Parents are often amazed at how fast their child grows and develops. New research has determined that the ability to quantify may develop much sooner than most parents realize.
Kristy vanMarle, professor of the University of Missouri, has determined that contrary to what previous studies have shown, infants（婴儿）are able to quantify substances（物质）—like sand or water—as early as 10 months. As long as the difference between the two substances is large enough, infants will choose the larger amount, especially when it comes to food.
With the assistance of her team researchers, vanMarle tested the quantifying skills of babies by presenting them with two cups: one containing a small amount of food, and one containing a larger amount. Consistently, the babies chose the larger amount.
“Several studies throughout the last 15 years have shown that infants are very good at telling how many objects they see; however, infants don’t seem to count things like water or sand,” vanMarle said. “What we’re saying is that they can quantify substances; it’s just much harder. The infants can see how much food goes into each cup and compare that in their memories. They decide which amount is larger, and they almost always select the larger one.”
This information further refutes（驳斥）the long-held idea that babies “know nothing of the world,” vanMarle said.
“Since psychologists have begun studying infants with sensitive measures, we’ve discovered a lot of early abilities. I think for parents, it should be exciting to know that there’s somebody in there that has some fundamental and basic knowledge of the world, and that knowl
edge is guiding their development,” vanMarle said.
In the future, vanMarle says this kind of study could be linked to a child’s progress in math-related skills, although programs marketed to increase those abilities, such as “Baby Einstein,” still have mixed reviews when it comes to academic study. The quantifying ability refers to the ability to .
| A．choose between different substances |
| B．get much knowledge of the world |
| C．describe the quantity of something |
| D．obtain math-related skills |
What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?
| A．The process of doing research. |
| B．The scientific findings. |
| C．The final choice of infants.] |
| D．The observation of infants’ behavior. |
Babies choose the larger amount of food .
A．by saying numbe rs |
B．with the help of parents |
| C．on personal preference | D．through their natural abilities |
We can learn from the text that .
| A．some parents don’t care about their kids |
| B．people used to think the world is known to babies |
| C．little research has been done on infants |
| D．scholars disagree on baby-training programs |
What’s the best title of the text?
| A．Breakthrough in Baby Studies |
| B．Amazing Baby-training Ideas |
| C．Early Human Abilities |
| D．Unique Quantifying Methods |
Chinese people are now living happier and longer than before. According to the latest study, the number of people over 60 years old is 130 million, making up 10 percent of the whole population, and increases at a rate of 3 percent per year. This marks that China has stepped into the aged society. It is the Chinese tradition to respect, love, support, and help old people, and the aging problem has received more and more attention from the society.
China has built the system to protect and serve old people’s legal (法律的) rights and interests, gradually developed social insurance, public health services and social welfare (福利) projects for old people, and als
o applied the minimum living standard protection (最低生活保障) system for the aged who are unable to work and receive no supports. Now, China is bringing the aging problem into the work of sustainable (持续的) development according to China’s conditions, to build and develop a social security system for old people, set up a system combined with the state, collectives (集体) and families to solve the problem of “the elderly should be provided for”. The life of China’s old people is more colorful along with the fast and sound economic development of the country.
Old people in today’s China who don’t have to consider their food and clothing hope to live more colorfully. The happy psychology (心态) of the aged makes them thir
sty for knowledge. Strong and healthy old people can be seen everywhere of the country. They learn new knowledge, surf the Internet, practice handwriting and drawing, and take part in fashion shows, exercises and entertainments. Their active and sound living attitude encourages the youth around and they are in fact an important role in ensuring a stable and peaceful society.The underlined part “thirsty for” (in the last paragraph) means “________”.
| A．want to drink water | B．feel hungry | C．want to learn | D．want to teach |
Which of the following is NOT the author’s idea?
| A．China has entered an aged society. |
| B．All people in the society should care for the old. |
| C．Old people’s active living ways have a good effect on the young. |
| D．The society hasn’t done enough for old people. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to respect old people | B．Old people’s life in China |
| C．Old people’s problem | D．Old people’s wishes |
From the passage we can know that the author is ________ about the aging problem in China.
