Something in chocolate could be used to stop coughs and lead to more effective medicines, say UK researchers.
Their study found that theobromine, found in cocoa, was nearly a third more effective in stopping coughs than codeine, which was considered the best cough medicine at present.
The Imperial College London researchers who published their results online said the discovery could lead to more effective cough treatment. “While coughing is not necessarily harmful (有害的），it can have a major effect on the quality of life, and this discovery could be a huge step forward in treating this problem，” said Professor Peter Barnes.
Ten healthy volunteers (志愿者） were given the-obromine, codeine or placebo, a pill that contains no medicine, during the experiment. Neither the volunteers nor the researchers knew who received which pill. The researchers then measured levels of capsaicin, which is used in research to cause coughing and as a sign of how well the medicine are stopping coughs.
The team found that, when the volunteers were given theobromine, the capsaicin need to produce a cough was around a third higher than in the placebo group. When they were given codeine they need only slightly higher levels of capsaicin to cause a cough compared with the placebo.
The researchers said that theobromine worked by keeping down a nerve activity (神经活动），which caused coughing. They also found that unlike some standard cough treatments, theobromine caused no side effects such as sleepiness. According to Professor Barnes, theobromine __________
| A．cannot be as effective as codeine |
| B．can be harmful to people's health |
| C．cannot be separated from chocolate |
| D．can be a more effective cure for coughs |
What was used in the experiment to cause coughing?
| A．Theobromine. | B．Codeine. | C．Capsaicin. | D．Placebo. |
We learn from the text that volunteers in the experiment __________.
| A．were patients with bad coughs |
| B．were divided into three groups |
| C．received standard treatments |
| D．suffered little side effects |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Codeine： a new medicine |
| B．Chocolate may cure coughs |
| C．Cough treatment： a hard case |
| D．Theobromine can cause coughs |
One day, when I was in college, a dishonest-looking character approached me in the student union with a leather jacket he wanted to sell. It was a beauty: buttery smooth cowskin, with artfully sewed lines and long leather fringes (穗).
I can’t remember what the price was, but it was apparently too little for such a jacket. Even as I paid the money that day, I knew something wasn’t right. Surely, a couple of days later, the jacket’s real owner, a student about my age came to me as I was on my way to class.
“That’s my jacket,” he said, “and I want it back.”
“No way,” I answered. “I paid for it, and I have no idea if it’s yours. It’s mine.”
He didn’t challenge me, and I left, but the uneasiness(不安) I had about my new possession now had a visible face. A few days later, riding my bike across campus, I saw the real owner standing on the sidewalk. I rode over, took the jacket off, handed it to him said I was sorry, and rode off without another word. More than the weight of the jacket had been lifted from my shoulders.
We’re all human, which means that sometimes we do things we shouldn’t do or say things we shouldn’t say. Sometimes we realize too late that our actions have been hurtful to somebody else. When these hard times occur, the best response --- the only response, really --- is, “I’m sorry.”
Admitting a wrongdoing, as soon as possible and frankly, helps the other person begin to heal. But just as important, it cleans up our own soul and sets us free.
That is a small price to pay for a clear conscience. The author bought the leather jacket from the man in the student union because ______ .
| A．it was charged at a reasonable price |
| B．it was a very attractive jacket |
| C．he was in great need of clothing |
| D．he was happy to find such a bargain |
The phrase “had a visible face” in the passage probably implies（暗含） “______ ”.
| A．started to bother me badly |
| B．might be clearly expressed |
| C．began to give me away openly |
| D．could be instantly melting away |
Giving the leather jacket back to the real owner, the author ______ .
| A．offered his forgiveness | B．felt very much relieved |
| C．rode away unwillingly | D．realized his wrongdoing |
What is the author’s purpose of this writing?
| A．To encourage the readers to admit errors honestly. |
| B．To show the readers the reality of his college life. |
| C．To give the readers a lesson on how to say sorry to others. |
| D．To tell the readers a story that once happened at college. |
Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa's government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.The examples in paragraph 2 are used to tell the readers that _______
| A．Customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries |
| B．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country |
| C．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons |
| D．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas |
Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___
| A．they think such freedom will lead to wars |
| B．they more often than not agree with each other on important matters |
| C．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others |
| D．they want to show their authority over communication |
We may learn from the passage that _______
| A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries. |
| B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves |
| C．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist |
| D．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones |
Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?
| A．Functions of Communication | B．Barriers Made by People |
| C．Restrictions on Transportation | D．Progress of Human Society |
Language is a major problem for the European Union (EU). The agreement or treaty (条约) which created the organization that eventually became the EU, the Treaty of Rome, stated that each country's language must be treated equally. The original six countries had only three languages between them: French. German and Dutch/Flemish. However, there are now 15 countries in the EU, with a total of 12 languages. EU documents must be translated into all these languages, and at official meetings the speeches must be translated into all the languages by interpreters.
All this translating is very expensive and time-consuming (费时的). it is said that nearly half of all employees of the EU are engaged in translating documents and speeches, and nearly half of the EU's administrative(管理方面的) costs are spent on this task. In the near future it is probably that several more countries, most of them having their own languages, will join the EU, thus making the situation even worse.
The problem is not just cost: there are practical difficulties as well. With 12 languages, there are 132 possible "translation situations" that might be needed. It is often' difficult to find people in the right place at the right time who can translate from (for example) Danish into Greek, or Dutch into Portuguese, at a high professional standard.
In practice the problem has been made less serious by the use of English in many contacts between EU officials, since almost all of them speak some English. However, any move to reduce the number of official languages (perhaps to four or five) would be a blow to the pride of the smaller countries. Another commonly suggested solution is to make English the official language for all EU business. However, powerful member countries like France and Germany are strongly against it.What's the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To give a solution to a problem. |
| B．To discuss a problem and show how serious it is. |
| C．To criticize the European Union for inefficiency(效率低). |
| D．To show that the problem cannot be solved. |
According to the writer, the use of English in contacts among EU officials has ________.
| A．angered the officials who don't speak English |
| B．reduced the number of official languages |
| C．made the problem less serious |
| D．been opposed by powerful member countries |
In paragraph three, the writer mentions "Danish into Greek" as an example of ________.
| A．a situation that might be difficult to deal with |
| B．a situation that occurs often |
| C．one of the 12 situations that requires an interpreter |
| D．languages that are easy to translate |
The writer suggests that if the number of official languages was reduced _______.
| A．the EU would not know which official languages to choose |
| B．countries whose languages were not used officially would be unhappy |
| C．only languages that are easy to translate would be used officially |
| D．the smaller member countries would be pleased |
The information below is taken from a dictionary page.
jaguar: n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U. S. and in Central and South America.
jargon: 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense.
2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand.
3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English.
4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon.
jaunt: 1. n. a trip taken for fun.
2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday.
javelin: 1. n.. a spear(矛) most commonly used as weapon or in hunting.
2. n. a light metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field sport events.
3. n. the event in which a javelin is thrown.
4. v. to strike, as with a javelin.
jazz: 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats.
2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz.
3. n. empty talk.
4. ad. of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records.
Jennet: n. a small Spanish horse.
jest: 1.n. thing said or done to cause amusement; joke.
2. (idiom) in jest: as a joke ; in fun; not seriously.
3.v.make jokes Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
| A．Definition (定义) 1 | B．Definition 2 |
| C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
Which meaning of the word jargon is used in the sentence below?
Doctors often speak in medical jargon.
| A．Definition 1 | B．Definition 2 |
| C．Definition 3 | D．Definition 4 |
What does the word jazz mean in the following sentence?
Don’t give me that jazz, for I am a practical person.
| A．rhythmic beats | B．a type of music |
| C．a kind of dance | D．meaningless talk |
Which word is needed to fill in the following sentence?
His reply was taken half seriously, half in_________.
| A．javelin | B．jest | C．jaunt | D．jargon |
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a “boy”. Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere – on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble – maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression, his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a mixture – he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion (消化) of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker(鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime.
Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper. Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-feet rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature – he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, “Hi, Dad!”The whole passage is in a tone (语气) of _________.
| A．humor and love | B．anger and disappointment |
| C．hope and expectation | D．confidence and imagination |
What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A．He has altogether five fingers. |
| B．He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C．He becomes clever and smart. |
| D．He cuts his hand with a knife. |
According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except _________.
| A．ice cream | B．comic books |
| C．Saturday mornings | D．Sunday schools |
What does the writer feel about boys?
| A．He feels curious about their noise. |
| B．He is tired of these creatures. |
| C．He is amazed by their naughtiness. |
| D．He feels unsafe staying with them. |
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