D
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond right was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of rail lions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.
Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction (acting together) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧).
“It’s actually thinking, rather than one’s operation skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting. ” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To improve his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passers-by, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
68．The story is about________.
A．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician    
B．why people love magic
C．what magic tricks are                                               
D．how fashionable magic is
69．People love to watch magic because________.
A．they can’t figure out the secret of magic       
B．it arouses their curiosity
C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
D．it is a centuries-old art
70．Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A．He was interested in magic when he was young
B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
D．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
71．From the story we know that________.
A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions
B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show
C．Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame
D．Liu Qian does street show to make money

D

    Here’s an unusual story: a diamond right was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of rail lions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries-old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction (acting together) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧).

 “It’s actually thinking, rather than one’s operation skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting. ” Liu said.

Liu Qian’s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.

Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To improve his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passers-by, policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.

68．The story is about________.

       A．how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician    

       B．why people love magic

       C．what magic tricks are                                               

       D．how fashionable magic is

69．People love to watch magic because________.

       A．they can’t figure out the secret of magic       

       B．it arouses their curiosity

       C．they love watching magicians make the impossible happen

       D．it is a centuries-old art

70．Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

       A．He was interested in magic when he was young

       B．He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.

       C．He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

       D．He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.

71．From the story we know that________.

       A．Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions

       B．Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show

       C．Liu Qian performs on streets in order to increase his fame

       D．Liu Qian does street show to make money

High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better tasting meals.

     Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.

    Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For example, most people use the phone or email to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word process a home work assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.

72. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

   A. The writer likes high-tech cooking.

   B. Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals.

   C. High—tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you.

   D. Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework. 

73. How does the writer feel about high—tech tools?

   A. Better late than never.                        B. Easy come, easy go.

   C. Every coin has two sides.                     D. Learn to walk before you run.

74. What is the main subject discussed in the text?

   A. High—tech vs. low—tech.

   B. Advantages vs. disadvantages.

   C. Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet.

   D. Word—processing vs. handwriting.

75. How is the text organized?

A. Main idea — Argument — Explanation.

   B. Opinion — Discussion — Description.

   C. Topic — Comparison — Supporting examples.

   D. Introduction — Supporting examples — Discussion.

 How to Fight Winter Blue

Winter’s short days are more than cold. For many people, winter depression, the most common type of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is as much a part of the season as hats and scarves.

Winter serious SAD sufferers may need medical treatment. Those feeling a little blue can help themselves by sticking to a healthy lifestyle.

Here are some tips:

Pace yourself. Don’t expect to do everything you normally can. Set a realistic schedule. Don’t listen to negative thinking, like blaming yourself or expecting to fail.

Get involved in activities that make you feel good or feel like you’ve achieved something. For example, play table tennis or badminton.

If you are feeling depressed, you may feel like staying away from friends. Yet this is a time when friends’ support can be helpful. Call them regularly. Remember, the more we put off calling or visiting a friend, the harder it is to rebuild a friendship.

Think clearly about what’s wrong or right. Instead of giving in to vague feelings of sadness, look at your problems objectively. Break down problems into specific issues that you can work on.

Regular exercise helps to prevent and ease depression.

Eat well. Studies show that a healthy diet can help to maintain (keep) a healthy body and mind. The vitamins, minerals and micro—nutrients found in balanced diet may help our bodies to produce feel-good hormones(荷尔蒙). Foods containing chemicals to help produce feel-good hormones include bananas, turkey, nuts and seeds. Eat at least five pieces of fruit and vegetables every day.

P.S.  Symptoms(症状) of SAD:

No interest or pleasure in things you used to enjoy.

Increased need for sleep.

A change in eating habits, especially an appetite for sweet or starchy(含淀粉的) foods.

Weight gain

A heavy feeling in the arms or legs

A drop in energy level

Difficulty in concentrating

Overly emotional

Avoidance of friends and social situations

Frequent feelings of guilt

Long-term feelings of hopelessness, and physical problems, such as headaches

1.The writer of the passage agrees that             .

2.We may infer that       , according to the passage.

3.．When we pace ourselves, we                     .

4.The underlined expression “ease depression” in the passage probably means “        ”

5.The passage includes the following except             .

Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self-respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized(把…归类) as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky(卑鄙的) excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate(演示) that we cannot be trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased.  Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility(高尚).
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness.
【小题1】According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our_______.