American author Mark Twain once noted that “life would be surely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.” Twain’s words were only one of many complaints about aging. The ancient Greek poet Homer called old age “hateful”, and William Shakespeare termed it “terrible winter”.
Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world before he died around 323 B.C., may have been looking for a river that healed the ravages of age. During the 12^th century A.D., a king called Prester John ruled a land that had a river of gold and a fountain of youth.
But the name linked most closely to the search for a fountain of youth is 16^th-century Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon. He thought it would be found in Florida. In St. Augustine, the oldest city in the U.S., there’s a tourist attraction. It is said to be the fountain of youth that Ponce de Leon discovered soon after he arrived in what is now Florida in 1513. However, elderly visitors who drink the spring’s water don’t turn into teenagers.
But the tale of the search for a fountain of youth is so appealing(有吸引力的) that it survives anyway, says Ryan K. Smith, a professor of history. “People are more attracted by the story of looking and not finding than they are by the idea that the fountain might be out there somewhere.”
Still, a few grains of truth have helped to support the story. Kathleen Deagan, a professor of archaeology, says a graveyard and the remains of a Spanish mission dating back to St. Augustine’s founding in 1565 have been discovered near the so-called fountain of youth. Michelle Reyna, a spokesperson for the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, says the fountain has been a tourist attraction since at least 1901 and may have been attracting visitors since 1860.
【小题1】According to the passage, who searched for a fountain of youth?

Channel Islands

The two main islands, Jersey and Quernsey, are remarkable in that they present a combination of enjoyment, peace and quiet. Neither island is very big (only ten miles long) and so all parts of these coasts are easily reached from the main centers -- St. Helier and St. Peter Port. In both these towns and particularly in Jersey's St. Helier are the amusements of really big resorts (度假胜地). The nearness of France gives a continental atmosphere; the weather here is far better than that of any other part of England. The other three islands, Jethou, Hern and Sark are small and quiet.

Isles of Scilly

The islands are really small and quiet; the weather is warm but windy. The islands are excellent for those who enjoy exploring small inlets (水湾), creeks (小溪) and bays on foot, or better, in a boat.

Isle of Wight

he island is 24 miles across and therefore quite large. The scenery is good and varied. The resorts are neither overlarge nor showy. The island has the best sunshine record in Britain.

Isle of Man

An island with a unique atmosphere -- it is different from England, Scotland or Wales. Thirty miles long, with good roads and good public transport, the mountains, hills and deep valleys are easily reached. Douglas is a major British resort and other holiday places are lively.

60. If you want to drive to the mountains and hills, you would choose

A. the Isle of Man      B. the Isle of Wight                C. Jersey             D. the Isles of Stilly

61. If you want to be fairly sure you would have a lot of sunshine on holiday, you would choose ____.

A. the Channel Islands                                 B. the Isle of Man

C. the Isle of Wight                            D. the Isles of Scilly

62. It can be concluded from Paragraph One that _______.

A. the Channel Islands consist of two islands

B. the Channel Islands are really ideal resorts

C. Jersey and Quernsey are excellent for those who enjoy exploring nature

D. there are many resorts in Jethou, Hem and Sark

63. In which way are the Channel Islands different from all the other places in England?

A. The coasts are easily reached from the main centers.

B. There are more islands there.

C. The weather is far better.

D. The crowds there can enjoy more entertaining but quieter holidays.

When your pet meets your infant(婴儿)，it might not be love at first sniff. When Jennifer brought her baby home from the hospital, her cherished dogs had very different reactions. Her Boxer, Sonya, was immediately gentle and protective. But Tiger, the Pomeranian, was less welcoming. “If any diapers(尿布)or toys were on the floor, he peed on them,” says the Greenbrier, mom. In the eyes of a pet, there’s a new star in home who’s stealing his spotlight. Even the gentlest animal will probably act up if he doesn’t get his usual attention. These simple steps will help your pet adjust and keep your baby safe.
Introduce Them with Care
Your newborn and per’s first encounter can set the tone for their relationship. To make it as smooth as possible, try this trick from Caryn Ruiz：“Before we left the hospital, my husband took blankets home to our dog, Daisy, so she’d know our newborn Devon’s smell.” When you get home, have your husband carry the baby so you can greet your pet without worrying about her jumping on you. A cat will likely walk away at first, while a dog probably wants to investigate right away.
To introduce your baby, get down on your pet’s level and let her have a hello sniff. Don’t panic and pull your baby away unless your pet is barking or hissing, because it’ll send the message that the baby is a threat.
Learn the Safety Basics
No matter how smoothly the introduction goes, there are certain safety rules you should follow. Never leave your baby alone with the pet. Even the gentlest animal can react unpredictably. Your baby’s crying could frighten your cat, or your dog could suddenly become territorial. Consider setting up baby gates to limit your pet’s access. To keep your cat from jumping into the bassinet(有篷盖的摇篮), try putting mosquito netting over the top. Cats hate sticky paws, so keep the crib(有栏杆的婴儿床)and changing table off-limits by lining the edges with sticky strips made for furniture. You can also train your dog to sleep in a crate(大木箱).

1. 1.

   At the beginning of the passage, the author uses the stories to_____.

   1. A.
      illustrate possible reactions when pets meet a newborn baby
   2. B.
      show that pets don’t like a newborn baby
   3. C.
      prove how friendly a pet is when it meets a newborn baby
   4. D.
      introduce how terrible the pets are when a mother gets a baby home
2. 2.

   Who is Sonya mentioned in the 1 st paragraph?

   1. A.
      Jennifer’s dog.
   2. B.
      Jennifer’s baby.
   3. C.
      Jennifer’s husband.
   4. D.
      A pet expert.
3. 3.

   What can we infer from the passage?

   1. A.
      Cats are more welcoming than dogs when they meet a newborn baby.
   2. B.
      You must show your baby to your pet dog when it is barking.
   3. C.
      You should never keep a baby together with your pet.
   4. D.
      The first introduction of your newborn baby to your pet is important.
4. 4.

   According to the passage, to keep your baby safe, you should do the following things EXCEPT_____.

   1. A.
      introducing your baby to your pet with care
   2. B.
      leaving your baby alone with your pet at the first day when they meet
   3. C.
      setting up baby gates to limit your baby
   4. D.
      keeping your pet away from your baby

Channel Islands
The two main islands, Jersey and Quernsey, are remarkable in that they present a combination of enjoyment, peace and quiet. Neither island is very big (only ten miles long) and so all parts of these coasts are easily reached from the main centers -- St. Helier and St. Peter Port. In both these towns and particularly in Jersey's St. Helier are the amusements of really big resorts (度假胜地). The nearness of France gives a continental atmosphere; the weather here is far better than that of any other part of England. The other three islands, Jethou, Hern and Sark are small and quiet.
Isles of Scilly
The islands are really small and quiet; the weather is warm but windy. The islands are excellent for those who enjoy exploring small inlets (水湾), creeks (小溪) and bays on foot, or better, in a boat.
Isle of Wight
he island is 24 miles across and therefore quite large. The scenery is good and varied. The resorts are neither overlarge nor showy. The island has the best sunshine record in Britain.
Isle of Man
An island with a unique atmosphere -- it is different from England, Scotland or Wales. Thirty miles long, with good roads and good public transport, the mountains, hills and deep valleys are easily reached. Douglas is a major British resort and other holiday places are lively.
60. If you want to drive to the mountains and hills, you would choose
A. the Isle of Man      B. the Isle of Wight                C. Jersey             D. the Isles of Stilly
61. If you want to be fairly sure you would have a lot of sunshine on holiday, you would choose ____.
A. the Channel Islands                                 B. the Isle of Man
C. the Isle of Wight                            D. the Isles of Scilly
62. It can be concluded from Paragraph One that _______.
A. the Channel Islands consist of two islands
B. the Channel Islands are really ideal resorts
C. Jersey and Quernsey are excellent for those who enjoy exploring nature
D. there are many resorts in Jethou, Hem and Sark
63. In which way are the Channel Islands different from all the other places in England?
A. The coasts are easily reached from the main centers.
B. There are more islands there.
C. The weather is far better.
D. The crowds there can enjoy more entertaining but quieter holidays.

D

As school fl,tats again，there’s SO much mole for an American parent to nag(唠叨)about，like

homework，bedtime and lost hours on the Intemet．But in the age of digital childhood，Jacky Long-well，45，of McLean，Virginia，often text—messages(发短信)what she OnCe told her children bymouth_"Be nice to your brother；walk the dog；remember your reading．

This is the world of the modem family，in which even reminding children to do something has

become electronic．

There  are changes in how parents nag and in what they nag about and in the frequency of their

nagging．

With technology，“you nag more，and you are a little bit more：precise with your nagging．’’said

Reginald  Black，46，of Woodbridge，Virginia．

For many young people，electronic nagging is part of the experience of growing up．Charles Flowers，17，131．$enior at St．John“College High School in Washington．says his mothel-reminds him about everything from laundry，being Oil time to baseball practice and mowing the lawn by text．

When she uses capitals he knows she is serious：GET HOME!

Some say technology has made nagging less annoying．

Jaeky Longwell thinks texts ale less emotional than spoken messages and less likely to be resisted by teenagers．

It’s not as painful for them to hear it by text．It becomes grouped with the friendly communication，”she said．“They can’t hear the nagging．”

She thinks a good way to do it is to mix friendliness with nagging．A parent Call always start by

saying hello．

Not all parents like the new electronic r,agging．Joyce Bouehard，51，a mother of four in Fairfax，Virginia，texts her 14一year—old son but says that for many  things — chores，homework— the

old—fashioned way works better．Nagging by text has risks，she notes：I always think，if you are texting them something and they are with their friends，they ale getting a big laugh out of it．’’

68．We can conclude from the first two paragraphs that————————．

A．American children often stay up late studying

B．Jacky Long'well had a happy aigital childhood

C．American parents pay too much attention to their children’s studies

D．American parents think a lot about their children’s characters

69．The example of Reginald Black is used to show readers————————．

A．that her nagging is thoughtful

B．how the amount and kind of nagging have changed with the arrival of the digital age

C．the kind of skills a parent needs to nag effectively

D．that she likes nagging her children very much

70．We can infer that—————————．

A．It’S better for parents to nag in a friendly,way

B．whether、nagging is e]ectronic or not，it is annoying

C．American parents generally don’t like to nag

D．American parents like to llse capital letters in messages

7 1．The main idea of the article is———————一．

A．the subjects American parents like to nag about

B．the reaSOliS American parents like to nag their children

C．that electronic nagging is becoming commoll in the U．S

D．how American parents began to nag their children by text messages