“I’m seventy years old,” says the gray-haired lady proudly to the entertainer at her Community Club dinner.

“Did you hear that, everyone?” says the entertainer. “This lovely lady is just seventy years young! And she doesn’t look a day over fifty.” He has been careful not to use the word “old”. In a society where youth is so admired, old age is often seen as something sad, something to fight against. Americans prefer not to say “old” people. They use the expression “senior citizens”. They do not talk about “old people’s” homes, but “retirement” homes.

In fact, the entertainer is not so wrong. Seventy is not very old these days. People in the US are living longer and longer. In1980, 12 percent of Americans were over sixty-five years old. By 2030, 21 percent will be over sixty-five. One reason for this is that families are getting smaller. The average couple now has only 1.8 children. At the same time, improved medical care means that people are living longer.

This change in the age of Americans is going to have serious results. For one thing, medical costs are rising. The government is unable to pay the elderly people’s medical bills that have gone up very much. Some old people have to leave hospital “sicker and quicker” than they should, before they are really better.

More fortunate senior citizens, though, who still have good health, want new laws to be passed to allow them to stay at work. In the past, the retirement age was sixty-five, but that is changing now. Older people are stronger and more energetic than ever before. Many of them refuse to stop working just because they have reached a certain age.

There is a change, too, in the way in which elderly people see themselves. Many are no longer happy to accept the gray hair, bald heads, and boring clothes of their own parents. They like to wear younger-looking clothes and bright makeup（化妆品）.American women spend millions of dollars a year on operations to lift their faces and make those ugly wrinkles disappear. Men are prepared to spend even more on operations to plant new hair on their bald spots. It’s worth any money to look younger.

60. In America people try to avoid using the word “old” because    ____.

A. the old age is seen as something that isn’t admired

B. it is now believed to bring bad luck to elderly people

C. the standard of getting old has changed  

D. the change in the age has caused a healthy problem

61. According to the passage, which of the following does NOT describe the American society correctly?

A. People live longer because of improved medical care.

B. The government finds it difficult to afford the medical bills of the elderly.

C. People use polite expressions when talking about old age.

D. The old patients’ time in hospital is strictly limited.

62. Which of the following is not the result of the changing in the age of Americans?

A. Medical costs are rising.          

B. The family becomes smaller.

C. The retirement age needs changing. 

D. Elderly people spend a lot on keeping young.

63. This passage is most probably taken from        .

A. a travel booklet     B. a magazine   

C. an advertisement     D. a medical report 

We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter. We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine. Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack. Sometimes it’s an ingredient(配料) in the main course of a meal. Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken. The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices like chili peppers.

Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree. The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say “Ugh!” and run away. Workers must first dry and then roast the beans. This removes the bitter taste.

The word “chocolate” comes from a Mayan word. The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico. They valued the cacao tree. Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.

When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine. No one had the idea of adding sugar. The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes. Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.

In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao. It quickly became a cheap and popular drink. Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate. Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.

Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie. Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.

1.It was ________that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.

2.According to the passage which of the following statements is true?

3.The Spaniards think that cacao was a medicine because________

4.Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?

a. Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.

b. A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.

c. The Spaniards started drinking cacao.

d. It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.

e. A factory mixed milk and chocolate together.

5.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.

To a child’s ear, “mother” is magic in any language.

I firmly believe that e         in the world loves his mother

So ________ I. My mother is an ordinary math teacher. She

always works h        , devoted to her job heart and soul.

In fact, she isn’t ________ good health. She has been suffering

from heart disease for many years. Weak t          she is,

she never stops _____________(工作) or gives up hope. I still

remember the day when my mother r            a card of

______________(祝贺) on her achievements from her director.

The card r           “ Thank you for your excellent work. Happy Teachers’ Day to you!” At that moment, I was so moved

that tears came to my eyes. I am p       of my mother.

         Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to participate in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to showcase the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China．

I．Requirements for Volunteers                          

●  Be willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010;      

●  Age limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before  April 30, 1994;

●  Obey the laws and regulations of the PRC;

●  Be able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1st;

●  Possess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position, one foreign language at least;

●  Be in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions．

●  Have previous experience of voluntary work.

II．Further Information for Volunteers

●  Source

         Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers．

●  Signup methods

Applicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup．They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations．

●  Time

May 1 - December 31, 2009

Ⅲ．Volunteer Training

         Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training．General training is carried out through internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice．

IV．Volunteer Types

●  Expo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation(口译), assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and．volunteer management．

● Information booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo's information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site．They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid．

1. According to the volunteer brochure, which of the following suits the position of Expo Site?

A．Li Hua, a retired Spanish teacher, still recovering from her leg operation.

B．Wang Ming, 19, a former voluntary interpreter of the United Nations.

C．Li Jing, a middle-aged researcher, who is to finish his field work at the end of April. 

D．Hong Wei, 17, winner of an English speaking competition, looking for his first voluntary work.

2. Which of the training will be done on the Internet?

         A．Position training．            B．General training．

         C．Classroom training．          D．Special training．

3. Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?

         A．Visitor flow management．           B．Helping the disabled

    C．Assistance in media service．          D．Emergency first aid．

Good health is the most valuable thing a person can have, but one cannot take good health for granted. It is important to remember that the body needs proper care in order to be healthy. There are three things that a person can do to help stay in good shape: eat right food ,get enough sleep, and exercise regularly.

Proper nutrition (营养) is important for good health. Your body cannot work well unless it receives the proper kind of “fuel”(燃料).Don't eat too much food with lots of sugar and fat. Eat plenty of foods high in protein (蛋白质) ,like meat, fish, eggs and nuts. Vegetables and fruits are very important because they provide necessary vitamins (维他命) and minerals. However, don't overeat. It is not helpful to be overweight.

Getting the proper amount of sleep is also important. If you don't get enough sleep, you feel tired and easily get angry. You have no energy. Over a long period of time a little a amount of sleep may even result in a change of personality (人的个性).Be sure to allow yourself from seven to nine hours of sleep each night. If you do, your body will feel strong and refreshed, and your mind will be sharp.

Finally, get plenty of exercise. Exercise firms the body, strengthens the muscles, and prevents you from gaining weight. It also improves your heart and lungs. If you follow a regular exercise program, you will probably increase your life-span (寿命).Any kind of exercise is good. Most sports are excellent for keeping the body in good shapes: basketball, swimming, bicycling, running and so on are good examples. Sports are not only good for your body, but they are enjoyable and interesting, too.

If everybody, were to eat the right foods, get plenty of sleep and exercise regularly, the world would be a happier and healthier place. We would all live to be much older and wiser.

1.According to the passage,_________.

2.In order to keep good health, ___________ .

3.Eating more and sleeping less________.

4.The writer explains ________in this passage.

5.The title of the article should be___________ .