Do your spirits soar (猛增) on a sunny day? Do you relax at the sound of flowing water?
Some scientists suggest that these contacts with nature are good for your health. In one study, hospital patients with a view of trees had shorter hospital stays and less need for pain medications. Another study indicated that prisoners with a view of the outdoors had fewer doctor visits.
“Why do we desire nature? Maybe we’re programmed to need it, since our ancestors’ survival was so dependent on their connection with nature,” suggests biologist E.O. Wilson.
Want to find out if contact with nature improves your outlook on life? Try a few of these ideas.
Hang out a bird feeder and watch the birds that visit it.
Sit down in the backyard or a nearby park. Close your eyes. What do you hear? Birds singing? The wind in the trees? Crickets (蟋蟀) chirping?
Find an anthill. Sit down and watch the ants work.
Take a walk right after a rainstorm. What looks different? Smells different?
Go barefoot on a sandy beach.
Open the curtains and the window, if the weather allows it.
On a windy day, watch the trees.
Go to a creek, river or park fountain. Listen to the sound of water in motion.
Camp out in the backyard or at a nearby state park. Use a tent or sleep on the ground.
Find a wide-open space to study the stars. Learn about the different constellations (星座).
Raise a garden. Or plant some seeds in a flowerpot.
Go hiking with your family. Talk about all of the colors you see in nature.
Take a camera and capture your nature experience.
【小题1】From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ______.

A．prisoners don’t like to go to the doctor when ill	B．trees can be used as pain medications
C．prisoners should often get out of prison to come into contact with nature
D．contacts with nature are very helpful for hospital patients

【小题2】According to E.O. Wilson, we desire nature probably because ______.

A．it can help us feel relaxed

B．we have inherited (继承) from our ancestors who were dependent on nature

C．people have lived with nature for thousands of years

D．contacts with nature can improve a person’s outlook on life

【小题3】 From the passage, we can learn that ______.

A．studying the constellations is important to everyone
B．you can know all the colors only by going hiking
C．nature is quite important to us	D．walking in a rainstorm can be very helpful

【小题4】What is the best title of the passage?

A．Go hiking with your family	B．Let nature nurture you.
C．Visit your doctor less.	D．Watch the trees more often.

51---------
Successful people are nicer to those who are jealous of them, psychologists have found.
　　　The fear that they may become the target of malicious（恶意的）envy makes people act more helpfully toward people who they think might be jealous of them.
　　　Previous research found jealousy could be divided into benign and malicious envy. Those with benign envy were motivated to improve themselves, to do better so they could be more like the person they envied.52--------　The Dutch researchers then set out to question the effect on the target of the envy.
In lab experiments a group of people were made to feel like they would be maliciously envied by being told they would receive an award of five euros（欧元）53-------The researchers thought that the deserved prize would lead to benign envy, while the undeserved prize would lead to malicious envy.
　　　Then the volunteer was asked to give time-consuming advice to a potentially envious person.People who had reason to think they would be the target of malicious envy were more likely to take the time to give advice than targets of benign envy.
　　　In another experiment, an experimenter dropped a number of erasers on the floor as the volunteer was leaving.54--------　He said: 'This sort of serves a useful group function. We all think better-off people should share with others but that's not something we are inclined to do when we are better off..55----------　　

A．Those who thought they would be maliciously envied were more likely to help him pick them up.

B．Helping others is a virtue.

C．However those with malicious envy wanted tobringthe more successful persondown.

D．Malicious envy. is terrible.

E. This fear of envy can encourage us to behave in ways that improve the social interactions of the group.'
　　F. People are more likely to help others if they think they are envious of them.
G.. Sometimes the prize was deserved and was based on the score they were told they had earned on a quiz. But sometimes it was not based on their score at all.

Only if you don’t have a fear of heights do you want to visit the CN Tower. And if you can take a trip to the top of it will surely be worth it. The CN tower is Canada’s most famous symbol and the centre of tourism in Toronto.
Over 550 meters, it is one of the tallest building in the world; on a clear day the view is wonderful. Each year, around 2 million people take the elevator ride to the top of the tower to take in the breath-taking view at the top of the world. Once you are at the top, see if you have the courage to walk across the see-through glass floor .
If you are hungry, plan to eat at the revolving restaurant at the top of the tower. The floor in the 360-degree restaurant rotates once every 72 minutes allowing everyone a complete view of the city below. The CN tower has broken record many times, winning such titles as World’s Longest Metal staircase ,World’s Tallest building and , most recently , World’s Highest Wine Cellar. In 1995, the CN tower was considered as one of the seven wonders of the Modern World.
Today, the top of the tower, more than 333m in the air, serves as the year-round workplace for more than 550 people. The tower’s workers help to make the world-class attractions and food there.
While at the CN tower, you’ll also have the chance to visit gift shops. You will find the CN Tower in the heart of downtown, on Front Street. On the north shore of Lake Ontario, the CN Tower is open 364 days a year(closed on Christmas Day).
【小题1】Who can’t visit the CN tower?

A．Someone who has heart attack.

B．An old man who has got flu.

C．A person afraid of height

D．A woman having high blood.

【小题2】How many titles has the Tower got?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

【小题3】Which of the following number is Not agree with its description?

A．333 --- the height of the tower

B．550 --- the number of people who work at the top of the tower

C．364 --- the days that the tower is open each year

D．360--- the degree of the restaurant revolves.

【小题4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．You can go to visit the tower any day you like.

B．You can buy some gifts and eat as well while you are at the tower.

C．You have to climb the stairs to the top of the tower to enjoy the view.

D．The floor of the revolving restaurant is made of glass.

It’s always great to hear news about wildlife returning to where they once lived. For the first time in 8 years the small blue --- British’s smallest butterfly--- has been seen back at a nature reserve in Hertfordshire.
This nature reserve has had a lot of work done recently in order to help butterflies. Management of the land has included bringing in sheep to keep the grass under control in a more natural way and planting wild flowers for butterfly species. The nature reserve is home to a number of butterfly species. In fact the way that this reserve has been managed means that it is probably the best reserve in Hertfordshire to see butterflies with at least 25 species now living in the area.
There are a number of threats to British butterflies and the greatest threat is the loss of their habitat. Changing farming practice has affected British native butterfly species greatly with many more now being at risk. Butterflies are such an excellent species that they can clearly tell the situation of local environment because they are easily influenced by environmental changes, A wide species of butterflies will generally mean a healthy environment.
The type of land management at the nature reserve in Hertfordshire offers a hope for many species of butterfly to live as usual. Butterflies need all the help they can get at the moment. Although the number of butterflies is beginning to increase, many are still at risk.
【小题1】What has the nature reserve done to help butterflies return ?
a. changing the reserve place     b. bringing in sheep
c. planting wild flowers         d. changing farming practice

A．a.b

B．c,d

C．a,d

D．b,c

【小题2】Why did the butterflies fly away eight years ago？

A．The weather is changing	B．The flowers have died out
C．Their habitat has been lost.	D．The environment has changed

【小题3】What can we infer from the passage?

A．The environment has changed healthier a lot than before.

B．All the butterflies have returned to the reserve.

C．There is no threat to the British butterflies.

D．Over 25 species is living in the reserve now.

【小题4】What does the underlined sentence mean?

A．The butterflies changed as the environment changed.

B．Butterflies are very beautiful.

C．Butterflies are sensitive to the environment the live.

D．Butterflies can tell us what is happening.

It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense. It takes the most cool – headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers don’t even seem able torecognize politeness when they see it nowadays.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to. It always amazes me that the highways are not covered with the dead bodies of these grannies.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadman- ship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give – and – take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
【小题1】The passage mainly talks about _____.

A．road politeness	B．traffic jams
C．good manners	D．modern drivers

【小题2】Troubles on the road are often caused by _____ .

A．traffic jams	B．the behavior of the drivers
C．great speed	D．terrible road conditions

【小题3】According to the writer, a good driver should _____.

A．beat back when forced to face rude driving

B．be able to recognize politeness when he sees it

C．encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to

D．join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel

【小题4】The following statements are right EXCEPT that _____.

A．some modern drivers are not good at driving

B．road politeness is good sense as well as good manners

C．it is all right to have a tiger in the driver’s seat

D．a friendly driver should nod or wave thanks in answer to an act of politeness

You know that pearls grow inside oysters(牡蛎), but would you ever think to look for diamonds inside an ostrich(鸵鸟)? Well, a hunter once shot an ostrich and discovered, to his great surprise, that the big bird had swallowed a bunch of diamonds. How could such a strange thing happen?
Like many other birds, the ostrich swallows small stones that stay inside its “gizzard”. The gizzard is a bird’s second stomach. It is where the food is ground up. The small stones help to grind up the food so it can be digested. The small stones do the chewing because birds don’t have teeth. In that case of the ostrich with the diamonds, the bird simply had expensive taste in rocks. It used the diamonds to digest its dinner.
Diamonds and stones aren’t all that an ostrich will swallow. If there are no stones around, it will eat just about anything. Sadly for ostriches in zoos, this can be a fatal habit. The tendency to swallow anything it sees has caused the death of many an ostrich. Cruel or careless people often throw things into the bird’s living space. They throw keys, coins, and even large objects such as horseshoes. The ostrich swallows them without hesitation. Coins can be the worst. Inside the ostrich they wear down to a razor-sharp edge. They will cut open the bird’s gizzard from the inside. When one young zoo ostrich died, 484 coins weighing more than eight pounds were found in its gizzard.
【小题1】
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A．Birds often eat strange and funny things.

