2 . It’s the day of the big race. You’ve got your running shoes on and your starting number pinned to your tank top (背心装). You’ve trained for weeks for this marathon, but have you shortchanged yourself by not having a cup of coffee?

Studies about coffee can be tricky. One week scientists find that coffee is bad for us, while the next week they announce it provides benefits. When it comes to coffee’s star ingredient—caffeine, the results are much clearer in relation to athletes: Caffeine improves performance. It is one of the few legal performance enhancers in the world. In studies, athletes who consumed caffeine before a race were able to go faster, last longer and recover more quickly than those who didn’t.

Researchers have found that caffeine causes muscles to use fat as fuel, rather than glycogen (糖原) stored in the muscles, which increases strength. Caffeine also cheers up muscles by releasing calcium stored within, which aids speed and endurance. And it affects how hard you think you’re working, so that you can run longer and harder without feeling exhausted.

You don’t even need much caffeine to get the results. Scientists estimate that between 1 and 2 milligrams of caffeine per kilogram of body weight will do the trick. More isn’t better. It’s possible to perform worse when you consume more than 9 milligrams per kilogram.

Caffeine can have detrimental side effects in people not used to it, most notably headaches. It is also discouraged for those with heart conditions or high blood pressure. In some runners, coffee and other caffeinated products can result in diarrhea (腹泻). For these reasons, it’s probably best not to drink your first cup of coffee the morning of a marathon. Instead, see how your body reacts during your training.

1. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．How researchers made the finding.	B．How caffeine in coffee helps runners.
C．Why coffee is important to runners.	D．Why researchers carried out the research.

2. What does the underlined word “detrimental” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Beneficial.

B．Unnoticeable.

C．Efficient.

D．Harmful.

3. What is the author’s advice concerning consuming coffee?

A．Test its effect in training.	B．Take more before a race.
C．Take some after a race.	D．Never take any before a race.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A notebook.

B．A diary.

C．A magazine.

D．A travel guide.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Silk was invented in China in 3000 BC. It was well integrated into the Chinese economy during the Han Dynasty,     1     plain silks and products of peasant households were used as the main form of tax paid to the government. Fancy silk clothes were worn by the wealthy     2     symbols of status from the Han Dynasty on.

Women played     3     major role in the production of this vital product. In many households, the laborious task of raising the silkworms (蚕) originally     4    (restrict) to women.

Producing silk is a     5    (relative) lengthy process and demands constant close attention. The worms need a certain degree of     6    (warm) to survive. Sometimes the tiny eggs were sewn into little cotton bags and worn beneath the clothes. When hatched (孵出), they might be placed in shallow baskets or on shelves in the house     7     fed fresh mulberry leaves night and day. When they became cocoons (茧), dipping them into hot water to loosen the tightly woven filaments (细丝) and then     8    (wind) these filaments onto a spool (线轴)     9    (produce) the silk threads woven into cloth were also     10    (woman) work. Today, silk factories still mainly employ women for these tasks.

5 . Most people believe that pencils are made from lead, but this isn’t quite true. They’re actually made of a mineral called graphite (石墨).

    1     During the late Middle Ages, in a village called Borrowdale, in England, a group of locals saw a few uprooted trees.     2     On e of them had the idea that this dark substance could be used to mark sheep so owners could record and track them. This discovery by those curious locals paved the way for the modern pencils.

You may wonder why solid graphite can leave its color behind.     3     Graphite is made of carbon layers. When we use it as a pencil, the carbon from the pencil rubs off and gets deposited(沉淀) onto the fibers of the paper. These deposited pieces stick to the fibers of the paper and firmly remain there.

    4     You could stain your clothes and make your hands dirty. Later, people came up with some ideas. For example, in the late eighteenth century, an officer in Napoleon’s army designed the wooden pencils we see today. He roasted a mixture of water, clay and graphite at about 1,900 °F. After this mixture cooled down, he put it within a long wooden covering. This is how the wooden pencil came into being.

When you want to remove your writing, you need to turn to an eraser. The functioning of an eraser is based on a common principle. Erasing happens because of the friction that develops between the eraser material and the paper. When you rub an eraser on the paper, the resulting friction can produce heat, which helps the eraser become sticky, stickier than the paper.     5    

A．Over the years, graphite’s uses have changed a lot.

B．Dealing with graphite directly can cause a great mess.

C．This feature is due to the physical quality of graphite.

D．When the quantity of clay is increased, the pencil becomes harder.

E．After further investigation, they found strange dark matter underneath.

F．Therefore, it attracts the graphite substances from the pencil onto itself.

G．The story of the discovery of graphite for use as a pencil is quite interesting.

6 . Philo Taylor Farnsworth invented the current system of television transmission (传输) and reception in 1928, and it was considered one of the great scientific inventions of the 20th century. It was remarkable because the young inventor had just celebrated his 22nd birthday.

Farnsworth had desired to be an inventor since the age of six. Farnsworth was just 14 when he had the idea of television. On August 26, 1930, about a decade after first having the idea that was the basis of his invention, he received the patent (专利) on the electronic television system. By the end of his life, he had held more than 300 patents.

Farnsworth wasn’t the first person to dream up television, but he was the first person to find a way to make it work without a mechanical aspect. The biggest problem that inventors faced was how to transmit image data. Farnsworth’s central innovation was to imagine a way of doing it that relied on electronic technology alone, and so wouldn’t be slowed down by the abilities of a mechanical image-transmitting system.

Farnsworth dreamed up his idea while he was driving a horse-drawn harrow (耙) on the family’s new farm in Idaho. As he was plowing (犁) a potato field in straight, parallel (平行的) lines, he saw television. He imagined a system that would break an image into horizontal (水平的) lines and put those lines back together into a picture at the other end. In 1927, Philo and his wife Elma watched as he made the first transmission: A horizontal line was transmitted to a receiver in the next room. Two years after that first transmission, Farnsworth sent an image of Elma and her brother, making her the first woman on TV.

Farnsworth thought his invention had realistic prospects. “If we were able to see people in other countries and learn about our differences, why would there be any misunderstandings?” he asked. “War would be a thing of the past.”

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage ?

A．Farnsworth had the idea of inventing the television since he was six.

B．Elma and her brother were on TV together in 1929.

C．Farnsworth was the first person to dream up television.

D．The first television invented by Farnsworth appeared in 1930.

2. What was the biggest challenge Farnsworth faced when developing the system of television?

A．How to recognize the picture.

B．How to make the picture clearer.

C．How to transmit image data using electronic technology.

D．How to improve the abilities of the mechanical image-transmitting system.

3. Which of the following can best describe Farnsworth’s process of inventing the system of television?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Failure is the mother of success.
C．Nature is an endless source of inspiration.	D．Actions speak louder than words.

4. What did Farnsworth think of his invention?

A．It inspired people to live a comfortable life.

B．It helped clear up misunderstandings between people in different countries.

C．It enabled people to understand wars deeply.

D．It encouraged us to be curious about the outside world.

7 . Life Book

There is no greater gift that you can give to the next generations of your family than your story. How? By sharing your story in the form of a private autobiography (自传).

Life Book, providing a full range of services, will unlock thoughts and memories, bringing them together in a way that will be enjoyable, stimulating and deeply rewarding, and create your own autobiography, 200 pages plus 60 of your own photos.

Your book in 3 simple steps

★ Relive memories and stories

Your personal interviewer will be skilled in the art of listening. Over 12 meetings, he or she will learn your story, helping you recall memories in an enjoyable and stimulating way.

★ Finish the manuscript (初稿), complete with photos

Every minute of your conversations with our interviewer is recorded and then shared with your devoted writer. He or she will work with you to finish a manuscript you are happy with.

★ Share your life story with loved ones

When the manuscript is done, it’s time for the final stage of producing your book. Soon,10 copies of a beautifully bound, hardback book will be delivered directly to you and the family members you’ve chosen to receive a “first edition”. Then enjoy the excitement and pride of sharing your very own personal autobiography with your family, now and forever.

Remember and be remembered

My hope is that my grandchildren and the next generation will get some of the values that are important to me. It is the best gift I could have given to my family.

—Jerrie Rudd-Breen

My children and grandchildren were amazed when I presented them with the books. My eldest so n then immediately read his copy from cover to cover.

—Harry Gow

Start your storytelling journey and preserve your legacy into your very own private autobiography! It’s easy to get started; call today on 08009992280.

1. What service does Life Book provide?

A．Recalling memories in an enjoying way.	B．Choose a great gift for one’s family.
C．Improve one’s thinking ability.	D．Write a book about one’s life.

2. Which of the following will you do in the second step?

A．Pick out sixty photos.	B．Rewrite your manuscript.
C．Meet your interviewer for the last time.	D．Record your conversations with your writer.

3. What’s the purpose of the “Remember and be remembered” part?

A．To call for comments.	B．To promote some writers.
C．To share some good stories.	D．To attract customers to Life Book.

