Dirty language，curse(诅咒) words，swearing. These are all ways of describing words people consider socially unacceptable. But such words are commonly said after a painful injury. So，do they serve a purpose in reducing physical pain？That is what researchers in Britain set out to discover.
Psychologist Richard Stephens wondered if using curse words truly helped people reduce physical pain. To test the theory，he asked more than 60 college students to take part in an experiment.
The students were asked to write down five words they might say after injuring their finger. One of the words was chosen as their swear word. The students were also asked to choose five words they might use to describe another object：a table. These words were their control words.
The students were then asked to hold their hand in freezing water for as long as they could. While holding their hand underwater，they were asked to repeat a swear word. Then they repeated the experiment using their control word instead.
The researchers found a link between swearing and an increased ability to deal with pain. When students repeated a swear word，they were able to hold their hand longer in the cold water. They said they experienced less pain when using swear words.
The experiment showed that swearing caused people's heart rate to increase，which permits the body to experience or ignore pain better. It also found interesting differences between men and women. The heart rate of both men and women increased. Yet swearing had a greater effect on women.
It is unclear to scientists exactly how swearing affects physical reactions to pain. Professor Stephens believes that swearing activates a different part of the brain than normal language. He says more experiments on different kinds of pain are needed to better understand the effect of swearing.
The researchers note that swear words have existed for hundreds of years. Their findings offer one reason why the custom of cursing may have continued for so long. Swear words are said with emotion. For that reason，the more someone swears，the less of an effect the words have.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Using Curse Words Can Reduce Physical Pain |
| B．People Consider Curse Words Socially Unacceptable |
| C．Dirty Language Is Commonly Said After a Painful Injury |
| D．Curse Words Are Spoken by Inexperienced Psychologists |
How did Richard Stephens carry out the experiment?
| A．With a questionnaire. |
| B．Through some examples. |
| C．By comparison. |
| D．With the help of the Internet. |
How many experiments should each college student take part in at least?
| A．One. |
| B．Two. |
| C．Three. |
| D．Four. |
What does the underlined word “activates” mean?
| A．Makes something active. |
| B．Changes something totally. |
| C．Stops something from happening. |
| D．Discovers something new. |
Which of the following is one of the findings from the experiment?
| A．Women use more swearing words than men. |
| B．The more someone swears the greater effect the words have. |
| C．Men's heart beats faster than women's when using dirty language. |
| D．Using swearing words helps women deal with pain better than men. |
Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto. But what about really young filmmakers who aren’t in film school yet and aren’t, strictly speaking, even adults?
They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Kids Films Festival, tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy: Lincoln Center. Complete with “red carpet” interviews and various awards, the festival has much in common with events for more experienced moviemakers, except for the age of the participants: about 8 to 18.
“What’s really exciting is that it’s film for kids by kids,” said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in Arlington, Virginia. “We want to make this a national event,” Ms. Gardner added.
The nine shorts to be shown range from a Claymation biography of B.B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “A lot of the material is really mature,” Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the New York City branch of Global Action Project, a media arts and leadership-training group. “The Choice is about the history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke.” Dream of the Invisibles describes young immigrants’ feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.
The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and full-length film whose title is Pressures.Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival ____.
| A．is organized by a middle school |
| B．is as famous as the Toronto Festival |
| C．shows films made by children |
| D．offers awards to film school students |
Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?
| A．It helps young filmmakers to make money. |
| B．It provides arts projects for young people. |
| C．It’s a media arts and leadership-training group. |
| D．It’s a national organization for young people. |
The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 4 refers to _____.
| A．short trousers | B．short kids |
| C．short films | D．short stories |
Movies to shown in the festival ____.
| A．cover different subjects. |
| B．focus on kids’ life |
| C．are produced by Global Action Project |
| D．are directed by Ms. Gardner |
At the end of this film festival, there will be ____.
