Newspapers in Great Britain vary greatly in their ways of carrying the news. There are serious papers for those who want to know about important happenings everywhere, both at home and abroad. There are popular newspapers for those who prefer entertainment to information.
The London newspaper that is best known outside Great Britain is probably the Times. It began in 1785, and is well accepted for believable news and serious opinions on the news. It calls itself an independent paper, which means that it does not give its support to a particular political party. Its leading articles give the opinions of the editors, not those of the owners of the paper.
Letters to the editor are printed in the newspaper. These parts of the Times are always interesting. Most of the letters are serious subjects. But from time to time there will be long letters on the subject which is not at all serious, perhaps on a new fashion of dress, or the bad manners of the young people, compared with manners of thirty years ago. If you want to get pleasure, please buy yourself .
| A．a serious newspaper | B．foreign newspaper |
| C．any independent paper | D．a popular newspaper |
The Times is an independent paper because .
| A．it supports no political parties |
| B．it is not controlled by the British Government |
| C．it gives special support to all the political parties. |
| D．the editor’s opinions are not examined by the owners of the paper |
The underlined word “vary” in the passage probably means “ ”.
| A．improve | B．compete with each other |
| C．are different | D．keep in touch with each other |
Should e-cigarettes (electronic cigarettes) be a new choice for the smokers trying to get rid of the habit? Reactions from Americans are mixed. More than half of the people questioned in a survey think e-cigarettes should be controlled by the US Food and Drug Administration, but 47 percent believe the e-cigarettes should be available to the smokers who want to quit.
“In the hunt for a safter cigarette, e-cigarettes are becoming a popular choice among those either trying to quit.”or looking to replace standard tobacco smoke with an alternative that manufacturers claim to be safer, ”Zogby International, which conducted the survey, said in a statement.
About half of the 4,611 adults who took part in the survey had heard about e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered, or rechargeable cigarettes that vaporize a liquid nicotine solution. They do not produce smoke but a water vapor without smell. Sold mostly on the Internet, e-cigarettes were first made in China.
Last year the World Health Organization (WHO) warned against using e-cigarettes, saying there was no evidence to prove they were safe or helped smokers break the habit. The WHO said people who smoke e-cigarettes breathe in a fine fog of nicotine into the lungs.
Nearly a third of people questioned in the survey think that e-cigarettes should be allowed in places where smoking is forbidden, because they don’t produce smoke, but 46 percent disagree. Men who were aware of the availability of e-cigarettes were more likely than woman to say they should be a choice available to smokers who want to quit. Young people, aged 18-29, and singles were the groups most open to trying e-cigarettes. Smoking is the single largest cause of preventable death worldwide, according to the WHO.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
| A．American smokers ought to try e-cigarettes. |
| B．Americans have different opinions about e-cigarettes. |
| C．Every kind of cigarettes should be forbidden in America. |
| D．Most of the Americans don’t like e-cigarettes. |
According to Zogby International, e-cigarettes .
| A．are much safer than common cigarettes |
| B．are popular among people who want to quit smoking |
| C．will take the place of traditional cigarettes |
| D．are produced in a safer way by manufacturers |
What do we know about e-cigarettes from the passage?
| A．Most Americans are familiar with them. |
| B．They are a good choice as there is no nicotine. |
| C．They produce a water vapor that can’t be seen. |
| D．Most people buy them on the Internet. |
What’s the attitude of the WHO towards e-cigarettes?
| A．Negative | B．Supportive | C．Doubtful. | D．Indifferent |
Children are very, very observant and have excellent memories.
Around Christmas last year, we were heading to Grandma’s house. The drive was an hour long, so we had plenty of time to chat. We were waiting to get onto the freeway when my daughter Hayley noticed a homeless man, no sign in hand. “Mom, is that man homeless?” I told her I believed he was.
We got onto the freeway and drove away. But the chatting had stopped. Hayley was quiet all the way there. We spent a few hours at Grandma’s then packed up to head home. As we drove back, Hayley rustled(沙沙作响地移动) around in her seat, trying to reach something on the floor of the car. I asked her to sit still, worried her seatbelt would slip from the booster seat. She mumbled(咕哝)something and sat back.
“Mom, will the homeless man still be outside tonight?” I told her I was not sure, maybe. It was a freezing night, and I started to think of the man now too, and how cold he must be.
