John Steinbeck once said, “All American believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like speaking publicly against mother-love or hating moonlight”.

I can’t say I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember read by him was “The Pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. When I am on a boat in the middle of the lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming. Fishing is my life.

According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.

However, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the jobs gets too stressful.

I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Michel. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.

After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19-inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life-changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.

Since then, prime-time season seems to take forever to arrive.

Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out to Lake Tus caloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.

9．What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______

A. American are believed to be the offspring of fishermen.

B. it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing.

C. all American are expert at fishing.

D. those who dislike fishing would not love their mother.

10．The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______.

A. when he was reading “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck     

B. when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell

C. after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama

D. after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone

11．According to the author, ______.

A. people can get to know VIPs when fishing     

B. people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing

C. fishing is a way of communication  

D. fishing is a way of life for most American people

12．What is the purpose of the writing?

A. To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing. 

B. To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.

C. To make others understand the industry of fishing.

D. To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.

John Steinbeck once said, “All Americans believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like denouncing (公開(kāi)指責(zé)) mother – love or hating moonlight.”
I can’t say that I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. Whether I am on a boat in the middle of the Lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming, fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life for many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Obama can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the job gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Mitchell. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19–inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life–changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime–time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March in sight, the excitement of heading out Lake Tuscaloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned

1. 1.

   What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______________

   1. A.
      Americans are believed to be the offspring of fishermen
   2. B.
      it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing
   3. C.
      all Americans are expert at fishing
   4. D.
      those who dislike fishing would not love their mother
2. 2.

   The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______________

   1. A.
      when he was reading “The pearl” by John Steinbeck
   2. B.
      when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell
   3. C.
      after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama
   4. D.
      after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone
3. 3.

   What can be inferred from the text?

   1. A.
      The author is at most 21 years old
   2. B.
      The author regards fishing as a very important part in his life
   3. C.
      The author agreed with John Steinbeck the most when he was in middle school
   4. D.
      President Obama often goes fishing in public in order to collect idea for his job
4. 4.

   According to the author, __________________

   1. A.
      people can get to know VIPs when fishing
   2. B.
      people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing
   3. C.
      Fishing is a way of communication
   4. D.
      Fishing is a way to make a living for most American people
5. 5.

   What is the purpose of the writing?

   1. A.
      To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing
   2. B.
      To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing
   3. C.
      To make others understand the industry of fishing
   4. D.
      To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year

John Steinbeck once said, “All American believe they are born fishermen. For a man to admit to a distaste in fishing would be like speaking publicly against mother-love or hating moonlight”.
I can’t say I’m the biggest John Steinbeck fan. Actually, the only thing I can ever remember reading by him was “The Pearl” when I was in middle school, but I couldn’t agree more with the man when it comes to fishing. When I am on a boat in the middle of the lay Lake, fishing off the shores of the Florida Keys for tarpon or catching rainbow trout in the Shoshone River of Wyoming. Fishing is my life.
According to the American Sports Fishing Association, the fishing industry brings in more than $ 116 billion per year from fishermen across the country.
Though a beautiful picture to imagine, fishing is much more than that. Fishing is a way of life from many people and a way to escape everyday stress. Being a fisherman makes me a member of a wonderful group of people extending to all walks of life. Even President Bush can be found fishing on his farm in Texas with his good friend Roland Martin when the jobs gets too stressful.
I can remember fishing with my grandfather when I was 5 years old on his boat at Lake Michel. Although I didn’t understand what I was doing, I did know that my grandfather was happy and that made me happy. Since then I’ve spent the past 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama.
After days of practice, before and after work, I slowly developed an understanding of fishing. My boss, Ric Horst, took me back to the Shoshone, and I managed to bring in a 19-inch cutthroat trout. Fishing with Ric was a life-changing experience for me. He not only showed me how to fish correctly, but also told me how fishing could be a way to escape your problems.
Since then, prime-time season seems to take forever to arrive.
Now, with the ending of February and beginning of March is sight, the excitement of heading out to Lake Tus caloosa or Lake Lurleen before classes and catching something has finally returned.

