The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is probably why there are more myths
about it than any of the other illnesses.
     The most widespread mistake of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused
by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact,directly or
indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds,it would be reasonable to expect the
Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in distant and isolated Arctic regions explorers have reposed being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected(感染的)people from the
outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
     At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in experiments in which they
gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long periods of time. After taking hot baths,
they put on bathing suits,allowed themselves to be doused(浸入)with cold water, and then stood about
dripping wet in drafty(通風(fēng)的)room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain
until close to complete tiredness. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus
was actually dropped in his nose.
     If, then,cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds,why are they more frequent in the
winter? Despite the most pains--taking research,no one has yet found the answer. One explanation
offered by scientists is that people are more likely to stay together indoors in cold weather than at other
times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain suppressors(止痛片) such
as aspirin,but all they do is to relieve the symptoms.

1. The fact that the Eskimos don't suffer colds shows that _____.

A. colds are really full of myths.
B. viruses are the factors causing colds.
C. colds are more serious than other illnesses.
D. the idea that cold leads to colds doesn't stand up.

2. The experiments mentioned in Paragraph 3 made it clear that _____.

A. being doused with cold water did harm to one's body.
B. taking hot baths made the volunteers easy to be tired.
C. it was viruses not wet and cold that made people have colds.
D. people who would like to exercise in the rain got colds more easily.

3. According to the passage, colds are commonly seen in winter because _____.

A. there is great difference between indoor and outdoor temperature.
B. viruses can go into people's warm bodies more easily in winter.
C. staying together indoors makes it easier for viruses to pass on.
D. People are usually weak because of the extreme cold in winter

4. The passage mainly discusses_____.

A. the reason and the way people catch colds.
B. the myths about colds.
C. the experiments on colds.
D. the continued spread of common colds.

      No matter what your reasons for eating more vegetarian food are, there is no denying the
obvious health benefits that result from the elimination (排除) of red meat from your diet. In
general, vegetarians have lower levels of blood fats,  cholesterol  (膽固醇) and  triglyceride 
 (甘油三酸脂) than meat eaters of a similar age and social status.
      High levels of blood fats are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Lacto-ovo
vegetarians (乳類蛋類素食者), who eat eggs and dairy products, have higher cholesterol levels
than vegans  (絕對素食者). Even among lacto-ovo vegetarians, however, cholesterol levels
are generally lower than they are among meat eaters.
      Researchers have found that older men that eat meat six or more times a week are twice as
likely to die of heart disease as those that don't have meat. Among middle-aged men, meat eaters
were four times more likely to suffer a fatal heart attack, according to the study.
      As for women, who are partly protected by their hormones and generally develop heart disease
later in life than men, the risk of fatal heart disease has been found to be lower only among older
vegetarians. In a 1982 study of more than 10 000 vegetarians and meat eaters, British researchers
found that the more meat people consumed, the greater risk they had of suffering a heart attack.
      Though eliminating meat from the diet is likely to reduce your consumption of heart-damaging
fats and cholesterol, continuing to eat large amounts of high-fat dairy products and cholesterol-rich
eggs can reduce the benefit. The introduction of more vegetables, fruit and raw foods will definitely
enhance the benefits of giving up eating meat.

1. According to the passage, vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters in all of the following aspects
EXCEPT their_________.   

A. heart rate                
B. cholesterol levels
C. triglyceride levels        
D. blood fat levels

2. We can learn from the underlined sentence in the first paragraph that__________.    

A. you need to have a good reason for having vegetarian food
B. eliminating red meat from your diet is no good for your health
C. eating more vegetarian food can have obvious benefits for your health
D. the possibility of meat eaters developing heart disease is twice as high as that for vegetarians

3. From the second paragraph, we can know that   

A. lacto-ovo vegetarians have the healthiest diets
B. vegetarians don't eat eggs and dairy products
C . vegans have the lowest cholesterol levels
D. vegans do not have the risk of catching heart disease

4. What can we learn from the passage?      

A. Women tend to suffer from heart disease earlier men.
B. Older women have less chance of suffering from heart disease than young women.
C. Eating more meat may increase a person's chance of developing heart disease.
D. Eating meat has little influence on older people's health.

     People can be addicted to different things- e. g. alcohol, drug, certain foods,or even television.
People who have such an addiction are compulsive: they have a very powerful psychological need
that they feel they must satisfy. According to psychologists, many people are compulsive spenders.
They feel that they must spend money. This compulsion, like most others, is impossible to explain
reasonably. For compulsive spenders who buy on credit, charge accounts are even more exciting
than money. In other words, compulsive spenders feel that with credit, they can do anything. Their
pleasure in spending large amounts is actually greater than the pleasure that they get from the things
they buy. 
     There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people
look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters,however, often buy things that
they don't need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets,
but they are really playing an exciting game. When they can buy something for less than other people,
they feel that they are winners. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a
good reason for the things that they do and thereal reason.
     It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, butalso
business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business. They
consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs andopinions,
and so on in their advertising and sales methods.
     Psychologists often use a method called "behavior therapy (療法)"to help individuals solvetheir
personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they haveproblems with
money.

1. According to psychologists, a compulsive spender is one who spends large amounts of money            .

A. and takes great pleasure from what he or she buys
B. in order to satisfy his or her basic needs in life
C. just to meet his or her strong psychological need
D. entirely with an irrational eagerness

2. According to the passage, compulsive bargain hunters are often in search of the lowest possible prices.

A. because they feel satisfied if they spend less money than others
B. because they like to show off their success in getting things for less money
C. because they have money problem
D. because they want to save money to help heir budget

3. The passage is mainly talking about.

A. the psychology of money-spending habits
B. the purchasing habits of compulsive spenders
C. a special psychology of bargain hunting
D. the use of the psychology of spending habits in business

4. From the passage we may safely conclude that compulsive spenders or compulsive bargainhunters.

A. are really unreasonable
B. need special treatment
C. can't be cured
D. can never get any help to solve their problems with money

     All sorts of things become litter(垃圾) but two of the most common and most dangerous are cigarette
butts(煙頭) and plastic bags. Litter is a big problem for our environment but it is a problem that individuals can easily do something about. Not littering at all or cleaning up litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic
bags, greatly improves the quality of our environment.
     Although cigarette butts are small, they are bad for the environment. Over 1,600 billion cigarettes are
smoked each year in China and large quantities of the butts are thrown away. Worldwide, about 4. 5
trillion cigarette butts are littered every year. Apart from the fact that butts spoil the beauty of the
environment, they contain some very toxic chemicals. These find their way into the water supply where
they reduce the quality of the water and cause danger to plants and animals that live there. So, if people
have to smoke, they shouldn't throw away the cigarette butts but put them in the rubbish bin instead.
     Plastic bags are another common form of litter that is a danger to the environment. There are several
reasons for this. They are made from oil and gas, which are non-renewable resources(資源). If they are
not recycled, these resources are lost to us. In China, 2 billion plastic bags are used every day. A large
number of these become litter. This is a huge problem because they last from 20 to 1,000 years in the
environment. They float easily in the air and water and travel long distances. They find their way to rivers,
parks, beaches and oceans. Plastic bags kill up to 1,000,000 seabirds, 100, 000 sea mammals and
countless fish each year worldwide. It is up to people not to let plastic bags become litter. It would be
better if they used fewer and recycled them.
     Cleaning up your cigarette butts and plastic bags would improve the environment. And we would
know that we were doing something to look after our planet. However, I believe the best solution would
be not to smoke or use plastic bags at all.

1. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
( 1= paragraph 1;  2= paragraph 2;   3= paragraph 3;   4= paragraph 4 )

A. para1+para2,3,4      
B. para1+para2,3+para4    
C. para1,2,3+para4      
D.para1,2+para3,4

2. The word "toxic" in the paragraph 2 most probably mean "________"

A. valuable    
B. useless      
C. extra          
D. harmful

3. From  the text. we know the fact that_________

A. plastic bags cause 1 million deaths of seabirds each year worldwide
B. Chinese smokers litter up to 4. 5 trillion cigarette ends every year
C. the cigarette ends can last 20 to 1,000 years in the environment of China
D. people in the world use 2 billion plastic bags in a single day

4. What's probably the best title of the passage?

A. Say Goodbye to Smoking                      
B. Protect the Sea Animals    
C. Clean Up Your Cigarette ends and Bags    
D. Use Paper Bags Now  

      Your body, which has close relations with the food you eat, is the most important thing you own, so
it needs proper treatment and proper nourishment (食物). The old saying "an apple a day keeps the
doctor away." is not as silly as some people think. The body needs fruit and vegetables because they
contain vitamins. Many people take extra vitamins in pill form (丸劑), believing that these will make them
healthy. But a good diet is made up of nutritive food and this gives all the vitamins you need. The body
doesn't need or use extra vitamins, so why they waste money on them?
     In the modern Western world, many people are too busy to bother about eating properly. They throw
anyt hing into their stomachs, eating hurriedly and carelessly. The list of illnesses caused or made worse
by bad eating habits is frightening.

