Giving a speech before a large audience is a challenge that would worry anyone—but not Shen Wenjie.

    “The bigger the audience, the less nervous I am, ”he said. The 17-year-old Senior 2 student from Suzhou Middle School has every reason to be confident. Last Saturday he took first prize in the second“21st Century Cup”National High School English Competition, sponsored by China Daily and Suzhou Municipal People’s Government.

    Shen outshone 34 other contestants from all over China, winning a trip to the international English-speaking competition to be held in London in May 2004.

    He started learning English at the age of five and his interest in it grew through playing games. “Interest plays an important role in learning English. But effort is more important if you want to learn it well，”he said. After deciding to develop a British accent, he listened to tape after tape until he could talk like the native speakers.

    Films have also proved useful. He chooses an easy film, such as Harry Porter, and focuses on the dialogues—repeating them until he knows it by heart.

    “I take every chance to open my mouth and speak English, ”Shen said. He even talks to himself in English, imagining that he is explaining things to foreigners. When studying English newspapers, he tries to express the opinions in his own words and then compares them with the original stories.

    “I am very grateful to my current teacher, Deng Xiaojing, who has introduced English newspapers and magazines to us, ”he said. But reading newspapers is just one of many activities that have helped his public speaking skills.

     “A speech is a way of communicating with people so it is important that you put your personal feelings into it，”Shen said. “No matter how beautiful your pronunciation is, just reading out your speech will destroy it. ”

72. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A. Shen Wenjie was very nervous when he took part in the competition.

B. “The 21st Century Cup” National High School English Competition was sponsored by China Daily and CCTV.

C. There were 35 contestants from all over China to take part.

D. Shen was given some money for his victory.

73. Shen speaks English so well by means of the following except _______ .

A. listening to tape after tape until he could talk like the native speakers

B. seeing easy English films

C. practicing speaking English very often

D. doing English grammar only

74. Shen thinks that _______.

A. interest does good to learn English well

B. effort is less important than interest

C. writing in English as much as possible can make one master English

D. it is needless for one to put one’s feelings into it when one speaks English

75. We can infer from the passage that _______.

A. Shen is sure to fail in the international English-speaking competition to be held in London in May 2004

B. interest and effort are the key factors to learning English well

C. Shen owes his success to his parents

D. his interest in learning English comes from studies

If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.
Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.
“The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).
But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.
The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.
As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.
“The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.”
【小题1】 What is the text mainly about?

Part Three: Reading Comprehension (30 points)
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For eahc of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best acoording to the information given in the passage.
（A）
More Americans are turning to charm school to gain an advantage over competitors in a job market stricken by the longest economic slowdown since the Great Depression.
Etiquette (礼节) trainers report business growing from clients who believe that good manners could be the key selling point that helps them get hired or keeps them off the unemployment line.
“People are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep their job”, said Gloria Starr, an adviser on image, etiquette and communications in North Carolina. Starr, who says business is up 40 percent in the past year at her school, said people were “realizing that it takes more than just ability and knowledge” to keep or win a job.
Peggy Newfield, who has been teaching etiquette for 30 years and runs a charm school, said business was “booming.” “When the economy is down etiquette training will always be up. They’re focusing on ‘What I can do to survive, I really have to keep up my game because the competition is keen.’”
Proper business manners, however, extend far beyond greeting or thanking a would-be employer. Etiquette classes deal with the basics of presentation in an interview, including what to say and how to dress.
“It’s so much more than writing the thank-you note at the end,” Newfield said. “It’s about walking in for the job interview, every hair is in place, your clothes are perfectly pressed, your shoes are polished, you’re groomed to the nines, you speak the part, and your English is correct.”
It’s great that we have seen this renewal in etiquette and manners and self respect.
Studies have shown that 85 percent of the reason a person gets a job, keeps a job and moves up is related to their personal skills. There are very few jobs out there where your manners, where your socials skills, are not a big piece of being successful. If you have manners you can walk into any business or social situation.
Teaching etiquette has become a tougher task. Some people point to bad public behavior by athletes and celebrities (名人) as a factor in ruining good manners in U.S. society. Hotel owner Paris Hilton, actress Lindsay Lohan and singer Britney Spears are among those who have been charged with setting a poor example, especially for children and adolescents. Hilton is infamous （声名狼藉的）for a sex tape that became an Internet hit, Lohan has long been gossip stuff due to her quarrels with the law and Spears was photographed partying without underwear.
56. The writer wants to tell the readers___________.
A. the etiquette training in America          B. the ways to avoid failure
C. good manners count in keeping a job        D. how to keep business up
57. From the passage we learn that the charm school____________.
A. helps those who are unemployed       B. deals with moral problems     
C. becomes more popular with people     D. does good to the economy
58. The underlined sentence “you’re groomed to the nines” probably means “you’re_________.”
A. dressed in the best way              B. fully understood
C. greeted with good manners          D. very concerned  
59. We can infer from the last paragraph that__________.
A. Good examples contribute to etiquette teaching
B. good public behavior doesn’t exist any more
C. teaching etiquette has become a tougher task
D. some famous people don’t have good manners
60．Which of the following can you NOT learn in Peggy Newfield’s charm school?
A.  How to dress in a job interview.
B.  How to hack into the company centeral database.
C.  How to maintain an edge over other competitors in the job market..
D.  How to improve your communicative skills with your collegues.

