A Seeing a volcano erupt is a wonderful experience,and you can really feel the heat by climbing to the summit of Pacaya for a closeup view. There are guided tours every?day up this highly active volcano from Antigua,giving travellers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most power.

Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua,a beautiful city with many colourful houses along its old streets that are turned into artworks during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua,you won't miss the Pacayatour companies.

But climbing Pacaya is no easy job. It is 2 ,560 metres high,and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back move?ments. As you climb,you hear the dull sounds of erup?tions high above. Steaming,hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit:the McKenney Cone (火山锥) .Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone,the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old,inactive summit.

Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano in plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava and the darkening sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils,sending the red lava over its sides,and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night,the burning lava quietly falls down the side of the vo卜cano. For you,too,it is time to get down.

16. What is the main purpose of this passage?

   A. To attract tourists to Pacaya.

   B. To describe the beauty of Pacaya.

   C. To introduce guided tours to Pacaya.

   D. To explain the power of nature at Pacaya.

17. Antigua is a city         .

   A. where people can enjoy cultural festivals

   B. where the daring Pacaya tour starts

   C. that gives a closeup view of Pacaya

   D. that is famous for its tour companies

18. Climbing to the McKenney Cone,people will         .

   A. walk directly to the active summit

   B. hear the continuous loud noise from above

   C. make greater efforts than to other summits

   D. see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions

19. Many tours are timed for people to         .

   A. get down the mountain in time when night falls

   B. avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone

   C. enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky

   D. appreciate the scenery of the 2 ,560-metre-high mountain

 Today's American high school students are far likelier than those in the 1970s to believe they're much more likely to claim they are " straight A” students with high IQs— even though other research shows that today's students do less homework than those in the 1970s. The findings sup?port the idea that the " selfesteem" movement popular among today's parents and teachers may have gone too far.

"What this shows is that confidence has crossed over into overconfidence”,said Jean Twenge,a professor. Twenge stressed that youthful confidence isn't necessarily bad. " Young people have always had some degree of dreamy optimism,and that's probably a good thing. And setting goals for yourself is a good thing. It's just when those goals are wildly unrealistic,then that can cause trouble for everyone."

For example,young people entering the workforce may score well in job interviews if they show selfconfi?dence,but that can quickly sour if a new employer doesn't provide them with the promotions they feel they deserve. "They don't set the right goals for themselves,because they are overconfident―and that's when it blows up in their faces”,Twenge said.

The blame for all this may lie with wellintentioned adults. " These kids didn't raise themselves;they got these ideas from somewhere," Twenge said. With parents handing out endless praise,kids today readily believe they are somehow superior,she said. And teachers aren't blameless,either: high school teachers now give out an "A" grade more easily than those in the 1970s,even though today's high school students report doing less homework than students from that period.

Not everyone interpreted the new findings in the same way,however. Jennifer Crocker is a professor of psychol?ogy. Based on available academic data,today's young Americans might be right to be more selfconfident. "The fact is that we are all getting smarter―IQ is going up quite dramatically over this same period of time," Crocker noted. "Students may believe that they are getting trained better than they used to,and that they are learning skills that they didn't use to have."

23. Why does Twenge worry about overconfident teenag?ers?

   A. Because they don't do homework any more.

   B. Because the real world doesn't always meet their expectations.

   C. Because their parents don't support the " selfesteem" movement.

   D. Because their teachers expect the best performance from them.

24. What causes teenagers to have too much confidence in themselves?

   A. They were born confident in themselves.

   B. The students got the confidence from somewhere in the media.

   C. Their parents are constant to praise them for their performance.

   D. School teachers are reluctant to prize students with an "A" grade.

25. The underlined part "when it blows up in their faces" in Paragraph 3 may mean "       ”,

   A. when their goals seem more important

   B. when they encourage themselves at once

   C. when they give up their goals immediately

   D. when it suddenly goes wrong

26. Jennifer Crocker seems to think that         .

   A. it is reasonable for students to be selfconfident

   B. students are full of dreams about something unre?alistic

   C. the American students have higher TQs than those in other countries

   D. teenagers are too ready to believe they are some?how superior

 It seems an unlikely route to the top. Some say medicine might help. But a study says,

  "Who needs brainboosting drugs when you've got ancestors?" Researchers have discovered that,considering your origins gives a better sense of control and can largely boost your chances of success in exams.

