An exercise method (Gyrotonics) designed to stretch muscles and improve strength and balance is becoming popular in the United States. Here's more about Gyrotonics and the man who invented this special form of exercise.
Gyrotonics is a kind of exercise that combines the movements of dancing and swimming with the mental and physical practice called yoga. It helps lengthen muscles, improve balance, and exercise the joints, the parts of the body where bones are joined.
A Hungarian dancer named Juliu Horvath developed this special form of exercise. After he was injured in dancing, Mr. Horvath studied yoga intensely. In the 1980s, he developed a new exercise method as a special kind of yoga to strengthen dancers.
According to Mr. Horvath, his method was based on the octopus(章鱼)，monkey and cat. He says these animals have no restrictions. They can move in any direction the Gyrotonic movements to help the human body move more freely.
A special machine made of wood and weights(砝码) helps guide the body through the Gyrotonics exercises. You sit or lie on a flat board. You put your legs or hands through special cloth handles attached to a line with weights. With the tension created by the weights, you must try to move through the exercises.
Seven kinds of backbone movements form the base of Gyrotonics. For example, you can stretch your back to the left and right or forward and backward. While moving your back, you can also work on arm or leg motions. These movements must be done in a smooth way. Often the motions are circular(圆形的)。
When Juliu Horvath first developed Gyrotonics, he was the only teacher. Since then, he has taught almost 70 trainers. Now, there are more then 800 official schools in the world where you can learn Gyrotonics.This passage mainly focuses on _____.
| A．A successful life of Horvath | B．A popular kind of exercise |
| C．Some advice on health care | D．Some uses of a special machine |
According to the passage, what made it possible for Horvath to develop Gyrotonics?
| A．His dancing-related injury. | B．His failure in practicing yoga. |
| C．His good skills of dancing | D．His wish to be a Gyrotonics trainer. |
What do you think inspired Horvath in developing Gyrotonics?
| A．His experience in dancing. | B．His use of a special machine. |
| C． The movements of some animals. | D．The ideas from many trainers. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Many Americans have improved their health through Gyrotonics. |
| B．In a way, Gyrotonics is an exercise that comes from yoga. |
| C．You only have to move your backbone when doing the exercise. |
| D．Gyrotonics courses can be found in most countries worldwide. |
In 1990 Peter Salovey Ph. D and John Mayer Ph. D coined the term Emotional Intelligence. Their research has opened many people’s eyes to the fact that EQ or emotional quotient holds the key to one’s happiness and well being, and helped us to realize that our emotional makeup can be so much more important than our mental, or what we refer to as IQ—intelligent quotient.
IQ is essential for learning and mental development and EQ is much more important for happiness and success. Some time ago a study done in the United States proved that doctors who were impatient and did not exhibit much care towards their patients were more likely to be sued (起诉) for malpractice(渎职), whereas doctors who were caring and attentive to their patients were less likely to be sued even if they made a critical mistake. A woman wrote to newspaper recently telling about her brother. He was apparently a genius but did not get along with people, quit every job he started, and eventually became a taxi driver. These are just a few examples of people with high IQ but low EQ.
We have all known people who did not complete college, but who have become very successful in business. We call them street smart. We also know people who, on the whole, are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive—these people enjoy a high level of EQ.
Many people wish to improve their EQ for the purpose of becoming happier, more successful, and at the same time more balanced, individuals. The remarkable thing about EQ is that it can always, at any age, be improved, unlike IQ, which remains more or less fixed in adult life.
Now psychologists start workshops focusing on showing people how to increase their EQ. This enables them to accomplish their dreams and desires, rid themselves of negative patterns and shows them that once they master their inner world, their outer world becomes much better.
47. In the second paragraph, the author gives us two examples to show that _____.
A. doctors in the United States are often involved in cases
B. working as a taxi driver in the United States requires high EQ
C. those with high IQ are often engaged in the low-rank work
D. those with low EQ have a harder time surviving in life
48. Which of the following can’t be used to describe the people with a high level of EQ?
A. They are positive, communicative, pleasant and supportive.
B. They are optimistic and untroubled by difficulties.
C. They are impatient and show little care towards others.
D. They may be very successful in business.
49. It can be inferred that predicting future successes, ______.
A. a person’s brainpower might actually matter less than a person’s character
B. a person’s IQ might be more important than a person’s EQ
C. IQ plays an important role as well as EQ
D. both IQ and EQ are the key points that should be considered
50. Which of following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. People with high IQ are likely to gain knowledge quickly.
B. At work EQ gets you hired easily and IQ gets you promoted.
C. Having a high IQ will help us in some ways but having a high EQ might help us even more.
D. People’s EQ could be raised much more than their IQ.
During recent years, floods and flash floods have caused billions of dollars in damage each year. They are among the most common and widespread of all natural disasters. Even more importantly, they’re No.1 weather-related killer. A flood can happen anywhere along the Mississippi, in New England, even in the desert.
The following are some fascinating facts about floods and flash floods.
A flood（commonly called river flood）is high flow of water from a river or similar body of water, happening over a period of time too long to be considered a flash flood. Flooding is caused in many ways. Winter or spring rains, together with melting snows, can fill rivers too quickly. Heavy rains from hurricanes or other tropical（热带的）systems can also produce river flooding. The Mississippi River Flood of 1993 was caused by repeated heavy rain from thunderstorms over a period of weeks.
Flash floods are quickly-rising floods which are usually the result of heavy rains over a short period of time, often only several hours or even less. They can also be caused by ice jams（冰塞）on rivers related to a winter or spring melting, or occasionally even a dam break. The constant influx（汇集） of water finally caused a great overflow to begin, powerful enough to sweep vehicles away, roll big stones into roadways, uproot trees, level（夷平） buildings, and knock bridges down. The speed of the rising of water is the most frightening.
