Why do 33% of the households in the USA have cats? And how do you explain why there are 16 million more pet cats than dogs? Yes, kittens are adorable （討人喜歡的）．Yes, they can grow up to be good mousers and are very entertaining to watch．And yes, cats are independent and don't require as much care as dogs．But research shows cats can also be caretakers for us and our families, improve our health and teach us and our children to be kinder, gentler souls．

       Theodora Wesselman is 94 and has lived the past two years with her elderly cat, Cleo, at TigerPlace, a retirement community in Columbia, Mo．Their enduring friendship is a classic example of how humans and animals can become family and look out for each other．

       Wesselman visits other residents, and her children stop by, but Cleo is her best friend, she says．They've been together nearly 21 years．

       "She sleeps on her own pillow right beside mine," Wesselman says．"In the morning, she pecks on my cheek to wake me up．It's really sweet．I pet her, tell her I love her and take her to the kitchen to prepare her food．"

       Research shows that being able to care for a pet improves our morale （士氣;精神狀態(tài)）, helps validate us and encourages us to take care of ourselves, says Rebecca Johnson, director of the University of Missouri's Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction．The body of research is leading more retirement communities and universities to roll out the welcome mat for pets．

According to the context, where do you think the sentence “They start and end the day together” should appear in the passage?

       A．Between para．1 and para．2 B．Between para．2 and para．3

       C．Between para．3 and para．4 D．Between para．4 and para．5

Which of the following words best describe the author’s attitude towards keeping pet cats?

       A．Favorable B．Critical     C．Reserved   D．Doubtful

Why does the author take 94-year-old Theodora Wesselman as an example in the passage?

       A．To show that the elderly like Theodora Wesselman in the USA have pet cats．

       B．To suggest to what degree humans and pet cats can be caretakers for each other．

       C．Because Theodora Wesselman has been living with a pet cat for the past two years．

       D．Because Theodora Wesselman pets her cat Cleo and tells her she loves her．

What does “to roll out the welcome mat for pets” in the last paragraph imply?

       A．To give a special welcome to pets．

       B．To make the welcome mat flat on the ground for pets．

       C．To open out the welcome mat for pets to sleep．

       D．To wrap the welcome mat to make room for pets．

Every object tells a story. Even the most ordinary objects can present to us powerful images. Sometimes it is the ordinary nature of these objects that actually makes them so extraordinary. Such is the case with an old leather shoe in a museum in Alaska. At first glance it does not look like much. It is a woman’s shoe of a style popular in the 1890s. But what is unique(獨特的) about this shoe is where it was found. It was discovered on the Checkout Pass, the famous trail used by the people seeking gold in Alaska. Who it belonged to or why it was left there is not known. Was it perhaps dropped by accident as the woman climbed up the 1500 stairs carved outface? Or did she throw away goods that she didn’t need in order to travel lighter?

Over 100, 000 people with “gold fever” made this trip hoping to become millionaires. Few of them understood that on their way they would have to cross a harsh wildness. Unprepared for such a dangerous journey, many died of starvation and exposure to the cold weather.

The Canadian government finally started requiring the gold seekers to bring one ton of supplies with them. This was thought to be enough for a person to survive for one year. They would carry their supplies in backpacks(背包) each weighing up to fifty pounds; it usually took at least 40 trips to get everything to the top and over the pass. Whoever dropped the shoe must have been a brave and determined woman. Perhaps she was successful and made it to Alaska. Perhaps she had to turn back in defeat. No one will ever know for sure, but what we do know is that she took part in one of the greatest adventures in the 19th century.

1. The ordinary woman’s leather shoe is considered unusual because _______. 

A. it was an important clue to life in the past B. it was found on a famous trail

C. it at one time belonged to a VIP             D. it was a fashionable shoe at that time

2. According to this passage, many people who went to Alaska _______. 

A. eventually became millionaires              B. brought with them many shoes

C. had conflicts with the Eskimos               D. were not properly equipped

3. The Canadian government made gold seekers bring one year’s supplies with them so that _______.

A. they would not die of hunger and cold

B. the army would have enough food for fighting a war

C. they would change these goods with the Eskimos

D. the supplies would make Alaska rich

4. No matter what happened to the woman who owned the shoe, _______. 

A. she must have lived a happy life

B. she certainly dropped the shoe on purpose

C. her adventurous spirit is definitely admired

D. her other shoes were equally fashionable

　　From the very beginning, Martin felt that he was bound up with（與……緊緊地在一起）his lovely little patient. One day, following some tests , Betty gave the doctor a big hug（擁抱）.

　　A few months later the doctor removed not only the tumour（腫瘤）, but also the entire lower left side of Betty’s gum（牙齦）and jawbone. Because Betty was so young, Martin was hopeful that her jawbone might regenerate.

