Most schools forbid chewing gum, but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores.

    This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath.

    Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can.

    That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and more. Scientists might even create antimicrobial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath.

    Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake.

    Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes.

    The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use.

    For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert.

1.The passage mainly talks about _____.

A. the rule of forbidding chewing gum in school

B. new research on chewing gum

C. different kinds of chewing gum

D. the relationship between chewing gum and medicine

2.What does the underlined word “hits” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A. Touches.    B. Attacks.          C. Takes effect.          D. Affects badly.

3.According to the passage, Stay Alert is a gum which can help people _____.

A. stay awake              B. fight colds

C. cure headaches          D. overcome nervousness

4. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A. stay Alert is not easy to store         

B. stay Alert needs water to swallow

C. stay Alert is available to the public now   

D. we can’t buy gums that cure bad breath now

C

True End of an Era

SURPRISE, surprise---David Beckham is in the news again! Sure, the England football star was never one to shy away from the headlines. But this time it seems people are talking as much about what Beckham is not doing as what he is.

Beckham won’t be playing for England at the 2010 World Cup in South AfricA． An injury he picked up while playing for AC Milan will likely rule the 34-year-old out for four months. It could be a sad end to the career of a player who has given his all to England since his debut (首次登场) in 1996. But rather than feeling sorry for the loss, some people are finally calling for us to move on from the Beckham obsession (着迷).

“The romantic wish of him seizing the day and inspiring England to glory was poppycock (胡扯),” according to an editorial in the Guardian. It argued that Beckham is past his best and would only have played a minor role at the World Cup anyway. But you might not have guessed it from the reaction of the rest of England.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent Beckham a “get well soon” message, and a Scottish poet even wrote a poem about the injury, comparing Beckham to the Greek hero Achilles.

But is it possible to forget about Beckham? Over his career Beckham has embodied (体现) everything the English like to think is good about their country. Beckham was never the most naturally gifted of footballers, but he reached the top through hard work and determination. He never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. And even as a superstar, he never forgot where he came from.

For this, the English took him to their hearts. Not a day goes by without seeing Beckham’s name in the newspapers, but the reality is his fantastic career is coming to the enD．Of course, it is sad that he’ll miss the World Cup, but this is a chance for England to find a new hero.

As a global icon(偶像) we will certainly miss him playing for England in South Africa this summer. But I think it’s time we finally give Beckham a break from the headlines.

Choose the best answer:

66．Which of the following may not be a result of Beckham’s injury?

A．Not being able to take part in the 2010 World Cup in South AfricA．

B．Not being able to play for England for four months.

C．People forgetting him.

D．This injury perhaps ending his career.

67．______ gave Beckham a negative evaluation.

A．Gordon Brown              B．An editorial in the Guardian

C．A Scottish poet              D．Most British people

68．Which is not the reason for it being hard for people to forget Beckham?

A．He has embodied British good characteristics and traits (特征).

B．He is one of the most naturally gifted footballers.

C．He is determined to achieve his goals.

D．He always remembers his country.

ANIMALS have always been used to represent certain human characteristics. Countries also use animals as symbols. From eagles to lions, many countries use an animal to show its national spirit and character.

The image of an eagle is on the US President’s flag, and on the one-dollar bill. The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail. The term “bald” does not mean that this bird lacks feathers. Instead, it comes from the old word piebald, that menas, “marked with white”.

The US declared that the eagle was its national bird in 1782. It was chosen because of “its long life, great strength, and noble looks”.

A few eagles have even become American heroes. An eagle named “Old Abe”, the mascot of a Wisconsin troop of soldiers during the Civil War, traveled 14,000 miles with its men. He was often shot at by the enemy, but survived 42 battles.

But, one of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin didn’t agree with the choice. “The bald eagle … is a bird of bad moral character, like those among men who live by robbing, he is generally poor, and often very messy,” he argued. Franklin wanted the turkey as the country’s national bird.

If Americans chose their national symbol deliberately, the symbol of England arose out of history.

King Herry Ⅰ(1068-1135) was a brave warrior but also wise. His appreciation for the rule of law earned him the nickname the Lion of Justice. He was the first English King to use a lion as a royal symbol, which is popularly known as the “king of the jungle”. By the year Richard Ⅰ, known as “The Lionheart” for his bravery, came to the throne in 1189, the famous Three Lions badge had been formed. Now it can be seen on the shirts of England’s sports teams.

Although people might not think of lions when they think of England, everyone knows about the Australian kangaroo. Legend has it that the kangaroo gets its name from an early meeting between local aborigines and white settlers. When asked by the Europeans what these strange-looking animals were, a native replied “kangaroo”, meaning “I don’t understand you.”

The kangaroo is an individualistic animal. Although it does gather in groups, the kangaroo is not a herd animal. If a group is attacked, individuals run off in different directions. Australians think the kangaroo represents positive values, such as individual responsibility and pride.

1.The general idea of this passage should probably be __________ .

A. animals are friends of human beings

B. nearly all the countries have an animal as their national animal

C. animals’ good values are always used to show a country’s national spirit and character

D. certain human characteristics are the same as some animals, so some countries love animals

2.Which is NOT true about the animal of the “bald eagle”?

A. It was Benjamin Franklin who made the bald eagle as the national animal of the USA.

B. The term “bald” means “marked with white”.

C. The bald eagle can show American national spirit and character.

D. “Old Abe” was even an American hero.

3.The reason why the lion was made as the national animal of the United Kingdom was that ______ .

A. it could always be used to represent certain human characteristics of England

B. the Kings of England loved lions

C. there are many lions in England

D. lions are “king of the jungle”

4.What good values can the kangaroo show as national spirits?

A. Group.                     B. Respect of others.

C. Not understanding            D. Positive values.

B

It is the duty of every man to work. The life of a lazy man is of no use to himself and to others. The man who is too lazy to work is the man who is generally most ready to beg or to steal. Every boy, when he is young, should learn how to do some useful work.

But it is not enough that a boy should learn some kind of work. He should put his heart and soul completely into his work, and not waste his spare time. “Work while you work and play while you play” is as good a rule for young people as for the old!

There is no better help to diligence (勤奋) than the habit of early rising, and this, just like all other good habits, is most easily formed in youth. There is an English saying, “Lost time never returns”. This means that everybody must be diligent and make good use of his time. One must study hard when one is young so that one may make great progress, succeed in life and become useful to one’s country. Those who are diligent will never become beggars. Therefore, we can say that diligence is the mother of success.

1.From the passage, we know that those who are too lazy to work will_________.

A．waste their time

B．help others

C．become beggars or thieves

D．make progress some day

2.In order to learn to be diligent, it’s important for young people to _________.

A．form the good habit of getting up early in youth

B．learn about some good habits

C．work while they work and play while they play

D．work all the time without playing

3.One can’t be successful in life unless he _________when he is young.

A．is diligent in his study

B．loves life

C．spends some time learning something

D．makes up for his lost time