| A．disappointed | B．hopeful | C．worried | D．doubtful |
根据短文内容，从下框的A~F选项中选出能概括每一段主题的最佳选项。选项中有一项为多余项。
A. Bollywood pays great attention to traditional values.
B. Bollywood is lees famous than Hollywood, and yet it produces the most films in the world.
C. Bollywood films are full of ideal things and free of daily worries.
D. Bollywood is a decent refreshing replacement for those over-stimulating Hollywood films.
E. Bollywood has gradually won its reputation on the world stage.
F. Bollywood films are mostly comic romances with light-hearted incidental music.
Hollywood movies 
are regularly filled with sex and violence. They can be exciting films but sometimes all you want is a little light-hearted entertainment.____ Have you heard of Bollywood? All singing, all dancing and unrealistic, it is the perfect alternative to normal Hollywood movies. Bollywood is the Indian film industry, based in Mumbai, formerly known as Bombay. Most Chinese school kids have probably never seen an Indian film. Yet Bollywood is the largest producer of films in the world. This year the Indian Filmgare Awards, Bollywood's Oscrs, turn 50 years old.
__ The typical Bollywood movie usually has the following ingredients: a cup of romance, a tea-spoon of comedy, a dash of international sight-seeing, served with a huge slice of singing and dancing. There will also be one brave hero, one beautiful heroine and one baddie. The result is a fun-filled musical.
__ There is never any mention of politics, poverty or war. The actors change clothes and locations within a single song. But the audience don't mind. To Indian movie lovers, especially the poor, such films are a gateway to heaven and the stars are their gods. The films take them to a magical world away from their everyday troubles. The films tell them the impossible is possible and that true love conquers all.
___ But, behind the beautiful scenes, Bollywood still emphasizes traditional family values. In most films, if two lovers want to break an arranged marriage, they can't just run away. They must win over their parents.
__ So if you're tired of all that Hollywood actions, check out the following Bollywood films. They will take you to a brighter, cheerier and more colourful world, where it's still cool to dance around a tree and sing a love song.
By choosing to let go of the past, we sweep out all the ashes that weigh us down and affect every aspect of our health, and our peace of mind.
My friend Jean was divorced after a thirty-year marriage that produced three daughters, one son and eight grandchildren. Because she actually raised them single-handedly, Jean was hurt and angry that the children didn't take her part after the divorce. For months she refused to attend any family celebration to which her former husband Jim was invited. When I reasoned that her children’s understanding of the relationship with and between the parents was probably altogether different from hers, she stuck to the belief that she was right.
One day Jean called in tears. “Saturday is my granddaughter
's birthday, and I want to be with her, but I can’t bring myself to face my former husband.” “Jim isn't the problem,” I said gently, “it's false pride. Instead of holding on to the painful past, which is over and done, let the feelings go and get on with your life. You're depriving yourself of the joy of sharing in these important occasions, while Jim feels free to experience them. Tell me, would you rather be right, or be happy?”
That must have done the trick because when Saturday arrived, Jean appeared at her daughter's home carrying her famous chocolate-chip cookies and a beautiful birthday
cake.
How great it feels to let go! And the more we practice the art of letting go of all negativity, the better able we become to devote our thoughts, our time, and our energy to living joyfully in the present, what ever age we happen to be. It can be inferred that ____.
| A．Jim did very little to bring up the children during their marriage. |
| B．The writer thought Jean and Jim shouldn't have divorced. |
| C．The children were on their father's side and didn't invite Jean to any family celebration. |
| D．Jean had been too tough on Jim before they divorced. |
The underlined phrase “depriving yourself of” is closest in meaning to ____ .
| A．persuading yourself to get | B．taking away from yourself |
| C．taking false pride of yourself | D．talking yourself into showing |
In the writer's opinion, ____.
| A．Jean and Jim should be remarried |
| B．a broken family could live together in peace |
| C．to be happy is more meaningful than to be right |
| D．everyone should look into the future |
For computer users, there is no bigger excitement than tossing out your old PC and upgrading to a newer, faster and cleaner machine. With hardware designers like Intel, pushing newer, faster products every year, and new software requiring even more powerful machines, companies and consumers have little choice but to go along.
