Yesterday evening I was watching the evening news on television. The news was about a_____for scientific discoveries. The announcer, whose name was Ralph Story,______something that caught my ____. “All great discoveries,” he said, “are made by people between the age of twenty-five and thirty.” Being a little over thirty myself, I wanted to ____with him. Nobody wants to think that he is past the age of making any ____. The next day I went to the public library, spending several hours looking up the _____ of famous people and their discoveries. Ralph was right.
First I looked at some of the ____discoveries. One of the earliest, the famous experiment that____ that bodies of different weight ____ at the same speed, was made by Galileo(伽利略) when he was 26. Madam Curie(居里夫人) started her research that led to a Nobel Prize when she was 28. Einstein(爱因斯坦) was 26 when he_____his world-changing theory of relativity. Well, ____of that. Yet I wondered if those “best years” were true in other ____.
Then how about ____? Surely it needed the wisdom of age to make a good leader. Perhaps it ____, but look when these people ____their careers. Winston Churchill(丘吉尔) was elected to the House of Commons at the age of 26. Abraham Lincoln(林肯) ____the life of a country lawyer and was elected to the government at what age? Twenty-six.
But why don’t best years come after thirty? After thirty, I ____most people do not want to take risks or try new ways in their lives. Then I thought of those famous people_____Shakespeare and Picasso. The former one was writing wonderful ____at the late age of fifty, ____the latter was still trying new ways of painting when he was ninety! Perhaps there is still hope for me.
1.A. program B. conference C. prize D. report
2.A. studied B. said C. explained D. announced
3.A. mind B. care C. surprise D. attention
4.A. talk B. disagree C. meet D. advise
5.A. discovery B. chance C. research D. fortune
6.A. names B. theories C. ages D. achievements
7.A. scientific B. last C. oldest D. modern
8.A. predicted B. proved C. doubted D. told
9.A. fall B. move C. meet D. disappear
10.A. invented B. developed C. made D. published
11.A. lot B. plenty C. much D. all
12.A. fields B. science C. course D. ages
13.A. election B. leaders C. politics D. society
14.A. had B. made C. set D. did
15.A. finished B. started C. won D. defeated
16.A. led B. devoted C. gave up D. began
17.A. guess B. know C. agree D. believe
18.A. like B. to be C. as D. about
19.A. paintings B. idioms C. works D. poems
20.A. when B. while C. who D. after
Traveling can be a fun way to gain life experiences，especially during Spring Break﹣a week﹣long school vacation in the United States．But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip?1.
●Save：This probably is the most important preparation for traveling.2.
●Plan ahead：Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice.3.
●Do your homework：No matter where you go,research the places you will visit．Decide what to see．Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
●Plan sensibly：Write down how much you expect to spend for food and hotels.Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
●Travel in groups：4. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences．
●Work as you go：Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit．
●Go off the beaten path：Tourist sites may be expensive.You may want to rethink your trip and go to a less﹣known area．Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
●5.：The most important things to take are not always clothes.
Remember medicine in case you get sick,and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant．
●Use the Internet：The net can help to save money.Some useful websites include www.travelcity.corn, www.bargainslowestfare.corn and www.economictravelcity.com.
By planning sensibly,even students can enjoy the travel.Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.
A.Take clothes along
B. Pack necessary things
C. Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
D. Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places.
E. Before the trip, the most important thing is to make the route.
F. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
G. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Putting a dinosaur skeleton（骨架）together is not easy. The skeletons are usually very incomplete. Many dinosaur fossils（化石） are discovered badly damaged. Bones are often found crashed (压碎) or bent by the great weight of the dirt and rock above. Sometimes parts from different creatures are mixed together. This just adds to the confusion.
Unfortunately, some scientists have not been careful enough in their descriptions of dinosaurs. They have told grand stories of how dinosaurs looked and behaved. All of these descriptions are based on guesswork – the imaginations of people who have never seen a living dinosaur. Some scientists have made complete pictures of dinosaurs based on just a single bone or tooth or leg. Such pictures are based on many guesses and very little facts. The scientists' ideas often turn out to be wrong when more facts are discovered.
Dinosaur fossils are not found with labels attached showing what the animals looked like. That is why no pictures of dinosaurs are exactly right. Every dinosaur painting is sure to contain at least some wrong information. No artist in the twentieth century ever saw the living, breathing animals -- complete with skin, flesh, and color.
For instance, imagine never having seen or heard of a peacock. One day you find the jumbled bones of it buffed in the ground. You try to put the bones together to form a skeleton. And then you try to draw a picture of what the animal looked like when it was alive. But bones cannot tell the whole story. Even if you are a very good artist, it would be a miracle if you drew a tree picture of a peacock just from the bones and your imagination.
1.Which of the following is NOT a reason why putting a dinosaur skeleton together is difficult?
A. No one has seen a living dinosaur.
B. Dinosaur bones are too complicated when found.
C. Dinosaur bones are crushed or bent when found.
D. Dinosaur bones are mixed with other animals' bones when found.
2.According to Paragraph 2, we can infer that _______.
