Stephen Hawking was one of the most famous scientists in this century. He was born in 1942. he’s a world well-known on space and time. Stephen is researching some very big questions, such as: How did the universe begin? How will it end?
Stephen was a student at Oxford University. He studied math and science. Then, at the age of twenty, he became sick. He was so young, but the doctors said to his family, “He has only two more years to live.” As a matter of fact, the doctors were wrong---- he didn’t die. He can’t walk now but he uses a wheelchair(轮椅). He can’t feed himself and get in or out of bed himself. But he refused to give in to the condition. He talks with the help of a computer. After Oxford, Stephen went to Cambridge University. Three years later, in 1965, he became a doctor of philosophy(哲学).
Because of his serious health problems, it was difficult for him to draw diagrams(图表) or to write. So he started to think in pictures. With this new way of thinking, he became one of the most famous scientists in the world. In 1891, he met the Pope(教皇) in Rome. They talked about his ideas. Then in 1988, he wrote his first important book, A Brief History of Time. It sold more than 5.5 million copies in 33 different languages. He was once invited to China, he impressed us with his self-confidence, humorous and witty(风趣的) conversation.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Stephen is good at thinking. | B．Stephen cannot walk. |
| C．Stephen has had the answers to some very big questions. | D．Stephen had once studied math and science at Oxford University. |
How old was Stephen when he became a doctor of philosophy?
| A．21 | B．23 | C．27 | D．25 |
A Brief History of Time is ________.
| A．a book which is well-known all over the word |
| B．a book about Rome’s history |
| C．Stephen’s talk collection with the Pope in Rome |
| D．Stephen’s talk collection with me in China |
Stephen’s studies DO NOT relate(涉及) to ________ according to the passage.
| A．science | B．math | C．philosophy | D．art |
The right order of Stephen’s main experiences in ________.
a. He went to Cambridge University.
b. He became very ill.
c. He wrote his first import book.
d. He met the Pope in Rome.
| A．c- a- b- e- d | B．a- b- c- d- e | C．c- b- a –e –d | D．a- c- b- e- d |
Different weather makes people feel different.It influences health, intelligence(智力) and feelings.
In August, it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States.People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.In the Northeast and the Middle West, it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times.People in these states(州) have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.
The weather can also influence intelligence.For example, in a 1983 report by scientists, IQ(智商) of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came, but after the strong wind, their IQ was 10% lower.The wind can help people have more intelligence.Very hot weather, on the other hand, can make it lower.Students in many schools of the United States often get worse on exams in the hot months of the year (July and August).
Weather also has a strong influence on people’s feelings.Winter may be a bad time for thin people.They usually feel cold during these months.They might feel unhappy during cold weather.But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer.At about 18℃, people become stronger.
Low air pressure(气压) may make people forgetful(健忘).People leave more bags on buses and in shops on low-pressure days.People feel best at a temperature of about 18℃.
Are you feeling sad, tired, forgetful, or unhappy today? It may be the weather’s problem.
根据短文内容，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选择最恰当的答案。What can cause problems on health？
| A．Hot and wet weather |
| B．A strong wind |
| C．Warm weather |
| D．Low air pressure |
A report shows that people may have more intelligence when ______ comes.
| A．rain |
| B．a strong wind |
| C．very hot weather |
| D．low air pressure |
According to(根据) the writer, fat people may feel bad in ______ weather.
| A．cold | B．cool | C．warm | D．hot |
The writer wants to tell us that ______.
| A．hot and cold weather influences all people in the same way |
| B．weather influences people’s behaviour |
| C．IQ changes when weather changes |
| D．people feel good on low pressure days |
Which is the best title(标题) for this passage？
| A．Hot Weather Causes Health Problems |
| B．Different Weather Makes People Feel Bad |
| C．Weather Influences Feelings |
| D．Weather Influences Health, Intelligence and Feelings |
By the time Rihanna was seventeen ,she had released (发行) her first album and had an international hit with her first single (单曲) Pon de Replay.
Rihanna was born in Saint Michael , Barbados in 1988 . She grew up there with her two younger brothers . As a child , she loved singing . She formed her first group with friends from secondary school when she was just fifteen . In 2004 friends introduced the group to American record producer Evan Rogers ,who was on holiday in Barbados . Rogers thought Rihanna could be a star in America,so she moved there aged sixteen to take up music after she finished school. Rihhanna lived with Rogers and his wife . Then she worked for Def Jam Recordings and started working on her first album , Music of the Sun .It came out at in 2005 and got into the top ten . Over 69,000 copies of the album were sold in the first week alone . It went on to sell over two million copies worldwide and Rihanna quickly became a big star . Her second album , A Girl Like Me ,came out a year later and included the song SOS , which was her first number one hit in America. In 2007 Rihanna brought out her third album , Good Girl Gone Bad ,which had more dance music than the first two albums.
Rihanna sold more than fifteen million album and forty - five million singles worldwide between 2005 and 2010 ,the most of any artist at the same time . However ,she manages to find time for her charity work ,too . She has performed in several concerts to raise money for charity and in 2006 she created her Believe Foundation to help sick children . She also took part in Gucci’s activities to raise money for children in Africa.What had Rihanna released before she was seventeen ?
| A．An album but no singles. |
| B．A single but not an album. |
| C．An album and at least one single. |
| D．Two album and a single Pon de Replay. |
Why did Rihanna move to America ?
| A．To try to become a famous singer. |
| B．To form her first music group. |
| C．To meet the record producer Evan Rogers. |
| D．To record her album ,A Girl Like Me ,with the help of Rogers. |
Which is true about Rihanna’s first album ?
| A．It included her first number one hit in the US. |
| B．It sold69,000 copies in total. |
| C．It made Rihanna a star. |
| D．It came out before she finished school. |
It can be learnt from the text that Rihanna ______.
| A．Wants to start a charity to help sick children |
| B．Has helped to raise money for African children |
| C．Has organized some concerts to raise money for charity |
| D．Is producing another album for her Believe Foundation |
What should you take in with you when you take an exam? Pen, pencil, eraser, ruler…, and don’t forget a bottle of water!
