With the popularity of Harry Potter novels, the number of children applying to boarding schools has risen, many of them hoping to find their own version of Hogwarts. However, others have interpreted this trend as a reaction to longer working hours and the break up of more marriages. The boarding schools of fiction are presented as one long midnight feast with pillow fights making firm friendships. However, some people say the reality is children having more homesickness and a lack of individual attention. Modern boarding schools have done much to get rid of the image of the mass dormitories with 40 or more beds in one room, some going as far as providing private rooms with bathrooms. Similarly, they make great announcements for their academic advantage, particularly in view of the increase in exams, homework and university entrance requirements facing children wishing to succeed in the modern world.
Alongside these more conventional schools, two types of boarding schools have also become more popular recently. Sports academies and stage schools seek to cater for children with particular interests and talents, while so-called troubled-teens have been able to turn to a range of religious or wilderness schools to solve their problematic behavior.
Boarding schools allow children a safe space in which to accomplish greater control and independence over their daily lives. Teachers and staff can look after and support but they are unlikely to be over-protective. This can be a great preparation for university or for working away from home in later life as it provides an intermediate step between childhood and full independence.
However, Parents are a child’s most natural support and best role models to learn from. If they are separated from them for long periods of time, this may damage their relationship and leave the child feeling anxious or alone. Schools are unlikely to be able to copy the detailed knowledge of each individual child that a parent has and therefore cannot be as effective in supporting the child.
To sum up, boarding schools have both their advantages and disadvantages, so it is up to you to decide whether to send your children to boarding schools or not.
What do we know from the passage?
| A．More and more children go and visit Hogwarts on their own. |
| B．Pillow fights in boarding schools make firm friendships in reality. |
| C．More children want to go to boarding schools because of Harry Potter novels. |
| D．There aren’t special schools for the particularly talented children. |
What kind of schools may be the most suitable for the so-called troubled-teens?
| A．sports academies | B．Wilderness schools |
| C．Conventional schools | D．Stage schools |
We learn from Paragraph 4 that __________.
| A．teachers of boarding schools are the best examples for children to learn from |
| B．children can be more independent if they are separated from their parents |
| C．parents know their children better than teachers of boarding schools |
| D．schools are much more effective than parents in supporting children |
What is the author’s opinion of boarding schools?
| A．Neutral | B．Negative |
| C．Positive | D．Critical |
The researchers, led by Hwang Woo-suk, insist they cloned an Afghan hound, only to help investigate (研究) human disease, including the possibility of cloning stem cells (干细胞) for treatment purposes.
But others immediately renewed calls for a global ban on human reproductive cloning before the technology moves any farther.
“Successful cloning of an increasing number of species confirms the general impression that it would be possible to clone any species of mammals, including humans,” said Ian Wilmut, a reproductive biologist at the University of Edinburgh who produced the first cloned mammal, Dolly the sheep, from an adult cell nearly a decade ago.
Researchers have since cloned cats, goats, cows, mice, pigs, rabbits, horses, deer, mules and gaur, a large wild ox of Southeast Asia. So far, efforts to clone a monkey or another primate with the same techniques have failed.
Uncertainties about the health and life span (寿命) of cloned animals continue to exsist; Dolly died at a young age in 2003 after developing cancer and arthritis.
Wilmut and others complimented Hwang’s achievement, reported Wednesday in the journal Nature. But they said politicians and scientists must face the larger issue — how to go on with the research without crossing the moral boundary of copying human life in the lab.
“The ability to use the technology is hopeful,” said Robert Schenken, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. “However, the paper also points out that in dogs as in most species, cloning for reproductive purposes is unsafe.”
The cloned puppy was the lone success from more than 100 dogs implanted (嵌入)with more than 1,000 c
loned embryos.
In a news conference in Seoul, the cloning team also condemnedthe reproductive cloning of humans as “unsafe and inefficient.” Human reproductive cloning already is banned in South Ko
rea. Other nations, including the United States, are divided on whether to ban just human cloning or cloning of all kinds, including the production of stem cells. An Afghan hound is a kind of ______.
| A．cat | B．dog | C．cow | D．goat |
A ______ is a large wild ox of Southeast Asia.
| A．horse | B．deer | C．mules | D．gaur |
Accrding to the passage, scientists haven’t been able to clone a ______ so far.
| A．deer | B．mule | C．monkey | D．mouse |
The underlined word complimented is probably similar in meaning to ______.
| A．praised | B．doubted | C．refused | D．gave up |
The cloning of human beings is banned in ______.
| A．South Korea |
| B．the United States |
| C．both South Korea and the United States |
| D．neither South Korea nor the United States |
Are some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our 
environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both questions is yes.To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random (随意地) from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that integigence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates (表明) that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who lives in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.Which of the following best describes the writer’s point in Paragrap
h One?
| A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth. |
| B．Intelligence is developed by the environment. |
| C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid. |
| D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment. |
In the first paragraph,“no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence” suggests that .
| A．no environment can change the least able into the most able |
| B．the difference in men’s intelligence depends on the amount of their education |
| C．if a person is born clever, he is certain to be a genius |
| D．if a person is born stupid, nothing can change him into an educated person |
The last paragraph mainly shows .
| A．the importance of education |
| B．the relationship between environment and birth |
| C．the writer’s final conclusion |
| D．the relationship between intelligence and environment |
The best title for this passage would be .
| A．Dependence on Education | B．Intelligence |
| C．Surroundings | D．Effect of Education |
Which statement about the passage is true?
| A．All twins have similar degrees of intelligence. |
| B．A man who is educated in university must make greater achievements than a man who works in a boring factory. |
| C．Proper education can change one’s intelligence at some degree. |
| D．Education can’t make a child born with low intelligence cleverer. |
Social networking isn't only for the under 40s. More than 25 percent of Americans 50 years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, according to new research.
