閱讀理解。

Does stress cause gray hair？Many people believe that tension and stress can cause your hair to lose its color.In fact，it is an_old_wives’_tale that being upset all the time can result in premature graying.Here is a closer look at this situation and why some believe that this old wives’ tale could be true.

As one ages，the hairs on the head also age.In fact，just about everything on the human body begins to show signs of wear and tear after a while.The joints wear and become stiff and skin wears and becomes wrinkled.Hairs on the head grow and eventually die.They are replaced，but in the process something else happens.

When new hairs are replaced，the color or pigment (色素) is also added to them.However，as one ages，this pigment becomes less and less available.At first，hairs will have a limited amount of pigment and they will appear to be grayish in color.In time，they will lose all of their pigment and will be white.Many things are known to cause graying，and genetics is a very powerful factor.If one of your parents turns gray at an early age，there is a good chance that you will too.Some people begin the graying process in high school，while others may be over the age of forty.

Constant worry and tension can have many harmful effects on the human body.It is a known fact that stressful times can cause one to suffer hair loss.It would make sense that if it can cause these problems，perhaps it also may contribute to graying.However，there is no sound evidence to support this.

On the other hand，many medical professionals believe that there may be a link between graying and a constant state of anxiety or tension.Does stress cause gray hair？There is no scientific evidence to support the theory，but it is best to avoid stressful situations.

1.The underlined phrase in the first paragraph most probably means ________.

A．clever remarks B．silly remarks

C．exciting remarks D．disappointed remarks

2.The second paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A．every part of body is replaced with age

B．hairs will grow weak but not die

C．skin becomes wrinkled with age

D．every part of body ages with age

3.What might play the most important role in the graying process?

A．Genetics and the amount of sleeping time.

B．The amount of food people eat and living environment.

C．The amount of pigment and genetics.

D．Genetics and the amount of water people drink

4.According to the passage，continuous pressure may result in ________.

A．a(chǎn) person’s fatness B．a(chǎn) person’s fitness

C．a(chǎn) person’s weight loss D．a(chǎn) person’s hair loss

5.From the passage we can infer that ________.

A．stress causing gray hair is still in question

B．gray hair has nothing to do with tension

C．stressful situations can be of benefit

D．sound evidence has been found

閱讀理解。

Everyone looks forward to progress, whether in one's personal life or in the general society.Progress indicates a person's ability to change the way he is living at the moment.Progress must lead to a better life and a better way of doing things.All these, however, remain true only in so far as people want to accept technology and move forward by finding new and more efficient ways of doing things.

However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who miss the “good old days”， efficiency comes with a price.When communication becomes more efficient, people are able to contact one another no matter where they are and at whatever time they wish to.The click of a button allows people miles apart to talk or see each other without even leaving their homes.With the communication gadgets, such as mobile phones and iPads, people often do not take the effort to visit one another personally.A personal visit carries with it the additional feature of having to be in the person's presence for as long as the visit lasts.We cannot unnecessarily excuse ourselves or turn the other person off.

With efficiency also comes mass production.Such is the nature of factories and the success of industrialization today.Factories have improved efficiency.Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done.However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products.For example, many handicrafts (手工藝品) are now produced in a factory.

Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.

Nevertheless, we must not commit the mistake of analyzing progress only from one point of view.In fact, progress has allowed tradition to keep up.It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state.New technology is required for old products to stay old.

It is people's attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society.Technology is flexible.There is no fixed way of making use of it.Everything depends on people's attitude.The worst effects of progress will fall on those who are unable to rethink their attitudes and views of society.When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs, a new “past” is created.

1.The underlined word “gadgets” in Para. 2 is closest in meaning to“________”.

A.tools B.messages

C.barriers D.skills

2.Compared with home?made handicrafts, machine?made products ________.

A.lack great accuracy

B.lack the personal touch

C.are of high value

D.are quite welcome

3.What can be learned about technology from Paragraph 4?

A.It can destroy old traditions.

B.It can lead to social progress.

C.It can be used to correct mistakes.

D.It can be used to preserve old products.

4.What can be concluded from the last paragraph?

A.Progress can suit the needs of daily life.

B.People review the past with great regret.

C.Technology should be introduced in a fixed way.

D.People's attitude decides the use of technology.

閱讀理解。

For my grandmother’s 70th birthday，my family and I visited South Korea.While there，I was attentive to Korean high schools and students.

I was surprised by how different Korea’s public high schools are from America’s.Korean high schools can be all?girls，all?boys or co?ed (男女同校的) unlike our standard co?ed high schools.There are three grades：“go 1(10th)”，“go 2(11th)” and “go 3(12th)”．“Go” is the first syllable of the word “go?deung?hakkyo”，which，simply translated，is “high school”．

In America，unless you want to go to a private school，you don’t have to take an entrance exam.In Korea，however，students must take a test to get in because of the many choices of schools.

