How should one invest a sum of money in these days of inflation(通货膨胀)? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate．Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market (股市)．Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past．Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique (古董) clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques．
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life．“ The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound．It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands．Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people’s wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control．This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves.”
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time．Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of day according to the beating of their own hearts．They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the time．So it seems that the first clocks were human beings.
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time．They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun．They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour-glasses, and invented water-clocks．Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past.
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home．After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit ?According to the passage, collecting antique clocks___________.
| A．can hardly keep the value of your savings |
| B．will cost much of your savings |
| C．may increase your wealth |
| D．needs your bravery |
By quoting (引用) the remark (话) of a being from another planet, the author intends to ________________.
| A．suggest human beings are controlled by a clock |
| B．describes why clocks can rule the planet Earth |
| C．tell readers what clocks look like |
| D．compare clocks to human beings |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time ?
| A．Counting the beating of one’s own heart. |
| B．Making use of candles, sand and water. |
| C．Observing shadows cast by the sun. |
| D．Keeping all the slaves busy day and night. |
The underlinedphrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means ____.
| A．state-owned houses | B．houses in very good condition |
| C．grand houses open to the public | D．houses where statesmen meet regularly |
The purpose of the passage is ________________.
| A．to introduce the culture of antique clocks |
| B．to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks |
| C．to compare different ways to make a future profit |
| D．to explain convenient and reliable ways of telling time |
When I got the driving license last summer, Mom and I took our first trip around an empty parking lot. Then I found that my mother was not the best teacher for me. It wasn't that she shouted, or told me that I was doing poorly. As you can imagine, my mother's "helpful instructions" only managed to make me more nervous.
Since I could no longer practice with her, the job was placed in the hands of my father. The idea of learning from Dad was not one that thrilled me. I loved him dearly, but I just did not see Dad as someone I could be comfortable learning from. He almost never talked. We shared a typical father-daughter relationship. He'd ask how school was, and I'd say it was fine. Unfortunately, that was the most of our conversations. Spending hours alone with someone who might as well have been a stranger really scared me.
As we got into the car that first time, I was not surprised at what happened. Dad and I drove around, saying almost nothing, aside from a few instructions on how to turn. As my lessons went on, however, things began to change. Dad would turn the radio up so I could fully appreciate his favorite Stones music. And he actually began talking. I was soon hearing about past failed dates, "basic body" gym class, and other tales from his past, including some of his first meeting with Mom.
Dad’s sudden chattiness was shocking until I thought about why he was telling me so much in the car. In all the years that I had wondered why my father never spoke that much, I had never stopped to consider that it was because I had never bothered to listen. Homework, friends, and even TV had all called me away from him, and, consequently, I never thought my quiet father had anything to say.
Since I began driving with him, my driving skill has greatly increased. More important, though, is that my knowledge of who my father is has also increased. Just living with him wasn't enough—it took driving with him for me to get to know someone who was a mystery.The author couldn't practice driving with her mother because .
| A．she couldn't talk with her mother |
| B．her mother made her nervous |
| C．her father wanted to teach her |
| D．she didn't trust her mother |
At first, the idea of learning driving from her father made her .
| A．happy | B．disappointed |
| C．satisfied | D．uneasy |
What surprised the author when the driving lessons went on?
| A．Her Dad was a chatty person. |
| B．Her Dad was the best teacher. |
| C．Her Dad liked modern music. |
| D．Her Dad told her his sad stories. |
With her story "Car Talk", the author indicates that .
| A．fathers love their daughters dearly |
| B．family members need real communication |
| C．mothers are less patient than fathers |
| D．it takes time to improve the father-daughter relationship |
8:30 PM
Outlook
Outlook is back with a new series of reports to keep you up to date with all that’s new in the world of entertainment. Stories go all the way from the technical to the romantic, from stage to screen. There will be reports of the stars of the moment, the stars of the future and the stars of the past. The director with his new film, the designer with the latest fashion, and the musician with the popular song are part of the new Outlook. The program is introduced by Fran Levine.
