People have known since ancient times that aspirin（阿司匹林） reduces pain and lowers high body temperature. But that is not all the drug can do. In recent years, it has been used in other ways, too. Small amounts may help prevent a stroke or heart attack. One recent study showed that some people who took two aspirin pills a
day had lower rates of colorectal cancer. And, some researchers say aspirin may help patients with colon cancer live longer. So, how did aspirin become so important? The story begins with a willow（柳树）．
2, 000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow. The tree contains a chemical called salicin. In the 1800s, researchers discovered how to make salicylic acid from the chemical. In 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later, it became the active substance in a medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" ? That is a common way to end medicine names.
In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin prevents the body from making the natural substances called prostaglandins. Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and swelling（肿）． Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys(肾) and blood vessels work well. So there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. It can also harm the inside of the stomach, and sometimes it can cause bleeding.
But a British study released in 2009 suggested that taking another drug with a small amount of aspirin may help reduce the risk of bleeding. If this proves true, it would help thousands of people who are seeking to prevent life-threatening conditions.
1. The writer wrote this passage to______.
A. tell us the harm of aspirin
B. help us know aspirin better
C. explain why aspirin is useful
D. prove that aspirin is a good medicine
2.What do we learn about aspirin from Paragraph 1?
A. It is not used until recent years.
B. Using it for a long time may lead to cancer.
C. It is very dangerous if it is used in the wrong way,
D. It has gained important new uses in recent years.
3.When was the acetyl salicylic acid created?
A. about 2,000 years ago. B. In the early 1800s.
C. In the late 1800s D. In recent years
4.What is waiting to be solved according to the last paragraph?
A. The bleeding caused by taking aspirin.
B. How to reduce the risk of getting colorectal cancer.
C. How to help patients with colon cancer live longer
D. The problem of low body temperature caused by taking aspirin
In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little thin
gs we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day, isn't it?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both peo
ple have the same opinion about. The purpose of small. talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: "Great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may comment about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people w
ho speak it.
1.The passage suggests that when we learn a language______.
A. we should know the culture about the country
B. we should only master the grammar and vocabulary
C. we should grasp the importance of the language
D. we should learn about the transport system of the country
2. When we say "Great game, isn't it?" we in fact______.
A. have a conversation B. begin a small talk
C. greet each other D. ask a question
3. What we learn from the passage is that______.
A. in English-speaking countries we should talk about the weather
B. different language has different grammar
C. small talk is an important part in a language
D. small talk depends on the purpose of the conversation
Tips for avoiding traffic jams:
The radio has more than just music. Check the local news station for the latest traffic report. Or go online and check traffic cameras before you set out. If there is a jam, you'll be prepared and can try another route.
Take the road less traveled. Although highways may be the most direct route, back (偏僻的) roads can be much less crowded, which can save you from the frustrati
on of the stop-and-go traffic.
Rush hour isn't just a lovely nickname. It means the morning and afternoon traffic lasts for several hours, but they're still called "rush hour" for a reason - everyone's on the road and in a hurry to get somewhere. Treat rush hour like bad weather - if you don't have to go anywhere, stay off the roads.
Tips for those unavoidable traffic jams:
Don't break the law. You've gone 30 feet in 30 minutes and all of a sudden you see people using the shoulders（紧急停车道）． Don't behave like them. Not only is this illegal, but also there's a good chance they'll get caught or cause even more problems.
Pay extra attention to zig-zaggers (Z字形行进者). When some people are anxious, they may start changing lanes（车道）every 5 seconds or cut you off, Keep checking your windows and mirrors. for these lane changers.
Look for an escape. If it is possible to exit the road safely, do it. Use a GPS unit, and you can change your route mid-trip if needed.
Be courteous. Good manners could help you avoid a possible accident. Allow people in from a lane that is ending. Speeding up to
keep them out increases your chances of an accident.
1.To avoid traffic jams,we are advised to do the following EXCEPT_______.
A. get traffic news before leaving
B. choose back roads.
C. avoid rush hours.
D. change lanes frequently.
2.What should we do when there are zig-zaggers?
A.Keep checking the mirrors
B. Stop and let them go first
C. Sound the hom loudly.
D. Drive quickly to keep them out
3.What does the underlined word “courteous”in the last paragraph mean?
