Alzheimer’s disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined(限于)to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”.The disease was though to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic(器官的)disease that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking. Then the patient’s memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, telephone numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms(症状)often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease. It may be caused by a virus(病毒).It may be caused by a poisonous substance(物质)in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer’s disease________.
| A．is a terrible part of the aging process |
| B．is an organic disease that affects young and old |
| C．can be cured by physical treatment |
| D．causes forgetfulness |
All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease EXCEPT_________.
A. forgetfulness B. difficulty in speaking
.loss of sight D. loss of the ability to walkAccording to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease?
| A．Poisons produced by the brain. | B．Getting old. |
| C．A virus. | D．Lack of exercise. |
he progress of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed by________.
| A．operation | B．a change in environment |
| C．medicines | D．physical treatment and exercise |
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(0.9 kg) 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(儿科专家) 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 that 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.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 |
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 |
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 |
Which one of the followings is right?
| A．Children usually eat fewer while watching TV. |
| B．Children usually eat more while watching TV. |
| C．Children eat the same amount of meals while watching TV. |
| D．Children usually eat nothing while watching TV. |
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775,and died on July 18,1817.She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously(匿名).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806,Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath _______.
| A．in her early twenties | B．in her early teens |
| C．in her late twenties | D．in her late teens |
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
| A．Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death. |
| B．The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it. |
| C．Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time. |
| D．No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time. |
The author writes this passage in order to_______.
| A．attract readers to visit the city of Bath |
| B．ask readers to buy Austen's books |
| C．tell readers about Jane Austen's experience |
| D．give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society |
It takes you about one and a half hours_______.
| A．to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street |
| B．to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts |
| C．to find a guide to take you to the Centre |
| D．to look around the city of Bath on foot |
Ever since news of widespread food recalls caused by a carcinogenic dye broke, there has been confusion(混淆) over possible links to the country of the same name, but Sudan officials say there is no connection whatever.
Sudan1 is a red industrial dye that has been found in some chilli powder, but was banned in food products across the European Union (EU) in July 2003.
Since the ban was put in place, EU officials have been striving to remove some food products from the shelves. So far 580 products have been recalled.
Last week Sudan's Embassy in the United Kingdom asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for clarification of the origin of the dye's name.
Omaima Mahmoud Al Sharief, a press official at Sudan's Embassy in China, explained the purpose of the inquiry was to clear up any misunderstanding over links between the country and the poisonous dye.
“We want to keep an eye on every detail and avoid any misunderstanding there,” she said. “Our embassy to Britain asked them how the dye got that name and whether the dye had something to do with our country. But they told us there was no relationship.”
The FSA, an independent food security watchdog in Britain, received a letter from the Sudanese embassy last week.
“They asked us why the dye is named Sudan, however, we also do not know how it got the name,” she said. “People found the dye in 1883 and gave it the name. Nobody knows the reason, and we cannot give any explanation before we find out.”
Sudan dyes, which include Sudan1 to 4,are red dyes used for colouring solvents(溶剂),oils, waxes, petrol, shoe and floor polishes. They are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph One?
| A．Causing cancer. | B．Having side effect. |
| C．Containing poison. | D．Poisonous. |
How did the Sudan1 get its name?
| A．The dye is often produced in Sudan. |
| B．The dye has something to do with the country named Sudan. |
| C．Nobody is sure of the origin of the name. |
| D．Many foods produced in Sudan contain the dye. |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．the Sudan government is paying much attention to the food safety |
| B．Sudan1 is often used to be added to the food |
| C．people didn't realize the danger of Sudan1 until 2003 |
| D．many food shops will be closed down |
Which of the following is the best title?
| A．Keep away from Sudan1 |
| B．No Sudan1 dye links to the country |
| C．How Sudan1 dye got its name |
| D．Pay attention to the food safety |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day.“I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes.“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie.“I'm working harder than ever,” David says,“and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s,many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”.“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company,“so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said.“For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because _______.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time |
| D．he didn't want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _______.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?
| A．Many workers don't like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make workers more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers. |
| D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
Many college students have after-school jobs. Students both go to school and have a job at the same time. Every student has his or her own reason for having an after-school job. The most common reason is to help pay for college. In the US, going to a college or university may be very expensive. Not only must students pay for classes, they must also pay for a place to live, food, and other expenses. Buying books for classes can also be very expensive. Students spend as much as five hundred US dollars on books. Many parents do not have enough money to pay all of these expenses, so the students must get an after-school job to help pay for his or her education.
Other students have after-school jobs not to pay for college, but to make and save a little money. Even after all of the school fees are paid, students often have many other expenses. Also, students like to go out and have fun. They may want to do anything from shopping to going to music concerts, to going out to bars and drinking with friends. Though it can be a lot of fun to do all of these things, you can not participate if you do not have money. Because of this, many students try to find jobs so that they can have fun as well as study.
Some students get after-school jobs simply to gain more experience. If a student has neverworked before, he or she can have the opportunity to have his or her first job. If a student is interested in banking, he or she may spend a few hours every week working at a local bank. If a student is interested in working in a library after he or she graduates from college,the student can often find a job at the college library. There are many job opportunities for students who are interested in gaining experience in the area his or her choice.
Though some people feel that after-school jobs take away from a student's time to do his or her homework, working is a great learning experience that happens outside of the classroom,and can provide many new opportunities for the students.After reading the passage, we know that, besides paying for college education, American students have after-class jobs to _______.
| A．make or save a little money and gain some experience |
| B．simply earn some money |
| C．support his or her family |
| D．have fun only |
In the third paragraph the purpose of giving examples is _______.
| A．to say that they have no choice but to do some jobs in college |
| B．to show that the students are interested in working in banks and libraries |
| C．to show that working in a bank or a library is the best way to earn money |
| D．to explain how the students gain experience from after-school jobs |
The best title for this passage is _______.
| A．To Get an After-school Job for Fun |
| B．Getting an After-school Job for Your Education |
| C．After-school Jobs |
| D．Experience Is Very Important for Your Job |