阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

　　Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5：30 and at 6：30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club．At last, the traffic was moving．She swung quickly racing to her house．As she opened the door, she nearly tripped over Sheba．

　　“Hey, Sheba, ” she said, “I've got no time for you now, but I'll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club．” Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking．Obviously, she could hardly breathe．Immediately, Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet．

　　When she got there, the vet was just about to close for the day．Seeing the state of Sheba, Dr．Sterne brought her quickly into his office．

　　“Listen, doctor, I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting, can I leave her with you, and go and get changed? I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up, and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me．Is that OK? ”

　　“Sure．” said the doctor．

　　Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes．As she was once more　entering the hallway, the phone by the door began to ring．

　　“This is Dr．Sterne, ” said an anxious voice．“I want you to get out of that house immediately, ”said the doctor's voice．“I'm coming round right away, and the police will be there any time now．Wait outside! ”

　　At that moment, a police car screeched to a stop outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house．Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened．Then the doctor arrived．

　　“Where's Sheba? Is she OK? ” shouted Joanne．

　　“She's fine, Joanne．I took out the thing which was choking her, and she's OK now．”

　　Just then, the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who could hardly walk．There was blood all over him．

　　“My God, ” said Joanne, “how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there? ”

　　“I think he must be a burglar．” said the doctor．“I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba's throat：it turned out to be three human fingers．”

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　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 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 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 of technological developments in the space industry．

　　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 being 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．

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　About 1, 500 years ago the Japanese imported many aspects of Chinese culture ： the writing system, political institutions, and perhaps the most important, Buddhism．Buddhist priests were expected to eat only vegetables, and tofu’ made from the soybean, was a very important food in their diet．When Buddhism was introduced from China’ tofu was also brought to Japan．

　　Tofu developed in different ways in China and Japan．While the Chinese often changed the taste of tofu by mixing it with strongly-flavored vegetables or meat，the Japanese preferred to eat it using only a simple sauce．Even now，traditional Japanese cooking preserves the original delicacy of tofu, though the way it is served may change from season to season．In summer, for example, it is simply served cold, while in winter it is often eaten as part of a hot dish．

　　The soybean was introduced to the West in the 18th century, but little interest was taken in it．Only scientists recognized its high food value．During the Second World War, when meat was in short supply, the US government encouraged the American people to eat soybean products．However, they never became very popular and, after the war, interest in them dropped off as the supply of meat became plentiful again．

　　In recent years，people in the West have become increasingly aware of the dangers of eating too much animal fat, and as a result, they have turned more and more to soybean products．This is mainly because the soybean provides almost the same food value as meat, and in addition it is a lot more healthful．Much of the margarine(人造黄油)，salad oil and cooking oil in daily use is now produced from soybean oil．Tofu, a representative soybean product and originally one of the main foods in the diet of Chinese priests, is considered to be one of the healthiest foods available to man．

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Celebrate the arts at Harvard

　　Experience non-stop art! Over 200 performances, exhibitions,

　　films, and multimedia presentations highlighting student and

　　faculty creativity at Harvard．

　　Schedule of events： www．ofa．fas．harvard, edu/arts, or call

　　617 495 8676 to request a program guide．

　　Join us in honoring Susan Meiselas, winner of the 2012

　　Photographer Susan Meiselas will be awarded the Arts Medal by President Drew Gilpin Faust

　　and will take part in a conversation organized by John Lithgow．

　　Friday, April 29, 4 pm

　　New College Theatre, 10-12 Holyoke St．, Cambridge

　　Admission free： tickets required．Those who receive this announcement

　　may request up to two tickets by emailing www．ofa．fas．harvard, edu/arts

　　or calling 617 495 8676．Please indicate one or two tickets, and reply by April 25．

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阅读理解，阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　A year ago, at the annual pre-Grammy party, Whitney Houston, the great star, walked on stage and closed the evening with a brilliant performance．

　　Last Saturday, Houston was once again the focus before the Grammy, but her presence was a regrettable one．Earlier that day, the pop music's former queen was found dead in her hotel room．She was 48．This, no doubt, is sad news to the whole music industry and her fans all over the world．

　　At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music world．From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists．She impressed audiences with her effortless, powerful and peerless performance．

　　Besides multi-million record sales, Houston made countless hits such as The Greatest Love of All, I Have Nothing, and the mostly famous I Will Always Love You．She also influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey．

　　But by the end of her career, there was a shocking fall for this superstar．Houston had been addicted to drugs．Her album sales declined and the hits stopped coming and her once beautiful voice became hoarse(嘶哑的), unable to hit the high notes as she used to．

　　In 2009, Houston staged a successful comeback with the album I Look To You, which fell on top of the charts．But hoarse voice, canceled concerts, and continuous illness-Houston's comeback trail wasn't smooth at all．In an interview with Oprah Winfreyin2009, Houston admitted： "It(show business)is too much for me and I wanted out．"

