Like distance runners on a measured course，all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern．
In the first stage of our lives，we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality(活力)．
After we grow up，however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out．
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality，yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging．
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body．The lungs become less able to take in oxygen．Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．Bones grow easier to break．
Finally, we meet a stress，a stress that is greater than our physical resistance．Often，it is only a minor accident or chance infection(a disease caused by virus)，but this time，it brings life to an end．
In 1932，a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats，simply by cutting back the calories in their diet The reason for the effect was then unknown．
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr．Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats．The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet，which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain．Seagle showed that within the brain，specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging．By changing that chemical balance，the clock of aging can be reset．
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged．Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries．
An average lifetime lasts 75 years，yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life．If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years．
小題1:What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A．Physical vitality．

B．Stress．

C．Aging．

D．Physical resistance．

小題2:Which of the following is not a change of aging?

A．People gradually lose their muscle strength．

B．Bones tend to break more easily．

C．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．

D．The lungs become unable to take in oxygen．

小題3:The author believes the following except that     ．

A．human's life pattern is predictable

B．physical fitness can't stop the force of aging

C．human's lifetime will last longer than 75 years

D．a(chǎn)ll of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body

小題4:How did Dr．Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?

A．By keeping their physical fitness．	B．By cutting the calories in their diet．
C．By resetting their clock of aging．	D．By limiting the protein in their diet．

小題5:What is probably the best title for the article?

A．Two Great Experiments

B．The Mystery of Human Life

C．The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging

D．Ways to lengthen Human Life

People should be warned against using mobile phones outdoors in stormy weather because they may“be struck by lightning”，according to doctors．
Three experts have described how a teenage girl was struck by lightning while using her phone in a large London park．The girl，aged 15，recovered，but a year later was still wheelchair-bound and found to be suffering complex physical and emotional problems.
The girl also had a perforate eardrum(打孔耳膜)on the side where she had been holding the mobile phone．She was having general recovery in Northwick Park Hospital，Middlesex．
Swinda Esprit，a senior house officer, said that while the brain and muscle damage was similar to that of many lightning victims—who can experience heart attacks on being struck—the ear problems were not．
She said that the damages were particularly relevant for people who might be involved in less serious lightning incidents，who might otherwise recover, but would never get their full hearing back if struck while on the phone．
“We were shocked by the damage，which is why we wanted to draw attention to it，”Dr Esprit said．“A year on and she still was suffering these difficult hearing．”
They added that three other cases had been reported in newspapers in China，South Korea，and Malaysia．In the Malaysian case，a sales executive was killed by lightning while talking on his phone during a thunderstorm near Kuala Lumpur．
“All these events resulted in death，”the doctors wrote．“This rare phenomenon is a public health issue，and education is necessary to stress the risk．”
The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects，including cordless or mobile phones，should not be carried outdoors during thunderstorms．However, “the United States National Weather Service says on its website that both are safe to use “because there is no direct path between you and the lightening”．
Paul Taylor, of “the Met Office'’，said the ear injuries were a consequence of mobile phones being metal，and not related to radio waves．
Mr. Taylor said that mobile phones should be treated as another piece of metal，similar to carrying coins or wearing rings，and people need to be warned against the possible danger．
小題1:What do we know about the teenage girl?

A．She was struck by lightning at schoo1．

B．She completely recovered from being struck．

C．She still suffered from mental problems．

D．She had to press her ear all day．

小題2:It can be inferred that damage done by lightening while using mobile phones      .

A．is more serious than that when one is not using a mobile phone

B．can be healed quickly except for heart attacks

C．is less serious because the victims can usually recover

D．is mainly in the brain and muscle of the victims

小題3:Why did doctors stress the risk about using phones outside in lightening?

A．Because more people are faced with it．

B．Because some deaths have been caused．

C．Because lightning is harmful for the brain．

D．Because a teenage girl got killed．

小題4:We can infer from the last three paragraphs that        .

A．both cordless and mobile phones are safe to use outside in lightning

B．there is no direct connection between lightning and ear injuries at all

C．opinions differ as to whether it is safe to use mobiles phones in lightning

D．ear injuries are the result of carrying coins or wearing rings in lightning

小題5:The purpose in writing this passage is       .

