A subject which seems to have been insufficiently studied by doctors and psychologists is the influence of geography and climate on the psychological and physical health of mankind. There seems no doubt that the general character of the landscape, the relative length of day and night, and the climate must all play a big part in determining what kind of people we are.
It is true that a few studies have been made. Where all the inhabitants of a particular area enjoy exceptionally good or bad health, scientists have identified contributory factors such as the presence or absence of substances like iodine, fluoride, calcium, or iron in the water supply, or perhaps types of land that provide breeding places for pests like mosquitoes or rats.
Moreover, we can all generalize about types of people we have met. Those living in countries with long dark winters are apt to be less talkative and less vivacious than inhabitants of countries where the climate is more equable. And where the olive and the orange grow, there the inhabitants are cheerful, talkative, and spontaneous.
But these commonplace generalizations are inadequate: the influence of climate and geography should be studied in depth. Do all mountain dwellers live to a ripe old age? Does the drinking of wine, rather than beer, result in a sunny and open temperament? Is the strength and height of one of the Kenyan tribes due to their habitual drinking of the blood of cows?
We are not yet sure of the answers to such questions, but let us hope that something of benefit to mankind may eventually result from such studies. _____ might serve as a suitable title for this selection.
| A．The Importance of Geographical Environment |
| B．The Influence of Geographical Environment on Man |
| C．Generalization of Types of People |
| D．Geographical Environment, a Mysterious Subject |
Using context clues we may infer that " iodine, fluoride and calcium" are _____.
| A．substances which act positively or negatively on man's health |
| B．harmful substances in the water supply |
| C．substances which help provide breeding places for pests |
| D．substances contributory to good health |
We may infer from the third paragraph that geography and climate play an important role in determining the inhabitants' _____.
| A．health condition | B．personality | C．life-span | D．all of the above |
According to the author, research into the influence of geography and climate should_____.
| A．focus on some unknown aspects | B．be pursued on a larger scale |
| C．be carried out within a larger scope | D．go much deeper |
The author hopes that studies on the influence of geographical environment will enable us to
| A．generalize better about types of people | B．find better water supplies |
| C．gain an insight into its influence on mankind | D．live to a ripe old age |
| Is veg food healthier than non-veg food? I feel this is a very common topic that people speak on．Please give me your opinions on this topic． |
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| Rao 12-18-08 |
So far as veg food is concerned, it is also proved to be a healthy and nutritious diet, but has very few items which can provide us with proteins, but if you see non-veg food like eggs, chicken, and many more, such foods have a large content of proteins in them. |
| Sai 12-19-08 |
Man basically is herbivorous（食草的）. If we look at the animal kingdom We can see that all the herbivorous animals have the similar dental（牙齿的） structure, which clearly shows that the human being also ought to be vegetarian by birth. It is only the living conditions that make man carnivorous（食肉的）. The vegetarian foods are easily digestible. |
| Santos 12-20-08 |
Non-veg food items are better than veg items. A healthy person requires complete diet and veg+ meat makes the diet complete. The only caution that needs to be taken is not to have non-veg items on a daily basis. Once in a week or couple of weeks will be best. |
| Krishna 01-03-09 |
When we eat non-veg, we are all veg by nature. The chicken that we eat feeds on grains, the mutton that we eat feeds on grass, and the fish that we eat feeds on simple plants. So non-veg food by logic（逻辑）is better and suited for hauman beings. |
| Khan 01-05-09 |
Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系统）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains! |
68．According to Rao, what is the problem with veg food?
A．It damages our immune system.
B．It has few nutrients.
C．It contains too much omega 3.
D．It is lacking in protein.
69．In the opinion of Sai, humans are born vegetarian because humans .
A．have the same teeth structure as plant-eating animals
B．believe that veg foods are good for their teeth
C．belong to the plant-eating animal family
D．can adapt to the living conditions like plant-eating animals
70．What advice is given by Santos?
A．To have a saily veg+ meat diet.
B．Not to eat non-veg food every day.
C．To eat digestible food every day.
D．Not to eat food without protein.
