Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch．They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness．Or，in summer，they may think it is the heat．However，the real reason lies inside their bodies．At that time—about eight hours after you wake up—your body temperature goes down．This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy．Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day．The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern．They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hours later．
In many parts of the world，people take naps in the middle of the day．This is especially true in warmer climates，where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon．Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate．A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general．In countries where naps are traditional，people often suffer less from problems such as heart disease． Many working people，unfortunately，have no time to take naps．Though doctors may advise taking naps，employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance，however，here are a few tips about making the most of your nap．Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up．A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward，This can also happen if you sleep for too long．If you do not have enough time，try a short nap—even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful．Why do you sometimes feel sleepy in the early afternoon?
| A．Because you eat too much for lunch． |
| B．Because it’s hot in summer． |
| C．Because your body temperature goes down at that time． |
| D．Because you didn’t have a good sleep last night． |
What can we learn about“naps”according to the last paragraph?
| A．All the people in warmer climates take naps in the middle of the day． |
| B．Doctors need to take naps while employers don’t． |
| C．If you take naps everyday，you’11 never suffer from heart disease． |
| D．Taking naps regularly is beneficial to people’s health． |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．If you get up at 6：30 am，you’d better take a nap at about 1：30 pm． |
| B．Taking a nap whenever you want will do good to your health． |
| C．You will feel less sleepy if you sleep for a long time． |
| D．You’11 feel sleepy at regular intervals． |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Just for a Rest |
| B．A1l for a Nap |
| C．A Special Sleep Pattern |
| D．Taking Naps in Warmer Climate |
Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands, but if you have teenagers, you'll know they're actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future.
Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers' shoe choice. 
KEDS/VANS
Slip-on shoes with elastic (弹性的）sides are particularly popular among teenage boys - with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS
The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait（步法）, this leads to short- and long-term problems such as calluses（茧子）, heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS
These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer's body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists（足科医生）have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on, with a small heel and a deep toe-box that does not press the toes, such as Clark's, Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing 'bad' shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矫形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage. Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?
A．Marks & Spencer . |
B．Wedges & Stilettos. |
| C．Keds and Vans. | D．Ballet Pumps. |
Which pair of shoes may not be found on the podiatrists’ wish list?
The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means _______.
| A．increase | B．worsen | C．stop | D．cure |
From this passage we can infer _______.
| A．trendy shoes may ruin teenagers’ health |
| B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them |
| C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes |
| D．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes |
In which column of Mail Online can you find this passage?
| A．Sports. | B．Science. | C．Health. | D．Shopping. |
Britain’s seed bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.
The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical gardens—will officially deposit the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.
More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew's giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.
The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.
The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human consumption.
Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.
It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last decade alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.
"It is urgent a
nd it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation（植被）every year." Smith said.
Because most of the world's food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.
For Kew's next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?
| A．To collect enough money for the project. | B．To safeguard food crops. |
| C．To protect wild plants from extinction. | D．To help scientists study wild plants. |
The wild banana seed in China is in danger because of _______.
| A．the expanding of farming work | B．the climate change in this area |
| C．the large number of Asian elephants | D．human’s large consumption |
We can learn from the passage that _______.
| A．the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world |
| B．India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present |
| C．there is only one seed bank in the world at present |
| D．the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out |
What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?
| A．The extinction of plant species. | B．The Millennium Seed Bank Project. |
| C．Britain’s seed bank. | D．Kew Gardens’ next goal. |
Which of the following information isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．The global partnership of collecting wild plant species. |
| B．The temperature condition of the conservative wild plant species. |
| C．The government’s financial support for the seed bank project. |
| D．Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species. |
The amount of carbon taken in by growing plants increased from 1982 through 1999 as
temperatures rose and the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increased. But a new study
in Friday ’ s edition of the journal Science found a drought - related decline in such plant growth
from 2000 to 2009，even though temperatures continued to climb.
As drought caused by warming reduces the land ’ s ability to take in carbon，the result could
be more carbon dioxide left in the atmosphere，and thus more warming，Zhao Maosheng from the
University of 
Montana explained in a telephone interview.
“This is a pretty serious warning that warmer temperatures are not going to endlessly improve
plant growth ’” co - author Steven Running，also from the University of Montana ’ said in a
statement. “ We see this as a bit of a surprise，and potentially significant on a policy level because
previous interpretations suggested global warming might actually help plant growth around the
world, “ he said.
Instead, he and Zhao found a small but measurable decline of about 1%，compared to a6%
increase in the past decade.
Their study，based on the data collected by NASA satellites，found that north areas continued
to increase plant growth，thanks to warmer temperatures and a longer growing season.
Someone commented, "This past decade’ s net decline in earthly productivity suggests that a
complex relationship between temperature, rainfall, cloudiness, and carbon dioxide, probably in
combination with other factors such as nutrients(营养）and land management，will determine
future patterns and trends in productivity.，，From the first paragraph, we can learnin
the recent decade or so.
| A．the emission(排放)of carbon hasn’ t been reduced |
| B．draught has been causing loss of soil and water |
| C．carbon dioxide levels have been rising |
| D．the rise of temperature doesn' t promote the plant growth |
Zhao Maosheng really worried that.
E.more and more land will be abandoned
F.the climate becomes warmer and warmer
G.the emission of carbon dioxide increases
H.draught further reduces the number of the plantsSteven Running made his statement to.
I.confirm Zhao' s views on the influence of temperature rise
J.urge the government to take necessary measures
K.warn the people to strengthen the plant protection
L.support Zhao* s views on lhe plant productionWe can infer from the passage that.
| A．global warming will determine the future productivity |
| B．various factors play a key role jointly on future productivity |
| C．earthly productivity actually increased in the past decade |
| D．temperature rise has had no effect on future producticity patterns |
The Japanese economy is at a standstill，Japan ’ s government has said, as concerns about the
strong yen(曰元）continue to grow. The recovery in the economy was “pausing"，the CabinetOffice said in a monthly statement.
It is the most negative that the government has been about the economy in nearly two years.The rising yen and a slowdown in global demand for Japanese exports were blamed for the setback.
In recent months, the government has insisted that the economy is “picking up". But it saidit now expected the economy to Femain weak for some time, with “weakening" exports a chiefconcern. It said shipments to Asia in particular were becoming weaker, further hitting exportersthat are already suffering from the strong yen.
The yen remains near a 15 - year high against the US dollar, despite the financial interfer-ence (干预）in the currency markets last month for the first time in six years.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan(菅直人）has also passed a $ 63 billion stimulus(剌激）package in an effort to protect exporters who have seen the poor exchange rate eat into their prof-its. At the close of markets in Tokyo，the yen was trading at 81.44 yen to the dollar, just off thehigh of 81.27 yen.
"If the economy turns out as expected, we may end up describing the current situation as asoft patch，” one of die government officials said ’ “ But if it comes under further downwardpressure,
it could end up slipping into recession(衰退）.”The Japanese government think the current bad economy situation is partly due to.
| A．the decline of the strong yen | B．the unsatisfactory exports |
| C．the government' s mistaken policy | D．the decline in the quality of goods |
In recent months, the government has a(n) attitude towards the economy situation.
| A．shocking | B．negative | C．optimistic | D．aggressive |
From the passage we know the government has taken measures mainly to.
| A．protect the foreign markets | B．protect profits of its hitting exporters |
| C．monitor the yen exchange rate | D．stimulate domestic demands |
The passage could probably be found in.
| A．government white paper | B．a science fiction |
| C．a travel journal | D．a newspaper report |
If you intend to apply for admission to this college, you need to .
| A．complete your high school studies |
| B．go through the online application procedure |
| C．attend the exams held by the college |
| D．I), visit the college admission advisers |
Once admitted, most of the students can get.
| A．student loans | B．part - time jobs |
| C．different scholarships | D．free financial support |
The strength of their school learning environment mainly lies in.
| A．innovation and teamwork | B．application and school - based |
| C．cooperation and competition | D．task - based and school - based |
The advertisement is designed for.
| A．US applicants only | B．singaporean students only |
| C．international students | D．All potential applicants |