1. 1.

   What John Steinbeck said in the first paragraph implies that ______

   1. A.
      American are believed to be the offspring of fishermen.
   2. B.
      it is unthinkable for an American to admit his dislike of fishing.
   3. C.
      all American are expert at fishing.
   4. D.
      those who dislike fishing would not love their mother.
2. 2.

   The writer came to understand the real meaning of fishing ______.

   1. A.
      when he was reading “The Pearl” by John Steinbeck
   2. B.
      when he went fishing with his grandfather at Lake Mitchell
   3. C.
      after he had spent 16 years on the rivers and lakes of Alabama
   4. D.
      after he went fishing with his boss, Ric Horst on the Shoshone
3. 3.

   According to the author, ______.

   1. A.
      people can get to know VIPs when fishing
   2. B.
      people can smooth away all the troubles by fishing
   3. C.
      fishing is a way of communication
   4. D.
      fishing is a way of life for most American people
4. 4.

   What is the purpose of the writing?

   1. A.
      To describe the writer’s experience and understanding of fishing.
   2. B.
      To explain the reason why so many Americans like fishing.
   3. C.
      To make others understand the industry of fishing.
   4. D.
      To express his opinions about fishing in different time of the year.

Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.

During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare’s play “The Comedy of Errors”, Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play “Macbeth”, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（強(qiáng)度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.

Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare’s knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.

It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of “critic”, “mountaineer” and “eyeball”. Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including “pomp and circumstance（裝腔作勢(shì)）” from “Othello”, “full circle（繞圈子地）” from “King Lear”, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare’s plays have been translated into every major language in the world.

Shakespeare became a well­known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.

1. From the passage, we can see that ________.

A. Shakespeare was hard­working when he was a student

B. many of Shakespeare’s works were influenced by earlier writings

C. the experience of living in London had no effect on Shakespeare’s works

D. Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works

2. Why could Shakespeare’s works survive his time?

A. Because there were so few people writing plays in his time.

B. Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do.

C. Because his works were rich in imagination and language.

D. Because he was a rich and influential person of his time.

3.Shakespeare’s greatest influence should be on 　　　　.

A. paintings      B. television

C. the English language           D. music and dance

4.The passage is mainly about 　　　　.

A. an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works

B. the main features and styles of Shakespeare’s plays

C. Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.

D. how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.

C

　　The curtain on the 2008 US presidential election finally rose last month as Requblican Senator(參議員) John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama were formally selected as candidates of the two major parties.This may be one of the hardest decisions voters have to make between two appealing candidates.The big question for voters,as they face both an economic downturn and international threats,is :who will they elect? A young first - term senator promising change and new ideas,or a longtime senator with strong military experience and a reputation as a maverick(特立獨(dú)行的人)？

　　American voters have never seen a candidate quite like Obama.He has a white mother from the US and a black fater from Kenya who left the family when Obama was very young.He spent part of his youth in Indonesia.

　　However,McCain has a very different life story.

　　He grew up in a Navy family and was a daring pilot during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. When Obama was in kindergarten in Indonesia,McCain's plane was shot down over Ietenam and he became a prisoner of war.McCain could have been set free if he disowned America but he refused and so was held for five years.

　　"We need a president who is very,very old,"McCain joked at his age as many others do.If elected,he would be 72 when he takes office and the oldest man to step in.

　　So in the end,the election may depend on several factors that are hard to judge:Will Obama's race matter to a significant number of voters ? Will workingclass whites who tended to support his primary (黨內(nèi)初選) oponent,Hillary Clinton,vote for Obama? And perhaps most important of all,will uncertain voters be more attracted to Obama's vision or to McCain's experience?

　　Whatever happens,one thing is clear,however:Whoever walks into the White House on January 20,2009,will find huge challenges waiting for him in the Oval Office,both at home and abroad.

　　64.______makes the result of the election hard to predict.