All of a sudden, as we got onto the freeway exit, Haley shrieked (尖叫): “There he is! There he is!” and started rolling down her window. “Mom, I found these gloves and scarf back here. Can I give them to him? Can I?” she asked.
I pulled over to the edge of the road, and beckoned(招手示意) the man to come over. Haley smiled at him and handed him her gift. I looked in the front passenger seat, loaded with leftovers from Grandma’s house, and handed those out to him as well.
The man thanked us, he clutched (抓紧) my hand in his and I could feel the bitter cold of them. We wished him a safe night and continued on our journey to our warm home.
“Haley, that was very sweet of you!” I told her. “Well, they were your gloves and scarf, Mom, but his hands looked colder, and he has to keep looking for his house!”
We had talked about homelessness before , and I could hear myself telling her: “Someone who has lost their home.” She had taken my words literally and thought the man’s home was like a lost puppy.
On the ride home, and as I carried my sleeping angel into the house that night, my heart filled with gratitude.The underlined word “observant” in Paragraph I means “ ”.
| A．fond of serving others | B．quick at noticing things |
| C．good at memorizing | D．easy to be pleased |
The girl thought “a homeless person” was a person who .
| A．had no home to go to |
| B．had lost his or her puppy |
| C．was in need of gloves and scarves |
| D．couldn’t find his or her home |
The mother felt thankful because .
| A．she felt lucky to have such a warm-hearted daughter |
| B．she was pleased that she had a great family |
| C．she felt happy to have given the leftovers to the man |
| D．they had arrived home safely despite the cold |
The article is mainly structured around .
| A．analysis | B．comparison | C．time order | D．cause and result |
“I was only thirteen when four of my team members and I were chosen by my swim coach to train with the Chinese National Team. The following piece shows how that experience has influenced me.”
The night before I left for China, my mother called me into her room. I entered not knowing what to expect. I sat down at the end of her very neatly-made bed, opposite the bedroom table on which she kept a Ming-style vase illustrated in great detail. She told me that my great-grandmother was still living in the surroundings of Beijing. Her name was Ren Li Ling and she was 97 years old. This was the first time I had ever heard of her.
The dragon on the vase snaked through the flowers and vines（藤蔓）as my mother said, “Pu Pu, look at me. You need to hear this so that when you go to China you will understand. You must keep this knowledge in your heart.”
She told me a story about my grandfather, Ren Li Ling's son, who left Beijing to go to college in Taiwan. She told me how the Chinese civil war kept him away from his mother for fifty years, so neither of them even knew that the other was alive. No one from Taiwan could visit, write, or call anyone in mainland. All lines of communication were cut off.
She told me of my grandfather's devotion to his own children, and how difficult it was for him to send his daughter to America for her education, fearing that same separation. He gave my mother all that he could give — nineteen years of love and fifty years of savings. I learned how my mother, through means only available in this country, would finally be able to unite my great-grandmother with my grandfather again. The dragon curled around the vase, connecting the separate vines. For a fleeting second, I felt it was present in my mother's room. It was all very strange, yet very clear. I began to understand that this trip to China was not just for me; it was for my mother, and her father, and his mother. Now, I had not only a future, but more significantly, a past. I saw the world with new eyes.
And so I went to China and met my great-grandmother. My great-aunt picked me up at the training center, and we rode in a taxi through the crowded city. The noise of the taxi and the city united into a deep roar. We finally stopped in front of a narrow street lined on either side with small one-level houses. As we made our way to a house like all the others, I drew the stares of many people in the street. My great-aunt led me through a rotting（朽烂的）doorway into a room with a furnace（炉子）, table, and a rocking chair where an old woman wearing gloves sat facing the doorway, covered with a worn brown blanket. I walked over and immediately embraced this frail woman as if I had known her all my life. My limited, broken Chinese wasn't up to expressing my complicated feelings. And even though I couldn't completely understand what she was saying in her thick Beijing accent, I knew — the same way I knew what my mother had been trying to tell me before I left. Her joy shone through her toothless smile. She wouldn't let go of my hand. I haltingly（结结巴巴地）asked her how she had managed to live such a long life. She answered in words I will never forget, “Hope has kept me alive. I have lived this long because I wanted to see my son before I died.”
My fellow team members must have wondered how two people separated by three generations could be so close. Before this trip, I would have wondered the same thing. And even now, I can't quite explain it. We were as different as two people can be; some 85 years and 8,000 miles apart. We came from two entirely different cultures; yet we were connected by a common heritage(传统).