B．Ostriches will swallow anything to help them digest food.

C．One ostrich died with 484 coins in its gizzard.

D．Ostriches are often hurt by cruel or careless people.

【小题2】
The ostrich is not smart enough to ______.

A．digest its own food	B．eat only diamonds
C．avoid eating harmful objects	D．escape from the zoo

【小题3】
The sentence “the small stones do the chewing” makes rocks seem as though they were ______.

A．important	B．alive
C．dangerous	D．uncomfortable

【小题4】
he word “fatal” in the third paragraph is another word for “______”.

A．foolish

B．careless

C．deadly

D．cruel

Some years ago, a Miami woman walking through an office building noticed two men standing together．Several minutes after her leaving, the men murdered a person working in the building．The police determined that the woman was the only witness and could possibly describe them．However, her memory of the men proved disappointingly unclear．Several days later, psychologist Ronald Fisher was brought in to obtain a more complete account from the woman．His interview produced a breakthrough—the woman reported a clear picture of one of the suspects．The important information enabled the police to arrest the suspect and close the case．
The police asked Fisher for help because of his rich knowledge in cognitive (认知) interview, a kind of memory-rebuilding process．Memory researchers have found that people trying to remember a past event often only recall part of the relevant information．Human memory is selective and it is often distorted by stress．But a person's accurate recall of an event or understanding of a question can be improved using specific interviewing techniques．The "cognitive interview" was developed in the late 1990s．It encourages the witness to take an active role in recalling information rather than giving answers only to someone else's questions．The witness first describes what happened in his or her own words, with no interviewer interruptions．The interviewer then goes further with specific techniques, such as having the witness tell the details of what happened from different perspectives（角度）.
The cognitive interview focuses on guiding witnesses through four general recalling techniques: thinking about physical surroundings and personal feelings that existed at the time of past events; reporting everything that comes to mind about those events, no matter how broken it is retelling events in a variety of time orders, such as from beginning to end, end to beginning, forward or backward; and adopting different perspectives while recalling events．
Experiments with police detectives trained in this demanding interview method find that they obtain nearly 50% more information from witnesses than before training, while error rates remain about the same．It is proved that cognitive interviews are quite important tools in improving the accuracy and completeness of witness testimony （证词）．
【小题1】
The purpose of the passage is to _____．

A．give an account of a murder case

B．introduce an idea of cognitive interview

C．prove Fisher was an expert in cognitive interview

D．help a witness to recall information in a cognitive interview

【小题2】
What is required to recall in a cognitive interview for a witness?

A．The exact time at which a murder took place．

B．The information about the event in the time order．

C．The important things that come to his or her mind．

D．The surroundings and feelings at the time of the event．

【小题3】
The key point in a cognitive interview is that

A．the witness is encouraged to take part in recalling information

B．the interviewer should interrupt the witness from time to time

C．the interview should take place outside the police station

D．the witness should recall details at the scene of the event

【小题4】
The underlined word "distorted" in the passage probably means " ____

A．arranged

B．balanced

C．changed

D．examined

Construction workers in Southern California have made a wild discovery. They were digging at a building site in San Timoteo Canyon (峡谷) when they unearthed hundreds of ancient animal fossils. Researchers say the bones hold important clues about the history of the region.
Nearly 1, 500 fossils were recovered from the dusty canyon. The remains are about 1.4 million years old. They include the bones of a new species of deer, several small rodents (啮齿目动物) and more. A giant cat fossil was also found. Scientists believe the animal was an ancestor of the saber- toothed tiger. Signs of plant life were uncovered as well.
“This is a huge find,” says Rick Greenwood, a scientist studying the site. “I don’t think most people had any idea that those types of animals were wandering around here more than a million years ago.”
San Timoteo Canyon is located about 85 miles from Los Angeles. The area of the canyon where the fossils were found was once part of a green river valley. Today, the region is dry and plant life is rare.
Most of the fossils are well preserved. Experts say a muddy lake bed may have trapped thirty animals that wandered over for a drink. The mud helped to protect the animal fossils.
The remains are a million years older than those discovered at the famous La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles. Scientists studying the bones will be able to learn more about how the animals adapted to changes in the environment.
“We have a confused view of what this time period was like, ” says another scientist. “A discovery like this could really be an important contribution.”
About 35 different animal species are represented in the fossil collection. Scientists began removing bones from the site last fall. The project was completed this summer. Starting next year, the fossils will be on display at the Western Science Center in the nearby city of Hemet, California.
【小题1】
What does the passage mainly focus on?

