Imagination and fantasy can play an important role in achieving the things we fear. Children know this very well. Fred Epstein, in his book I Make It to Five, tells a story he heard from one of his friends about Tom, a four-year-old boy with a cancer in his back bone. He came through several operations and a lot of pain by mastering his imagination.
Tom loved to pretend, and he particularly loved to play superheroes. Dr. Epstein explained that it was actually a brilliant way for his young mind to handle the terrifying and painful life he led.
The day before his third trip to the operating room, Tom was terribly afraid. “Maybe I could go as Superman,” he whispered to his mom. Hearing this, the mother hesitated for a while. She has avoided buying the expensive costume(戏装), but finally she agreed.
The next day Tom appeared as the powerful Superman, showing off through the hospital halls and coolly waving his hand to the people greeting him along the way. And Tom, with the strength of his fantasy, successfully made it through the operation.
The power of imagination need not be reserved for children only. We all have the power to use our fantasies to attempt things we never thought possible, to go through those things that seem impossible, and to achieve what we never believed we could. Just as Dr. Epstein puts it, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
It doesn’t mean that you should dress as a superhero for your next job interview. But, next time you are tested in a way that seems impossible, imagine what it would take to overcome it. Become the person you need to become to win over your challenge and do it in your mind first. So, let your imagination run wild, and dare to dream.What do we know about Tom?
| A．He was seriously ill. |
| B．He was a dishonest boy. |
| C．He was crazy about magic. |
| D．He was Dr. Epstein’s patient. |
What can be inferred about Tom’s mother?
| A．She was a rich lady. |
| B．She refused Tom’s request. |
| C．She wanted Tom to be a superhero. |
| D．She wanted to get Tom through the pain. |
When Tom went for the third operation, he_________.
| A．pretended to be painful | B．acted like a superhero |
| C．appeared in poor spirits | D．argued with his mother |
In the last paragraph, you are advised________.
| A．to go through some difficult tests |
| B．to wake up from your wild dreams |
| C．to become a powerful person in your mind |
| D．to wear expensive clothes for job interviews |
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.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．How to detect nuclear radiation. |
| B．How radiation kill a man. |
| C．The mystery about nuclear radiation. |
| D．Serious damage caused by nuclear radiation. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Nuclear radiation can cause cancer to human beings. |
| B．Nuclear radiation can be safe to human beings if its level is low. |
| C．Nuclear radiation can be detected by human senses. |
| D．Nuclear radiation is just like common radio waves. |
What is not the reason why nuclear radiation has a certain mystery?
| A．The hurt cells can stay in the body many years and then grow into cancer. |
| B．It can do harm to a person while the victim isn't aware the damage has occurred. |
| C．Nuclear radiation can kill a person very easily. |
| D．Radiation can seldom kill a person immediately. |
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 |
Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value of keeping trees.
Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world. Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide.
The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least.
The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection.
Dennis Garrity, who heads the World Agroforestry Center, says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts.
The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought(干旱)conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season.
Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen(氮气)out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the Center say the use of fertilizer trees can re-duce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change.Through the study, the researchers found that .
| A．there are more trees on farmlands than expected |
| B．fewer trees are being cut in developing countries |
| C．most farmers still don’t realize the value of trees |
| D．trees play a key role in preventing climate change |
Which of the following has the least tree cover?
| A．Southeast Asia | B．West Asia. |
| C．South America. | D．Africa south of the Sahara. |
In Dennis Garrity’s opinion,.
| A．most farmers care about nothing but their own interests |
| B．there are usually few people living in areas with few trees |
| C．government plays a small role in tree planting and protection |
| D．government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees |
The sixth paragraph mainly tells about .
| A．how farmers plant trees |
| B．what products trees can bring |
| C．the importance of trees to farmers |
| D．the environmental value of tree cover |
Dreams can be familiar and strange, fantastical or boring, but some dreams might be connected to the mental processes that help us learn. In a recent study, scientists found a connection between nap-time dreams and better memory in people who were learning a new skill.
In the study,99 college students between the ages of 18 and 30 each spent an hour on a compute, trying to get through a virtual maze（迷宫）.The maze was different place each time they tired—making it even more difficult. They were also told to find a particular picture of a tree and remember where it was.
For the first 90 minutes of a five-hour break, half of the participants stayed awake and an half were told to take a short nap .Participants who stayed awake were asked to describe their thoughts. Participants who took a nap were asked about their dreams before sleep and after sleep—and they were awakened within a minute of sleep to describe their dreams.
