It is generally believed that we are getting cleaned when we step under a shower. We are, but we’re also giving a home to lots of tiny little creatures we didn’t even know about. A showerhead carries thousands of bacteria called Mycobacterium．These can cause problems like coughs and tiredness, and a general feeling of poorliness (身体不舒服). When you turn on the water, the bacteria go from the showerhead onto and into your body.
This is a finding of Norman R. Pace and his team at the University of Colorado, in the US. The scientists investigated bacteria in all kinds of human environment, including showers．Pace's team looked at 45 showerheads in nine American cities. They discovered that 30 percent of them had large amounts of flying Mycobacterium.
But Pace said that they pose few threats to the health．Only those with a weak immune system might need to worry．He told the New York Times that the bacteria are not as unpleasant as might be thought．He said that having a shower is no more dangerous than anything else we do in the morning．
But for those who feel sick about the idea of all those microorganisms (微生物), he had some advice. Let the water run for 30 seconds before getting into the shower. Why? The number of bacteria is smaller than that when the water is just turned on. If that seems like a waste of water, he added that you could also change your showerhead every few months.
However, Pace had good news too. He has also been testing the air in US subways. Apart from iron particles (粒子), which are ground off the track by the wheels of trains, subway air is fresh. The reason is that a train’s movement pumps fresh outdoor air into the tunnels.
Pace explained that he wanted to understand the natural microbial environments of public places. This kind of knowledge might help discover the microbes to be used in a bioterrorist (生物恐怖分子) attack.From the finding of Norman R. Pace, after taking a shower, we might cough or feel tired because .
| A．it’s easy to get a cold when taking a bath |
| B．the showerhead carries many bacteria causing illness |
| C．we don’t get cleaned while showering |
| D．we don’t get a weak immune system |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Hot water could kill most of bacteria in showerheads. |
| B．Of 45 showerheads surveyed in nine cities, 30 carried large amounts of Mycobacterium. |
| C．Changing showerheads is the only way to avoid microorganisms. |
| D．Shower water contains much less bacteria after being left to run for 30 seconds. |
We can learn from the third paragraph that .
| A．having a shower in the morning is more dangerous than at other time |
| B．the bacteria always threat people’s health |
| C．there is no reason to fear microorganisms for people with strong immune system |
| D．it is better to do some exercise in the morning than have a shower |
The underlined word “pose” in the third paragraph probably means “______”．
| A．cause | B．avoid | C．describe | D．promise |
What contributes to fresh air in US subways?
| A．The train’s movement. | B．Iron particles． |
| C．Train wheels. | D．Air conditioners on the trains． |
When my daughter was in the fifth grade, she came home from school almost every night with three or more hours of homework. It was my duty to help her get it done. One night she worked until midnight doing her homework.
I felt annoyed, but I didn’t want the teacher to think I was lazy. So I never complained. I wasn’t sure, but it seemed to me that five hours of homework was a bit too much for a fifth grade student.
Later, I found out that parents and educators have discussed about homework for more than a century. Parents who like more homework want to give their children every advantage to succeed in today’s world. Some educators see homework as a way to help students perform better in tests.
Other parents dislike the recent trend toward more homework. They don’t want to stay up until midnight helping their children. They would prefer to spend their time going to the park or reading some really good books with their children. Added to the opposition(反对)are those who say that homework increases the gap(差距)between the rich and the poor. That’s because middle class families do better when it comes to helping their children with their homework.
So, who is right? Is homework an enemy or a help? According to experts, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.The author thought that her daughter’s homework _________.
| A．was too difficult |
| B．was too much to finish |
| C．was done more carefully than other students’ |
| D．could be done as long as she helped her daughter |
The author never complained to the teacher because _________.
| A．she was too angry to talk with the teacher. |
| B．she did not like complaining. |
| C．she was afraid of being thought lazy by the teacher. |
| D．her daughter would be annoyed if she complained. |
In the last paragraph, experts __________.
| A．think middle school students should do lots of homework. |
| B．haven’t come up with any idea to solve this problem. |
| C．think homework should be given, but not too much. |
| D．support the idea that homework is good for students. |
As most people know, in the past few years, sandstorms have swept across many cities and areas of North China, polluting the air and disturbing daily lives of human beings. People look dirty and suffer many kinds of illnesses, such as breath difficulty. The sandstorm is such a serious problem that it has not only undermined the industrial and agricultural development of our country but also caused a lot of trouble to the living conditions of the Chinese people. It is expected that effective(有效的) measures should be taken as soon as possible through our joint efforts to limit its occurrence.