A．The secret of ancient animals’ deaths.

B．The preparation for a future fossil exhibition.

C．A great discovery of fossils.

D．The history of San Timoteo Canyon.

【小题2】
From what Rick says, we know ________. (原创)

A．fossils were discovered in the canyon for the first time.

B．the canyon in ancient times was quite different.

C．more research work will be carried on in the canyon.

D．the river water helped to protect the animal fossils.

【小题3】
Compared to the discovery at the La Brea Tar Pits, the canyon-involved fossils _______.

A．are far older	B．include more species
C．are better preserved	D．make experts more confused

【小题4】
What do we know about the fossils from the passage?

A．All of them are of new species.

B．Some of them have been destroyed

C．They were looked for under experts’ guidance.

D．They will be on show in the near future.

In the future your automobile（汽车） will run on water instead of gas! You will be able to buy a supercomputer that fits in your pocket! You might even drive a flying car!
For each prediction that has come true today, several others have missed by a mile. Many of these predictions didn’t consider how people would want to use the technology, or if people really needed it in their lives or not. Let’s look at some predictions from the not-too-distant past.
Robot Helpers
Where’s the robot in my kitchen? Nowhere, of course. And he’s probably not coming anytime soon. Robots do exist today, but mostly in factories and other manufacturing environments.
Back in the 1950s, however, people said that by now personal robots would be in most people’s homes.
So why hasn’t it happened?  Probably because robots are still too expensive and clumsy. And maybe the idea of robots cooking our dinners and washing our clothes is just too weird. At home we seem to be doing fine without them.
Telephones of Tomorrow
In 1964 an American company introduced the video telephone. They said by the year 2000 most people would have a video phone in their homes. But of course the idea hasn’t caught on yet.
Why? The technology worked fine, but it over—looked something obvious: people’s desire for privacy（隐私）. Would you want to have a video phone conversation with someone after you just step out of the shower（淋浴）?  Probably not---it could be embarrassing! Just because a technology available doesn’t always mean people will want to use it.
And finally, how about that crazy prediction of the flying car? It’s not so crazy anymore! But a flying car remains one of the most fascinating technology ideas to capture our imagination. Keep watching the news, or perhaps the sky outside your window, to see what the future will bring.
【小题1】
The whole passage is mainly about ________________.

A．predictions that have come true.	B．predictions that haven’t come true.
C．why predictions don’t come true easily.	D．what technology will bring about.

【小题2】
The author of this passage won’t believe that _________________.

A．predictions needn’t consider people’s practical use of technology.

B．the future isn’t always easy to guess.

C．not all past predictions have come true.

D．many of the high—tech things our parents thought we’d be using by now

simply never appeared.
【小题3】
The underlined word “weird” probably means __________.

A．wonderful

B．stupid

C．practical

D．strange

【小题4】
What does the author think of the flying car?

A．It is too difficult to imagine.	B．It is too crazy an idea.
C．It is likely to be made.	D．It is often reported in the news.

The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad .Unless watched ,she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father ,who died 30 years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this ,but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s .In the early stages ,people may exhibit short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality , easy to be angry .As the disease progresses ,patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers （神经纤维）,their effect is certain .Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients ,but also spouses（配偶）,friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss ,its
early diagnosis（诊断）and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’ s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock ,anger ,and so on. If the spouse develops the disease ,you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses ,bringing a deep sorrow ,loss and even anger towards God .No matter what feelings are present ,facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.
【小题1】
What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired day?

A．She has been living with her father.

B．She was sad about the death of her father.

C．She can’t search for her father without being watched.

D．She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease.

【小题2】
．When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease , ________.

A．their families and friends will suffer from the same disease

B．their families and friends will experience mental sufferings

C．they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years

D．they will forget everybody but their spouses

【小题3】
．Memory loss occurs ________.

A．from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else

B．from sadness ,shock ,anger ,and so on

C．for a number of reasons

D．with changes in personality