But this rapid turnover is having a serious effect on the planet. Producing a personal computer consumes large quantities of natural resources. A recent study by the United Nations estimates the energy required to produce a single new computer is equivalent to nearly two barrels of oil. And that doesn't include the 22 kg of chemicals or the 1,500 kg of water used in the manufacturing process.
In fact, pound for poun
d（均等地）, the 
process for making a car is about 500% more efficient than that for making a computer. That doesn't matter so much 20 years ago when personal computers were few and far between, but times have changed. These days, computers are found nearly everywhere and sales continue to grow. The number of PCs in use topped one billion in 2002.
Waste in production is only half the problem. Old computers, especially the monitors, are full of dangerous substances, which need to be carefully recycled. The problem is sure to expand over the coming years as users replace their boxy CRT monitors with LCD flat displays.
Europe now requires that 70% of parts from old computers be recycled, but the study’s authors say that’s also part of the problem. The solution, they insist, is for governments and companies to encourage people to use their computers longer, and upgrade rather than replace. But considering that much of the world’s recent economic growth has come from spending on computers and information technology, that advice may sound like wishful thinking.What do computer users have to do every few years according to the passage?
A. Push newer, faster products.
B. Produce more powerful machines.
C
. Consume large quantities of natural resources.
D. Upgrade to a newer, faster computer.What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?
| A．The pound. | B．The process. |
| C．The car. | D．The computer. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ____.
| A．governments and companies will surely encourage people to use their computers longer |
| B．governments and companies will probably encourage people to replace their personal computers |
| C．the world's economic has been growing without people's spending on computers and information technology |
| D．all parts from old computers are now recycled in Europe |
The purpose of writing this passage is ____
| A．to encourage companies to push newer, faster personal computers |
| B．to encourage people to design more new software |
| C．to encourage people to save their personal computers |
| D．to encourage people to spend more money on computers and information technology |
Trip 1 Black Bear Count
There have been fires in this area in the last few years and the Office of the National Park is not sure how many black bears are still living. Some bears have been seen since the fires, and the Office has asked for young people to help count them. The entire trip will last three hours. Bookings necessary.
Cost: Free When: May 8
Trip 2 Garland Valley
Bring your drink and lunch for this walk in a beautiful area of the Blue Mountains. Garland Valley is close to the town of Garland but is part of the National Park. Many wild animals live in this area, including many rare birds. This is a great walk for bird-lovers. The trip lasts four hours. Bookings necessary.
Cost: 15 When: May 8, May 15
Trip 3 Flashlight Adventure
Put on your warm clothes, bring a flashlight and a pair of glasses, and come for a night walk along the Dungog Valley. A guide will lead the tour. Many of the animals you will see on this trip can only be seen at night. The guide will tell you about the lives of the animals you see. Numbers are strictly limited on night trips, so be sure to book early. This walk lasts two and a half hours.
Cost: 12 When: May 8, May 15, May 22
Equipment to be needed:
Please bring enough water and food for all walks.
Wear good walking shoes--no high heels.
Wear a hat for day walks. 
Dress warmly for night walks.
Children must be with an adult. Make sure your flashlight works well and bring extra batteries for night walks. Follow all instructions from guides during the walks. The mountains are a dangerous place.
Bookings: Bookings for the above trips can be made by telephone (893-4847) or on the Internet at www. blue-mountaintour.com. Where are these trips?
| A．In a large valley. | B．In a park in the mountains. |
| C．In a special kind of zoo. | D．In three different countries. |
On which trip might you see animals that sleep during the day?
| A．Black Bear Count. | B．Garland Valley. |
| C．Flashlight Adventure. | D．None of the trips. |
Which of the following is NOT necessary for the three trips?
| A．Good walking shoes. | B．Plenty of batteries. |
| C．Food and water. | D．A sleeping bag. |
What is the best title for the passage?
A. Adventure travel in America.
B. Hunting around the Great Mountains.
C. Interesting trips in the East of the USA.
D. Discovery trips in the Blue Mountains.