Stickgold, a neuroscientist（神经科学家）,wanted to know what people were dreaming about when their eyes weren＇t moving during sleep.
Four of the 50 people who slept said their dreams were connected to the maze. Some dreamed about the music that had been playing when they were working ; others said they dreamed about seeing people in the maze. When these four people tried the computer maze again, they were able to find the tree faster than before their naps.
Stickgold suggests the dream itself doesn‘t help a person learn—it＇s the other way around.He suspects that the dream was caused by the brain processes associated with learning.
All four of the people who dreamed about the task had done poorly the first time, which makes Stickgold wonder if the dreams show up when a person finds a new task particularly difficult. People who had other dreams, or people who didn＇t take a nap, didn＇t show the same improvement.Before having a short nap, participants of the experiment were asked to .
| A．stay in a different place in the maze |
| B．design a virtual maze which is difficult to get through |
| C．experience the experiment and try to remember something |
| D．get through a virtual maze on a computer from the same place |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Participants who took a nap were required to express their thoughts. |
| B．Some dreams may encourage people to invent something new. |
| C．Participants who dreamed about films could finish the task more easily. |
| D．Participants whose dreams had something to do with the maze could find the tree faster. |
According to Stickgold,.
| A．every person may dream about what they learned |
| B．people＇s brain processes may still be connected with their learning in their dreams |
| C．once people＇s eyes stop moving, they are sure to dream about something |
| D．no matter how fantastical or boring, dreams are connected with people＇s life |
What is the best title for this text?
| A．Dreams Are Strange | B．Not All Dreams Are True |
| C．Dreaming Makes Perfect | D．Stickgold, a Dream Expert |
“ Yeah！ Auntie is here! “ screamed my husband’s niece and nephew together. “ Let me get the door!” “ No, let me !” Each one’s goal was to get there first and open the door for their Auntie, Me!
I couldn’t get enough of them, of their youthful love of life, and their excitement every time I visited! To be honest, it was partially because of the Surprise Travel Bag that I carried in. It was a tradition that I started when they were young. Each time I went to see them, I would take a large bag filled with toys, coloring books, candy, magic markers and “games”.
The contents(内容) were different but the rules were not. They included: one may get a turn to choose what activity we would do; another may take a turn to go first when we played a game; ..... We shared the treats after the games and cleaned up after we played . Then, sadly, they watched the Surprise Travel Bag go away with their Auntie.
Now my niece and nephew have grown into young adults. They spend most of their visits listening to their iPods, messaging on their phones.... I completely forgot that I had put my two Surprise Travel Bags in the basement(地下室) until my husband found them this weekend.
I held the bags tightly in my arms, remembering our laughter and fun-filled get-togethers. My big decision now is to whom I will pass the Surprise Travel Bags so that the fun that the bags help to create can continue.When the author came for a visit, the children were _________.
| A．uninterested | B．excited | C．bored | D．upset |
We learn from the passage that the author would ________.
| A．change the contents in the bags |
| B．change the rules each time she visited |
| C．choose the activity for the children |
| D．leave the bag behind for the children |
The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to ________.
| A．sell her Surprise Travel Bags |
| B．show us how to travel happily |
| C．share her good memories |
| D．teach us how to play with children |
Why did the author forget the Surprise Travel Bags?
| A．Because she is too old to remember them. |
| B．Because the children have grown up and have their own interests. |
| C．Because she has put too many things in the basement. |
| D．Because she doesn’t like the children any longer. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Surprise Travel Bags | B．How to Play with Children |
| C．Travel with My Surprise Travel Bag | D．My Family Life |
Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving(铺砌) a road can lead to less usable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages(短缺). Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts(干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks (泄露、漏洞)in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?
| A．Using river water. | B．Throwing batteries away. |
| C．paving parking lots. | D．Throwing rubbish into lakes. |
The meaning of the underlined word mans .
| A．water on the ground | B．water from a well(井) |
| C．water from the deep earth | D．water from lakes or rivers |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．All water shortages are because of human behavior. |
| B．It takes a lot of efforts to meet our water needs. |
| C．There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
| D．The average family in America makes proper use of water. |
The last paragraph is intended to .
| A．show us how to fix leaks at home |
| B．tell us how to run a dishwasher |
| C．prove what drinking glass is best for us |
| D．suggest what we do to save water at home |
The text is mainly about _____________.
| A．why paving roads reduces our water. |
| B．how much we depend on water to live. |
| C．why droughts occur more in dry climates. |
| D．how human activity affects our water supply. |