There is an old saying in English, “Laughter is the best medicine”. Until recently, few people took the saying very seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to study laughter and the effects (作用) it has on the human body. They have found evidence that laughter really can improve people’s health.

Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart rate and the rate of breathing. It also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be helpful.

Other tests have shown that laughter appears to make the effect of pain on the body less. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group which could bear the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can make pain less seems to be that it helps to produce endorphins (内啡肽) in the brain. These are natural chemicals which make both stress and pain less.

There is also some evidence to suggest that laughter helps the body’s immune system that is the system which fights infection (感染). In an experiment, one group of students watched a funny video while another group served as the control group — in other words, a group with which to compare the first group. Doctors checked the blood of the students in both groups and found that the people in the group that watched the video had an increase in the activity of their white blood cells that is the cells which fight infection.

As a result of these discoveries, some doctors and psychiatrists (精神病学) in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they try to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce good effects similar to those caused by laughter.

1.We learn from the first paragraph that laughter .

A. is good for one’s health

B. has strong effects to do with some illness

C. has been studied long since

D. has no effect on the body

2.Doctors have found that laughter .

A. keeps down blood pressure

B. has similar effects to physical exercise

C. decreases the heart rate

D. increases stress and pain

3.Which of the following statements is NOT true of laughter according to the passage?

A. It makes pain less.

B. It exercises the body.

C. It improves the body’s immune system.

D. It can cure cancer.

4.Smiling can produce _________.

A. about the same effects as laughter

B. more effects than laughter

C. fewer effects on the human body

D. no effects on the human body

5.The main idea of this passage is that _________.

A. the doctors should learn how to make people laugh

B. there are several ways of studying the advantages of laughter

C. tests show that laughter can produce positive effects on human body

D. laughter and physical exercise have the same effects on human body

第二节：请仔细阅读题1—5关于Carol, Mark, Stella, Dave和John的兴趣爱好。然后根据题后A—F中对各张唱片的描述，分别选出适合每个人的唱片，其中有一项多余。

1. Carol likes many kinds of music, but her favorite is jazz. The only music she really doesn’t like is piano music, even if it is jazz.

2. Mark doesn’t care about music, but he does like to have soft, gentle music playing in his flat sometimes. He doesn’t like classical (古典的) or jazz music, but he likes piano playing.

3. Stella likes all kinds of music, but her favorite instrument is electric guitar. She also quite likes jazz and folk music.

4.Dave only likes rock and pop, but he enjoys classical music better.

5.John likes country music because he thinks that country music has great voices and the words are good. He listens to country music nearly all the time.

A. The best of Keith Jarrett

The master（大师）of jazz piano continues to surprise audiences around the world. This collection of his greatest works includes The Koln Concert, Part 1 and extracts from the Paris Concert as well. Excellent value and a must for all jazz lovers.￡12.99.

B. Richard Thompson 1980---2000

Thomposon’s attractive electric guitar playing, and his folk-rock songs, are gathered together on a 2-CD collection that shows the best of his works over the past twenty years. ￡18.99.

C. Richard Claydermsn

French pianist, known for his relaxing piano music, has this new collection out on CD. Ideal as a present for the person who likes relaxing background music. ￡9.99.

D. Reach

In this collection, Meredith Edwards shows that her voice is perfect for country music. People who like country music should really try it. Great value at ￡9.99.

E. The best of Paco Pena

The great classical guitarist shows all his talents in this new collection. Works by Vila-Lobos and Haydn, among others with rock and pop. Great value at only ￡9.99.

F. Wynton Marsalis

The great jazz trumpeter (吹号手) has put together some of his best-known numbers and a few new pieces on this magical set. Perhaps not as classical as his last offering, but all jazz lovers will want this one anyway. ￡13.99.

用方框中所给单词的适当形式填空，使短文通顺、正确、连贯（每个单词限用一次）。

The UK wants Chinese teachers to help to increase the level of maths in its ____1.____. Chinese students ___2._____the highest international test results. There is a huge ____3.____in maths levels between the UK and China. A newspaper said: "The children of cleaners in Shanghai do better than ____4._____of UK doctors and lawyers in global maths tests." The UK will hire 60 ____5.______Shanghai's best maths teachers to help improve the ability of one million British students.

The UK is ____6._____behind many countries in maths. Poor education in maths costs the UK economy $30 billion a year. Britain's education minister went on ____7.______fact-finding task to China. She said: "We have some excellent maths teachers…but ____8.______I saw in Shanghai… strengthened my belief that we can learn from them." She added: "They have a can-do attitude to maths and I want us to ___9._____that." Having better Maths skills mean you can get ____10.___salaries and better jobs.

单词拼写（共10小题，计10分）

根据下列句子及所给单词的首字母，在答题纸上按题号写出各单词的完全形式（每空限填一词）。

1.As we know, Thursday is the f__________ day in a week.

2.According to a r_________ in the newspaper, the basketball star was seriously injured.

3.If the sun s________brightly, the weather is usually warm.

4.After f_________his homework, Jim went to play with his friends.

5.This book b_________ to Simon. I’ll give it back to him at once.

6.East or w______, home is the best.

7.You can’t imagine how quickly Qianjiang Xincheng has changed. More and more new tall b________have been built there.

8.All the students went to the playground to have PE class e______Bob. He was ill.

9.You should realize it’s d________ to play near the lakes and rivers, so be careful.

10.He’s the most popular teacher, though he is the youngest and has the l______experience.

书面表达（共1题，计15分）

假入你是Linda, 16岁，一个开朗外向、乐于助人的女孩。你需要向美国Brearley School递交申请，其中，需要说明你曾参加过的志愿者活动。请根据以下信息写一封申请书。

1) 简单向对方学校介绍自己的基本情况；

2) 从下面四幅图中选择两项志愿者活动，并介绍你参加这两项活动的情况；

3)描述参加活动的感受。

clean up parks cheer up sick kids raise money for charity give out ads

Dear Brearley School,

I’m writing to you in hope of studying in your school.

—Would you like to go swimming with ?

—Yes, I’d love to.

A. I B. mine C. my D. me

In the USA, many shops don’t open Sundays.

A. on B. at C. to D. in

— I use your color pencil?

—Sure. Here you are.

A. Must B. Need C. May D. Should

—Which subject do you like , Chinese or English?

—English, of course.

A. well B. better C. best D. the best

Hurry up, you will be late for the meeting.

A. so B. or C. and D. but