As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around then, I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community organized an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.

I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and pretty healthy. At first I heard nothing. But then they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family and my doctor were against it.

On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered to watch my dive. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was very noisy, but I wasn’t frightened—I was just looking forward to the experience. Reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt. I was just enjoying it.

Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.

41. What happened to the author in 2001?

A. She flew an airplane.

B. She entered a competition.

C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.

D. She moved into a retirement community.

42. The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to 　　　.

A. make her argument persuasive

B. show her admiration for him

C. compare their health condition

D. build up her own reputation

43. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?

A. Excited.　 　　　　　 B. Regretful.　 　　　　 C. Nervous.　 　　　　　 D. Scared.

44. What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?

A. The beautiful clouds.　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. The wonderful view.

C. The company of Jay.　　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. The one-minute free fall.

45. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Impossible is nothing. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. A dream made come true.

C. An unforgettable skydiving.　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. I Went Skydiving at 84!

Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠) .It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, as a species, we almost did.

Apparently, at times in the past , peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation . So writes Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants. As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end.

In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the electric bulb.

When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though.  Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods. The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention.

In the past , without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight. The late night period was known as ”The Watch” It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals ,although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours .

According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder .It is normal . Humans can experience another state of consciousness  around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning .This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people .The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison , used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas.

Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous  ,as anxiety may set in. Medical science doesn’t help much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural ; however, according to Warren’s theory，it is really the opposite of what we need.

67.The example of the French peasants shows the fact that________.

  A. people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep

  B. there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits

  C.people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather

  D. winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end

68. The late night was called “The Watch”because it was a time for people______.

  A. to set traps to catch animals

  B. to wake up their family and neighbours

  C. to remind others of the time

  D.to guard against possible dangers

69. What does the author advise people to do ?

  A. Sleep in the way animals do.

  B.Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep.

  C.Follow their natural sleep rhythm.

  D.Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern.

70.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A.To give a prescription for insomnia.

B.To urge people to sleep less.

C.To analyze the sleep pattern of modern people.

D.To throw new light on human sleep.

Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠) .It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, as a species, we almost did.
Apparently, at times in the past , peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation . So writes Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants. As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end.
In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the electric bulb.
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though.  Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods. The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention.
In the past , without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight. The late night period was known as ”The Watch” It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals ,although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours .
According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder .It is normal . Humans can experience another state of consciousness  around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning .This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people .The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison , used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas.
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous  ,as anxiety may set in. Medical science doesn’t help much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural ; however, according to Warren’s theory，it is really the opposite of what we need.
67.The example of the French peasants shows the fact that________.
A. people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep
B. there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits
C.people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather
D. winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end
68. The late night was called “The Watch”because it was a time for people______.
A. to set traps to catch animals
B. to wake up their family and neighbours
C. to remind others of the time
D.to guard against possible dangers
69. What does the author advise people to do ?
A. Sleep in the way animals do.
B.Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep.
C.Follow their natural sleep rhythm.
D.Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern.
70.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
A.To give a prescription for insomnia.
B.To urge people to sleep less.
C.To analyze the sleep pattern of modern people.
D.To throw new light on human sleep.

Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating(冬眠) .It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, as a species, we almost did.
Apparently, at times in the past , peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation . So writes Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants. As soon as the weather turned cold people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end.
In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial(人造的) lighting and the electric bulb.
When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though.  Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods. The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modern invention.
In the past , without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight. The late night period was known as ”The Watch” It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals ,although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighbours .
According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia(失眠) at midnight is not a disorder .It is normal . Humans can experience another state of consciousness  around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning .This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people .The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison , used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas.
Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous  ,as anxiety may set in. Medical science doesn’t help much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural ; however, according to Warren’s theory，it is really the opposite of what we need.

1. 1.

   The example of the French peasants shows the fact that________.
   

   1. A.
      people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep
   2. B.
      there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits
   3. C.
      people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather
   4. D.
      winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end
2. 2.

   The late night was called “The Watch”because it was a time for people______.
   

   1. A.
      to set traps to catch animals
   2. B.
      to wake up their family and neighbours
   3. C.
      to remind others of the time
   4. D.
      to guard against possible dangers
3. 3.

   What does the author advise people to do ?
   

   1. A.
      Sleep in the way animals do.
   2. B.
      Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep.
   3. C.
      Follow their natural sleep rhythm.
   4. D.
      Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern.
4. 4.

   What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

   1. A.
      To give a prescription for insomnia.
   2. B.
      To urge people to sleep less.
   3. C.
      To analyze the sleep pattern of modern people.
   4. D.
      To throw new light on human sleep.

                                          E

       Have you winterized your horse yet? Even though global warming may have made our climate more mild, many animals are still hibernating (冬眠). It’s too bad that humans can’t hibernate. In fact, as a species, we almost did.

       Apparently, at times in the past, peasants in France liked a semi-state of human hibernation. So writes Graham Robb, a British scholar who has studied the sleeping habits of the French peasants. As soon as the weather turned cold, people all over France shut themselves away and practiced the forgotten art of doing nothing at all for months on end.

       In line with this, Jeff Warren, a producer at CBC Radio’s The Current, tells us that the way we sleep has changed fundamentally since the invention of artificial（人造的）lighting and the electric bulb.

      When historians began studying texts of the Middle Ages, they noticed something referred to as “first sleep”, which was not clarified, though. Now scientists are telling us our ancestors most likely slept in separate periods. The business of eight hours’ uninterrupted sleep is a modem invention.

      In the past, without the artificial light of the city to bathe in, humans went to sleep when it became dark and then woke themselves around midnight. The late night period was known as “The Watch”. It was when people actually kept watch against wild animals, although many of them simply moved around or visited family and neighhours.

      According to some sleep researchers, a short period of insomnia (失眠) at midnight is not a disorder.  It is normal. Humans can experience another state of consciousness around their sleeping, which occurs in the brief period before we fall asleep or wake ourselves in the morning. This period can be an extraordinarily creative time for some people. The impressive inventor, Thomas Edison, used this state to hit upon many of his new ideas.

      Playing with your sleep rhythms can be adventurous, as anxiety may set in. Medical science doesn’t help  much in this case. It offers us medicines for a full night’s continuous sleep, which sounds natural; however, according to Warren’s theory, it is really the opposite of what we need.

67. The example of the French peasants shows the fact that ____________.

      A. people might become lazy as a result of too much sleep.

      B. there were signs of hibernation in human sleeping habits.

      C. people tended to sleep more peacefully in cold weather.

      D. winter was a season for people to sleep for months on end.

 68. The late night was called “The Watch” because it was a time for people ____________.

      A. to set traps to catch animals.

      B. to wake up their family and neighbours.

      C. to remind others of the time.                   

      D. to guard against possible dangers.

 69. What does the author advise people to do?

      A. Sleep in the way animals do.

      B. Consult a doctor if they can’t sleep.

       C. Follow their natural sleep rhythm.

       D. Keep to the eight-hour sleep pattern.

70. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

     A. To give a prescription for insomnia.

     B. To urge people to sleep less.

     C. To analyze the sleep pattern of modem people.

     D. To throw new light on human sleep.