D) There is a close link between the climate now and man’s changing of the atmosphere. Passage 6
It has been shown that children who smoke have certain characteristics. Compared with nonsmokers they are more rebellious, their work deteriorates (变坏) as they move up school, they are more likely to leave school early, and more often delinquent (犯法的) and sexually precocious (早熟). Many of these features can be summarized as anticipation of adulthood.
There are a number of factors which determine the onset of smoking, and these are largely psychological and social. They include availability of cigarettes, curiosity, rebelliousness, appearing tough, anticipation of adulthood, social confidence, the example of parents and teachers, and smoking by friends and older brothers and sisters.
It should be much easier to prevent children from starting to smoke than to persuade adults to give up the habit once established, but in fact this has proved very difficult. The example set by people in authority, especially parents, health care workers, and teachers, is of prime importance. School rules should forbid smoking by children on the premises. This rule has been introduced at Summerhill Scholl where I spent my schooldays.
There is, however, a risk of children smoking just to rebel against the rules, and even in those schools which have tried to enforce no smoking by corporal (肉体的) punishment there is as much smoking as in other schools. Nevertheless, banning smoking is probably on balance beneficial. Teachers too should not smoke on school premises, at least not in front of children.
1. In this passage the author puts an emphasis on ___________. A) the effect of smoking among children
B) the difficulty in preventing children from smoking C) the reasons why children start smoking
D) the measures to ban smoking among children
2. Which of the following is a common characteristic of young smokers? A) Disobedience. B) Laziness. C) Lack of intelligence. D) Vanity. 3. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A) Some children start to smoke out of curiosity.
B) Many children start to smoke because they want to appear mature.
C) In order to have fewer children smokers, parents, teachers and health care workers should not smoke. D) It is not as difficult to prevent children from starting to smoke as to dissuade adults from smoking. 4. The writer concludes that school rules to forbid smoking _____________.
A) should be introduced, for it really works at the school where he once studied B) should not be introduced, for it may cause disturbance C) should be introduced though it may not work effectively
D) needn’t be introduced as long as teachers don’t smoke in front of children 5. The author’s attitude towards his writing is _________.
A) objective B) emotional C) critical D) indifferent Passage 7
Pregnancy mothers are getting a new tool to help keep themselves and their babies healthy: pregnancy tips sent directly to their cell phones.
The so-called text4baby campaign is the first free, health education program in the U.S. to harness the reach of mobile phones, according to its sponsors. Organizers say texting is an effective means of delivering wellness tips because 90 percent of people in the U.S. have cell phones.
―Especially if you start talking about low-income people, cell phones are the indispensable tool for reaching them and engaging them about their health,‖ said Paul Meyer, president of Voxiva, a company which operates health texting programs in Africa, Latin America and India.
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Studies in those countries have shown that periodic texts can reduce smoking and other unhealthy behaviors in pregnant mothers.
Meyer said the U.S. program, run by Voxiva, will be the largest health-related texting program ever undertaken.
Under the new service, mothers-to-be who text ―BABY‖ to a specified number will receive weekly text messages, timed to their due date or their baby’s birth date. The messages, which have been scanned by government and nonprofit health experts, deal with nutrition, immunization and birth defect prevention, among other topics. The messages will continue through the baby’s first birthday.
Text4baby is expected to be announced Thursday morning by officials from the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. Government officials will be publicizing the campaign in speeches and promotional materials.
Organizers hope the effort can curb premature（早产的）births, which can be caused by poor nutrition, excessive stress, smoking and drinking alcohol. About 500,000 babies are born prematurely in the U.S. each year. The nonprofit is among the sponsors of the campaign.
―The real scary thing is that we’re an industrialized nation and we’re not doing very well on infant death rate, and we know prematurity is a big part of that,‖ said the group’s director, Judy Meehan.
Currently the U.S. ranks 30th worldwide for infant death rate, according to Meehan, behind most Western European nations.
Researchers at the George Washington University have agreed to evaluate the effectiveness of text4baby by measuring health trends for mothers and newborns.
1. The word ―harness‖ in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by ― ‖.
A) take advantage of B) be independent of C) produce an effect on D) expand the range of 2. What do we know about Africa, Latin America and India? A) They are among the profitable markets. B) Women seldom care about their health. C) People there are relatively poor. D) Cell phones are popular there.
3. The Text4 baby program is aimed at helping pregnancy women . A) in the U.S. B) in the poor countries
C) all over the world D) in Western European nations 4. What is the purpose of the Text4baby program?
A) To warn women against bad habits. B) To let people care about prematurity. C) To improve babies’ nutrition. D) To reduce infant death rate . 5. Compared with the U.S., most Western European nations .
A) have higher infant death rates B) do better on infant death rates C) do more studies on Text4baby D) pay less attention to Text4baby Passage 8
One of the greatest problems for those settlers in Nebraska in the last quarter of the previous century was fuel. Little of the state was forested when the first settlers arrived and it is probable that by 1880, only about one-third of the originally forested area remained, down to a mere 1 percent of the state’s 77,000 square miles. With wood and coal out of the question, and with fuel needed year-round for cooking, and during the harsh winter months for heating, some solution had to be found.
Somewhat improbably, the buffalo provided the answer. Buffalo chips (干粪块) were found to burn evenly, hotly, and cleanly, with little smoke and interestingly, no odor, Soon, collecting them became a way of life for the settlers’ children who would pick them up on their way to and from school, or take part in competitions designed
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to counteract their natural reluctance. Even a young man, seeking to impress the girl he wanted to marry, would arrive with a large bag of chips rather than with a box of candy or a bunch of flowers. 1. What is the main topic of this passage?
A) The solution to the Nebraska settlers’ fuel problem. B) Life in Nebraska in the late ninteenth century. C) The imporance of the American buffalo.
D) Deforestation in Nebraska in the late nineteenth century. 2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A) Nebraska was not a densely-forested state even before the settlers arrived. B) The children enjoyed collecting the buffalo chips. C) The children spent a lot of time collecting the chips. D) Buffalo chips were satisfactory as a fuel.
3. The passage implies that buffalo chips were needed _______.
A) in greater amounts in summer B) in greater amounts in winter C) only in summer D) only in winter 4. Which of the following does the author not express surprise at?
A) The children needed competitions to them. B) The buffalo chips gave off no smell. C) Buffalo chips were the answer to the settlers’ fuel problem. D) Young men took bags of buffalo chips to their girl friends. 5. What’s the best title of the passage?
A) Early Settlers B) One Use of the Buffalo Chips
C) Nebraska’s Problems D) How Young Men Express Their Love for Girls Passage 9
The percentage of immigrants (including those unlawfully present) in the United States has been creeping upward for years. At 12.6 percent, it is now higher than at any point since the rnid-1920s.
We are not about to go back to the days when Congress openly worried about inferior races polluting America's bloodstream. But once again we are wondering whether we have too many of the wrong sort of newcomers. Their loudest critics argue that the new wave of immigrants cannot, and indeed do not want to, fit in as previous generations did.
We now know that these racist views were wrong. In time, Italians, Romanians and members of other so-called inferior races became exemplary Americans and contributed greatly, in ways too numerous to detail, to the building of this magnificent nation. There is no reason why these new immigrants should not have the same success.
Although children of Mexican immigrants do better, in terms of educational and professional attainment, than their parents, UCLA sociologist Edward Telles has found that the gains don't continue. Indeed, the fourth generation is marginally worse off than the third. James Jackson, of the University of Michigan, has found a similar trend among black Caribbean immigrants. Telles fears that Mexican-Americans may be fated to follow in the footsteps of American blacks – that large parts of the community may become mired in a seemingly state of poverty and underachievement. Like African-Americans, Mexican-Americans are increasingly relegated to (降入) segregated, substandard schools, and their dropout rate is the highest in the country.
We have learned much about the foolish idea of' excluding people on the presumption of the ethnic/racial inferiority. But what we have not yet learned is how to make the process of Americanization work for all. I am not talking about requiring people to learn English or to adopt American ways; those things happen pretty much on their own, but as arguments about immigration hear up the campaign trail, we also ought to ask some broader questions about assimilation, about how to ensure chat people, once outsiders, don't forever remain marginalized within these shores.
