Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance. After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar , and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki‟s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity慈善机构, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now." Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．ties to find a cure for diabetes |
Why play games? Because they are fun, and a lot more besides, following the rules, planning your next move, acting as a team member…. These are all “game” ideas that you will come across throughout your life.
Think about some of the games you played as a young child, such as rope-jumping and hide-and-seek. Such games are entertaining and fun. But perhaps more importantly, they translate life into exciting dramas that teach children some of the basic rules they will be expected to follow the rest of their lives, such as taking turns and cooperating.
Many children’s games have a practical side. Children around the world play games that prepare them for work they will do as grown-ups. For instance, some Saudi Arabian children play a game called bones，which sharpens the hand-eye coordination（协调）needed in hunting.
Many sports encourage national or local pride. The most famous games of all, the Olympic Games, bring athletes from around the world together to take part in friendly competition. People who watch the event wave flags, knowing that a gold medal is a win for an entire country, not just the athlete who earned it. For countries experiencing natural disasters or war, an Olympic win can mean so much.
Sports are also an event that unites people. Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. People on all continents play it—some for fun and some for a living. Nicolette Iribarne, a Californian soccer player, has discovered a way to spread hope through soccer. He created a foundation to provide poor children with not only soccer balls but also a promising future.
Next time you play your favorite game or sport, think about why you enjoy it, what skills are needed, and whether these skills will help you in other aspects of your life.Through playing hide-and-seek, children are expected to learn to _____.
| A．be a team leader | B．act as a grown-up |
| C．obey the basic rules | D．predict possible danger |
The underlined part in Paragraph 2 most probably means that games can_____.
| A．describe life in an exciting way |
| B．turn real-life experiences into a play |
| C．change people’s views of sporting events |
| D．make learning life skills more interesting |
According to the passage, why is winning Olympic medals so encouraging?
| A．It proves the exceptional skills of the winners. |
| B．It inspires people’s deep love for the country. |
| C．It helps the country out of natural disasters. |
| D．It earns the winners fame and fortune. |
Iribarne’s goal of forming the foundation is to _______.
| A．bring fun to poor kids |
| B．provide soccer balls for children |
| C．give poor kids a chance for a better life |
| D．appeal to soccer players to help poor kids |
Nuclear power’s danger to health, safety, and even life itself can be summed up in one word: radiation.
Nuclear radiation has a certain mystery about it, partly because it cannot be detected by human senses. It can’t be seen or heard, or touched or tasted, even though it may be all around us. There are other things like that. For example, radio waves are all around us but we can’t detect them, sense them, without a radio receiver. Similarly, we can’t sense radioactivity without a radiation detector. But unlike common radio waves, nuclear radiation is not harmless to human beings and other living things.
At very high levels, radiation can kill an animal or human being immediately by killing masses of cells in vital organs. But even the lowest levels can do serious damage. There is no levels of radiation that is completely safe. If the radiation does not hit anything important, the damage may not be serious. This is the case when only a few cells are hit, and if they are killed immediately. Your body will replace the dead cells with healthy ones. But if the few cells are only damaged, and if they reproduce themselves, you may be in trouble. They can grow into cancer. Sometimes this does not show up for many years.
This is another reason for some of the mystery about nuclear radiation. Serious damage can be done without the victim being aware at the time that damage has occurred. A person can be irradiated（辐射）and feel fine, then die for cancer five, ten, or twenty years later as a result. Or a child can be born weak as a result of radiation absorbed by its grandparents.
