Say you meet with difficulty, what’s the first thing you do? Call your best friend and ask for help? It turns out that doing this may be better for you than you think. Researchers find that friendship has a big influence on your health, well-being and business.
One study from scientists recently found that older people with a large circle of friends were 22% less likely to die during a 10-year period than those with fewer friends. Other researchers discovered that having a strong social network could improve brain health as we age.
Even more interesting, feeling close to your friends may give you a different view on things. Researchers gathered 34 college students out side and asked them to estimate the steepness(估计陡峭程度) of a hill after climbing it. Those standing with friends gave lower estimates, and the longer the friends had known each other, the less steep the hill appeared.
What is the reason that friends can make obstacles seem less difficult? “People with stronger friendship networks feel that there is someone they can turn to,” said Karen A. Roberto, director of the center of the hospital at Virginia Tech. “Friendship is a valued resource (宝贵的资源).”
It is truly the fact. Friends make your life better. They provide support in hard times. They inspire you to make changes in your life, encourage you to set goals and cheer you on every step of the way until you reach them.
Want to find out more about the power of friendship? Read “Be a Better Friend”, “Make New Friends” and “Keep the Old”.
1. According to the author, if you’ve lost your job you should .
A. turn to your best friend B. ask for advice from your teacher
C. face it bravely by yourself D. ask your parents for help
2. We can learn from the study in Paragraph 2 that .
A. people with a lot of friends can stay away from illnesses
B. people with many friends may enjoy a longer life
C. 22% of the people who have fewer friends have a short life
D. those who have fewer friends may die 10 years earlier.
3. The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to some thing___________
A. that you are hoping to achieve by a plan
B. that happens to you when you are working
C. that makes it difficult for us to achieve something
D. that you have been trying to do
4. The fifth paragraph was written to tell us that .
A. we should make many friends B. true friendship lives long
C. friend ship has changed us D. friendship should be valued
Last week when I was sitting in my office, I heard an elderly lady talking on the phone about her husband. Her husband’s name was Ed. He dropped her off for her doctor’s appointment and was going to park the car and wait for her. She was so upset that she started to cry. I knew I should take action.
The lady told me her name was Helen and she called the restaurant she and her husband were going to have lunch at after her appointment to see if he was waiting for her there. She explained that she thought her husband parked the car in the parking lot and waited for her in the car but she didn’t find him there so she returned to see if he entered the medical building, but Ed was not there either. She regretted making her husband park the car alone since some signs of Alzheimer’ (早老性痴呆症)had appeared in his behavior. I asked a few nurses to help look for Ed inside and out side the medical building according to Helen’s description. Then I offered to drive Helen to the restaurant to see if Ed was waiting for her there.
On arriving at the parking lot of the restaurant, Helen began to search for Ed’s car but she failed, which suggested Ed wasn’t there. We decided to have a talk with the manager before we returned to the hospital. On our way to the manager’s office, I received a call from a nurse, who said they had found Ed. What a relief(安慰)! But we still needed to go on searching since he forgot where he parked his car! Fortunately, we didn’t have much difficulty finding it.
As I waved goodbye to the couple, I thought, “This is true love in life. The love is not romantic but it stays with us all the time.”
1. What did Helen do after she found Ed was missing?
A. She called the police. B. She turned to the author.
C. She called the restaurant. D. She searched for him everywhere.
2. We learn from this passage that Ed .
A. went to the restaurant himself B. might have developed Alzheimer’s
C. visited his friend in the hospital D. worried about his wife very much
3. When did the author know that Ed was found?
A. After the author and Helen returned from the restaurant.
B. While the author and Helen were on their way to the restaurant.
C. Before the author and Helen found the manager of the restaurant.
D. When the author and Helen arrived at the parking lot of the restaurant.
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A. The author was Helen’s friend. B. The author had seen Ed before.
C. The author went to see his doctor. D. The author worked in the hospital.
We know almost half the world is urban(都市的) now – but what will our world look like in the year 2100?
It took about a million years for the global human population to come up to 1 billion in 1800. In the next 200 years, it came up to 6 billion, and it will take only about 20 more years to add another billion. By 2100, the United Nations estimates that the global population will attain more than 10 billion.
By the end of 2008, slightly less than 50 percent of the global population lived in cities. If economic development proceeds at today’s pace, over the next century or so it is highly likely that 8 billion people will live in urban centers, up from today’s roughly 3.3 billion. Yes, the world will indeed be able to hold so many people. The major reason is urbanization(城市化). There will be many more new cities in the year 2100, and some of today’s large cities will become super cities, including Beijing, Delhi, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and so on. At the same time, recent advances in agriculture, energy, and water technologies suggest that human creations will keep up with population growth. Rural areas will return to an agrarian (农业的)centre to feed the growing cities. Languages will drop from the current 7,000 across the globe to less than a few hundred. English will be the primary language of the world.
As we compress(压缩) people into the urban center, and as we leave behind the rural areas to feed us – will we really live a happy life at that time? We will have to live together in large buildings in cities and save on energy and services delivery cost. There will be few chances for us to get close to nature. We really need to think about the effect of the things we have done and are doing now!
