Was the London Olympics a success? Many people hold different opinions. However one thing is certain, London could win a gold medal for hosting the “greenest” Games ever, BBC News reported.
Previous Olympic hosts have been criticized for the environmental damage they have caused through construction, waste. and transport. But things had to be different in London because seven years ago it bid for the Olympics through the concept of “a One Planet Olympics”.
What is most impressive is that London used the construction of the Olympic Park as an opportunity to clean up polluted areas — 2 million tons of contaminated (被污染的) soil were removed and 200 old factory buildings, were torn down, according to sustainablebusiness.com. But that’s not all —. 99 percent of the debris (廢瓦礫) were reused to build the Olympic Park. For example, part of the Olympic Stadium’s roof is made from 2,500 tons of steel tubes recycled from old gas pipelines.
As well as using recycled materials, all venues were built with green building techniques. The Olympic Stadium is the lightest one ever built, which minimized the amount of steel and concrete needed. Also, the handball field has lighting pipes on the roof that reduce electricity use by 40 percent, according to sustainablebusiness.com.
The effort that London made to deal with waste also deserves praise. Water used for drinking and watering plants was from collected rainwater or recycled wastewater. In this way. about 30-40 percent less water was used in total. Waste food packages were either recycled or processed and turned into renewable energy.
As one of the best connected places in Europe, London tried to solve traffic jams by encouraging the use of public transport. For example, it had trains deliver half of the building materials, instead of cars, which greatly reduced carbon emissions.
The clean anti-doping (反興奮劑) result also added to the greenness of the Games. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) said that the devices used this time were the most accurate and advanced. Only one athlete tested positive for a banned drug on the day of competing, which is why the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, has praised anti-doping efforts at the London Games.
【小題1】To make the Olympic Park green, London _______.

A．recycled 2 million tons of contaminated soil

B．removed 99 percent of the debris from the city

C．built the Olympic Stadium mostly with recycled materials

D．a(chǎn)pplied green building techniques to the construction work

【小題2】The underlined word “minimized” in the fourth paragraph probably means

A．increased as much as possible

B．reduced as much as possible

C．made good use of

D．took little notice

【小題3】What can we conclude from the article?

A．The London Olympics cost less than the other Olympics ever held.

B．London has possessed the most advanced techniques to deal with waste.

C．Public transport is made good use of in London during the Olympic games.

D．The anti-doping result in the London Olympics turned out to be dissatisfactory.

【小題4】Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?

【小題5】What is the best title of the passage?

A．How to deal with the anti-doping

B．How to use recycled materials

C．London’s green games

D．London’s public transport

The Green Microgym in Portland，Oregon has all the usual stuff you'd expect-sweaty people，loud music，smooth exercise equipment-but it has some extras as well. Everywhere you look，there are power wires. And these aren't the typical kind that let you surf the Web while you ride a spin cycle-although. you can do that too．The gym uses special exercise equipment that captures（捕獲）the energy you create while riding, converts（轉(zhuǎn)換）it into electricity and channels it into the power outlets（插座）．
The idea of using exercise equipment to produce electricity is not new. A gym in Hong Kong has been doing this since 2007. But clean (and healthy）energy is just now starting to catch on in U. S. gyms·"We have seen a significant increase in interest in the past six months，which is a good sign that fitness centers are ready to spend money on green technologies，” says Mike Curnyn，co-founder of the Green Revolution，a Connecticut-based firm that wires bikes into a central battery that can store energy.
The Green Microgym，first opened in 2008，has more than 200 members and is doing so well that owner Adam Boesel opened another one five miles from the original．Although membership costs about the same as ordinary gyms，customers can earn gift certificates from local businesses for watts produced while exercising．An average workout creates 37. 5 watt hours，which is enough to power a phone for a week．
Boesel uses spin bikes made by Resource Fitness，a Seattle company he co-owns，that captures energy produced from the flywheel. Wires send the converted AC current（交流電流）into any standard wall outlet-for this reason，the product line's name is Plug Out-and the energy created is used before the building draws power from the grid（電網(wǎng)）．Unlike the Green Revolution equipment，Plug Out machines cannot store extra energy. A third company，the Florida-based ReRev，is adding converters to a specific brand of spin bikes. But since the converters add＄1，000 to the price of the equipment，the ReRev and Green Revolution machines are at a disadvantage．
Resource Fitness，by contrast，sells its equipment for the same＄1，200 price as non- electricity-producing machines，removing the question of how long it will be until the energy savings pay for the cost of the unit．The company can afford to do this because its designs don’t call for the extra wiring needed for battery packs and large converters．It is also trying to price competitively with standard equipment so more gyms-and gym goers-will make the switch．
【小題1】Members of the Green Microgym earn gift certificates for_______．

A．using the man-powered exercise equipment

B．saving electricity for local businesses

C．producing green electricity to power their phones

D．paying higher membership fees

【小題2】The spin bikes made by Resource Fitness are different from those by Green Revolution in that_______.

A．they are easier to ride

B．they are more expensive

C．they don't have wires connected

D．they can not store extra electricity

【小題3】What might prevent the green exercise equipment from getting more popular？

A．People's unwillingness to go green．

B．The high cost of making it.

C．Safety problems concerning electricity.

D．Lack of certificates．

【小題4】The underlined words“make the switch”in the last paragraph most probably mean_____.

A．change to a different gym

B．use green exercise equipment

C．switch on the spin bikes

D．a(chǎn)dd a battery to the machine

As hand-held devices such as smartphones are becoming more common, users are reporting some new physical problems. Florida chiropractor Dean Fishman began noticing an increased number of patients talking about neck and shoulder pain. He discovered these symptoms were due to the overuse of hand-held devices, particularly the action of bending the neck, and then coined the term “Text Neck.” As if the painful symptoms weren’t bad enough, Fishman warns that an untreated case of Text Neck could lead to permanent spinal(脊椎) damage.
Other doctors have warned about “iPad Hand,” a condition that occurs when people use tablets like the iPad for hours at a time. Most people use their left hand to support the tablet and their right hand to tap or scroll. Doing this for long periods without changing positions can result in severe joint pain.
In order to avoid or reduce the possibility of getting Text Neck or iPad Hand, use the following basic ergonomic(人體工學(xué)的) principles:
Avoid awkward positioning. Don’t strain your neck, and stay aware of how you are positioned in relation to the device. Make sure that both your neck and shoulders are relaxed and that you aren’t leaning over for a long period of time.
Take frequent breaks when using any kind of mobile device. Many doctors recommend that users change their position every 15 minutes.
When using a tablet, use a case that can support the device on a table or your lap at a comfortable viewing angle.
Along with a case, use a separate keyboard with your tablet. This will be more comfortable since you’ll be resting both hands on the keyboard. And since you won’t be holding the tablet, you’ll be less likely to experience hand or arm pain.
【小題1】What kind of product for hand-held devices does the writer discuss?

A．One for recording.	B．One for charging.
C．One for telephoning.	D．One for typing.

【小題2】Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “coined” (Para1)?

A．cashed

B．created

C．changed

D．completed

【小題3】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．If you are holding an iPad for long periods, it could cause spinal damage.

B．Text Neck symptoms include long-term damage in the back.

C．You are advised to lean over in relation to the device.

D．You should rest your hands on the keyboard at times.

【小題4】In which magazine would you most likely find this article?

A．Personal Finance	B．Science Fiction Monthly
C．Mind and Body	D．Smartphone World

In the past, the affairs happening inside one country had little influence on other countries, even the neighboring ones. Therefore, incidents of food safety only affected and spread within one country, one city, one island or one village. However, with globalization, goods and products can almost flow freely between countries, regions, and continents. So the food safety problem is therefore no longer a national or regional issue, but rather a global one．
In 1997, Avian Influenza caused widespread panic in Hong Kong．It is said that the Avian Influenza originated from Shenzhen. Some Hong Kong people blamed the chicken farm staff on the mainland for the outbreak. The staff was accused of not thoroughly checking the health condition of the chicks under their care. It resulted in Hong Kong people's anger towards chicken farm staff in Shenzhen, whose supposed negligence(疏忽)contributed to the later spread of Avian Influenza in Hong Kong．
Worse still, in Germany, people have been warned not to eat cucumbers until tests can identify the source of a deadly E. coli outbreak. The scare has spread across Europe, with 16 people so far having been killed．In many people's minds, European countries have the strictest standards and checking procedures on their food safety. But the E. coli cucumber incident brought home the reality that it was not an effective defense against such an outbreak．
These diverse food safety issues from various parts of the world are enough evidence that food safety problem is not endemic in China. In fact, food safety is not even directly related to the development level of a place, thanks, no doubt, to the connectivity of our age. If we do not maintain our vigilance(警惕), people's confidence in food safety can be destroyed instantly—even in a developed country
【小題1】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Nowadays, food safety incidents spread inside one country

B．In 1997, Avian Influenza caused great fear in Hong Kong

C．16 Germans died of deadly E. coli after eating cucumbers

D．Food safety is only related to the developing countries

【小題2】The underlined word "endemic" in the last paragraph most probably means "______"

A．serious

B．common

C．urgent

D．unique

【小題3】We can infer from the passage that ______

A．food safety problems spread from one country to another

B．the staff of a Shenzhen chicken farm caught Avian Influenza

C．the strictest standards protected European people from getting E. coli

D．China is a country where food safety problem is related to people's age

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

A．Food Safety Problem Is a Global Issue

B．Cucumbers Are Popular in European Countries

C．Avian Influenza Originated from Shenzhen

D．Food Safety Issues Are Various from Country to Country

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 socializing and meeting with friends help increase levels of brown fat in the body which burns calories 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 socializing, 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 socializing.

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．Socializing is unnecessarily important in people's daily life.

C．White fat can be changed into brown fat.

D．Socializing contributes to people's losing weight.

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16^th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, king of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18^th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist (免疫學(xué)家)， encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
【小題1】The kings of France and England in the 16^th century closed bath houses because________.

A．they lived healthily in a dirty environment

B．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in

C．they believed disease could be spread in public baths

D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease

【小題2】Which of the following best describes Henry IV’ s attitude to bathing?

A．Afraid

B．Curious

C．Approving

D．Uninterested

【小題3】How does the passage mainly develop?

A．By providing examples.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By following the order of time.

D．By following the order of importance.

【小題4】What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To stress the role of dirt.

B．To introduce the history of dirt.

C．To call attention to the danger of dirt.

D．To present the change of views on dirt.

Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism  (新陳代謝) that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious（惡性的）circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize (使…中和) the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.
【小題1】What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods.

B．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods.

C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods.

D．To warn people of the problem of obesity.

【小題2】It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.

A．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs

B．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit

C．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods

D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle

【小題3】Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.

A．destroy body’s cells	B．a(chǎn)re difficult to digest
C．may lead to obesity	D．stop body’s metabolism

【小題4】What is likely to be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Active approaches to avoid acid.

B．Different causes of acid accumulation.

C．Correct ways to cook raw foods.

D．Suitable types of raw and whole foods.

【小題5】What can we learn from the text?

A．Processed foods are good for our appetite mechanism.

B．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods does good to our body.

C．The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion more effective.

D．Processed foods also comfort the digestive tract.

Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism (新陳代謝)becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious(惡性的)circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize (使…中和) the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.
【小題1】What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods.

B．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods.

C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods.

D．To warn people of the problem of obesity.

【小題2】It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.

A．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs

B．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit

C．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods

D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle

【小題3】Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.

A．destroy body’s cells	B．a(chǎn)re difficult to digest
C．may lead to obesity	D．stop body’s metabolism

【小題4】What is likely to be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Active approaches to avoid acid.

B．Different causes of acid accumulation.

C．Correct ways to cook raw foods.

D．Suitable types of raw and whole foods.

【小題5】What can we learn from the text?

A．Processed foods are good for our appetite mechanism.

B．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods does good to our body.

C．The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion more effective.

D．Processed foods also comfort the digestive tract.

Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it would make people healthier too, new research suggested.
Cutting carbon dioxide emissions could save millions of lives, mostly by reducing preventable deaths from heart and lung diseases, according to studies released Wednesday and published in a special issue of The Lancet, a British medical journal.
　　"Relying on fossil fuels leads to unhealthy lifestyles, increasing our chances of getting sick and in some cases takes years from our lives," US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a telecast briefing from her home state of Kansas. "As greenhouse gas emissions go down, so do deaths from cardiovascular（心血管） and respiratory（呼吸道） diseases. This is not a small effect."
　　Instead of looking at the health ills caused by future global warming, as past studies have done, this research looks at the immediate benefits of doing something about the problem, said Linda Birnbaum, director of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
　　Some possible benefits seemed highly speculative, the researchers conceded, based on people driving less and walking and cycling more. Other proposals studied were more concrete and achievable, such as reducing cook stoves that burn dung（糞便）, charcoal and other polluting fuels in the developing world.
　　And cutting carbon dioxide emissions also makes the air cleaner, reducing lung damage for millions of people, doctors said.
　　"Here are ways you can attack major health problems at the same time as dealing with climate change," said lead author Dr. Paul Wilkinson, an environmental epidemiologist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
　　Wilkinson said the individual studies came up with numbers of premature deaths prevented or extra years of life added for certain places.
　　For example, switching to low-polluting cars in London and Delhi, India, would save 160 lost years of life in London and nearly 1,700 in Delhi for every million residents, one study found. But if people also drove less and walked or biked more, those extra saved years would soar to more than 7,300 years in London and 12,500 years in Delhi because of less heart disease.
【小題1】What does the passage mainly talk about? _______.

A．How can people live longer?

B．Cutting carbon dioxide emissions saves lives.

C．Global warming threatens people’s lives.

D．People should stop relying on fossil fuels.

【小題2】The new research differs from past studies in that _______.

A．it focuses on the immediate benefits of cutting carbon dioxide emissions

B．it studies the bad effects arising from future global warming

C．it is believed by more people

D．it mainly targets at developing countries

【小題3】According to Kathleen Sebelius, _______.

A．sometimes it takes years to see the bad effects caused by consuming fossil fuels

B．without greenhouse gas emissions, people would not die of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases

C．the main reason why people get sick is that they rely on fossil fuels

D．deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are closely related to greenhouse gas emissions

【小題4】 Which of the following is the most practical way to cut carbon dioxide emissions according to the passage? _________.

A．Driving less

B．Walking and cycling as much as possible.

C．Stopping using fossil fuels

D．Reducing the use of polluting fuels to cook.

【小題5】It can be inferred from the passage that _____.

A．London and Delhi have already benefited from reducing greenhouse gas emissions

B．switching to low-polluting cars would save 160 lives in London each year

C．walking and biking instead of driving will reduce the chance of heart disease

D．a(chǎn)ttacking health problems and dealing with climate change are contradictory