Gray hair is simply a part of the normal aging process, and the rate you go silver is genetically predetermined. Going gray is not associated with earlier death, and premature graying is not, generally speaking, a sign of an illness or ill health in younger adults. There are, however, some specific health conditions associated with gray or white hair, but for most of us, going gray is just a fact of life.

Hair color comes from the pigment melanin(黑色素), which determines your individual shade. Hair without any melanin is pure white. The pigment is produced in cells called melanocytes, which inject pigment into the hair. At some point in everyone's lifetime, these cells slow down and eventually stop producing color. Scientists have yet to identify the exact mechanism by which melanocyte cell death occurs.

A study of more than 4,000 women and men from 20 countries determined that about 75% of people between the ages of 45 and 65 have some gray hair. In general, people of European descent gray earliest followed by Asians and Africans. It's interesting to note that a lucky 1 in 10 has no gray hair by retirement age. Beginning at age 30, your chances of having gray hair go up 10-20% per decade.

It may feel like you have more grays after a stressful event, but that's probably because middle age is basically a series of anxiety-ridden events. Between working, raising kids, and caring for older parents, the "sandwich" years of 45-65 can be stressful, especially for women. They are also when we naturally start to look older.

At this point, there is still no silver bullet to keep away the grays.

1.What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Going gray.                   B. Tips to make hair color last

C. Why does hair turn gray?        D. Gray hair is in fashion.

2.Which of the following is a true statement according to the passage?

A. Scientists have found out how to prevent hair from turning gray.

B. Europeans are more likely to gray than Asians and Africans.

C. Gray hair means poor health or a sign of illness.

D. Everyone will inevitably get gray hair by retirement age.

3.Which is not among the reasons for hair turning gray according to the passage?

A. Being physically weak.         B. Stress from different sides.

C. Death of melanocyte cell.       D. Genetic factors.

4.What does “silver bullet” in the last paragraph probably mean?

A. Make-up     B. Scientific research.     C. Chemical weapon.     D. Cure.

My mind went blank when I saw the gun pointing against the car window as we pulled out of the garage. This can’t be happening to me. Then I felt the gun, cold, against my head, and I heard my friend Jeremy saying, “What do you want? Take my wallet,” but at the time I thought of nothing.

I remember being a little annoyed when the gunman pulled me from the car by the hair. I remember the walk to the house --- Jeremy, me, the two men with two guns. I remember the fear and anger in the gunmen’s voices because Jeremy was being slow, and I remember wondering why he was being slow. I did not realize that Jeremy had thrown the keys into the bush. But I remember that sound of the gun hitting Jeremy’s head and the feeling as the man who had hold of my hair released me. And I remember the split second when I realized he was looking at Jeremy, and I remember wondering how far I could run before he pulled the trigger. But I was already running, and upon reaching the car across the street, I didn’t crouch(蹲伏) behind it but screamed instead.

I remember thinking there was something ridiculous and illogical about screaming “Help, help!” at eight o’clock on a Tuesday evening in December and changing my plea(恳求) to the more specific “Help, let me in, please let me in!” But the houses were cold, closed, unfriendly, and I ran on until I heard Jeremy’s screams behind me announcing that our attackers had fled.

The neighbors who had not opened their doors to us came out with baseball bats and helped Jeremy find his glasses and keys. In a group they were very brave. We waited for the police to come until someone said to someone else that the noodles were getting cold, and I said politely, “Please go and eat. We’re OK.”

I was happy to see them go. They had been talking of stricter sentences for criminals, of bringing back the death penalty(处罚) and how the President is going to clean up the country. I was thinking, they could be saying all of this over my dead body, and I still feel that stiffer sentences wouldn’t change a thing. In a rush all the anger I should have felt for my attackers was directed against these contented people standing in front of their warm, comfortable homes talking about all the guns they were going to buy. What good would guns have been to Jeremy and me?

People all over the neighborhood had called to report our screams, and the police turned out in force twenty minutes later. They were ill-tempered about what was, to them, much trouble about nothing. After all, Jeremy was hardly hurt, and we were hopeless when it came to describing the gunmen. “Typical,” said one policeman when we couldn’t even agree on how tall the men were. Both of us were able to describe the guns in horrifying detail, but the two policemen who stayed to make the report didn’t think that would be much help.

The policemen were matter-of-fact about the whole thing. The thin one said, “That was a stupid thing to do, throwing away the keys. When a man has a gun against your head you do what you’re told.” Jeremy looked properly embarrassed.

Then the fat policeman came up and the thin one went to look around the outside of the house. “That was the best thing you could have done, throwing away the keys,” he said. “If you had gone into the house with them…” His voice became weaker. “They would have hurt her” --- he twisted his head toward me --- “and killed you both.” Jeremy looked happier. “Look,” said the fat policeman kindly, “there’s no right or wrong in the situation. There’s just luck.”

All that sleepless night I replayed the moment those black gloves came up to the car window. How long did the whole thing last? Three minutes, five, eight? No matter how many hours of my life I may spend reliving it, I know there is no way to prepare for the next time --- no intelligent response to a gun. The fat cop was right. There’s only luck. The next time I might end up dead.

And I’m sure there will be a next time. It can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. Security is an illusion(幻觉); there is no safety in locks or in guns. Guns make some people feel safe and some people feel strong, but they’re fooling themselves.

1.When the writer saw the gun pointing against the car window, ________.

A. she felt very annoyed  

B. she lost consciousness

C. she felt very much nervous  

D. she lost the power of thinking

2.What most possibly drove the two gunmen away?

A. Jeremy’s fighting                                                  B. The author’s screaming   

C. Their neighbour’s brave action                             D. The police’s arrival

3. When the author called for help, the neighbors didn’t come out immediately because ________.

A. they were much too frightened

B. they were busy preparing dinners

C. they needed time to find baseball bats

D. they thought someone was playing a trick

4.The author was happy to see the neighbors go because ________.

A. she hated to listen to their empty talk

B. she did not want to become an object of pity

C. she was angered by their being late to come to her help

D. she wanted to be left alone with Jeremy to get over the shock

5.The police were rather angry because ________.

A. the author was not hurt and gave a false alarm

B. they thought it was a case of little importance

C. the author and Jeremy could not tell the police anything

D. the gunmen had already fled when they arrived on the scene

6.What the author wants to tell us is that ________.

A. neighbors are not helpful in moments of difficulty

B. the police are not reliable when one is in trouble

C. security is impossible as long as people can have guns

D. preventing robbers entering your house is the best choice

Lots of kids go through times when they’d like to change their hair. Often, it’s girls who are most concerned(关心的), but boys may be interested in how their hair looks, too. Sometimes hair will change as you get older----all by itself----when you go through puberty(青春期).

Maybe it used to be lighter and now it’s darker. Or maybe it’s oilier than it used to be, and now you need to wash it more. It’s also normal, as you’re getting older, to notice your appearance more often. You might suddenly decide you want a hairstyle like other kids at school have. But some styles and looks require chemical treatments and long hours in the chair at the hair salon. Some people dye(染)their hair a different color, get a bunch of braids(辫子），or make their hair straight when it’s curly（卷曲). Are these treatments OK for kids? That’s something you should discuss with your parents. At any age, any chemical or heat applied to(应用于) the hair can damage the hair or cause it to break off.

Any styling that pulls hard on the hair can also hurt the scalp(头皮) or cause hair loss. Styling tools, such as curling irons and straightening irons, get very hot and can cause burns. And chemicals used to color, curl, or straighten hair can be very harmful if they get into your eyes or onto your skin.

1.The word “kid”in this passage refers to ____________.

A．girls              B．boys             C．students          D．not only girls but also boys

2.Which of the following is NOT the cause of changes of one’s hair mentioned in the passage?

A．Change the hair style to act in a play.

B．It changes naturally with the age.

C．You want to make yourself look beautiful or cool.

D．A boy’s hair may become darker and darker when he gets older.

3.What’s the main idea of the last two paragraphs of this passage?

A．If you want to change the color of your hair, you have to use chemical.

B．Hair can be straightened with an instrument.

C．You’d better change your hair with the help of your parents.

D．Hair change by chemicals or instruments can harm the hair or the scalp。

     New archaeological discovers suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk

Road probably began in some form many countries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research, could add a fascinating new

page to the epic of the Silk Road.

    The latest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.

    The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old Persia in exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury markets of Rome.

    But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.

The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by ______.

 A. produced       B. contributed      C. doubled        D. combined

The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that ______.

 A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

 B. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

 C. historical research often achieves fascinating results

 D. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

Until recently most historians believed that trade along the Silk Road _______.

 A. originated in the 2nd century BC

 B. extended human migration into eastern Asia

 C. began a million years ago

 D. primarily benefited the Egyptians

Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe ______.

 A. be brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor     B. be discovered the Silk Road

 C. be helped establish East-West trade               D. be travelled as far as Afghanistan

Each girl present at the party was wearing a flower in the hair, which__________their beauty.

    A. added                B. added up         C. added to     D. added up to