Looking for a new weight loss plan? Try living on top of a mountain. Mountain air contains less oxygen than air at lower altitudes, so breathing it causes the heart to beat faster and the body to burn more energy. A handful of studies have found that athletes training at high altitudes tend to lose weight. Doctor Florian Lippl of the University Hospital Of Ludwig-Maximilians-university Munich wondered how the mountain air would affect overweight individuals if they weren’t doing any more physical activity than usual.
Lippl and his colleagues invited 20 overweight men to an environmental research station about 300 meters below the summit of Zugspitze, a mountain around 2,970 meters near the Austrian border. They were allowed to eat as much as they liked. The men also gave blood so that researchers could test for hormones linked to appetite and fatness. At the end of the week, the men, whose mean weight starting out was 105kg, had lost on average about l.5kg. The men’s blood pressure also dropped, which the researchers believed was due to weight lost.
Exactly what caused the weight loss is uncertain. Loss of appetite is common at higher altitudes, and indeed the men ate significantly less than usual—about 700 calories fewer per day. Lippl also notes that because their consumption was being recorded, they may have been more self-conscious about what they ate. Regardless, eating less accounts for just l kg of the l.5 kg lost, says Lippl. He thinks the increased metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate, which was measured, also contributed to weight loss but cannot separate the different effects with the given data.
Appetite loss at high altitudes could certainly be key, notes Damian Bailey, a physiologist at the University of Glamorgan, UK, who recently lost 11 kg during a 3-month expedition to the Andes in Chile.
Unfortunately, for the average person there is no treatment that can resemble living at high altitude, says Lippl. The only alternative is hypobaric chamber, which exposes subjects to low oxygen and isn’t practical as a treatment. He says, half- jokingly, “If fat people plan their holidays, they might not go to the sea, but maybe to the mountain.”What contributes the most to one’s heart rates according to the first paragraph?
| A．our bodyweight | B．the consumption of energy |
| C．the rates of our breathing | D．the amount of oxygen provided |
Hormones are tested in the research because they can affect ______.
| A．one’s bodyweight | B．one’s blood pressure |
| C．one’s way of living | D．one’s metabolic rate |
What was found about the 20 overweight men in the process of the research?
| A．They controlled what to eat self-consciously. |
| B．They took in much fewer calories than usual. |
| C．They lost appetite because of lack of physical activity. |
| D．They were provided with a healthier diet than before. |
Why does Damian Bailey agree with the idea of appetite loss at high altitudes?
| A．He experimented with the new weight loss plan in the Andes. |
| B．He found no other reasons for his loss of weight in the Andes. |
| C．He researched the related subject in the Andes. |
| D．He lost much weight in the high altitude Andes. |
In what manner does Lippl talk about the way of losing weight by spending holidays on mountains?
| A．casual | B．inaccurate | C．uncertain | D．confident |
Most of us are used to seasons. Each year, spring follows winter, which follows autumn, which follows summer, which follows spring. And winter is colder than summer. But the earth goes through temperature cycles over much longer periods than those that we experience. Between 65,000 and 35,000 years, the planet was much colder than it is now .During that time the temperature also changed a lot, with periods of warming and cooling. Ice melted during the warm periods, which made sea levels rise. Water froze again during the cold periods.
A new study from Switzerland throws light on where ice sheets（冰川）inched during the ice age. It now seems that the ice melted at both ends of the earth, rather than just in either northern or southern regions.
This surprised the researchers from the University of Bern. Scientists have long assumed（假设）that most of the ice that melted was in the Northern hemisphere（半球）during the 30,000-year long ice age. That belief was held because the North Pole is surrounded by land, while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. It is easier for ice sheets to grow on land .If surrendered by sea the ice can easily just slip into the ocean instead of building up.
The researchers used a computer model to look at ways the ice could melt and how it might affect sea levels. They compared these results to evidence of how temperatures and currents actually changed during that time. The model showed that if it was only in the Northern hemisphere that ice melted, there would have been a bigger impact（影响）on ocean currents （洋流）and sea temperatures than what actually happened. Studies suggest that melting just in the Southern hemisphere would have been impossible, too. The only reasonable conclusion, the scientists could make, was that ice melted equally in the North and the South.
