One of the greatest killers in the Western world in heart disease. The death rate (率) from the disease
has been increasing at an alarming speed for the past thirty years. Today in Britain, for example, about
four hundred people a day die of heart disease. Mdical experts know that people can reduce their chances
of getting heart disease by exercising regularly, by not smoking, by changing their diets, and by paying
more attention to reducing stress (压力) in their work.
     However, Western health-care systems are still not paying enough attention to the prevention of the
disease. There is a need for more programs to educate the public about the causes and prevention of heart
disease. Instead of supporting such programs,however, the U.S. health-care system is spending large sums
of money on the surgical (外科的) treatment of the disease after it develops. This emphasis (强调) on
treatment clearly has something to do with the technological advances that have taken place in the past ten
to fifteen years. In this time,modern technology has enabled doctors to develop new surgical techniques.
Many operations that were considered impossible or too risky (有风险的) a few years ago are now
performed every day in U.S.hospitals. The result had been a huge increase in heart surgery.
     Although there is no doubt that heart surgery can help a large number of people, some people point out
that the emphasis on the surgical treatment of the disease has three clear disadvantages. First, it attracts
interest and money away from the question of prevention.Second, it causes the costs of general hospital
care to rise. After hospitals buy the expensive equipment that is necessary for modern heart surgery, they
must try to recover the money they have spent.  To do this, they raise costs for all their patients, not just
those patients whose treatment requires the equipment. The third disadvantage is that doctors are
encouraged to perform surgery-even on patients for whom an operation is unnecessary-because the
equipment and expert skills are there. A government office recently stated that major heart surgery was
often performed even though its chances of success were low. In one type of heart surgery, for example,
only 15 percent of patients improved their conditions after the surgery. However,more than 100,000 of these
operations are performed in the United States every year.

1. What effect has modern technology had on medicine?

A. It has reduced the costs of medical treatment.
B. It has helped save the lives of most patients
C. It has encouraged doctors to do more heart surgeries
D. It has helped educate people about the prevention of heart disease

2. "To do this" (in Paragraph 3)means _____.

A. to help patients recover
B. to increase the number of heart surgeries
C. to get back the money spent on the equipment
D. to buy new equipment for the treatment to heart disease

3. The author would agree that _____.

A. more money should be spent on the prevention of heart disease
B. heart surgery has helped most patients improve their conditions
C. modern technology has made heart surgery more risky than before
D. the public have known a great deal about the causes of heart disease

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. The Greatest Killer in the West
B. Heart Disease: Treat or Prevent
C. Modern Technology and Heart Surgery
D. Heart Surgery:Advantages and Disadvantages

     If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are
wrong. Haven't you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
     According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in
your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area
of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles.
     The study also found the younger people learn a second language, the better the effect is.
     A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only
spoke English. They were compared with a group of "early bilinguals" who had learnt a second language
before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
     Scans showed that grey matter density (密度) in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without
a second language But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference
was.
     "Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second
language," said the scientists.
     It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
     Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism
and maths skills. "Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more
flexible (灵活的)," he said. "You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of
different ideas."
     The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second
language between two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed
that the younger they started to learn, the better. "Studying a language means you get an entrance to another
world," explained the scientists.

1. The main subject talked about in this passage is _____.

A. science on learning a second language
B. man's ability of learning a second language
C. findings that language learnings can help brain power
D. language learning and maths study

2. The last sentence of the second paragraph is intended to _____.

A. say language learning is also a kind of physical labor
B. prove that one needs more practice when he (she) is learning a language
C. show the importance of using it when you learn a language
D. make people believe language learning helps grey matter work well

3. We may know from the scientific findings that _____.

A. the earlier you start to learn a second language, the higher the grey matter density is
B. there is no difference between a later second language learner and one who doesn't know a second language C. the experience of learning a second language has bad effect on people's brain
D. the ability of learning a second language is changing all the time

4. The underlined word "bilinguals" probably means _____.

A. researchers on language learning
B. people who are good at learning foreign languages
C. people who can speak two languages
D. active language learners

