Not all think laughter is the best medicine, but it seems to help．So scientists carried on a new study of diabetes （糖尿病） patients who were given a good dose of humor for a year to prove it．
Researchers divide 20 high-risk diabetic patients into two groups．Both groups were given standard diabetes medicine．Group L viewed 30 minutes of humor of their choice, while Group C, the control group, did not．This went on for a year of treatments．
By two months into the study, the patients in the laughter group had lower level of the hormones epinephrine （肾上腺素）, considered to cause stress, which is known to be deadly．After the 12 months, HDL cholesterol rises 26 percent in Group L but only 3 percent in Group           C．In another measure, C-reactive proteins, a maker of heart disease, drop 66 percent in the laughter group but only 26 percent in the control group．
“The best doctors believe that there is a physical good brought about by the positive emotion, happy laughter,” said study leader Lee Berk of Loma Linda University．And other research has found that humor makes us more hopeful．Still, more study is needed, Berk said．The research by Berk found that humor can bring about similar changes in body chemistry, which was proved in the new study．The research result will be presented this month at the meeting in the US．Research at the University of Maryland School of Medicine shows that laughter causes the inner lining of blood vessels to expand, increasing blood flow in a way thought to be healthy．
“Lifestyle choices have an important effect on health and these are choices which we and patients should pay attention to, rather than prevention and treatment,” Berk said in a statement this week．
【小题1】Why did the scientists carry on the new research?

He didn’t attend the meeting last night, _________ he doesn’t know our plan for the picnic.

A．that’s why        B．that’s because     C．which is why       D．which is because

SECTION B（18分）
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A,B,C and D．Fill in each blank with word or phrases that best fits the context．
Handshaking, though a European way of greeting people, is now often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice  36  in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed hands to each other as a sign of   37  . As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other’s hands to make a (an)  38  or to reach an agreement. This was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or   39  each other. “Let’s shake (hands) on it” sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet?   40  . Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be   41  . It is really very impolite to   42   your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not   43  anything to him or her.   44  , for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding among the   45  that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (矜持的)  46  . But the truth is that some people in western countries are more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a Westerner   47  when he shows interest in further relations with you.
36．A．came     B．grew     C．turned      D．started
37．A．interest     B．eagerness  C．goodwill   D．patience
38．A．signal       B．noise     C．offer     D．deal
39．A．leaving     B．seeing       C．kissing      D．visiting
40．A．Yes      B．Maybe      C．Well     D．No
41．A．polite          B．kind     C．helpful     D．interested
42．A．hold     B．give     C．shake     D．display
43．A．mean     B．matter      C．count     D．make
44．A．As long as       B．However   C．Even if     D．Therefore
45．A．people      B．Chinese    C．Europeans D．public
46．A．in person  B．in manner C．in harmonyD．in secret
47．A．absolutely B．possibly    C．only     D．definitely

A Book Review — The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages.
The theme: The main theme is a teenage search of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age. Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries. As the book moves to a close, James' swimming coach says to him: "You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more. You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going."
The characters: James is the hero of the story. He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (养父母). Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother. The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James' parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically.
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James' foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother. The only clue he has is a fossil, "the snake stone" which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: "Take good care of Sammie. It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there.
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother. With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found. James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels. The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel. He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger's door fifteen years before. Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness. As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending. Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, "I was home."
【小题1】What is the main theme of the novel?

单词拼写（每空1分，共10分）
【小题1】He sent two ____________(代表) to attend the meeting.
【小题2】Mr Smith is the person who _____________(治理) the town.
【小题3】The __________(地理的) location of the city is very important.
【小题4】His home is __________ (在。。。。。。对面) to mine.
【小题5】Zhou Libo is regarded as one of the most famous ______   ___ (当代的) writers.
【小题6】Yang Kun, a famous singer, is popular with us for his special singing _________ ( 风格).
【小题7】The beginning of the twenty-first century has witnessed great _________ (成就) in China.
【小题8】 _____________（祝贺） on your happy marriage!
【小题9】Xiulian is the __________(角色) we are most interested in.
【小题10】You can change a __________ (频道) if you don’t like this programme.