The common cold is the world’s most widespread illness, which is a kind of plague (疫病). The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses(病毒) passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated Arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds. In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds. At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter? Despite the most pains—taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is to relieve the symptoms(症状).
64.The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.
A.4 B.5 C.6 D.3
65.Which of the following does not agree with the chosen passage?
A.The Eskimos do not easily suffer from colds in cold weather.
B.Colds are not caused by cold.
C.People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors.
D.A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already had one.
66.Arctic explorers may catch colds when ________.
A.they are working in the isolated Arctic regions
B.they are writing reports in terribly cold weather
C.they are free from work in the isolated Arctic regions
D.they are coming into touch again with the outside world
67.The passage mainly discusses ________.
A.the experiments on the common cold
B.the false belief about the common cold
C.the reason and the way people catch colds
D.the continued spread of common colds
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败) of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power.The Bastille had been a prison ______.
A.since the time of Charles V |
B. since 1370 |
C.before the seventeenth century |
D.since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A.Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
B.The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
C.Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
D.Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
A.a large number of prisoners |
B.a lot of writers who had been against the government |
C.only a few prisoners |
D.some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
B.Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
C.All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
D.At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
It is a hot summer day,and you feel thirsty. A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade.How do you feel when you see the glass? Will you describe your feeling as happiness or as pleasure? I believe you will say it is a feeling of pleasure.There is a connection between these two kinds of feelings,and sometimes one causes the other,but they are not the same.Pleasure is more dependent on the five senses while happiness is independent of them.
When you are happy,little unpleasant events usually do not disturb you.When you are unhappy,you feel as if everything is against you.You may compensate for it by eating chocolate and sweets because this gives you pleasure;yet you stay unhappy.A person may smoke cigarettes because it gives him pleasure,yet,this does not make him happier,especially if he knows the fact that it is not good for his health
The physical world is always in a changing state.At each moment a new thing is being created,changed,transformed and then destroyed.This is the normal state of things and no one can change it.If we stay still in a certain state,we are sure to experience unhappiness sooner or later.On the other hand,if we adjust to the environment,nothing can influence our moods.Then outer events have nothing to do with our inner joy of mind.
The room of the mind was filled with worry or fear.If you are free of thinking about them, the room has been emptied,and then you will see what is happening and experience it When your mind stays quiet,you will see that happiness comes from the inside.What does the underlined phrase“compensate for”in Paragraph 2 most probably mean?
A.to make a suitable payment for |
B.to let out your anger for |
C.to provide with a balancing effect for |
D.to solve the problems for |
According to the passage, in which of the following situations can you feel happy?
A.A friend gives you a glass of cold lemonade when you feel thirsty. |
B.You eat chocolate and sweets when you feel as if everything is against you. |
C.Smoke cigarettes even though you know the fact that it is not good for your health. |
D.You are free from worry or fear when your mind stays quiet. |
We can learn from the passage.
A.happiness is more dependent on the five senses |
B.pleasure sometimes arouses happiness |
C.you feel happy when nothing around you changes in a certain state |
D.you feel unhappy because you have to adjust to the environment |
Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Pleasure Leads To Happiness | B.Happiness Changes Us |
C.Happiness Is Within Us | D.Stay A Quiet Mind |
The SAT is one of two major tests for the entrance to American colleges and universities. The other test is called the ACT. More than 2 million students take the SAT yearly, including about 100,000 foreign students. The organization of the SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. The College Board announced that the new SAT will no longer test students on rarely used words. But it will include passages from American historical documents or from writings on freedom and human rights.
The College Board says words on the new test will be related to usage. Students will be asked to tell the meaning of words according to the context of the reading passages. Nigerian student Peace Umoru is in her first year at Howard University. She says the rarely used words are the hardest part for international students. The new test will be easier because of the reform.
Eddie West is with the College Board. He says the new test will better predict a student’s performance in college. The changes are moving the test in a positive direction. The new SAT pays more attention to skills and abilities that students need to succeed. The addition of material about American historical documents could make the test harder for international students. After all, they live in different countries with different cultures. But it’s a good chance for them to understand the Declaration of Independence or Martin Luther King’s work, or anything else that might be tested.
Students from other countries, particularly those who did not grow up learning English, may feel it is more difficult. For them, the test is in a foreign language. But the College Board says it has formed a free, online educational service. Khan Academy will provide preparation material linked to the newly designed SAT.What will be tested in the new SAT?