　　　A.Whether working class whites care about Obama's inexperience

　　　B.The economic trouble the country now faces

　　　C.Who uncertain voters will finally decide to vote for

　　　D.McCain being too old to govern the country

　　65.The appeal in Obama as a presidential candidate lies in _________

　　　A.his multi - cultural background

　　　B.his belife in tradition

　　　C.his inexperience in politics

　　　D.his fantastic promises

　　66.The word "disown" in Paragraph 6 means closest to ______.

　　　A.flee from

　　　B.turn his back on

　　　C.not keep it private

　　　D.expose secrets about

　　67.The challenges that will face the new preident______.

　　　A.are not mentioned in the text

　　　B.include buklding a strong party and a friendly image

　　　C.refer to the problems of immigrants and economy

　　　D.refer to the problems of economy amd international relations

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.

　　Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.

　　They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.

　　Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”

If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.

A. it is worse to ensure that they do plenty of exercise

B. you can have their brain scanned

C. it could be better to make sure that they do a lot of exercise

D. you can do a lot except ensuring that they do exercise

According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The fitness level of the children is linked to their intelligence.

B. Children who have a larger hippocampus will probably have better memories.

C. You can do something about the genes from your parents.

D. Unhealthy children will probably have a smaller hippocampus than others.

All the following factors that have some influence on one’s brain are mentioned EXCEPT ____________.

A. genetic factor    B. economic status   C. physical fitness  D. economic development

Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.

During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors" Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth", Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（強(qiáng)度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.

Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.

It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（裝腔作勢(shì)）"from "Othello", "full circle（繞圈子地）" from "King Lear", etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.

Shakespeare became a well­known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.

1.What can we infer from the passage？

    A.Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings.

    B.Shakespeare was hard­working when he was a student.

    C.The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works.

    D.Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works.

2.Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in　　　　.

    A."King Lear"     B."The Comedy of Errors"   C. "Macbeth"    D."Othello"

3.Why could Shakespeare's works survive his time？

    A.Because there were so few people writing plays in his time.

    B.Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do.

    C.Because he was a rich and influential person of his time.

    D.Because his works were rich in imagination and language.

4.Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on　　　　.

    A.the English language  B.paintings       C.television    D.music and dance

5.The passage is mainly about 　　　　.

    A.an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works

    B.the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays

    C.how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.

    D.Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.

Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.

During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors" Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth", Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（強(qiáng)度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.

Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.

It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（裝腔作勢(shì)）"from "Othello", "full circle（繞圈子地）" from "King Lear", etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.

Shakespeare became a well??known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.

What can we infer from the passage？

       A.Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings.

       B.Shakespeare was hard??working when he was a student.

       C.The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works.

       D.Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works.

Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in　　　　.

       A."King Lear"     B."The Comedy of Errors"   C. "Macbeth"    D."Othello"

Why could Shakespeare's works survive his time？

       A.Because there were so few people writing plays in his time.

       B.Because he produced too many works that nobody else could do.

       C.Because he was a rich and influential person of his time.

       D.Because his works were rich in imagination and language.

Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on　　　　.

       A.the English language  B.paintings       C.television    D.music and dance

The passage is mainly about 　　　　.

       A.an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works

       B.the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays

       C.how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.

       D.Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.

　　Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.

　　They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.

　　Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”

If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.

A. it is worse to ensure that they do plenty of exercise

B. you can have their brain scanned

C. it could be better to make sure that they do a lot of exercise

D. you can do a lot except ensuring that they do exercise

According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The fitness level of the children is linked to their intelligence.

B. Children who have a larger hippocampus will probably have better memories.

C. You can do something about the genes from your parents.

D. Unhealthy children will probably have a smaller hippocampus than others.

All the following factors that have some influence on one’s brain are mentioned EXCEPT ____________.

A. genetic factor    B. economic status   C. physical fitness  D. economic development

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.

　　Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.

　　They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.

　　Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”

1.If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.

A. it is worse to ensure that they do plenty of exercise

B. you can have their brain scanned

C. it could be better to make sure that they do a lot of exercise

D. you can do a lot except ensuring that they do exercise

2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The fitness level of the children is linked to their intelligence.

