Moods（情绪）, say the experts, are feelings that are likely to become fixed, having effects on one’s outlook （世界观） for hours, days or even weeks．That’s great if your mood is a pleasant one, but a problem if you are sad, anxious, angry, or simply lonely．

Perhaps the best way to deal with such moods is to talk them out; sometimes, however, there is no one to listen．Modern pharmacology （药理学） offers a lot of tranquilizers （镇静剂） and anti-anxiety（抗焦虑） medicines．What many people don’t realize, however, is that scientists have discovered the effectiveness of several non-drug methods to make you free from an unwanted mood．These can be just as useful as medicines, and have the added benefit of being non-poisonous．So next time you feel out of sorts, don’t head for the drug store but try the following methods．

    “Of all the mood changing self –help techniques, aerobic exercise（有氧运动）seems to be the best cure for a bad mood．If you could keep the exercise, you’d be in high spirits,” says Kathryn Lance, author of Running for Health and Beauty．

Researchers have explained biochemical and various other changes that make exercise more effective than drug as a mood- raiser．Physical work such as house-work, however, does little good．The key is aerobic exercise---running, cycling, walking, swimming, or other repetitive activities that increase the heart rate and circulation, and improve the body’s use of oxygen．Do them for at least 20 minutes a time, three to five times a week．

1．It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.

A．when one is in a bad mood, he or she may not work very well．

B．the best way to overcome a bad mood is to talk to oneself．

      C．some drugs are more effective than physical exercise．

    D．taking drugs is at the risk of being harmed．

2．“Feel out of sorts”（in Paragraph 2 ） could be best replaced by _________．

    A．put things in order                                      B．search for tranquilizers

    C．are in bad mood                                                 D．are in high spirits

3．Which of the following best describes the organization（组织） of this passage?

    A．A way of exercise and its importance are explained.

    B．A problem is put forward and solutions are presented.

    C．Two different views on a problem are given．

    D．Recent developments in medicine are described．

4．Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage ?

    A．Moods can have an effect on people’s appearances．

    B．Aerobic exercise can help people make better use of oxygen.

    C．Many tranquilizers have been provided．

    D．Swimming, walking, or running is an effective cure for a bad mood．

Teaching a child to read at a young age gives him a valuable start in life. Reading is the basic part of education and a child’s reading ability will influence his school success greatly. Learning difficulties, many of which begin from poor reading skills, can damage a school child’s confidence and affect his future achievement. Young children are programmed to learn and they can learn better with encouragement. Ten to twenty minutes of reading a day still leaves plenty of time for play.

Many parents are concerned that learning to read is too challenging a task for a pre-school child, but they should also remember that most children learn to speak by the time they are 3. Learning a language is probably the single most challenging task any individual can undertake, yet children do it without formal instruction, achieving the fluency much better than adult language students.

There is a window of opportunity in terms of IQ development, which is most open during a child’s early years. A scientific study, carried out by Dr. Peter Huttenlocher at the University of Chicago, showed that the number of connectors, called synapses（神经元突触）, between the nerve endings in a newborn baby’s brain is similar to the number in the average adult brain. These synapses increase rapidly during early childhood. By 12-24 months a child’s brain has about 50% more synapses than the average adult brain. After that the synapses which are not in use begin to atrophy（衰退）. For most people, from age 16, the number remains steady. It begins to drop again as we move into our golden years. Doing intellectual activities at a young age, such as learning to read, can stimulate（刺激）and preserve these connectors in the brain resulting in a long-term beneficial（有益的）effect on IQ development.

Another notable study is probably the Milwaukee project. This study took a group of babies, all of whose mothers had low IQs, and gave them special training for seven hours a day, five days a week, until they started first grade. By the age of 6 these children had an average IQ 30 points higher than their contemporaries. The overwhelming conclusion is that the early intellectual stimulation can have a positive, long-term effect on a child’s brain development.

From birth you should talk to and explain things to your baby. Reading to him can be a wonderful way of spending quality time with your child. The enjoyment of books and being familiar with the idea of print will pave the way for（为……铺平道路）learning to read later.

If your child is a fast learner you can help him realize his potential by introducing him to the joy of the printed word at an early age. This will lay the foundations（基础）for both a high achieving school career and a lifelong love of reading. If your child shows early signs of reading difficulties, your efforts may help him get rid of such problems before he goes to school.