| A．various awards |
| B．“red carpet” interviews |
| C．an open reception |
| D．a concert at Lincoln Center |
What should you think about in trying to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others. These may show strengths that you can use in your work. A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in an engineering career. A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work .So it is important to do well at school. On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard. Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value. Knowledge of history is not required for most jobs but if history is one of your good subjects you will have learned to remember facts and details. This is an ability that can be useful in many jobs.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work. You may be good at metal work or cookery(烹饪术)and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part-time job on Saturdays or in the summer, think what you gained from it. If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers. You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example. Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part-time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself. You may be all thumbs when you handle(运用)tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures. It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist. Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background. You should not be apologetic about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work..Which of the following best sums up the first paragraph?
| A．The importance of doing well at school. |
| B．Using school performance to help to choose a career. |
| C．The importance of being good at all subjects. |
| D．The indirect value of schoolwork. |
The writer thinks that for a student to have a part-time job is probably _____.
| A．a waste of time that could have been spent on study |
| B．useful for his future work |
| C．a good way to earn extra money |
| D．a good way to find out his weak points |
According to the passage, if a student’s school record is not good, he ____.
| A．will be a complete failure in his future work |
| B．will not be able to find a suitable job |
| C．will regret not having worked harder at school |
| D．may do well in his future work |
Which subject is supposed to have no direct value for job hunting?
| A．Mathematics. | B．English. | C．Technical drawing. | D．History. |
The whole passage centers on ____.
| A．choosing a career according to what one is skilled in |
| B．acquiring knowledge by working hard at school |
| C．finding one’s strong and weak points |
| D．developing one’s abilities useful in school work |
Everybody has had at least one experience from which he knows the meaning of life．This time, which took place several years ago, but seems as if it just happened．
On an afternoon several years ago, my brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's dress and picked out a beautiful skirt．"Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago．She never wore it．She was saving it for a special occasion．" he said．I guess this was the occasion: it was the funeral (葬礼) of my sister, after her unexpected death．
He took the shirt and put it on bed, with the other clothes we were taking to the funeral．Then he closed the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion．Every day you're alive is a special occasion．"
I'm thinking about his words, and they've changed the way I live my life．I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings．Whenever possible, life should be a kind of experience to enjoy, not to suffer．"Someday" and "one of these days" are losing their importance on my vocabulary．If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing,I want to see and hear and do it now．
Ever since that day, I have been trying very hard not to put off, hold hack or save anything that would add laughter and color to our lives．Every morning when I open my eyes．I tell myself that every day, every minute, every breath, truly is a gift．So cherish every day and find the true meaning of your life．Why did Jan buy the beautiful skirt but didn't wear it?
| A．She waited for a special occasion to wear it on． |
| B．She wanted to keep it for someone else． |
| C．She saved it till she grew up． |
| D．She would give it to herself as a gift some day． |
What does the underlined word "cherish" mean?
| A．Treasure． | B．Waste． | C．Own． | D．Save． |
From his experience, the author learns that _______．
| A．everybody can have a happy life through efforts |
| B．every day in our lives is worth cherishing |
| C．enjoying ourselves is the most important thing in our lives |
| D．everybody will have some things left to do after his death |
What does the author write this passage for?
| A．To show how to make good use of every day in life． |
| B．To explain the true meaning of his brother-in-law's words． |
| C．To tell people to cherish every day and find the meaning of life． |
| D．To encourage people to waste time and enjoy themselves in life． |
What's the best title for this passage?
| A．Every Day Is a Gift |
| B．My Sister Jan |
| C．What Is the Meaningful Life Like |
| D．The Most Important Time in Your Life |
Every year thousands of tourists visit Pompeii, Italy. They see the sights that Pompeii is famous for-its stadium and theatres, its shops and restaurants. The tourists do not, however, see Pompeii’s people. They do not see them because Pompeii has no people. No one has lived in Pompeii for almost 2000 years.
Once, Pompeii was a busy city of 22,000 people. It lay at the foot of Mount Vesuvius, a grass-covered volcano. Mount Vesuvius had not erupted for centuries, so the people of Pompeii felt safe, But they were not.
