1 . You carry 1.3 kg fatty substances in your head that controls everything you will ever do. This fantastic control center lets you think, learn, create, and feel emotions. It also controls everything your body does. What is this amazing machine? It’s your brain — a structure so amazing that the famous scientist James Watson called it “the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our universe”.

Imagine your cat jumps onto the kitchen counter, and is about to step onto a hot stove. You would have only few seconds to act. In situations like this, your brain reads the signals from your eyes and quickly calculates when, where and at what speed you need to run to save her. Then it tells your muscles to move. No computer can match your brain’s great ability to download, process, and react to the flood of information from your eyes, ears and other sensory organs.

If a bee lands on your foot, sensory neurons (感觉神经元) in your skin send this information to your brain at a speed of more than 240 kilometers per hour. Your brain then uses motor neurons (运动神经元) to send a message back to your foot: Shake the bee off quickly! Motor neurons can send this information at more than 320 kilometers per hour!

Your brain has about 100 billion tiny cells: neurons — it would take you more than 3,000 years if you tried to count them all. Whenever you dream, laugh, think, see or move, tiny chemical and electrical signals are racing between these neurons along billions of tiny neuron pathways. Believe it or not, the activity in your brain never stops. Countless messages fly around inside it every second, like a super-fast game of table tennis. Your neurons create and send more messages than all the phones in the entire world. And although a single neuron produces only a tiny amount of electricity, all your neurons together can produce enough electricity to power a light bulb.

1. What does “the most complex thing” mean?

A．A supercomputer.	B．The universe.
C．Human brains.	D．Our emotions.

2. What can we know from the passage?

A．Brains can download more information than any computer.

B．The cat plays an important role in testing human brainpower.

C．Motor neurons in human brains serve to send countless messages.

D．Your brains can use neurons to send messages back faster than bees’.

3. The author mentions “to power a light bulb” in Para. 4 to show ________.

A．neurons can send lots of messages

B．how many active tiny cells the brain have

C．how much electricity the brain can produce

D．there is countless information in the brain

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．The powerful brain is a wonderful machine.

B．Brains work well in controlling body movements.

C．The brain is the most complex structure in the universe.

D．Human brains are made up of numerous neurons.

2 . Some people don't wish to waste even a second at work. Looking at a computer screen for a long time can cause stress on one's eyes. Sitting and looking at a television screen for hours can also make the eyes tired.

Bookworms love reading and they will make sure they read much more than their bodies can deal with. The strong wish to finish a book may result in fast reading，without taking breaks, which can lead to tired eyes. Reading for a long time in weak light can also cause tired eyes.

More salt-based junk food like burgers，pizzas, etc. and less water also play a role in causing tired eyes. The junk food is a reason for tired eyes for it hasn't enough vitamins（维生素）.

Less sleep causes the eyes to become heavy. Dark circles also develop if one doesn't get enough sleep over a period of time.

If not treated in time，the condition can become worse. Here are some ways to relieve（减轻）a tired eye condition.

Every hour during your day at work, spend a minute relaxing your eyes. Look away from your computer screen and roll your eyes in all directions. Try and blink（眨眼）more often. Look around the room or close your eyes for a minute if you want and then work again. Following these every hour will help relieve the stress on your eyes，and you won't feel so tired after work.

Tea helps relieve tired eyes. Make a cup of hot black tea and pour it into a glass. Hold the glass close to your eyes，so that the vapors from the tea reach your eyes. This will also make you feel fresh.

If your eyes feel very tired at work, go to the washroom and wash your face with cool tap water. The cold water will help relieve the tired feeling. Do this every hour during work and your eyes will feel good.

1. How many factors will cause the tiredness of one's eyes according to the passage?

A．6	B．4
C．8	D．10

2. In the last paragraph, what method does the author suggest to relieve your eyes?

A．A physical approach.	B．A medicine treatment.
C．An operation.	D．An exercise method.

3. What's the purpose of the passage？

A．To show the importance of our eyes.

B．To explain the ways of eyes' protection.

C．To help us keep fit.

D．To tell us how to get rid of eyes' tiredness.

4. Where can you possibly see the passage？

A．A poster.	B．A travel guide.
C．A health magazine.	D．An introduction to an eye hospital.

3 . What will man be like in the future — in 5,000 or even 50,000 years from now? We can only make _____, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today, for man is slowly _____ all the time.

Let us take an obvious _____. Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today. Now, on average, man is about three inches taller. Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may _____ that man will continue to grow taller. Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal. Even so, we still make use of only about 20% of the brain’s capacity (能力). As time goes on, _____, we shall have to use our brains more and more, and _____ we shall need larger ones! This is likely to _____ a physical change to the head, and in particular the forehead, which will grow larger.

Nowadays our eyes are in _____ use. In fact, we use them so much that very often they become _____ and we have to wear a pair of glasses. But over a very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger.

On the other hand, we have a (n) ______ to make less use of our arms and legs. They, ______, are likely to grow weaker. At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive ______ they are used a great deal in modern life.

Another we are ______ about is our hair. This will ______ from the body altogether in the course of time because it does not ______ a useful purpose any longer. In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald (秃顶的).

Perhaps all this gives the ______ that future man will not be a very ______ creature to look at! This may well he true. All the same, ______ all these changes, future man will still have a lot in ______ with us. He will still be a human being, with thoughts and ______ similar to our own.

1.

A．guesses

B．contributions

C．efforts

D．choices

2.

A．improving

B．exercising

C．increasing

D．changing

3.

A．example

B．observation

C．review

D．issue

4.

A．decide

B．promise

C．agree

D．assume

5.

A．therefore

B．besides

C．however

D．otherwise

6.

A．suddenly

B．gradually

C．virtually

D．eventually

7.

A．bring about

B．go through

C．come about

D．result from

8.

A．usual

B．occasional

C．initial

D．constant

9.

A．bigger

B．stronger

C．clearer

D．weaker

10.

A．imagination

B．tendency

C．experience

D．determination

11.

A．in general

B．as usual

C．as a result

D．in advance

12.

A．unless

B．although

C．while

D．because

13.

A．certain

B．concerned

C．anxious

D．doubtful

14.

A．grow

B．disappear

C．evolve

D．rise

15.

A．guide

B．preserve

C．serve

D．affect

16.

A．impression

B．explanation

C．fact

D．evidence

17.

A．strange

B．attractive

C．ordinary

D．clever

18.

A．in spite of

B．in favor of

C．in view of

D．in honor of

19.

A．communication

B．harmony

C．contact

D．common

20.

A．looks

B．surroundings

C．enterprises

D．emotions

4 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What is the relationship between the speakers?

A．Doctor and patient.

B．Mother and son.

C．Friends.

2. When did the man start to have back pains?

A．A month ago.

B．A week ago.

C．Three days ago.

3. What may be the cause of the man’s problems?

A．He studied too hard.

B．He didn’t get enough exercise.

C．He was nervous about the midterm exams.

5 . The book A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic (频率突增)—and How We Can End It by Deborah Cohen, a senior natural scientist, is very popular now.     1     But according to this book, the following are some misunderstandings of obesity or being overweight.

1.If you’re obese, blame your genes.

    2     Between 1980 and 2000, the number of Americans who are obese has doubled—too quickly for genetic factors to be responsible. At restaurants, a dollar puts more calories on our plates than ever before, because restaurant meals usually have more calories than what we prepare at home, so people who eat out more frequently have higher rates of obesity than those who eat out less.

2.If you’re obese, you lack self-control.

Research shows that if we are faced with too much information, we have a tendency to make poor choices on diet.     3     Even the most vigilant (警觉的) people may not be good controllers of themselves.

3.    4    

Although the US Department of Agriculture estimates that fewer than 5 percent of Americans live in the “food deserts”, and that about 65 percent of the nation’s population are obese. For most of us, obesity is not related to access to more fresh fruits and vegetables, but to the choices we make in supermarkets.

4.The problem is not that we eat too much, but that we don’t exercise.

Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign is based on the idea that if kids exercise more, childhood obesity rates will decrease.     5     In fact, although a drop in work-related physical activity may explain up to 100 fewer calories burned, leisure physical activity appears to have increased.

A．Obesity rates have increased.

B．People hold different views on obesity.

C．People benefit a lot from physical activity.

D．Lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables is a cause of obesity.

E．Fresh fruits and vegetables we choose in a supermarket are related to obesity.

F．But there was no obvious decrease in physical activity levels as obesity rates climbed in the 1980s and 1990s.

G．Our world has become so rich in food that we can be led to consume too much in ways we can’t understand.

6 . 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。

Senior citizens are the first to come to our mind when you think of hearing loss,   but in a recent report,   hearing professionals worry teenagers will soon outnumber aging adults     1     it comes to living with hearing loss.

The rise in popularity of personal audio devices from iPods to smart phones has had dangerous effect on the ears of those who use them most,   teenagers! A research     2     (conduct) by the World Health Organization finds that nearly 50% of teens     3     (fall) into the habit of exposing themselves to unsafe levels of sound so far.

A sound is considered unsafe when it goes beyond 85 decibels (分贝). At that level, it takes just 8 hours of listening over your lifetime to cause damage. The louder the sound is, the     4     (little) time it takes to cause damage. Because hearing loss is     5     (typical) considered a health problem for the elderly, it is difficult to convince already stubborn teenagers that they really are doing damage     6     their ears.

Young adults     7     have been exposed to loud noise over a period of time may have some hearing loss symptoms. Their     8     (able) to learn is compromised, and they may have difficulty developing social skills.

In an effort to help teens better protect their hearing, we suggest     9     (set) volume limits on personal audio devices.     10     is also good to limit the amount of time exposed to noise and to take listening breaks to give the ears a rest.

7 . Jayce began noticing when he was in kindergarten that he looked different from his classmates. They had two arms. He had one.

It started when one boy ______ him, said his mother, Lewis. He’d return to his home with questions: “Why am I ______? Why me? His mother recalled he was actually mad at God for making him that way and that it was a heavy ______ to his heart.

Lewis ______ she didn’t know what to do at that point. A few weeks later, Lewis turned on the TV to a news story about an eighth grader, Trashaun, becoming an Internet hit after ______ videos of his slam dunks (灌篮), and, like Jayce, he ______ most of his left arm. Lewis called Jayce in. To her surprise, Jayce was immediately ______. At the time, it seemed that watching Trashaun was ______ an inspiring moment for Jayce—he saw a role model with a similar ______. If it had stayed just that, Lewis would have been happy enough. But little did she know that a family friend had already ______ to the newspaper to help set up a ______ with Trashaun to build Jayce’s confidence.

The boys met and instantly ______ with each other as both of them were in the same condition. They rode bikes, took photos, and shot basketball on the court. Instead of spending the whole day feeling ______ for themselves, they had a lot of fun. However, Trashaun did get ______ with Jayce sometimes. They talked about his left arm. He told Jayce he was perfect the way God made him. He also told him not to let anyone ______ him and not to let those words shake his ______.

Since that meeting, Lewis has seen a noticeable ______ in her son. As for Trashaun, his relationship with Jayce made him ______ to help more kids. “Honestly, it ______ a lot to know that I changed Jayce’s life,” Trashaun says. Still, he never dreamed that his ______ would have such an impact. “I just thought my friends would see them, and be like, ‘Oh, he dunked it!’”

He certainly did.

1.

A．supported

B．teased

C．cheated

D．pleased

2.

A．lonely

B．silly

C．different

D．ordinary

3.

A．duty

B．breath

C．debt

D．blow

4.

A．argued

B．promised

C．suspected

D．admitted

5.

A．downloading

B．posting

C．buying

D．watching

6.

A．lost

B．hurt

C．used

D．recovered

7.

A．satisfied

B．confused

C．bored

D．attracted

8.

A．hardly

B．simply

C．still

D．never

9.

A．response

B．family

C．problem

D．education

10.

A．reached out

B．looked out

C．got out

D．turned out

11.

A．game

B．fighting

C．trap

D．meeting

12.

A．bonded

B．competed

C．parted

D．raced

13.

A．happy

B．grateful

C．sorry

D．fearful

14.

A．angry

B．serious

C．tough

D．familiar

15.

A．approach

B．comfort

C．discourage

D．leave

16.

A．confidence

B．patience

C．sadness

D．honesty

17.

A．advantage

B．scar

C．drawback

D．change

18.

A．expect

B．agree

C．hesitate

D．refuse

19.

A．cares

B．means

C．saves

D．takes

20.

A．attitudes

B．words

C．videos

D．disabilities

8 . The human brain weighs about 1.4 kilograms，but it can，hold much more information than most computers.However，there is another difference between humans and computers.Computers don't forget information they are given，but humans often do.No one remembers everything，and luckily we don't usually have to.But everyone can improve their memory if they want to.Here are some suggestions.

·Try to use new information immediately.For example，if you meet someone who says 〝Hi！I'm Carlos，〞don't just say"Hello.〞Repeat the person's name.Say"〞

·Break a big number into smaller parts.For example，it's hard to memorize（记忆）109244153.But if you break it into three parts--109/244/153-it becomes easier.

