Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron there is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid.
It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along. Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?
| A．They thought spinach made them strong. | B．They thought Popeye was funny. |
| C．Spinach had a lot of iron. | D．People liked folic acid. |
A research group told people that spinach____.
| A．made Popeye strong |
| B．was a green vegetable |
| C．had less iron than other green vegetables |
| D．had more iron than other green vegetables |
The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from____.
| A．iron | B．folic acid | C．spinach | D．exercise |
Folic acid is ____.
| A．something in food | B．a vegetable | C．dangerous | D．a certain kind of spinach |
The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.
Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi’s harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether.
Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels (生物燃料). The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods — tree crops, grasses and wood products — but there’s no case for the government to pay to put the world’s dinner into the gas tank.
Third, we urgently need to weather-proof the world’s crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond — which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather — can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise. An international fund based on the Malawi model would______.
| A．cost each of the developed countries $10 billion per year |
| B．give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds |
| C．decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices |
| D．aim to double the harvest in southern African countries in a year |
With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ______.
| A．we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way |
| B．it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank |
| C．it is not wise to change food crops into gas |
| D．biofuels should be developed on a large scale |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds. |
| B．A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor. |
| C．A rain-collecting pond is a simple safeguard against dry weather. |
| D．It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not. |
In the passage, the author calls on us to______.
| A．slow down but not to stop economy |
| B．act now so as to relieve the global food shortage |
| C．achieve economic growth and political stability |
| D．develop tree crops, grasses and wood products |
China news, Beijing, Feb. 9 – Housing price in China has always aroused heated discussions among property developers and ordinary Chinese. To many property developers and local government officials, housing price in China is still low compared with many developed countries. However, the average housing price in the United States is only 8,000 yuan per square meter, while in China, it is even higher than in the United States. This shows that there are some bubbles(泡沫) in Chinese real estate (房地产) market, the International Finance News reported.
Although the average price of residential houses in the United States, after converted to Renminbi, is about 8,000 yuan per square meter, the houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. If US property developers sell their houses according to the building area, then the housing price will be even lower than 8,000 yuan per square meter. In most big Chinese cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, houses are sold at a price even higher than those in the US.
The high housing sales price in large cities in China proves that Chinese real estate market does have some bubbles. Moreover, Chinese houses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. Furthermore, it should be noted that American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. How can the Chinese afford to buy a house which is even more expensive than that sold in US?
At the beginning of 2007, Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. Now in order to reduce the high housing prices, the government can regulate (控制) the real estate market by raising tax on property industry and controlling the release of loans to property developers. At the same time, the government should allow people to build more houses through various fund-raising channels, such as funds collected from buyers or raised by working units. By applying these multiple means, it is expected that the high housing prices can be lowered.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Chinese ho uses can not be compared with houses in US in terms of building quality, environment and supporting facilities. |
| B．There are more people who need houses in China than those in the United States. |
| C．The houses in US are not sold in terms of building area, as most Chinese property developers do when they sell their houses. |
| D．American people’s average income is several dozen times higher than that of Chinese people. |
What is the
main idea of this passage?
| A．The Chinese government should do something to control the housing price. | |
| B．The Chinese government issued a set of policies that aimed to benefit the public. | |
| C．The average housing price in China is even higher than in the United States. | D．There are some bubbles in Chinese real estate market. |
How many measures are mentioned in the last paragraph in order to reduce the high housing prices?
| A．Four | B．Two | C．Five | D．Three |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______
| A．Ordinary Chinese are looking forward to seeing that the high housing prices will be lowered. |
| B．There will be no bubbles in Chinese real estate after the government raises tax on property industry. |
| C．Housing price in China has lowered since 2007. |
| D．More ordinary Chinese will buy a house in America instead of in China. |
In a book called Magnificent Obsession, by Lloyd C. Douglas, a description is given of people helping others but doing it secretly. When difficult problems worried an individual, friends nearby would meet to discuss possible solutions without the individual knowing their actions. When a solution was agreed upon, one or two of the friends would carry out the plan and solve the problem secretly, to the great delight of the worried individual. The helpers would stand by privately, content with their success. No reward was given to the problem solvers, not even a sincere “thank you”, because they were never known.
This concept is popular today but in a different way. The phrase “pay it forward” is now used when one person helps another. However, the person helped may not be able to repay the person or group that helped them. So rather than return the favor to their helpers, they are supposed to help someone else in the future, which means they pay it forward. It is a sense of responsibility which makes us want to give back in equal measure to the one who has helped us. But, in this case, the responsibility turns to helping someone in the future.
Suppose your elderly grandmother pays part of your schooling. She may tell you there is no need to repay her because it is a gift from someone who loves you very much. Nothing would please her more than to have you use her money to get a good education.
You may never be able to repay her for such a gift. However, she not only gave you some money, but she provided you with an example that you should also help other people who need it.
