I went to see film after supper. On my way to the cinema, I met an old English woman, she had lost her way. I gave up the chance to see the film, walking towards her and took her to her hotel. While go there, I told her great change had taken place in the past few years and she told me anything about Britain and her family. Though I missed the film, however I felt very happy, for I not only helped the old lady out from trouble but also practise my spoken English, If I hadn’t worked hard at English, I would have been able to help her.

Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. researchers reported on Thursday.

Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.

“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy(怀孕) are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.  

“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”

Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.

“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.

“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.”

1.What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?

A. Baby rats.                 B. Animals.                C. Old rats.                 D. Grown-up rats.

2.What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?

A. Estrogen.                                        B. The hormones of pregnancy.    

C. More exercise.                                    D. Taking care of children.

3.“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?

A. The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans.

B. The experiments on the rats are very important for animals.

C. The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans.

D. The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals.

4.Which title is the best for this passage?

A. Do You Want to Be Smarter?           B. Motherhood Makes Women Smarter

C. Mysterious Hormones                 D. An Important Study   

Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.
Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.
Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.

1. 1.

   We can infer that the passage was written in __________.

   1. A.
      2005
   2. B.
      2006
   3. C.
      2007
   4. D.
      2008
2. 2.

   The author first discovered the effects of music __________.

   1. A.
      from his parents
   2. B.
      by chance
   3. C.
      at work
   4. D.
      when he was a child
3. 3.

   Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?

   1. A.
      It helps him block out the outside world.
   2. B.
      It arouses his subconscious talent.
   3. C.
      It helps his mind relax.
   4. D.
      It makes him work without any thought.
4. 4.

   The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.

   1. A.
      tell us that life is dull
   2. B.
      prove that music affects mood
   3. C.
      tell us how to seek happiness
   4. D.
      tell us bad mood can affect work
5. 5.

   In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.

   1. A.
      listen to some of Bob Marley’s
   2. B.
      only choose relaxing music
   3. C.
      test all kinds of music
   4. D.
      listen to classic rock

增加: 在缺词处加一个漏字符号“∧”, 并在其下面写出该加的词。 删除: 把多余的词用斜线 (﹨) 划掉。修改：在错的词下面划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注：1： 每处错误及其修改均限一词；
2：只允许修改10处，多者不计分（从11处起）
　 I went out to see film with my brother after supper. In our way to the cinema, we met an American girl named Alice, which had got lost and looked very anxious .We went up to see that was the matter. We then took him to the hotel. While going there I told her the great change that had taken place in our country in the past few years but Alice told us a lot about the youth in America. Although we miss the film, we felt very happy for we had not only helped Alice get out of trouble but also knew nothing abut the States. We see that the English can strengthen understanding and friendship.　

May the first is an important date in the college admission process in the United States. This is the last day for high school seniors to accept or reject offers of admission in the fall. But according to a recent report, there is a great change. Acceptance rates at the top colleges this year were lower than ever.  1.       

These days, college applicants are applying to more colleges because online and common applications make the process easier.  2.          On the other hand, deciding students for top colleges to accept can be difficult because it takes much time. Students may not like being put on waiting lists. Also, common colleges work more to get the students they accept to accept them. Some colleges hold visiting days that offer a chance to attend classes and stay overnight. Some universities send gifts.  3.        .

For many families, the most important thing colleges can do is to show them the money, especially this year; the weak economy makes parents nervous.  4.        . The recent problems that spread from the housing market to credit markets have even affected student’s loans. So lately, top schools have to spare lots of money to increase their financial aid for students.

  5.         . The Education Department expects the number of high school graduates to start to go down. This will happen as the last of the children of the baby boom generation finishes high school. The number is not expected to start rising again until 2015.

A. Besides, top colleges are facing changes in the population.

B. What contributes to it?

C. But a mistake can be costly if it happens.

D. But top colleges ignore them.

E. They have international students who know English.

F. It can mean several acceptances to choose from.

G. They cannot afford college as planned.