According to a study at the British Psychological ( 心理学的) Society Annual Conference held in London, students who bring water into exams may improve their grades by up to 10 percent.
Scientists at the University of East London and the University of Westminster, UK, did a study on 447 students. The students were studying for different degrees (学历) at the University of East London. Only 25 percent of them entered the exam hall with something to drink.
Scientists then compared their exam results with their normal schoolwork grades. They found that all those who had brought drinks with them got better grades by between 2 and 10 percent.
It is unclear why drinking water improves exam results. But scientists say having enough water in our bodies and not feeling thirsty could have a helpful effect on our brains. Drinking water may also cut down on anxiety ( 焦虑), which has a bad effect on exam performances, according to Chris Pawson, PhD, of the University of East London.
“Whatever the explanation, it is clear that students should try hard to stay hydrated (含水的)with water during exams,” he said.
So next time, when you are going to have a big exam, try bringing a bottle of water with you.Who knows – it may help you pass the exam!How much may the students improve their grades most if they bring water into exams?
| A．By2%. | B．By8%. |
| C．By10%. | D．By25%. |
How many students in the study got better grades?
| A．About112 students who brought drinks or water into their exams. |
| B．All the447 students who come from the University of East London. |
| C．About300 students who took part in the study. |
| D．About10 percent of the students who studied different subjects. |
The underlined phrase “cut down on” probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．bring |
| C．reduce | D．change |
According to the passage, how does water help students in exams?
a. It is good for their brains.
b. It makes students smarter.
c. It helps students stay cool.
d. It helps students stay awake.
| A．a b | B．a c |
| C．b c | D．c d |
Where can you probably read the article?
| A．Fashion magazine. |
| B．Text book. |
| C．Travel guide. |
| D．Newspaper. |
When you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they will become weak. When you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory (记忆 ) works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault (过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents may be blamed (责备 ) , and few of us know that it is just his own fault. Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write but they have to remember things, they cannot write them down in a small notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories, so their memory is being exercised the whole time.
So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practice remembering things in a way as other people do.Someone can’t have a good memory if _
| A．his parents don't have a good memory |
| B．he can't read or write |
| C．he doesn’t use his memory |
| D．he doesn't use his arms or legs for some time |
If you do not use your arms or legs for some time, _
| A．they become weak and wont become strong until you use them again |
| B．they will become stronger |
| C．they become weak but they slowly become strong again |
| D．you cant use them any more |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Your memory works in the different way as your arms or legs. |
| B．Your memory, like your arms or legs, becomes weak if you do not give it enough chance to practice. |
| C．Don't learn how to read or write if you want to have a better memory. |
| D．A good memory comes from less practice. |
Few people know that it is only _ if a friend has a poor memory.
| A．his grandmother's fault |
| B．his parents fault |
| C．his teachers’ fault |
| D．his own fault |
The writer wants to tell us________ .
| A．how to have a good memory |
| B．how to read and write |
| C．how to use our arms or legs |
| D．how to learn from the people |
Once upon a time, a boy was walking through a wood and he thought he could hear a sad cry. Following the sound he came to a big, round, mysterious, grey fountain. The sad sound seemed to be coming from the fountain pool. The boy swept aside the pool’s dirty surface water and saw a group of grey fish swimming in a slow circle through the pond.
Amused by this, the boy tried to catch one of these incredible talking fish. But when he stuck his arm into the water it turned grey right up to the elbow. As this happened, a huge sadness entered into him, and he suddenly understood how sad the fish were feeling.
He quickly pulled his arm out of the water, and ran from that place. But the arm stayed grey, and the boy continued feeling sad. He tried so many times to cheer himself up, but nothing worked. That was, until he realized that if he were to make the Earth happy then that happiness would be, in turn, transmitted back to him, through the earth on his arm.
From then on, he set about looking after countryside. He cared for the plants, and he did what he could to keep the water from being polluted. He encouraged others to do the same. He was so successful that his arm started to recover its normal color. When the grey had disappeared completely, he started feeling happy again, and he decided to go and visit the fountain. When he was still some way from the fountain he could hear the fish singing happily. What happened to the boy when he stuck his arm into the water?
| A．He caught some fish. |
| B．His arm was bitten by the fish. |
| C．He felt great sadness. |
| D．Nothing special happened. |
The underlined word recover means “ ” in Chinese.
| A．转变 | B．进化 | C．变异 | D．恢复 |
Which of the following didn’t happen after the boy left the fountain?
| A．He started to look after the countryside. |
| B．He stopped the water from being polluted. |
| C．He encouraged people to protect the earth. |
| D．His arm kept grey and he never felt happy. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．We should protect the earth. |
| B．We shouldn’t catch fish. |
| C．Even the fountain may cry. |
| D．We should visit the fountain. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Beautiful Countryside. | B．The Talking Fish. |
| C．The Sad Cry. | D．The Grey Fountain. |