Recentresearchhasclaimedthatanexcessofpositiveionsintheaircanhaveanilleffectonpeople’sphysicalorpsychologicalhealth.Whatarepositiveions?Well,theairisfullofions,electricallychargedparticles,andgenerallythereisaroughbalancebetweenthepositiveandthenegativecharged.Butsometimesthisbalancebecomesdisturbedandalargerproportionofpositiveionsarefound.Thishappensnaturallybeforethunderstorm,earthquakeswhenwindssuchastheMistral,HamsinorSharavareblowingincertaincountries.Oritcanbecausedbyabuild-upofstaticelectricityindoorsfromcarpetsorclothingmadeofman-madefibres,orfromTVsets,duplicatorsorcomputerdisplayscreens.
Whenalargenumberofpositiveionsarepresentintheairmanypeopleexperienceunpleasanteffectssuchasheadaches,fatigue,irritability,andsomesensitivepeoplesuffernauseaorevenmentaldisturbance.Animalsarealsoaffected,particularlybeforeearthquakes,snakeshavebeenobservedtocomeoutofhibernation,ratstofleefromtheirburrows,dogshowlandcatsjumpaboutunaccountably.ThishasledtheUSGeographicalSurveytofundanetworkofvolunteerstowatchanimalsinanefforttoforeseesuchdisastersbeforetheyhitvulnerableareassuchasCalifornia.
Conversely,whenlargenumbersofnegativeionsarepresent,thenpeoplehaveafeelingofwell-being.Naturalconditionsthatproducetheselargeamountsarenearthesea,closetowaterfallsorfountains,orinanyplacewherewaterissprayed,orformsaspray.Thisprobablyaccountsforthebeneficialeffectofaholidaybythesea,orinthemountainswithtumblingstreamsorwaterfalls.
Toincreasethesupplyofnegativeionsindoors,somescientistsrecommendtheuseofionisers:smallportablemachines,whichgeneratenegativeions.Theyclaimthationisersnotonlycleanandrefreshtheairbutalsoimprovethehealthofpeoplesensitivetoexcesspositiveions.Ofcourse,therearethedetractors,otherscientists,whodismisssuchclaimsandareskepticalaboutnegative/positiveionresearch.Thereforepeoplecanonlymakeuptheirownmindsbyobservingtheeffectsonthemselves,oronothers,ofanegativerichorpoorenvironment.Afterallitisdebatablewhetherdependingonseismicreadingstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethanwatchingthecat.
1.Whateffectdoesexceedingpositiveionizationhaveonsomepeople?
A.Theythinktheyareinsane.
B.Theyfeelratherbad-temperedandshort-fussed.
C.Theybecomeviolentlysick.
D.Theyaretootiredtodoanything.
2.Inaccordancewiththepassage,staticelectricitycanbecausedby___.
A.usinghome-madeelectricalgoods.
B.wearingclothesmadeofnaturalmaterials.
C.walkingonartificialfloorcoverings.
D.copyingTVprogramsonacomputer.
3.Ahighnegativeioncountislikelytobefound___.
A.nearapoundwithawaterpump.
B.closetoaslow-flowingriver.
C.highinsomebarrenmountains.
D.byarotatingwatersprinkler.
4.Whatkindofmachinecangeneratenegativeionsindoors?
A.Ionisers.
B.Air-conditioners.
C.Exhaust-fans
D.Vacuumpumps.
5.Somescientistsbelievethat___.
A.watchinganimalstoanticipateearthquakesismoreeffectivethandependingonseismography.
B.theunusualbehaviorofanimalscannotbetrusted.
C.neitherwatchingnorusingseismographsisreliable.
D.earthquake
翻譯訓練：
酒和飲酒文化在中國的歷史中占據著重要地位。從宋代開始，白酒(whiteliquor)成為中國人飲用的主要酒類。中國白酒制作工藝復雜，原料豐富多樣，是世界著名的六大蒸餾酒(distilledliquor)之一。中國有很多優秀的白酒品牌，受到不同人群的喜愛。在當代社會，飲酒文化得到了前所未有的豐富和發展。不同地區和場合的飲酒習俗和禮儀已成為中國人日常生活中重要的部分。在幾千年的文明史中，酒幾乎滲透到社會生活中的各個領域，如文學創作、飲食保健等。
Passage3
Questions11to15arebasedonthefollowingpassage:
About70millionAmericansaretryingtolossweight.Thatisalmost1outofevery3peopleintheUnitedStates.Somepeoplegoonideas.Thismeanstheyeatlesscertainfoods,especiallyfatsandsugars.Otherpeopleexercisewithespecialequipment,takedietpills,orevenhavesurgery.Losingweightishardwork,anditcanalsocostalotofmoney.SowhydosomanypeopleintheUnitedStateswanttoloseweight?
ManypeopleintheUnitedStatesworryaboutnotlookingyoungandattractive.Formanypeople,lookinggoodalsomeansbeingthin.Otherpeopleworryabouttheirhealth.Manydoctorssaybeingoverweightisnothealthy.ButareAmericansreallyfat?Almost30millionAmericansweightatleast20percentmorethantheiridealweight.Infact,theUnitedStateisthemostoverweightcountryinthewild.“ThestoredfatofadultAmericansweight2.3trillionpounds,”saysUniversityofMassachusettsanthropologist(人類學家)GeorgeArmelagos.Hesaysburningoffthatstoredenergywouldproduceenoughpowerfor900,000carstogo12,000miles.
Losingweightishardwork,butmostpeoplewanttofindafastandeasywaytotakeofffat.Bookstoresselllotsofdietbooks.Thesebookstellreadershowtoloseweight.Eachyear,dozensofnewbookslikethesearewritten.Eachoneboaststohelppeopletogetridoffat.
11.WhichofthefollowingisNOTmentionedasawayoflosingweight?
A.Toeatlessfatsandsugars.B.Toworkhard.
12.ManyAmericansaretryingtoloseweightbecause.
A.theywanttolookattractiveB.theyaremisledbydoctors
C.theywanttokeepfitD.bothAandC
13.Thefiguresgiveninthesecondparagraphsuggestthat.
A.AmericansaredependentoncarsB.carsconsumealotofmoney
C.AmericansneedloseweightD.excessoffatcanbeasourceofenergy
14.Itcanbeinferredfromthelastparagraphthat.
A.dietbooksarenotalwayseffectiveB.dietbooksareusuallyhelpful
C.therearelotsofwaysoflosingweightD.bookstoresarekeepingtheirpromises
15.Itcanbeconcludedfromthepassagethat.
A.peoplethinktoomuchoftheirappearance
B.thereisnotasurewayoflosingweightasyet
C.surgeryisthefastestwayoflosingweight
D.goingondietisasafewayoflosingweight
Theywillneverreconcilethemselvesto____.
Icertainlydidn’tintendto_____yourplans.
