Many of us believe that a person’s mind becomes less active as he grows older. But this is not true, according to Dr Jarvik, professor of psychiatry at the University of California. She has studied the mental functioning of aging persons for several years. For example, one of her studies concerns 136 pairs of twins (双胞胎), who were first examined when they were already 60 years old. As Dr Jarvik continued the study of the twins into their 70s and 80s, their minds did not generally decline (衰弱) as was expected.
However, there was some decline in their psycho-motor speed. This means that it took them longer to finish mental tasks than it used to. But when speed was not a factor, they lost very little intellectual (智力的) ability over the years. In general, Dr Jarvik’s studies have shown that there is no decline in knowledge or reasoning ability. This is true not only with those in their 30s and 40s, but with those in their 60s and 70s as well.
It is true that older people themselves often complain that their memory is not as good as it once was. However, much of what we call “loss of memory” is not that at all. There usually was incomplete learning in the first place. For example, the older person perhaps had trouble hearing, or poor vision, or was trying to learn the new thing at too fast a speed. In the cases where the older person’s mind really seems to get worse, it is not necessarily a sign of decline due to old age. Often it is simply a sign of a sad emotional state. This passage is mainly about _______.
| A．what caused mental decline |
| B．a new discovery about mental decline |
| C．the difference between middle-aged and older persons |
| D．how Dr Jarvik studied mental functioning of the twins |
The word “psychiatry” in paragraph 1 most probably means _______.
| A．the study of diseases of the mind |
| B．the study of physical diseases |
| C．the study of twins’ growth |
| D．the study of human behavior |
More often than not, what we call mental decline is actually a sign of _______.
| A．a worsening state of health | B．old age |
| C．nervous tension | D．a state of unhappiness |
I was the youngest of five boys and also had four sisters who had to pull together and take care of each other. Dad wasn't around, so I never knew him well. He killed himself when I was three years old, leaving mom with the job of raising nine kids. She was a very hard worker, and in order to make ends meet, she hardly ever rested. With my mom as my example, I learned that hard work is the best way to get what you want.
Even as a little boy, I knew I was going to be successful. Regardless of what I chose, I wanted to make my brothers, sisters and mom proud of me—not only by being successful in what I chose to do, but also as a person who could be looked up to for the right reasons.
Surprising as it might seem, basketball wasn't in my plans. One day, my mom cut a rim(边缘) off an old water barrel(水桶) and then held it up for me to throw an old rubber ball through. By junior high, I started playing basketball on a team. I loved to compete. For me, it paid off. I always put the effort in, every day.
I am grateful for the life I've enjoyed as a basketball star. Basketball is not life. It can be exciting. But the most important thing about basketball is that it gives me a way to do good things for others as I move through this journey called life.It can be inferred that the author's________.
| A．brothers were more famous than him |
| B．mother had a great influence on his career |
| C．father loved his children and wife very much |
| D．family was rich and happy when he was a child |
Why did the author's father kill himself?
| A．Because the family was poor. |
| B．Because he often quarreled with his wife. |
| C．Because he was seriously ill. |
| D．The passage didn't tell us the reason. |
From the second paragraph, we can infer that________.
| A．the author was respected as a brave boy |
| B．the author's family didn't like his career |
| C．the author got on well with his mother, brothers and sisters |
| D．the author helped his brothers and sisters succeed |
What does the author get from basketball?
