Like distance runners on a measured course, all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern.
In the first stage of our lives, we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality (活力,生气).
After we grow up, however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out.
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality, yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging.
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body. The lungs become less able to take in oxygen. Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength. The heart loses power and pumps less blood. Bones grow easier to break.
Finally, we meet a stress, a stress that is greater than our physical resistance. Often, it is only a minor accident or chance infection (a disease caused by virus), but this time, it brings life to an end.
In 1932, a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats, simply by cutting back the calories in their diet. The reason for the effect was then unknown.
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr. Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats. The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet, which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain. Seagle showed that within the brain, specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging. By changing that chemical balance, the clock of aging can be reset.
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged. Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries.
An average lifetime lasts 75 years, yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life. If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A.Physical vitality. | B.Stress. | C.Aging. | D.Physical resistance. |
Which of the following is not a change of aging?
A.The lungs become unable to take in oxygen. |
B.People gradually lose their muscle strength. |
C.The heart loses power and pumps less blood. |
D.Bones tend to break more easily. |
The author believes the following except that ________.
A.human’s life pattern is predictable |
B.physical fitness can’t stop the force of aging |
C.human’s lifetime will last longer than 75 years |
D.all of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body |
How did Dr. Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?
A.By limiting the protein in their diet. | B.By cutting the calories in their diet. |
C.By resetting their clock of aging. | D.By keeping their physical fitness. |
What is probably the best title for the article?
A.Two Great Experiments | B.The Mystery of Human Life |
C.Ways to lengthen Human Life | D.The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging |
B
We still don’t understand the influence of the mind’s power over the body, nor do we understand why there should be such power. All we can say for certain is that the mind does have power over the body in very many different ways.
If a man is told that he is at the North Pole and he believes what he is told, he’ll show physical signs which suggest that his body is reacting as though he were at the North Pole. He’ll go pale and shiver. When the film Lawrence of Arabia was shown, cinema managers around the world reported that the sales of ice cream rocketed. The endless desert scenes had made the moviegoers feel uncomfortably hot.
Hypnotists use the power of the mind over the body in order to use their influence. The hypnotist must only convince the patient that something is true, and the patient will act accordingly. If he convinces the patient that his arms are as heavy as lead, then the patient will be unable to lift his arms. If he convinces the patient that a piece of ice is a hot iron and he then touches the patient’s skin with the ice, a blister(水泡)will develop. The body will react to the suggestion and not to the reality, and signs of a real burn will appear.
59. From the passage, we can imagine that people watching a film about the North Pole would probably want __________.
A. an ice cream B. a cold shower
C. a hot drink D. a hot iron
60. A hypnotist is supposed to be able to control __________.
A. patients’ bodies B. people’s minds
C. patients’ diseases D. people’s movements
61. The phrase “the reality” refers to __________.
A. a real burn B. a hot iron
C. the touch of ice D. the body’s reaction
62. A good title for this passage would be __________.
A. Mind and Body B. Physical Signs
C. Research on Mind D. The Power of the Mind
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Eye Facts
There are many commonly held beliefs about eyesight that are not proven facts. For example, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure(结构)of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of sight if they have glasses unsuitable for their eyes.
We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight gets bad. Most people believe that reading in weak light causes poor eyesight, but that is untrue. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bed, and watching too much television. However, although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not damage eyesight in the long term.
Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transplanted from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers(神经纤维)that connect the eyeball to the brain; as of yet, it is impossible to connect them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, someday a full transplant may be possible!
56. This passage is mostly about __________.
A. different types of eye problems B. myths about eyesight
C. beliefs of eye doctors D. eye transplants
57. One cause of eyestrain mentioned in the passage is __________.
A. wearing glasses too long B. suffering from pain or headaches
C. reading in poor light D. reading before going to bed
58. From the passage we can conclude that __________.
A. doctors are still learning things about eyesight
B. wearing wrong glasses is less harmful to adults
C. eye transplants have been performed successfully
D. people should not wear glasses at young age
C
Years ago ,when I started looking for my first job ,wise advised,“Barbara, be enthusiastic! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience. ”How right they were!
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson. It is the paste that helps you hang on there when the going tough. It is the inner voice that whispers, “I can do it!”when others shout, “No, you can’t !”It took years and years for the early work of Barara McClintock, a geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine , to be generally accepted. Yet she didn’t stop working on her experiments. Work was such a deep pleasure for her that she never thought of stopping.
We are all born with wide-eyed, enthusiastic wonder and it is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic people such youthful air, whatever their age was. At 90,cellist Palblo Cassls would start his day by playing Bach. A s the music flowed through his fingers his stooped shoulders would strengthen and joy would reappear in his eyes . As author and poet Samuei Ulman once wrote ,“ Years wrinkle the skin ,but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.”
Enthusiastic people also love what they do, regardless of money or power . Patricia Mellrath, retired director of the Missouri Repertory Theatre in Kansas City, was once asked where she got her enthusiasm. She replied, “My father ,a lawyer long ago told me , I never made a dime until I stopped working for money.”
If we cannot do what we love as a full-time career, we can as a hobby. Elizabeth Layton was 68 before she began to draw. This activity ended periods of depression that had troubled her for at least 30 years ,and the quality of her led one critic to say,“I’m tempted to call Layton a genius.”
We can’t afford to waste tears on “might-have-beens”. We need to turn the tears into sweat as we go after “what-can-be ”.We need to live each moment whole-heartedly, which all our senses-including pleasure in the sweet smell of a back-yard garden, the simple picture of a six-year –old ,the beauty of a rainbow.
66. What is the Chinese for “Enthusiasm”?
A.热情 B. 色彩 C. 惰性 D.金钱
67. Which of the following can best explain the underlined sentence in the second paragraph?
A. Enthusiasm can give you courage and strength in difficult times.
B. If you don’t have enthusiasm, you can achieve nothing.
C. Enthusiastic people never consider money and fame.
D. Enthusiastic people can gain great fame and honor.
68. The author mentions cellist Pablo Casals in the third paragraph to show that____
A. music can arouse people’s enthusiasm
B. enthusiasm can give people inspiration needed to succeed
C. enthusiasm can keep people feel young
D. enthusiasm can keep people healthy
69. How many examples are given in the passage to show the importance of enthusiasm?
A. Three B. Two C. Four D. Five
70. The author mainly wants to say that _________
A. enthusiasm people never get old
B. enthusiasm can make you succeed and enjoy life
C. enthusiasm is more important than experience
D. enthusiasm can give people more success and fame .
B
Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao.
61. Macao is easy to get to because_______.
A. it is part of China and most people there are Chinese.
B. it is an interesting place.
C. it is very fast and cheap by sea
D. it is not far away from Hong Kong.
62. Which of the following is Not true?
A. Portuguese were the first Europeans to go to Macao.
B. some Portuguese settled in Macao and made their homes half a century ago.
C. the city Macao grew slowly
D. people there put up strong forts to defend the city.
63. You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_____
A. some of the buildings are now in ruins.
B. you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing.
C. you can go about and look at the old buildings and forts with pleasure.
D. it is a peaceful place.
64. Where will you have a break when you feel worn out?
A. In good restaurants. B. In small cool gardens.
C. On some islands. D. In beautiful parks.
65. The writer’s idea seems to be that_____.
A. people from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
B. Portuguese were willing to do business in China.
C. people in Macao serve good food.
D. Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do.
第三部分阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项。
A
Bamboo (竹子) is one of nature’s (自然) most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist reported one bamboo plant which grew 1.5 metres (4 feet) in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe. There are more than 1, 000 kinds of bamboo.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimetres (1 foot) across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Bamboo has been used to make many things such as hats and kitchen tools(厨房用具). Because it is strong, bamboo is also used to build buildings.
Many Asian countries have used bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for buildings and supporting (支撑) new buildings and bridges while they are being built.
In Africa, poor farmers are taught how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap way to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water.Bamboo pipes (管子) help poor farmers bring water to their thirsty fields without spending a lot of money.
56. How is bamboo like grass?
A. It grows quickly. B. It’s wood. C. it is easy to cut D.It is very thin
57. Though you can see bamboo everywhere, it doesn’t grow.
A.in China B.in Europe C. on mountains D. in Africa
58. Why is bamboo used by African poor farmers? Because.
A.it is cheap B.it has different colours
C.it is strong D.it has been used by Asians
59. Bamboo pipes can.
A. make money B. be trees C. grow quickly D. carry water
60. In Asia, bamboo has been used for.
A.a short time B.many thousands of years
C. many hundreds of years D. about 100 years