1 . The UK has a wellrespected higher education system and some of the top universities and research instructions in the world.But to those who are new to it all，sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar.Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers.It’s a great opportunity to make new friends，join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However，having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind，the prospect(前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nervewracking(令人焦虑不安的)．Where do you start？Who should you make friends with？Which clubs should you join?
Luckily，there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot.So just take it all in slowly.Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here is some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
•Learn rules.Make sure you know British social etiquette(礼节)．Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
•Be kind.Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
•Be sociable.The more active you are，the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room.
•Bring a doorstop.Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort，Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon yon’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s new recruits.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?| A．October is generally the busiest month for universities. |
| B．It’s a good idea to put a doorstop in your door. |
| C．A bit of planning can make Freshers’ Week easier. |
| D．The first week of your every year at university is called Freshers’ Week. |
| A．courses | B．freshers |
| C．neighbors | D．challenges |
| A．the newcomers usually miss the days living at home |
| B．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
| C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life |
| D．all the new students will make new friends and join certain clubs |
| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities |
| B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK |
| C．discuss something about the Freshers’ Week in the UK |
| D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
2 . If you are taking vitamin supplements to reduce your risk of heart disease or cancer, a group of health experts want you to know that those vitamins may actually increase your risk of cancer.
The US Preventive Services Task Force came to this conclusion after reviewing dozens of studies.
Nearly half of adults in the US take at least one vitamin or mineral supplement on a regular basis. These pills are advertised as a way to promote general health. In some cases, manufacturers promote them as cancer fighters and heart protectors.
Studies in animals and in laboratory dishes suggest that oxidative (氧化性的) stress contributes to diseases like cancer and heart disease. If so, there is a reason to believe that antioxidants — including beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, and E — could be useful as preventive medicines.
But when the Task Force examined the medical evidence on vitamins, it found “inadequate (不充分的) evidence” to support the claims that vitamin and mineral supplements benefit healthy adults.
“Cardiovascular (心血管的) disease and cancer have a significant health impact in America, and we all want to find ways to prevent these diseases,” Dr. Virginia Moyer, who heads the Task Force, said in a statement. But so far, she added, the medical evidence does not show that taking vitamins is helpful in this regard.
However, the Task Force did find “adequate evidence” that people with a raised risk for lung cancer actually increase their risk further by taking beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.
The Task Force recommendations of taking vitamins regularly apply to healthy adults aged 50 and older who don’t have “special nutritional needs”. The advice does not apply to children, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, people with chronic illnesses, or people who have to take supplements because they can’t get all their essential nutrients from their diet.
1. Studies in animals and in laboratory dishes find out________.| A．ample evidence that taking vitamins are helpful for treating lung cancer |
| B．cardiovascular disease spreads very fast in America |
| C．oxidative stress can lead to heart disease and cancer |
| D．people must take vitamins on a regular basis |
| A．Scientists want to control cardiovascular disease. |
| B．In some regard, taking vitamins is not useful. |
| C．Manufacturers cannot produce medical-use vitamins. |
| D．Vitamins must be useful to prevent cancer and heart disease. |
| A．A 60-year-old healthy worker. |
| B．A 15-year-old boy with short-sightedness. |
| C．A 34-year-old pregnant lady. |
| D．A 40-year-old man who never eats vegetables or fruits. |
| A．An Inside Look at Vitamins |
| B．Task Force: Ending to Vitamins |
| C．Vitamins: To Live or to Kill |
| D．Taking Vitamins to Prevent Cancer May Fail |
3 . Bike Share Toronto is the city’s official bike share program, designed to give locals and visitors a fun, affordable and convenient alternative to walking, taxis, buses and the subway. There are 200 Bike Share Toronto stations and 2,000 bikes across the city, making Bike Share the most accessible way to get around and explore.
How it works
● Become an Annual Member or buy a day Pass to access the system.
● Find an available bike nearby, and get a ride code or use your member key to unlock it.
