The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is plagues(疫病) that flesh receives.
The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses(病毒) passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated Arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches(战壕), cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp(奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds.
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter? Despite the most pains—taking research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such as aspirin, but all they do is to relieve the symptoms(症状).The writer offered _______ examples to support his argument.
A.4 | B.5 | C.6 | D.3 |
Which of the following does not agree with the chosen passage?
A.The Eskimos do not suffer from colds all the time. |
B.Colds are not caused by cold. |
C.People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors. |
D.A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already had one. |
Arctic explorers may catch colds when ________.
A.they are working in the isolated Arctic regions |
B.they are writing reports in terribly cold weather |
C.they are free from work in the isolated Arctic regions |
D.they are coming into touch again with the outside world |
The passage mainly discusses ________.
A.the fallacy about the common cold |
B.the experiments on the common cold |
C.the reason and the way people catch colds |
D.the continued spread of common colds |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
E
It is reported that today in China, 50% of people who write blogs do so as a personal diary and 83% use their blogs for sending messages to friends. It is also found that there is a strong East-West difference. In places like the US, blogs that offer information on news attract more readers but in China, blogs are more likely to be about sharing personal feelings.
It seems that bloggers can be divided into three types: IT bloggers, bloggers who record their ordinary feelings and media bloggers.
When blogging first started, the IT people had the technological advantage and they took the chance to put their thoughts on the web. Some of these IT people read their blogs.
The next wave of bloggers did not have any training as writes or in IT and wrote about normal daily life. Media bloggers, however, are trained writers, such as journalists and editors. When the many media bloggers showed up, the everyday blogs lost most of their readers. Media bloggers have the advantage of knowing how to communicate well through the written word.
However, the normal bloggers are still out there and increasing in number. It seems that blogging is the new way to express your feelings. People feel like the world is listening to, or rather reading, their problems, even if they are not .What type of text is this?
A.A blog. | B.A diary. | C.A news report. | D.A school textbook. |
What is the passage’s subject?
A.How many people in China blog. |
B.How did blogging get started. |
C.Different types of blogs and bloggers. |
D.What media bloggers do. |
How does the writers feel about the subject?
A.He/She feels strongly that blogging is a good thing. |
B.He/She feels that there are lots of problems with blogging. |
C.We can’t tell since he/she is not a blogger. |
D.We can’t tell since he/she is just reporting facts. |
What is the writer’s tone?
A.Humorous and light-hearted. | B.Serious and factual. |
C.Conversational. | D.Informal. |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
D
The first MP4 player was born years ago. Soon many music fans were wondering how fantastic it is! If you have been into technology enough, perhaps you may have a knowledge of the MP4. If not, you do need to know something before buying one, even if you are familiar with MP3. MP3 is the CD-like disc with greater capacity. How about MP4? This small digital product will really enrich the joy from listening to music. You can even feel the “touch” of music to your soul!
Now, some similar digital products advertised as “MP4 player” are simply MP3 players, which do not play video and MPEG format and also lack other particular functions. These products confuse some buyers, as they may think the “MP4” players simply mean they can do more than MP3.
What is MP4?
It is a multimedia container. It is not only used to store digital audio and digital video streams, especially those of MPEG, but can also be used to store other data such as subtitles and pictures. As a most modern container format, it allows streaming over the Internet.
With the help of a piece of MP4 video equipment, you can change various programs such as MPEG to MP4, ASX to MP4, AVI to MP4 and so on, which can be done very quickly and easily without any effect on the sound quality. By installing DVD-MP4 software, you can transfer particular music from a DVD to an MP4 video file. It really excites your listening music experience.
Then, there is MP4 advanced and you can set your own collection of all the programs—TV shows, games, and music. You can even see movies which are still running in cinema. What else digital product could you possibly ask for? It is suggested here that you should ______ before buying an MP4 player.
A.first be a music fan | B.have a knowledge of MP4 |
C.get familiar with MP3 | D.buy a CD-like disc |
From the passage, we can see that MP4 is ______ MP3.
A.much bigger than | B.just as advanced as |
C.not so particular as | D.more functional than |
Which function of MP4 is NOT directly mentioned in this passage?
A.Storing digital audio and video streams.
B.Recording some movies in cinema.
C.Playing TV shows, games and movies.
D.Transferring particular music from a DVD.From the last sentence, it’s clear that the writer tries to tell us it is ______.
A.reasonable to buy other digital products |
B.impossible to buy something else |
C.a very wise choice to buy an MP4 |
D.an exciting experience to buy an MP3 |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
C
China’s economic growth “hard to predict”
The worsening global economic situation makes it difficult for China to predict its growth for next year, a senior official said on Friday.
