Memory， they say， is a matter of practice and exercise. If you have the wish and really make a conscious （有意识的） effort， then you can quite easily improve your ability to remember things. But even if you are successful， there are times when your memory seems to play tricks on you.
Sometimes you remember things that really did not happen. One morning last week， for example， I got up and found that I had left the front door unlocked all night， yet I clearly remembered locking it carefully the night before.
Memory “tricks” work the other way as well. Once in a while you remember not doing something and then find out that you did. One day last month， for example，I was sitting in a barbershop（理发店） waiting for my turn to get a haircut， and suddenly I realized that I had got a haircut two days before at the barbershop across the street from my office.
We always seem to find something funny and interesting in incidents（事件） caused by people’s forgetfulness or absent-mindedness. Stories about absent-minded professors have been told for years. Unfortunately， however， absent-mindedness is not always funny. There are times when “tricks” of our memory can cause us great trouble.If you want to have a good memory， _____.
| A．you should ask someone else to help you to remember things |
| B．you should make a conscious effort to practice and exercise |
| C．you should never stop learning |
| D．you should try hard to remember things |
In the passage， the writer seems to tell us _____.
| A．forgetting things is serious and dangerous |
| B．always forgetting things is understandable |
| C．forgetting things at times is natural |
| D．the ways to protect yourself from memory “tricks” |
The best title for this passage is“_____”.
| A．How to Get a Good Memory |
| B．Tricks’ of Memory |
| C．The Danger of Forgetfulness and Absent-mindedness |
| D．Get Rid of Absent-mindedness |
四、阅读理解
When I was a stay-at-home mom, there were times I wished I could buy some beautiful flowers, but the money that they would cost was needed in the home. When I walked into town with the family, my youngest daughter, Lily, would always carry a flower stem(花梗). That’s how she got the nickname “Stick Girl”
One day when we passed the flower lady with Lily, the flower lady smiled at her and said, “Come here. I have something for you.” She handed her a beautiful flower. Lily dropped the stem and held on to that flower until we came back home. We placed it in water and enjoyed the beauty of that flower along with the feelings of warmth and kindness from the flower lady.
My neighbors would run to her to get a bouquet of flowers whenever they wanted to, and I used to give directions(为人指路) using the flower lady. I would say, “Walk for three blocks. You’ll see the flower lady. Turn right at that street.”
My mom visits me each year. On her first summer visit this year, she looked at me and asked, “Where’s the flower lady?”
I had no idea. The flower lady had been an icon(偶像) for me for 16 years, but now she wasn’t there any more.
I went on a search and soon found her in another spot, at the Harbor Loop. I was glad to see her and I had to tell her that she was missed!
I have a garden which I admire very much now. Every time I see those bright colors when I come home after a day of work, I remember the generosity of a dear old lady whom I only know as the flower lady.
41. When the flower lady gave Lily a flower, Lily _____.
A. accepted it happily
B. paid for it and walked home quickly
C. accepted it and forgot that other people were laughing at her
D. felt sorry for not being able to pay for it
42. Why did the author give directions using the flower lady?
A. Because the flower lady used to give her daughter many flowers.
B. Because she felt grateful for the flower lady’s generosity and warmth.
C. Because her neighbors usually bought flowers from the flower lady.
D. Because the flower lady ran the flower shop with her and her mother.
43. From the passage, we know that _____.
A. it was the flower lady who taught the author how to grow flowers
B. the author didn’t know the flower lady’s address or name
C. the flower lady used to sell flowers in one place all the time
D. the flower lady might keep on offering the author flowers
44. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. The Stick GirlB. Beautiful Flowers
C. The Flower Lady D. Buying Flowers
People across America are lining up at doctor’s offices, hospitals, and even shopping streets hoping to receive a flu shot .However, many of them have returned home without one.
This year’s flu season is starting early and it’s already spreading quickly .Officials said that the flu has now spread to 50states.That’s why the flu shot isn’t easy to find.
Help will soon be on its way .A manufacturer of the will ship 100,000 doses for adults, and 150,000for children soon. Although this could be one of the worst flu outbreaks in years, experts say that the flu is not a very serious disease for most people.
“We don’t need to fear or worry that something very bad will happen,” said the director of Centers for Disease control and Prevention.” Most of us will get through this fine.”
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Many public hospitals only give the vaccine to the elderly, children under two , and people with bad health problems. Chris Rikon, a mother in Maryland, was able to find a shot for her 13-month –old daughter , but not her two-year-old son.
