高中英语阅读理解

Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour.
The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebrafish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment(色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebrafish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes(黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.
It appears that, like the golden zebrafish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation(变异) in the gene for melanosome production. This results in less pigmented skin.
However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays(紫外线) of the sun, which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colour, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.
What is the main idea of the passage?

A．People can’t change their skin colour without any pain.

B．The new discovery helped find ways to change skin colour safely.

C．Pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin colour as he liked.

D．Scientists have found out that people’s skin colour is determined by the gene.

It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

A．nowadays changing the skin colour with the chemical treatment has bad effect

B．Europeans and Africans have the same genes

C．the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer

D．there are two kinds of skin genes

Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra fish in order to ________.

A．find the different genes of humans

B．prove the humans’ skin colour is determined by the pigment gene

C．find out the reason why the Africans’ skin colour is dark

D．find out the ways of changing people’s skin colour

Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Michael Jackson died of skin damage caused by chemical treatment.

B．American blacks produce more vitamin D with their skin than others.

C．The gene determining skin colour exists widely in whites, blacks and Asians.

D．The melanosomes in the skin of blacks usually cause skin cancer more often.

She may have lacked a home, but now this teen has top honors.
A 17-year-old student who spent much of high school living around homeless shelters — and sometimes sleeping in her car — today graduated and spoke on behalf of her class at Charles Drew High School in Clayton County, Ga., just outside of Atlanta.
Chelsea Fearce held a 4.466 GPA and scored 1900 on her SATs despite having to use her cellphone to study after the shelter lights were turned off at night.
“I know I have been made stronger. I was homeless. My family slept on cushions on the floor and we were lucky if we got more than one full meal a day. Getting a shower, food and clean clothes was an everyday struggle,” Fearce said in a speech she gave at her graduation ceremony. Fearce overcame her day-to-day struggles by focusing on a better day. “I just told myself to keep working, because the future will not be like this anymore,” she told WSBTV.
Fearce, one of five children, grow up in a family that sometimes had an apartment to live in, but at other times had to live in homeless shelters or even out of their car, if they had one. “You’re worried about your home life and then worried at school. Worry about being a little hungry sometimes and go hungry sometimes. You just have to deal with it. You eat what you can, when you can.”
To our surprise, Fearce overcame the difficulties and even tested high enough to be admitted into college half way through her high school career. She starts college next year at Spelman College as a junior where she is planning to study biology, pre-med (医学预科). “Don’t give up. Do what you have to do right now so that you can have the future that you want,” Fearce said.
How did Fearce go on with her study without access to lights?

A．By the car light.

B．By her cellphone.

C．By lights out of shelters.

D．By moonlight.

When Fearce starts college at Spelman College, she will _____..

A．have graduated earlier from high school than normal

B．be a 17-year-old student from a poor family

C．have a home without sleeping in her car or shelters

D．have raised enough money to go to college

What lesson can we learn from Fearce’s experience?

A．Knowledge can change your fate.

B．Don’t give up, and tomorrow will be better.

C．Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well.

D．He that will not work shall not eat.

In the mid-1950s, I was a somewhat bored early-adolescent male student who believed that doing any more than necessary was wasted effort. One day, this approach threw me into embarrassment
In Mrs. Totten’s eighth-grade math class at Central Avenue School in Anderson, Indiana, we were learning to add and subtract decimals (小数).
Our teacher typically assigned daily homework, which would be recited in class the following day. On most days, our grades were based on our oral answer to homework questions.
Mrs. Totten usually walked up and down the rows of desks requesting answers from student after student in the order the questions had appeared on our homework sheets. She would start either at the front or the back of the classroom and work toward the other end.
Since I was seated near the middle of about 35 students, it was easy to figure out which questions I might have to answer. This particular time, I had completed my usual two or three problems according to my calculations.
What I failed to expect was that several students were absent, which threw off my estimate. As Mrs. Totten made her way from the beginning of the class，I desperately tried to determine which math problem I would get. I tried to work it out before she got to me, but I had brain freeze and couldn’t function.
When Mrs. Totten reached my desk，she asked what answer I’d got for problem No. 14. “I…I didn’t get anything,” I answered，and my face felt warm.
“Correct,” she said.
It turned out that the correct answer was zero.
What did I learn that day? First, always do all your homework. Second, in real life it isn’t always what you say but how you say it that matters. Third，I would never make it as a mathematician.
If I could choose one school day that taught me the most, it would be that one.
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 indicate?