I stayed for dinner which was cooked in a black iron wok（锅）over the furnace. The meal was lavish（过分丰盛的）, prepared in my honor. As I began to eat, with my great-grandmother beside me, I felt the dragon was present. But this time, the feeling didn't pass; the dragon had become a part of me.
My great-grandmother passed away last year at the age of 100. With her highest hopes and wildest dreams fulfilled, I know she died happy. The writer’s mother called him into her room to ___________________.
| A．prepare him for the trip and warn him against possible problems |
| B．remind him of his origin |
| C．ask him to look for his great-grandmother |
| D．share with him the story of her childhood |
The dragon is mentioned several times in the passage because __________________.
| A．the vase with the dragon on it is very valuable and beautiful |
| B．it stands for the blood running in every Chinese |
| C．it is a sign of the writer’s devotion to his birthplace |
| D．the writer’s mother hoped the writer would be as strong as a dragon |
How old was the writer’s mother when she was sent to America for her education.
| A．13 | B．16 | C．19 | D．20 |
Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
| A．The writer’s grandfather was afraid of a war when sending his daughter to America. |
| B．The hope to see her son again kept the writer’s great-grandmother alive for this long. |
| C．It was within the writer’s expectation that he could be so close to his great-grandmother. |
| D．The writer’s great-grandmother was reunited with her son before she died. |
Which is the best title for the text?
| A．We Share the Same Heritage. |
| B．Love from My Great-grandmother. |
| C．A Story from My Mother. |
| D．An Unforgettable Training Trip. |
Even if we have an extremely healthy diet and lifestyle, the human body is programmed to wear out at a maximum of about 120 years, and usually less. We all have a biological clock inside us which determines the moment when our organs cease to function properly. This is because our cells have stopped renewing themselves and our body can no longer repair itself. This is also the moment when we are more likely to begin to suffer from the diseases of old age such as arthritis and Alzheimer’s. However, rapid advances in DNA research are beginning to throw light on the secrets of the ageing process. By the end of this century we could literally have the power of life over death.
Although it has long been accepted that humans have a fixed lifespan, it is also a fact that certain other organisms, such as reptiles and amphibians, appear to live indefinitely. The only reason we do not see 500-year-old alligators is because in the wild their lives are always in danger, from man, from pollution and from other animals. When they are kept in zoos they do not seem to age at all after they are fully grown. The same is true of some species of fish, which grow indefinitely and show no signs of ageing. The existence of animals with no fixed lifespan seems to indicate that an age gene really does exist. It is this gene which scientists are searching for, which may delay or repair damage to the body caused by ageing.
Another new area of research involves the oxidation（氧化） theory, which says that ageing is caused by the same process that makes iron rust. In controlled experiments, the lifespans of certain animals were shown to be lengthened with anti-oxidants; for example, the lifespan of mice can be increased by 30%. Antioxidants are already being used in face creams and other cosmetics, and they are likely to play an important part in keeping people physically young.
Perhaps the most immediate advance we are likely to see in the battle to halt（停止）the ageing process will be organ replacement. By the year 2020 it is likely that we will be replacing injured bones or even organs like livers and kidneys with ones “grown” in laboratories. By 2050 perhaps every organ in the body, except the brain, will have become commercially available. Recent experiments also show that it may one day be possible to “grow” new organs inside our body to replace worn-out ones, something which lizards and alligators already do.
Suddenly immortality（不死，不朽） seems within reach. We can begin to imagine a future where we are born, we grow to maturity, but we never grow old and die. But do we really want to live forever? When all humans reach a certain age, .
| A．they suffer the effects of their diet and lifestyle |
| B．the organs stop to perform appropriately |
| C．their cells continue to renew themselves |
| D．they develop arthritis and Alzheimer’s |
The purpose of showing the case of alligators is to prove .
| A．alligators are in danger in the wild because of the threat from man, pollution and other animals |
| B．it is widely accepted that humans have a fixed lifespan |
| C．there exists an age gene which may control ageing |
| D．the age gene damages the body |
The underlined phrase “live indefinitely” in Paragraph 2 probably mean .
| A．live for a period of time without a fixed end |
| B．live without a clear aim |
| C．live in an uncertain way |
| D．live without being fully grown |
It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that .