A．to draw attention to the risk of using mobile phones in lightening

B．to focus on various damages done to lightning victims

C．to tell us the news that a teenage girl was struck by lightning

D．to stress the danger of making phone calls in lightning

閱讀下面短文，請根據(jù)短文后的要求進行答題。（請注意問題后的字數(shù)要求）
[1]Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending hours on a treadmill, according to scientists. They say that socializing and meeting with friends helps boost levels of ‘brown fat’ in the boby which burns calories to generate heat.
[2]Living in a stimulating, social environment was found to reduce abdominal fat in mice by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social stimulation can       
by converting white fat into brown, White stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to generate heat .Converting white fat into brown is difficult, as we all know, normally requiring long term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body’s nervous system
[3]However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown, The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice. Those who lived alongside a greater number of mice and had more space and toys to stimulate them lost far more weight over the course of the study than their ‘couch potato’ ones.
[4]Study author Dr. Mattew During, whose team’s findings appear in journal Cell Metabolism said: I’m still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs. Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added: ‘It’s not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement.’
[5]Co-author Dr. Lei Cao said: ‘Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it’s on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important’.
小題1:What’s the main idea of this passage? (no more than 10 words)
                                                                            
小題2:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
                                                                            
小題3:What’s the purpose of the study of mice? (no more than 20 words)
                                                                            
                                                                            
小題4:How does socializing help make people slim? (no more than 15 words)
                                                                            
小題5:Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
                                                                            

Morocco is located at the northwest of Africa and is bordered in the north by the strait of Gibraltar and the Mediterranean Sea. The Atlantic Ocean keeps the west and the north of the country more temperate(溫和的). The country also offers the broadest plains some of which run along the Atlantic Ocean and the highest mountains in North Africa including the Atlas Mountains.
Starting with the symbol of Morocco, Marrakech is a beautiful city that has remained unspoiled by the volume of tourists that flock there each year. One of the finest monuments in Morocco is greatly benefited by this amount of tourism. Actually their high volume contributes in a positive way to preserve one of the greatest monuments of Morocco.
Fes is the third largest city in Morocco and is the capital of the Fes-Boulemane Region. It is separated into three parts, Fes el Bali more commonly known as the old walled city, now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Fes-Jdid and the Ville Nouvelle. Fes el Bali is believed to be the largest car-free urban area in the world. Fes is a splendid place to visit to heighten the senses with the colours, smells and sounds.
Casablanca is an enormous city which is near the capital of Morocco and a place where any European would feel at home. Casablanca was made famous by the movie and gives the impression of being a romantic place. Unfortunately like many other popular cities around the world, it is crowded, noisy, and polluted, a far cry from the romantic ideal of the film. Because it has the biggest port, Casablanca being the important city of Morocco, has everything that the tourists need.
Asilah is a city situated on the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the most stunning(出色的) old cities of Morocco. The city is set along the cliffs which make it beautifully presented and an ideal place to continue adding to its economy by the fishermen. The economy is also reliant on the trading of cattle, sheep and cereal. If you are having a holiday in Morocco during August then you will be fortunate enough to experience one of Asilah’s cultural festivals where you can enjoy the lively music and wonderful paintings.
小題1:How many cities in Morocco are introduced in the passage?

A．4.

B．5.

C．6.

D．7.

小題2:If you want to live conveniently while you are on vacation, which city in Morocco could you choose?

A．Marrakech.

B．Fes.

C．Casablanca.

D．Asilah.

小題3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．If you want to enjoy music and paintings, you can visit Asilah at any time.

B．Casablanca is as romantic as what is shown in the movie.

C．Fes is the capital of Morocco.

D．Marrakech is the symbol of Morocco.

小題4:The passage most probably appears      .

A．in a geography book	B．in a magazine
C．in a history book	D．in an atlas（地圖冊）

Bursting into the classroom from recess(學生的課間休息), 15 children take their seats and face the woman they know as Ms. Yang.
“What day is it today?”she asks, in Mandarin(普通話的舊稱) Chinese.
“Confucius’ birthday!”the fifth graders shout in Mandarin.
“Why do we celebrate Confucius’ birthday?”
“Because he’s the greatest teacher in the history of China!”exclaims a brown-haired girl. She too is speaking Mandarin.
English is rarely heard in Lisa Yang’s class at the Chinese American International School(CAIS), despite the fact that few students are native speakers of Mandarin.
The United States is actively trying to increase the group of students in“critical languages”such as Mandarin. The students at CAIS are way ahead in such a trend.
Mandarin explosion in America
Founded 25 years ago, this small private school in San Francisco, USA, does what few other American schools do: It produces fully fluent speakers of Mandarin Chinese, by far the most commonly spoken language in the world.
Mandarin Chinese is suddenly hot in American schools. As China becomes the world’s leading economy sometimes this century, schools in the U.S. are scrambling to add Mandarin to their roster of foreign languages or expand Chinese programs already in place.
“It really is almost unprecedented(無前例的). People are looking at China as a force to be reckoned with…And to ensure that the U.S. has the ability to conduct trade, and to work with the Chinese, certainly having an understanding of Chinese language and culture is an advantage,”said Marty Abbott of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages(ACTFL)(美國外語教學協(xié)會).
Cultural differences in teaching styles
To develop Chinese-language programs has not been smooth. A shortage of trained teachers has made it difficult for some schools to join the race. When schools do get teachers, they often hire them straight from China, and the teachers usually suffer culture shock when they come to the U.S.
Robert Liu remembers his first two years in an American classroom. It was not an easy adjustment. “In China, students respect their teachers,”he said. Liu found that American students, however, expect an active teaching style. He had to use games to engage them rather than lectures.
To avoid many of the problems with foreign teaching styles, the CAIS has been working with the Chinese government to improve training of teachers who are sent to the U.S.
小題1:Which of the following is the best title?

A．Mandarin speaks to a growing audience in America

B．Chinese-language programs

C．Mandarin Chinese

D．The Chinese American International School(CAIS)

小題2:What kind of problem is the most difficult to adjust in teaching Chinese in America?

A．To adapt to the life there.

B．To communicate with the American students.

C．To get along well with the American students.

D．To be fit for the cultural differences in teaching styles.

小題3:The meaning of the underlined word“scrambling”is similar to      .

A．climbing

B．rushing

C．changing

D．beating

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that       .

A．the students in Lisa Yang’s class usually speak Chinese

B．there are few American students in Lisa Yang’s class

C．we celebrate Confucius’ birthday because he’s the greatest teacher in the history of China

D．in America the students don’t respect their teachers

Once upon a time in a land far away, there was a wonderful old man who loved everything：animals, spiders, insects．
One day while walking through the woods, the nice old man found a cocoon（繭）of a butterfly．He took it home．A few days later, a small opening appeared; he sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole．Then it seemed to stop making any progress．It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther．Then the man decided to help the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon．
The butterfly then appeared easily．
But it had a swollen body and small, fragile wings．The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would be smaller in time．Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling （慢慢爬行）around with a swollen body and fragile wings．
It never was able to fly．
What the man in his kindness and hurry did not understand was that the limited cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were Nature's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon．
Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our life．If we were allowed to go through our life without any obstacles and difficulties, it would disable us．We would not be as strong as what we could have been．And we could never fly．
小題1:The butterfly could never fly because _______________．

A．it was too fat and strong．

B．it loved crawling around．

C．it got out of the cocoon easily．

D．it didn’t get through the cocoon．

小題2:The text is most likely to be found in a book about_______________．

A．popular science	B．humorous stories．
C．successful people	D．philosophyevents

小題3:What is the implied meaning of the passage?

A．Life without any obstacles and difficulties is perfect．

B．Obstacles and difficulties contribute to success．

C．Never help a butterfly to get out of the cocoon．

D．A butterfly can never fly without going through the cocoon

閱讀下面的短文，并根據(jù)短文后面的要求答題。（請注意問題后的字數(shù)要求）
For years children in the industrial areas of Europe and America seldom left their smoky cities to see the beauties of the countryside. Not that the woods and fields were always far away, but they were too far from the city to permit people to make a round trip between morning and nightfall. What's more, factory workers did not have enough money to send their children on country holidays away from home.
In 1907 a young German schoolmaster had an idea which changed this state of affairs. He decided to turn his little schoolhouse into a dormitory for the summer holidays. Anyone who brought his sleeping bag and cooking equipment along could stay there for a very small amount of money. The idea was a success. A few years later the schoolhouse was far too small to hold so many young people who wanted to stay there. So, a dormitory was set up in an old castle nearby. This was the first Youth Hostel.
Today young students and workers of every country can meet in the hostels and get to know each other. Some spend a week or more in the same hostel, seeing the surrounding sights and meeting the people of the area. Other youths go on foot or by bicycle from place to place, spending a night or two in one hostel, then going to the next.
Sometimes an informal program will be organized after the meal, with dances, songs, or short talks followed by a question period. One can _____________________________ about other places, just by meeting people who come from these places. For this reason, a few weeks spent "hostelling" can be just as useful a part of one's education as classes in school.
小題1:What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us? (Please answer within10 words.)
______________________________________________________________________
小題2:Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
Some youths stay in a hostel for several days, during which period they go sightseeing and visit the local people.
_____________________________________________________________________________
小題3:Fill in the blank in the 4th paragraph with proper words to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 7 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
小題4:List 3 of the advantages of hostelling according to the text. (Please answer within 15 words.)
____________________________________________________________________________
小題5:Translate the underlined sentence in paragraph 1 into Chinese.
_____________________________________________________________________

Dear editor,
I am writing to ask what has happened to our young people.They are not as polite or hard-working as my generation（一代人I will give you two examples.
Last Friday, I got on the underground at 9:15 a.m. It was very crowded so there was no free seat.There were some boys sitting on the seats near me.I didn't know why they were not at school.They were talking and laughing loudly. It was difficult for me to read my newspaper with all the noise.At the next stop, a pregnant（懷孕的）woman and her daughter got on with lots of shopping bags.I expected the boys to let them sit down.They saw the woman but they did nothing.I had to ask them to give the woman and her daughter seats.   They did so but gave me a rude look.
Last Saturday, I had dinner with my friend’s family.I was glad to see his children, who I hadn't seen for ten years.During the dinner, I started talking about world politics with the children.It soon became clear that they didn't know much about it.They couldn't tell me the name of the King of Spain or President of Italy.All they knew about was the Internet or which singers were the most beautiful.In my days, students knew the kings, the queens and the presidents of every country in Europe.
I worry about the future of Germany.How could these young people become good workers and parents? They sit around McDonald's after school instead of going to the library like I did at their age.Maybe they have too much money.Perhaps some readers can give us some ideas about what to do with this “l(fā)ost generation”.
Yours sincerely,
Frantz Vogts.
小題1:Mr. Vogts writes this letter to the editor to _______.

A．show how rude the boys were

B．express his worry about his friend’s children’s future

C．show how lazy young people nowadays are

D．complain the way some young people acted

小題2:When Mr Vogts met the boys on the underground , he_______.

A．knew there was no hope for him to get a seat

B．felt he would be in trouble

C．thought they should have been studying instead of staying there

D．expected that they would get off at the next stop

小題3:Mr Vogts was disappointed at the dinner because _______.

A．he was not politely treated

B．he had different opinions on the world politics from his friend

C．the children cared more about the Internet than he

D．the children did not know much about world politics

小題4:By saying “l(fā)ost generation”, Mr Vogts refers to ________.

A．the fact that he is angry with young people today

B．the people at his age

C．his worry about these young people

D．today’s young people

How to protect children Web fans from unsuitable material on-line while encouraging them to use the Internet has long been discussed in the US.
For some parents, the Internet can seem like a jungle, filled with danger for their children. But jungles contain wonders as well as danger. With good guides, some education, and a few precautions(預防 ), the wilds of the Internet can be safely navigated. “Kids have to be on-line. If we tell our kids they can’t be allowed to surf the Internet, we’re cutting them off from their future,” said an expert.
Most kids have started to use search engines. Many of them are great for finding tons of interesting Internet sites, and they can also locate places where you might not want your kids to go. There are search engines designed just for kids. A certain software contains only sites that have been selected as safe. The most popular way would be to use what is known as a “content screener”. But this can’t be wholly reliable(可靠 ), and the best thing parents can do is to talk to their kids and let them know what is OK or not OK to see or do on the Internet. Another way is that mum or dad is nearby when the child is surfing the Internet.
A few other tips:
—Do not put the PC in a child’s room but keep it in an area where mum or dad can keep an eye on things. That also makes the Internet more of a family activity.
—Ask your child what he or she has been doing and about any friends they make on-line.
―Tell your child not to give on-line strangers personal information, especially like address and phone number.
And tell your children never to talk to anyone they meet on-line over the phone, send them anything, accept anything from them or agree to meet with them unless you go along.
小題1:What is the best way to protect children from improper material?

A．To talk to the children and persuade them to tell right from wrong.

B．To be nearby when the children are surfing the Internet.

C．To fix a content screener on the computer.

D．To buy some search engines for children.

小題2:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Surfing the Internet is the best way of educating children.

B．Using a content screener is most reliable for keeping children from having ways to the Internet.

C．Searching engines can help children to select materials fit for them.

D．Children’s not having chances to go to the Internet may have effect on their progress.

小題3:According to the passage, we can infer that ____.

A．softwares that are fit for children who want programming

B．the Internet contains a lot of harmful sites

C．the Internet will be protected by law

D．a(chǎn) child who is on-line is in danger

小題4:What does the passage tell us most?

A．Education

B．Good guides

C．Precautions

D．Software

Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction．However，merchants(商人) passed silk，gold, fruit，and g1ass along the Silk Road in more than one direction．They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.
The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B.C. to about A.D.1300, when sea travel offered new routes (路線). It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from centre Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The People along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared    their beliefs．The silk Road provided pathways for learning，diplomacy(外交)，and religion.·
小題1:It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed__________.

A．to remember the entire trade route

B．to deal with a lot of difficulties

C．to receive certain special training

D．to know the making of products

小題2:The Silk Road became less important because___________.

A．sea travel provided easier routes

B．silk trading became less popular

C．it was made up of different routes

D．people needed fewer foreign goods

小題3:New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people_________·

A．traded goods along the route	B．shared each other’s beliefs
C．1earned from one another	D．earned their living by traveling

小題4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning

B．The Silk Road：Past and Present

C．The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers

D．The Silk Road：East Meets West