Who hasn’t enjoyed eating peanuts? Did you know that although peanuts look like nuts and taste like nuts, they aren’t nuts at all? They belong to the pea family, so they are called peanuts. The peanut grows flowers above ground, but its “fruit” grows underground. It grows in more countries than most other “nuts”.
The peanut is a native South American plant. Scientists believe that it grew wild in Brazil long ago. They think that for several thousand years the early peoples of South America made it a part of their diet. These peoples were nomads who moved on when a natural food could no longer be found in one area. Along the way they probably let fall some peanuts, which got into the ground and grew. This is believed to be the way the plant reached the place where the Incas（印加人）lived. The Incas, from about 1100 to 1532, thought highly of peanuts. The peanuts were eaten in several forms and used as sacrificial offerings（祭品）to the Incan Sun God. Later in the 16th century, European soldiers had brought peanuts to other parts of the world, including North America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Pacific Islands.
Although peanuts were found native in South America, they are now grown in almost every country that has warm weather. India produces the most peanuts. China’s production is next, followed by the United States.
The peanut is special in more ways than one. It can be eaten raw, boiled, roasted, or fried. Hundreds of widely different products have been made from it. Carver, an American scientist, set himself the task of discovering new uses for eating and for many other products.
Peanuts are very highly nutritious and are also high in protein （蛋白质）. Americans use about seven-tenths of their protein in the form of meat. In India, where the poor can’t pay for meat or milk, peanut meal and peanut milk have been produced. These have been a great help to the poor.
New products are continually being made from peanuts, among them peanut cheese and a powder that becomes peanut butter when water is added. The fact is that peanuts are so healthy that they were used by astronauts. The unusual nut that isn’t a nut is one of nature’s most amazing gifts.
【小题1】 Although we like eating peanuts, many of us don’t know peanuts belong to _______ family.

Not all memories (记忆)are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad experiences. Wars and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and mental scars. Often they appear again in dreams.

Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill(药丸), which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a frightening experience. They hope it might reduce（减少）, or possibly erase(抹去) the effect of sad memories.

In November, some scientists tested a drug(药) on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body producing chemicals(化学品) that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the mental effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.

The research has caused plenty of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.

Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers’ troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.

“Some memories can destroy(破坏) people’s lives. They come back to you when you don’t want to have them in a dream. They usually come with very sad feeling.” said Roger Pitman, a scientist of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. “This could relieve(减轻) a lot of that suffering.”

But those who are against the research say that it is very dangerous to change memories because memories give us our identity(特质). They also help us all get away from the mistakes of the past.

“All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were terrible at the time but make us who we are. I’m not sure we want to erase those memories,” said Rebecca Dresser.

1.The passage is mainly about __________.

A．a new medical invention

B．a new research on memories

C．a way of erasing sad memories

D．an argument about the research on the pill

2.The drug tested on people can __________.

A．cause the brain to fix memories

B．stop people remembering their experiences

C．prevent body producing certain chemicals

D．erase the emotional effects of memories

3.The word “scars” in Paragraph One is close in meaning to _________.

A．good stories                           B．sad feelings

C．experiences                           D．memories

4.Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?

A．Some memories can destroy people’s lives.

B．People want to get away from bad memories.

C．Experiencing bad events makes us different from others.

D．The pill will reduce people’s sufferings from bad memories.

The teacher stood before his class and was going to hand out the final exam papers. “I know how   1   you have all worked to prepare for this test,” he said. “And because I know you can do it well, I am willing to offer a B to anyone who would   2   not to take the test. ”
Many students jumped up to   3   the teacher and left the classroom.  The teacher looked at the   4   students and said, “Does anyone else want to get a B? This is your last   5   . ” Two more students decided to go.     Seven students remained.  The teacher then handed out the   6   .  There were only three sentences typed on the paper: Congratulations! You have just   7   an A in this class.  Keep believing in yourself.     I never had a teacher like that, but I think it is a test   8   any teacher could and should give.  Students who are not   9   in what they have learned are B students at best(充其量). The same is   10   in real life.  The A students are those who believe in what they are doing because they have   11   both successes and failures.  They have learned life’s lessons, either from normal education   12   from events in their lives, and have become   13   people.      Scientists say that by the age of eight, 80% of what we believe about ourselves has already been formed.  You are a big kid now, and you   14   that  you have some limits (限制).  However, there is   15   you can’t do or learn or be.  Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest said, “It’s not the mountain we conquer(克服) but ourselves. ”
【小题1】A.  luckily        B.  terribly        C.  hard
【小题2】A.  dislike        B.  help            C.  prefer
【小题3】A.  thank         B.  praise          C.  fight
【小题4】A.  following     B.  relaxing      C.  remaining
【小题5】A.  chance        B.  trouble         C.  test
【小题6】A.  results        B.  presents        C.  papers
【小题7】A.  given         B.  sent            C.  received
【小题8】A.  where         B.  that            C.  what
【小题9】A.  confident     B.  necessary       C.  mysterious
【小题10】A.  unusual        B.  impossible      C.  true
【小题11】A.  broken off     B.  dreamed of      C.  learned from
【小题12】A.  and           B.  or            C.  but
【小题13】A.  ruder         B.  cuter           C.  better
【小题14】A.  decide        B.  forget          C.  realize
【小题15】A.  something     B. anything        C.  nothing

My summer hols wr CWOT. B4, we usd 2 go 2 NY 2C my bro, his CF & thr 3:-@ kids FTF ILNY, its gr8.

　　Can you understand this sentence? If you can't, don't feel too bad: neither could the middle school teacher in England who received this as homework. This is Netspeak: the language of computerized communication found on Internet or cellphones. To newcomers, it can look like a completely foreign language. So, what is the "translation" of the sentence above? My summer holidays were a complete waste of time. Before, we used to go to New York to see my brother, his girlfriend, and their three screaming kids face to face. I love New York; it's great.

　　Schoolteachers and parents say this new form of writing is harming（破坏）the English language. Increasing spelling and grammatical mistakes cxan be seen in students' writing. They fear the language could become corrupted（面目全非的）.

　　Everyone should just relax, say linguists（语言学家）. They believe Netspeak is in fact more of a good thing. David Crystal, from the University of Wales, argues that Netspeak and Internet create a new language use and the almost lost art of diary writing has been picked up again. Geoffrey Nunberg, from Stanford University, agrees. "People get better at writing by writing," he says, "Kids who are now doing text messaging, e-mail, and instant messages will write at least as well as, and possibly better than, their parents."

　　Linguist James Millroy says, for centuries, it is believed without exception that young people are harming the language. And you can bet your bottom dollar that when today's teenagers become tomorrow's parents, they too will think this way. Milroy argues that languages do not and cannot become "corrupted"; they simply change to meet the new needs.

　　However, Netspeakers do agree that it is important to teach young people how to speak and write Standard English. Cynthia McVey says, "I can understand Netspeak worries teachers and it's important that they get across to their pupils that text messaging is for fun, but that learning to write proper English is a must for their future."

　　Perhaps we should give teenagers a little more trust anyway. Erin, age 12, says, "I wouldn't use text language in my homework. Texting is just for fun"

　1.What is the main purpose of the first paragraph?

　　A. To give an example of a foreign language.

　　B. To show an example of creative methods.

　　C. To express worries about using Netspeak.

　　D. To lead in the topic of Netspeak.

　2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　　A. Cynthia McVey points out teenagers can deal with Netspeak properly.

　　B. Geoffrey Nunberg believes Netspeakers can write Standard English.

　　C. David Crystal thinks Netspeak helps develop the habit of writing.

　　D. James Milroy says that language is changing and improving.

　　3.The expression "bet your bottom dollar" in Paragraph 5 means ______.

　　A. be fairly sure          B. be greatly surprised

　　C. think it a pity          D. find it interesting

　　4. What can be the best title for the passage?

　　A. Netspeak: A Widely-Used Language on Internet

　　B. Is Netspeak Harming the English Language?

　　C. Is Netspeak Helpful in Language Learning?

　　D. Netspeak: Advantages and Disadvantages