The triathlon(铁人三项运动) promises to be one of the most popular Olympic sports.Recently it has drawn huge crowds attracted by athletes swimming 1,500m，cycling 40km，then running 10km without stopping.But what makes an attractive 17yearold girl give up everything for the doubtful pleasure it offers?
Melanie Sears has not yet learnt those oftenrepeated phrases about personal satisfaction，mental challenge and higher targets that most athletes use when asked similar questions.“You swim for 1,500m，then run out of the water and jump on your bike，still wet.Of course，then you freeze.When the 40km cycle ride is over，you have to run 10km，which is a long way when you’re feeling exhausted.But it’s great fun，and all worth it in the end，” she says.
Melanie entered her first triathlon at 14 and she won the junior section.Full of confidence，she entered the National Championships，and although she had the second fastest swim and the fastest run，she came nowhere.“I was following this man and suddenly we came to the sea.We realised then that we had gone wrong.I ended up cycling 20 kilometres too far.I cried all the way through the running.”
But she did not give up and was determined that she never will.“Sometimes I wish I could stop，because then the pain would be over，but I am afraid that if I let myself stop just once，I would be tempted(诱惑) to do it again.”Such doggedness draws admiration from Steve Trew，the sport’s director of coaching.“I’ve just been testing her fitness，” he says, “and she worked so hard on the running machine that it finally threw her off and into a wall.She had given it everything，and she just kept on.”
Melanie was top junior in this year’s European Triathlon Championships，finishing 13th.“I was almost as good as the top three in swimming and running，but much slower in cycling.That’s why I’m working very hard at it.” She is trying to talk her longsuffering parents，who will carry the ￡1,300 cost of her trip to New Zealand for this year’s world championships，into buying a ￡2,000 bike，so she can try 25km and 100km races later this year.
But there is another price to pay.“I don’t have a social life，”she says.“After two hours’ hard swimming on Friday night，I just want to go to sleep.But I phone and write to the other girls in the team.” What does she talk about？Boys？Clothes？“No，what sort of times they are achieving.”How does Melanie differ from other athletes，according to the writer?
| A．She worries less than they do. |
| B．She expresses herself differently. |
| C．Her family background is not like theirs. |
| D．Her aims are different from theirs. |
What upset Melanie during the National Championships?
| A．She was tricked by another competitor. |
| B．She felt she had let her teammates down. |
| C．She made a mistake during part of the race. |
| D．She realized she couldn’t cycle as fast as she thought. |
What is Melanie trying to persuade her parents to do?
| A．Buy an expensive bike for her. |
| B．Give her half the cost of a bike. |
| C．Let her compete in longer races. |
| D．Pay for her to go to New Zealand. |
What does Melanie say about her relationships with her teammates?
| A．She would like to see them more often. |
| B．She only discusses the triathlon with them. |
| C．She thinks they find her way of life strange. |
| D．She dislikes discussing boys or clothes with them. |
A new study suggests that the more teenagers watch television , the more likely they are to develop depression (抑郁)as young adults. But the extent to which TV may or may not be to blame is a question that the study leaves unanswered.
The researchers used a national long-term survey of adolescent health to investigate the relationship between media use and depression . They based their findings on more than four thousand adolescents who were not depressed when the survey began in 1995.
As part of the survey, the young people were asked how many hours of television or videos they watched daily. They were also asked how often they played computer games and listened to the radio.
Media use totaled an average of five and one-half hours a day. More than two hours of that was spent watching TV.
Seven years later, in 2002, more than seven percent of the young people had signs of depression. Their average age at that time was twenty-one.
Brian Primack at the Universtiy of Pittsburgh Medical School was the leading author of the new study . He said every extra hour of television meant an eight percent increase in the chances of developing signs of depression.
The researchers say they did not find any such relationship with the use of other media such as movies, video games or radio. But the study did find that young men were more likely than young women to develop depression given the same amount of media use.
Doctor Primack says the study did not explore if watching TV causes depression . But one possibility, like sports and socializing . It might also interfere with sleep, he says, and that could have an influence.
The study was just published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. In December, the journal Social Indicators Research published a study of activities that help lead to happy lives. Sociologists from the University of Maryland found that people who describe themselves as happy spend less time watching television than unhappy people. The study found that happy people are more likely to be socially active, to read, to attend religious services and to vote.
60．The average age of the depressed young people should be when they began to receive the survey.
A．21 B．15 C．14 D．20
61．According to the passage, which of the following can possibly lead to depression?
A．Swimming B．Attending a party
C．Attending religious services D．Watching TV for a long time.
62．We can learn from the passage .
A．the survey lasted a short time
B．over 280 teenagers who received the survey became more or less depressed in 2002
C．men are more likely to become depressed than women
D．the study about the relationship between media use and depression was published in the journal Social Indicators Research
63．What is the best title for the passage?
A．Teens, television, depression B．Depression—the common problem of teens
C．Problems of watching TV D．Teens—a group enjoying watching TV
第三部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A girl became a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, which meant visiting and taking care of a patient suffering form an incurable disease with days numbered.
The girl was assigned to an old man suffering from cancer whose children lived abroad. Their living conditions were not satisfactory while the old man had a lot of savings. She was expected to comfort him and keep up his spirits.
Every Saturday the girl came on time to keep him company , telling him stories. When he was having an intravenous drip (动脉滴注)，she would help massage his arms. The doctor found the patient much improved mentally. The old man began to involve himself actively in the medical treatment and he seldom shouted at others.
But something that happened made the doctor uneasy and puzzled. Each time the girl left, the old man would give her some money. The doctor did nothing to interfere (干涉), unwilling to offend the old man. A month later the old man showed evident signs of decline after suffering coma (昏迷) a few times.
When rescued from the latest coma, the old man said to the doctor as his last wish, “I have deep sympathy for the girl. Will you be kind enough to help her finish her studies?”
But the doctor knew that her family was well-off and she had no difficulty pursuing her studies. Sometimes she even came to the hospital in her father’s car.
When the girl came at the weekend after the death of the old man , the doctor told her the bad news. She was very sad and burst into tears. Then she handed $500 to the doctor, saying, “The old man had all along thought I came to do the job because of poverty. He gave me money so that I could continue my schooling . ” Now he got the answer to the puzzle . In the last period of his life , the last period of his life, the old man found it a real pleasure to be able to help a girl badly in need .
56．If you’re a volunteer in the activities of Deathbed Care, what kind of people do you have to attend to?
A．The patients in need of help
B．The people suffering from cancer
C．The patients without many days left
D．The people suffering from diseases
57．What can we infer about the old man ?
A．He had a lot of savings
B．He was suffering from cancer
C．He often lost his temper before meeting the girl
D．He asked the doctor to help the girl finish her study
58．What can we know from the passage?
A．The doctor told the old man the truth
B．The old man’s children were wealthy
C．The girl’s father encouraged her to accept the money
D．The girl didn’t accompany the old man when he died
59．What is the real reason resulting in the old man’s mental improvement?
A．The girl’s comfort and care
B．The pleasure of being helpful people in need
C．People’s understanding
D．His children’s progress
More than an eye candy
Parents in Beijing are ready to go a little further to please their children now that the new China Science and Technology Museum has opened its 198-seat 4D theater.
The 4D theater, which opened last month (December ), is the third cinema the museum has opened to the public since its relocation to the National Olympic Park in September.
YAOX Entertainment, a Taiwan-based company producing 3D，4D，special effects and animated films, is responsible for providing the films in the coming month.
As for 3D films, audiences have to wear special goggles while watching these movies. In addition, viewers can feel wind, a rainstorm, or waterfall, and the seats will move according to the plot.
Admission for adult visitors is 30 yuan per person, 20 yuan for students and children.
The new China Science and Technology Museum, 5 Beijing Donglu, Chaoyang District.
Film introduction
U-Bugs Adventure: Under attack in an air-sea fight, a German U-boat from World War II dives deep for protection. The strong tides take it to a mysterious ancient city at the bottom of the. Suddenly, a giant sea monster takes on the sub(潜水艇) and during the struggle it falls into an energy light-beam zone, and is transported through a time tunnel to meet with Zheng He’s 14th century fleet sailing to the West. Duration: 15 minutes
Dog & Bugs: A dog sees some bees buzzing around and wonders: “How can I fly in the sky as free as those bugs?” Then, he sprouts a pair of wings, just like the bees, and flaps his wings to join them and collect some honey. Duration: 15 minutes
Virus to Go: This film is about severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which is like a terrorist attack, causing extensive contamination(大范围的感染). Because of human neglect(忽视), the SARS virus cannot be stopped and causes harm to an entire city. Fortunately, at the last minute, man finds a way to solve the crisis. Duration: 15 minutes
68．The underlined word“goggles”means．
A．a type of watch B．a kind of glasses
C．ear-protecting equipment D．a piece of jewellery
69．If you happen to be interested in Sci-fi & history films, most probably should be your cup of tea.
A．the mew China Science and Technology Museum B．U-Boat Adventure
C．Dog & Bugs D．Virus to Go
70．In which section of an English newspaper can you find the information above?
A．News B．Business C．Entertainment D．Sports
BEIJING, May 29 — the US pop star Michael Jackson appeared in public in Tokyo on Saturday, accepting a music award and thanking “all the people who believe in me ”.
Introduced to an adoring（崇拜的）crowd as “the king of pop, the king of rock and the king of soul ”, Jackson flashed a quick “peace” sign as he walked onstage to the sound of one of his biggest hits —“Thriller”.
“I’m honored to be in Japan again and I’m very happy to be among the Japanese people because I love them very much,” Jackson said in a brief appearance at MTV Japan’s Legend Award ceremony（仪式）at Yoyogi Olympic Stadium, “Thank you for your belief.”
“Jackson also plans to visit Singapore, Shanghai and Hong Kong,” spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain said on Thursday.
Bain said, “The star plans to visit orphanages（孤儿院）,tour the city of Tokyo, and meet with members of the Asian business communities during his trip.”
Bain said that Jackson planned to return to recording and hoped to release（发行）a new album（专辑）in 2007. Meanwhile, she said he had planned to raise some money for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
67. This report may appear on the “” page of a newspaper.
A. Business B. Entertainment C. Sports D. Travel
68. The report mainly tells us .
A. Jackson accepted a music award B. Jackson’s tour to Asia
C. Jackson will visit orphanages D. Jackson plans to release a new album
69. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Jackson is glad to be in Japan again
B. “Thriller” is one of Jackson’s famous songs
C. Jackson plans to visit Singapore before Japan
D. Jackson is good at both pop songs and rock music
70. It can be inferred （推断）from the passage that Michael Jackson .
A. is a popular Japanese singer
B. is disappointed with the orphanages’ situations
C. has done a lot of things for the victims of Hurricane Katrina
D. is very busy during this Asian trip
When former American President Bill Clinton travelled to South Korea to visit President Kim Young Sam, he repeatedly referred to the Korean president’s wife as Mrs. Kim. By mistake, President Clinton’s advisers thought that Koreans have the same naming customs as the Japanese. Clinton had not been told that, in Korea, wives keep their family names. President Kim Young Sam’s wife was named Sohn Myong Suk. Therefore she should be addressed(写姓名地址) as Mrs. Sohn. President Clinton arrived in Korea directly after leaving Japan and had not changed his culture gears. His failure to follow Korean customs gave the impression that Korea was not as important to him as Japan.
In addition to Koreans, some Asian husbands and wives do not share the same family names. This practice often puzzles English-speaking teachers when talking with a pupil’s parents. They become puzzled about the student’s correct last name. Placing the family name first is common among a number of Asian cultures.
Mexican naming customs are different as well, When a woman marries, she keeps her family name and adds her husband’s name after the word de (of). This affects how they fill in forms in the United States. When requested to fill in a middle name, they generally write the father’s family name. But Mexicans are addressed by the family name of the mother. This often causes puzzlement.
Here are a few ways to deal with such difficult situations: don’t always think that a married woman uses her husband’s last name, Remember that in many Asian cultures , the order of first and last names is reversed(颠倒). Ask which name a person would prefer to use . If the name is difficult to pronounce, admit it, and ask the person to help you say it correctly.
63. The story of Bill Clinton is used to ________________.
A. improve US-Korean relations B. introduce the topic of the text
C. describe his visit to Korea D. tell us how to address a person
64. The word “gears” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _________________.
A. action plans B. naming customs C. travel maps D. thinking patterns
65. When a woman marries in Mexico, she ____________________.
A. continues to use her family name B. uses her husband’s given name
C. shares her husband’s family name D. adds her husband’s name to hers
66. To address a married woman properly, you’d better ________________.
A. use her middle name B. use her husband’s first name
C. ask her which name she likes D. change the order of her names