SOME teenagers take up smoking during the holidays either because they become "rich" enough to afford a pack of cigarettes or they think they look "cool". Everyone knows that "smoking is bad for you", but do smokers really know what the health warnings mean to them?
Smoking, the world's second leading cause of preventable death, kills 4.9 million people a year, the United Nations said on February 27. The world has about l.2 billion smokers and World Health Organization surveys show that about 20 per cent of them are children aged between 13 and 15 years old.
On the same day, a global treaty(公约) aimed at encouraging children not to smoke and help people kick the habit came into force. This is the first worldwide agreement on a public health issue. It will see strong warnings added to cigarette packets and a ban on all tobacco advertising.
Young smokers may think little of the health effects of smoking. But smoking can stop them from making friends, as most non-smokers don't like being around smokers.
"I feel sick when I see people of my age smoke. Smokers make themselves look less educated ," said Shi Qingyu, a Senior 3 student at Luanxian No 1 High School in Hebei Province. Once while on a bus, he asked a girl who was smoking next to him to put out her cigarette.
For Wang Gezhu, a Senior l girl from Wuxi Furen High School in Jiangsu Province,boys who smoke are less attractive.
"Boys that smoke may think they are cool or impressive, but I think they look weird(怪异的) compared to other ordinary students in my eyes. They only do what others won't risk doing," Wang said.
Every one wants to impress others, but there are ways to show off other than smoking.
On February 26, around 200 students from across the country gathered in Beijing to be awarded for their outstanding performance in the 2004 "Sunflower Cup". The programme included several contests in writing, calligraphy (书法), drawing and painting. It aimed to encourage students to take part in meaningful activities so that they could spend their free time developing healthy habits and hobbies.
"Teenagers are energetic and quick to learn, both good and bad things. For the sake of their own health, teenagers should learn to say no to their first cigarette because life as a smoker is a life of addiction. You can't quit," said Wang Zhengqi, deputy secretary-general (副秘书长) of the Chinese Association on Smoking and Health.How does the writer give us the health warnings of smoking in paragraph 2?
| A．By listing examples. | B．By telling stories |
| C．By offering data. | D．By persuading us. |
Smoking can affect the young from the following aspects(万面) except____.
| A．Smoking will do harm to their health |
| B．Smoking can make them cool |
| C．Smoking will stop them from making friends |
| D．Smoking make them look less educated |
From what the students said in paragraph 5-7, we can learn that
| A．Young smokers want others to pay attention to them |
| B．None of the students like young smokers |
| C．Young smokers usually smoke on the bus |
| D．Young smokers are very brave. |
From the passage. what does the author want to say?
| A．Don't make friends with young smokers. |
| B．Young smokers, drop off your cigarettes ! |
| C．The young smoke because they have enough money. |
| D．Meaningful activities are the only ways to prevent the young from smoking. |
In the quest for better health, many people turn to doctors, self help books or herbal supplements. But they overlook a powerful weapon that could help them fight illness and depression, speed recovery, slow aging and prolong life: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship and social networks in overall health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the risk for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties could promote brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’ t well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There are a lot of things on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well being than family relationships.”
Bella DePaulo, a visiting psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, whose work focuses on single people and friendships, notes that in many studies, friendship has an even greater effect on health than a spouse or a family member.
It isn’ t entirely clear why friendship has such a big effect. It may be because people with strong social ties also have better access to health services and care. Beyond that, however, friendship clearly has a profound psychological effect. People with strong friendships are less likely than others to get colds, perhaps because they have lower stress levels.
Last year, researchers studied 34 students at the University of Virginia, taking them to the base of a steep hill and fitting them with a weighted backpack. They were then asked to estimate the steepness of the hill. Some participants stood next to friends during the exercise, while others were alone.
The students who stood with friends gave lower estimates of the steepness of the hill. And the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.
“People with stronger friendship networks feel like there is someone they can turn to，” said Karen A．Roberto, director of the center for gerontology (老年医学) at Virginia Tech.“ Friendship is an undervalued resource. The consistent message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”What’ s the main idea of the passage?
| A．People should make friends as many as possible. |
| B．Friendships do great good to human health. |
| C．People with friends have optimistic attitude. |
| D．Several studies have been done on friendships. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．People haven’t attached importance to friendships. |
| B．A friend can replace doctors and selfhelp books. |
| C．People with many friends may have higher stress levels. |
| D．People who have friends tend to be fat. |
The author mentioned the study in the last three paragraphs to indicate that ________.
| A．students should climb the steep hill with friends |
| B．it takes a long time to make friends |
| C．a friend in need is a friend indeed |
| D．people accompanied by friends remain optimistic in the face of difficulty |
In Paragraph 2 the author aims to tell us ________.
| A．friendship has a strong physical effect on people’s health |
| B．we cannot be too careful when making friends |
| C．older people are likely to have fewer friends |
| D．60 percent of the people without friends will become fat when they get old |
According to Karen A. Roberto, ________.
