Each year millions of babies are born too soon and too small. Premature or preterm births are defined as births at less than thirty-seven weeks.
Prematurity is the leading cause of death in newborn babies. More than one-fourth of the four million newborns who die each year around the world were born too early.
Preterm babies that survive can suffer a lifetime of serious health conditions. The examples include cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing problems and learning disabilities. Families and communities face emotional, physical and financial costs.
Christopher Howson is the vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes, a nonprofit group. His group and the World Health Organization recently published a report called “The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth.”
CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: “Frankly the crisis of preterm birth is under-recognized, undercounted, undervalued and underfunded. I mean, this report shows that thirteen million babies are born every year preterm, and that over a million of those babies die as a result of being born too early.”
And these are just estimates; the true numbers could be even higher. More than eighty-five percent of preterm births happen in Africa and Asia. Africa has the highest rate, with about four million cases each year.
Chris Howson says many of the causes of preterm births are related to poverty and weak health-care systems.
CHRISTOPHER HOWSON: “For example, the poor overall health and nutritional status of women. A high burden of infectious diseases. Lack of provision of family planning – allowing a woman to decide when to start and end having children and how to space her children. And also the lack of good prenatal care programs that might identify problems early on in pregnancy.”
Preterm births are a problem not just in the developing world. The combined rate in the United States and Canada is the second highest in the world. Preterm birth rates in the United States have increased thirty-six percent in the last twenty-five years.
This has been largely the result of two reasons. One is an increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five. The other is an increase in the use of reproductive therapies.
49．This passage is mainly about ________.
A．the causes of people’s bad health throughout the world
B．how to improve people’s health throughout the world
C．premature or preterm births throughout the world
D．Christopher Howson, vice president for global programs at the March of Dimes
50．All of the following are causes of preterm births except ________.
A．too many deaths of newborn babies B．poverty
C．Lack of provision of family planning D．the lack of good prenatal care programs
51．Which of the following is a true statement according to the passage?
A．Preterm birth rates in developing countries are dropping and they are increasing in some developed countries like the US and Canada.
B．The increase in pregnancies among women over age thirty-five and the increase in the use of reproductive therapies result in the increase of preterm birth rates.
C．Fortunately, many people have already realized the seriousness of the problem of preterm births.
D．Preterm births must be a problem for only poor areas because of poverty.
52．Which is the best title for the passage?
A．Chris Howson, an Excellent Vice President
B．Preterm Births
C．“The Global and Regional Toll of Preterm Birth”
D．Emotional, Physical and Financial Costs
Scientists have created a way to control a robot with signals from human brain.By generating the proper brainwaves—picked up by a cap with electrodes (电极) that sense the signals and reflect a person’s instructions—scientists can instruct a humanoid(类人的) robot to move to specific locations and pick up certain objects.
The commands are limited to moving forward，picking up one of two objects and bringing it to one of two locations.The researchers have achieved 94 percent accuracy between the thought commands and the robot’s movements.
“This is really a proofofconcept demonstration，” said Rajesh Rao，a researcher from the University of Washington who leads the project.“It suggests that one day we might be able to use semiautonomous robots for such jobs as helping disabled people or performing routine tasks in a person’s home.”
The person wearing the electrode cap watches the robot’s movements on a computer screen through two cameras installed on and above the robot.
When the robot’s cameras see the objects that are to be picked up they pass on the information to the user’s computer screen.Each object lights up randomly on the computer screen.When a person wants something picked up and it happens to light up，the brain registers surprise and sends this brain activity to the computer and then to the robot.The robot then proceeds to pick up the object.
A similar algorithm(计算程序) is used to decide where the robot will go.
“One of the important things about this demonstration is that we’re using a ‘noisy’ brain signal to control the robot，” Rao said.“That means we can only obtain brain signals indirectly from sensors on the surface of the head，not where they are generated deep in the brain.As a result，the user can only generate highlevel commands such as indicating which object to pick up or which location to go to，and the robot needs to be autonomous enough to be able to execute such commands.”
In the future，the researchers hope to make the robots more adaptive to the environment by having them carry out more complex commands.What is special about the robot introduced in the passage?
| A．It is controlled by human thoughts. |
| B．It can be made humanoid. |
| C．It can be used to help the disabled. |
| D．It has high intelligence itself. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the robot?
| A．It can move forward and backward and pick up two objects at the same time. |
| B．It can move forward，pick up both objects and bring them to either location. |
| C．It can only move forward，pick up one object and put it in one location. |
| D．It can read all human thought demands and do as instructed. |
What Rao said suggests that the new robot________.
| A．is still at its early stage of development |
| B．will be widely used in our daily routine soon |
| C．is autonomous enough to complete complex commands |
| D．is only limited to doing routine work at home |
The sixth paragraph mainly describes ________.
| A．how the robot reacts to a person’s instructions |
| B．how the robot picks up the right object |
| C．the functions of the computer |
| D．how the robot finds out where to go |
The underlined word “registers” in the passage can be best replaced by “________”．
| A．receives | B．shows | C．writes down | D．picks up |
Children are often far more gifted than what their parents or teachers can realize.IQ tests do not measure creative talents.By depending on them to measure intelligence，therefore，we miss out on the talents of many of our most gifted youngsters.Most children start life with valuable creative potential.Unfortunately，many of them have it knocked out of them，so to speak，by the time they reach the 4th grade.It is not that parents and teachers deliberately squelch(限制) creativity；or rather，they fail to recognize it.By simply observing the child at work or at play，you may detect creativity，if you look for the following key signs：
*Curiosity.The child’s questioning is persistent and purposeful.He is not content with given explanations，and he would rather dig under the surface.