| A．How to do good things for others. |
| B．Life is as hard as playing basketball. |
| C．Cooperation with others is important. |
| D．Two heads are wiser than one. |
Some 80 percent of graduate students in East China’s Zhejiang Province said in a survey they will give up trying to find jobs in Beijing，Shanghai and Guangzhou，first-tier cities in China that have been considered dream places for many，because of the untouchable home prices and high living costs．
The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 job seekers who were attending Sunday’s job fair in Jiangsu for graduate students．The survey showed graduates are becoming more realistic in their job search despite the job market becoming better．
The fair attracted more than 10，000 graduate students with 7，382 positions．
“The pressure of buying a house in Beijing is unbelievable，”said Wang Jian from Nanjiing Normal University，who acknowledged he had thought about finding a job in Beijing，Shanghai or Guangzhou，but in the face of huge pressures，he has no choice but to be “realistic”．
People can have a very comfortable life in Nanjing with a monthly salary of between 3，000 yuan($450)and 4，000 yuan，but in Shanghai，5，000 yuan a month can only help you survive and buying a house will remain a dream．
A student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology said he just turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7,000 yuan a month because“living costs in Shanghai are too high．”
An unnamed male student from Nanjing University said he will try first-tier cities only if he can get a high salary．“I would go to Beijing only if I can earn 200，000 yuan a year，”he said．
“Beijing，Shanghai and Guangzhou once had the advantages that other cities don’t have，but the high housing prices and living costs make young people barely able to breathe，”said Ren Leiming from the job service center of Jiangsu’s colleges and universities．
“First-tier cities have plenty of talents that make it hard for people to be outstanding，and if you go work in smaller cities you can become a dominant player at your position much more easily，”said Ren．The majority of graduate students will give up trying to find jobs in the first-tier cities because .
| A．it is not easy to find jobs there． |
| B．home prices and living costs there are very high． |
| C．they can’t make full use of their knowledge and skills there． |
| D．monthly salaries there are low compared with those in other cities． |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the job market now?
| A．There are more job opportunities offered now． |
| B．The job markets are becoming more and more competitive． |
| C．Many graduate students aren’t satisfied with the working conditions． |
| D．Companies and enterprises have stricter rules to take in graduate students． |
We can learn from the news report that ．
| A．in Shanghai，5，000 yuan a month can only help you buy a luxury house |
| B．the fair attracted more than 10，000 graduate students and laid-off workers with 7，382 positions |
| C．The Yangtse Evening Post conducted the survey among 50 personnel managers who were attending Sunday’s joh fair in Jiangsu for graduate students |
| D．a student from Nanjing University of Science and Technology turned down an offer from a Shanghai company of 7，000 yuan a month |
The words Ren said in the last paragraph mean .
| A．people can’t achieve more in first-tier cities |
| B．people can easily be outstanding in smaller cities |
| C．he would rather go to first-tier cities than smaller cities |
| D．talents are more welcome in first-tier cities than smaller ones |
Americans love to talk and generally it is OK to talk even to strangers about nearly any subject at any time as long as you are polite．However there are some subjects，like racism，American foreign policy，gun ownership，and religion that are best discussed among friends．
In America，it is OK to approach a stranger and start up a conversation with him as long as the subject is not too abstract．In America，it is not considered inappropriate to talk to people you don’t know．Talking to a stranger about the weather or the quality of nearby restaurants，or the prices in a grocery store is all perfectly fine．Even complimenting someone on the car they drive or asking them where they bought their clothes are all appropriate topics of conversation with complete strangers．
Generally，Americans prefer that people say what they think and they respect frankness．Usually when it comes to personal matters，it’s best to accentuate(强调)the positive：don’t tell someone that their children are ugly or that their cooking is terrible．However；it’s OK to tell someone that they are wrong as long as you do so politely and with respect．Americans generally believe that you show someone respect by telling them the truth．Don’t be afraid to be honest with Americans，but be appropriate．
Most Americans will start a conversation with a person they just met by asking them what they do for a living．This question is not only considered appropriate by Americans，but it’s also considered an important way to learn about someone．The passage mainly tells us ．
| A．how to make friends with Americans |
| B．how to make proper conversations with Americans |
| C．what Americans like to talk about in their dailv life |
| D．what to avoid in talking with Americans |
When you talk to an American for the first time，you can ask him the following questions EXCEPT “ ”.
