Ancient Rome was one of the world’s most powerful empires more than 2,000 years ago. The Romans’
Ideas about roads, laws, government and buildings still influence us today. Italy is shaped like a boot.
The Colosseum (角斗场)in Rome was built during the time of the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D. 1.. It is a popular tourist attraction today.
Italy is well-known for its designers, who create cars, handbags , clothes, shoes and other items that are in demand for their style and fine workmanship.
Today, the economy of Italy is stronger than in the past. 2.. Today, manufacturing and tourism are the main sources of income. There are some big companies, but Italy has many smaller companies, too. 3.. The southern part does not offer as many manufacturing jobs, so it is not as prosperous.
Italy is a member of the European Union, a group of countries that join together for better trade. The currency, or money, they use is called the “euro”.
Food and eating good meals are important to Italians. 4.. Popular foods include pasta, risotto, minestrone and pizza. McDonald’s is also popular there.
Many families still eat their main meal in the middle of the day. 5.. Families spend a lot of time together.
A. The family is very important to the Italian way of life.
B. The country used to depend on agriculture.
C. Mountains cover about three-fourths of the country.
D. It could seat about 50,000 people, who went to see fights between animals and people.
E. While there are some supermarkets, many people shop at small, neighborhood markets.
F. Italy has several islands off the coast.
G. The northern part of the country is the main manufacturing center.
Women are friendly．But men are more competitive．Why? Researchers have found it's all down to the hormone oxytocin （荷尔蒙催生素）．Although known as the love hormone, it affects the sexes differently．
"Women tend to be social in their behavior．They often share with others．But men lend to be competitive．They are trying to improve their social status," said Professor Ryan．
Generally, people believe that the hormone oxytocin is let out in our body in various social situations and our body creates a large amount of it during positive social interactions （互动） such as falling in love or giving birth．
But in a previous experiment Professor Ryan found that the hormone is also let out in our body during negative social interactions such as envy．
Further researches showed that in men the hormone oxytocin improves the ability to recognize competitive relationships, but in women it raises the ability to recognize friendship．
Professor Ryan's recent experiment used 62 men and women aged 20 to 37．Half of the participants（参与者）received oxytocin．The other half received placebo （安慰剂）．
After a week, the two groups switched with participants．They went through the same procedure with the other material．
Following each treatment, they were shown some video pictures with different social interactions．Then they were asked to analyze the relationships by answering some questions．The questions were about telling friendship from competition．And their answers should be based on gestures, body language and facial expressions．
The results indicated that, after treatment with oxytocin, men's ability to correctly recognize competitive relationships improved, but in women it was the ability to correctly recognize friendship that got better．
Professor Ryan thus concluded: "Our experiment proves that the hormone oxytocin can raise people's abilities to better distinguish different social interactions．And the behavior differences between men and women are caused by biological factors （因素） that are mainly hormonal．"
1.What causes men and women to behave differently according to the text?
A. Placebo． B. Oxytocin．
C. The gesture． D. The social status．
2.What can we learn from Professor Ryan's previous experiment?
A. Oxytocin affects our behavior in a different way．
B. Our body lets out oxytocin when we are deep in love．
C. Our body produces oxytocin when we feel unhappy about others' success．
D. Oxytocin improves our abilities to understand people's behavior differences．
3.Why did Professor Ryan conduct the recent experiment?
A. To test the effect of oxytocin on the ability to recognize social interactions．
B. To know the differences between friendship and competition．
C. To know people's different abilities to answer questions．
D. To test people's understanding of body language．
4.The author develops the text by______．
A. explaining people's behaviors
B. describing his own experiences
C. distinguishing sexual differences
D. discussing research experiments
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, and died on July 18, 1817. She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously ( 匿名 ).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.
1.Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________.
A. in her early twenties B. in her early teens
C. in her late twenties D. in her late teens
2.What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
A. Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death.
B. The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it.
C. Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time.
D. No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time.
3.The author writes this passage in order to________.
A. attract readers to visit the city of Bath
B. ask readers to buy Austen's books
C. tell readers about Jane Austen's experience
D. give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society
4.It takes you about one and a half hours________.
A. to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street
B. to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts
C. to find a guide to take you to the Centre
D. to look around the city of Bath on foot
When most of us look at our hands, we might notice that we need to clean, or stop biting our fingernails, and that’s about it. But if you ask a doctor, he can see a whole lot more. Everything from poor diet and stress to serious kidney (肾) problems can be revealed by a glance at your fingernails.