     What exactly is a lie? Is it anything we say which we know is untrue? Or is it something more than that?
For example, suppose a friend wants to borrow some money from you. You say "I wish I could help you,
but I am short of money myself." In fact, you are not short of money but your friend is in the habit of not
paying his debts and you don't want to hurt his feelings by reminding him of this. Is this really a lie?
     Professor Jerald Jellison of the University of southern California has made a scientific study of lying.
According to him, women are better liars than men, particularly when telling a "white lie", such as when a
woman at a party tells another woman that she likes her dress when she really thinks it's terrible. However,
this is only one side of the story. Other researchers say that men are more likely to tell more serious lies,
such as making a promise that they have no intention of carrying out. This is the kind of lie politicians and
businessmen are supposed to be particularly skilled at: the lie from which the liar hopes to profit or gain in
some way.
     Research has been done into the way people's behavior changes in a number of small, unimportant ways
when they lie. It has been found that if they are sitting down at the time, they tend to move about in their
chairs more than usual. To the trained observer they are saying "I wish I were somewhere else now". They
also tend to touch certain parts of the face, particularly the nose. One explanation of this may be that lying
causes a slight increase in blood pressure. The tip of the nose is very sensitive to changes and the increased
pressure makes it itch.
     Another gesture that gives liars away is what the writer Decmond Morris in his book Man Watching
calls the "mouth cover". He says that there are several typical forms of this,such as covering part of the
mouth with the fingers, touching the upper lip or putting a finger of the hand at one side off the mouth. Such
a gesture can be understood as an unconscious (未察觉的) attempt on the part of the liar to stop himself from
lying. 
    Of course, such gestures as rubbing the nose or covering the mouth, moving about in a chair can not be
taken as proof that the speaker is lying. They simply tend to happen more often in this situation. It is one
gesture alone that gives the liar away but a whole number of things, and in particular the context (上下文)
which the lie is told.

1. According to the passage, a white lie seems to be a lie _____.

A. that other people believe
B. that other people don't believe
C. told in order not to hurt someone's feelings
D. told in order to take advantage of someone

2. Research suggests that women _____.

A. are better at telling less serious lies than men
B. generally lie for more than men do
C. often make promises they intend to break
D. lie at parties more often than men do

3. Researchers find that when a person tells lies _____.

A. his blood pressure increases measurably
B. he looks very serious
C. he is likely to make some small changes in his behavior
D. he uses his unconscious mind

4. The writer of the passage _____.

A. hates lying
B. enjoys lying
C. often tells a lie
D. tries to study about lying

5. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage as a sign of lying?

A. Touching one's ears
B. Rubbing the nose
C. Moving in a chair
D. Covering the mouth

     Plants that live in the rainforest have adapted in amazing ways to several very difficult conditions．
This means that the plant has changed something in its "body" or "habits" to make it easier to survive
in difficult conditions．There are several conditions they have had to adapt to．First,the soil of the
forest floor is shallow．Also,the soil of the rainforest is not very rich,or easy to grow in．Next is the
problem of very heavy rain which continues over a large part of the year．Finally,many plants of the
rainforest are food for animals that live there．
      The biggest problem that rainforest plants have to adapt to is the lack of sunlight in the rainforest's
lower levels．Plants have adapted to this problem in several ways．Many plants have very large
leaves．The large leaf is helpful because it has a bigger surface area．The bigger surface area a leaf
has,the more sunlight it can absorb．The canopy trees adapt by growing to be 100 feet tall so that
their leaves can grab all available sunlight．Other plants called lianas (climbing woody vines) have
adapted by rooting themselves in the soil of the forest floor and growing up the trees until they reach
the canopy layer．Still other plants,such as epiphytes,have adapted by growing directly on the trees'
trunks and branches in the canopy and understory layers of the rainforest．
     An adaptation to the large amounts of rainfall that many rainforest plants have is called "drip tips"．
Their leaves are tapered (逐渐变细) to a sharp point at the end．This allows water to run off the
leaf quickly．There are many other adaptations that rainforest plants have made to their environment．
These will be discussed in detail,as we investigate the plants of the rainforest!

1．Which of the following is a difficulty that the rainforest plants have to face?

A．Changes in their "body" or "habits"．
B．Soil that is not very deep．
C．Epiphytes that grow on trees' trunks．
D．The worsening of the natural environment．

2．How do lianas adapt to the environment in the rainforest?

