Why do men die earlier than women? The latest research makes it known that the reason could be that men’s hearts go into rapid decline when they reach middle age.

The latest study of the effects of ageing on the heart has found that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose their pumping power with age.

“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 18 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, David Goldspink of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.

“Within the heart there are millions of cells that enable it to beat. Between the age of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men,” said Goldspink. “This is part of the ageing process.”

What surprises scientists is that the female heart sees very little loss of these cells. A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could perform almost as well as a 20-year-old one’s.

“This gender difference might just explain why women live longer than men,” said Goldspink. They studied more than 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 18 and 80, focusing on healthy persons to remove the confusing influence of disease. “The team has yet to find why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart,” said Goldspink.

The good news is that men can improve the health of their heart with regular exercise. Goldspink stressed that women also need regular exercise to prevent their leg muscles becoming smaller and weaker as they age.

44. The text mainly talks about ________. 

A. men’s heart cells                        B. women’s ageing process、

C. the gender difference                     D. hearts and long life

45. According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ________. 

A. women have more cells than men when they are born

B. women can replace the cells that enable the heart to beat

C. the female heart loses few of the cells with age

D. women never lose their pumping power with age

46. We can know from the passage that ________.

A. the reason why ageing takes a greater loss on the male heart has been found out

B. scientists are on the way to finding out why the male heart loses more of the cells

C. the team has done something to prevent the male from suffering the greater loss

D. women over 70 could lose more heart cells than those at the age of 20

If you plan on visiting to Fiji, you are probably looking for some fun things to do. Below are four unusual places.

The Poseidon Resort

   The Poseidon resort is an underwater resort that gives visitors a beautiful view of sea life. This resort covers 255 acres. It’s covered and surrounded by a lagoon (咸水湖) that covers 5,000 acres and is about 90 feet under water, giving you a beautiful view of sea life right before your eyes. This resort even has a hotel for those who would prefer to have the unusual experience of sleeping and waking up to the beautiful scenery all around them.

The Sabeto Mud Pool

   If you’re looking for something unusual to do, you can’t pass up the mud pool at Sabeto. It is located in a mountain range with a huge group of Geothermal (地热的) pools full of nice, warm mud. Getting down and into the mud in the pool is believed to have benefits for healthy skin. This is unusual, but adults and especially kids will love it.

Fire Walking

   Fire walking in Fiji is believed to have originated on the island of Beau. Fire walking is when you walk on white-hot stones barefoot. To do this, you have to be mentally prepared for it. Trust me, there is a lot of preparation and strict rules that travelers follow in order to do this safely.

The Fiji Museum

   The Fiji museum is unusual due to all the amazing artifacts you’ll see dating back 3,000-4,000 years. This museum has a certain attraction that makes it funny—a shoe. It’s been said that a man named Thomas Baker was eaten by the locals several centuries ago and the only thing left was his shoe. This unusual museum is a great idea if you bring the whole family to Fiji.

40. Visitors who have the unusual experience of sleeping at the Poseidon resort can _________.

   A. enjoy the excellent service in the hotel

   B. open windows to see sea life swimming

   C. see sea life around them in the room

   D. only watch videos about sea life

41. Why do adults like to get down into the mud pool?  

   A. To float on the warm mud

   B. To make them strong

   C. To play with the warm mud

   D. To keep their skin healthy

42. Which of the following things needs more courage and stricter rules? 

   A. Trying fire walking

   B. Visiting the Poseidon resort

   C. Getting into the Sabeto Mud Pool

   D. Visiting the Fiji museum

43. The underlined word “artifacts” in Paragraph 5 means__________.

   A. historic things made by man

   B. things invented not long ago

   C. things that look very strange

   D. useful things in people’s daily life

I really hadn't meant to yell at them. But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen.

With a tiresome report to write, I felt bothered at my desk. Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault. A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly.

“OK, you two here, but what an awful thing you are attempting!” shouting angrily, I made for them, while it became evident that the boy wanted no part of me. “Get away from us!” he shouted back, there being expression of support from his sister.

All of a sudden, I found the fault in myself. Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers（螃蟹螯;钳子）and crawled towards them, “Crabby（似螃蟹的）Daddy is here. Ha, Ha, Ha, he likes to yell at children, and then eat them!” My son continued to keep me away, but now he was laughing and crying at the same time. My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well. Still, I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way that my children could do after.

Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself. It only shows just how to get rid of something（ill-feelings, responsibility）by blaming others. It's not my “best self”.

We have to search for our “best self” when with our children. They don't need perfect parents, but they do need parents who are always trying to get better. Here, I'm reminded of the words of a great thinker, “When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the brook…” Then, in our lifetime, couldn't we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level, what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children?  

36. The author couldn't help yelling at his kids this time probably because___________.

A. the weather was so unpleasant             B. a Daddy has his right to do so

C. the kids didn't ask him to join them        D. he was tired of his boring work

37. Which of the following made the author aware of his fault?   

A. No obvious reason.                            B. The children’s reaction.

C. His self-control.                                    D. The mess made by the children.

38. According to the passage the author will __________in another similar situation.

A. play a crab again like this time                B. apologize to kids in a sincere way

C. avoid blaming kids in a hurry                       D. beat them up about such things

39. What will the writer go on to write about in the next paragraph(s)? 

A. How to behave ourselves properly when kids are at fault.

B. How to blame our children in a more interesting way.

C. How to deal with the terrible mess made by our kids.

D. How to persuade children to do what they are told to.

My father was raised in a fatherless home at a time when the family of five struggled to survive, which caused my father to be extremely tightfisted(吝啬) with money.

When we children became 　 16 that other children got pocket money from their parents, we made a(n)　 17 to ask our father from some. Immediately his face turned stone-cold, and he said, “If you’re old enough to ask, you’re old enough to 　 18 .” And we had to seek odd jobs about the neighborhood.

He didn’t 　 19 his attitude as we grew into adulthood. There was a time when 　 20 of us had a car, so we had to ride a 　 21 whenever we came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met us,　 22 in bad weather. If someone 　23 (and my brothers did a lot), he’d say in his 　 24 father-voice. “That’s what your legs are 　 25 !”

One spring morning I was on the bus home from 　 26 . Tests and long hours in labs had 　 27 me exhausted. As other students were 　 28 at their stops. I looked silently out of the window. Finally, the bus came to a 　 29 at my destination, and I 　 30 , carrying my suitcase to begin the long journey home.

The row of privet hedge(树篱) came into 　 31 , which lined the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. I stopped to put a book in the suitcase. When I stood up, I saw something gray

　 32 along the top of the hedge toward the house.

It was the top of my father’s head. I 　 33 then, each time I came home, he would stand behind the hedge, watching,　 34 he knew I had arrived safely. I held back my tears. He did care,　 35 .

Upon reaching home, I found my father innocently in his chair. “So! It’s you!” he said, his face lengthening into surprise.

16. A. aware 　　　　　　　 B. certain 　　　　　　　　　 C. surprised 　　　　　　　 D. excited

17. A. attempt 　　　　　　 B. suggestion　　　　　　　 C. trouble　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. plan

18. A. spend　　　　　　　　 B. earn　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. survive　　　　　　　　　　 D. raise

19. A. strengthen　　　　　 B. soften　　　　　　　　　　 C. take　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. show

20. A. neither 　　　　　　 B. each　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. all　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. none

21. A. bicycle　　　　　　　 B. car 　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. train 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. bus

22. A. especially 　　　　 B. only　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. even　　　　　　　　　　　 D. once

23. A. refused　　　　　　　 B. complained　　　　　　　 C. cried　　　　　　　　　　　 D. intended

24. A. strangest　　　　　　 B. lowest　　　　　　　　　　 C. softest　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. scariest

25. A. on 　　　　　　　　　　 B. in　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. by　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. for

26. A. work　　　　　　　　 B. home　　　　　　　　　　　 C. town　　　　　　　　　　　 D. college

27. A. led　　　　　　　　　　 B. made　　　　　　　　　　　 C. found　　　　　　　　　　　 D. proved

28. A. treated　　　　　　　 B. received　　　　　　　　　 C. met　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. greeted

29. A. stop　　　　　　　　　 B. house　　　　　　　　　　　 C. street　　　　　　　　　　　 D. corner

30. A. stepped off　　　　 B. went off　　 　　　　　　 C. jumped on　　　　　　　 D. climbed on

31. A. mind　　　　　　　　　 B. view　　　　　　　　　　　 C. flower　　　　　　　　　　 D. leaf

32. A. shining　　　　　　　 B. flying　　　　　　　　　　　 C. failing　　　　　　　　　　 D. moving

33. A. understood　　　　 B. thought　　　　　　　　　 C. imagined　　　　　　　　 D. realized

34. A. since　　　　　　　　 B. after　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. until 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. though

35. A. after all 　　　　　　 B. above all　　　　　　　　　 C. in advance　　　　　　　 D. in total

---Do you know if Linda is willing to take charge of the program?

--- _________, does it?

　 A. It takes no time　　　　　　　 　　　　　 B. It counts for nothing

　 C. It doesn’t hurt to ask　　　　 　　　　　 D. It doesn’t make sense

 A clean environment can help the city bid for the Olympics, which _______ will promote its economic development.

A. in nature              B. in return            C. in turn               D. in fact

 _________ the room, the teacher found the tape-recorder ________.
A. Entering; stealing                      B. Entering; gone

C. To have entered; being stolen           D. Having entered; to be stolen

 They didn’t turn up at the meeting yesterday. Otherwise, they _________ the report.

    A. had listened to                       B. would listen to          

    C. should listen to                       D. would have listened to

 After the long journey, the Whites returned home, ___________.

A. safely but tired                      B. safe but tired         

C. safe and tiring                       D. safely and tiring

 Mr Smith was so angry at all ________ Robert was doing _________ he walked out angrily.

A. that; what           B. that; that           C. which; which     D. what; that