Recent research has claimed that an excess of positive ions in the air can have an ill effect on people’s physical or psychological health. What are positive ions? Well, the air is full of ions, electrically charged particles, and generally there is a rough balance between the positive and the negative charged. But sometimes this balance becomes disturbed and a larger proportion of positive ions are found. This happens naturally before thunderstorm, earthquakes when winds are blowing in certain countries. Or it can be caused by a build-up of static electricity indoors from carpets or clothing, or from TV sets, duplicators or computer display screens.
When a large number of positive ions are present in the air many people experience unpleasant effects such as headaches, fatigue (疲劳), excessive anger, and some particularly sensitive people feel sick or even suffer mental disturbance. Animals are also affected, particularly before earthquakes, snakes have been observed to come out, rats to flee from their burrows, dogs howl and cats jump about unaccountably. This has led the US Geographical Survey to fund a network of volunteers to watch animals in an effort to foresee such disasters before they hit vulnerable areas such as California.
Conversely, when large numbers of negative ions are present, then people have a feeling of well-being. Natural conditions that produce these large amounts are near the sea, close to waterfalls or fountains, or in any place where water is sprayed, or forms a spray. This probably accounts for the beneficial effect of a holiday by the sea, or in the mountains with streams or waterfalls.
To increase the supply of negative ions indoors, some scientists recommend the use of ionisers. They claim that ionisers not only clean and refresh the air but also improve the health of people sensitive to excess positive ions. Of course, there are the detractors, other scientists, who dismiss such claims and are skeptical about negative/positive ion research. Therefore people can only make up their own minds by observing the effects on themselves, or on others, of a negative rich or poor environment. After all it is debatable whether depending on seismic readings to anticipate earthquakes is more effective than watching the cat.What is an ion according to the passage?
| A．It’s a charged particle. |
| B．It’s basically static electricity indoors. |
| C．It’s a balance between the positive and negative charged. |
| D．It’s an ill effect on people’s physical and psychological health. |
What effect does exceeding positive ionization have on most of the people?
| A．They will throw up. |
| B．They will be sick and tired of life. |
| C．They may feel rather bad-tempered. |
| D．They may feel they are out of their mind. |
A high negative ion count is likely to be found .
| A．in a mountainous area. | B．by a water spray in a garden. |
| C．close to a slow-flowing river. | D．near a pound with a water pump. |
What is the author’s attitude towards the use of ionisers?
| A．Neutral. | B．Opposed. | C．Supportive. | D．Ambiguous. |
If you look up the word “create” in the dictionary , you will find it means “to bring into being, to cause to exist something each of us does daily”．
We are creative whenever we look at or think about something in a new way First, this includes an awareness of our surroundings．It means using all of our senses to become aware of our world．This may be as simple as being aware of color and texture（质地）,as well as taste, when we plan a meal．Above all, it is the ability to notice things that others might miss．
A second part of creativity is an ability to see relationships among things．If we believe the expression, “There is nothing new under the sun, the creativity is remaking or recombining（重组） the old in new ways．”For example, we might do this by finding a more effective way to study or a better way to arrange our furniture, or we might make a new combination of camera lenses and filters to create an unusual photograph．
A third part of creativity is the courage and drive to make use of our new ideas, to ask for them to achieve some new results．To think up a new idea is one thing; to put the idea to work is another．
These three parts of creativity are included in all the great works of geniuses, but they are also included in many of our day-to-day activities．．Which of the following activities is NOT a creative one according to the passage?
| A．To prepare for a meal． |
| B．To arrange the furniture in a special way． |
| C．To buy some books from a bookstore． |
| D．To“write”a letter with the computer． |
．“There is nothing new under the sun” really implies that _________．
| A．a new thing can only be created at the basis of earlier things |
| B．a new thing is only a tale |
| C．we can seldom create new things |
| D．we can hardly see really new things in the world |
．What does the author think about the relationship between a new thought and its being put into practice?
| A．It’s more difficult to create a new thought than to use it in practice． |
| B．To find a new thought will clearly lead to the production of a new thing． |
| C．A man with an excellent ability of practice can easily become an inventor． |
| D．One may come up with a new thought, but can not put it into practice． |
．The best title for this passage is__________．
| A．How to Develop One’s Creativity |
| B．What Is Creativity |
| C．The Importance of Creativity |
| D．Creativity, a Not Faraway Thing |
Some researchers claim that people’s personalities can be classified by their blood types．If you have blood type O, you are a leader．When you see something you want, you strive to achieve your goal．You are passionate, loyal, and self-confident, and you are often a trendsetter．Your enthusiasm for projects and goals spreads to others who happily follow your lead．When you want something, you may be ruthless about getting it or blind to how your actions affect others．Another blood type, A, is a social “people” person．You like people and work well with them．You are sensitive, patient, compassionate, and affectionate．You are a good peacekeeper because you want everybody to be happy．In a team situation, you resolve conflicts and keep things on a smooth course．Sometimes type As are stubborn and find it different to relax．They may also find it uncomfortable to do things alone．
People with type B blood are usually individualists who like to do things on their own．You may be creative and adaptable, and you usually say exactly what you mean．Also you can adapt to situations, you may not choose to do so because of your strong independent streak．You may prefer working on your own to being part of a team．The final blood type is type AB．If you have AB blood, you are a natural entertainer．You draw people to you because of your charm and easygoing nature．ABs are usually calm and controlled, tactful and fair．On the downside, though, they may take too long to make decisions．And they may procrastinate, putting off tasks until the last minute．．People with type O will do the following things except____．
| A．manage businesses | B．self-oriented | C．be considerate | D．set the fashion |
．Which of the following is not the feature of type A?
| A．Stubborn． | B．Sensitive． | C．Reserved． | D．Patient． |
．What is Not true to type B?
| A．He finds it uncomfortable to do things alone． |
| B．He doesn’t think much before he speaks． |
| C．He has many original ideas． |
| D．He cannot fit in with the environment． |
．The best profession for a type AB is ____．
| A．Athlete | B．Peacekeeper | C．Actor | D．Country leader |
David Beckham had a dream: to be the first English player to appear in four World Cups．But now it appears that dream is over after a serious injury to his Achilles tendon （跟腱） which means he could be out of action for around six months．With this year's World Cup in South Africa only three months away, sadly Beckham looks set to miss out．The injury happened while Beckham was playing for AC Milan against AC Chievo in the Italian league．After attempting to kick the ball he fell to the ground and hobbled off the pitch before being stretchered （被担架抬走）away．
It is not yet known whether he has completely severed （切断）his Achilles tendon or only torn it．The player has now flown to Finland for assessment and treatment by a knee specialist．
England manager Fabio Capello fears the worst for Beckham's World Cup chances．
"We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," he said in a statement．"I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support．
"David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow．"
Beckham's former manager at American club LA Galaxy, Alexei Lalas, echoed （共鸣）Capello's words of support:
"It is a horrible situation for Beckham．I know how much it meant to him to be in the World Cup and how important he was to the England team．
David Beckham is now 34 and some are asking whether this serious injury could mean his whole career is over．
Whatever happens, as one of football's best-known and popular players, Beckham will have no shortage of encouragement from fans around the world．
Some will remember Beckham's miraculous recovery from an Achilles injury in 2006, when he was back on the pitch after only eight weeks．
If he could repeat the same feat in time for the World Cup it really would be the stuff of fairytales．
So, perhaps all is not lost．Optimists will take heart from Alexei Lalas' words:
"You never want to write off David Beckham as he has shown us his ability to bounce back（恢复原状）．" ．What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Beckham had a dream? |
| B．Beckham--- a great football player! |
| C．The end for Beckham? |
| D．World Cup in South Africa! |
．What does the author mean by saying “missing it will be a big blow” in paragraph 4 ?
| A．Missing the world cup will be a big success． |
| B．Missing Beckham means a great failure ． |
| C．Missing Beckham means an important opportunity for the American club LA Galaxy． |
| D．Missing the world cup means a big disappointment for Beckham ． |
．We may infer from the passage that ________ ．
| A．Beckham will definitely not be able to play football again |
| B．Beckham was cured by a great knee specialist he found |
| C．Beckham has his ability to bounce back |
| D．Beckham is likely to miss the world Cup |
．What does the underlined words “take heart” probably mean ?
| A．get disappointed | B．get help | C．get encouraged | D．get hurt |
An early invention by Albert Einstein has been rebuilt by scientists at Oxford University. They are trying to develop an environmentally friendly refrigerator that runs without electricity.
