1 . At the age of twelve years, the human body is at its most vigorous. It has yet to reach its full size and strength, and its owner his or her full intelligence; but at this age the likelihood of death is least. Earlier, we were infants and young children, and consequently more vulnerable (易受伤害的), later, we shall undergo a progressive loss of our vigor and resistance which, though unnoticeable at first, will finally become so steep that we can live no longer, however well we look after ourselves, and however well society, and our doctors, look after us.

This decline in vigor with the passing of time is called ageing. It is one of the most unpleasant discoveries which we all make that we must decline in this way, that if we escape wars, accidents and disease we shall eventually “die of old age”, and that this happens at a rate which differs little from person to person, so that there are heavy odds in favor of our dying between the ages of sixty-five and eighty. Some of us will die sooner, a few will live longer—on into a ninth or tenth decade. But the chances are against it, and there is a virtual limit on how long we can hope to remain alive, however lucky and robust we are.

Normal people tend to forget this process unless and until they are reminded of it. We are so familiar with the fact that ma ages, that people have for years assumed that the process of losing vigor with time, of becoming more likely to die the older we get, was something self-evident, like the cooling of a hot kettle or the wearing-out of a pair of shoes. They have also assumed that all animals, and probably other organisms such as trees, or even the universe itself, must in the nature of things “wear out”.

Most animals we commonly observe do in fact age as we do, if given the chance to live long enough; and mechanical systems like a wound watch, or the sun, do in fact run out of energy in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics (whether the whole universe does so is a moot point at present). But these are not analogous (类似的)to what happens when man ages. A run-down watch is still a watch and can be rewound. An old watch, by contrast, becomes so worn and unreliable that it eventually is not worth mending. But a watch could never repair itself —it does not consist of living parts, only of metal, which wears away by friction. We could, at one time, repair ourselves—well enough, at least, to overcome all but the most instantly fatal illnesses and accidents. Between twelve and eighty years we gradually lose this power, an illness which at twelve would knock us over, at eighty can knock us out, and into our grave. If we could stay as vigorous as we are at twelve, it would take about 700 years for half of us to die, and another 700 for the survivors to be reduced by half again.

1. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT?

A．Our first twelve years represent the peak of human development.

B．People usually are unhappy when reminded of ageing.

C．Normally only a few of us can live to the eighties and nineties.

D．People are usually less likely to die at twelve years old.

2. The word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph Two refers to           .

A．remaining alive until 65	B．remaining alive after 80
C．dying before 65 or after 80	D．dying between 65 and 80

3. What is ageing?

A．It is usually a phenomenon of dying at an old age.

B．It is a fact that people cannot live any longer.

C．It is a gradual loss of vigor and resistance.

D．It is a phase when people are easily attacked by illness.

4. What do the examples of watch show?

A．Normally people are quite familiar with the ageing process.

B．All animals and other organisms undergo the ageing process.

C．The law of thermodynamics functions in the ageing process.

D．Human’s ageing process is different from that of mechanisms.

2 . The twilight zone (朦胧地带) contains the largest and least explored fish stocks (储备) of the world’s oceans. Ranging from just below 200 metres to 1,000 metres deep, it is an interface between the well-studied sea life in the sunlit zone above and the ecosystems of the darkest territory below. It has a major role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it for centuries or longer. The twilight zone is also known to the largest migration on Earth. Huge numbers of fishes and zooplankton (浮游动物) move hundreds of metres towards the surface each night to feed, before withdrawing back down at dawn.

Yet the zone is poorly understood — physically,     biogeochemically and ecologically. Even the number of organisms that live there remains a mystery, let alone their diversity and function.

It is alarming, then, that this vast ocean domain is at risk in three ways-even before any of the potential consequences are understood. First, the world’s growing population has an increasing need for food. Second, sea-floor mining for minerals and metals could release waste into the region. And   third, climate change is varying temperature, acidification and oxygen levels in ways that are likely to affect life there.

The twilight zone is hard Io study. Its organisms are difficult to sample and analyse, being thinly distributed, almost invisible and often fragile. They also live at pressures of up to 100 atmospheres, which poses problems for laboratory-based investigations.

Critics might argue that walers near coasts and above shelves are more deserving of study, given the huge environmental pressures there, as well as their importance to societies. And, of course, they need attention. Sadly, however, it is too late to avoid widespread environmental damage to these inshore regions. Instead, research efforts and local policies must aim at minimizing the worst effects.

By contrast, the twilight zone is almost left in its original condition. Moreover, the majority of it lies beyond national administration. This makes it of common interest and responsibility, and means that global agreement is necessary to manage it.

1. What can we learn about the twilight zone?

A．It has the least fish stocks.

B．It reduces atmosphere’s carbon dioxide.

C．It lies at the bottom of sea.

D．Il is located above the sunlit zone.

2. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A．Where global warming leads us.

B．Why high food consumption arises.

C．How the twilight zone is threatened.

D．What impacts pollution has on ocean.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The twilight zone.	B．The inshore area.
C．Its original condition.	D．National administration.

4. Which statement does the author agree with?

A．International cooperation is essential.

B．Inshore regions deserve more attention.

C．Global agreement has been reached.

D．Study on the twilight zone is out of the question.

3 . Artists always treat businessmen as money-obsessed ( 迷 恋 金 钱 的 ) bores. Or worse, many businessmen, for their part, assume that artists usually consider themselves to be more intelligent than others. Bosses may stick   a few modern paintings on their office walls. But they seldom take the arts seriously as a source of inspiration.

The prejudice starts at business school, where “hard” things such as numbers rule. It is reinforced by everyday experience. Bosses constantly remind their employees that if you can't count it, it doesn't count. Few read deeply about the arts. Sun Tzu's The Art of War does not count while some tasteless business books are pleasing to them: consider Wess Roberts' Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.

But lately there are welcome signs of a thaw (缓和) on the business side of the great cultural divide. Business presses are publishing a series of books such as The Fine Art of Success by Jamie Anderson. Business schools such as the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto are trying to learn from the arts.

Mr. Anderson points out that many artists have also been superb enterprisers. Damien Hirst has been one of the most enterprising. He upturned the art world by selling his work directly through Sotheby's, an auction ( 拍 卖 ) house. Whatever they think of his work, businessmen cannot help admiring a man who parted art lovers from £ 75.5 million on the day that Lehman Brothers collapsed.

Studying the arts can help businessmen communicate more effectively. Most bosses spend a huge amount of time “messaging” and “reaching out”, yet few are good at it. Half an hour with George Orwell's Why I Write would work wonders.

Studying the arts can also help companies learn how to manage bright people. Rob Goffee of the London Business School points out that today's most productive companies are dominated by what they call “clevers”, who are very hard to manage. They hate being told what to do by managers, whom they regard as being stupid. They refuse to submit to performance reviews.

In short, they are prima donnas. The art world has centuries of experience in managing such difficult people.

Directors persuade actresses to cooperate with actors they hate. Their tips might be worth hearing.
1. Which book combines the arts with business?

A．Why I Write.	B．The Art of War.
C．The Fine Art of Success.	D．Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun.

2. What kind of person is Damien Hirst actually?

A．An artist who is good at doing business.

B．A businessman who just cares about money.

C．An artist whose works changed the art world.

D．A businessman who had prejudice toward the arts.

3. The underlined words “prima donnas” probably refer to those who are _______.

A．quite stupid	B．rather proud
C．really bright	D．very efficient

4. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A．Good management takes skill and patience.

B．Artists should show respect for businessmen.

C．Painting is a special form of communication.

D．Businessmen have much to learn from artists.

4 . The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.

The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.

One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.

In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.

Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输).Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．A new study of different plants.

B．A big fall in crime rates.

C．Employees from various workplaces.

D．Benefits from green plants.

2. What is the function of the sensors printed on plant leaves by MIT engineer?

A．To detect plants’ lack of water

B．To change compositions of plants

C．To make the life of plants longer.

D．To test chemicals in plants.

3. What can we expect of the glowing plants in the future?

A．They will speed up energy production.

B．They may transmit electricity to the home.

C．They might help reduce energy consumption.

D．They could take the place of power plants.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Can we grow more glowing plants?

B．How do we live with glowing plants?

C．Could glowing plants replace lamps?

D．How are glowing plants made pollution-free?

5 . You can remember the face, but can't put a name to it. Many of us have been caught in this embarrassing situation. But researchers say it is often easier to remember someone's name than what they look like.

Twenty-four volunteers were shown 40 pictures of strangers, paired with random(随机的) names. They were given time to memorize the faces and names before being tested on which they thought they had seen before.

The participants could remember up to 85 percent of the names but only 73 percent of the faces. When they were shown a different picture of the same person, the participants could recall only 64 percent of faces, according to the study, led by the University of York.

That may be because faces are only recognized visually(视觉地), while names can be both spoken and written down so appear in our visual and audio memory. When people were shown famous people, they also remembered their names more accurately than their photographs. Co-author Dr Rob Jenkins, from the university’s psychology department, said, ''Our study suggests that, while many people may be bad at remembering names, they are likely to be even worse at remembering faces. This will surprise many people as it is against our initial understanding. Our life experiences with names and faces have misled us about how our minds work. '' Remembering names gets harder with age, leading to many uncomfortable moments for middle-aged people when they run into people they know.

But to study whether names are harder to recall than faces, the researchers, whose findings are published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, used a ''fair test'' where the participants were presented with strangers' names and faces.

1. What can we know according to the research in Paragraph 3?

A．It is certain that names are harder to recall than faces.

B．Remembering names is more easily than remembering faces.

C．Most participants can remember the face not the name to it.

D．The participants can recall 73% faces of the same person.

2. Which of the following will the author agree with?

A．Age will weaken the ability to remember names.

B．Unlike faces, names are only recognized visually.

C．Faces can appear in our visual and audio memory.

D．Rob Jenkins has proved people can remember faces better.

3. What does the underlined word ''initial'' in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Clear.	B．first.
C．Unusual.	D．Creative.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．People can't remember strangers’ names and faces.

B．Recalling names is more difficult than remembering faces.

C．The researcher uses the same method to study another problem.

D．Whether names are harder to recall than faces is further proved.

6 . For several decades, there has been an organized campaign intended to produce distrust in science, funded by those whose interests are threatened by the findings of modern science. In response, scientists have tended to stress the success of science. After all, scientists have been right about most things, from the structure of the universe to the relativity of time and space.

Stressing successes isn’t wrong, but for many people it’s not persuasive. An alternative answer to the question “Why trust science?” is that scientists use the so-called scientific method. But what is called the scientific method isn’t what scientists actually do. Science is dynamic: new methods get invented; old ones get abandoned; and at any particular point, scientists can be found doing many different things. False theories sometimes lead to true results, so even if an experiment works, it doesn’t prove that the theory it was designed to test is true.

If there is no specific scientific method, then what is the basis for trust in science? The answer is the methods by which those claims are evaluated. A scientific claim is never accepted as true until it has gone through a long process of examination by fellow scientists. Scientists draft the initial version of a paper and then send it to colleagues for suggestions. Until this point, scientific feedback is typically fairly friendly. But the next step is different: the revised paper is submitted to a scientific journal, where things get a whole lot tougher. Editors deliberately send scientific papers to people who are not friends or colleagues of the authors, and the job of the reviewer is to find errors or other faults. We call this process “peer review” because the reviewers are scientific peers—experts in the same field—but they act in the role of a superior who has both the right and the responsibility to find fault. It is only after the reviewers and the editor are satisfied that any problems have been fixed that the paper will be printed in the journal and enters the body of “science.”

Some people argue that we should not trust science because scientists are “always changing their minds.” While examples of truly settled science being overturned are far fewer than is sometimes claimed, they do exist. But the beauty of this scientific process is that science produces both creativity and stability. New observations, ideas, explanations and attempts to combine competing claims introduce creativity; transformative questioning leads to collective decisions and the stability of scientific knowledge. Scientists do change their minds in the face of new evidence, but this is a strength of science, not a weakness.

1. Scientists stress the success of science in order to ________.

A．promote basic knowledge of science

B．remind people of scientific achievements

C．remove possible doubts about science

D．show their attitude towards the campaign

2. What can we learn about the so-called scientific method?

A．It’s an easy job to prove its existence.

B．It usually agrees with scientists’ ideas.

C．It hardly gets mixed with false theories.

D．It constantly changes and progresses.

3. What can we learn about “peer” review?

A．It seldom gives negative evaluation of a paper.

B．It is usually conducted by unfriendly experts.

C．It aims to perfect the paper to be published.

D．It happens at the beginning of the evaluation process.

4. The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that ________.

A．it is not uncommon for science to be overturned

B．scientists are very strong in changing their minds

C．people lose faith in those changeable scientists

D．changes bring creativity and stability to science

7 . A few hours after my first mission, returning to Earth on the space shuttle Endeavour, I completed all of my medical tests after flight, met with NASA officials, and reunited with my family. Finally, I was alone in my office room in astronaut crew quarters at the Kennedy Space Center, exhausted and ready for bed. And I did what anyone does when they return to their hotel room on a business trip: I turned on the TV. The television news started up: Such and such had happened, people were shocked, blah blah blah. Sports scores. Silly commercials.

It didn’t take more than a minute before I had to turn it off. It felt like my body was rejecting all this input, just as it would reject an organ donation that had the wrong blood type. All of this noise was just completely foreign to who I was—or, more appropriately, who I had become. A few hours before, I had been orbiting Earth, seeing our planet from space, flying the most amazing machine ever built by human hands, working with a team that was the absolute success of human. And now here in my room watching what was being sold as news, and with my newfound perspective, I just could not stomach it. My worldview was changed forever in a profound (深刻的) way.

The biggest change by far and the one for which I will always be most grateful is this big-picture perspective. That will stick with me for the rest of my life.

Whenever I feel the pressure of modern life, the stress about work, or worry about the future, I remember my time in the space station. Back to seeing the sun set Or watching our galaxy rise on the horizon. Or seeing a sea of lightning flash a hundred times a second. Or simply back to floating weightlessly.

When I’m there in my mind and realize how many billions of these beautiful sunsets there have been and will be in the future, the cares of the world just don’t seem that pressing. It goes that, “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” Living daily life down here on the planet is so much better with this attitude!

1. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word stomach in paragraph 2?

A．Access.	B．Attend.
C．Accept.	D．Afford.

2. What is the most important change to the writer?

A．He has a broader view of the world.

B．He doesn’t like watching TV any more.

C．He will always be most grateful for everything.

D．He can fly the most amazing machine by hands.

3. What attitude to life does the writer tend to have?

A．caged bird longs for clouds.	B．Live in the present moment.
C．Let bygones be bygones.	D．Time works great changes.

8 . A few years ago, my husband Charlie and I had marital problems. Growing family responsibilities and financial worries took a toll on us and we began arguing frequently, often late into the night.

However, neither of us could take the step that would end our eleven-year marriage and bring heartbreak to our three young children. Deep down we knew we still loved each other, so we determined to work it out. Through countless discussions, we began to close the gulf. The more honest we were, the closer we became.

When I felt we were reaching solid ground, I asked my husband to give me an “eternity (永恒) ring”. It was not so much the ring I wanted; it was the reassurance (保证) I thought it would bring.

We went shopping on a beautiful summer day. We walked hand in hand along a row of jeweler’s shops. Finally I found a ring I liked. While waiting for it to be adjusted, the jeweler took my left hand and glanced at my engagement ring. “May I clean it for you?” he asked. “It really doesn’t sparkle like it used to.” Charlie said as I slipped the ring off my finger. A few minutes later the jeweler was back. The ring shone like new!

On the drive home, I didn’t take my eyes off it. I forgot all about the eternity ring. I just couldn’t believe how this old ring suddenly sparkled the way it had the day Charlie gave it to me. I had taken it for granted these past years, but with a little polish it could still make my heart beat fast.

And that’s the way it is with a marriage. You have to work at keeping it polished and new, or else the grime (污垢) of the passing years will hide the joy. I put my hand on the seat between us and spread my fingers. Charlie covered my hand with his. I felt I was lucky to be able to see the sparkle in something gold when I thought I needed something new.

1. Why did the author and her husband decide to solve the problems?

A．They were a famous couple.	B．They didn’t want to divorce.
C．The problems were not serious.	D．They had experience in doing so.

2. What does the underlined part in paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．free of trouble	B．arriving at a square
C．wealthy and generous	D．in good relationship

3. Why did the author forget all about the eternity ring on their way back home?

A．Her husband kept it for her.	B．They didn’t actually pay for it.
C．The old ring’s light attracted her attention.	D．The couple were talking all the way merrily.

4. What does the author mainly want to express in the last paragraph?

A．We tend to prefer new objects to old ones.

B．One should remain thankful for what he has got.

C．Marriage should be constantly polished.

D．We should try to rediscover the true value of old objects.

9 . I work with Volunteers for Wildlife, a rescue and education organization at Bailey Arboretum in Locust Valley. Trying to help injured, displaced or sick creatures can be heartbreaking; survival is never certain. However, when it works, it is simply beautiful.

I got a rescue call from a woman in Muttontown. She had found a young owl(猫头鹰) on the ground. When I arrived, I saw a 2-to 3-week-old owl. It had already been placed in a carrier for safety.

I examined the chick(雏鸟) and it seemed fine. If I could locate the nest, I might have been able to put it back, but no luck. My next work was to construct a nest and anchor it in a tree.

The homeowner was very helpful. A wire basket was found. I put some pine branches into the basket to make this nest safe and comfortable. I placed the chick in the nest, and it quickly calmed down.

Now all that was needed were the parents, but they were absent. I gave the homeowner a recording of the hunger screams of owl chicks. These advertise the presence of chicks to adults; they might also encourage our chick to start calling as well. I gave the owner as much information as possible and headed home to see what news the night might bring.

A nervous night to be sure, but sometimes the spirits of nature smile on us all! The homeowner called to say that the parents had responded to the recordings. I drove over and saw the chick in the nest looking healthy and active. And it was accompanied in the nest by the greatest sight of all — LUNCH! The parents had done their duty and would probably continue to do so.

1. What is unavoidable in the author’s rescue work according to paragraph 1?

A．Efforts made in vain.

B．Getting injured in his work.

C．Feeling uncertain about his future.

D．Creatures forced out of their homes.

2. Why was the author called to Muttontown?

A．To rescue a woman.

B．To take care of a woman.

C．To look at a baby owl.

D．To cure a young owl.

3. What made the chick calm down?

A．A new nest.

B．Some food.

C．A recording.

D．Its parents.

4. How would the author feel about the outcome of the event?

A．It’s unexpected.

B．It’s beautiful.

C．It’s humorous.

D．It’s discouraging.