Two new studies suggest that modern running shoes could increase the risk of injuries to runners.
One study involved sixty-eight healthy young women and men who ran at least twenty-four kilometers a week. The runners were observed on a treadmill machine. Sometimes they wore running shoes. Other times they ran barefoot.
Researchers from the JKM Technologies Company in Virginia, the University of Virginia and the University of Colorado did the study.
They found that running shoes create more stress that could damage knees, hips and ankle joints than running barefoot. They observed that the effect was even greater than the effect reported earlier for walking in high heels.
The study appeared in the official scientific journal of the American Academy of Physical Medicine.
The other study appeared in the journal Nature. It compared runners in the United States and Kenya. The researchers were from Harvard University in Massachusetts, Moi University in Kenya and the University of Glasgow in Scotland.
They divided the runners into three groups. One group had always run shoeless. Another group had always run with shoes. And the third group had changed to shoeless running.
Runners who wear shoes usually come down heel first. That puts great force on the back of the foot. But the study found that barefoot runners generally land on the front or middle of their foot. That way they ease into their landing and avoid striking their heel.
Harvard’s Daniel Lieberman led the study. He says the way most running shoes are designed may explain why those who wear them land on their heels. The heel of the shoe is bigger and heavier than other parts of the shoe, so it would seem more likely to come down first. Also, the heel generally has thick material under it to soften landings.
64. How many organizations are involved in the two studies?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six.
65. Why do running shoes increase the risk of injuries to runners?
A. They create more stress.
B. They’re too big and heavy.
C. They can affect the way the runners run.
D. Their heels can soften landings.
66. What can we learn from the text?。
A. Most running shoes are designed improperly.
B. The design of high heels is better than that of running shoes.
C. No one will run with running shoes in the future.
D. Both of the studies are done in America.
67. How did the researchers do the two studies?
A. By practising. B. By comparing.
C. By questioning. D. By reasoning.
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,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在
答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Few students would dream of getting a job as a shoe shiner working along the street. College students, in their own eyes and in the eyes of the public, are expected to get at least a proper job, if not working in a high-income or white-collar position.
Cai Yong’s decision to work as a shoe shiner shocked not only his parents, who had high hopes for him, but also his girlfriend.
“It is right for young graduates to be ambitious (有抱负的). But they have to start in a solid and down-to-earth way,” Cai said. Cai is not alone in making such a choice. The company has got 12 college students in all.
“I come for the 800 yuan monthly pay,” said Xiao Ji, who is a student from Nanjing University. “I have grown up and no longer live on my parents,” he said.
“Working as shoe shiners can mean a bright future,” Cai said.
Not everyone can accept this job choice. Cai’s girlfriend left him because she felt ashamed to be with a shoe shiner, and Cai accepted the fact. “This is the price to be paid for a job,” he said.
A former shoe shiner, Zhong Haibo, from a medical college, believes it was a good training for the rest of his life. “There is nothing I can’t do after working as a shoe shiner,” Zhong said, meaning that such kind of experience in early life is helpful in a future job.
41. Cai Yong decided to work as .
A. a college teacher B. a company manager C. a shoe shiner D. a medicine maker
42. Why did Cai’s girlfriend leave him?
A. They didn’t get along well with each other. B. Her parents didn’t like him.
C. She found it a shame to marry a shoe shiner. D. Cai had got a new girlfriend.
43. Most people think Cai’s choice .
A. unbelievable B. niceC. enjoyable D. wonderful
44. From the passage we know Zhong Haibo .
A. doesn’t like college life B. thinks highly of working as shoe shiners
C. is a middle school student D. is still a shoe shiner at the moment
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days:Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists(花商), candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.
52. Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A. Parents bring up children.B. Parents give love and care to children.
C. Parents educate children to be good persons. D. Parents pass away before children grow up.
53. Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
A. It has only two kinds of colors.
B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.
C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.
D. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.
54. What do you know from the passage?
A. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.
B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.
C. Not all the children respect their parents
D. Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.