It can be difficult to teach your own child because emotional（引起情绪激动的）issues arise easily. Online programs for learning to read English are excellent options. They allow children to repeat new materials as many times as they need to, without wearing out the parents’ patience.

1.What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. Children should be taught to read at an early age.

B. Children can read better than most adult students.

C. Children have more synapses than most adults.

D. Children are supposed to learn to read on the Internet.

2.Why does the author mention the study by Dr. Peter Hutten locher?

A. To remove parents’ worry.

B. To explain IQ development.

C. To explain how a baby’s brain works.

D. To show the parents’ wrong ideas.

3.How can children benefit from learning to read at a young age?

A. It can build up great confidence in their mind.

B. It can help preserve the connectors in their brains.

C. It can help produce more connectors in their brains.   

D. It can help them find both their weaknesses and strengths.

4.At the end of this passage the author advises _______.

A. parents not to get angry too often

B. children to enjoy reading as early as possible

C. children not to wear out their parents’ patience

D. parents to get their children to take an online program

Teaching a child to read at a young age gives him a valuable start in life. Reading is the basic part of education and a child’s reading ability will influence his school success greatly. Learning difficulties, many of which begin from poor reading skills, can damage a school child’s confidence and affect his future achievement. Young children are programmed to learn and they can learn better with encouragement. Ten to twenty minutes of reading a day still leaves plenty of time for play.
Many parents are concerned that learning to read is too challenging a task for a pre-school child, but they should also remember that most children learn to speak by the time they are 3. Learning a language is probably the single most challenging task any individual can undertake, yet children do it without formal instruction, achieving the fluency much better than adult language students.
There is a window of opportunity in terms of IQ development, which is most open during a child’s early years. A scientific study, carried out by Dr. Peter Huttenlocher at the University of Chicago, showed that the number of connectors, called synapses（神经元突触）, between the nerve endings in a newborn baby’s brain is similar to the number in the average adult brain. These synapses increase rapidly during early childhood. By 12-24 months a child’s brain has about 50% more synapses than the average adult brain. After that the synapses which are not in use begin to atrophy（衰退）. For most people, from age 16, the number remains steady. It begins to drop again as we move into our golden years. Doing intellectual activities at a young age, such as learning to read, can stimulate（刺激）and preserve these connectors in the brain resulting in a long-term beneficial（有益的）effect on IQ development.
Another notable study is probably the Milwaukee project. This study took a group of babies, all of whose mothers had low IQs, and gave them special training for seven hours a day, five days a week, until they started first grade. By the age of 6 these children had an average IQ 30 points higher than their contemporaries. The overwhelming conclusion is that the early intellectual stimulation can have a positive, long-term effect on a child’s brain development.
From birth you should talk to and explain things to your baby. Reading to him can be a wonderful way of spending quality time with your child. The enjoyment of books and being familiar with the idea of print will pave the way for（为……铺平道路）learning to read later.
If your child is a fast learner you can help him realize his potential by introducing him to the joy of the printed word at an early age. This will lay the foundations（基础）for both a high achieving school career and a lifelong love of reading. If your child shows early signs of reading difficulties, your efforts may help him get rid of such problems before he goes to school.
It can be difficult to teach your own child because emotional（引起情绪激动的）issues arise easily. Online programs for learning to read English are excellent options. They allow children to repeat new materials as many times as they need to, without wearing out the parents’ patience

1. 1.

   What does the passage mainly discuss?

   1. A.
      Children should be taught to read at an early age
   2. B.
      Children can read better than most adult students
   3. C.
      Children have more synapses than most adults
   4. D.
      Children are supposed to learn to read on the Internet
2. 2.

   Why does the author mention the study by Dr. Peter Hutten locher?

   1. A.
      To remove parents’ worry
   2. B.
      To explain IQ development
   3. C.
      To explain how a baby’s brain works
   4. D.
      To show the parents’ wrong ideas
3. 3.

   How can children benefit from learning to read at a young age?

   1. A.
      It can build up great confidence in their mind
   2. B.
      It can help preserve the connectors in their brains
   3. C.
      It can help produce more connectors in their brains
   4. D.
      It can help them find both their weaknesses and strengths
4. 4.

   At the end of this passage the author advises ______.

   1. A.
      parents not to get angry too often
   2. B.
      children to enjoy reading as early as possible
   3. C.
      children not to wear out their parents’ patience
   4. D.
      parents to get their children to take an online program