Dangerous Sports
Around the world more and more people are taking part in danger ous sports and activities．Of course, there have always been people who have looked for adventure—those who have climbed unknown parts of the world or sailed in small boats across the greatest oceans．Now, however, there are people who seek an immediate thrill, a risky activity, which may only last a few minutes or even seconds．
I would consider bungee jumping to be a good example of such an activity．You jump from a high place（perhaps a bridge or a hot-air balloon） 200 meters above the ground with an elastic（有弹性的） rope tied to your feet．You fall at up to 150 kilometers an hour until the rope stops you from hitting the ground．It is said that about 2 million people around the world have now tried bungee jumping. Other activities which most people would say are as risky as bungee jumping include jumping from tall buildings and diving into the sea from the top of high cliffs.
Why do people take part in such activities as these? Some psychologists suggest that it is because life in modern societies has become safe and boring．Not very long ago, people’s lives were constantly in danger. They had to go out and hunt for food, diseases could not easily be cured, and there was a continuous battle for survival．
Nowadays, according to many people, life offers little excitement．They live and work in comparatively safe environments; they buy food in shops; there are doctors and hospitals to look after them if they become ill．The answer for some of these people is to look for danger in activities such as bungee jumping．
65．The best title for the text is .
A．Dangerous Sports: What and Why
B．The Boredom of Modern Life
C．Bungee Jumping: Is It Really Dangerous.
D．The Need for Excitement
66．More and more people today .
A．are tying activities such as bungee jumping
B．are climbing the highest mountains
C．are coming close to death in sports
D．are looking for adventures such as traveling into unknown places
67．The writer of the text has a attitude towards dangerous sports.
A．positive B．negative C．neutral（中立的） D．nervous
Annual holidays have become a luxury and are no longer a staple of family life, according to government research．
A getaway of a week or more is no longer considered essential by many families and is often beyond their reach, said the analysis of what parents and children say they really need．Fashionable clothes for the children, expensive birthday parties and lots of toys are also on the list of luxuries familie
s don’t have to have．Instead, recession-hit parents are thinking of the future, and the things they want for their children centre around learning to behave properly, good education and good health．
Their picture of what a family ought to have includes a space to eat together away from the television, plenty of fruit and vegetables, and bicycles so children can get exercise．
The breakdown of necessities and luxuries was prepared by researchers from the Department for Work and Pensions(DWP) who were trying to establish an up-to-date picture of what parents say they really need．
Their findings show how families have scaled down their expectations in the face of economic difficulties — how parents are now concentrating their attention and money firmly on the long-term interests of their children．Many believe that while it is vital for a family to do things together, day trips or weekend breaks are enough．
Spending on furniture or decorating the house was also considered luxurious, unless the state of the home was so bad it became difficult to invite visitors in.
Instead, researchers said: A family home should have an area where the family can eat together, not on their laps in front of a television．Families should be able to go on outings, overnight trips and possibly short holiday: the fact of being able to share these experiences is more important than the precise activity and its cost．It can be inferred that ______________.
| A．a week or more holiday is considered beyond many families’ reach |
| B．children hardly ever need fashionable clothes and lots of toys |
| C．what a family should have is basic things that they must have |
| D．annual holidays were once considered necessary and vital |
In the opinion of most parents, _____________.
| A．families can watch TV together in order to keep up their relationship |
| B．day trips or weekend breaks are enough for families to share experiences |
| C．their expectations should be increased in the face of economic difficulties |
| D．a week’s holiday is an essential minimum during the financial crisis |
Which of the following is TRUE of the researchers from the DWP?
| A．They confirm many families still need at least a week away on holiday each year. |
| B．They learn it is insignificant for a family to do things with each other regularly. |
| C．They want to know what parents really need in the face of economic difficulties. |
| D．They found spending on furniture or decorating the house was thought valuable. |
We can conclude from the last paragraph____________.
| A．being able to share experiences is important for families |
| B．a family needs at least a week away on holiday each year |
| C．a family home should have a comfortable area to watch TV |
| D．going on outings and overnight trips is wasting time for families |
What does the author mainly discuss in the text?
| A．Cycling is very important for children’s health. |
| B．Family holidays once a year have become a luxury. |
| C．It is vital for parents to eat together with children. |
| D．Parents are concerned with children’s future. |
Imagine a world 400 years a
go where children were used as chimney sweeps．The pay was low, it was a dirty trade and there was little reward for the men who did the job and even less for children.
