1 . Is It Worth Buying Organic Food?

Organic food, grown without artificial chemicals, is increasingly popular nowadays. Consumers have been willing to pay up to twice as much for goods with organic labels (标签). However, if you think paying a little more for organic food gets you a more nutritious (有营养的) and safer product, you might want to save your money. A study led by researchers at Stanford University says that organic products aren’t necessarily more nutritious, and they’re no less likely to suffer from disease-causing bacteria, either.

The latest results, published in the Annuals of Internal Medicine, suggest that buyers may be wasting their money. “We did not find strong evidence that organic food is more nutritious or healthier,” says Dr. Crystal Smith-Spangler from Stanford. “So consumers shouldn’t assume that one type of food has a lower risk or is safer.”

For their new study, Smith-Spangler and her colleagues conducted a review of two categories of research, including 17 studies that compared health outcomes between consumers of organic against traditional food products, and 223 studies that analyzed the nutritional content of the foods, including key vitamins, minerals and fats.

While the researchers found little difference in nutritional content, they did find that organic fruit and vegetables were 20% less likely to have chemicals remaining on the surfaces. Neither organic nor traditional foods showed levels of chemicals high enough to go beyond food safety standards. And both organic and traditional meats, such as chicken and pork, were equally likely to be harmed by bacteria at very low rates. The researchers did find that organic milk and chicken contained higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, a healthy fat also found in fish that can reduce the risk of heart disease. However, these nutritional differences were too small, and the researchers were unwilling to make much of them until further studies confirm the trends.

Organic food is produced with fewer chemicals and more natural-growing practices, but that doesn’t always translate into a more nutritious or healthier product. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that “Whether you buy organic or not, finding the freshest foods available may have the biggest effect on taste.” Fresh food is at least as good as anything marketed as organic.

1. The new research questions whether organic food ________.

A．should replace traditional food

B．has been overpriced by farmers

C．is grown with less harmful chemicals

D．is really more nutritious and healthier

2. Smith Spangler and her colleagues found that ________.

A．organic food could reduce the risk of heart disease

B．traditional food was grown with more natural methods

C．both organic and traditional food they examined were safe

D．there was not a presence of any forms of bacteria in organic food

3. Which of the following is relatively healthier according to the passage?

A．Organic chicken and pork.

B．Organic milk and chicken.

C．Traditional chicken and pork.

D．Traditional fruit and vegetables.

4. What is the author’s attitude toward organic food?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Approving.

2 . There is an interesting story about how Pablo Picasso, the famous Spanish artist, developed the ability to produce an amazing work in just minutes.

As the story goes, Picasso was walking through the market one day when a woman _______   him. She stopped the artist, pulled out a piece of paper and said, “Mr. Picasso, I am a fan of your works. Could you do a little _______ for me, please ?”

Picasso smiled and _______ drew a small, but beautiful piece of art on the paper. Then, he _______ the paper back to the woman, saying, “That will be one million dollars.”“But Mr. Picasso, it only _______ you 30 seconds to draw this little masterpiece,” said the woman“My good lady, I spend 30 years _______ to draw that masterpiece in thirty seconds.” said Picasso.

Picasso isn’t the only _______ man who worked for decades to master his craft. His _______ is typical of many creative geniuses. Even people of considerable talent _______ produce amazing work before decades of ________. A recent study________ the ages of Nobel Prize winners, great inventors, and scientists. The researchers found that most groundbreaking work ________ during the late thirties — at least a full decade into any personal career. Even in the fields of science and maths, creative ________ is often made after more than ten years’ work.

These findings ________ the work done by previous researchers as well. For example, a study ________ at Carnegie Mellon University by professor John Hayes found that out of 500 famous musical pieces, nearly all of them were created after ten years of the composer’s career. In later studies, Hayes found similar ________ with poets and painters. He began ________ this period hard work and little fame as the “ten years of ________.”

Whether you are a composer or a scientist, creativity is not a ________ you are born with or without. It is something that is discovered, honed（磨练）, and improved   ________ real work.

1.

A．realized

B．recognized

C．interviewed

D．followed

2.

A．chatting

B．reading

C．shopping

D．drawing

3.

A．finally

B．unwillingly

C．quickly

D．suddenly

4.

A．handed

B．transported

C．arranged

D．delivered

5.

A．took

B．wasted

C．spent

D．requested

6.

A．practising

B．teaching

C．learning

D．intending

7.

A．funny

B．complex

C．arguable

D．brilliant

8.

A．journey

B．painting

C．model

D．achievement

9.

A．always

B．rarely

C．never

D．possibly

10.

A．wait

B．survey

C．practice

D．formation

11.

A．saw

B．kept

C．connected

D．tracked

12.

A．completed

B．peaked

C．succeeded

D．created

13.

A．advance

B．collection

C．development

D．progress

14.

A．match

B．show

C．include

D．delay

15.

A．carried

B．explored

C．conducted

D．removed

16.

A．patterns

B．lifestyles

C．conditions

D．customs

17.

A．looking at

B．referring to

C．taking over

D．dressing up

18.

A．review

B．silence

C．rise

D．trick

19.

A．case

B．character

C．quality

D．role

20.

A．before

B．with

C．along

D．through

3 . Travel is one of the most exciting experiences a human being can have. Imagine how Italian traveler Marco Polo must have felt when he found himself on Chinese soil, seeing a way of life quite different from anything he’d seen before.

And how marvelous must it have been to listen to Zhang Qian when he returned to China from his journey through Central Asia and West Asia? His brain must have been packed with everything he’d seen and heard, leading to the founding of the Silk Road.

Some people have traveled all over the world, and travel is a way of life to them. They perhaps know what to expect before they travel. That’s why the best travel is when it’s for the first time. Imagine a person who has always wanted to travel to the United States. Of course, they’ve probably seen the Statue of Liberty a thousand times on TV, and the White House, and all the other famous sights. But none of that would compare to the thrill of looking out of the cabin window as the plane lands, watching the cities and streets of the real America come into view.

Although travel is often just for recreation, it’s also educational. We may not know that we are getting an education, but we still are.

We’re learning every day: new words in a new language, new people, and new ways of life. But this learning takes place in the school of the world, not the classroom. One of the lessons we learn is undoubtedly a moral one. As we get to know foreign places, we come to understand that there are many different ways to live, and that the way we live isn’t necessarily the best way. The British politician Benjamin Disraeli summed this up well when he said, “Travel teaches toleration.”

1. The author uses Marco Polo and Zhang Qian as examples to       .

A．explain how the Silk Road was founded

B．present travel as an amazing experience

C．show how the way people travel has changed

D．describe important cultural exchanges in history

2. By saying “the best travel is when it’s for the first time”, the author means that       .

A．one’s first trip is usually the most challenging

B．no other trip is better than one’s first trip

C．there is always much to learn on one’s first trip

D．people usually make better preparations for their first trip

3. The underlined word in paragraph 4 probably means       .

A．learning	B．knowledge
C．fun	D．risk

4. According to the last two paragraphs, the author believes that       .

A．traveling should be included in formal education

B．traveling improves people’s confidence in their lifestyle

C．a foreign journey may raise people’s cultural understanding

D．there is more to learn from adventures than being in classroom