D

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (邏輯) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain twenty minutes from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

71. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. A Way on How to Write

   B. Increase Your Brain Power through Writing

   C. Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing

   D. How to Start Your Writing

72. According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.

   A. the increase of your brain power

   B. the ability to remember

   C. the development of your interest in study

   D. the better understanding of a topic

73. If a writer writes something, it means that he or she _______.

   A. has understood it very well

   B. needs to understand it better

   C. wants to remember it in his or her mind

   D. is exercising his or her “explain power”

74. The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies that ______.

   A. you are already successful

   B. you still need to work hard

   C. writing can help you walk half way

   D. writing is important to solve problems

75. What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?

   A. To advise readers to start their writing.

   B. To explain the importance of writing.

   C. To persuade readers to become writers.

   D. To increase readers’ brain power.

A

Are you a big fan of pirate（海盜） stories? Do you know how to talk like a pirate? You can have fun on September 19th. This special holiday is called International Talk Like A Pirate Day. It was invented in 1995 by two young Americans, John Baur and Mark Summers.

These two good friends came up with this idea when they were playing racquetball, and began to talk like pirates. At that moment, they thought, “Young people are interested in pirate. But there is no such a chance for people to get together to share it. Why not have a day when everybody talks like a pirate?” They decided to make September 19th the date. Since then, Baur and Summers have tried hard to promote Talk Like A Pirate Day. As Baur said, “We've talked like pirates, and encouraged several of our friends to do so every September 19th.”

At first, this day was only known by a few people. In 2002, Baur and Summers sent a letter about their invented holiday to Dave Barry. This columnist（專欄作家）really liked their idea. He promoted the holiday and made it known to more and more people. Now, it has really become an international holiday. On Talk Like A Pirate Day, you need to dress like a pirate. You should wear a big hat or maybe cover one of your eyes. You can pretend to be any kind of pirate that you can find in any story or movie.

Having fun and being relaxed are not the only best things about the holiday. Young people share the same interest and childhood dreams that day. That's why it is welcomed by so many people, especially young people.

Unlike traditional holidays, International Talk Like A Pirate Day is a brand new holiday which is invented by the youth themselves and celebrated by themselves too. Because of Baur and Summers' imagination and creativity, thousands of young people's pirate dream come true. Next time, when you have a good idea, why not share it with your fiends and insist on your belief? Maybe you can create another wonderful holiday for the youth in the future.

1. How did John Baur and Mark Summers invent the special holiday?

A. Many young people asked them to do it

B. They did it just for pleasure

C. They thought out the idea by chance and imagination

D. They did it in order to honor pirates

2. Why are the holiday become more and more popular？.

A. You can have fun and relax yourself freely.

B. young people can exchange ideas and dreams on the day

C. young people can have fun and be relaxed.

D. you can play the role of the pirate in the movie on the day

3. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A. It was Dave Barry who made more people know the holiday.

B. Talk Like A Pirate Day is a young, active and lively holiday

C. Thanks to John Baur and Mark Summers’ imagination and creativity, a lot of people realize their pirate dream.

D. The holiday has been popular since the birth of it.

4. According to the passage, which of the following can show that the holiday is special?

A. It has a long history.  

B. It is a wonderful and instructive holiday.

C. It is a brand new holiday invented and celebrated by the youth themselves.  

D. People can make their dream come true on this day.

5. Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage？

A. Can you talk like a pirate?

B. Young people’s pirate dream

C. John Baur and Mark Summers

D. September 19^th ,—a day in honor of pirates

D

Have you ever thought, “I wish I could take a year off and just travel around the world”? Well, three lucky American teenagers were able to do just that. The teens—two males and one female--got an all-expenses paid, yearlong hike to five continents.

This trip didn’t include any five-star hotels or shopping funs. Eighteen-year-old Jamie Fiel from Keller, Texas, 17-year-old Arsen Ewing from Canyon, California, and 16-year-old Tyler Robinson from Lincoln, Massachusetts, didn’t expect fancy treatment. They signed up for the experience of a lifetime, which included hard work, often uncomfortable accommodations, and encounters with some of nature’s most dangerous animals and environments.

Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler were among hundreds of high school kids nominated by their science teachers to take this trip. Earthwatch Institute sponsored (贊助) this adventure. Each year, Earthwatch employs thousands of volunteers worldwide to help with scientific research projects.

The group went all around the world to get a close look at the most pressing environmental issues of our time. Their assignments were as varied as their locations, and included measuring and attending pink flamingos in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley, and tracking giant sea turtles in Costa Rica.

As they worked with the Earthwatch scientists, Jamie, Arsen, and Tyler began to understand that we are at a critical moment in the life of our planet. Time for change is running out. As the teens went from country to country and witnessed different environmental dangers and challenges, they understood that solutions to important environmental issues start with the power of one person's actions. They realized that each of them can make a difference.

1. These teenagers went on the journey around the world _____.

A. to experience the most serous environmental problems on the earth

B. to bring the kindness of America to the other parts of the world

C. to go on sightseeing around the world

D. to call on more teenagers to join Earthwatch Institute

2. What’s true about their journey?

A. They had to pay for their journey on their own expense.

B. They often had to move from one hotel to another.

C. They had to take great pains to collect environmental information.

D. They received a warm welcome every time they arrived at a new place.

3. It can be inferred that Earthwatch Institute could be _____.

A. an international university that takes in students from all over the world

B. a TV station that makes programmes on the beautiful scenery of the earth

C. a travel agency that organizes adventure trips specially for school children

D. an organization that brings science to life for people concerned about earth’s environment

4. What did they these teenagers learn from the journey?

A. It was high time that people protected the environment.

B. Long journey was not suitable for school children.

C. It should take the whole world to help the children.

D. Environmental problems can be solved if school children take part.

D

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic (邏輯) behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power.”

Try this experiment. Explain how you’ll increase your brain power, even if you have no idea how right now. Just start with anything, and create an explanation. For example, start with “I’ll learn chess,” or “I’ll read an article on the mind every week.” Explain how that will help. You’ll be surprised how often this becomes a workable plan, and if you actually do this, you’ll have a better understanding of your brain twenty minutes from now.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem, why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half-way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

71. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. A Way on How to Write

   B. Increase Your Brain Power through Writing

   C. Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing

   D. How to Start Your Writing

72. According to the text, writing can help you a lot in the following ways EXCEPT ______.

   A. the increase of your brain power

   B. the ability to remember

   C. the development of your interest in study

   D. the better understanding of a topic

73. If a writer writes something, it means that he or she _______.

   A. has understood it very well

   B. needs to understand it better

   C. wants to remember it in his or her mind

   D. is exercising his or her “explain power”

74. The underlined sentence “you’re half-way there” in the fifth paragraph implies that ______.

   A. you are already successful

   B. you still need to work hard

   C. writing can help you walk half way

   D. writing is important to solve problems

75. What’s the main purpose of the writer writing the text?

   A. To advise readers to start their writing.

   B. To explain the importance of writing.

   C. To persuade readers to become writers.

   D. To increase readers’ brain power.

D

Have you ever noticed what happens to an idea once you express it? Just talking about it or writing it down causes you to make it clear in your own mind. How can you use this to increase your brain power? Start writing.

By putting thoughts into words, you are telling yourself the logic behind what you think, feel, or only partly understand. Often, explaining a thought is the process of understanding. In other words, you increase your brain power by exercising your “explain power”.

Another benefit of writing is that it helps you remember. Many, if not most, highly productive people are always taking notes. You can try keeping it all in your head, but if you keep a journal(日志) of your ideas the next time you’re working on a big project, you’ll probably have more success.

Want to understand a topic? Write a book about it. That’s an extreme example, but if you are learning something new, write a letter to a friend about it, and you will understand it better. Want to invent something? Write an explanation of the problem—why you want to solve it, and why it is worth solving, and you’re half way there.

Writers don’t always write because they clearly understand something beforehand. Often, they write about something because they want to understand it. You can do the same. Writing will help bring you to an understanding. Give it a try.

47.What would be the best title for the passage?

A.A Way on How to Write

B.Increase Your Brain Power Through Writing

C.Brain Power Helps Improve Your Writing

D.How to Start Your Writing

48.According to the passage, writing can help you a lot EXCEPT_______.

A.to increase your brain power      B.to improve the ability to remember

C.to develop your interest in study   D.to strengthen the understanding of a topic

49.The underlined sentence “you’re half?way there” in the fourth paragraph means that_______.

A.you are already successful

B.there’s a long way for you to go to reach your goal

C.you are left wondering what to do

D.you have been on the way to success

50.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A.Writing can cure people of their brain disease.

B.People who can keep all thoughts in mind are more likely to succeed.

C.Writing a book about one topic is the only way to understand it.

D.The more you write, the more logical you will be.