*Flexibility.If one approach doesn’t work，the child quickly thinks of another.
*Sensitivity to Problem.He is quick to see gaps in information.He is sensitive to contradictions between prior rules and what he hears or reads.
*Selffeeling.He has a feeling of being somebody in particular.He is selfmotivated，selfdirected，and can work alone for long periods provided it’s on his own project.
*Originality.He has surprising，uncommon，interesting ideas.His drawings and stories have a style that marks them as his own.
*Insight.He has easy access to realms(领域) of the mind that noncreative people visit only in their dreams.He toys with ideas that easily come to him.
Qualities like these count very little in IQ tests，which measure memory，vocabulary，mathematical ability and general reasoning.These abilities are valuable，and the creative child does usually have them.However，the child with a socalled genius IQ of 180 is in reality no more likely to be a genius than the child with a slightly aboveaverage IQ of 120.In fact，evidence suggests that some children with high IQs may develop memory and logical reasoning powers at the expense of insight，imagination，and adventurous qualities that are essential to geniuses.The main purpose of the passage is to tell us________.
| A．why IQ tests are not accurate |
| B．to encourage creativity in children |
| C．no to squelch creativity in children |
| D．the difference between intelligence and talents |
The author believes that IQ tests mainly measure ________.
| A．creative potential | B．talents |
| C．intelligence | D．general reasoning |
The passage doesn’t clearly state but implies that ________.
| A．the education nowadays does not provide much space for creativity |
| B．intelligence makes no contributions to creativity |
| C．signs of creativity in children are hard to detect |
| D．IQ tests are often used to measure children’s talents |
Which of the following best illustrates a child’s originality?
| A．He can tell whether a given explanation is convincing or not. |
| B．He can find different ways to solve a problem. |
| C．He can work on an interesting project with concentration. |
| D．He can draw a picture or tell a story in his own style. |
According to the passage，children with high IQs ________.
| A．may lack the qualities essential to geniuses |
| B．will probably turn into geniuses |
| C．are more likely to be geniuses than those with low IQs |
| D．also have qualities essential to geniuses |
A primary school has banned Valentine’s Day cards because of concerns that young pupils spend too much time talking about boyfriends and girlfriends.
Ashcombe Primary School in WestonsuperMare，Somerset，has told parents that cards declaring love can be “confusing” for children under the age of 11，who are still emotionally and socially developing.
In his February newsletter(简讯)，Peter Turner，head teacher，warned that any cards found in school would be confiscated.
He wrote，“We do not wish to see any Valentine’s Day cards in school this year.Some children and parents encourage a lot of talks about boyfriends and girlfriends.”
“We believe that such ideas should wait until children are mature enough emotionally and socially to understand the commitment involved in having or being a boyfriend or girlfriend.”
Mr.Turner said any families wanting to support the Valentine’s Day concept should send cards in the post or deliver them to home addresses by hand.
His views were supported by Ruth Rice,46，who has twins Harriet and Olivia,9，at the school.
She said，“Children at that age shouldn’t really be thinking about Valentine’s Day，and they should be concentrating on their schoolwork.”
“They are at an age when they are easily influenced and most parents including myself are with Mr.Turner.”
She added，“The cards caused too much competition.If someone gets a card and another doesn’t then he or she will be disappointed.”
However，Rajeev Takyar,40，who sells newspapers and has two children Jai,11，and Aryan,5，at the school，said he was “genuinely outraged”．
He said，“There are schools that have banned conkers(康克戏) and snowballs，and now Valentine’s Day cards.”
“I think banning the cards stops children from having social skills.How are they going to learn about relationships otherwise？It’s ridiculous.”
Alec Suttenwood，founder of the AntiPolitical Correctness Group，said of the ban，“It’s totally ridiculous.Young children just send the cards to each other as friends and to their parents.It’s just a bit of harmless fun.There is no difference between this and Mother’s or Father’s Day.”Valentine’s Day cards may cause confusion among young children because ________.
| A．they are too young to understand what love is |
| B．teachers haven’t taught them how to make friends |
| C．children shouldn’t learn about social relationships |
| D．students talk too much about boyfriends and girlfriends |
The underlined word “confiscated” in Paragraph 3 can probably be replaced by “________”．
| A．collected | B．destroyed | C．taken away | D．burnt away |
Ruth Rice was in favor of Mr.Turner’s view in that ________.
| A．children like to compare Valentine’s Day cards |
| B．children should focus their mind on their lessons |
| C．sending holiday cards wastes both time and money |
| D．making friends has a negative influence on children |
Which statement is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Most of English parents want children to have fun. |
| B．Children should learn how to develop social skills. |
| C．English schools don’t allow students to play games. |
| D．Some parents think it unreasonable to ban the cards. |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．School Bans Valentine’s Day Cards |
| B．Shall We Send Valentine’s Day Cards? |
| C．Different Opinions on Valentine’s Day Cards |
| D．Parents’ Concern About Valentine’s Day Cards |
Michelle Obama has launched her campaign against childhood obesity in the US，saying that it is a problem that concerns her both as the first lady and as a mother.
Mrs.Obama said that the campaign was designed to encourage people to live healthier lives，but admitted that she herself was not immune to the temptations of junk food.
“I love burgers and fries.And I love ice cream and cake.And so do most kids，” she said.But，she added，“We’re not talking about a lifestyle that excludes all that.”
“The question is how we help people balance their diet so that they’re not facing lifethreatening，preventable illnesses，but they’re enjoying their food，they’re eating their vegetables，they’re doing their running，walking and playing，and they still have time to get a good，fun meal every once in a while.”
One in three American children are overweight or obese，putting them at the higher risk of developing diabetes(糖尿病)，high blood pressure，high cholesterol(胆固醇) and other illnesses.
Billions of dollars are spent every year treating obesityrelated conditions.
“None of us wants this future for our kids，” Mrs.Obama said at the White House.
“We have to act，so let’s move.”
Her campaign has four parts：helping parents make better food choices，serving healthier food in school vending machines(自动售货机) and lunch menus，making healthy food more available and affordable，and encouraging children to exercise more.
The campaign，which Mrs.Obama starts，is aimed at solving the childhood obesity problem in a generation，so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.
“This isn’t like a disease where we’re still waiting for the cure to be discovered.We know the cure for this，” she said at the opening ceremony.
President Barack Obama praised his wife for solving what he called one of “the most urgent health issues facing the country”．
“This has enormous promise in improving the health of our children，in giving support to parents to make the kinds of healthy choices that are often very difficult，” he said.The best title of the passage would be “________”．
| A．The first lady begins to fight against childhood obesity |
| B．The most urgent health issues facing the country |
| C．The Obamas care about the health of fat children |
| D．The first lady can’t resist the temptations of junk food |
Why did Michelle Obama launch the campaign?
| A．To fight against adulthood obesity. |
| B．To help children to eat less junk food. |
| C．To encourage Americans to live more healthily. |
| D．To call on people to exercise more after work. |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．She is addicted to buying junk food. |
| B．She is also fond of junk food sometimes. |
| C．Many people are able to resist junk food. |
| D．Her immune system was not strong enough. |
What do we know about Americans?
| A．They all enjoy junk food. |
| B．They don’t eat their vegetables. |
| C．They have some time for exercise. |
| D．Many have obesityrelated illnesses. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．People don’t know the cure for obesity. |
| B．President Barack Obama supports his wife. |
| C．The campaign has solved the problem. |
| D．Obesity is the most urgent problem facing America. |
On May 23,1989, Stefania Follini came out from a cave at Carlsbad, New Mexico. She hadn’t seen the sun for eighteen and a half weeks. Stefania was in a research program, and the scientists in the program were studying body rhythms (节奏)。In this experiment Stefania had spent 130 days in a cave, 30 feet in depth.
During her time in the cave, Stefania had been completely alone except for two white mice. Her living place had been very comfortable, but there had been nothing to fell her the time. She’d had no clock or watches, no television or radio. There had been no natural light and the temperature had always been kept at 21℃.
The results were very interesting. Stefania had been in the cave for over four months, but she thought she had been there for only two. Her body clock had changed. She hadn't kept to a 24-hour day. She had stayed awake for 20-25 hours and then had slept for 10 hours. She had eaten fewer meals and had lost 17lbs in weight as a result! She had also become rather depressed (抑郁).
How had she spent her time in the cave? As part of the experiment she'd done some physical and mental tests. She'd recorded her daily activities and the results of the tests on a computer. This computer had been specially programmed for the project. Whenever she was free, she'd played cards, read books and listened to music. She'd also learned French from tapes.
The experiment showed that our body clocks are affected by light and temperature, For example, the pattern of day and night makes us wake up and go to sleep. However, People are affected in different ways. Some people wake up naturally at 5:00 am, but others don't start to wake up till 9:00 or 10;00 am. This affects the whole daily rhythm. As a result, the early risers are at their best in the late morning. The late risers, on the other hand, are tired during the day and only come to life in the afternoon or evening! Stefania stayed in the cave for a long time because___________.
| A．she was asked to do research on mice | B．she wanted to experience loneliness |
| C．she was the subject of a study | D．she needed to record her life |
What is a cause for the change of Stefania’s body clock?
| A．Eating fewer meals. | B．Having more hours of sleep |
| C．Lacking physical exercise. | D．Getting no natural light. |
Where does the text probably come from?
| A．A novel | B．A news story | C．A pet magazine | D．A travel guide |