A Christmas Carol is such ____ most interesting novel that many students wanted to read it  ____ second time.

A. a; a          B. the; a                C. the; the                 D. /; the

请根据下面所给的标题,写一篇120字左右的短文.

My________, my hero.例如: My father, my hero.

My________, my hero

阅读短文，根据所读内容在文后第76至第85小题的空格里填上适当的单词或短语。注意：每空不超过3个单词。

Are you tired of looking for love all the usual places? Nowadays, millions of lonely singles are now going online instead. The World Wide Web is quickly becoming the world’s most popular matchmaker. With so many singles online, dozens of dating sites like Yahoo Personals and match.com are helping singles find that special someone. Around the world, from America to China, love is now very much online.

   Singles are flocking to the Internet mainly because their busy lifestyles leave them little time to look for the significant other. Using dating sites is quick and convenient. They can “meet ” a lot more people online than they could by hanging out at a club. Besides, many singles say the regular dating scene has just led them from one bad experience to another and are ready to try something else. They also appreciate the first distance of online dating, which allows them to hide themselves until they are ready to meet someone face to face. Dating sites also make it easy to avoid someone you are not interested in. In the real world, however, ignoring someone you don’t like can be embarrassing.

Despite all the advantages, online dating also present its own set of problems. People, aren’t always who they claim to be in the online profiles. For instance, someone who tells you he is “handsome, successful and single” might turn out to be homely, unemployed and married. Safety is another concern. You are just as likely to find a criminal online as you are Mr. or Miss Right.

   Even so, supporters of online dating see things in a positive way. In their opinions, singles can safely play the online dating game with a little common sense. Online dating experts recommend following a few safety tips:

   Guard your personal information. Never give out your personal information online. This includes your last name, phone number, home address and place of work.

Watch for red flags. Do they try to control you? Do they give false information about themselves? If so, forget them!

Meet in a safe place. When meeting someone in person, choose a public location with other people around. Follow these tips you might be able to find the person of your dreams.

Topic:  76.________________

You hear the same complaint all the time: “My memory is terrible.” Is it all in the mind, or do real changes take place in the brain with the passing of time? The answer is that the brain’s cells decline and die with age. However, according to Professor Arthur Shimamura of the University of California, people vary greatly in how they change mentally with age, as well as how much their mental ability declines.

　　There are three main ways in which mental function changes. The first concerns speed, such as how quickly you can react to fast-moving incidents on the road. Drivers in their late teens react quickly but often drive too fast, while the over -60’s are more careful but react more slowly. This type of mental slowing results from a reduction in the efficiency with which the brains’ neurons (神经细胞) work.

　　The fact that adults find it harder to learn musical instrument than children points to a second type of mental decline, the loss of learning ability with age. The part of the brain which is known to control new learning is particularly sensitive to the effects of ageing. This means we have to depend more on diaries and other mental aids as we get older, take longer to learn a new language and are slower to master new things at work.

　　“Working memory” is the third brain function that is sensitive to the effects of ageing. Absentmindedness occurs at all ages because of imperfections in the working memory system. For example, you may continually lose your glasses, or find yourself walking into a room of your house only to find that you cannot remember what you came for. Such absent-mindedness also occurs more often as we get older.

　　However, evidence also shows that the principle “use it or lose it” applies to the ageing brain. Professor Shimamura studied a group of university professors who were still mentally active, and compared their performance on neuropsychological tests with that of others of their age group, as well as with younger people. He found that on several tests of memory, the mentally active professors in their 60’s and early 70’s performed better than those of the same age, and as well as the younger group.

73. Why does memory get worse as people grow older? (回答词数不超过9个单词)

74. In which ways does mental function change? (回答词数不超过6个单词)

75. What can we conclude from Shimamura’s test on the professors? (回答词数不超过6个单词)

Patients and doctors alike have long believed in the healing (治疗) power of humor. It is claimed that humor not only affects patients moods, but can actually help them recover faster.

Several studies seem to support this. Patients in better spirits are known to have higher immune cell counts. Some have even claimed to have healed themselves of serious illnesses by reading comics and watching comedies.

Despite all this, many researchers are not convinced. They point out the fact that many sufferings have been known to disappear naturally, with or without a daily dose of laughter. They also say that while optimism in general does seem to be related to better health, it is hard to tell which comes first.

