When did you last see a polar bear? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a bit higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group. This is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors do not agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system（循环系统）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits (or advantages) of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim year-round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says. "When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that
__________.
| A．they must reach the age of 60 |
| B．they should be easy to make friends with |
| C．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months |
| D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February |
According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that __________.
| A．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue |
| B．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter |
| C．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high |
| D．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water |
The Polar Bears like to swim all the year round, for __________.
| A．they can remain young | B．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter |
| C．they find it enjoyable and interesting | D．they might meet fewer troubles in life |
The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．a group of cold-water swimming lovers |
| B．the polar bears' life |
| C．doctors' ideas about cold-water swimming |
| D．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club |
Mothers and daughters go through so much—yet when was the last time a mother and daughter sat down to write a book together about it all? Perri Klass and her mother，Sheila Solomon Klass，both gifted professional writers，prove to be ideal cowriters as they examine their decades of motherhood，daughterhood，and the wonderful ways their lives have overlapped(重叠)．
Perri notes with amazement how closely her own life has mirrored her mother’s: both have fulltime careers; both have published books，articles，and stories; each has three children; they both love to read.They also love to travel—in fact，they often take trips together.But in truth，the harder they look at their lives，the more they acknowledge their big differences in circumstance and basic nature.
A child of the Depression(大萧条)，Sheila was raised in Brooklyn by parents who considered education a luxury for girls.Starting with her college education，she has fought for everything she’s ever accomplished.Perri，on the other hand，grew up privileged in the New Jersey suburbs of the 1960s and 1970s.For Sheila，wasting time or money is a crime，and luxury is unthinkable while Perri enjoys the occasional small luxury，but has not been successful at trying to persuade her mother into enjoying even the tiniest thing she likes.
Each writing in her own unmistakable voice，Perri and Sheila take turns exploring the joys and pains，the love and bitterness，the minor troubles and lasting respect that have always bonded them together.Sheila describes the adventure of giving birth to Perri in a tiny town in Trinidad where her husband was doing research fieldwork.Perri admits that she can’t sort out all the mess in the households，even though she knows it drives her mother crazy.Together they compare thoughts on bringing up children and working，admit longhidden sorrows，and enjoy precious memories.
Looking deep into the lives they have lived separately and together，Perri and Sheila tell their motherdaughter story with honesty，humor，enthusiasm，and admiration for each other.A written account in two voices，Every Mother Is a Daughter is a duet(二重奏) that produces a deep，strong sound with the experiences that all mothers and daughters will recognize. (2013·湖北，B)Why does Perri think that her own life has mirrored her mother’s?
| A．They both have gone through difficult times. |
| B．They have strong emotional ties with each other. |
| C．They have the same joys and pains，and love and bitterness. |
| D．They both have experiences as daughter，mother and writer. |
The word “luxury” in Paragraph 3 means________.
| A．something rare but not pleasant |
| B．something that cannot be imagined |
| C．something expensive but not necessary |
| D．something that can only be enjoyed by boys |
What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
| A．The content of the book. |
| B．The purpose of the book. |
| C．The influence of the book. |
| D．The writing style of the book. |
How are women’s lives explored in this book?
| A．In a musical form. |
| B．Through field research. |
| C．With unique writing skills. |
| D．From different points of view. |
Most people are aware that outdoor air pollution can damage their health，but many do not know that indoor air pollution can also have significant health effects.Environmental Protection Agency studies indicate that indoor levels of pollutants may be 3～5 times，and occasionally more than 100 times，higher than outdoor levels.These levels of indoor air pollutants may be of particular concern because most people spend about 90% of their time indoors.
There are many sources of indoor air pollution in any home.These include sources such as oil，gas，coal，wood，and tobacco products，building materials，wet or damp carpet，and furniture made of certain pressed wood products，products for household cleaning and maintenance，personal care，or hobbies，central heating and cooling systems.
Immediate effects may show up after a single exposure (暴露) or repeated exposures.These include irritation of the eyes，nose，and throat，headaches，dizziness.Such immediate effects are usually shortterm and treatable.Sometimes the treatment is simply removing the person’s exposure to the source of the pollution，if it can be identified.
The likelihood of immediate reactions to indoor air pollutants depends on several factors.Age and preexisting medical conditions are two important influences.In other cases，whether a person reacts to a pollutant depends on individual sensitivity，which varies tremendously from person to person.Some people can become sensitized to biological pollutants after repeated exposures，and it appears that some people can become sensitized to chemical pollutants as well.
Certain immediate effects are similar to those from colds or other viral (病毒性的) diseases，so it is often difficult to determine if the symptoms are a result of exposure to indoor air pollution.While pollutants commonly found in indoor air are responsible for many harmful effects，there is considerable uncertainty about what concentrations or periods of exposure are necessary to produce specific health problems.People also react very differently to exposure to indoor air pollutants.Therefore，further research is needed to better understand the effects of indoor air pollution and to find efficient ways to protect our health.According to the first paragraph，which of the following is NOT true?
| A．People often fail to notice indoor air pollution. |
| B．Indoor air pollution sometimes is more dangerous than outdoor air pollution. |
| C．Outdoor air pollution may not be so serious as indoor air pollution. |
| D．It is obvious that people have been paying more attention to indoor air pollution. |
According to the author，which may NOT be the source of indoor air pollution?
| A．Building materials. | B．Wet carpet. |
| C．Cooling system. | D．Refrigerators. |
What does the underlined word “irritation” in the third paragraph probably mean?
| A．Bad intention. | B．Much sensitivity. |
| C．Injury. | D．Carelessness. |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Reactions of Pollution | B．Danger from Home |
| C．Pollution Resources | D．Different Pollutions |
Scientists in Israel have discovered a new way to test for water pollution by “listening” to what the plants growing in water have to say.
By shining a laser beam (激光束) on the tiny pieces of algae floating in the water，the researchers said they hear sound waves that tell them the type and amount of contamination (致污物) in the water.
“It is a red light，telling us that something is beginning to go wrong with the quality of water，” said Zvy Dubinsky，an aquatic biologist at Israel’s Bar Ilan University.“Algae is the first thing to be affected by a change in water quality.”“The secret，” he said，“is to measure the rate of photosynthesis (光合作用) in the algae，meaning the plant’s ability to transform light into energy.” During photosynthesis，plants also release oxygen into the air.
Dubinsky’s technique is easy to perform because of the overabundance of algae in the planet’s water.Most of the oxygen in the atmosphere comes from algae.A prototype tester that occupies about one square meter of a laboratory desktop，shoots a laser beam at water samples to stimulate photosynthesis in the algae.But not all of the laser’s heat is used.Depending on the condition of the algae and the rate of photosynthesis，some of the heat is shot back into the water，creating sound waves，Dubinsky said.With a special underwater microphone，researchers are able to analyze the strength of the sound waves and determine the health of the algae and the condition of the surrounding water.
“Algae suffering from lead poisoning，like waste discharged from battery and paint manufacturing plants，will produce a different sound than those suffering from lack of iron or exposure to other toxins，” said researcher Yulia Pinchasov.She said that testing algae photosynthesis can determine water quality more accurately and easily than laborintensive methods now used like chemical and radioactive carbon testing.The underlined word “algae” in Paragraph 2 probably refers to a kind of________.
| A．instrument | B．plant |
| C．wood | D．pollutant |
Why is the algae tested?
| A．Because it floats on the water. |
| B．Because it can have photosynthesis. |
| C．Because it is the first to be polluted. |
| D．Because it can produce different sounds. |
We can infer from the passage that________.
| A．algae can produce a loud sound when polluted |
| B．algae can die easily from pollution |
| C．photosynthesis of the algae can only be caused by sunlight |
| D．photosynthesis of the algae is related to water quality |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Scientists Listen to Plants to Find Water Pollution |
| B．A Prototype Tester Is Used to Determine Water Pollution |
| C．The Importance of Photosynthesis of the Algae |
| D．The Problem of Chemical and Radioactive Carbon Testing |
Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother.Expecting a whole day to relax，he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months.“This will be like a walk in the park，”he’d told his wife.“I’ll look after the kids，and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well，but just after eight o’clock，his three little “good kids”—Mike，Randy，and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast，daddy.”When food had not appeared within thirty seconds，Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum.Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat(节拍)．Mike chanted “Where’s my toast，where’s my toast” in the background.Brad realised his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast.Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head.Randy locked himself in the bathroom，while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants.Nobody could find clean socks，although they were before their very eyes.Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes.Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock，things were out of control.Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter.Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils.Randy，thankfully，appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands.Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11∶17，Brad called the daycare centre(日托所)．“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away.Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes？”The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.(2012·陕西，B)When his wife left home，Brad expected to________.
| A．go out for a walk in the park |
| B．watch TV talk show with his children |
| C．enjoy his first day off work |
| D．read the newspaper to his children |
Which of the following did Randy do?
| A．Drawing on the wall. | B．Eating apple jam. |
| C．Feeding the fish. | D．Reading in a room. |
Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?
| A．Because he wanted to clean up his house. |
| B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office. |
| C．Because he found it hard to manage his boys. |
| D．Because he had to take his wife back home. |
This text is developed________.
| A．by space | B．by comparison |
| C．by process | D．by time |
People without homes have always been present in America.In the past，they were called hobos，bums，or drifters.It was not until the early 1980s that these people received a new name，when activists named them the homeless.
The types of people who were homeless also changed in the 1980s.No longer were they primarily older men.They were younger，with an average age of 35.Their numbers consisted of women，children，adolescents and entire families.They were of many races and cultures.No longer were they only in the inner city.They lived in rural areas and in large and small cities.No longer were they invisible to the people with homes and jobs.The homeless of the 1980s lived in packing crates (装货箱) and doorways.They slept on sidewalks and in public parks.They begged money from passersby.
Counting the numbers of homeless people is difficult.However，in 1984 the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated the homeless population at between 250,000 and 350,000.In 1990 the Census Bureau counted about 459,000 people in shelters，in cheap hotels，and on the streets.In 1995 the National Alliance to End Homelessness estimated that there were 750,000 homeless Americans.
The homeless of the 1980s also began to speak out for themselves.Some spoke to Congress and to government committees controlling funding for social programs.Street newspapers，such as Chicago’s Streetwise and Boston’s Spare Change，had stories，poems，and essays that expressed the homeless viewpoint.The visible and vocal presence of the homeless prompted help from volunteers and government agencies.But what is still needed is a solution to the plight of America’s homeless population.This passage is mainly about________.
| A．one homeless person’s story |
| B．the history of the homeless |
| C．the changes of the homeless in the late 20th century |
| D．a way to provide homes for the homeless |
How did the homeless speak out about their problems?
| A．By writing books. |
| B．By moving to rural areas. |
| C．By being elected to the government committees. |
| D．By expressing their viewpoints in street newspapers. |
Who is responsible to get the number of the homeless population according to the passage?
| A．Government agencies. |
| B．Street newspapers. |
| C．The homeless themselves. |
| D．The volunteers. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The homeless all lived in urban cities in America. |
| B．The name “the homeless” was given in the early 1980. |
| C．Not only the disabled belong to the homeless family. |
| D．There were about 800,000 homeless people in western countries. |