Keeping a busy social life among lots of friends may keep people thinner than spending hours doing some exercises, according to scientists. They say that socialising and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories(卡路里)to produce heat.
Living in an exciting social environment was found to reduce fat in mice's belly by half over four weeks, even if they ate more. US researchers say that social excitement aids weight loss by turning white fat into brown. White fat stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to produce heat. Turning white fat into brown is extremely difficult，normally
requiring long- term stay in cold conditions or exciting part of the body's nervous system.
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, had more space and toys to excite themselves and then lost far more weight over the course of the study than their “couch potato" fellows.
Study author, Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in the 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 socialising, he added, "It's not just a sedentary(久坐 的)lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social activities." Co-author Dr Lei Cao said，"Loneliness is a potential factor for cancer and death; it's equal to cigarette smoking to a certain extent. Social activities are very vital.，，
【小題1】What information can we get from the first two paragraphs?

A．Brown fat stores calories and makes us fatter.

B．It doesn't take long to turn white fat into brown.

C．Social excitement helps gain more weight.

D．Brown fat can burn energy to produce heat.

【小題2】Which of the following statement does the text support?

A．Levels of brown fat can be increased by socialising.

B．The mice lacking social life lose more weight.

C．The research findings haven't been published so far.

D．Dr Matthew During wasn't convinced of the result.

【小題3】We can conclude from the text that _______.

A．the fat in mice's belly was reduced because of the relaxing environment

B．a(chǎn) sedentary lifestyle and high calories foods influence people's social life

C．surfing the Internet may influence people's face-to-face communication

D．cancer and death are mainly caused for lack of social life

【小題4】What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Brown fat is beneficial to people's health.

B．Socialising is unnecessarily important in people's daily life.

C．White fat can be changed into brown fat.

D．Socialising contributes to people's losing weight.

Have you ever heard of Paynes Prairie(大草原)？ It is one of the most important natural and historical areas in Florida. Paynes Prairie is located near Gainesville. It is large, 21,000 acres. This protected land is called a reserve, which is managed by the Florida Park Service.
The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone(石灰石）broke down and the ground settled. It is covered by wet prairie plants. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it was flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.
Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10,000 B.C.. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest farm where cattle are fed in Florida was on Paynes.
William Bartram who lived 200 years ago visited Paynes Praire in 1774. Bartram was the first person who described nature through personal experiences as well as scientific observations. At that time he called Paynes Prairie the “great Alachua Savannah". Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of animals live here in winter. The variety of animals is increased by the presence of pine flat woods, wetlands and ponds.
The Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park is open all year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for entertainment. In the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horses. And you can see Florida as it was in the early days.
【小題1】The second paragraph is mainly about   _______.

A．how the present Paynes Prairie basin came into being

B．what the present Paynes Prairie basin is covered by

C．why the present Paynes Prairie basin is unchanged

D．when the present Paynes Prairie basin began to exist

【小題2】All of the following statements are true EXCEPT that _______

A．the Florida Park Service manages Paynes Prairie

B．you can have fun in the Paynes Prairie Reserve State Park

C．there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes Prairie

D．William Bartram was the first person to visit Paynes prairie

【小題3】The purpose of the passage is to _______.

A．call on people to protect wildlife of Paynes Prairie

B．introduce Paynes Prairie to people

C．tell people the recorded history of Paynes Prairie

D．a(chǎn)ttract people to visit Paynes Prairie

【小題4】What will the writer most probably talk about in the paragraph that follows?

A．The effect of tourism on Paynes Prairie.

B．The history and present of Florida.

C．The natural resources of Florida.

D．The future development of Paynes Prairie.

