The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad .Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this ,but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75.
It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s .In the early stages, people may exhibit short term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry .As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers （神经纤维）,their effect is certain .Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients ,but also spouses（配偶）,friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.
Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss ,its early diagnosis（诊断）and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience should a loved one suffer from Alzheimer’s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired day?
| A．She has been living with her father. |
| B．She was sad about the death of her father. |
| C．She can’t search for her father without being watched. |
| D．She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. |
When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, ________.
| A．their families and friends will suffer from the same disease |
B．their families and friends wil l experience mental sufferings |
| C．they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years |
| D．they will forget everybody but their spouses |
Memory loss occurs ________.
| A．from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else |
| B．from sadness ,shock ,anger ,and so on |
| C．for a number of reasons |
| D．with changes in personality |
From the passage we know that_____.
| A．early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring |
| B．it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers |
| C．nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease |
| D．when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease ,he will be buried |
The meaning of the word “volunteer” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services”．Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay．
Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means．She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta．The following is her story．
“I watched a video（视频） about her．I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that, after I graduated from a high school, I wanted to try her kind of work．So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks．”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people．I helped wash clothes and sheets, and passed our lunch．I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up．I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them．To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much．It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world．”Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
| A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa． |
| B．She had already had some experience． |
| C．She was asked to do so by Teresa. |
| D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example． |
Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______．
| A．after she met Mother Teresa |
| B．after she finished high school |
| C．when she was touring Calcutta |
| D．when she was working in a hospital |
What is Tracy’s “new idea” of being a volunteer?
| A．Going abroad to help the sick． |
| B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home． |
| C．Doing simple things to help the poor． |
| D．Improving oneself through helping others． |
I made a pledge (誓言) to myself on the way down to the vacation seaside cottage(别墅). For two weeks I would try to be a loving husband and father. Totally loving. No ifs, ands or buts.
The idea had come to me as I listened to a talk on my car radio. The speaker was quoting a Biblical（圣经的）passage about husbands being thoughtful of their wives. Then he went on to say, “Love is an act of will. A person can choose to love.” To myself, I had to admit that I had been a selfish husband. Well, for two weeks that would change.
And it did. Right from the moment I kissed Evelyn at the door and said, “That new yellow sweater looks great on you.”
“Oh, Tom, you noticed.” she said, surprised and pleased. Maybe a little puzzled.
After the long drive, I wanted to sit and read. Evelyn suggested a walk along the seaside. I started to refuse, but then I thought, “Evelyn’s been alone here with the kids all week and now she wants to be alone with me.” We walked along the seaside while the children flew their kites.
So it went. Two weeks of not calling the Wall Street firm where I am a director; a visit to the shell museum though I usually hate museums. Relaxed and happy, that's how the whole vacation passed. I made a new pledge to keep on remembering to choose love.
There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment, however. Evelyn and I still laugh about it today. On the last night at our seaside cottage, preparing for bed, Evelyn stared at me with the saddest expression.
“What’s the matter?” I asked her.
“Tom,” she said in a voice filled with sadness, “do you know something I don’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well…that checkup（体检）I had several weeks ago…our doctor…did he tell you something about me？Tom, you’ve been so good to me…am I dying?”
It took a moment for it all to sink in. Then I burst out laughing.
“No, honey,” I said, hugging her in my arms. “You’re not dying; I’m just starting to live.” In the first paragraph, “No ifs, ands or buts” probably means “_________.”
| A．unconditionally | B．by chance |
| C．unfortunately | D．in advance |
During the two weeks on the beach, Tom showed more love to his wife because __________.
| A．she looked lovely in her new clothes |
| B．he had made a lot of money in his Wall Street firm |
| C．he was determined to be a good husband |
| D．she was seriously ill |
The author says, “There was one thing that went wrong with my experiment.” What was the one thing that went wrong?
| A．He praised her sweater, which puzzled her. |
| B．She insisted on visiting a museum, which he hated. |
| C．He knew something about her illness but didn’t tell her. |
| D．He was so good to her that she thought she must be dying. |
By saying “I’m just starting to live,” Tom means that __________.
| A．he is just beginning to understand the real meaning of life. |
| B．he is just beginning to enjoy life as a loving husband. |
| C．he lived an unhappy life before and is now starting to change. |
| D．he is beginning to feel regret for what he did to his wife before |
NASA has opened the door to the next generation of space discovery by announcing great plans for a base for humans to live on the surface of the moon forever.
