Your chair is your enemy. That is the conclusion of several recent studies. Among people who sit in front of the television for more than three hours each day, those who exercise are as fat as those who don’t.
So what’s wrong with sitting? The answer seems to have two parts. The first is that sitting is one of the most passive things you can do. Compared to sitting, standing in one place is hard work. To stand, you have to tense your leg muscles, and engage the muscles of your back and shoulders; while standing, you often shift from leg to leg. All of this burns energy.
You may think you have no choice about how much you sit. But this isn’t true. Suppose you sleep for eight hours each day, and exercise for one. That still leaves 15 hours of activities. Even if you exercise, most of the energy you burn will be burnt during these 15 hours, so weight gain is often the cumulative(累積的) effect of a series of small decisions: Do you take the stairs or the elevator? Do you walk to the corner store, or drive?
But it looks as though there’s a more sinister aspect to sitting. Some evidence suggests that when you spend long periods sitting, your body actually does things that are bad for you.
Lipoprotein lipase(蛋白脂酶) is a molecule that plays a central role in how the body processes fats. Low levels of lipoprotein lipase are associated with a variety of health problems. Studies in rats show that leg muscles only produce this molecule when they are actively being moved. The result is that when you sit, an important part of your metabolism(新陳代謝) slows down. You may also have a higher risk of suffering from diabetes(糖尿病).
Some people have advanced radical solutions to the sitting syndrome(綜合癥): replace your sit-down desk with a stand-up desk, or watch television in a rocking chair. But whatever you choose, know this. The data is clear; look out for your chair.
小題1:What would be the best title of this passage?

A．Become an Athlete to Be Healthy.

B．Choose a Better Chair for You.

C．How to Speed Up Your Metabolism.

D．Stand Up While You Read This.

小題2:Paragraphs 2 and 3 tell us that         .

A．taking too much exercise harms people’s health

B．sitting a lot reduces the benefits of taking exercise

C．people needn’t depend on exercise to keep healthy

D．healthy people are those who sit less and stand more

小題3:Which of the following is the best advice on how to control our weight?

A．Exercising at least an hour a day.

B．Standing as long as possible.

C．Using our energy actively in daily life.

D．watching TV in a rocking chair.

小題4:The author mentions lipoprotein lipase mainly to          .

A．show that it plays a big part in keeping us healthy

B．tell us that it isn’t produced while we are sitting

C．suggest that we should take less exercise to be healthy

D．prove sitting for long is bad for our body

If a person forgets names, places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old. It could be Alzheimer’s disease. So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can.
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s. But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (癥狀).
In studies, ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s . It has helped people improve their memory over time. It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own.
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one. It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world. The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s, the better ARICEPT can help .
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone. Some people may experience not sleeping well, feeling very tired, or not wanting to eat. In studies, these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time. Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed. In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse.
小題1:If one suffers from Alzheimer’s, ________  .

A．he has trouble with his memory

B．he can’t do everyday things on his own

C．he often forgets things because he is old

D．he can’t move about

小題2:What is ARICEPT?

A．A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s

B．A medicine to delay signs of aging.

C．A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

D．A medicine to cure brain damage.

小題3:One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he  ________ .

A．can’t fall asleep	B．feels tired out
C．has no desire to eat	D．feels like a drunken man

I clearly remember my mom telling me to drink milk every day—one glass in the morning and another at night. I also remember loving it while my sister thought quite the opposite—she would surreptitiously pour her milk into the sink or water the plants with it! I guess I should thank my mom for making us drink a lot of milk, so rich in calcium(鈣), during those important years.
Today, calcium shortage is one of the main concerns of women in their 30s or even early 20s. The great fear is that when we reach our 50s or 60s, osteoprosis(骨質(zhì)疏松癥)will set in. That is why you can see a lot of advertisements for products supposedly containing a lot of calcium.
Because calcium is not that easy to acquire from the food we normally eat, busy women these days should take calcium supplements(補(bǔ)充物). There are a lot of different forms of these---calcium carbonate(碳酸鈣)，oyster(牡蠣)shell or bone-meal-based calcium supplements.
You have to be careful when choosing which kind to take. This is because calcium is not easily absorbed by the body. So the fact that you are taking supplements doesn’t mean that the body is actually benefiting from them. Different supplements may have different instructions on dosage(劑量)and manner of intake. You can ask your doctor to help you determine which supplement is the best for your needs.
小題1:From what the author’s mother did we may infer that___________________.

