The wedding took place in a Birmingham hotel．The bride and her father arrived in a new black American sport car．Her father looked nervous and uncomfortable in front of the cameras．The bride wore a silk wedding dress．She smiled nervously at the waiting photographers and went to a room on the first floor where she met her future husband for the very first time．
Carla Germaine and Greg Cordell were the winners of a radio station’s competition．The aim of the competition was to find two strangers prepared to marry without having met each other．Miss Germaine, 23, is a model．Mr．Cordell, 27, is a TV salesman．They were among the two hundred people who entered a peculiar “experiment” organized by BMRB radio in Birmingham, England, Greg, and Carla were among eight finalists who were interviewed live on a radio．They took a lie detector（测谎仪） test and the station also spoke to their friends and family about their personalities．The competition judges include an astrologer（占星家） who declared that they were suited．
The couple celebrated their wedding with a wedding breakfast and a party for 100 guests in the evening, but not everyone shared their joy．Miss Germaine’s mother looked anxious throughout the wedding and Mr．Cordell’s parents are reported to be less than delighted．
Organizations, including the marriage guidance Service Relate, have criticized the marriage．As one person put it, “We have enough problems getting young people to take marriage seriously without this．Marriage should always be about love．”
The couple are now on a Caribbean honeymoon followed by journalists．Their other prizes include a year’s free use of a wonderful apartment in the center of Birmingham, and a car．But will it last?
56．How did the couple’s parents react to the wedding?
A．The bride’s mother shared their joy．
B．The bride’s father felt uncomfortable about the wedding．
C．The bridegroom’s parents were quite delighted．
D．The bridegroom’s parents were not that joyful．
57．Some experts believe that _____．
A．marriage without the couple’s meeting each other first ends up in divorce
B．young people nowadays are too careless about marriage
C．taking a lie detector test can not solve all the marriage problems
D．most young people take marriage seriously except this couple
58．One of the prize for the couple is _____．
A．to spend their honeymoon wherever they like
B．to use an apartment free for some time
C．to have a wedding dress free
D．to own an American sports car
59．Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A．Two strangers and a wedding B．A wedding based on love
C．A short-lived marriage D．A well-matched couple
From the outer of New York to the heart of Singapore, nature is everywhere you're not looking in some of Earth's most crowded big cities. Outdoor adventure is often just a few stops on the train - or a short drive- away from the annoying crowds. Here are a few favorites to get you going:
Mount Hollywood Trail, Los Angeles
It's not a skyscraper or a Ferris wheel, and there's no expensive restaurant up top. But if you want an absolutely unforgettable, no-admission-charged, 360-degree view of the entire Los Angeles region , it's yours. All you have to do is walk a little. One of the preferred exercise routes, the Mount Hollywood Trail, is easily accessed from the parking lot of the famous Griffith Observatory; you see what you get at the end of this steep 1.5-mile trail, which winds its way through the Griffith Park wilds up to the mountain's 1,640-foot peak.
Bronx River, New York
It may not be on your Top 10 list of things to do when you finally get to the Big Apple, but exploring the almost-secret river that flows through one of New York's most mysterious boroughs (自治市) is an unforgettable experience. The Bronx River Alliance, a non-profit group that has worked tirelessly to bring the much-abused river back to life , operates cycling and canoeing trips along the river, from the rugged Hunts Point section down near the harbor on up through the borough.
Southern Islands, Singapore
Believe it or not, tightly packed Singapore does have plenty of open space left . There are actual trails right in the middle of everything, if you know where to look . But to really get away from it all, the Southern Islands, a small group of little green dots just off the city-state's southern shoreline, are just the thing.
Lee Valley, London
This East London river valley changed last summer, when anyone near a television got an eyeful of Olympic Park, built directly in the middle of the valley. Inside the park, beautifully landscaped sections quickly became a favorite relaxation spot for games goers. At present, you'll find miles of walking paths worth exploring. Start at the Waltham Cross train and follow the signposted walking route southbound, guiding you past important historic industrial areas, through interesting city neighborhoods, past the western side of Olympic Park and on to the Thames.If someone wants to enjoy an unforgettable experience for free , he can go to ______.
| A．Mount Hollywood Trail and Bronx River |
| B．Mount Hollywood Trail and Southern Islands |
| C．Lee Valley and Southern Islands |
| D．Bronx River and Lee Valley |
The writer of the passage wants to ________.
| A．inform the readers that nature exists in crowded big cities |
| B．appeal to more people to outdoor adventure |
| C．recommend several historical spots to readers |
| D．present various approach to outdoor adventure |
We know from the passage ________.
| A．it’s difficult to find a proper trail in packed Singapore |
| B．the Thames is not far away from the East London river valley |
| C．The Bronx River Alliance has succeeded in running the river |
| D．you may have trouble reaching the Mount Hollywood Trail |
American researchers found females are the more talkative sex because of a special “language protein(蛋白质)” in the brain.
The study, conducted by neuroscientists （神经学家）and psychologist from the University of Maryland, concluded that women talked more because they had more of the Foxp2 protein. The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that higher levels were found among humans that were women but in rats that were males. Their findings came after it was previously claimed that ladies speak about 20,000 words a day – over 13,000 more than men. "This study is one of the first to report a sex difference in the expression of a language-associated protein in humans or animals,” said Prof Margaret McCarthy, who led the study. In their study, the researchers attempted to determine what might make male rats more vocal than their female friends.
