Drinking a lot of water does not do any good to the body, according to two experts in the United States. In fact, they warn, drinking too much water could be, in certain cases, harmful.

In a study, Dr Stanly Goldfarb and Dr Dan Negoianu, both of the Renal, Electrolyte and Hypertension Division at the University of Pensylvania, the United States, have denied the popular belief that drinking a lot of water clears body toxins（毒素）better, improves skin, and helps reduce weight.

Dr Goldfarb and Dr Negoianu say that they found little proof to back the public opinion that drinking 8 glasses of water every day benefits health. At the same time, they fond little proof of harm in drinking 8 glasses of water every day.

It is widely believed that in some cases-such as athletes, people who live in hot, dry environments, and those with certain medical conditions-drinking a lot of water indeed helps, but no studies have been done to prove the benefits of this practice in average, healthy people, the website medheadlines.com reports.

The study at the University of Pennsylvania also examined reports that some people experienced increased headaches when their consumption（消耗）of water was low. In one small study, which the doctors reviewed, the group drinking the most water reported fewer headaches than the control group, “but the difference in the number of headaches was o small between the two groups as to be considered unimportant.”

The researchers concluded that there is no scientific proof to support that average, healthy people need to drink at least 8 glasses of water each each day.

The website medheadines.com says that, according to an Indian doctor, drinking too much water is harmful. If water enters the body more quickly than it can be removed, problems can occur.

What’s the key message delivered in the passage?

       A．Drinking too much water might bring harm.

       B．Whether to drink enough water makes no difference.

C．Drinking too much water may cause headaches.

       D．Average, healthy people should drink more water.

We can learn from the passage that 8 glasses of water every day_______ .

       A．proves good for the body           B．has scientific proof of harm

       C．is sure to reduce headaches     D．is generally considered necessary

Who may agree that drinking lots of water helps to lose weight?

       A．The two experts.             B．The Indian doctor.

       C．The general public.      D．The website.

According to the passage, we know that_______.

       A．the website medheadlnes.com is developed by an Indian doctor

       B．the study was carried out by two experts with an Indian doctor

       C．the two experts performed the study at the University of Pennsylvania

       D．drinking 8 glasses of water every day can cure certain diseases

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1. 5分，满分30分）

请阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该选项的标号涂黑。

It was Lin Tao’s first visit to England. He was looking   36   to his first journey on London’s Underground Railway. Against   37   of his friends he decided to go alone.

He   38   the station shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a   39   time to travel in London because too many people go home   40   work at this hour. He had to join a long line of people   41   were waiting for tickets. When   42   his turn came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by the man   43   tickets. However, he got the right    44    in the end and by asking people the   45   he also found the right platform. It was crowed with people. He did not manage to get on the first train,   46   he was able to move nearer the edge of the platform so as to be in a better position to   47   the next one.

When this train came in, Lin Tao was swept forward on to the train by the rush of people from behind. The doors   48   and the train moved off. He was   49   to see the names of the stations   50   the train stopped, but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth stop along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Lin Tao got off,   51   glad that his journey had been so easy. But he suddenly   52   that he had come to a station he   53  ! He explained his difficulty to a man standing on the platform. With a smile   54   his face, the man told Lin Tao that he   55   a train going in the opposite direction. The train had come to a small town, the name of which sounded very strange.

A. forward                     B. toward                    C. upward                    D. downward

A. an advice                   B. the advice                C. advice                     D. advise

A. arrived                       B. got                          C. hurried                     D. entered

A. short                          B. well                         C. good                        D. bad

A. for                               B. at                                   C. from                        D. before

A. who                      B. whom                      C. whose                      D. which

A. at first                        B. at last                       C. at least                            D. at most

A. sell                       B. to sell                      C. selling                      D. sold

A. platform                     B. station                     C. ticket                             D. taxi

A. road                      B. way                         C. path                         D. means

A. and                            B. or                           C. but                          D. so

A. get on                          B. get off                            C. get up                      D. get down

A. open                            B. opened                     C. close                        D. closed

A. able                            B. unable                      C. sure                         D. possible

A. which                           B. that                          C. before                      D. where

A. feeling                 B. felt                          C. fell                          D. fallen

A. recognized                    B. understood               C. realized                    D. felt

A. have never listened to    B. had never heard of   C. had never listened     D. has never heard

A. in                               B. on                           C. of                            D. to

A. had bought                  B. had sat                            C. had driven                      D. had caught

O．Henry，born in Greensboro，North Carolina，was the pen name of William Sydney Porter.His father，Algernon Sidney Porter，was a physician.When William was three years old，his mother died，and he was raised by his grandmother and aunt.William was a good reader，but at the age of fifteen he left school，and worked in a drug store and later on a Texas farm.After that，he moved to Houston，where he had a number of jobs，including that of bank clerk.After moving to Austin，Texas，in 1882，he married.

In 1884 he started a humorous weekly The  Rolling Stone.When the weekly failed，he joined The  Houston Post as a reporter and columnist(专栏作家)．In 1897 he was put into prison over some financial(财务的)dealings.While in prison，William started to write short stories to earn money to support his daughter Margaret.His first work，Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking(1899)，appeared in McClure’s Magazine.After serving three years of the five years’ sentence，he changed his name to O．Henry，hoping to forget his bitter past.

O．Henry moved to New York City in 1902 and from December 1903 to January 1906 he wrote a story a week for the New York World，and also published the stories in other magazines.His first collection，Cabbages and Kings，appeared in 1904.Many other works quickly followed，such as The Gift of the Magi and The Furnished Room.O.Henry’s best known work is The Ransom of Red Chief.His stories always have surprising endings.He published 10 collections and over 600 short stories during his lifetime.