A．They grow under big leaves for protection．
B．They rely on other plants to reach the canopy layer．
C．They change their leaf structure constantly．
D．They grow on other plants' branches．

3．The underlined word "This" in Para．3 probably refers to ________．

A．the takein of sunlight
B．the large amounts of rainfall
C．the leaves' having a sharp point at the end
D．water's running off the leaves quickly

4．What can be inferred about rainforest plants?

A．They have to face dangers not only from animals but also from each other．
B．Too little sunlight and too much water are the biggest problems they face．
C．Different kinds of plants have different ways to absorb sunlight．
D．All of their adaptations have been investigated in detail．

5．What would be the best title of the passage?

A．How Do Plants Adapt to the Rainforests?
B．Why Do Plants Change Themselves?
C．What Kind of Plants Is the Most Adaptable?
D．What Is the Best Place for Plants to Live in?

     Why are so many people so afraid of failure? Quite simply because no one tells us how to fail so that
failure becomes an experience that will lead to growth. We forget that failure is part of the human
condition and that every person has the right to fail.
       Most parents work hard at either preventing failure or protecting  their children  from the knowledge
that they have failed. One way is to lower standards. A mother describes her child's hurriedly-made table
as "perfect"! Even though it couldn't stand on uneven (not same in height) legs. Another way is to shift (转移) blame. If John fails in science, his teacher is unfair or stupid.
       The trouble with failure-prevention methods is that they leave a child unequipped for life in the real
world. The young need to learn that no one can be best at everything, that no one can win all the time and
that it's possible to enjoy a game even when you don't win. A child who's not invited to a birthday party,
who doesn't make the honor roll or the baseball team feel terrible, of course. But parents should not offer
a quick comfort prize or say "It doesn't matter" because it does. The young should be allowed to
experience disappointment and be helped to master it.
       Failure is never pleasurable. It hurts grown-ups and children exactly alike. But it can make a positive
contribution to your life once you learn to use it. Step one is to ask  "Why did I fail?" Control the natura
l impulse (冲动) to blame someone else. Ask yourself what you did wrong, and how you can improve.
If someone else can help, don't be shy about asking them.

1. This passage mainly tells us about_________. 

A. the reasons why people fail    
B. how to fail
C. the ways to prevent failures    
D. the importance of facing failures

2. When the writer says "every person has the right to fail", he means to say "_________".  

A. the world is full of failures
B. everyone makes mistakes
C. failures are not common in our lives 
D. no one can grow up without failures

3. By "protecting their children from the knowledge that they have failed", the writer means that
    most parents try their best_________.    

A. to let their children know that they won't fail
B. to teach their children about knowledge of failure
C. to provide their children with the knowledge against failure
D. to keep their children from realizing that they failed

4. According to the third paragraph, _________. 

A. parents should tell their children to think nothing of not being chosen into a football team
B. children should be encouraged to get rid of disappointment by themselves
C. parents should judge what their children have done as it is
D. children should learn to enjoy a game that they won't win

5. According to the passage, if you are facing failure, you should_________.   

A. blame someone else.
B. face it yourself and not ask others to help.
C. forget it as soon as possible.        
D. think it over and find way to improve it.

     Do you find your teen has a hard time finding new friends? More importantly, do you think your teen
has settled in with the first friends that came along despite the friends' questionable quality?
     Making new friends can be quite nerve-racking for a teen, especially if he/she has low self-esteem and confidence levels. Finding friends with similar values can be even more challenging.
     Parents play an important role in their children's lives. You need to teach your kids on how to pick the "right friends".
     1. Sign your teen up for 1 or 2 extracurricular activities. It can be a sports team, an art class, or a dance class. Pick something he/she would enjoy or ask your teen to pick the class he/she would like to
participate in. This way you give your teen power to choose what he/she wants to do. The point is your
teen cannot make friends if he/she has no place to meet new people.
     2. Guide him or her on how to _____. For example: Teach your teen to carefully choose his or her
friends. Direct your teen to ask himself or herself what he/she is looking for in new friends. Get your teen to write down 5 qualities or characteristics he/she would like the new friends to have.
     3. Encourage your teen to think about how he/she wants his or her friends to influence him or her. Ask him or her to think of 5 ways he/she would like to be influenced. Ask him or her how she would not like to be influenced.
     Teens are a very special part of our society. They are our tomorrow! Today, it is up to us to inspire
them to be all that they can be!