We all know that modern fridges cause damage to the environment. They work by using a kind of man-made greenhouse gas called Freon (氟里昂), which is far more damaging than carbon dioxide.
Now Malcolm McCulloch, an electrical engineer at Oxford, is leading a three-year project to develop appliances that can be used in places without electricity.
His team has completed a prototype (样机) of a fridge patented in 1930 by Einstein. It used only pressurized gases to keep things cold. The design was partly used in the first refrigerators, but the technology was dropped when more efficient compressors (压缩机) became popular in the 1950s. That meant a switch to using Freon.
Einstein's idea uses butane (丁烷) and water and takes advantage of the fact that liquids boil at lower temperatures, when the air pressure around them is lower.
"If you go to the top of Mount Qomolangma, water boils at a much lower temperature than it does when you're at sea level and that's because the pressure is much lower up there," said McCulloch.At one side is the evaporator (蒸发器), a bottle that contains liquid butane. "If you introduce a new vapor above the butane, the liquid boiling temperature decreases and, as it boils off, it takes energy from the surroundings to do so," says McCulloch. "That's what makes it cold."
The gas fridges based on Einstein's design were replaced by Freon-compressor fridges partly because Einstein's design was not very efficient. But McCulloch thinks that by changing the design and replacing the types of gases used it will be possible to quadruple (翻两番) the efficiency.
However, McCulloch's fridge is still in its early stages. "It's very much a prototype," he said. "Give us another month and we'll have it working."． According to the passage, an early invention by Albert Einstein _______.
| A．has been rediscovered because it costs much less and works more efficiently |
| B．is being redesigned because it could be used in places without electricity |
| C．has just been found to be energy-saving and environmentally friendly |
| D．will be fully made use of and become the fridge of the future |
．Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Freon was used in fridges long before the 1950s. |
| B．Freon is what makes current fridges big polluters. |
| C．McCulloch thinks he could improve Einstein's design by using other types of vapors. |
| D．The fridge Malcolm McCulloch and his team designed will be put into production soon. |
．We can learn from the text that the prototype completed _______.
| A．changed the air pressure around it |
| B．was tested on the top of Mount Everest |
| C．increased the liquid boiling temperature |
| D．used only pressurized gases to keep things cold |
．McCulloch's words in Paragraph 6 _____.
| A．serve as an explanation for the principle behind Einstein's fridge |
| B．give you the reason why Einstein's fridge was not efficient |
| C．tell you how to take advantage of low air pressure |
| D．show you how Einstein's fridge works |
A latest national survey has found that over half of China's netizens are suffering from various mental problems although some 62 percent of them claim at the same time that they are happy on the whole anyway.
This is the result of China's first White Paper on Netizens' Health Conditions issued on Wednesday by 39.net, China's largest authoritative website on health sciences. It is the first most comprehensive health survey on netizens' health situation ever conducted in China in ten years' time. The white paper came out after two months of online and offline research that involved over 150 thousand netizens, covering topics and questions on health knowledge, mental situation, sense of health, and living habits.
According to the white paper, more than 70 percent of China's netizens say they are suffering from mental problems such as bad memory, anxiety, depression, and a lack of confidence. And a similar 72 percent of them also say they are often suffering from diseases like insomnia, dizziness, joint degeneration and achings. Meanwhile, another 53 percent of netizens believe that white collar employees who have bigger work pressures are more likely to catch mental problems.
The white paper adds, doing almost no sports and spending long time surfing online lead to the above mentioned health problems among netizens. Only 9 percent of netizens take up sports on weekends while over 40 percent stay home, surfing. And only 16 percent netizens can assure more than eight hours' sleeping daily.
At present, China has a netizen population of 162 million, with a monthly consumption of 186 yuan, or about 25 dollars, on Internet surfing. The national survey on netizens' health situation ________.
| A．was conducted by sohu.com | B．is conducted every year |
| C．was carried out online and offline | D．covered about half a million netizens |
. Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined part "white collar"?
| A．White clothes. | B．White offices. | C．Office workers. | D．White people. |
. All the following factors have been mentioned to cause the health problems among netizens EXCEPT ________.
| A．doing no sports | B．spending long time online |
| C．heavy work pressures | D．shopping online |
.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．China has a large netizen population. |
| B．Many netizens in China have mental problems. |
| C．The Internet has a negative influence on people. |
| D．How to surf the Internet safely and healthily. |
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