"It hurts me more than you." and "This is for your own good." These are the statements my mother used
to make years ago when I had to learn Latin, clean my room, stay home and do homework. 　　
     That was before we entered the permissive period in education in which we decided it was all right not to
push our children to achieve their best in school. 　　
     The schools and the educators made it easy for us. They thought that it was right to be parents who take
a let alone policy. We stopped making our children do homework. We gave them calculators (计算器), turned
on the television, left the teaching to the teachers and went on vacation. 　　
     Now teachers, having taught many children who have been developing at their own step for the past 15
years, are realizing we've made a terrible mistake. Sharon Klompus is such a teacher who thinks her students
"so passive" and wonders what happened. Nothing was demanded of them. She believes that Television
contributes to children's passivity. "We're not training kids to work anymore," says Klompus. "We're talking
about a generation of kids who've never been hurt or hungry. They have learned somebody will always do it
for them. Instead of saying 'go and look it up', you tell them the answer. It takes greater energy to say no to
a kid." 　　
     Yes, it does. It takes energy and it takes work. It's time for parents to end their vecation and come back
to work. It's time to take the car away, to turn the TV off, to tell them it hurts you more than them but it's
for their own good. It's time to start telling them no again.

1. Children are becoming more inactive in study because _____. 　

A. they watch TV too often 　　
B. they have done too much homework 　　
C. they have to fulfill too many duties　　
D. teachers are too strict with them

2. We learn from the passage that the author's mother used to play emphasis on _____. 　

A. learning Latin　　
B. discipline
C. natural development　　
D. education at school

3. By "permissive period in education" the author means a time _____. 　　

A. when children are allowed to do what they wish to　　　　
B. when everything can be taught at school 　　
C. when every child can be educated 　　　　
D. when children are permitted to receive education

     "The age of melancholy" is how psychologist Daniel Goleman describes our age. People today experience
more depression (feeling of sadness) than older generations, though the technological wonders help us every
day. It might be because of them.
     Our lifestyles are increasingly driven by technology. Our days are filled with phones, computers and the
Internet. There is a constant need to check for texts and emails, to update Facebook, MySpace and Linkedin
profiles and to acquire the latest notebook or 3G cell phone.
     Are we being served by these technological wonders or have we become enslaved by them? I study the
psychology of technology, and it seems to me that we are sleepwalking into a world where technology is
severely affecting our well-being. Technology can be hugely useful in the fast-paced modern living, but we
need to stop it from taking over.
     For many of us, it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the impulse to check our inbox yet again or
see whether the headlines have changed since we looked last time. Our children are in a similar position. In
many homes, the computer, with which we work and play, has become the centre of attention.
     How does this arise, and what is it doing to us? People who place a high value on material goals are
unhappier than those who are less materialistic.
     Our culture also Constantly reminds us that time is money. This indicates a need for total efficiency (效
率), which is the reason for us to allow laptop computers and mobile phones to blur the separation, between
work and home. As one unhappy human resource manager in a high-tech company 'put it, "They gave me
a mobile phone so they can own me 24 hours a day, and a potable computer, so my office is now with me
all the time-I cannot break out of this. pressure." Sound familiar?
     Psychologists generally believe that the lack of a clear separation between work and home greatly damages
our relationships with loved ones. It also makes us quite likely to focus on the here and now at the expense
of long-term goals.
     Modern society is in danger of exchanging standard of living for quality of life. We need ways to help
recover those increasingly large parts of our lives that have been controlled by technology, to regain mastery
over technology and learn to use it in a healthy and positive way.

1. Why does the author mention Daniel Goleman's words "the age of melancholy"?

A. To prove the point that people are addicted to advanced technology.
B. To introduce his idea of a more depressed society due to technology.
C. To introduce his view about the advantage of technological wonders.
D. To prove that modern people are puzzled by the technological wonders.

2. By saying that "we need to stop it from taking over" in paragraph 3, the author means _____.

A. we should stop using these technological wonders
B. we should use these technological wonders wisely
C. we are severely affected by these technological wonders
D. we are frequently trapped in these technological wonders

3. What does the underlined word"it" in paragraph 6 refer to?

A. The lack of a clear separation between work and home.
B. The pressure that the manager cannot break out of.
C. The need for total efficiency in modern life.
D. The high value placed on material goals.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Sad Feeling in Advanced Society
B. Standard of Living or Quality of Life?
C. Technology Wonders Bring New Lifestyle
D. Free Yourself: from Control by Technology

     Anxiety is a real emotional (情绪的) disturbance. From time to time, everyone worries about his or her
health, family, money, and school. However, when a person has anxiety, they worry all the time, even when
nothing is wrong. Physical symptoms (症状) can also happen. They may have trouble falling asleep, think
about a particular situation for a long time and find it difficult to think of something else. Sometimes they may
feel restless and sweaty, and have trouble concentrating. They may overeat or lose their appetite. They may
also have a feeling that something bad is going to happen.
     In fact, anxiety is extremely common; it is estimated that about 13% of the United States' population has
anxiety. A study shows anxiety affects all ages, including teenagers and children.
     Many teenagers have anxiety and feelings of great stress, worry, fear and panic. Anxiety can affect many
aspects of a teenager's life. If a teenager is always anxious and worried, it might affect their ability to make
friends, perform well in school, and try new things. It is doubtful whether he or she can fully enjoy life. So
the most important thing is to understand that anxiety can be treated and to help them have a happy and healthy
life.

1. What is anxiety according to the passage?
    ________________________________________________________________________
2. When a person has anxiety, what is the common symptom? 
    ________________________________________________________________________
3. What is the function of paragraph 2 in the organization of the passage? 
    ________________________________________________________________________

     You may know about"junk food" like French fries. But do you know about "junk sleep"?
     Recently, a British survey found that electronic products in teenagers' bedrooms are affecting their sleep.
     The survey was done among 1 000 British kids aged 12 to 16. It found that 30 percent of them got just
4 to 7 hours sleep every day. But experts say they need 8 to 9 hours.
     Almost a quarter of the kids said they fell asleep more than once a week while watching TV, listening to
music or using other electronic products.
     "This is very worrying," said Dr Chris Idzikowski, a British expert. "We call it 'junk sleep'. It means you
don't get enough sleep and the quality of the sleep is bad too. If you don't get good rest, you don't perform
well in school the next day."
     The survey found that 40 percent of the kids felt tired each day, with girls aged 15 to 16 feeling the worst.
Nearly all the teenagers have a phone, MP4 or TV in their bedroom. And around two-thirds of them have all
three.

1. "Junk food" and "junk sleep" are similar to each other in the way that _____.

A. they are both good to people's health
B. they are both low in quality
C. people enjoy both in their spare time
D. they are both produced in factories

2. _____ of the children surveyed sleep only 4 to 7 hours a day.

A. 300
B. 250
C. 500
D. 400

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

A. Teenagers need 4 to 7 hours of sleep each day.
B. Teenagers spend too much time on electronic products.
C. Girls aged 15 to 16 spend the least time on electronic products.
D. Electronic products harm the teenagers by producing harmful rays.

4. The best title for the passage would be _____.

A. Electronic Products
B. A Survey about Kids
C. The Importance of Sleeping
D. Junk Sleep

     Every year, British newspapers report on the strange questions asked in Oxbridge (Oxford & Cambridge)
interviews. Often, though, these questions are not as strange as they first seem. And they are all designed to
give applicants (申请者) a Chance to think.
     Arriving for her first Oxford interview, my sister Jen saw that there was only one chair in the waiting room.
On the chair was a large fork. Jen had heard about the strange things in Oxbridge interviews, and believed that
this was a test."What if they're watching me?" she thought."If I move the fork, it will show initiative (主动性);
if I don't move it, it will show that I can easily fit into new situations." In the end, she sat uncomfortably on the
edge of the chair!
     Applicants must be prepared for the unexpected. Now it was Jen's turn. She was handed a monkey skull (颅
骨) and asked to talk about it. At first, this seemed unfair-what could she say? But she soon calmed down,
started thinking, and found that there was plenty to talk about.
     Oxbridge interviews are designed to find out how you think, not just what you think. And there are no
wrong answers. Jen learnt that, and she passed the interview. What advice does she give? "Don't be nervous,
and be prepared for the unexpected!"