Bored? Don't know what to do with your time? Get your friends or family together, go to the park or go hiking, do something fun —just don't turn on your TV.

The 10th annual TV-Turnoff Week starts on Monday. The TV-Turnoff Network, a nonprofit organization, began the program in 1994 to get children and adults to watch less television so that their time is spent doing more productive things. This year, millions of people will participate and find much more interesting things to do besides sitting in front of the television.

Experts are convinced（确信）that watching too much TV keeps kids from participating in healthy physical activities. The average household has a television on for 7 hours and 40 minutes a day! Kids spend more time watching TV than they spend in school. Turning off the TV gives you a chance to be with your family and friends. Going without it frees up valuable time that could be spent reading a good book, writing, drawing, or discovering something else that may interest you.

There are many organizations that support TV-Turnoff Week, including The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, YMCA, Girl Scouts USA, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America．Even First Lady Laura Bush is a supporter. "Television is no substitute for a parent. It doesn't help develop language skills; it's simply background noise," says Mrs. Bush.

Even kids who may not have liked going without TV have discovered the benefits. "I really didn't like TV-Turnoff Week except I did notice that my grades went up and I was in a good mood all week," said Drew Henderson, a student in Donora, Pennsylvania.

The TV-Turnoff Network started TV Turnoff Week to _____.

       A．to get people to spend more time doing more productive things

       B．to keep kids from participating in healthy physical activities

       C．to advise people not to buy television sets

       D．to persuade more people to join the organization

Which is not the advantage of turning off the TV?

       A．Giving you a chance to be with your family and friends.

       B．Sparing more time reading books.

       C．Developing language skills.

       D．Participating in healthy physical activities.

Laura Bush must be _____.

       A．the first woman to support TV-Turnoff Week

       B．the wife of American President

       C．the first woman to organize TV-Turnoff Week

       D．the first lady in the Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Drew Henderson’s words in the last paragraph imply that _____.

       A．he doesn’t like TV-Turnoff Week

       B．he doesn’t support TV-Turnoff Week at all

       C．it’s unnecessary to have TV-Turnoff Week

       D．he doesn’t support TV-Turnoff Week until he finds it does good to his study.

If you don’t have a college degree, you’re at greater risk of developing memory problems or even Alzheimer’s (老年痴呆). Education plays a key role in lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder, and it's well documented that those with a college degree possess a cognitive（认知的） advantage over those less educated in middle and old age.

       Now, a large national study from Brandeis University published in the American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry shows that those with less schooling can significantly make up for poorer education by frequently engaging in mental exercises such as word games, puzzles, reading, and lectures.

       “The lifelong benefits of higher education for memory in later life are quite impressive, but we do not clearly understand how and why these effects last so long,” said lead author Margie Lachman, a psychologist. She suggested that higher education may encourage lifelong interest in cognitive efforts, while those with less education may not engage as frequently in mental exercises that help keep the memory agile (敏捷地).

       But education early in adulthood does not appear to be the only route to maintain your memory. The study found that intellectual activities undertaken regularly made a difference. “Among individuals with low education, those who are engaged in reading, writing, attending lectures, doing word games or puzzles once a week or more had memory scores similar to people with more education,” said Lachman.

       The study, called Midlife in the United States, assessed 3,343 men and women between the ages of 32 and 84 with an average age of 56 years. Almost 40 percent of the participants had at least a 4-year college degree. The researchers evaluated how the participants performed in two cognitive areas, verbal (言语的)memory and executive function --- brain processes involved in planning, abstract thinking and cognitive flexibility. Participants were given a series of tests, including tests of verbal fluency, word recall, and backward counting.

       As expected, those with higher education said they engaged in cognitive activities more often and also did better on the memory tests, but some with lower education also did well, explained Lachman.

       “The findings are promising because they suggest there may be ways to level the playing field for those with lower educational achievement, and protect those at greatest risk for memory declines,” said Lachman. “Although we can not rule out the possibility that those who have better memories are the ones who take on more activities, the evidence is consistent with cognitive plasticity (可塑性), and suggests some degree of personal control over cognitive functioning in adulthood by adopting an intellectually active lifestyle.”

What is the text mainly about?

       A. Higher education has a better cognitive advantage.

       B. Better memories result from college degree.

       C. Cognitive activity does good to one’s mind.

       D. Poor education has more risk of memory declines.

According to the result of Margie Lachman’s study, we can conclude that ________.

 A. education is responsible for the lifelong memory performance and risk for mental disorder

 B. education early in adulthood can be the only route to maintain your memory

 C. those with higher education did better on the memory tests than those with lower education

 D. an intellectually active lifestyle does help to maintain your memory

What do we know about the study called Midlife?

     A. Participants each were given a battery to test their memory.

     B. The average age of the participants are 56 years old.

     C. Participants had to perform in one of the two cognitive areas.

     D. One in four of the participants had a 4-year college degree.

Why are the findings of the Lachman’s study promising?

     A. The lower educated may have the same opportunities to keep up memory.

     B. We may have ways to cure the people who have memory declines.

     C. Adopting a different lifestyle can control cognitive functioning.

     D. We can find out the possibility to have better memories.