A. the descriptions of dinosaurs contain some wrong information
B. some scientists are very careful in their descriptions of dinosaurs
C. some scientists have made complete pictures of dinosaurs based on facts
D. the ideas of scientists are often proved wrong when more facts are discovered
3.Taking a peacock as an example, the author shows that________
A. it is easy to put the peacock bones together to form a skeleton
B. it is not easy to put the peacock bones together to form a skeleton
C. a very good artist can draw a good picture even if he has never seen a peacock
D. it is impossible to draw a correct picture based on the bones and one's imagination
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Why it is difficult for scientists to find dinosaur fossils.
B. How we can get right information about dinosaurs.
C. Why scientists can't give exact description of dinosaurs.
D. How we can put a dinosaur skeleton together.
Alzheimer’s disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined （限于） to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be “getting old”. The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic （器官的） disease, that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking, and then the patient’s memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms（症状） often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease. It may be caused by a virus （病毒）.It may be caused by a poisonous substance（物质） in the environment. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.
1.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer’s disease ________.
A. is a terrible part of the aging process
B. can be cured by physical treatment
C. is an organic disease that affects young and old
D. causes forgetfulness
2.All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease EXCEPT________.
A. loss of sight B. difficulty in speaking
C. forgetfulness D. loss of the ability to walk
3.According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease?
A. A virus B. Getting old.
C. .Poisons produced by the brain. D. Lack of exercise.
4.The process of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed by________.
A. operation B. a change in environment
C. medicines D. physical treatment and exercise
When the telephone rings late at night，most women guess it must be one of only four or five people calling. A sister? Maybe. An emergency? Possibly. A mother? Probably not at that time of night. Much more probably it is a close female friend calling to tell you that she is heartbroken because she has split up with her boyfriend again or perhaps simply that a good movie has just started on TV.
At a time when families are spread far and wide and marriages often end in divorce, friendships are becoming more and more important. Erika, a 32-year-old lawyer, is strengthened by her ten year friendship with her married friend Jane. “I was very sick one night, so I called Jane at about 3：00 a．m. to talk about it,” she says. “She was very supportive and even came over to take me to the doctor's.”
As American TV shows like Friends have become more popular, many of us are beginning to see the value of such friendships.TV shows like this tell us that our romantic relationships may not last, but we need to keep in touch with our close friends if we want to survive.
With Erika's family 200 miles away, it is Jane who keeps a spare set of keys to Erika's apartment and waters her plants whenever she is away. “Having Jane around gives me a certain amount of freedom. It is not the kind of thing that you could ask anyone to do, but she knows I would do the same for her.” Jane, who may move to a different city soon, is worried about leaving such a support system of friends. “My friends have more to do with my life than my parents and, therefore, I don't have to spend a lot of time explaining things to them. Friends are more up to date with what is happening.”
1.A late night phone call for most women is probably from________.
A. a friend B. a relative
C. a doctor D. a stranger
2.What does the underlined phrase “split up” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. shown up. B. picked up.
C. taken up. D. broken up.
3.According to the passage，we can learn that Erika________.
A. is Jane's male friend
B. treasures Jane's friendship
C. has been married for 10 years
D. lives far away from Jane
4.Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A. Friendship Counts
B. Friendship Demands Freedom
C. Friendship Needs Understanding
D. Friendship Strengthens Romance
Do you need useful and interesting books? Here we’ve got plenty for you.
Successful Fishermen
Fishing is a healthy hobby. You can enjoy fresh air when you go fishing in the countryside. This book will teach you how to choose fishing places and how to make good fishing rods(竿) easily. Many kinds of fishing skills are shown in the book. Read it and you will become a more successful fisherman.
Best Learners
This book can give you the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers and students themselves. Read this book and learn:
•What the three difficulties in study are and how to deal with them.
•What to do if you are not interested in a subject you are studying.
•Twentysix simple exercises to help you study easily and fast.
You will get more from this book. For younger students, you can buy Learn in Study for Beginners. It is easier to understand.
How to Keep Pets
A pet can be our best friend. Do you have pets in your house? Are they in good shape? This book not only offers you many colorful pictures of lovely pets, but also provides you with the knowledge about:
•How to choose right pets for yourself.
•How to build houses or nests(窝) for your pets.
•How to feed the pets and how to keep them clean.
Buy this book and you will learn more.
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1.If you buy and read Successful Fishermen, you will________.
A. go to the countryside
B. know how to cook fish
C. learn how to choose fishing places
D. know where to buy fishing rods
2.You can ________ for more information about other books according to the passage.
A. call the writer B. go to the shop
C. ask the clerk D. search the Internet
3.The writer wrote this passage in order to ________.
A. tell people how to keep pets
B. increase sales of the books
C. buy useful and interesting books
D. teach students to study easily and fast
