LONDON----Here’s a new warning from health experts: Sitting is deadly.
Scientists are increasingly warning that sitting for prolonged periods — even if you also exercise regularly — could be bad for your health. And it doesn’t matter where the sitting takes place — at the office, at school, in the car or before a computer or TV — just the overall number of hours it occurs. Several studies suggest people who spend most of their days sitting are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or even die.
In an editorial published this week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Elin EkblomBak of the Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences suggested that authorities rethink how they define physical activity to highlight the dangers of sitting.
While health officials have issued guidelines recommending minimum amounts of physical activity, they haven’t suggested people try to limit how much time they spend in a seated position.
"After four hours of sitting, the body starts to send harmful signals," Ekblom-Bak said. She explained that genes regulating(调节) the amount of glucose（葡萄糖） and fat in the body start to shut down.
Even for people who exercise, spending long periods of time sitting at a desk is still harmful. Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization, said people who exercise every day — but still spend a lot of time sitting — might get more benefit if that exercise were spread across the day, rather than in a single bout.（一回）
Still, in a study published last year that tracked more than 17,000 Canadians for about a dozen years, researchers found people who sat more had a higher death risk, independently of whether or not they exercised.
"We don’t have enough evidence yet to say how much sitting is bad," said Peter Katzmarzyk of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, who led the Canadian study. "But it seems the more you can get up and interrupt this sedentary behavior, the better."
Figures from a U.S. survey in 2003-2004 found Americans spend more than half their time sitting, from working at their desks to sitting in cars.
Experts said more research is needed to figure out just how much sitting is dangerous, and what might be possible tooffset those effects.
"People should keep exercising because that has a lot of benefits," Ekblom-Bak said. "But when they’re in the office, they should try to interrupt sitting as often as possible," she said. What is the best title for the text?
| A．Not Sitting Too Much While Working | B．How To Avoid Sitting Too Much |
| C．Sitting Too Much Could Be Deadly | D．More And More People Sit Too Much |
According to the research,______________.
| A．the more time you spend in exercising in a single bout, the healthier you will be. |
| B．those who often sit too much are sure to grow fat or suffer from a heart attack. |
| C．regular exercise is effective to get rid of the side effect of sitting too much. |
| D．you had better not sit for more than four hours in a single bout. |
How does the danger of sitting too much affect the human body?
| A．It results in a higher death risk. |
| B．It increases glucose and fat in the body. |
| C．It makes a person unable to exercise long enough in a day. |
| D．It causes the gene to fail to balance the glucose and fat in the body. |
In the opinion of Ekblom-Bak, you’d better have a rest in the office by________.
| A．sending your friends e-mails |
| B．having a walk around your office |
| C．chatting online or playing computer games |
| D．listening to music with your head on the desk. |
B
When it comes to romance（浪漫）, women prefer someone who is humorous while men choose those who catch their eye, according to an international survey.
The survey, done in 16 countries by Canadian romance publisher Harlequin Enterprises, asked men and women on six continents about personality they liked or disliked and how they went about trying to meet Mr. or Ms Right.
The survey showed differences between countries in the way people tried to impress the opposite sex.
Australians and British men frequently admitted drinking too much, while about half of German and Italian men said they had lied about their finances. Spaniards(people in Spain) were the most likely to use sex to catch someone’s attention.
Eighty percent of Brazilian and Mexican men said they had lied about their marriage or romance as did 70 percent of German women, the survey said.
When it came to meeting that special someone, a majority of respondents(被告) preferred to rely on friends for introductions. The Internet was not a popular hunting ground except in Portugal, where about half the surveyed men and women would like to find people online.
There was a gap between the two sexes in Spain and France. Thirty percent of Spanish men, but no Spanish women, looked for love online. In France, 40 percent of men but only 10 percent of women attended parties, bars and clubs to meet someone, but they did have one thing in common: both sexes regarded looks as more important than their counterparts（相对应的人） in other countries.
When it came to that first meeting, a majority of men surveyed said beauty was more important than brains, while women put a sense of humor at the top of their list.
Physical attraction was the most important for men in France, Brazil, Greece, Japan and Britain. And while 40 percent of Portuguese men regarded intelligence over looks in a first meeting, no Australian men did so.
