1 . You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It's the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age is, there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart's music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase "the Mozart effect" was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it, we'll become more intelligent.
The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart's music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them produce better milk.
I'll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield (产量) to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn't make us more intelligent.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Mozart composed many musical pieces for children. |
| B．There is little scientific evidence to support the Mozart effect. |
| C．There are few products on the Internet about Mozart's music. |
| D．Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent. |
| A．people were strongly against the idea |
| B．Mozart played an important part in people's life |
| C．the idea was accepted by many people |
| D．the US government helped promote the idea |
| A．Favorable. | B．Objective. | C．Doubtful. | D．Positive. |
| A．What Music Is Beneficial? |
| B．Listening to Mozart, Necessary? |
| C．What Is the Mozart Effect? |
| D．To Be or Not to Be？ |
2 . Widespread descriptions of animals in pop culture could actually be hurting the animals’ survival chances in the wild, new research suggests.
Franck Courchamp of the University of Paris-Sud was interested in the idea of “appeal”in animals. He wanted to know: What species do people consider appealing? And what are the influences of being appealing on populations in the wild?
In a research published this month, Courchamp and other researchers list the top 20 appealing species. Most of the animals identified as appealing are large mammals living on land. Coming in first place were tigers, followed by lions, elephants, giraffes, panthers, pandas, cheetahs, polar bears, wolves, and gorillas. However, at least half of the interviewees didn’t realize that five of the top ten most appealing species are threatened. It is paradoxical that we haven’t been able to protect the species we care about the most.
The study also found that we are flooded with images of these creatures, even as they are becoming fewer in the wild. The study suggests that too much of imagination might be creating a “virtual(虚拟的) population” of the animals in peoples’ minds, making them believe there are far more individuals in the wild than is exact.
The study authors suggest that companies who benefit from the use of these images should set aside a small percentage of their profits for protection efforts and informational campaigns. “That would be not only something fair, but that would be something that could bring a win-win situation for them,” Courchamp says. It could bring them positive public relation, for example. Besides, if a company’s mascot(吉祥物) goes extinct, that could hurt them from a marketing point, Courchamp says. But not enough companies are “truly concerned about the protection of the species that they work on,” he adds.
1. It can be inferred that the widespread images of animals in pop culture ________.| A．leads people to forget the less appealing animals |
| B．makes a false impression of the animals’ real situation |
| C．raises people’s wildlife protection attention and efforts |
| D．brings a win-win situation for both animals and companies |
| A．It is important to protect these endangered species. |
| B．It is natural to regard the large mammals as attractive. |
| C．It is terrible that the species are dying out at an alarming speed. |
| D．It is strange that people’s thoughts contrast with their behaviors. |
| A．giving examples | B．making definition |
| C．making comparisons | D．using numbers |
| A．Neutral. | B．Supportive. |
| C．Dissatisfied. | D．Positive. |
3 . On her third Christmas, my daughter Jillian didn't have the energy for opening presents. At 23-months, she had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, an aggressive tumor. I didn’t know how challenging the holidays could become until Jillian died. Being sorrowful became my full-time job in the following days. The pain was a wildfire in my chest and nothing could put it out.
A week before the fourth Christmas, Tom and I bought a three-foot plant that slightly resembled a Christmas tree. My adult nephew Frankie came along. We were busy decorating the tree and Frankie reached into a Christmas decoration box and pulled out a toy angel with a white gown that my aunt had crafted years before. As he lifted the angel, her hair fell out in one big bunch, just like Jillian's.
We burst into laughter. In between gasps, Frankie looked up with the angel in hand and said, “Hi, Jillian.” Tom emerged from the bedroom and saw our tree, “It’s small, bald and beautiful! Just like Jilly-boo. I like it.”
I moved closer to Tom and he put his arm around my shoulder. Looking at the angel, I knew it would help us through the holidays. Like us, it was sad and pitiful, but full of beautiful memories of Jillian.
“Do something new.” said a minister who ran a support group I went to. It’s as if you must create a new space in your heart to keep it beating, despite the bleeding hole.
Tom and I were eventually able to experience the wonder of a four-year-old at Christmas. On the one-year anniversary of Jillian’s death, I discovered I was pregnant. Our second daughter, Cadence, brought us back to joy and hope. Cadence is nine now, and hoping Santa will bring her a dog this year. Eleven years after Jillian’s death, Christmas is almost Christmas again.
1. What does the author say about herself after Jillian’s death?| A．She went on her life as usual. | B．She was drowned in tears. |
| C．She decided to start a new life. | D．She quit her full-time job. |
| A．It was a beautiful decoration. | B．It was a gift from Jillian. |
| C．It was a relief to the author. | D．It was a symbol of strength. |
| A．Her family can reunite again. | B．She has been out of sadness. |
| C．Santa will bring them gifts. | D．She has another daughter. |
| A．Mother’s love is forever strong. | B．One should depend on himself. |
| C．Family is everything for people. | D．Life goes on despite misfortunes. |
Larry first began diving when he was his daughter’s age. Similarly, his father had taken him along on one of his expeditions. Since then, he had never looked back. Larry started out by renting diving suits from the small diving shop just along the shore. He had hated them. They were either too big or too small. Then, there was the instructor. He gave him a short lesson before allowing him into the water with his father. He had made an exception. Larry would never have been able to go down without at least five hours of theory and another similar number of hours on practical lessons with a guide. Children his age were not even allowed to dive.
After the first expedition, Larry’s later diving adventures only got better and better. There was never a dull moment. In his black and blue suit and with an oxygen tank fastened on his back, Larry dived from boats into the middle of the ocean. Dangerous areas did not prevent him from continuing his search. Sometimes, he was limited to a cage underwater but that did not bother him. At least, he was still able to take photographs of the underwater creatures.
Larry’s first expedition without his father was in the Cayman Islands. There were numerous diving spots in the area and Larry was determined to visit all of them. Fortunately for him, a man offered to take him around the different Spots for free. Larry didn’t even know what the time was, how many spots he dived into or how many photographs he had taken. The diving spots afforded such a wide array of fish and sea creatures that Larry saw more than thirty varieties of creatures.
Larry looked at his daughter. She looked as excited as he had been when he was her age. He hoped she would be able to continue the family tradition. Already, she looked like she was much braver than had been then. This was the key to a successful underwater expedition.
1. In what way was this expedition different for Larry?
| A．His daughter had grown up. |
| B．He had become a famous diver. |
| C．His father would dive with him. |
| D．His daughter would dive with him. |
| A．Larry had some privileges. |
| B．Larry liked the rented diving suits. |
| C．Divers had to buy diving equipment. |
| D．Ten-year-old children were permitted to dive. |
| A．To protect himself from danger. |
| B．To dive into the deep water. |
| C．To admire the underwater view. |
| D．To take photo more conveniently. |
| A．Larry didn’t wear a watch. |
| B．Larry was not good at math. |
| C．Larry had a poor memory. |
| D．Larry enjoyed the adventure. |
| A．Become a successful diver. |
| B．Make a good diving guide. |
| C．Take a lot of photo underwater. |
| D．Have longer hours of training. |
5 . We know more about the surface of the planet Mars than we know about what is at the bottom of Earth’s oceans. Until recently, scientists had mapped only about 20 percent of the sea floor. But our knowledge of the deep seas is changing because of information from satellites. Scientists have produced a new map that provides a detailed picture of the oceans.
The new map is twice as detailed as the map made 20 years ago. David Sandwell is a geophysics professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California. He and other scientists worked on the mapping project. He says they turned to space to look deeper into the ocean.
“The way we’re doing that is to use a satellite altimeter(测高仪), a radar to map the topography(地形) of the ocean surface. That is because the ocean surface topography is different because of gravitational(引力的) effects.”
The scientists collected and studied information from two satellites. One was the European Space Agency’s Cryo-2 satellite that was placed in Earth’s orbit to watch sea ice. The other satellite is the American space agency’s Jason-1, studying the surface of the oceans. Scientists combined the satellite data with images gathered by equipment on ships. The equipment works by sending sound waves through the water. When the sound waves hit an object, its presence is confirmed.
The new map shows the sea floor as it has never been seen before. It shows thousands of underwater mountains and places where continents pulled apart. It shows where earthquakes were active many years ago. In one place, three mountain ridges(山脊) join at the same area. “It’s called the Indian Ocean Triple Junction. It’s one of my favorite spots in the ocean. You have three plates-the African plate, and the Indo-Australian plate and the Antarctic plate-all connected at this one point in the center of the Indian Ocean,” says David Sandwell.
The map is a powerful tool for those interested in protecting the environment and for oil exploration. It also can help ships travel safely and improve scientific projects worldwide. Of course, scientists will make many more discoveries as they examine the new map and the information it provides.
