Across the world, 1.1 billion people have no access to clean drinking water. More than 2.5 billion people
lack basic sanitation.
     The combination proves deadly. Each year, diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between
2 and 5 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world. Safe
drinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate, inequality between men and
women, and poverty.
     Consider these facts:
     The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers.
     Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water, and only 37 percent of children
in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet.
     Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases.
     Here are three ways you can help:
     (1) Write Congress
     Current U. S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar per year per American
citizen. Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters about clean drinking water abroad.
     (2) Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization
     Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations
abroad. Simply putting a single project by a U.S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of
people.
     (3) Support nonprofit water organizations
     Numerous U.S.-based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related to drinking water
and sanitation. Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows, some organizations are large, other small-scale,
some operate worldwide, others are devoted to certain areas in Africa, Asia, or Latin America. Support them
generously.

1. The three facts presented in the passage are used to illustrate that ____.

A. poverty can result in water-borne diseases
B. people have no access to clean drinking water
C. women's rights are denied in some developing countries
D. safe drinking water should be a primary concern

2. The intended readers of the passage are ____.

A. Americans
B. overseas sponsors
C. congressmen
D. U.S.-based water organizations

3. The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to ____.

A. get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries
B. donate money to people short of water through religious groups
C. fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem
D. take joint action in support of some non-profit water organizations

4. What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

A. A variety of companies and their worldwide operation.
B. A list of non-profit water organizations to make contact with.
C. Some ways to get financial aids from U.S. Congress.
D. A few water resources exploited by some world-famous organizations.

     Today Newtown is a very clean place. Many years ago, however, there were millions of rats in Newtown.
They attacked (襲擊) the cats and dogs. Sometimes a great number of them knocked down a man or woman
walking home at night. The rats were very large in size and they harmed many people. The government ordered everybody to kill rats. Most people were lazy, so they did not kill many.
     Then the government promised to pay some money for each dead rat. That made the people very happy.
They killed thousands of rats every day. A government officer put all the dead rats in a big pile. Sometimes a
man brought hundreds in one day. After two weeks there were not many rats in the city, but people still
brought many rats to the government office. The government officer thought that people were stealing dead
rats from the pile. He ordered his men to dig a deep hole and put the rats in it. Soon there were no more rats
and the government did not pay any more money.

 What would be the best topic for this passage?

A. How Newtown Became a Very Clean Place.
B. How to Kill Rats.
C. Newtown-City of Rats.
D. How Newtown People Became Rich.

     Yoga (瑜伽) is the most popular and fast growing exercise trend of all. Yoga has a greater positive effect
on a person's mood and anxiety level than walking and other forms of exercise, because this exercise can
create higher levels of the brain chemical GABA according to an article in The Journal of Alternative Medicine,
published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Yoga has been shown to increase the level of gamrna-aminobutyric (氨基
丁酸) acid, or GABA, a chemical in the brain that helps to regulate nerve activity. GABA activity is reduced in
people with mood and anxiety disorders, and drugs that increase GABA activity are commonly used to improve
mood and decrease anxiety. The authors suggest that the practice of Yoga stimulates specific brain areas,
therefore giving rise to changes that help to improve mood.
     This is a spiritual exercise that will do wonders for your mood. Your whole body will get a total workout
and a great stretch when you use Yoga every day. Yoga is healthy and fun. If you're ready to take your life in
a totally new direction, which is well balanced and healthy, then Yoga is probably for you. Start slowly and do
not push yourself too hard. Over the past few years, this form has really taken off and more and more people
are choosing it among all other forms of exercise. It's like a natural fountain of youth. In no time people will ask
if you have some work done, because you look so great! Give Yoga a shot and see what difference it can make
your life.
     There are enough different types of Yoga out there for you to experience what is sure to find one that suits
your fitness level and your pain tolerance. There are many ways for everyone to find just the right kind of Yoga
for them. You'll find yourself much less stressed and more relaxed the more you do Yoga. Everyone deserves
to feel good and strong, and that is exactly what Yoga will do for you. Yoga, if done correctly, can stretch the
muscles but not hurt them. The best way to get involved in this exercise. The trick is to try a few different
types.

1. According to the article in The Journal of Alternative Medicine, Yoga _____.

A. change the structure of your brain and improve your intelligence
B. stimulate your brain and improve your mood
C. can take the place of medicine and benefit your health
D. produce a chemical to regulate your behavior

2. What does "shot" mean in this passage?

A. View.
B. Try.
C. Change.
D. Stop.

3. We can infer from the passage _____.

A. Yoga can build your body as long as you practice it hard
B. you should try every kind of Yoga since they all have their own functions
C. if you do not do Yoga correctly, it will hurt your muscles
D. you will never feel stressed if you stick to Yoga

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. There are many types of Yoga for beginners.
B. Several ways are advised to improve mood.
C. Yoga is a great exercise for people to choose.
D. Yoga can make you look great.

     Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook from scratch? Have you been doing internet
shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
     A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of adults are so lazy that they'd catch
the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
     Just over 2000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health
charity. The results were astonishing.
     About one in six people surveyed said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching
the same channel rather than get up.
     More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654
respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
     This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese
(very fat) before they start school.
     Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said:"People need to get fitter, not just for their
own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too.
     "If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even
the most rudimentary of tasks."
     And Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most inactive city in the UK, with 75% surveyed
admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67％.
     The results cause serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as
heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds
every year.

1. What causes children in the UK to be obese?

A. Eating ready meal.
B. Watching TV.
C. Doing Internet shopping.
D. Being lazy.

2. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. British people are too lazy to do anything.
B. Internet shopping will do harm to your health.
C. Many people would not run to catch a bus in Britain.
D. People should be more active and take regular exercise to keep fit.

3. Which of the following is Not true according to the passage?

A. One sixth of British people use remote control when watching TV.
B. People will benefit not only themselves but their families by getting fit.
C. Fatness can cause diseases such as heart disease and cancer.
D. More people get obesity-related illnesses now than 40 years ago.

4. What does the underlined word "rudimentary" (in the eighth paragraph) most probably mean?

A. basic
B. serious
C. vital
D. hard

5. All the following are among the most lazy cities in the UK except _____.

A. Glasgow
B. Birmingham
C. Nuffield
D. Southampton

     Anyone who experienced wet weather this summer will not be surprised to learn that this was the fourth
year running that the UK suffered from a wet summer, which has never happened before in modem rainfall
records dating back to 1914.
     This summer was only slightly wetter than usual, though-the UK had 248. 5 mm (9. 78 inches) summer
rainfall, 10 percent above average, according to Met Office figures.
     The rainfall average over the whole country showed an interesting weather picture, though. The rain
tended to come down in big showers, setting off flash floods. As a result, East Anglia in eastern UK had its
third wettest August with more than double the normal rainfall, and the South East had one of its dullest
Augusts, with only two-thirds its usual sunshine. And yet both these areas had been dry and sunny for the
previous five months and seemed to be heading for long-lasting drought (干旱).
     Western and northwestern areas had the complete opposite, though-extremely wet in July, followed by a
dry August. Remarkably, the North West had suffered from such long-lasting drought that it led to bans on
using hosepipes (軟水管).
     Although some weather companies predicted an extremely hot barbecue summer, it was only 0.6℃ above
average across the UK. Even so, for the first half of this summer Glastonbury enjoyed a mud-free festival and
Wimbledon remained hot and dry. It may not have broken any temperature records, but there were plenty of
barbecues this summer.

1. There was a lot of rainfall this August in _____.

A. East Anglia
B. western UK
C. northwestern UK
D. Wimbledon

2. What made the South East seem to have long-lasting drought?

A. The small amount of sunshine in August.
B. The wettest August of the third year running.
C. The extremely hot weather with too much rainfall.
D. The continuous five months of dry and sunny weather.

3. What can be inferred from the last paragraph of the passage?

A. People in Glastonbury celebrated a mud festival freely.
B. Some weather companies did not give an accurate forecast.
C. The temperature this summer was much higher than average.
D. The extreme hot weather this summer led to fewer barbecues.

     Who hasn't found themselves reaching for the closest food available when they're tired and stressed?
More and more research is proving that this isn't all in our mind. Some foods really do lead to a change
in our moods (心情).
     Carbohydrate (碳水化合物) that calm
     This is how some people medicate themselves with food-by reaching for cookies or pasta (面食)
whenever they're upset. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work. You must eat a meal consisting of 100%
carbohydrate, on an empty stomach, to obtain the serotonin (血清素) increase so that you have a good
mood.
     To get the wished-for effect, you must not eat anything for four hours and then eat at least 30 grams
of straight carbohydrate. Dry cereal (麥片), a piece of bread with jam, or a potato should do the trick.
     Protein (蛋白質(zhì)) for Power
     Of course, sometimes we don't need to be calm and sleepy. Sometimes we need a great deal of mental
concentration, so this is when it's important to mix protein and carbohydrate. The protein will prevent the
tryptophan (色氨酸) from flooding your brain, and the rise in serotonin won't occur.
     Why dessert makes up Happy
     Fat and sugar cause the brain to let go endorphins (內(nèi)啡肽), which send pleasure signals throughout
the body. This would be fine, except humans are not particularly good at stopping at one cookie or cake.
     You can also satisfy your sweet tooth by choosing fruit for dessert.
     Timing your meals for energy
     Blood sugar drops after four hours of going without food, causing a decrease in energy. Eating usually
fixes this within 20 to 30 minutes, but don't suppose that eating more will cause a faster increase in energy.
     When you eat has as much of an effect on your mood as what you eat. If you regularly go for a long
period of time between meals, rethink your schedule and plan ahead.

1. The underlined phrase in the third paragraph means _____.

A. be extremely smart
B. intend to cheat someone
C. bring about the desired result
D. do something to amuse people

2. The function of protein is _____.

A. to help you keep calm and sleepy
B. to make you feel energetic
C. to lead you to slowness
D. to increase serotonin in your brain

3. We can infer from the last two parts that _____.

A. fat and sugar can greatly help people feel happy
B. we humans tend to eat lots of cookies and cakes
C. the more we eat, the faster we will gain energy
D. what we eat is more important than when we eat

4. The main idea of the passage is _____.

A. eating for a better mood
B. eating to make you calm
C. eating for more protein
D. eating to make us strong

     If pollution continues to increase at the present rate, formation of aerosols (微粒) in the atmosphere will
cause the start of an ice age in about fifty years' time. This conclusion, reached by Dr S.I. Rassool and Dr S.
H. Schneider, of the united States Goddard space flight center, answers the apparently conflicting questions
of whether an increase in the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere will cause the earth to warm up or
increasing the aerosol content will cause it to cool down. The Americans have shown conclusively that the
aerosol question is dominant.
     Two conservationists (環(huán)境保護(hù)主義者) have been the possibility that interfering with the environment
might lead to the planet's becoming unbearably-hot or cold. One of these conservationists has now been laid,
because it seems that even an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to eight times its
present value will produce an increase in temperature of only 20℃, which would take place over several
thousand years. But the other problem, now seems larger than ever.
     Aerosols are collections of small liquid or solid particles (微粒) disappeared in air or some other medium.
The particles are all so tiny that each is composed of only a few hundred atoms. Because of this they can float
in the air for a very long time. Perhaps the most commonly experienced aerosol is industrial smog of the kind
that used to be seen in London in the 1950s and is an even greater problem in Los Angeles today. These
collections of aerosols reflect the sun's heat and thereby cause the earth to cool.
     Within fifty years, if no steps are taken to curb the spread of aerosols in the atmosphere, a cooling of the
earth by as much as 3.5℃ seems unavoidable. If that lasts for only a few years it would start another ice age,
and because the growing ice caps at each pole would themselves reflect much of the sun's radiation it would
probably continue to develop even if the aerosol layer were destroyed.

1. According to Rassool and Schneider, what will the global climate be like in 50 years' time? (No more than
    five words.)
    _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. What might be the cause of the ice age? (No more than 5 words.)
    _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. How can the aerosols in the atmosphere cool the earth down? (no more than 5 words.)
    _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What does the passage mainly tell us? (No more than 6 words.) 
    _____________________________________________________________________________________

     You know the sound of your heartbeat: lub-dub, lub-dub. In some people, there's an extra noise that the
blood makes as it flows through the heart. It sounds sort of like the noise of flowing water. This sound is
called a murmur.
     Just like kids, murmurs have grades. Grade l is the softest-sounding murmur, and Grade 6 is the loudest.
A murmur graded 4, 5, or 6 is so loud you can actually feel a rumbling from it under the skin if you put your
hand on the person's chest.
     Most murmurs don't mean anything is wrong. Doctors may call these "innocent", "functional", or "normal"
murmurs.
     One common type of normal murmur is Still's murmur, named for the doctor who first described it. This
murmur is most often heard in healthy children aged 3 to 7.
     A normal murmur can get louder when the blood flows faster through the heart, like when kids have a
fever or run around. That's because an increase in body temperature or activity makes the heart pump more
blood. When your temperature goes down, the murmur may get quieter or even disappear.
     It can be easier to hear heart murmurs in kids because they have less fat, muscle, and bone between the
murmur and the doctor's stethoscope (聽診器). Many normal murmurs become harder to hear as children
grow older, and some eventually disappear.
     Even though most murmurs do not mean anything is wrong, sometimes a heart problem can cause a
murmur. If your doctor thinks your heart murmur could be due to a heart problem, you will need to see a
pediatric cardiologist. This kind of doctor knows a lot about children's hearts.

