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。

　　Few laws are so effective that you can see results just days after they were passed．but in the nine days since the federal cigarette tax(税)doubled-to ＄1.01 per pack-smokers have jammed telephone “quit lines” across the country trying to kick(改掉)the habit．

　　This is not a surprise to public health advocates(倡导者)．They’ve studied the effect of state tax increases for years, finding that smokers, especially teens, are price sensitive(敏感的)．Nor is it a shock to the industry, which fiercely fights every tax increase．

　　The only wonder is that so many states still close their ears to the message．Tobacco taxes improve public health, they raise money and most particularly, they deter people from taking up the habit as teens, which is when nearly all smokers are addicted．Yet the rate of taxation varies widely．

　　In Manhattan, for instance, which has the highest tax in the nation, a pack of Marlboro Light Kings cost ＄10.06 at one drugstore Wednesday．Charleston, S,

　　C#, where the 7-cent-a-pack tax is the lowest in the nation．The price was ＄4.78．

　　The influence is obvious．

　　In New York, high school smoking hit a new low in the latest surveys-13.8％, far below the national average．By comparison, 26％ of high school students smoke in Kentucky, Other low-tax states have similarly depressing(令人沮丧的teen-smoking records．

　　Hal Rogers, Representative from Kentucky, like those who are against high tobacco taxes, argues that the burden(负担)of the tax falls on low-income Americans “who choose to smoke．”

　　That's true, But there is more reason in keeping future generations of low-income workers from getting addicted in the first place, As for today's adults, if the new tax drives them to quit, they will have more to spend on their families, cut their risk of cancer and heart disease and feel better．

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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。

　　In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries(神秘之物)of nature．Some ancient people believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons(武器)of the gods．

　　In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth．A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs．

　　The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752．In the same year he also built the first lightning rod(避雷针)．This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning．

　　Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage(电压)of more than 15 million volts(伏特)．A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second．

　　Scientists judge that there are about 2, 000 million flashes of lightning per year．Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year．In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day．

　　The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car．Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under trees．Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences．Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things．

With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry!

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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, August, Dave Fuss lost his job driving a truck for a small company in west Michigan．His wife, Gerrie, was still working in the local school cafeteria, but it was hard for Dave to find work, and the price of everything was rising．The Fusses were at the risk of joining the millions of Americans who have lost their homes in recent years．Then Dave and Gerrie received a timely gift-＄7, 000, a legacy(遗产)from their neighbors Ish and Arlene Hatch, who died in an accident．“It really made a difference when we were meeting difficulty．”says Dave．

　　But the Fusses weren't the only folks in Alto and the neighboring town of Lowell to receive unexpected legacy from the Hatches．Dozens of other families were touched by what the Hatches had done．In some cases, it was a few thousand dollars; in others, it was more than ＄100, 000．

　　It surprised nearly everyone that the Hatches had so much money, more than ＄3 million-they were an elderly couple who lived in an old house on what was left of the family farm．

　　Children of the Great Depression, Ish and Arlene were known for their habit of saving．They preferred comparison shopping and would go from store to store, checking prices before making a new purchase．

　　Through the years, the Hatches paid for local children to attend summer camps when their parents couldn't afford it．“Ish and Arlene never asked if you needed anything, ” says their friend Sandy Van Weelden, “They could see things they could do to make you happier, and they would do them．”

　　Even more extraordinary was that the Hatches gave away their farmland．It was the Hatches’ wish that their legacy-a legacy of kindness as much as one of dollars and cents-should enrich the whole community and last for generations to come．

　　Neighbors helping neighbors-that was Ish and Arlene Hatch's story．

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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。

Welcome to Goteborg University

　　Goteborg University is one of Sweden's largest and most popular universities．

　　We are very proud of this and believe that there are several reasons for our popularity．The principal reasons we believe to be the high quality of our education and research and the broad range of courses that we offer．In addition to this, Goteborg University provides an attractive and exceptionally(格外的)high-standard study environment．Most parts of the university are situated in the city centre and this enriches city life as well as student life．

　　Goteborg has a lot to offer its students：it has a rich and varied cultural life with many theatres, concerts and festivals．For those looking for outdoor life, forests and vast recreation(娱乐)areas are not far away from the city centre; the sea and the archipelago(群岛)are also within easy reach．Industry and commerce are expanding, and have a joint interest with the University in meeting the ever-changing and growing demands of society．

　　Goteborg University strives(努力)to be an attractive choice for students from all over the world．

　　We look forward to welcoming you to Goteborg University．

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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。

　　Time and how we experience it have always puzzled us．Physicists have created fascinating theories, but their time is measured by a pendulum(钟摆)and is not psychological time, which leaps with little regard to the clock or calendar．As some-one who understood the distinction observed, "When you sit with a nice girl for two hours it seems like a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove, a minute seems like two hours．"

　　Psychologists have long noticed that larger units of time, such as months and years, fly on swifter wings as we age．They also note that the more time is structured with schedules and appointments, the more rapidly it seems to pass．For example, a day at the office flies compared with a day at the beach．Since most of us spend fewer days at the beach and more at the office as we age, an increase in structured tune could well be to blame for why time seems to speed up as we grow older．

　　Expectation and familiarity also make time seem to flow more rapidly．Almost all of us have had the experience of driving somewhere we’ve never been before．Surrounded by unfamiliar scenery, with no real idea of when we'll arrive, we experience the trip as lasting a long time．But the return trip, although exactly as long, seems to take far less time．The novelty of the outward journey has become routine．Thus taking a different route on occasions can often help slow the clock．

　　When was become as identical as identical as beads(小珠子)on a string, they mix together, and even months become a single day．To counter this, try to find ways to interrupt the structure of your day-to stop time, so to speak．

　　Learning something new is one of the ways to slow the passage of time．One of the reasons the days of our youth seems so full and long is that these are the days of learning and discovery．For many of us, learning ends when we leave school, but this doesn't have to be．

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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。

　　I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood and year-round sun．You may think People, n such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others．If so you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness．

　　Many intelligent people still think fun equals happiness．The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common．Fun is what we experience during an act．Happiness is what we experience after an act．It is a deep, long-lasting emotion．

　　Going to an amusement park or a ball game, watching a movie or television are fun activities that help us relax, temporally forget our problems and maybe even laugh．But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends．

　　I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun．They have constant access to exciting parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells "happiness" But in memoir(回忆录)after memoir, they expose Ac unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun：depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages and loneliness．

　　Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying．If he is honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment．For commitment is in fact quite painful．The single life is filled with fun, adventure and excitement．Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features．

　　Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness．They can dine out whenever they want and sleep as late as they want．Couples with babies are lucky to get a whole night' s sleep．I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children．

　　Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we can ever come to．It liberates time：now we can devote more hours to activities that can truly increase our happiness．It liberates money：buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless．And it frees us from envy：we now understand that all those rich and famous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all．

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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。

Thanks a Million, Dad

　　I was born disabled．A difficult birth, feet first, my head stuck．By my first birthday, I couldn't stand or walk．

　　When I was three, the doctor told dad I had cerebral palsy(脑瘫)．A loss of oxygen to my brain had destroyed brain signals to the right side of my body．

　　But no son of my dad' s was going to be disabled．Every morning before breakfast and every evening before bed, my dad placed me on the bedroom floor to exercise my right leg．The muscles were shrunk and twisted together．Back and forth up and down, my dad pushed and pulled the muscles into shape．

　　But my dad' s exercise of passion didn't stop there．For my 13th birthday, he threw me a special party．When everybody was gone, he brought me to open a large box, it was a-set of boxing gloves．We put them on．My dad kept on beating me mercilessly．Each time I tried to get up, leather kissed my nose, eyes and jaw．I "begged him to stop．He said he beat me to get me ready for the tough world．

　　That same year, I was the only kid in my neighborhood that wasn't picked for Little League．Two weeks later．Dad started the Shedd Park Minor League, and every kid played．Dad coached us and made me a pitcher(棒球投手)．

　　The power of my dad' s love guaranteed I walked and more．In high school, I became a football star．

　　In 1997, a brain surgeon in San Jose told me I didn't t have cerebral palsy after all．He explained how and where the doctor' s forceps(镊子)at birth had damaged my brain．

　　My dad never knew the whole truth since he passed away years ago．But all that counts is the bottom line．After all his madness, on this Father' s Day, like every Father' s Day, I' m no longer disabled．

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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。

Obama Still Smokes in Secret

　　US President Barack Obama has just made life more difficult for cigarette makers．He has just signed a law that will set tough new rules for the tobacco industry．The new law gives the US Food and Drug Administration the power to strictly limit the making and marketing of tobacco products．

　　At a White House signing ceremony Monday, Obama said that he was among the nearly 90％ of smokers who took up the habit before their 18 th birthday．

　　Obama, who has publicly struggled to give up smoking, said he still hadn't completely kicked the habit．Every now and then he still smokes in secret．

　　“As a former smoker I struggle with it all the time．Do I still smoke sometimes? Yes．Am I a daily smoker, a constant smoker? No．” Obama said at a news conference．

　　“I don' t do it in front of my lads．I don? t do it in front of my family．I would say that I am 95％ cured, but there are times when I mess up, " he said．

　　"Once you go down this path, it' s something you continually struggle with, which is exactly why the law is so important．The new law is not about me, it' s about the next generation of kids coming up．What we don ' t want is kids going down that path, " he said．

　　Nearly 20％ of Americans smoke and tobacco use kills about 440, 000 people a year in the United States due to cancer, heart disease, and other serious diseases．

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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、D中选出最佳选项。

　　There was once a captain who loved money so much that he cheated his sailors at the end of every voyage and took their wages．

　　On the last day of one voyage, the ship was in a small port．It was winter time, and the sea was very cold, so the captain said to his sailors, "If one of you stays in the water during the whole night, I will give him my ship．But if he comes out before the sun appears, I shall get his wages．"

　　The sailors had heard about the captain's cheating, so they didn't trust him．But then one of them, who thought that he was cleverer than the captain, said that he would do it．He got into the water, and, though it was very cold, he stayed in it．When it was nearly morning, some fishermen lit a fire on the shore about half a mile away．

　　"You are cheating, " the captain said to the sailor．"The fire's warming you．"

　　"But it's half a mile away! " said the sailor．

　　"A fire's fire, " answered the captain．"I have won．"

　　The sailor came out of the water, and said, "Perhaps you think that you are clever because you have won my wages, but you can't cook a chicken．"

　　"I can, " answered the captain．

　　"If you cook this chicken, " said the sailor, "I shall work for you without wages for seven years, but if you can't, you will give me your ship．"

　　The captain agreed, took the chicken and said, "Where's the fire? "

　　"There it is, " answered the sailor．"On the shore．"

　　"But it's half a mile away, " said the captain angrily．

　　" 'A fire's fire, ' you said, " answered the sailor．"If it is enough to warm me in the water, it is enough to cook your chicken．"

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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、D中选出最佳选项。

　　It was a dark and stormy night．I was about to go to bed when I heard a tapping sound on my window．"Who's there? " I shouted．Suddenly there was a flash of lightning; I saw a face at the window．It looked like an alien(外星人)…an alien that I had seen on the television show, "the X files"．

　　I felt very scared．I ran to my bed and pulled my blanket over my head．I started to shout for my parents but there was no reply．Then I remembered that they were at a fancy dress party．

　　I looked out of my blanket but it was too dark to see anything．Then I heard footsteps．They were getting louder and louder．I ran to my drawer to take out my camera and started to take pictures in the direction of the window．Soon the footsteps died off．

　　The grandfather clock struck．It was 12 midnight．I went back to my bed and tried to sleep．But I could not sleep．I felt too frightened．I sat up, and my mind was full of thoughts．Time passed…finally, I fell asleep．

　　I woke up only after eight and decided to find out what it had been．I found some footprints outside my bedroom window．I measured them with a ruler and found them to be exactly the same size as my father's shoes．I then went to town to get the film developed．I didn't realize that I did not use the flash until I saw the black photos．

　　When I reached home, I told my father the whole incident and he started to laugh．I started laughing too when he told me that he had dressed up as an alien for the party．Today, I am still amused to think I was so afraid of my own father．

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