Researchers from France and Italy discovered that Canadian parents are less strict with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy.

“Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others，” said Professor Michel Claes，the lead author of the study.“Canadians focus on independence and negotiation．On the other hand，Italians，for example，exercise more control．We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in case of a conflict.”

  Claes said Canada，France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors.“We chose French­Canadians because they share the same language as France，and originally came from France and share certain values．Italy was included because it was considered to have similar，strong and important family values，” he explained.

  The researchers examined the emotional ties between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old.

  Canadian students reported less control and more free actions，according to the study．Italian parents were stricter and French parents were somewhere in the middle.

  Claes explains that the differences lie in education in Canada，France and Italy.

“North America has its own educational values，which promote individualization．Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged．Italy，on the other hand，promotes respect of authority，control，and the need for permission.” he said.

Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative．Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers，and reported high levels of emotional ties．But French fathers were generally thought by their children to be more distant and cold.

  “We were surprised by this，” Claes admitted.“It seems as though the relationships between French mothers and their children were becoming closer over time，while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness，which is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries.”

1．Professor Michel Claes believes that Canada，France and Italy ________.

A．have the same family spirit

B．have some similar cultural traditions

C．have experienced some similar social changes

D．have experienced similar cultural developments

2．How did the researchers carry out the study ?

A．By collecting answers of parents from Canada，France and Italy.

B．By collecting answers of children from Canada，France and Italy.

C．By questioning parents and their children from Italian Canadian families.

D．By  questioning  children  from  French­Canadian families.

3．According to Michel Claes，what mainly leads to the differences in parent­children

relationships among Canada，France and Italy?

A．Educational opportunities.

B．Traditional ideas.

C．Educational values.

D．Historical events.

  When looking at Western Europe，we don’t usually think about poverty—but in fact，some people in modern—day Britain are so hard up that they can’t afford to buy food．

  Back in 2008．the financial crisis caused a lot of unemployment．Then there were the cuts to the welfare system in 20 1 3 which added to the problem—and many British people fell into debt．It’s estimated that 500，000 people in the UK have turned to food banks，just to get by．

  Steph Hagen，who works in a Nottingham food bank，says：“People do not go to a food bank because it's an open door．It’s a case where they go to it because they need to．With our food bank—we are an independent one．and we have limited stocks—everyone who comes through our door has no income．”

  There are checks to make sure nobody is abusing the system．If a doctor or a social worker thinks someone needs to use a food bank—even for a short time—they can give them vouchers(凭证)．Then the people in need take them along to the food bank and they get handouts for three days．

  Churches and individual donors provide most of the food in the banks．But some businesses might help out too．

  And what sort of food is offered in food banks? Hagen says：“Basically，we’ve got porridge．We do occasionally get fresh produce but it’s very rare，especially in the winter months．It’s like tinned fruit，tinned ready meals．We have to give out‘no-cooking’food parcels because people can’t afford the gas and electricity”．

  Community spirit has a lot to do with food banks．Volunteers say they are a great meeting place for people who are lonely and depressed．And when facing a crisis，some beneficiaries might need to feed not only their belly—but also their soul．

24．According to the text，the food bank is a place_____．

A．which is funded by the government

B．where people can get food randomly

C．which helps poor people live through crisis

D．where there is enough food supplies

25．What does the underlined word“them”in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．Systems．    B．Doctors．    C．Social workers． D．Vouchers．

26．Why do food banks mainly offer“no-cooking”food?

A．Poor people have no money for gas and electricity．

B．The volunteers hate to supply cooked food．

C．Food banks can’t afford cooked food．

D．This kind of food is easy to store．

27．What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Community spirit can cure those who are depressed．

B．Food banks benefit poor people mind and body．

C．People can have great fun in food banks．

D．Volunteers tend to feel lonely and depressed in food banks．

  I’ve often wondered how exactly sleep, or lack of it, can have such an awful effect on our bodies and, guess what, how much we sleep switches good genes(基因) on and had genes off.

  In the first half of 2013, the Sleep Research Centre at the University of Surrey found a direct link between hours spent sleeping and genes. Every cell in our bodies carries genetic instructions in our DNA that act as a kind of operating handbook.   However, each cell only “reads” the part of this handbook it needs at any given moment.

  Can sleep affect how a gene reads instructions? It’s a question asked by Professor Derk-Jan Dijk at the University of Surrey. He set up an experiment and asked his volunteers to spend a week sleeping around seven and a half hours to eight hours a night and the next sleeping six and a half to seven hours.

  Blood samples were taken each week to compare which genes in blood cells were being used during the long and short nights. The results were rather surprising. Several hundred genes changed in the amount they were being used, including some that are linked to heart disease, cancer, and Type 2 diabetes. Genes to do with cell repair and replacement were used much less.

  Sleep restriction(six and a half to seven hours a night) changed 380genes. Of these, 220 genes were down regulated (their power was increased). Those affected included body-clock genes which are linked to diabetes(糖尿病). One of the most downgraded genes is that which has a role in controlling insulin(胰岛素) and is linked to diabetes and insomnia(失眠). The most upgraded gene is linked to heart disease.

  So changing sleep by tiny amounts can upgrade or downgrade genes that can influence our health and the diseases we suffer from when we sleep too little.