1. The underlined word “attain” in the second paragraph probably has the same meaning as “________”
A. increase B. gain C. reach D. limit
2. With the development of urbanization, people in 2100 will have to .
A. stay in urban areas and have no chance to get close to nature
B. develop industry rather than agriculture to create job opportunities
C. live a poor and unhappy life because there will be less energy to use.
D. make more creations in agriculture, energy, and water technologies
3. What is the author’s attitude towards urbanization?
A. supportive B. disappointed C. surprised D. worried
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Global urbanization in the year 2100
B. The primary language in the future
C. Reasons for the rapid increase of population
D. The development of agriculture in 2100
Jimmy was a twenty-year-old man. His father was a teacher and taught physics in a middle school and his mother worked in a shop. They lived a happy life until his parents died one night when suddenly an earthquake broke out. Luckily his sister took him to see their aunt in the city and they did not stay at home. Everything was destroyed in the earthquake and the two children got into trouble. Thanks to their aunt who was not rich enough, they grew up but they lived a hard life. His sister was so sad that she became a nun(修女). After he finished middle school, he was introduced to and owner of a hotel and began to work there.
One day the young man fell to ground while he was cleaning a window on the second floor. One of his legs was broken and he had to be in hospital. He said to the nurse, “I’m a poor man, madam. Arrange a third-class ward(病房) for me, please.”
“Can’t anybody help you?”
“No, madam,” answered Jimmy. “I have only a sister. She’s a nun and she’s poor, too.”
“I don’t think so,” the nurse said angrily. “Nuns usually marry God. And God is the richest in the world, you know!”
“Well, then,” Jimmy said with a smile. “Please arrange a first-class ward for me and post the bill to my brother-in-law.”
1. Jimmy’s parents died .
A. in an accident B. in a war C. in an earthquake D. from a disease
2. Jimmy and his sister escaped from the earthquake because .
A. they played outside B. they were in a safe place
C. their parents saved them D. the aunt saved them
3. The sister and brother lived a hard life because .
A. they lost all B. they were too young
C. they were hurt in the earthquake D. they had to look after themselves
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. The nurse would arrange a third-class ward for Jimmy.
B. Jimmy’s sister became a nun because of her illness.
C. The nurse would post Jimmy’s bill to God.
D. Jimmy had a rich brother-in-law.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项
Sydney is Australia’s most exciting city. The history of Australia begins here. In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived is Sydney with 11 ships and 1,024 passengers (including 770 prisoners) from Britain. Today there are 2.5 million people in Sydney. It is the biggest city in Australia, and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
There are over 20 fine beaches close to Sydney. Its warm summer climate and cool winter have made it a favorite city for immigrants(移民) from overseas. There are three things that made Sydney famous –its beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and the Sydney Opera House.
But there are many more interesting things in Sydney: beautiful shops and restaurants, for example, rows of interesting old houses built everywhere in the 19th century. Summer or winter, day or night, Sydney is an outdoor city.
Some Americans think it is very British. Some British visitors think it is like America. There is some truth in both these opinions, because Sydney takes from both the Old World-Europe, and the New World – America, and makes it into something that is neither British nor America but truly Australian.
1. The climate in Sydney is_____
A. hot in summer and cold in winter B. warm all the year round
C. neither too hot nor too cold D. cool all through the year
2 In 1788 Captain Arthur Phillips arrived in Sydney .
A. with some ships and more than 1,000 passengers
B. with 11 ships and only 700 prisoners
C. with 1,024 passengers besides 700 prisoners
D. with only more than ten ships and some helpers
3. What made Sydney famous?
A. Three things---the beautiful harbor, the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.
B. Immigrants from Britain, the beautiful Harbor and ships.
C. Beautiful shops, modern restaurants and interesting old houses and seas.
D. The Sydney Opera House, interesting old houses and interesting restaurants.
4. The writer thinks Sydney .
A. is like America B. is very British
C. is neither British nor American but truly Australian
D. takes from Europe
第二节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
I had a very special teacher many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his 36 , she shared her insights(顿悟) with the students. When the class was nearly over, she 37 and said, “I would like to 38 with all of you a thought that has 39 to do with class, but which I feel is very 40 .
“Each of us is put here on the 41 to learn, share, love and appreciate ourselves. None of us knows when this 42 will end. At any moment it can be 43 . Perhaps this is life’s way of telling us that we must make good 44 of every day.” Her eyes beginning to 45 ,she went on saying, “So I would like you all to 46 me. From now on, on your way home, find something 47 to notice. It doesn’t have to be something you see- it could be scent(香味) of fresh bread, or it could be the 48 of the wind slightly rustling(发出沙沙声) the leaves.”
“Please look for these things, and 49 them. The little things we are put here on the earth to enjoy. They are 50 observing , for at any time they can all be taken away.”
The class was totally quiet. We all picked up our books and went out of the room 51 . That afternoon, on my way home I noticed 52 things than before. Every time I think of that teacher and remember what a(n) 53 she made on all of us, I try to 54 all of those things that sometimes we all ignore. For as we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, 55 the things we didn’t do.
36. A. disease B. death C. arrival D. appearance
37. A. paused B. continued C. focused D. broke
38. A. argue B. communicate C. share D. whisper
39. A. something B. nothing C. everything D. anything
40. A. improper B. important C. attractive D. unbelievable
41. A. earth B. farm C. road D. ground
42. A. disaster B. schedule C. experience D. custom
43. A. put away B. gone out C. handed out D. taken away
44. A. fun B. difference C. sense D. use
45. A. smile B. shut C. water D. glare
46. A. permit B. promise C. forgive D. respect
47. A. strange B. beautiful C. powerful D. different
48. A. signal B. sound C. action D. direction
49. A. support B. receive C. remember D. value
50. A. easy B. harmful C. worth D. puzzling
51. A. silently B. curiously C. slowly D. secretly
52. A. more B. smaller C. fewer D. larger
53. A. result B. chance C. pain D. impression
54. A. produce B. taste C. appreciate D. change
55. A. or B. and C. for D. but