Medway’s annual Sweeps Festival recreates the joy and laughter enjoyed by the chimney sweeps at their traditional holiday: the one time of the year the sweeps could leave the soot（烟灰） behind and have some fun．The sweeps’ holiday was traditionally held on 1 May each year．Locally, they used to mark the occasion by staging a procession through the streets of Rochester.
Their fun continued with the Jack-in-the-Green ceremony, a seven-foot character that they used to waken at dawn on Blue Bell Hill, Chatham．The Jack-in-the-Green would walk with the chimney sweeps in their parade．When the Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 made it illegal to employ young boys to carry out the trade, the traditional procession gradually began to fade．The final May celebration was held in the early 1900s.
The 
modern day Rochester Sweeps Festival is a colorful mix of music, dancing and entertainment with more than 60 Morris sides and entertainers celebrating throughout the three-day festival．The festival was revived in 1981 by local businessman Gordon Newton, a keen historian．He decided it was time to bring it back and over the years he has helped develop the festival into what it is today—an excellent performance of traditional Britain.
Gordon researched the Sweeps’ tradition and organized a small parade, involving local Morris teams．In time, Medway Council took over organization of the festival but Gordon remained actively involved．Today he is festival producer and plays melodeon（簧风琴） for several Morris teams．Doug Hudson is the festival’s music director, a role he has held for many years．Through Gordon’s vision and hard work, Doug’s musical ability and the council’s help, the Rochester Sweeps Festival has become the largest May Day celebration of its kind in the country.According to the writer, chimney sweeps ____________.
| A．were highly respected | B．were well rewarded |
| C．led a hard life in the past | D．worked in good conditions |
Medway’s Sweeps Festival ____________.
| A．has been organized by the Jack-in-the-Green |
| B．dated back to the May celebration in the early 1900s |
| C．is held to honor those chimney sweeps every other year |
| D．has become a time for chimney sweeps to enjoy themselves |
The underlined word “revive” in the 4th paragraph most probably means ___________.
| A．realize | B．review | C．recreate | D．recognize |
It can be inferred from the passage that ____________.
| A．the festival has never been supported by the local government |
| B．The festival is a good way to see British folk customs in action |
| C．youngsters has been forbidden to be chimney sweeps since 1981 |
| D．the modern festival lasts five days celebrating the coming of spring |
What is the passage mainly concerned about?
| A．Sweeps Festival history | B．Medway’s traditional holidays |
| C．Climbing Boys’ Act 1868 | D．a procession in Rochester |
Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’．An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract（减法） but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account —let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England．Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say．And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month —the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed．Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long．Over 75% of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends．By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft（透支） as a way of extending their spending power．Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession（衰退）f
or generations．It does seem odd that —unless parents step in —young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university．In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents．The passage is mainly about _____________.
| A．how to manage school lessons |
| B．how to deal with the financial crisis |
| C．teaching young people about money |
| D．teaching students how to study effectively |
It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that __________.
| A．the author complains about the school education |
| B．pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract |
| C．students have been taught to manage their finances |
| D．laws on financial education have been effectively carried out |
The website and the consumer campaigner joined to _________.
| A．instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money |
B．promote the connection of schools and families |
| C．ask the government to dismiss the parliament |
| D．appeal for the curriculum of financial education |
According to Pfeg, ___________.
| A．it is easy to keep good habits long |
| B．teenagers spend their money as planned |
| C．parents are willing to pay the debt for their kids |
| D．it will be in trouble if the teenagers are left alone |
A poll is mentioned to ___________.
| A．stress the necessity of the curriculum reform |
| B．show the seriousness of the financial recession |
| C．make the readers aware of burden of the parents |
| D．illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal |