They are the sort of friends who are so close they trust each other with their lives. If one falls, the other is there to catch him.
They are Wellman, whose legs were permanently injured nine years ago in a rock-climbing accident, and Corbett, an experienced rock climber. Together, they climbed up Half Dome, the famous 2,000-foot rock in the Yosemite National Park, through one of the most difficult routes(路线).
During the climb, Corbett took the lead, hit in the metal spikes（尖状物）that guided the ropes and climbed up. Then, after Wellman pulled himself up the rope, Corbett went down to remove the spikes and climbed up again. This process was repeated time and again, inch by inch, for 13 days. Wellman’s job was not easy either. He got himself up the rope through upper body strength alone. In all, Wellman figured that he had done 5,000 pull-ups up the rope on the climb.
However, when the two men first met, they never talked about climbing. “He knew that was how I got injured.” Wellman said. Until one day Wellman decided that he wanted to climb again and they started training.
Their climb of Half Dome was not all smooth. At one point, pieces of rock gave way, and Corbett dropped down quickly. Wellman locked their rope in place, stopping the fall at 20 feet. His quick action probably saved his friend’s life.
“Your partner can save your life — you can save your partner’s life,” Wellman said as the pair received congratulations from friends. “There are real close ties.”Why did the two men never talk about climbing when they first met?
| A．Corbett was poorly trained. |
| B．Wellman had lost interest in climbing. |
| C．Corbett didn’t want to hurt Wellman. |
| D．Wellman hadn’t decided whether to climb again. |
What do we know about Wellman?
| A．He climbed Half Dome by himself. |
| B．He was disabled in a traffic accident. |
| C．He stopped rock-climbing for some time. |
| D．He was saved by Corbett during the climb. |
Which of the following was a challenge for Corbett in climbing Half Dome?
| A．To climb up to remove the spikes. |
| B．To climb it again after falling down |
| C．To do 5,000 pull-ups up the rope. |
| D．To lock the rope in place. |
The main idea of the text is that _______ .
| A．two heads are better than one |
| B．friendship is precious in life |
| C．the disabled should never give up |
| D．a man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated |
Are you single and dreaming of an exciting voyage vacation, but unsure of the next step? You’re not alone! Many single travelers wonder which voyage will have the most singles on board, how they’ll meet other singles, what the voyage will cost and whether they’ll enjoy themselves.
Our hosted singles voyage is ideal for singles of all ages. No other form of travel affords as many opportunities to meet people and make friends. In fact, our Singles Division can help you find a singles voyage on a ship that’s just right for you and make sure you meet many other singles on board.
We’ve scheduled singles voyage on sailings throughout 2005, to all of the world’s greatest destinations. And we’ve selected popular itineraries(旅行路线)on large, newer ships for different audiences, so you can find one that suits your tastes.
If you’re looking for a roommate to cut costs, our Match Program can pair you with a samesex single in one stateroom(on hosted sailings only),enabling us to offer you the same perperson pricing that couples receive. We guarantee to find you a roommate, whenever you signup before the cutoff date. If we don’t, you only need pay the perperson, doubleoccupancy rate. If you prefer the privacy of your own stateroom, the single supplement rates will apply.
Either way, we’ll provide our own onboard host to organize singles cocktail parties, mixers, games, singlemingle dining and more. Once you’ve booked your voyage, we’ll also give you private access to our singles chat site where you can get to know other singles before you depart.
We expect our staterooms on these sailings will fill quickly, so please book early to avoid disappointment. To get started, click on any singles voyage in the calendar to the left. Hope to see you onboard!
Note: If you can’t take advantage of one of our hosted singles cruises but still wish to travel as a single, click here for more information.The voyage which is strongly recommended in the text is for________
| A．young singles |
| B．singles of all ages who want to meet people and make friend |
| C．single travelers |
| D．singles who intend to go to the world’s greatest destinations |
What can Match Program do for travelers according to the text?
| A．To match a single man with a proper woman. |
| B．To match a single woman with a proper man. |
| C．To have a match between samesex singles in one room. |
| D．To pair a willing person with a samesex single in one room. |
Which activity is NOT included in the voyage?
| A．Having singles cocktail parties. |
| B．Having private access to our singles chat site. |
| C．Mixers, games, singlemingle dining etc. |
| D．Finding a roommate. |
The text probably comes from_____________.
| A．a guide book |
| B．an ad on newspaper |
| C．a website |
| D．a magazine |
Vitamin E supplements(补充品)，which millions take in the hope of longer, healthier lives, may do more harm than good, researchers reported on Wednesday.
In fact, people taking high doses(剂量)of vitamin E may in some cases be more likely to die earlier, although the reasons are not clear, said Dr. Edgar Miller of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study.“I think people take vitamin E because they think it is going to make you live longer, but this(study)doesn’t support that.”Miller told reporters.
Miller and colleagues reanalyzed 19 studies of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004. The tests involved more than 136,000 mostly elderly patients in North America, Europe and China. People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate during the study, which lasted three years, than people who did not take supplements, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association.“It’s about a 5 percent increased risk at 45 years in the tests combined together，”Miller said.“That doesn’t sound like a lot but if you apply it to 25 percent of the (U.S.)adult population taking vitamin E, that is significant.”