It is still a mystery as to what caused the temperature changes that caused the ice to melt.
57.The North Pole is surrounded by land ,while the South Pole is surrounded by the Antarctic Ocean. So scientists thought that_________.
A．most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere
B．most of the ice melted in the Southern hemisphere
C．The North Pole is colder than South Pole
D．The South Pole is colder than North Pole
58.We can learn from the passage_________.
A．the ice can easily just slip into the ocean
B．volcanoes caused the ice to melt
C．melting just in the Northern hemisphere would have been impossible
D．researchers often use the computer models to help their research work
59.The scientists are not sure_________.
A．how long the ice age lasted
B．where ice sheets melted during the ice age .
C．what caused the temperature changes
D．what the earth is made up of
60.Which of the following is NOT right ?
A．The researchers want to know how the melting of ice might affect sea levels by the
computer model.
B．Studies show ice melted equally in the North and the South during the ice age.
C．Most of the ice melted in the Northern hemisphere（半球）during the 30,000-year long
Ice age.
D．The temperature changes caused the ice to melt.
May : Happenings from the Past
May 5 , 1884
Isaac Murphy , son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history, rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby. He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times.
May 9 , 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon , showing a snake cut in pieces , with the words “Join or Die” printed under the picture.
May 11 , 1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl, the result of years of drought (干旱) , blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington , D. C.
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s, died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64.
May 24, 1844
Samuel F. B. Morse taps (轻敲) out the first message, “What hath God wrought,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D. C, to Baltimore, Md.
53. We know from the text that Buchanan is _______________.
A. Isaac’s fatherB. a winning horse
C. a slave taking care of horsesD. the first racing horse in Kentucky
54. What is the title of the first American political cartoon?
A. Join or DieB. Pennsylvania Gazette
C. What Hath God WroughtD. Kentucky Derby
55. In which year did the former first lady Jacqueline die?
A. 1934 B. 1960 C. 1964 D. 1994
56. Which of the following places has to do with (与...有关)the first telegram in history?
A. Washington, D. C.B. New York City
C. KentuckyD. Pennsylvania
When Denis Hennequin took over as the European boss of McDonald's in January 2004, the world's biggest restaurant chain was showing signs of recovery in America and Australia, but sales in Europe were sluggish or declining．One exception was France, where Mr．Hennequin had done a reliable job as head on the group's French subsidiary（子公式） to sell more Big Macs to his relatives, His task was to copy this success in all 41 of the European countries where anti-globalisers’ favourite enemy operates．
So far Mr．Henncquin is doing well．Last year European sales increased by 5．8% and the number of customers by 3．4%, the best annual results in nearly 15 years．Europe accounted for 36% of the group's profits and for 28 of its sales．December was an especially good month as customers took to seasonal menu offerings in France and Britain, and to a promotion in Germany based on the game of Monopoly（垄断）．
Mr．Hennequin's recipe for revival（复兴） is to be more open about his company's operations, to be "locally relevant", and to improve the experience of visiting his 6.400 restaurants． McDonaId's is blamed for making people fat, exploiting workers, treating animals cruelly, polluting the environment and simply for being American．Mr．Hennequin says he wants to engage in a dialogue with the public to address these concerns．
He introduced "open door" visitor days in each country which became hugely popular．In Poland alone some 50,000 visitors came to McDonaId's through the visitors' program last year．The Nutrition Information Initiative（倡议）launched last year, put detailed Sables on McDonaId's packaging with data on calories, protein, fat, carbohy drates and salt content, "the details are also printed on tray-liners．
49．Which of the following statement is RIGHT?
A．Denis Hennequin has been boss of McDonald since 2004．
B．The sales of McDonald is increasing in France．
C．Denis Hennequin tries his best to increase the sales of McDonald in the world．
D．The nutrition information is always launched on McDonald products．
50．McDonaId's is blamed in Europe for the following reasons EXCEPT _________
A．making people fat B．exploiting workers
C．treating animals cruelly D．earning too much
51．Which of the following is not included in the McDonaId's packaging?
