These are instructions for making invisible ink using baking soda.
     Difficulty: Easy
     Time required: A few minutes
     What you need:
     Baking soda
     Paper
     Water
     Light bulb
      Paintbrush
     Measuring cup
     Purple grape juice
     Here's how:
     There are at least two methods of using baking soda as invisible ink. Mix equal amounts of water and
baking soda.
     Use a paintbrush to write a message onto white paper, using the baking soda solution (溶液) as "ink".
     Allow the ink to dry.
     One way to read the message is to hold the paper up to a heat source, such as a light bulb. The baking
soda will cause the writing in the paper to turn brown.
     The second way to read the message is to paint over the paper with purple grape juice. The message will
appear in a different color. Tips:
     If you are using the heating method, avoid igniting (点燃) the paper.
     Baking soda and grape juice react with each other in an acid-base (酸碱) reaction, producing a color
change in the paper.
     Grape juice concentrate (浓缩物) results in a more visible color change than regular grape juice.

1. ______ is not needed for making invisible ink.

A. Baking soda
B. Paper
C. Water
D. Ink

2. What's the function of the paintbrush?

A. To draw a picture.
B. To write a message onto the white paper.
C. To allow the"ink" to appear.
D. To help the"ink" dry.

3. Why will the message appear in a different color in the second way to read the massage?

A. Because there is enough grape juice.
B. Because baking soda reacts with grape juice.
C. Because of the use of water.
D. Because of the special paper.

4. From the process, we can know that making invisible ink is ______.

A. very hard
B. not difficult
C. a little difficult
D. not easy

     Have you ever been afraid to talk back when you were treated unfairly? Have you ever bought something
just because the salesman talked you into it?
     Are you afraid to ask someone for a date? Many people are afraid of assert themselves, that is to say dare
not state their opinions confidently. Dr. Albert, author of Stand up, Speak Out, and Talk Back, thinks it is
because their self-respect is low."Our whole set up (体制) is designed to make people distrust themselves,"
says Albert. "There is always 'superior' around - a parent, a teacher, a boss-who'knows better'. These superiors often gain when they chip (削弱) away at your self-image."
     But Alert and other scientists are doing something to help people assert themselves. They offer "assertiveness training" courses-AT for short. In the AT courses people learn that they have a right to be themselves. They
learn to speak out and feel good about doing so. They learn to be more active without hurting other people.
     In one way, learning to speak out is to overcome fear. A group taking an AT course will help the timid
person to lose his fear. But AT uses an even stronger motive the need to share. The timid person speaks out in
the group because he wants to tell how he feels.
     Whether or not you speak up for yourself depends on your self-image. If someone you face is more
"important" than yon, you may feel less of a person. You start to doubt your own good sense.
     You go by the other person's demand. But, why should you? AT says you can get to feel good about
yourself. And once you do, you can learn to speak out.

1. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Assertiveness Training
B. The importance of self-image
C. Development of Self-respect
D. How to Feel Good of Yourself

2. The underlined word "timid" in this passage probably means"_______"?

A. brave
B. active
C. angry
D. shy

3. Which of the following problems is mainly discussed in this passage?

A. People are easily cheated when they buy something
B. Some people usually think too low of themselves
C. People are usually afraid of their superiors
D. Some people are not used to making their ideas public

4. We may infer from the passage that the writer's attitude towards the whole set up is _______.

A. positive
B. negative
C. appreciative
D. aggressive

     Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term maintenance (保持) of body weight.
Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching
to "light" beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical exertion (体能). The Centers for Disease Control,
for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to remove pounds said
they were combining exercise with their diet.
      In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure (卡路里的消耗)
charts; for example, one would have to actively walk three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one
delicious Danish pastry (小甜饼). Even exercise professionals admit half a point here. "Exercise by itself is a
very tough way to lose weight," says York Onnen, program director of the President' s Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports.
     Still, exercisers supporting role in weight reduction is important. A study at the Boston University Medical
Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed (证实) that those who dieted
without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine
(常规)maintained their new weight.
     If you have been sedentary (极少活动的) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise
could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, supposing no increase in food intake, you could lose
ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may
lose even more weight. 

1. What is said about the average American in the passage?

A. They usually ignore the effect of exercise on losing weight.
B. They prefer"light" beer and low calorie bread to other drinks and food.
C. They know the factors that play a positive role in keeping down body weight.
D. They tend to overemphasize the healthful effect of"light" beer.

2. Some people dislike exercise because ________.

A. they find it hard to exercise while on a diet
B. they don't think it possible to walk 3 miles every day
C. they think it is physically exhausting
D. they find consulting caloric-expenditure charts troublesome

3. What was confirmed by the Boston University Medical Center's study?

A. Weight reduction is impossible without exercise.
B. Even occasional exercise can help reduce weight.
C. Controlling one's calorie intake is more important than doing exercise.
D. One could lose ten pounds in a year's time if there's no increase in food intake.

4. What is the author's purpose in writing this article?

A. To stress the importance of maintaining proper weight.
B. To support the statement made by York Onex.
C. To show the most effective way to lose weight.
D. To introduce the study of the Boston University Medical Center.

     There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D.C. has
the National Gallery of Art (美术馆); Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International
University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without a building, or even a wall for
its drawings and paintings. FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States.
You don't have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. You can
call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored
in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a
few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.
     Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he starts the museum because computer
artists had no place to show their works.
     A computer artist can only record his pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others
to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the
computer artist needs an expensive laser printer.
     Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art or computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr Shostak said the FIU museum will make
computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work
much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge
audience for the electronic museum.

