Parents and kids today dress alike, listen to the same music, and are friends. Is this a good thing?
Sometimes, when Mr. Ballmer and his 16-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, listen to rock music together and
talk about interests both enjoy, such as pop culture, he remembers his more distant relationship with his
parents when he was a teenager.    
    "I would never have said to my mom,' Hey, the new Weezer album is really great. How do you like it?'" says Ballmer. "There was just a complete gap in taste."  
    Music was not the only gulf (分歧). From clothing and hairstyles to activities and expectations, earlier
generations of parents and children often appeared to move in separate orbits.    
    Today, the generation gap has not disappeared, but it is getting narrow in many families. Conversations on subjects such as sex and drugs would not have taken place a generation ago. Now they are
comfortable and common. And parent-child activities, from shopping to sports, involve a feeling of trust
and friendship that can continue into adulthood.
    No wonder greeting cards today carry the message, "To my mother, my best friends."    
    But family experts warn that the new equality can also result in less respect for parents.    
    "There's still a lot of strictness and authority on the part of parents out there, but there is a change
happening," says Kerrie, a psychology professor at Lebanon Valley College. "In the middle of that change, there is a lot of confusion among parents."    
    Family researchers offer a variety of reasons for these evolving(演化的) roles and attitudes. They see
the 1960s as a turning point. Great cultural changes led to more open communication and a more
democratic process that encourages everyone to have a say.    
    "My parents were on the 'before' side of that change, but today's parents, the 40-year-olds,were on
the 'after' side," explains Mr. Ballmer. "It's not something easily accomplished by parents these days,
because life is more difficult to understand or deal with, but sharing interests does make it more fun to be
a parent now."

     Depression (抑郁症) is a serious problem today.Depression causes workers to be unproductive,
causing companies and countries to lose billions of dollars.One expert says that depression is like cancer
because it is "widespread,costly and deadly".Depression hits one person in five around the world.
      Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated,studies
show that depression is a problem among everyone.Over any six-month period,between five to seven
percent of the world's population will be suffering from a serious depression. uicide(自杀)rates among
people suffering from the disease in its extreme,or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the
population at large,and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks. People who suffer
from depression often have problems sleeping,getting up on time,and doing work productively.
     Depression,which researchers agree has its origin in the genes(基因),brings loss of confidence and
ability to concentrate-making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
     Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese's inability to face it.Many people believe that
depressed people are either weak or lazy.  Besides,there is no good treatment,with few specialists
available.
     "Most patients in China just don't get help,"a Chinese doctor says."In my hospital.I have to see 30 or
40 patients in a morning,just have time to say "Hello how do you feel?"
     In Western countries,people are not afraid to admit that they have depression,but most do not tell it to
their boss,because they fear that their boss would fire them.
     "In my experience,aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it. Because they feel the most
secure about themselves,"an American doctor says.
      Hopefully,in the near future,people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression
so that they can get the right treatment.

1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression.
B. Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work
C. Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries.
D. The poorer and the less educated a person is,the less he will suffer from depression.

2. Compared to normal people,the depressed people are likely to be?.

A. very unconfident and often absent-minded
B. easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks
C. working efficiently and productively
D. either weak or lazy

3. Depression becomes more serious in China because of _____.

A. the understanding of the problem
B. the lack of treatment and doctors
C. their unwillingness to tell it to their boss
D. the doctors' careless work

4. What can we infer from the passage?

A. People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists.
B. The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed.
C. More and more patients will turn to specialists for help.
D. Western people are braver than Chinese people.

     NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences.
Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars. Often they
relive experiences in nightmares.
     Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget
bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it
might reduce, or possibly wipe out the effect of painful memories.
     In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body
releasing chemicals that fix memories in the brain, So far the research has suggested that only the
emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are wiped out. They are not sure
to what degree people's memories are affected.
     The research has causeda great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
     Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They
say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
     "Some memories can ruin people's lives. They come back to you when you don't want to have them
in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman, a
professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School."This could relieve a lot of that suffering."
     But those who are against the research say that maybe the pills can change people's memories and
changing memories is very dangerous because memories give us our identity. They also help us all avoid
the mistakes of the past.
     "All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are.
I'm not sure we want to wipe those memories out," said Rebecca Dresser ,a medical ethicist.

