It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas; and as the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating — a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
As I was cleaning my office, I was told a lady urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband — a prisoner in a nearby prison — was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her request was for me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
A short time later, her husband arrived — with chains on his feet and hands, and two armed guards as bodyguards. The woman’s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept glancing out to watch them laugh, cry and share their child. After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to my office. The patient seemed like a gentle and modest man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas-a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most joy — the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The writer was a newcomer to her office. |
| B．A fellow sent her a dozen red roses as Christmas present. |
| C．She was in low spirits because she had to work before Christmas. |
| D．She was at work with a light heart. |
The young woman came to the writer’s office for the purpose of .
| A．having her baby examined |
| B．giving her husband a chance to make his escape |
| C．having her husband examined |
| D．getting a chance for her family to get together |
The underlined part in paragraph 3 most probably means “ ”
| A．to be sent to hospital | B．to be separated from his family |
| C．to be comfortable | D．to become a prisoner |
What does the writer learn from the story?
| A．The wife experienced the most joy in receiving |
| B．An act of kindness can mean a lot |
| C．The prisoner was treated with mercy |
| D．Whoever breaks the law should be punished |
Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you know was in trouble and he was? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP.
ESP stands for Extra Sensory Perception. It may be called a“sixth sense.”It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
Here is an example：A woman was doing washing. Suddenly she screamed, “My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair.”Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father had died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
There are thousands of stories like this on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what is behind these strange mental messages. Here's another exampleone of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, “There's room for one more.”The man felt the driver was death, so he ran away. The next day the man was getting on a crowded bus. The bus driver said，“There's room for one more.”Then the man saw the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
Some people say stories like these are lies or coincidence. Others, including some scientists say that ESP is true. From studies of ESP, we may some day learn more about the human mind.ESP lets people know about________.
| A．their dreams |
| B．events after they happen |
| C．events before they happen |
| D．heart attacks |
The example of the man shows an ability to________.
| A．avoid traffic accident |
| B．judge the good and evil of a person |
| C．know about the events that are happening some distance away |
| D．sense a danger that will actually happen later on |
In this passage the underlined word“coincidences”probably means________.
| A．things which do not happen |
| B．things which happen by accident without necessary connection |
| C．things which are only dreams |
| D．things dreamed of only by sick people |
From the passage, it can be inferred that________.
| A．the dead |
| B．men |
| C．women |
| D．either B or C |
The disease asthma affects as many as one hundred fifty million people around the world. It is a serious lung disease that causes breathing problems. These problems, called asthma attacks, can kill people. Asthma can affect people of all age groups but often begins in childhood. It can be controlled but not cured. Sufferers must deal with the disease every day.
Experts say exercise is one of the things that can start an asthma attacks. Things that lead to asthma attacks are called triggers. Although doctors do not know the cause of asthma, they have identified(辨认)most of its triggers. For example, the common cold can cause an asthma attack in a person who has the disease. There are also several air pollutants(污染物)that can lead to an asthma attack. Pollen is one such pollutant. Pollen is a fine dust that comes from plants that produce seeds. However, almost any kind of dust can cause an asthma attack if enough of it is in the air. This includes common dust found in houses.
Air pollution from burning fuel also can cause an asthma attack. Tobacco smoke can do the same. Some kinds of animal fur are a trigger for asthma. And, even some insects(昆虫)in the home can lead to asthma attacks.
Several things happen in the lungs when an asthma sufferer has an attack. Cells in the air passages begin to produce too much of a thick, sticky material called mucous(痰). The mucous creates blocked areas in the air passages. The tissue(组织)that lines the air passages begins to expand at the same time. And, the muscles in the passages tighten.
All these changes cause the air passages to narrow. This reduces the amount of air that can flow in and out of the lungs. The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. The narrowed airways also cause coughing and a tight feeling in the chest.Which of the following statements about the disease asthma is NOT right?
| A．It causes breathing problems, which can have sufferers killed. |
| B．It can not be cured but can be controlled. |
| C．People of all age groups can get affected, especially the old. |
| D．Doctors know little about its cause. |
How many triggers of the disease asthma are mentioned in the text?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
What an asthma sufferer should NOT do is________.
| A．do as much exercise as possible |
| B．try to avoid catching cold |
| C．keep away from pollen |
| D．deal with the disease every day |
What is the main idea of the last two paragraphs?
| A．The mucous is the main cause of the disease asthma. |
| B．What happens in the lung cause an asthma sufferer to have trouble in breathing. |
| C．The sufferer can not get a good, deep, breath of air. |
| D．The disease asthma, caused by mucous, can be prevented. |
Have you ever sat on a camel? Well, if you have, then you know how scary it is when the camel rises on its long wobbly(摆动的)legs. The rocking motion of a camel is a bit like a being tossed around in heaving seas. Small wonder then that the camel is often called the ship of the desert. Actually, the name owes its origins to the fact that camels were brought from the desert, to serve as beasts of burden in other countries.
