Last week, I bought an alarm system for about $ 450. It consisted of a control unit with three small units. I put the control unit in the sitting-room and fastened the other units by the front door, back door and living-room windows. The instructions told us to choose three numbers, so we chose 491, the last three numbers of our telephone number.
Now I will explain how the alarm works:
1. There is a power siren in the control unit. It makes a very loud noise.
2. Each of the small units sends out beams or rays in different directions. If anything moves, it breaks a beam. This sends signal to the control unit. The siren makes a noise which you can hear 50 meters away.
3. When we go to bed, I press the three buttons numbered 4, 9 and 1. Then we have 30 seconds to get out of the room before the alarm starts to work. That night I slept soundly because I was sure that no burglar could get into our house. However, at about 2:10 a. m. , I woke up and heard the siren.
"There must be a burglar in the house?" Mary said, "What shall we do?"
"I'll go and see who's there," I said, "Stay here. Don't make a noise. "
I went down stairs quietly. When I reached the living-room, I switched on my torch and looked round the room. Then I turned the light on. I switched the siren off and searched the rooms downstairs. There was nothing wrong except that the back door was unlocked. I locked it, re-set the alarm and went back to bed.
About an hour later, the alarm started again. I jumped out of bed, fell over a chair in the dark and bumped into the bedroom door. Mary woke up and started hitting me with a torch. "Hey! Wait a minute!" I whispered, "It's only me. I'm going downstairs to see what's wrong."
I went down into the living-room and listened for a moment. The only sound I could hear was the siren. I tamed on the light and switched the siren off. As I did so, I glanced across at the curtains in front of the windows. I saw a house lizard (a kind of small animals)(壁虎) disappear behind the curtains.
"Oh!" I said to myself. "That's our burglar.”
When the lizard moved, it started the siren. I guessed the alarm had been made in Europe, where there are no house lizards.
Well, I won't finish this story but if you want an alarm system free of charge, let me know. I'll send you ours. We bought a dog this morning. It knows the difference between a lizard and a burglar(强盗).The writer bought an alarm system to_________.
| A．make sure that he got up early every day |
| B．warn him when there were lizards in his house |
| C．frighten burglars and tell him that somebody had got into the house |
| D．make Mary feel safe to live in the large room |
The writer used numbers 4, 9 and 1 to________.
| A．set the alarm system |
| B．make a telephone call |
| C．give numbers to each of the three units in the downstairs rooms |
| D．name his alarm system |
The purpose of the three units was to_________.
| A．sound their own siren when the control unit told them to |
| B．send a message to the control unit and start the siren |
| C．check that the control unit worked properly all the time |
| D．give them enough light |
If the writer set the alarm and remained in the room for more than half a minute,__________.
| A．nothing would happen |
| B．the control unit would not work |
| C．the siren would make a noise |
| D．the dog would bark |
The purpose of the writer in writing the passage is to__________.
| A．tell us that the alarm system doesn't work |
| B．make it clear that he wants to give away his alarm system |
| C．show us how the alarm system works |
| D．tell us an interesting experience |
The World Health Organization says reducing salt or sodium use can reduce your risk of heart disease, kidneyfailureor stroke. But researchers say the risk would be reduced even more if the amount of dietary potassium was increased at the same time.
The World Health Organization says high blood pressure affects one billion people worldwide. It leads to many deaths or permanent disabilities. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is called the silent killer because there are few apparent signs. Many studies have shown that reducing salt or sodium in the diet canlowerthe risk of strokeand other health problems.
Graham MacGregor is with the Barts and London School of Medicine and Dentistry. He and other researchers have examined earlier studies and organized their own.
“When you’re on the high salt intake you always have some extra salt in you and a slightly greatervolumeof blood. And that’s what puts up the blood pressure. I mean, if you wanted, an analogous thing would be really a centralheatingsystem. If you put more water into a closed system, the pressure will go up.”
He says the body does need salt, about less than half a gram each day. However, people in developing countries are eating about eight to 10 grams a day. Professor MacGregor says lowering salt can do a lot to reduce hypertension, but increasing potassium in the diet also helps. People in industrial nations eat about three grams of potassium a day through diet. Professor MacGregor says experts believe eating about four grams a day is the best choice.
Health officials have expressed concern about developing countries with growing economies. Those nations are increasingly turning to a western diet with its salty, sugary and fatty foods. Officials are predicting a sharp rise in heart disease and related problems.Which of following has nothing to do with having extra salt in you？
| A．heart disease | B．kidneyfailure | C．stroke | D．toothache |
The writer uses “a centralheatingsystem”to_________.
| A．give examples | B．introduce a new thing |
| C．compare the two things | D．contrast the two things |
According to the passage，which of the following statements is true？
| A．The body needs salt, about three grams each day. |
| B．Eating about four grams potassium a day is the best choice. |
| C．Lowering potassium can do a lot to reduce hypertension. |
| D．Reducing sodium in the diet canhigherthe risk of stroke. |
For as long as we can remember, we've heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But not only can it boost your energy and memory levels, it also can impact how long you live. Studies show that by eating certain foods, you can help slow the aging process. Here are just six amazing anti-aging treats you might want to go for first thing in the morning.
1. Blueberries
Although tiny, blueberries pack a huge anti-aging health punch. Rich in polyphenols, research suggests that a blueberry-rich diet not only improves your motor skills, but also can help fight diseases such as cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Indeed one recent study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association showed that women who ate the most blueberries -- as well as their superfood cousin, strawberries -- enjoyed a 32 percent lower heart attack risk than women who only ate these berries once a month (or not at all).
2. Oatmeal
For years, research has shown a strong correlation between oatmeal and cholesterol reduction. Oatmeal is rich in soluble fiber that gets rid of "bad" cholesterol. Oats also are packed with the antioxidants that do battle against cell damage. And that can help plump skin and reduce wrinkles.
3. Eggs
Eggs usually come under fire because of their high cholesterol content. But studies show that healthy men and women who consume an egg a day actually do not experience negative health repercussions. In addition, eggs contain all the essential B vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, choline, biotin, and folic acid. Choline has been shown to protect your memory, while two proteins in eggs -- lutein and zeaxanthin -- protect against vision loss.
4. Tea
Many teas are high in anti-aging antioxidants. But green tea is rich in an antioxidant known as EGCG, which helps fight wrinkles and rejuvenate skin cells. Green tea also may protect against cancer, control blood sugar levels, and help reduce inflammation associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
5. Pomegranate Juice
If tea's not your thing, try pomegranate juice instead. Studies show that a glass of pomegranate juice a day could help keep wrinkles at bay. Not only has pomegranate been shown to slow down the natural oxidation ("wear and tear") of DNA, it also has been linked to the prevention of heart disease and stress relief.
6. Grapefruit
In addition to helping you feel full, which in turn may assist with weight loss, grapefruit also can help lower "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride levels while also boosting “good” HDL cholesterol. Deep red varieties are best as studies show they can also help keep heart disease at bay.What is the purpose of this text?.
| A．To tell an interesting story. |
| B．To bring up a problem. |
| C．To present a research result. |
| D．To give practical advice. |
Which food may best help protect against vision loss?
| A．Grapefruit | B．Eggs | C．Blueberries | D．Pomegranate Juice |
California, once regarded as a leader in the United States for its public higher education system, ranks next to the last in the U.S.for its number of adults with at least a high school diploma, according to the report, titled “California at the Edge of a Cliff,” released by the California Faculty Association.
Meanwhile, the state’s investment(投资) in public higher education has dropped over the past three decades, and now ranks 22nd in the country.That’s despite having the country’s largest public higher education system, the report said.
“It's a collapse(衰退),” said Thomas Mortenson, author of the report, who is an independent analyst living in Iowa and a senior scholar at the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education in Washington, D. C. “Ranking 49th out of 50 states is an indication that shows the quality of the state’s educational has become much worse in recent decades.” Mortenson said in the report.As of 2007, California ranked 14th in the United States in terms of college educated members of the workforce over 25 years of age, a drop from eighth place in 1981, the report showed.
Mortenson said that California has never been the state of high status in education and economy while other states have made greater gains in building a college-educated workforce.
The California Faculty Association is using the report’s findings to criticize Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed funding cuts for education.
Struggling with a 14.8-billion-dollar state budget deficit(赤字), Schwarzenegger has proposed a combination of sales tax increases, borrowing and major budget cuts, including cutting billions of dollars from the state’s education budget.The passage is mainly about __________.
| A．California’s worse situation in higher education |
| B．the dangerous situation in California |
| C．California’s research on education and economy |
| D．funding cuts for high education in California |
From the passage we can infer that __________.
| A．investment in higher education has dropped in all states |
| B．Thomas Mortenson works at California Faculty Association |
| C．governor in California agreed to spend more money on education |
| D．California had higher quality in higher education in the past |
The reason why California has a lower rank in education is that________.
| A．the number of adults has decreased recently |
| B．the result of report has been published late |
| C．the money to invest in education has been cut |
| D．the progress in other states has been made |
According to the report’s findings, ________ is to blame for the drop in rank of education.
| A．Arnold Schwarzenegger | B．Thomas Mortenson |
| C．the Pell Institute | D．California Faculty Association |
语篇解读曾经在大学教育排行榜上位居第一的美国加州，现在的教育排名一下子跌落到倒数第二。这是怎么回事呢？
阅读理解
We are just getting older and older with each New Year. Vigor and wisdom are draining, and bit by bit we are moving away from the amazement of youth.
Yet neither fear nor anxiety helps retain youth. Instead, a few living habits help maintain.
●Laugh to your heart's content as much as you can. Laughter helps reduce pressure and improve your immune system, which makes people look 8 years younger.
●Keep an eye on your blood pressure. Those with a blood pressure of 115/75mmHg look 2.5years younger than those above 160/90mmHg.
●Quit smoking and avoid passive smoking. This can take 8 years off your appearance.
●Spare some time for exercises each day. Exercises need not be tiring. A 20 minute walk every day makes people look 5 years younger.
●Keep learning and absorb something new each day. Speak the same language as the young people. Learning something every day makes people look 2.5 years younger.
●Keep other pressures under control. Too much pressure makes people look 30 years older. If they are good at networking and manage to keep pressure under control, they will look 30 years younger.
●Secure high quality medical care insurance and do whole body check regularly. For those contracted with chronicle diseases, proper treatment and qualification of the diseases makes people look 12 years younger than what they would without proper treatment.The passage is mainly about _________.
| A．the important of retaining youth |
| B．some tips helping people retain youth |
| C．moving away from the amazement of youth |
| D．the connections between the health and the age |
The underlined sentence “This can take 8 years off your appearance.” means _________.
| A．Smoking and passive smoking can make you look 8 years younger |
| B．Smoking and passive smoking can make you die 8 years ahead |
| C．Giving up smoking and avoiding passive smoking can make you live 8 years longer |
| D．Giving up smoking and avoiding passive smoking can make you look 8 years younger |
According to the passage, we can know that _________.
| A．exercises properly every day helps people retain youth |
| B．if you want to be 30 years younger you must keep other pressures under control |
| C．doing whole body check regularly can make people look younger |
| D．fear and anxiety are a part of our life, which help people realize the importance of keeping youth |
Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ’ this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children's welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.The passage is probably written by.
| A．an experienced teacher | B．a working parent |
| C．an inspired student | D．a city council member |
The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to "’.
| A．environments | B．holidays | C．wages | D．benefits |
It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to.
.
| A．2 weeks | B．4.5 weeks | C．5 weeks | D．6 weeks |
The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students_____ .
| A． obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs |
| B． get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school |
| C． benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment |
| D． have more school days to receive free school meals |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A． working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children |
| B． the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out |
| C． the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time" |
| D． some school staff will say “ No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday |