Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mum, you must come and see the daffodils （水仙花）before they are over.” I wanted to go, but it was a two-hour drive from Lake Arrowhead. “I will go next Tuesday,” I promised, a little unwillingly, on her third call.
The next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn’s house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren, I said, “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible （看不见的）in the cloud and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see!”
My daughter smiled calmly and said, “We drive in this weather all the time, Mum. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”
After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand-lettered sign that read “Daffodil Garden”.
We got out of the car and each took a child’s hand, and I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, we turned a corner of the path, and I looked up and gasped. Before me lay the most beautiful sight! There were five acres of flowers! “But who has done this?” I asked Carolyn. “It’s just one woman,” Carolyn answered. “That’s her home,” Carolyn pointed to a well-kept A-frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio （庭院）, we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.
The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs （鳞茎）,” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”
I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than fifty years before, had begun -- one bulb at a time -- to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top.The author didn’t go to see the daffodils at first because _________.
| A．she was not interested in them |
| B．they were growing on the mountain top |
| C．the weather was not good enough |
| D．it was not easy for her to drive there |
What do we know about the woman living in the A-frame house?
| A．She must be out of mind. |
| B．She acted as a gardener there. |
| C．It took her great determination to grow the daffodils. |
| D．She was poor and made her living by selling daffodils. |
What could the author probably learn from this experience?
| A．Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it. |
| B．We must put the interests of others above our own. |
| C．We can change the world by growing flowers. |
| D．It’s never too late to learn. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．An Unforgettable Experience. | B．Beautiful Daffodils. |
| C．One Bulb at a Time. | D．I Love Daffodils. |
One of India's top engineering schools has restricted Internet access in its boarding houses, saying addiction to surfing, gaming and blogging was affecting students' performance, making them lonely and even suicidal.
Authorities at the best Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai said students had stopped socializing and many were late for morning classes or slept through them. "Now, a student doesn't even know who lives two doors away from him because he is so busy on the Internet," said Prakash Gopalan, dean of student affairs. "The old dormitory culture of companionship and socializing among students is gone. This is not healthy in our opinion."
IIT-Mumbai, with about 5,000 students, is one of seven IITs across India which are considered to be among the finest engineering schools in the world. They are also a talent pool for global technology giants. But their hard courses, tough competition and lonely campus lifestyle have taken an effect on students. Depressive and dysfunctional (不正常的) lifestyles are known to be common among IIT students, and at least nine have committed suicide in the past five years. Students have unlimited free Internet access in their boarding houses to help them in their studies, but many also use it to surf, chat, download movies and music, blog and for gaming.
Starting Monday, Internet access will be banned between 11 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. at IIT-Mumbai's 13 boarding buildings to encourage students to sleep early and to try and force them out of their "shells," Gopalan said. But the move has not gone down well with students who say they hate their lives being regulated. "Now they will say we need to listen to a lullaby (摇篮曲) to go to sleep," said Rajiv, an electronics student.Which of the following is not the possible effect of free Internet access on students?
| A．There has been a decline in students’ lessons. |
| B．Participation in social activities has gone down. |
| C．Some students feel lonely and even suicidal. |
| D．Students don’t even know his classmates. |
What measure has been taken in IIT- Mumbai?
| A．Students have unlimited free Internet access in their dormitories. |
| B．Students are forbidden to surf the Internet. |
| C．Internet access is unavailable in deep night. |
| D．Students must go to bed before 11 p.m. |
In the passage the students are told to _____.
| A．sleep through their lessons | B．break away from the Internet |
| C．go to sleep along with music | D．stop surfing, make friends |
We may infer from the last paragraph that _____.
| A．the banning order causes some complaints among the students |
| B．all electronics students hate the banning order |
| C．more students prefer listening to music to surfing the Internet |
| D．there is no Internet access on the IIT campus even since. |
The Maum Sin Yong School says that they are the first in Colorado and the one of only two schools in the US to teach martial arts (武术) to students with mental diseases.
“They do everything that our regular classes do,” says Rob Hansen, Tae Kwon Do instructor. Hansen teaches the kids how to punch (拳打), kick, and block along with the values of the Korean martial arts. He says that they also learn confidence and how to improve their motor skills. “They’ve learned focus, just to be able to pick one item and pay attention to it.”
“Tae Kwon Do is pretty fun,” says Christina Hinkle. She was born with Down syndrome (唐氏综合症) and says she never wants to miss class. “Well, how come? It’s pretty fun.”
“Ever since she saw Karate Kid, she’s been running around the house, doing kicks and punches,” says Peggy Hinkle, Christina’s mother. Peggy says that her daughter processes information slowly and taking Tae Kwon Do lessons has helped her in all parts of her life. “It gives her a chance to be a regular kid.”
Wednesday’s class is not a normal class. Instead, it’s a day that all the students have been waiting for. “Today is actually the first day, and I’m actually going to be able to test these guys,” says Hansen. The students would receive their White Belts. However, in order to receive their belts, the students must show off their skills in front of a group of Black Belts.
“Nervous? No way. I’m so excited,” says Christina just before she displayed what she has learned over the past few months. She and the other students also answered questions about the history of Tae Kwon Do, as well as its philosophy (哲学).
“To me, it’s just really important for them to actively see that they are learning something,” says Hansen. “That they actually are able to be rewarded for everything that they’ve done in this class.” All the students passed. They received their White Belts.
“To see the joy in her face was very rewarding,” says Peggy. She videotaped the whole test and hugged her daughter telling her that she’s proud. “Christina feels like she could do anything,” she says.
Christina says that her next goal is to keep working on her skills so she can move up to a Gold Belt. She says, “Oh, my God, I can’t believe I got the first rank.” The purpose of teaching the students with mental disease Tae Kwon Do is _______.
| A．to help them gain confidence and be skilled at concentration |
| B．to enable them to punch and kick the other opponents |
| C．to take part in tournament and win prize. |
| D．to get rid of their mental diseases and run motorcar |
Wednesday is the time ________ according to the text.
| A．when the students with mental disease will begin to learn Tae Kwon Do |
| B．when Hansen’s students will give a display of what they have learned. |
| C．when Hansen’s students will replace their black belts with white belts. |
| D．when the parents can see how Hansen teach their children with mental disease. |
The example of Christina in the passage suggests________.
| A．children are learning Tae Kwon Do with their parents’ company. |
| B．Rob Hansen is a strict coach of teaching Tae Kwon Do |
| C．children with mental disease are interested in Tae Kwon Do |
| D．Tae Kwon Do can cure mental disease. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Learning Tae Kwon Do is beneficial to children with mental disease both in health and mind. |
| B．Any child with mental disease should come to learn Tae Kwon Do. |
| C．Parents understand why Rob Hansen teach children with metal disease. |
| D．More schools like The Maum Sin Yong School are needed in America. |
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 |
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