Scientists are making new studies of color and its effects on our health. They have known for a long time that the color of a room or the color of the light in it can affect our feelings and emotions. Many prisons and hospitals have at least one room that is painted pink. Officials have found that light and color can produce physical changes in our bodies.
Professor Falfan worked with a group of 9 disabled children at school in Albert. Two of the children were blind. The other seven had normal sight. The scientists changed the color of the school room, then looked for changes in blood pressure, heart beat and breathing rate. The effects of color changes were the same for the blind children as for those with normal sight. Their blood pressure dropped from about 120 to 100. Similar changes were reported in heart-beat and the breathing. The children also were calmer and less excited. Then the colors of the room were returned to orange and white. Blood pressure, heart-beat and breathing rate went up and the children became excited again.
Professor Falfan said different colors produce different levels of light energy. He said the differences seem to affect chemicals in the brain that carry messages from nerve to nerve and from nerve to muscle.Light and color can affect________.
| A．only one’s feelings and emotions |
| B．one’s energy |
| C．one’s mental changes |
| D．one’s heart-beat, brain activities, blood pressure, feelings and emotions |
The color of pink had a calming effect, that is to say, the color affects __________.
| A．the chemicals in the brain | B．the eyes |
| C．the skin | D．the muscle |
According to the text, orange and white are colors which can make people ________.
| A．calm | B．active | C．sick | D．blind |
The colors in the school room mentioned in the passage were changed from _________.
| A．orange to white | B．orange and white to dark blue |
| C．orange and white to pink or some other colors | D．gray to more colors |
After reading the passage we can conclude that ________.
| A．blind people can be affected by colors, too |
| B．one’s heart will beat fast in a colorful room than in a white room |
| C．the chemicals in the brain change with feelings and emotions |
| D．if one’s blood pressure drops, his breathing will get slower and slower |
Tomorrow evening I will be interviewed on stage by a museum official. I will be an interpreter, talking from experience as a disability rights lawyer and activist.
In “special” schools and camps for children with physical and mental disabilities, I grew up knowing we were a category of person that the world did not want. Most of us had a story of some doctor advising our parents to put up away or to let us die. We owed our survival to parents who had irrationally(不理性地) bonded with us. We knew we were lucky and hoped our luck would hold. To increase the chance of surviving, we tended to be charming. We developed thick skins.
By the time I roll onto the stage the next night, I’ve thought a lot about there and here, then and now. When the first question comes, I tell them about my fascination with the wheelchair, and somehow it sounds funny, and laughter fills the room. We talk from the horror of Nazis killing (Nazis once killed the disabled patients as useless) to a funny confession that I, too, tend to stare at disabled people on the street.
What has come over me? In this room, people with disabilities in thrilling variety make me feel at home. Here people, disabled and not, are gathered by choice.
I haven’t forgotten that 2 million people remain in US disability institutions, that some disabled children still cannot attend mainstream schools, that too many of us live in poverty. But I can’t hold onto anger and sorrow for I feel a shared sense of possibility, a drive for a world that will embrace both the fit and the unfit and hold them so dear that the division dies.What’s the author according to the passage?
| A．A disabled lawyer. |
B．A reporter. |
| C．An actor |
D．An interviewer |
The underlined phrase “thick skins” in the second paragraph probably means__.
| A．with more clothes |
| B．making skin dirty |
| C．caring nothing of ignorance |
| D．growing more slowly than others |
The second paragraph is mainly focused on ________.
| A．the growth of the disabled people |
| B．the hatred of the disabled people |
| C．the love of the disabled people |
| D．the appreciation of the disabled people |
It can be sensed but not clearly stated that the author________.
| A．likes to be interviewed in a museum |
| B．can tell funny stories |
| C．has charming personality |
| D．is humorous and optimistic |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the future?
| A．Desperate |
B．Hopeful |
C．Negative |
D．Objective |
The film “Avatar” has received great popularity around the world. It turned out to be a great success. The film got ＄1 billion in ticket sales in a very short time. The story in the film happens on an alien planet called Pandora where many strange species live. Among the planet’s inhabitants(居民,栖息动物)，the one that has the most similarities with humans is the Na’vi, and it is the struggle between the Ma’vi and human invaders(入侵者) that forms the story of the film.
As to the factors(因素) leading to the film’s success, many think that the entertaining feast(盛宴) for the eyes and the wonderful story shouldn’t be forgotten, but the new language invented especially for the film which provides audiences with a new experience also plays an important part.
In order to increase the truthfulness of an alien race（外星人）, the film’s director James Cameron asked an expert in languages from the University of Southern California to invent a language for the Na’vi. Professor Paul Frommer combined the languages spoken among Indians, Africans and mid-Asians and worked with James Caneron for four years to create the Na’vi language based on the original 30 words that the director had already come up with.
According to Professor Frommer, the most important characteristic of the Na’vi language is that it could be pronounced. “This is an alien language but obviously it has to be spoken by human actors and actresses,” Professor Frommer told the BBC, “it has to sound natural and it should make human beings comfortable when using it.”
The language has a vocabulary of around 1000 words but Professor Formmer hopes to enlarge the vocabulary in possible follow-ups to the film and in video games. The professor hopes that one day his creation will be as successful as the Klingon alien language from the “Star Trek”films. “There’s a translation of Hamlet into Klingon and it has received great popularity among the audiences,” says Professor Frommer，“if anything like this happens to the Na’vi language, I’d be very happy.”What do we know about“Avatar” from this passage?
| A．The story in it is a moving love story. |
| B．It brings the producer ＄1 billion in total. |
| C．The story in it happens on an alien planet. |
| D．It talks about humans and aliens’ friendship. |
The director of “Avatar” James Cameron had a language invented for the Na’vi to ________.
| A．make the film a whole mystery |
| B．make the Na’vi more believable |
| C．make the Na’vi different from humans |
| D．make the film have specific characteristics |
Who first created the basic words of the Na’vi language?
| A．Paul Frommer. |
B．An Indian. |
C．James Cameron |
D．Hamlet. |
The important feature of the Na’vi language is that _______.
| A．it can be spoken by humans |
| B．it has just 30 original words |
| C．it has a vocabulary of 1000 words. |
| D．it is like the Klingon alien language |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．James Cameron will produce follow-ups to “Avatar” |
| B．the Na’vi language is another kind of the Klingon language |
| C．the director believes the Na’vi language will be popular |
| D．Paul Frommer hopes to add new words to the Na’vi language |
New Year’s Eve is a time to celebrate and enter the new year with a smile on your face. This year, there’re plenty of local activities for all ages and interests, so the smiles will come easily.
BLUE CONCERT
Blues band the Coyotes is playing at the Dance Barn，at 8 Barn View in Sudden Valley, The show will start at 9 p. m. and benefit the charity Bikers Fighting Cancer. Tickets cost $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Call 224-2308 for more information.
NEW YEAR’S LAUGHS
Ring in the New Year and laugh out the old one at the Upfront Theatre Comic improvisers will hit on all the highlights of the year with The Last Laugh of 2008. The 9 p. m. show will cost $15 and is open to all ages. The 11 P. m. show is to 21 and older and costs $18, which includes a champagne (香槟酒) toast. Call 733-8855 for more information.
MAZE
For a fun activity earlier in the evening，walk the labyrinth (迷宫) at the Leopold Crystal Bellroom. Wander through the maze, based on the French Chartres Cathedral, for free from 4 to 9 P. m. Call 752-0048 for more information.
COUNTRY DANCING
At the Bellingham Eagles Hall, live local music will help get the dance started at 8 p. m. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for students and free for kids 12 and younger. For more information, call 676-1554.In what way do these activities have in common?
| A．They’re all held in the same day. |
| B．They’re all held by the same organization. |
| C．They’re all organized for children. |
| D．They’re all about the dancing and music. |
Which of the following activities may be free for Tom aged 16?
| A．COUNTRY DANCING. |
| B．NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS. |
| C．MAZE. |
| D．BLUE CONCERT. |
If you want to know something about the Coyotes at 8 Barn view, you'd better call _______.
| A．676-1554 |
B．733-8855 |
C．752-0048 |
D．224-2308 |
Which of the followings will be the highlights of NEW YEAR'S LAUGHS?
| A．Wander through the maze. |
B．The champagne toast. |
| C．Its live music. |
D．The Last Laugh of 2008. |
It can be inferred from the text that ___________.
| A．$10 is enough to book a ticket to Blue Concert |
| B．you can read the text on a telephone book |
| C．all these activities are international ones |
| D．New Year’s Laughs will hold shows three times |
Talk about a real-life hero! Ten-year-old Larry Champagne from St. Louis，Missouri, hit the brake (刹车) on a runaway school bus. He saved himself and 20 other kids on board from disaster.
