Your house may have an effect on your figure. Experts say the way you design your home could play a role in whether you pack on the pounds or keep them off. You can make your environment work for you instead of against you. Here are some ways to turn your home into part of your diet plan.

Open the curtains and turn up the lights. Dark environments are more likely to encourage overeating, for people are often less self­conscious (难为情) when they’re in poorly lit places—and so more likely to eat lots of food. If your home doesn’t have enough window light, get more lamps and flood the place with brightness.

Mind the colors. Research suggests warm colors fuel our appetites. In one study, people who ate meals in a blue room consumed 33 percent less than those in a yellow or red room. Warm colors like yellow make food appear more appetizing, while cold colors make us feel less hungry. So when it’s time to repaint, go blue.

Don’t forget the clock—or the radio. People who eat slowly tend to consume about 70 fewer calories (卡路里) per meal than those who rush through their meals. Begin keeping track of the time, and try to make dinner last at least 30 minutes. And while you’re at it, actually sit down to eat. If you need some help slowing down, turn on relaxing music. It makes you less likely to rush through a meal.

Downsize the dishes. Big serving bowls and plates can easily make us fat. We eat about 22 percent more when using a 12­inch plate instead of a 10­inch plate. When we choose a large spoon over a smaller one, total intake (摄入) jumps by 14 percent. And we’ll pour about 30 percent more liquid into a short, wide glass than a tall, skinny glass.

1. The text is especially helpful for those who care about ____________.

A．their home comforts	B．their body shape
C．house buying	D．healthy diets

2. A home environment in blue can help people ______________.

A．digest food better	B．reduce food intake
C．burn more calories	D．regain their appetites

3. What are people advised to do at mealtimes?

A．Eat quickly.	B．Play fast music.
C．Use smaller spoons.	D．Turn down the lights.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Is Your House Making You Fat?	B．Ways of Serving Dinner
C．Effects of Self­Consciousness	D．Is Your Home Environment Relaxing?

阅读理解。
Every spring Beijing is choked by huge sandstorms.The sky turns a strange and frightening yellow colour as clouds of sand sweep down from the deserts of Mongolia and north-western China.Strong winds blow up the dust and cover everything in sight—in 2006,a storm dumped 330,000 tonnes of dust on Beijing in one night.
The number of sandstorms has grown alarmingly over the years as the deserts have expanded.This is partly man-made and partly because of climate(气候).Many grasslands have been overgrazed(过度放牧)by sheep and goats,or ploughed up,leaving the soil dangerously exposed.Too much water has been taken out of rivers,and the situation is made worse by increasingly long-lasting droughts that have affected the northern half of China as the climate grows warmer and drier.The result is probably the worst loss of rich land to deserts in the world and a dust bowl of extremely large proportions.The nearest sand dunes to Beijing are now only 70 km away and drifting closer each year.At this rate,the desert will reach the city by 2040,and Beijing could become the world’s first modern city to disappear under sand.To hold back the deserts,a huge programme of forest planting called the Great Green Wall has been under way for over 30 years.The barrier(隔离带)is planned to be 4,500 km long when completed in several decades(十年),but the drought is having a very bad effect on the trees and the deserts carry on growing.
5. All the following are the reasons for the expansion of the deserts EXCEPT .

A．the soil of the grasslands is exposed

B．too much water in rivers has been used

C．it doesn’t rain for a long time

D．the climate in northern China is colder and drier

6. At what speed do the nearest sand dunes move towards Beijing according to the passage?

A．More than 15 km a year.

B．More than 2 km a month.

C．More than 2 km a year.

D．More than 15 km a month.

7. What is the purpose of the huge programme“the Great Green Wall”?

A．To protect the Great Wall.

B．To plant as many trees as possible along the Great Wall.

C．To stop the deserts from moving towards Beijing.

D．To plant as many trees as possible in Beijing.

8. In which section can this passage most likely be found in a newspaper?

A．Science and technology.

B．Weather.

C．Environment.

D．Health and life.

In ancient Egypt, a shopkeeper discovered that he could attract customers to his shop simply by making changes to its environment. Modern businesses have been following his lead, with more tactics (策略).

One tactic involves where to display the goods. For example, stores place fruits and vegetables in the first section. They know that customers who buy the healthy food first will feel happy so that they will buy more junk food (垃圾食品) later in their trip. In department stores, the women’s shoe section is generally next to the women’s cosmetics (化妆品) section: while the shop assistant is going back to find the right size shoe, bored customers are likely to wander over and find some cosmetics they might want to try later.

Besides, businesses seek to appeal to customers’ senses. Stores notice that the smell of baked goods encourages shopping, so they make their own bread each morning and then fan the bread smell into the store throughout the day. Music sells goods, too. Researchers in Britain found that when French music was played, sales of French wines went up.

When it comes to the selling of houses, businesses also use highly rewarding tactics. They find that customers make decisions in the first few seconds upon walking in the door, and turn it into a business opportunity. A California builder designed the structure of its houses smartly. When entering the house, the customer would see the Pacific Ocean through the windows, and then the pool through an open stairway leading to the lower level. The instant view of water on both levels helped sell these $ 10 million houses.