So what should we do with the frightening sandstorms? Some experts put forward practical suggestions as follows: For one thing, more funs(基金)ought to be put into tree planting and forest protection so as to keep more water resources within the surface of the earth. For another, governments of all countries should make laws on environmental protection.For example, banning the use of throw-away chopsticks and punishing illegal tree cutting. Scientists should also study and find ways to cut down the degree of its destruction and to improve the whole environment.
How people look forward to sunny days with little breeze(微风)touching their faces now and forever! Nevertheless, I am fully confident that the golden days can come back so long as everyone tried his best to protect natural environment from today on.The underlined word”undermined”(in Paragraph 1)means __________.
| A．weakened | B．encouraged | C．kept | D．made |
From the first paragraph, we can infer _________.
| A．China has taken no measures to prevent sandstorms. |
| B．sandstorms can cause much damage to human beings and their daily lives. |
| C．the sandstorm is the most dangerous natural disaster to human beings. |
| D．more sandstorms will happen in the near future in North China. |
How many ways do some experts put forward to fight against sandstorm?
| A．5 | B．4 | C．3 | D．2 |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the situation to sandstorms’ problems?
| A．Unconfident | B．Optimistic | C．Regretful | D．Satisfied |
Rome had the Forum. London has Speaker' s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.
Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 2Os, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street corners. Just talk.
Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, "Talk to Me," they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.
They don't collect money. They don't push religion (宗教). So what's the point?
"To see what happens," said Liz. "We simply enjoy life with open communication(交流)."
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.
"It started as a crazy idea," Liz said. "We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their jobs, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything."
Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.
Marcia had lost her husband to a serious disease. "That was very heavy on my mind,” Marcia said. "To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good," she explained.
To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people showed up, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.
They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something they say they'll consider.What did Liz and Bill start doing after September 2001?
| A．Chatting with people. |
| B．Setting up street signs. |
| C．Telling stories to strangers. |
| D．Organizing a speaker's corner. |
What they have been doing can be described as______.
| A．pointless | B．normal |
| C．crazy | D．successful |
Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?
| A．They knew Liz and Bill very well. |
| B．They happened to meet the writer of the text. |
| C．They organized the get-together in the city park. |
| D．They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill. |
What will Liz and Bill do in the future?
| A．Go in for publishing. | B．Do more television programs. |
| C．Continue what they am doing. | D．Spend more time reading books. |
How do they like the idea of writing a book?
| A．They have decided to wait a year or two. |
| B．They will think about it carefully. |
| C．They agreed immediately. |
| D．They find it hard to do that. |
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.
My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life.
We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day,my mother spoke to me in her gentle,loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I would walk again if I want to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her.A year I returned to school—walking on my own !
When the Great Depression(大萧条)hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in1951. I was dissatisfied with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel(汽车旅馆)for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, Mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business,we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed.Fifteen years later,we had the largest hotel system in the world—Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $1billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situations. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.What Kemmons’mom often told him during his childhood was______
| A．caring | B．moving | C．encouraging | D．interesting |
According to the author, who played the most role in making him walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors | B．Nurses | C．Friends | D．Mom |
What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel |
| B．His previous business success of various levels |
| C．His mom’s support |
| D．His wife’s suggestion |
Which of the following best describles Kemmons’s mother?
| A．Modest,helpful and hard—working |
| B．loving, supportive and strong—willed(有坚强意志的) |
| C．careful, helpful and beautiful |
| D．strict, sensitive and supportive. |
Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?
| A．Self-cofidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family |
| B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals. Self—confidence and hard work |
| C．Clear goals,mom’s encouragemen, a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food. Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more.
Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping(录像) the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes. They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children. But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make. That can have an important effect on the children. “In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says. “And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is.”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings(兄弟姐妹). Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention. “Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis. “When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child.” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event.”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to _________.
| A．show the relationship between parents and children |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．report on the findings of a study |
| D．give information about family problems |
Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ____________.
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
| C．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children _________.
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．get the least attention from the family |
| C．are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D．find it hard to keep up with other children |
Lewis’ research provides an answer to the question _________.
| A．why TV is important in family life |
| B．why parents should keep good order |
| C．why children in small families seem to be quieter |
| D．why middle children seem to have more difficulties in life |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．It is important to have the right food for children. |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner. |
| C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently. |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner |