The rising costs of health care have become a problem for many countries in the world. To deal with
this problem, it is recommended that a big part of the government's health budget be used for health
education and disease prevention instead of treatment. Actually, many kinds of diseases are preventable
in many ways and preventing a disease is usually much cheaper than treating it. For example, people
could avoid catching a cold if they dressed warmly when the weather starts getting cold. But many
people get sick because they fail to do so, and have to spend money seeing a doctor.
     Daily habits like eating more healthy food would have kept millions of families from becoming
bankrupt if the patients had taken measures for early prevention. For instance, keeping a balanced diet,
such as not consuming too much animal fat and insuring a steady intake of vegetables and fruits, seems
to be quite important.
     One very effective and costless way of prevention is regular exercise, which is necessary for a healthy mind and body. Regular exercise, such as running, walking, and playing sports is a good way to make
people feel better or reduce stress.
     In addition, health education plays a key role in improving people's health. By giving people more
information about health, countries could help people understand the importance of disease prevention
and ways to achieve it. For example, knowing one's family medical history is an effective way to help
keep healthy. Information about health problems among close relatives will make them aware of what
they should do to prevent certain diseases through lifestyle changes, which will work before it is too
late.
      However, stressing disease prevention does not mean medical treatment is unimportant. After all,
prevention and treatment are just two different means toward the same effect. In conclusion, we could
save money on health care and treat patients more successfully if our country spends more money on
health prevention and education.

1. What's the best title of the passage?

A. Prevention or Education?
B. Prevention or Treatment?
C. Health or Illness?
D. Exercise or Illness?

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word "bankrupt"?

A. Unable to be cured
B. Unable to pay one's debts
C. Stronger than ever before
D. More successful than ever before

3. We learn from the passage that ______.

A. dressing warmly can prevent diseases
B. a balanced diet is cheaper than regular exercise
C. the more health education, the better
D. the government's health budget should be increased

      The food we eat seems to have a great effect on our health. Although science has made big steps in
making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has
shown that perhaps eighty percent of human illness is related to food and forty percent of cancer is
related to food as well. That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, some researchers
realized that things commonly used to keep colour in meats and other food additives (添加剂) caused
cancer.
     Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it is difficult to know which things on the wrappings (包
装) of foods are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give
penicillin to their animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of cows. Sometimes
similar tings are supplied to animals not for their health, but just to make a profit.
     The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market.
Although some countries have tried to control such things, the practice continues.

1. Which food is the healthiest at present?

A. chocolate  
B. alcohol  
C. fresh vegetables  
D. French fries

2. According to this passage, we can know      . 

A. perhaps most of human illness is caused by what we eat
B. perhaps most kinds of cancer are related to what people eat
C. cancer was discovered in 1945
D. science has made food unfit to eat

3. Things that are used to keep colours in meats are      .

A. harmful      
B. useless        
C. helpless        
D. dangerous

4. All the additives     __ .  

A. are bright and colourless
B. are not bright and colourful
C. have indirect effects on our health
D. have direct effects on our health

5. Which of the following is not true? 

A. Some wrappings of food are harmful.
B. Farmers try to make more money on the market by fattening their animals. 
C. "The practice continues" means "things are still going on like that".
D. We needn't take care of what we eat.

     People are overweight for many reasons, the most important one of which is that they eat the wrong
foods, get the wrong types of calories per meal, and they also eat meals at the wrong time each day.
Food is more powerful than any weight loss pill, because the food that you eat can either make you thin
or fat. This is true because your body is like an engine, and it only needs certain foods at certain intervals(间隔)each day.
     Low-calorie Diets Do Not Work
     The reason people cannot lose weight by starving themselves is that their metabolism(新陈代谢)will
detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust(调整)itself by burning fewer calories each day.
That is the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight, while your friends
can eat 2,500 calories per day and not gain any weight.
     Low-fat Diets Do Not Work
     Many people in today's society are buying mostly low- fat or non-fat food at the grocery store.
Everybody knows how much fat is inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever
before by doing this. They are not losing weight by changing to this low-fat lifestyle.                  
     Losing weight has nothing to do with these things. One of the most important things you can do to
control your weight is to eat the proper foods, such as fruit and vegetables, eat them at the right time, and
exercise every day. If people make this a habit, they will lose weight.

1. What is the main reason why people are overweight according to the author?

A. They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time.
B. They eat food with lots of calories.
C. They don't take any weight loss pills.
D. They burn many calories every day.