·Write out what you need to remember ever and over again.This will help you keep it in mind longer，especially for memorizing formulas（公式）or facts.

·Always review information.If you bring what you've learned back to your mind，they become easier to remember.For example，before you go to sleep，it's a good idea to review the new things you learned that clay.

·Discuss with a friend.It is always easier to remember things through discussions.You can have a discussion about what's right and what's wrong，and it will lead to the right answer.

·Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory.You can always do something to help improve your memory.And everyone's memory gets better if they use it often enough.

All of the suggestions are helpful.If you follow them，you are certain to improve your memory.

1. How many suggestions are mentioned in the passage？

A．Three.	B．Four.
C．Five.	D．Six.

2. Which should be put in the blank（空格）in Paragraph 2？

A．Hello，Carlos.	B．How do you do？
C．Hello，I am Sophia.	D．Glad to meet you！

3. What can help memorize a big number more casily according to the passage？

A．To store it in a computer.	B．To break it into stunner parts.
C．To discuss it with a friend.	D．To review it before you sleep.

4. Which of the following is true according to the passage？

A．Discussing with friends can help you remember things.

B．Always reviewing information can help you fall asleep.

C．Formulas and facts can help you learn about your brain.

D．Human beings can improve their memory by computer

5. What does the sentence"Never tell yourself that you have a bad memory"mean？

A．You should tell others about your bad memory.

B．You should believe in other people all the time.

C．You should ask others to improve their memory.

D．You should be confident in your memory ability.

9 . Take care of your spine（脊柱）

The spine stands at the center of your health, providing your body with structure and support. It also contains your spine cord, a massive collection of nerves conveying electric signals from the rest of your body to your brain    1    

Maintaining good posture( 姿势) is one of the most important things you can do to keep your spine healthy. Proper posture means standing or sitting while keeping your spine straight, except for its natural curves. Posture comes into play even when you are asleep. Sleeping on your side puts less stress on your spine than most other positions.     2     . Especially if you work at a desk most of the day, it's important to get up and stretch regularly.

    3    Stretch can help the muscles around your spine relax and allow bones to shift into better arrangement. Strength exercises like pushups(俯卧撑) can also help by strengthening the muscles around your spine. However, don’t overdo the exercise, as repeated motions can strain the muscles around your spine.

Finally, your diet affects the health of your spine because many vitamins are necessary for bones and nerves. In particular, vitamins B and D are essential to keep bones healthy, so you may want to consider taking a supplement.    4    , so it is also helpful to do some of the back exercise outside.

Many of the actions necessary to keep your spine healthy are identical to those used to preserve your health in other ways.    5    

A．However, the latter is also absorbed from sunlight.

B．Staying still for too long can be hard on your back.

C．So protect your back, the rest of the body will benefit.

D．Protecting your spine with yoga is also a necessary step.

E．Try the following exercises to keep your spine more flexible.

F．Exercise is also an important factor in the health of your spine.

G．So you should take the following factors into account to have a healthy spine.

10 . Bad teeth may be painful and it’s getting worse without treatment. They can even ruin your life. Illness of the teeth can find its way into the blood system. This can increase the chances of a heart disease or other illnesses.

Experts say good care for teeth should start at birth. Mothers’ milk is the best food for the healthy development of teeth.

But dentists say a baby’s mouth and early teeth should he cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, give him only water.

When a baby’s teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soil toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently. Young children often eat toothpaste (牙膏) when they brush their teeth, so they should be carefully watched when they brush their teeth.

Parents often ask what effect thumb sucking (吮拇指) might have on their baby’s teeth. Experts generally agree that this is fine early in life. Most children stop sucking their thumbs by the age of four. If it continues, parents should talk to their children’s dentists or doctors.

Dentists say children should have their first dental visit by the time they are one year old. They say babies should be examined when their first teeth appear, usually at around six months.

1. People should pay attention to teeth problems because _________.

A．they will bring bad luck

B．they will bring the family much trouble

C．they usually last a long time

D．they can cause other illnesses

2. According to the writer, a baby’s teeth should be protected from the day ________.

A．he begins to speak

B．he was born

C．he has his first tooth

D．he is fed with a bottle

3. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．children’s toothbrushes are always expensive

B．children are not advised to brush their teeth

C．drinking water is better than milk before sleeping

D．thumb sucking is common for kids

4. The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refers to “________”.

A．thumb sucking	B．toothache
C．parents’ trouble	D．experts’ advice