A．It is wise to value one’s time.

B．It is important to make an effort

C．It is right to stick to one’s belief.

D．It is enough to do the necessary.

Usually, Mrs. Totten asked her students to _______.

A．recite their homework together

B．grade their homework themselves

C．answer their homework questions orally

D．check the answers to their homework questions

The author could work out which questions to answer since the teacher always _______.

A．asked questions in a regular way

B．walked up and down when asking questions

C．chose two or three questions for the students

D．requested her students to finish their usual questions

The author failed to get the questions he had expected because _______.

A．the class didn’t begin as usual

B．several students didn’t come to school

C．he didn’t try hard to make his estimate

D．Mrs. Totten didn’t start from the back of the class

Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?

A．An Unforgettable Teacher	B．A Future Mathematician
C．An Effective Approach	D．A Valuable Lesson

People aren’t walking any more---if they can figure out a way to avoid it.
I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in any hurry, either, I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.
It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune(免疫的), for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced –and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.
Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrhams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercises. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all.
It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world, He cannot learn in a car.
The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.
What is the national sickness?

A．Walking too much	B．Traveling too much
C．Driving cars too much	D．Climbing stairs too much.

What was life like when the author was young?

A．People usually went around on foot.

B．people often walked 25 miles a day

C．People used to climb the Statue of Liberty.

D．people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship.

The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that

A．middle-aged people like getting back to nature

B．walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind

C．people need regular exercise to keep fit

D．going on foot prevents heart disease

What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph6?

A．A queue of cars	B．A ray of traffic light
C．A flash of lightning	D．A stream of people

What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

A．To tell people to reflect more on life.

B．To recommend people to give up driving

C．To advise people to do outdoor activities

D．To encourage people to return to walking

Scientists today are making greater effort to study ocean currents (洋流) . Most do it using satellites and other high-tech equipment. However, ocean expert Curtis Ebbesmeyer does it in a special way --- by studying movements of random floating garbage. A scientist with many years’ experience, he started this type of research in the early 1990s when he heard about hundreds of athletic shoes washing up on the shores of the northwest coast of the United States. There were so many shoes that people were setting up swap meets to try and match left and right shoes to sell or wear.
Ebbesmeyer found out in his researches that the shoes — about 60,000 in total — fell into the ocean in a shipping accident. He phoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back. As expected, the company told him that they didn't. Ebbesmeyer realized this could be a great experiment. If he learned when and where the shoes went into the water and tracked where they landed, he could learn a lot about the patterns of ocean currents.
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's best areas for beachcombing(海滩搜寻) because winds and currents join here, and as a result, there is a group of serious beachcombers in the area. Ebbesmeyer got to know a lot of them and asked for their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed. In a year he collected reliable information on 1, 600 shoes. With this data, he and a colleague were able to test and improve a computer program designed to model ocean currents, and publish the findings of their study.
As the result of his work, Ebbesmeyer has become known as the scientist to call with questions about any unusual objects found floating in the ocean. He has even started an association of beachcombers and ocean experts, with 500 subscribers from West Africa to New Zealand. They have recorded all lost objects ranging from potatoes to golf gloves.
The underlined phrase swap meets in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ___________.

A．fitting rooms	B．trading fairs
C．business talks	D．group meetings

Ebbesmeyer phoned the shoe company to find out ___________.

A．what caused the shipping accident

B．when and where the shoes went missing

C．whether it was all right to use their shoes

D．how much they lost in the shipping accident

How did Ebbesmeyer prove his assumption?

A．By collecting information from beachcombers.

B．By studying the shoes found by beachcomber.

C．By searching the web for ocean currents models.

D．By researching ocean currents data in the library.

Ebbesmeyer is most famous for _________________.