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That is a much larger question than what should happen with undocumented workers, or how best to secure the border, and it is one that affects not only newcomers but groups that have been here for generations. It will have more impact on our future than where we decide to set the admissions bar for the latest ware of would-be Americans. And it would be nice if we finally got the answer right. 1. How were immigrants viewed by U.S. Congress in early days?
A) They were of inferior races. B) They were a source of political corruption. C) They were a threat to the nation's security. D) They were part of the nation's bloodstream. 2. What does the author think of the new immigrants?
A) They will be a dynamic work force in the U.S. B) They can do just as well as their predecessors. C) They will be very disappointed on the new land. D) They may find it hard to fit into the mainstream.
3. What does Edward Telles' research say about Mexican-Americans?
A) They may slowly improve from generation to generation. B) They will do better in terms of educational attainment. C) They will melt into the African-American community. D) They may forever remain poor and underachieving. 4. What should be done to help the new immigrants?
A) Rid them of their inferiority complex. B) Urge them to adopt American customs.
C) Prevent them from being marginalized. D) Teach them standard American English, 5. According to the author, the burning issue concerning immigration is A) how to deal with people entering the U.S. without documents B) how to help immigrants to better fit into American society C) how to stop illegal immigrants from crossing the border D) how to limit the number of immigrants to enter the U.S. Passage 10
After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day. The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your muscles relax little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream. Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep!
1. A good title for this passage is ____________.
A. Sleep B. Good Health C. Dreams D. Work and Rest 2. The word \
A. sick B. stand up C. asleep D. a little sleepy 3. The passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you ____________. A. dream more often B. have poor health C. nervous D. breathe quickly
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4. During REM, ____________.
A. your eyes move quickly B. you dream C. you are restless D. both A and B 5. The average number of hours of sleep that an adult needs is ____________. A. approximately six hours B. around ten hours C. about eight hours D. not stated here Passage 11
After inventing dynamite, Swedish-born Alfred Nobel became a very rich man. However, he foresaw its universally destructive powers too late.
Nobel preferred not to be remembered as the inventor of dynamite, so in 1895, just two weeks before his death, he created a fund to be used for awarding prizes to people who had made worthwhile contributions to mankind. Originally there were five awards: literature, physics, chemistry, medicine, and peace. Economics was added in 1968, just sixty-seven years after the first award ceremony.
Nobel's original legacy of nine million dollars was invested, and the interest on this sum is used for the awards which vary from $30,000 to $125,000.
Every year on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death, the awards (gold medal, illuminated diploma, and money) are presented to the winners. Sometimes politics plays an important role in the judge' decision. Americans have won numerous science awards, but relatively few literature prizes. No awards were presented from 1940 to 1942 at the beginning of World War II. Some people have won two prizes, but this is rare; others have shared prizes.
1. When did the first award ceremony take place?
A) 1895 B) 1901 C) 1962 D) 1968 2. Why was the Nobel Prize established?
A) To recognize worthwhile contributions to humanity. B) To resolve political differences. C) To honor the inventor of dynamite. D) To spend money
3. Which of the following statements is NOT true? A) Awards vary in monetary value.
B) Ceremonies are held on December 10 to commemorate Nobel's invention. C) Politics can play an important role in selecting the winners. D) A few individuals have won two awards.
4. In which area have Americans received the most awards?
A) literature B) peace C) economics D) science 5. In how many fields are prizes bestowed（授予）?
A) 2 B) 5 C) 6 D) 10 Passage 12
To be a good teacher, you need some of the gifts of a good actor; you must be able to hold the attention and interest of your audience; you must be a clear speaker, with a good, strong, pleasing voice which is fully under your control; and you must be able to act what you are teaching, in order to make its meaning clear. Watch a good teacher, and you will see that he does not sit still before his class： he stands the whole time he is teaching; he walks about, using his arms, hands and fingers to help him in his explanations, and his face to express feelings. Listen to him, and you will hear the loudness, the quality and the musical note of his voice always changing according to what he is talking about.
The fact that a good teacher has some of the gifts of a good actor doesn’t mean that he will indeed be able to act well on the stage, for there are very important differences between the teacher’s work and the actor’s. The actor has to speak words which he has learnt by heart; he has to repeat exactly the same words each time he plays
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