55. On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, .
A. people usually have family parties
B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery
C. children always go to parents’ home
D. hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts
In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射)so that they won't carry disease. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of store. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food. When you visit people's houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a feeding place for birds in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. ①If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car, people would be very sad about it.②
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be that their family ties are not as close as ours.③ When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely, but pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
48. The passage mainly talks about____ .
A. how to keep disease from pets B. pets in Canada
C. how to take good care of pets D. life of the old in Canada
49. They give their pets injections before keeping them at their houses because ____.
A. the pets are sick
B. the pets are wild
C. they want to stop them from getting sick
D. they want them to sleep on the way home
50. In Canada, children leave their parents when they grow up because ____.
A. they don't love their parents any more
B. they can only find jobs far from their parents
C. their parents houses are too small
D. they wouldn't depend on their parents any more
51. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. People buy animal food only at the animal food stores.
B. Pets eat better than people.
C. Almost every family has a birdcage in his house.
D. Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat.
Do you enjoy reading? Here readers of your age from all over the United States recommend (推荐) great books for you to read:
My favorite book is Don’t Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel. I love all her books, but this was the first one I read and I have to say, it is by far my favorite. It doesn’t end like other books, and I cried while reading.
I think Nancy Drew is great! Nancy is a detective (侦探) who has many fantastic ideas! I love it because it’s a book from when my grandma was my age, and I can share the fun with her!
I highly recommend Skinny Bones by Barbara Park. It is funny so please add it on your book list. You don’t want to miss out funny stories!
I would suggest ______ by Judy Blume. It is based on real things that happened to Judy Blume. It is about a girl, Alice, who meets some girls at a new state. They become friends, make a club and meet once a week. They stop after two weeks because they all like a boy in their class and put him as number one. I think every girl should read this because it is about our growing up.
I read a book called Neela: Victory Song and it was so good I read it twice! It takes place in India in 1936 and this 12-year-old girl named Neela tries to save her father! It has lots of history in it! I also learned a lot about different cultures! The author’s name is Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
44. According to the reader, Skinny Bones can be described as a ________ story.
A. sad B. history C. funny D. detective
45. From which book can we learn different cultures?
A. Skinny Bones. B. Nancy Drew. C. Don’t Die, My Love. D. Neela: Victory Song.
46. The best name of the 4th book is ________.
A. My Secret B. Growing Trouble C. Three Friends D. Alice Learns a Lesson
47. Which is TRUE about Nancy Drew?
A. Both the reader and the reader’s grandma love this book.
B. It’s based on real things that happened to the author.
C. It’s about a12-year-old girl who tries to save her father.
D. It doesn’t have a common ending like other books.
第二部分阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)
第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Twenty years ago, I drove a taxi for a living. One night I went to pick up a passenger at 2:30 AM. When I arrived to collect, I found the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
I walked to the door and knocked, “Just a minute,” answered a weak, elderly voice.
After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her eighties stood before me. By her side was a small suitcase.
I took the suitcase to the car, and then returned to help the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the car.
She kept thanking me for my kindness. “It’s nothing,” I told her. “I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated.”
“Oh, you’re such a good man.” She said. When we got into the taxi, she gave me an address, and then asked, “Could you drive through downtown?”
“It’s not the shortest way,” I answered quickly.
“Oh, I’m in no hurry,” she said. “I’m on my way to a hospice(临终医院). I don’t have any family left. The doctor says I don’t have very long.”
I quietly reached over and shut off the meter(计价器).
For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked, the neighborhood where she had lived, and the furniture shop that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.
Sometimes she’d ask me to slow down in front of a particular building and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
At dawn, she suddenly said,” I’m tired. Let’s go now.”
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
“How much do I owe you?” she asked. “Nothing.” I said.
“You have to make a living,” she answered. “Oh, there are other passengers,” I answered.
Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. Our hug ended with her remark, “You gave an old woman a little moment of joy.”
41. The old woman chose to ride through the city in order to ______.
A. show she was familiar with the city B. see some places for the last time
C. let the driver earn more money D. reach the destination(目的地) on time
42. The taxi driver did not charge the old woman because he ______.
A. wanted to do her a favor(帮忙) B. shut off the meter by mistake
C. had received her payment in advance D. was in a hurry to take other passengers
43. What can we learn from the story?
A. Giving is always a pleasure.
B. People should respect each other.
C. An act of kindness can bring people great joy.
D. People should learn to appreciate others’ concern.