Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons (神经元）in our brains.

Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate (模仿)it，whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further： mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions _y they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.

Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example: “The hand took hold of the ball”), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).

Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.

Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with ever more information concerning how humans behave and interact(互动）.Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent (相等物）for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does---well, perhaps you'll understand why.

1.Mirror neurons can explain         .

2.The underlined word "triggered" in the third paragraph probably means “  ’’

3.We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons  ________.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

Proverbs(谚语) are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:

Once bitten, twice shy. If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again. 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.   

Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup). When too many people do something together, they get in each other’s way and cannot do a good job.

To pour oil on troubled waters Is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

Don't be a dog in a manger(马槽). Means “ Don’t be selfish.” In a stable(马厩), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bard when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.

He’s sitting on the fence. Means that somebody will not say whether he is in favour of a plan or against it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. A piper is a musician . The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.

You can’t get blood out of a stone means that you can’t get something out of a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him : “______”.

   A. You cannot get blood out of a stone         B. Don’t be a dog in a manger

   C. The early bird gets the worm              D. Don’t be a horse in the manger

Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people did not like the design of the school but they did not argue with Mr Wang because ________.

   A. he was sitting on the fence                 B. once bitten, twice shy

   C. he who pays the piper calls the tune          D. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said: “ I won’t go there again because___.”

   A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush     B. I am sitting on the fence

   C. Once bitten, twice shy                     D. too man cooks spoil the broth

Mr brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she warned him that _____.

   A. a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush       B. too many cooks spoil the broth

   C.you cannot get blood out of a stone             D.he who pays the piper calls the tune     

I found a website that has changed my life for the better. The website is wishuponahero.com and it is all about people helping others, not expecting anything in return.

I am a single mom with a son. My son’s 12th birthday was on October 29th, 2007. Knowing that I didn’t have money to buy him a birthday gift had broken my heart. So I decided to post a wish on wishuponahero.com for people to send my son birthday cards.

Many cards just started coming and my little son was very excited and this went on for about three weeks. The smile on his face and the sparkle (闪光) in his eyes brought me to tears.

Then, in the end of November, he started thinking about Christmas and he already knew that there would not be a tree for him because we didn’t have enough money. However, it didn’t matter to him. All he talked about was how much he wanted to make other children smile. So he decided that what he wanted to do was earn money to buy Christmas cards and send them to other children from poor families. My son went out daily and raked (耙) leaves and walked some dogs to make money. Not only did he buy cards, but he also made enough money to buy all the stamps and lollipops (棒棒糖) to be sent with the cards. He sent out about 100 cards. Doing this brought him that same smile and sparkle in his eyes as did the birthday cards that he received.

The single mother posted a wish on wishuponahero.com because _______________.

A. she wanted to buy her son a card on the website

B. she wanted to get something for free

C. she hoped that people could help her

D. she thought her son would like the website very much

What did the son think of his birthday cards on October 29th, 2007?

A. Disappointing.                B. Exciting.

C. Cheap.                          D. Poor.

What can we conclude from the story?

A. Surfing the Internet is of great use.

B. One should take care of his children.

C. People can ask for help from wishuponahero.com.

D. Learning to give makes one’s life more meaningful.

完形填空（20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

   阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项A，B，C，D中选出能填入相应空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A very little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox. He had with him a plastic pail (桶) and a shiny, red plastic shovel (铲). In the   36   of creating roads and tunnels in the sand, he   37   a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.

The boy dug around the rock,   38   to move it off the dirt. At first, he wanted to carry it out of the sandbox with his hands; however, it was too heavy. Later, with much   39  , he pushed the rock across the sandbox by   40   his hands. When the boy got the rock to the   41   of the sandbox, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and   42   the little wall.   43  , the little boy pushed, but every time he thought he had made some   44  , the rock tipped (翻滚) and then fell back into the sandbox. The little boy pushed and pushed, but his only   45   was to have the rock roll back.

Finally he   46   tears. All this time the boy’s father watched from his living room window   47   the drama was unfolded. The moment the tears fell, a large   48   appeared across the sandbox. It was the boy’s father. Gently but   49  , he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had?”

Defeated, the boy   50   back, “I did! I did! I used all the strength that I had!”

“No, you didn’t. You didn’t ask me for help.” The father   51   down, picked up the rock and dropped it off the sandbox.

Do you have “rocks” in your life that need to be   52  ? Are you discovering that you don’t have   53   it takes to lift them? There is someone who is willing to give us the   54   we need. Maybe, it’s sometimes a good idea to ask others for   55   when we meet difficulties we can’t overcome.

A. method             B. step         C. practice         D. process

A. created                B. set          C. discovered           D. brought

A. trying             B. managing     C. deciding         D. competing

A. thought             B. struggle     C. movement         D. worry

A. touching            B. shaking      C. using                D. controlling

A. bottom             B. center           C. edge             D. front

A. over                B. down         C. through          D. into

A. Doubted            B. Surprised        C. Pleased          D. Determined

A. attempt                B. progress     C. effort               D. decision

A. hope               B. reward           C. point                D. purpose

A. made out           B. broke out        C. burst into           D. rushed into

A. so                 B. as           C. until                D. before

A. rock               B. picture          C. figure               D. shade

A. surprisingly            B. doubtfully       C. kindly               D. firmly

A. shouted                B. smiled           C. called               D. asked

A. reached                B. looked           C. fell             D. put

A. pushed             B. dropped      C. carried              D. removed

A. who                B. what         C. which                D. where

A. minds              B. spirits          C. force                D. strength

A. help               B. tips         C. advice               D. ideas

Can you imagine exchanging the pleasure of city life for a quiet life in the countryside?

Many people want to move from the country to the city because they think that life in the city is more exciting and better than that in countryside,especially young people who like new,modern things.People like popular things and feel that they can only find the latest styles in the city.

However,it is possible to enjoy the higher quality of country life and still enjoy some of the advantages of living in the city.

Nowadays,traveling is fast and easy,and information can be found on the Internet,so many people are able to do their work in home offices.Because they have e-mail and personal computers,they don’t have to be in big cities to manage their businesses.It is not important where they actually work because the results of their work can be sent everywhere with e-mails.Therefore,there is no need to put up with all of the disadvantages of the city.Now they can escape busy city life to enjoy the quiet country life and still be able to have successful jobs.

Other people are interested in technological things and high-tech jobs and think they can only find them in big cities.If they want to find a job,especially a good position in a company,they think that they have to live in a city.For these jobs,they are willing to put up with many of the disadvantages of city life,such as crime,heavy traffic,and pollution.

The main idea of this passage is that          .

  A.life in the city is different from life in the countryside

  B.people prefer living in the city to living in the countryside

  C.cities have more disadvantages than the countryside

  D.more and more people like living in the city

With the development of       ,people can enjoy life in the countryside as comfortably as they can in the city.

  A.e-mail technology                    B.personal computers

  C.transportation and computers           D.business

According to the passage,what does the countryside have but cities don’t have?

  A.Technology.     B.Traffic.         C.Education.     D.Natural environment.

What is the author’s attitude towards city life?

  A.He is for it.                         B.He is against it.

  C.He likes neither.                     D.He shows no opinion.