The young man arrived on the Massachusetts beach early carrying a radio, a shovel(铁锹), and a strange set of tools: a brick layer’s trowel, a palette knife, spatulas, spoons, and a spray bottle.
He walked down near the water — the tide(潮水) was out — and switched on the radio to listen to soft rock. Then he shoveled wet sand into a pile nearly four feet high and as many feet across. Then he created a square shape.
After that, he set to work with palette knife, spatulas, and spoons. He shaped a splendid tower, topped walls, fashioned beautiful bay windows, and carved (雕刻)out a big front gate.
The man knew his sand. He smoothly finished some surfaces and carved artistic designs on others. As the shapes began to dry, he gently kept them slightly wet with water from the spray bottle, in case they might break in the wind.
All this took hours. People gathered. At last he stood back, obviously satisfied with a castle worthy of the Austrian countryside or Disneyland.
Then he gathered his tools and radio and moved them up to drier sand. He had known for a while what many in the crowd still ignored: the tide was coming in. Not only had he practiced his art with confidence and style, he also had done so against a powerful, irresistible(不可抵抗的) deadline.
As the crowd looked on, water came at the base of the castle. In minutes it was surrounded. Then the rising flood began to eat into the base, walls fell, the tower fell, and finally the gate fell. More minutes passed, and small waves erased bay windows — soon no more than a small part was left.
Many in the crowd looked terribly sad; some voiced fear and discouragement. But the man remained calm. He had, after all, had a wonderful day, making beauty out of nothing, and watching it return to nothing as time and tide moved on.In this passage, why did the young man start early in the day?
| A．He needed the sun to help dry the sand. |
| B．It gave plenty of time for the crowd to gather. |
| C．He knew the tide was out on this particular morning. |
| D．It was easier to begin his work with only a few people around. |
In this passage, what does the incoming tide signal?
| A．It is time to begin working. |
| B．It is the end of a day’s work. |
| C．It is the busiest time of the day. |
| D．It is time for lookers-on to leave. |
How did the lookers-on react when the tide began to come in?
| A．They were disappointed to see the art ruined. |
| B．They tried their best to save the sand castle. |
| C．They were nervous about their own belongings. |
| D．They helped the artist finish the castle. |
We can tell that the young man’s reward for his work is ___________.
| A．payment for his work |
| B．personal satisfaction |
| C．popularity as an artist |
| D．attention from the crowd |
Vitamin E supplements(补充品)，which millions take in the hope of longer, healthier lives, may do more harm than good, researchers reported on Wednesday.
In fact, people taking high doses(剂量)of vitamin E may in some cases be more likely to die earlier, although the reasons are not clear, said Dr. Edgar Miller of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, who led the study.“I think people take vitamin E because they think it is going to make you live longer, but this(study)doesn’t support that.”Miller told reporters.
Miller and colleagues reanalyzed 19 studies of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004. The tests involved more than 136,000 mostly elderly patients in North America, Europe and China. People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate during the study, which lasted three years, than people who did not take supplements, they told a meeting of the American Heart Association.“It’s about a 5 percent increased risk at 45 years in the tests combined together，”Miller said.“That doesn’t sound like a lot but if you apply it to 25 percent of the (U.S.)adult population taking vitamin E, that is significant.”
Miller, whose findings are also being published online by the Annals of Internal Medicine, said twothirds of people who take vitamin E supplements take 400 IU or more.“We don’t think that people need to take vitamin E supplements, which they can get enough from the diet,”he said. Nuts, oils, whole grains and green leafy vegetables are all rich in vitamin E. People take vitamin E supplements, hoping that________.
| A．they can lose weight easily |
| B．they may live a longer and healthier life |
| C．they can get more and more beautiful |
| D．they no longer need any medicine |
The following statements can give us information about Miller EXCEPT_________.
| A．Miller and his team based their research on 19 cases of vitamin E and health between 1993 and 2004 |
| B．Miller thinks it unnecessary for people to take vitamin E supplements |
| C．Miller supposes it impossible for people to get enough vitamin E from their diets |
| D．Miller played an important role in the tests conducted by the researchers |
Which of the following contains rich vitamin E?
| A．Nuts. |
| B．Whole grains. |
| C．Green leafy vegetables. |
| D．All of the above. |
What is this text mainly about?
| A．It is reported in a study that vitamin E may do more harm than good to people to live longer and get healthier. |
| B．Dr.Edgar Miller and his colleagues studied many cases of vitamin E and health. |
| C．Dr.Edgar Miller advises that people should not depend on vitamin E supplements for longer and healthier lives. |
| D．People who took 200 international units of vitamin E a day or more died at a higher rate than people who did not take supplements. |
Leaders and officials from foreign countries have extended congratulations on China’s successful launch(发射)of its first manned spacecraft.
Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro called the launch of the Shenzhou V “a great feat” and said it showed China’s space science and technology has reached a very high level. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in his congratulatory letter to President Hu Jintao that China as a member of space club was conducive(有助于)to maintaining world peace and developing technology. The European Union(EU)also hailed China’s first successful manned space flight.
“The successful launch and safe return of a Chinese astronaut represents an important event for space exploration. Human space flight is a dream for all of us and opens a new chapter(篇章)for scientific and technological exploration of space,”EU research commissioner Philippe Busquin said in a statement.
“For the European Union, it remains a goal to be achieved. This effort can bring nations together and opens up new opportunities for scientific and technological cooperation,”he said.French Minister for Science Research Claudie Haignere, the first woman astronaut in Europe, said with China’s successful launch of the manned spacecraft,“the space age has entered a new historic period.” Other countries have also extended congratulations to China.
“ The successful launch of Shenzhou V is an honour for China,”said the newspaper on its front page, citing(引用)Chinese President Hu Jintao.
“October 15, 2003 is not only a date to be remembered forever by the Chinese people, but also ‘a splendid moment’in the history of space flight of mankind,”said the newspaper in its editorial section. The news covers_________.
| A．opinions about different countries |
| B．different opinions about China’s first manned spacecraft |
| C．congratulations from world leaders |
| D．China’s congratulations on the successful manned space flight |
When the Japanese leader said “a great feat”(in paragraph 2), he meant________.
| A．a great failure |
| B．a defeat after success |
| C．something above sea level |
| D．something difficult well done |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Shenzhou V is China’s first manmade spaceship. |
| B．Shenzhou V is a manned spacecraft. |
| C．Russian President praised Hu Jintao for his speech. |
| D．China, as well as many other countries, realized the dream of space flying. |
On which day, the Chinese people have realized their dream of space flying?
| A．On April 12th, 1961 |
| B．October 1st, 1949 |
| C．October 16th, 1964 |
| D．October 15th,2003 |
If English means endless new words, difficult grammar and sometimes strange pronunciation, you are wrong. Haven’t you noticed that you have become smarter since you started to learn a language?
According to a new study by a British university, learning a second language can lead to an increase in your brain power. Researchers found that learning other languages changes grey matter. This is the area of the brain which processes information. It is similar to the way that exercise builds muscles. The study also found the effect is greater the younger people learn a second language.
A team led by Dr Andrea Mechelli, from University College London, took a group of Britons who only spoke English. They were compared with a group of “early bilinguals” who had learnt a second language before the age of five, as well as a number of later learners.
Scans showed that grey matter density（密度）in the brain was greater in bilinguals than in people without a second language. But the longer a person waited before mastering a new language, the smaller the difference.
“Our findings suggest that the structure of the brain is changed by the experience of learning a second language,”said the scientists.
It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn.
Professor Dylan Vaughan Jones of the University of Wales, has researched the link between bilingualism and math skills. “Having two languages gives you two windows on the world and makes the brain more flexible（灵活的），” he said. “You are actually going beyond language and have a better understanding of different ideas.”
The findings were matched in a study of native Italian speakers who had learned English as a second language between the ages of two and 34. Reading, writing, and comprehension were all tested. The results showed that the younger they started to learn, the better. “Studying a language means you get an entrance to another world,” explained the scientists. Which part will change more when a person studies a second language?
| A． grey matter density | B． the brain |
| C． mental system | D． musles |
Who can study a second language easier?.
| A． The adults | B．The teenagers |
| C． The children | D．The old |
The underlined word “bilingual” probably means .
| A． a researcher on language learning |
| B． a second language learner |
| C． a person who can speak two languages |
| D． an active language learner |
How do you understand the underlined sentence ( in paragraph 4 ) in the passage?
| A． It means that we can practise our brain by studying a second language |
| B． It means that the change itself increases the ability to learn |
| C． It means that learning a second language makes you more flexable |
| D． It means that learners will better understand the difficult ideas. |
Can you imagine being savagely attacked by a dog? What if the attack was so severe that your nose, lips and chin were completely destroyed? How would you feel about yourself? Would you be able to look at yourself in the mirror? And how do you think other people would treat you?
Isabelle Dinoire is someone who can answer all of these questions honestly and openly.
Last November Isabelle was attacked and mauled by her own dog. The attack was so severe that her lower face was damaged; it seemed, almost beyond repair. She was rushed to hospital and became the first person ever to have a face transplant.
With such severe injuries doctors offered Isabelle little hope that they would be able to repair the damage to her face using conventional surgery.
Shortly after being admitted, she came to the attention of Dr Bernard Devauchelle who, unlike other surgeons, believed there was an alternative: "We found ourselves saying, yes, it's clear this woman needs a transplant," he said.
Two days after the operation she saw her face in the mirror for the first time. She said "I was scared to look at myself, but when I did it was already marvelous and I couldn't believe it. I thought it would be blue and swollen but it was already beautiful."
Now, less than a year after her 15 hour operation, she’s trying to rebuild her life and there is no doubt how she feels about her new face: "I have been saved. Lots of people write saying that I need to go on, that it's wonderful. It's a miracle somehow."
Although there were ethical questions raised about their decision to carry out the procedure, the doctors who operated on Isabelle are quick to defend their decision.
One of them said "Was it possible for her to live without a face? It's easy to say we shouldn't have done the operation, but her life has changed, she goes shopping, goes on holiday, she lives again." What would be the best title of the passage?
| A．The first face transplant | B．A successful face operation |
| C．The most severe damaged face | D．The breakthrough of surgery |
The writer uses the five questions at the beginning of the passage to ___________________.
| A．tell the story about Isabelle Dinoire | B．show a severe face damage event |
| C．draw the readers’ attention to the topic | D．invite the readers to answer them |
It can be concluded from Isabelle Dinoire’s remarks that___________________.
| A．she was too shocked to see herself in the mirror |
| B．she was satisfied with the result of the operation |
| C．she thought her damaged face couldn’t be repaired |
| D．she looked more beautiful than before |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．It seemed that it was impossible to recover Isabelle’s face using face transplant |
| B．After operation Isabelle thought she looked beautiful and rebuilt her life again |
| C．Some doctors had no better idea to repair the damage to Isabelle’s face |
| D．It was Dr Bernard Devauchelle who came up with the idea of face transplant |
Like a scene out of a reality show or a Disney movie, Southgate, Mich., teenager Ashley Qualls' moment has arrived.
She may not have an MBA, a high-school diploma, or even a driver’s license yet, but Asheley Qualls already has an influential website (www. Whateverlife.Com). The 17-year-old girl hass been building her online business for two years.
In December 2004, Qualls borrowed $8 from her mother to buy the Whateverlife.com. domain name (域名). She intended to use the website as a way to share her design for My Space pages woth her friends.
But in the incontrollable, fast-moving world of cyberspace, others began noticing Qualls’ site even though she never has spent a penny on advertising.
When it comes to web traffic, Whateverlife.com .currently ranks No. 825 out of 20.3 million websites, drawing 2.4 million visitors worldwide during the last 30 days. Qualls said that on average, 72% of her site's audience made a return visit.
Whateverlife.com earned a million dollars in revenue last year and is on track to do the same this year.
"I'm stubborn and I'm independent," she said from her office in the basement of her house. "I like the feeling that it's my company, and I want to have the say-so （主张）in everything."
But don’t mistake Qualls for another smart but spoiled teenager. She is growing up fast but owns talent for life and business that elude many girls of her age.
The task of running a million-dollar company isn’t without its sacrifices( 牺牲) and challenges for a teenager. Qualls dropped out of Lincoln Park High School after her sophomore year to work fulltime on Whateverlife.com, a decision that she said shocked her family, friends and teachers . She now is studying to get her degree in graphic design.Many people noticed Qualls’ site because_____________________.
| A．it was set up by a 17-year-old girl |
| B．Qualls shares her design with her friends |
| C．Qualls has been building her online business |
| D．the world cyberspace develops fast and uncontrollable |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?
| A．Qualls’ Website Whateverlife .com. No. 825 in 20.3 million websites. |
| B．About 2.4 million visitors worldwide visit her website every month. |
| C．Most of her audience have visited her website at least twice. |
| D．Qualls has the right to decide everything in her company. |
The underlined word “elude” in the 8th paragraph means_______________.
| A．avoid | B．embarrass | C．exceed | D．encourage |