Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.
The largest study of the effects of aging on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20--25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the aging process.”
What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.
“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink.
They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease.
The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart, said Goldspink.
The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.The underlined word “longevity” in the second paragraph probably refers to ______.
| A．health | B．long life | C．aging | D．effect |
The text mainly talks about ______.
| A．men’s heart cells | B．women’s aging process |
| C．the gender difference | D．hearts and long life |
According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ______________.
| A．women have more cells than men when they are born |
| B．women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat |
| C．the female heart loses few of the cells with age |
| D．women never lose their pumping power with age |
If you want to live longer, you should ___________.
| A．enable your heart to beat much faster |
| B．find out the reason for aging |
| C．exercise regularly to keep your heart healthy |
| D．prevent your cells from being lost |
We can know from the passage that __________.
| A．the reason why aging takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out |
| B．scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells |
| C．the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss |
| D．women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20 |
In a natural disaster—a hurricane, flood, volcanic eruption, or other catastrophes—minutes and even seconds of warning can make the difference between life and death．Because of this, scientists are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen．They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained．
On September 29, 1998, Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi, Mississippi, after damaging Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and several islands of the Caribbean badly with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km per hour．Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States, although hundreds died in the Caribbean．
This was a very different outcome from 1900, when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston, Texas, killing at least 6,000 people．
Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century——residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching, while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance, allowing for extensive safety precautions（预防）．
At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning, some residents of New Orleans, Louisiana were less satisfied．A day before Georges made landfall, forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans．Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level, the city is at risk for flooding．Emergency management officials must begin evacuations（疏散）well before a storm strikes．But evacuation costs money: businesses close, tourists leave, and citizens take precautionary measures．The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city' s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million．After Georges missed New Orleans, some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs．
The different views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges show some of the complexities related to predicting disasters．Disaster prediction is a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions．What is the purpose of disaster prediction according to the passage?
| A．To identify the cause of disasters． |
| B．To save people' s lives and property． |
| C．To prevent natural disasters from happening, |
| D．To apply advanced technology to disaster prediction． |
Which of the following areas suffered the most severe damage?
| A．Puerto Rico． | B．New Orleans． |
| C．Biloxi, Mississippi． | D．Galveston, Texas． |
The city residents of New Orleans were unsatisfied because ___ .
| A．the forecast hurricane did not hit the city |
| B．the hurricane warning arrived rather late |
| C．their preparations were made in vain |
| D．they suffered from a heavy hurricane attack |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．The different ways of disaster prediction． |
| B．Technological advances in disaster prediction． |
| C．The importance and uncertainty of disaster prediction． |
| D．The benefits and preparations of disaster prediction． |
Did you know that women’s brains are smaller than men’s? The average women’s brain weighs 10% less than men’s. Since research has shown that the bigger the brain, the cleverer the animal, men must be more intelligent(聪明的) than women. Right? Wrong. Men and women always score similarly on intelligence tests, despite the difference in brain size. Why? After years of study, researchers have concluded that it’s what’s inside that matters, not just the size of the brain. The brain consists of“grey matter” and “white matter” while men have more of latter, the amount of “thinking” brain is almost exactly the same in both sexes.
It has been suggested that smaller brain appears to work faster, perhaps because the two sides of the brain are better connected in women. This means that little girls tend to learn to speak earlier, and that women can understand sorts of information from different sources at the same time. When it comes to talking to the boss on the phone, cooking dinner and keeping an eye on the baby all at the same time, it’s women who come out on top every time.
There are other important differences between two sexes. As white matter is the key to spatial(空间的) tasks, men know better where things are in relation to other things. “A great footballer always knows where he is in relation to the other players, and he knows where to go,” says one researcher. That may explain one of life’s great mysteries: why men refuse to ask for directions … and women often need to!
The differences begin when fetuses(胎儿) are about mine weeks old, which can be seen in the action of children ad young as one. A boy would try to climb a barrier (障碍物) before him or push it down while a girl would attract help from others. These brain differences also explain the fact that more men take up jobs that require good spatial skills, while more women speech skills. It may all go back to our ancestors, among whom women needed speech skills to take care of their babies and men needed spatial skills to hunt, according to one research.