Miller, whose findings are also being published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine, said twothirds of people who take vitamin E supplements take 400 IU or more.“We don’t think that people need to take vitamin E supplements, which they can get enough from the diet,”he said. Nuts, oils, whole grains and green leafy vegetables are all rich in vitamin E. People take vitamin E supplements, hoping that________.
| A．they can lose weight easily |
| B．they may live a longer and healthier life |
| C．they can get more and more beautiful |
| D．they no longer need any medicine |
The following statements can give us information about Miller EXCEPT_________.
| A．Miller and his team based their research on 19 cases of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004 |
| B．Miller thinks it unnecessary for people to take vitamin E supplements |
| C．Miller supposes it impossible for people to get enough vitamin E from their diets |
| D．Miller played an important role in the tests conducted by the researchers |
Which of the following contains rich vitamin E?
| A．Nuts. |
| B．Whole grains. |
| C．Green leafy vegetables. |
| D．All of the above. |
What is this text mainly about?
| A．It is reported in a study that vitamin E may do more harm than good to people to live longer and get healthier. |
| B．Dr.Edgar Miller and his colleagues studied many cases of vitamin E and health. |
| C．Dr.Edgar Miller advises that people should not depend on vitamin E supplements for longer and healthier lives. |
| D．People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate than people who did not take supplements. |
Leaders and officials from foreign countries have extended congratulations on China’s successful launch(发射)of its first manned spacecraft.
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro called the launch of the Shenzhou V “a great feat” and said it showed China’s space science and technology has reached a very high level. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his congratulatory letter to President Hu Jintao that China as a member of space club was conducive(有助于)to maintaining world peace and developing technology. The European Union(EU)also hailed China’s first successful manned space flight.
“The successful launch and safe return of a Chinese astronaut represents an important event for space exploration. Human space flight is a dream for all of us and opens a new chapter(篇章)for scientific and technological exploration of space,”EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin said in a statement.
“For the European Union, it remains a goal to be achieved. This effort can bring nations together and opens up new opportunities for scientific and technological cooperation,”he said.French Minister for Science Research Claudie Haignere, the first woman astronaut in Europe, said with China’s successful launch of the manned spacecraft,“the space age has entered a new historic period.” Other countries have also extended congratulations to China.
“ The successful launch of Shenzhou V is an honour for China,”said the newspaper on its front page, citing(引用)Chinese President Hu Jintao.
“October 15, 2003 is not only a date to be remembered forever by the Chinese people, but also ‘a splendid moment’in the history of space flight of mankind,”said the newspaper in its editorial section. The news covers_________.
| A．opinions about different countries |
| B．different opinions about China’s first manned spacecraft |
| C．congratulations from world leaders |
| D．China’s congratulations on the successful manned space flight |
When the Japanese leader said “a great feat”(in paragraph 2), he meant________.
| A．a great failure |
| B．a defeat after success |
| C．something above sea level |
| D．something difficult well done |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Shenzhou V is China’s first manmade spaceship. |
| B．Shenzhou V is a manned spacecraft. |
| C．Russian President praised Hu Jintao for his speech. |
| D．China, as well as many other countries, realized the dream of space flying. |
On which day, the Chinese people have realized their dream of space flying?
| A．On April 12th, 1961 |
| B．October 1st, 1949 |
| C．October 16th, 1964 |
| D．October 15th,2003 |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,”said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible（灵活的），” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists. Which part will change more when a person studies a second language?
| A． grey matter density | B． the brain |
| C． mental system | D． musles |
Who can study a second language easier?.
| A． The adults | B．The teenagers |
| C． The children | D．The old |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means .
| A． a researcher on language learning |
| B． a second language learner |
| C． a person who can speak two languages |
| D． an active language learner |
How do you understand the underlined sentence ( in paragraph 4 ) in the passage?
| A． It means that we can practise our brain by studying a second language |
| B． It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn |
| C． It means that learning a second language makes you more flexable |
| D． It means that learners will better understand the difficult ideas. |
Can you imagine being savagely attacked by a dog? What if the attack was so severe that your nose, lips and chin were completely destroyed? How would you feel about yourself? Would you be able to look at yourself in the mirror? And how do you think other people would treat you?
Isabelle Dinoire is someone who can answer all of these questions honestly and openly.
Last November Isabelle was attacked and mauled by her own dog. The attack was so severe that her lower face was damaged; it seemed, almost beyond repair. She was rushed to hospital and became the first person ever to have a face transplant.
With such severe injuries doctors offered Isabelle little hope that they would be able to repair the damage to her face using conventional surgery.
Shortly after being admitted, she came to the attention of Dr Bernard Devauchelle who, unlike other surgeons, believed there was an alternative: "We found ourselves saying, yes, it's clear this woman needs a transplant," he said.
Two days after the operation she saw her face in the mirror for the first time. She said "I was scared to look at myself, but when I did it was already marvelous and I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be blue and swollen but it was already beautiful."
Now, less than a year after her 15 hour operation, she’s trying to rebuild her life and there is no doubt how she feels about her new face: "I have been saved. Lots of people write saying that I need to go on, that it's wonderful. It's a miracle somehow."
Although there were ethical questions raised about their decision to carry out the procedure, the doctors who operated on Isabelle are quick to defend their decision.
One of them said "Was it possible for her to live without a face? It's easy to say we shouldn't have done the operation, but her life has changed, she goes shopping, goes on holiday, she lives again." What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．The first face transplant | B．A successful face operation |
| C．The most severe damaged face | D．The breakthrough of surgery |
The writer uses the five questions at the beginning of the passage to ___________________.
| A．tell the story about Isabelle Dinoire | B．show a severe face damage event |
| C．draw the readers’ attention to the topic | D．invite the readers to answer them |
It can be concluded from Isabelle Dinoire’s remarks that___________________.
| A．she was too shocked to see herself in the mirror |
| B．she was satisfied with the result of the operation |
| C．she thought her damaged face couldn’t be repaired |
| D．she looked more beautiful than before |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．It seemed that it was impossible to recover Isabelle’s face using face transplant |
| B．After operation Isabelle thought she looked beautiful and rebuilt her life again |
| C．Some doctors had no better idea to repair the damage to Isabelle’s face |
| D．It was Dr Bernard Devauchelle who came up with the idea of face transplant |