9. Why do stores usually display fruits and vegetables in the first section?

A．To save customers time.	B．To show they are high quality foods.
C．To help sell junk food.	D．To sell them at discount prices.

10. According to Paragraph 3, which of the following encourages customers to buy?

A．Opening the store early in the morning.	B．Displaying British wines next to French ones.
C．Inviting customers to play music.	D．Filling the store with the smell of fresh bread.

11. What is the California builder’s story intended to prove?

A．The house structure is a key factor customers consider.

B．The more costly the house is, the better it sells.

C．An ocean view is much to the customers’ taste.

D．A good first impression increases sales.

12. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain how businesses turn people into their customers.

B．To introduce how businesses have grown from the past.

C．To report researches on customer behavior.

D．To show dishonest business practices.

A friend of mine met with an accident driving in darkness. His legs were so hurt that he couldn’t move. What was the ____ was he found himself unable to ask for help-his mobile phone went out of ____ as a result of exhausted battery. Nothing could be done but to
____ in cold wilderness. It was 8 hours later that day broke, and then the ____ of the rescue.
It is almost ____ that he could stand the horror in the darkness for so long. Even more surprising was his____: “First of all I checked up my ____ conditions and found myself not in fatal danger. As there was no ____ to call for help, I leaned back in my seat trying my best to keep the wound from____ In this way I dozed (打盹) off.”
His story put an end to my regret for the ____ of an exploration adventure that happened last year. A group of young men ____ to explore a mountain cave and got lost.
____ to find a way out in the dark cave they were frightened and ran anxiously without a sense of ____ Finally they fell dead in fear and exhaustion. According to the ____
people that found them, the place where they got lost was only about 10 meters away from the
____ of the cave. If they stayed on the spot when they lost their way and tried to ____
themselves, they would probably sense a faint light glimmering (闪烁) not far away.
Don’t you think that you can compare it with ____ itself? When you meet with obstacles in life and work, you are lost in darkness. ____ you it’s unclear yet and you needn’t put up struggle ____ It seems to be a negative attitude, ____ a person who can afford to do so must have foresight as well as a great courage in the first place.13.

A．hopeless

B．worst

C．more

D．best

14.

A．service

B．way

C．order

D．work

15.

A．cry

B．lie

C．wait

D．sleep

16.

A．delay

B．success

C．team

D．arrival

17.

A．untrue

B．unimaginable

C．true

D．useless

18.

A．plan

B．decision

C．explanation

D．excuse

19.

A．physical

B．mental

C．working

D．medical

20.

A．method

B．way

C．alternative

D．strength

21.

A．rotting

B．spreading

C．hurting

D．bleeding

22.

A．loss

B．failure

C．disappointment

D．sadness

23.

A．had

B．managed

C．tried

D．planned

24.

A．Willing

B．Unable

C．Determined

D．Deciding

25.

A．hearing

B．sight

C．feeling

D．direction

26.

A．rescue

B．village

C．local

D．brave

27.

A．end

B．top

C．opening

D．side

28.

A．save

B．help

C．stop

D．calm

29.

A．adventure

B．work

C．life

D．mankind

30.

A．Mind

B．Watch

C．Imagine

D．Warn

31.

A．really

B．immediately

C．carefully

D．hopefully

32.

A．and

B．so

C．but

D．while

阅读理解
Most of the sandstorms that had swept China last year originated from foreign land,a Chinese official in charge of desertification control said Monday.And the invasions(入侵)could partly explain the frequent sandstorms in the country in recent years despite its achievements in desertification control.
Since the start of last spring,the north and northwestern Chinese regions had been hit by 17 sandstorms,of which,a dozen came from foreign land.
Situated in the central-Asia sandstorm region,one of the world’s four largest sandstorm sources,China also suffers from sandstorms from outside the country while being blamed as a sand source to northeast Asia.The other three major sources are in Africa,North America and Australia.
The land suffering from desertification has been decreasing by 7,585 sq.km annually in China,and the area of sandy land has also been falling by 1,284 sq.km a year.
The shrinkage(收缩)forms a clear contrast to the fact that the land suffering from desertification and sandy feature was added by 10,400 sq.km and 3,436 sq.km late last century,respectively.
Currently,the desertification land in China makes up 2.64 million sq.km,accounting for 27.46 percent of the nation’s land,and its sandy land totals 1.74 million sq.km,accounting for 18.1 percent of the country’s total.
33. What does the underlined word “decreasing” mean in Paragraph 4?

A．Going down.	B．Going up.
C．Coming from.	D．Taking up.

34. Where do most of the sandstorms in China come from?

A．The northern Chinese regions.

B．The northwestern Chinese regions.

C．Foreign countries.

D．The western part of China.

35. Which of the following is believed to be the sand source to northeast Asia?

A．China.	B．Africa.
C．Mongolia.	D．Australia.

36. From the passage,we can infer that .

A．the land in China suffering from desertification has been increasing greatly

B．China has made achievements in its own desertification control

C．the desertification land makes up nearly half of China’s territory

D．little progress has been made in controlling desertification in China

37. In a magazine,the passage may be found in the column of .

A．entertainment	B．health
C．education	D．environment