A．traveling widely the coastal cities of the world

B．making records for any lost objects on the sea

C．running a global currents research association

D．phoning about any doubtful objects on the sea

What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

A．To call people's attention to ocean pollution.

B．To warn people of shipping safety in the ocean.

C．To explain a unique way of studying ocean currents.

D．To give tips on how to search for lost objects on the beach.

Like many new graduates, I left university full of hope for the future but with no real idea of what I wanted to do. My degree, with honors, in English literature had not really prepared me for anything practical. I knew I wanted to make a difference in the world somehow, but I had no idea how to do that. That’s when I learned about the Light house Project.
I started my journey as a Lighthouse Project volunteer by reading as much as I could about the experiences of previous volunteers. I knew it would be a lot of hard work, and that I would be away from my family and friends for a very long time. In short, I did not take my decision to apply for the Lighthouse Project lightly. Neither did my family.
Eventually, however, I won the support of my family, and I sent in all the paperwork needed for the application. After countless interviews and presentations, I managed to stand out among the candidates and survive the test alone. Several months later, I finally received a call asking me to report for the duty. I would be going to a small village near Abuja, Nigeria. Where? What? Nigeria? I had no idea. But I was about to find out.
After completing my training, I was sent to the village that was small and desperately in need of proper accommodation. Though the local villagers were poor, they offered their homes, hearts, and food as if I were their own family. I was asked to lead a small team of local people in building a new schoolhouse. For the next year or so, I taught in that same schoolhouse. But I sometimes think I learned more from my students than they did from me.
Sometime during that period, I realized that all those things that had seemed so strange or unusual to me no longer did, though I did not get anywhere with the local language, and returned to the United States a different man. The Lighthouse Project had changed my life forever.
What do we know about the author?

A．His university education focused on the theoretical knowledge.

B．His dream at university was to become a volunteer.

C．He took pride in having contributed to the world.

D．He felt honored to study English literature.

According to the Paragraph 2, it is most likely that the author

A．discussed his decision with his family.

B．asked previous volunteers about voluntary work

C．attended special training to perform difficult tasks

D．felt sad about having to leave his family and friends

In his application for the volunteer job, the author

A．participated in many discussions

B．went through challenging survival tests

C．wrote quite a few papers on voluntary work

D．faced strong competition from other candidates

On arrival at the village, the author was

A．asked to lead a farming team

B．sent to teach in a schoolhouse

C．received warmly by local villagers

D．arranged to live in a separate house.

What can we infer from the author’s experiences in Nigeria?

A．He found some difficulty adapting to the local culture

B．He had learned to communicate in the local language.

C．He had overcome all his weaknesses before he left for home.

D．He was chosen as the most respectable teacher by his students.

Close your eyes for a minute and imagine what life would be like if you had a hundred dollars less. Also imagine what it would be like spending the rest of your life with you eyes closed. Imagine having to read this page, not with your eyes but with your finger-tips.
With existing medical knowledge and skills, two-thirds of the world’s 42 million blind should not have to suffer. Unfortunately, rich countries posses most of this knowledge, while developing countries do not.
ORBIS is an international non-profit organization which operates the world’s only flying teaching eye hospital. ORBIS intends to help fight blindness worldwide. Inside a DC-8 aircraft, there is a fully-equipped teaching hospital with television studio and classroom. Doctors are taught the latest techniques of bringing sight back to people there. Project ORBIS also aims at promoting peaceful cooperation(合作) among countries.
ORBIS tries to help developing countries by providing training during three-week medical programs. ORBIS has taught sight-saving techniques to over 35,000 doctors and nurses, who continue to cure tens of thousands of blind people every year. ORBIS has conducted 17 plane programs is China so far. For the seven to ten million blind in China ORBIS is planning to do more for them. At the moment an ORBIS is working on a long-term plan to develop a training center and to provide eye care service to Shanxi Province. ORBIS needs your help to continue their work and free people from blindness.
For just US$38,you can help one person see; for $380 you can bring sight to 10 people; $1,300 helps teach a doctor new skills; and for $13,000 you can provide a training program for a group of doctors who can make thousands of blind people see again. Your money can open their eyes to the world. Please help ORBIS improve the quality of life for so many people less fortunate than ourselves.
The first paragraph is intended to ______.

