Teachers spend countless years trying to make history come alive for their students. But, US Director Shawn Levy attempts to do this on film in the recently released Night at the Museum.

The film is adapted from Milan Trenc’s book of the same name. It brings to life a world where dinosaurs wander the earth, a former president rides again, warlike early Asians return, and cowboys and Roman soldiers seek to bring back their old goals.

The familiar comedy star Ben Stiller acts as a luckless dreamer named Larry Daley. He takes a position as night watchman at the New York Museum of Natural History.

On Larry’s first night, he’s left alone by the three aging guards he’s replacing. They fail to inform him of the museum’s rather unusual nightlife.

Soon Larry finds himself chased down the hallways by the very lively skeleton of a dinosaur, in the middle of a confrontation（交锋） with Asian warriors. He is caught in a territorial battle between a cowboy and a Roman general and meets face-to-face with former US president Teddy Roosevelt, played by Robin Williams. They are each from an exhibit that has come to life through the magic of a priceless Egyptian tablet.

While the film fails to develop very much in some areas （for example, Larry’s troubled relationship with a son）, it does have enough special effects, and jokes to engage the audience.

Bottom Line: Definitely not Oscar-worthy, but a great way to relax during a holiday.

66．The purpose of this passage is to _______.

A．introduce a book called Night at the Museum

B．introduce a movie called Night at the Museum

C．made known a US director Shawn Levy

D．make students learn history easier

67．We can know from the first paragraph that ________.

A．teachers don’t do well in their jobs

B．a director can do a better job than teachers

C．people can learn some history through a film

D．all history classes should be stopped

68．Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The film has the same name as the book.

B．Larry Daley is a character in the film.

C．Teddy Roosevelt was once a US president.

D．All magic Egyptian tablets are on exhibition.

69．On Larry’s first night in the film, _________.

A．three aging guards are involved in a battle

B．he doesn’t know the unusual nightlife beforehand

C．a Roman general plays many jokes on a cowboy

D．he is caught by a wandering dinosaur

70．We can infer that Night at the Museum ________.

A．is a good time-killer during a holiday

B．will surely win an Oscar

C．is not a good film at all

D．will be popular among students

Ties, or neckties, have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So, are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties?

Maybe. Last week, the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. He hinted that civil servants would soon be free of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.

In fact, Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities （知名人士） without ties, which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.

For some more conservative British, the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier, Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan, the tie was a sign of being complete, of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church, to work in the office, to a party-almost even social occasion.

But today, people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions.

The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a "band". The term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear （颈饰） impressed Charles II, the king of England who was exiled （流放） to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660, he brought this new fashion item along with him.

It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.

But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.

61. The tie symbolizes all of the following except      .  

A. respect.    B. elegance.    C. politeness.   D. democracy.

62. Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?

A. Because he wants to make a show.

B. Because he wants to attract attention.

C. Because ties are costly.

D. Because he wants to live in a casual way.

63 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion?

A. Going to church.     B. Going to work in the office.

C. Staying at home.     D. Going to a party.

64 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain?

A. Tony Blair.        B. Charles II.

C. Jim Callaghan.    D. Andrew Turnbull.

65 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly?

A. After the late 19th century.     B. In the 1630s.

C. In 1660.                               D. In the late 18th century.

Smart Exercise

Doctors are starting to find more and more information that suggests a connection between exercise and brain development. Judy Cameron, a scientist at Oregon Health and Science University, studies brain development. According to her research, it seems that exercise can make blood vessels, including those in the brain, stronger and more fully developed. Dr. Cameron claims this allows people who exercise to concentrate better. As she says: "While we already know that exercise is good for the heart, exercise can literally cause physical changes in the brain."

The effects of exercise on brain development can even be seen in babies. Babies who do activities that require a lot of movement and physical activity show greater brain development than babies who are less physically active. With babies, even a little movement can show big results. Margaret Barnes, a pediatrician （儿科医师）, believes in the importance of exercise. She thinks that many learning disabilities that children have in elementary school or high school can be traced back to a lack of movement as babies. "Babies need movement that stimulates their five senses. They need to establish a connection between motion and memory. In this way, as they get older, children will begin to associate physical activity with higher learning," says Margaret.

Older people can beef up their brains as well. Cornell University studied a group of seniors ranging in age from seventy to seventy-nine. Their study showed a short-term memory increase of up to 40 percent after exercising just three hours a week. The exercise does not have to be very difficult, but it does have to increase the heart rate. Also, just like the motion for infants, exercise for older people should involve some complexity. Learning some new skills or motions helps to open up memory paths in the brain that may not have been used for a long time.

For most people, any type of physical activity that increases the heart rate is helpful. The main goal is to increase the brain's flow of blood. And your brain can benefit from as little as two to three hours of exercise a week.

56. Research by Dr. Cameron seems to suggest that exercise can

A. generate new blood vessels.

B. change the way a person thinks.

C. promote brain development.

D. divert one's attention.

57. Margaret Barnes thinks that a lack of movement in infancy can

A. lead to learning troubles later.

B. cause physical disabilities later.

C. stimulate the five senses.

D. bring about changes in the brain.

58. The expression "beef up" in paragraph 3 means

A. "control".

B. "strengthen".

C. "operate".

D. "encourage".

59. To be beneficial, exercise for older people should

A. be done in a group.

B. be done on a daily basis.

C. involve great difficulty.

D. increase the heart rate.

60. The title of the passage implies that

A. only smart people do exercise.

B. exercise can be smart or stupid.

C. exercise keeps the brain strong.

D. it is fashionable to do exercise.

        difficulty the task is of , I think , they will overcome.  

A. Wherever  B. Whichever  C. However  D. Whatever

So confused       that he didn’t know how to start his lecture.

A. did he become   B. would he become

C. that he became   D. since he became

       she wondered if she had made a mistake.

A. Not until long afterwards that  B. Not long until afterwards

C. It was long afterwards until    D. It was not until long afterwards that

They made an action film ______ the beautiful coastal city lies.  

A. at which   B. where  C. the place D. at where

Readers can ____  quite well without knowing the exact meaning of each word.

A. get over   B. get in   C. get along   D. get through

We did not expect our offer _____ so quickly.

A. rejected   B. to reject   C. to be rejected   D. rejecting

Fully      in looking after three children at home, she no longer has time to enjoy the various activities in the club.

A．attached            B．occupied                C．contributed                 D．devoted