Humor in times of stress, however, clearly makes us feel better. On one level, it takes our minds off our troubles and relaxes us. On another, it releases powerful endorphins, a chemical produced by your body that reduces pain.

There are cases where the appreciation of a good joke is indeed directly related to a person’s health. It can show, for example, whether a person has suffered damage to one particular area of the brain: the right frontal lobe (额叶).

Scientists confirmed this by having people read jokes and asking them to choose the funniest endings from a list. Subjects with normal brains usually chose endings that were based on a relatively complex synthesis (综合) of ideas. Subjects with specifically located brain damage, however, responded only to slapstick (闹剧) endings, which did not depend on a particular context. When pressed, the brain-damaged subjects saw the logic in the correct endings. They simply did not find them funny.

Of course, humor is largely an individual matter. Next time your friend does not get one of your jokes, there is no need to accuse him of being a lamebrain. However, you might suggest that he lighten up―for the health of it.

65. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. all researchers have agreed on the healing power of humor

B. people seldom accuse their friends of not understanding jokes

C. the author holds a positive attitude to the healing power of humor

D. reading comics will surely become a popular way of treating diseases

66. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. Many researchers are not convinced of the healing power of humor.

B. Patients in bad moods are known to have higher immune cell counts.

C. Optimism in general does seem to be related to better health.

D. People should try their best to cheer up for their good health.

67. Scientists had some people read jokes and asked them to choose the funniest endings from a list to confirm that ______.

A. the brain-damaged people are different from those with normal brains

B. a person with a normal brain usually responds to slapstick endings

C. a person suffering certain brain damage doesn’t appreciate a good joke

D. humor takes our minds off our troubles by releasing powerful endorphins

68. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Which comes first, humor or health?               B. Humor can cure different illnesses

C. People need humor in times of stress               D. Humor contributes to good health

   Before writing a draft, select a topic that you are familiar with, such as accomplishments other than academics, or successes/failures that have altered your lifestyle and outlook. Try to choose a topic that is interesting to the reader. The college essay is a practice used to elicit the real you, it is not the forum for penning your darkest secrets or hidden fears (anything too personal will only bore the reader). General essays with no topic restrictions are common ground for such blunders. To avoid them, a great deal of thought and brainstorming must go into topic selection.

   The essay should convey to the reader acts, thoughts, and people that you cherish most, with believable backing using real-life incidents. Thus, the topic you select must highlight the following three aspects of your personality.

1.       Your preferences: what you are for or against.

2.       Your values: what matters to you most.

3.    Your though-process: a focused and sincere essay signifies planning and effort.

Deciding what to write is the most important step of the whole essay writing process. A common mistake made by applicants is trying to include all sorts of wild ideas into the essay, without proper brainstorming and selection of key points. Thus, what starts off as an essay on your role model quickly turns into an in-depth account of your personal likes, strength, traumas band all other aspects of the eating habits of your pet canary!

While you compose your thoughts, don’t forget the real purpose of the essay writing exercise! The essay must divulge a lot about the personality of the writer, yet should not put the admissions officer to sleep. Don’t forget to mention details/facts/points that you consider important in affecting his decision regarding your admission.

61. The passage is mainly concerned with _____ .

   A. what a topic of an essay should deliver

   B. what the readers are interested in an essay

   C. what mistakes a writer usually makes in writing an essay

   D. what the real purpose of the essay-writing exercise is

62. According to the passage, what are the correct methods in selecting a topic of an essay EXCEPT _____?

   A, selecting a familiar topic to you

   B. choosing an interesting topic to the readers

   C. selecting an exhaustive topic

   D. choosing a topic focusing on some aspects of your personality

63. What is the most important step in ensuring a good topic selection?

   A. Altering your lifestyle and outlook.

   B. Proper brainstorming and selection of key points.

   C. Writing your darkest secrets or hidden fears.

   D. Brainstorming all the prospective readers.

64. What is probably discussed in the following part of the passage?

   A. What an essay is mainly made up of.

   B. How to write an essay in an effective way.

   C. how to make your essay more attractive.

   D. Why the admissions officer will go to sleep.

It was graduation day at Etihad Training Academy, where the national airline of the United Arab Emirates holds a seven-week training course for new flight attendants.

Despite her obvious pride, Ms. Fathi, a 22-year-old from Egypt, was amazed to find herself here. “I never in my life thought I’d work abroad,” said Ms. Fathi, who was a university student in Cairo when she began noticing newspaper advertisements employing young Egyptians to work at airlines based in the Persian Gulf.

A decade ago, unmarried Arab women like Ms. Fathi, working outside their home countries, were rare. But just as young men from poor Arab nations poured into the oil-rich Persian Gulf states for jobs, more young women are doing so.

Flight attendants have become the public face of the new mobility for some young Arab women, just as they were the face of new freedoms for women in the United States in the 1950s and 1960s. They have become a subject of social anxiety and fascination in much the same way. 

For many families, allowing a daughter to work may call her virtue into question. Yet this culture is changing, said Musa Shteiwi, a sociologist at Jordan University in Amman. “We’re noticing more and more single women going to the gulf these days,” he said. “It’s still not exactly common, but over the last four or five years it’s become quite an observable phenomenon.”

Many of the young Arab women working in the Persian Gulf take delight in their status as pioneers, role models for their friends and younger female relatives. Young women brought up in a culture that highly values community, have learned to see themselves as individuals. The experience of living independently and working hard for high salaries has forever changed their beliefs about themselves, though it can also lead to a painful sense of separation from their home countries and their families.

― From New York Times (December 22, 2008)

56. It can be inferred from the passage that young Arab women ______.

A. go to work abroad after American women’s example

B. didn’t start to work abroad until the late 20^th century

C. are commonly used to living and working separately

D. expect to take the same family responsibilities as men

57. According to the passage, the Arab women flight attendants can be described as ______.

A. proud, homesick or independent             B. honest, outstanding or optimistic  

C. mature, enthusiastic or energetic             D. painful, desperate or conservative

58. How do the public respond to young Arab women’s new mobility?

A. The public think highly of it.                      B. The public care very little about it.

C. The public show both interest and anxiety.  D. The public are strongly against it.

59. The author intends to tell the readers that ______.

A. Arab women can hardly find any work     

B. flight attendants are badly needed in the gulf

C. flight attendants lead quite a different life

D. young Arab women’s values are changing

60. According to the passage, which of the following is untrue about the traditional culture in the Arab countries?

A. Families usually wouldn’t like unmarried women to go out working.

B. People value individualism more than community.

C. People think little of the women who worked outside.

D. It is men who usually work outside.

　    I was unbelievably proud of my nine-year-old daughter, Emily.　36　to buy a mountain bike, she’d been saving her pocket money all year, as well as doing small jobs to earn extra money.

　　By Thanksgiving, she had collected only $49. I said, “You　37　have your pick from my bicycle　 38　.” “Thanks, Daddy. But your bikes are so old.” She was right. All my girls’ bikes were 1950s models, not the kind a kid today would　39　choose.

　　As Christmas　40　near, Emily and I went bike shopping. As we left one store, she 　41　a Salvation Army volunteer standing next to a big pot.

“Can we give something, Daddy?” she asked. 　　

“Sorry, Em, I’m out of change.” I said.

　　Throughout December, Emily continued to 　42　hard. Then one day, she made a 　43　announcement. “You know all the money I’ve been saving?” she said hesitantly. “I’m going to give it to the poor people.” So one cold morning before Christmas, Emily handed her total savings of $58 to a volunteer who was really very　 44　.

    　45　by Emily’s selflessness, I decided to contribute　46　of my old bicycles to a car dealer who was collecting used bikes for poor children.　47　I selected a shiny model from my collection, however, it seemed as if a second bike took on a glow（发光）.Should I contribute two? No, one would be enough. But I couldn’t 　48　the feeling that I should give a second bike. When I later　 49　the bikes, the car dealer said, “You’re making two kids very　 50　, sir. Here are your tickets. For each bicycle contributed, we’re　51　away one chance to win a girls’ mountain bike.”

　　Why wasn’t I surprised when that second ticket proved to be the  52 ? I like to think it was God’s way of  53  a little girl for a sacrifice  54　her years while giving her dad a lesson in the  55　.

People living on this island depend on tourism, _____ development there won’t be much work. 

A. without its         B. without whose          C. by which                  D. without which

The number 5.12 is a special number, ______, I think, that will be remembered by all the people in Sichuan Province.

A. what                 B. it                       C. which               D. one