Brazil has become one of the developing world's great successes at reducing population growth-but more by accident than design．While countries such as India have made joint（共同的） efforts to reduce birth rates，Brazil has had better result without really trying，says George Martine at Harvard．

　　Brazil's population growth rate has dropped from 2．99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1．93% a year between 1981 and 1990，and Brazilian women now have only 2．7 children on average．Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990，an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries．

　　Martine puts it down to，among others，soap operas and installment （分期付款） plans introduced in the 1970s．Both played an important，although indirect，role in lowering the birth rate．Brazil is one of the world's biggest producers of soap operas．Globo，Brazil's most popular television network，shows three hours of soaps six nights a week，while three others show at least one hour a night．Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities．

　　“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of population，they describe middle and upper class values—not many children and woman working，” says Martine．“They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values，which were put into a very attractive package．”

　　Meanwhile，the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers．“This led to a great change in consumption（消费） patterns and consumption was incompatible（不和谐的）with unlimited reproduction （生育），” says Martine．

1．According to the passage，Brazil has cut back its population growth________．

A．by chance

B．by careful family planning

C．by educating its citizens

D．by developing TV programs

2．Many other Third World countries________．

A．don't pay attention to the role of TV plays in family planning

B．haven't paid attention to the importance of birth control

C．would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate

D．haven't yet found an effective measure to control their population

3．Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil's birth rate because________．

A．they have gradually changed people's way of life

B．they keep people sitting long hours watching TV

C．people are drawn to their attractive package

D．they popularize （推广） birth control measures

4．What is Martine's conclusion about Brazil's population growth？

A．The increase in birth rate will promote （促进） consumption．

B．The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate．

C．A country's production is limited by its population growth．

D．Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are incompatible．

General Electric introduces the iron of tomorrow．The iron can clean itself．Inside where irons get dirty．Because it cleans itself each and every time you empty it．

How？ With a push of a magic blue button．

The first thing you'll notice that's different about this iron is the blue button on the side．It's marked “Self Clean”．Push this blue button，and you can wash out loose mineral deposits（沉淀物）that remain and block up inside．Push this button，and you've made life a lot easier．

Sure，Self Cleaning Iron is going to cut down on brown spots．（Those ugly spots that happen on nice，cleanly pressed clothes．） Because a Self Cleaning Iron becomes clean each time you press that magic blue button．

Common sense tells you that if you've an iron that blocks less often it has to stay younger for a long period of time．In other words，it steams better longer．That's another joy of owning General Electric's Self Cleaning Iron．

Today you are doing so much more than just running a house and running after the kids．You're working．You're going to school．It's all part of your lifestyle．The iron can change that lifestyle．By giving you less trouble before you iron．If we can make it easier for you to be a better wife，a better mother，a better housemaker，we want to．The new Self Cleaning Iron is another one of Home-Makers from General Electric．

1．This passage is________．

A．an introduction to General Electric

B．an operating instruction of Self Cleaning Iron

C．an advertisement of Self Cleaning Iron

D．a description of the change of lifestyle

2．This iron can clean itself by________．

A．emptying itself

B．washing out mineral deposits

C．blocking up mineral deposits

D．giving off more steam

3．According to the passage，what is most likely to attract the customers？

A．It is made by General Electric．

B．The iron will not produce mineral deposits．

C．There will be fewer brown spots on pressed clothes．

D．It is cheap．

　　Catherine Destivelle is a rock star．She loves rock，but she can't sing or play the guitar！She is a rock climber and a big star in France and Italy．She is the most famous woman climber in the world because she often climbs without ropes．She climbs in many countries but most often in the French Alps near Chamonix，where she lives．She started climbing near her home in Paris when she was five．Then，at fourteen，she joined the French Alpine Club to learn more，but immediately she climbed better and more quickly than the older members of the club．She won her first competition in Italy in 1995．

　　Three years ago she found a new route up the Dru Mountain near Chamonix．The climb took eleven days and for four days the snow was so heavy that she could not move．Last year other climbers tried to follow the new Destivelle Route，but they failed．They are going to try again this year．

