Nothing could stop Dad. After he was put on disability for a bad back, he bought a small farm in the country, just enough to grow food for the family. He planted vegetables, fruit trees and even kept bees for honey.
And every week he cleaned Old Man McColgin's chicken house in exchange for manure(肥料). The smell really burned the inside of your nose. When we complained about the terrible smell, Dad said the stronger the manure, the healthier the crops, and he was right. For example, just one of his cantaloupes filled the entire house with its sweet smell, and the taste was even sweeter.
As the vegetables started coming in, Dad threw himself into cooking. One day, armed with a basket of vegetables, he announced he was going to make stew(炖菜).Dad pulled out a pressure cooker and filled it up with cabbages, eggplants, potatoes, corns, onions and carrots. For about half an hour, the pressure built and the vegetables cooked. Finally, Dad turned off the stove, the pot began to cool and the pressure relief valve sprayed out a cloud of steam. If we thought Dad's pile of chicken manure was bad, this was 10 times worse. When Dad took off the lid, the smell nearly knocked us out.
Dad carried the pot out and we opened doors and windows to air out the house. Just how bad was it? The neighbors came out of their houses to see if we had a gas leak!
Determined, Dad filled our plates with steaming stew and passed them around. It didn’t look that bad, and after the first wave had shut down my ability to smell, it didn’t offend the nose so much, either. I took a taste. It would never win a prize in a cooking competition, but it was surprisingly edible, and we drank up every last drop of soup!
【小题1】Why did Dad clean Old Man Mocolgin’s chicken house regularly?

A．To earn some money for the family.	B．To collect manure for his crops.
C．To get rid of the terrible smell.	D．To set a good example to us.

【小题2】What can we infer about Dad’s stew?

A．It is popular among the neighbors.	B．It contains honey and vegetables.
C．It looks very wonderful.	D．It tastes quite delicious.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “offend” in the last paragraph mean?

A．To attract.

B．To upset.

C．To air.

D．To shut.

【小题4】What can we learn about Dad form the text?

A．He is an experienced cook.	B．He is a troublesome father.
C．He has a positive attitude to life.	D．He suffers a lot from his disability.

Just five minutes of exercise a day outdoors can improve mental health, according to a study.
Researchers from the University of Essex, UK have found that as little as five minutes of a “green activity” such as walking, gardening, cycling or farming could help to improve mood and increase self-esteem (自信).
Many studies have shown that outdoor exercise can reduce the risk of mental illness and improve a sense of well-being, but the new study, led by Jules Pretty and Jo Barton, was the first to determine how much time needed to be spent on green exercise for the benefits to show.
Barton and Pretty looked at data from 1,252 people of different ages, genders (性别) and mental health status (情况) taken from 10 studies in Britain.
They analyzed their different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in locations such as a park, garden or nature trail (路径).
They found that the mental health changes were seen after just five minutes. With longer periods of time exercising in a green environment, the positive effects were more apparent.
Looking at men and women of different ages, the researchers found the health changes were particularly strong in the young and the mentally ill.
Green and blue
A bigger effect was seen with exercise in an area that also contained water – such as a lake or river.
“This is because historically we are drawn to water to survive and it is in our genetic (遗传的) make-up to be at one with nature,” the researchers wrote in their report.
Pretty said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.
“Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health.”
He also said exercise programs outdoors could benefit youth offenders.
【小题1】How is the study this article refers to different from other studies?

A．It determined the exact amount of time needed.

B．It took longer to finish the research.

C．It involved more people.

D．It was led by just two researchers.

【小题2】What can we conclude from the findings of the study?

A．Gardeners and farmers do not need “green exercise”.

B．Just five minutes of “green exercise” daily can help improve mental health.

C．Walking in a park with a lake will weaken the effect.

D．“Green exercise” is not suitable for the mentally ill.

【小题3】According to Pretty, _______ would probably benefit the most from “green exercise”.

A．stressed, inactive people

B．office worker

C．youth offenders

D．women and children

【小题4】What is the main problem discussed in this article?

A．Physical well-being.	B．Mental illness.
C．Outdoor exercise.	D．Harmony with nature.

   When it's five o'clock,people leave their office.The length of the workday,for many workers,is defined by time. They leave when the clock tells them they're done.

These days,the time is everywhere: not just on clocks or watches,but on cell-phones and computers.That may be a bad thing,particularly at work.New research shows on that clock-based work schedules hinder morale and creativity.
Clock-timers organize their day by blocks of minutes and hours.For example: a meeting from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m., research from 10 a.m.to noon,etc.On the other hand,task-timers have a list of things they want to accomplish.They work down the list,each task starts when the previous task is completed.It is said that all of us employ a mix of both these types of planning.

What,then,are the effects of thinking about time in these different ways? Does one make us more productive? Better at the tasks at hand? Happier? In experiments conducted by Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier,they had participints organize different activities-from project planning,holiday shopping,to yoga-by time or to-do list to measure how they performed under "clock time" vs "task time".They found clock timers to be more efficient but less happy because they felt little control over their lives.Task timers are happier and more creative,but less productive. They tend to enjoy the moment when something good is happening,and seize opportunities that come up.

The researchers argue that task-based organizing tends to be undervalued and under-supported in the business culture.Smart companies,they believe,will try to bake more task-based planning into their strategies.

This might be a small change to the way we view work and the office,but the researchers argue that it challenges a widespread characteristic of the economy: work organized by clock time.While most people will still probably need,and be,to some extent,clock-timers,task-based timing should be used when performing a job that requires more creativity.It'll make those tasks easier,and the task-doers will be happier.
【小题1】What does the author think of time displayed everywhere?

