Don't blame genes for aging facial skin. A new study of twins suggests you can   1   those coarse(粗糙的) wrinkles, brown or pink spots, and dilated(膨脹的) blood vessels on too much time in the sun, smoking, and being overweight.

Because twins share genes, but may have  2  exposures to environmental factors, studying twins allows an, "opportunity to control for genetic susceptibility(敏感性)," Dr. Elma D. Baron, at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, and colleagues  3  in the latest issue of Archives of Dermatology.

Their analysis of environmental skin-damaging factors in 65 pairs of twins hints that skin aging is  4  more to environment and lifestyle than  5   factors.

But when it   6   skin cancer, the researchers say their findings support previous reports that   7  environment and genes affect skin cancer risk.

Baron's team   8   facial skin of 130 twins, 18 to 77 years old, who lived  9   in the northern Midwest and Eastern regions of the U.S. who were  10   the Twins Days Festival in Ohio in August 2002.

At this time, each of the twins also  11    reported how their skin burned or tanned  12    sunscreen(防曬霜), their weight, and their history of skin cancer, smoking, and alcohol drinking.

The study group   13   of 52 fraternal and 10 identical twin pairs, plus 3 pairs who were unsure of their twin status. Identical(同卵的) twins share all of their genes and fraternal twins share only about half.

From these data, the researchers  14  strong ties, outside of twin status, between smoking, older age, and being overweight, and having facial skin with evidence of environmental  15 

 16   contrast, sunscreen use and drinking alcohol appeared correlated with   17    skin damage.

Baron and colleagues say the current findings, which highlight ties between facial   18  and potentially avoidable  19   factors -- such as smoking, being overweight, and   20   overexposure to the sun's damaging rays -- may help motivate people to minimize these risky behaviors.

(    ) 1. A. blame                         B. owe                 C. take                 D. bring

(    ) 2. A. same                      B. different           C. similar             D. common

(    ) 3. A. explain                    B. confirm            C. declare             D. shout

(    ) 4. A. equal                             B. related              C. close               D. strict

(    ) 5. A. characteristic           B. personal           C. natural             D. genetic

(    ) 6. A. comes to                 B. talks of             C. refers to           D. gets to

(    ) 7. A. all                          B. neither             C. both                 D. either

(    ) 8. A. examined               B. checked            C. inspected          D. interviewed

(    ) 9. A. most                      B. usually             C. mostly              D. always

(    ) 10. A. joining                  B. representing      C. attending          D. remarking

(    ) 11. A. separately                  B. lonely              C. commonly               D. truly

(    ) 12. A. with                             B. on                    C. in                    D. without

(    ) 13. A. consisted                      B. made up         C. contained       D. included

(    ) 14. A. documented           B. recorded           C. reported           D. noted

(    ) 15. A. damage                 B. exploration       C. protection        D. material

(    ) 16. A. In                         B. By                   C. As                    D. At

(    ) 17. A. lesser                    B. more               C. no                    D. fewer

(    ) 18. A. look                             B. aging                      C. expression               D. wrinkle

(    ) 19. A. environmental               B. genetic             C. emotional        D. psychological

(    ) 20. A. protected                      B. planned            C. unprotected       D. prevented

If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech "Information Age" demands people who are flexi??ble （靈活的） and who have good communication skills.

There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature （特點） of the kind of high??speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.

Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as "very important" by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.

Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don’t regret their choice of study.

72. By saying that "you may have had the last laugh" in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have _______.

       A. shared the jokes with computer majors

       B. earned as much as computer majors

       C. found jobs more easily than computer majors

       D. stopped joking about computer majors

73. Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates ______.

       A. are ready to change when situations change

       B. are better able to deal with difficulties

       C. are equally good at computer skills

       D. are likely to give others pressure

74. The underlined word "land" in the last paragraph probably means _______.

       A. keep for some time          B. successfully get

       C. immediately start             D. lose regretfully

75. According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?

       A. Willingness to take low-paid jobs.

       B. Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge.

       C. Skills in expressing themselves.

       D. Part-time work experience.

A letter to Edward, a columnist（報刊專欄作家）

Dear Mr Expert:

I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home. I always promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible. Now, at age 20, I have a good job and a nice house, and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.

Here’s the problem: several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine — so much so that they make mine theirs.

It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me. But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like. They bring boyfriends over, talk on the phone and stay out forever.

I enjoy having my friends here sometimes — it makes the place feel comfortable and warm— but this is my home, not a party house. I was old enough to move out on my own, so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy（隱私）?

Joan

Edward’s reply to Joan

Dear Joan:

If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child, you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.

And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere（氣氛）,you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with— or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy. You need to understand that in true friendship it’s okay to put your own needs first from time to time.

