A
My father had always been an alert observer of human character. Within seconds of meeting someone , he could sum up their strengths and weaknesses. It was always a challenge to see if any of my boyfriends could pass Dad’s test. None did . Dad was always right—they didn’t pass my test either . After Dad died, I wondered how I’d figure it out on my own.
That’s when Jack arrived on the scene . He was different from any other guy I’d dated. He could sit for hours on the piano bench with my mother , discussing some composers. My brother Rick loudly announced that Jack wasn’t a turkey like the other guys I’d brought home. Jack passed my family’s test . But what about Dad’s?
Then came my mother’s birthday. The day he was supposed to drive, I got a call. “Don’t worry ,” he said, “but I’ve been in an accident. I’m fine, but I need you to pick me up.”
When I got there , we rushed to a flower shop for something for Mom. “How about gardenias ?” Jack said, pointing at a beautiful white corsage. The florist put the corsage in a box.
The entire ride, Jack was unusually quiet . “Are you all right?” I asked. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking ,” he said. “I might be moving.” Moving? Then he added, “Moving in with you.” I nearly put the car on the sidewalk . “What?” I asked. “I think we should get married,” he said. He told me he’d planned his proposal in a fancy restaurant, but after the accident , he decided to do it right away. “Yes,” I whispered . We both sat stunned, tears running down our cheeks. I’d never known such a tender moment. If only Dad were here to give his final approval.
“Oh, let’s just go inside.” Jack laughed. My mother opened the door . “Happy Birthday!” we shouted. Jack handed the box to her .She opened it up . Suddenly, her eyes were filled with tears.” Mom , what’s wrong?” I asked. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping her eyes. “This is only the second gardenia corsage I’ve ever received . I was given one years ago, long before you kids were born.” “From who?” I asked. “Your father,” Mom said. “He gave me one right before we were engaged.” My eyes locked on Jack’s as I blinked away tears. Dad’s test ? I knew Jack had passed.
56.According to the text, we know the writer’s father was . A.interested in observing things around B.good at judging one’s character C.strict with he boyfriend D.fond of challenges
57.What is the main idea of Paragraph 2 ? A.Jack got the family’s approval except Dad’s. B.Jack was different from any other boy. C.Jack was getting on well with Mother. D.Jack knew a lot about piano.
58.The underlined word “proposal” in Paragraph 5 means .
A.piece of advice B.wedding ceremony C.celebration of birthday D.offer of marriage
59.On hearing “moving in with you”, the writer felt . A.pleased
B.worried C.surprised D.disappointed
60.Why did the writer’s mother cry?
A.The gift was the same as the one her husband gave her. B.She had never received such a beautiful gift. C.Her daughter found her life partner at last. D.The gardenia corsage was too expensive.
B
There is an English saying that goes，“he who laughs last，laughs the hardest.”High School Musical star Zac Efron is laughing a lot these days.
As a young boy，Efron was picked on in school because he was always the smallest in his class and teased because he had a big space between his teeth. In sixth grade，Efron’s basketball team made it to the league championships. In double overtime(两个加时赛)，with three seconds left，he rebounded the ball and passed it—to the wrong team! They scored and his team lost the game。
But history,as they say, is a thing of the past. Now at 21，Efron is one of People magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful People，appears on the cover of Entertainment Weekly，Hollywood’s most influential magazine，and is traveling the world promoting the third High School Musical film. Director Adam Shankman described Efron as “arguably the biggest teen star in America right now.”Simply geogle“Zac Efron”and you get more than 14 million responses. Yes，it seems Efron has a lot to smile about these days。
Efron was born and raised in California. He took school seriously. According to Efron，“he would go mad if he got a B and not an A in school, and that he was a class clown．”It was his father who encouraged him to act. He took part in school performances and with a local theater group. He also took singing lessons. He graduated high school in 2006 and was accepted at the University of Southern California to study film. But he postponed it－why study movies when you can star in them．
Now he has signed on to star in the romantic comedy Seventeen Again and to play in the remake of the hugely popular movie，Footloose．Efron is also earning more than $3 million for his role in High School Musical 3．Not bad for a 21－year－old. But Efron still remembers those bullies(欺人者)．
“You always have to remember that bullies want to bring you down became you have something that they admire，”Efron said.“Also，when you get made fun of, when people point out your weaknesses, it’s an opportunity for you to rise above”.
Efron has risen all the way to the top of the movie business．And he can now laugh all the way to the bank.
61．The English saying is used at the beginning to show Efron . A.has achieved worldwide fame B．still has a long way to go C.has a not so smooth past
D．is optimistie all the way
62．The underlined phrase“picked on”in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaming to . A．sung high praise for B．treated unfairly C．run after D．talked about
63．We know from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 that . A．We’d better let the past be the past B．Efron is bound to go down in history C．history plays an important role in Efron’s life D．different from his past，Efron is quite popular now 64．Why did Efron put off his university study?
A．Beeause he didn’t want to lose the chance to star in films． B．Because he had learned all the things about film． C．Because he wanted to mke more money． D．Because he showed no intorest in it。 65．What’s the reaction of Efron to those bullies? A．Taking no notice of it． B．Fighting back immediately． C．Finding opportunities to fight back.. D．Regarding it as a motivation to move on.
C
A pair of motorised shoes——the spnKiX that can propel the wearer at 10mph are expected to become a hit with comnluters，who travel a long distance to work every day，the Daily Mail reported。
The ￡415 battery powered creations are fastened to the owner’s shoes and controlled via a wireless remote control. The spnKiX can travel between two and three miles per charge and steering is controlled by the wearer leaning into turns．Speed can be varied via the remote control and they come with removable training wheels to ease people into using them．
Designer Peter Treadway first came up with the idea five years ago after struggling to find a parking space. Since then he has created over30 models and is now set to release the shoes via his website in February.
Peter，from Los Angeles，California，said，“The idea just came to me one day when I was
looking for a parking space in order to get some lunch. After driving around for half an hour I couldn’t find one so had to drive back home instead. That got me thinking about a mode of transport that you could rise and then carry afterwards，thus spnKiX was born．
“We have had a lot of interest from commuters, who might only be travelling small distances and would like a cheap，environmental way of getting around．They are also getting a lot of attention from students. The shoes ale very easy to get used to—they almost feel like you are using a pair of roller skates. We have had some people concerned that they are just for lazy people, but actually there is quite a lot of exercise involved in turning corners and avoiding obstacles. They also mean people will be outdoors more often which can only be a good thing. Small rain or water pools on the street shouldn’t be a problem but obviously they can’t be drowned in water . They are easy to stop too, even if you are travelling downhill, they have a stoper like on roller skates.”
The shoes are made from reinforced nylon and aluminium and can be fully charged in two to three hours. Peter added,“A lot of work has gone into creating them and we have spent a lot of time making them compact, easy to use and carry, and fun.”
66.What’s the best title of the text?
A．The spnKiX is to be popular B．How to use the spnKiX properly C．The benefit of the spnKiX D．The skills of making the spnKiX 67．Why did Peter create this kind of shoes?
A．He was eager to get some lunch． B．He often drove for a long time. C．He couldn’t find a parking place． D．He liked to create something． 68.According to the text, the spnKiX of different types . A．is designed for lazy people B．can turn corners automatically C．can’t be used during rainy days D．will be known on the Internet
69．It can be inferred from the text that . A．more people will be outdoors
B．the spnKiX is environmentally-friendly
C．the spnKiX will be fully charged in two to three hours D．the students like the spnKiX better than the commuters 70.Peter believes that . A．the spnKiX is a smart creation to use
B．the spnKiX can also be made from soft materials C．there’s a lot of work to do to improve the spnKiX D．the spnkix takes a lot of time to pack firmly together
D
A new study suggests that early exposure to germs(细菌) strengthens the immune(免疫的)system. That means letting children get a little dirty might be good for their health later in life.
The study involved laboratory mice. It found that adult mice raised in a germ-free environment were more likely to develop allergies．asthma and other autoimmune disorders． There are more than eighty disorders where cells that normally defend the body instead attack tissues and organs．
Richard Blumberg，who led the study，is a professor at'Harvard Medical School in Boston，Massachusetts. He says，in 1989，medical researchers who sought to explain these diseases, first discovered that the increasing use of antibacterial soaps and other products, especially early in life, could weaken immune systems.
Now, Dr. Blumberg and his team have what is the first biological evidence to link early exposure to germs to stronger adult immune systems. They say this exposure could prevent the development of some autoimmune diseases.
In the adult germ-free mice, they found that inflammation(发炎)in the lungs and colon was caused by so-called killer T cells. These normally fight infection. But they became overactive and targeted healthy tissue—an autoimmune condition seen in asthma and a disease called ulcerative colitis.
Dr, Blumberg says the mice raised in a normal environment did not have the same reaction. He says their immune systems had been“educated”by early exposure to germs.
Rates of autoimmune disorders are rising worldwide, but mostly in wealthier, industrialized countries. According to Dr.Blumberg, it might be high time that people were warned to be more careful with the early use of antibiotics(抗生素) and the prescription from their doctors.
Rob Dunn is a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. He says the new study does not mean people should stop washing.“Wash your hands , but don’t do it with antibacterial soap. Let your kids play in a reasonable amount of dirt and get outside and get exposed to a diversity of things”,says Rob Dunn.
71.Who first found immune systems might get harmed by overly using antibacterial products?
A．A professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. B．A professor at Harvard Medical School in Boston。
C．Medical researchers who tried to explain autoimmune disorders． D．Medical researchers who tried to treat autoimmune disorders。 72．To keep healthy in the future, children had better . A．play in a dirty environment once in a while B．live in a germ-free endronrnent C．use plenty of antibacterial soaps