Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both these questions is yes．To some degree our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount 
of special education can make a genius （天才） out of a child born with low intelligence．On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings．Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment．This view, now held by most experts can be supported in a number of ways．
It is easy to say that intelligence is to some degree something we are born with．The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence．Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different．If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other．Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth．
Imagine that now we take two identical twins and put them in different environments．We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring．We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part．This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence．By using the example that two people closer in blood relationship are closer in intelligence, the writer wants to prove _________．
| A．intelligence is given at birth |
| B．intelligence can be developed by environment |
| C．intelligence can be developed by experience |
| D．education plays an important part in the development of education |
A child who lives in rich and varied surroundings turns out higher in intelligence because ________．
| A．his family is rich and therefore can afford to develop his intelligence |
| B．he can break the limits of intelligence fixed at birth |
C．his family is rich and provides him with various healthy food |
| D．these surroundings are likely to help him reach the limits of their intelligence |
The writer of this article believes that _________．
| A．the development of one’s intelligence is determined by many things working together |
| B．environment plays the most important role in the development of intelligence |
| C．education plays the most important role in the development of intelligence |
| D．birth plays the most important role in the development of intelligence |
The best title for this passage might be ________
__．
| A．The Answer to a Question | B．Birth and Environment |
| C．Intelligence | D．Intelligence and Education |
Father Maurice Chase used a special way to celebrate his 90th birthday. The Catholic priest（神父） took $ 15,000 in cash to Los Angeles’ Skid Row (贫民区) and gave it away. Twenty wheelchair – bound peop
le received $100 bills, while the rest received $1to $ 3 each．
“I come out here to tell them that God loves them and I love them and that some one is concerned about them,” Chase said．
Chase has given away cash and blessings every Sunday at the same corner for 24 years．Several hundred people wait for him every week．
He makes a point of coming on Thanksgiving and Christmas, too, but this is the first year he spent his birthday in the downtown neighborhood where people live mainly in shelters and on dirty sidewalks．
“ It’s the place that makes me the happiest．I just love it,” said Chase. “I look forward to coming here.”
The money comes from donations he receives from rich and famous people he met during his work as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University．
The crowd broke into choruses of “Happy Birthday” several times. Some people presented him birthday cards, to his delight．
Travis Kemp, a 51 – year – old disabled man with long black hair, was one of the lucky 20 to receive $ 100. He said he had no special plans for spending the money. “He has a lot of respect from me,” Kemp said. “I know I couldn’t do it.”On his 90 th birthday, Chase．
| A．handed out cash to the needy |
| B．collected money for poor people |
| C．visited poor people’s homes with gifts |
| D．held a party at Los Angeles’ Skid Row |
Which of the following makes Chase feel the happiest?
| A．Celebrating his birthday with his neighbours． |
| B．Working in Loyola Marymount University． |
| C．Celebrating Christmas with the people he has helped． |
| D．Going to Los Angeles’ Skid Row to help people there． |
What’s the source of the money Chase used to help people?
| A．All his savings． |
| B．His earnings as a Catholic priest． |
| C．Donations from the wealthy and celebrities(名人)． |
D．Donations from Loyol a Marymount University． |
Travis Kemp is mentioned in the text to show ．
| A．he was the luckiest person on that day |
| B．the disabled need to be taken care of |
| C．Chase is greatly appreciated by the needy |
| D．even old people came to celebrate Chase’s birthday |
Which statement is CORRECT according to the passage?
| A．Every recipient could get $100 in cash from Father Maurice Chase． |
| B．Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away not only on his birthday but also on other occasions． |
| C．Although Father Maurice Chase gave the cash away on his birthday, he didn’t receive anything in return． |
| D．Father Maurice Chase earned a lot of money as assistant to the president of Loyola Marymount University． |
Researchers found that people become happier and experience less worry after they reach the age of fifty. In fact, they say by the age of eighty-five, people are 
happier with their life than they were when they were eighteen years old.
The findings came from a survey of more than 340,000 adults in the United States. The Gallup(民意调查) Organization questioned them by telephone in 2008. At that time, the people were between the ages of eighteen and eighty-five.
The researchers asked questions about emotions like happiness, sadness and worry. They also asked about mental or emotional stress.
Arthur Stone at Stony Brook University in New York led the study. His team found that levels of stress were highest among adults between the ages of twenty-two and twenty-five. The findings showed that stress levels dropped sharply after people reached their fifties. Happiness was highest among the youngest adults and those in their early seventies. The people least likely to report feeling negative emotions were those in their seventies and eighties.
Researchers say they do not know why happiness increases as people get older. One theory is that, as people grow older, they grow more thankful for what they have and have better control of their emotions. They also spend less time thinking about bad experiences.
Professor Stone says the emotional patterns could be linked to changes in how people see the world, or maybe even changes in brain chemistry.
The researchers also considered possible influences like having young 
children, being unemployed or being single. But they found that influences like these did not affect the levels of happiness and well-being related to age.
