February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine. Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because ______.
| A．he killed one of the soldiers | B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn’t obey the emperor’s order | D．he didn’t want to be a soldier |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
| A．students in China send cards to their teachers |
| B．it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| C．it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China |
| D．Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now |
The best title for this passage should be ______.
| A．Valentine’s Day | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine’s Day in China | D．A Romantic Man |
Chinese students aren’t the only ones who have a sleep loss problem. In Australia, teenagers are also missing out on, on average, one hour’s sleep every night during the school week.
Organized activities and homework push bedtimes later, the first large-scale Australian study of children’s sleeping habits has revealed (显示). Their sleep deprivation (剥夺) is enough to cause “serious drop-offs in school performance, attention and memory”, and governments should consider later or flexible school start times, said the study’s leader, Tim Olds.
His survey, of more than 4,000 children aged 9 to 18, found those who slept least did not watch more television but spent their time socializing (相处) with family or friends or listening to music.
“Almost all children get up at 7 or 7:15 — they have to get to school on time,” said Olds. He favors a later start over an earlier finish because he believes organized sports and activities would still consume the latter end of the day.
Olds’ research also establishes lack of sleep as a cause of weight gain in children, and a possible source of future problems with depression, anxiety and increased susceptibility (易感性) to illness.
It was already known that overweight children sleep less, but Professor Olds found sleep duration(时长) was strongly linked to weight across the full range of body sizes. The thinnest children sleep 20 minutes more than the obese. This showed being overweight had no specific effect on sleep patterns, and it was more likely that shorter sleep times stimulate (刺激) appetite and make kids hungry.
The US National Sleep Foundation says teenagers aged 13 to 18 need eight to nine hours’ sleep a night. Younger school-aged kids need 9 to 11 hours.
On that basis, Professor Olds said, half of Australian children are under-sleeping on weekdays and a quarter on weekends.
46. The Australian students surveyed don’t sleep enough because they spend more time on the following EXCEPT _____.
A. organized activities and homework
B. communication with friends and family
C. watching television programs
D. enjoying music
47. What effects does lack of sleep directly have on the students according to the survey?
A. They become overweight but begin to eat less than before.
B. They feel more depressed and anxious about their school work.
C. They are more likely to be affected with illness in the future.
D. They pay less attention in class and their memory declines.
48. Which of the following suggestions did Mr. Olds raise?
A. The students should go to bed earlier to have longer sleeping time.
B. The students should participate less in organized activities.
C. The school should put off the start time in the morning.
D. The school should finish earlier in the afternoon.
49. What does "obese" in the sixth paragraph mean?
A. average B. fatC. sleepless D. overeating
50. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Australian students usually take part in activities in the afternoon.
B. More students are short of sleep on weekends than on weekdays.
C. Being overweight has an effect on the length of the sleeping time.
D. The survey suggests that teenagers need 8-9 hours’ sleep a night.
People living on parts of the south coast of England face a serious problem. In 1933, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered, to their surprise that their gardens had disappeared overnight. The sea had eaten into the soft limestone cliff (悬崖) on which they had been built. While experts were studying the problem, the hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.
Erosion (侵蚀) of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years. Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland. Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people, forecasting the year in which their homes will be eaten up by the hungry sea.
Angry owners have called on the Government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes. Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases, this is impossible. New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents further along the coast, shifting the problem from one area to another. The danger is likely to continue, they say, until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock, which will not be eaten as limestone is. Meanwhile, if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future, apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England. You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may turn out to be a knockdown home. What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?
| A．The rising of the sea level. |
| B．The experts’ short of knowledge. |
| C．The washing-away of limestone cliff. |
| D．The disappearance of hotels, houses and gardens. |
The erosion of the white cliffs in the south of England ________.
| A．will soon become a problem for people living in central England |
| B．has now become a threat to the local residents |
| C．can be stopped if proper measures are taken |
| D．is quickly changing the map of England |
The experts’ study on the problem of erosion can ________.
| A．warn people whose homes are in danger |
| B．provide an effective way to slow it down |
| C．help to its eventual solution |
| D．lead to its eventual solution(www.nmet168.com) |
It is not feasible to build sea defenses to protect against erosion because ________.
| A．house agents along the coast do not support the idea |
| B．it is too costly and will endanger neighboring areas |
| C．the government is too slow in taking action |
| D．they will be easily knocked down by waves and currents |
Play is the basic business of childhood, and in recent years research has shown the great importance of play in the development of a human being. From earliest infancy (婴儿), every child needs opportunity and the right materials for play, and the main tools of play are toys. The main function of toys is to suggest, encourage and play. To succeed in this, they must be good toys, which children will play with often, and will come back to again, and again. Therefore it is important to choose suitable toys for different stages of a child’s development.
