Most of us think that when we step under a shower we’re getting clean．We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about．
A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria (细菌) called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身体不舒服)．When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body．
This is a finding of Norman R．Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US．The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．
Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities．They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium．
But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a frail (脆弱的) immune (免疫的) system might need to worry．
He told the New York Times that the bactertia are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．
But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice．
Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower．Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than when the water is just turned on．If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months．
But Pace had good news too．He has also been testing the air in US subways．Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh．The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels(隧道)．
Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial(微生物的) environments of public places．This kind of knowledge might help detect the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack．
49．According to the finding of Norman R．Pace, after taking a shower, we might ______．
A．get much dirtier B．be covered by bacteria
C．get a frail immune system D．catch a cough or feel tired
50．Pace’s research into showers shows that ______．
A．there is no reason to fear microorganism
B．shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 second
C．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time
D．of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium
51．According to the research of Pace’s team, which of the following contributes to fresh air in US subways?
A．Train wheels． B．Iron particles．
C．The movement of the trains． D．Air conditioners on the trains．
52．The word “detect” in the last paragraph probably means “______”．
A．to discover B．to protect C．to make D．to prevent
In Western society, especially in the English-speaking world, the chance for young people to see the other countries and experience life is considered important. Many young people, when they finish school at the age of 18, take a gap year before they go to university.
Parents often want their children to grow up a little and see what the real world is like when they finish school. Although they are worried about their safety, many think that the advantages of independence and experience are worth the worries. Children are encouraged to be brave, independent and to explore the world on their own or with friends.
Young people also want to experience freedom and see what life is like on the other side. This other side could be the other side of the world or just the other side of life. For example, if they have a rich life, they may want to see how people in poor areas live.
A gap year after school is also an important chance for young people to spend time thinking about what they want to do with their lives. A little bit of growing up and experience will help them make their important career decisions, especially when they are unsure about what they want to study.
Another reason for going straight after school is to get a break from studying before they start the next few years of university. So anywhere you travel in the world, you will meet young European people exploring the world.
So much of the world has been travelled and explored. The young people are now looking for more worthy experiences. Some of them work as volunteers to do something for the country they are visiting. Many gap year volunteers are now spending a few months teaching English in Thailand, helping feed giant pandas in China or building a well(井) in a village in Africa.
These young people’s wish to explore the world is an expression of the values of the societies that they are part of. Both discovering the world and making a positive difference in it are important parts of the Western mind.Which is NOT a reason for young people to take a gap year?
| A．Young people want to take a break from studying. |
| B．Young people want to be sure about what to study. |
| C．Parents encourage them to be brave and independent. |
| D．Parents encourage them to live a free and wealthy life. |
Now a gap year volunteer might do something more valuable like .
| A．experiencing different cultures |
| B．helping protect rainforests in Brazil |
| C．making friends with more people |
| D．enjoying traditional local food |
By taking a gap year, young people may .
| A．stay with their parents all the time |
| B．make money for their further study |
| C．help change the world for the better |
| D．change the Western mind completely |
The purpose of writing this article is to .
| A．show different opinions about gap year |
| B．offer readers information about gap year |
| C．discover new ways to take a gap year |
| D．tell young people when to take a gap year |
Research says that husbands do not do their fair share of work around the house. A study from an American university says that men seldom do the same share of housework. Researchers interviewed 182 working couples who became first-time parents. Both husbands and wives worked almost the same number of hours in full-time jobs. However, men did five hours a week less housework than women after their baby was born.
It is a different story for mothers. Becoming a parent added 21 hours a week to a mother’s work. Most of this was looking after her baby. New fathers did not do more woke because they did not realize the mother was doing so much more. Another reason is that after a baby is born, fathers follow the “traditional” roles. That is, the mother looks after the baby and the father works outside. This happens even when the mother is working the same number of hours in her job.It is found that ______ do less housework.
| A．wives | B．husbands |
| C．parents | D．babies |
The underlined sentence “It is a different story for mothers.” Probably means ______.
| A．mothers come from different families |
| B．mothers like reading different stories |
| C．mothers work more hours than fathers |
| D．different mothers have different children |
What is the “traditional” role of a father?
| A．Working outside | B．Looking after the baby |
| C．Doing housework | D．Doing part-time jobs |
Which part of a newspaper can this passage be taken from?
