“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world.” That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969. ?

In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial(种族的), and geographical group. ?

Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program. ?

Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶尔的）viewer. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly. ?

The programs all use songs stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters. ?

Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. ?

“Sesame Street” is actually______. ?

A. a street in the US                     B. a program for children?

C. a program of teachers                  D. a program for students?

Children who often watch the program______. ?

A. can have problems in school             B. will find it a great help?

C. will take no interest in their studies        D. will be well educated?

What is special about the program?

A. It offers great fun. ?

B. It makes children feel able to learn. ?

C. It is shown at different hours during the week. ?

D. Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching. ?

Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?

A. Because it is supported by the government and businesses. ?

B. Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks. ?

C. Because mothers watch it along with their children. ?

D. Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. ?

The best title for this passage can be______. ?

A. TV Programs                   B. Educating Children?

C. Sesame Street                   D. A Greet Success?

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This  would  help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
【小题1】How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

A．It made the tunnels larger.

B．It put fans in the tunnels.

C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.

D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

【小题2】What led the British government to build the London Underground？

A．Traffic jams and pollution.

B．Population and pollution.

C．Overcrowding and traffic jams.

D．The poverty and subway problems.

【小题3】Which of the following is TRUE？

A．To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

【小题4】The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.

A．be troublesome	B．become popular and fashionable
C．keep up with	D．seize

Loch Ness, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, is twenty four miles long and, at one point, one mile wide. It has an average depth of four hundred and fifty feet and at times drops close to a thousand. It is cold and murky (混沌的), with dangerous currents. In short, it is the perfect place to hide a monster from even the sharpest eyes of science.

The Loch Ness Monster, also called Nessie, is supposedly living in this area. The earliest recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was in the biography of Life of St. Columba by Adamnan in the year AD 565. The monster apparently attacked a man who was swimming in the River Ness.

The monster didn’t make headlines again until August 27, 1930, when 3 fishermen reported seeing a creature with 20 feet long approaching their boat, throwing water in the air. In 1933, after a new road was built along the edge of the Loch, the number of reports rose suddenly. Early in 1934, Author Grant, a young student, was out on his motorcycle one evening when he almost ran into the monster as it crossed the road. Grant’s description of the thing – small head, long thin neck and tail with a big body, seemed to match the appearance of the plesiosaur (蛇颈龙), an aquatic (水生的) type of dinosaur that has been extinct (已灭绝的) for 65 million years.

The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was formed in 1962 to act as a research organization for information about the creature. Even now, efforts have continued to find the monster. A great deal of information was discovered about the Loch, but there isn’t any yet to produce any specific evidence of a monster.

Skeptics (怀疑论者) argue that the water in the Loch is too cold for a plesiosaur to live in. They also argue that an air-breathing animal, like a whale or seal, would spend much more time on the surface than the creature seems to, and would be spotted more often.

Some scientists have wondered if the sightings might be caused by an underwater wave which is known to sometimes occur in deep, long, and cold lakes, like Loch Ness. Such a wave might push debris (废弃物) to the surface that might look like a strange animal.

However, none of these is identified.

1.According to the skeptics, which of the following is TRUE?

A．It is impossible for a monster to live in cold water.

B．The Loch Ness Monster often stays under the water.

C．The Loch Ness Monster is an air-breathing animal.

D．There is no so-called monster in Loch Ness.

2.Which of the following is the correct order for the things that happened in the passage?

a. A young student met with a monster crossing the road.

b. A swimmer was attacked by a monster in Loch Ness.

c. A new road was built along the edge of the Loch.

d. The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau was set up.

e. Three fishermen saw a creature swimming towards their boat.

A．b, e, c, a, d                            B．a, b, e, d, c

C．b, d, a, c, e                             D．d, c, e, b, a

3.What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．The natural scenery of Loch Ness.

B．The Nessie.

C．Skeptics’ opinions on Loch Ness Monster.

D．The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau’s research results.

 

   Most of us think that when we step under a shower we’re getting clean．We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about．

   A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria (细菌) called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身体不舒服)．When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body．

   This is a finding of Norman R．Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US．The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．

   Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities．They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium．

   But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a frail (脆弱的) immune (免疫的) system might need to worry．

   He told the New York Times that the bactertia are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．

   But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice．

   Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower．Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than when the water is just turned on．If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months．

   But Pace had good news too．He has also been testing the air in US subways．Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh．The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels(隧道)．

   Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial(微生物的) environments of public places．This kind of knowledge might help detect the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack．

49．According to the finding of Norman R．Pace, after taking a shower, we might ______．

       A．get much dirtier                 B．be covered by bacteria

       C．get a frail immune system      D．catch a cough or feel tired

50．Pace’s research into showers shows that ______．

       A．there is no reason to fear microorganism

       B．shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 second

       C．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time

       D．of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium

51．According to the research of Pace’s team, which of the following contributes to fresh air in US subways?

       A．Train wheels．                B．Iron particles．

       C．The movement of the trains． D．Air conditioners on the trains．

52．The word “detect” in the last paragraph probably means “______”．

       A．to discover      B．to protect        C．to make   D．to prevent

 

         A woman wears a face mask to protect her from polluted air in Lanzhou, China, in December．

         A new study showed air pollution might put people more at risk for heart disease than scientists had thought．Kristin Miller, a doctoral student at the University of Washington, said chances of getting the disease were related to not only which city a woman lived in, but also where in the city．The study found that the effects of air pollution were often larger within cities than between cities．

         The new findings make experts suspect that current pollution limits may be inadequate．Scientists examined rates of heart attack, stroke （中风） and other cardiovascular （心脏血管的） events in women with long-term exposure to air pollution．

         The study involved women over the age of fifty who had no sign of cardiovascular disease at the start of the research．The study followed the women for as long as nine years to see how they would develop cardiovascular problems．

         The researchers also examined levels of fine particles （粒子，微粒） in the air in 36 areas across the country．That information came from the Environmental Protection Agency．The extremely small particles came from industrial smoke and traffic, along with things like wood-burning fireplaces in houses．

         In the study, every ten-microgram increase in pollution was linked to a twenty-four percent increase in the risk of a cardiovascular event．But it was related to a seventy-six percent increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease．

         But just how do particles in the air damage the cardiovascular system? The particles may cause the lungs to swell and release chemicals from the pollutants into the blood．The chemicals then could damage the heart．

1．The passage mainly talks about______．

         A．the effects of pollution on women

         B．how to protect women from air pollution

         C．how air pollution damages a person’s heart

         D．the relationship between air pollution and heart diseases

2．The case of the woman wearing a face mask shows ______．

         A．people are paying more and more attention to their health

         B．the woman is afraid of getting heart disease

         C．Lanzhou city is more heavily polluted than other cities

         D．air pollution is becoming more and more serious

3．We can learn from the passage that _______．

         A．air pollution is more serious than scientists thought

         B．the control of air pollution is effective in some cities

         C．people throughout a city have the same risk of getting heart diseases

         D．air pollution affects women more than men

4．The study implies that ______．

         A．air pollution has a bigger effect on older women than younger women

         B．small particles in the air mainly come from industrial smoke

         C．the rise in air pollution may lead to a higher death rate from cardiovascular disease

         D．air pollution has been affecting people for as long as nine years in the city of Lanzhou