People with serious needs are everywhere. Many are children who need better clothes, more books and even better schools. Some are elderly people who can’t afford their medicine or a doctor’s care. Consider how you can “pay it forward” rather than pay money back to your grandmother.The helpers in the book “Magnificent Obsession” were not rewarded because ________.
| A．they hadn’t solved the problems thoroughly |
| B．they expected to be paid back in the future. |
| C．they were friends of the worried individual |
| D．they had solved the problems secretly |
The underlined word “pay it forward” means ________.
| A．to repay someone who has helped you |
| B．to help someone else who needs help |
| C．to help someone who has helped you |
| D．to pay someone else who needs help |
What does the writer suggest with the example of “your elderly grandmother”?
| A．We should also lend a hand to other people in need of help. |
| B．We should work hard to get a good education. |
| C．We should learn to respect our grandparents. |
| D．We should never forget to repay people for their help. |
By writing the passage, the author wishes people in the world to be ________.
| A．honest | B．mysterious | C． unselfish | D．unforgettable |
Half a century ago, during the Sino-Japanese War, I was a student at National Southwest Associated University at Kunming in southern China, Lectures were often accompanied by the pitter-patter of rain on the tin roofs of the classrooms; that mud floors were full of holes; and wind blew through paneless windows. As for the library, it was a bare skeleton. A good reference 
book was used for years and journals usually arrived after a couple of years’ delay.
But despite such hardship, I had the best of my student days in Kunming. Although we were short of research materials, we were uncompromising（坚定的）in our pursue of knowledge and truth. I spent six years at Southwest and obtained my first and second degrees in physics here. I still value those days fervently. In fact it was at Southwest that I first came across Reader’s Digest. To me, the magazine’s insistence on perfection both in style and accuracy—as well as its celebration of life even in the face of hardship—is similar to the values I learned at Southwest.
Later, I went to the United States to study under Enrich Ferimi, the famous physicist who directed the world’s first nuclear chain reaction. One of the first things Ferimi emphasized to me was that physics shouldn’t be so overwhelming（压倒性的）that it is beyond the average man. Physics research, he said, should be connected with our daily lives and physicists should devote most of their efforts to solving practical problems. I couldn’t agree more. Indeed, I think this simple, close-to-life.
Approach applies other attempts too. Reader’s Digest is highly informative, but it is easy to read, and easy to understand, never exaggerating or mystifying. This truthful, down-to earth quality is what I treasure now.What is the author?
| A．A soldier | B．A teacher | C．An editor | D．A physicist |
Which of the following is NOT true of the National Southwest Associated University?
| A．The mud floors of the classrooms were uneven. | B．Its classroom windows had no glass. |
| C．The only thing its library had was a skeleton. | |
| D．It was short of research materials. |
What was the first thing Ferimi emphasized to the author?
| A．Physics research should be related to daily lives. |
| B．Physics should not be considered as the most important course. |
| C． Theoretical problems need solving first. |
| D．The results of physics research could be used in the national defense. |
What does the author think of Reader’s Digest?
| A．It is far from perfect in style or accuracy. |
| B．It devotes its efforts to solving practical problems. |
| C．It gives much information. |
| D．Its language is simple, but beautifully written. |
Facebook means never having to say goodbye. The social media web site has earned a reputation for reconnecting old friends. Last week, a guy whom I hadn't seen since my bachelor party five years ago sent me a friend request. I accepted and waited for him to send me a greeting of some kind. He had sought me out, after all.
I learned from his profile that he was in a relationship and had a son. However, I'm pretty sure we won’t ever write wall-to-wall, let alone e-mail each other. But he'll remain a friend of online until one of us makes a point of removing the other from his official list.
My pool of friends consists of family members, college buddies, co-workers from past and present, and friends of friends. There are 35 in all. If I spent some time uploading old e-mail addresses, I'm confident that I could increase my friend count actually.
A person could make a mission out of reconnecting with childhood friends, former classmates, distant cousins, and those one would like to get to know better. And some people can even handle hundreds of on-screen relationships, keeping up with the daily happenings of their small army of companions. After all, there are worse fates than having too many friends.
Thanks to e-mail, the inability to schedule face-to-face meetings no longer means a friendship must come to a close. But even with e-mail, people will lose touch if one or both parties stop writing back. That's normal. People move from school to school, job to job, city to city. You never have to feel guilty for breaking away.
Every day, the masterminds of Web 2. 0 find new ways of making human communication easier. However, convenience can be a crutch. Some things shouldn't be simplified. When it comes to friendship, there can be no shortcuts.According to Paragraph l, the web site is famous because _______.
| A．it has an interesting name of “Facebook” |
| B．it helps people get in touch with old friends |
| C．it can send people a greeting of some kind |
| D．it reminds people of events in the past |
From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer _______.
| A．would write to the friend quite often |
| B．asked the friend to e-mail him |
| C．did get some information about the friend |
| D．would keep in touch with the friend forever |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．There are 35 people in the author's list of friends right now. |
| B．The author communicates with all the 35 friends by e-mails. |
| C．The list of 35 friends doesn't include the old e-mail addresses. |
| D．It is not difficult for the author to increase his friend count. |
What does the author think of the convenience of communicating on line?
| A．The technology could not keep true friendship forever. |
| B．The social web site of Facebook means nothing at all. |
| C．There will be no ways of making real friends on line. |
| D．People will not lose friends with the help of the Facebook. |