legs crossed can increase your blood pressure. The reason for this is that the blood in your legs has to work against gravity to be pumped back to your heart and that crossing one leg over the other increases resistance, making it even harder for the blood to circulate. This causes your body to increase your blood pressure to push the blood back to the heart. You won’t feel any immediate effects, but repeated, drawn-out increases in blood pressure can cause long-term health issues. So, planning to sit for a long period of time? Don’t keep your legs crossed.
“Crossing your legs at the knee can also cause pressure on the major nerve in your leg that passes just below your knee and along the outside of your leg，” explains Richard Graves, a medical expert. This pressure can cause numbness and temporary paralysis(麻痹) of some of the muscles in your foot and leg, preventing you from being able to raise your ankle—what we know as that “pins__and__needles” sensation. While the feeling of discomfort may only last a minute or two, repeatedly crossing your legs until they feel numb can cause permanent nerve damage.
So next time you sit down, try to get yourself in the habit of sitting with both of your feet on the floor. Not only will it help your posture and stability, but it will also save your health in the long run.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇科普说明文。研究表明，虽然跷二郎腿是常见的习惯，但是该习惯会引起血压的升高，还会导致膝盖以下的重要神经受损。所以不要跷二郎腿，要有正确的坐姿。
4．What can we learn about crossing one’s legs? A．It is a very bad social habit. B．It is usually practiced deliberately. C．It can do harm to people’s health. D．It can make others feel uncomfortable.
C 解析：细节理解题。根据第一段的第二句“While you may find it comfortable to sit with one knee crossed over the other, it might be causing health problems that you are not aware of.”可知，跷二郎腿会引起健康问题，故C项正确。
5．According to the study, sitting with your legs crossed can________． A．affect your blood pressure B．resist gravity effectively C．lead to heart attacks easily D．improve the function of legs
A 解析：细节理解题。根据第二段的第一句“A study published in Blood Pressure
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Monitoring stated that sitting with your legs crossed can increase your blood
pressure.”可知，研究表明，跷二郎腿会引起血压的升高，故A项正确。
6．In the third paragraph “pins and needles” probably means “________”． A．slightly sharp pains B．being a little tired C．serious muscle injuries D．being highly flexible
A 解析：词义猜测题。根据第三段的“This pressure can cause numbness and temporary paralysis(麻痹) of some of the muscles in your foot and leg, preventing you from being able to raise your ankle”可知，这种压力会导致腿部和脚的一些肌肉暂时麻痹，使人无法站立，有一种针刺感；据此可以判断，画线词意为“轻微的针刺感似的疼痛”，故A项正确。
7．What is the main purpose of the text? A．To compare common habits. B．To give readers some advice.
C．To evaluate the effects of an experiment. D．To introduce research methods.
B 解析：写作意图题。根据全文内容尤其是最后一段可知，本文通过分析跷二郎腿这一习惯导致的健康问题，建议人们不要跷二郎腿，要有正确的坐姿，故B项正确。
B卷
Ⅰ 完形填空
Brian Tagalog was born without arms. But that didn’t __1__ him from leading a normal life. The __2__ young man believes he is the only certified tattoo(文身) artist without arms in the world.
A __3__ of Honolulu, Tagalog moved with his family to Tucson. He had always shown an interest in drawing, and set his mind on becoming a __4__ tattoo artist. Not many people gave him a chance, but he __5__ improved his foot drawing skills and operated the tattoo gun with his __6__．
Brian’s mother admits that __7__ him was not easy, but she always made it a(n) __8__ to let him explore his options. “The day I gave birth to him, well, I was shocked, but we never hid him. I didn’t __9__ him in any way.” And perhaps that’s what gave him the __10__ to achieve his dreams, __11__ the very obvious absence of two limbs. “I was born without arms，” he said. “But that has not __12__ me down to pursue my dream.”
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At first, finding a shop that would __13__ him proved a very difficult thing. He __14__ many tattoo shops and got no calls back. He didn’t give up; __15__， Brian finally runs his own shop. Brian uses a(n) __16__ technique to tattoo—he draws the design on clients’ skin with one foot, __17__ using the other to stretch the skin. And eventually his tattoos always turn out to get his clients’ __18__．
Brian hopes his success will __19__ others to follow their dreams bravely. Words and photos just don’t do Brian Tagalog justice. You need to see him __20__ to witness how he works only with his feet.
【解题导语】 本文是一篇记叙文。文章讲述了生来没有胳膊的Brian Tagalog通过自己的不懈努力最终成为一名成功的文身艺术家的故事。
1．A.promote C．protect
B．preserve D．prevent
D 解析：但是那没有阻止他过正常的生活。prevent sb. from doing sth.“阻止某人做某事”。
2．A.wise C．promising
B．ambitious D．handsome
B 解析：这个有抱负的年轻人相信他是这个世界上唯一一个有资格证的无臂文身艺术家。wise“睿智的”；ambitious“有雄心的，有抱负的”；promising“有前途的”；handsome“英俊的”。
3．A.visitor C．stranger
B．foreigner D．native
D 解析：根据后文的“moved with his family to Tucson”可知，此处指Tagalog是一个火奴鲁鲁的当地人。visitor“参观者”；foreigner“外国人”；stranger“陌生人”；native“当地人，本地人”。
4．A.professional C．temporary
B．normal D．conservative
A 解析：他总是表现出在绘画方面的兴趣，并且下决心成为一名专业的文身艺术家。professional“专业的，职业的”；normal“正常的”；temporary“暂时的”；conservative“保守的”。
5．A.steadily C．effectively
B．occasionally D．frequently
A 解析：并不是很多人给他机会，但是他不断地磨炼自己的脚部绘画技巧并且用自己的脚趾操作文身枪。steadily“持续地，不断地”；occasionally“偶尔，偶然”；effectively“高效地”；frequently“经常地，频繁地”。
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6．A.fingers C．mouth
B 解析：参见上题解析。 7．A.comforting C．raising
B．toes D．jaw
B．educating D．accompanying
C 解析：Brian的母亲承认抚养他长大不是一件容易的事儿。comfort“安慰”；educate“教育”；raise“养育，抚养”；accompany“陪伴”。
8．A.failure C．adventure
B．point D．destination
B 解析：但她总是特别注意让他探索自己的选择。make it a point to“对……特别注意，努力做到”，是固定短语，符合语境。failure“失败”；adventure“冒险”；destination“目的地”。
9．A.defend C．abandon
B．blame D．shelter
D 解析：根据上文的“but we never hid him”可知，此处应是指Brian的母亲不以任何形式庇护他。defend“保卫”；blame“责备”；abandon“遗弃”；shelter“庇护，遮蔽”。
10．A.confidence C．freedom
B．determination D．enthusiasm
A 解析：根据上下文语境，此处应是表示尽管他没有胳膊，但是Brian的家人所采取的更为积极的让Brian成长的方式或许正是给予他实现梦想的自信心的东西。confidence“自信心”；determination“决心”；freedom“自由”；enthusiasm“热情”。
11．A.apart from C．regardless of
B．in D．despite
D 解析：参见上题解析。apart from“除了”；regardless of“不管，不顾”；despite“尽管”。
12．A.turned C．slowed
B．calmed D．tracked
C 解析：他说：“我生来没有胳膊，但是那并没有让我放慢追求自己梦想的速度。”turn sb. down“拒绝某人”；calm sb. down“使某人镇静下来”；slow sb. down“使某人慢下来”；track sb. down“追查到某人，追踪到某人”。
13．A.hire C．serve
B．support D．fund
A 解析：根据下文中的“...got no calls back”“He didn’t give up; ______，
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Brian finally runs his own shop.”可知，此处应是指起初，找到一个愿意雇用他的店铺被证实是一件非常困难的事情。hire“雇用”；support“支持”；serve“为……服务”；fund“资助”。
14．A.adapted to C．attached to
B．appealed to D．applied to
D 解析：根据上下文的内容可知，此处表示他应聘了好多家店，但是没有得到回信。apply to“向……申请”符合语境。adapt to“适应”；appeal to“对……有吸引力”；attach to“与……有联系，与……有关联”。
15．A.otherwise C．still
B．instead D．however
B 解析：他没有放弃，反而(instead)最后开了自己的店。 16．A.unique C．powerful
B．funny D．attractive
A 解析：根据下文的内容可知，此处指Brian使用了一种独特的文身技巧。unique“独特的”；funny“有趣的”；powerful“强有力的”；attractive“吸引人的”。
17．A.before C．while
B．if D．unless
C 解析：当他用另一只脚将皮肤抻平时，他用一只脚在顾客的皮肤上绘制图案。while“当……时”符合语境。before“在……之前”；if“如果”；unless“除非”。
18．A.instruction C．doubt
B．admiration D．complaint
B 解析：而且最后他的文身总是会得到顾客的赞赏。instruction“指导”；admiration“赞赏”；doubt“怀疑”；complaint“投诉”。
19．A.inspire C．request
B．urge D．advise
A 解析：Brian希望他的成功能激励他人勇敢地追求梦想。inspire sb. to do sth.“激励某人去做某事”。urge“敦促”；request“要求”；advise“建议”。
20．A.in response C．in action
B．in advance D．in turn
C 解析：根据语境可知，此处表示你需要见证在工作状态中的Brian。in action“在活动中，在运转”，在此引申为“处于工作状态中”。in response“作为回应”；in advance“提前”；in turn“反过来”。
Ⅱ 阅读理解
A
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