The beet (甜菜) is a tasty root vegetable that does not require much work to grow. People think of beets as being always dark red，but they can also be pink，yellow or white. Beets are high in nutrients，and both the root and the tops can be eaten. The leaves make good salads when the plants are young，and the greens can be cooked when the plants are older. Beets grow best in full sun and in loose soil that is not too wet.
Remove stones from the soil while preparing the ground，and test it before adding fertilizer Beet seeds can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked at the start of the growing season. Planting them every two or three weeks will provide a continuous harvest into the fall. A beet seed is a fruit containing several seeds. Overcrowding the plants will mean that the roots cannot spread out and grow，so thin the beets by removing the smaller ones and using them as greens.
A specialist named Cindy Haynes says little or no fertilizer is needed in rich soils. Once the seeds are planted，however，she suggests covering the soil to protect it from the rain and during dry periods. She also suggests putting a fence around the plants to keep away rabbits and deer. She says the only work beets need once they have been thinned is weeding and， when the weather is dry，a weekly watering. For best results，beets should be picked when the roots are two and one-half centimeters around. Larger beets can be tough，and have to be cooked for a long time. Beets can be eaten in many ways.
60.What is the second paragraph mainly about?
A. How to test the soil. B. How to plant beets
C. When to harvest beets. D. When to plant beets.
61.Smaller beets are often removed in order to .
A. give other beets space to grow B. add more fertilizer to the soil
C. plant new seeds D. use the green，young leaves in salads
62.What may the next part of the last paragraph be about?
A. When to pick beets. B. How to eat beets.
C. The uses of beets. D. The taste of larger beets.
63.The passage is most probably from a(n) .
A. gardening book B. education magazine C. science report D. entertainment magazine
| 1.How many times did you brush your teeth yesterday? ·Finding：A full 33% of seniors brush their teeth only once a day. ·Step：Remove the 300 types of bacteria in your mouth each morning with a battery－operated toothbrush. Brush gently for 2 minutes, at least twice a day. 2．How many times did you wash your hands or bathe yesterday? ·Finding：Seniors, on average, bathe fewer than 3 days a week. And nearly 30% wash their hands only 4 times a day—half of the number doctors recommend. ·Step：We touch our faces around 3，000 times a day—often inviting germs(病菌)to enter our mouth, nose, and eyes. Use toilet paper to avoid touching the door handle. And, most important, wash your hands often with hot running water and soap for 20 seconds. 3．How often do you think about fighting germs? ·Finding：Seniors are not fighting germs as well as they should. ·Step：Be aware of germs. Do you know it is not your toilet but your kitchen sponge(海绵)that can carry more germs than anything else? To kill these germs, keep your sponge in the microwave for 10 seconds. |
What is found out about American seniors?
| A．Most of them have good habits. |
| B．Nearly 30% of them bathe three days a week. |
| C．All of them are fighting germs better than expected. |
| D．About one third of them brush their teeth only once a day. |
Doctors suggest that people should wash their hands ________．
| A．twice a day | B．three times a day |
| C．four times a day | D．eight times a day |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．We should keep from touching our faces. |
| B．There are less than 300 types of bacteria in the mouth. |
| C．A kitchen sponge can carry more germs than a toilet. |
| D．We should wash our hands before touching a door handle. |
If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise—and as a result, we are aging unnecessarily soon.
Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why otherwise healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a relatively early age, and how the process of aging could be slowed down.
With a team of colleagues at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain volumes of a thousand people of different ages and varying occupations.
Computer technology enabled the researchers to obtain precise measurements of the volume of the front and side sections of the brain, which relate to intellect (智能) and emotion, and determine the human character. (The rear section of the brain, which controls functions like eating and breathing, does not contract with age, and one can continue living without intellectual or emotional faculties.)
Contraction of front and side parts—as cells die off—was observed in some subjects in their thirties, but it was still not evident in some sixty- and seventy-year-olds.
Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple remedy to the contraction normally associated with age—using the head. The findings show in general terms that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than in the towns. Those least at risk, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White collar workers doing routine work in government offices are, however, as likely to have shrinking brains as the farm worker, bus driver and shop assistant. Matsuzawa’s findings show that thinking can prevent the brain from shrinking. Blood must circulate properly in the head to supply the fresh oxygen the brain cells need. “The best way to maintain good blood circulation is through using the brain,” he says, “Think hard and engage in conversation. Don’t rely on pocket calculators.”The team of doctors wanted to find out ________.
why certain people age sooner than others
B. how to make people live longer
C. the size of certain people’s brains
D. which people are most intelligentOn what are their research findings based?
A survey of farmers in northern Japan.
B. Tests performed on a thousand old people.
C. The study of brain volumes of different people
D. The latest development of computer technology.The word “subjects” in Paragraph 5 means ________.
something to be considered
B. branches of knowledge studied
C. persons chosen to be studied in an experiment
D. any member of a state except the supreme ruler.According to the passage, which people seem to age slower than the others?
| A．Lawyers. | B．Farmers. |
| C．Clerks. | D．Shop assistants. |
When asked about happiness, we usually think of something extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.
For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved(毫无掩饰的)．
In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.
In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss.For adults, happiness is complicated(复杂的)．
My definition of happiness is “the capacity for enjoyment”．The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are.It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.
I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch－box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which I love. When the kids and my husband came home, I enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.
Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work.I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.
We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self－conscious about our “right” to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier.
Happiness isn't about what happens to us—it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.As people grow older, they ________．
| A．feel it harder to experience happiness . |
| B．associate their happiness less with others |
| C．will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness |
| D．tend to believe responsibility means happiness |
What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
| A．She cares little about her own health. |
| B．She enjoys the freedom of traveling. |
| C．She is easily pleased by things in daily life. |
| D．She prefers getting pleasure from housework. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?
| A．Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness. |
| B．Psychologists' opinion is well proved by Grandma's case. |
| C．Grandma often found time for social gatherings. |
| D．Grandma's happiness came from modest expectations of life. |
People who equal happiness with wealth and success ________．
| A．consider pressure something blocking their way |
| B．stress their right to happiness too much |
| C．are at a loss to make correct choices |
| D．are more likely to be happy |
After ruling the tennis world for almost five years, Roger Federer is adjusting to life at NO.2. But, like any king whose throne has been taken away, the Swiss star is already planning secretly his return to power, beginning at this week’s US Open.
The problem is, many experts think he will never do it. They blame everything from age and tough competition to his racket and psychology.
For years Federer, 27, had enjoyed the view from the top. Competitors saw him as undefeated, and for the most part he was. However, before the 2008 season began, Federer had an illness that stole his strength and clearly affected his play on the court. Ever since, he has struggled to return to form, winning just two of his last 14 tournaments.
“Twenty-seven is an age when your body starts talking back to you.” tennis great John McEnroe told the New York Times.
Pancho Sefura, another tennis great, noted that Federer is also facing a maturing crop of young talents. “There are too many great players now,” he said, naming Britain’s Andy Murray, 21, and Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis, 20.
US magazine Sports Illustrated tennis columnist Jon Wertheim suggested that part of Federer’s problem could be his insistence on using a small racket. He says that the smaller head demands ball control. But we see time and again that racket makers try to get players to use a certain stick — one they would like to market to consumers and it has a negative effect the professional game.
Sports psychologist Jim Loehr told the Times that Federer is probably feeling “a sense of doubt” after being considered as undefeated for so long. If Federer is to recover his state of being undefeated, Loehr said he must overcome his doubt. “Federer doesn’t need fame and money. But he has to get better. He has to go to a whole new level. That’s the only way he stays in the game,” he said.
As for beginning his first Grand Slam in ages as the NO.2 seed, Federer said it might be for the best. “Five years almost, I was expected to win every tournament I entered,” he said, “so maybe Rafael Nadal now feels what I had to feel for a very long time. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.”What does the underlined sentence “your body starts talking back to you” in Para.4 mean?
| A．Your body often argues with you. |
| B．You can do whatever you want. |
| C．Your strength is beginning to decline. |
| D．You are more easily to have quite terrible diseases. |
From the passage, we know the main reason why Federer’s throne was taken away is that _____.
| A．he is becoming older and older. |
| B．he insisted on using a small racket. |
| C．he is facing a maturing crop of young talents. |
| D．he had an illness that stole his strength. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Now it is Nadal who has replaced Federer as the No.1tennis player. |
| B．the racket makers aim at the players’ better performance in games. |
| C．It is impossible for Federer to return to power. |
| D．Federer has never won a Grand Slam before. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Nadal — The No.1 Tennis Player |
| B．Federer — Always Undefeated |
| C．State of Mind Plays a Important Role |
| D．Federer Hopes to Recover His Magic |
News that Microsoft made a $44.6 billion bid to buy Yahoo resulted in heated discussions made by many Internet users. Here are some responses:
Diane Burke of Weeks bury, Kentucky
I think it would definitely be an interesting combination. Everyone recognizes the names Yahoo and Microsoft, but everyone also says, “Did you Google it?” Such a catchphrase is going to be hard to beat.
Shaun Carney of Laurelville, Ohio
I think the merger will provide more competitions for Google. I don’t think the merger will allow Microsoft to develop faster than Google, though. I believe the increased competition this merger brings will force Google to stay on top of its game by offering more fresh and original Internet tools and expanding on the tools it already offers.
Toni Suarez of Hacienda Heights, California
I view the merger as a necessary element in preventing a monopolization. Perhaps it would bring better high technology innovations to e-mail and help in researching and developing a better Internet!
Rick R. of Edgewater, Florida
It sounds like a disaster to me. If this were to happen, I would stop using my Yahoo e-mail account because I don’t like the feeling of Microsoft spying upon my business. I will sign up for Google.
Antonio Glosser of Kansas City, Missouri
Right now, Yahoo offers a lot of features and tools at no cost for all different levels of Internet users. Microsoft seeks nothing but profit. Undoubtedly, they’ll do nothing other than find ways to start removing Yahoo’s formerly non-priced features. Microsoft’s greed will ruin the great thing that Yahoo currently is. How many companies are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Shaun’s attitude towards Google is passive. |
| B．Toni believes the Internet will have a promising future. |
| C．Rick will support Google after the merger. |
| D．Antonio is afraid that the merger will cost Yahoo’s free features. |
The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．opinions on the merger of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| B．the strengths of Yahoo and Microsoft |
| C．the strengths and weaknesses of large companies |
| D．the future of Yahoo and Microsoft |