Today is my first day at Merchiston Castle School,and I was really nervous about it, because I have never visited the school before and didn’t take any summer course. Despite my anxiety,I soon relaxed once I arrived; the staff were so nice that I felt my spoken English was better than it actually was! As soon as I walked into the dayroom of my boarding house,I was absolutely(完全地) amazed by the friendly atmosphere; everyone was so friendly that a boy as shy as I had no difficulty in setting in,and I made many new friends on my very first day,although I was struggling to remember all the names.
Also I realized there were other international students in the house from all over the world,such as South Korea,Japan and Russia.Although their English was not so fluent,it didn’t take long for us to understand each other at all.In some ways,it was even better to practice Enlgish by speaking to the international students,because we were both learning.
As a boarder,the quality of food is something I consider very important,and Merchiston has not let me down.The school kitchens are run by a professional catering company,and the quality of food is excellent,also they take the issue of a healthy diet really seriously.I remember once I was asked to take more salad for my meal by a member of the kitchen staff for I did not have enough vegetables.This brings to another point of being a boarder:you need to learn how to look after yourself and be responsible for yourself.One of the huge advantages of being a boarder is that we can have breakfast in the school,which means we don’t have to pull ourselves out of the bed as early as the daypupils!Why was the writer nervous when he was at Merchiston Castle School on the first day?
| A．Because he had no friends and relatives there. |
| B．Because he didn’t know the school well. |
| C．Because he was not good at English. |
| D．Because he was shy. |
On the first day, .
| A．though the writer was anxious,he soon relaxed |
| B．he found the dayroom of his boarding house terrible |
| C．he made many new friends,but he didn’t remember any of their names |
| D．he thought he spoke English better than the staff in the school |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．In the boarding house,there are only students from South Korea,Japan and Russia. |
| B．The international students in the boarding house don’t speak Englsih very fluently. |
| C．The food in Merchiston doesn’t make the writer disappiointed. |
| D．The professional catering company thinks the issue of a healthy diet is very important. |
The underlined word“boarder”in the first paragraph means“ ”.
| A．a student who is from abroad | B．a student who lives at school |
| C．a student who is good at English | D．a student who used to be shy |
Watching television makes it easier for toddlers (学步的孩子) to kick and scream, according to a US study.Children under two should not watch any TV.The longer they sit in front of TV，the worse their behavior becomes.
Just having the TV on in the background, even if the child wasn't watching it，was also connected to troublemaking behavior although the relationship wasn't as strong, said the researchers.
“Parents should be smart about TV use，”researcher Jennifer Manganello from the University at Albany, New York, said.
“They should limit the time that children use TV, pay attention to the content of TV programs，and consider how TV is used throughout the home.”
The study looked at 3,128 women from 20 US cities who had a child between 2005 and 2008.
While there was some diversity(差异) of education among the women，onethird hadn't graduated from high school.
Twothirds of the mothers said their threeyearold children watched more than two hours of TV a day，and the average viewing time for children was around three hours.On average，the TV was on for about five additional hours on a common day.
After accounting for factors(因素) such as living in a violent neighborhood，scientists also found watching TV was strongly connected to behavior such as hitting others，having angry moods，being disobedient(不服从的)，and screaming a lot.
The researchers thought that children may see violence on TV，and spend less time on positive development tasks such as reading or playing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests no TV at all for children at two and younger，and two hours a day or less for older kids.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children should choose positive programs. |
| B．Watching TV can make children violent. |
| C．Children should keep away from TV. |
| D．Parents should watch less TV. |
What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
| A．Children can watch good programs. |
| B．Children will be affected as long as the TV is on. |
| C．It's OK that the TV is on if children don't watch it. |
| D．Children's troublemaking behavior is mainly caused by watching TV. |
What can be learned about the study between 2005 and 2008 from the passage?
| A．The women studied have different jobs. |
| B．The TV was on for about three hours. |
| C．Most women allowed their children to watch TV. |
| D．Most women studied hadn't graduated from high school. |
Children who spend much time watching TV will ________.
| A．become easily angry |
| B．be influenced by others |
| C．be popular with others |
| D．know more about the neighborhood |
Heroes of Our Time
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship (奖学金)to study medicine—but Coach (教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea.Dikembe became a star in the NBA，and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth，or the duty to share his fortune with others.He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this goodhearted man：“Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie AignerClark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipments, and began filming children's videos (录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born，and in just five years her business grew to more than $ 20 million in sales.And she is using her success to help others—producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.Julie says of her new programs, “I believe it's the most important thing that I have ever done.I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train.With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails(铁轨)，and held him as the train passed right above their heads.He insists he's not a hero. He says，“We have got to show each other some love.”What was Mutombo praised for?
A．Being a star in the NBA.
B．Being a student of medicine.