1. According to British newspapers, questions for Oxbridge applicants are very _____.

A. strange
B. unfair
C. normal
D. easy

2. On her first interview, Jen _____ after she entered the waiting room.

A. moved the chair
B. moved the fork
C. sat down on the fork
D. sat down on the chair

3. Jen learned that it was very important to _____ in order to pass the Oxbridge interviews.

A. talk about various monkey
s B. make up new situations
C. show how one thinks
D. describe what one hears

4. The writer uses a(n) _____ to introduce how Oxbridge applicants are interviewed.

A. survey
B. example
C. guess
D. experiment

A. Write your article carefully.
B. Give an example to support your belief.
C. Start with the main point of your paragraph.
D. Put them all together.
E. Repeat your point once more.
F. Give the reason why you believe this.

1.______ The first sentence is usually called a "topic sentence". Simply state whatever the topic is. Try to
start with an interesting sentence. Instead of saying "Joe is a teacher", say "Joe is one of the best English
teachers in the history of the world!"
2.______ Next, write why you think so. You might write, "Students need a kind teacher to guide them, so
they can always move in the right direction."
3.______ Find an example. This will paint a word picture in your readers' minds. "I never listened to English
much before I heard of Teacher Joe, but now I listen to his jokes, sayings and dictations. Listening has helped
me improve my speaking ability in English, and now I'm moving up to a better job." Sounds great, doesn't it?
4.______ Your readers will often remember the last thing you write. So try to use different words to say the
same thing. "Joe has helped tens of thousands of students learn English. He deserves the title of 'Super Teacher'
more than anyone else I have ever met."
5.______ Joe is one of the best English teachers I have ever met. I think all students need a kind teacher to
guide them, so they can always move in the right direction. I never listened to English much before I heard
of Teacher Joe, but now I listen to his jokes, sayings and dictations. Listening has helped me improve my
speaking ability in English, and now I'm moving up to a better job. Joe has helped tens of thousands of students
learn English. He deserves the title of "Super Teacher" more than anyone else.

                                                               Man in the Future
     What will man be like in the future-in 5 000 or even 50 000 years from now? We can only make a guess,
of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today. For man is slowly changing all
the time.
     Let us take an obvious example. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on
average, men are about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may
believe that man will continue to grow taller.
     Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20%
of the brain's capacity. As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and
eventually we shall need larger ones. This is likely to bring about a physical change till the head, in particular
the forehead, will grow larger.
     Nowadays our eyes are in constant use. In fact, we use them so much that very Often they become weaker
and we have to wear glasses. But over a long period of time it is likely that man's eyes will grow stronger.
     On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs. These, as a result, are likely to grow
weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in
modern life.
     But what about hair? It will probably disappear from the body altogether in the course of time because it
does not serve a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald (秃头的; 秃顶
的).
     Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at. This
may well be true. All the same, in spite of all these changes; future man will still have a lot in common with us.
He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own.

1. The passage tells us about _____.

A. how man's life will be in the future
B. how future man will look like
C. the fact that man's organs will function differently in the future
D. the fact that man is growing uglier as time goes on

2. There is evidence that _____.

A. man has been growing taller over the past 500 years
B. man has got stronger eyes than he ever had
C. man's hair is getting thinner and thinner
D. man's limbs (肢) are getting weaker because he tends to make less use of them

3. Man's forehead will grow larger because _____.

A. he will make use of only about 20% of the brain's capacity
B. the other 80% of his brain will grow in proper time
C. he had rather narrow forehead a few hundred years ago
D. he will have to use his brain more and more as time goes on

4. Future man will probably _____.

A. have smaller eyes
B. have larger eyes
C. see better
D. have to wear better glasses

5. The reason for believing that future man will be different is that he _____.

A. is always so
B. never stops changing
C. hopes for a change
D. will live a different life

     Children actually are pretty smart and most people just don't give them enough credit. I bet another thing
that you never realized is that children have actually invented several different things. I am going to list 4 of
my favorites, but there are many more available.
Toy Truck
     Can you believe that a 6-year-old boy invented it in 1963? His name was Robert Patch. He created a toy
truck because he wanted a truck of his own that he could take apart and put back together. He first drew
up a sketch of the truck on paper before he got help in getting a patent.
Television
     We all know the first TV came out in the late 1920s. This is something that everyone has already known,
but did you know the TV was invented by a 14-year-old boy? It took him several years to get the idea in
motion, but he did it. A teenager came up with something every household owns today.
Popsicle (冰棒)
     This is something that you may think a child probably invented, but you never knew for sure. Back in the
early 1900s an 11-year-old boy named Epperson had an idea to make his own version of pop. So he worked
outside on a cold day and he couldn't get his mixture right. He left his glass filled with his idea and stirring
stick, and went to bed. When he came back outside it was frozen on the stick. The first Popsicle named the
Epsicle came into being.
Braille (布莱叶盲文)
     This is something that I find truly amazing. Louis Braille, born on January 4, 1809, came up with this great
idea because he was blinded in an accident when he was three years old. When he was 15 years old he was in
blind school and created what we all know as Braille. This is something that has helped millions of blind people.

1. According to the author we learn that _____.

A. parents always think highly of their children
B. few inventions were created by children in history
C. children's inventions were known to most people
D. most people usually underestimate children

2. What is the characteristic of the toy truck that little Robert invented?

A. It is easy to operate and can run by itself.
B. It is big enough for a kid to get into.
C. It can be taken apart and put back together.
D. It is just like a real truck and runs fast.

3. What can we learn about Epsicle's inventing the first Popsicle?

A. He invented the first Popsicte by chance.
B. He put a glass of mixture outside on purpose.
C. He put a stick in the glass to make a Popsicle.
D. He made use of cold weather to make a drink.

4. Which invention made by the young inventor is the earliest one according to the passage?

A. Popsicle.
B. Toy Truck.
C. Television.
D. Braille.

     Carbon monoxide poisoning (一氧化碳中毒) causes death and injuries around the world. This gas is a
problem in all parts of the world that experience cold weather. A few years ago, America's Centers for Disease
Control (C. D. C. ) studied deaths linked to carbon monoxide poisoning. It found that the average number of
carbon monoxide deaths in the United States was greatest in January. The C. D. C. also found that carbon
monoxide kills more than four hundred Americans each year. And, it said more than twenty thousand people
are taken to hospital emergency rooms for treatment of health problems linked to the gas.
     Carbon monoxide is called the silent killer because people do not know it is in the air. The gas has no color,
no taste and no smell. It does not cause burning eyes. And it does not cause people to cough. Yet, carbon
monoxide gas is very deadly. It steals the body's ability to use oxygen.
     Carbon monoxide decreases the ability of the blood to carry oxygen to body tissues. It does this by linking
with the blood. When the gas links with the blood, the blood is no longer 1able to carry oxygen to the tissues
that need it. Damage to the body can begin very quickly from large amounts of carbon monoxide.
     How quickly this can happen depends on the length of time a person is breathing the gas and the amount of
the gas he or she breathes in.
     Carbon monoxide poisoning has warning signs. But people have to be awake to recognize them. Small
amounts of the gas will cause a person's head to hurt. He or she may begin to feel tired. The victim's stomach
may feel sick. The room may appear to be turning around. The person may have trouble thinking clearly.
     People develop severe head pain as the amount of the gas continues to enter their blood. They will begin to
feel very tired and sleepy. They may have terrible stomach pains.
     Medical experts say carbon monoxide affects people differently. For example a small child will experience
health problems or die much sooner than an adult. The general health of the person or his or her age can also
be important.

1. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. A small child will experience health problems or die much slower than an adult.
B. An unhealthy adult may suffer more from the effects of CO than normal people.
C. People with heart disease do not suffer chest pains.
D. Carbon monoxide affects people all the same.

2. What is the most deadly damage to one's life when CO is breathed in?

A. It stops the blood from carrying oxygen to where the body needs.
B. It may cause him/her to feel tired and sleepy.
C. It often causes him/her to suffer terrible stomachache.
D. It slows down people's thinking.

3. The damage of CO to the body has something to do with _____.

A. people's gas intake
B. people's length
C. people's reaction
D. whether people are sleeping or not