A.All the different meanings of a word. |
B.The rare usage of the common words. |
C.The difficult words for foreign students. |
D.The proper meaning of the words in the passages. |
The new SAT could be more difficult for international students because .
A.they are short of skills and abilities |
B.they often perform badly in college |
C.they know nothing about American history |
D.they have different cultural backgrounds |
What’s the main idea of the text?
A.How to prepare for the new SAT. |
B.The SAT will change the entrance test in 2016. |
C.Advice for foreign students on passing the SAT. |
D.Tests for entrance to American colleges and universities. |
Everyone, please imagine, a big explosion breaks out as the plane takes us high in the sky. The plane is full of smoke and the engine sounds scary. Two minutes later, the engines are turned off. We are now sitting in a plane with no sound. And we can see: Life is over.
That really happened. In January 2009, I had a front-row seat on Flight 1549, the plane that crash-landed in the Hudson River in New York.
Now let me tell you the three things I learned when the silence came.
First, I thought about all the people I wanted to reach out to but didn’t. I thought about all the experiences I wanted to have but never did. I no longer wanted to put off anything in life. Second, I really regretted the time I wasted on things that did not matter. I decided to remove negative energy from my life. Third, I realized, wow, dying was not scary. But it was very sad just because I only wished I could have seen my kids grow up.
Fortunately, I was given the gift of a miracle of not dying that day. I was given another gift, with which I was to see into the future and come back and live differently.
About a month later, my wife and I were at a performance by my daughter, not much artistic talent. Yet, I’m crying. I realized that above all, the only goal in my life was to be a good father.
Audience, again, imagine the same thing happening on your plane. How would you change? What would you get done? And more than anything, are you being the best parent you can?
Thank you.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.Air crash is always a tragedy. |
B.What I learned from the air crash. |
C.Life is a miracle as we imagine. |
D.How to become a good father. |
When does the idea “Life is over” come into being?
A.Exactly during the explosion. |
B.When the plane was full of smoke. |
C.Before the engines sounded scary. |
D.When the engines were turned off. |
What is the author’s final goal in life?
A.Never to put off anything in life. |
B.To remove negative energy from life. |
C.To see his daughter grow up. |
D.To be a good father. |
San Francisco(People's Daily Online)-- Apple Inc. Tuesday introduced its mobile payment service Apple Pay alongside the company's iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California.
What apple does is to replace consumers' wallet with its cell phone. Apple said it hopes to speed up the checkout process, make credit-card payments more secure and ultimately, to replace physical wallets.
With the near-field communication technology, Apple's gadgets like iPhone and Apple watch can transmit a radio signal between the device and a receiver when the two are in an inch apart. "To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent," Apple says on its official website.
Apple said that each transaction (交易)would be authorized(授权) with a one-time, unique number, creating a security code that it said is more secure than the one on the back of your credit card because cashiers wont see your name, card number or security code. The service will work with the three major payment networks —American Express, MasterCard and Visa —and Apple said that there are 220,000 merchant locations that accept these contactless payments.
When some applaud this disrupted service that will compete with Paypal and endanger other online payment companies, some others concern about its safety, especially when another retailer Home Depot confirmed a data opening yesterday and iCloud was reported exposing nude (裸体)pictures of celebrities (名人) a week ago.
Leo Zheng, a technology reporter in Silicon Valley said: "When Apple attracts consumers to put all their cards into one iPhone and promised the security, Jennifer Lawrence should say something."Which can be the best title for the passage?
A.Apple announces mobile payment service to replace consumers' wallet. |
B.Consumers can pay in cash through mobile phones. |
C.Apple Inc. will introduce new models to the market. |
D.Mobile payment will be popular soon. |
After reading the third paragraph, we know.
A.Apple’s new products are popular |
B.Apple can be used as an ID |
C.Apple's gadgets can receive message easily |
D.how Apple's gadgets work |
The attitude of the writer towards the mobile payment is .
A.indifferent (冷漠的) | B.objective |
C.skeptical | D.positive |
What could have happened to Jennifer Lawrence?
A.She made great contributions to Apple. |
B.She put all her cards into her iPhone. |
C.Her nude pictures were spread online. |
D.Her iPhone often broke down. |