B. Children who have a larger hippocampus will probably have better memories.

C. You can do something about the genes from your parents.

D. Unhealthy children will probably have a smaller hippocampus than others.

3. All the following factors that have some influence on one’s brain are mentioned EXCEPT ____________.

A. genetic factor    B. economic status   C. physical fitness  D. economic development

C
　　The curtain on the 2008 US presidential election finally rose last month as Requblican Senator(參議員) John McCain and Democratic Senator Barack Obama were formally selected as candidates of the two major parties.This may be one of the hardest decisions voters have to make between two appealing candidates.The big question for voters,as they face both an economic downturn and international threats,is :who will they elect? A young first - term senator promising change and new ideas,or a longtime senator with strong military experience and a reputation as a maverick(特立獨(dú)行的人)？
　　American voters have never seen a candidate quite like Obama.He has a white mother from the US and a black fater from Kenya who left the family when Obama was very young.He spent part of his youth in Indonesia.
　　However,McCain has a very different life story.
　　He grew up in a Navy family and was a daring pilot during the Vietnam War in the 1960s. When Obama was in kindergarten in Indonesia,McCain's plane was shot down over Ietenam and he became a prisoner of war.McCain could have been set free if he disowned America but he refused and so was held for five years.
　　"We need a president who is very,very old,"McCain joked at his age as many others do.If elected,he would be 72 when he takes office and the oldest man to step in.
　　So in the end,the election may depend on several factors that are hard to judge:Will Obama's race matter to a significant number of voters ? Will workingclass whites who tended to support his primary (黨內(nèi)初選) oponent,Hillary Clinton,vote for Obama? And perhaps most important of all,will uncertain voters be more attracted to Obama's vision or to McCain's experience?
　　Whatever happens,one thing is clear,however:Whoever walks into the White House on January 20,2009,will find huge challenges waiting for him in the Oval Office,both at home and abroad.
　　64.______makes the result of the election hard to predict.
　　　A.Whether working class whites care about Obama's inexperience
　　　B.The economic trouble the country now faces
　　　C.Who uncertain voters will finally decide to vote for
　　　D.McCain being too old to govern the country
　　65.The appeal in Obama as a presidential candidate lies in _________
　　　A.his multi - cultural background
　　　B.his belife in tradition
　　　C.his inexperience in politics
　　　D.his fantastic promises
　　66.The word "disown" in Paragraph 6 means closest to ______.
　　　A.flee from
　　　B.turn his back on
　　　C.not keep it private
　　　D.expose secrets about
　　67.The challenges that will face the new preident______.
　　　A.are not mentioned in the text
　　　B.include buklding a strong party and a friendly image
　　　C.refer to the problems of immigrants and economy
　　　D.refer to the problems of economy amd international relations

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.
　　Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.
　　They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.
　　Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”
【小題1】 If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.

If you want to improve your child’s results at school, you could do a lot worse than ensuring that they do plenty of exercise. Scientists have already shown that physical activity can make you brainier. But a team in America has used scans to show that an important part of the brain actually grows in children who are fit. These youngsters tend to be more intelligent and have better memories than those who are inactive.

　　Scientists also found that one of the most important parts of their brains was 12 percent larger than those of unfit children. They believe that encouraging children to take exercise from a very young age could help them do better at school later. Researchers from the University of Illinois, in the U.S., studied the brains of 49 children aged nine and ten using a magnetic resonance imaging scan (核磁共振攝影掃描), a technique which provides very detailed pictures of organs and tissues in the body.

　　They also tested the fitness levels of the children by making them run on a treadmill (跑步機(jī)). The scientists found that the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory and learning, was around 12 percent larger in the fitter children.

　　Professor Art Kramer, who led the study published in the journal Brain Research, said the findings had important implications for encouraging individuals to take part in sport from a young age. “We knew that experience and environmental factors and socioeconomic status all impact brain development,” he said. “If you get some terrible genes from your parents, you can’t really fix that, and it’s not easy to do something about your economic status. But here’s something that we can do something about.”