A．introduce a new way of reading

B．advise the public to lead a simple life

C．direct the public’s attention to the blind

D．encourage the public to use imagination

What do we learn about existing medical knowledge and skills in the world?

A．They are adequate

B．They have not been updated.

C．They are not equally distributed

D．They have benefited most of the blind

ORBIS aims to help the blind by ______.

A．teaching medical students

B．training doctors and nurses

C．running flying hospitals globally

D．setting up non-profit organization

What does the author try to do in the last paragraph?

A．Appeal for donations

B．Make an advertisement

C．Promote training programs

D．Show sympathy for the blind

What can be the best title for the passage?

A．ORBIS in China

B．Fighting Blindness

C．ORBIS Flying Hospital

D．Sight-saving Techniques

If it really is what’s on the inside that counts, then a lot of thin people might be in trouble.
Some doctors now think that the internal(内部的) fat surrounding important organs like the heart or liver could be as dangerous as the external fat which can be noticed more easily.
“Being thin doesn’t surely mean you are not fat,” said Dr Jimmy Bell at Imperial College. Since 1994, Bell and his team have scanned nearly 800 people with MRI machines to create “fat maps” showing where people store fat.
According to the result, people who keep their weight through diet rather than exercise are likely to have major deposits of internal fat, even if they are slim.
Even people with normal Body Mass Index scores can have surprising levels of fat deposits inside. Of the women, as many as 45 percent of those with normal BMI scores (20 to 25) actually had too high levels of internal fat. Among men, the percentage was nearly 60 percent.
According to Bell, people who are fat on the inside are actually on the edge of being fat. They eat too many fatty and sugary foods, but they are not eating enough to be fat. Scientists believe we naturally store fat around the belly first, but at some point, the body may start storing it elsewhere.
Doctors are unsure about the exact dangers of internal fat, but some think it has something to do with heart disease and diabetes(糖尿病). They want to prove that internal fat damages the body’s communication systems.
The good news is that internal fat can be easily burned off through exercise or even by improving your diet. “If you want to be healthy, there is no shortcut. Exercise has to be an important part of your lifestyle.” Bell said.
What is the passage mainly about?

A．Internal fat is of no importance.

B．Thin people may be fat inside.

C．Internal fat leads to many diseases.

D．Thin people don’t have diabetes.

According to the passage, which of the following is WRONG?

A．Exercise can help to reduce the internal fat.

B．People can get rid of internal fat by improving diet.

C．People with heart disease all have internal fat.

D．Men are more likely to have too much internal fat.

From the last paragraph, we can find that ______.

A．exercise plays an important role in people’s life for keeping healthy

B．thin people usually have internal fat even if they are slim

C．it is easier to burn off internal fat than external fat

D．internal fat leading to disease has been proved

Does handwriting matter? Not very much, according to many educators. However, scientists say it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important. New evidence suggests that the link between handwriting and educational development is deep.
Children not only learn to read more quickly when they first learn to write by hand, but they are also better able to create ideas and remember information. In other words, it’s not only what we write that matters — but how.
A study led by Karin James, a psychologist at Indiana University, gave support to that view. A group of children, who had not learned to read and write, were offered a letter or a shape on a card and asked to copy it in one of three ways: draw the image on a page but with a dotted outline（虚线）, draw it on a piece of blank white paper, or type it on a computer. Then the researchers put the children in a brain scanner and showed them the image again.
It was found that when children had drawn a letter freehand without a dotted outline or a computer, the activity in three areas of the brain were increased. These three areas work actively in adults when they read and write. By contrast, children who chose the other two ways showed no such effect. Dr. James attributes the differences to the process of free handwriting: Not only must we first plan and take action in a way but we are also likely to produce a result that is variable. Those are not necessary when we have an outline.
It’s time for educators to change their mind and pay more attention to children’s handwriting.
What do scientists mean by saying “it is far too soon to declare handwriting is not important”?

A．Handwriting is not very important to children.

B．Handwriting should not be ignored at present.

C．Handwriting has nothing to do with education.

