with a VR headset. Players challenge a virtual competitor in a series of games, which results in a 30-minute full-body workout. "However, the cost of the equipment is expensive and there are safety concerns to be worked out," says J. P. Gownder from the consultancy Forrester.
  Although it's early days for those of us who struggle to overcome the boredom of exercise,a new solution could be coming. And a world where a person can exercise and have fun at the same time might be something that many people would want-virtual or not. So don't give up exercising.



What conclusion can we draw from the first paragraph？ ______

A. Most weight-related exercises nearly have no effect.
B. You'd better not go to the gym because of the risk of injury.
C. Running on a treadmill won't bring any significant change.
D. Some people think exercising in the gym is difficult and tiring.

Compared with video games, VR games ______ .

A. bring more fun to play
B. take people less free time
C. are more popular in the gym nowadays
D. are more likely to bring players health benefits

What can we know about the resistance machine？ ______

A. It has been widely used in the gym.
B. There are some disadvantages of it.
C. It can result in a 40-minute full-body workout.
D. When using it, people need to have a partner.

Which is the best title for the passage？ ______

A. The Boredom of Exercise
B. Keep Going to the Gym
C. Virtual Exercise in the Gym
D. The Popularity of VR Games

The expression "a thirst for knowledge" may soon have a new meaning for millions of people who have no way to get clean water. Researchers have developed a book with specially treated pages that can turn dirty water into clean and drinkable water. They say their invention could improve the lives of many in the developing world.
  About 700 million people around the world are at risk of disease or even death because their drinking water is not clean. The water is polluted by harmful bacteria（细菌）.
  The book contains 25 pages. Each page is about one millimeter thick. The pages contain very small particles（微粒）of silver. The pages can be used as filters（过滤器）to remove harmful microorganisms（微生物）that can pollute drinking water. The filter kills the organisms that pass through it.
  Pictures on the pages show the dangers of dirty water and how to use the book for those unable to read. The pages are made of filter paper. They are designed to be torn from the book. Water can be poured through the paper to be cleaned.
  Ms. Dankovich, the inventor, says each page can treat up to 100 liters of water. She recently presented her invention at the meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts. She was asked whether she had considered adding classic literature on the book's pages.
  "The idea of classic texts - that's of interest maybe later. We have discussed a little bit more exciting text. But we really haven't had the time to go through that part，" she says.
  Teri Dankovich and another researcher tested the drinkable book in Bangladesh, Ghana and South Africa. The tests proved to be successful.
  Water for Life, a non-governmental organization, has provided financial support for the project.



What do we learn about the book from the text？ ______

A. It sells well around the world.
B. It is about environment protection.
C. It has pages with several functions.
D. It can treat about 100 liters of water.

What does the underlined phrase "that part" in Paragraph 6 refer to？ ______

A. Classic texts.
B. Invention presentation.
C. Exciting discussion.
D. Financial support.

What is the main idea of the passage？ ______

A. Researchers have found a way to save those being ill.
B. Millions of people are in great need of drinkable water.
C. Knowledge is as important as drinkable water.
D. Book pages could provide safe drinking water.