A．her children had osteoporosis

B．she knew her children would benefit from milk

C．she must have suffered from osteorosis

D．she didn’t like her daughter who didn’t obey her order

小題2: Based on the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The author’s sister will suffer from osteoprosis when reaches her 50s or 60s

B．Many businessmen have already been selling products supposedly containing calcium.

C．We can’t get enough calcium only from food we eat every day

D．Women as young as their 20s should be concerned about calcium shortage

小題3:What does the underlined word “surreptitiously” in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．Honestly

B．Frankly

C．Secretly

D．Curiously

小題4:We may infer from the last paragraph that____________________.

A．what one chooses as a calcium supplement might not work

B．one shouldn’t take in calcium without the permission of a doctor

C．the more calcium supplements one uses, the more calcium one can take in

D．it is dangerous to use calcium supplements without the guidance

Scientists say they have discovered a promising treatment for sleeping sickness, a killer disease that infects(感染) about 60,000 people in Africa a year．
British and Canadian experts say drugs could attack the parasite（寄生蟲(chóng)） causing the illness．They say the drug could be ready for human medical test in about 18 months．
The disease, spread by the bite of a fly, is caused by a parasite attacking the central nervous system．It has similar symptoms（癥狀） to malaria（瘧疾）, making it difficult to diagnose．Left untreated, it moves to the brain, resulting in mental confusion and final death
The "breakthrough" came at the University of Dundee in Scotland, where scientists were offered money to research diseases ignored by major drugs companies．
Professor Paul Wyatt, director of the programme, said: "This is one of the most significant findings made in recent years in terms of drug discovery and development for ignored diseases."
He said the research, published in the journal Nature, represented "significant progress" in the development of a full blown drug against the disease．
The World Health Organization said there are between 50,000 and 70,000 cases of the disease a year, with a further 60 million people at risk of infection．
The research in Dundee was backed by partners at the University of York in England and the Structural Genomics Consortium in Toronto, Canada．The two drugs currently available to treat sleeping sickness both have problems．One is with side effects that kill one in 20 patients and the other is costly, only partially effective and requires long-time hospital treatment, the scientists said．
小題1:The word backedin the last paragraph probably means_____.

A．conducted

B．supported

C．believed

D．managed

小題2:What the World Health Organization said suggested that______.

A．a(chǎn)bout 60000 people died of the disease each year

B．a(chǎn)bout 60000 people were cured of the disease each year

C．600 million people are likely to get infected

D．the disease is spreading fast in Africa

小題3:We can read this passage______.

A．in the journal Nature

B．in a newspaper of the University of Dundee

C．in a book about flies

D．in a newspaper about medicine

小題4:We can learn from the passage that______．

A．big drug companies play an important role in the research of the new drug

B．people who get infected with the disease are mentally disturbed

C．a(chǎn)mong 200 people infected with the disease, 5 may die because of the old drug

D．Professor Paul Wyatt may be a professor at the University of York

A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increases the risk.
Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma (黑素瘤)．They said that they found faults in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.
Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (發(fā)生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.
But questions has been raised about sunscreen and whether it may has opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.
The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer--- people with fair skin and freckles (雀斑), for example--- are more likely to use sunscreen．As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.
The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.
小題1:People with fair skin and freckles         .

A．seldom use sunscreen

B．a(chǎn)re more in danger of skin cancer

C．can be free from the harm of the sun

D．often expose themselves to the sun

小題2:We can learn from the passage that         .

