Every kid wishes to be an adult. Do you remember playing houses as a child pretending to be a grownup like your parents? Did you imagine you were a doctor, a soldier or a teacher? At that time, anything seemed more exciting than young.
But now as grownups, some adults find they cannot leave childhood behind. They become “kidults”(kid+adult). Being a kidult has become a lifestyle choice among young people across Asia. Some kidults collect toys they once played with. Hello Kitty, Garfield, and Snoopy have many adult fans around the world. It is not unusual to see a 20something woman with a big, Garfieldshaped cushion on her sofa or a Hello Kitty mobile phone accessory(饰物). Other kidults still enjoy children’s stories and fairy tales. For example, even an edition of the Harry Potter novels with an adult cover came out in Britain. That way, no one else on the subway will know that an adult is actually reading a children’s book!
“Kidults can be like vitamins to society. Adults who value their childhood and hold on to pure, childlike emotion may be needed in such a rough and dry society,” said a professor in a Korean University. He added that kidult culture might fill the generation gap between adults and kids. It could give children and their parents books, movies, and cartoon shows to enjoy together.
Tim Greenhalgh, a professor in London explained that some kidults just refuse to grow up. They cling to(舍不得放弃) childhood because life in a busy and stressful city frightens them. Kidults would like to forget their age and openly show their fear of society and adulthood.
“So, they look for an escape from increasingly complex and stressful life that are hard to deal with,” Greenhalgh said.We can learn from the passage that kidults are________.
| A．children who can’t wait to grow up |
| B．grownups who hold on to childlike emotion |
| C．people who enjoy playing sports |
| D．young people who pretended to be grownups when young |
According to the passage, kidults would like to do the following except________.
| A．buy Hello Kitty mobile phone accessories |
| B．read a children’s book on the subway |
| C．work in a busy and stressful city |
| D．collect toys they once played with |
In the opinion of the Professor in a Korean University, kidults are________.
| A．immature (不成熟) and weak |
| B．necessary to our society |
| C．looked down upon |
| D．getting more and more |
The main reason of the kidult culture lies in that________.
| A．some companies are taking advantage of it |
| B．modern life is stressful and hard |
| C．some people like to stay young and energetic |
| D．some people wish to bridge the generation gap |
He was the baby with no name. Found and taken from the north Atlantic 6 days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, his tiny body so moved the salvage (救援) workers that they called him “our baby.” In their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, people collected money for a headstone in front of the baby's grave (墓), carved with the words: “To the memory of an unknown child.” He has rested there ever since.
But history has a way of uncovering its secrets. On Nov. 5, this year, three members of a family from Finland arrived at Halifax and laid fresh flowers at the grave. “This is our baby,” says Magda Schleifer, 68, a banker. She grew up hearing stories about a great-aunt named Maria Panula, 42, who had sailed on the Titanic for America to be reunited with her husband. According to the information Mrs. Schleifer had gathered, Panula gave up her seat on a lifeboat to search for her five children -- including a 13-month-old boy named Eino from whom she had become separated during the final minutes of the crossing. "We thought they were all lost in the sea," says Schleifer.
Now, using teeth and bone pieces taken from the baby's grave, scientists have compared the DNA from the Unknown Child with those collected from members of five families who lost relatives on the Titanic and never recovered the bodies. The result of the test points only to one possible person: young Eino. Now, the family sees no need for a new grave. "He belongs to the people of Halifax," says Schleifer, "They've taken care of him for 90 years."
Adapted from People, November 25, 2002What is probably the boy's last name?
| A．Schleiferi. | B．Eino. | C．Magda. | D．Panula. |
Some members of the family went to Halifax and put flowers at the child's grave on Nov. 5, __________.
| A．1912 | B．1954 | C．2002 | D．2004 |
This text is mainly about how _________.
| A．the unknown baby’s body was taken from the north Atlantic |
| B．the unknown baby was buried in Halifax, Nova Sotia |
| C．people found out who the unknown baby was |
| D．people took care of the unknown baby for 90 years |
The gray-haired lady can’t wait to leave the building to search for her dad. Unless watched, she will walk in the streets in an effort to find her father, who died 30 years ago.
Not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease look like this, but Alzheimer’s is a serious disease that is said to be the fourth or fifth leading cause of death for people over age 75. It is said that about three percent of the U.S. population over age 65 have Alzheimer’s. In the early stages, people may exhibit short-term memory loss. Some may experience changes in personality, easy to be angry. As the disease progresses, patients might lose the ability to move and may be unable to speak or move at all. This progressive disease generally lasts 8 to 10 years before death occurs.
While no one is certain what causes these changes in the brain’s nerve fibers （神经纤维）, their effect is certain. Alzheimer’s destroys not only the patients, but also spouses（配偶）, friends and families.
What should you do if you notice progressive memory loss in yourself or a loved one? Have the person examined by a doctor who is a specialist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Though many reasons other than Alzheimer’s disease may cause memory loss, its early diagnosis（诊断）and treatment may delay some of the most serious effects.
What feeling will you likely experience if a loved one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease? A person will often go through the various stages of sadness, shock, anger, and so on. If the spouse develops the disease, you may experience hurt and disappointment when he or she doesn’t remember you are married.
Life for the Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones will never be the same as the disease progresses, bringing a deep sorrow, loss and even anger towards God. No matter what feelings are present, facing them honestly will serve one better than burying them.What can be inferred from the passage about the gray-haired day?
| A．She has been living with her father. |
| B．She was sad about the death of her father. |
| C．She can’t search for her father without being watched. |
| D．She suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. |
When people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, ________.
| A．their families and friends will suffer from the same disease |
| B．their families and friends will experience mental sufferings |
| C．they will certainly die in 8 to 10 years |
| D．they will forget everybody but their spouses |
Memory loss occurs ________.
| A．from Alzheimer’s disease and nothing else |
| B．from sadness, shock, anger, and so on |
| C．for a number of reasons |
| D．with changes in personality |
From the passage we know that .
| A．early treatment may stop Alzheimer’s disease occurring |
| B．it is still unknown what causes the changes in the brain’s nerve fibers |
| C．nerve fibers in the brain will cause Alzheimer’s disease |
| D．when one suffers from Alzheimer’s disease, he will be buried |
Trees are useful to man in three very important ways: they provide him with wood and other products；they give him shade；and they help to prevent drought and floods.
Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, man has not realized that the third of these services is the most important. In his eagerness to draw quick profit from the trees, he has cut them down in large numbers, only to find that without them he has lost the best friends he had.
Two thousand years ago, a rich and powerful country cut down its trees to build warships, with which to gain itself an empire. It gained the empire but, without its trees, its soil became hard and poor. When the empire fell to pieces, the country found itself faced by floods and starvation.
Even though a government realizes the importance of a plentiful supply of trees, it is difficult for it to persuade the villager to see this. The villager wants wood to cook his food with, and he can earn money by making charcoal(木炭) or selling wood to the townsman（城市居民）. He is usually too lazy or too careless to plant and look after trees. So unless the government has a good system of control, or can educate the people, the forests will slowly disappear.
This does not only mean that the villager’s sons and grandsons have fewer trees. The results are even more serious. For where there are trees their roots break the soil up—allowing the rain to sink in and also hold the soil, thus preventing it being washed away easily, but where there are no trees, the soil becomes hard and poor. The rain falls on hard ground and flows away on the surface, causing floods and carrying away with it the rich topsoil, in which crops grow so well. When all the topsoil is gone, nothing remains but a worthless desert.The purpose that the writer wrote this article is to _________.
| A．tell people the use of wood |
| B．tell people the function of tree roots |
| C．warn that man mustn’t destroy forests any more |
| D．explain how trees help man live a better life. |
In the writer’s opinion, _________, or the forests will slowly disappear.
| A．measures must be taken |
| B．people shouldn’t draw benefit from the tree |
| C．government must realize the serious results |
| D．unless no trees are cut down. |
According to the article we know it is ________ to prevent the forests from slowly disappearing.
| A．necessary but impossible | B．necessary but difficult |
| C．impossible and unimportant | D．difficult and impossible |
In the last two paragraphs the writer wanted to make it clear that _________.
| A．where there are no trees, the soil becomes poor but soft |
| B．where there are many trees, there are more floods |
| C．where there are no trees, the land might become desert slowly |
| D．floods will make the land become desert |
If a person forgets names , places or facts —and has trouble with everyday things like reading or shopping —it may not mean you are getting old . It could be Alzheimer’s disease . So it’s important to see a doctor as soon as you can .
There is no cure for Alzheimer’s . But a drug called ARICEPT has been used by millions of people to help their symptoms (症状).
In studies , ARICEPT has been proved to work for Alzheimer’s . It has helped people improve their memory over time . It has also helped them to keep doing everyday things on their own .
Ask your doctor if ARICEPT is right for you or your loved one . It is the Number One drug for Alzheimer’s in the world . The sooner you know it’s Alzheimer’s , the better ARICEPT can help .
ARICEPT is good for many but may not be good for everyone . Some people may experience not sleeping well , feeling very tired , or not wanting to eat . In studies , these side effects weren’t serious at all and went away over time . Some people taking ARICEPT may feel light-headed . In this case you should tell your doctors because your condition may get worse .If one suffers from Alzheimer’s , .
| A．he can’t do everyday things on his own |
| B．he has trouble with his memory |
| C．he often forgets things because he is old |
| D．he can’t move about |
What is ARICEPT ?
| A．A medicine to cure Alzheimer’s |
| B．A medicine to delay signs of aging . |
| C．A medicine to cure brain damage . |
| D．A medicine to reduce the symptoms of Alzheimer’s . |
One who is taking ARICEPT should go to see a doctor if he .
| A．feels like a drunken man | B．feels tired out |
| C．has no desire to eat | D．can’t fall asleep |
In July 1994 Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was struck by 21 pieces of a comet（彗星）. When the fragment（碎片）landed in the southern part of the giant planet, the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth. But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?
The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth. The news has caused panic.
On 17 July, a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a huge explosion. About half of the fragment is destroyed. But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads. The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.
Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth, but the north won’t escape for long. Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions. As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later civilization has collapsed. No more than 10 million people have survived.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs（恐龙）were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a space fragment. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct. Will we meet the same end? Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author’s description of the disaster in 2094?
The whole mankind becomes extinct.
All the coastal cities in African are destroyed.
The whole world becomes extremely cold.
The visit of the comet results in wars.Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?
| A．Because they could only live in the warm climate. |
| B．Because they once dominated the Earth. |
| C．Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age. |
| D．Because their extinction indicates future disasters |
In writing the passage, the author intends to __________.
| A．give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future |
| B．warn of a possible disaster in the future |
| C．tell the historical development of the Earth |
| D．prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed |
It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n) __________.
| A．horror story | B．news report |
| C．article of popular science | D．research paper |