1. What's the text mainly about?

A. Heart problems.
B. Heart murmurs.
C. Murmur types.
D. Murmur grades.

2. We can hear a kid's louder heart murmur when he has just _____.

A. woken up from a sound sleep
B. listened to some light music
C. played football for two hours
D. finished reading a storybook

3. This text is most probably taken from _____.

A. a science magazine
B. an experiment report
C. a hospital introduction
D. a medical advertisement

4. We can learn from the last paragraph that _____.

A. most heart murmurs do harm to kids' health
B. some heart murmurs can cause heart problems
C. doctors know what has led to low temperatures
D. a certain heart problem can cause a heart murmur

     We have seen that pesticides (殺蟲劑) now pollute soil, water and food, and that they have the power to
make our rivers fishless and our gardens and woodlands silent and birdless. Man, however much he may like
to pretend the opposite, is part of nature. Can he escape a pollution that is now so thoroughly spread
throughout our world?
     We know that even single exposure to these chemicals, if the amount is large enough, can cause extremely
severe poisoning. But this is not the major problem. The sudden illness or death of farmers, farm workers and
others exposed to enough quantities of pesticides is very sad and should not happen. For the population as a
whole, we must pay more attention to the delayed effects of taking in small amounts of the pesticides that
unseeably pollute our world.
     Responsible public health officials have pointed out that the biological effects of chemicals are increasing in
amount over long periods of time, and that the danger to the man may depend on the amount of the exposures
received throughout his lifetime. For these very reasons people easily take no notice of the danger. It is human
nature to shake off what may seem to us a future disaster. "Men are naturally most impressed by diseases
which have obvious signs," says a wise physician, Dr. Rene Dubos, "yet some of their worst enemies slowly
come near them unnoticed."

62. Which of the following can best summarize the first paragraph of this passage?

A. Man has a responsibility to bear for what has happened to nature.
B. Possibly man will escape the effects of environmental pollution.
C. Pesticide-caused pollution may also kill people.
D. Man acts as if he did not belong to nature.

2. People do not give enough attention to the delayed effects of exposure to chemicals because _____.

A. limited exposure to them does little harm to people's health
B. the present is more important to them than the future
C. humans are able to bear small amounts of poisoning
D. the danger does not become seen clearly and immediately

3. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. A person exposed to pesticides even once may get seriously poisoned.
B. Birds are less sensitive to pesticides than humans.
C. The effects of pesticides on humans do not last as long as on fish.
D. Taking in small amounts of pesticides will not cause serious results.

4. We can conclude from what Dr Dubos says that _____.

A. people usually find hidden diseases difficult to deal with
B. people fail to notice hidden dangers caused by pesticides
C. diseases with obvious signs are mostly easy to cure
D. attacks by hidden enemies are likely to be deadly

     Four common bad habits combined-smoking, drinking too much, inactivity and poor diet- can age you
by 12 years, sobering new research suggests.
     The findings are from study that tracked nearly 5 000 British adults for 20 years, and they highlight yet
another reason to adopt a healthier lifestyle.
     Overall, 300 people studied had all four unhealthy behaviors. Among them, 90 died during the study, or
30 percent. Among the 400 healthiest people with none of the four habits, 8 percent of them died.
     The risk behaviors were., smoking tobacco; drowning more than three alcoholic drinks per day for men
and more than two daily for women; getting less than two hours of physical activity per week; and eating
fruits and vegetables fewer than three times daily.
     These habits combined substantially increased the risk of death and made people who engaged in them
seem 12 years older than people in the healthiest group, said lead researcher Elisabeth Kvaavik of the
University of Oslo.
     The healthiest group included never-smokers and those who had quit; women who had fewer than two
drinks daily and men who had fewer than three; those who got at least two hours of physical activity weekly;
and those who ate fruits and vegetables at least three times daily.
     "You don't need to be extreme" to be in the healthy category, Kvaavik said. "These behaviors add up, so
together it's quite good. It should be possible for most people to manage to do it."
     The US government generally recommends at least 4 cups of fruits or vegetables daily for adults,
depending on age and activity level, and about 2 hours of exercise weekly.

1. What problem may you have, if you smoke often and eat few fruits and vegetables?

A. You would have difficulty in walking.
B. You would feel tired, lack of energy.
C. You may look older than you really are.
D. You may face the risk of death of cancer.

2. How many of the 400 healthiest people with none of the four habits died?

A. 32.
B. 24.
C. 56.
D. 120.

3. What does this text mainly talk about?

A. Suggestions to smokers.
B. The results of four bad life habits.
C. The findings of a new research.
D. The recommends from the US government.