They separated four-day-old rats from their mothers and then counted the number of times they cried out in the “ultrasonic range”, the frequencies higher than humans can hear, over five minutes. While both sexes called out hundreds of cries, the males called out twice as often, they found. But when the pups were returned to their mother’s cage, she fussed over her sons first. Tests conducted on the parts of the brain known to be associated with vocalcalls showed the male pups have up to twice as much Foxp2 protein as the females. The researchers then increased the production in the brains of female pups and reduced it in males. This led to the female rats crying out more often and their mothers showing more interest to them. In contrast, males became less “talkative”.
The researchers then tested samples from ten children, aged between three and five, which showed that females had up to 30 per cent more of the Foxp2 protein than males, in a brain area key to language in humans.
“Based on our observations, we assume higher levels of Foxp2 in girls and higher levels of Foxp2 in male rats is an indication that Foxp2 protein levels are associated with the more communicative sex,” said Prof McCarthy.
"Our results imply Foxp2 as a component of the neurobiological basis of sex differences in vocal communication in mammals."From the second paragraph, we can learn that ________.
| A．women always speak more words than men |
| B．men and male rats have low levels of language protein |
| C．women and male rats have similar levels of Foxp2 |
| D．McCarthy isn’t the first to find females more talkative |
The underlined phrase “fussed over” in the third paragraph probably means______.
| A．paid attention to | B．related to | C．put pressure on | D．counted on |
The researchers carried out the experiments on rats in order to _______.
| A．test which part of the brain is key to language in rats and humans |
| B．prove the levels of Foxp2 protein in humans and rats are different |
| C．determine the reason why female rats are more talkative than male rats |
| D．discover the association between Foxp2protein and vocal communication |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage ?
| A．Tests on humans and rats | B．Why women are the talkative sex |
| C．Sex differences in Foxp2 protein | D．Foxp2 protein determines oral ability |
Rae Armantrout, who has been a poetry professor at the University of California San Diego(UCSD) for two decades, has won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in the poetry category for her most recent book, “Versed”.
“I’m delighted and amazed at how much media recognition that the Pulitzer brings, as compared to even the National Book Critics Award, which I was also surprised and delighted to win,” said Armantrout.
“For a long time, my writing has been just below the media radar, and to have this kind of attention, suddenly, with my 10th book, is really surprising.”
Armantrout, a native Californian, received her bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley, where she studied with noted poet Denise Levertov, and her master’s in creative writing from San Francisco State University. She is a founding member of Language Poets, a group in American poetry that analyzes the way language is used and raises questions to make the reader think .
In March, she won the National Book Critics Circle Award for “Versed.”
“This book has gotten more attention,” Armantrout said, “but I don’t feel as if it’s better.”
The first half of “Versed” focuses on the dark forces taking hold of the United States as it fought the war against Iraq. The second half looks at the dark forces casting a shadow over her own life after Armantrout was diagnosed with cancer in 2006.
Armantrout was shocked to learn she had won the Pulitzer but many of her colleagues were not. “Rae Armantrout is a unique voice in American poetry,” said Seth Lerer, head of Arts and Humanities at UCSD.
“Versed”, published by the Wesleyan University Press, did appear in a larger printing than her earlier works, which is about 2,700 copies. The new edition is scheduled to appear in May. According to Rae Armantrout, ____________.
| A．her 10th book is much better |
| B．her winning the Pulitzer is unexpected |
| C．the media is surprised at her works |
| D．she likes being recognized by her readers |
Which of the following is true of Rae Armantrout?
| A．She published a poetry textbook. |
| B．She used to teach Denise Levertov. |
| C．She started a poets‟ group with others. |
| D．She taught creative writing at UC Berkeley. |
What can we learn about “Versed”?
| A．It consists of three parts. |
| B．It is mainly about the American army. |
| C．It is a book published two decades ago. |
| D．It partly concerns the poet’s own life. |
Rae Armantrout’s colleagues think that she ____________.
| A．should write more | B．has a sweet voice |
| C．deserves the prize | D．is a strange professor |
What can we learn from the text?
A. About 2,700 copies of “Versed” will be printed.
B. Cancer made Armantrout stop writing.
C. Armantrout got her degrees at UCSD.
D. “Versed” has been awarded twice
Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place. The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard. Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example. But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary material are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?
| A．Using too much packaging. |
| B．Recycling too many wastes. |
| C．Making more products than necessary. |
| D．Having more material than is needed. |
The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.
| A．the tendency of cutting household waste |
| B．the increase of packaging recycling |
| C．the rapid growth of super markets |
| D．the fact of packaging overuse |
According to the text, recycling ______.
| A．helps control the greenhouse effect |
| B．means burning packaging for energy |
| C．is the solution to gas shortage |
| D．leads to a waste of land |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality. |
| B．Supermarkets care more about packaging. |
| C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging. |
| D．Other products are better packaged than food. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult. |
| B．Needless material is mostly recycled. |
| C．People like collecting recyclable waste. |
| D．The author is proud of their consumer culture. |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance. After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki‟s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity慈善机构, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
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