　　People always ask her about her climbing．She says，“I climb because I'm in love with mountains．I like touching the rock and reading the face of the rock．I like it a lot．I felt at home on the side of a mountain．I prepare well before I go，so I'm never worried．”

　　Catherine chooses new mountains from books—like buying from a shopping catalogue（目录）！ “I see a nice mountain and I go to climb it！” Her next mountain is in Pakistan．She is going there next month．“It's much bigger than the Dru，so it's going to take longer to climb．An American climber，Jeff Lowe，is coming with me to help．”

1．Catherine Destivelle is called “a star” because________．

A．she won a competition in 1995

B．she loves rocks

C．she's a famous woman climber

D．she found a new route up to the Dru Mountain

2．She had great trouble finding a new route up the Dru Mountain because________．

A．she lost her way

B．the climb took 11 days

C．she needed help from an American climber

D．there was heavy snow

3．On the side of a mountain she feels________．

A．worried

B．easy and happy

C．like staying at home

D．well

4．We can infer from the passage people often ask her “________”

A．Why do you like climbing？

B．Are you in love with an American climber？

C．Do you enjoy reading books on mountains？

D．What do you do before you go climbing？

　　The competition among producers of personal computers is basically a race to get the best，newest products to the marketplace．Marketers in this environment frequently have to make a judgment as to their competitors' role when making marketing decisions．If major competitors are changing their products，then a marketer may want to follow suit to remain competitive．Apple Computer，Inc．has introduced two new，faster personal computers，the Mackintosh II and Mackintosh SE，expecting the introduction of a new PC by IBM，one of Apple's major competitors．

　　Apple's new computers are much faster and more powerful than its earlier models．The improved Mackintosh is able to run programs that were impossible to run on an Apple PC，including IBM-compatible（兼容的） programs．This compatibility quality shows computer producers' new attitude of giving customers the qualities they want．Making Apple computers capable （有能力的）of running IBM software is Apple's effort at making the Mackintosh compatible with IBM computers and thus more popular in the office，where Apple hopes to increase sales．Users of the new Apple can also add accessories（附件） to make their machines specialize in specific uses，such as engineering and writing．

　　The new computers stand for a big improvement over past models，but they also cost much more．Company officials do not think the higher price will slow down buyers who want to step up to a more powerful computer．Apple wants to stay in the high-price end of the personal computer market to provide money for the research for even faster，more sophisticated（精密的）computers．

　　Even though Apple and IBM are major competitors，both companies realize that their competitor's computers have certain qualities that their own models do not．The Apple line has always been popular for its sophisticated color graphics （制图），but the IBM machines have always been favored in offices．In the future，there will probably be more compatibility between the two companies' products，which no doubt will require that both Apple and IBM change marketing plans．

1．According to the passage，Apple Computer，Inc．has introduced the Mackintosh II and the Mackintosh SE because ________．

A．IBM is also putting new computer models onto the market

B．it wants to make its machines specialize in specific uses

C．it wants to stay much ahead of IBM in the competitive computer market

D．it expects its major competitor IBM to follow its example

2．Apple hopes to increase Mackintosh sales chiefly by ________．

A．making its new models capable of running IBM software

B．improving the color graphics of its new models

C．copying the marketing plans of IBM

D．giving the customers more choices

3．Apples sells its new computer models at a high price because________．

A．they have new qualities and functions

B．they are more sophisticated than other models

C．they have new accessories

D．it wants to get more money for future research

4．It can be inferred from the passage that both Apple and IBM try to gain a competitive advantage by________．

A．copying each other's technology

B．including qualities that make their products different

C．making their computers more expensive

D．making their computers run much faster

5．The best title for the passage would be ________．

A．Apple's Efforts to Stay Much Ahead of IBM

B．Apple's New Computer Technology

C．Apple's New Personal Computers

D．Apple's Research Activities

　　Looking back on my childhood，I am quite sure that naturalists are born and not made．Although we were all brought up in the same way，my brothers and sisters soon left their pressed flowers and insects completely and forever．Unlike them，I had no ear for music and languages．I was not an early reader and I could not do mental mathematics．

　　Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary．I have only the dim（模糊的）memory of the house we lived in，of my room and my toys．Nor do I remember clearly the large family of grandparents，aunts，uncles and cousins who gathered next door．But I do have a clear memory of the dogs，the farm animals，the local birds，and above all，the insects．

　　I am a naturalist，not a scientist．I have a strong love of the natural world and my interest had led me into varied investigations（调查）．I love discussing my favorite subjects and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people's discoveries．Then something happens that brings these discoveries together in my mind．Suddenly you imagine you see the answer to the question，because it all seems to fit together．This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books，which some might honor with the title of scientific research．

　　But interest，a good eye，a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist：one of the outstanding and necessary qualities required is self-discipline（自我修养），a quality I lack．A scientist，up to point，can be made．A naturalist is born．If you can combine the two，you get the best of both worlds．

1．The first paragraph tells us the author________．

A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

B．lost his hearing when he was a child

C．didn't like his brothers and sisters

D．was born to a naturalist's family

2．The author can't remember his relatives clearly because________．

A．he didn't live very long with them

B．the family was extremely large

C．he was too young when he lived with them

D．he paid more attention to nature

3．The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he________．

A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental mathematics

B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist

C．just reads about other people's discoveries

D．comes up with solutions （解决方法） in a most natural way

　　Social customs and ways of behaving change．Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable．Just a few years ago，it was considered impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street．No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room．

　　Customs also differ from country to country．Does a man walk on the left or the right of a woman in your country？Or doesn't it matter？What about table manners？ Should you use both hands when you are eating？ Should you leave one on your lap，or on the table？

　　The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs．For example，in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time．Also，most Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman，and so will most Americans．Promptness （敏捷）is important both in England and in America．That is，if a dinner invitation is for 7 o'clock，the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay．

　　The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable—specially if they are your guests．There is an old story about a man who gave a formal dinner party．When the food was served，one of the guests started to eat his peas with a knife．The other guests were amused（逗乐） or shocked，but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way．It would have been bad manners to make his guests feel foolish or uncomfortable．

1．If one has accepted a dinner invitation，what should he do if he is to be late for the dinner？

A．He should find an excuse．

B．He should ask for excuse．

C．He should telephone to explain his being late．

D．He should say “Sorry”．

2．In the sentence “It would have been bad manners to make his guests feel foolish or uncomfortable”，“bad manners” means________．

A．ugly

B．dishonest

C．impolite

D．shameful

3．According to the text，the best host________．

A．tries his best to make his guests feel comfortable

B．makes his guests feel excited

C．tries to avoid being foolish to his guests

D．tries to avoid being uncomfortable

4．The author of this article may agree with which of the following？

A．The guest who ate his peas with a knife．

B．The other guests who were amused or shocked．

C．The host who picked up his knife and began eating in the same way．

D．None of the above．

　　We often hear the phrase：“You have a greater chance of being struck by lightning．”It is used to describe something that hasn't got much chance of happening．However，the common saying undermines（掩盖） the very real dangers of lightning．

　　Last Friday，at least 5 people were killed by lightning in Nepal（尼泊尔）．

Lightning strikes are the second most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US．The first is floods．Around 400 people nationwide are struck by lightning each year，and of those，70 people die．That is，more people are killed by lightning than by tornadoes（龙卷风） and hurricanes．

　　Because lightning kills only one or two people at a time，its danger does not receive as much attention as other disasters．

　　“If you hear thunder，you are in danger from lightning，”said Rocky Lopes，a disaster educator at the American Red Cross．

　　“Thunder means that lightning is close enough to hit you at any time，so you should move indoors immediately and stay there until the storm has ended．The most important thing to remember is to seek shelter（藏身处），”Lopes said．