● Take as many short rides as you want while your pass or membership is active.
● Return your bike to any station, and wait for the green light on the dock (停靠点) to make sure it’s locked.
Choose a plan
● For visitors
Day Pass: $7. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 24-hour period.
3-Day Pass: $15. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 72-hour period.
● For locals
Monthly Pass: $25. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a month.
Annual Membership: $90. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a whole year. The Annual Membership is the best deal for locals of Toronto and other frequent riders.
The first 30 minutes of each ride is included with the membership or pass price. Avoid extra fees by dropping off your bike every 30 minutes at any other station. If you keep a bike out for longer than 30 minutes at a time, you will be charged an extra $1.50 for the first 30 minutes over, $4 for the next 30 minutes, and $7 for each additional 30 minutes after that.
Contact us
● Customer Service: (855)898-2388
● Repair Service: (855)898-2378
● Corporation Partners: (855)898-2398
● Employment Opportunities: (855)898-2498
1. Which is the most suitable choice for locals in Toronto?| A．Day Pass | B．3-Day Pass | C．Monthly Pass | D．Annual Membership |
| A．$5.5 | B．$9.5 | C．$12.5 | D．$15.5 |
| A．(855)898-2388 | B．(855)898-2498 |
| C．(855)898-2398 | D．(855)898-2378 |
4 . Nowadays there is less and less contact between the old and the young. There are many reasons for this, but the result is the same: increasing numbers of children without grandparents and old people who have no contact with children. And more old people who are lonely and feel use- less, along with more and more families with young children who desperately need more support. It’s a major problem in many societies.
That’s why intergenerational programmes, designed to bring the old and the young together, are growing in popularity all over the world, supported by UNESCO and other local and international organisations. There are examples of successful initiatives all over the world. Using young people to teach IT skills to older people is one obvious example. Using old people as volunteer assistants in schools is another, perhaps reading with children who need extra attention.
One successful scheme in France is combining a residential home for the elderly with a creche/nursery school in the same building. The children and the residents eat lunch together and share activities such as music, painting, gardening and caring for the pets which the residents are encouraged to keep. In the afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or telling stones to the children and, if a child is feeling sad or tired, there is always a kind lap to sit on and a cuddle (依偎). There are trips out and birthday parties too.
The advantages are enormous for everyone concerned. The children are happy because they get a lot more individual attention and respond well because someone has lime, for them. They also learn that old people are not different or frightening in any way. And of course, they see illness and death and learn to accept them. The residents are happy because they feel useful and needed. They are more active and more interested in life when the children are around and they take more interest in their appearance too. And the staff are happy because they see an improvement in the physical and psychological health of the residents and have an army of assistants to help with the children.
1. What is the social problem talked about in Paragraph 1?| A．A generation gap. | B．Caring for children. |
| C．Intergenerational contact. | D．The support for the aged. |
| A．Make the old take care of children. |
| B．Help the old people learn new things. |
| C．Encourage the young to care for the old. |
| D．Increase contact between the old and the young. |
| A．Joining an elderly house with a kindergarten. |
| B．Hiring old people as child - care workers. |
| C．Helping children face misfortunes bravely. |
| D．Using children to accompany the old. |
| A．It builds up their strength. |
| B．They live a healthier life. |
| C．It creates a family atmosphere. |
| D．They are closer to their relatives. |
5 . In today’s society , language plays a key role in defining gender (性别) by vocabulary, and also their non-verbal (非语言的) vocabulary. Each one of these different types of ways of communicating is obviously different between men and women.
Many different studies show that men tend to talk much more than women. It has also been proven that women tend to speak faster than men; this is due to the fact that women tend to be interrupted more often than men are, and also have the ability to speak more clearly, precisely, and more quickly than men. In one study it was found that women spoke for an average of three minutes describing a painting, as opposed to the thirteen-minute average it took men to describe it.