There are about 30 different nail signs that can be associated with medical issues, though may indicate more than one problem, according to Dr. Amy Derick, a clinical instructor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
Here are five of the things a doctor can tell about your health based on your fingernails.
1. People who aren’t eating well and lack vitamin or dietary may have thinner than normal nails, which are more likely to break.
2. Horizontal lines are associated with serious physical stress. They frequently occur in people who have gone through chemotherapy(化疗).They can also occur after some illnesses, injuries, or with severe malnourishment(营养不良).Interestingly, there may be an altitude connection too. They’ve also been found in people who dove 1,000 feet and others who participated in an Everest exploration.
3. Vertical lines, however, are generally not such a big deal. Some people are more genetically prone to them than others, but they’re commonly associated with aging.
4. When people lack iron, their nails can turn spoon-like. Instead of curving down and covering the finger normally, they ’ll start to rise up on the sides and front, like the part of a spoon that holds liquid.
5. Kidney and liver problems can create “half-and-half nails”, where one part of the nail is white and the other part dark or pink, according to Derick.
Doctors note that because disease diagnosis is complex and some symptoms can be associated with different diseases, you should always see a medical professional if you are concerned about something you notice.
1.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Doctors can tell us something about our health by looking at our nails.
B. We should see a doctor if we find nails in bad condition.
C. A famous doctor in the USA conducted an interesting research.
D. If we don’t want to get ill, we need to clean and stop biting our fingernails.
2.If we don’t eat well or regularly, our fingernails may ________.
A. become harder than normal nails.
B. become thinner than normal nails.
C. become “half-and-half” nails.
D. have horizontal and vertical lines.
3.Who will have horizontal lines on the nails ?
A. A cancer patient who has received normal treatment.
B. Hungry African children suffering from severe malnourishment.
C. An explorer who had reached Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province.
D. A patient with serious illness, like kidney and liver problems.
4.Which of the following best describes the nails that show people lack iron?
A. The nails are thinner and more likely to break.
B. The nails will curve down and cover the fingers.
C. The nails will start to rise up on the sides and front.
D. The nails will change their colours on the surface.
One morning more than thirty years ago, I entered the Track Kitchen, a restaurant where everyone from the humblest(卑微的) to the most powerful came for breakfast. I noticed an empty chair next to an elderly, unshaven man, who looked somewhat disheveled. He was wearing a worn-out hat and was alone. I asked if I might join him. He agreed quietly and I sat down to have my breakfast.
We cautiously began a conversation and spoke about a wide range of things. We never introduced ourselves. I was concerned that he might have no money and not be able to afford something to eat. So as I rose to go back to the counter and buy a second cup of coffee, I asked,
“May I get you something ?”
“A coffee would be nice.”
Then I bought him a cup of coffee, We talked more, and he accepted another cup of coffee, Finally, I rose to leave, wished him well, and headed for the exit. At the door I met one of my friends. He asked,
“How did you get to know Mr. Galbreath ?”
“Who?”
“The man you were sitting with. He is chairman of the Board of Churchill Downs.”
I could hardly believe it. I was buying, offering a free breakfast, and feeling pity for one of the world’s richest and most powerful men!
My few minutes with Mr. Galbreath changed my life. Now I try to treat everyone with respect, no matter who I think they are, and no matter another human being with kindness and sincerity.
1.What does the underlined word “disheveled” mean?
A. Unfriendly. B. Untidy.
C. Gentle. D. Kind.
2.The author bought coffee for the old man because____________.
A. he thought the old man was poor
B. he wanted to start a conversation
C. he intended to show his politeness
D. he would like to thank the old man
3.What is the message mainly expressed in the story?
A. We should learn to be generous.
B. It is honorable to help those in need.
C. People in high positions are not like what we expect.
D. We should avoid judging people by their appearances.
假如你是李华，是一名高中生。随着科技的发展，iPad已成为中学生的新宠。iPad既可以用来听音乐、下载学习资料、阅读电子书，又可以玩电子游戏。请你用英语给某英语报社写一封信，谈谈中学生使用iPad的情况。信的内容必须包括以下几点：
1.使用iPad对学习的好处；
2.对课堂纪律和学习可能产生的负面影响；
3.提出自己的建议并说明理由。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.开头已经给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Editor,
I’m a senior high school student named Li Hua. Now many students have iPads and think it’s a fashion to use them.
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