The project to build a base on the moon will begin soon after 2020, with astronauts living there within four years.
The project comes after several excellent scientists and environmentalists asked humans to look beyond Earth to ensure the survival of the species (物种).
Eventually, the moon will be a base for humans to explore the solar system and one day land on Mars.
NASA began planning for the first moon landing since 1972 when George Bush, the US president, announced his new plan for space exploration four years ago.
NASA has already talked about the design of the Orion spacecraft that will replace the old space shuttle fleet in 2010.
The plan for the moon base, however, is the first detailed explanation of how NASA intends to prepare for the first manned exploration of deep space and a possible Mars mission within 30 years.
Scientists also believe that the south pole on the moon contain rich natural gases such as the rare helium-3 that could be used as fuel for the generation of nuclear power. Besides, teams of astronauts living there for six months at a time would mine for hydrogen and oxygen to make water and possibly rocket fuel.
| A．to protect Earth |
| B．to explore deep space |
| C．to finish Mars mission |
| D．to show how powerful the USA is |
| A．hydrogen | B．food | C．oxygen | D．water |
| A．the USA’s new plan for space exploration |
| B．how to build a base on the moon |
| C．why to ensure the survival of the species |
| D．where to get new natural resources |
Are you nervous about climbing because you think it's too dangerous? Do you feel you're not fit enough to climb? Do you know how to start climbing?
Let's consider the idea that climbing is dangerous．Being afraid is natural, but if you use suitable ropes and other climbing equipments you will feel completely safe．Climbers are usually very careful because they know what they are doing is dangerous．Accidents happen, but when they do, they tend to attract a lot of publicity．As a result, people think there are many more accidents than there are in reality．
You cannot expect to start climbing straight away．Climbing is a challenge and challenges take time．It is necessary first of all that you achieve a good level of fitness．Begin as soon as you become interested in climbing: go to the gym, go swimming, take up jogging and continue to do so throughout your training period．
Discover as much as you can about climbing．Visit the library and find book, especially for beginners or buy climbing magazines and look for articles which describe your situation．Look up information on the Internet．Find out about equipment, methods and places to go．
Next, take a course on a climbing wall．There are plenty of climbing walls all over the country which have trained and qualified people as instructors．Call your local leisure centre to find out if there is one in your area. These training sessions are a quick way to get experience and you are likely to meet other beginners. After this, you can do an outside course of joining a club where you can meet climbers of all abilities and eventually join in group-climbing events.
At first you may not understand the importance of a good training period, but after you have completed your first climb and you are standing safely at the top of a rock feeling thrilled, then you will know it was the right thing to do.
| A．a doctor | B．an experienced climber |
| C．a beginner | D．a fitness instructor |
| A．begin by becoming fit |
| B．have the courage to meet the challenges |
| C．be aware of the causes of the accidents |
| D．do enough sports to get interested in climbing |
| A．join a club you like |
| B．gain controlled experience |
| C．become qualified instructors |
| D．take part in group-climbing events |
| A．the climb | B．the training |
| C．the equipment | D．the achievement |
Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end with commercials （商业广告）thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. "Buy Super Clean Toothpaste." "Drink Good Wet Root Beer." "Fill up with Pacific Gas." Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of "You Need It! Buy It Now!"
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless （鲁莽的） or daring, the ride can be as thrilling （惊心动魄的） as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left hand lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the arm rests even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit.
| A．To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips. |
| B．To persuade you to take a long bus trip. |
| C．To explain how bus trips and television shows differ. |
| D．To describe the billboards along the road. |
| A．bus drivers who aren’t reckless |
| B．driving alone |
| C．a television set on the bus |
| D．no bill boards along the road |
| A．the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun |
| B．they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between |
| C．the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses |
| D．both traveling and watching TV are not exciting. |
| A．exciting | B．comfortable |
| C．tiring | D．boring |