Men and women also tend to have a very different non-verbal way of communicating, which can also make it very hard for one another to understand what the opposite sex is trying to say. Men’s body language is much more reserved when talking to women. Men tend not to make as much eye contact and they generally stay farther away from women when talking to them. Men avoid other people’s body space while talking, and they also tend to sit back when talking. All of these have given off the impression of disinterest or boredom. Women are by far better listeners and much more enjoyable to talk with and they tend to raise more topics for conversation.
Women also make it clearer whether or not the conversation is going somewhere or just stuck in neutral. After learning about our styles of communicating with each other, I have decided that although men have not quite mastered communicating, what fun would it be if we all spoke the same “language”? The little games men and women play with each other while conversing would be lost. The question everyone asks himself or herself after talking with someone of the opposite sex, “I wonder if there’s something there?” would no longer exist.
1. What does the underlined word “this”in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．The differences between men’s and women’s languages. |
| B．The different speed of men’s and women’s speech. |
| C．The ability of men’s and women’s spoken language. |
| D．The non-verbal vocabulary of men and women. |
| A．Speed of understanding. |
| B．Understanding of speech roles. |
| C．Politeness of communication. |
| D．Application of body language. |
| A．Cautious. |
| B．Favorable. |
| C．Ambiguous. |
| D．Skeptical. |
| A．Women , born excellent talkers |
| B．Men’s and women’s social roles |
| C．Vocabulary and communication |
| D．Opposite gender, different language |
6 . Let’s face it. No one drinks diet sodas for the taste. People drink diet sodas in the hope that it will help them lose weight or at least keep them from gaining it. Yet it seems to have exactly the opposite effect, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Texas said those who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist size increases that were six times greater than those who didn’t drink diet sodas. ＂What we saw was that the more diet sodas a person drank, the more weight they were likely to gain,＂said Sharon Fowler.
The study was based on data from 474 participants in a large, ongoing research project, where the participants were followed for nearly 10 years.
While the findings are surprising, they also offer some explanations. Nutrition expert, Melanie Rogers, who works with overweight patients in New York, has found that when patients are switched from regular to diet sodas, they don’t lose weight at all. ＂We weren’t seeing weight loss necessarily, and that was confusing to us＂, said Rogers.
So why would diet soda cause weight gain? No one knows for sure yet, but it could be that people think they can eat more if they drink diet sodas, and so over-compensate for the missing calories.
A related study found some sweeteners (甜味剂) raised blood sugar levels in some mice. ＂Data from this and other potential studies suggest that the promotion of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners may be risky, said Helen P. Hazuda, professor at the University of Texas’s school of medicine. ＂They may be free of calories, but not of consequences.＂
1. People drink diet sodas to ____________.| A．enjoy its taste | B．stay in fashion |
| C．achieve weight loss | D．gain more energy |
| A．causes people to become heavier | B．helps people to be healthier |
| C．makes people much thinner | D．offers people more calories |
| A．regular sodas make people lose more weight | B．diet soda drinkers tend to eat more food |
| C．diet sodas do help reduce calories | D．most blood diseases come from diet sodas |
| A．sweeteners | B．diet sodas and artificial sweeteners |
| C．sodas | D．diet soda drinkers and sweetener takers |
7 . Over a hundred years ago in 1911, something strange was found in the glaciers of Antarctica. Grilffith Taylor—an Australian geologist, had discovered a blood red steam pouring out of the ice cascades（瀑布）of Talor Glacier! Popularly known as the Blood Falls, scientists had not been able to find the reason behind the blood red liquid flowing through the ice---until recently. The mystery of the Blood Falls had finally been solved.
When these falls were first discovered, scientists had believed that the red colour came from a large amount of red algae（海藻）concentrated in the water. Red algae contain a pigment（色素）which reflects red light, making the algae appear red.