1.The passage is mainly about        .

A. a new medical invention
B. a new research on the pill
C. a way of wiping out painful memories
D. an argument about the research on the pill

2.We can infer from the passage that        .

A. experts are not sure about the effects of the pills.
B. the pill will certainly stop people's emotional memories
C. taking the pill will do harm to people's physical health
D. the pill has already been produced and used by the public in America

3.Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with in the last paragraph?

A. some memories can ruin people's lives.
B. people want to get rid of bad memories.
C. experiencing bad events makes us different from others.
D. the pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories.

4. You may probably read the passage in      

A. a guidebook              
B. a textbook
C.a medical magazine        
D. a science fiction

     The physical memory dump error is a big problem that affects even the most advanced computer
systems.Although it's quite a rare error, it's one of the most stopping what you're doing and restarting
your computer-making you lose all your unsaved data.This is a big problem, but there is actually a very
easy way to fix it.
     There are two reasons why the physical memory dump happens.The first is pretty simple and is to do
with the "hardware", and if any of thesepieces are not fit for your system, it will cause the physical
memory dump.So, if you've recently added any hardware to your PC, then take that out and see if it
works.
     The other reason is your system, the "registry".The registry is a big database that operates in the
background of Windows, storing all sorts of settings and information about your PC.The problem with
the registry is that since it has so many important files inside, it's constantly got hundreds of files open
every time you use your PC.And because there are so many files to open at once, Windows is constantly
getting confused, leading it to save many of these files in the wrong way.These files go wrong when saved wrongly, making them difficult for your computer to read.However, if it can't read the files at all, it has no
choice but to stop everything it's doing and restart your PC.This is why the physical memory dump error
appears so easily-because when a registry file is so wrong that it can't be read, your computer needs to
refresh itself immediately.
     This latter reason for causing the physical memory dump is actually extremely common and the
likelihood is that your PC is suffering from it, if you're seeing this error.Luckily, it's also incredibly easy to
fix-you just need to use a software tool called a "registry cleaner" to go through the registry and fix all the
problems in there.

1. From the text we can infer that ________.

A. the dump error often happens to your PC
B. the dump can be dealt with easily
C. only the advanced computers suffers from the error
D. the dump error can cause the data in your PC to be lost

2. The reason that your PC has the dump error is that ___________.

A. the hardware loses its memory
B. your Windows needs to be upgraded
C. you have saved wrong files in the PC
D. you have stored too many files in the PC.

3.What's problem with the registry when your PC goes wrong?

A. The register can't read the files correctly.
B. It must open 100 files every time you use your PC.
C. The register doesn't agree with the database.
D. The register must save many important files inside.

4.What does a registry cleaner means?

A. A software which can help you save time.
B. A software which can remove unnecessary files
C. A software which can repair the machine.
D. A software which makes your PC down.

     High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still
prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here's an example of why this is happening. You can microwave
a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won't taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And
if you're in that much of a hurry, you probably won't take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves
time, but it doesn't make for better tasting meals.
    Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many
advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers or magazines. It's also
more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and
magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you
read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
    Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For example, most people use the phone or
email to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the
Internet or the phone, you don't always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you
forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word process a homework
assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings.
However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don't pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The writer likes high-tech cooking.
B. Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals.
C. High-tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you.
D. Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework.

2. How does the writer feel about high-tech tools?

A. Better late than never.          
B. Easy come, easy go.
C. Every coin has two sides.        
D. Learn to walk before you run.

3. What is the main subject discussed in the text?

A. High-tech vs. low-tech.
B. Advantages vs. disadvantages.
C. Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet.
D. Word-processing vs. handwriting.

4. How is the text organized?

A. Main idea - Argument - Explanation.
B. Opinion - Discussion - Description.
C. Topic - Comparison - Supporting examples.
D. Introduction - Supporting examples - Discussion.

     Honey (蜂蜜) from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most
people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a
wild bees' nest (巢) and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult
to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and
unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
     The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蜡) in the beehives (蜂房).
The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees' nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest,
it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing
animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the
curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower
reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and
the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
     Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts
to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive
whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax
candles are being lit.

1. Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

A. It's small in size.
B. It's hidden in trees.
C. It's covered with wax.
D. It's hard to recognize.

2. What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. A bee.                          
B. A bird.
C. A honey seeker.                    
D. A beekeeper.

3. The honey guide is special in the way____________.

A. it gets its food
B. it goes to church
C. it sings in the forest
D. it reaches into bees' nests

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A. Wild Bees
B. Wax and Honey
C. Beekeeping in Africa
D. Honey-Lover's Helper

     Grown-ups are often surprised by how well they remember something they learned as children but
have never practiced ever since. A man who has not had a chance to go swimming for years can still
swim as well as ever when he gets back in the water. He can get on a bicycle after many years and still
ride away. He can play catch and hit a ball as well as his son. A mother who has not thought about the
words for years can teach her daughter the poem that begins "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" or remember
the story of Cinderella or Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
     One explanation is the law of overlearning , which can be stated as follows: Once we have learned
something, additional learning trials (尝试) increase the length of time we will remember it.
     In childhood we usually continue to practice such skills as swimming, bicycle riding, and playing
baseball long after we have learned them. We continue to listen to and remind ourselves of words such
as "Twinkle, twinkle, little star" and childhood tales such as Cinderella and Goldilocks. We not only learn
but overlearn.
     The multiplication tables (乘法口诀表) are an exception to the general rule that we forget rather
quickly the things that we learn in school, because they are another of the things we overlearn in
childhood.
     The law of overlearning explains why cramming (突击学习) for an examination, though it may result
in a passing grade, is not a satisfactory way to learn a college course. By cramming, a student may learn
the subject well enough to get by on the examination, but he is likely soon to forget almost everything he
learned. A little overlearning, on the other hand, is really necessary for one's future development.

1. What is the main idea of paragraph I?

A. People remember well what they learned in childhood.
B. Children have a better memory than grown-ups.
C. Poem reading is a good way to learn words.
D. Stories for children arc easy to remember.

2. The author explains the law of overlearning by_________.

A. presenting research findings
B. selling down general rules
C. making a comparison
D. using examples

3. According to the author, being able to use multiplication tables is_______.

A. a result of overlearning
B. a special case of cramming
C. a skill to deal with math problems
D. a basic step towards advanced studies

4. What does the word "they" in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A. Commonly accepted rules.
B. The multiplication tables.
C. Things easily forgotten.
D. School subjects.

5. What is the author's opinion on cramming?

A. It leads to failure in college exams.
B. It's helpful only in a limited way.
C. It's possible to result in poor memory.
D. It increases students' learning interest.

     Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to
be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons (神经元)in our brains.
     Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate (模仿) it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great
deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror
neurons not only appear to explain physical actions,they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the
way we understand other people.
     Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains,but especially in the areas which relate
to our ability to use languages,and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that
mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people
sentences to listen to (for example: "The hand took hold of the ball"), the same mirror neurons were
triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).
     Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests
that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning.
However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social
disorders.
     Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how
humans behave and interact(互动).Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent (相等物) for
neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to
cough in the cinema when someone else does-well, perhaps you'll understand why.

1. Mirror neurons can explain _____.

A. why we cry when we are hurt
B. why we cough when we suffer from a cold
C. why we smile when we see someone else smile
D. why we yawn when we see someone else stay up lat

2.The underlined word "triggered" in the third paragraph probably means "____".

A. set off
B. cut off
C. built up
D. broken up

3.We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons _____.