A．attentions B．fat C．protein D．salt content
52．What did Denis Hennequin do to increase the sales of McDonald in Europe?
A．He visited all the McDonaId's branches in Europe．
B．He introduced "open door" visitor's days in each country．
C．He had done a reliable job as head of the group's French subsidiary．
D．He engaged in a dialogue with the public．
Dealing with School Pressure
College can be a very demanding time for students．These tips can help keep college stress at a minimum before it becomes too hard to handle．
Get organized．By becoming more organized, you can reduce your stress level drastically（彻底地）Make a daily schedule of all your activities．Another way to become more organized is by getting your supplies and desk in order．Label folders（文件夹） for each class and arrange your notes and assignment by topic or date so you can easily find information．
Don't procrastinate．Putting off doing your schoolwork will only make you more stressed．If you get an assignment that is due in a month, and you don't have any other assignment to finish, go ahead and begin working on it．
Exercise．Performing some sort of physical activity for thirty minutes three times a week will considerably lower your stress level．Taking the time to exercise will help get your mind off the chaos and stress in your life．
Get plenty of sleep and eat healthily．You need between seven to eight hours of sleep per night in order to rest your mind and body so they can perform well during the day．Eating well-balanced meals will provide your with enough energy to accomplish your daily activities．
Adopt a positive attitude．If you are always negative, then stress will overwhelm you．By looking at things in a positive light, you will not only reduce your stress, but you will also feel better about yourself．
Realize that it's okay to say "no"．If you already have a full schedule, don't attempt to add anything else to it．If your friends want you to go out at the last minute but doing so would conflict with your schedule, don't feel bad about turning them down．They will understand．They have been stressed before too．
45．According to the tips, your life will be_________if you study without a proper schedule．
A．organized B．in disorder C．free D．busy
46．Which is NOT TRUE according to the tips?
A．The more you sleep, the less stressed you will feel．
B．A balanced diet will make you energetic．
C．Regular exercise will help you feel relaxed．
D．Everything in a mess will increase one's stress．
47．What does the underlined word " procrastinate" mean?
A．ahead of time． B．delay． C．give up． D．make up．
48．If your good friend invites you to do something while you are busy．what should you do so as not to increase stress?
A．You should accept the invitation． B．You had better say "no"．
C．You should keep silent． D．You should feel bad．
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Our listener question this week comes from Abdullahi Farah, who wants to know about the life and work of Doctor Benjamin Carson.
Doctor Carson is an internationally recognized doctor at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the hospital for twenty-five years. At the age of thirty-three, he became one of the youngest doctors in the United States to hold that position. And he was the first African-American to have that position at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Ben Carson is known for his work as a brain surgeon for children. For example, in nineteen eighty-seven, he led a team of seventy doctors and nurses in an operation to separate two babies joined at the head. Earlier attempts by other surgeons on other babies had failed. Doctor Carson successfully performed the operation. Both babies were able to survive independently.
Doctor Carson has written four books. His first book, "Gifted Hands," tells the story of his life. Benjamin Carson was born in nineteen fifty-one in Detroit, Michigan.
As a boy, Ben was not a good student. In fact, he was the worst in his class. When his mother learned of his failing grades she asked her sons to read two library books every week. She limited the amount of time they watched television. And she told them to respect every person.
Ben Carson soon became the top student in his class. He went on to study at Yale University, one of the best universities in the country, and later to medical school at the University of Michigan.
Doctor Carson has received many awards and honors. Last year he received the nation's highest civilian honor. Former President George W. Bush presented Benjamin Carson with the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a ceremony at the White House.
41. The passage is probably taken from _____.
A. a radio B. a magazine C. TV D. a paper
42. What does the word “surgeons” in paragraph 3 mean?
A. nurses B. doctors C. hospitals D. points
43. Benjamin Carson’s change in study was largely because of ______
A. his hard work B. his teacher C. his mother D. his father
44. What’s the aim to write the passage?
A. To call on us to learn from Benjamin Carson.
B. To praise Benjamin Carson for his achievements.
C. To show us how Benjamin Carson succeeded
D. To introduce Benjamin Carson’s life and work