A. the effect of friendships is overvalued
B. studies on friendships make our life better
C. friends are more important than family members
D. friends can help each other when faced with problems
“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be misfortunate. He cried out the tragedy, “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favourite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person emerged.
Later he married and entered the diplomatic service. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to reveal the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
| A．Because her son had a tiny face. |
| B．Because she saw her son crying. |
| C．Because her son was born imperfect. |
| D．Because her son was in her arms. |
Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
| A．Nervous. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Proud. | D．Angry. |
Who gave the son the ears?
| A．A doctor. | B．His father. |
| C．His mother. | D．A stranger. |
The underlined word “reveal” in the last but one paragraph means “________”．
| A．see | B．show | C．find | D．search |
The best title for the passage would be ________.
| A．Mother’s hair |
| B．An unforgettable memory |
| C．Who gave me the ears? |
| D．Who is my best respectable person? |
Bananas are one of the world’ s most important food crops. They are also one of the most valuable exports. Bananas do not grow from seeds. Instead, they grow from existing plants. Bananas are threatened by disease because all the plants on a farm are copies of each other. They all share the same genetic weaknesses. For example, the Cavendish banana is most popular in North American and European markets. However，some kinds of fungus organisms easily infect the Cavendish. Black Sigatoka disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. The disease is controlled on large farms by putting chemicals on the plant’ s leaves. Farmers put anti-fungal chemicals on their crops up to once a week.
Another fungal disease is more serious. Panama disease attacks the roots of the banana plant. There is no chemical treatment for this disease. Infected plants must be destroyed. Panama disease has affected crops in Southeast Asia, Australia and South Africa. There is concern that it may spread to bananas grown in the Americas. This could threaten an important export product for Central and South America.
The International Network for the Improvement of Banana and Plantain supports research on bananas. The group has headquarters in France and other offices in the major banana-growing areas of the world. The group says that more research must be done to develop improved kinds of bananas. The group says that fungal diseases mainly affect only one kind of banana. In fact, there are five hundred different kinds of bananas. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has said that the Cavendish banana represents only 10% of world production.
The U．N. agency says farmers should grow different kinds of bananas. This protects against diseases that affect only one kind. Experts warn that disease may cause the Cavendish banana to disappear. This happened earlier to another popular banana because of its genetic weakness against disease.What does this passage mainly tell us?
| A．Bananas are the world’ s most important food crops. |
| B．The risk to a popular banana shows need to grow other kinds. |
| C．There are five hundred different kinds of bananas. |
| D．How to grow bananas in different countries. |
Bananas are threatened by disease because ________.
| A．they grow from seeds |
| B．they are one of the most valuable exports |
| C．the only way to prevent it is to put chemicals on their leaves |
| D．they have genetic weaknesses against disease |
Panama disease________.
| A．doesn’t belong to fungal disease |
| B．affects the leaves of banana plants |
| C．destroys bananas more seriously than Black Sigatoka disease |
| D．has spread to bananas all over the world |
We can infer from Paragraph 3 that ________.
| A．the center of the group is in the US |
| B．the Cavendish banana covers only a small part of the yield of bananas |
| C．the key to solving the disease is to research all kinds of bananas |
| D．each fungal disease affects five hundred different kinds of bananas |
According to the passage, which information is right?
| A．The Cavendish banana can mainly be imported from North America and Europe. |
| B．Panama disease affects the leaves of Cavendish banana plants. |
| C．The Cavendish banana won’t die out in the future. |
| D．The Cavendish banana makes up only one tenth of world production. |
Audrey Hepburn won an Academy Award as Best Actress for her first major American movie, Roman Holiday, which was released in 1953. But she is remembered as much for her aid work as for her acting.
Born in Belgium in 1929, Audrey’ s father was British and her mother was Dutch.