A. relate to human behavior and interaction
B. control human physical actions and feelings
C. result in bad behavior and social disorders
D. determine our knowledge and language abilities

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A.Ways to find mirror neurons.
B.Problems of mirror neurons.
C.Existence of mirror neurons.
D.Functions of mirror neurons.

     Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where
we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
     But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits,they are often
unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for
many families to meet.
     For working parents,the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an
annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks,there is a need to spread this across the year.
Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For
some,this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
     The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a
caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large
in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the
day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an
important role in safeguarding children、 welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays,much of this is missed.
     While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and
an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
     In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会) is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down to four and a half weeks, with a. more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks,
each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real "down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
     We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own
children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city
children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.

1.The passage is probably written by _____.

A. an experienced teacher
B. a working parent
C. an inspired student
D. a city council member

2.The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to "____".

A. environments
B. holidays
C. wages
D. benefits

3. It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to _____.

A. 2 weeks
B. 4.5 weeks
C. 5 weeks
D. 6 weeks

4.The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students _____.

A. obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs
B. get a chance to spend, six weeks a term with teachers in school
C. benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment
D. have more school days to receive free school meals

5.It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children
B. the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out
C. the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real " down time"
D. some school staff will say " No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday

     Now scientists believe that global warming affects hibernating animals, causing them to wake up earlier. While this may seem a little concern, it is in fact a significant environmental problem .The shortened hibernation period could actually lead to significant declines in the populations of several species.
Some of the first concrete evidence of the phenomenon came from Colorado, where researchers at the
Rocky Mountain Biological lab have been observing marmot(旱獭)hibernation behavior since the 1970s.
In the early days of their studies, marmots generally hibernated several weeks into the month of May.
Nowadays, however, temperatures in the area have risen by 2.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the marmots
are waking up about a month earlier.
     At least the marmots are still hibernating. Several other animals have not been hibernating at all recently. Brown bears in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains did not hibernate last year. In parts of the United States, chipmunks (花鼠)also skipped the hibernation period. The bears seem to have survived without losing
many individuals. The chipmunks, however, were not so lucky. Many of the animals died of starvation
during the winter.
     The problem with animals waking up early, or skipping hibernation altogether, lies with the creatures'
metabolism (新陈代谢). When an animal hibernates, their metabolism drops significantly. The animals'
heart rate slows, and they require very little energy to live. When the animals awake from their winter
slumber, their metabolism returns to normal.
     But while their metabolism may be as active as it was before hibernation, food sources aren't as
available as they were before. A marmot may wake up when temperatures get warmer, thinking it's spring, but plants will not have gotten the amount of sun they need to signal their spring period of growth. So until
the plants grow, the marmots have no reliable food source.
     Many scientists believe the problem will continue to get worse. In addition to changes in hibernation
patterns, some believe that other animals will also begin to change their migration patterns or begin to give birth earlier. For many biologists, that's a scary prospect. Terry Root, an animal expert at Stanford
University, said: "I do think what we will be facing is the extinction of many species."

1. What is the viewpoint of the writer?

A. Global warming will continue to get worse as time goes on.
B. Global warming will lead to shortened hibernation of some animals.
C. Shortened hibernation will result in declines in the population of animals.
D. Some animals will skip hibernation altogether.

2. The writer sets the example of the marmot so as to __________.

A. indicate that the weather gets warmer and warmer now
B. explain that global warming influences animals' hibernation
C. show that the weather in the United States is quite different
D. say some animals do not hibernate now due to warm weather

3. The underlined word "slumber" in the fourth paragraph means " _________".

A. weather
B. activity
C. nest
D. sleep

4. Why can't marmots find enough food when they wake up?

A. Because there are too many marmots in the wild now.
B. Because plants haven't received enough sunlight for spring growth.
C. Because winter days end much earlier than before.
D. Because more and more animal species skip hibernation now.

5. Terry Root holds a(n) __________ attitude towards the future of animals.

A. optimistic
B. doubtful
C. pessimistic
D. sensitive