Can you imagine a world without chocolate? It's not something I'd 1ike to do．so I was relieved to read that there’s a university with a program me to safeguard the future of chocolate!
The University of Reading，in England，has just opened a new clearing house for all the world’s new cocoa varieties．They must be quarantined(隔离检疫)before they can be grown．Why? Cocoa production hit a record high of 4．4 million tons last year but about 30％of the precious crop is regularly lost to pests and diseases．Now we don’t want that，do we?
Demand for chocolate has been increasing faster than the world supply of cocoa and researchers think that new varieties are key to solving this problem．
The University of Reading has been protecting the quality of the new crops since 1985，after it took over the task from the Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew，London．And it has improved its facilities．The leader of the institution’s cocoa project，Professor Paul Hadley，says，“One of the main issues concerning cocoa improvement is the supply of reliably clean，healthy，interesting cocoa material．”
The cocoa centre has a collection of 400 plant varieties and their greenhouse uses a lot of energy to keep them in tropical conditions．After up to two years in quarantine，clean and safe seeds are sent to some 20 countries，including several in West Africa．That’s where 75％of the cocoa used for chocolate worldwide comes from．The crop is extremely important for the local economy：it employs about two million people.
Professor Hadley says he works with a small team of skilled technicians who look after the collection．And more of us seem to count on them now．
The scientist says，“there is some concern within the industry that demand is increasing constantly，particularly in countries like China，where the standard of living is increasing and people are getting a taste for different chocolates．”
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Safeguarding cocoa seeds． |
| B．Planting cocoa worldwide． |
| C．Keeping cocoa in greenhouse． |
| D．Finding the new market for cocoa． |
The institution’s cocoa project is to_______．
| A．have cocoa skin removed |
| B．offer more jobs to people |
| C．ensure the quality of cocoa |
| D．supply cocoa for two million people |
What does the last paragraph tell us?
| A．The taste of chocolates is changing． |
| B．Demand for cocoa is increasing fast． |
| C．People are concerned about cocoa varieties． |
| D．Chinese have a long history of eating chocolates． |
What’s the purpose of the text?
| A．To educate． | B．To advertise． |
| C．To warn． | D．To inform． |
Why do I volunteer with Big brothers / Big sisters of America? I have many reasons. Perhaps the biggest reason is that people once volunteered to help me.
Years ago, I was on the other side of the table. I was lonely and I felt lost. It’s a little embarrassing to talk about it now, but whatever the right direction in life was, I was going the opposite way. More than once, I found myself on the wrong path. If someone hadn’t stepped in when he did, I probably wouldn’t even be here now. I’d rather be in a prison or somewhere a lot smaller and deeper.
I’ve seen the work that big brothers / sisters have been doing all over the country and I’m pleased to be part of it. I’ve never done anything that made me prouder than my volunteer work. Big brothers and sisters helped me get over sadness and depression as soon as possible. Then, if I can help anyone like they helped me, I am willing to serve for as long as they will have me serve them. There are no words to describe the joy I get from helping somebody turn their life around. Every time I think that that’s me now, I’m proud and happy.
Volunteering is how I want to leave my mark on the world. I recommend volunteering work to everybody, especially to somebody who isn’t sure where they are going in life. Helping someone find their path is often the best way to find yours. Be a volunteer, and you will find your purpose in life.What’s the main reason why the writer volunteers?
| A．He has a lot of free time. |
| B．He is lonely and wants to be with others. |
| C．He wants others to know he is a good man. |
| D．He is grateful for what volunteers once did for him. |
It is implied in Paragraph3 that the writer __________.
| A．is eager to help others |
| B．often feels sad and depressed |
| C．hopes he will be helped at any time |
| D．travels around the country to help others |
We can infer from the passage that the writer probably __________.
| A．spent some days in prison |
| B．didn’t know his purpose in life |
| C．is dissatisfied with his life |
| D．doesn’t live a meaningful life |
What is the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To share his past with us. |
| B．to ask for some volunteer work. |
| C．To encourage us to enjoy our life. |
| D．To call on us to do volunteer work. |
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
___1___ Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. ___2___
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
___3___ They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “___4___ Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. ___5___
| A．In general the person feels excited and ready to act. |
| B．They said that laughter is much healthier than anger. |
| C．Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it. |
| D．Anger may cause you a cancer. |
E. Do not express your anger while angry.
F. Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.
G. Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.
I was 15. She looked like she was over 70. But on that day. I think she understood me more than anyone else.
Walking into the church that Sunday was hard. I had never let anyone see me cry. But I knew I would cry that day .My grandfather was suddenly ill .The doctors said he might not live much longer. Everyone in my family was crying .Grandpa was the sweetest man in the world .Why was he leaving us?
There weren't many people at church that day. One of them was an old lady sitting at the end of my row. She was smiling. I closed my eyes and prayed （祷告）for my grandfather to get better. Soon, my eyes were full of tears. I opened my eyes and saw a hand in front of me. It was giving me a tissue(纸巾)。
The old lady was sitting next to me, smiling. She didn't say a word. She just gave me a tissue and a smile. I tried to thank her, but only tears came out. Then she took my hand. I looked into her eyes. They were clear and blue, and they make me feel peaceful. Her smile said to me :I am with you. Everything will be OK. I closed my eyes again. When I opened them, she wasn't there. I left the church but still couldn't find her. I never saw her again.
My grandfather died the next week. We all cried a lot. But when I thought of that old lady's warm smile, I felt a little better.
How did she know how I was feeling ? I wish I could see her again, to say thank you.The author went to church to _____.
| A．pray for grandfather. |
| B．ask the old lady for help. |
| C．avoid being seen crying. |
| D．thank the old lady. |
Whose hand does the underlined word "It" in Paragraph 3 refer to
| A．Grandfather's | B．The old lady's. | C．The author's. | D．Father's. |
What do we know about the old lady ?
| A．She knows the author. | B．She can't speak. |
| C．She needs understanding. | D．She is very kind. |
What made the author feel better after Grandfather died ?
| A．The old lady's words. | B．The old lady's smile. |
| C．The old lady's eyes. | D．The old lady's hand. |
This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from13~19)from all over the world will spend about ten months in U.S. homes. They will attend U.S. schools, meet U.S. teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that are usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car.
“Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it.”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize(批评)American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”This year ________teenagers will take part in the exchange programme between America and other countries.
| A．twenty-three hundred | B．thirteen hundred |
| C．over three thousand | D．less than two thousand |
The whole exchange programme is mainly to__________.
| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
Fred and Mike agree that__________.
| A．America food tasted better than German food |
| B．German schools were harder than American schools |
| C．Americans and Germans were both friendly |
| D．There were more cars on the streets in America |
What is particular in American schools is that________.
| A．there is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings |
| B．there are a lot of after-school activities |
| C．students usually take fourteen subjects in all |
| D．students go out side to enjoy themselves in a car |
While Nick was on the bus, reading his newspaper, the man sitting next to him suddenly pushed a large envelope into his hands. “Here, take this!” the man said, stood up and got off the bus before Nick could say a word.
Nick sat there, holding the envelope. It felt heavy. There were papers inside, or money perhaps. “I’d better hand it over to the police,” he thought. There was a police station close to his office. But, as he got off the bus, a man came to him. He seemed to be waiting for something. “He wants the envelope,” Nick thought. Nick began to walk quickly, and the man hurried after him. Nick started to run, and the man began to run, too. But then, just before he got to the police station, Nick managed to lose the man in the crowds. When he entered the police station, the man was no longer in sight.
Inside the police station, Nick handed over the envelope to a policeman in charge. The man opened it. The envelope was full of money, false money. “Clearly the man made a mistake,” the policeman said. “He thought you were one of the gang (团伙)!”
Nick felt like a hero. He could already see his name in all the papers. He could imagine an interview on television.
“However,” the policeman went on, “I’m afraid I must ask you to keep quiet about all this. We’re trying to catch some very clever thieves, and we don’t want them to know that we have some of the money. So you mustn’t say a word to anyone – not even your boss!”The man who suddenly gave Nick an envelope was most probably________.
| A．Nick’s friend | B．a thief | C．the bus driver | D．a postman |
Nick decided to give the envelope over to the police probably because_________.
| A．the whole thing was strange |
| B．another man was waiting for it |
| C．he didn’t want the money inside it |
| D．the police station was near his office |
As Nick got off the bus, a man came to him because_________.
| A．he wanted to catch Nick |
| B．he thought Nick was a policeman |
| C．he wanted to give Nick some money |
| D．he thought Nick was one of their gang |