The study also showed that men and women have similar emotional patterns as they grow older. However, women at all age
s reported more sadness, stress and worry than men. What can be the best title of the text?
| A．Happiness Varies with Ages |
| B．Experience More, Worry Less |
| C．The Older, the Wiser |
| D．Being Young, Being Happy |
We can learn from the research that _________.
| A．only when people get older will they feel happier |
| B．stress levels among the youngest are the highest |
| C．older people tend to be grateful |
| D．older people usually have no worries |
According to the research, when people get older, _________.
| A．they miss the old days |
| B．they are physically weak |
| C．they have better self-control |
| D．they are more emotional |
What would the author probably talk about next?
| A．What influences happiness. |
| B．How to live better. |
| C．How to keep happier. |
| D．Why women are less happier. |
The author is intended to _________.
| A．advise how to reduce stress |
| B．introduce a scientific finding |
| C．describe how to do research |
| D．talk about human emotions |
To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient times . Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century B C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout most of Europe.
Umbrellas have hot changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.According to this
passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
| A．China | B．Egypt | C．Greece | D．Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
| A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
| B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
| C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
| D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
| A．protection against rain | B．a shade against the sun |
| C．a symbol of honor and power | D．women’s decoration (装饰) |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
| A．during the Middle Ages | B．by the 18th | C．in Rome | D．in Greece |
This passage talks mainly about_______________.
| A．when and how the umbrella was invented |
| B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
| C．the development of the umbrella |
| D．The history and use of the umbrella |
Long before they became doctors, lawyers, CEO’s or real estate developers, they played in garage bands and maybe even dreamed of becoming rock stars. That’s why they signed up for Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp.
For nearly a week, the mostly middle-aged “campers” had practiced in the West 54th Street studios. They came from as far away as London and Tokyo and as close as Long Island and downtown New York to prepare for their moment of onstage glory.
“I feel like I’m 18 again,” said Jerry Goldberg, a 60-year-old investment banker and guitar player, whose family was in the audience.” I admit that I felt a little uncertain when I first got here, but this has turned out to be a wonderful experience, one of the greatest of my life.”
Everybody has two businesses, their own business and show business. This can be a life-changing experience for them. Mr. Daltrey, who has appeared at several fantasy camps, was asked why he keeps coming back.
“I’ve had people tell me that I shouldn’t be doing this, that it's bad for my image,” he acknowledged. “But that’s rubbish. Look, it’s all so positive, and everybody is having so much fun. So what’s bad about that?”
Jeff Munger, a drummer and rancher(农场主) said. “I’m at a point in my life where I’m going to spend my money on things I’m passionate about, and I’m absolutely crazy about music.”
Most of the campers are successful executives or professionals: a founder of the Oracle Computer Company, a businessman whose father invented the Big Mac, a plastic surgeon, presidents of health care and seafood companies.This text is mainly about________.
| A．a music course for the elderly people |
| B．a pop club for professional musicians |
| C．a rock music camp for music lovers |
| D．a studio for wealthy businessmen |
What do the middle aged campers have in common?
| A．They are all interested in charity. |
| B．They are all passionate about music. |
| C．They are all retired business people. |
| D．They were all rock stars when they were young. |
According to the text, Mr. Daltrey ________.
| A．once played in a garage band |
| B．has come with his family |
| C．has joined in the camp a couple of times |
| D．is very careful about his image |
We can infer from the text that the campers _________.
| A．enjoy their regular jobs | B．come from different countries |
| C．do part-time jobs | D．have a great many fans |
Employees are being flooded with too much information that has little to do with their work, according to a new survey.
On average, white-collar workers spend 51 percent of their work time receiving and processing information. Only one third of it was relevant to their work, the survey found. Information overload for white collar workers has become a global issue. The huge amount of information has already affected their efficiency in management as well as their performance at work.
Buried with e-mails
Every morning, a secretary at the human resources department of an auto parts company opens her e-mail box, only to find it crammed with at least 50 unread mails. For her, even scanning through these e-mails every day takes at least half an hour. Some of her colleagues are not so lucky — they have to read at least 100.
Bothered with calls
Telephone calls are also causing a problem. More than 40 percent white-collar workers chose mobile phones as the preferred way to communicate important and urgent business matters.
Talking saves time and energy over the clicking, reading and replying to e-mails, but phone calls are also more distracting(分心的). While answering a call, a clerk is likely to put away a much more important task at hand and start the business being talked about on the phone.
Solution? Not yet.
Many companies start with providing staff with better computers, better Internet access and more advanced gadgets(装置). For example, staff members above a certain level in one company will be provided with a blackberry phone for easier access to their e-mails. The company has also organized many lectures on efficient ways of e-mail management. Yet most white-collar workers think their companies can do more.What does the new survey find about white-collar workers?
| A．They spend 51% of their work time on meetings. |
| B．Only half of the information they receive is useful. |
| C．Over 60% of them prefer to use the telephone. |
| D．Some of them have to read at least 100 e-mails every day. |
Telephone calls cause a problem because ________.
| A．they take up the time to receive and send e-mails |
| B．they are often not answered |
| C．they are mostly not about business |
| D．they may lead to the changing of work schedule |
How do some companies try to solve the problem of information overload?
| A．They start to give staff a pay rise. |
| B．They plan to employ more people. |
| C．They provide employees with more advanced equipment. |
| D．They organize lectures on how to reduce stress. |
What is the major issue discussed in this text?
| A．Poor management leads to inefficiency at work. |
| B．Junk mail is causing big trouble. |
| C．White-collar workers suffer from information overload. |
| D．Better computers are in need in workplaces. |