8 . I started my cycling adventure early. The morning ride was _______ , the gentle breeze (微风) was pleasant and the road was free of traffic. The path was lined by colorful flowers. Gazing at the mountains, I felt like I was _______ through a painting. Looking down, I _______ fallen leaves on the track. It was the first time I realized leaves could be so rich in color. I came to understand the true _______ of autumn is found in these subtle, often overlooked details.

Of course, this journey was also a challenge. Each time I endured a lengthy uphill climb, I _______ myself somewhere ahead lay a (n) _______ downhill section. It became a kind of reward. I was thirsty and tired. I pushed my bike up the incline, which helped stretch my muscles.

I passed by a woman selling oranges. I wanted to buy some. However, the woman _______ my money and encouraged me to help myself, _______ the oranges were from her own trees. I was deeply _______ .

After eating two, I crouched (蹲) by the roadside, gazing at the uphill stretch ahead. A young couple in a car ____________ to buy oranges. I asked if they could give me a lift. They ____________ and even offered me bread and water. I learned they were from Suzhou and had driven here for the weekend. They ____________ I visit Suzhou for an around-the-lake ride of Taihu. About 10 minutes later, I said goodbye to them and continued riding.

My mood was ____________ transformed. A team of cyclists approached, giving me thumbs-up. I was incredibly motivated. Cycling 144 km in nine hours was a (n)   ____________ . However, as I reflect on the beauty along the route and the kindness of the people I met, I am still full of   ____________ and I am glad came.

1.

A．admirable

B．enjoyable

C．affordable

D．energetic

2.

A．cycling

B．driving

C．running

D．jogging

3.

A．imagined

B．produced

C．noticed

D．confirmed

4.

A．beauty

B．harvest

C．coolness

D．change

5.

A．warned

B．taught

C．reminded

D．cheated

6.

A．effortless

B．meaningless

C．useless

D．hopeless

7.

A．assessed

B．refused

C．valued

D．took

8.

A．arguing

B．debating

C．complaining

D．adding

9.

A．disappointed

B．excited

C．touched

D．astonished

10.

A．took down

B．took over

C．pulled down

D．pulled over

11.

A．failed

B．agreed

C．promised

D．answered

12.

A．recommended

B．ordered

C．persuaded

D．doubted

13.

A．privately

B．frequently

C．completely

D．hardly

14.

A．hope

B．challenge

C．honor

D．memory

15.

A．generosity

B．honesty

C．curiosity

D．gratitude

10 . Gameil William-Allen is a teacher in Glenmuir High. She often tries to ______ her students by telling her own story to them in the classroom.

Being aware of the ______ that some students might be feeling ______ after not scoring the good results they hoped for, Williams-Allen decided to share her story of four-time ______, so they can make another attempt.

“I attended Vere Technical High at the time and when I just ______ the subjects that I liked, I remember my teacher telling me, ‘Girl, you are going to be ______ not doing maths and English in school,’” she recalled.

Reality ______ Williams-Allen When she applied to a college and was told she needed a pass in maths and English to be ______.

So, for four years, she attended evening classes, sitting and resitting the two exams but she failed in the four ______.“On the fifth go, I made up my mind ______ I realized that if I didn’t pass maths and English, I would not be able to ______ my dream,” she shared. “So I put in even more ______ , and study harder.”______, she passed the exams and went to college.

She always encourages her students by telling her own story. “I just want every student to be ______ and know that as teachers, we do make mistakes and we do fail. So no matter how low you are, you can ______ just like me.”

1.

A．motivate

B．inform

C．define

D．reflect

2.

A．academy

B．difference

C．reality

D．principle

3.

A．accessible

B．astonished

C．puzzled

D．disappointed

4.

A．ceremonies

B．failures

C．dangers

D．adventures

5.

A．mastered

B．designed

C．chose

D．completed

6.

A．regretful

B．pleased

C．forgetful

D．grateful

7.

A．confused

B．struck

C．changed

D．assisted

8.

A．identified

B．rejected

C．rewarded

D．accepted

9.

A．experiments

B．issues

C．attempts

D．courses

10.

A．because

B．until

C．unless

D．though

11.

A．obtain

B．achieve

C．highlight

D．admit

12.

A．effort

B．love

C．support

D．chance

13.

A．Naturally

B．Eagerly

C．Gradually

D．Eventually

14.

A．friendly

B．sincere

C．honest

D．confident

15.

A．hang back

B．build up

C．get away

D．hold up