"The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50 plus," said Kevin Donnellan, the chief communications officer at AARP, which released the report.
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73 percent said they use it to stay in
touch with relatives, but not just their children and grandchildren. "They are using the Internet to keep up with the world and the people who are important to them," said Jean Koppen, the author of the report. She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected, not only with their family, but with their friends and peers. Almost 50 percent of older adults were introdu
ced to the social networking sites by a family member, mainly a child or grandchild. "Just under one-fifth of adults aged 50 and older say they do not use the Internet," according to the report.
The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,863 adults. In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are also aware of the latest technology. Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11 percent intended to buy one.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A.Social networking isn’t for the under 40s in the U.S.A.
B.American old people’s way of life is quite fashionable.
C.The Internet is also popular among the American over 50s.
D.Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are hot websites in America.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Nearly 2000 adults took part in the survey on line. |
| B．The over 50s were introduced to the Internet by the young. |
| C．About 20% of adults aged 50 and older don’t like the Internet. |
| D．Many Americans 50 plus stay connected using the Internet. |
What’s the underlined s
entence used for?
E.It’s used as a reason for the popularity of the Apple iPad in America.
F.It’s used as an example of the older adults’ awareness of the latest technology.
G.It’s 
used as a suggestion to the readers who are interested in the IT products.
H.It’s used as a choice for the Americans intending to use Social networking.Where can we most probably read this passage?
I.In an experiment introduction.
J.In a computer magazine.
K.In a product advertisement.
In a news report
In 1963,former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.). Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying .He wondered why most people weren’t trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and t
o the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns（关系重大之事）. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment .He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned
(Most of the schools got this magazine) and he knew that kids would help him.
On April 22,1970, the first Earth Day was held .People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that
there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn’t it great? One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it. See what happens when people care about our world?The passage mainly talks about _________.
| A．the importance of Earth Day |
| B．the person who planned the Earth Day |
| C．the history of Earth Day |
| D．the first Earth Day |
Why did Senator Gaylord Nelson worry about our planet?_________
| A．The world was getting dirty. |
| B．Many plants and animals were dying. |
| C．Few people cared about the earth. |
| D．All of the above. |
From the text, we know that _________ helped him most .
| A．the president | B．the other lawmakers |
| C．the colleges | D．the students |
It took Nelson ______ years to get the peop
le pay much attention to the earth.
| A．10 | B．7 | C．6 | D．1 |
Anchors（新闻节目主持人）on China Central Television(CCTV) will need to do some fast talking to replace the popular English acronyms（首字母缩略词）they are now banned from using. Shanghai Daily reports that “anchors at China Central Television have been banned from saying the English acronyms NBA, CBA, GDP, and the like in their programs.”
The replacement for those handy acronyms? Chinese presenters must use the full Chinese name, standardized by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television.
Although CCTV(oops, we mean China Central Television) presenters must already have a score of at least 94 in their government-rated oral mandarin proficiency（普通话水平）exam, saying the full name of organizations like the CBA and WTO---10 and 6 characters’ long respectively---is sure to challenge even the most skillful anchors. CCTV sports anchor Sun Zhengping tells Shanghai Daily, “A full Chinese explanation o
f the English initials must be followed if my tongue slips. It is a little troublesome but a necessary one because not every member of the audience can understand the initials.”
Although the government isn’t giving any official explanation for the shift, it is believed to have something to do with a proposal by Huang Youyi, director of the China International Publishing Group, at March’s NPC meeting. In his speech, Huang said, “With more and more publications mixing Chinese with English, measures and regulations should be adopted to avoid English invading Chinese. If we don’t pay attention and don’t take measures to stop the expansion of mixing Chinese with English, Chinese won’t be a pure language in a couple of years.”
Although China is far from the first country to take measures to protect local languages, acronyms are more about saving time than they are about corrupting（破坏）a language, we would think. Good luck to the CCTV anchors.CCTV anchors have to “do some fast talking” because they can no longer ____________________.
| A．speak as slowly as they like |
| B．mix English into Chinese |
| C．use shortened Chinese expressions |
| D．have much time for their programs |
According to the writer, “CBA” is supposed to be replaced with “________________”by CCTV anchors.
| A．中国男子篮球职业联赛 |
| B．中国篮球协会全国男女篮球职业联赛 |
| C．中国篮球联赛 |
| D．男子篮球联赛 |
What’s Huang Youyi’s purpose?
E.Using full English names instead of short forms.
F.Translating Chinese terms into proper English.
G.Avoiding Chinese words being mixed into English.
H.Keeping our mother tongue a pure language.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
I.China has fallen behind in the matter of protection of its language.
J.The ban is not necessary.
K.Chinese shouldn’t be corrupted.
CCTV anchors will have a hard time.