When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported (出口) to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate (单独的) schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans. What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?
| A．How Columbus found Costa Rica. |
| B．How Costa Rica got its name. |
| C．What the Costa Ricans wore. |
| D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke. |
The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.
| A．pink and red | B．grey and black |
| C．blue and green | D．yellow and orange |
In Costa Rica, boys and girls between seven and fourteen ______.
| A．must go to school |
| B．study in the same school |
| C．do not have to go to school at all |
| D．can choose to stop schooling at any time |
From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.
| A．have lessons every day |
| B．have their examinations |
| C．help their parents pick coffee beans |
| D．help their parents decorate their houses |
Walking in any high school during the first class in the morning, you will find many students are struggling to stay awake.
“They’re sitting in the classroom, but their heads are at home on the pillows,” said a teacher from a high school.
Don’t blame them; blame the clocks in their brains. A research suggests that biological clocks make teens stay up at night and sleep in the morning.
During the first several weeks of school, students are more likely to lack sleep. In the holidays, students can sleep eight hours a night, but during the school days, they sleep only about six hours on average. Students lose 10 hours’ sleep a week. This may affect their school performances and leads to poor health.
Scientists in the US did research to reset teenagers’ biological clock to help them fall asleep earlier. They found the brain can produce a chemical that helps sleep. But it comes out only in the dark. So they use a special light in the classroom to try to force a reset of the students’ biological clock.
The research failed in the end. So some schools in the US tried to reset their school time from 7:25 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. The results seemed to be good. What can you see while walking in high schools in the early morning ? (no more than 7 words 2 分)
Why are students so sleepy in the first class ? ( no more than 6 words 3分)
During the school days, how many hours of sleep do the students lose every month?
( no more than 2 words 2分)What suggestion will the scientists give to high schools? ( no more than 4 words 3分)
Do you know Australia ? Australia is the largest island in the world . It is a little smaller than China . It is in the south of the earth .Australia is big , but its population is not large . The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai .
The government has made enough laws to fight pollution . The cities in Australia have got little air or water pollution .The sky is blue and the water is clean . You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers . Plants grow very well .
Last month we visited Perth , the biggest city in Western Australia , and went to a wild flowers’ exhibition . There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before . We had a wonderful time .Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers .In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers’ exhibition .After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside . We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill .It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves . Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the top of the hill .What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we could .There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path .
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos (袋鼠). After a short drive from any town , you will find yourself in the middle of white sheep . Sheep , sheep , everywhere are sheep .Australia is __________ .
| A．the largest country in the world |
| B．as large as Shanghai . |
| C．not as large as China . |
| D．the largest island in the north of the earth . |
The government had made ______________ .
| A．too enough laws to fight pollution . |
| B．so many laws that it can fight pollution . |
| C．enough laws that it can hardly fight pollution . |
| D．enough laws because the pollution is very serious . |
Which of the following NOT true ?
| A．Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers . |
| B．Perth is bigger than any other city in Western Australia . |
| C．Perth lies in the west of Australia . |
| D．No other city is larger than Perth in Australia . |
In Perth you may visit a wild flowers’ show in________________ .
| A．October | B． January | C．May | D． July . |
Which of the following is true ?
| A．Australia is famous for its sheep , kangaroos and wild flowers . |
| B．We ran back to the car because we were in the middle of white sheep . |
| C．Three hundred sheep came towards us because they saw us . |
| D．If you go to the countryside in Australia , you will see a large number of whit sheep . |
Now I’m a senior high school student in Grade Two . I feel that school life is a little hard , just as my friends said . However , a hard life doesn’t have to mean a boring one at all .
School life is not just about studying and getting high marks . Getting involved in student clubs can be a unique and unforgettable experience .
Wang Tian enjoys Tuesday afternoons more than any other time of the week . Why ? Well , that’s when Wang and 47 other members of the DIY ( do it yourself ) club learn to make things such as rondo flowers ( 丝网花 ) and cross-stitch（ 十字绣 ）. Wang also knows how to knit scarves and make clay accessories（ 小饰件 ）. They even sell their products to raise money for poor students !
When Chen Mo started the High School , there was a drama club and a rock band , but no street dance club . So the girl started one . “Street dancing is dynamic and helps us relax and keep fit ,” Chen said . There are around 30 students in Chen’s club . They practice dance skills on Sundays . Sometimes they go to street dance performances in the city . “We watch , learn and make friends . People in this circle are actually very nice and sweet ,” she said .
There are dozens of clubs for me to choose from , such as basketball club or science club . But I love the translation club best . The 30 club members get together once a week . With the help of a volunteer teacher , I’ve learned the general principles of professional translation . It’s the first step to becoming a good translator . Besides ,after attending this club , my English has improved a lot .
I like my school life very much . And I believe whether a life is meaningful or not depends on the person who leads it .Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage ?
| A． The members in the DIY club sell their products to raise money for the club . |
| B． There are more members in the DIY club than in the translation club . |
| C． Chen Mo joined the street dance club and played an important part in it . |
| D． The members of the translation club meet on Tuesday afternoon . |
How many clubs are mentioned in the passage ?
| A． 5 | B． 6 | C． 7 | D． 8 |
The underlined word dynamic in Paragraph 4 means __________.
| A． energetic | B． helpful | C． challenging | D． attractive |
If you want to improve your English , you’ll probably join the _______.
| A． DIY club | B． science club | C． drama club | D．translation club |
We can infer that _____________.
| A．the writer feels the new school life is hard |
| B．the writer’s friends feel the new school life is hard |
| C．the writer is pleased with his new school life |
| D．every student leads a meaningful life in the new school |
OK, I admit it: emoticons (表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast (抨击) the use of emoticons as “infantile (幼稚的) just like the people who use them” He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent (明显的) from the comment that goes before the emoticon,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’ s an emoticon gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into (融入) something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid (正确的). Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this. I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature (不成熟的). It’s just a question of individuality. :)According to the article, emoticons are popular because ______.
| A．most of them look funny |
| B．they are easy for lazy people to use |
| C．they add feeling and character to a communication |
| D．a reader cannot understand a message without them |
Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with?
| A．Instant Message chatters are childish. |
| B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication. |
| C．Men never use emoticons. |
| D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author ______.
| A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons |
| B．thinks emoticons don’t suit him |
| C．encourage his friends to use emoticons |
| D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone |
What is the main point of the article?
| A．Advice on language used over the Internet. |
| B．The history of emoticons. |
| C．Arguments over the use of emoticons. |
| D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons. |
PEOPLE who have had a painful experience may wish they could wipe the memory from their minds. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, US, say that this may someday be possible.
A drug remains far off, but researchers have laid a foundation with their discovery that proteins can be removed from the brain’s fear center to cut memories forever.
Previous research had already shown that a special behavior therapy (治疗) could cut painful memories. But relapse (复发) was possible because the memory hadn’t necessarily disappeared.
By looking at that process, Richard Huganir and Roger Clem, two researchers from Johns Hopkins University, discovered a “window of vulnerability (脆弱的窗口)” when proteins are created. The proteins help signals travel within the brain as painful memories are made. Because the proteins are unstable, they can be easily removed with drugs or behavior therapy to cut memories.
Researchers used mice to find the window, but think the process would be the same in humans. They used electric shocks to make the mice fear a certain sound. The sound triggered (触发) the creation of the proteins, called calcium-permeable (钙通透性) AMPARS, which formed for a day or two in the fear centers of the mice’s brains.
The researchers are working on ways to reopen the window by recalling (唤醒) the painful memory and using drugs to remove the protein. They published their report online last month in Science Express.
Their research has drawn interest and concern from experts in mental healthcare.
Kate Farinholt, a mental health expert with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Maryland, US, said many people suffering from a painful event might benefit from erasing a memory. “Erasing a memory and then everything bad built on that is an amazing idea, and I can see all sorts of potential ,” she said.
But there are a lot of unanswered questions, too.
“Completely deleting a memory is a little scary. How do you remove a memory without removing a part of someone’s life,” Farinholt said. “And is it best to do that, considering that people grow and learn from their experiences?”What have researchers at Johns Hopkins University found recently?
| A．A new drug to erase painful memories from human brains. |
| B．A special behavior therapy to erase painful memories. |
| C．Removing certain proteins from the brain can wipe painful memories. |
| D．Erasing memory damages a patient’s brain functions. |
What makes it possible to erase painful memories according to Paragraph 4?
| A．The way the brain cells are created. |
| B．The unstable character of the proteins in the brain. |
| C．The strength of the signals the proteins send. |
| D．The drugs that can stop the formation of memories. |
Which of the following shows the stages of the process done on mice?
a. removal of fear proteins b. making mice fear a certain sound
c. fear proteins created in mice brains d. making mice recall painful memories
| A．a-b-c-d | B．d-a-c-b | C．b-c-d-a | D．c-b-d-a |
What is Kate Farinholt’s opinion of the research?
| A．People may lose the chance to learn from their bad experiences. |
| B．The research will be a great breakthrough in treating painful memories. |
| C．People could suffer long-term memory loss. |
| D．People could forget happy memories as well. |