1. The old saying referred to in the passage tells us that        .

A. eating apples regularly does lots of good to our health.  
B. the apple is the best among all kinds of fruits  
C. apples can take the place of doctors
D. an apple is a sure cure for illness

2. In the second paragraph, the writer tries to let us know        .

A. our bodies need food, or we can't live  
B. often eating apples is a good habit  
C. taking extra vitamin pills is completely useless  
D. a good diet is of great importance for our health  

3. In the modern western countries        .

A. people won't want to pay more attention to their eating  
B. people throw everything into their stomachs without chewing.
C. list of people's illness are caused or made worse by bad eating habits
D. people are only too busy to cook meals for themselves  

4. From the passage we can draw a conclusion that if we want to keep healthy, we should        .

A. only eat an apple a day  
B. take as many vitamin pills as possible
C. eat properly    
D. throw something into our stomachs slowly and carefully.

     In the past, man did not have to think about protection of the environment. There were very few
people on the earth, and natural resources seemed to be unlimited.
     Today things are different. The world has become too crowded. We are using up our natural
resources too quickly, and at the same time we are polluting our environment with dangerous chemicals.
If we continue to do this, human life on the earth will not survive.
     Everyone realizes today that if too many fish are taken from the sea, there will soon be none left. Yet,
with modern fishing methods, more and more fish are caught. We know that if too many trees are cut
down, forests will disappear and nothing will grow on land. Yet, we continue to use more powerful
machines to cut down more and more trees.
     We realize that if rivers are polluted with waste products from factories, we will die. However, in
most countries waste is still put into rivers, but there are few laws to stop this.
     We also know that if the population of the countries in the world is to rise at the present rate in a few
years, there will not be enough food.
     What can we do to solve these problems?
     If we eat more vegetables and less meat, there will be more food available for everyone. Land that is
used to grow crops can feed five times more people than land where animals are kept.
     Our natural resources will last longer if we learn to recycle them.
     The world population will not rise so quickly if people use modern methods of birth control.
     Finally, if all of us think about the problem, we will have a better and cleaner planet in the future.

1. This passage mainly tells us about ______.

A. the problems we are facing today about environment and the ways to solve them
B. the unlimited natural resources in the world
C. our rivers are being polluted by waste from factories
D. the ways early man protected the environment

2. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. If we eat more vegetables, more food can be saved.
B. In the past, there was no need for people to think about environmental protection.
C. If we keep on cutting trees, forests will disappear.
D. We shouldn’t take more and more fish out of the sea, or there will soon be no fish left.

3. What is implied (暗示) in the passage?

A. Man is cleverer than any other animal.
B. Man will destroy himself if he doesn’t solve the problem.
C. Modern fishing methods are helpful in our fishing industry.
D. We should make more laws in order to survive.

4. From the passage we can see that the world’s natural resources ______.

A. will never be used up
B. are being polluted
C. are as plentiful as in the past
D. are being used up very quickly  

     There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with
factories and heavy automobile traffic. At present, we realize that although these are the areas with the
worst air pollution, the problem is worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a heavy cloud
of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and brought health warnings in rural areas away
from any major concentration (集中)of manufacturing and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of
the entire earth may be infected by air pollution.
     Some scientists consider that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from
the burning of coal and oil is creating a "greenhouse effect" - raising the world's average temperature. If
this view is correct and the world's temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice will
melt and cities such as Newk York, Boston, Miami, and Newk^ Orleans will be in water.
     Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the atmosphere is preventing
sunlight and lowering the earth's temperature - a result that would be equally disastrous. A drop of just
a few degrees could create something close to a newk^s*5#u ice age, and would make agriculture
difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas. Today we do not know for sure that either of
these conditions will happen though one recent government reports that the greenhouse effect is very
possible. Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, the two tendencies will offset(抵消)each other and the world's
temperature will stay about the same as it is now. Driven by economic profits, people don't think about
the damage on our environment caused by the "advanced civilization". Maybe the air pollution is the price
the human beings have to pay for their development. But is it really worth?