In the United States and Canada, humor was considered the most important personality by men and women, getting 63 and 73 percent of the vote respectively.
55. Appearance is the most important for men in the following countries except in ___________.
A. Britain B. Japan C. France D. Spain
56. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Portuguese enjoy looking for love online best.
B. Humor is considered the most important personality by both Americans and Australians.
C. Brazilian and Mexican men like to lie about their finances.
D. Few people preferred to rely on friends for introductions.
57. Which is NOT mentioned as the standard of looking for love in the passage?
A. Humor. B. Generosity. C. Beauty. D. Intelligence.
58. The purpose of the writer is to tell us _________________ when choosing the opposite sex.
A. the differences between men and women in different counties
B. women prefers humor while men prefers beauty
C. not all men prefer beauty to brains
D. love is more important than anything else
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, 从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项。
A
While researchers have long shown that tall people earn more than their shorter counterparts, it's not only social discrimination that accounts for this inequality -- tall people are just smarter than their height-challenged peers, a new study finds.
"As early as age three -- before schooling has had a chance to play a role -- and throughout childhood, taller children perform significantly better on cognitive tests," wrote Anne Case and Christina Paxson of Princeton University in a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research.
The findings were based primarily on two British studies that followed children born in 1958 and 1970, respectively, through adulthood and a U.S. study on height and occupational choice.
Other studies have pointed to low self-esteem, better health that accompanies greater height, and social discrimination as culprits(罪犯) for lower pay for shorter people.
But researchers Case and Paxson believe the height advantage in the job world is more than just a question of image.
"As adults, taller individuals are more likely to select into higher paying occupations that require more advanced verbal and numerical skills and greater intelligence, for which they earn handsome returns," they wrote.
For both men and women in the United States and the United Kingdom, a height advantage of four inches equated with a 10 percent increase in wages on average.
But the researchers said the differences in performance crop up long before the tall people enter the job force. Prenatal care(产前护理) and the time between birth and the age of 3 are critical periods for determining future cognitive ability and height.
"Prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are just incredibly important, even more so than we already knew," Case said in an interview.
Since the study's data only included populations in the United Kingdom and the United States, the findings could not be applied to other regions, Case said.
And how tall are the researchers?
They are both about 5 feet 8 inches tall, well above the average height of 5 feet 4 inches for American women.
51. What can be learnt from the study of Anne Case and Christina Paxson is that ______.
A. the reason for lower pay for shorter people is social discrimination
B. taller children perform significantly better on cognitive test
C. tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
D. prenatal care and prenatal nutrition are less important than we already knew
52. Which period is the most important for determining future cognitive ability and height?
A. between age 3 and schoolingB. between birth and the age of 3
C. the whole childhoodD. between 1958 and 1970
53. The underlined phrase “crop up” in the Eighth Paragraph is closest in meaning to ______.
A. get inB. rise upC. come up D. stand up
54. The best title for this passage would be _______.
A. Tall people earn more than shorter counterparts
B. A study on height and occupational choice
C. The difference between tall people and short people
D. Taller people are smarter
D
Yesterday was our three-year anniversary. We didn’t do anything romantic: we just walked hand in hand and talked about our past and future. This was pretty much what I had expected.
Andy is unromantic guy: no sweet words or roses. Smart as he is, he is a little bit shy expressing his love. However, I am an outspoken girl who likes to show her feelings directly. So needless to say, I often feel that is insensitive. I envy other girls who are surrounded by sweet words from their boyfriends.
I was in this sullen mood until I heard a beautiful sentence one day: “If someone does not love you in the way you like, it does not mean that he does not love you.” This simple but sensible sentence made me think about our happy days and recall his deep concern for me.
One cold winter night, I got a high fever. He hurried to my dorm and took me to the hospital. He was in such a hurry that he even forgot to wear socks. Upon arrival, he ran through the hospital handling all the formalities(手续). When I was put on a drip（输液）, he told me interesting stories to make me happy. Being held in his warm arms and listening to his tender voice, I had never felt so safe and comfortable. Gradually, I felt asleep. When I woke up 15 minutes later, he was still whispering to me. He explained that if he had stopped talking I would have waken up. At that moment, I found love in his sparkling eyes.
Another time, I had a bad quarrel with my best friend. Although I knew it was my fault, I refused to admit it. I was angry when he insisted I apologize to her. He said that it was difficult to admit a mistake, but this was what everyone should do. The next morning, I apologized to my friend and asked for her forgiveness.
My unromantic boyfriend cares about my health like my father, understand me like my mother and helps me like my elder brother.
67. Why does the author envy other girls of her age?
A. Their boyfriends look more handsome. B. Their boyfriends express love directly.
C. They win a lot of praise from colleagues. D. They often receive roses.
68. The word “sullen” in Paragraph 3 can be best replaced by “ ”.
A. cheerful B. calm C. happy D. bad
69. The author mentioned her experience in hospital to show Andy .
A. loves her greatly B. is always careless C. is sometimes shy D. is good at telling stories
70. The writer writes the passage to tell us that .
A. Andy is very outspoken B. Andy is a perfect husband
C. Andy has his own way to express love D. Andy cares more about others
C
SuperCamp
The success of SuperCamp in the US has encouraged a worldwide demand for international summer camps and academic programs based on our Quantum Learning methods. The first SuperCamp was held in Moscow in 1990. A week after the Moscow in 1990, the camp was held in Singapore. Then came camps in Canada, Thailand, England, Malaysia, Mexico, and Switzerland. More recently, new programs have been held in Korea and Indonesia. To date, SuperCamp has been held in 16 countries and has hosted students from over 80 countries.
Supercamps lay the foundations for students to be more creative and achieve more than they ever thought possible through the mastery of academic and life skills. Using creative Quantum Learning methods, the program provides students with concrete study strategies while instilling (逐步培养) them with the confidence and motivation they need to succeed. SuperCamp is an action-packed learning experience of learning and growing, classes and outdoor challenges. At the end of each day, students feel a genuine sense of accomplishment.
Outlined below is an overview of planned international summer camps and academic programs for 2008:
● Singapore
June 2008, December 2008
For more information call 9863-0033 or go to:
www.supercamp.sg
● Malaysia
June 2008, December 2008
To visit the SuperCamp in Malaysia website go to:
www.supercamp.com.my
● Thailand
July 2008 (Junior Forum)
July 2008 (Senior Forum)
For more information please call 888-3740146.
● China
July 20-27 (Senior Forum)
August 10-17 (Senior Forum)
For more information on SuperCamp programs in China please contact: www.learnone99.com, or call: 886-3-3474760
● Switzerland
June/July 2008
Learn more by calling 800-285-3276 or click here.
63. We learn from the passage that SuperCamp________ .
A. was first started in Singapore B. has been held in 80 countries
C. has a history for at least 18 years D. has never been held in Europe
64. SuperCamp is aimed at_______.
A. students B. doctors C. businessmen D. teachers
65. SuperCamp does NOT intend to .
A. help students to become more creative
B. provide students with new learning methods
C. equip campers with academic and life skills
D. help students learn to work and play non-stop
66. Which number should a student in Switzerland interested in the camp dial for further information?
A. 886-3-3474760 B. 888-3740146 C. 9863-0033 D. 800-285-3276
B
Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities—one during the day and a completely different one at night.
During the day, the largest city in Holland sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi. But when the sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke.
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they’re all within a short taxi ride of each other. For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
But at night party-seekers come to the square. Hip hop or funk music is heard there. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don’t close down until 4 am.
And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don’t worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions. And you’ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent.
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system. For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise (巡游) the "Venice of the North".
The city has a historic past. One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II. Visitors can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years.
59. The following means of transport are available to visitors in Amsterdam EXCEPT __________.
A. a carriage. B. a bicycle. C. a canal bus. D. a water taxi.
60. When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in .
A. only Dutch B. Dutch or English C. only English D. Spanish and English
61. What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?
A. The happy experience of a girl survivor. B. The glorious past of Amsterdam.
C. The hard life of the Jewish in World WarⅡ. D. The hobbies of the Dutch.
62. The passage is intended to .
A. call up people’s memories of World WarⅡ
B. tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about
C. instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland
D. offer readers some information about Amsterdam