Madame Curie ,the youngest of five children ,was born in Warsaw ,Poland in 1867. Marie Curie's maiden name was Manya. Her parents were teachers,and she learned the importance of education at an early age. No higher education was offered to women in Poland at that time,so Manya took a job as a governess(女家庭教师). She sent part of her income to Paris to help pay for her older sister's medical studies. Her sister qualified as a doctor and married a fellow doctor in 1891. Manya went to join them in Paris ,changing her name to Marie. She entered the Sorbonne(now the Universities of Paris)and studied physics and mathematics, graduating at the top of her class. For the research she wanted to do , she was introduced to another young scientist, Pierre Curie. Later they fell in love with each other . After their marriage, they worked together on radioactivity.

 Fame troubled Marie Curie and also her husband, because science was their world and in this world of science fame and honor to persons had no value. One day when a writer for a newspaper tried to ask Marie about herself and her thoughts and her beliefs, she answered him, “In science we must be interested in things,not in persons.” Much of the real character and spirit of this unusual woman was found in these few words,which she was later often to repeat. One evening, at a big party,a friend asked if she would like to meet the King of Greece,who was also a guest.She answered in her simple manner, “I don't see the value of it.” Then,seeing that she had hurt the feelings of her friend, she quickly added, “But …but…of course,I shall do whatever you please. Just as you please.”

What did Marie Curie once do to help pay for her older sister's medical studies?

A.She was a teacher.                   B.She was a doctor.

C.She was a governess.                 D.She was a waitress.

What was valuable to Marie Curie?

A.science and research.               B.fame and honor.

C.character and spirit.               D.persons and things.

The writer for a newspaper was interested in____.

A.things       B.Marie Curie          C.Marie's husband          D.persons

What do you think might have happened between Marie Curie and the King of Greece?

A.The King was angry with Marie Curie.

B.For the sake of her friend Marie Curie met the King of Greece.

C.The King of Greece wrote a letter to invite Marie Curie to meet him.

D.Marie Curie held another party for the King.

“Little lies” sometimes come to easily to us that we don’t even consider them to be lies. Read about these lies of everyday life:

1.   Lying about your age or your kid’s age to get a cheaper ticket.

2.   Telling the host of a dinner party that the terrible food he prepared is wonderful.

3.   Lying to your aunt about how much you love the gift she gave you---the one that you really hate.

4.   Telling a friend with a terrible haircut that she looks great.

5.   Lying to a friend about how much you want to see her again when you really don’t

6. Telling the salesperson who calls when you’re watching TV that you’re very busy.

   Are these serious lies? Probably not, but if you would lie about your age to a stranger, what’s going to stop you from lying about something more serious later? If we tell a lie or act dishonestly and get what we want, that might make us feel good today. But what about tomorrow? The future results of our lies are uncertain.

    Still, no one is saying that everyone can or should be completely honest all the time. More people lie, often for a good reason. Lies are told all the time and are part of our everyday social life. Many times people lie to protect the feelings of other people, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Honesty is usually the best policy, but like any other policy, you have to make exceptions. 

1.The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his argument by___________.

    A. making suggestions.              B. explaining reasons and results.

    C. providing examples and facts.       D. discussing questions.

2.The author’s attitude towards little lies is that_________.

A. he feels very fond of them.            B. he feels they are necessary sometimes.

C. he feels strongly against telling little lies.  D. he feels ashamed of telling little lies.

3.According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Some people are born liars.               B. People often lie to avoid hurting others.

C. Some people can be honest all the time.         D. Little lies are not serious things.

Science can’t explain the power of pets，but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure(血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack，reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer．
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings．For some．an animal provides more comfort than a husband／wife．A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress(紧张)1evels and blood pressure in people－half of them pet owners－while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic(算术)or held a hand in ice water．Subjects completed the tasks alone，with a husband／wife，a close friend or with a pet．People with pets did it best．Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates．With pets in the room，people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions．It seems people feel more relaxed(放松)around pets，says Allen，who thinks it may be because pets don’t judge．
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits．Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs；a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program．On average，people lost about 11 pounds，or 5％ of their body weight．Their dogs did even better，losing an average of 12 pounds，more than 15％of their body weight．Dog owners didn’t lose any more weight than those without dogs but，say researchers，got more exercise overall－mostly with their dogs--and found it worth doing．
【小题1】What does the text mainly discuss?

The most important use of drifting (漂流) bottles is to find ocean currents. When the position and direction of currents are known, ships can use the forward movement of a current or stay away from currents that would carry them off their course. Benjamin Franklin was one of the first to use bottles in the study of currents. He wondered why British mall ships needed a week or two longer than U.S. ships needed in order to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Franklin thought the Gulf Stream (墨西哥湾流) might explain this difference.

Franklin talked with captains of U.S. ships. He found that they knew each turn of the Gulf Stream. They used the current in every possible way. From his talks with the captains. Franklin made his first map of the Gulf Stream. Then he checked his map by using sealed (密封的) bottles. The map that he finally made is still used, with only a few changes, today. 

Why are drifting bottles used?

A. To determine the position of a ship                                  

B. To carry message across the ocean

C. To predict the direction of a ship.                                

D. To find the direction of a current

What led Franklin to talk with U.S. captains?

A. U.S. ships were longer than British ones.

B. British ships could sail the Atlantic faster than U.S. ones.

C. U.S captains knew more about maps.

D. U.S. ships could sail the Atlantic faster than U.S. ones.

What did Franklin make after his talks with U.S. captains?              

A. A map of the Atlantic Ocean.     B. A map of the Gulf Stream..

C. A map of ocean currents.         D. A map of his first voyage.

What did Franklin do in order to make an exact map?

A. He compared his own map with other maps                               

B. He talked with many U.S. captains.

C. Both B and C.                           

D. He used drifting bottles to check his map.