When the school year starts, it can be difficult to get up early．After a few early mornings, extreme tiredness might make you feel like you’re going to fall over．The amazing thing is that you probably manage to stay awake all day long and into the night．But how?
A chemical in the brain called dopamine（多巴胺）might be part of the answer．According to new research, dopamine is what keeps people who don’t get enough sleep from conking out．The chemical also has a complicated influence on your ability to think and learn when you don’t get enough sleep．
To study sleep loss and its effect on the brain, scientists rounded up 15 healthy volunteers．The scientists tested each person’s memory and ability to pay attention twice: once after a good night’s sleep and once after being kept up all night long．During the tests, the scientists measured levels of dopamine in the brains of the volunteers．
The results showed that when the volunteers stayed up all night, dopamine levels 
increased in the brain．Higher levels of dopamine kept the volunteers awake even though they felt tired．Some people are amazingly able to think clearly and react quickly, even when they haven’t had much sleep．Other people have a really hard time paying attention when tired, and their reactions are slow．All of these may be re
lated to the dopamine levels．However, the researchers found that higher levels of dopamine don’t remove the trouble that people have thinking and learning while sleep-deprived （缺乏睡眠的）．
55．The underlined phrase “conking out” in the second paragraph probably means ．
A．staying awake B．falling asleep C．paying attention D．falling over
56．With a higher level of dopamine, one ．
A．will not dream dreams at night B．may have trouble in falling asleep
C．can still stay awake after staying up D．can do better in learning and working
57．We can infer from the last paragraph that ．
A．not all people can react quickly after they stay up late
B．dopamine in our brain does not work when we are sleeping
C．lack of sleep has no influence on one’s learning and thinking ability
D．the higher the dopamine levels are, the less quickly one reacts
58．The passage is developed by ．
A．setting up a point and discussing it
B．giving examples and drawing a conclusion
C．pointing out similarities and differences
D．showing a fact and explaining the cause
When I was a kid, I was close to my dad, but as I grew older, my dad and I grew further apart. We always had totally different opinions. He thought that college was a waste of time, but for me it was important to finish college. He wanted me to work my way to the top as he had done in his field, but I wanted a different life. There was a time when we did not talk with each other.
A few months ago, I heard that my 84-year-old dad was in poor health. When he called and asked whether I could move from Colorado back to Tennessee to help him, I knew he was seriously ill. I am his only child and so it was time to meet my father’s requirement.
Two weeks after moving back, we bought a boat and started fishing again. Fishing was one of the few things that we did while I was young and that we both enjoyed. It is strange but true that as we are fishing we are able to put things that have kept us apart for so many years behind us. We are able to talk about things that we have never talked about before. Fishing has been healing the old wounds that have kept us apart.
It is not important how many fish we catch. It is about enjoying the relationship that we have not had for years. I’m 62 and he is 84. When we are on the lake fishing, it is like two kids enjoying life. It is far better to find a way to put the unhappy past behind. I am so lucky to spend the happy time with my father in his last years. Now my heart is filled with love. A smile always graces my lips.The author and his father became further apart because_________.
| A．they had different views on things |
| B．they lived very far from each other |
| C．they only communicated by phone |
| D．they seldom went to see each other |
What made the author come back to Tennessee?
| A．Because his father invited him to go fishing. |
| B．Because his father is ill and needs caring. |
| C．Because he decided to live in a different city. |
| D．Because he regretted being rude to his father. |
For the author, fishing with his old father_________.
| A．helps cure his father’s disease |
| B．is a good way to get close to nature |
| C．offers a chance for them to communicate |
| D．makes him realize the importance of exercise |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The writer’s car is always breaking down. |
| B．Father intended me to be a fisherman. |
| C．I was unwilling to come back. |
| D．Father used to think it was useless to attend college. |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．Forgiving Is Difficult |
| B．My Beloved Father |
| C．Memories of Old Days |
| D．Fishing Brings Us Together |
Since last year, Where Are We Going, Dad? has become the most popular TV shows. On the show, the five fathers and their children traveled around China riding camels through the western deserts, fishing on the east coast, and selling vegetables for their bus fare home in southwestern Yunnan province.
One dad doesn’t know how to do his daughter’s hair, so some people try to help him. Another one must survive with his son for three days in the desert because the father can’t cook, they only eat instant noodles.
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular? Because it is about how Chinese parents look after their kids. The show makes modern parents think about what they should do with their kids.” In traditional Chinese culture, the father is strict and the mother is kind. But on the show, we see fathers who are much gentle on their kids and more involved in their upbringing (成长).” said Li Minyi, a professor of early childhood education.
In the past, children were taught their parents’ wishes and look after them in their old age. But today Chinese parents increasingly realize that respecting their children’s choices may be a better way to prepare them for modern society. As they raise their children, parents are growing up at the same time.According to the passage, what didn’t the fathers and their children do on the show?
| A．Rode camels. |
| B．Sold vegetables. |
| C．Climbed the mountains. |
| D．Fished on the east coast. |
One father and his son only eat instant noodles because______.
| A．there aren’t ant vegetables in the desert. |
| B．they have no money to buy something to eat. |
| C．they think instant noddles are the most delicious. |
| D．the father can’t cook. |
In the fourth paragraph, the underlined word “them” refers to______.
| A．modern parents |
| B．the five fathers on the show |
| C．the parents in the past |
| D．the children in the old days |
Why is Where Are We Going, Dad? so popular?
| A．Because there are many famous stars on the show. |
| B．Because it’s about how Chinese parents raise their children. |
| C．Because it’s about how to help the poor. |
| D．Because it’s about how to sell vegetables. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Fathers are much gentle on their kids on the show. |
| B．Children were told to obey their parents’ wishes in the past. |
| C．Parents can also learn something when they raise their children. |
| D．In traditional Chinese culture, parents are both strict with their kids. |
It has been two years since China Daily last interviewed 31-year-old Zhang Chao．The micrograph enthusiast still wears the same hair style, even the same coat．
But one thing is very different: He's become a celebrity in cyberspace almost overnight, after his pictures, which show what the smog in Beijing looks like under his microscope, spread like a virus on China's major micro-blogging site Sina Weibo, since he posted them last Friday．Now the media is always interviewing him．
Zhang's apartment is on the eighth floor, which he says is perfect for capturing the thickest levels of smog．
As a Beijing native, Zhang explains his original purpose is to deconstruct Beijing's smog and expose its mystery．" People have higher and higher standards for the environment," he says," When I was a child, I was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms, so I feel Beijing's air seems much better now all in all because there are hardly any sandstorms in recent years．Now, we've noticed PM2.5, which has long been neglected．"
Although he graduated as a science major from Beijing Normal University, Zhang says it is difficult for him to give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing. Under his scope, which magnifies（放大）the sample 1,000 times, the smog is found to contain minerals, fragments of animal fur and insects, seeds and burnt dust．But many are compounds, he says, which are more difficult to identify．
Zhang realizes that he may have disappointed the public because he can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 , today's most notorious(.臭名昭著的) element in smog. It is beyond the capacity of his microscope and camera to explore such tiny grains, " You cannot imagine how splendid the micro world is" ! says Zhang Chao.Zhang Chao has become a celebrity in cyberspace because_________.
| A．he has taken many pictures of smog |
| B．he is a micrograph enthusiast |
| C．he graduated from Beijing Normal University |
| D．his smog pictures spread widely on Sina Weibo |
The underlined words " deconstruct Beijing's smog " in paragraph 4 probably mean_____.
| A．collect the smog widely |
| B．give a detailed analysis of the smog |
| C．observe the smog carefully |
| D．emphasize the importance of the smog |
According to the text, which of the following is wrong?
| A．PM2.5 has long been ignored． |
| B．PM2.5 is an element in smog． |
| C．Under the scope the smog can be identified clearly． |
| D．In recent years there are less sandstorms in Beijing． |
From the passage we can infer that _____．
| A．Zhang Chao is interested in the micro world very much |
| B．Zhang Chao can't show the inner construction of PM2.5 |
| C．Zhang Chao was annoyed by the frequent sandstorms when he was a child |
| D．Zhang Chao can give an exact definition of what smog is in Beijing |
The biggest danger facing airlines nowadays may not be a terrorist with a gun, but the man with portable computer in business class. In the last 16 years, pilots have reported well over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electromagnetic interference (电磁干扰). The source of this interference remains not proved, but increasingly, experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices such as portable computers, radio and cassette players and mobile telephones.
RTC.A. an organization which advises the aviation (航空 )industry, has suggested that all airlines ban such devices from being used during "critical" stages of flight particularly take-off and landing. Some experts have gone further, calling for a total ban during all flights. Currently , rules on using these devices are left up to individual airlines. And although some air- lines prevent passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing, most are unwilling to carry out a total ban, given that many passengers want to work during flight.
The difficulty is predicting how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft's computers. Experts know that portable devices send out radiation which affects those wavelengths which aircraft use for navigation and communication. But, because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory, they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not.
The fact that aircraft may be fragile to interference raises the risk that terrorists may use radio systems in order to damage navigation equipment. As worrying，though, is the passenger who can 't hear the instructions to turn off his radio because the music's too loud.What is said about the over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 16 years?
| A．They may have been caused by the damage to the radio systems. |
| B．They may have taken place during take-off and landing. |
| C．They were proved to have been caused by the passengers’ portable computers. |
| D．They were suspected to have resulted from electromagnetic interference. |
Why is it difficult to predict the possible effects of electromagnetic fields on an airplane 's computers?
| A．Because it is extremely dangerous to conduct such research on an airplane. |
| B．Because it remains a mystery what wavelengths are liable to be interfered with. |
| C．Because research scientists have not been able to produce the same effects in labs. |
| D．Because experts lack adequate equipment to do such research. |
Few airlines want to perform a total ban on their passengers using electronic devices because_______
| A．they don't believe there is such a danger as radio interference |
| B．the harmful effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved |
| C．most passengers refused to take a plane , which bans the use of radio and cassette players |
| D．they have other effective safety measures to fall back on |
The passage is mainly about_________.
| A．a new rule for all airlines |
| B．the disadvantages of electronic devices |
| C．a possible cause of aircraft incidents |
| D．effective safety measures for air flight |
You may not be aware, but digital currency (货币) is a big part of the Internet world. QQ Coins can buy you accessories (配饰) for your QQ images. More importantly, a new digital currency, Bitcoin, is bringing the world’s commerce online.
If you’re traveling, you can spend Bitcoins at restaurants and hotels listed at BitcoinTravel.com. In China, Bitcoins can be used to buy goods at about 134 online shops on Taobao. And at a café named 2nd Place in Beijing, you can even buy fresh coffee with Bitcoins.
So what makes Bitcoin so attractive to investors?
First of all, the Bitcoin system is not controlled by anyone. One central authority cannot make policies to change the value of Bitcoins. The fixed amount of Bitcoins also means they cannot lose value through inflation(通货膨胀), as all forms of paper money have done over time.
In addition, accounts in the Bitcoin system are anonymous and transparent. Users can set up an account easily and track every Bitcoin. All of these features seem to make Bitcoins immune(有免疫力的) from loss, but that is not entirely true.
“The value of Bitcoins can vary wildly as no central government makes the price of them steady. If the value drops suddenly, investors cannot get any compensation(赔偿),” Zhao Qingming, a senior researcher at China Construction Bank, told China Economic Weekly. And Bitcoins, unlike company shares, are not backed by any tangible funds, which also adds to their risk.
While China will not recognize the digital currency anytime soon, Xinhua said, lawmakers and officials at a hearing on Nov. 18 in the US made positive comments about Bitcoin.
Ben Bernanke, outgoing chairman of the Federal Reserve, told the Washington Post that “these types of creations, such as Bitcoin… may hold long-term promise, particularly if its system promotes a faster, more secure and more efficient payment system.”Bitcoin is ______.
| A．actually exactly like QQ Coins |
| B．only used online |
| C．a new currency used both online and in real life |
| D．a country’s new digital currency. |
We can use Bitcoin to buy the following things except ______.
| A．online goods |
| B．goods at 134 online shops on Taobao |
| C．books in physical shops |
| D．coffee at a café named 2nd Place |
What is the disadvantage of Bitcoin?
| A．the value of it can rise and fall wildly. |
| B．It cannot lose value through inflation. |
| C．Every bitcoin in your account can be followed. |
| D．It can even be used at some specific restaurants and hotels. |