Be clear about the message you want to send. For example, “I really love your company but I also need some privacy. So please call before you come over.”

63. We can learn from the first letter that Joan Edward        .

A. lives away from her parents

B. takes pride in her friends

C. knows Mr Expert quite well

D. hates her parents very much

64. We can infer from the first letter that        .

A. Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy

B. Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept

C. Joan doesn’t like the parties at all

D. Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over

65. According to Mr Expert, why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?

A. She is afraid of hurting her friends.

B. She does not understand true friendship.

C. Her family experience stops her from doing so.

D. She does not put her needs first.

66. The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means      .

A. dependent life    B. fierce fight C. bad manners      D. painful feeling

67. The second letter suggests that Mr Expert        .

A. is worried about Joan’s problem      B. warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends

C. advises Joan on how to refuse people      D. encourages Joan to be brave enough

Pulling heavy suitcases all day in the summer is hard work, especially when you’re a thin 14-year-old. That was me in 1940 — the youngest and smallest baggage boy at New York City’s Pennsyl??vania Railway Station.

After just a few days on the job, I began noticing that the other fellows were overcharging pas??sengers. I’d like to join them, thinking, “Everyone else is doing it.”

When I got home that night, I told my dad what I wanted to do. “You give an honest day’s work,” he said, looking at me straight in the eye. “They’re paying you. If they want to do that, you let them do that.”

I followed my dad's advice for the rest of that summer and have lived by his words ever since.

Of all the jobs I've had, it was my experience at Pennsylvania Railway Station that has stuck with me. Now I teach my players to have respect for other people and their possessions. Being a member of a team is a totally shared experience. If one person steals, it destroys trust and hurts everyone. I can put up with many things, but not with people who steal. If one of my players were caught stealing, he'd be gone.

Whether you’re on a sports team, in an office or a member of a family, if you can’t trust one another, there’s going to be trouble.

68. What can be inferred about the baggage boys?

A. They could earn much, but they had to work hard.

B. Many of them earned money in a dishonest way.

C. They were all from poor families.

D. They were all thin, young boys.

69. What does the father's advice imply?

A. It is wrong to give more pay to the passengers.

B. Don’t believe them if they are paying you more.

C. Don’t follow others to overcharge the passengers.

D. It is difficult to work hard and live as an honest boy.

70. The writer can't put up with stealing because he thinks that ______.

A. it is a totally shared experience

B. it is considered as the most dangerous

C. it does great harm to human relationship

D. it may lead to the loss of his sports team

71. It can be concluded from the text that ______.

A. his father's advice helped him to decide which job to take up

B. working in the sports team was his most important experience

C. he learnt much from his shared experience with his team members

D. his experience as a baggage boy had a great influence on his later life

Tales From Animal Hospital

David Grant

David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of animal Hospital. Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery（外科手術(shù)）.  Tales from animal hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake! ￡14.99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster

ISBN 0751304417

Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer

Michael White

From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, comes this colourful description of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic（魔術(shù)）ended and science began.

￡18.99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857024168

Fermat’s Last Theorem

Simon Singh

In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem; Fermat’s Theorem（定理）. First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995. An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.

￡12.99 Hardback 384pp Fourth Estate

ISBN 1857025210

63．What is Animal Hospital?

       A．A news story    B．A popular book.      C．A research report.    D．A TV programme.

64．In Michael White’s book, Newton is described as _____________.

       A．a(chǎn) person who did not look the same as in many pictures

       B．a(chǎn) person who loved a colourful and meaningful life

       C．a(chǎn) great but not perfect man

       D．a(chǎn)n old-time magician

65．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text?

       A．To encourage people to raise question.

       B．To cause difficulty in understanding.

       C．To provide a person with an explanation.

       D．To limit people’s imagination.

66．The person who finally proved Fermat’s last Theorem is ___________.

       A．Simon Singh                  B．Andrew Wiles

       C．Pierre Fermat                 D．a(chǎn) French woman scientist

67．What is the purpose of writing these three texts?

       A．To make the books easier to read.          B．To show the importance of science.

       C．To introduce new authors.                  D．To sell the books.

Each of us, ____old or young,is a valuable member of society.?

    A.however             B.whenever?

    C.whoever             D.whatever?

6. If you ____talk about it with me,please wait till I finish my work at hand.?

    A.can                    B.may

    C.must                  D.should?

The 2008 Beijing Olympics is considered to be ____ most prepared and most successful Games in ____modern Olympic history.?

    A.the;/    B.a;the    C.the;a    D./;the?

Your help is _____ for the success of the project.

   A. indispensable    B. indicative

   C. inevitable       D. inherent