A Beautiful Mind

    A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ran Howard isn’t among most directors. Despite an impressive list of credits, A Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining a psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.

    The Oscar winning Russell Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia (精神分裂症). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero，not just because of his academic achievements but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness．

    In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself,” the proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straight forward approach brought him few friends.

    After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation as secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (played by Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military that employed him during the early stage of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop．

    Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.

This passage is most probably ________．

    A. a book review        B. a movie review       C. a movie poster       D. an advertisement

Which can replace the underlined phrase “hitting on” in the fourth paragraph?

    A. coming up with       B. coming on            C. putting on           D. putting up with

The following statements are true EXCEPT that _______．

    A. John Nash did not go mad totally

    B. Ran Howard is an outstanding director

    C. the stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness

    D. Nash’s concentration on his work and his shyness brought him few friends

We can infer from the text that _______．

    A. John Nash volunteered to serve in the army in spite of his illness

B. John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia

    C. Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie

    D. without Alicia, John Nash wouldn’t have recovered from his illness

When movie star Scarlett Johansson was photographed naming in Los Angeles recently, she attracted a lot of attention; for the 27-year-old actress was wearing Vibram FiveFingers, so called because they look more like gloves than shoes, with a space for each toe.
Strange though they may look, these so-called barefoot shoes, which reproduce the effect of barefoot running but with less pain, are just one brand in a range of minimalist footwear. These super-thin sports shoes are causing a stir in the world of running and fitness. Why? Because some experts believe they could make you a better, more efficient runner and that traditional trainers could be doing you more harm than good.
"Wearing a shoe that has lots of cushioning and support affects the way your body naturally moves and studies suggest that this carries a higher risk of injury," explains Matt Wallden, an athlete performance expert. "But with barefoot shoes, the foot can actually feel the firmness and shape of the ground, which allows your body to respond effectively.'"
But before you rush out to invest in minimalist footwear, be careful. These kinds of shoes are not meant for everyone, or at least not straight away.
"Ordinary sports shoes with support are good for beginners whose bodies are not used to the impact of running," explains Patrick Davoren, former Olympic athlete. "If you are not in great condition, then running in minimalist footwear may cause injuries and will turn a lot of people off exercise and running.
If you are currently injured, and figures show that in any given year 65% of all runners are, it can be tempting to try anything that promises to get you back on the road, trail, or beach. But barefoot running is not a method of treating injury nor is it a magical way of suddenly turning you into a great athlete.
Even if you're used to running, when you start using minimalist shoes you should build up your distance gradually. Start_off'by doing just 10% of what you'd normally run and increase the distance by no more than 10% every week. And a word of warning - you may never have soft feet again
【小题1】The Vibram FiveFingers are shoes ______.

A car drew up outside the Swan Hotel and a young man got out．Pausing only for an instant to see that he had come to the right place，he went into the hotel and rang the bell on the counter of the bar．
Mrs．Crump，the landlady，who was busy in the kitchen at the time，hurried out，wiping her
hands．The young man raised his hat．“Excuse me，”he said．“I’m looking for my uncle，Mr．White．I believe he is staying here．” “He was staying here．”Mrs．Crump corrected him．“But I’m afraid that he went back to London yesterday．” “Oh，dear，”said the young man，looking disappointed．“I understood that he was going to stay here until the end of the month．At least that is what his servant told me when I rang up his house．” “Quite right，”said Mrs，Cramp．“He intended to stay here the whole of July，as he always does． But yesterday he got a telegram to say that his relative was ill．So he caught the train back to London immediately．”  “I wish he had let me know,”The young man said．“I wrote him a letter saying that I was coming．I’ve had all this trouble for nothing．Well，since he isn’t here，there’s no point in waiting．”
He thanked Mrs．Grump and went out．Mrs．Grump went to the window and watched him
drive off．When his car was out of sight，she called out：“You can come out now,Mr．White.He’s gone．”
Mr．White came out of the kitchen，where he had been waiting．
“Many thanks，Mrs．Grump，”he said，laughing，“you did that very well．These nephews of mine never gave me any peace．That young man is the worst of them all．As you see，when he needs money,he even follows me into the country．Well，perhaps next time he won’t warn me by writing a letter!”
49．The young man said “Oh，dear” to express his           ．
    A．disappointment       B．sadness       C．surprise      D．anger
50．This story is about a man         ．
A．who was very much loved by his nephews 
B．whose nephew went to visit him at the hotel
C．whose nephew is always asking him for help
D．who was not willing to meet his nephew
51．When his nephew came to the hotel，Mr．White            ．
A．took the train back to London            B．left to visit a sick relative
C．went to pick up a telegram               D．hid himself in the kitchen
52．Mr．White didn’t like his nephews because         ．
A．they always follow him around            B．they frequently disturb their relatives
C．they won’t write to him often             D．they usually visit him in hotels

When it comes to success in business and success in life, there are few qualities as important as confidence．
People naturally have different levels of confidence. Some have a higher level of confidence than others do, but even those whose confidence is lacking can learn to build their level of confidence and reach their most important goals．Increasing self confidence is one of the most common reasons people give for seeking the help of psychologists and other professionals．
One of the many places where a greater level of confidence is useful is in the workplace. We all know how difficult it can be, for instance, to ask the boss for a raise. This process can be extremely difficult for those who lack confidence in their own abilities. After all, if you are unsure about your own abilities, how will you ever convince your boss that you deserve more money for the work you do?
Even if you are not asking for that big raise, having plenty of confidence in your abilities is important to success．If you are certain of your abilities, chances are that those around you, whether they are your coworkers, your colleagues or your superiors, will see that confidence, and that will help to assure them that you are the best at what you do．
Being thought of as the person to go to, and being seen as an expert in your chosen field, is naturally very important to success on the job．If you can make yourself the person people go to for guidance and advice, you will help to protect yourself from the ever present danger of downsizing(裁员)．After all, if you are a recognized expert at the office, you will be regarded as an indispensable member of the team．
Having a high level of confidence, after all, does not mean overlooking the places where you could improve．Knowing what you do well and where you need help will help you enjoy increased success and confidence．
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?

D
　Stonehenge（巨石阵）may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite（辉绿岩）that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.
63．Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people           .
A．to recover from poor health    B．to observe star movements
C．to hold religious ceremonies   D．to gather huge bluestones
64．What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A．The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B．The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C．Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D．The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.
65．The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be           .
A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge
66．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest     B．Stonehenge: Still Making News
C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers     D．Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients