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Russian tradition orders that men should kiss each other three times on the cheeks at official functions. Now, a new ruling in Moscow is calling for politicians in the capital to stick to the old handshake. According to Britain's The Telegraph newspaper, politicians in Moscow have been told to stop kissing each other when they meet because the “kissing ceremony” takes so long.
Leonid Brezhnev, the general secretary of the Communist Party from 1964 to 1982, was famous for treating male colleagues to a full lip-lock. One photograph of him kissing Erich Honecker, the leader of the Democratic Republic of Germany, was used for a protest painting on the Berlin Wall with the caption: "Oh, God, help me survive this deadly love".
Kissing three times on the cheeks at official occasions is a Russian tradition. The practice has been revived among high-ranking officials in past years. In the distant past, a kiss from the tsar (emperor) was the highest sign of recognition. The Moscow ruling, however, has prompted authorities in other cities to consider banning the practice.
Alexei Kleshko, a parliament member in Siberia, said: “Single-sex kisses should be avoided, including at official meetings. It's enough to shake hands. Of course, if one is talking about a long friendship or fatherly relations, it might be OK to embrace. But that's the maximum that should be allowed.”
Another MP Vladimir Gorlov, said he only allowed himself to kiss the hand of a woman at work: "There are informal relations and there are meetings governed by protocol," he said. “When a man is kissing another man at an official event, I have a negative attitude towards it. There are rules of decency. "
5. Moscow is calling for politicians to stick to handshake because ________.
A. it is popular at home and abroad B. it is their tradition
C. it saves time D. Russian women have a strong love of it
6. By mentioning Brezhnev, the author ________.
A. wants to show his respect to Brezhner
B. admires Brezhnev for his skills at kissing
C. just shows the media made fun of pictures of politicians kissing
D. praises Brezhnev’s good relation with Honecker
7. If the tsar kissed a Russian woman, she would feel ________.
A. nervous B. proud C. shameful D. curious
8. We can infer from the last two paragraphs that ________.
A. Kleshko is strongly against any kind of kiss
B. Kleshko is a man out of date
C. Gorlove shares the same view with Kleshko is single-sex kisses
D. Gorlove won’t kiss any man in any form

It is not unusual to see your desk-mate yawn (打呵欠) as he complains that he didn't have a good sleep the night before. Many teens don't get enough sleep because they have too much homework, which keeps them up at night. Some teens cannot sleep at night even when they want to.
Studies show that during your teenage years, the body's biological clock is reset, telling you to sleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.
But changes in the body clock aren't the only reason teens lose sleep. Lots of people have insomnia (失眠). The most common cause of insomnia is stress. But all sorts of things can lead to insomnia. These include physical discomfort, emotional troubles and even sleeping environment. It's common for everyone to have insomnia from time to time. But if it lasts for a month or more go and see a doctor.
Some people have a condition that causes stomach acid (酸) to move backward towards the chest. This produces the uncomfortable, burning feeling called heartburn. So even if the person doesn't notice the feelings of heartburn because he is sleeping, he may feel tired the next day.
Most teens have nightmares sometimes. But, if they are frequent, a person's sleep pattern can be seriously affected. The most common cause of nightmares is emotional problems, such as stress (压力) or anxiety. If you have them a lot, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.
Doctors encourage teens to make lifestyle changes to develop good sleeping habits. You probably know that coffee can keep you awake, but did you know that playing video games or watching TV does the same?
1. The main idea of the first paragraph is ________.
A. There is a problem that teenagers can’t get enough sleep.
B. Sleeping problems have different causes.
C. Yawning is a good way to get rid of sleep.
D. Teenagers care too much for homework.
2. The Teenagers’ biological clock ________.
A. easily makes teenagers lead to insomnia
B. is the origin of their insomnia
C. provides them with plenty of time at night
D. is helpful to improve their concentration(注意力)
3. What does the writer say about “nightmares”?
A. It is nothing and shouldn’t be taken seriously.
B. It can release their stress or anxiety.
C. Emotional problems are the only way to form nightmares.
D. People will suffer from sleep if frequent.
4. Which way can help to get rid of insomnia?
A. Drinking some coffee before going to bed.
B. Playing video game or watching TV from time to time.
C. Turning to a doctor for help.
D. Eating much medicine for insomnia.

The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public place, some of the country’s most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester Hospital in Northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 5,000 visitors each week. What a better place to hold regular exhibitions of art and paintings, in the outpatients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain’s first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduations.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms, the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyard.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expense when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong painkillers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at.
9. What does the author mean by using the phrase “to soften the hard edge of modern buildings”, in the second paragraph?
A. To hold exhibitions of art and paintings in hospitals.
B. To tear down the old hospital and build a new one.
C. To decorate hospitals with art collection.
D. To paint the walls of hospitals in soft colors.
10. What is true about Peter Senior?
A. A famous doctor in Manchester Hospital and a talented artist.
B. Britain’s first hospital artist and a patient in Manchester Royal Hospital.
C. One of the six young art school graduations.
D. A talented artist and a pioneer introducing art into hospitals.
11. What can we conclude from the fact that six young art school graduates joined Peter?
A. Artists should take an active part in social activities.
B. The role of hospital environment is being recognized.
C. Artists are more important to patients in hospitals.
D. Hospitals need more young art school graduates to attend the patients.
12. What does the last paragraph suggest?
A. The improvement of hospital environment may help the patients recover from illness.
B. The improvement of hospital environment may cost the patients more than before.
C. The patients needed no painkillers when they had a view of a painting.
D. The patients had no pain at all after the improvement of hospital environment.

When most people think of tropical islands, lined with white sandy beaches and bright blue seas, it is often the Caribbean or South Pacific that comes to mind. But for Chinese tourists who want a taste of paradise on Earth there is a new place to consider.
Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, has just been added to China’s list of tourist destinations. Rich in history, natural beauty and culture, the island has been a popular destination for the world’s tourists for many years.
On December 15 a total of eight African countries were added to the list. The others are Tunisia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Seychelles.
The island has passed through the controlling hands of a number of European powers, including Dutch, French and British. In 1968, Mauritius won its independence.
At present, over half the population of Mauritius is Hindu and another fifth is Muslim. Both groups are descendants(后裔) from workers brought to the island from India by the British. Some Chinese were also brought over to work. There are also descendants of African slaves and Franco-Mauritians, the original settlers of the island.
One of the best things about the island is the food. There is a mouth-watering mix of European, Chinese and Indian flavours and seafood is very popular. A typical Mauritian dinner might have Indian chicken curry, Chinese pork, British roast beef and French-style vegetables. Boiled rice is served with just about everything. All that is washed down with a plentiful supply of local beer and rum(朗姆酒).
The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provide the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef. This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving. The large number of interesting fish means it is also an exciting place for those who like to go fishing. (from www.nmet168.com)
5. Which of the following can’t be used to describe Mauritius?
A. Tropical island, white sandy beach and bright blue sea.
B. Beautiful scenery, rich history and culture.
C. Most of the people in Mauritius are black.
D. Delicious food mixed with eastern and western flavours.
6. Which group of the following topics is not discussed in the text?
A. Food and history. B. Scenery and population.
C. Location and sports. D. Natural resources and agriculture.
7. Which of the following is true?
A. Mauritius has something similar to the Caribbean or South Pacific.
B. Mauritius has a history of less than 40 years.
C. Mauritius has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists for many years.
D. The main food in Mauritius is local beer and rum.
8. The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to ________.
A. Pleasant tropical climate B. Beautiful scenery
C. The sea with colorful life D. The coral reef

The United States became a rich industrial nation toward the end of 1800s. There were more goods, more services, more jobs, and a higher standard of living. There was more of everything, including problems. One problem was monopoly, that is, to be the only seller of a certain line of products or a service. In some cases, several companies that manufactured the same product would agree not to compete with one another. They would all agree to charge the same price. These arrangements made it impossible for customers to shop around for lower prices for certain products.
Some people decided that huge corporations had too much power and controlled too many markets. Because of their wealth and power, they could see to it that governments passed laws favorable to them. Many people believed that monopoly and price fixing were bad for customers and bad for the country so that they should be broken up.
Finally the national government and some states passed laws that placed limits on corporations and big companies. These laws made it illegal for companies to make agreements to charge only a certain price. Later on the national government forced monopoly to be broken up.
Such laws and government action didn’t entirely do away with monopolies. Nor did they stop the growth of huge corporations. But they did show that American people had decided that some of the changes that had occurred were harmful. (from www.nmet168.com)
1. The underlined word “monopoly” in the first paragraph most probably means ________.
A. the production of certain kinds of goods B. complete control and possession of trade
C. a big corporation of company D. an agreement on prices
2. Because of the agreements between big companies ________.
A. people had to buy things at certain shops B. the prices of their goods were much lower
C. customers had no choice but to buy D. there were fewer markets in some states
3. According to the laws, companies ________.
A. were not allowed to control the markets
B. could not force the customers to buy their products
C. should have fixed prices for their products
D. must produce the same kind of goods for the same markets
4. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. Big companies could not influence the government.
B. A large number of markets were controlled by big companies.
C. Many Americans were worried about the changes in their country.
D. Some of the laws were in favor of customers.