“How fast China’s economy will grow next year is uncertain,” Liu He, deputy director of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Finance and Economy Work, told China Daily.
“To a large extent, the rate will be decided by the external(外部) situation,” Liu said during a discussion with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and other economists in Beijing.
“This year, GDP is estimated to grow at 9.4 or 9.5 percent, down from 10.6 percent last year,” he said. “However, the impact of the current financial turbulence on our economy is much less than on the rest of the world.”
Nicholas Stern, a former UK government advisor, also told China Daily it will take at least one or two years for the world to recover from the recession, which is now spreading from the US and the UK to the rest of the world.
“We don’t know how long the recession will last, but it is unlikely to be short,” he said.
Liu said China can use the downturn(衰退) as an opportunity to restructure its economy, which has relied heavily on government investment, foreign trade and low-cost technology over the past years.
“When the economy is experiencing fast growth, companies are unwilling to upgrade their technologies,” Liu said.
“The slowdown gives such firms the opportunity to enhance(提高) their competitive edge through better technologies.”
(From China Daily 2009-01-11)How many people are mentioned in this passage?
A.Only 2. | B.No more than 3. | C.Not more than 4. | D.At least 5. |
It can be inferred from Liu’s words that the impact of the current financial turbulence on China’s economy is ______.
A.more | B.less | C.the most | D.the least |
The underlines word “extent” probably means ______.
A.sense | B.degree | C.size | D.depth |
According to the passage, the reason why Liu said this downturn is an opportunity for China to restructure its economy is that ______.
A.China’s economy will not depend on government investment in the future |
B.Foreign trade will grow in the future |
C.The downturn will force China’s companies to upgrade their technologies |
D.Low-cost technologies will not exist in China |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
B
In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a “bucket list” – a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.
THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT
On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise(乘船游览). From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.
www.exotiktours.com416-646-3347
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA
One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420.
www.gowaytravel.com416-322-1034
THE GREAT WALL, CHINA
If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.
www.toureastholidays.com 416-929-0888
THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL
And on to the Himalayas. Talk about “something truly majestic(壮丽的). See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.
www.gapadventures.com 416-260-0999The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ______.
A.come to life | B.play a game | C.pass away | D.list interesting places |
If you take on the Everest Adventure tour, you should be aware that ____.
the sights may not be so good.
It is a tiring trip
you may not be used to the food there
it is an expensive tripAccording to the passage, where can you enjoy a view of the whole Taj Mahal?
A.In Sherpa village. | B.Near the Forbidden City |
C.Through Egypt Express. | D.At Oberoi AmarVilas |
Which of the following websites may offer you more information about Agra?
A.www.gowaytravel.com | B.www.exotiktours.com |
C.www.gapadventures.com | D.www.toureastholidays.com |
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
A
Researchers who helped discover a new species of Mexican butterfly are offering to sell the naming rights to raise money to fund more research. Co-discoverer Andrew Warren is hoping to raise at least $50,000 by auctioning(拍卖) off the rights to name the 4-inch “owl eye” butterfly, which lives in Sonora, a Mexican state bordering Arizona.
“That would support at least two years of research for our team down in Mexico,” Warren said. “Money goes a long way down here in Mexico.”
According to the scientific tradition, discoverers of a new species have the say in naming it. In recent years, some discoverers have auctioned off their naming rights to raise money.
Warren said the amount being sought for the butterfly is not out of the question, noting that naming rights for a new monkey species brought in $650,000 two years ago. A group of 10 new fish species that went on the naming auction block at the same time earlier this year brought in a total of $2 million.
The butterfly discovered by Warren and researcher George Austin ranges as far north as Mexico.
The butterfly was actually in a collection, misidentified as an example of another new species, at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity at the Florida Museum of National History in Gainesville, said Warren. They soon began the hard process of determining that it was indeed a “new” model of butterfly.
After checking photos and comparing it with other known species, they determined it was a separate species.Where did the researchers discover the new species of butterflies?
A.In Sonora. | B.In Mexico state. |
C.In a place in US. | D.Near the US-Mexico border. |
Why will the researchers sell the naming rights of the butterfly?
To raise money for wildlife protection.
To raise money for more research.
To cause people’s attention to the new discovery.
To cover the cost of the research.When the butterfly was first discovered, people thought ______.
it was a new species at once
it wasn’t a species of American butterfly
it belonged to the monarch branches
it belonged to a new species We can infer from the passage that ______.
the new species of butterfly live both in the US and Mexico
it took the researchers a lot of efforts to determine the new species of butterfly
the researchers are not sure whether they can get the money they want from the auction
it is the first time that the new species of butterfly has been found