In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin. Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressures even within the same racial or ethnic group, if some members are darker skinned than others.
The result is that skin lightening has become a common activity across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world. More and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products, even if it means they may face health risks.
They believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives. Many people think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. This is also called bleaching. But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous is hydroquinone(对苯二酚).
Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries. This chemical has been connected to kidney damage and some kinds of cancer. It also causes low birth weight in babies when mothers –to-be use it during pregnancy.
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter. But after long-term use they can cause problems. They could even make some skin darker.
The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin. The skin loses its natural barrier（障碍）to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse.
Fatimata Ly treats skin conditions in the Senegalese capital, Dakar. Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal. She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger. Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent（永久的）skin damage.
And these are not the only risks. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regret and sadness. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was.
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

A．emotional problems

B．kidney cancer

C．lighter skin

D．low birth rate

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
It’s summertime-time once again for mosquitoes to make their appearance. And once they appear, mosquitoes are a total pain. They land on you,  bite you, suck out some blood and leave behind an itchy welt（发痒的红肿）.
  1  Female mosquitoes must find blood in order to reproduce, so mosquitoes come equipped with finely tuned sensors to help them locate the blood they need.
Mosquitoes’ weapons
Mosquitoes have perfected three different types of sensors. First, mosquitoes can sense several different chemicals. Mosquitoes can smell carbon dioxide and lactic acid（乳酸）up to 100 feet away.   2 
Second, mosquitoes have very good eyesight. If you are wearing clothing that contrasts with the background, and if you move while wearing that clothing, mosquitoes can see you. It’s a good bet that anything moving is alive, and therefore full of blood.
Finally, mosquitoes come equipped with temperature sensors, so they can find warm-blood mammals and birds very easily.
  3  The female mosquito sticks her proboscis（喙）into you. She sucks about five microliters of your blood into her abdomen.
After she has bitten you, some saliva（唾液）remains in the wound.   4  The area swells and you tich. Eventually, the selling goes away, but the itch remains until your immune cells break down the saliva proteins.
Our defense methods
Because mosquitoes are both a nuisance（讨厌的东西） and a danger, people prefer to stay away from mosquitoes. One way to do that is to use a chemical called DEET, which seems to black a mosquito’s chemical sensors.   5  In some cities there are even trucks that drive around town to spray for mosquitoes. Finally there are to traps. The most popular traps turn propane（丙烷） into carbon dioxide and warmth to attract mosquitoes. Over time, by catching large numbers of mosquitoes, these traps can cause the collapse of the mosquito population in the area.

When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有机燃料) when they are used as an energy source.
Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.
Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”
【小题1】The importance of studying panda poop is _______.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四册选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Most people give little thought to the pens they write with , especially since the printers in modern homes and offices mean that very 36things are handwritten .All too often,people buy a pen based only on 37,and wonder why they are not satisfied 38 ,they begin to use it ,However, buying a pen that you’ll enjoy is not 39 if you keep the following in wond.
First of all, a pen should fit comfortably in your hand and be 40 to use .The thickness of the pen is the most important characteristic(特征)41comfort. Having a small hand and thick fingers, you may 43 a fatter pen .The length of a pen can 44 influence comfort. A pen that is too 45 can easily feel top-heavy and unstable.
Then, the writing point of the pen should 46 the ink to flow evenly(均匀的) while that pen remains in touch with the paper 47 will make it possibly for you to creat a 48 line of writing .The point should also be sensitive enough to 49 ink from running when the pen is lifted.A point that does not block the 50 may leave drops of ink, 51 you pick the pen up and put it down again. 
52 ,the pen should make a thick , dark line. Fine-line pens may 53 bad handwriting, but fine, delicate  lines do not command  54  next to printed  text ,as ,55,  a  singnature  on  a printed  letter  .A   broader line, on  the  other   hand  ,gives  an  impression of  confidence  and  authority (权威)。
36.A.many    B.few    C.pleasant       D.important
37.A.looks     B.reason  C.value        D.advantanges
38.A.once      B.if      C.because      D.though
39.A.coveenient  B.practocal   C.strange    D.difficult 
40.A.heavy B.easy C. hard                  D.safe
41.A.taking        B.finding      C.determining    D.seeking
42.A.strong         B.weaker      C.smaller       D.larger
43.A.prefer          B.recommend   C.prepare     D. demand
44.A.hardly         B.also     C.    never      D。  still
45.a.thick           B.light              C.  rong        D.   soft  
46.A.change        B.allow            C.  reduce     D .press
47. Athey           B. one        C.  this       D.  some
48.  A. from        B. rough         C. black         D. smooth
49.  A. prevent      B. free           C. protect        D. remove
50.  A. way         B. sight          C. flow          D. stream
51.  A. so          B. as             C. and          D. yet
52.  A. Meanwhile   B. Generally       C. Afterwards    D. Finally
53.  A. show up     B. differ from      C. break down    D. compensate for
54.  A. attention     B. support         C. respect       D. admission
55.  A. at most      B. for example      C. in brief      D. on purpose

Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion—like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with (充斥) different kinds of thoughts? Or was it paralyzed, unable to think?

The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse yourself in the negative emotion.

Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute—but only one minute—to do nothing else but feel that emotion.

When the minute is over, ask yourself, “Am I willing to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?”

Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.

If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.

When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath. As you exhale, release all that negativity with your breath.

This exercise seems simple—almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.

1.What should you do when you are into negativity according to the article?

A．Listen to some music.

B．Ignore it and do something else.

C．Just do nothing and truly feel that emotion.

D．Think about it and try to deal with it immediately.

2.The underlined word “immerse” (Paragraph 2) most probably means _____.

A．break down        B．get rid of          C．cut off            D．throw into

3.What’s the best title of this text?

A．Clear Your Mental Space.

B．Deep Breath, Trouble Away.

C．Try to Avoid the Negative Emotion.

D．Keep Holding on to This Negative Emotion as Long as Possible.

4.The author’s opinion towards negative emotion is _____.

A．doubtful          B．optimistic          C．frightened         D．confused