D．Handwriting can not be learned in a short time.

Which is NOT the children’s task in the experiment?

A．Copy the image on a page but with a dotted outline.

B．Draw the image on a piece of blank white paper.

C．Put a brain scanner and show the image again.

D．Type the image directly on a computer.

What does “that view” in Para. 3 refer to?

A．How we write is as important as what we write.

B．A group of students should know what to write.

C．Children create ideas and remember information.

D．Children read quickly when they write by hand.

According to the passage, the author obviously  _______  giving up handwriting.

A．is for	B．doesn’t care about
C．is responsible for	D．is against

Medical Center：
The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems. Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also，all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.
Opening Hours：24 hours from Monday to Sunday
Phone：[phone]  Fax：(412)396—6648
Diving Centre：
Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely. You only need swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples.
Opening Hours：Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6312  Fax：(412)396—6706
Riding School：
You can start horse—riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday
between 9 a．m．and 8：30 p．m．(3：30 p．m．on Saturdays). There are 10 kilometers of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat.
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—8：30 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6754  Fax：(412)396—6752
Sailing Club：
Our Young Sailor’s Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification. You’ll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid. Have fun with other course members , afterwards in the clubroom. There are 10 weekly two-hour 1essons (Tuesdays 6 p．m．～8 p．m．).
Opening Hours：Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．
Phone：(412)396—6644 Fax：(412)396—6644
Watersports Club：
We use a two-kilometer length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing, A beginners’ course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9 a．m to 4 p．m，with lessons all through the day.
Opening Hours：Monday through Friday：9：00 a．m．—4：00 p．m．
Phone: (412)396—6899  Fax396—6890
If you want to swim and enjoy activities which are fast and a bit dangerous, you should join ________ .

A．Diving Centre	B．Riding School
C．Sailing Club	D．Watersports Club

If you want to experience a new activity in the countryside in the mornings，you may fax  ________.

A．(412)396—6648	B．(412)396—6752
C．(412)396—6876	D．(412)396—6706

If you are planning to explore the ocean depths, you should attend your lessons at ______ .

A．Monday through Friday：7：00 a．m．—10：00 p．m．

B．24 hours from Monday to Sunday

C．Monday and Friday：6：30 p．m．—8：30 p．m．

D．Tuesdays：6：00 p．m．—8：00 p．m．

Which is NOT the convenience that the Medical Center provides?

A．Nursery for newly-born babies.

B．Well trained staff members.

C．Good equipment.

D．Various less expensive medicines.

I was going to die in Antarctica, I was certain. A picture of my frost-covered body, pale and lifeless, filled my mind as I glanced around. In all directions spreads the empty wilderness of Antarctica, the only feature being the division between snow and sky. I sadly stared at my team, who were rapidly disappearing from my sight．
It happened in the year 2009 when I was head of an adventure attempting to reach the South Pole. The team was made up of ordinary women from all around the world—from Jamaica, India, Singapore and Cyprus—many of whom had never seen snow, or spent a night in a tent, before we set off. Our aim was to be the most international all-female team to reach the South Pole．
By the time I realized that my sledge was firmly stuck, the team were already a long way ahead of me. I called out to Era, my teammate from Brunei, who was next in line. Getting no response, I called again, but my shouts were carried away in the opposite direction by the wind. I had stood and watched the line for a while as it marched away from me, confident that at any moment one of my teammates would look behind her. Seconds passed. Nothing. I was gradually being left alone．
I pushed my sledge again, my strength suddenly increased when I thought of a cold, lonely death. This time the sledge moved a little. I kicked at the ice with my ski-pole and boot, desperately trying to break the sledge free and pushed again. The sledge shot forward, knocking me off balance. I struggled to my feet and set off after the team．
I caught up just as they realized I wasn't there. As we continued, my panic slowly faded. I found myself laughing to myself as I noticed Reena checking behind her every few paces. In fact for the whole of the rest of the day each member of the team glanced over her shoulder every few minutes. They were not going to risk losing me again.
What can we know from the first paragraph?