2. As pointed out at the beginning of the passage, people used to think that air pollution ________.

A. caused widespread damage in the countryside
B. affected the entire eastern half of the United States
C. had damaged effect on health
D. existed only in urban and industrial areas

3. As to the greenhouse effect, the author ________.

A. shares the same view with the scientists
B. is uncertain of its happening
C. rejects it as being ungrounded
D. thinks it will destroy the world soon

4. It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.

A. lowering the world's temperature only a few degrees would lead major farming areas to disaster
B. raising the world's temperature only a few degrees would not do much harm to life on earth
C. almost no temperature variations have occurred over the past decade
D. the world's temperature will remain constant in the years to come

5. This passage is mainly about ________.

A. the greenhouse effect
B. the burning of coal and oil
C. the potential effect of air pollution
D. the likelihood of a newk ice age

     Wherever life takes you after A-level results day, it's likely to bring increased independence. That
means it's time to take care of yourself.
     Students, take note. When you arrive at university, make sure you register with a doctor near your
term-time address. If there is a university doctor at your institution, they will be your best choice. If not,
ask student services for a recommendation. Once registered, do everything you can to make sure you
never have to pay them a visit. Don't take unnecessary health risks.
     Cook meat thoroughly. Throw food away if it's out of date. Clean up after yourself. Food poisoning
can be harmful, but it's easy to avoid if you pay due care and attention.
     University often brings a certain lifestyle, and while that's usually a whole lot of fun, it can quickly tip
into a whole lot of sorrow. Know your limits when it comes to alcohol. Habitual drinking can be
dangerous, and while every student will have nights of excess, these should be the exception, not the
norm. Look out for your friends, too. If you're worried about alcohol or substance abuse, visit
alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk <http://alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk> or ukna.org http://ukna.org
for free and confidential support.
     Anyone living with teenagers and young adults, especially in environments such as halls of residence,
must accept that germs (細菌) will be shared. Bugs and colds will spread like wildfire. Living
communally brings certain health risks, and meningitis is probably the most serious of these. Symptoms
include a rash, stiff neck and an aversion to bright lights. It's rare, but seek immediate medical attention
if you're concerned (meningitis.org <http://meningitis.org>).
     Gappers, meanwhile, may need to consider specific health risks. If you're planning a trip abroad,
especially in rural areas of poor countries, make sure you get the necessary vaccinations (預(yù)防注射) in
good time before you leave.
     Research these at www.netdoctor.co.uk <http://www.netdoctor.co.uk>. You should be able to get everything you need from your doctor, although you may have to give them notice and you may have to pay, even on the NHS (英國國家醫(yī)療服務(wù)體系). If you also need to take medication while you're away, such as anti-malarials, do it faithfully.
      On a general note, whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever you do with your time, never walk alone at night, especially in quiet and badly lit areas. Always carry your phone. Never get in an unlicensed cab. Be careful who you trust. Respect your new independence, and keep yourself safe.

1. This passage is mainly intended for the students _________.

A. who enjoy university life
B. who live outside the campus
C. who are going to university
D. who want to keep fit at university

2. The underlined word "meningitis" in Paragraph 5 probably refers to _________.

A. a system about health risks
B. a serious infectious illness
C. anti-malaria medicine
D. wide-spread germs and bugs

3. If students want to remove their worries about certain symptoms, they can visit ________.

A. www.netdoctor.co.uk http://www.netdoctor.co.uk
B. ukna.org <http://ukna.org>
C. alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk http://alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk
D. meningitis.org <http://meningitis.org>

4. Which of the following statements is true? 

A. Students are allowed to take medication even when they are away. 
B. Students have to register with a doctor for free medical care.
C. Students prefer to live in environments such as halls of residence. 
D. Students have to avoid health and security risks to be independent.

     We produce 500 billion of plastic bags in a year world-wide and they are thrown
away polluting oceans, killing wild-life and getting dumped in landfills where they take
up to 1,000 years to decompose. Researchers have been unsuccessfully looking for a
solution.
    The 16-year-old Canadian high school student, Daniel Burd, from Waterloo Collegiate
Institute, has discovered a-way to make plastic bags degrade(降解)in as few as 3months,
a finding that won him first prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair, a $10,000 prize, a
$20,000 scholarship, and a chance to revolutionize a major environmental issue.
    Burd's strategy was simple: Since plastic does eventually degrade, it must be eaten by
microorganisms(微生物). If those microorganisms could be identified, we could put them
to work eating the plastic much faster than under normal conditions.
    With this goal in mind, he ground plastic bags into a powder and concocted(調(diào)制)a
solution of household chemicals, yeast(酵母)and tap water to encourage microbes growth.
Then he added the plastic powder and let the microbes work their magic for 3 months. Finally,
 he tested the resulting bacterial culture on plastic bags, exposing one plastic sample to dead
bacteria as a control. Sure enough, the plastic exposed(暴露)to the live bacteria was 17%
lighter than the control after six weeks.
    The inputs are cheap: maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because microbes
produce heat as they work, and the only outputs are water and tiny levels of carbon dioxide.
    "Almost every week I have to do chores and when I open the closet door, I have piles of plastic
bags falling on top of me. One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are
doing with these plastic bags. The answer: not much. So I decided to do something myself." said
Daniel Burd.

1．Daniel Burd won first prize at the Canada-Wide Science Fair because ____.   

A．he found a new kind of microorganism
B．he contributed much to environmental protection
C．he found a way to degrade plastics in shorter time
D．he could encourage microbes growth in an easier way

2．Daniel Burd exposed one plastic sample to dead bacteria to       

A．make the live bacteria work better
B．test how effective his method was
C．know which bacteria worked faster
D．control the temperature in the process

3．Maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because ____.  

A．plastics can get hot easily
B．microbes can produce heat themselves
C．much carbon dioxide is produced
D．the temperature can be controlled

4．Daniel Burd got his idea from ____.   

A．his school textbook
B．the failure of researchers
C．his everyday work
D．the practice of other people

     Secondhand smoke isn't just a health threat to people. It can also hurt dogs and cats,veterinarians
say.
     According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,more than 126 million Americans
who don't smoke are exposed to secondhand smoke in their homes,vehicles,workplaces,and public
places. This exposure causes thousands of lung cancer and heart disease deaths among nonsmokers
every year,according to the California Environmental Protection Agency.
     "Making the leap from the effects of secondhand smoke on humans to their effects on pets isn't a
big one," says veterinarian (獸醫(yī)專家) Carolynn MacAllister of Oklahoma State University.
     "There have been a number of scientific papers recently that have reported the significant health
threat secondhand smoke poses to pets," MacAllister said. "Secondhand smoke has been associated
with oral cancer and lymphoma in cats,lung and nasal cancer in dogs,as well as lung cancer in birds."
     Studies have also shown that dogs living in a smoking household are susceptible to cancers of the
nose and sinus area,particularly if they are a long-nosed breed,because their noses have a greater
surface area that is exposed to carcinogens and a greater area for them to accumulate. Dogs affected
with nasal cancer normally don't survive for more than one year.
     "Short and medium-nosed dogs are more susceptible to lung cancer,because their shorter nasal
passage aren't as effective at accumulating the inhaled secondhand smoke carcinogens," MacAllister
said. "This results in more carcinogens (致癌物質(zhì)) reaching the lungs."
     Birds are also at risk for lung cancer,as well as pneumonia,because their respiratory systems are
hypersensitive to any type of air pollutant.
     To help prevent animals from being adversely affected by smoking,pet owners who smoke should
have a designated smoking area that is separated from the home or stop smoking altogether,MacAllister
said.          

1. From the passage,we can see secondhand smoke maybe not harmful to _______.

A. smokers        
B. non-smokers    
C. pets        
D. trees

2. What can be suggested according to the passage?

A. Smokers can smoke anywhere.
B. Smokers can smoke at any time.
C. Smokers should smoke in the designated place.
D. Smokers must give up smoking at once.

3. What kind of dogs are likely to suffer from nasal cancer?

A. Long-nosed dogs              
B. Short-nosed dogs
C. Medium-nosed dogs            
D. Dogs without noses

4. The best title of the passage is __________.

A. Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in People
B. Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Birds
C. Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Pets
D. Secondhand Smoke Causes Cancer in Cats

5. What is the meaning of the underlined phrase "are susceptible to"?

A. are likely to be harmed by
B. are hard to be influenced by
C. are less to be effected by
D. are lucky to be caught by