| A．How does America treat other countries |
| B．Where did you buy your wonderful car |
| C．What do you do |
| D．How is the dessert the nearby restaurant offers |
When you find that an American has made a mistake, you’d better ．
| A．point it out directly and politely |
| B．pretend not to see it |
| C．tell his friends about this |
| D．cover it up for him |
Science can’t explain the power of pets，but many studies have shown that the company of pets can help lower blood pressure(血压) and raise chances of recovering from a heart attack，reduce loneliness and spread all-round good cheer．
Any owner will tell you how much joy a pet brings．For some．an animal provides more comfort than a husband／wife．A 2002 study by Karen Allen of the State University of New York measured stress(紧张)1evels and blood pressure in people－half of them pet owners－while they performed 5 minutes of mental arithmetic(算术)or held a hand in ice water．Subjects completed the tasks alone，with a husband／wife，a close friend or with a pet．People with pets did it best．Those tested with their animal friends had smaller change in blood pressure and returned most quickly to baseline heart rates．With pets in the room，people also made fewer math mistakes than when doing in front of other companions．It seems people feel more relaxed(放松)around pets，says Allen，who thinks it may be because pets don’t judge．
A study reported last fall suggests that having a pet dog not only raises your spirits but may also have an effect on your eating habits．Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital spent a year studying 36 fat people and their equally fat dogs on diet-and-exercise programs；a separate group of 56 people without pets were put on a diet program．On average，people lost about 11 pounds，or 5％ of their body weight．Their dogs did even better，losing an average of 12 pounds，more than 15％of their body weight．Dog owners didn’t lose any more weight than those without dogs but，say researchers，got more exercise overall－mostly with their dogs--and found it worth doing．What does the text mainly discuss?
| A．What pets bring to their owners． |
| B．How pets help people calm down． |
| C．People’s opinions of keeping pets． |
| D．Pet’s value in medical research． |
We 1earn from the text that a person with heart disease has a better chance of getting well if ．
| A．he has a pet companion |
| B．he has less stress of work |
| C．he often does mental arithmetic |
| D．he is taken care of by his family |
According to Allen，why did the people do better with pets around when facing stressful tasks?
| A．They have lower blood pressure． |
| B．They become more patient． |
| C．They are less nervous． |
| D．They are in higher spirits． |
The research mentioned in the last paragraph reports that ．
| A．people with dogs did more exercise |
| B．dogs lost the same weight as people did |
| C．dogs liked exercise much more than people did |
| D．people without dogs found the program unhelpful |
Most British parents give their teenagers pocket money．Teenagers get between￡7 and￡20 a week．They spend it on fast food，designed clothes，the cinema，concert，magazines and mobile phones．
1)Lazy parents?
37％of parents pay teenagers to clean the living room，66％of parents pay teenagers to take the rubbish out．
2)Lazy teens?
51％of teenagers don’t make their beds before they leave home．
Only 1 3％of teenagers wash the car for money．
Some parents even pay their teenagers to do their homework．
3)Equality?Not Yet!
Boys get more money than girls for most odd jobs．
For washing the dishes，boys get about￡4 and girls get about￡1．
4)And if you need some more money?
Teens get an extra￡250 a year out of their parents on top of pocket money!
About 50％of teens get gifts or money from their grandparents．
Go to Mum if you need extra money! She gives more than Dad．
5)Where you live makes a difference!
Parents in Scotland and the North of England give more pocket money．
6)Spending
51％of teenagers spend their money on clothes．
39％of teenagers buy cosmetics(装饰品)，jewellery and toiletries(洗漱用品)．
Less than 30％of teenagers save any money．
7)Earnings
Here are some children who tell us about their pocket money：
Emma：I get￡30 a month．I have to take the rubbish out and tidy my room．
James：I get￡10 a week．But I have to clean the car，hoover(用真空洗尘器清洗)the house and load and unload the dishwasher．I usually save the money．
Lain：I get￡7．50 a week．I have to be“good”but I don’t have to do any jobs for the money．
Richard；I get￡5 a week．But our neighbors go away a lot and they give me￡25 a week for looking after their cats．This passage is mainly about ．
| A．teenagers everywhere get pocket money |
| B．how to spend pocket money |
| C．some bits about pocket money in Britain |
| D．how to get pocket money |
According to the passage，which statement is true?
| A．Parents are lazy so they let children do housework． |
| B．Teens are too lazy to do housework unless they are given pocket money． |
| C．The pocket money boys and girls get is not equal． |
| D．It is not right for children to ask for pocket money． |
We can infer from the passage that ．
| A．boys earn more money at home than girls |
| B．girls earn more money at home than boys |
| C．only rich parents give children pocket money |
| D．most children spend their pocket money |
Who most probably gets the most money for a whole year according to the passage?
| A．Emma | B．J ames | C．Lain | D．Richard |