We in India are only familiar with one species of camel, known as the Dromedary camel. This animal is singlehumped, has long legs and is found in the deserts of Asia and Africa. Another specie(the twohumped shortedlegged Bactrian camel)is found in parts of China and Central Asia.
Recently, scientists discovered what they think is a new species of wild camel that lives in a remote part of China. These mammals look very similar to the Bactrian camel but they have a unique feature—they survive by drinking salty water.
Strangely enough, scientists knew about the existence of the animal, but had no idea of their unique identity(特性). As a result, researchers now admit that these animals are not Bactrian camels as initially(最初)thought, but a new species. The only visible physical difference is that the saltwater drinking species has its humps further apart than the Bactrian camel.
Camels are most common in the African and Asian deserts, but fossil evidence shows that camels originated in North America about 45 million years ago. So how did they manage to come into Africa? Well, million of years ago, North America and Asia were connected by a land mass—the presentday Bering Strait.
Scientists think that the camels migrated into South America and across to Asia, disappearing almost entirely from the land of its origin. However, many researchers say that the South American llama(骆驼)is a direct descendant of the camel.The camel is called“the ship of the desert”because________.
| A．when you are on a camel, you feel like being on a ship at sea |
| B．its long legs swung when it is traveling in the desert |
| C．camels came from the desert and are used in other countries |
| D．camels can travel in the desert of many days without eating |
What's the difference between the Dromedary camel and the Bactrian camel?
| A．The Dromedary camel has two humps. |
| B．The Bactrian camel has long legs. |
| C．The Dromedary camel is only found in Asia. |
| D．The Dromedary camel has only one hump. |
What scientists don't know about the new species is________.
| A．their existence in China |
| B．their ability to survive on salty water |
| C．their similarity to the Bactrian water |
| D．how they survive in the remote part of China |
How can people tell the new species from the the Bactrian camel?
| A．By looking at the length of their legs. |
| B．By counting the number of humps. |
| C．By looking at the distance of the two humps. |
| D．By examining the kind of the two humps. |
From the passage we can infer that________.
| A．Very few camels exist in North America at present |
| B．Camels warm across the Bering Strait to Asia |
| C．Camels first originated from the African deserts |
| D．Camels are the most endangered animals in the world |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
E
The cost of medical care in the United States is very high. The time and money that doctors spend on their medical education is probably one reason for this problem.
A visit to a doctor's office costs from fifteen to fifty dollars. It is almost impossible for people to pay for medical care they need. Many people in the United States think that doctors are overpaid. Most doctors, however, disagree. They say that they have been required to study medicine for a long time. Tuition(学费)for many years of medical education costs lots of money. Doctors say that it is necessary for most medical students to borrow money from a bank to pay their tuition. Because this money must be repaid to the bank, young doctors need to receive a lot of money for their work. So they charge(收费)people high prices for medical care.
Therefore, it's possible that the high cost of medical care in America is unnecessary. Because high tuition is one cause of high costs, one way to lower costs would be to have medical schools that are free or have low tuition.Some people don't have their medical care they need because________.
| A．they are not willing to pay the doctors high tuition |
| B．they don't think it necessary to have medical care |
| C．they don't want to spend much money on it |
| D．they haven't got enough money to pay for it |
The reason for the high medical cost mentioned(提到)in the article is________.
| A．tuition in medical schools is high |
| B．the price of medicine is high |
| C．doctors are overpaid |
| D．doctors must pay money to banks |
One way to lower the cost of medical care would be________.
| A．not to see a doctor |
| B．to pay doctors less money |
| C．to let medical students have free or partly free medical education |
| D．to forbid(禁止)doctors to ask their patients for too much money |
The main idea of the article is that________.
| A．a visit to a doctor's office may cost as much as 15 to 50 in US |
| B．the cost of medical care is the main reason for the high costs in US |
| C．medical care in the United States costs a lot of money because doctors want to be rich |
| D．the high cost of tuition in medical schools is one reason for the high cost of medical care in America |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
D
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship with their teenagers(青少年). But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking far more to his firends than to his parents.“The door to his room is always shut，”Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changes in their 14yearold daughter. “She used to cuddle up(蜷伏)with me on the sofa and talk，”said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady. The problem is figuring out which time is which.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what's on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list，”said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years，”Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what's going on in their teenagers' lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break, for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.“The door to his room is always shut”suggests that the son________.
| A．is always busy with his studies |
| B．doesn't want to be disturbed |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents |
| D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that________.
| A．their daughter isn't lovely as before |
| B．they can't read their daughter's mind exactly |
| C．they don't know what to say to their daughter |
| D．their daughter talks with them only when she needs help |
Which of the following best explains“the wall of silence”in the last paragraph?
| A．Teenagers talk a lot with their friends. |
| B．Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
| C．Teenagers do not talk much with their parents. |
| D．Teenagers talk little about their own lives. |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．Parents are unhappy with their growing children. |
| B．Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers. |
| C．Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers. |
| D．Parents should try to understand their teenagers. |