People born in winter are more likely to suffer mental health disorders, according to a recent study carried out by researchers at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.
Researchers raised baby mice from birth to weaning (断奶) in either “summer” light cycles of 16 hours of light and 8 hours of dark or “winter” cycles of 8 hours of light and 16 hours of dark. A third group experienced 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark a day.
Then half the winter mice stayed in a winter cycle, while half switched to a summer schedule. The summer mice were similarly split. The mice raised in equal periods of light and dark were split into three groups, one of which stayed on the 12hour schedule, one of which joined the winter group, and one of which joined the summer group.
After 28 days, it turns out the summerborn mice behaved the same whether they stayed on the summer cycle or switched to winter. But among the winterborn mice, those stayed in winter kept their previous schedule, while those that switched to summer stayed active for an extra hour and a half, which indicates that mice born and weaned in a winter light cycle showed dramatic disruptions in their biological clocks.
The finding is the first of its kind in mammals, and it could explain why people born in winter are at higher risk for mental health disorders including bipolar depression, schizophrenia and seasonal affective disorder.
“We know that the biological clock regulates mood in humans，”said study researcher McMahon. “If the mechanism (机制) similar to the one that we found in mice operates in humans, then it could not only have an effect on a number of behavioral disorders, but also have a more general effect on personality.”How many groups of mice are there finally in all in the experiment?
| A．Seven. | B．Six. | C．Five. | D．Four. |
What's the main idea of the text?
| A．The biological clock regulates mood in humans. |
| B．People born in winter are at higher risk for physical health disorders. |
| C．The length of light will influence the behavior of the mice. |
| D．Being born in winter has a negative effect on people's mental health. |
The underlined word “split”(Paragraph 3) can be replaced by ________.
| A．ended | B．divided | C．hit | D．torn |
Who is the appropriate reader of the passage?
| A．A jobhunter. |
| B．A student in the university. |
| C．A newlymarried couple. |
| D．An experienced dentist. |
Did you ever wonder why leaves change colors in autumn, or how it happens? Here’s a quick explanation.
First of all, you’ve probably noticed that not all trees lose their leaves. There are two major types of trees: deciduous trees and evergreens. Evergreens keep their leaves and stay green all year long. The deciduous trees are the ones that lose their leaves each year.
In autumn, the days begin to get shorter. The sun is also lower in the sky at noon, which causes temperatures to be cooler. The combination of less sunshine and lower temperatures is what causes the deciduous trees to drop their leaves. In winter, deciduous trees “go to sleep”, sort of like a bear goes into hibernation.
Leaves are the food factories for a plant. Unlike animals，plants make their own food by taking energy directly from the sun. Plants do this by using a chemical in their leaves called chlorophyll.
Chlorophyll is green. During the spring and summer the leaves of a deciduous tree look green because there is a lot of chlorophyll there. In autumn, however, the sunshine becomes more scarce and the leaves on the trees stop making new chlorophyll. As the old chlorophyll starts to break down, the green color of the leaf begins to go away.
You’ve probably also noticed that the leaves of different kinds of trees change different colors. The leaves of some trees turn yellow or orange, while the leaves of other trees turn bright red or purple. The different colors are caused by the different chemical reactions that are happening in the leaves.
For example, the leaves of some trees turn yellow when the chlorophyll breaks down. When the green chlorophyll goes away, a yellow pigment in the leaf becomes visible. The yellow pigment, called cartenoid, was already there during the summer, but is was not easily seen because there was too much green chlorophyll.
In other trees where the leaves turn red or purple a different chemical reaction takes place. In those leaves the chlorophyll also breaks down, but another chemical reaction takes place at the same time. Chemicals in the leaves, called starches, begin to change into chemicals called anthocyanins, which give the leaves their red and purple colors.
So next time you see the beautiful colors of autumn you will also know the science behind that beauty.
46. What is the correct term for trees that lose their leaves in the autumn?
A. Evergreens B. Deciduous C. Cartenoids D. Anthocyanins
47. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a cause of trees dropping their leaves?
A. A change in temperature B. The amount of daylight available
C. Extra chlorophyll D. Chemical changes in the leaves
48. If there are 50 evergreens and 10 deciduous trees in a forest, in autumn what color are most of the leaves in the forest likely to be?
A. Green B. Red and purple
C. Yellow D. not enough information to determine the answer
49. Which of the following is only present in leaves during the autumn?
A. Chlorophyll B. Starch C. Cartenoids D. Anthocyanins
50. Where would such an article mostly likely be published?
A. In a book B. In a primary school science text book
C. In a magazine for young people D. All are equally likely
Ⅲ 阅读 (共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解 (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A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Marie Curie was a Polish physicist and chemist who lived between 1867-1934. Together with her husband, Pierre, she discovered two new elements (radium and polonium, two radioactive elements that they extracted chemically from pitchblende ore) and studied the x-rays they emitted. She found that the harmful properties of x-rays were able to kill tumors. By the end of World War I, Marie Curie was probably the most famous woman in the world. She had made a conscious decision, however, not to patent methods of processing radium or its medical applications.
Marie Curie was born November 7, 1867 in Poland and died on July 4, 1934. Her co-discovery with her husband Pierre Curie of the radioactive elements radium and polonium represents one of the best known stories in modern science for which they were recognized in 1901 with the Nobel Prize in Physics. In 1911, Marie Curie was honored with a second Nobel prize, this time in chemistry, to honor her for successfully isolating pure radium and determining radium's atomic weight.
As a child, Marie Curie amazed people with her great memory. She learned to read when she was only four years old. Her father was a professor of science and the instruments that he kept in a glass case fascinated Marie. She dreamed of becoming a scientist, but that would not be easy. Her family became very poor, and at the age of 18, Marie became a governess. She helped pay for her sister to study in Paris. Later, her sister helped Marie with her education. In 1891, Marie attended the Sorbonne University in Paris where she met and married Pierre Curie, a well-known physicist.
Marie Curie contributed greatly to our understanding of radioactivity and the effects of x-rays. She received two Nobel prizes for her brilliant work, but died of leukemia, caused by her repeated exposure to radioactive material.
41. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. To give us a general introduction to Madame Curie.
B. To show us how Madame Curie discovered radium.
C. To tell us how Madame Curie developed as a scientist.
D. To tell us how Madame Curie received two Nobel Prizes.
42. Madame Curie was given the Nobel Prize in chemistry because_________.
A. she discovered radium
B. she separated pure radium and calculated its atomic weight
C. she discovered polonium
D. she didn’t patent methods of processing radium
43. Which of the following statements about Madame Curie is Not True?
A. Madame Curie made great contributions to medical science.
B. Madame Curie was very smart and ambitious when she was a child.
C. Madame Curie received two Nobel Prizes in physics.
D. Madame Curie’s husband helped her a lot in her research.
44. We can infer from the third paragraph that_________.
①Madame Curie got married when she was at college.
②Madam Curie had a great ambition when she was young.
③Madame Curie loved teaching more than anything else.
④Madam Curie must have met a lot of difficulties to get high education.
⑤Her father had a great influence on Madam Curie’s future career.
⑥Madam Curie was very smart when she was a child
A. ①②④⑤⑥ B.②④⑤⑥ C. ②③④⑤⑥ D. ①②③④⑤
45. Which is the right order about Madam Curie according to the passage?
a. married Pierre b. attended University c. discovered radium
d. determined radium’s atomic weight e. won the Nobel Prize in physics
A. b, c, a, d, e B. b, a, c, d, e C. b, a, c, e, d D. b, c, a, e, d
In “Relax, We’ll Be Fine”, columnist David Brooks writes, “the fact is, despite all the problems, America’s future is extremly bright.”
Mr. Brooks acknowledges that “According to recent survey, 60 percent of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction. The same percentage believe that the U.S. is in long-term decline. The political system is not functional. A financial crisis looks unavoidable. There are plenty of reasons to be sad.”
But, he writes:
“Demographers(人口学家) predict that over the next 40 years, the U.S. population will increase by an additional 100 million people, to 400 million over all. The population will be determined, hardworking and relatively young. In 2050, only a quarter will be over 60, compared with 31 percent in China and 41 percent in Japan.”
As the rising generation leads an economic recovery, it will also participate in a communal
(of community) one. We are living in a global age of social entrepreneurship(创业精神).
In sum, the U.S. is on the edge of a demographic, economic and social recovery, built on its historic strengths. The U.S. has always been good at destructive change. And it’s always been good at decentralized community-building, too. Surely a country with this much going for it is not going to wait around passively and let a rotten political culture drag it down.
51．In his article Relax, We’ll Be Fine, David Brooks intends to____________.
A．encourage Americans to be optimistic about their future
B．give Americans courage to face their financial crisis
C．persuade Americans to live happily and generously
D．inspire Americans to lead an economic recovery
52．There are all the reasons for Americans to be unhappy except____________
A．the function-failed political system B．the increasing population
C．the declining economy D．the wrong direction and financial crisis
53．Over the next 40 years, according to David Brooks, Americans will be____________
A．more optimistic and humorous B．more pessimistic and stronger
C．more energetic and promising D．more considerate and aggressive
54．In the author’s opinion, America____________.
A．has always benefited from wars B．has done well by its political system
C．has contributed a lot to human progress D．has contributed to world’s economy
55．We can learn from the passage that____________
A．American political system and culture are backward
B．Americans are not a nation to give in to difficulties
C．Americans are very destructive and aggressive
D．America has been in an economic and social recovery
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan–-- Afghans burned tires and chanted “Death to America” after U.S troops fired Monday(April 12, 2010) on a civilian bus near Kandahar, killing four people and wounding more than a dozen. Afghanistan’s president accused NATO of breaking its commitment to safeguard civilian lives.
The attack angered Afghan officials and the public in Kandahar, the Taliban’s birthplace, and dealt a blow to U.S and NATO efforts to win popular support for a coming offensive to drive the insurgents(叛乱分子) from the biggest city in the south. NATO expressed regret for the loss of civilian lives and said it was investigating.
Nearly 200 Afghans blocked highway where the shooting occurred, burning tires, firing weapons and chanting “Death to America” and other slogans. They also called for the ouster (forcing somebody out of a pasition) of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, a Kandahar native who has been appealing for the people here to support the U.S-led campaign against the Taliban.
“The Americans are constantly killing our civilians and the government is not demanding an explanation,” protester Mohammad Razaq said. “We demand justice from the Karzai government and the punishment of those soldiers responsible.”
Kandahar, a city of about a half million people, is nominally under government control, but the Taliban have stepped up infiltration(浸润), staging attacks and threatening local people.
“These foreigners have their enemies, but killing Afghans is not the answer,” said Abdul Hadi, who sells homemade herbal medicine in a public market. He said international forces should publish a schedule of their patrols(巡逻) so Afghans can keep out of the way.
“Better yet, I would like to see them leave Afghanistan,” he added.
Haji Zahir, who runs a transport firm, said it was time for U.S. and other foreign forces to withdraw from the country.
“They say they want to bring security. It is all lies, lies. They kill Afghans. That is not the way to bring security,” Zahir said.
46．According to the passage, we can safely conclude that____________.
A．American soldiers are killing Talibans effectively
B．Anger rises as US troops kill 4 Afghans on a bus
C．NATO expressed great dissatisfaction with American troops
D．Afghan President Hamid Karzai required NATO to withdraw
47．The underlined word in Paragraph 5 nominally most probably means____________.
A．completely unknown to the people in the world
B．partially well-known to the people across the globe
C．bearing the name of a famous person around the world
D．officially described as something, when this is not really true
48．As for NATO soldiers’ rude action, Abdul Hadi is ____________.
A．absolutely angry and upset B．a little pleased but impatient
C．very angry and dissatisfied D．impatient but bearable
49．We can infer from the passage that____________
A．NATO troops can completely control Afghanistan
B．NATO troops can bring security to Afghanistan
C．Afghans will accept NATO’s control sooner or later
D．it’s impossible for NATO to conquer Afghanistan and its people
50．Which statement is true according to the passage?
A．NATO fails to win popular support for a coming offensive.
B．Kandahar is the most important city in Afghanistan.
C．NATO has really brought security to Afghanistan.
D．NATO troops will withdraw from Afghanistan in the near future.
Ⅲ阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（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A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was working as a consultant in a beer company, helping the president and senior vice-presidents form and carry out their new planning projects. It was really a great challenge.
At the same time, my mother was in the final stages of cancer.
I worked during the day and drove 40 miles home to be with her every night. It was tiring and stressful, but it was what I wanted to do. My commitment was to continue to do excellent consulting during the day, even though my evenings were very hard. I didn’t want to bother the president with my situation, yet I felt someone at the company needed to know what was going on. So I told the vice-president of Human Resources, asking him not to share the information with anyone.
A few days later, the president called me into his office.
I figured he wanted to talk to me about one of the many issues we were working on. When I entered, he asked me to sit down. He faced me from across his large desk, looked me in the eye and said, “I hear your mother is very ill”.
I was totally caught by surprise and burst into tears. He just looked at me, let my crying subside(平息), and then gently said a sentence I will never forget: Whatever you need.
That was it. His understanding and his willingness both to let me be in my pain and to offer me everything were qualities of sympathy that I carry with me to this day.
41．When the author was working in a beer company, his mother ________________
A．was concerned about him B．drew the president’s attention
C．was seriously ill D．was proud of her son
42．Although he felt tired and stressed, he felt it his duty ____________
A．to carry out their new strategic vision
B．to avoid bothering the president
C．to tell the vice-president his difficult situation
D．to do his job well and look after his mother
43．Most probably, the president got the information from ____________
A．a relative of the author’s B．the vice president
C．the author’s good friends D．the author’s collegues
44．Which of the following can be used to best describe the president?
A．Considerate. B．Intelligent. C．Honest. D．Consultative.
45．Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?
A．Understanding Is Everywhere B．Generous President
C．Sympathy Is Needed D．An Unforgetable Memory