Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond(连结物) of love and commitment（承诺） between two people. But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol. The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years. No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long.
The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring. In Egyptian hieroglyphics（象形文字） a circle represented eternity. Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his.” The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay （which would have been changed often）, ivory, bone, or leather. Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were crude（未加工的） and rough. However, the sentiment（情感） remained the same-eternal commitment and love.
The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein（静脉） in the left hand went straight to the heart. This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes （most people are right handed.）It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition. In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger. Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition.
It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring that it is only in the last century that men have begun to wear them. However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day.
Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you. There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium. You can have an inscription（刻字） put on the inside of the band（镶边） if you like. Some people are even choosing a tattoo（刺花） band. The styles vary from a simple, yet elegant（优雅的） band to an elaborate（精致的） ring covered with jewels. If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set you will want to be sure the styles are compatible（一致的）. Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity. What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．History of rings | B．Interesting facts about rings |
| C．Different beliefs about rings | D．The meaning of the rings. |
What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Elegance | B．Marriage | C．Wedding | D．Foreverness |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The meaning of the rings remained unchanged. |
| B．One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds. |
| C．Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger. |
| D．Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Men were looked upon by women for thousands years. |
| B．Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful. |
| C．women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men. |
| D．You can have an inscription put on the inside the band. |
I know what you’re thinking : Pizza? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers with it in the morning, if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast , and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it . Some say they don’t have time. Others think they’re “saving” calories （卡路里）, still others say they just don’t like breakfast food .
But the fact is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking , who developed the super-easy eating pla
n for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, as long as you stick to only one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast, or the
y just have coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers . It may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it, and you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And you will watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
48. The underlined word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
A.food remaining after a meal B. breakfast
C. meals made of vegetables D. pizza with fruit
49. What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.
C. If we have pizza loaded with vegetables, we will certainly not gain weight.
D. Eating vegetables helps us to save energy.
50. According to the last paragraph, it is important to____________.
A. eat something for breakfast B. be careful about what you eat
C. heat up food before eating it D. eat calorie-controlled food
51. The text is written mainly for those_____________.
A. who go to work early B. who want to lose weight
C. who stay up late D. who eat before sleep
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher—Mrs.Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs.Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs.Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students,Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)
Teddy said,“Mrs.Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.”After the children left , she cri
ed for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs.Thompson p
aid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive.The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade,Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs.Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed: Theodore Stoddard,M.D.(医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr.Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson’s ear,“Thank you, Mrs.Thompson, for believing in me.You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs.Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispe
red back,“Teddy, you have it all wrong.You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
44.What did Mrs.Thompson do on the first day of school?
A.She made Teddy feel ashamed.
B.She asked the children to play with Teddy.
C.She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row.
D.She told the class something untrue about herself.
45.What did Mrs.Thompson find out about Teddy?
A.He often told lies.
B.He was good at math.
C.He needed care from mother or someone like that.
D.He enjoyed playing with others.
46.In what way did Mrs.Thompson change after she received the gifts?
A.She taught fewer school subjects.
B.She became stricter with her students.
C.She no longer liked her job as a teacher.
D.She cared more about educating students.
47.Why did Teddy thank Mrs.Thompson at his wedding?
A.She had kept in touch with him.
B.She had given him encouragement.
C.She had sent him Christmas presents.
D.She had taught him how to judge people.
IV：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
Do you want to improve the way you study? Do you feel nervous before a test? Many students say that a lack of concentration is their biggest problem. It has bad effects on their ability to study, so do their test results.
If so, use these tips to help you.
Study Techniques
You should always study in the s
ame place. You shouldn’t sit in a position that you use for another purpose. For example, when you sit on a sofa to study, your brain will think it is time to relax. Don’t watch TV while you are studying. Experts warn that your concentration may be reduced by 50 percent if you attempt to study in this way. Always try to have a white wall in front of you, so there is nothing 
to distract (make less concentrated) you. Before sitting down to study, gather together all the equipment you need. Apart from your textbooks, pens, pencils and knives, make sure you have a dictionary. If your study desk or table is needed when you are not studying, store all your equipment in a box beside it.
Your eyes will become tired if you try to read a text which is on a flat surface. Position your book at an angle of 30 degrees.
Be realistic and don’t try to complete too much in one study period. Finish one thing before beginning another. If you need a break, get up and walk around for a few minutes, but try not to telephone a friend or have something to eat.
Test-taking Skills
All your hard work will be for nothing if you are too nervous to take your test. Getting plenty of rest is very important. This means do not study all night before your test! It is a better idea to have a long-term study plan. Try to make a timetable for your study which lasts a few months.
Exercise is a great way to reduce pressure. Doing some form of exercise every day will also improve your concentration. Eat healthy food too.
When you arrive in the examination room, find your seat and sit down. Breathe slowly and deeply. Check the time on the clock during the test, but not too often. Above all, take no notice of everyone else and give the test paper your undivided attention.
41. Which of the following statements is true ac
cording to the passage?
A. You should study in a different place every day, so you don’t get bored.
B. Your concentration will improve if you study and watch TV at the same time.
C. Check the time during the exam at a certain time.
D.Staying up all night is tiring, but you will learn a lot using this method.
42. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A. Your study desk or table. B. Your textbook.
C. Your dictionary. D. The equipment you need.
43. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. You shouldn’t look at everyone else during the test.
B.You will have enough energy to deal with and concentrate on your study and exams
better by eating healthy diet.
C. You’ll concentrate more if there is nothing to distract you.
D. If you need a break during study, you can walk around for a few minutes.
In the past, when people had problems, they went to their families or friends to get advice.
Today it is possible to get advice from radio shows, TV programmes
and telephone hot lines, too. A hot line is a telephone line that offers a direct way of getting in touch with advisers .Most hot lines are completely anonymous ,that is to say , callers do not have to say their names or telephone n
umbers. Most hot lines are usually free. Callers do not have to pay for the advice or the phone calls, even if the calls are long distance ones. At some hot lines, the advisers are volunteers. Other hot lines pay their advisers for their work. Usually the advisers are full-time people with years of education and experience, but sometimes, the advisers have only taken a short training before starting to work on the hot lines. All the advisers listen to people and help them solve their problems
56. A hot line is a telephone line_________
A that is hot B through which people get advice
C whose number no one knows D through which callers take a short training
57. the underlined word“anonymous”in the passage means_________in Chinese.
A secret B well-known C exact D wonderful
58. When people call the hot line advisers, they_________
A often give their names and telephone numbers
B generally have to pay for the long distance calls
C usually pay nothing for most of the calls and advice
D always try to get in touch with the volunteer advisers
59. The advisers working at hot lines _________
A have all been trained for a short time
B are all volunteers
C have all received years of education
D are not all paid
60 The writer of the passage seems to think that_________
A hot lines help the callers a lot
B advisers will solve all of the callers’ problems
C people had better pay for the advice
D people will not get advice from their families or friends
Leaves are nature’s food factories. Plants take water from the ground through their roots. They take a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. Plants use sunlight to turn water and CO2 into glucose（葡萄糖）.Glucose is a kind of sugar. Plants use glucose as food for energy to grow. The way plants turn water and CO2 into glucose is called photosynthesis (光合作用).That means “putting together with light .” A chemical called chlorophyll helps make photosynthesis happen. Chlorophyll is green. It gives plants their green colour. As summer ends and autumn comes, the days get shorter and shorter. This is how the trees “know” to begin getting ready for winter.
During winter, there is not enough light or water for photosynthesis .The trees will rest, and live on the food they have stored during the summer. They begin to close their food-making factories. The green Chlorophyll disappears from the leaves. Then, we begin to see yellow and orange colours. A few of these colors stay in the leaves all the time. We just can’t see them in the summer, because they are covered up by the green Chlorophyll.
Red and purple colors we see in leaves are made mostly in the autumn. In some trees, like maples, glucose is stored in the leaves after photosynthesis stops. Sunlight and the cool nights of autumn turn this glucose into red. The brown color of trees like oaks is made from wastes left in the leaves.
52 the underlined word“chlorophyll” in the first Para means_________in Chinese.
A 叶绿素 B 氧气 C 胡萝卜素 D 蛋白质
53 The way _________is called photosynthesis.
A Plants get CO2 from the air B plants take water from the ground
C plants turn water and CO2 into glucose. D Plants use glucose as food for energy to grow.
54 The gas called carbon dioxide
is from the_________
A ground B roots C air D sunlight
55 Which of the following is not true?
| A．when autumn and winter come, the days get shorter and shorter. |
| B．During winter trees rest and live on the food they store during the summer.’ |
| C．During winter small amounts of yellow and orange colors are kept in the leaves all the time. |
| D．Trees begin to stop making food in summer. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号