Another difference I couldn’t help but notice was the students’ appearance.With very few exceptions，all wear uniforms. A name tag (標(biāo)牌) with the student’s name，grade and homeroom number must also be worn.Girl’s skirts can’t be above the upper part of the knee，and it is forbidden to dye(染) your hair or wear accessories (裝飾品) except small earrings.There are strict regulations for appearance to achieve neatness，and it seems the only freedom students have is with their choices of hair style，socks and shoes.

The final difference was the setup of the classes.There may be 40 students in a classroom，but the number can be less or even more，depending on the population of the town or city.Although there are many students per classroom，they are very close，which I think is a result of not changing classrooms for different subjects.There are no levels in the subjects and the teachers are the ones who switch classrooms.They just have ten?minute breaks between subjects.In each class，students are ranked by their grades.This causes strict competition，and Korean students do a lot of studying.To help them，all schools have extra study classes after school.One other fact that helped me appreciate living in America is that Koreans have school on Saturdays.Although it’s only a half day，I think I speak for most Americans when I say we could never imagine ourselves in school on a Saturday.

Korea’s public high schools are clearly different from America’s.I had imagined them to be just like our schools，but now I have a clear picture of how different they are.

1.How many main differences are mentioned between Korea’s public high school and America’s?

A．3. B．4.

C．5. D．6.

2.It seems that the writer ________.

A．is familiar with the education system of high schools in Korea

B．is fond of Korean students’ appearance

C．prefers the high school life of America to the one of Korea

D．feels it common to have lessons on weekends

3.What does the underlined word “setup” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Arrangement. B．Size.

C．Number. D．Outline.

4.According to the rules, the students of Korea can ________.

A．go to different high schools without exams

B．wear any clothes except uniforms at school

C．a(chǎn)ttend different classes as they like

D．have different hair styles

閱讀理解。

Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe for success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two?thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.

However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals are just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.

In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk “Dog”， and dogs can learn how to talk “Cat”.

What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was previously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.

The significance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.

1.The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A.early B.sweetly

C.quickly D.smoothly

2.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?

A.They eat and sleep together.

B.They observe each other's behaviors.

C.They learn to speak each other's language.

D.They know something from each other's voices.

3.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.

A.have common interests

B.are less different than thought

C.have a common body language

D.are less intelligent than expected

4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?

A.We should learn to live in harmony.

B.We should know more about animals.

C.We should live in peace with animals.

D.We should learn more body languages.

閱讀理解。

A new generation addiction is quickly spreading all over the world.Weboholism，a twentieth century disease，affects people from different ages.They surf the Net，use e­mails and speak in chat rooms.They spend many hours on the computer，and it becomes a compulsive habit.They cannot stop，and it affects their lives.

Ten years ago，no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users.This obsessional behavior has affected teenagers and college students.They are likely to log on computers and spend long hours at different websites.

They become hooked on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation.They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework，so this addiction influences their grades and success at school.Because they can find everything on the websites，they hang out there.Moreover，this addiction to websites influences their social life.

They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends.The relation with their friends changes.The virtual life becomes more important than their real life.They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.

Because of the change in their behavior，they begin to keep themselves apart from society and live with their virtual friends.They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life.Although they feel confident on the computer，they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life.It is a problem for the future.This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world.

1.The author’s attitude towards weboholism is that of being________.

A．optimistic B．disapproving

C．positive D．a(chǎn)cceptable

2.What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The influence of weboholism.

B．The advantage of weboholism.

C．The popularity of weboholism.

D．The cause of weboholism.

3.What does the underlined word “obsessional” in the second paragraph most probably mean?

A．Attractive. B．Professional.

C．Addictive. D．Potential.

4.We can infer from the passage that________.

A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers

B．students can hardly balance real and virtual life

C．people are addicted to games on the Internet

D．virtual life is more vivid and attractive anyway

閱讀理解。

With more and more cars on the road，traffic jams are inevitable.Traffic jams can lead to increased accidents as there are more cars，with more people trying to get to their destination，all the while getting worse.Although it's impossible to avoid traffic jams altogether，there are some tips you can follow to reduce the amount of time on the road.

Check for traffic jams before you leave.You can listen to the radio for traffic news，or check on the Internet to get up?to?minute information on traffic.If the route you want to take is heavy with traffic，you can choose another.

Look for a different route permanently.Most traffic jams occur on busy roads.Using country roads could see you avoiding a lot of traffic.Although the distance you may have to travel is further，it can work out quicker.

Set your car radio to receive traffic bulletins.Many new car stereo systems(汽車音響系統(tǒng))are equipped with a radio system by which you can hear the traffic channel.This way you can get the latest traffic information and change your journey if necessary.

________.Most traffic jams usually occur during rush hour，so try to avoid this time period if possible.Some jobs offer flexible working hours so that you can travel to work outside of rush hour.Some jobs even allow you to work from home so as to avoid commuting altogether.Ask your manager to see what you can do if traffic is a problem for you.

Use public transport alternatives where available.The easiest way to avoid traffic jams is to take buses or the underground instead of driving your own car.Not only will you avoid traffic jams but you will most likely be saving money as the cost of motoring rises.

1.The underlined word“inevitable”in Paragraph 1 probably means________.

A．hard to accept B．impossible to avoid

C．getting less serious D．seen everywhere

2.The author wrote the text in order to________.

A．explain why there are traffic jams

B．tell the negative effects of traffic jams

C．tell us what we can do on the road

D．tell us how to save time on the road

3.To get the latest traffic information，you could do the following except ________.

A．surfing the Internet

B．listening to the radio for traffic news

C．listening to the traffic channel

D．turning to other drivers for information

4.Which of the following can be put in the blank in the text?

A．Choose a job that has flexible working hours

B．Try traveling at different time

C．Make friends with your manager

D．Work from home

閱讀理解。

Most people watching Jeremy Lin these past two months saw Jeremy Lin，New York Knicks star；but I，watching him，saw someone else.That was my elder brother，Bob，who is athletic and energetic. He could never sit still when he was in second grade；he had to get up every now and then and run around the room.And sure enough，he grew up to be a starting player for an NCAA championship lacrosse (長(zhǎng)曲棍球) team.He was a Nike?endorsed marathoner，too，and reached the top of Mt.Everest，unguided，in his 50s.

And yet my family never watched his lacrosse games.We did watch some of his marathons，but that wasn’t until he was in his 20s.When Bob was in his glory days，our Shanghainese?born parents were bent on getting him into medical school.There was a loving aspect to it：I can remember my father working through math books with him，lesson by lesson，at the big blackboard in the attic.Bob never did become a doctor，though；and neither did I．It wasn’t until my younger sister came along that someone in the family finally wore a white coat.

Bob today could be the fittest 58?year?old on the planet.His doctor estimates his biological age at 35；he’s still big mountains in the Himalayas.And，like Jeremy Lin，he’s charming.No one sees Bob without leaving with a laugh.He sometimes jokes he could be mayor of his building，and it’s true.To know him is to cheer for him.

And yet my parents did not cheer for him.What if my mother had sat on the sidelines with her statistics，like Jeremy Lin’s mother？What if my father had played videos of athletes for my brother to watch and imitate？It’s hard not to wonder.

And how did Jeremy Lin’s parents manage to do these remarkable things？Amy Chua，the tiger mother，recalls her immigrant father beating the kids whenever they mispronounced a Chinese word.How is it that Jeremy Lin’s immigrant father in particular，Gie?Ming Lin，encouraged his son to follow such an untraditional path?

1.Bob’s glory days were those ________.

A．when he was doing well in math

B．when he was in second grade

C．when he was made mayor of his building

D．when he showed his talents in sports

2.From the passage we can tell that Bob is________.

A．a(chǎn)ctive and optimistic

B．clever and determined

C．brave and helpful

D．considerate and independent

3.Which of the following statements is probably TRUE?

A．Bob was always ignored by his parents.

B．Bob could also have been a sport star.

C．Bob’s parents often watched his games.

D．Nobody in the author’s family was a doctor.

4.From the last two paragraphs we can infer that ________.

A．parents should always study together with their children

B．parents should know how to educate their children properly

C．children should be punished when they do anything wrong

D．children should try to live up to the hopes of their parents

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)（A、B、C和D）中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

Scientists recently found three animal species living two miles below the surface of the Mediterranean Sea, where the super-salty waters don’t have oxygen(氧). They’re multicellular(多細(xì)胞的), which means their bodies have many cells. They each are as small as a large grain of sand. But they are animals.

The most exciting thing about these creatures, say the scientists, is that they obviously don’t need oxygen to live. What biologists know about life so far is that only single-celled living things can live in places that have no oxygen, and that multicellular organisms(有機(jī)物) can visit these places, but not live there. These newly found creatures could change that idea.

Finding animals down there was so surprising that the scientists couldn’t believe it. At first, “we thought they were dead bodies,” Roberto Danovaro, a scientist at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy, told Science News. To find out whether the animals could actually live there Danovaro and his colleagues brought up more samples(樣本) from the ocean floor. Studying the animals in the new samples showed that they appeared to be alive.

