A new study says one part of the human brain may become smaller as the result of a condition known as jet lag. Jet lag results from flying long distances in an airplane. People with jet lag may feel extremely tired for several days. They may also have problems thinking clearly and remembering.
Recently a researcher at the University of Bristol in Britain reported the findings of his jet lag study, which involved twenty young women who worked for international airlines. They had served passengers on airplanes for five years. These flight attendants flew across many countries and at least seven time zones. In the study, the flight attendants had different amounts of time to recover from jet lag. Half the women spent five days or fewer in their home areas between long flights The other half spent more than fourteen days in their home areas.
The researcher took some saliva from the women's mouths to measure levels of a hormone(荷尔蒙) that increases during stress (紧张). He tested them to see if they could remember where black spots appeared on a computer screen. And he took pictures of their brains to measure the size of the brain's temporal lobes (脑叶).
It was found that the women who had less time between flights had smaller right temporal lobes. This area of the brain deals with recognizing and remembering what is seen. The same group performed worse and had slower reaction times on the visual memory test. And their saliva samples showed higher levels of stress hormones.
The researcher believes the brain needs at least ten days to recover after a long trip. He says airline workers told him their ability to remember got worse after working on planes for about four years. Other studies have shown that increased feelings of stress can cause a loss of cells in the part of the brain that controls memory.
Scientists say more tests are needed to study the effects of jet lag on the brain. They want to find out if too much jet lag could permanently (永久性的) affect memory.According to the text, jet lag _________.
| A．can cause difficulties in speaking |
| B．can make people feel tired for a few weeks |
| C．can be only found in flight attendants |
| D．can be caused by flying over several time zones |
It can be inferred from the text that _________.
| A．the conclusion is refused by many scientists |
| B．scientists fear that this research is not done properly |
| C．every scientific conclusion needs the support from many tests |
| D．the women who were examined in the research were not healthy |
From the result of the research we can see that _________.
| A．the women who have longer rest at home show better memory |
| B．the women who fly in short time have smaller right temporal lobes |
| C．the women who have longer flights fail the memory test |
| D．the women who rest more than 14 days produce less hormones |
What is the subject discussed in the text?
| A．The cause of jet lag. | B．A story of a group of flight attendants. |
| C．The importance of having enough rest after flights. | |
| D．A research about the effects of jet lag on the brain. |
The wheel was one of man’s first inventions and yet it has also proved one of the most useful. So wide and varied are the uses of the wheels, in machines and vehicles of all kinds, that it is difficult to imagine what the world would be like without them. It is surprising to hear it said, therefore, that the wheel’s importance will perhaps be greatly reduced by the end of the century by an invention so new as to be still unnamed.
The invention is a machine the floats above any surface on a cushion of air. The cushion is formed when air is blown into this saucer, the machine rises to a height that may vary from a few inches to a few feet.
Industry is already using one form of the inversion to deal with heavy loads. It can lift them. with ease and since there are no wheels, and therefore no friction , they can be put into motion with the touch of a finger.
The new invention, however , is having a great effect on transport, Not only does it make expensive road systems unnecessary, but it enables vehicles to travel well over land or water. This unique to reach most destinations has given rise to the prediction that wheeled vehicles may be uncommon at the end the century as aeroplanes were at the beginning.
1. The first paragraph tells us that______.
A. the wheel was man’s earliest invention.
B. the wheel’s usefulness has yet to be proved.
C. wide wheels have a variety of important uses.
D. a new invention may make wheels less important.
2. The phrase “with the touch of a finger” in the third paragraph means______.
A. without difficulty B. by electricity .
C. without frictionD. by hand.
3. The passage tells us that the new invention __________.
A. is more important for industry than for transport.
B. will one day be used instead of aeroplanes.
C. makes it possible to travel without using roads.
D. will replace wheeled vehicles using roads.
4. According to the passage, the new invention _______.
A. will soon get a name B. can go almost anywhere
C. is lighter than air D. was uncommon a century ago
III. PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION (24 points)
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Some time ago, I discovered that one of my chairs had a broken leg. I didn’t think there would be any difficulty in getting it mended, as there are a whole lot of antique (古董) shops near my home. So I left home one morning carrying the chair with me. I went into the first shop expecting a friendly reception (接待). I was quite wrong. Then man wouldn’t even look at my chair.
The second shop, though slightly more polite, was just the same , and the third and, the fourth-so I decided that my approach must be wrong.
I went into the fifth shop with a plan in my mind. I placed the chair on the floor and said to the shopkeeper, “ Would you like to buy a chair?” He looked it over carefully and said, “Yes, not a bad chair. How much do you want for it, sir?” “Twenty pounds,” I said. “OK,” he said, “I’ll give you twenty pounds. ” “It’s got a slightly broken leg,”I said. “Yes I saw that, it’s nothing.”
Everything was going according to plan and I was getting excited. “What will you do with it?” I asked. “Oh, it will be easy to sell once the repair is done.” “I’ll buy it,” I said. “What do you mean? You’ve just sold it to me,” he said. “Yes, I know but I’ve changed my mind. I’m sorry, I’ll give you twenty-seven pounds for it.” “You must be crazy ,” he said Then , suddenly the penny dropped. “ I know what you want. You want me to repair your chair.” “ You’re right,” I said. “ And what would you have done if I had walked in and said, ‘Would you mend this chair for me’?” “I wouldn’t have agreed to do it,” he said. “We don’t’ do repairs, not enough money in it and too much trouble. But I’ll mend this for you, shall we say for a fiver?” He was a very nice man and was greatly amused (感到有趣) by the whole thing.
1. We can learn from the text that in the first shop the writer_________.
A. was rather impolite B. was warmly received
C. asked the shopkeeper to buy his chair D. asked the shopkeeper to repair his chair
2. The expression “the penny dropped” in the last paragraph means the shopkeeper_________.
A. changed his mind B. accepted the offer
C. saw the writer’s purpose D. decided to help the writer
3. How much did the writer pay?
A. £5. B. £7. C. £20. D. £27.
4. From the text, we can learn that the writer was_________.
A. honest B. careful C. smart D. funny
第二节摘录信息（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文后第53至第57小题的空格里填上适当的单词或短语，并将答案转写到答题卡上。
注意：每空不超过3个单词。
Some beach creatures are wonderful -- like dolphins, but others are dangerous. Here are some examples of harmful beach creatures.
Puffer Fish
Puffer Fish, found in all Japanese seas, have very interesting features. They are very easy to catch but must not be eaten because their flesh and organs contain a poison. Anyone who does eat the flesh can become sick very quickly. They may even stop breathing.
The Blue Bottle
The Blue Bottle is found in most Caribbean waters. Blue Bottles float lightly on the surface of the water but their tentacles (触须) can be as long as 10 metres. Blue Bottles are much less dangerous than some other jellyfish but they can give a swimmer a bad sting (刺) if the swimmer accidentally touches them.
Stingrays
There are many different kinds of stingrays in Mauritius waters. They usually swim and feed on the bottom of the sea. Accidents can happen if people stand on them or try to pick them up. Stingrays have a sting on their tail. These stings have poison on them. If someone is stung the wound can easily become infected.
Title : 53
| Wildlife |
Where creatures live |
56 |
What effects on men |
Puffer Fish |
55 |
● easy to catch ● unfit to eat |
● become sick ● stop breathing |
54 |
most Caribbean waters |
●their tentacles being as long as 10 metres ● less dangerous |
give a sting |
| Stingrays |
Mauritius waters |
having a poisonous sting on their tail |
easily 57 by the sting |
Time is very important in our lives. It organizes our everyday moments. However, time never had any importance in my life until I received a watch from my father.
I received this gift on a cloudy day. I had to go to the airport at 9:00 a.m. to meet my uncle and take him to my father’s house. However, I was late because I was staying with my friends. Later on that day, around 11:00 a.m., I remembered my uncle, but I was very late for him. He had left the airport and taken a taxi to my father’s house.
I got to my father’s house at 2:00 p.m. and felt ashamed of myself at that moment. After I said “hello” to my angry father and tired uncle, my father asked me to sit next to him and gave me this watch. Then he said, “Essa, did you have fun with your friends today?”
“Yes, Dad, and I’m sorry about not meeting my uncle at the airport.”
“I hope today you learned something important, and this watch will be a reminder (提醒物) for you.” He told me to take this watch and use it as an organizer of my life.
I learned a very important lesson from my father: To respect time and never be late to do something. This watch is important to me, not because of its price, but because of the lesson that I learned from it.
1. The writer’s uncle came to visit them ______.
A. by car B. by air C. by boat D. by taxi
2. Why did Essa’s father get angry when Essa got to his house?
A. Essa often spent a lot of time with friends.
B. Essa cared little about other people.
C. Essa wasted too much time. {007}
D. Essa forgot an important thing.
3. Why did the father give Essa a watch?
A. To punish Essa. B. To comfort Essa.
C. To teach Essa. D. To praise Essa.
4. What did Essa think of the watch?
A. It was a priceless gift. B. It was an useless gift.
C. It was a common gift. D. It was a strange gift.
B
Post your problems on the blog and get other bloggers’ advice!
| My problem is my parents. They never stop going on about how I should keep my room tidy, keep my hair tidy and wear smart clothes. They even make me do the washing-up after dinner every night! What should I do? Helen, USA |
My best friend has suddenly become an ex-friend and I don’t know why! Last week we phoned each other every day and emailed too. But at school on Monday she didn’t look at me or speak to me. I don’t know what I’ve done. Gimbya, India |
|
| Hi, Helen. I think you should do what your parents ask. You should respect them. It’s their house you live in and their money you spend. Emily, New Zealand |
Why do you think you’re the only one with parents like that? All parents are the same. They don’t understand that fashions have changed in the last 30 years! Tom, America{007} |
I feel sorry for you, Gimbya. My best friend did the same to me and I still don’t know the reason. Could you ask another friend to speak to her for you? George, France |
| Helen, why should your parents do all the housework? You should help around the house. I think it’s OK for students to wear school uniforms. Teenagers should look like teenagers. Simon, Scotland |
Don’t worry about it so much! Phone your friend up as usual and she won’t be able to ignore(忽视) you. Everything will be fine. Aisha, Nigeria |
|
1. Helen’s problem is about her ______.
A. classmates B. study C. parents D. room
2. ______ has the same problem as Gimbya.
A. George B. Aisha C. Helen D. Ali
3. ______ don’t agree with Helen. They think she should change her idea.
A. Tom and Emily B. Emily and Simon
C. Simon and Tom D. Aisha and George
4. An ex-friend is a person who is ______.
A. gets along well with others
B. quite helpful when you have any problem
C. ready for asking you for help all the time
D. no longer a good friend as before