Magic is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh, or the king. He was also known to have entertained the slaves who built the pyramids. The "Cups and Balls" trick which he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception（欺骗）. This explains why at that time the priests（神父） even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues' mouths. This was done mainly to convince people that the priests were powerful.
Magic, however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought of as freaks（怪物） and were only allowed to perform in a circus（马戏团）. It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people's views and attitudes about magic. It was also because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world. What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Magical Tricks | B．The History of Magic |
| C．Magic as Entertainment | D．A Great Magician |
In ancient Greece, what did the priests do to show people they had unusual power?
| A．They performed magical tricks to entertain people. |
| B．They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished. |
| C．They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues' mouths. |
| D．They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves. |
What did people think of magic before 1800?
| A．Magic should be used only in temples. |
| B．Magic could only be performed in a circus. |
| C．Magic was performed by freaks and doctors. |
| D．Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Magic began about 3,700 years ago. |
| B．Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. |
| C．Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. |
| D．The "Cups and Balls" trick has been performed for about 1,700 years. |
We know the effect calories have on your body.For each pound of weight that your body carries,it takes about 12 calories per pound per day to keep it alive.If you weigh 150 pounds,you therefore need about (150×12) 1800 calories per day to keep yourself alive and maintain that same weight.
If you were to eat more than 1800 calories per day,the surplus turns into fat.It takes about 3600 excess calories to make a pound of fat.Let's say that you were to eat,on average,2000 calories per day.That extra 200 calories per day is going to turn into fat.However,you will eventually hit a point of equilibrium(平衡，均衡) because as you gain weight,you need more calories to maintain that weight.So,a person eating an average of 2000 calories per day will hit equilibrium at (2000/12) 166.67 pounds.
So let's say that you eat,on average,2000 calories per day and reach equilibrium at 166 pounds.Then you go on a crash diet where you eat only 1000 calories per day for 60 days.You lose 16 pounds and reach your target weight of 150 pounds.But then you go right back to eating 2000 calories per day again.The graph below shows your eating pattern before,during and after the diet:
Note that the graph assumes that you,like most people,eat a random number of calories per day.Some days you are “good” and eat less,and some days you are “bad” and eat more,but the assumption is that it averages out to 2000 calories per day over the long run.
This graph shows what happens to your weight before,during and after the diet:
The diet really takes the weight off.But the weight comes right back when you return to your “normal” eating pattern.The weight appears to come back so quickly because when you are at your lightest,you tend to gain more weight each day.The lighter you are,the fewer calories you need.If you only need 1500 calories per day and you're eating 2000,you're going to gain weight faster than if you need 1800 and you're eating 2000.The passage is mainly about_________.
| A．how to lose weight effectively |
| B．why the weight comes back so quickly once a person stops dieting |
| C．why a person puts on weight |
| D．how to keep a healthy diet |
According to the text,a person weighing 120 pounds needs _________calories per day to keep the same weight.
| A．1440 | B．1800 | C．2000 | D．1000 |
Suppose all the following people take in 3000 calories every day.Who will gain weight fastest?
| A．A person who weighs 200 pounds. | B．A person who weighs 180 pounds. |
| C．A person who weighs 150 pounds. | D．A person who weighs 100 pounds. |
What will the writer continue to discuss at the end of the text?
| A．Ways to keep the weight off. | B．Ways to go on a diet. |
| C．Diseases caused by overweight. | D．Proper diet to keep healthy. |
Of Chinese secondary school students top ten heroes,Mao Zedong,ranks number one and Olympic track gold medal winner,Liu Xiang,ranks fifth,according to a survey conducted by All-China Women’s Federation (ACWF).
Late Chinese leaders,Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai,and revolutionary martyrs,Liu Hulan and Dong Cunrui,all have remained important heroes in the eyes of Chinese teenagers aged 13 to 18.
Meanwhile,the 2004 Olympic track and field star,Liu Xiang;model police chief,Ren Changxia;Hong Kong action star,Jackie Chan,and China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei,have ascended to be the new stars among the students.
“The coexistence of old and new models in youth’s hearts reveal the new era’s character,” said Han Xiangjing,president of “China Women” magazine attached to ACWF.
The respondents also chose their parents as heroes,ranking number two.
“This reflects that young students’ selection standards of heroes have changed to be more human oriented,emotional and personalized,”Han said.
Reasons given by the surveyed students for this choice are:“parents are the people I love and indispensable to me”and“they consistently guide,encourage and support me.”
The survey was conducted in six provinces and cities across China,including Beijing,Shanghai,Henan,Shanxi,Liaoning and Hunan.Students completed 1018 questionnaires;443 polled were boys and 575 were girls.This passage most probably appears _________.
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a magazine |
| C．in a history book | D．in a report |
This passage mainly talks about _________.
| A．a survey about teenagers’top 10 heroes |
| B．why teenagers regard their parents as heroes |
| C．different heroes in teenagers’eyes |
| D．All-China Women’s Federation |
How many heroes of the top 10 can be found in the passage?
| A．10. | B．9. | C．8. | D．7 |
Which of the following is NOT the reason why teenagers choose their parents as heroes?
A.Their parents are the people they love very much.
B.Their parents are indispensable to them.
C.Their parents have done something great and successful.
Drinking wine in moderation improves the IQ and may boost mental agility in old people,according to Japanese researchers.
A study of the effects of alcohol on the middle aged and elderly found the average IQ of men who drink wine (whether made from grapes or rice) was 3.3 points higher than that of men who do not imbibe.
Similarly,the IQ of women drinkers showed an improvement of 2.5 points over their teetotal sisters.The findings are part of an ongoing study by Japan’s National Institute for Longevity into the links between human intelligence and what we eat and drink.
The tests measured general knowledge,powers of judgment and concentration in drinkers and non-drinkers over 40,all living in Aichi prefecture,central Japan,and sharing the same income level-roughly￡50 000 a year—and educational background.All were university graduates.
But while wine-drinkers appeared to be brighter,the same was not true of those who drank deer,shochu (a local gin) and whisky.
“The benefits of wine and sake (rice wine) in raising IQ could be due to substances they contain,such as polyphenol,which are believed to slow the ageing process,” Hiroshi Shimokata,head of epidemiology research,said.
It was premature to conclude,he added,that drinking wine or sake slowed the deterioration of brain functions in the elderly,or warded off senility.The research does,however,suggest that this is one way to stay mentally alert longer.
But there is a sobering caveat:drinking too much may make you dimmer.“People who drink more than 540 milli-litres (a little over a pint) of sake or wine a day had lower intelligence quotients than those who did not drink at all,”Hiroshi Shimokata said.“Moderation is very important.”Which one is the topic of the passage?
| A．Drinking wine in a large amount improves the IQ of old people. |
| B．Drinking wine in a reasonable amount raises the IQ of old people. |
| C．Drinking wine in moderation does good to any one. |
| D．Drinking wine helps improve the IQ of women. |
According to the passage,which of the following is NOT wrong?
| A．Every wine drinker’s IQ is 3.3 points higher than that of men who don’t drink. |
| B．The IQ of women drinker is 2.5 points lower than that of the non-drinking women. |
| C．Drinking beer and whisky cannot improve one’s IQ. |
| D．Drinking wine can only do good to the IQ of rich old people. |
The reason why wine and sake can improve IQ is that _________.
| A．wine and sake have special taste |
| B．wine and sake can make us excited |
| C．wine and sake contain substances considered to slow the ageing process |
| D．wine and sake contain something believed to prevent us from ageing |
From the text,it seems that we can conclude _________.
| A．the more wine we drink,the brighter we are |
| B．the less wine we drink,the brighter we are |
| C．drinking wine less than 540ml a day,we’ll become dimmer |
| D．drinking wine in moderation,we’ll become brighter |
Life on-line can be a much richer experience when you aren’t restricted to just written words and still pictures.Even if you’re new to the Net,you’ve probably heard about multimedia on-line—listening to audio,watching animations and videos,even playing in three-dimensional space.Sound and movement make information come alive.
