Therearesomespecialtraditionsi-优题课

E
Astronauts’ meals have come a long way from the free-dried powders and semi-liquid pastes of decades ago, now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini-greenhouses on the moon.
Scientists say they are looking forward to a time when residents of future lunar or even Martian outsteps will be able to dine on fresh vegetables. Paragon Space Development Corporation has unveiled what it called the first step toward growing flowers—and eventually food-oh the moon.
This is a sealed greenhouse that looks like a bell jar encased in a 46-cm triangular aluminum frame. It is designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the lunar surface, and protect it while it grows.
The miniature greenhouse is to be launched into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, a participant in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers $20 million to any entrant who can launch, hand and operate a rover on the lunar surface.
Paragon officials say future testing of the “Lunar Oasis” will be driven by Odyssey’s flight schedule, which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest.
When it does lift off the greenhouse will contain the seeds of Brassica, a hardy plant related to Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Because Brassica goes from seed to flower in just 14 days, it can complete its life cycle in single lunar night.
“Coloizing the Moon or Mars seems so far away, but it is important that we do this research now, ” Paragon president Jane Poynter said.
“It takes a long time to get a lot of research, and to get integrated, reliable efficient systems before colonists move in,” she said.
57．The article is written mainly to________.
A．predict the astronauts’ meals in the future
B．introduce an experiment “Lunar Oasis”
C．tell us the future development of astronomy
D．focus on the human’s great progress
58．The article implies that_________.
A．astronauts can grow flowers in space at present
B．Paragon and NASA will carry out the test separately
C．Lunar Oasis is a series of experiments carried out in space
D．the earliest testing of the Lunar Oasis may be in 2012
59．The underlined word “colonists” in the last paragraph probably has the meaning of________.
A．plants B．wild beasts C．human beings D．scientists
60．The sees of Brassica will be contained in the greenhouse mainly because__________
A．their life cycle is much shorter
B．they are more nutritious than other food
C．they are related to Brussels sporouts and cabbage
D．they are very delicious

D
The Harvard Student-led Walking Tour
Let a student show you Harvard …on a free walking tour.
We welcome our neighbors to stop by the Harvard University Even & Information Centre, located in the Holyoke Centre Arcade at 1350 Massachusetts Avenue in the heart of Harvard Square in Cambridge.
Let a student take you and your family, school, or organization on an engaging, hour-long free historical tour of the Harvard Campus. The tours leaves form be Events & Information Centre. Not only will you discover the location of fascinating exhibition and programmers on campus, you will also see Harvard’s rich sampling of American history and architecture from the Colonial period to the present. Schedule of Tours.
Schedule of Tours
Tours leave the Events & Information Centre at 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. Monday through Friday, and at 2 p. m. on Saturday through the academic year(February 4 through May 2; September 23 through December 16). Summer tours (June 24 through August 15) are offered at 10 a.m. , 11:15 a.m., 2p.m., and 3:15 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Reser-vacations for special tours of 20 or more people may be made b calling the Events & Information Centre at (617) 495-1583 or emailing icenter@ camail. harvard, edu. Tours are suspended March 23 trough April 2 for Spring Break, May 3 through June 23 for Spring intercession（祷告）,and August 16 through September 22 for Summer intercession.
NOTE: Prospective（未来的）students may take tours originating at the Harvard Admission Office, located at Byerly Hall on 8 Garden Street in Cambridge. Form April through August, the Admissions staff conducts an information session at 10 a. m. , followed by an 11 a. m. tour. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays, there is no information session but the 11 a. m. tour is still scheduled. Another session is held year-round at 2p. m. with a 3 p.m. tour following. For more information on tours for prospective students, please call at (617)495-1551.
Harvard University Events & Information Centre.
Location: Holyoke Centre Arcade. 1350 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138
Phone: (617) 495-1537
53．A person can join in a tour at________on Saturday through the academic year.
A．10 a. m. B．2 p. m. C．11:15 a. m. D．3:15 p. m.
54．If you want to go for an information session, you can go on__________.
A．May 2 B．June 23 C．August 20 D．September1
55．A student who wants an information session may___________for more information.
A．call (617) 495-1573 B．call(617) 495-1551
C．email iceter@ camail. Harvard, edu D．go to the Events & Information Centre
56．The above ad. is mainly intended for________ .
A．foreign visitors B．freshmen
C．high school students D．those living near Harvard University

C
Depression （抑郁症）is a serious problem today. Depression causes workers to be unproductive, causing companies and countries to lose billion of dollars. One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread, costly and deadly”. Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated, studies show that depression is a problem among everyone. Over any six-mouth period, between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression.
Suicide （自杀）rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme, or clinical form were 80 percent higher that in the population at large, and suffers were four times more likely to have heart attacks. People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping, getting up on time, and doing work productively.
Depression, which researchers agree has its origin in the genes（基因）, brings loss of of confidence and ability to concentrate-making it possible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s by Chinese inability to face it. Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy. Besides, there is no good treatment, with few specialists available.
“Most patients in China just don’t get help,” a Chinese doctor says. “In my hospital, I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning, and just have time to say ‘Hello, how do you feel?’”
In Western countries, people are not afraid to admit that they have depression, but most do not tell it to their boss, because they fear that their boss would fire them.
“In my experience, aging bosses are the most tilling to admit they have it, because they feel the most secure about themselves,” an American doctor says.
Hopefully, in the near future, people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.
49．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression.
B．Depression brings great problems to its suffers in their life and work.
C．Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries.
D．The poorer and the less educated a person is, the less he will suffer from depression.
50．Compared to normal people, depressed people are likely to be__________.
A．very unconfident and often absent-minded
B．easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks
C．working efficiently and productively
D．either weak or lazy
51．Depression becomes more serious in China because of _________.
A．the understanding of the problem B．the lack for treatment and doctors
C．their unwillingness to tell it to their boss D．the doctors’ careless work
52．What can we infer from the passage?
A．People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists.
B．The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed.
C．More and more patients will turn to specialists for help.
D．Western people are braver than Chinese people.

B
The trend in everyday conversation is to use grandiose（夸大的）words. “Outstanding” is new “good,” “amazing” is the new “OK”, and “huge” is the new “big.”
I was in a restaurant in Washington D.C. last weekend and every question I asked was answered with exaggeration.
Me: How is the salmon?
Sever: Fantastic!
Me: Does it come with rice?
Sever: Absolutely!
Would a “good” and a “yes” have been enough? Of course!
My father is an average-sized man. He hasn’t gained weight or height for the past 30 years. Therefore, his size remains the same. However, in the same amount of time, his T-shirt size has gone from small to medium to large to extra large.
The reason for the exaggerated word is clear: we are bored with our lives. We want the next –next thing now. Immediately!
And we also want others to think that we still care, that we can still be delighted, that we know that everything is just great. Even when deep inside we know it can’t be. Everything can’t be great.
I’m not a scientist, so many methods of proof leave little to be desired, or a lot to be desired, or an immensity（无限）.
Listen to the voices around you. Listen to your own voices. There is nothing on the radio that is good or bad , weather is either beautiful or horrible.
Listen, the next time when someone asks you something and you agree, because when you could simply say “yes”, instead you will say “absolutely ” or “without doubt” or “Oh, yeah, unquestionably—absolutely without doubt.”
Have people forgotten what it is like to be OK? Simply OK with what they have and who they are? If everything is outstanding, if everything is the most amazing thing ever, is anything ever amazing at all?
45．By telling his experience in the restaurant, the author intends to_______.
A．show his interest in exaggerated words
B．prove that exaggerated words are widely used
C．blame the restaurant for using exaggerated words
D．tell us the food in the restaurant is extremely good
46．What do we know about the author’s father?
A．He has gained height and is now a tall man.
B．He likes following the fashin in clothing.
C．His weight is getting greater and greater.
D．The size of his T-shirt is described in exaggerated words.
47．So many people like using exaggerated words because________.
A．they are not satisfied with being normal
B．they don’t want to be looked down upon by others
C．they want to be different from others
D．they are brave in telling their true feelings
48．According to the passage, if you approve of something, you’d better say “ ______ ”.
A．fantastic B．perfect C．OK D．Absolutely

第二部分：阅读理解（共25小题；第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题后的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance(pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when finacial mistakes are not very costly.
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration. Some children get a weekly allowance. Others get a monthly allowance.
In any case, parents should make clear what, if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money. At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this, they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget. Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance.
The object is to show young people that a budget demands choices between spending and saving. Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs, like clothing or electronics. Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home. These jobs are a normal part of family life.
Paying children to do extra work around the house, however, can be useful. It can even provide an understanding of how a business works.
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money. They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want. Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice: you have to cut costs and plan for the future. Requiring children to save part of their allowance can also open the door to future saving and investing. Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.
A savings account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compounding works by paying interest on interest. So, for example, one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second year, the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents, and so on. That may not seem like a lot. But over time it adds up.
41．Giving an allowance, parents should consider all the following EXCEPT_______
A．how much the child should get each time
B．whether the child has made a budget
C．where the money really goes.
D．how often a child can get it
42．The author of the passage holds the opinion that__________
A．what children learn by handling allowances may be beneficial in the future
B．children can learn to set up their own business with their allowances
C．keeping allowances in the bank is the best choice for children
D．it is not a good idea to pay children for housework at home
43．The underlined words “compound interest” in the passage probably mean_______.
A．increasing curiosity to learn how to make more money
B．stronger power to hold one’s attention to saving money
C．money paid by the bank on your original money and the gain from it
D．the sum of money that you earn from keeping your money in the bank
44．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Be Generous to Pay Your Children.
B．Be Wise to Avoid Financial Mistakes.
C．Saving Allowances Does Good to Children.
D．Allowances Help Children Learn about Money.