There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
1.According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A．Laughter is good for health.
B．Laughter can make you become old quickly.
C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.
D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.
2.The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “ ”.
A．delays B．prevents C．increases D．reduces
3.Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
A．Because they want to earn more money.
B．Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.
C．Because they want to improve their patients’ health.
D．Because they want their patients to laugh more.
4.According to the author, we should __________ in our life.
A．laugh as much as possible
B．watch more funny films
C．smile all the time
D．spend time in the laughter clinics
5.What would be the best title for this passage?
A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.
B．Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.
C．Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.
D．Laughter is the best medicine.
Tales From Animal Hospital
David Grant
David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of Animal Hospital . Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated ,including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess , the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond . He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day , from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery （外科手术）. Tales From Animal Hospital will delight all fans of the program and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet ,whether it be cat , dog or snake I ! $ 14.99 Hardback 272 pp Simon Schuster
ISBN 0751304417
Isaac Newton : The Last Sorcerer
Michael White
Form the author of Stephen Hawking : A Life in Science , comes this colorful description of the life of the world’s first modern scientist . Interesting yet based on fact , Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him . Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic (魔术)ended and science began.
£8.99 Hardback 320 pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857024168
Fermat’s Last Theorem
Simon Singh
In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem : Fermat’s Last Theorem (定理). First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffled and beaten the finest mathematical minds , including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem , and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique . Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995 . An unusual story of human effort over three centuries , Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike .
£12.99 Hardback 384 pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857025210
1.What is Animal Hospital ?
A．A news story . B．A popular book .
C．A research report . D．A TV program .
2.In Michael White’s book , Newton is described as .
A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures
B．a person who lived a colorful and meaningful life
C．a great but not perfect man
D．an old-time magician
3.Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text ?
A．To encourage people to raise questions .
B．To cause difficulty in understanding .
C．to provide a person with an explanation .
D．To limit people’s imagination .
4.What is the purpose of writing these three texts ?
A．To make the books easier to read B．To show the importance of science
C．To introduce new authors D．To sell the books .
John H. Johnson was born in a black family in Arkansas city in 1918. His father died in an accident when John was six. He was reaching the high school age, but his hometown offered no high school for blacks.
Fortunately he had a strong-willed (意志坚强的) caring mother. John remembered that his mother told him many times, “Son, you can be anything you want really to be if you just believe.”She told him not to depend on others, including his mother. “You have to earn success, ”she said. “All the people who work hard don’t succeed, but the only people who do succeed are those who work hard.”
These words came from a woman with less than a third grade education. She also knew that believing and hard work don’t mean everything. So she worked hard as a cook for two years to save enough to take her son, who was then 15, to Chicago.
Chicago in 1933 was not the promised land that black southerners were looking for. John’s mother and stepfather could not find work. But here John could go to school, and here he learned the power of words—as an editor of the newspaper and yearbook at Du Sable High School His wish was to publish a magazine for blacks.
While others discouraged him, John’s mother offered him more words to live by.“Nothing beats a failure but a try. ”She also let him pawn(典当)her furniture to get the $ 500 he needed to start the Negro magazine.
It is natural that difficulties and failures followed John closely until he became very successful. He always keeps his mother’s words in mind.“Son, failure is not in your vocabulary!”
Now John H. Johnson is one of the 400 richest people in America—worth $ 150 million.
1.John’s mother decided to move to Chicago because _____.
A．his father died when John was very young
B．life was too hard for them to stay on in their hometown
C．John needed more education badly
D．there were no schools for Negroes in their hometown
2.John’s mother_____________________
A．didn’t believe in or depend on others
B．thought one could be whatever one wanted to be
C．believed one would succeed without working hard
D．thought no one could succeed without working hard
3.The underlined sentence“Nothing beats a failure but a try. ”means _____.
A．if you try, you would succeed
B．a failure is difficult to beat, even if you try
C．a try is always followed by a failure
D．no failure can be beaten unless you try
4.The story mainly tells us _____.
A．how John H. Johnson became successful
B．about the mental (心理的) support John’s mother gave him
C．about the importance of a good education
D．about the key to success for blacks
Making friends is a skill like most skills. It improves with practice. If you want to meet people and make friends, you must be willing to take some action. You must first go where there are people. You won’t make friends staying home alone.
Joining a club or a group, talking with those who like the same things as you do is much easier. Or join someone in some activity.
Many people are nervous when talking to new people. After all meeting strangers means facing the unknown. And it’s human nature to feel a bit uncomfortable about unknown. Most of our fears about dealing with new people comes from doubts about ourselves. We imagine other people are judging us, finding us too tall or too short, too this or too that. But don’t forget that they must be feeling the same way. Try to accept yourself as you are, and try to put the other person at ease. You’ll both feel more comfortable.
Try to act self-confident even if you don’t feel that way. When you enter a room full of strangers, such as a new classroom, walk tall and straight, look directly at other people and smile.
If you see someone you’d like to speak to, say something. Don’t wait for the other person to start a conversation.
Just meeting someone new does not mean that you will make friends with that person—friendship is based on mutual liking and “give and take”. It takes time and effort to develop.
1.The best topic of the passage may be ________.
A．Friendship B．Making friends C．Meeting New People D．Facing the Unknown
2.Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
A．Making friends needs practicing.
B．Making friends needs to be more active in getting in touch with people.
C．When meeting someone, make him feel nice and easy.
D．Before making friends with someone, judge him if he’s too this or too that.
3.The development of friendship needs ________.
A．a lot of money B．lots of conversation
C．time and effort D．carefully judging
A person may have an idea about himself that will prevent him from doing good work.
He may have the 36 that he is not capable (有能力的) of it. A child may think he is stupid because he does not understand how to make 37 of his mental faculties(官能). Older people may be mistaken that they are incapable of 38 anything new because of their age.
A person who believes that he is incapable will not make a real 39 , because he feels that it 40 be useless. He won’t go at a job with the confidence(信心) necessary for success, and he won’t work his hardest, even though he may 41 he is doing so. He is 42 likely to fail, and the failure will 43 his belief in his incompetence(无能).
Alfred Adler, a famous doctor, had 44 like this. When he was a small boy, he had a poor 45 in maths. His teacher told his 46 he had no ability in maths in order that they would not 47 too much of him. In this way, they too 48 the idea. He accepted 49 mistaken thinking of his ability, felt that it was useless to 50 , and was very poor at maths, 51 as they expected.
One day he worked out a problem which 52 of the other students had been able to solve.
Adler succeeded in solving the problem. This gave him confidence. He now 53 with interest, determination and purpose, and he soon became especially good at 54 . He not only proved that he could learn maths well, but luckily he learned early in his life from his own experience that if a person goes at a job with determination and purpose, he may 55 himself as well as others by his ability. 36—40 ABBCA 41—45 BDBAC 46—50 DBADC 51—55 CABDA
1. A．belief B．way C．fact D．condition
2. A．biggest B．full C．higher D．deepest
3. A．teaching B．learning C．accepting D．using
4. A．decision B．success C．effort D．trouble
5. A．would B．should C．must D．could
6. A．forget B．think C．guess D．understand
7. A．truly B．really C．however D．therefore
8. A．lead to B．strengthen C．increase D．result in
9. A．an experience B．an expert C．a thought D．a story
10. A．state B．mind C．start D．ending
11. A．classmates B．friends C．neighbours D．parents
12. A．blame B．expect C．get D．win
13. A．developed B．organized C．discovered D．found
14. A．a B．one C．its D．the
15. A．manage B．succeed C．try D．act
16. A．only B．almost C．just D．then
17. A．none B．all C．many D．most
18. A．lived B．worked C．played D．graduated
19. A．lesson B．medicine C．subjects D．maths
20. A．encourage B．love C．astonish D．disappoint
— Are you glad to hear from her?
— Of course. ___________, we last met more than thirty years ago.
A．What’s more B．That is to say C．In other words D．Believe it or not