In August of AD 79 , Mount Vesuvius erupted. The entire top of the mountain exploded, and a huge black cloud rose into the air. Soon stones and hot ash began to fall on Pompeii . When the eruption ended , Pompeii was hurried under 20 feet of stones and ashes. Almost all of its people were dead.
For centuries, Pompeii lay buried under stone and ash. Then, in the year 1861,an Italian scientist named Ginseppe began to uncover Pompeii. Slowly, carefully, Ginseppe and his men dug. The city looked almost the same as it had looked in AD79 , There were streets and fountains, houses and shops, There was a stadium with 20,000 seats , Perhaps the most important of all, there were everyday objects, which tell us a great deal about the people who lived in Pompeii. Many glasses and jars had some dark blue color in the bottom, so we know that the people of Pompeii liked wine, They liked bread, too; metal bread pans were in the bakery .In one bakery there were 81 round , flat loaves of bread –a type of bread that is still sold in Italy today . Tiny boxes filled with a dark, shiny powder tell us that women liked to wear eye-makeup.Why do large numbers of people come to Pompeii each year?
| A．To find the volcano |
| B．To shop and eat there |
| C．To watch sports and plays |
| D．To see how Pompeians lived |
Why did the city uncovered look almost the same as it had looked in AD 79?
| A．Ginseppe and his men dug it slowly and carefully. |
| B．The city was buried alive and remained untouched. |
| C．Scientists successfully rebuilt the city with everyday objects. |
| D．Nobody had lived in the city ever since the volcano erupted. |
What do we know about the Pompeians who lived 2000 years ago?
| A．They lived more or less the same as Italians now do . |
| B．They liked women wearing all kinds of makeup. |
| C．They enjoyed a lazy life with drinking and eating. |
| D．They went back to Pompeii after the eruption in AD79. |
40 years ago the idea of disabled people doing sport was never heard of. But when the yearly games for the disabled were started at Stoke Mandeville, England in 1948 by Sir Ludwig Guttmann, the situation began to change.
Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who had been driven to England in 1939 from Nazi Germany, had been asked by the British government to set up an injuries center at Stoke Mandeville Hospital near London, His ideas about treating injuries included sport for the disabled.
In the first games just two teams of injured soldiers took part .The next year, 1949, five teams took part. From those beginnings, things have developed fast. Teams now come from abroad to Stoke Mandeville every year. In 1990 the first Olympics for the disabled were held in Rome, in the same place as the normal Olympic Games. Now, every four years the Olympic Games for the disabled are held, if possible, in the same place as the normal Olympic Games, although they are organized separately. In other years games for the disabled are still held at Stoke Mandeville, In the 1984 Wheelchair Olympic Games, 1,064 wheelchair athletes form about 40 countries took part. Unfortunately, they were held at Stoke Mandeville and not in Los Angeles, along with the other Olympics.
The games have been a great success in helping the progress of international friendship and understanding, and in proving that being disabled does not mean you can’t enjoy sport. One small source of disappointment for those who organize and take part in the games, however, has been the unwillingness of the International Olympic Committee to include disabled events at the Olympic Games for the able-bodied. Perhaps a few more years are still needed to persuade those fortunate enough not to be disabled that their disabled fellow athletes should be included.The first games for the disabled were held ___ after Sir Ludwig Guttmann arrived in England.
| A．40 years | B．21 years | C．10 years | D．9 years |
Besides Stoke Mandeville, surely the games for the disabled were once held in_____.
| A．New York | B．London | C．Rome | D．Los Angeles |
What do we know about Sir Ludwig Guttmann from the passage?
| A．He is an early organizer of the games for the able-bodied |
| B． He is welcomed by the British government |
| C．He is an injured soldier. |
| D．He is from England. |
From the passage, we may know that the writer is_____.
| A．in favor of holding the games for the disabled |
| B．against holding the games for the disabled |
| C．a disabled person who once took part in the games |
| D．one of the organizers of the games for the disabled |