The traffic signals along Factoria Boulevard in Bellevue，Washington，generally don't flash the same length of green twice in a row，especially at rush hour．At 9：30am，the full red/yellow/green signal cycle might be 140 seconds．By 9：33am，a burst of additional traffic might push it to 145 seconds．Less traffic at 9：37am could push it down to 135．Just like the traffic itself，the timing of the signals changes．
Thatis by design．Bellevue，a fast﹣growing city just east of Seattle，uses a system that is gaining popularity around the US：intersection（十字路口）signals that can adjust in real time to traffic conditions．These lights，known as adaptive signals，have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home．
"Adaptive signals can make sure that the traffic demand that is there is being addressed，" says Alex Stevanovic，a researcher at Florida Atlantic University．
For all of Bellevue's success，adaptive signals are not a cure﹣all for jammed roadways．Kevin Balke，a research engineer at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute，says that while smart lights can be particularly beneficial for some cities，others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference．"It's not going to fix everything，but adaptive signals have some benefits for smaller cities，" he says．
In Bellevue，the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches．In the past，there was often an automatic reaction to increased traffic：just widen the roads，says Mark Poch，the Bellevue Transportation Department's traffic engineering manager．Now he hopes that other cities will consider making their streets run smarter instead of just making them bigger．
（1）What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 2 refer to？
| A． |
Increased length of green lights． |
| B． |
Shortened traffic signal cycle． |
| C． |
Flexible timing of traffic signals． |
| D． |
Smooth traffic flow on the road． |
（2）What does Kevin Balke say about adaptive signals？
| A． |
They work better on broad roads． |
| B． |
They should be used in other cities． |
| C． |
They have greatly reduced traffic on the road． |
| D． |
They are less helpful in cities seriously jammed． |
（3）What can we learn from Bellevue's success？
| A． |
It is rewarding to try new things． |
| B． |
The old methods still work today． |
| C． |
It pays to put theory into practice． |
| D． |
The simplest way is the best way． |
For many years, artists have flocked to Paris, France, to paint or to learn to paint. Perhaps artists first went there because of the city′s beauty. They went to paint pictures of the broad, tree-lined streets, the great churches, and the graceful river bridges.
The artists felt comfortable in Paris because the people of the city had always enjoyed art. Paris had great art museums, filled with famous paintings and statues(雕像)from many countries. And the people of Paris had always welcomed new ideas. In this city, artists felt free to experiment with new ways of painting.
As soon as famous artists painted in Paris, students came to learn from them. People came to buy paintings. People called art dealers set up galleries where paintings were bought and sold. Others kept shops that sold artists′ paints and supplies.
Students and artists who were not yet famous could live in Paris for very little money. They learned by studying great art in the museums, and they learned from one another. They held art fairs, hanging their paintings outdoors along the streets.
Today, New York City and Florence, Italy, are also famous art centers. But the world’s main art exhibits are still held in Paris. Important judges of art live there. Most of the new ways of painting that have started in the last hundred years began in Paris. So artists and art dealers still go to Paris because it is the world′s leading art center.The story does not say so, but it makes you think that.
| A．Paris is famous for its artists’ paints and supplies |
| B．there is more than one way to paint |
| C．art fairs are held in galleries |
| D．Florence is the center of world art exhibits |
Which of the following statement is not a reason why so many artists prefer to stay in Pairs?
| A．Pairs is a beautiful city. |
| B．The French are willing to accept any new things. |
| C．All the museums are free of charge in Pairs. |
| D．Artists can make an easier life in Pairs. |
On the whole, this story is about.
| A．the world′s most famous art center |
| B．how to buy a painting in Paris |
| C．the famous art centers of New York and Florence |
| D．where to set up galleries |
Searching the Internet may help middle-aged and older adults keep their memories sharp,US researchers said.
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles ,studied people doing web searches by recording their brain activity.
“What we saw was people who had Internet experience used more of their brain during the search,”Dr.Gary Small, a UCLA expert on aging, said,“This suggests that just searching on the Internet may train the brain and that it may keep it active and healthy.”
“This is the first time anyone has simulated(模拟)an Internet search task while scanning the brain,”Small said. His team studied 24 normal volunteers between the ages of 55 and 76. Half were experienced at searching the Internet and the other half had no web experience. However, the two groups were similar in age, gender and education.
Both groups were asked to do Internet searches and book reading tasks while their brain activity was monitored.
“We found that in the book reading task, the visual cortex— the part of the brain that controls reading and language — was activated,”Small said,“In doing the Internet search task, there was much greater activity, but only in the Internet-savvy（了解）group.”
He said it appears that people who are familiar with the Internet can engage in much deeper level of brain activity. Activities that keep the brain engaged can preserve brain health and thinking ability. Small thinks learning to do Internet searches may be one of those activities.Researcherswhen volunteers were doing web searches.
| A．studied the Internet |
| B．activated the brain |
| C．recorded their memories |
| D．monitored the brain activity |
The two volunteer groups were.
| A．similar in education |
| B．of the same age |
| C．good at the computer |
| D．book lovers |
According to the passage, we can learn that.
| A．reading books keeps the brain more engaged |
| B．searching the web keeps the brain more engaged |
| C．watching TV keeps the brain more engaged |
| D．chatting online keeps the brain more engaged |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．When you read, the whole brain will be activated. |
| B．Dr.Gary Small is a UCLA expert on brain health. |
| C．Internet searches can preserve brain health and thinking ability |
| D．People who read books may have a better memory. |
To me, life without music would not be exciting. I realize that this is not true for everybody. Many people get along quite well without going to the concert, and listening to the record. But music plays an important part in everyone's life, whether he realizes it or not. Try to imagine, for example, what films or TV plays would be like without music. Would the feelings, the moving plot, and the greatest interests, be so exciting or dramatic? I'm not sure about it.