If all this disappoints you, it shouldn’t. “The brain changes throughout our lives according to what we do with it.” says a biologist.Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph?
| A．Women’s brain is 10% less than men’s |
| B．Grey matter plays the same role as white matter. |
| C．Both sexes have the same amount of white matter. |
| D．Grey matter controls thinking in the brain. |
What can we infer from the second and third paragraphs?
| A．Men do better dealing with one job at a time. |
| B．Women prefer doing many things at a time. |
| C．Women do not need to tell directions. |
| D．Men have weaker spatial abilities. |
Which of the following do you agree with according to the fourth paragraph?
| A．Young boys may be stronger than young girls. |
| B．More women take up jobs requiring speech skills |
| C．Women may have stronger feelings than men. |
| D．Our ancestors needed more spatial skills. |
What is the writer’s attitude in writing this passage?
| A．Defensive. | B．Persuasive. | C．Objective. | D．Supportive. |
Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors"（《错误的喜剧》）Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth"（《麦克白》）, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）"from "Othello"（《奥赛罗》）, "full circle（绕圈子地）" from "King Lear"（《李尔王》）, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a well-known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.What can we infer from the passage？
| A．Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings. |
| B．Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student. |
| C．The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works. |
| D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works. |
Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in .
| A．"King Lear" | B．"The Comedy of Errors" | C．"Macbeth" | D．"Othello" |
Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on .
| A．the English language | B．paintings | C．television | D．music and dance |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works |
| B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays |
| C．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture. |
| D．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture. |
The Friday after the American holiday of Thanksgiving is called Black Friday. It’s said that it’s the day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable（有利可图的，有益的）.On that day, retailers（零售商）slash prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their Christmas shopping. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that bargain day.
“It’s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for a lesser（较少的，较小的）price,” said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it’s a nightmare（噩梦）for others. “I think it’s crazy. I’ve done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don’t have to go out on Friday,” she said. It’s called Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it’s the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts everywhere you look.
While the lead up to Christmas is known as the season of giving, Black Friday can get ugly.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart（沃尔玛公司）worker in a New York suburb. This year, many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. “This is a huge time for the retail stores,” said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. “This is when they begin making their profits for the year.”
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending less. “Credit is still strictly controlled whether through credit cards or through borrowing from banks,” he said. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy Thomas says it’s an annual family tradition and well worth it. “I just save maybe half of what I would have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip,” she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more carefully. The underlined word “slash” in the first paragraph probably means _________.
| A．reduce | B．raise | C．increase | D．change |
The sentence “This day should be a shopper’s dream.” should be placed between ________.
| A．paragraph two and paragraph three | B．paragraph one and paragraph two |
| C．paragraph three and paragraph four | D．paragraph five and paragraph six |
Why are many stores increasing security according to the passage?
| A．Because there are too many people saving more and spending less. |
| B．Because it’s a time when they begin making their profits for the year. |
| C．Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident. |
| D．Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Christmas shopping is traditional time and this year it is no exception. |
| B．Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted. |
| C．The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day. |
| D．Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future. |
Have you got any wonderful plans for your coming winter vacation? Here are some wonderful films for you to kill time.
Away We Go With a baby on his way, a young couple, Burt and Verona, look at their lives and are puzzled about what they really want. So they hit the road and seek a place to call home.On their journey, they visit a handful of characters and learned a lot. It’s about taking the scenic route in life, preparing for the hope and excitement and fear of new beginnings, while never forgetting to look out of the window. |
Orphan Easther, a bright and well-behaved child, however, is not as innocent as she appears. Soon after being taken home, the peace of her adoptive family is completely changed…You want a good horror film about a child from hell? Then you got one! Do not, in any cases, take children to see it. |
500 Days of Summer Tom is in love with Summer from the moment he sees her. Can he accept that she simply likes him for now, not for forever? The movie is about Tom wrestling with that reality. Tom remembers his love, Summer, as a series of joys and bafflements(阻碍,迷惑). But Summer is just herself and he cannot have her. Here is a rare movie that begins by telling us how it will end and is about how the hero has no idea why. |
2012 The director Roland Emmerich successfully dresses a corny story with an old Mayan prediction, which is believed by many to happen in the coming 2012 and as a result, attracts millions of people into the cinema. It’s just an entertaining Hollywood blockbuster(大片) with plenty of jokes, instead of a description of what the end of the world is really like. Don’t take it too seriously! |
This passage aims to __________.
| A．make comments on films for a cinema | B．introduce films for a film corporation |
| C．recommend several films for fun | D．advertise several films for a website |
If you bring your seven-year-old sister to the cinema, which of the following film should you avoid?
| A．Away We Go. | B．Orphan. | C．2012. | D．500 Days of Summer. |
Among all the characters mentioned in the passage, who directed films in Hollywood?
| A．Roland Emmerich. | B．Tom and Summer. | C．Burt and Verona. | D．Esther. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Orphan is a comedy about Esther adopted by a kind family. |
| B．500 Days of Summer is a romance with a happy ending. |
| C．Away We Go shows beautiful scenery on the young couple’s journey. |
| D．The ancient Mayan prediction is going to happen in 2012. |