Have you heard of the movie Benji off the Leashf This Benji story7 begins when his mother, a pretty black furry dog, escapes from the puppy mill with Colby, a boy who loves her．He tries to hide her in an abandoned house．The boy' s father discovers her there and takes mother and pups back home to the puppy mill, but leaves Benji behind because he doesn't look purebred （純血統(tǒng)的） enough to be sold for money．Colby comes back later to rescue the tiny puppy and keeps Benji in his wooden clubhouse, bringing Mom to come to visit him in secret．
As Benji grows bigger, it becomes harder to keep him in the clubhouse, and eventually the boy' s father discovers him and Benji is forced to flee to the streets．But despite his fear of Colby' s father, Benji cannot forget about his mother, who is growing steadily weaker and sicker．He continues to sneak back to the puppy mill yard to spy on the goings-on there and plan a way to rescue her．
Benji's doggie pal, Scrappy enters the story when he is pushed out of a car into a country lane．Once his paws hit the ground, Scrappy wags his tail once helplessly after the car as it drives away, and then is immediately up to his neck in hapless mischief （頑皮）. Scrappy is a lovably stupid little dog who barely manages to escape the animal control officers who are determined to catch him．
One of the wonderful things about this movie is that the two stars are not highly trained purebred dogs．Both Benji and Scrappy were rescued mixed breed dogs found at local animal shelters．Adorable Benji and his stupid pal, Scrappy, demonstrate that mixed-breed rescue dogs are just as intelligent and trainable as any purebred dog．
Benji Off the Leash clearly demonstrates the connection between people who abuse animals and people who abuse people．Colby' s father takes out his anger on those who are weaker than him, namely by frightening his wife and the dogs．He attempts to frighten Colby, but the boy bravely refuses to let him．
Children who are used to fast-paced action films with catchy theme songs may not have the patience for the slower pace of this film．But for rescue volunteers, older children, and anyone who loves dogs, this is a heartwarming movie that shows how even in today' s world of deserted dogs and backyard puppy mills, there can still be happy endings for homeless dogs．
【小題1】What can be learned from the passage?

A．Two dogs star the movie．

B．The boy' s mother is very disgusting．

C．The movie will be liked by all the children．

D．The movie is fast-paced．

【小題2】We can infer from the passage that _____．

A．The movie is in praise of deserting homeless dogs．

B．We shouldn't have mercy on homeless dogs．

C．We human beings need to love animals because they are our friends．

D．mixed-breed rescued dogs are less intelligent and trainable than purebred dogs．

【小題3】What' s the passage mainly about?

A．Reviewing a Him．

B．Giving a summary of a movie．

C．Thinking highly of the relationship between animals and humans．

D．Criticizing people deserting animals．

【小題4】What' s the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To attract more people to see the movie．

B．To call on children to help homeless pets．

C．To show anger about abusing animals．

D．To urge people to care and love animals．

Can you imagine living in a house built by recycled waste?
Texas home builder Dan Phillips transforms trash into artful treasures, creating beautiful floors with wood pieces, kitchen counters from ivory -colored bones and roofs out of license plates （牌照）．
The fantastic houses which spring from his imagination are made almost entirely of materials which would otherwise have ended up in a garbage area．
" People have been doing this for hundreds of thousands of years; using whatever is available to build shelter, " Phillips said．"If you think about carefully what could be used, then building materials are everywhere．
The thirteen homes he has built so far would fit better in an art museum than the residential streets of Huntsville, a conservative town of about 35 ,000 people．
Living in these houses is a bit like living in a roadside attraction．"Almost every day, somebody knocks on the door and says ' Is there any way that we could see?' "said Edie Wells, an artist who rents a room in the Bone House．Her home features a stairway made of bones, floors covered in wine corks （軟木塞） and beer bottle caps．Wells said visitors are most impressed when they see a bathroom with its walls, floor and ceiling entirely covered with broken mirror pieces．
In addition, each house is highly energy efficient with plenty insulation （隔熱材料） , an on-demand solar hot water heater and a system that can collect and recycle rainwater to clean the toilet and wash clothes．
Phillips founded Phoenix Commotion 12 years ago with the aim of creating a new model for sustainable housing．For as little as $ 10,000 it builds affordable homes for single parents, low-income families and artists．
The company has used hundreds of tons of construction waste by recycling the materials into habitable buildings．
Phillips tries to spread his recycled-house idea by speaking at events across the United States, and by using the Internet to reach out to like-minded individuals．Phillips said: "I'm not going to be saving the world anytime soon．But there needs to be at least some visibility for this model in this century．
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT the advantage of the homes built by Phillips?

A．environmentally-friendly	B．energy efficient
C．convenient	D．cheap

【小題2】What do we know about Dan Phillips?

A．He is serious and hard-working．

B．He is full of imagination and intelligence．

C．It didn't take him long to build the houses．

D．He didn't give speeches in the United States．

【小題3】According to the passage, the houses are like artful treasures because they are           .

A．made of bones	B．museums
C．a(chǎn)dmired by people	D．made of various trash

【小題4】Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Home Builder Dan Phillips

B．Green Homes

C．Home Builder Dan Phillips Tunis Trash into Green Homes

D．A Home Builder' s Life

Want a glance of the future of health care? Take a look at the way the various networks of people about patient care are being connected to one another, and how this new connectivity is being exploited to deliver medicine to the patient —no matter where he or she may be.
Online doctors offering advice based on normal symptoms(癥狀) are the most obvious example. Increasingly, however, remote diagnosis(遠(yuǎn)程診斷) will be based on real physiological data(生理數(shù)據(jù)) from the actual patient. A group from the University of Kentucky has shown that by using personal data assistance plus a mobile phone, it is perfectly practical to send a patient’s important signs over the telephone. With this kind of equipment, the cry asking whether there was a doctor in the house could well be a thing of the past.
Other medical technology groups are working on applying telemedicine to rural (countryside) care. And at least one team wants to use telemedicine as a tool for disaster need—especially after earthquakes. On the whole, the trend is towards providing global access to medical data and experts’ opinions.
But there is one problem. Bandwidth(寬帶) is the limiting factor for sending complex(復(fù)雜的) medical pictures around the world — CT photos being one of the biggest bandwidth users. Communication satellites may be able to deal with the short-term needs during disasters such as earthquakes or wars. But medicine is looking towards both the second-generation Internet and third-generation mobile phones for the future of remote medical service.
Doctors have met to discuss computer-based tools for medical diagnosis, training and telemedicine. With the falling price of broadband communications, the new technologies should start a new time when telemedicine and the sharing of medical information, experts’ opinions and diagnosis are common.
【小題1】The writer chiefly talks about _______.

A．the use of telemedicine	B．the on-lined doctors
C．medical care and treatment	D．communication improvement

【小題2】The basis of remote diagnosis will be _______.

A．personal data assistance

B．some words of a patient

C．real physiological information

D．medical pictures from the Internet

【小題3】Which of the following statements is true according to the text？

A．Patients don’t need doctors in hospitals any more.

B．It is impossible to send a patient’s signs over the telephone.

C．Many teams use telemedicine dealing with disasters now.

D．Broadband communications will become cheaper in the future.

【小題4】The “problem” in the fourth paragraph refers to the fact that _______.

A．bandwidth isn’t big enough to send complex medical pictures

B．the second-generation of Internet has not become popular yet

C．communication satellites can only deal with short-term needs

D．there is not enough equipment for spreading the medical care

Lawmakers in the United States have expanded an investigation into the use of location-tracking systems on mobile devices. The action follows recent reports about the storing of information on the Apple iPhone. Some people consider location tracking to be a threat to personal privacy and security.
Allan Friedman, the research director, says, “All wireless companies do some location tracking as part of their networks. This information is usually stored by the companies, not the devices, and there are laws to protect it. Law enforcement(執(zhí)法) agencies, for example, have to have a fairly high standard before it can access that data. And the phone company is also prohibited from selling that information.
Now, two researchers report that location tracking information is being stored directly on Apple devices. They said Apple’s newest operating systems gather global positioning system and timestamp information. The information is stored on the device in a file that is also uploaded (上傳) to any computer that the device is connected to. The researchers say the information is available to anyone who has access to the device or computer.
Allan Friedman says, “This raises additional concerns. There’s the idea that because it’s on my phone and on my computer, rogue applications(惡意程序) that I pay for or that I’m tricked into downloading may be able to access this data and somehow misuse it.”
Apple says it is “not tracking the location of your iPhone”. It is simply keeping a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell phone towers near the user’s location. This information is meant to help the iPhone quickly find its location when needed.
Letters have been sent to some of the leading mobile device developers, including Apple and Google. The letters asked for more information about their location tracking systems. Allan Friedman calls this an important start to strengthening privacy laws. He says, “There aren’t strong controls over things like location information, what they are doing with it, how long they are keeping it. And perhaps the most important question is, is my location data with other facts about me?”
【小題1】Why did American lawmakers investigate the use of location-tracking systems on cell-phones?

A．Because the systems can store users’ information

B．Because many users have suffered loss after using them.

C．Because it is thought to threaten users’ privacy.

D．Because many reporters have shown the problem of the systems.

【小題2】Allan Friedman believes that ________.

A．wireless companies focus on personal privacy.

B．people are forbidden to get access to private data at will

C．phone companies may sell private information secretly

D．customers may ask wireless companies to locate their tracking

【小題3】What do we know from Paragraph 3?

A．Location tracking information is stored online.

B．Apple’s newest operating systems collect all kinds of information.

C．Location tracking information may be uploaded to any iPhone.

D．Apple’s newest operating systems may reveal the private information of users.

【小題4】Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Apple denies that it tracks the location of users.

B．The researchers may misunderstand the Apple’s systems.

C．The global positioning system is to blame for rogue applications.

D．The iPhone can quickly find its location by using its user’s information.

When you close your eyes and try to think of the shape of your own body, what you imagine (or rather, what you feel) is quite different from what you see when you open your eyes and look in the mirror. The image you feel is much vaguer（模糊的） than the one you see. And if you lie still, it is quite hard to imagine yourself as having any particular size or shape.
When you move, when you feel the weight of your arms and legs and the natural resistance of the objects around you, the “felt” image of yourself starts to become clearer. It is almost as if it were created by your own actions and the feelings they cause.
The image you create for yourself has rather strange proportions（部分）; certain parts feel much larger than they look. If you get a hole in one of your teeth, it feels enormous; you are often surprised by how small it looks when you inspect it in the mirror.
Although the “felt” image may not have the shape you see in the mirror, it is much more important. It is the image through which you recognize your physical existence in the world. In spite of its strange proportions, it is all one piece, and since it has a consistent right and left and a top and bottom, it allows you to locate new feelings when they occur. It allows you to find your nose in the dark and point to a pain.
If the felt image is damaged for any reason—if it is cut in half or lost as it often is after certain strokes （中風(fēng)）which wipe out recognition of one entire side –these tasks become almost impossible. What is more, it becomes hard to make sense of one’s own visual appearance. If one half of the “felt” image is wiped out or injured, the patient stops recognizing the affected part of his body. It is hard for him to find the location of feelings on that side, and, although he feels the doctor’s touch, he locates it as being on the undamaged side.
【小題1】According to the passage the “felt” image          the mirror image.

A．is precisely the same as	B．is as clear as
C．often different from	D．is always much smaller than

【小題2】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．The felt Image is much more important because it helps you locate new feelings.

B．When you are in bed with your eyes closed, it is not easy to imagine your image.

C．When you move, the “felt” image of yourself starts to become clearer.

D．The “felt” image is not so important as the mirror image.

【小題3】If a man loses the ability to recognize his right side,           .

A．he can’t locate the doctor’s touch on his left side

B．he can’t locate the doctor’s touch on his right side

C．he loses his sense of touch on the left side

D．he loses feeling on both sides

【小題4】What is this passage mainly about?

A．Stroke victims’ “felt” images

B．Stroke victims’ mirror images.

C．The importance of “felt” images

D．The importance of mirror images.

PALO ALTO, California----"Switching off the television may help prevent children from getting fatter---- even if they do not change their diet or increase the amount they exercise," US researchers said last week.
　　A study of 192 third and fourth graders, generally aged eight and nine, found that children who cut the number of hours spent watching television gained nearly two pounds(0.9kg) less over a one-year period than those who did not change their television diet.
　　"The findings are important because they show that weight loss can only be the result of a reduction in television viewing and not any other activity," said Thomas Robinson, a pediatrician(兒科專家) at Stanford University.
　　"American children spend an average of more than four hours per day watching television and videos or playing video games, and rates of childhood being very fat have doubled over the past 20 years," Robinson said.
　　In the study, presented this week to the Pediatric Academic Societies‘ annual meeting in San Francisco, the researchers persuaded about 100 of the students to reduce their television viewing by one-quarter to one-third.
　　Children watching fewer hours of television showed a significantly smaller increase in waist size and had less body fat than other students who continued their normal television viewing, even though neither group ate a special diet or took part in any extra exercise.
　　"One explanation for the weight loss could be the children unstuck to the television may simply have been moving around more and burning off calories," Robinson said.
　　"Another reason might be due to eating fewer meals in front of the television. Some studies have suggested that eating in front of the TV encourages people to eat more," Robinson said.
【小題1】The author tries to tell us in the first two paragraphs that ________.

A．children will get fatter if they eat too much

B．children will get thinner if they eat less

C．children will get fatter if they spend less time watching TV

D．children will get fatter if they spend more time watching TV

【小題2】According to the passage, the time American children usually spend on watching TV_____.

A．is more than four hours a day

B．is less than four hours a day

C．doubled in the last twenty years

D．is more than on any other activities

【小題3】The time children spend on TV viewing every day is suggested to be about

A．six hours

B．eight hours

C．three hours

D．one hour

【小題4】Why can watching TV increase kids’ weight according to the passage?
　　A. They usually eat more while watching TV.
　　B. They burn off fewer calories.
C. They change their diet while watching TV.
D. Both A and B.

Are you a compulsive spender，or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay in cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality．According to psychologists，our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values，but can also stem from past problems．
Experts in psychology believe that for many people，money is an important symbol of strength and influence．Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage．Wives，on the other hand，may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands．In addition，many people consider money a symbol of love．They spend it on their family and friends to express love，or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love．
People can be addicted to different things —for example，alcohol，drugs，certain foods，or even television．They are compulsive in their addictions，i．e．they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable．In the same way，according to psychologists，compulsive spenders must spend money．
For people who buy on credit，furthermore，charge accounts are even more exciting than money：in other words，they feel that with credit，they can do anything．Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy．
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting．To save money，of course，most people look for sales，low prices，and discounts．Compulsive bargain hunters，however，often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap．They want to believe that they are helping their budgets，but they are really playing an exciting game：when they can buy something for less than other people，they feel that they are winning．Most people，experts claim，have two reasons for their behavior：a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason．
It is not only scientists，of course，who understand the psychology of spending habits，but also business people．Stores，companies，and advertisers use psychology to increase business：they consider people’s needs for love，power，or influence，their basic values，their beliefs and opinions， etc．in their advertising and sales methods．
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy（療法）”to help individuals solve their personality problems．In the same way，they can help people who feel that they have problems with money：they give them “assignments” If a person buys something in every store that he enters， for instance，a therapist might teach him self discipline in this way：on the first day of his therapy， he must go into a store，stay five minutes，and then leave．On the second day，he should stay for ten minutes and try something on．On the third day，he stays for fifteen minutes，asks the salesclerk a question，but does not buy anything．Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything，and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying．
【小題1】If you use charge accounts，           ．

A．you pay in cash

B．you pay less than you should

C．you pay with credit card

D．you pay more than you should

【小題2】Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that         ．

A．the things they buy are cheap

B．they believe they can balance their budgets

C．they get psychological satisfaction

D．they really need the things they buy

【小題3】Behavior therapy in this case aims at         ．

A．helping businessmen to increase their business

B．helping compulsive spenders to buy less

C．finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy

D．finding out what people will do in front of a bargain

【小題4】The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to         ．

A．different things

B．their addictions

C．their pleasures

D．charge accounts

【小題5】From the passage we can conclude that         ．

A．how you spend money reveals if you are psychologically healthy

B．money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much

C．compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine

D．a(chǎn)ll businessmen understand well the psychology of customers

Howling(吼叫) is a behavior commonly observed among a wolf pack(狼群). As pack animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling as an important means of communication among each other. There’re different explanations of a wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover．
One theory is that wolves howl to bond better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together. But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harrington, a professor who studies wolf behavior.
Indeed, there have been times when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a chorus(合唱), and the next, quarreling among each other. It appears that usually the lowest-ranking members of the pack may actually be “punished” for joining in the chorus at times. So is howling a way to strengthen a social bond or just a way to reconfirm status (地位) among its members? Why do wolves howl for sure?
What is clear, however, is that howling is often used among pack mates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that wolves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appears to be an excellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behavior. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occur in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sort of “roll call” where wolves all howl together to report their
【小題1】What is the possible similarity between wolves’ howling together and human’s singing in chorus?

A．The act of calling each other．

B．The sense of accomplishment．

C．The act of hunting for something．

D．The sense of belonging to a group．

【小題2】Why does Harrington think the “social bond” theory may be wrong?

A．Wolves separate from each other after howling．

B．Wolves tend to protect their hunting grounds．

C．Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together．

D．Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus．

【小題3】Researchers are sure that wolves often howl to______．

A．show their ranks	B．find their companions
C．report the missing ones	D．express their loneliness

【小題4】“Howling… is a contagious behaviour”（in the last paragraph）means_______．

A．howling is a signal for hunting

B．howling is a way of communication

C．howling often occurs in the morning

D．howling spreads from one to another