Now, we have been speaking of music in its more common meaning----the kind of music we hear in the concert hall. But if we look at some parts of music more closely, we discover them in our everyday life too----in the rhythm of the sea, the melody of a bird in the woods and so on. So music surely has meaning for everyone, in some way or other. And, of course, it has special meaning for those who have spent all their lives working on playing or writing music.
It is well said, “Through music a child enters into a world of beauty, expresses himself from his heart, feels the joy of doing things alone, learns to take care of others, develops his mind and makes his body strong.” What dose the writer say more about in the text?
| A．Life full of music. |
| B．Life without music. |
| C．The importance of music. |
| D．The development of music. |
From the text, we learn that many people________.
| A．don't realize the importance of music |
| B．get along quite well without music |
| C．go to the concert instead of enjoying music |
| D．think music would be less exciting than films |
What does the underlined word “melody” mean in the text?
| A．flying | B．looking | C．singing | D．living |
From the last paragraph, we learn that music________.
| A．is very important, especially for children |
| B．is very necessary for our everyday life |
| C．can make our life exciting and dramatic |
| D．can enter into another beautiful world |
After a busy day of work and play, the body needs to rest. Sleep is necessary for good health. During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the day. The rest that you get while sleeping makes it possible for your body to prepare itself for the next day.
There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before. As you sleep, your body relaxes (放松) little by little. Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down. After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts (变换) back and forth from one level of sleep to the other.
Though your mind slows down, you will dream from time to time. Scientists who study sleep point out that when dreaming occurs, your eyeballs begin to move more quickly (although your eyelids are closed). This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement.
If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend (建议) breathing very slowly and very deeply. Other people believe that drinking warm milk will make you drowsy. There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep will put you to sleep.The text suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you _____.
| A．suffer from poor health |
| B．feel tired and nervous |
| C．dream more often |
| D．breathe quickly |
During REM, _____.
| A．you move restlessly |
| B．you start dreaming |
| C．your mind stops working |
| D．your eyeballs move quickly |
The underlined word "drowsy" in the last paragraph probably means _____.
| A．lazy | B．sleepy | C．relaxed | D．pleased |
A good title for this text might be _____.
| A．Dreams | B．Sleep |
| C．Good Health | D．Work and Rest |
Research shows that childhood friendships are important indicators of future success and social adjustment. Children's relationships with peers (同龄人) strongly influence their success in school, and children with fewer friends are more likely dropping out of school, becoming sad and other problems.
Making and Keeping Friends Is More Than Child's Play
When 6-year-old Rachel returned to school on a recent Monday morning, her eyes immediately scanned the playground for her friend Abbie. Though they were only separated by a weekend, the girls "ran right into each other's arms and hugged," recalls Rachel's mother Kathryn Willis of Gilbert. "It was like a scene from a movie."
Most parents instinctively (本能地) know that having friends is good for their child. Experts agree that friendship is not simply child's play, but a powerful predictor of social adjustment throughout life.
A Skill for Life
"Childhood friendships serve as a very important training ground for adulthood," says Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia, psychologist with the Center for Children's Health & Life Development.
Researcher William Hartup states, "Peer relations contribute significantly to both social and cognitive (认知的) development." Hartup concludes that the single best childhood predictor of adult social adaptation is not school grades or classroom behavior, but rather, how well a child gets along with other children.
The work of Arizona State University proves that just as being able to make and keep friends is beneficial to kids, so is the lack of friends detrimental.
Good Friendships Don't Just Happen
Experts agree that it is basic for children to develop high-quality friendships. But, researchers warn, these friendships don't necessarily just happen. Often, a good friendship begins with involved （卷入，牵连）parents.
Valley psychologist Dr. Lynne Kenney Markan believes kids should be taught social skills in much the same way they are taught math and reading.
Bad Company
Many parents worry about the quality as well as the quantity of their child's friendships. "When she was in 1st grade, her supposed 'best friend' began calling her names and threatening to hurt her," says Mindy Miller. "My daughter wasn't allowed to talk to or even look at other girls in her class. It really crushed (压跨) her spirit. I told my daughter she didn't need a 'friend' like that."
"I'll bend over backwards to help my son get together with a friend I think is good for him," Adler-Tapia says. "I don't look at it as manipulation (操纵), just positive parental involvement. " The example of Rachel and Abbie is used to show that ________.
| A．childhood friendship is of great benefit to their growth |
| B．a positive friendship helps children solve emotional and physical problems |
| C．it is a proven（被证明的） fact that peer friendship is the most rewarding experience throughout life |
| D．Rachel missed her friend Abbie very much because of their separation of one weekend |
The underlined word "detrimental" could be replaced by _______.
| A．valuable | B．disappointing | C．accurate | D．harmful |
We can learn from the passage that high-quality friendship most probably results from ______.
| A．social skills and good study habits |
| B．school grades and classroom behaviors |
| C．academic success and social adaptation |
| D．positive parental involvement and social skills |
From the last paragraph we can conclude that Dr. Robbie Adler-Tapia agrees that ______.
| A．parents should regard making friends as something that just happens |
| B．it's wise for parents to support and encourage healthy peer relationships |
| C．parents only need to help their children to deal with difficult social situations |
| D．parents are supposed to encourage their children to make as many friends as they can |