This theory made sense, until it was later found that algae do not play a part in the red color of the flowing liquid at all. What really causes Talor Glacier’s waters appear blood red, is the presence of iron oxide in the liquid. The waters of the blood falls are rich in salt and iron content, and when this water comes in contact with the air, it turns red—just like rust! The water in these falls is often referred to as “brine” by scientists because of the high salt content in the water.
This reasoning behind the red colors of the falls was found back in 2003. However, the entire mystery had not yet been solved. How is it then, that the Blood Falls are not frozen?
Researchers at the University of Colorado and University of Alaska found that inside the glacier, there was a network of channels and reservoirs that move the water around. Salt water has a lower freezing temperature. In addition, when any substance undergoes a change in state, it gives off heat. Therefore, the brine actually warm itself up while it’s freezing! How this works, is that when the brine is flowing through the Talor Glacier, some of it does freeze. As a result of changing state from liquid to ice, the brine gives off heat. This heat is enough to keep the rest of the rest of the brine in liquid form, which is why it flows out of the glacier.
Incredible new chemistry facts found, any mystery solved!
1. According to the text, the red algae theory was once considered ________.| A．ridiculous | B．reasonable |
| C．impractical | D．complex |
| A．Because there is too much salt and iron in its water. |
| B．Because its liquid is rich in red algae. |
| C．Because the following liquid reflects and sunlight |
| D．Because the air is thin and rare in Antarctica. |
| A．The water continued flowing constantly. |
| B．There is too much salt in the water. |
| C．The brine gives off heat while freezing |
| D．Temperatures aren’t high enough for flowing water. |
| A．The discovery of the blood glacier. |
| B．The birth of the Talor Glacier. |
| C．The flowing red water in Antarctica. |
| D．The mystery of the Blood Falls. |
8 . Publishers of books for beginning readers are in the business of doing whatever they can to make children develop a love of reading. At times, that means they'll produce books that are more colorful and more packed with pictures. But it turns out that when it comes to learning to read books, more pictures aren't always better.
In fact, simply having more than one picture on a page can negatively(消极地) affect the ability of preschoolers to learn words from that page, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Sussex. “Storybook reading is a great activity to help children increase their vocabularies,” writes co-author Zoe M. Flack in the University's School of Psychology blog.
But the illustrations(插图) can affect how well children will learn new words. “For example,” Flack writes, “We know that children learn words better if illustrations are realistic.” Also, studies have shown that adding bells and whistles(哨声) to storybooks may negatively affect learning, according to Jessica S. Horst, Flack's co-author for the study. “We also know that children look within illustrations for the things they hear in the story, so if the story mentions a girl dropping an ice cream, children will look at the ice cream in the illustration.”
With that in mind, Dr. Horst and Ms. Flack began to wonder what would happen when picture books show many illustrations on a page and how young children who haven't yet learned to read know which illustration to look at while listening to a story. To find out, they read storybooks that displayed either one or two illustrations per page to 36 three-year-old children. As it turns out, children who listened to stories with only one illustration at a time learned twice as many words as children who listened with two or more illustrations.
1. Why do publishers produce books with many colorful pictures?| A．Because such books help kids improve their imagination. |
| B．Because parents are more interested in such books. |
| C．Because they want to help kids love reading. |
| D．Because such books are easier to produce. |
| A．It helps kids learn new words. |
| B．Illustrations aren't that necessary. |
| C．More words should be added to a story. |
| D．It helps kids improve their reading ability. |
| A．Reading is a very important activity. |
| B．One page should have only one illustration for kids. |
| C．Children know what books they should read. |
| D．Children don't really love looking at illustrations. |
| A．choose better stories for children |
| B．produce more types of storybooks |
| C．Produce better books for little kids |
| D．Make more money through producing books |
9 . From July to October every year, about a quarter of the world’s blue whales feed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. But the whales currently face a major threat in their favorite feeding area. Ships carrying cargo (货物）sail in the same area at the same time. All too often, the whales’ paths and the ships’ travel lines overlap (重叠), and a ship will hit a whale.
According to a new study, these ship strikes have become a serious threat to the overall population of the world’s blue whales. Only about 10,000 of the creatures still exist worldwide. Blue whales are the largest known animals ever to live on Earth. Even so, if hit by a container ship, a blue whale will likely die from its injuries.
In 2007 alone, large ships killed five blue whales in the waters off San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that because there are so few whales already, losing three to five from the California whale population every year is a significant loss. “The estimated population of blue whales in this part of the Pacific is 2,500”, says Sean Hastings, a NOAA analyst. “So every whale counts toward this species moving off the endangered-species list.”
Now, marine scientists must figure out how to protect the whales from the giant container ships. One very simple program is already under way in the Santa Barbara Channel, a waterway that separates mainland California from the nearby Channel Islands.
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has asked large container ships passing through the area to voluntarily slow down. Sailing slower will allow the ships‟ crew (船员）more time to change course before hitting a whale.
Several of the world’s largest shipping lines are set to participate in the new program. For every ship that passes through the Santa Barbara Channel at or below the reduced speed of 12 knots (海里/小时）, the company that owns the ship will be paid $2,500.
1. From Paragraph 1, we can know that_____.| A．people intend to illegally hunt blue whales for money |
| B．large ships often carrying goods may pollute the sea |
| C．the container ships may hit the blue whales frequently |
| D．there is fewer fish in blue whales‟ favorite feeding area |
| A．Because the number of the blue whales is so small. |
| B．Because other blue whales will be scared away. |
| C．Because blue whales are the largest animals in the world. |
| D．Because many blue whales get killed throughout the year. |
| A．the number of the blue whales is decreasing sharply. |
| B．the blue whales are still on the endangered-species list. |
| C．most of the world’s blue whales live in the Pacific Ocean. |
| D．blue whales are often disturbed by other endangered creatures. |
| A．The basic responsibility of a sailor. |
| B．Measures to protect the blue whales. |
| C．The world’s largest shipping lines. |
| D．Ways to slow down the speed of the ships. |
10 . My husband and I used to think we had all we had ever wanted.A beautiful house,three healthy children and one more on the way,two cars,a couple of four-wheelers for entertainment—We really had it all and we loved it. Then,the market turned and my husband's job at a construction company was gone.The company was closing down forever.
We both started looking for jobs right away,but there weren't any to be found.With each passing day we were getting increasingly worried and we continued to work together in order to pull our family through.The more we pulled together,the closer we got.I felt feelings of admiration for my husband that I hadn't felt for years.
That's why it was so hard for me to watch him blame himself for ou present situation.I continually asked him to stop but he seemed to want to punish himself for not having a job.
Finally,one afternoon I pulled him aside and said,"We have four healthy children and each other.That's what's important.That makes you a rich man."
"But what if we lose the house?They will hate me—you'll hate me,"he replied.
I smiled at him and put my hands on both sides of his face to make him look me in the eye."No matter where we live I will be happy—as long as I have you,"I smiled again as I realized that I wasn't just saying that.In all the struggling together I had found that deep love for him that I had on the day we said "I do".
I could see his shoulders and neck relaxed.He held me close and we were able to talk and plan and dream together in a way that we hadn't for quite some time.It was a turning point for us as a couple and a family.
We are still struggling for our better life,but I consider us well-off because we have something that money can't buy and no one can take away from us.
1. We know from the story that .| A．they both found good jobs at last |
| B．her husband was out of work for his not working hard |
| C．both of them felt anxious about their unemployment |
| D．they didn't love each other any longer after they got married |
| A．her husband worked harder for being closer |
| B．they had closer affection as they struggled together |
| C．their house was closer to the company than before |
| D．they were closer to another employment as time went by |
| A．Hard but warm. | B．Wealthy but annoying. |
| C．Hard and disturbing. | D．Comfortable and admiring. |
| A．Better Life Comes | B．Hard Time Goes |
| C．We Have It All | D．We Lose It All |