Radiation can hurt us. We must know the truth.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Nuclear radiation is just like common radio waves. |
| B．Nuclear radiation can cause cancer to human beings. |
| C．Nuclear radiation can be detected by human senses. |
| D．Nuclear radiation can be safe to human beings if its level is low. |
How can nuclear radiation kill an animal?
| A．By damaging its heart. | B．By killing a few cells. |
| C．By hitting any place in its body. | D．By killing many cells in important organs. |
If a human being is hit by nuclear radiation, he may _______.
| A．die of cancer after many years | B．die immediately |
| C．have a child who may be born weak | D．all of the above |
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What do we know about 1234 PENS?
| A．It has a history of over 30 years. |
| B．It has built up a large pen market. |
| C．It has its name printed on each pen. |
| D．It charges a low price for extra service. |
What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 3?
| A．The different types of the products. |
| B．The high quality of the products. |
| C．The trade shows of 1234 PENS. |
| D．The quick service of 1234 PENS. |
What is special about the pens produced in 1234 PENS?
| A．They are designed in 16 styles. |
| B．They come in 48 different colours. |
| C．Their material is less harmful to the earth. |
| D．Their price is much lower in the pen market. |
The main purpose of the passage is to _____.
| A．persuade people to order the products |
| B．explain the process of making logo pens |
| C．show people how to choose different pens |
| D．introduce the different services of 1234 PENS |
You might think I'd have little in common with a camel, but we do share one useful skill: both of us can go for a very long time without water. Usually I start my day with a cup of tea, and then I might have a glass of water with my lunch and one with dinner, that's about a liter of liquid in 24 hours. It feels like plenty, but apparently it's not nearly enough.
After years of suffering headaches and poor digestion I spoke to a neurologist about my regular headaches and a nutritionist about my poor digestion, and both told me I should be drinking up to three liters of liquid a day for my body to function at its best. I decided to conduct an experiment. What would happen if I drank the recommended amount every day for a month?
The photograph of me taken the day I started this trial demonstrates(展示）perfectly and rather frighteningly what a lack of hydration does to a face. I am 42, but have to admit I look more like 52 in this picture, which is shocking. There are dark shadows under and around my eyes, which make me look exhausted, a profusion of wrinkles and strange reddish blotches, and my skin lacks any luster（光泽）. It looks dead. Even my lips look shriveled（枯萎的）. This is all classic evidence of poor hydration, apparently.
Every system and function in our body depends on water. It flushes toxins from the vital organs, carries nutrients to cells, provides a moist environment for ear, nose and throat tissues, and eliminates waste.
Not drinking enough means all these functions becomes damaged. So I decided to see how I would look and feel if I drank three liters of water every day for 28 days. The results were astonishing.Which statement is Not True according to Paragraph 1?
| A．The author drinks about a liter of liquid every day. |
| B．The author has something in common with a camel. |
| C．The author thinks she drinks enough water every day. |
| D．The author actually has plenty of water in her daily life. |
Why did the author decide to drink the recommended amount of water?
| A．Because she was very fond of doing experiments. |
| B．Because she was informed of the importance of drinking enough water. |
| C．Because her doctors forced her to do it. |
| D．Because she wanted to be cured of her stomachache. |
The author’s lack of hydration caused the following physical responses Except_______.
| A．shriveled lips |
| B．enough luster of her skin |
| C．dark shadows around her eyes |
| D．wrinkles and blotches on her face |
According to the passage, the author most probably tends to tell us_________.
| A．the more water one drinks, the healthier he is |
| B．drinking water makes ladies look younger |
| C．drinking enough water is key to one’s health |
| D．it’s necessary to follow specialists instructions |
What will be probably written in the next paragraph?
| A．The author gave up the experiment. |
| B．The author had his health greatly improved. |
| C．The author suffered a lot from the experiment. |
| D．The author felt very disappointed at the result. |
Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "rubbish talk". The show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes the TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a "final word". He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main audience are middle-class Americans. Most of the people have the time, money and ability to deal with life's tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are _______.
| A．more interesting. | B．unusually popular. |
| C．more detailed. | D．more formal. |
Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ________.
| A．show disbelief in them. | B．are ready to face up to them. |
| C．remain cold to them. | D．are willing to get away from them. |
Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
| A．A new type of robot. | B．National hatred (憎恨). |
| C．Family income planning. | D．Street accident. |
What is the advantage of the Jerry Springer show?
| A．The show exposes the dark sides of society. |
| B．The show pours poisonous waste into society. |
| C．Jerry sums up (总结) the whole idea of the show. |
| D．Jerry talks about the improvement of society. |