阅读理解

　　This is a true story from Guyana．One day, a boy took a piece of paper from a box．He made a paper ball and pushed it into his nose．He couldn't get it out．He ran crying to his mother．His mother couldn't get the paper out, either．A week later, the paper was still in the boy's nose．His nose began to have a bad smell．

　　So his mother took the boy to a hospital．The doctor looked up at the child's nose, but she couldn't get the paper out．She said she had to cut the boy's nose to get the paper out．

　　The boy's mother came home looking sad．She didn't want her child to have his nose cut．The next day she took the boy to her friend Sidney who lived in a house with an old lady called May．May wanted to see the child, so the child let her look up his nose．

　　“Yes, I can see it,” May said．“It will be out soon．”

　　As she spoke, she shook some black pepper on the child's nose．The child gave a mighty sneeze and the paper flew out．His mother was surprised．May told his mother to take the boy to the seaside for a swim, for the salt water would go up his nose and stop the bad smell．

　　So the lucky boy didn't have to go to the hospital to have his nose cut．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　The clock struck eleven at night．The whole house was quiet．Everyone was in bed except me．Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome stuff they call “books”．

　　I was going to have my examination the next day．“When can I go to bed?” I asked myself．I didn't answer．In fact I dared not．

　　The clock struck twelve．“Oh, dear!” I cried．“Ten more books to read before I can go to bed!” We pupils are the most wretched creatures in the world．Dad does not agree with me on this．He did not have to work so hard when he was a boy．

　　The clock struck one．I was quite desperate now．I forgot all I had learned．I was too tired to go on．I did the only thing I could．I prayed, “Oh God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow．I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen．” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them．A few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．

　　Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成)as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival．Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible．

　　Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for．Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger．With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．

　　Exploration also allows minerals and other potential(潜在的)resources to be found．Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later．Resources may be more than physical possessions．Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems．Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products(副产品)of technological developments in the space．

　　While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers．The danger exists, but knowledge can help human beings to survive．Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．

　　While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets．It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Since the 1970s, scientists have been searching for ways to link the brain with computers．Brain-computer interface(界面)(BCI)technology could help people with disabilities send commands to machines．

　　Recently, two researchers, Jose Milan and Michele Tavella from the Federal Polytechnic school in Lausanne, Switzerland, demonstrated(展示)a small robotic wheelchair directed by a person's thoughts．

　　In the laboratory, Tavella operated the wheelchair just by thinking about moving his left or right hand．He could even talk as he watched the vehicle and guided it with his thoughts．

　　"our brain has billions of nerve cells．These send signals through the spinal cord(脊髓)to the muscles to give us the ability to move．But spinal cord injuries or other conditions can prevent these weak electrical signals from reaching the muscles," Tavella says．"Our system allows disabled people to communicate with external world and also to control devices．"

　　The researchers designed a special cap for the user．This head cover picks up the signals from the scalp(头皮)and sends them to a computer．The computer interprets the signals and commands the motorized wheelchair．The wheelchair also has two cameras that identify objects in its path．They help the computer react to commands from the brain．

　　Prof．Milan, the team leader, says scientists keep improving the computer software that interprets brain signals and turns them into simple commands．"The practical possibilities that BCI technology offers to disabled people can be grouped in two categories：communication, and controlling devices．One example is this wheelchair．"

　　He says his team has set two goals．One is testing with real patients, so as to prove that this is a technology they can benefit from．And the other is to guarantee that they can use the technology over long periods of time．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night．The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful：blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently．

　　My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him．I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same．I'm so glad I did．

　　On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape．After all， it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea．As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背)in the distance．

　　On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby．We couldn't believe it-there aren't any whales along the coast here．The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive．

　　The little baby whale-actually as big as our boat-was obviously stuck and could not move．The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools(漩涡)and waves．”She's trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side, ”my father said．At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently．With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water．Then it swam up right beside its mum．They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction．We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel．Slowly, they let us lead them, some-times rising from the water right beside us to breathe-and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes．Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance．

　　In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half．That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day, Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　There were smiling children all the way．Clearly they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang．Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives．This is the simple village people of Malaysia．I was moved．

　　I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train．I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread．I looked about the train．There was not one familiar face．I sighed and sat down to read my Economics．

　　It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia．Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past．As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green．Then the first village came into sight．Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave back．

　　From then on my journey became interesting．I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life．Then everything came alive．The mountains seemed to speak to me．Even the trees were smiling．I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time．

　　The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry．I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3：00 pm．Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth．I looked at the people all around me．They all looked beautiful．When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug(拥抱)．I had never done this before．He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile．We walked arm in arm to his car．

　　I looked forward to the return journey．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解

　　Starting the day on an egg could keep your blood pressure(血压)under control, research suggests．Scientists have shown that eggs produce proteins with a function similar to that of powerful blood pressure-lowering drugs．

　　The research, from the University of Alberta in Canada, showed that when eggs come in contact with stomach enzymes(酶)they produce a protein that acts in the same way as Ace inhibitors, but more work is needed to show the effects outside a lab and in the human body．

　　Earlier this month, British researchers declared that, contrary to popular beliefs, it is healthy to go to work on an egg．They concluded that the type of cholesterol(胆固醇)found in eggs has little effect on increasing heart disease risks．

　　Researcher Professor Bruce Griffin, from the University of Surrey, said：“The wrong beliefs linking egg eating to high blood cholesterol and heart disease must be corrected．The amount of fat in our diet has an effect on blood cholesterol that is several times greater than the relatively small amounts of cholesterol found in eggs．The UK public do not need to be limiting the number of eggs they eat．They can be encouraged to include them in a healthy diet as they are one of nature's most nutritious foods．”

　　The British Heart Foundation dropped its three-egg-a-week limit in 2005．However, almost half of Britons believe the limit still applies．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world．Web holism, a twentieth century disease, affects people from different ages．They surf the net, use e-mail and speak in chat rooms．They spend many hours on the computer, and it becomes a compulsive habit．They cannot stop, and it affects their lives．

　　Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users．This obsessional behavior has affected teenagers and college students．They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites．

　　They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation．They spend all free time surfing and don't concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at school．Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there．Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life．

　　They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends．The relation with their friends changes．The virtual life becomes more important than their real life．They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society．

　　Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to keep themselves apart from the society and live with their virtual friends．They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life．Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life．It is a problem for the future．This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　During the school year many parents take on the role of driver as they drive their children from one lesson to another．Understandably so．Many of us want our children to have a little taste of everything, from organized sports to music, dance and more．But we can overdo it, leaving our children feeling a little burnt out, and according to parent educator Diane Loisie, it's their school work that suffers the most．“After school, if they're busy in a number of sporting events, besides, they need to do their homework, then the time they'll feel sleepy is in the classroom．Your child needs free time．So if you're filling up that after school time, then it's during the day they're going to be taking a break．”

　　Professor Claire McDermott agrees that there's a lot to be gained from sometimes putting those scheduled lessons and activities away．“Relaxing time is important for children．It's time just to do the things they want to do．A child can go up to their room, or they can play around．It doesn't look like productive time; parents certainly wouldn't be saying ‘Wow, are they ever learning things now?' But this relaxing time gives both the body and the brain just a wonderful chance to relax after a day．It helps a child prepare for sleep, but it also helps to understand the learning that's gone on that day．”

　　It's hard to prevent signing our kids up for some activities and lessons．After all, many of us want our children to have a head start in life and the chance to join in great activities in the arts or sports is a part of that．However, Loisie feels that in the long run most children feel better with just a few key activities because it gives them an opportunity to master them．“When we get our children in too many activities because we want our children to experience everything, then what we're doing is setting them up not to be good at one thing or gaining a skill．” So choose your children's activities wisely．It may be one of the best things you've ever done for your kids… and for the family drivers!

(1)

(2)

(3)

阅读理解

　　Eight days for just ￥12,000

　　Departs：May, October 2007

　　Includes：

　　●Return flights from 6 China's airports to Naples

　　●Return airport to hotel transport

　　●Seven nights' accommodation at the 3-star Hotel Nice

　　●Breakfast

　　●The service of guides

　　●Government taxes

　　Join us for a wonderful holiday in one of the Europe's most wonderful corners-Naples in Italy if you want to have a nice time in a beautiful small quiet place．The ancient Romans called the city “happy land” with attractive coastline, colorful towns, splendid views and the warm Mediterranean Sea．Your best choice for a truly memorable holiday!

　　Choose between the peaceful traditional villages of Sant' Agata, set on a hillside six miles away from Sorrento, or the more lively and well-known international resort town of Sorrento, with wonderful views over the Bay of Naples．

　　Breathtaking scenery, famous sights and European restaurants everywhere．From the mysterious Isle of Capri to the hunting ruins of Pompeii, and from the unforgettable “Amalfi Drive” to the delightful resorts(度假胜地)of Positano, Sorrento and Ravello, the area is a feast for the eyes! Join us, and you won't be disappointed!

　　Price based on two tourists sharing a double room at the Hotel Nice．A single room, another ￥2,000．A group of ten college students, ￥10,000 for each．

　　Like to know more? Telephone Newmarket Air Holidays Ltd on：0845-226-7788(All calls charged at local rates)．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)