To experience it,you’ll need special pieces of software called plug-ins.The term “plug-in” refers to a small,add-on piece of software which extends the capabilities of your web browser,like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer,turning your computer into a radio or TV.
When you arrive at a web page which contains a file requiring a plug-in which you don’t have,you will usually receive a message asking if you want to get it by downloading it and installing it into your computer.Most of the time,the installation will be automatic.
Occasionally,you’ll run into a downloaded file which needs to be decompressed or un-zipped before installation.Once installed,plug-ins run automatically,without you having to do anything.
Many multimedia controls still need to be obtained from the developer but are installed automatically.
Shockwave is a good example of this.All you need to do is go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the ActiveX control.The rest happens automatically.The next time you go to a “Shocked” website,the Shockwave control loads and plays the movie.
Most plug-ins and controls can be downloaded for free on the Internet,although not all will work with every system.Some of them,for instance,only work with Windows 95.Plug-ins can help us to do all of the following except _________.
| A．listening to music |
| B．watching animations and videos |
| C．playing three-dimensioned games |
| D．searching for information on the net |
The correct explanation about “plug-in” is _________.
| A．a radio or TV connected with a computer |
| B．a small,add-on piece of hardware which improves your web browser |
| C．a small,add-on piece of software which can turn your computer into a radio or TV |
| D．a small,add-on piece of software like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer |
When we go to a “shocked” website a second time,_________.
| A．we should go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the Active X control |
| B．the shockwave control loads itself and plays the movie for us |
| C．we will be asked whether to download the shockwave control or not |
| D．we have to buy the shockwave control and load it |
Most of the time,how can we get a plug-in before automatic installation?
| A．We have to buy it from the developer. |
| B．We have to borrow it from the developer. |
| C．We have to rent it from the developer. |
| D．We can obtain from the developer without paying. |
How Good Are US Drivers?
The CBS-TV“National Drivers’ Test”，showed that many US drivers have a lot to learn.Here’s why.
CBS picked 1799 sample drivers to take the test in TV studios in New York，Philadelphia，Chicago，and Los Angeles.More than two out of five of the drivers failed the test.And the average score was the lowest passing mark—51 points out of a possible 80.
Chicago drivers did best with an average of 53 points.Los Angeles drivers came next with 52 points.New York and Philadelphia drivers got 50 points—a failing score.Drivers with 50 points or less were rated“poorly informed”by the judges.
Here are some of the test results:
1.Are men drivers better informed than women ones?
Yes.Men averaged 52 points.Women got an average of 49.
2.Are older drivers better informed than younger drivers?
No.Drivers under 26 averaged 52 points.Drivers from 27 to 45 averaged 51.Drives over 45 failed with a 48-point average.
3.Does education make a difference?
Yes.College graduates averaged 52 points.High school graduates averaged 50.Those without high school diplomas(毕业证) got 48.And people who had taken driver education courses scored an average of 53 points—three more than those who hadn’t.
4.Does driving experience make a difference?
Yes.Drivers with three or more years of experience averaged 51 points.Drivers with less experience averaged 49.
Here are some surprising facts brought out by the test:
1.More than one out of three drivers did not know that a blinking red light means a full stop.
2.Three out of ten drivers did not know that an octagonal(eight-sided)sign means stop.
3.More than two out of three drivers did not know what to do when being“tailgated(追尾)”.
The answer:slow down，drive to the right，and let the driver behind pass.
The results of the test were turned over to the National Safety Council(委员会).They will help future safety planning.The author’s purpose is to_________.
| A．prove that men are better drivers than women |
| B．give you safe driving directions |
| C．tell you the results of a national drivers’ test |
| D．require you to get an education |
From the information in this article，which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Older drivers are better informed than younger drivers. |
| B．Experience makes a difference among drivers. |
| C．Most drivers failed the test. |
| D．Most people don’ t know what a blinking red light means. |
The test covered the following areas about drivers except_________.
| A．education | B．years of driving experience |
| C．sex | D．health |
Which of the following as a group was rated“poorly informed”by the judges?
| A．Men. | B．High school graduated drivers. |
| C．Drivers from 27-45 years of age. | D．Drivers with 3 or more years of experience. |
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