A．The author's poor physical condition．

B．The wonderful sights of Antarctica．

C．The rough natural conditions of Antarctica．

D．The author's regret of being left alone．

What's the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．Brief introduction about the adventure.

B．How the author became the team leader.

C．The process of selecting the team members.

D．Complete information about the team members.

What made it possible for the author to get her sledge out of the ice?

A．The shouts of her teammates.

B．The strong desire to live on.

C．A sudden change in wind direction.

D．The natural beauty ahead in Antarctica.

Why did the team form the habit of looking behind?

A．Because they were expecting their team leader's arrival.

B．Because their team leader demanded them to do so.

C．Because they were afraid there might be danger coming from behind.

D．Because they wanted to make sure their team leader was following.

In the US, people prefer waiting for a table to sitting with people they don’t know. This means a hostess may not seat a small group until a small table is available, even if a large one is. If you are sitting at a table with people you don’t know, it is impolite to light up a cigarette without asking if it will disturb them.
At American restaurants and coffee shops you are usually served tap water before you order. You may find the bread and butter is free, and if you order coffee, you may get a free refill.
Most cities and towns have no rules about opening and closing time for stores or restaurants, though they usually do make rules for bars. Especially in large cities, stores may be open 24 hours a day.
Serving in restaurants is often large, too large for many people. If you can’t finish your meal but would like to enjoy the food later, ask your waitress or waiter for a “doggie bag”. It may have a picture of a dog on it, but everybody knows you’re taking the food for yourself.
Supper and dinner are both words for the evening meal. Some people have “Sunday dinner”. This is an especially big noon meal.
Tips are not usually added to the check. They are not included in the price of the meal, either. A tip of about 15% is expected and you should leave it on the table when you leave. In some restaurants, a check is brought on a plate and you put your money there. Then the waiter or waitress brings you your change.
Which statement is true?

A．American people like sitting with people they don’t know.

B．A hostess always seats a small group at a large table.

C．American people never sit with people they don’t know.

D．American people will not light a cigarette if the people who sit at the same table mind their smoking.

What is served before you order?

A．Bread.

B．Butter.

C．Coffee.

D．Cold water.

What do American people always do when servings are too large for them?

A．They take the food home with a “doggie bag” for their dogs.

B．They leave the food on the table and go away.

C．They take the food home with a “doggie bag” and enjoy the food later.

D．They ask the waitress or waiter to keep the food for them.

What can you learn about “tips” according to the passage?

A．Customers often add tips to their check.

B．The price of the meal usually includes the tip.

C．People are not expected to pay tips in addition.

D．Tips are supposed to be left on the table when customers leave

Do you like chocolate? Maybe most people do. A box of it can be a great gift. Buy one for a friend and give it as a surprise. See how happy that person gets.
Say you just got a box of chocolate. Which piece do you pick first? A man has studied people’s choices. He says they tell something about the person. Did you choose a round piece? You are a person who likes to party. Did you choose an oval (椭圆形的) shape? You are a person who likes to make things. Picking a square shape shows something else. The person is honest and truthful. You can depend on him or her.
What kind of chocolate do you pick? Maybe you like milk chocolate. This shows you have warm feelings about the past. Dark chocolate means something else. A person who chooses it looks toward the future. What about white chocolate? Would you choose it? If so, you may find it hard to make up your mind. Some people like chocolate with nuts. These are people who like to help others.
Do you believe these ideas? Can candy tell all these things? It doesn’t really matter. There is one sure thing about eaters of chocolate. They eat it because they like it.
This passage mainly tells us ______.

A．why people like chocolate

B．almost everyone likes chocolate

C．about different kinds of chocolate

D．different choices may show different characters

Picking a round shape of chocolate shows that a person ______.

A．can be depended on

B．likes singing, dancing and drinking

C．is good at making things

D．likes to do something for others

From this passage we can say that a helpful man may choose chocolate ______.

A．with nuts	B．with coffee
C．in square shape	D．in oval shape

The last paragraph suggests that the writer ______.

A．believes all the information about chocolate

B．does not believe the information about candy

C．is trying to get you to believe these information

D．doesn’t think it important whether you believe the ideas

In 2006, a large number of new Internet sites became popular around the world. Some of these are for communication, others for entertainment(娱乐).
The blog is one form of communication that increased in popularity. Through these personal websites(网址), people can share their lives, ideas and opinions on the Internet. People of all ages have their own blogs. For young people, they are a way to show their writing and other forms of self-expression. Blogs also connect people with other people who have the same interests. For example, teachers use blogs to share ideas with other teachers’, as well as experiences and concerns about their work.
YouTube is another Internet site that became more popular last year. This website lets anyone create, share and watch short videos. These include videos of people singing or dancing, or animals doing funny things. Three young men created YouTube almost two years ago as a personal video sharing service. They recently sold it to Google for more than one and a half billion dollars.
Games and entertainment also became a larger part of the Internet last year. One Internet social site is called Second Life. It is an online world in which computer users create a new self and live a different life. They get married, build homes, operate businesses, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school.
People also take part in fantasy sports leagues with the help of the Internet. A fantasy sport is a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team. Each owner creates a team of real-life professional players to compete against other teams in the league. More than fifteen million American adults play fantasy sports. The industry earns more than one billion（十亿）dollars each year from publications, memberships and other costs.
The passage is mainly about __________.

A．the most popular Internet technology in 2006

B．some new ways for people to communicate or have fun on the Internet

C．one online game called Second Life

D．the high price of playing online

Who is the owner of YouTube now?

A．Three young men.	B．Google.
C．Computer users.	D．Yahoo.

Whom does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 4 refer to?

A．The people who are interested in blogs.

B．The people who play games on YouTube.

C．The people who play Second Life.

D．The people who are created in Second Life.

What do we know from the passage?

A．Teachers can share ideas, experiences and concerns about their work with other teachers on any website.

B．More than fifteen million American teenagers play fantasy sports.

C．Second Life helps people get married, buy and sell goods, work, play and attend school in real life.

D．Fantasy sports, a game in which each member of a group acts as the owner of a team, is very popular around the world.

The average American child spends three to five hours a day watching TV. In 1961, the average child began to watch television at age three; however, today it is nine months. Yet, most parents think that television has bad influence on their children. For example, in the early 1970s, my parents believed that my bad eyesight was the result of sitting too close to the screen, and they therefore made my stay at least six feet from it. Today, most people have no such worry, but many new ridiculous (荒谬的) sayings have appeared:
*TV makes kids stupid. Many children watch more educational programs when they are pre-schoolers. When they grow up, they can read more books and have much better ideas to solve difficult problems than other children.
*TV makes kids violent. The real story is not so simple. Hundreds of studies show that watching violence on TV makes children more aggressive (好斗的). But a study of over 5,000 children also finds that some positive programs make children kinder. The problem is that kids are increasingly watching shows with violence instead of those suitable for their age.
*Sitting around watching TV makes kids overweight. An experiment finds that when children watch less television, they do lose extra weight; however, reducing their television time does not make them more active. The real problem lies in snacking (吃零食). A widespread habit for kids, and junk-food advertisements.
*TV helps kids get to sleep. The opposite is true. The more television children watch, the more likely they are to have irregular sleep and nap(小睡) patterns. Allowing kids to watch television is part of the problem, not the solution.
Which one is the advantage of educational TV programs?

A．They will make children solve difficult problems better than others.

B．they will improve children’s ability to get along with others.

C．They are likely to make children more aggressive.

D．They will make sure of children’s success in the future.

Why are children spending much time watching TV likely to be fat?

A．Watching TV makes children lazy and inactive.

B．Children are attracted by the food advertisement on TV.

C．Watching TV doesn’t burn up as much fat as doing sports.

D．Children like to snack while watching TV.

What influence does watching TV have on a child’s sleep?

A．Children are likely to sleep deeper after watching TV.

B．Children’s sleep time will be greatly reduced.

C．It will make children form a bad habit of sleeping.

D．It will make children sleep easier.

What is the purpose of this text?

A．To increase people’s knowledge of watching TV.

B．To warn parents of the disadvantages of watching TV.

C．To explain the bad influences that watching TV has on children.

D．To correct parents’ wrong ideas of television’s effect on children.