Do remember: Move to higher ground and stay away from low areas during heavy rain. Stay out of flooded areas. Never allow children especially to play or walk in flowing water. Never drive your car into water of unknown depths.
43. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The power of floodsB. The damage of floods
C. The occurrence of floods D. The facts about floods
44. The last paragraph is mainly about ______ .
A. flood safety tips B. the reasons for floods
C. the waste water systems D. the swift flood waters
45. According to the passage, people are afraid of _____ most during flash floods.
A. the constant influx of water
B. the sudden occurrence of flash floods
C. the quick rising water
D. the great damage of flash floods
46. According to the passage, flash floods are ______.
A. great floods resulted from heavy rains in a short time
B. floods rising quickly from heavy rains in a short time
C. quickly-rising floods in a long time
D. floods happening over a long time
The winter holidays are a special time at the White House. Each year, about 44,000 people come to see the holiday decorations or to attend holiday parties at the President’s home in Washington, D.C.
I was able to attend a press preview of the holiday decorations recently, which was hosted by First Lady Laura Bush. This year’s theme for the decorations is “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” The decorations are all made of fresh flowers, garlands(花环), and fruits. The flowers will have to be changed every few days to keep the look fresh.
The main Christmas tree is in the Blue Room. It’s an 18-foot fir tree—tall enough that the chan-delier(吊灯) had to be removed to make room for it. Fresh white lilies(百合), crystal garlands, and white lights decorate the White House Christmas tree. The room smells of pine and lilies.
Mrs. Bush was asked whether she called the tree a holiday tree or a Christmas tree. “We know that Americans celebrate the season in a lot of different ways,” she said. “We’ll have a party and a reception here at the White House later during the month. But I think we’ve always called this the White House Christmas tree.”
Another centerpiece of the decorations each year is the gingerbread house(姜饼屋), made by chief Thaddeus Dubois.“This is his second gingerbread house,” Mrs. Bush said. “And this year Dubois painstakingly(辛苦地，辛勤地) made it special.” The gingerbread house was made with 100 pounds of gingerbread, 150 pounds of white and dark chocolate, and clear, poured sugar windows. A strand of white lights inside the Gingerbread White House made it glow.
40. Mrs. Bush chose “All Things Bright and Beautiful”as the theme for the decorations to ______. .
A. highlight nature’s beauty B. show the great wealth of the family
C. express her love of the country D. differ from other people’s ideas
41. Which of the following can probably be used to describe the White House after the decorations?
A. New and clean. B. Elegant(高贵的) and beautiful.
C. Smelly and shaky. D. Luxurious(豪华的) and serious.
42. The passage is mainly about ______. .
A. how Americans observe Christmas
B. decorating the White House for holidays
C. the differences between a holiday tree and a Christmas tree
D. how to select a present for the White House
第二部分：阅读理解
Shanghai—Shanghai officials are welcoming a new national-water law that they say will help them protect the upper reaches of the Huangpu River and other water ways in Shanghai.
The new law, which came into effect yesterday, updates a law enacted（颁布） in 1988 that focused on supplying water to needy areas, but didn’t pay a great deal of attention to environmental protection.
The previous law, for example, gave local authorities power over waterways in these areas, but didn’t pay attention to the sources of those rivers and lakes. So, Shanghai was responsible for cleaning and protecting the lower reaches of the Chang Jiang River but had no say in how the river’s upper reaches, which feed into Shanghai, are maintained.
The new law will make it easier to control the amount of waste that ends up in local rivers and reduce inefficient use of waterways, said Zhang Jia-yi, director of the Shanghai Water Affairs Bureau, on the bureau’s website commenting on law yesterday.
Zhang said the new law focuses on the efficient use of water sources and emphasizes the harmonious development of China’s population, its economy and environment.
Zhang also emphasizes the city will crack down on companies and individuals that pollute the city’s water sources. The bureau sets up a special force to investigate(调查) water pollution in March.
So far this year, the bureau has published more than 3 million in fines on various polluters, Zhang said.
36. The best title for the news report should be ______.
A. A new Law Is Born
B. A New Water Law to Protect Rivers
C. Is it Necessary to Protect the Rivers
D. Make Full Use of Water Sources
37. The underlined phrase “crack down on” means _____.
A. bring up carefullyB. speak highly of
C. deal with seriously D. destroy completely
38. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The law in 1988 is suitable for the new requirements.
B. The new law will stop waste being poured into the Chang Jiang River.
C. A lot of polluting units have been fined this year.
D. The new law and the old one are the same in protecting the environment.
39. We can infer from the passage that _____ .
A. the problem of protecting the water sources wasn’t paid much attention to
B. no laws were carried out to manage the water sources in Shanghai.
C. the new law mainly emphasizes how to make use of the water sources.
D. companies or individuals that polluted the water sources didn’t get fined.
第二部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
In today’s world, almost everyone knows that air pollution and water pollution are harmful to people’s health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too.
People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf. Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave（织） cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers in America could hear no better than 65-year-old persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and most of pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people’s life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad.
It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels（分贝） can cause deafness. Now the governments in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels.
In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problems.
36. The passage is mainly about ______ .
A. air pollution B. water pollution C. noise pollutionD. world pollution
37. According to the passage, a continuous noise of _______decibels can make people deaf.
A. less than 85 B. less than 65 C. about 65 D. more than 85
38. 10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened because _______ .
A. they are working in noisy places
B. they often listen to pop music
C. they live near airports
D. they are too busy to listen to others’talk
39. The government of China is trying to reduce ______.
A. only the air pollution
B. only the air and water pollution
C. only the water pollution
D. the air, water and noise pollution