广东省深圳实验学校高中部2019-2020学年高一下学期英语第一阶段测试卷

    For the past week since school took a break for summer, our 14-year-old daughter, Alayna, has been hanging out almost daily with a group of friends. They would ride skateboards across town to spend time at our house.

    A few days ago, we were all sitting around, and I mentioned I used to ride a skateboard when I was growing up. They invited me to skateboard with them. It was about 10 pm, but all of that teenage energy must have been contagious because I was ready to have a try! We all headed out to the sidewalk in front of our house. I was slow and really careful, but I could still ride one. The boys seemed to think it was cool that "Mama Neal" (as they call me) could ride a skateboard.

    The next morning, Alayna and I were laughing about this whole experience, and I said to her, "If anyone asks you what your mom is doing these days, you can just tell them, 'Oh, she's a skateboarder.' I started laughing at my own joke. But it was one of those strange moments when you have so much emotion that the laugh comes out and instantly transforms into a hysterical (歇斯底里的) cry. Tears were rolling down my cheeks. My poor daughter didn't know how to react. It was awkward.

    I have realized how much of my identity is wrapped up in what I do. Getting dressed to go to work was one of the highlights (最好的部分) of my day. I think most people have imagined what it would be like to walk away from something familiar. I haven't doubted my decision. I don't want to prove my worth by what I do. I didn't know where to begin days ago, but now I'll just go for a ride on my skateboard. I just want to secure just being myself.

    Shinrin-yoku means "forest bathing". Forest bathing doesn't mean you take a bath in the forest; rather, you simply go for a walk in the woods or a city park, where you relax by using all your senses to experience nature.

    Yoshifumi Miyazaki, from Chiba University, is among a growing number of scientists who have begun studying the science behind the effects of nature on human health. In his book Shinrin-yoku: The Japanese Art of Forest Bathing, Miyazaki explains the techniques of forest bathing.

    Miyazaki has an interesting theory about why shinrin-yoku is so effective. He points out that for more than 99.99% of the time, humans have lived in a natural environment. In fact, in 1800, only 3% of the world's population lived in cities, and by 2016, this figure reached 54%. This is only going to get worse; officials predict that by 2050, 66% will live in cities.

    This suggests we live in our modern society with bodies that are still used to the natural environment, he writes in the book, because "genes cannot change over just a few hundred years". The science behind the research studies he presents in the book makes a compelling (引人注目的) case that forest bathing is an effective method for reducing stress in today's world.

    Now city planners are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of nature and are creating new kinds of "parks" out of empty spaces. There're also more city gardens where people can grow vegetables. For kids, kitchen gardens in schools are becoming popular. As Miyazaki stresses, you don't have to find a formal park or garden to practice shinrin-yoku. Instead, you can enjoy the effects of nature wherever there're plants.

    Better yet, he says, we can bring nature closer to where we spend most of our time. Miyazaki's research has shown that just increasing the amount of plants in a room can affect the relaxation benefits of the room. What's more, even when people simply look at flowers, their bodies relax and stress levels decrease.

    If you love eating and drinking for free and are looking to make some pocket money, there's a job in China with your name on it. A new type of online service allows people to hire others either to eat or drink their favorite treats or satisfy their appetite without the calories that usually come with it.

    Chinese media recently reported on an increasingly popular service on online platform Taobao that's as startling as it is appealing. People can now go online and hire others to consume certain foods and drinks, and ask them to provide video evidence of them eating or drinking the said treats.

    Fees usually range from two to nine yuan ($0.30 - $1.35) plus the cost of the food. It's not exactly a get-rich-quick job, but there are quite a lot of people willing to do it for the free treats alone.

    "Bubble tea drinking" is a particularly popular service, as the chewy tapioca(木薯粉) balls and popping drink is all the rage in Asia these days, but there are also ads from people willing to eat fried chicken or hot pot for anyone willing to pay for them.

    Advertised as being "fat-free" and "free of queues", those who pay for the service will receive the full experience, which includes a 360-degree video of the drink, photos, and a detailed description. Prices of the service are based on the drink's sweetness level, its price, and popularity. Some clients even require a short written review to be sure that the person they hired actually does what they are supposed to.

    Sellers explained that most customers buy their "Bubble tea drinking" service maybe because they're trying to shake off desires while they're on a diet. Drinking bubble tea by proxy may help customers avoid high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and other health problems that the sugar-laden drink may cause.

    So why would anyone pay a total stranger to enjoy a treat rather than consume it themselves? Well, apparently, the online service is so cheap that some people simply do it out of boredom, while others get satisfaction from watching others indulge in their favorite treats.

    This indulging-by-proxy service(代享受服务)has received a lot of attention on social media in China, with some people describing it as the job of their dreams.

    O'Brien and Samantha Kassirer from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management conducted two experiments to determine the levels of people's happiness when they gave away money or when they spent it on themselves.

