New findings suggest that brainy card games such as contract bridge (合约桥牌) may temporarily raise production of a key blood cell including in fighting off illness. After 90 minutes of play, bridge players had increased level of immune(免疫) cell, according to research reported last week.

 

A researcher, Diamond, studies bridge players from a woman’s bridge club. She chose bridge players because the game includes skills stimulating(刺激) a part of the brain called the dorsolateral cortex. Earlier animal research suggests that this part of the brain may play a role in the immune system.

The findings are based on blood samples drawn from 12 women players. Their blood samples showed a rise in levels of white blood cells called T cells after they played bridge for 90 minutes. T cells are produced by the thymus gland(胸腺) and used by the immune system against diseases.

The T cells count jumped significantly in eight of the bridge players, and slightly in the other four.

The findings contribute to the field of neuroimmunology(神经免疫学), whose name reflects the fact that the nervous system and the immune system are not considered separate and isolated systems. What isn’t clear is whether the help to the immune system from an activity like contract bridge is lasting or temporary. It’s also not clear whether the increase in T cells could finally be targeted against special illness.

 

72.Playing bridge can help one to fight off diseases because it can ____.

    A. raise production of a key blood cell        

    B. make people joyful

    C. aid digestion                                        

    D. make break-away from the bad habits

73.Diamond chose to study bridge players for the research because _____.

    A. the players are good friends of hers       

    B. she loves playing bridge

    C. this game stimulates a part of the brain that has something to do with immune system

    D. She is a clever manager, who operates her bridge club well

74.A T cell is _____.

    A. a brain cell                                           B. a white blood cell

    C. a red blood cell                                     D. a kind of dangerous blood

75.Which of the following is TRUE according to this article?

    A. The immune system and the brain system used to considered separated and isolated system.

    B. The help to the immune system that is brought about by playing bridge can last for long time.

    C. Cortex is a kind of blood cell.

    D. The new findings are impossible.

 LONDON―A morning’s train ride away, across the Channel, English kids talk about Liverpool’s soccer team in a Paris pub.

Some Parisians have even started to go to work in London.

In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two great rival(竞争的) cities, London and Paris, in “A Tale of Two Cities.” These days, it might be A Tale of One City.

Parisians are these days likely to smile in sympathy at a visitor’s broken French and respond in polite English.

As jobs grew lack at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the Channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.

Paris, rich in beauty, is more attractive. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.

“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a banker.

Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.

There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.

In fact, London and Paris, with their obvious new similarities, are beyond the cold descriptions. As the European Union gradually loosened controls, Londoners flocked into Paris to shop, eat and buy property.

“Both cities have changed beyond recognition.” Said Larry Collins, a writer and sometimes a Londoner.

Like most people who know both well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably.

“I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s, and it is still a wonderful place,” Collins said.

“But if I had to choose, it would be London. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”

But certainly not cheaper.

In fancy parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.

Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice.

Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose.

“I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is so structured,” she said. “In London, you can be who you want. No one cares.”

 

68.The best title for this passage is ____.

    A. Londoners and Parisians      

    B. A Modern Tale of Two Cities

    C. The Similarity of Two Cities   

    D. Fancy London and Fashionable Paris

69.We can infer from the text ____.

    A. Paris and London has become perfect partners.

    B. London feels more full of life.

    C. life in Paris is structured.

    D. Paris and London have become fierce competitors.

70.The underlined word “flocked” probably means ____.

    A. came in large numbers         

    B. flew a long way

    C. rushed hurriedly              

    D. drove long distances

71.From the passage we can know ____.

    A. the two cities have developed very fast

    B. London is better than Paris now

    C. Paris is a favorite place for all journalism students

    D. people in both London and Paris now lead a regular life

San Francisco is going to do what many other cities have already done --- provide free bicycles to the public. The mayor of San Francisco supports the bicycle program. He wants to improve the terrible traffic problems in the city.

At first, 40 to 60 bikes will be available only to city workers. People will give their old bikes to the city to use in the program. If this program is successful, one day more than 1000 bicycles will be available. Everyone, not just city workers, will be able to use these bicycles.

People in Fresno, California already have a free bicycle program. In fact, this idea began in Amsterdam over 40 years ago. These programs encourage citizens to get out of their cars and onto pollution-free bikes.

Fresno’s Yellow Bike Program puts about fast bicycles around the city. The bikes are painted bright yellow so people know they can take them. When people take a yellow bike, they can ride to work or to shopping areas, and then leave the bike for the next rider.

Some people worry that the free bikes will be stolen. However, theft hasn’t been a problem in other free-bike cities.

While most people think the bike program is a good idea, only a few say they will use it. “I will still drive my car,” says Joanna Greene. “San Francisco has a lot of hills. My office is at the top of Potrero Hill. I don’t think I’m in good shape. And, wouldn’t I have to carry a helmet with me all the time?”

Phil Chung agrees, “There is too much traffic. Riding a bicycle can be dangerous. There are not very many bike lanes(自行车道).” He continues, “Plus, it’s too cold in the winter. And what if you ride a bike to work, and then there isn’t one to ride home?”

Program leaders know there will be problems. But they think it’s worth trying. “It’s not the solution for everyone,” states Sylvia Pass. “But if just one hundred people use it every day, that’s one hundred cars that aren’t on the streets, one hundred parking spaces that aren’t used. I think it’s a great beginning.”

 

64. San Francisco provides bicycles to the public because ____.

      A. there are many bikes available

      B. many people get tired of driving cars

      C. many other cities have already done so

      D. the traffic problems are terrible

65. The following statements are the disadvantages of free bike program in San  Francisco except that ____.

     A. free bike will be stolen                           B. San Francisco is not flat at all

     C. riding a bike is not safe enough               D. it will be too cold in the winter

66.What does “I’m in good shape” in the sixth paragraph mean?

    A. I’m beautiful.                                       

    B. I’m healthy and strong.

    C. I have a good figure.                            

    D. I’m heavy and strong.

67.The program leaders think the program is worth trying NOT because ____ .

    A. there will be more problems

    B. they can’t solve problems for everyone

   C. there will be less cars on the streets anyway

   D. there will be more parking spaces

 

Rescue workers found a family in their RV on Tuesday after 17 days in the mountains near the Oregon coast.

Peter Stivers, Marlo Hill-Stivers, their two children Sabastyan, 9, and Gabrayell, 8, and Hill-Stivers’s mother and stepfather, Elbert and Becky Higginbotham, were in the vehicle. On their way home from a trip to the coast, the family got lost in the mountains at an elevation (高地) of about 3,800 feet. What’s worse, they were trapped in four feet of snow.

“We had fuel and food, but we were running short,” said Elbert Higginbotham. “We were rationing (定量配给).”

When the family was reported missing, rescue teams from Oregon and California searched likely routes to the coast. But with no leads and no idea where the family was heading, those conducting the unsuccessful search eventually called it off.

In the evenings, Sabastyan and Gabrayell entertained the adults by reading jokes from Reader’s Digest aloud. The family members survived mostly on dehydrated food(脱水食物) .

On Monday, Hill-Stivers and her husband decided to go for help. They packed a tent, wool blankets, tuna fish, honey, and hand-warmers to take into the wilderness with them. The children stayed safe in the RV with their grandparents.

The couple were found the following day by a US Bureau of Land Management worker. A rescue team in a helicopter located the rest of the family. The family was driven out of the snowbound (被雪封住的) area on snow machines. Parents and children were happily reunited.

“They enjoyed it,” Peter Stivers said of his children’s experience. “They didn’t know we were in trouble.” For the adults, it was quite an ordeal (严酷的考验). They had to worry about survival and rescue, and about keeping everyone calm. “I’m so proud of my family,” said Elbert Higginbotham. “They stuck together, they didn’t lose it.”

 

60. What is the main cause of the family’s bad situation?

A. They ran short of fuel.                             B. It snowed heavily.

C. They couldn’t find their way.                 D. Their RV couldn’t move in the snow.

61. Which of the following can NOT be learned from the passage?

A. Rescue teams finally failed for lack of necessary clues.   

B. The children felt no fear when the family were trapped.    

C. On Tuesday, the couple were found by a rescue worker.   

D. The adults had a good performance in face of trouble.

62. If there is a good lesson from the story, it can be ______.

A. travel in the mountains should be avoided

B. when traveling, people should keep in touch with rescue teams

C. children can cause much trouble in travel

D. people should know how to save themselves when facing trouble.

63. This passage is probably chosen from a newspaper’s column of ________ .

A. Education            B. News                C. Health          D. Economy

A sense of humor is just one of the many things shared by Alfred and Anthony Melillo, 64-year-old twin brothers from East Haven who made history in February 2002. On Christmas Eve, 1992, Anthony had a heart transplant from a 21-year-old donor. Two days before Valentine’s Day in 2002, Alfred received a 19-year-old heart, marking the first time on record that twin adults each received heart transplants.

“I’m 15 minutes older than him, but now I’m younger because of my heart and I’m not going to respect him,” Alfred said with a grin, pointing to his brother while talking to a roomful of reporters, who laughed frequently at their jokes.

While the twins knew that genetics might have played a role in their condition, they recognized that their eating habits might have also contributed to their heart problems. “We’d put half a pound of butter on a steak. I overdid it on all the food that tasted good, so I guess I deserved what I got for not dieting properly.”

The discussion moved to Anthony’s recovery. In the five years since his heart transplant, he had been on an exercise program where he regularly rode a bicycle for five miles, swam each day, and walked a couple of miles. He was still on medication (药物治疗), but not nearly as much as Alfred, who was just in the early stage of his recovery.

“Right now I feel pretty young and I’m doing very well,” Anthony said. “I feel like a new person.”

Alfred said his goal, of course, was to feel even better than his brother. But, he added, “I love my brother very much. We’re very close and I’m sure we’ll do just fine.”

 

56. This article is mainly about _________.

A. the danger of heart transplant surgery

B. becoming young by getting a new heart

C. the effect of genetics on the heart

D. the twin brothers who received heart transplants

57. What did Alfred and Anthony have in common?

A. Lifespan (寿命).                            B. Career goals.

C. A sense of humor.                          D. Love for bicycling.

58. What did Alfred and Anthony think caused their heart problems?

A. Exercise         B. Diet               C. Surgery                 D. Medicines

59. Why did Alfred say, “I’m 15 minutes older than him, but now I’m younger because of my heart”?

A. His heart transplant surgery was more successful than Anthony’s.

B. His recovery from the heart surgery was faster than Anthony’s.

C. His exercise program was better than Anthony’s.

D. His new heart was younger than Anthony’s.

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