Heredity （遗传） is not the only thing that influences our color. Where we live and how we live after we are born are important too. For instance, our genes influence how fat or thin we are. But our weight depends mainly upon how much we eat and how much exercise we get. In the same way, our skin color depends to a large extent upon how much sunshine we get.

       When summer arrives and light-colored people go to the beaches, some will tan darkly, some will tan lightly and few will not tan at all. Each one is born with a different ability to tan, but the differences do not appear until the conditions are right An outdoor man will soon become pale if he changes to an indoor job, while a desk clerk will take on tan after a short vacation in the sun. Sometimes people decide that being tanned is better than being pale. Sometimes they decide the opposite.

       Centuries ago, most of the people in Europe were peasants and they had to work in the fields all day. Noblemen, on the other hand, did not have to work. They stayed indoors and remained pale. You could always tell a nobleman from a peasant because a peasant had a tan. As a result, noblewomen did their best to keep skins as light as possible. A skin so pale was considered a mark

of great beauty and nobleness.

       During the Industrial Revolution things changed. Farmers left their fields and went to work in factories, mines and mills. Working for long hours in dimly-lit factories and mines made their skins pale. Wealthy people, however, could afford to travel to sunny countries. They had the leisure （空闲）to lie around on the beaches and get tan. Having a tan became a sign of wealth.

       In Western Europe and North America pale skin is no longer desirable. Instead of bleaching themselves white with lemon juice, many women spend their time under a sun-lamp. The desire for a quick tan has led to the invention of pills and lotions （化妆水）that darken the skin artificially without exposure to sunlight These pills and lotions can be bought by anyone at any drugstore. A rich man can spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation in the sunny West Indies and get his suntan there. But his lowest-paid clerk can have what looks like the same tan out of a bottle for a few cents.

1．Besides genes, our skin color has much to do with ______.

      A．exercise           B．sunshine          C．food               D．weight

2．Centuries ago in Europe, it was considered of great beauty to have ______.

       A．pale skin                           B．light-colored skin

       C．dark-colored skin                       D．a suntan

3．During the Industrial Revolution people began to like to have a tan because it was a sign of

          .

       A．good health          B．great strength       C．wealth                 D．youth

4．Pills and lotions have been invented in Western Europe and North America        .

       A．to make people look wealthy                 B．to smooth people’s skin

       C．to help people to have a quick tan          D．to protect people from suntan

5．What does the passage mainly tell us?

       A．Noblemen centuries ago did not like traveling.

       B．Attitudes towards the color of skin change with time.

       C．Exposure to sunlight is the only thing that determines skin color.

       D．Having a tan is considered a sign of wealth nowadays in North America.

       If you have ever been rock climbing, you will know that it is not a very easy sport．In fact, you probably felt quite defeated when you first tried to do any serious climbing． Indoor and outdoor rock climbing are both extremely demanding and require practice to get good at．It is one of the most physically and mentally demanding sports．

       There are three basic types of rock climbing．Top roping is the most common type and the climber need to climb with a partner．The second type, which is very similar to top roping, is called．lead climbing．In both of the types, the climber can sit off the wall and rest on the rope．The third type is called bouldering．Bouldering is a type of free climbing without any ropes．This is the most demanding of all climbing types．The climber must be able to complete the climbing without taking a rest on the rope．

       Believe it or riot, climbing is said to be about 75% legs and only 25% arms．To climb efficiently and successfully, a person needs to have a wonderful technique. One of the major rules of rock climbing is to always have three points touching the wall, whether it is both feet and one hand, or one foot and both hands, as it is much easier to have your weight rest on three points than on two． Another important idea to grasp is that your arms in most cases will do the climbing; they only hold you into the wall so that your legs are actually pushing you upward．Also, the closer you are to the wall, the easier it is to climb．

       Rock climbing may sound a bit too extreme for the everyday person, but it is really an amazing workout．Once you get into the sport, and learn how to position your body and rest your weight, then you can begin to deal with some difficult problems．The great thing about rock climbing is that it is mentally challenging as well．You are constantly analyzing the way your body moves and how to do certain moves on the wall． For anyone who wants to get into shape, rock climbing is a fun and effective way to exercise muscles．

71．What does the author think of rock climbing?

       A．It is an easy sport．                                B．It is challenging．  

       C．It is quite dangerous．                               D．It is extremely difficult．

72．From the text we know that                .

       A．indoor rock climbing is much easier than outdoor rock climbing

       B．while rock climbing, people depend mainly on their arms

       C．ordinary people can practise rock climbing

       D．during climbing, the climber can always stop for a rest

73．While climbing,  it is much easier for a rock climber if he               ．

       A．takes a rope                                               B．has a partner

       C．has three points touching the wall           D．uses feet more often

74．             will make rock climb easier．

       A．Keeping the body closer to the wall           

       B．Resting more often on the arms

       C．Resting more often on the feet                    

       D．Pushing forward without thinking of the problems

75． By rock climbing, one can             ．

       A．get more weight and stronger muscles        B．get both physical and mental exercises

       C．have a terrible experience that will last long   D．probably feel quite defeated