1. What is the main idea of the text? (within 8 words)
    _____________________________________
2. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
    It's difficult for a child with low self-confidence to find friends.
    _____________________________________
3. Fill in the blank with proper words or phrases. (within 5 words)
   _____________________________________
4. List three extracurricular activities according to the passage. (within 10 words)
   ①_________  ②_________  ③_________                    
5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 into Chinese.
   _____________________________________

1. Will Palmer almost lost his vision as a result of      .

A. an incident            
B. a kind of cancer
C. an eye disease          
D. the short-sight

2. Why did Will Palmer think his cornea was from a woman?

A. Because he was more anxious than before
B. Because he became obsessed with cleaning
C. Because he developed a habit of fast reading
D. Because he could see things more clearly

3. Some memories can be passed on to transplant patients from the donors for       .

A. they are sensitive to choose the body
B. they are likely to live in the donors for ever
C. they are unchangeable once they came into being
D. they are stored well in organ tissue

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Will Palmer's vision recovered well after the operation.
B. Will Palmer can see nothing except the dirt around him.
C. Will Palmer develops all the same preferences as the donor.
D. Will Palmer used to do housework together with his wife.

5. The passage intends to       .

A. warn us to protect our sight          
B. give an example of transplant
C. introduce a new cure for eye disease
D. offer us some news on medicine

1. Why are dolphins considered as "non-human persons"?

A. Because they are highly intelligent creatures.
B. Because they can shake hands like humans.
C. Because they can amuse humans in parks.
D. Because they are more lovely than chimpanzees.

2. The brains of dolphins are smaller than those of      .

A. whales  
B. monkeys  
C. chimpanzees  
D. humans

3. According to the research, bottlenose dolphins can       .
a. think about the future
b. learn from each other
c. recognize themselves in mirrorsd. help humans protect the earth better

A. a, b, d  
B. a, c, d  
C. a, b, c        
D. b, c, d

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A. People haven't treated dolphins well enough.
B. Whales are just as intelligent as dolphins.
C. Monkeys have larger brains than chimpanzees.
D. Dolphins will develop more human behaviors.

5. Douglas Adams let dolphins appear in the story to       .

A. draw people's attention
B. show their intelligence
C. prove humans' intelligence
D. express their warnings

1. What's the best title of the passage? (within 8 words)
                                                          
2. Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
A graduate from a larger school may get a job more easily than one from a school of smaller size. 
                                                          
3. Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words. (within 6 words)
                                                          
4. Which kind of school will you choose if you are an international student, a large one or a smaller one? Why? (within 20 words)
                                                          
5. Translate the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 into Chinese.
                                                          

     Cancer researchers urged people on Wednesday to take more vitamin D to lower risk of cancer,
saying studies showed a clear link. "Our suggestion is for people to increase their intake (吸入,摄入),
through diet or a vitamin supplement," Dr. Cedric Garland said in a telephone interview.
     Garland's research team reviewed 63 studies, including several large long-term ones, on the
relationship between vitamin D and certain types of cancer worldwide between 1966 and 2004. "There's
nothing that has this ability to prevent cancer," he said, urging governments and public health officials to
do more to fortify (增强) foods with vitamin D. Garland is member of a team at San Diego Moores
Cancer Hospital that published its findings this week online in the American Journal of Public Health.
Vitamin D is found in milk, as well as in some fortified orange juice, yogurt and cheeses, usually at
around 100 international units(IU)a serving.  "People might want to consider a vitamin supplement to
raise their intake to 1000 units per day" Garland said, adding that it was well within the safety guidelines
established by the National Academy of Sciences.
     The authors said that taking more vitamin D could be especially important for people living in northern
areas, which receive less vitamin D from sunshine.
     "African Americans, who don't produce as much of the vitamin because of their skin color, could also
benefit significantly from a higher intake," the authors said.

1. According to the passage, people are advised to take more Vitamin D, because ________.

A. it is nutritious                  
B. it can't harm people's health
C. it can lower cancer risk          
D. it is not taken enough every day

2. Garland is probably ________.

A. a health researcher                
B. a doctor    
C. a medicine scientist                
D. a public health official

3. Which of the following foods can lower people's chance of getting cancer?

A. Milk.                            
B. Fortified orange juice.  
C. Fortified yogurt.                  
D. All of the above.

4. ________ should take more Vitamin D according to the passage.

A. Asian people
B. African people  
C. American people
D. Oceanian people