9:00 PM
Discovery
When a 10 -year –old boy gets a first class degree in mathematics or an 8-year- old plays chess like a future grand master, they are considered as geniuses. Where does the quality of genius come from? Is it all in the genes or can any child be turned into a genius? And if parents do have a child who might become a genius in the future, what should they do ? In this 30-minute film, Barry Johnson, the professor at School of Medicine, New York University will help you discover the answer.
10:00 PM
Science/Health
Is it possible to beat high blood pressure without drugs? The answer is “yes”, according to the researchers at Johns Hopkins and three other medical centers. After a study of 800 persons with high blood pressure, they found that after 6 months, those devoted to weight-loss exercise and eating a low-salt, low-fat food lost about 13 pounds and became fitter. Plus, 35% of them dropped into the “normal” category. This week, Dr. Alan Duckworth will tell you how these people reduce their blood pressure to a level similar to what’s achieved with Hypertension drugs. From Outlook, you can get a great deal of information about _____________.
| A．famous stars | B．story tellers |
| C．film companies | D．music fans |
Who will be most probably interested in Discovery?
| A．Parents who want to send their children to a school of medicine. |
| B．Children who are good at mathematics. |
| C．Parents who want their child to become another Albert Einstein. |
| D．Children who are interested in playing chess. |
According to the third text, which of the following has almost the same effect as Hypertension drug?
| A．Low-salt and low –fat food. |
| B．Loss of thirteen pounds in weight |
| C．Six months of exercise without drugs. |
| D．Exercise plus a healthy diet. |
How to stick to your own opinion in socializing ?
When it comes to your life , the opinion of others should matter very little . I am not talking about your friends and family , but others who have no importance in your reality – like your social peers and others like them . They are unimportant to your life , and yet you secretly struggle for approval at the cost of your own . Remember , your opinion is king .
Start by being your true self . Allowing your true self to appear and connect with people on a more real level helps them in turn do the same with you . There is openness and honesty in the interaction . At the end of the day this is what we all want – the joy of true and meaningful connections .
Next , evaluate your decisions . Are they representing who you are or are they the result of other people’s opinion ? Practice your ability not to be affected by pressure and learn to take nothing personally . When we are bothered by outer criticisms , it influences and changes our behavior . Don’t look to others for guidance on how to behave . Don’t look for approval . If you don’t need approval , you won’t have a reason to try to impress people or be impressed by them .
And finally , be real in EVERY situation . As you express your real self , others will think highly of you and the few who don’t – don’t matter anyway . Be willing to be judged , and then not take it to heart . If all this is a bit scary , then start small . Rather than not caring at all what others think , start by just caring a little less . No one outside your inner circle should get a vote or pass judgment or have influence on how you live your life .The text is especially helpful for those who want to __________ .
| A．enlarge friend circle |
| B．speak highly of others |
| C．remain unaffected by others’ opinions |
| D．develop the ability to make wise decisions |
Being real can help people __________ .
| A．get honest relations | B．gain courage |
| C．take nothing too personal | D．avoid criticisms |
What are people advised to do in order to stick to their opinions in socializing ?
| A．Care about no one’s opinion . |
| B．Look for guidance on behaviors . |
| C．Impress people by making changes . |
| D．Start by taking others’ judgment less seriously . |
There seems to be a general assumption that brilliant people cannot stand routine ; that they need a varied , exciting life in order to do their best . It is also assumed that dull people are particularly suited for dull work . We are told that the reason the present-day young complain so loudly about the dullness of jobs is that they are better educated and brighter than the young of the past .
Actually , there is no evidence that people who achieve a lot desire , let alone live , colorful lives . The opposite is nearer the truth . Einstein worked out his theory of relativity while serving as a clerk in a Swiss patent office . Immanuel Kant’s（康德）daily life was a dull routine . The housewives of Konigsberg set their clocks when they saw him pass , on his way to the university . He took the same walk each morning , rain or shine . The greatest distance Kant ever traveled was sixty miles from Konigsberg .
It may be true that work on the assembly line（流水线）dulls the abilities and empties the mind , and the cure is only fewer hours of work at higher pay . But during fifty years as a workingman , I have found dull routine coexisting with an active mind . While doing dull , repetitive work by the water , I could talk with my partners and compose sentences in my mind , all at the same time . Chances are that had my work been too interesting I could not have done any thinking and composing at work or even on my own time after returning from work .
People who find dull jobs unbearable are often dull people who do not know what to do with themselves at leisure . Children and mature people will get used to dull routine , while the adolescent , who has lost the child’s ability for concentration and is without the inner resources of the mature , needs excitement and novelty to get rid of boredom . It can be inferred from Paragraph 2 that __________ .
| A．great minds hate to live colorful lives |
| B．Einstein worked out his theory in a university |
| C．Kant only took the same walk on rainy and sunny days |
| D．Kant might pass Konigsberg every day at the same time |
How does the author feel about his repetitive work by the water ?
| A．It made his mind empty . |
| B．It was well-paid but too demanding . |
| C．It worked well with his active mind . |
| D．It was too interesting to think of anything else . |
The reasons why youngsters dislike dull work include the following EXCEPT that they __________ .
| A．are not mature enough |
| B．think themselves smart |
| C．often complain about others |
| D．don’t know how to spend spare time |
What is the purpose of the passage ?
| A．To argue for the benefits of dull work . |
| B．To present some facts about dull work . |
| C．To share his own dull working experience . |
| D．To persuade young people to live a dull life . |
Ever wonder why sometimes a hug is all you need ? You can’t explain it , but there’s just something comforting about being in your wife’s arms after a rough day or giving mom a hug after a long time apart .
A new study says the warm feeling in a hug is more than just skin deep . Researchers from the University of California , Berkeley believe that this loving feeling could have anti-aging benefits .
Oxytocin , sometimes referred to as the “ love hormone（荷尔蒙）” or the “ trust hormone , ” is responsible for those indescribable feelings we get when we’re bonding with a lover or a loved one .
Levels of the hormone drop as we age , and evidence suggests that could be a contributing factor to the deterioration of our bodies as we age . Muscle loss in particular is one of the major side effects of aging , with our bodies losing up to 5 percent of our muscle mass each decade past our 30s .
In the study , published in the journal Nature Communications , researchers injected oxytocin into older mice with muscle damage . The older mice had lower levels of the homeone than younger mice initially . But after nine days , the older mice who were given the hormone healed better than those who did not . In fact , their ability to repair muscle damage was up to 80 percent that of the younger mice .
The results were not only fast-acting , but provide hope for future uses of the hormone in a variety of anti-aging capacities . “ This is good because it demonstrates that extra oxytocin improves aged tissue stem cells（组织干细胞）without making muscle stem cells divide uncontrollably , ” study co-author Wendy Cousins said in a statement .
Previous uses of anti-aging molecules have also been associated with higher cancer risk , but researchers are hopeful that oxytocin can be useful in humans without this risk . In the future , researchers of Berkeley say oxytocin could be used to fight other age-related health issues by improving bone health and even being used as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy .
Now go out and give someone a hug .According to the passage , oxytocin __________ .
| A．decreases when people get older |
| B．creates loving feeling on the skin |
| C．leads to the great loss of muscles |
| D．can be used in humans without any risk |
The underlined word “ deterioration ” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to the state of __________ .
| A．getting fatter | B．becoming worse or less |
| C．growing stronger | D．dividing uncontrollably |
What can be learned from the research ?
| A．All the older mice healed faster in the research . |
| B．Older mice healed better than younger ones after 9 days . |
| C．Extra oxytocin in older mice controlled muscle cell division . |
| D．Mice with oxytocin injection improved the ability to repair muscle damage . |
What can be a suitable title for the passage ?
| A．When Do We Need A Hug ? |
| B．A New Anti-aging Product |
| C．Hugs Having Healing Power |
| D．How Can We Grow Muscles ? |