The researchers did more tests, and found that some of the animals had eggs—which suggests they were reproducing(繁殖). Also in the samples were old skins, suggesting that the animals had lived there long enough to grow. Finally, pictures taken showed that the insides of the animals appear to be adapted to live in an environment that has no oxygen.

These clues suggest the animals don’t need oxygen, but the evidence(證據(jù)) is indirect, which means that scientists still have not observed how the animals live without oxygen. This means more studies are needed, but the scientists think they’re on the right track. And if they’re right, biologists will need to rethink what they know about where animals live.

1.What excited the scientists most is that ______.

A.they found three animal species visit the salty water under the Mediterranean Sea

B.single-celled animals can live in super-salty waters

C.the tiny animals have many cells

D.three kinds of animals can live in places that have no oxygen

2.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 2 means the scientists could think _____.

A.only single-celled creatures don’t need oxygen to live

B.multicellular animals can visit the super-salty waters

C.the newly found creatures can’t live in the super-salty waters

D.multicellular animals also can live without oxygen besides single-celled ones

3.Which of the following CAN’T be used to prove the newly found creatures can live in super-salty waters?

A.Their dead bodies are found there.

B.Some in the samples have eggs.

C.Some old skins are found in the samples.

D.The pictures of their insides have been taken.

4.More studies are needed to prove_____.

A.where single-celled animals can live

B.how the newly found animals live without oxygen

C.whether the multicellular creatures can live underwater

D.why the super-salty waters have no oxygen

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A.B.C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

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1.This advertisement aims at calling on people to ________.

A. attend full-time universities

B. work part time to further their education

C. improve their education at home to get better jobs

D. earn their degrees in different ways that suit them

2.Which of the following is NOT clearly mentioned in this advertisement?

A. The way how you will get your degree.

B. Tuition price.

C. The hot fields you will be preparing yourself for.

D. The length of time it will take you to get a degree.

3.What does the writer of this ad intend to say by naming General Electric, IBM, Ford, etc.?

A. To show that their training is widely used in the country.

B. To show that the training program is fully supported by famous companies in the U. S.

C. To prove the value of their training in every area.

D. To show the importance of getting recognized by the most famous companies.

4.It seems to the writer that the greatest attraction for people to take their training is ______.

A. its convenience

B. the degree’s nation-wide recognition

C. the economic benefit(利益) it will bring about

D. the hot fields the training will help people to enter

5.How many ways are mentioned in the ad for people to get in touch with the Harcourt Learning Direct?

A. One. B. Two.

C. Three. D. Four.

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的A.B.C和D項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

During her sixty-year career performing, Lena Horne entertained people with her beauty and rich, emotional voice. She used her fame to fight social injustices toward African-Americans.

Lena Horne was born in New York in 1917. At sixteen, Lena became a dancer at the famous Club in New York City. After taking voice lessons, she soon became a singer. In 1940, Lena Horne became the first African-American to perform with an all-white jazz band. After performing at a club in Hollywood, California, she caught the attention of filmmakers. She soon began making movies. Her films became very popular. In the 1940’s, Lena Horne was the first African-American in Hollywood to sign a long-term contract with a major movie studio. Her deal with MGM stated that she would never play the role of a servant. She refused to play roles that represented African-Americans disrespectfully(無(wú)禮的). But this refusal also limited her movie career.

Lena Horne once said that World War Two helped make her a star. She was popular with both black and white soldiers. She sang on army radio programs and traveled to perform for the troops. Once, she noted that German prisoners of war were permitted to sit closer to the stage than black soldiers. She was very angry. These experiences led to Lena Horne’s work in the civil rights movement.

Lena Horne sang at civil rights gatherings. She took part in the March on Washington protest in 1963. It was during this event that Martin Luther King Junior gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. She protested racial separation at the hotels where she performed. She took action so that she and her musicians would be allowed to stay in those hotels. Black musicians at the time generally stayed in black neighborhoods.

Lena Horne died in New York in 2010.

1.How old was Lena Horne when she died?

A. 86 years old. B. 93 years old.

C. 98 years old. D. 88 years old.

2.We can infer that _____.

A. black actresses often played roles of servants in the film in the 1940’s

B. black women were forbidden to perform in the film in the 1940’s

C. Lena Horne liked staying at hotel very much

D. Lena Horne didn’t make any films in the 1960’s

3.What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?

A. Lena Horne was a friend of Martin Luther King Junior.

B. Lena Horne took an active part in political activities.

C. Lena Horne was involved in civil rights activities.

D. Lena Horne protested racial separation at the hotels.

4.Why was Lena Horne angry?

A. Because she was ill-treated by the army.

B. Because black soldiers were badly treated by the army.

C. Because she was refused to perform together with white actors.

D. Because white soldiers insulted her.