　　Summer is the peak time for lightning storms，so when lightning strikes across the sky，remember these safety tips：

　　*Stop working，fishing，swimming or playing in open fields．

　　*Do not stand under a tree．

　　*Get off bicycle or motorcycle．

　　*Crouch down （蹲下） if there is no shelter．

　　*Avoid open spaces，wire fences，metal objects and electrical objects such as hair driers．

1．Of the people who are struck by lightning each year in the US，about ________ people are lucky enough to continue to live．

A．400

B．70

C．330

D．5

2．If you hear the thunder，the most important thing you do is to________．

A．stand still in the open spaces

B．find shelter to hide in

C．stand under a tree

D．stop working in the fields

3．Which of the following is NOT true？

A．Floods are the first most common cause of deaths during natural disasters in the US．

B．Fewer than 70 people are killed by tornadoes and hurricanes each year in the US．

C．People don't pay as much attention to the danger of lightning as that of floods．

D．If you hear the thunder，you needn't move indoors right away．

4．Which of the following is the best title？

A．Danger Strikes Earth

B．Some Safety Tips

C．How Lightning Happens

D．5 People Killed by Lightning in Nepal

　　Just at that time，a telegram arrived from his brother．Mr．Jameson opened it quickly．It said，“Come home at once．Your wife is ill and in a critical（危急的）condition．West End Hospital．”Mr．Jameson began to think．Since the work at the mine was going well，he decided to go home at once．He just told himself again and again that he couldn't lose his wife，or his life would be meaningless．

　　At about 6 the next morning，he and one of his assistants reached Lamesa，where they were going to Chicago at 6：30．There was still half an hour left before the train started，so Mr．Jameson decided to telephone to Chicago to ask about his wife．And after that，if still enough time was left he could see a doctor and have the piece of coal or the piece of metal removed out of his eye．His eye and his whole head ached now．

　　After he sent his assistant to the railway station to buy tickets for the train，he went to make the phone call．When the operator put through his call，he sat down and waited．His eye felt like a piece of hot iron．And he was worried about his sick wife．The phone rang．Soon Mr．Jameson talked with the hospital in Chicago．A voice said，“Yes，sir！Your wife is here．She is much better．There is no danger now．You don't have to return．”

Everything was all right．His wife was going to live．He would not lose his wife．Quite excited，Mr．Jameson began to cry like a little child and could not stop．Big tears rolled out of his eyes and down his cheeks．Soon his eye felt better．He touched his eye and felt something in the corner of his eye．That was a small piece of coal．His tears had washed it out of his eye！

1．What happened to Mr．Jameson before setting off？

A．He was hurt and couldn't walk．

B．A small piece of coal stuck him in the eye．

C．His eye was suffering from a certain disease．

D．A piece of metal got into his eye．

2．The writer doesn't mention but we can infer that Mr．James on probably________．

A．worked in a factory in Chicago

B．sold coal in a faraway village

C．was worried about his work on the way to Chicago

D．worked as a mining engineer in a company

3．How was the coal removed out of Mr．Jameson's eye？

A．It was washed out by his tears．

B．A good rest helped it out．

C．He robbed his eyes slightly．

D．It was taken out by a doctor．

4．After hearing the doctor's words，Mr．Jameson cried because________．

A．his wife was dying

B．his eye was getting worse and worse

C．he couldn't buy any train tickets

She took up skating at age 85，made her first movie appearance at age 114，and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121st birthday．

When it comes to long life，Jeanne Calment is the world's record-holder．She lived to the ripe old age of 122．So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span（寿命）？If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging，could we possibly make it to 150—or beyond？

Researchers don't entirely agree on the answers．“Calment lived to 122，so it wouldn't surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135 ，”says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas．

Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees．“People can live much longer than we think，”he says．“Experts used to say that humans couldn't live past 110．When Calment blew past that age，they raised the number to 120．So why can't we go higher'？”

The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it's all just guessing．“Anyone can make up a number，”says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan．“Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine．”

