Country-dwellers(农村居民) often say the constant noise, heavy traffic and crowds of the city would drive them mad. Well, they might be right, according to the latest research. City residents are more likely to develop mental illnesses than those who live in villages, a study has found.
Researchers from Cardiff university examined the lifestyles of more than 200,000 people in Sweden and found that those who lived in urban areas were more at risk from mental illnesses than people who lived in villages.
The experts don’t know exactly why this is but they suggest that town and city residents are more likely to be ostracized(排挤) by those around them. They are more likely to experience discrimination(歧视) if they do not fit in, which can lead to them feeling anxious and even developing mental illnesses.
Dr Stanley Zammit, who led the research said that people living in towns and cities are more likely to develop other mental illnesses that result in personality changes — a condition known as non-affective psychosis(非情感性精神病).
Earlier this year an official report found that village-dwellers live an average of two years longer than those living in towns and cities. According to figures from the Office of National Statistics in the UK, men who live in villages are likely to live for between 78 and 79 years, while those in towns and cities can expect to survive to an age of 76. Women on average survive to their 81st birthday in towns and cities, but live to between 82 and 83 in villages. The small marked town of Wimborne Minster in rural Dorset was named the healthiest place to live in.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Country-dwellers are more likely to develop mental illnesses. |
| B．City-dwellers are more likely to develop mental illnesses. |
| C．Country-dwellers live longer than city-dwellers. |
| D．City-dwellers live longer than country-dwellers. |
The research from Cardiff University was based on the people’s _________.
| A．interests. | B．characters. | C．occupations. | D．lifestyles. |
It can be inferred that ___________.
| A．people like living in towns and cities |
| B．city-dwellers enjoy their peaceful city life |
| C．village-dwellers are more likely to be looked down upon by others |
| D．village-dwellers get along better with their neighbors than city-dwellers. |
Non-affective psychosis is a kind of mental illnesses that is linked to ________
| A．character change | B．temperature rise |
| C．pressure increase | D．energy weakening |
We can learn from the last paragraph that generally ________ .
| A．women living in villages live the longest |
| B．women living in cities live the longest |
| C．men living in villages live the longest |
| D．men living in cities live the longest. |
What will we be eating in the future? Here are the top factors that will be affecting the food that ends up on our tables in the new century.
Genetically engineered food Many crops are already genetically engineered, often to produce more food, fight against pests or improve nutrition. But concern is growing over the lasting effects of changing nature. While existing research has found little harm in genetic engineering, a recent study found the flower powder of a genetically engin
eered corn can kill the normal butterfly. This finding made many people nervous and brought attention to the topic.
Dining out Americans are increasingly eating meals away from home, both in sit-down restaurants and in fast food outlets. In the last decade alone there was a 14 percent decrease in the number of meals eaten at home. At the same time, restaurants are just beginning to really open their doors on the Internet. Websites exist to make restaurant reservations (预约), view menus, and get tips from your favorite chefs. The dining out trend and the demand for high-quality, chef-prepared food have encouraged chefs to spend time out of the kitchen — teaching classes, appearing on TV, and writing cookbooks.
Eating in Eating in doesn’t always mean cooking. Ready-made meals and froz
en food sold in supermarkets taste better all the time. Restaurants are offering neatly packaged “food to go”, and meals can be ordered over the Internet. Cooking is not as much as a necessity, as it is a hobby or a special treat.
Agriculture Although American farmers have been hit hard recently by bad weather, low prices and decreasing government help, they can increase grain production not using old farming methods.Which of the following is the main reason for genetically engineered crops?
| A．To lead to more food and better nutrition. | B．To kill the normal butterfly. |
| C．To reduce the harm done by insects. | D．To change the nature of the crops. |
From the passage, we learn that _________.
| A．eating out is not popular among the old people in USA |
| B．it is now easier for people to get information about eating out |
| C．it is popular for restaurants to send out information on the Internet |
| D．the trend of eating out is causing many chefs to give up their jobs |
In the future, cooking at home will probably _________.
| A．still be the job of most housewives |
| B．take up most of people’s free time |
| C．bring much joy to more people |
| D．lead to many restaurants closing down |
According to the passage, farmers should _________ to get a higher grain production.
| A．turn to better farming methods | B．ask for the support of the government |
| C．raise the prices of crops | D．not care about the effects of bad weather |
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams from My Father and how it had changed my views of the current US president. The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was, in his words, “a wonderfully written book”. However, he then proceeded to talk about Mr. Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that he is not the only one. Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t. In the World Book Day survey, Dreams from My Father is at number 9. The survey lists top ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading. As I’m not one to lie too often, I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books. But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one, George Orwell’s 1984. I think it’s absolutely outstanding.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to. This could be difficult if the conversation became more in depth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it. It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen, the Bronte sisters, Charles Dickens and so on. But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, they named J.K. Rowling, Jilly Cooper, and Stephen King (ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-one percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story.
So which books have you lied about reading — if any — and which is your favourite?
1．The main reason why people lie about reading is to _________.
A. make fun of the listener B. impress the listener
C. please the listener D. interest the listener
2．The underlined word “proceeded” in the passage probably means “_________”.
A. wanted B. happened C. continued D. stopped
3．What does the World Book Day survey show?
A. Nearly half of the people su
rveyed didn’t read through a whole classical book.
B. People don’t like Dreams from My Father and George Orwell’s 1984.
C. Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen.
D. People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens.
4．What is the best title for the passage?
A. Are You a Book Liar? B. Readers Are All Liars
C. World Book Day D. Dreams from My Father
Running like the wind, roaring like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world．But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China．
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund．
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China．In the 1950's, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country．But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species．
Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China．But they are nothing like their wild cousins．They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing．If they were set free they could not look after themselves．
"Breeding has damaged the quality of the species", said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo．
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa．Four of them have already arrived．Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts（本能）and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．
" South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild．The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in", said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center．" We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain（生物链） and there was a lack of space．"
The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready．
1．What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world's top ten most endangered species?
A．Because it has lost its n
atural instincts． B．Because there is not a complete eco-chain．
C．Because there is no space for it． D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions．
2．How is the programme of sending several tigers to South Africa getting on?
A．Its effect still remains to be seen．
B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins．
C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills．
D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007．
3．By saying " but they are nothing like their wild cousins", the writer means that ______．
A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals
B．they don't know how to hunt or kill
C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding
D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task
4．What is the purpose of sending young tigers to South Africa?
A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild．
B．To provide them with a better environment．
C．To get the tigers to go on a tour．
D．To find a complete eco-chain for them．
5．Which one is not the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place?
A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．
B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers．
C．Because there is a complete eco-chain and enough space there．
D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in．
I found the imagination of becoming a grandmother somewhat discouraging. I wasyounger than I thought a grandmother should be when I got the news that I was goingto become one myself. I admit, it was not a role that I was emotionally ready toaccept. I had been a young mother, and had certainly hoped my daughter would notface that same challenge. I remarried when she was a teenager, and then had two morec
hildren. On getting the news that she was expecting, I remember thinking “What do Iknow about being a grandmother? —I haven’t even finished raising my own kids yet!”I don’t like to be unprepared, so I read a few books about grandparenting. That gaveme a little help, but I was still uncertain. I thought about other grandmothers I knew,and got a few ideas I liked and a few more that I didn't. But I couldn't quite figure outwhat kind of grandmother I wanted to be. Then I thought about my own grandmother,Granny, as she’s known by most people, and I knew I had the answer.
I didn’t realize it until that moment, but my own grandmother 
was the examplefor the kind of grandmother I wanted to be. I am fortunate that I got to spend a lot oftime with my grandparents when I was a little kid. Here's what I learned from myGranny：
Grandmothers always have a cookie jar. For my entire life, Granny always had acookie jar full of cookies. When I was a little tiny girl, just at eye level with thecounter, Granny would get the cookie jar down for me. When I was a little older Ilearned how to pull the chair over so I could reach. As I got taller, if I really stretched,I could reach the cookie jar with my finger tips and move it close enough to get it downoff the counter to find out what kind of treat was inside. Always the first thing I didwhen I went to Granny 's house was check the cookie jarand there were alwayscookies in it. Many years later, I’ll drive my own children to Granny’s house and thefirst thing Pd do is get us all a cookie.
So grandmothers must have a cookie jar and on my granddaughte’ s firs
tChristmas, my daughter bought me my own cookie jar. She said when they came to seeme, her daughter would find the treat the way she did and I did.The writer thought it was a little discouraging to be a grandmother because________.
| A．she was not old enough to be one |
| B．she was not emotionally ready to be one |
| C．she thought her daughter was too young to be a mother |
| D．grandmother should be older than she was |
Theunderlined phrase “that same challenge ” in the first paragraph refers to”________”
| A．taking care of a grandchild | B．taking care of a baby |
| C．being a young grandmother | D．being a young mother |
It can be inferred from the last paragraph that________.
| A．the writer has many happy memories of her grandmother’s cookie jar |
| B．the writer always wanted to know what was inside her grandmother’s cookie jar |
| C．the writer often drove her grandchildren to see her grandmother’s cookie jar |
| D．women of the writer ‘s age all have a cookie jar for their grandchildren |
What kind of grandmother did the writer want to be?
| A．One who has a jar filled with many kinds of cookies for children and herself. |
| B．One who grows up with her grandmother's cookie jar with all kinds of cookies. |
| C．One who is like her own grandmother with a cookie jar to treat hergrandchildren. |
| D．One who always makes different kinds of cookies to treat her grandchildren. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this text?
| A．Grandmother’s Cookie Jar | B．Grandmother’s Treat for Children |
| C．Grandmothers and Grandchildren | D．Happy Memories of Cookies |
Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors" Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth", Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed f
rom other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）"from "Othello", "full circle（绕圈子地）" from "King Lear", etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a wellknown writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.What can we infer from the passage？
| A．Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings. |
| B．Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student. |
| C．The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works. |
| D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works. |
Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in .
| A．"King Lear" | B．"The Comedy of Errors" | C．"Macbeth" | D．"Othello" |
Why could Shakespeare's works survive his time？
| A．Because there were so few people writing plays in his time. |
| B．Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do. |
| C．Because he was a rich and influential person of his time. |
| D．Because his works were rich in imagination and language. |
Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on .
| A．the English language | B．paintings | C．television | D．music and dance |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works |
| B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays |
| C．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture. |
| D．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture. |