1. The main purpose of this text is to give information about _____.

A. museums throughout the world
B. an electronic art museum in Miami, U.S.A.
C. art exhibitions in Florida International University
D. latest development of computer art

2. To see the art in FIU museum, you need _____.

A. floppy discs
B. a computer and a printer
C. pictures and drawings on paper
D. a computer connected to the museum by telephone line

3. The museum was started when _____.

A. Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientists
B. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artists
C. art students needed a place to show their works
D. computer scientists wanted to do something about art

4. The words "an audience"in the last paragraph refer to _____.

A. art students
B. computer owners?
C. exhibits in the museum
D. those who will enjoy art

     Critics say Microsoft Windows 95 must be able to do what the company has said or sales will fall sharply.
This could mean the public would reject future Microsoft products. The public would lose trust in the company. Some people say this will not happen. They say Microsoft sent out several thousand copies of their new product to computer experts to test several months before it was released. Problems that these testers found were
immediately corrected. Microsoft representatives are working to solve all the other problems buyers find when
they try the new system. Computer industry experts say that if there are no major problems Microsoft can
expect to earn about 7 thousand million dollars from Windows 95 in the first two years. The experts say this
could be just a beginning for Microsoft and the whole computer industry. The experts say Windows 95 can
help the user do many different and difficult tasks. They say this means the sale of more powerful computers
and other computer products will increase as people learn about the new Microsoft product. Other companies
say Windows 95 is not a big improvement. The Apple Computer Company says its Mackintosh Operating System has been able to do many of the same things since 1989. For example, it has been able to let users work two
different programs at the same time. The Amega Computer also has offered this for almost ten years. And IBM
says the operating system it developed about 7 years ago is very similar.

1. In the passage the writer _____.

A. thinks Windows 95 will be a success
B. is doubtful about what Microsoft Company has promised
C. shows no opinion of his own
D. is advertising Windows 95 for Microsoft Company

2. Some believe that Windows 95 will not only bring in a lot of money but also _____.

A. replace the older products
B. threat (威胁) other computer companies
C. help sell other products produced by Microsoft Company
D. bring about changes in other fields

3. All the following show Windows 95 is important to Microsoft Company except _____.

A. Windows 95 will build up people's faith (信心) in the country's future products
B. Windows 95 will bring about a great change in the whole computer industry
C. other companies don't think highly of Windows 95
D. Windows 95 will help sell more powerful computers

     One of the more common and destructive mental tendencies I've seen is that of focusing on what we want
instead of what we have.
     We want this or that. If we don't get what we want, we keep thinking about all that we don't have and we
remain dissatisfied. If we do get what we want, we simply recreate the same thinking in our new
circumstances. So, despite getting what we want, we still remain unhappy. Happiness can't be found when we
are yearning (向往,渴望) for new desires.
      Luckily, there is a way to be happy. It involves changing the emphasis of our thinking from what we want
to what we have. Rather than wishing you were able to take a vacation to Hawaii, think of how much fun you
have had close to home. The list of possibilities is endless! Each time you notice yourself falling into the "I
wish life were different" trap, back off and start over. Take a breath and remember all that you have to be
grateful. When you focus not on what you want, but on what you have, you end up getting more of what you
want anyway. If you focus on the good qualities of your spouse (配偶), she'll be more loving. If you are
grateful for your job rather than complaining about it, you'll do a better job, be more productive, and probably
end up getting a raise anyway. If you focus on ways to enjoy yourself around home rather than waiting to
enjoy yourself in Hawaii, you'll end up having more fun. If you ever do get to Hawaii, you'll be in the habit of
enjoying yourself. And, if by some chance you don't, you have a great life anyway.
      Make a note of yourself to start thinking more about what you have than what you want. If you do, your
life will start appearing much better than before. For perhaps the first time in your life, you'll know what it means to feel satisfied.

1. Why did the author say that focusing on what we want is destructive?

A. If we don't get what we want, we remain dissatisfied.
B. If we do get what we want, we simply recreate the same thinking.
C. If we desire what we want, we would be unhappy.
D. All of the above 

2. How do you understand the underlined expression "I wish life were different" in the second paragraph?

A. Focusing on what you want.
B. Focusing on what you have.
C. Focusing on ways to enjoy yourself around home.
D. Focusing on being able to take a vacation.

3. The passage implies that ______.

A. getting what we want, we would be happy
B. if we focus on what we have, we would have a better life
C. it is more fun than you have had close to home
D. focusing on what you want, you end up getting more of what you have anyway

4. Which is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. If we focus on what we want, we may remain dissatisfied and unhappy.
B. Changing our thinking from what we want to what we have would make you happy.
C. Focus on the good qualities of your wife, she'll be more loving.
D. It is more fun to around home than taking a vacation to Hawaii.

     Facebook (a social networking service) makes it far too easy to make new friends-Unfortunately, reality
is not like that.   1   The difference here is that we don't get to choose our families; friends, on the other hand,
are picked, selected and developed through our life.
     It is quite funny how your best friends know exactly what your are thinking without even telling them.
   2   This friend's sixth sense is something that takes time to develop through many long-lasting experiences
that your go through.
     I was once asked: which one would be the worst thing, to lose all your loved ones or to lose all your
friends?   3   I believe that I couldn't live a day if I had lost all my friends.
      Respect, loyalty (忠诚), and support are few of the qualities that will form a good friendship. There are
many others for sure, but it is enough for you to get these. 
       4   The ability to trust someone and therefore, be trusted, can be only built with a lot of effort and time.
     I hate that ugly Facebook's message "Add to your friends?" It is like a friends was something that you
could simply add to your "portfolio (文件夹)" without feeling.   5   

A. My answer was certainly the latter.
B. This is definitely not the way to make friends.
C. This is not something that happens overnight.
D. Life without friends is just like soup without salt.
E. We need friends to help us when we meet with difficulties.
F. Trust is also one of the major features of a good relationship.
G. Friends sometimes are just as important to us as our families.