In recent years research on infant development has shown that the standard a child is likely to reach, within the range of his inherited (遗传的) abilities, is largely determined in the first three years of his life. So a baby’s ability to benefit from the right play materials should not be underestimated. A baby who is encouraged, talked to and shown things and played with, has the best chance of growing up successfully.
In the next stage, from three to five years old, curiosity knows no bounds. Every type of suitable toys should be made available to the child, for trying out, experimenting and learning, for discovering his own particular ability: Bricks and jigsaws (七巧板) and construction toys; painting, scribbling (涂鸦) and making things; sand and water play;toys for imaginative and pretending play — the first social games for learning to play and get on with others.
But at the third stage of play development — from five to seven or eight years old — the child is at school. But for a few more years play is still the best way of learning, at home or at school. It is easier to see which type of toys the child most enjoys.
Until the age of seven or eight, play and work mean much the same to a child. But once reading has been mastered, then books become the main source of learning. Toys are still interesting and valuable, which lead up to new hobbies, but their significance has changed — to a child of nine or ten years old, toys and games mean, as to adults, relaxation and fun.according to the first passage we know that as a child grows up________.
| A．he should be allowed to choose his own toys |
| B．he should be given the same toys |
| C．he should be given different toys |
| D．he should be given fewer and fewer toys |
according to the passage, the abilities a child has inherited from his parents________.
| A．determine his character |
| B．will not change after the age of three |
| C．partly determine the standard he is likely to reach |
| D．to a large extent determine the choice of toys |
We learn from the passage that a child has boundless curiosity________.
| A．when he is two | B．when he is around four |
| C．when he is six | D．when he is eight |
The passage is mainly about________.
| A．the importance of pre-school education | B．the importance of schooling |
| C．the role of play in a child’s development | D．the choice of toys for youngster |
It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can’t imagine we will do without him when he’s gone. Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill’s leadership; we are increasing our share with each passing month.
As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company’s competitive areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work. The speech was made ________.
| A．at a welcome meeting | B．after someone died |
| C．when somebody was leaving | D．when they had a new manager |
How long did Masters work there?
| A．37 years. | B．Less than 5 years. |
| C．About six years. | D．Since he began to work. |
When Bill started to work in Houston area, he had to help him.
| A．many people | B．nobody | C．about 37 people | D．very few people |
Bill increased the company’s sale________.
| A．by 37 per cent every month | B．to the second largest in the area |
| C．to be the fifth largest in the area | D．five times as much as before |
You are a German living in Berlin. One day you’ re walking down the street, minding your own business, when suddenly a stranger comes up with a smile on his face. After stopping you, he holds a small electronic device (装置) close to his face and speaks slowly into it, saying, in English," Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut?" What should you do? (a) Run away; (b) Call the police; or (c) Listen closely for the device to say in German," Konnen Sie mir bitte sagen, welches sauerkraut haufen kann?"
The most proper answer would be (c) because the person in front of you is only a tourist trying to enjoy himself. The device is said to be the world’s first portable(便携的) translator — a hand-held microcomputer that at the same time translates one spoken language into another. The four-pound, battery-operated product is called the Voice, and it is the invention of Advanced Products and Technologies, an American electronics company. When the Voice is introduced in the Unite States in late April — at a price of (1,500 — it will be used to translate spoken English into Italian, German, French and Spanish. The product comes with separate cartridges(盒式存储器) for each of the four languages, which can be changed when the user travels from one country to another. It will be sold in Europe soon after the US introduction, with cartridges that translate Italian, German, French and Spanish into English.
The Voice uses a microchip(微型集成电路片) to translate languages. It is Started by voice command and produces voice output through a built-in speaker. When the user makes a statement or asks a question, the Voice immediately repeats what has been said in another language. The device held by the stranger is probably a kind of________.
| A．a two-way radio | B．language translator |
| C．easily-carried speaker | D．a multi-functioned computer |
. What does the last sentence of the first paragraph mean?
| A．Can you tell me where I can buy some sauerkraut? |
| B．Can I ask for some information from the police? |
| C．Would you like to try my device? |
| D．Would you not run away if I ask you where to buy some sauerkraut? |
When the stranger says," Can you tell... sauerkraut?" he is ________.
| A．learning German from his device |
| B．asking you the way to the sauerkraut shop |
| C．making fun of you with his device |
| D．testing his device for fun |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the text?
| A．The price of the hand-held microcomputer. |
| B．The function of the product Voice. |
| C．The producer pf the small electronic device. |
| D．The number of the device sold to the European countries. |