Mark Ramirez, a senior executive at AOL, could work in the comfortable leather chair, if he wanted. No, thanks. He prefers to stand most of the day at a desk raised above stomach level.

   “I’ve got my knees bent. I feel totally alive,” he said. “It feels more natural to stand.”

   In the past few years, standing has become the new sitting for 10 percent of AOL employees at the firm’s Virginia branch. Part of a standing popularity is among accountants, programmers, telemarketers and other office workers across the nation.

   GeekDesk, a California firm that sells desks raised by electric motors, says sales will triple this year.

   Standers give various reasons for taking to their feet: It makes them feel more focused, prevents drowsiness(困倦睡意), and makes them feel like a general even if they just push paper. (Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfels works standing up. So does novelist Philip Roth.)

   But unknown to them, a debate (辩论) is spreading among ergonomics experts（人类工程学家） and public-health researchers about whether all office workers should be encouraged to stand—to save lives.

   Doctors point to surprising new research showing higher rates of diabetes, obesity, heart disease and even mortality among people who sit for long stretches. A study earlier this year in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that among 123,000 adults followed over 14 years, those who sat more than six hours a day were at least 18 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat less than three hours a day.

   “Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing,” said Marc Hamilton, a leading researcher on inactivity physiology at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana. “Sitting is harmful. It’s dangerous. We are on the cusp (尖端) of a major revolution.” He calls sitting “the new smoking”.

    Not so fast, other experts say. Standing too much at work will cause more long-term back injuries. Incidences of varicose veins(静脉曲张) among women will increase. The heart will have to pump more.

    Hedge, the Cornell professor, isn’t a fan of all this standing. “Making people stand all day is dumb,” he said.

    The sensible and most cost-effective strategy（策略）, he said, is to sit in a neutral posture（姿势）, slightly reclined(下弯的), with the keyboard on a tray above the lap. This position promotes positive blood flow. Workers should occasionally walk around, stretch and avoid prolonged periods at the desk. The key, he said, is movement, not standing.

1.Marc Hamilton said “Every rock we turn over when it comes to sitting is astonishing” to show that________.

     A. the result of the study about sitting too long is shocking

     B. we need to remove many rocks

     C. we need to smooth away many difficulties

     D. sitting on a rock is necessary

2. The following are the reasons why some experts are against standing too long except       .

     A. It will cause more long-term back injuries

     B. it will raise the burden of heart

     C. incidences of varicose veins among women will increase

     D. standing too much at work per day is too tiring

3. According to the studies in the passage mentioned,       .

     A. it is better not to stand more than 6 hours

     B. sitting too long can arouse illnesses easily

     C. sitting long is specially harmful to adults

     D. standing much is better than sitting long

4.Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

     A. Standing is not better than sitting

     B. Standing more does no harm to people

     C. Standing will promote the efficiency

     D. More office workers take standing against sitting

 

第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）

A

As a child growing up, I have very few memories of the times when we gathered as a family to sit down and eat dinner together. I grew up in a home where both of my parents worked. My mother taught in the school, and my father worked during the night at a local chemical plant. There was not much time available for us to sit down to eat dinner together due to my parents’ conflicting（冲突的）work schedules and the afterschool activities in which my sister and I participated.

It wasn’t until I got married and had two children of my own that I began to realize the important of eating dinner together. In my family there are elements that take us away from each other, day in and day out, but as a mother I feel it is my duty to bring us all back together again at the end of the day. In my house, dinner time is a time of thanks. I give thanks for us to share our day, but I am more thankful for the family I share it with. Dinner time is a time for us to share our day, and reflect on our thoughts. Above all it is a time when my family are able to connect with the ones they love.

As I look at the bread basket which sits on my kitchen table, I am reminded of how the basket’s tight weave resembles the tightly woven strands（股）of my family. I believe that through our family dinners, we will not only pass around the meat and potatoes, but we will also pass along virtues that will shape us so that we can forever embrace one another just as the basket embraces the bread.

56. What is the main idea of the passage？

A. It is pleasant to spend time with your family.

B. It is necessary to participate in family activities.

C. It is vital to balance work and family time.

D. It is important to have family dinner together.

57. According to the author, during dinner time           .

A. we should remember the one who prepares the dinner

B. we can learn all sorts of knowledge from other people

C. communication among family members will be improved

D. it is healthy for people to express their opinions

58. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The family     B. The food   C. Dinner time   D. My house

59. The author concludes the passage by           .

A. making comparisons           B. telling her own story

C. summarizing the main idea      D. presenting facts

 

 — May I have _______ honor of dining with you ?

— Sure, I feel quite honored, because you are _______ honor to our city.

A．an; the           B．the; an            C．the; the 　　      D．an; an

 

I feel sure that ________ qualification， ability and experience，you are the most qualified one to do the job.

A．in need of	B．in terms of
C．in favour of	D．in face of

 

 

第II卷（非选择题，共35分）

第四部分：写作（共两节，满分35分）

第一节：短文填词（共10小题：每小题1分，满分10分）

阅读下面短文，根据上下文内容、英文解释或首字母，在所给的空白处填上适当的词。（每空限填1个词）

‘Don't be always particular about your present work.’

My mother said to me softly, "as a matter of f  76   you        76. ____________

have done well and made great _77__(成就）in your work.       77. ____________

"My face turned red on hearing   78   my mother said.        78. _____________

She is right. Many others are w   79  off than me, but           79. _____________

they are likely to be content __80__their life and be happy        80. _____________

most of   81_ time.  I feel down with my situation just           81. _____________

because I seldom __82__(交流) with others and it seems         82. _____________

as if I am c  83  off the outside world. I should have            83. _____________

known when to hold fast and when to let go, w_84__           84. _____________

can help me avoid feeling great pressure and _85  (沮丧).        85. ____________

I will get close to leading a happy life.