2. The article is written in order to _______.

A. tell readers not to buy low-fat or non-fat food
B. tell readers how to lose weight
C. tell readers about an important scientific discovery
D. call on people to lose weight and stay healthy

3. To realize the aim of your weight loss plan, you should ________.
a. do exercise every day       b. eat meals at the right time
c. eat fruits and vegetables     d. eat low-fat or sweet food
e. eat the proper foods at each meal

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

1. Rich people in Britain have been hunting foxes                 .

A. for recreation(娱乐)
B. in the interests of the farmers
C. to limit the fox population
D. to show off their wealth

2. What is special about fox hunting in Britain?

A. It involves the use of a deadly poison.
B. It is a costly event which rarely occurs.
C. The hunters have set rules to follow.
D. The hunters have to go through strict training.

3. A new law may be passed by the British Parliament to________.

A. prohibit farmers from hunting foxes
B. forbid hunting foxes with dogs
C. stop hunting wild animals in the countryside
D. prevent large-scale fox hunting

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A. killing foxes with poison is illegal
B. limiting the fox population is unnecessary
C. hunting foxes with dogs is considered cruel and violent
D. fox-hunting often leads to confrontation between the poor and the rich

     Global warming is the process of earth's atmosphere heating up. Over the last 100 years, the average
temperature of earth's atmosphere has gone up 1 Fahrenheit. The weather has not changed exactly the
same way in every area of the planet. But scientists think that the rise in average temperature is already
affecting the earth's climate.
     Many scientists now believe that global warming is caused by cutting down trees, producing more
trash, and polluting the environment which are some of the reasons why the temperature has gone up.
Many scientists believe that the biggest causes of global warming are new human technologies that
release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
     The greenhouse effect is not new. Certain gases in the atmosphere, like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide
and methane, making it hard for heat energy to go into space. In the past, the climate didn't change much
because nature produced just the right amount of greenhouse gases to deal with it.
     Today, most scientists are pretty sure that the rising temperature can't be blamed on nature. Ever since
the industrial revolution in the 1700s, humans have relied on machines for daily life. And many of those
machines give off a lot of greenhouse gases. An increase in the release of greenhouse gases from human
activities is throwing nature off balance.
     The climate is a very complicated thing, but many scientists agree that the rising atmospheric
temperature has already damaged the environment. Sheets of ice, called glaciers, are melting in Antarctica and other parts of the globe. As glaciers break off and melt into the oceans, they are adding warm water
to the oceans and causing the sea level to rise.
     Over the past 100 years, the sea level has risen 6-8 inches around the world. That means land along
the coasts is beginning to disappear under water. Bigger and warmer oceans are also adding to other
weather problems caused by pollution in the atmosphere. Some places have received more rain, others
have had bigger storms and a few areas in the world have experienced unusual droughts.

1. What is mainly talked about in this passage?

A. The melting of glaciers.                
B. Global warming. 
C. The world's weather.                 
D. The earth's temperature.

2. What causes global warming according to scientists?

A. Human activities.                    
B. The nature itself.
C. The earth's atmosphere.               
D. New discoveries

3. From the passage we can see that global warming will bring about _____. 

A. the pollution in the atmosphere           
B. natural disasters
C. population pollution                    
D. the rise of glaciers

     Some weight-loss camps, which are rare in China just a few years ago, have sprouted
(迅速出现) in Beijing, Qingdao, Shenzhen, and other cities. Today about 15 percent of
adults, or 200 million Chinese, are reportedly overweight. Of these, 90 million-about 7
percent-are obese.
     Experts say the obesity epidemic (流行病) is spreading to children, though more slowly
than in adults. The trend, they say, will have a huge impact on the health of China's citizens
and economy. "We're seeing a very large proportion of children and adolescents who are
quite heavy and aren't moving much," said Barry Popkin, a nutrition professor. Popkin
carries out an ongoing health-and-nutrition survey of 16,000 households in China. He says
more kids today are overeating and putting on weight "quite quickly." In just ten years China's
childhood obesity rate has doubled, with the greatest gains coming in urban areas. "In big cities
it's a big problem."  
     Some experts blame the extra fat on a range of factors, many of them tied to China's rapidly
changing economy and culture. The diets of Chinese adults and children are far higher in
calorie-laden meats, fish, eggs, dairy products, fats, and sugars than ever before. In addition,
kids-especially city children-are more sedentary today and spend more time indoors in front
of homework, television, computer games, and the Internet.
     Shuwen Ng, a health economist, says that kids in China now have pocket money, and they
spend a part of it on junk food. Ng adds that advertising and peer (同龄人) groups influence
kids' food choices. Certain foods, such as new candies or fast food, have attractive features.
China's childhood obesity rate are still less than that of the United States, where some 15 percent
of kids are said to be obese. But the long-term effects are equally serious.

1. According to the passage we know______________.                     .

A. weight-loss camps have been very popular in China a few years ago.
B. about 290 million Chinese are overweight in China in all
C. in China childhood obesity rate in rural areas is lower than that in major cities
D. America's childhood obesity rate is lower than China's

2. Which of the following is NOT the reason of China's childhood obesity?

A. Advertising on some new candies          
B. High quality diets
C. Playing computer games for long time      
D. Having pocket money

3. The underlined word "sedentary" in the third paragraph probably means_____________.

A. attentive  
B. unmoved    
C. absent  
D. inactive

4. According to the passage we can infer________________.

A. obesity explosion in China will affect the United States
B. there are great difference in kids' food choices now
C. junk food contributes to childhood obesity
D. city children eat more than rural children

5. What's the best title for the passage?

A. Chinese Childhood Obesity Explosion
B. Weight-loss Camps in China
C. Obesity Explosion's Impacts On Chinese Economy
D. Obesity Explosion In China And America

     Pregnancy (妊娠) and childbirth kill more than 536 000 women a year. More than half of the cases are
in Africa, according to the World Health Organization. In fact, most of the deaths are preventable, with basic
medical care.
     The five leading causes are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, long-time labor and bad abortions (流
产). Mothers' deaths from such causes were largely reduced nearly a century ago in developed countries.
     Experts say that what kill many women are "the three delays"-the woman's delay in deciding to go to the
hospital, the time she loses traveling there and the hospital's delay in starting treatment. Only about 15 percent
of births have dangerous complications (并发症).
     Women lack education and information about birth control. Husbands and in-laws may decide where a
woman gives birth and insist that she stay at home to save money. However, there is no single solution for
a problem with so many factors-shortages of doctors, nurses, drugs, equipment, roads and transportation-
though hospital officials are trying many things now.
     One stopgap measure to solve the problem for the present has been to train assistant medical officers, to
perform certain operations. Some African countries are now struggling to train more assistants and midwives
(接生婆), and provide places for pregnant women to stay near hospitals.
     But there is a long way to go. Only 20 percent of women in the continent give birth at the hospital. More
than 50 percent stay at home to give birth, and the rest go to local clinics that cannot handle emergencies.

1. Which is not included in the five leading causes of women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth?

A. Infection
B. High blood pressure.
C. Traveling long distances.
D. Bleeding.

2. The underlined word "stopgap" here probably means "_____".

A. final
B. temporary
C. effective
D. instant

3. What is the main idea of this passage?

A. Most problems that cause women's deaths during pregnancy and childbirth can be treated or prevented.
B. Developed countries should help African countries reduce mothers' deaths.
C. The husbands in poor countries should take responsibility for their wives' deaths.
D. The governments of African countries have to take more effective measures to save pregnant women.

4. What is the author's attitude towards the future of preventing women's deaths during pregnancy and
    childbirth?

A. Positive.
B. Negative.
C. Objective.
D. Subjective.

     Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention
recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means
we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the
greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first
place.
     The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a
typical household's waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with
plastic and cardboard.
     Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of
it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off green-house gases which go on
to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to
produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage
customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot
continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
     But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with
quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food.
But it also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary. 
     There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary
material we are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain
to climb.

1. What does the underlined phrase "over-consumption" refer to?

A. Using too much packaging.
B. Recycling too many wastes.
C. Making more products than necessary.
D. Having more material than is needed.

2. The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _____.

A. the tendency of cutting household waste
B. the increase of packaging recycling
C. the rapid growth of supermarkets
D. the fact of packaging overuse

3. According to the text, recycling _____.

A. helps control the greenhouse effect
B. means burning packaging for energy
C. is the solution to gas shortage
D. leads to a waste of land

4. What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A. Unpackaged products are of bad quality.
B. Supermarkets care more about packaging.
C. It is improper to judge quality by packaging.
D. Other products are better packaged than food.

5. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Fighting wastefulness is difficult.
B. Needless material is mostly recycled.
C. People like collecting recyclable waste.
D. The author is proud of their consumer culture.

     "Old wives tales" are beliefs lasting for many generations. For example, most of us remember our parents'
telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some
of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time.
     Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now
report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. Eating just one
carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic is good for you, too. It can kill the
type of virus that causes colds.
     Unfortunately, not all of Mom' s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of
children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no
danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes. However, sticky sweets made with grains tend
to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
     Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don't hold water, there is still a lot of
truth in the old wives' tales. After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated from thousands of years
of experience in family health care. We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear
scientific support to prove it true or false.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the test?

A. Eating garlic is good for our eyes.
B. Sticky sweets are damaging our teeth.
C. Swimming after a meal is dangerous.
D. Carrots prevent people from catching colds.

2. The phrase "hold water" in the last paragraph most probably means "_____".

A. to be believable
B. to be valuable
C. to be admirable
D. to be suitable

3. What is the author's attitude toward "old wives tales" in the text?

A. Subjective
B. Objective
C. Dissatisfied
D. Curious