What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster? Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice-cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream — as well as for developing over 75 flavors (味道).
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job, after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No — there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food-science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up to about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup .”While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors, and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy — working at one cool job. What is John Harrison’s job?
| A．An official. | B．An ice-cream taster. |
| C．A chemist. | D．An ice-cream manufacturer. |
According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to ______.
| A．keep a diary of work | B．have a degree in related subjects |
| C．have new ideas every day | D．find out new flavors each day |
What does Harrison do first when testing ice cream?
| A．He stirs the ice cream. | B．He examines the color of the ice cream. |
| C．He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. | D．He lets the ice cream warm up. |
Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
| A．Tasting with Eyes | B．Flavors of Ice Cream |
| C．John Harrison’s Life | D．One Cool Job |
The disease asthma affects as many as one hundred fifty million people around the world. It is a serious lung disease that causes breathing problems. These problems, called asthma attacks, can kill people. Asthma can affect people of all age groups but often begins in childhood. It can be controlled but not cured. Sufferers must deal with the disease every day.
Experts say exercise is one of the things that can start an asthma attacks. Things that lead to asthma attacks are called triggers. Although doctors do not know the cause of asthma, they have identified(辨认)most of its triggers. For example, the common cold can cause an asthma attack in a person who has the disease. There are also several air pollutants(污染物)that can lead to an asthma attack. Pollen is one such pollutant. Pollen is a fine dust that comes from plants that produce seeds. However, almost any kind of dust can cause an asthma attack if enough of it is in the air. This includes common dust found in houses.
Air pollution from burning fuel also can cause an asthma attack. Tobacco smoke can do the same. Some kinds of animal fur are a trigger for asthma. And, even some insects(昆虫)in the home can lead to asthma attacks.
Several things happen in the lungs when an asthma sufferer has an attack. Cells in the air passages begin to produce too much of a thick, sticky material called mucous(痰). The mucous creates blocked areas in the air passages. The tissue(组织)that lines the air passages begins to expand at the same time. And, the muscles in the passages tighten.
All these changes cause the air passages to narrow. This reduces the amount of air that can flow in and out of the lungs. The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. The narrowed airways also cause coughing and a tight feeling in the chest.Which of the following statements about the disease asthma is NOT right?
| A．It causes breathing problems, which can have sufferers killed. |
| B．It can not be cured but can be controlled. |
| C．People of all age groups can get affected, especially the old. |
| D．Doctors know little about its cause. |
How many triggers of the disease asthma are mentioned in the text?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
What an asthma sufferer should NOT do is________.
| A．do as much exercise as possible |
| B．try to avoid catching cold |
| C．keep away from pollen |
| D．deal with the disease every day |
What is the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
| A．The mucous is the main cause of the disease asthma. |
| B．What happens in the lung cause an asthma sufferer to have trouble in breathing. |
| C．The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. |
| D．The disease asthma, caused by mucous, can be prevented. |
Have you ever sat on a camel? Well, if you have, then you know how scary it is when the camel rises on its long wobbly(摆动的)legs. The rocking motion of a camel is a bit like a being tossed around in heaving seas. Small wonder then that the camel is often called the ship of the desert. Actually, the name owes its origins to the fact that camels were brought from the desert, to serve as beasts of burden in other countries.
We in India are only familiar with one species of camel, known as the Dromedary camel. This animal is singlehumped, has long legs and is found in the deserts of Asia and Africa. Another specie(the twohumped shortedlegged Bactrian camel)is found in parts of China and Central Asia.
Recently, scientists discovered what they think is a new species of wild camel that lives in a remote part of China. These mammals look very similar to the Bactrian camel but they have a unique feature—they survive by drinking salty water.
Strangely enough, scientists knew about the existence of the animal, but had no idea of their unique identity(特性). As a result, researchers now admit that these animals are not Bactrian camels as initially(最初)thought, but a new species. The only visible physical difference is that the saltwater drinking species has its humps further apart than the Bactrian camel.
Camels are most common in the African and Asian deserts, but fossil evidence shows that camels originated in North America about 45 million years ago. So how did they manage to come into Africa? Well, million of years ago, North America and Asia were connected by a land mass—the presentday Bering Strait.
Scientists think that the camels migrated into South America and across to Asia, disappearing almost entirely from the land of its origin. However, many researchers say that the South American llama(骆驼)is a direct descendant of the camel.The camel is called“the ship of the desert”because________.
| A．when you are on a camel, you feel like being on a ship at sea |
| B．its long legs swung when it is traveling in the desert |
| C．camels came from the desert and are used in other countries |
| D．camels can travel in the desert of many days without eating |
What's the difference between the Dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel?
| A．The Dromedary camel has two humps. |
| B．The Bactrian camel has long legs. |
| C．The Dromedary camel is only found in Asia. |
| D．The Dromedary camel has only one hump. |
What scientists don't know about the new species is________.
| A．their existence in China |
| B．their ability to survive on salty water |
| C．their similarity to the Bactrian water |
| D．how they survive in the remote part of China |
How can people tell the new species from the the Bactrian camel?
| A．By looking at the length of their legs. |
| B．By counting the number of humps. |
| C．By looking at the distance of the two humps. |
| D．By examining the kind of the two humps. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
| A．Very few camels exist in North America at present |
| B．Camels warm across the Bering Strait to Asia |
| C．Camels first originated from the African deserts |
| D．Camels are the most endangered animals in the world |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
E
The cost of medical care in the United States is very high. The time and money that doctors spend on their medical education is probably one reason for this problem.
A visit to a doctor's office costs from fifteen to fifty dollars. It is almost impossible for people to pay for medical care they need. Many people in the United States think that doctors are overpaid. Most doctors, however, disagree. They say that they have been required to study medicine for a long time. Tuition(学费)for many years of medical education costs lots of money. Doctors say that it is necessary for most medical students to borrow money from a bank to pay their tuition. Because this money must be repaid to the bank, young doctors need to receive a lot of money for their work. So they charge(收费)people high prices for medical care.
Therefore, it's possible that the high cost of medical care in America is unnecessary. Because high tuition is one cause of high costs, one way to lower costs would be to have medical schools that are free or have low tuition.Some people don't have their medical care they need because________.
| A．they are not willing to pay the doctors high tuition |
| B．they don't think it necessary to have medical care |
| C．they don't want to spend much money on it |
| D．they haven't got enough money to pay for it |
The reason for the high medical cost mentioned(提到)in the article is________.
| A．tuition in medical schools is high |
| B．the price of medicine is high |
| C．doctors are overpaid |
| D．doctors must pay money to banks |
One way to lower the cost of medical care would be________.
| A．not to see a doctor |
| B．to pay doctors less money |
| C．to let medical students have free or partly free medical education |
| D．to forbid(禁止)doctors to ask their patients for too much money |
The main idea of the article is that________.
| A．a visit to a doctor's office may cost as much as 15 to 50 in US |
| B．the cost of medical care is the main reason for the high costs in US |
| C．medical care in the United States costs a lot of money because doctors want to be rich |
| D．the high cost of tuition in medical schools is one reason for the high cost of medical care in America |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
D
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers(青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his firends than to his parents.“The door to his room is always shut，”Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14yearold daughter. “She used to cuddle up(蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk，”said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list，”said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years，”Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.“The door to his room is always shut”suggests that the son________.
| A．is always busy with his studies |
| B．doesn't want to be disturbed |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents |
| D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that________.
| A．their daughter isn't lovely as before |
| B．they can't read their daughter's mind exactly |
| C．they don't know what to say to their daughter |
| D．their daughter talks with them only when she needs help |
Which of the following best explains“the wall of silence”in the last paragraph?
| A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. |
| B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
| C．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
| D．Teenagers talk little about their own lives. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
| B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. |
| C．Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
C
The World Horticulture Expo(园艺博览会)to be held in Kunming, Yunnan Province, between May and October will be a good chance for visitors to discover the picturesque natural scenery of China. This year will also witness the following festivals and tours and so on.
Fragrant Hills Autumn Leaves Festival(Beijing)
International Forest Protection Festival, Zhangjiajie(Hunan)
The Three Gorges International Tourism Festival(Chongqing)
International Giant Panda Festival, Chengdu(Sichuan)
A large variety of ecotourism activities will be introduced this year all across the country.
Wild Animal Observation
Bird Watching on Bird Island in Qinghai Lake(Qinghai)
Playing with Leaf Monkeys in Longrui Nature Reserve(Guangxi)
...
Oceans & Seas
Underwater tour, diving, boating and deep sea fishing, Zhuhai(Guangdong)
Shell collecting, bathing, volleyball and kite flying on the beach and a visit to an old fishing village, ZhujiajianWhich festival will happen in Zhangjiajie this year?
| A．International Forest Protection Festival. |
| B．International Giant Panda Festival. |
| C．The Three Gorges International Tourism Festival. |
| D．Fragrant Hills Autumn Leaves Festival. |
This year you'll go to________to observe leaf monkeys.
| A．Yunnan |
| B．Henan |
| C．Sichuan |
| D．Guangxi |
If you take part in the activity, you'd better go to Zhuhai for________.
| A．sailing |
| B．bathing |
| C．diving |
| D．water skiing |
This passage is most probably________.
| A．Travel News |
| B．Travel Tips |
| C．Holiday Plans |
| D．Holiday Exhibition |