  The socalled "ancestor effect" appears to work by acting as a reminder to the brain that seemingly impossible barriers can be overcome. Psychologists think the effect may be rooted in the fact that those,who familiarize themselves with their family history,appear to gain a stronger sense of identity and selfesteem,which somehow boosts intellectual performance.

  In intelligence tests on 80 volunteers,scientists found a noticeable improvement among those who were asked to spend a short while considering what previous generations of their fami?lies had suffered. Those who simply had to recall a more ordinary memory did not fare well.

  The findings suggest remembering the hardships of grandparents,great grandparents and even longforgotten ancestors,seems to have a direct benefit on the brain's ability to meet the demands for its intelligence.

  Researchers reported, "Our ancestors managed to overcome lots of problems,such as bad illnesses,wars,loss of loved ones and economic problems. So when we think about them,we are reminded that humans who are genetically similar to us can successfully overcome a plenty of problems and misfortunes."

  To test their theory,the scientists tested 80 students. They were asked to spend five mi?nutes thinking about their ancestors or a recent trip to the shops. Immediately afterwards,the students were asked how confident they felt about upcoming exams. Those in the two groups that remembered lost generations were more confident about their chances of success. The students then underwent a range of intelligence tests. In one,the"ancestor effect" boosted scores to 14 out of a maximum16,compared with just 10 out of 16 in the other group.

  In a report on their findings the researchers said, "We showed that an easy reminder about our ancestors can significantly increase intellectual performance. Whenever people are in a situa?tion where such performance is extremely important,such as exams and job interviews,they have an easy technique to increase their success."

(   ) 1. According to psychologists,the"ancestor effect" works because it can help people

① better their sense of control

② strengthen their physical energy

③ obtain a stronger sense of identity

④ have a stronger sense of selfesteem

   A. ③④   B. ①③④   C. ②③④   D. ①②③④

(   ) 2. What does the underlined word "fare" (Para.3) most probably mean?

   A. Focus one's mind easily.

   B. Devote oneself to sth.

   C. Progress or get along.

   D. Feel comfortable or relaxed.

(   ) 3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A. Lost generations were more confident than later generations.

   B. Misfortunes and difficulties are necessary on the way to success.

   C. In terms of the "ancestor effect", the spirit of ancestors is stressed.

   D. The"easy technique" mentioned in the passage can be only used in exams.

(   ) 4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

   A. How to overcome nervousness in exams.

   B. Thinking about your ancestors makes you smarter.

   C. Knowing history better is significant for one's development.

   D. One's intelligence is passed down from his/her ancestors.

Chinese star Yao Ming has retired. Yao made it official Wednesday,telling a news confer?ence that a series of foot and leg injuries forced him to end his playing career at the age of 30.

"I will formally end my career”,said Yao,who became a household name in China before starting his NBA career with the Houston Rockets in 2002. Yao played eight seasons in the NBA.

"Today is an important day for me and holds a special meaning for both my basketball ca?reer and my future”,Yao said. "I had to leave the court since I suffered a stress fracture (断裂) in my left foot for the third time at the end of last year. My past six months were a painful wait. I have been thinking about my future over and over. Today I am announcing a personal deci?sion,ending my career as a basketball player and officially retire. But one door is closing and another one is opening."

Yao said he would return to work with his former Chinese team,the Shanghai Sharks,with the possibility of becoming general manager. He already owns the club and wants to contribute more.

"My playing career started with the club. I hope I can do something for it," Yao said.

He later appeared with his family on the stage to the applause and cheers of the crowd. He thanked a lot of people― his family,former coaches,even players like Shaquille O'Neal ― "for making me a better player".

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey was among those attending the farewell (告别) con?

ference Wednesday. Morey made the long trip from Houston. Morey said 20 hours on planes was tiring but "I would be sorry if I wasn't here. " "It's a big moment, " Morey added. "Yao had a sense of humor,a great attitude and sense of responsibility. I hope we can continue his culture in the NBA. ”

(   ) 1. What reason causes Yao Ming to retire from basketball?

   A. His age.    B. His bad conducts on the court.

   C. His foot and leg injuries. D. His poor health.

(   ) 2. What state was Yao Ming in before he decided to end his career as a basketball player?

   A. Yao Ming was peaceful. B. Yao Ming was upset.

   C. Yao Ming was confident. D. Yao Ming was proud.

(   ) 3. According to the passage,which of the following words can't be used to describe Yao Ming?

   A. Talented. B. Responsible. C. Humorous. D. Cautious.

(   ) 4. Towards Yao Ming's performance in the NBA. what's Daryl Morey's comment?

   A. Daryl Morey thinks highly of Yao Ming.

   B. Daryl Morey was Yao Ming's coach.

   C. Daryl Morey is a basketball player in the Houston Rockets.

   D. Daryl Morey is not satisfied with Yao Ming's retirement from basketball.

iy China's first aircraft carrier began sea trials Wednesday,marking a milestone in the country's rapid military modernization and longterm strategy to challenge U. S. military su?premacy in Asia and project power far beyond Chinese shores.

The 300-meter-long carrier,based on an empty hull bought from Ukraine,sounded its horn three times as it ploughed through the morning fog around Dalian and headed out to sea,accord?ing to one witness writing on the military microblog of the staterun Xinhua News Agency.

The carrier,featuring its original skijump runway to launch fighters and a new engine and radar equipment,has been undergoing refurbishment (重新装备) for the last decade in the north?eastern port.

Xinhua said the sea trials " would not take a long time”,without giving details of the exact duration or say what sort of tests would be carried out. " After returning from the sea trial,the aircraft carrier will continue refit and test work," it said.

The provincial Maritime Safety Authority said on its web site that all vessels will be barred (被禁止的) from entering a small section of sea off Dalian until 6 p. m. local time Aug. 14.

The launch had long been expected as final preparations of the vessel―which has yet to be named by China ― were visible from many points around Dalian and had been regularly photographed and documented online by amateur enthusiasts.

A Chinese company purchased the empty hull of a carrier called the Varyag from Ukraine in 1998 on the understanding that it would be used as a floating casino,but it was later towed (4& 曳) to Dalian via the Black Sea,the Mediterranean and the Straits of Malacca.

China officially acknowledged only last month that it was refurbishing the vessel,and tried to ease regional concerns by saying it would be used for "research,experiments and training" and would take a long time to become fully operational.

China is the only one of the five permanent members of the U. N.Security Council,which includes theU. S.,Britain,FranceandRussia,without an operational carrier.IndiaandThai?landhave a carrier each,whileJapanhas one that carries helicopters.

(   ) 1. The underlined word "milestone" in the first paragraph most probably means

   A. a significant event in one's life or in a project

   B. a special stone in a mile

   C. making an important discovery

   D. a mark showing the boundary of a piece of land

(   ) 2. Which of the following does the passage NOT cover?

   A. A Chinese company purchased the empty hull fromUkraineas a floating casino.

   B. The first aircraft carrier ofChinais already under construction at a shipyard in Shanghai.

   C. This aircraft carrier has not been named at present.

   D. Chinais one of the five permanent members of the U. N. Security Council.

(   ) 3. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

   A. China officially acknowledged that it was refurbishing the carrier.

   B. "Research,experiments and training" are the purpose of this sea trial.

   C. Though intending to own its aircraft carrier,Chinawould not threat or challenge any country purposely.

   D. Chinastill has a long way to go to make the carrier fully operational.

(   ) 4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

   A. China Starts Aircraft Carrier Sea Trial

   B. China Has Built Its First Aircraft Carrier

   C. China Would Take a Long Time Sea Trials This Time

   D. China Has Already Developed a Fully Operational Carrier Group

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