| A．by 2050 we might have most of our worn-out organs replaced with new ones commercially |
| B．never can the ageing process be avoided |
| C．livers and kidneys are sure to be grown in laboratories by the year 2020 |
| D．lizards and alligators grow new organs inside their body to replace worn-out ones |
What is the main topic of this passage?
| A．DNA researches show how our cells renew themselves. |
| B．Anti-oxidants are likely to play an important part in keeping people young. |
| C．How our biological clock works? |
| D．Eternal（永恒的） youth: new developments in anti-ageing research. |
By saying “But do we really want to live forever”, the author may probably mean .
| A．a future where we are born, we grow to maturity, but we never grow old and die is on its way |
| B．he is uncertain whether we can live forever |
| C．it remains to be seen whether immortality is a blessing or a curse |
| D．immortality is no longer a dream |
Your living room
Feng shui is all about balance. Try to arrange sofas and chairs in a square around a circular table. Avoid an L-shaped arrangement as this leaves a missing corner. The centre of the living room should be left clear. Make sure there is a lot of light, which will promote good energy.
Put plants in the corners of the room, as they attract good energy and will energize your health, but not ones with sharp leaves such as yuccas or cactus. Fresh flowers also bring good energy, but throw them away as soon as they begin to die, and don’t have dried flowers.
Mirrors are vital because they reflect energy. Round or oval ones are best, but they should not be opposite each other, nor should they reflect a door, otherwise your good fortune will go out of it.
To promote harmony between the members of your family, have photos of them around the room, preferably smiling. If you want to find a partner, energize the south-west corner of your living room or bedroom by placing a floor light at least 1.75m high there, and turn it on every evening. Surround yourself with decorations and objects in pairs, such as ducks or birds.
To avoid blocking the positive energy in the room, keep everything tidy. Don’t accumulate too many unnecessary things. Take a look at every object, and ask yourself, “Do I really need it? Do I really like it?” If the answer is no, get rid of it.
Your bedroom
You should have the head of your bed placed against a wall, as this gives you a sense of security. Avoid having a bed under a window, as you are exposed to danger and bad energy from outside. If this is impossible, use blinds or heavy curtains to cover the window. Never sleep in a place where you can’t see the door—you should always be able to see someone who’s coming in.
Avoid hanging pictures or lights above your bed, as this leads to a subconscious feeling of threat. Don’t put mirrors opposite the bed either, as they “break up” the image, and therefore the relationship reflected in them.
Keep lighting low and soft, and decorate preferably with dark colors. Do not hang paintings of fierce animals, abstract subjects, or water in the bedroom. Water is very good elsewhere, but in the bedroom it suggests financial loss. Make sure you never put plants in the bedroom, and don’t have a TV facing the bed, or at least cover it when it is not in use.
Your study
Don’t use the same room for your bedroom and your study, as the different energies will be in conflict. If you have to do this, try to separate the areas either symbolically with plants, or with a screen. Put away piles of files or unfinished work—don’t leave them on your desk. Being tidy promotes positive energy. Wherever you study make sure your desk is in the north-east corner, especially if you are preparing for exams, as this area symbolizes education.
A bookcase is bad feng shui, as its sharp corners generate negative “arrows”, and if you have one you ought to put a climbing plant on it to avoid this effect. Cupboards are better than open shelves. As for lights, which of the following statements is false?
| A．A partner may come with a tall burning floor light in the south-west corner of your room. |
| B．Good energy can be promoted if there is a lot of light in the living room. |
| C．Bright lighting in the bedroom can light your mood. |
| D．It is not a good idea to hang lights above your bed. |
A bed should be put according to the following rules EXCEPT .
| A．the head of your bed should be placed against a wall |
| B．having a bed under a window should be avoided |
| C．mirrors should not be opposite the bed |
| D．your bed can’t face the door for the sake of privacy |
To avoid bad luck, the author will probably agree with the statement that .
| A．it is economical to sleep and study in the same room |
| B．fresh flowers ought to be put on the bookcase with sharp corners |
| C．blinds or heavy curtains can be used to cover the window if your bed is under a window |
| D．you can accumulate items as you please |
Which do you think is the best title for the passage?
| A．Feng shui—a magical power. |
| B．How does positive and negative energy come to you? |
| C．Change your room to change your life. |
| D．How to reorganize your furniture. |
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