C．His work in the church.
D．His willingness to help the needy.Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is ________.
| A．helpful to his personal development |
| B．something he should do for his homeland |
| C．a chance for his friends to share his money |
| D．a way of showing his respect to the NBA |
What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
| A．Produce safety equipments for children. |
| B．Make videos to help protect children. |
| C．Sell children's music and artwork. |
| D．Look for missing and exploited children. |
Why was Wesley/Autrey praised as a hero?
| A．He helped a man get across the rails. |
| B．He stopped a man from destroying the rails. |
| C．He protected two little girls from getting hurt. |
| D．He saved a person without considering his own safety. |
Every fall, like clockwork, Linda Krentz of Beaverton, Oregon, felt her brain go on strike. “I just couldn’t get going in the morning,” she says. “I’d get depressed and gain 10 pounds every winter and lose them again in the spring.” Then she read about seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression that occurs in fall and winter, and she saw the light-literally. Every morning now she turns on a specially constructed light box for half an hour and sits in front of it to trick her brain into thinking it’s still enjoying those long summer days. It seems to work.
Krentz is not alone. Scientists estimate that 10 million Americans suffer from seasonal depression and 25 million more develop milder versions. But there’s never been definitive proof that treatment with very bright lights makes a difference. After all, it’s hard to do a double-blind test when the subjects can see for themselves whether or not the light is on. That’s why nobody has ever separated the real effects of light therapy from placebo(安慰剂) effects.
Until now. In three separate studies published last month, researchers report not only that light therapy works better than a placebo but that treatment is usually more effective in the early morning than in the evening. In two of the groups, the placebo problem was resolved by telling patients they were comparing light boxes to a new anti-depressant device that emits negatively charged ions. The third used the timing of light therapy as the control.
Why does light therapy work? No one really knows. “Our research suggests it has something to do with shifting the body’s internal clock,” says psychiatrist Dr. Lewey. The body is programmed to start the day with sunrise, he explains, and this gets later as the days get shorter. But why such subtle shifts make some people depressed and not others is a mystery.
That hasn’t stopped thousands of winter depressives from trying to heal themselves. Light boxes for that purpose are available without a doctor’s prescription. That bothers psychologist Michael Terman of Columbia University. He is worried that the boxes may be tried by patients who suffer from mental illness that can’t be treated with light. Terman has developed a questionnaire to help determine whether expert care is needed.
In any event, you should choose a respectable manufacturer. Whatever product you use should emit only visible light, because ultraviolet light damages the eyes. If you are photosensitive, you may develop a rash. Otherwise, the main drawback is having to sit in front of the light for 30 to 60 minutes in the morning. That’s an inconvenience many winter depressives can live with.What is the probable cause of Krentz’s problem?
| A．An unexpected gain in body weight. |
| B．Unexplained impairment of her nervous system. |
| C．Weakening of her eyesight with the setting in of winter. |
| D．Poor adjustment of her body clock to seasonal changes. |
By saying that Linda Krentz saw the light” (Line 4, Para. 1), the author means that she _______.
| A．learned how to lose weight |
| B．realized what her problem was |
| C．came to see the importance of light |
| D．felt sleepy and blue |
What is the CURRENT view concerning the treatment of seasonal depression with bright lights?
| A．Its effect remains to be seen. |
| B．It serves as a kind of placebo. |
| C．It proves to be an effective therapy. |
| D．It hardly produces any effects. |
What is psychologist Michael Terman’s major concern?
| A．Winter depressives will be addicted to using light boxes. |
| B．No mental patients would bother to consult psychiatrists. |
| C．Inferior light boxes will emit harmful ultraviolet lights. |
| D．Light therapy could be beyond the tolerance of certain mental patients. |
When we worry about who might be spying on our private lives, we usually think about the Federal agents. But the private sector outdoes the government every time. It’s Linda Tripp, not the FBI, who is facing charges under Maryland’s laws against secret telephone taping. It’s our banks, not the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), that pass our private financial data to telemarketing firms.
Consumer activists are pressing Congress for better privacy laws without much result so far. The legislators lean toward letting business people track our financial habits virtually at will.
As an example of what’s going on, consider U.S. Bancorp, which was recently sued for deceptive practices by the state of Minnesota. According to the lawsuit, the bank supplied a telemarketer called Member Works with sensitive customer data such as names, phone numbers, bank-account and credit-card numbers, social security numbers, account balances and credit limits.
With these customer lists in hand, Member Works started dialing for dollars-selling dental plans, videogames, computer software and other products and services. Customers who accepted a “free trial offer” had 30 days to cancel. If the deadline passed, they were charged automatically through their bank or credit-card accounts. U.S. Bancorp collected a share of the revenues.
Customers were doubly deceived, the lawsuit claims. They didn’t know that the bank was giving account numbers to Member Works. And if customers asked, they were led to think the answer was no.
The state sued Member Works separately for deceptive selling. The company denies that it did anything wrong. For its part, U.S. Bancorp settled without admitting any mistakes. But it agreed to stop exposing its customers to nonfinancial products sold by outside firms. A few top banks decided to do the same. Many other banks will still do business with Member Works and similar firms.
And banks will still be mining data from your account in order to sell you financial products, including things of little value, such as credit insurance and credit-card protection plans.
You have almost no protection from businesses that use your personal accounts for profit. For example, no federal law shields “transaction and experience” information-mainly the details of your bank and credit-card accounts. Social Security numbers are for sale by private firms. They’ve generally agreed not to sell to the public. But to businesses, the numbers are an open book. Self-regulation doesn’t work. A firm might publish a privacy-protection policy, but who enforces it?
Take U.S. Bancorp again. Customers were told, in writing, that “all personal information you supply to us will be considered confidential.” Then it sold your data to Member Works. The bank even claims that it doesn’t “sell” your data at all. It merely “shares” it and reaps a profit. Now you know.Contrary to popular belief, the author finds that spying on people’s privacy ________.
| A．is practiced exclusively by the FBI |
| B．is more common in business circles |
| C．has been intensified with the help of the IRS |
| D．is mainly carried out by means of secret taping |
We know from the passage that ________.
| A．the state of Minnesota is considering drawing up laws to protect private information |
| B．most states are turning a blind eye to the deceptive practices of private businesses |
| C．legislators are acting to pass a law to provide better privacy protection |
| D．lawmakers tend to give a free hand to businesses to inquire into customers’ buying habits |
When the “free trial” deadline is over, you’ll be charged without notice for a product or service if ________.
| A．you happen to reveal your credit card number |
| B．you fail to cancel it within the specified period |
| C．you fail to apply for extension of the deadline |
| D．you find the product or service unsatisfactory |
Businesses do not regard information concerning personal bank accounts as private because ________.
| A．it is considered “transaction and experience” information is not protected by law |
| B．it has always been considered an open secret by the general public |
| C．its sale can be brought under control through self-regulation |
| D．its revelation will do no harm to consumers under the current protection policy |
It is love that makes the world go round. And it is also love that has such power to overcome all difficulties. So we say: “Love will find a way.” As smile is a facial expression showing pleasure, affection, and friendliness, it is the commonest way to show our good will perfectly without saying anything. A Chinese saying runs: “never hit a person who is smiling at you.” It is a time-proven fact that the smile is a language all its own— a universal language—understood by the people of every nation in the world. We may not speak the same tongue as our foreign neighbors, but we smile in the same tongue. We need no interpreter for thus expressing love, happiness, or good will.
One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality contradicted mine. He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. My anger toward that grew with each step. Outside, standing at the corner, was a dark-complexion young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, dazzling smile covered his face. I gave in immediately. The magnetic power of that shining smile drove away all bitterness within me, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding. “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked, in passing. Then, suddenly something inside me sent me turning back. “I really owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. “Carlos, he no speak English,” she volunteered. “You want I should tell him something?” In that moment I felt transformed. Carlos’ smile had made a big person of me. My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stood ten feet tall. “Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said ‘Thank you!’” “Thank you?” The woman seemed slightly puzzled. I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He’ll understand. I am sure!” Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning.
From that day on, I became smile – conscious, and I practice that diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody. When I got excited in traffic, taking the right–of–way (公路用地) from the other car with my stupid mistake, I’d smile and shrug my shoulders apologetically. This action on my part would always draw a good–natured smile in return. If the other fellow was at fault – and if I could remember my resolution in time! – he’d get a broad smile of understanding. This took a bit of doing at first. I’ll admit it wasn’t always easy, but it was fun. The results were sometimes amazing. Many times, a broad, friendly smile would completely turn aside ill–feeling and tension. I’m wondering now how many tragic accidents could be avoided on our overcrowded highways, if every driver remembered to smile!The author got angry while shopping one day because .
| A．of the clerk’s unfriendliness and lack of concern |
| B．of her misfortune |
| C．she failed to purchase what she intended |
| D．a dark–complexion young man laughed at her |
From the conversation between the author and the Mexican woman, we can infer that the woman .
| A．was well–educated but unwilling to help others |
| B．was able to speak English |
| C．knew some English and was ready to help others |
| D．was familiar with the young man |
In the author’s opinion, if all people remembered to smile when driving, .
| A．many traffic accidents could be avoided |
| B．they would receive a good natural smile in return |
| C．they could get a broad smile of understanding |
| D．they wouldn’t feel any tension |
The best title for this passage could be .
| A．The Art of Smiling | B．The Universal Language |
| C．The Power of Love | D．The Magic Power of Friendship |