1. If you want to improve your children’s result in school, ____________.

A. it is worse to ensure that they do plenty of exercise

B. you can have their brain scanned

C. it could be better to make sure that they do a lot of exercise

D. you can do a lot except ensuring that they do exercise

2. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The fitness level of the children is linked to their intelligence.

B. Children who have a larger hippocampus will probably have better memories.

C. You can do something about the genes from your parents.

D. Unhealthy children will probably have a smaller hippocampus than others.

3.All the following factors that have some influence on one’s brain are mentioned EXCEPT ____________.

A. genetic factor    B. economic status   C. physical fitness  D. economic development

Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.

During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors"（《錯(cuò)誤的喜劇》）Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth"（《麥克白》）, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（強(qiáng)度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.

Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.

It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（裝腔作勢(shì)）"from "Othello"（《奧賽羅》）, "full circle（繞圈子地）" from "King Lear"（《李爾王》）, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.

Shakespeare became a well-known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.

1.What can we infer from the passage？

   A. Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings.

   B. Shakespeare was hard­working when he was a student.

   C. The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works.

   D. Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works.

2.Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in 　　　　 .

   A."King Lear"     B."The Comedy of Errors"   C. "Macbeth"    D."Othello"

3.Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on　　　　.

A. the English language  B. paintings       C. television    D. music and dance

4.The passage is mainly about 　　　　.

   A. an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works

   B. the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays

   C. how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture.

   D. Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture.

　　Farmer Ed Rawlings smiles as he looks at his orange trees. The young oranges are growing well in Florida's weather. Warm sunshine and gentle rains, along with Ed Rawlings' expert care, will produce a good crop of oranges this year.

　　But Ed has to fight against Florida's changeable winter weather. In January and February, temperatures can destroy Ed's entire orange crop. Having farmed in Florida for the past 35 years, Ed Rawlings is prepared for the frosts（霜）. When temperatures drop below freezing, Ed tries to save his crop by watering his orange trees. The water freezes and forms a thin layer（層）of ice on the trees. Strange as it may sound, this thin layer of ice actually keeps the fruit warm.

　　What happens is simple. When the trees are watered, the water loses heat and becomes ice. The warmth of the heat it loses is sucked in by the fruit and keeps its temperature at a safe level. Ed Rawlings has effectively used this method to save many orange crops.

　　But Ed still faces some difficulties. The trees should be watered at the exact moment the temperature drops to the freezing point. Also, just the right quantity of water must be used. Too much water can form a thick layer of ice that will break the trees' branches. Another difficulty is that wind blows away the heat. So Ed has to worry about not only when but also how often his trees should be watered, and how much water should be used.

　　Computer technology may help Ed Rawlings with some of these worries. With equipment, air and soil temperatures and wind speed can be measured. The information is fed into a computer which can tell when temperatures drop to freezing. The computer can correctly decide the quantity of water to be used and how frequently the trees should be watered. Ed Rawlings will find looking after his orange trees a lot easier with the help of a computer, and we'll all have the benefits (or advantages) of computer-age oranges.

(1) The passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

A．a(chǎn) farmer's expert care for his orange trees

B．the different uses of computer

C．growing oranges in Florida's changeable weather

D．different ways of frost protection

(2) Ed tried to protect his crop by ________.

[　　]

A．using a wind machine to drive away the cold air

B．equipping his orange trees with a computer

C．watering it at the proper time

D．picking his fruit at the first sign of frost

(3) In the writer's eyes, computers ________.

[　　]

A．a(chǎn)re too expensive for small farmers

B．can be a valuable tool for the farmer

C．can be used to help oranges grow bigger

D．cannot take the place of the farmer's experience and judgement

(4) Which of the following is NOT NECESSARY for Ed Rawlings to do?

[　　]

A．He should water the orange trees as soon as the temperature drops to the freezing point.

B．He should decide the quantity of water for the orange trees.

C．He has to water the orange trees more often in January and February.

D．He has to judge how often he should water the orange trees.

(5) According to the passage, the computer technology can ________.

[　　]

A．get rid of the need for frost protection

B．help the farmer get a better harvest

C．tell the farmer why outdoor temperature changes

D．prevent the temperature from dropping to the freezing point