| A．Sports | B．Medicine |
| C．News | D．Society |
| From: Wendy and Jack Brown Date: September 22, 2014 To: 8th and 9th graders at R.L.S. Junior School Subject: Bonjour! Bonjour! (That means hello in French.) We hope you all had a great summer. Ours was a lot of fun. We have seen so many new things and met so many wonderful people. The French gave us a warm welcome and helped us get used to living here soon. We have so many things to share with all of you. We are going to send you more emails, but here are the best parts of our holiday in France so far. We had a fantastic time seeing the Tour de France this summer. It is the most famous bicycle race in the world. The riders travel more than two thousand miles in about a month! We got a quick look at the riders as they sped past! After the race, our family rented bikes, and rode along part of the route that the cyclists used. A few of you asked whether the French really eat snails(蜗牛). The answer is yes. We went out to dinner the other day, and our parents ordered some. We each tried one and it didn’t taste too bad. The snails, called escargots, are served with lots of butter. They feel a little rubbery when you bite into them, but they don’t really have much taste. Mum’s favourite food here is the French pastries. Dad loves the red wine. Our favourite is the fresh bread from the shop down the street. We went to visit the Eiffel Tower a few weeks ago. We went all the way to the top. It was a sunny day, so we could see for miles and miles into the distance. Dad doesn’t like heights, so he stayed at the bottom of the tower and took pictures from the ground. We miss all of you a lot. Write back to us and let us know what is new at home. Au revoir! (Can you guess what that means in French?) Wendy and Jack Brown |
What do the Browns think of French people?
| A．Friendly. | B．Funny. |
| C．Welcome. | D．Popular. |
Jack’s favourite food in France is .
| A．tasty snails | B．French pastries |
| C．fresh bread | D．red wine |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the email?
| A．Wendy and Jack got used to the life in France soon. |
| B．Tour de France is the best-known bicycle race in the world. |
| C．The Browns have seen many wonderful things in France. |
| D．The Browns went to the top of the Eiffel Tower together. |
Wendy and Jack wrote this email to .
| A．tell a story about riding bicycles in France |
| B．tell a story about their experiences in France |
| C．advise the readers to try escargots in France |
| D．advise the readers to visit France in summer |
阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳选项。
A
Julia is at Roosevelt. She wants to go to Baseball Field. She should change lines at .
| A．Grand | B．Cliton |
| C．Reno | D．Randolph |
Louis is going to Medical Centre from Damen. He should get off at the stop.
| A．third | B．fourth |
| C．fifth | D．sixth |
To go to Airport from Youth Centre, you should take underground lines in this order: .
| A．Blue Line → Green Line → Red Line |
| B．Red Line → Green Line → Blue Line |
| C．Blue Line → Red Line → Green Line |
| D．Red Line → Blue Line → Green Line |
Are you shy? If you are, you are not alone. In fact, close to 50 percent of people are shy. Almost 80 percent of people feel shy at some point in their lives. These days, shyness is becoming more and more common. Now, scientists are trying to understand shyness. They have some interesting ideas about why people are shy.
Is it possible to be born shy? Many scientists say yes. They say 15 to 20 percent of babies behave shyly. These babies are a little quieter and more watchful than other babies. Interestingly, these shy babies usually have shy parents. As a result, scientists think that some shyness is genetic.
Family size might cause people to be shy as well. Scientists at Harvard University studied shy children. They found that 66 percent of them had older brothers and sisters. As a result, they became shy. At the same time, children with no brothers and sisters may be shy as well. Growing up alone, they often play by themselves. They are not able to learn the same social skills as children from big families.
You may also be shy because of where you were born. When scientists studied shyness in different countries. They found surprising differences. In Japan, most people said they were shy. But in Israel, only one of three people said so. What explains the difference? One scientist says the Japanese and Israelis have different opinions of failure. In Japan, when people do not succeed, they feel bad about themselves. They blame（责备）themselves for their failure. In Israel, the opposite is true. Israelis often blame failure on outside reasons, such as family, teachers, friends, or bad luck. In Israel, freedom of opinion and risk taking are strongly supported. This may be why Israelis worry less about failure and are less shy.
For shy people, it can be difficult to make friends, speak in class, and even get a good job. But scientists say you can get over your shyness. They suggest trying new things and practicing conversation. And don’t forget---if you are shy, you are not the only one.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Happiness. | B．Shyness |
| C．Kindness. | D．loneliness. |
What does the underlined word “genetic”in paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Passed down from parents. |
| B．Learned from friends. |
| C．Taught by teachers. |
| D．Made up by brothers. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Most little babies are born shy and quiet. |
| B．If you are shy now, you will be shy forever. |
| C．Many shy children have older brothers and sisters. |
| D．Most Israeli people are shy of expressing opinions. |
We can learn from the passage that _______ may cause shyness.
| A．genetics, grown--ups and birthplace |
| B．genetics, family size and birthplace |
| C．family size, grown--ups and failure |
| D．genetics, family size and freedom |
Scientists suggest that shy people can get over their shyness by______.
| A．blaming their failure on outside reasons |
| B．trying new things and practicing conversation |
| C．getting themselves away from their shy parents |
| D．trying to understand reasons for their shyness |
Which of the following shows the structure（结构）of the passage? (P=Paragraph)