“I would have felt better if both of them bad been able to get the shots.” Rikon said.The well－known Rushmore National Monument in the United States is built on the Rush Moore Peak，1829 meters above sea level，of the Black Hills in the south－west of South Dakota. It is a group of huge stone statues of four American presidents，George Washington，Thomas Jefferson，Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. President Washington is the founding father of the country；the 3rd President Jefferson drafted the U. S. Declaration of Independence；the 16th President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation and the26th President Roosevelt protected the average people’s right to compete fairly with trusts. All 1829 meters above sea level， made outstanding achievements for their country. They were pioneers of U. S. history.
The stone statues of presidents were built at the suggestion of an historian in the State of Dakota，with a view to carrying forward the U. S. pioneering spirit everlastingly.
The statues are 18meters high. They are the highest and greatest realistic stone statues in the world，taller than a 6－storied building and larger than the Great Sphinx of Egypt. The size of each head is 20sq mt，with a 20-meter- long face，a 7-meter -long nose，a 2.6-meter- wide mouth and two 1.5-meter -wide eyes. Though not facing the same direction，they are all lifelike and look ahead gravely in harmony with fixed gazes. On clear days，one can have a sight of the four presidents with their firm and steady expression at a distance of dozens of kilometers.
Since the stone sculpture is unique in style，the Monument is now the U. S. National Art Centre of Popular Education. Groups of people keep streaming everyday to the site for a visit and tourists across the world are also interested in taking a view of this great Monument.
52．Which statement is false according to the first paragraph?
A．The famous Rushmore National Monument is 1829 meters above sea level
B．All the four presidents made great contributions to London.
C．the group of statues are made of huge stones
D．The statues are built to honor the presidents in the U.S
53．Why were those four presidents chosen ?because the four presidents_____.
A．made great contributions to their country B．were pioneers of US history
C．played an important role in the different periods of the American history
D．all of the above
54．What are the statues like?
A .They look like a 6-storied building
B．They are like the great Sphinx of Egypt
C．They are like true men standing there
D．They are lifelike , looking ahead with fixed gazes
55．For what groups of people across the world come to visit the Monument? They come___.
A．to learn the U.S pioneering spirit B．to look back upon the history of the U.S
C．to learn the art of sculpture D．to enjoy the view of the Monument
56．The proper title of the paragraph may be ____.
A．The stone sculpture B．the Spirit of the USA
C．A Place of Interest D．Four Presidents of America
Go ahead，talk to your dog.
As many a dog owner will prove, our furry friends are listening. Now, for the doubters, there is scientific proof that they understand much of what they hear. A border collie called Rico can fetch at least 200 objects by name， researchers in Germany say. The dog also appears to learn words for new objects as easily as a 3-year-old child would. Its word-learning skill is as good as that of a parrot or chimpanzee.
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them randomly into 20 sets of 10 objects each. The dog waited with one of his owners in one room, while an experimenter put a set of 10 objects into another room. Then, the owner told the dog to fetch one of the items. The dog had to go to the other room and bring the object back.
In four trials, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. Because the dog couldn't see anyone to get visual clues about what to bring back, the scientists concluded that he must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names he already knew. The dog's owner then told him to fetch the object, using a word Rico had never heard.
In 7 out of 10 trials, Rico picked the right object, suggesting that he figured out the answer by process of elimination. A month later, he remembered half of the new names, which further impressed the researchers.
Rico is probably smarter than the average dog, the scientists say. For one thing, he's a border collie, a breed known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to retrieve toys by their names since he was 9 months old.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your pup every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
48．The passage is probably taken from a book on _____
A．pets B．environment C．culture D．nutrition
49．It is implied that ____
A．Rico is probably cleverer than the average dog
B．Only a few dogs can talk back to its owner
C．if a chimpanzee is trained ,it can also recognize the names of objects
D．All dogs can understand words
50．How long is it since Rico’s owner began to train him?
A．nine months B．3years C．over nine years D．more than eight years
51．Rico can do all the following except _____
A．understanding the meanings of certain words.
B．picking the right object by process of elimination
C．remembering all of the new names he learned D．retrieving toys by their names
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This booklet is designed to help you and your family plan for and survive a major earthquake. By taking action to be prepared, you can lessen the impact of an earthquake on your family. Set aside some emergency supplies, and teach your family what to do at home during and after a disaster. You could be without help for up to 72 hours, so learn to cope for at least that long.
Movement of the ground is seldom the actual cause of death or injury. Most casualties（意外） result from partial building collapse and falling objects and debris, like toppling chimneys, falling bricks, ceiling plaster, and light fixtures. Many of these conditions are easily preventable.