　　Within three months, Betty’s tumour grew as large as an orange, changing the natural appearance of the left side of her small, delicate （ = thin; not strong）face. Soon she couldn’t even close her mouth, and as her eating problems worsened, Betty ‘s weight dropped from 20 kilos to 15. Martin knew from experience that it might invade the brain.

　　The only other possibility was thorough radiation therapy （放射療法）. Night after night, Betty's father gave her injection, but the tumour remained as big as ever. Then one evening. Morgan noticed that the tumour had begun to change. It was actually becoming smaller! For two months her tumour appeared to be going away for ever. In the coming months, Betty’s tumour continued to appear. She was able to eat solid food once again. Her jawbone was regenerating. The tumour was gone.

　If Betty’s jawbone didn’t regenerate, the doctors ________ .

　　A. would rebuild her jaw

　　B. would continue the treatment

　　C. would use new medicine

　　D. could do nothing else

　If the brain should be invaded, the result would ________.

　　A. prevent her growth

　　B. reduce her weight

　　C. cause her brain damaged

　　D. affect her eyesight

　What did the doctors do two months later?

　　A. They continued their observations.

　　B. They gave up the operation on Betty.

　　C. They found out what caused Betty’s strange disease.

D. They declared that Betty’s strange disease was cured.

We were on our way home from Houston one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local gas station to get coffee and something to snack on since it was a good hour and a half before we got home.

When we were done, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a man standing outside in front of the building. He was a homeless man with worn clothes and it looked like he had gone in and gotten himself some coffee or something warm to drink since it was cold this time of the year. He must have not had enough money to get something to eat.

Then a dog walked up to the front of the building. I could tell she was a “she”, because you could tell that she had baby dogs. She was terribly in need of something to eat and I felt so bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her baby dogs would not make it.

I and my wife sat there and looked at her. We noticed that people walked by and didn’t even pet her, like most people do when they walk by an animal in front of a store. We still did not do anything. But the homeless man, who I thought did not buy himself anything to eat, went back into the store. And what he did brought tears to me and my wife. He had gone into the store and with what money he may have had, bought a can of dog food and fed that dog.

This story plays a great part in our lives. You see, that was Mother’s Day weekend. And a lot of people forget that some animals are parents too.

It took a homeless man, to show me what I should have done. He make me a better man that day.

The homeless man only had something to drink because _______.

A. he didn’t have enough money for food           B. he was thirsty only

C. the store only provided drinks                       D. he felt cold that day

Seeing what the poor man did for the dog, the author and his wife ________.

A. were puzzled                                              B. were greatly moved

C. regretted they hadn’t done anything                      D. were indifferent

If the homeless man hadn’t given the dog food to eat, she and her babies would ________.

A. not survive                                                B. have to attack people

C. not have to die                                           D. lose their homes

Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?

A. A kind Homeless Man                                 B. A Lucky Mother Dog

C. Mother Day’s Weekend                               D. Animals Are Parents Too

8：30 PM

Outlook

Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment . Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic , from stage to screen . There will be reports of the stars of the moment , the stars of the future and the stars of the past.  The director with his new film , the designer with the latest fashion , and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook . The program is introduced by Fran Levine .

9:00 PM

Discovery

When a 10-year-old boy gets a first class degree  in mathematics or an 8-year-old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses . Where does the quality of genius come from ? Is it all in the genes (基因) or can any child be turned into a genius ? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future, what should they do ? In this 30-minute film , Barry Johnson , the professor at School of Medicine , New York University, will help you discover the answer .

10:00 PM

Science/Health

    Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs ? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins  and three other medical centers . After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure , they found that after 6 months , those devoted to weight loss—exercise and eating a low—salt , low-fat food lost about 13 pounds and became fitter . Plus , 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category. This week , Dr Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with hypertension drugs .

The main purpose of writing the passage is to        .

       A．invite people to see films

       B．invite people to join in topic discussions

       C．attract more students to attend lectures

       D．attract more people to watch TV programs

From Outlook , you can get a great deal of information about          .

       A．story tellers      B．famous stars    C．film companies       D．music fans

Who will be most probably interested in Discovery ?

       A．Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine .

       B．Children who are good at mathematics .

       C．Parents who want their child to become an Albert Einstein .

       D．Children who are interested in playing chess .

“Johns Hopkins” is             .

       A．a famous university        B．a medical center

       C．a well-known doctor      D．a drug company

According to the third text , which of the following has almost the same effect as hypertension drug ?

       A．Exercise plus a healthy diet .           B．Loss of thirteen pounds in weight .

       C．Six months of exercise without drugs .   D．Low-salt and low-fat food .