1. We can owe the success of the new mapping project to________.| A．the details of the old map |
| B．Europe’s cooperation with America |
| C．Scientists’ continual measuring work under the sea |
| D．The application of radar and sound wave measuring equipment |
| A．They hoped to use space technology to map the ocean floor. |
| B．They wanted the satellite to produce the map. |
| C．They had never explored the deeper ocean. |
| D．They decided to search the outer space. |
| A．The function of sound waves. | B．The difference of two satellites. |
| C．The difficulties of mapping the oceans | D．The process of mapping the ocean floor. |
| A．show the discovery through the new map |
| B．Prove the earthquakes were active under the ocean |
| C．Explain how the ocean floor developed |
| D．Introduce what the underwater mountains were like |
| A．How to Explore the Deep Sea |
| B．How to Get Pictures of the Ocean |
| C．Scientists Create New Maps of Ocean Floor |
| D．Much of the Sea Floor Waits for Exploration |
6 . Many people turn to doctors or self-help books, but they forget a great thing that could help them fight illness: their friends.
Researchers are only now starting to pay attention to the importance of friendship in health. A 10-year Australian study found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22 percent less likely to die during the study period than those with fewer friends. A large 2007 study showed an increase of nearly 60 percent in the danger for obesity among people whose friends gained weight. And last year, Harvard researchers reported that strong social ties (关系) could improve brain health as we age.
“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t well realized,” said Rebecca, a professor at the University of North Carolina. “Friendship has a bigger effect on our psychological (心理的) health than family relationships.”
While many friendship studies are about the close relationships of women, some research shows that it can do good to men too. In a six-year study of 736 middle-aged men, having friendships reduces the risk of heart disease. Only smoking was as important a danger factor (因素) as having little social support.
The exact reason why friendship has such a big effect isn’t clear. While friends can send a sick person to the hospital or pick up medicine, the advantages go well beyond physical help. Friendship clearly has a big psychological effect. “People with stronger friendships feel like there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen, a doctor. “The message of these studies is that friends make your life better.”
1. The three studies in paragraph 2 show that ________.| A．social ties have something to do with health |
| B．friends can help us lose weight |
| C．old people need friends the most |
| D．having more friends makes us healthier |
| A．health | B．unhappiness | C．excitement | D．fatness |
| A．Friendship is more important to women than to men. |
| B．What people need most is a friend’s care. |
| C．The value of friendship hasn’t been fully understood. |
| D．Friendship is more important than family relationship. |
| A．Smoking and lack of friends are also risk factors for health. |
| B．Friendship and family relationships have equal effects on health. |
| C．Close friendships are good for women but not for men. |
| D．It is clear why friendship has such a huge impact on health. |
| A．How to keep healthy. |
| B．The importance of doctors or self-help books. |
| C．The relationship between friendship and health. |
| D．How to improve family relationships. |
7 . Once upon a time，there was a little boy who wanted to meet the king. He set off，walking towards the king’s castle. After many years of walking，the king’s castle came into his view. However，as the boy drew closer to the outside of the castle，the guards took notice of him.
“Get out of here！” commanded the guards.
Well，the little boy didn’t have to be told twice. He turned...and ran right away. All he wanted to do was to tell the king wonderful things，and see all the beautiful things in the king’s house. But he couldn’t even get near the castle! The boy finally stopped running，sat down and cried.
A young man happened to be coming down the path at the very moment. He saw the little boy and came up.“What’s wrong，young man？” he asked.
“Sir，I walked and walked just to see the king. But these guards made me frightened. I wanted to tell the king how lovely everything is and just tell the king that I just wanted to see him！”
The man looked at the little boy thoughtfully.“Look，why don’t you try again. Don’t lose heart. I ’ll come with you this time.”
The little boy got up and took the man’s hand. The king’s guards spotted them.
“Look，mister，we don’t have to do this...I don’t want you to get hurt. We can just turn around now.”
The man held the little boy’s hand and went on. The boy really thought the man might be crazy until he looked back up at the guards. They were all smiling now. The little boy was surprised.
“Who are you？” asked the little boy in surprise.
“Why，I’m the king’s son. You can enter the castle and be with the king，” said the man.
The little boy broke into a huge smile.
1. Why did the boy want to see the king?| A．To ask the king to play with him. |
| B．To get some help from the king. |
| C．To invite the king to visit his beautiful village. |
| D．To share wonderful things with the king. |
| A．The little boy understood the guards’ words right away. |
| B．The little boy didn’t understand the guards’ words at first. |
| C．The guards repeated the words to the boy. |
| D．The little boy had been to the castle twice. |
| A．determined | B．stubborn |
| C．warmhearted | D．mean |
| A．Never judge a book by its cover. |
| B．Anything is possible if one tried hard enough. |
| C．Life can sometimes be unfair. |
| D．Make new friends and keep the old. |
8 . 1.Part of northern California had become an inferno(火海) in the latest big fire. A nearby town, Paradise, was reduced to ash. Nearly 50 people are confirmed dead and over 200 missing. Six of the ten most destructive fires in California's history have occurred in the past decade. Last year was the most destructive year on record, until this year. Why is the Golden State so flammable?
2.There are three reasons why California has been surrounded by flames. First, the climate is becoming warmer. This has led to snow melting earlier, drier landscapes and a longer season when fires are likely to occur.
3.A second reason is that more people live in flammable places. Since the 1990s 60% of new homes in California, Washington and Oregon have been built in spaces next to nature. These areas, which environmentalists call the "wildland-urban interface", are at higher risk of wildfire.
4.A third reason is that there is more fuel. Before western settlers arrived, fires used to happen often and naturally, which made less fuel available for future fires. For the past century fires have been controlled well. This has led to a build-up of dry brush, and makes the average wildfire much likelier to turn into a big one.
5.Putting out the flame is the most immediate task for California, but not the last. Many survivors will want to rebuild their homes exactly where they were. Californians will also want to ensure that utility companies(公用事业公司) are acting and investing responsibly. Investigations into what caused the fire are still going on, but some reports suggest it may have begun with sparks (火花) from lines owned by an electricity company.
1. What may directly cause the big fire in California?| A．The warm climate. | B．Living too close to nature. |
| C．Too much fuel. | D．Sparks from electric wire |
| A．The fires in California are all very destructive. |
| B．The latest big fire in California is very destructive. |
| C．California suffered from destructive fires most last year. |
| D．There have been six destructive fires in California in the past 10 years. |
| A．The reasons why California suffered a destructive fire recently. |
| B．The reasons why California suffered destructive fires frequently. |
| C．The facts that California is a place easily suffered destructive fires. |
| D．The opinions that California is a place easily suffered destructive fires. |
| A．1//2-3// 4-5 | B．1-2// 3-5 |
| C．1//2-4// 5 | D．1// 2-5 |
9 . Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?
In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.
It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.
Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.
1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?| A．Some of them are not attractive. |
| B．Most of them ate too expensive to preserve. |
| C．They are more pleasing than modern buildings. |
| D．They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area. |
| A．We should reproduce the same old buildings. |
| B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings. |
| C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in. |
| D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings. |
| A．destroy old buildings |
| B．put things in a different place |
| C．respect people’s feelings for historical buildings |
| D．choose new architectural styles |
| A．To explain why people dislike change. |
| B．To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas. |
| C．To warn that we could end up living in caves. |
| D．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings. |
“Have a nice day. Next!” This version of the expression is spoken by a salesgirl at the supermarket who is rushing me and my groceries out the door. The words come out in the same tone(腔调)with a fixed procedure. They are spoken at me, not to me.Obviously, the concern for my day and everyone else’s is the management’s attempt to increase business.
The expression is one of those behaviors that help people get along with each other. Sometimes it indicates the end of a meeting. As soon as you hear it, you know the meeting is at an end. Sometimes the expression saves us when we don’t know what to say. “Oh, you just had a tooth out? I’m terribly sorry, but have a nice day.”
The expression can be pleasant. If a stranger says “Have a nice day” to you, you may find it heart-warming because someone you don’t know has tried to be nice to you.
Although the use of the expression is an insincere, meaningless social custom at times, there is nothing wrong with the sentence except that it is a little uninteresting. The salesgirl, the waitress, the teacher, and all the countless others who speak it without thinking may not really care about my day. But in a strange and comfortable way, it’s nice to know they care enough to pretend they care when they really don’t care all that much. While the expression may not often be sincere, it is always spoken. The point is that people say it all the time when they like.
1. How does the author understand Maxie’s words?
| A．Maxie shows her anxiety to the author. |
| B．Maxie really wishes the author a good day. |
| C．Maxie encourages the author to stay happy. |
| D．Maxie really worries about the author’s security. |
| A．The salesgirl is rude. |
| B．The salesgirl is bored. |
| C．The salesgirl cares about me. |
| D．The salesgirl says the words as a routine. |
| A．try to be polite to you | B．express respect to you |
| C．give his blessing to you | D．share his pleasure with you |
| A．sincerely | B．as thanks |
| C．as a habit | D．encouragingly |
| A．Have a Nice Day — a Social Custom |
| B．Have a Nice Day — a Pleasant Gesture |
| C．Have a Nice Day — a Heart-warming Greeting |
| D．Have a Nice Day — a Polite Ending of a Conversation |
