1.  Such as runny noses, sore throats, nothing quite like the common cold to make you feel miserable．But experts believe that there is no link between cold weather and catching colds． 2.Internal Medicine expert, Dr Meenakshi Jain of Max Hospital says, “One reason could be that people are likely to stay indoors, so the virus can spread easily．3. ”

The common cold is a viral infection that can be caused by any of up to 250 strains of virus, the most common group of which are the rhinovirus that hit the nose．

4.  “They are transmitted through the nose respiratory passages, by touch, and by contact with airborne particles that are created by sneezing or coughing,” says Dr Jain．

There is no cure for the common cold and antibiotics are of no help．However, there are some precautions which can help:

      5. In this case, you can protect your hands from getting germs．

Don’t touch your eyes, nose and mouth, which can limit your chances of infection．

Don’t share drinking glasses or utensils with anyone as this will prevent the spread of the virus．

Make sure to eat enough fruits to boost your immune system．

E．So why are we particularly vulnerable（脆弱的） this season？

F．Wash your hands regularly．

G．It’s winter and you have probably noticed germs are everywhere．

B

As the summer comes, the exhausted consumers start paying attention to the latest cooling devices（仪器）in the market. With the competition rising ,buying an air conditioner (AC) is no longer a big deal; moreover the easy finance schemes make it a device for every life.

Design

Though it carries the standard design for AC, yet it looks elegant(优雅的) when fixed on your wall. As AC is exposed to exterior（外部的）climate, it is bound to get damaged and bring maintenance cost if not taken proper care of. But Haier has solved this problem by providing an anti-corrosion（抗腐蚀的）body to all its AC. It has a remote control which provides you with ultimate flexibility and you can operate it from every corner of your room.

Key Features

It’s proved that this AC steals the show by offering 1tonne cooling capacity at the EER of 9.47. This means it operates at low power and thus helps you save great energy, and consequently it wins popularity with customers. The rotary compressor（旋转式压缩机）is the secret behind its smooth and silent operation, which makes it suitable for public and silent areas.

Core Information

Apart from the above features, it attracts consumers by its unique anti-bacterial filters（过滤器）, which act as a favor to your health by destroying the harmful germs and bacteria and make you breathe very clean air.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The anti-bacterial filters prove to be a favor for our respiratory system（呼吸系统）. When compared to other famous brands such as Samsung, Onida, and LG, it offers great functions at a very friendly price. However, it lacks some additional filters which are seen in other expensive brands like Electrolux EA12SCRLA1.

Conclusion

It’s a masterpiece（杰作） due to its silent operation and uniform（均速的）cooling. Thus, if you desire cool air, then just switch to this AC and feel the magic.

59. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A. most customers are not satisfied with the latest AC

B. the price of AC has been lowered due to the fierce competition

C. Haier AC has special functions but no desirable shapes

D. the real secret behind Haier AC’s silent operation hasn’t been published yet

60. The underlined words “steals the show” can be replaced by________.

A. learns key technologies secretly          B. puts theories into practice scientifically

C. attracts more attention and praise         D. shows some advantages and disadvantages

61. Which of the following plays an important role in guaranteeing our health?

A. The anti-corrosion body.                B. The remote control system.

C. The rotary compressor.                 D. The anti-bacterial filters.

62. Compared with other brands, Haier AC’s biggest advantage lies in ________.

A. the standard design                    B. the low maintenance cost

C. the best after-sales service                   D. the great functions at a low price

A major earthquake rocked Haiti at 4:53 pm local time on Jan.12, 2010, killing possibly thousands of people but no official figure has been released so far.

The quake, which struck about 15km (10 miles) south-west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was quickly followed by two strong aftershocks. In the space of a minute, numerous buildings fell down. A five-story U.N. building was also brought down by the 7.3 magnitude quake, the most powerful to hit Haiti in more than 200 years according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

As night fell, the whole city is in total darkness. You can see thousands of people sitting in the streets with nowhere to go. There are people running, crying, screaming. Describing the earthquake as a "catastrophe", Haiti’s president said the cost of the damage could run into billions.

Haiti became the first independent Caribbean state in the early 19th century. Haiti's location, history and attracting climate once made it a tourist hot place. However, decades of poverty, environmental pollution and violence have left it as the poorest nation in the Americans. It has suffered a lot, including four hurricanes and storms in 2008 that killed hundreds.

41. The great earthquake happened to the _______ of the capital city.

   A. south-west          B. north-west      C. south-east     D. north-east

42. What can we infer from the underlined sentence?

A. People in Port-au-Prince don’t like to light on.

B. The earthquake happened in the evening.

C. Electricity in the city was cut off that night.

D. There are no lights at all in Port-au-Prince.

43. Which statement about Haiti is NOT true?

A. Haiti became an independent state in the early 19th century.

B. Haiti belongs to Americas, just like Canada, America and so on.

C. At one time, tourism was important to the economy of Haiti.

D. Haiti is a country where such strong quakes often take place.

A 10-year-old boy fatally shot his father Friday, striking him several times as he sat in the front seat of a SUV to pick up the boy from his mother’s home for a weekend visit.

The incident happened about 3:45 p.m. on a cul-de-sac (死胡同) in the 1700 block of Cedar Cove Court, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department.

An investigation found that Rick James Lohstroh, 41, was shot by his son, who was sitting in the back seat of the man’s Toyota 4-Runner, said Sgt. B. E. Williams of the Harris County Sheriff’s Department. The shooting took place outside the home of Lohstroh’s ex-wife, where the boy lives with his mother and a 7-year-old brother.

“We’re not certain of anything until we finish our investigation,” Williams said. “The information we have at this time is that the 10-year-old did fire the weapon.”

The mother and the 7-year-old were inside the house when the shooting occurred, said Williams.

Williams said the gun belonged to the boy’s mother. After firing shots through the back seat, the boy exited(退出) the back of the vehicle and continued to fire at the car.

The man died on the way to Memorial Herman Hospital. Lohstroh was a doctor at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The man and woman shared custody（监护）of the children. Williams said the mother and the boy were still in the home talking to investigators Friday night.

Neighbors described the family as being quiet and keeping to themselves.

Justin Gray, 17, was walking in the neighborhood when he heard gunshots. “We’ve had a suicide（自杀）in this neighborhood once, but never anything like this,” Gray said.

The best title for the news should be         .

A. A Boy Shot His Father                    B. Shooting Kill a Father

C. An Unbelievable Tragedy  D. A Ten-Year-Old Boy’s Cruelty

Which of the following is TRUE according to the news?

A. The father is not responsible for the boy.

B. The family don’t like associating with their neighbours.

C. The boy lives with Rick James Lohstroh.

D. The boy has no brothers or sisters.

What can we infer from the report?

A. The tragedy happened because the boy had seen too many films showing violence.

B. The boy killed his father after he quarreled with his father.

C. Such things often occurred in this neighbourhood.

D. The boy’s parents got divorced (离婚).

The reason why the boy shot his father       .

A. is clear  B. can’t be made out  C. is not known             D. is quite simple

A well-dressed man entered a famous jewelry shop. He explained that he wished to buy a pearl for his wife’s birthday. The price didn’t matter. Since business had been very good for him that year. After examining a nice black one that cost $5000, he paid for the pearl in cash, shook hands with the jeweler, and left.
A few days later the man returned and said that his wife liked the pearl so much that she wanted another one just like it. It had to be exactly the same size and quality, as she wanted a pair of earrings made, “Can you give me any advice on how to get such a pearl?” said the man. The jeweler regretfully replied, “I would say it’s exactly impossible to find one exactly like that pearl.”
The rich man insisted that the jeweler advertise in the newspapers, offering $ 25,000 for the matching pearl. Many people answered the advertisement but nobody had a pearl that was just right.
Just when the jeweler had given up hope, a little old lady came into his store. To his great surprise, she pulled the perfect pearl from her purse. “I don’t like to part with it,” she said sadly, “I inherited it from my mother, and my mother inherited it from hers. But I really need the money.”
The jeweler was quick to pay her before she changed her mind. Then he called the rich man’s hotel to tell him the good news. The man, however, was nowhere to be found.
【小题1】The man said he wanted to buy a pearl for ______.
A. his wife             B. his mother-in–law 
C. his own mother           D. no one
57. He paid $ 5,000 for the black pearl without bargaining because ______.
A. he was very rich           B. he wanted to make the jeweler believe him
C. he was anxious to get it      D. his business had been successful
【小题2】He told the jeweler to get him another pearl that must be ______.