Looking for a new weight loss plan? Try living on top of a mountain. Mountain air contains less oxygen than air at lower altitudes, so breathing it causes the heart to beat faster and the body to burn more energy. A handful of studies have found that athletes training at high altitudes tend to lose weight. Doctor Florian Lippl of the University Hospital Of Ludwig-Maximilians-university Munich wondered how the mountain air would affect overweight individuals if they weren’t doing any more physical activity than usual.

Lippl and his colleagues invited 20 overweight men to an environmental research station about 300 meters below the summit of Zugspitze, a mountain around 2,970 meters near the Austrian border. They were allowed to eat as much as they liked. The men also gave blood so that researchers could test for hormones linked to appetite and fatness. At the end of the week, the men, whose mean weight starting out was 105kg, had lost on average about l.5kg. The men’s blood pressure also dropped, which the researchers believed was due to weight lost.

Exactly what caused the weight loss is uncertain. Loss of appetite is common at higher altitudes, and indeed the men ate significantly less than usual—about 700 calories fewer per day. Lippl also notes that because their consumption was being recorded, they may have been more self-conscious about what they ate. Regardless, eating less accounts for just l kg of the l.5 kg lost, says Lippl. He thinks the increased metabolic (新陈代谢的) rate, which was measured, also contributed to weight loss but cannot separate the different effects with the given data.

Appetite loss at high altitudes could certainly be key, notes Damian Bailey, a physiologist at the University of Glamorgan, UK, who recently lost 11 kg during a 3-month expedition to the Andes in Chile.   

Unfortunately, for the average person there is no treatment that can resemble living at high altitude, says Lippl. The only alternative is hypobaric chamber, which exposes subjects to low oxygen and isn’t practical as a treatment. He says, half- jokingly, “If fat people plan their holidays, they might not go to the sea, but maybe to the mountain.”

1.What contributes the most to one’s heart rates according to the first paragraph?

A．our bodyweight                        B．the consumption of energy

C．the rates of our breathing                 D．the amount of oxygen provided

2.Hormones are tested in the research because they can affect ______.

A．one’s bodyweight                      B．one’s blood pressure

C．one’s way of living                     D．one’s metabolic rate

3.What was found about the 20 overweight men in the process of the research?

A．They controlled what to eat self-consciously.

B．They took in much fewer calories than usual.

C．They lost appetite because of lack of physical activity.

D．They were provided with a healthier diet than before.

4.Why does Damian Bailey agree with the idea of appetite loss at high altitudes?

A．He experimented with the new weight loss plan in the Andes.

B．He found no other reasons for his loss of weight in the Andes.

C．He researched the related subject in the Andes.

D．He lost much weight in the high altitude Andes.

5.In what manner does Lippl talk about the way of losing weight by spending holidays on mountains?

A．casual            B．inaccurate         C．uncertain         D．confident

An annoying problem for humans, who like to boast (夸耀) about all the distant planets and moons we have explored, is that we've never taken a good look right under our noses．The inside of the earth is relatively close but how can we get there?

The deepest oil well enters a mere six miles into the crust (地壳)  (the center of the earth is about 4,000 miles deeper)．Russian scientists dug the deepest hole in Siberia," but bottomed out at about 7.5 miles below the surface．The Mohole project, a U.S．plan in the 1950s, called for drilling a hole 25 miles down to the boundary be??tween the hard rocks of the crust and the soft mantle (地幔)．Sadly the project involved govern??ment supporting.

It gets harder and harder to drill deep into the earth because rocks get softer and softer． Hard but easily broken at the surface, rocks become plastic at depth, and the pressure caused by the weight of the overlaying crust — about 52,800 pounds per square inch at a depth of ten miles, makes further drilling impossible.

What little we know about the inside of the earth (like the fact that there' s a crust, a mantle, and a core) comes from indirect evidence, such as the analysis of earthquakes.

So maybe it' s time for a thorough new method to explore the earth's inside．Scientist David Stevenson says we should forget about drilling holes．Instead, we should open a crack (裂缝)． 

Stevenson suggests digging a crack about a half mile long, a yard wide, and a half mile deep (not with a shovel) but with an explosion on the scale of a nuclear bomb．Next, he'd pour a few hundred thousand tons of molten (融化的) iron into the crack, along with a robot．The iron, thicker than the surrounding crust, would move downward at about 16 feet per second, carrying the robot with it and opening the crack deeper and deeper．The iron mass would drop for about a week and 2,000 miles to the outer edge of the earth core, the robot sending out data to the sur??face.

Stevenson compares his idea to space explo??ration．"We're going somewhere we haven't been before," he says．"In all possibility, there will be surprises."

This idea can probably be put in．the drawer marked with Isn't Going To Happen．The robot would have to survive temperatures that would melt pretty much anything．But Stevenson's idea may inspire a new look at an old problem．Great things can come from what seems like impossible ideas.

Going inside the earth is ________ than going into space.

A．more interesting B．more possible    C．easier            D．more challenging

How deep have we gone into the earth until now?

A．6 miles．         B．4,000 miles． C．7.5 miles．        D．25 miles.

Which of the following is TRUE about David Stevenson's idea?

A．It is an inspiring but not practical idea now．

B．It is a practical proposal that has come into use now.

C．It is a good proposal that will soon be put into practice.

D．It is a false theory that cannot be carried out at all.

What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A．An Annoying Problem for Humans

B．To the Center of the Earth

C．The Mohole Project

D．David Stevenson' s Proposal

An annoying problem for humans, who like to boast (夸耀) about all the distant planets and moons we have explored, is that we've never taken a good look right under our noses. The inside of the earth is relatively close, but how can we get there?

The deepest oil well enters a mere six miles into the crust (地壳) (the center of the earth is about 4,000 miles deeper). Russian scientists dug the deepest hole in Siberia, but bottomed out at about 7.5 miles below the surface. The Mohole project, a U.S. plan in the 1950s, called for drilling a hole 25 miles down to the boundary between the hard rocks of the crust and the soft mantle (地幔). Sadly the project involved government supporting.

It gets harder and harder to drill deep into the earth because rocks get softer and softer. Hard but easily broken at the surface, rocks become plastic at depth, and the pressure caused by the weight of the overlaying crust ---  about 52,800 pounds per square inch at a depth of ten miles, makes further drilling impossible.

What little we know about the inside of the earth (like the fact that there's a crust, a mantle, and a core) comes from indirect evidence, such as the analysis of earthquakes.

So maybe it's time for a thorough new method to explore the earth's inside. Scientist David Stevenson says we should forget about drilling holes. Instead, we should open a crack (裂缝).

Stevenson suggests digging a crack about a half mile long, a yard wide, and a half mile deep (not with a shovel) but with an explosion on the scale of a nuclear bomb. Next, he'd pour a few hundred thousand tons of molten (熔化的) iron into the crack, along with a robot. The iron, thicker than the surrounding crust, would move downward at about 16 feet per second, carrying the robot with it and opening the crack deeper and deeper. The iron mass would drop for about a week and 2,000 miles to the outer edge of the earth core, the robot sending out data to the surface.

Stevenson compares his idea to space exploration. "We're going somewhere we haven't been before,"he says. "In all possibility, there will be surprises.”

This idea can probably be put in the drawer marked with Isn't Going To Happen. The robot would have to survive temperatures that would melt pretty much anything. But Stevenson's idea may inspire a new look at an old problem. Great things can come from what seems like impossible ideas.

Going inside the earth is _____ than going into space.

A. more interesting B. more possible C. easier  D. more challenging

How deep have we gone into the earth until now?

A. 6 miles.  B. 4,000 miles. C. 7.5 miles.  D. 25 miles.

Which of the following is TRUE about David Stevenson's idea?

A. It is an inspiring but not practical idea now.

B. It is a practical proposal that has come into use now.

C. It is a good proposal that will soon be put into practice.

D. It is a false theory that cannot be carried out at all.

What might be the most suitable title for the text?

A. An Annoying Problem for Humans

B. To the Center of the Earth

C. The Mohole Project

D. David Stevenson's Proposal

Urban legends are stories that are told and believed in many places．Too many places，in fact．It simply isn’t credible that the same unlikely events take place in so many different towns．For some reason，though，that particular set of events appeals to the imagination and the tale spreads．

A very common North American urban legend concerns a mad man in the woods．A dangerous mad man has escaped from a hospital for the mentally ill．At some point in his life he has lost a hand and it has been replaced by a hook．A boy and a girl are out dating，sitting in a car．They hear on the radio that the area is dangerous，so they drive off．When they arrive home they find a bloodstained hook hanging on the door handle of the car door next to the girl．

Missing kidney(肾)stories are fairly common．Of course，the details are variable．It might be a woman waking up in a strange hotel in Bangkok，or a man finding himself in a cold bath in Toronto．or a young man with faint memories of wild disco party，but they all find a flesh wound，and discover that one of their kidneys has been removed and，probably, sold．

The back seat killer has plenty of drama．A woman gets into her Car late at night．Another Car follows her, speeding，flashing lights and really frightening her．She gets home and keeps on pressing the horn．Her husband runs out．The chasing car stops．The husband demands to know why the driver has been frightening his wife．He says he saw a strange man get into the back of the car as the wife got in，and then hide．They go and look，and there is a dangerous mad man...

1.What is the writer’s attitude towards “urban legends”?

2.What can be inferred from the hook hanging on the Car door?

3.What do we know about the three people mentioned in the third paragraph?

4.Why does the woman driver keep on pressing the horn?

5.How should we describe the second driver in the 4th paragraph?

We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?" "And why didn’t Paul pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back, it’s too late.

Why do we go wrong about our friends – or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don’t really listen we miss the feelings behind the words. Suppose someone tells you，"You’re a lucky dog." that’s being friendly. But "lucky dog"? There’s a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn’t see it himself. But bringing in the "dog" bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve your luck.

"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important. It’s telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night.

How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person while talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.

1.In the first paragraph, the writer recalls some things that happened between some friends and they __________.

A．think it was a mistake to have broken up with their girl friends

B．feel happy, thinking of how nice their friends were to them in the past

C．feel very sorry that their friends didn't help them and let them down

D．feel they may not have "read" their friends' true feelings correctly

2.In this passage, the writer tries to tell us how to __________.

A．avoid mistakes about money and our friends

B．avoid mistakes in understanding what people really want to tell us

C．"size up" people in a more scientific and meaningful way

D．keep people friendly without trusting them any more

3.While we are listening to a person, the important thing for us is __________.

A．to check his words against his manner, tone of voice and posture

B．to notice his tone of voice, his posture, and the look in his eyes

C．to listen to how he pronounces his words in front of you

D．not to believe what he says in any situation or any time

4.According to this passage, the underlined phrase "puts you down" can be replaced by another phrase "__________".

A．reduces you to silence                   B．presses you down

C．makes you humble                      D．makes you sad