It all happened in one terrible accident. On the way to school, the bus driver, Ernestine Blackman, suddenly fell ill. Seeing the car was running away, the other kids started to scream, but Larry ran to the front and stopped the bus.
“At first I thought, ‘We’re going to die,’” says Larry, “but after I pressed the brake, I felt safe.”
Larry’s speedy reaction made news all over the country. He appeared on TV shows as a hero. The bus company gave Larry a big gift. His school hung a medal of honor around his neck.
“My grandmother always tells me to do what’s right,” says Larry. He thanked his brother, Jerrick, 9, who “helped me get the bus driver up” during the emergency（紧急情况）. How did he know how to stop the bus? Larry is something of a mechanic（机械师）. He helps his grandfather work on his old truck. “He gets his hands dirty,” says his grandfather. One thing is for certain: Larry knows where to find the brakes.What did Larry do to save the runaway bus?
| A．He parked it for the sleeping bus driver. |
| B．He helped all the kids climb out through the windows. |
| C．He dialed 911. |
| D．he pressed the brake. |
When did Larry finally feel safe?
| A．When the kids finally stopped screaming. |
| B．When the police officers arrived. |
| C．Once he pressed the brake, and the bus stopped. |
| D．When the bus driver started driving again. |
Larry got the following as praise for his hero action Except _______.
| A．appearing on TV shows |
| B．a scholarship from his school |
| C．a big gift from the bus company |
| D．a medal of honor |
Larry thanked his brother Jerrick for __________.
| A．helping him get the bus driver up |
| B．helping him work on his old truck |
| C．teaching him how to find the brake |
| D．teaching him how to stop the bus |
The underlined sentence“Larry is something of a mechanic” tells us that ____.
| A．Larry’s job is a mechanic |
| B．Larry knows something about machines |
| C．Larry is a robot |
| D．Larry knows nothing about machines |
Are your children liked by their teachers? All parents want their children to impress(给...的印象) their teachers and succeed in school. You can get your children to impress their teachers by following these easy steps.
Make sure they’re prepared. Teachers are impressed by children coming to school prepared to learn. Make sure they have everything they need—pencils textbooks, erasers and so on.
Require them to be active in class. Teach them to ask teachers questions when they don’t understand something. Some children think teachers are bothered by questions, but most teachers are impressed when children take the initiative(采取主动) in asking questions. They should take part in class discussions, giving their opinions politely.
Keep your children healthy. If your children are tired and hungry, they won’t be ready to learn. Children need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Feed your children a solid breakfast and prepare a healthy lunch. Provide them with fruit and other healthy foods—apples or bananas are better for them than cookies.
Make sure that your children do their homework. If they really don’t understand it, discuss it with them patiently. Don’t help them do their homework. Teachers can always tell who it is that does the work.
Teach your children good manners and habits. Children need to arrive at the school punctually, and be polite to their teachers and classmates. Parents need to teach these skills at home. Nothing is sweeter than children who say “please” and “thank you”, and these are children their teachers are certain to love. The first paragraph serves as ________.
| A．an explanation | B．an introduction | C．a background | D．a guidance |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Hungry and tired children can’t focus on their study. |
| B．Children should go to school on time and learn to behave well. |
| C．Teachers aren’t able to decide if parents do homework for their children. |
| D．Teachers are impressed when children take an active part in class. |
The passage mainly tells us that being parents, you should ________.
| A．help your children to impress their teachers at school |
| B．ask your children to get ready for classes before going to school |
| C．teach your children to be polite to both their teachers and classmates |
| D．remind your children to observe all the rules when at school |