A．sunscreen users get skin cancer more often

B．the volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen

C．the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers

D．the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America

小題3:Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

A．Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer

B．Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer

C．Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen

D．Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles

If you want to increase your vocabulary, the best way to do it might be to pick up a guitar, or learn the violin. A new study shows that learning to play a musical instrument makes the brain more able to remember words.
“Grown-ups with music training in their childhood can have better memory for words,” said Dr Agnes Chan of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, who did the research. “They can remember things that you tell them better than those who did not have music training when they were young.”
It seems that one can remember spoken words because his brain has a special part. “That part of the brain is larger in musicians than in non-musicians,” Dr Chan told BBC. “If that part of the brain is larger, it may be better developed and so this explains very nicely our results.”
Dr Chan and her workmates came to their conclusion after studying students. Their research is reported in the latest edition of the journal(雜志) Nature. “We did the experiment with 60 girl college students from our university and 30 of them have at least six years training with one western musical instrument (such as the violin and the piano) before the age of 12. The other 30 had received no music training. We tested their memory by reading them some words and asking them to remember these words—a very common test for memory. We found that people who have had music training can remember about 70% more information than those who have not had any music training.”
Dr Chan thinks the process(過(guò)程) of learning is more important than the actual instrument used. She also believes if one is able to remember words through learning to play instruments, he or she could have some very real benefits. Dr Chan thinks this could be developed into a medical way for patients who are suffering from memory loss.
小題1: According to the writer, learning to play a musical instrument helps to ______.

A．get more knowledge

B．live more happily

C．remember more words

D．make one become a musician

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

A．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they grow up.

B．Dr Chan thinks the special part of the brain doesn’t need developing.

C．Dr Chan thinks people should have music training when they are young.

D．Dr Chan thinks musicians have a larger brain than non-musicians.

小題3:How many students took part in Dr Chan’s research?

A．30 girl students.	B．60 girl students.
C．17% of his students.	D．60 girl and boy students.

No one really knows how and why people change as they get older. Also, no theory sufficiently explains all the changes of the aging process. Aging is a complex and varied process that varies in how it affects different people and organs. In fact, even in one person , different organ systems “age “ at a different rate.
At a certain point in our lives our body systems will begin to weaken . It may become more difficult for us to see and hear. The slow change of aging causes our bodies to lose some of their ability to bounce back from disease and injury. In order to live longer , we have always tried to slow or stop this change that leads us toward the end of our lives.
Many factors decide our health . A good diet plays an important role. The amount and the type of exercise we get are another two factors. Our living condition is yet another. But scientists studying the aging problem want to know: Why do people grow old? They hope that by studying the aging medical science they may be able to make the length of life longer.
There is nothing to be afraid of as the old age comes. Many consider the later part of life to be the best time for living. Physical activity may become less, but often we get better understanding of the world and ourselves.
What we consider the old age now may only be middle-aged some day soon. Who knows ,with so many advances in medical science happening so quickly, life length may one day be measured in centuries ,rather than in years!
小題1:The underlined phrase “bounce back ”means “__________.”

A．jump backward

B．run fast

C．prevent

D．recover

小題2:In order to make people live longer, scientists _______according to the text.

A．teach people how to eat properly

B．discover how important the exercise is to one’s health

C．study the ways to slow or stop the process of aging

D．invent new medicine to slow down the process of aging

小題3: Many consider the later part of life to be the time of living because they__________.

A．consider their lives have been very successful

B．have come through the battle of life safely

C．know more about themselves and the outside world

D．can have a good rest and enjoy themselves

小題4:How many factors which decide our health are mentioned in the text?

A．Two

B．Four

C．Five

D．Six

Did you ever think someone was scary (恐怖的)because they looked different or ate strange food? Well, they might think the same about you! One of the things we all need to do is to celebrate variety．We shouldn’t think badly of people from other cultures because they behave differently from us.
Sometimes we treat people from other countries unfairly, because one person from that culture did something bad．Well, has your class ever been punished just because a few kids were causing trouble? Has your whole family ever been blamed for something your little sister did? It doesn’t seem fair, does it? It’s just equally unfair to blame a whole culture for what two or three people have done.
So here are some things that you can do to help yourself understand other cultures:
①Find common ground!
Just remember that even though some people look different on the outside, that doesn’t change how they are on the inside．They still have the exact same feelings!
②________________
Because someone from another culture has been mean to you, you decide to avoid everyone from that culture．Well think about it．Why are you blaming them for something they didn’t have anything to do with? Put yourself in their shoes．How would you feel? Putting yourself inside someone else’s head can be a very powerful way to understand WHY they are acting the way they are.
③Try to make friends with people from other cultures!
You could ask them about their culture, or what it is like in their country, if they can remember, or if they have ever lived there．Try foods from their culture, or ask them about words in their language．You might be surprised at how interesting other cultures can be! You can join great discussion groups, participate in projects, and have lots of fun doing new things.
④Be aware that you’ve judged other people
If you know what you have done, it helps to make things better．Pay attention to what you think about other people．It helps.
小題1:What is mainly discussed in this passage?  

A．Why there are differences between people

B．What to do to understand other cultures

C．How people feel when they meet people from other cultures

D．The differences between people from different cultures

小題2:Which of the following can be put into the blank behind ②?

A．Avoid everyone from that culture!

B．Put all responsibilities on others!

C．Consider oneself first!

D．Don’t blame all because of one!

小題3:The underlined word “celebrate” most probably means “_______”.

A．feel proud of	B．express ideas of
C．praise and enjoy	D．pay attention to

小題4:The following can be the better way to treat foreigners except_______.

A．join their discussion groups	B．try foods from their culture
C．a(chǎn)void meeting them	D．find common ground

Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made．In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning．
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early．On those rare occasions where I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher．So I set out to become a habitual early riser．But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep．Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy．
The most common wrong strategy is this: You assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier．It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail.
There are two main schools(流派) of thought on sleep patterns．One is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day．The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up．However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity．If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough．You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep.
If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need．Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times．
The solution for me has been to combine both methods．I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time．So I always get up at the same time (in my case 5 am), but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight．Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm．
However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way．If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own.
小題1:According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ____.

A．people who stay up until the next morning.

B．people who get up early in the morning.

C．people who feel sleepy in the morning.

D．people whose productivity is the highest in the morning.

小題2:Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?

A．Because he / she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early.

B．Because he / she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early.

C．Because he / she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right.

D．Because he / she was told the high relationship between success and rising early.

小題3:The author experienced all the following EXCEPT ____.

A．going to bed after midnight．

B．getting up early occasionally.

C．pressing off the alarm to go on sleeping.

D．a(chǎn)sking scholars for advice on sleeping habits.

小題4:The passage is mainly about ____。

A．how to become an early riser．

B．how to have good sleep.

C．wrong strategies for getting up early.

D．main schools of thought on sleep patterns.

Ears are for hearing — everyone knows that. But for a creature called the Cuvier’s beaked whale, hearing starts in the throat (喉嚨), a new study found.
The observation might help explain how all whales hear. The work might also help scientists understand how animals are affected by underwater sonar (聲吶). This sonar, used by some ships, sends out sound waves to locate underwater objects.
The Cuvier’s beaked whale is a so-called toothed whale. Toothed whales dive deep into the ocean in search of food. As the whales hunt, they produce sounds that reach objects and then return to the whales. This allows the animals to “see” the shape, size, and location of objects, even when they’re 1,000 meters under the sea, where it is totally dark.
To better understand how the whale hears, researchers from San Diego State University in California took X rays of two Cuvier’s beaked whales. The whales had died and washed up on the beach.
Ted Cranford and his colleagues used the images to make a computer model of a Cuvier’s beaked whale’s head. Then, they modeled the process of sound traveling through the head.
The researchers knew that some sounds get to the ears of a toothed whale through a structure (構(gòu)造) called “the window for sound”. Found on the lower jaw, this structure is very thin on the outside and has a large pad (墊) of fat on the inside.
When the researchers used their computer model to work out how sound waves travel in the whale’s head, they were surprised to find that sounds coming from right in front of the whale actually travel under the animal’s jaw. From there, sound waves move through the throat, into a hole in the back of the jaw, and finally to the pad of fat near the animal’s ears.
69. 小題1:Toothed whales look for food under the sea by ______.

A．watching the shape and size of their objects	B．diving deep into the sea
C．sending and receiving sounds	D．making lots of noises

70. 小題2:Researchers took X rays of two Cuvier’s beaked whales in order to ______.

A．find out why they had died and washed up on the beach

B．make a computer model of a Cuvier’s beaked whale’s head

C．make sure that sound travels through the head

D．know more about the way the whale hears

71. 小題3: Which of the following describes the way taken by sound waves through a Cuvier’s beaked whale?

A．A hole in the back of the jaw → the ears → the jaw → the throat.

B． The jaw → the throat → a hole in the back of the jaw → the ears.

C． The throat → the jaw → the ears → a hole in the back of the jaw.

D．The ears → the throat → a hole in the back of the jaw → the jaw.

72. 小題4:Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．The throat is important to the Cuvier’s beaked whale’s hearing.

B．Ships send out sound waves like a Cuvier’s beaked whale.

C．The ears are actually useless to the Cuvier’s beaked whale.

D．The researchers haven’t found how the whales hear.