The important message is that getting close to eight hours of sleep a night can make a dramatic difference to our health in just a few days through the way it looks after our genes.

28.What kind of relation is directly discussed in the passage?

A. Sleeping hours and changes of genes.      B. Sleeping hours and diseases.

C. Changes of genes and diseases.           D.Genes and health.

29.What can we learn about Professor Derk-Jan Kijk’s experiment?

A. The experiment was carried out to find the answer to how genes affect sleep.

B. The experiment took a period of more than two weeks to reach a conclusion.

C. His volunteers were divided into two groups with two different sleeping patterns.

D. Blood samples of the volunteers were checked afterwards to decide how many genes changed in sleeping.

30.Which of the following may be concluded from the passage?

A. The experiment was performed at the University of Surrey in early 2013.

B. Body-clock genes are associated with heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes.

C. Sleep restrictions may contribute to disease like diabetes, insomnia, and heart disease.

D. 7.5－8 hours’ sleep pattern makes little difference compared with 6.5－7 hours’ sleep pattern.

31.Which of the following can be inferred from the findings of the sleep research?

A. When there is a sleep restriction, genes to do with cell repair and replacement function less.

B. In a sleep, several hundred genes change in the amount. The more changes, the worse results.

C. When genes are up regulated, they do good to health; when genes are down regulated , they do harm to health.

D. Eight hours of sleep a day can be beneficial to our health in that it looks after our genes.

  The oceans are unique to our planet. No other planet in our solar system has liquid water. The oceans cover about 70% of the earth's surface.  They contain about 97% of the earth's water supply. Life on earth originated in the seas. The oceans continue to be home to an incredible number of plants and animals.

  We know very little about the oceans. Because they are so deep and dark, they are hard to study. But scientists are discovering new strange creatures all the time. We are learning more by using satellites to look at the oceans' surfaces and by using buoys (航标 ) to measure temperature and saltiness. Special vehicles can now travel deep into the dark oceans to see what mysteries can be discovered.

  More of the sun's heat is assimilated by water along the equator than at the poles. This means the water at the equator is warmer than water at the poles. These different water temperatures cause the water in the oceans to move. This is called an ocean current.

  The air above ocean currents also moves. The warm or cold ocean air moves over the land as wind. Oceans are also a really important part of the water cycle. Evaporation（蒸发） from oceans creates most of the world's rainfall. Plants on land need the rain to absorb nutrients from the soil.

  The oceans are also home to all kinds of sea life. These include fish, whales, dolphins, octopi, lobsters, crabs and shrimps. There are also jellyfish and starfish.Many kinds of plants, such as plankton, kelp and sea grass are part of the "forest of the seafloor."

  Carbon dioxide in-oxygen out! Oceans help to capture and store carbon dioxide(C02). They are the largest natural "carbon sinks" in the world. Oceans trap about1/4of the CO2 that humans put into the air. Oceans also release oxygen. Half of the world's oxygen is produced by these tiny plants!

32. What does the author think of oceans?

A. They are amazing.     B. They are common.

C. They are boundless.    D. They are unimaginable.

33. To know more about the mysterious oceans,____.

A. scientists use satellites in the oceans

B. scientists are discovering new strange creatures

C. scientists are using satellites to monitor the depth of oceans

D. scientists are introducing scientific equipment in the research

34. What does the underlined word "assimilated" mean in the passage?

A. Taken in    B. Given off.    C. Cut down.    D. Held back.

35. It can be inferred from the passage that____

A. oceans produce much carbon dioxide

B. it is not safe to live by the oceans

C. oceans provide humans with rich resources

D. humans can only depend on oceans for water

What attitude would you have to disappointments in life? 36 Find out how a chair，a pair of sunglasses and other items can hold unexpected promise for controlling your anger．

1．Take A Seat—Right Now

There’s a reason you’ve probably never gotten into an angry state of mind from a chair．W．Robert Nay，a clinical professor，says，“Our brains become conditioned to associate sitting and lying down with feeling relaxed．’’  37 Sitting down，Nay says，sends a message of safety and security to your brain．

2．Don’t Get Mad，Get Organized

A study of nearly 11,000 subjects in 42 countries found that the key to hold back anger is preventing it in the first place．Spending a few minutes every morning to map out your day will go far in lowering anger and anxiety levels．The theory：  38

3．Keep Your Cool With A Pair Of Shades

Research in the journal Cognition & Emotion(情绪)found that when people walk in direct sun without sunglasses，the light causes them to feel depressed．Those who walked unshaded against the rays had increased aggressiveness scores．Study co-author Daniele Marzoli suggests seeking shade during heated exchanges：“  39  ’’

4．Handle anger in a sensible way

We are busy working all day as if running a car on the high way．But remember：remind yourself to brake at any time in case of sudden crash．When you’re in anger，say to yourself, “Why am I angry? Is it necessary?”When attention is transferred(转移)，blind emotion will be controlled．  40

A．Don’t be an angry bird．

B．Well begun is half done．

C．It’s useful to handle problems．

D．You’re suddenly a crazy angry person．

E．That’s why it’s so easy to fall asleep on an airplane．

F．Effective time management keeps you on track，avoiding stress．

G．Compared outdoor，indoor conversations have more friendly interactions．