　　Now that Houston has finally taken a break from all the chaos, may she rest in peace．

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阅读理解

　　Education in the United States is compulsory for children up to about the age of sixteen．Most young people stay in schooI longer than that．Most graduate from high school at the age of 17 or 18．

　　Almost half of these high school graduates continue their education at a college or university．Education for most young people in this country is free up to the time they graduate from high school．There are private schools ,but most parents send their children to public schools．where students do not pay tuition．When young people go to college．however，they must pay tuition at a public university or a private university．University costs are going up a lot：private universities have become very expensive because the government does not help them．

　　Who pays? The parents of children in college may have to pay more，or often the students may have to find jobs．These students have to worry about assignments and grades and also about their jobs．If they work too much at their jobs they may be absent from class or miss assignments or make too many errors on tests．They may even fail their courses and have to leave the university．

　　For many students，the problem of getting an education is not just a problem of homework and exams．They also have to make money to pay for tuition．And professors don't teach them how to do that !

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　　In modem society there is a great deal of argument about competition．Some value it highly，believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity．Others say that competition is bad, that it sets one person against another and that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people．

　　I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills．For them，playing well and winning are often life-and-death affair．In their single-minded pursuit of success，the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten．

　　However，while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed，others take an opposite attitude．In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players，they strongly blame competition．Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society．Teaching these young people．I often observe in them a desire to fail．They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success．By not trying，they always have an excuse：“I may have lost，but it doesn't matter because I really didn't try．''What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost，that would mean a lot．Such a loss would be a measure of their worth．

　　Clearly，this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves．Both are based on the mistaken belief that one's self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others．Both are afraid of not being valued．Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve can we discover a new meaning in competition．

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阅读理解

　　Life is difficult．

　　It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult．

　　Most do not fully see this truth．Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy．It seems to them that difficulties represent a special kind of suffering especially forced upon them or else upon their families,their class,or even their nation．

　　What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one．Problems , depending on their nature, cause us sadness，or loneliness or regret or anger or fear．These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain．And since life causes an endless series of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy．

　　Yet，it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning．Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure．When we desire to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems，just as in school we set problems for our children to solve．It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn．As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt , instruct．”It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems．

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阅读理解

　　When Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in l 876, he could never have predicted what it would be able to do in the future．Now,130 years later,it's no surprise when someone takes out a telephone to make a call while on the move．

　　But phones are no longer just used to make calls．Japan's 90 million telephone owners also use their machine's modern technology and tiny screens(half the size of a business card)to play video games，send e-mails，read news，download music，store photos and surf the Internet．Since April 2006， they've been able to use their cellphones to watch TV．

　　Following several months of test broadcasts，digital TV broadcasts for cellphones with special receivers began in Japan's major cities．The special cellphones are hard to find because only a small number were put on sale．The excitement surrounding mobile TV means that the limited number of handsets quickly sold out．

　　Misogo Kado , a 37－year－old software designer from Yokohama, near Tokyo, bought one of the new cellphones earlier this month．

　　He is a big fan of the new technology．“You know how every cellphone now comes with a digital camera?In the same way，this is going to become a standard feature，''Kado said of the TV service．“It's not something you have to pay for．If you're buying a cellphone, you might as well get one with it．”While the service is new for Japan, it is not the world's first．South Korea and Britain have made TV available to their cellphone customers with the use of slightly different technology．The new service in Japan, however，is free．

　　Not only that, it uses broadcasting airwaves(电视频道)instead of an Internet connection．The images are sent through the air by TV towers，not satellites．This terrestrial(陆地的)digital broadcast system means that more people will be able to use the service．Imagine what our phones will be able to do in another 130 years'time !

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阅读理解

　　Due to the increasing number of violence acts produced in schools all over the world, more and more parents prefer to have their children educated at home rather than at school．This way they can assure their safety and well-being, although teachers and school representatives are trying to improve the situation in schools by increasing the number of the persons in charge with the safety of the students．

　　The main reason for violence acts are the films and cartoons that fill the children's time．They want to do everything．they watch on TV and never think at the consequences, and they may hurt a classmate or a teacher．

　　On the other hand, parents are not fully satisfied with the children's results obtained in classes and they consider private classes would have better results．

　　When a teacher has to watch 30 students in class he can't probably see what each of them is doing, how he is writing, or if he understands the explanations．At home the teacher can explain in details everything the child doesn't understand as many times as he considers proper．

　　And many times．the child grows fond of the teacher at home, who becomes his best friend, and who helps him whenever he needs someone to talk to．

　　However, the best solution would be a mixture between the education received at school and that at home, because school makes children communicate and socialize．Keeping a child at home for fear there might happen something bad to him．only makes the child's character weak and prevents him from knowing what real life is．Staying in a crystal ball only does harm to the child．

　　All in all．schools have been created to help children, not to harm them, so it's best to keep children in these special places, where they learn, laugh, have fun and make new friends．

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