A．It makes everybody aware of time.

B．It is a convenience for work and life.

C．It may have a negative effect on creative work.

D．It clearly indicates the fast pace of modern life.

【小题2】What did Tamar Avnet and Anne-Laure Sellier find in their experiments about clock-timers ?

A．They seize opportunities as they come up.

B．They always get their work done in time.

C．They have more control over their lives.

D．They tend to be more productive.

【小题3】What do the researchers say about today's business culture?

A．It does not support the strategies adopted by smart companies.

B．It does not attach enough importance to task-based practice.

C．It places more emphasis on work efficiency than on workers’ lives.

D．It aims to bring employees' potential and creativity into full play.

【小题4】What do the researchers suggest?

A．Task-based timing is preferred for doing creative work.

B．It is important to keep a balance between work and life.

C．Performing creative jobs tends to make workers happier.

D．A scientific standard should be adopted in job evaluation.

Friendly doctors are“bad for their patients’health”，researchers have warned as a new study revealed two thirds of young doctors struggle to be truthful with patients they like．
Blurring(使…模糊)the lines between social and professional relationships can affect the level of care offered and prevent patients from being honest about important side effects．
“Doctors should avoid adding patients as friends on Facebook，they should not hug or allow patients to call them by their first names”．regulators have warned．“Those who break the boundaries will face some punishment．”
It comes as a survey of 338 oncologists(肿瘤科医生)under the age of 40，found 59 per cent said they found it difficult to tell the truth to those patients they liked．Sixty per cent of respondents said if doctors felt too close to their patients，it could prevent them from making objective decisions about a person’s care．
Lesley Fallowfield，of Brighton and Sussex Medical Schoo1．said：“Oncology is a profession that can be enormously rewarding but is filled with many challenges．Young oncologists have to master dealing with anxious patients who are facing a life-threatening disease；conveying the true prognosis(预后)；discussing the complexity of modern treatments；and explaining the unavailability of some drugs，the side-effects of treatment，and likely treatment aims．”
But she said，“Those doctors who have entered the profession in the age of the ‘Internet world’are more likely to fall victim to blurring the professional boundaries with patients．
She said：“The difficulty，if you hug and kiss patients，if you allow them to call you by your first name，is that quickly the relationship can become confused as a social one rather than a professional one．Doctors become confused，‘I really like this person，how can I bear to tell them that they’re going to die?’They find it more difficult to be objective．”
【小题1】Why are ffiendl3，doctors bad for their patients’health?

A．They don’t like to cheat patients．

B．They are not good at treating patients．

C．They find it not easier to be objective to the patients．

D．They seldom blur the relationship with patients.

【小题2】What should doctors do according to the regulations?

A．Add patients as friends on Facebook．

B．Have close connection with patients in life．

C．Always be cold to patients．

D．Keep a proper distance to patients．

【小题3】Which opinion will Lesley Fallowfield agree with?

A．Oncology is a rewarding profession without challenges．

B．The Internet makes it easier for young doctors to break the boundaries．

C．It’s not the duty of doctors to deal with patients’anxiety．

D．Becoming friends with patients will help them recover soon．

【小题4】Young oncologists will face the following challenges except_____________．

A．dealing with a lot of life-threatening diseases

B．discussing difficulties of treatment with patients

C．explaining the reason for the lack of some medicine

D．informing patients of the possible results of the treatment

   In the United States a voluntary organization called Musician Corps is making a difference in people's lives. Five years ago，Kiff Gallagher，the founder of the organization，realized that music and public services could be used together to help Americans in need. Recognizing that music has a positive effect on Alzheimer's disease and autism（自闭症），he had the idea of creating Musician Corps.

Musician Corps looks for musicians and trains them as teachers. Then the musicians provide these services in city schools，children's hospitals，and assisted-living homes for older adults. They also help organize community concerts. Anyone can play music at these community activities.

Kiff Gallagher says what makes Musician Corps different from other charity organizations is that everybody can take part. It provides a place for people to get involved. He remembers a Musician Corps event at a hospital. Afterwards，he says，the patients are less depressed.

David Meletiche, one of 200 musicians in Musician Corps, teaches an after-school guitar class in a high-crime neighborhood. He is excited that the group gives him not only a job in a difficult economy but also the chance to use the team-building skills he gained in college.

There are 12 high school students in his class. Selena Makwan, one of them who are learning to play the guitar, says the program keeps her busy. "It definitely keeps me off the streets, because without this program I probably would be wandering around right now and I would not know what to do. And it also gives me an opportunity to learn something I' ve never done before."

Musician Corps has established programs in California and North Carolina. Kiff Gallagher hopes Musician Corps will continue to expand across America.

【小题1】Kiff Gallagher founded Musician Corps to ________.

A．teach people music

B．help those in need

C．know better about sick people

D．offer jobs in a difficult economy

【小题2】What can we know about Musician Corps from the passage?

A．It supplies public services through music.

B．Its main task is to train more musicians.

C．It has many professional music teachers.

D．Its community concerts are popular with students.

【小题3】From Paragraph 4, we can know that David Meletiche ________.

A．loves his job as a guitar teacher

B．has to make a living as a guitar teacher

C．changed his job during economic depression

D．used the team-building skills when he was in college

【小题4】We can infer that Selena Makwan ________.

A．wants to be a guitarist in the future

B．likes to wander around the streets

C．benefits a lot from Musician Corps

D．wants to be a member of Musician Corps