Won't new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries？Any cure，says Miller，for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120．Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most．So，if the average human life span is about 80 years，says Miller，“Adding another 50 percent would get you to 120．”

So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers？That life span is flexible（有弹性的），but there is a limit，says George Martin of the University of Washington．“We can get flies to live 50 percent longer，”he says．“But a fly's never going to live 150 years．”“Of course，if you became a new species（物种），one that ages at a slower speed，that would be a different story，”he adds．

Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve（进化）their way to longer life？“It's pretty cool to think about，”he says with a smile．

1．What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us？

A．People can live to 122．

B．Old people are creative．

C．Women are sporty at 85．

D．Women live longer than men．

2．According to Steve Austad at the University of Texas，________．

A．the average human life span could be 110

B．scientists cannot find ways to slow aging

C．few people can expect to live to over 150

D．researchers are not sure how long people can live

3．Who would agree that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity（长寿）？

A．Jerry Shay．

B．Steve Austad．

C．Rich Miller．

D．George Martin．

4．What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?

A．Most of us could be good at sports even at 120．

B．The average human life span cannot be doubled．

C．Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before．

D．New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species．

　　Eating enough fruits and vegetables is what most people associate with good health habits．But just as important to healthy living are frequent doses（剂量）of laughter and humor'—both proven to have a direct effect on health．

　　According to Wendy Shepard，clinical nurse specialist at Hopkins Bayview in Community Psychiatry's Creative Alternatives Program，laughter has definite physiological effects on the body．Laughing is like inside jogging（慢跑），she says．It cleans the respiratory（呼吸的）system，stimulates the digestive tract，increases heart rate and blood circulation（循环），lowers blood pressure，reduces muscle tension and increases the release of endorphins，the body's natural pain-killers．

　　Unfortunately，many people don't use humor enough when dealing with everyday life situations．Many wait for humor to happen to them instead of making it happen．“Humor is more than just laughing as a joke．It can become a way of life if you open yourself up to a new attitude，”says Shepard．“The greatest thing about play，creativity and laughter—all components（成分）of humor—is that you not only help yourself，you help others．Humor is contagious（易感染他人的）！”

　　Shepard suggests that everyone relax and lighten up．It can be as easy as focusing on fun things to pick up at a dollar store．Shepard often travels with a grab bag of things to help make people smile．Of course，making humor a part of your life 365 days a year doesn't mean you have to carry a grab bag，put on a clown nose or tell jokes--although those things are fun in the right situation．Instead，look for ways to make the things you already do more fun，such as laughing with co-workers and smiling at people you don't know．

　　Says Shepard，“Some people need help in the funny-bone department．That's why it's good to practice having fun．”Things you can do to practice include putting together humor collections，making joy lists and creating joy boxes．A joy box may include a collection of whatever makes you happy—letters from loved ones，a child's drawing，a favorite cartoon，a fun toy，a humorous video—the possibilities are endless．Shepard says she loves to give joy boxes or gags（笑话或滑稽故事）with playful gifts．She says that these gifts lift the spirits of even the most serious of people．

　　“Keeping in mind that not all prescriptions（处方）involve drugs，there is a prescription you can give a loved one，friend or colleague，”says Shepard．“The healing power of laughter，play and humor is great．Besides，you can never overdose on it．It truly is the best medicine．”

1．The passage is mainly about ________．

A．good eating habits

B．laughing matter

C．the sense of humor

D．healing power of humor

2．According to the third paragraph，many people ________．

A．cannot wait for humor to happen to them

B．wonder if humor can help them deal with daily problems

C．should make humor happen instead of just waiting for it to happen

D．should not expect too much of humor because it can only make you laugh

3．if you want to make humor part of your life，you should ________．

A．take things easy

B．go to a dollar shop to buy something

C．go out with things to help people laugh

D．always smile at people you don't know at all

4．Shepard will put the following things EXCEPT ________ in her joy box．

A．her children's paintings

B．VCDs of Mr. Bean

C．prescriptions her doctor gave her

D．everything that can make her laugh