Audrey was sent to live at a British school for part of her childhood. During World War II , she lived and studied in the Netherlands. Her mother thought it would be safe from German attacks. Audrey studied dance as a teenager and during college when she returned to London after the war. But she realized she wasn’ t going to be a ballerina. So she began taking acting parts in stage shows. Later she began to get small parts in movies.
But it was Audrey Hepburn’ s move to America that brought her true fame. In 1951 she played the character “Gigi” in the Broadway play of the same name to great critical praise. Two years later, Roman Holiday made her a star at the age of 24.
Audrey made more than 25 movies. Among her most popular roles was Holly Go lightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961. Three years later she played Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady.
She was married two times and had one son by each husband. In 1989, the UN Children’ s Fund named Audrey a goodwill ambassador. She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects. The UN agency said she was a tireless worker. She often gave 15 interviews a day to gain money and support for UNICEF projects.
Audrey Hepburn often said her loyalty to UNICEF was the result of her experiences as a child during World War Ⅱ. She said she knew what it was like to be starving and to be saved by international aid. She was a goodwill ambassador until her death in 1993 from colon cancer.In Paragraph 1, “her aid work” means ________.
| A．winning an Academy Award as Best Actress |
| B．taking acting parts in stage shows |
| C．making movies |
| D．acting as a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF |
The reason why Audrey lived and studied in the Netherlands was that ________.
| A．she wanted to be a ballerina |
| B．her parents were from Britain |
| C．the education there was excellent |
| D．it was safe there |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．Audrey’ s parents lived in Germany during World War Ⅱ |
| B．Audrey lived in America in the 1950s |
| C．Audrey was made to give up dancing |
| D．the character “Gigi” in the Broadway play was her most popular role |
________is NOT mentioned in the passage about Audrey Hepburn.
| A．Marriage | B．Identity |
| C．Contribution | D．Religion |
________is the right order for Audrey’ s life.
①The first time she began to play in movies.
②She returned to London from the Netherlands.
③She won an Academy Award as Best Actress.
④She travelled all over the world in support of UNICEF projects.
⑤She played a part in My Fair Lady.
| A．②①③⑤④ | B．①②③⑤④ |
| C．②①⑤③④ | D．①②⑤③④ |
Negative thinking appears to be more prevalent than positive thinking. It seems that with most people positive thinking requires some effort, while negative thinking comes easily and uninvited. This has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in.
If you have been brought up in a happy and positive atmosphere, where people value success and self-improvement, then it will be easier for you to think positively and expect success. If you have been brought up under poor or difficult situations, you will probably go on expecting difficulties and failure.
We all view everything through our main mental attitude. If our thoughts are positive, that is fine, but if they are negative, our lives and circumstances will probably mirror these thoughts.
If you believe that you are going to fail, you will unconsciously destroy every opportunity to succeed. If you are afraid of meeting new people or having close relationships, you will do everything to avoid people and relationships, and then complain that you are lonely and nobody loves you.
Do you often think about difficulties, failure and disasters? Do you keep thinking about the negative news you have seen on the TV or read in the newspapers?
Do you see yourself stuck and unable to improve your life or your health? Do you frequently think that you do not deserve happiness or money, or that it is too difficult to get them? If you do, then you will close your mind, see no opportunities, and behave and react in such ways, as to turn away from people and opportunities.
The mind does not usually judge or examine thoughts and opinions before accepting them. If what it hears, sees and reads is always negative, it accepts this as the standard way of thinking and behavior.
Open your mind to positive attitude, happenings and events. Expect them and think about them, and soon your life will change for the better.According to the author, happy and positive situations cause people to________.
| A．turn away from people and opportunities |
| B．expect difficulties and failure |
| C．viewing everything by negative thinking |
| D．think positively and expect success |
Some people think that they have few friends in their lives perhaps because________.
| A．their thoughts are positive |
| B．their thoughts are negative |
| C．they avoid people and relationships |
| D．destroy every opportunity to make friends |
What does the author want to tell us in the fifth and sixth paragraphs?
| A．one has no reasons for his negative thinking and behavior |
| B．one mustn’t always think about difficulties, failure and disasters |
| C．one’s living environment has the decisive function upon his thinking |
| D．one should never think of things happily and positively |
From the passage we can learn that________.
| A．positive thinking has much to do with education and the environment one has been living in |
| B．thinking negatively is much easier than thinking positively |
| C．the moment you see something sad, you will feel sad too |
| D．the positively we think and behave, the happier we will be |