O．Henry’s last years were shadowed by drinking，ill health，and financial problems.In 1907，he experienced a failed marriage.In 1910，O.Henry died after an illness.

1.What’s the passage mainly about?

A．A brief introduction to O．Henry.

B．O.Henry’s career and marriage.

C．How O．Henry became a well­known writer.

D．O.Henry’s best known works.

2.It can be inferred from the passage that O．Henry ________.

A．didn’t like to study during his childhood

B．had little parental love as a child

C．was very interested in medicine and farming

D．took up only one job after he moved to Houston

3.Which is the right time order for the following events in O．Henry’s life?

①He moved to New York City.

②He joined The Houston Post.

③Whistling Dick’s Christmas Stocking came out.

④The Furnished Room came out.

⑤Cabbages and Kings appeared.

A．①②③④⑤  B．②①③⑤④    C．③②①④⑤  D．②③①⑤④

4.Which of the following works of O. Henry’s is the most popular according to the passage?

A．Cabbages and Kings.

B．The Gift of the Magi.

C．The Furnished Room.

D．The Ransom of Red Chief.

 

It was Tom’s first visit to England, and he was looking forward to his first journey, on London’s Underground Railway. And against his friends’ 1_____, he was determined to travel 2 _____.

 He entered the station shortly after five o’clock in the afternoon. This is a 3_____ time to travel in London, 4_____ crowds of people go home from work at this hour. He 5 _____ to join a long line of people waiting for tickets. When at last his 6 _____ came, he had some difficulty in making himself understood by t, , he ticket seller. 7____, he got the right ticket in the end and by asking people the 8 _____, he also found the right platform. It was 9 _____ tight with people. He did not 10_____ to get on the first train, but he was able to move nearer to the platform so as to be in a better 11_____ to get on the next one. When this train came in, Tom was 12 _____ forward onto the train by the 13______ of people from behind. The doors closed and the train moved off. He was unable to see the 14 _____ of the stations where the train 15 _____, but he knew that the station he wanted was the sixth 16 ______ along the line. When the train reached the sixth station, Tom got off, feeling 17 _____ that his journey  had been so easy. But he suddenly realized that he had come to a station he had never 18 _____. He explained his 19_____ to a man who was standing on the platform. With a 20_____ on his face, he told Tom that he had caught a train going in the opposite direction.

A.thought       B. advice        C. relation         D. favor

A.alone         B. abroad        C. along          D. away

A.short          B. certain        C. possible        D. bad

A.for           B. and          C. so             D. but

A.planned       B. had          C. happened       D. hoped

A.luck          B. time         C. chance         D. turn

A.Thus         B. Instead        C. Therefore       D. However

A.question      B. way           C. place           D. condition

A.packed        B. caught        C. covered         D. seized

A.manage       B. try           C. agree          D. expect

A.situation      B. state         C. position         D. seat

A.fought        B. swept        C. drawn          D. brought

A.speed         B. support       C. strike         D. push

A.signs         B. points        C. names         D. numbers

A.left           B. topped        C. started         D. moved

A.part          B. pause         C. stop           D. arrived

A.glad          B. sick          C. sorry          D. tired

A.heard of       B. talked about    C. thought of     D. arrived at

A.result         B. mistake        C. difficulty       D. ticket

A.joke          B. smile          C. surprise        D. pity

Say Yes to Reading

Write a one-page report titled “The Best Book I Read This Year” and enter it in the Boy’s Life 2012 “Say Yes to Reading!” contest.

The book can be fiction or nonfiction. But the report has to be in your own words— 500 words tops. Enter in one of these three age categories(类别)：

● 8 years old and younger

● 9 and 10 years old

● 11 years old and older

First-place winners in each age category will receive a $100 gift certificate(礼券) good for any product in the Boy Scouts official retail catalog(零售目录). Second-place winners will receive a $75 gift certificate and third-place winners a $50 gift certificate.

Everyone who enters will get a free patch(眼罩). In coming years, you’ll have the chance to earn different patches.

The contest is open to all Boys’ Life readers. Be sure to include your name, address, age and grade in school on the entry. Send your report to:

Boys’ Life Reading Contest

S306

P.O. Box 152079

Irving, TX 75015-2079

Entries(参赛作品) must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2012 and must include entry information and a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

Winners of the 2011 reading contest will be announced in the July 2012 issue of Boys’ Life magazine.

And the 2010 first-place winners are:

8 YEARS OLD AND YOUNGER

Tyler Bergmann chose “Can You Keep a Secret?” by PJ Petersen as his favorite book. “It talks about honesty and the importance of being trust-worthy, which really matter between friends,” Tyler writes.

9 AND 10 YREARS OLD

Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones” by Rick Riordan. Writes Nathaniel: “As I read, I learned about places I have never been and things I have only imagined.”

11 YEARS OLD AND OLDER

Devin MacGoy, 12 chose “The Red Badge of Courage” by Stephen Grane. “A reader can take away many lessons,” Devin writes.

1.The purpose of the passage is to ________.

A．persuade kids to enter a contest

B．ask kids to read more books

C．encourage kids to buy Boys’ Life

D．advertise some children’s books

2.According to the passage, _________.

A．each first-place winner will get $100

B．the report should have 500 at least

C．whoever enters will get a patch for free

D．one can copy some words from the book

3. Who learns something about friendship from reading a book?

A．Tyler Bergmann                         B．Nathaniel Griffis

C．Devin MacGoy                          D．PJ Petersen

4. After Nathaniel Griffis read “The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones”, he might be ________.

A．puzzled           B．worried           C．bored            D．excited