A.Energetic B. Polite C. Careful D. Honest
4.In which part of a magazine can this passage be found?
A.Entertainment B. Market C. Life D. Advertisement
The world's oldest person, Ms. Baines, died. She celebrated her 115th birthday with congratulations from Barack Obama, President of the United States. Over her life she lived through the terms of 21 US presidents.
Gertrude Baines passed away peacefully in her sleep at the Western Convalescent Hospital in Los Angeles, where she had lived for her last ten years. Emma Camanag, the hospital's leader said she was a respectable lady. "It is really an honor for the hospital to take care of her over the last 10 years and we will greatly miss her, It is just like we have lost a relative, " said Emma.
Ms. Baines, who was born in Shellman, Georgia, in 1894, had no living relatives. She grew up in the southern US during difficult times. During that time, Africa
n American people were required to use separate, often poor, public services. She married young and later divorced(离婚)．Her only child, a daughter, was born in 1909 and died of a terrible disease at the age of 18. Ms. Baines worked as a maid（女佣） in Ohio before moving to Los Angeles where she lived on her own until she was well over 100.
She once told an interviewer, "As to the secrets of long life, I do not have any disappointments in my own life."
She gained some fame when she voted for Mr. Obama in the US presidential election, saying she supported him "because he's for the colored people". It was only the second time in her life she had voted, the first time being for John F. Kennedy.
Ms. Baines became the world's oldest person in January. Japanese woman, Kama Chien, 114, has now taken over the title.
1.Ms, Baines voted for Mr. Obama because he______.
A. was very popular in the hospital
B. did good things for African Americans
C. did even better than John F. Kennedy
D. congratulated her on her birthday
2.It can be inferred(推断) from the passage that______.
A. Ms. Baines didn't like any presidents except Mr. Obama and John F. Kennedy
B. Ms. Baines' daughter died many years before her husband
C. Japanese woman Kama Chien is the second oldest in the world now
D. a positive attitude towards life is the main secret of .Ms. Baines' long life
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Ms. Baines liked to live alone.
B. Ms. Baines died in a hospital in Los Angeles.
C. Ms. Baines and her husband had only one child.
D. Ms. Baines used to serve' others in Ohio.
4.The passage is mainly about ______.
A. how Ms, Baines lived for so long
B. why Ms. Baines voted for Mr. Obama
C. the world's oldest person, Ms. Baines
D. Ms. Baines and President Obama .
It was only October, but my students were already talking about Christmas plans. As each day passed, everyone became more excited waiting for the final school bell. As soon as everyone heard the , they would run for their coats and go home, everyone except David.
David was a small boy in old clothes. I had often what kind of home life David had, and what kind of mother could send her son to school dressed so improperly for the cold winter months, without a coat, boots, or gloves, But something made David .I can still remember he was always a smile and willing to help, He always stayed after school to straighten chairs and mop the floor. We never talked much. He would just
simply smile and ask what else he could do, then thank me for letting him stay and slowly head for home.
Weeks passed and the over the coming Christmas grew into restlessness(烦躁)until the last day of before the holiday break. I smiled in relief(安慰)as the last of them hurried out the door. Turning around I saw David standing by my desk.
“I have something for you, " he said and pulled from behind his back a small box, Handing it to me, he said anxiously, "Open it." I took the box from him, thanked him and slowly unwrapped it. I lifted the lid and to my .I saw nothing. I looked at David's smiling face and back into the box and said, "The box is nice, David, but it's .”
"Oh no it isn't, " said David. "It's full of love. My mum told me before she died that love was something you couldn't see or touch unless you know it's there."
Tears filled my eyes as I looked at the proud dirty face that I had rarely given attention to. After that Christmas, David a
nd I became good friends and I never forgot the meaning the little empty box set on my desk.
1.A. warning B. calling C. ringing D. shouting
2.A. admired B. wonderedC. realized D. learned
3.A. special B. kind C. popular D. funny
4.A. bringing B. enjoying C. wearing D. sharing
5.A. argument B. arrangement C. movementD. excitement
6.A. school B. year C. attention D. program
7.A. weakly B. sadly C. quietly D. helplessly
8.A. anger B. joy C. appreciation D. surprise
9.A. cheap B. empty C. useless D. improper
10.A. from B. behind C. over D. towards
Are you going to be able to __________this summer?
A. get along B. get up C. get away D. get into
