What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, and red? If you do, you must be an optimist(乐观者), a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy and you would rather follow than lead. If you love green, you are strong-minded and determined. You wish to succeed and want other people to see you are successful. At least this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference(爱好), and the effect that colors have on human beings. They tell us that we don't choose our favorite color as we grow up. If you happen to love brown, you did so as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.
A yellow room makes us feel more cheerful and more comfortable than a dark green one, and a red dress rings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing(压抑). Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active. It is a fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or dark gray.
Remember, then, that if you feel low, you can always brighten your day or your life with a new shirt or a few colorful things. Remember also that you will know your friends and your enemies better when you find out what colors they like and dislike. And don't forget that anyone can guess a lot about your character when you choose a piece of handkerchief.
【小题1】According to this passage,           .

 ——Mum, can you drive faster to the airport?

  ——Honey, ______, for we still have one and a half hour.

A. take it easy   B. take your time      C. forget it       D. with pleasure

Children at a school in Italy have today begun an experiment to replace all their books with personal computers. The pupils involved will each be given a special laptop that contains their entire courses.

Until today, the Don Milani di Rivoli elementary school in central Turin was like any other. Children turned up, got out their books and pens and began the process of learning. But now, in what's being described as a unique experiment, 60 fifth-grade pupils and a number of third-graders, will start using computers only.

The mini-laptops, which run Windows software, all have a full curriculum programmed into them. The pupils will use the computers to do all their reading and writing. Security systems within the laptops mean the children's access to the Internet is strictly controlled. The machines weigh less than a kilogram, can be dropped from a height of 1.5 metres and are waterproof.

Instead of spending 700 dollars a year on books, the laptops, built by the Italian company Olidata, cost less than 400 dollars. One of the teachers involved in the scheme says that, for the first time, schools will be able to verify in a scientific way how a computer alone can improve the learning process. The experiment, which has the backing of parents, is due to last a year.

In other countries, such a programme is also being carried out. Venezuela is ordering one million low cost laptops for its school children. The machines will be based on the Intel Classmate laptop that has been designed for school children. Many see the deal as a blow for the One Laptop Per Child organization that has also been introducing its child- friendly machine to developing nations.

Which of the following is TRUE about the mini-laptop?

A. It is heavy for pupils to carry.         B. It can't be damaged by water.

C. It is one and a half meters high.              D. It is easily broken or damaged.

The pupils use the laptop to ____ in class.

A. learn their lessons as an aid

B. have a course named computer studies

C. surf the Internet mainly to find information

D. do what they used to do with books and pens

How much money can a pupil save by using the mini-laptop to replace all the books in a year?

A. Less than 400 dollars.                            B. More than 400 dollars.

C. More than 300 dollars.                   D. Less than 300 dollars.

Which of the following about the experiment is TRUE?

A. It has been carried out for over one year.

B. It has already turned out to be a success.

C. The pupils' parents are against it in fact.

D. The pupils' parents are supportive to it.

An old woman had two large pots, one on each end of a pole. She carried the pole with the pots across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full pot of water. At the end of the long walk from the well to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half-full.
For two years this happened daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the cracked pot spoke to the woman by the well: “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”
The old woman smiled: “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your crack, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. And every day while we walk back, you water them.”
“For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, I would not have this beauty.”
Each of us has our own cracks. But it’s these cracks that make our lives together so interesting and meaningful.
【小题1】What does the underlined word “crack” mean?

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has declared October 15 as Global Handwashing Day in 2005．The first Global Handwashing Day is on October 15 of 2008.Activities are planned over twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap. Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for Handwashing with Soap. Partners include the UN Children's Fund, American government agencies, the World Bank and soap makers Unilever and Procter and Gamble. The goal is to create a culture of hand washing with soap.
Hand washing can prevent the spread of disease. Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
When people get germs on their hands, they can infect themselves by touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Then they can infect others.
The organizers say all soaps are equally effective at removing disease-causing germs. The correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Rub for at least twenty seconds.Then, rinse well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth or wave them in the air. Soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. It also helps to break up the grease and dirt that hold most of the germs.And it usually leaves a pleasant smell,which increases the likelihood that people will wash again.
Washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea(痢疾) by almost half. And it could reduce deaths from pneumonia and other breathing infections by one-fourth. Diarrhea is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year. Pneumonia is the leading cause, killing about two million children under five each year. Hand washing can also prevent the spread of other diseases.
50.We can learn from Paragraph 1 that _______.
A.the first Global Handwashing Day was held in 2005
B.many originations support the idea of Global Handwashing Day  
C.Global Handwashing Day was founded by many soap makers
D.the content of Global Handwashing Day is to wash your hand frequently
51.The underlined phrase “critical moments” in Paragraph 2 refers to _______.
A.the turning points    
B.schedules  
C.the arrangement of a time
D.the necessary parts in health
52.The main purpose of the story is to tell us ________.
A.hand washing is very important
B.to create a culture of hand washing with soap
C.germs can infect ourselves and others
D.soaps play an important role in everyday life
53.The last paragraph implies that ___________.
A.a soap is a kind of medicine to prevent a disease
B.it is important for children to wash hands in a correct way
C.Pneumonia kills about two million children each year
D.Diarrhea is the second leading cause of child deaths.