We can achieve knowledge either actively or passively（被动地）．We achieve it actively by direct experience, by testing and proving an idea, or by reasoning．

We achieve knowledge passively by being told by someone else．Most of the learning that takes place in the classroom and the kind that happens when we watch TV or read newspapers or magazines is passive．Conditioned as we are to passive learning, it’s not surprising that we depend on it in our everyday communication with friends and co-workers．

Unfortunately, passive learning has a serious problem．It makes us tend to accept what we are told even when it is little more than hearsay and rumor（谣言）．

Did you ever play the game Rumor? It begins when one person writes down a message but doesn’t show it to anyone．Then the person whispers it, word for word, to another person．That person, in turn, whispers it to still another, and so on, through all the people playing the game．The last person writes down the message word for word as he or she hears it．Then the two written statements are compared．Typically, the original message has changed．

That’s what happens in daily life．The simple fact that people repeat a story in their own words changes the story．Then, too, most people listen imperfectly．And many enjoy adding their own creative touch to a story, trying to improve on it, stamping（打上标记）it with their own personal style．Yet those who hear it think they know．

This process is also found among scholars and authors: A statement of opinion by one writer may be restated as a fact by another, who may in turn be quoted by yet another; and this process may continue, unless it occurs to someone to question the facts on which the original writer based his opinion or to challenge the interpretation he placed upon those facts．

According to the passage, passive learning may occur in _______．

     A．doing a medical experiment    B．solving a math problem

     C．visiting an exhibition          D．doing scientific reasoning

The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to _____．

     A．active learning        B．knowledge

     C．communication        D．passive learning

The author mentions the game Rumor to show that _____．

     A．a message may be changed when being passed on

     B．a message should be delivered in different ways

     C．people may have problems with their sense of hearing

     D．people tend not to believe in what they know as rumor

What can we infer from the passage?

     A．Active learning is less important．       

       B．Passive learning may not be reliable．

     C．Active learning occurs more frequently．    

       D．Passive learning is not found among scholars．

If you watch British television on Friday March 15, you might be surprised to see celebrities wearing funny red noses and joking around. But don’t worry, they’re not mad, it’s all part of a biennial fund-raising event called Red Nose Day.
Organized by the charity Comic Relief, founded in 1985 by two British comedians, the aim of the event is to raise money to fight poverty and injustice in the UK and Africa.
Celebrities and public figures support the event by making appearances on comic TV shows broadcast by the BBC. This year, for example, UK Prime Minister David Cameron appeared in a music video by One Direction, which the band produced for the event.
But Britons don’t just raise money for charitable causes on one day a year, they do it all year round. One way of doing so is by shopping in charity shops.
These small, inconspicuous shops sell clothes, books and household goods just like any other shop. But there’s one big difference—it’s all secondhand.
There are nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK, according to the Charity Retail Association. Their business model is simple: Anybody who has things they don’t want anymore can donate them to a charity shop, where they are checked for damage, cleaned and priced. Most items go back on sale at a small part of their original price and the money that is made by selling them is used for a charitable cause.
The idea of buying used clothes may sound off-putting, but for shoppers who have less spending money, such as the elderly or those in low-paying jobs, it has been a welcome option for years.
Now, “thrifting”—shopping at charity shops— is also becoming popular with young people looking for alternative fashion.
“I love shopping at thrift stores. You can find very unique clothes for a very cheap price. It doesn’t bother me that other people may have worn them, I simply wash them before I wear them,” said Anne Marie, a 19-year-old Internet user from the US, in a comment on a Yahoo forum.
So next time you spot a charity shop, why not go inside? Who knows, you might find a lovely dress for just a few pounds. Even better, you can enjoy wearing it in the knowledge that your money helped a good cause.
【小题1】What do famous people in Britain do in support of the Red Nose Day event?

A．Appear on comic TV shows.

B．Donate large sums of money.

C．Donate expensive clothes to charity shops.

D．Play in a music video with the Prime Minister.

【小题2】What do we learn from the passage about Comic Relief?

A．It was founded in 1985 by two British comedians in Africa.

B．It organizes the Red Nose Day fund-raising event.

C．It runs nearly 10,000 charity shops in the UK.

D．It is financially supported by the UK government.

【小题3】One reason for the popularity of the thrift shops is that __________.

A．they sell a wide variety of goods

B．their business model is simple

C．their goods are carefully checked, cleaned and priced

D．they provide things, sometimes special, at low prices

【小题4】The passage is written mainly to __________.

A．inspire more people to join in charitable causes in the UK

B．introduce the traditions of the Red Nose Day

C．analyze why charity shops are popular in the UK

D．explain how charity shops work in the UK

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。

Celebrating sleep

World Sleep Day, observed on 21 March, was created to bring attention to the growing number of sleep problems worldwide. Sleep is a natural part of human life, but many people in the modern world ignore its importance. As a result, sleep problems are increasingly common.

In 2002, scientists at the University of Athens in Greece conducted a survey of over 35,000 people in 10 countries around the world, including China, Belgium and South Africa. Of the people that responded to the survey, 24 percent said that they did not sleep well, and based on their responses, 31.6 percent were diagnosed (诊断)with insomnia（失眠）and another 17.5 percent were diagnosed with borderline insomnia. In addition, 30.7 percent of survey respondents reported visiting a doctor for help with sleep problems and 11.6 percent said that they felt very sleepy during the day.

Overall, the survey found that ninny people suffer the effects of poor quality sleep, some examples of which are being unable to fall asleep and waking up in the middle of the night. The main factors causing these problems are pressure from school or work and a fast pace of life, but noise pollution and light pollution also interfere with sleep and contribute to poor quality sleep. The survey’s findings are particularly troubling because large numbers of people were found to have difficulty sleeping at night. The short-term effects of this are tiredness and trouble concentrating. If this happens for a long time, the risk of putting on weight and having a heart attack may increase.

There are many things you can do to improve the quality of your sleep. First, you should have regular sleep habits. Try to go to bed and wake up around the same time each day. You also need to make your bedroom a cool, dark, quiet place to sleep so that heat, light and noise do not disturb you. At night, you should also avoid things that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, coffee, tea and many soft drinks, as caffeine may keep you from sleeping.

     Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. By following the advice above, you can rest better at night and work better during the day.

                              Title: Celebrating Sleep

Topic	Context
World Sleep Day	Due to ignorance of the importance of sleep problems, people observe Mar. 21, World Sleep Day to bring1.  ▲   to the problem.
Responses of the survey	1). Of 3, 5000 people in 10 countries in the world, there were 24 percent of the people saying they didn’t sleep well. 2). 31.6 percent were diagnosed with insomnia and another 17.5 percent were on the borderline of sleeplessness. 3). The 2.   ▲     of the people feeling sleepy during the day is 11.6. 4) 30.7 percent reported 3.   ▲    to a doctor for sleep problems.
4.   ▲    causing sleep problems & their consequences	1).Under 5.  ▲    from school or work, people may have sleep problems. 2). Noise or light pollution6.  ▲  to poor quality sleeps. 3).Sleepless people may easily 7.  ▲  weight and have a heart attack. 4). Feeling fired and sleepy, people find it 8. ▲ to concentrate.
9.    ▲    to  take  to improve sleep quality	1). Have regular sleep habits. 2). Make your bedroom cool, dark and quiet. 3). Avoid things 10.  ▲    caffeine.

 

 

When people talk of a virus these days, chances are that they are talking about computer virus that have the power wipe out all the valuable work people may have stored in their computers. Imagine, the virus has the power to make military systems, giant banks, airports, hospitals and traffic system come to stop!
What does a computer virus do? It targets electronic objects that are programmed. The virus spreads through connections between these electronic objects. For virus spreading experts, e-mail is a favorite method of sending their destructive (破坏性的) weapon.
But scientists warn that this is not the worst that can happen. There is more. People are also connected through phones. The next virus may actually target mobile phones, especially those that are programmed to do many tasks apart from just communicating. It would then be easy for a virus to infect those programs and create major disorder.
For example, these virus may have the power to record your phone conversations and make others hear them. They create problems with your electronic money accounts, or they could create a mountain of telephone bills for calls you never made. And that would be a disaster. A report on this was published in the New Scientist recently. 
One way out would be to have simpler phones with not so many different functions. This would mean there would mean there would be fewer programs for the virus to attack. But mobile phone producers are in a fix. People on longer want an electronic item to perform just one task. They want more and more functions added. That would mean more software programs to make the mobile phone perform all those functions. And that means the possibility of more viruses.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．computer viruses are not so as destructive as mobile phone viruses

B．people should be careful when receiving e-mails

C．people find it difficult to use electronic equipment correctly

D．having electronic money accounts brings people a lot of convenience

【小题2】Which of the following shows that your mobile phone is infected with a virus?

A．You can’t hear the person who answers the phone clearly

B．You can’t send e-mails with your mobile phone

C．your phone bill increases for unknown reasons

D．You can hear other people’s phone conversations

【小题3】What does the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?

A．Mobile phone producers have made no progress.

B．Mobile phone producers are proud of their products.

C．Mobile phone producers are faced with a difficult situation.

D．Mobile phone producers refused to fight against virus.

【小题4】For whom is the passage written?

A．Government officials	B．Virus spreading experts
C．Electronic scientists	D．Mobile phone users

　Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for yeas. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

　　The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation-for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

　　The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.

　　Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.

1.How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

　　A. Talk to friends                                                B. Just ignore it

    C. Go to see a doctor                        D. Ask your teachers for guidance

2."It" in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to _____.

　　A. temporary loneliness                      　　                 B. situational loneliness

　　C. a new place　　                           D sleeplessness

3.The topic of the 4th paragraph is that____.

　　A. one problem of loneliness is a person's social contacts

　　B. we depend on various person for different reasons

　　C. lonely people don't have many social problems

　　D. lonely people don't have many friends

4.Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

　　A. Chronic loneliness can cause family problems　　               B. Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness

　　C. Chronic loneliness can not be overcome　　                     D. A, B and C are all correct

5.What is the best title for the passage?

　　A. Three Kinds of Loneliness                 B. Loneliness and Diseases

　　C. Loneliness and Social Contacts            D. Chronic Loneliness