    The first experiment involved 96 college students receiving $5 every day for five days. They had to spend the money on the same thing each day. Researchers randomly asked the participants to either spend the money on themselves or give it to someone else, like through a tip or an online donation to charity. The participants ended each day by reflecting on their spending experience and their overall level of happiness. Regardless of how they spent the money, everyone started off with roughly the same level of self-reported happiness. Those who spent the money on themselves, however, experienced a decline in happiness over the five-day period. The people who gave the money to someone else maintained their happiness levels.

    A second experiment, this one conducted online, involved 502 people playing 10 rounds of a word puzzle game. Each round the player won, they received 5 cents. The participants could either keep the 5 cents or donate it to a charity. After each round, people rated the level of happiness they felt after winning a round. As with the first study, those who gave away the money reported a longer stretch of happiness than those who kept the money for themselves.

    As for why people who used the money for themselves aren't as happy as long, the researchers explain that focusing on an outcome — like getting paid — can diminish (削弱) the experience. When people focused on an action — like giving to charity — they concentrate more on the act itself as a joyful event, explaining why happiness stayed more consistent among those who spent the money on others. "If you want to sustain happiness over time, our new research shows that repeated giving, even in the same way to the same people, may make you continue to feel much fresher and more enjoyable," Ed O'Brien said.

    So the next time you think about spending on yourself, maybe give it to someone in need instead. Your happiness will thank you.

    What would life be like without music? Songs and tunes fill our lives. , but it seems that it's sad music that moves us most.

    . And a recent study has shown why some people are keen on sad music. It studied the difference between people who love to listen to sad music and those who can't stand it.

    It comes down to a natural hormone called prolactin (催乳素). When people cry, they release prolactin which has a comforting effect. It seems that people who like sad music are maybe getting too much prolactin, or more than is normal. , or there isn't enough of it, some people find that sad sounds don't help to cheer them up.

    Previous research has also suggested that listening to sad music can trigger pain and sadness. . A high number of people they surveyed were cheered up by listening to sad songs, though the feeling may not be exactly the same as happiness. .

    So, reacting to sad music on the radio may have nothing to do with the melancholic (忧郁的) sound of a piano or a singer who's got the blues, but rather a natural chemical reaction taking place in our bodies.

A. But if prolactin isn't released

B. There is a song for everyone and for every occasion

C. But it can also provide comfort and even enjoyment

D. However, most people don't care about this frustrating consequences

E. It may be the ability to cope with the sadness that gives the feeling of comfort

F. Sad music certainly does its job in making us depressed and causing us to sob

G. Song has many functions, such as affecting our emotions and bring back some memories

    When I was growing up, my dad always did two jobs. He spent his days building his business, and his nights waiting1.

    I can clearly remember the2of Dad coming home from work. The four of us kids had about 20 minutes to3his hugs and tell him about our days at school. He never told us to4or give him a minute — he knew he didn't have many minutes to5because soon he'd have to head back to6.

    Actually, I hadn't seen anything7about my dad's second job for many years until I had a new friend over. It was the first time that I had realized my8wasn't universal.

    "Where's your dad going?" my friend asked9. "He's going to work. He's a waiter at the Keg."

    "Your dad waits tables? At a restaurant?" My friend glanced around my room10, as if she was suddenly unsure about this family she'd come to. "Is that bad or something?" I asked.

    "I guess not. He just mustn't have a very good job then," she11. I'd almost forgotten that12until I watched the video last night, where the actor Geoffrey Owens discusses being publicly13for working at.

    Trader Joe's, a neighborhood grocery store (杂货店), saying one job isn't better than another.

    I totally14this. When my family lived in Las Vegas, most of our friends were Trader Joe's 15. They were hardworking, kind and funny. Sometimes I'd go to the Trader Joe's not because I16anything, but because it is17to talk with them.

    Work is essential, and it's part of our18to work. There is no work that's "more" or "less"19, and what we really should do is to20the dignity (尊严) of every working person.

    One month of heavy rain had created a wild river (run) by Bruce's farm. As he tried to drive his sheep to the higher ground, he (slip) and hit his head on a fallen rock. Bruce was badly hurt and could only walk with great (difficult). The water (rise). Bruce's pace got slower and slower.

    Finally, all he could do was to throw his arm around Lilly's neck and try to hang on. About 20 minutes later, Lilly managed to (successful) pull herself and Bruce out of the water and onto a bit of high land.

    It took rescuers another two hours to discover Bruce. helicopter lowered a doctor, who attached Bruce to a life-support lift. They raised him into the helicopter and took him to the school gym, the Red Cross had set up an emergency shelter. When the flood subsided (退潮) two days later, Bruce immediately went back to the highland, Lily was gone. was one of the 19 cows that Bruce lost. "I owe my life her," said Bruce sobbingly.