In ancient Greece，there were four major athletic meetings and the Olympian meeting played the most important part in the lives of the people.As time passed，the Olympian meeting gradually lost its local character and became first a national ?event and then international.No one knows exactly how far back the Olympian Games go but some official records date from 776 BC.?

The Games took place every four years on the plain by Mount Olympus.Thousands of people came from all parts of the Greek world to watch the games.The winner of the foot race had the great honour of giving his name to the year of his history.

　　After a long history of almost 1200 years，the Games were stopped for religious(宗教的) reasons.It was then decided in 1896 to start the Olympic Games again.The meeting was held in Athens and 311 athletes from 13 countries took part in it but the idea of such an international meeting attracted the world's attention.After the 1908 London Olympics，many nations sent their best athletes.Although the Games have been time and again threatened by some unfavourable political events the Games have taken place every four years.?

Nowadays，the Games are held in different countries in turn.As the biggest international gathering of any kind in the world，athletes from different countries play games together and this provides them with good chances to learn to live together.The friendly feelings in the Olympic Village make people think of the world as one big family.The Olympic Games will be hosted in Beijing in 2008.It is believed that the Games will be a wonder of the world.?

1.The continuity of the Olympic Games once broken because of__________.?

A.religious reasons?　　　　　　　　 B.wars?

C.political events?　　　　　　 D.both A and B?

2.The Olympic Games meeting finally formed__________.?

A.a local event?　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.a national event?

C.an international event?　　　　　　 D.an official event?

3.The friendly feelings between two countries are strengthened because_______.

A.athletes come from different countries?

B.they enable people to know each other better?

C.athletes live in the Olympic Village?

D.they live in one big family?

4.The author believes that the 2008 Olympic Games will be__________.?

A.held as usual?　　　　 B.held successfully?

C.put off?　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.stopped by some unfavourable events?

Another recent study found that children had a greater chance of developing lung cancer if their mothers smoked.The study also showed that the danger of lung cancer increased only for sons and not for daughters，and that father's smoking did not affect a child's chance of developing lung cancer.

1.Mother who smokers before her child is born may 　　 .?

A.slow the growth of her baby's lung?

B.cause her baby to suffer breathing problems and lung disease in life ?

C.make her child develop lung cancer ?

D.all of above are right

2.Doctors in Boston studied 1100 children to 　　　　.?

A.examine whether these children were healthy

B.find out whether their mothers had smoked

C.find why these children suffered breathing problems and lung disease?

D.look into the effect that mother's smoking had on their children

3.Suppose John's father was a heavy smoker，so was Mary's mother.According to this passage，　　　　.?

A.John is more likely to develop lung cancer?

B.Mary is more likely to develop lung caner ?

C.John and Mary have the same chance to develop cancer?

D.neither John nor Mary has the chance to develop cancer

4.This passage is to 　　 .?

A.warn us of the danger of smoking before children?

B.warn people with breathing problems not to smoke ?

C.warn us that mothers who may affect their children's health?

D.warn us that fathers who smoke may affect their children as mothers

　　The next ice age could be 15 000 years away,say European scientists who last month announced a continuous record of 740 000 years of climate data（数据） obtained from the Antarctic ice.

　　Scientists from 10 nations have now almost completely drilled through a 3000-meter depth of ice high in the Antarctic mainland.They figure out that the area where summer temperatures can fall to -40 ℃,has at least 900 000 years of snowfalls,kept as neatly as the growth rings of a tree.And the ice and air caught in each layer（层）have begun to answer questions about the climates in the past.

　　The results show that there have been eight ice ages in the past 740 000 years and eight warmer periods.And by comparing the pattern of global condition today with those of the past,the researchers reported in Nature that the present warm period could last another 15 000 years.?

　　Research suggests that there is a very close connection between greenhouse gas levels and global average temperatures.It also shows that carbon dioxide（二氧化碳） levels are the highest for at least 440 000 years.?

　　“If people say to you:the greenhouse effect is a good thing because we would go into ice age otherwise,our data say no,a new ice age is not hanging over our heads,”said Eric Wolff from the British Antarctic Survey.“Now we have eight examples of how the climate goes in and out of ice ages... and you can learn what the rules are that go into the climate models that tell us about the future.”

　　Scientists found that whenever temperatures rose in the frozen record,so did carbon dioxide level.“In 440 000 years we have never seen greenhouse gas get as thick as it is today,”said Dr Wolff.

1.In drilling through the ice in Antarctica,scientists have found that__________.?

A.the lowest temperature there is -40℃?

B.the depth of ice is 3000 meters?

C.the ice has existed for 15 000 years?

D.snowfalls are kept in certain patterns

2.The information of the global climate conditions in the past can be obtained through __________.

A.separating carbon dioxide from the air?

B.examining the growth rings of trees?

C.comparing temperatures in different areas?

D.studying the ice and air caught in each layer

3.We can infer from Eric Wolff's words that__________.?

A.there is something wrong with the data?

B.greenhouse effect is always a bad thing?

C.a new ice age will not come in the near future?

D.greenhouse gas will get thick in the future

4.What would be the best title for the passage??

A.Research over the Antarctic area?

B.Warm period to last about 15 000 years?

C.Report on the eight ice ages in the past?

D.Hollywood movies and the global climate

Ana Luz,recently studying for he PhD,has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.?

Luz,who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road,Cambridge,admitted stealing clothes worth ￡ 9.95 from John Lewis in Oxford Street,London,on March 9.?

Phillip Lemoyne,prosecuting(起诉),said Luz selected some clothes from a display and took them to the ladies' toilet in the store.When she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected,having taken off the anti-theft security alarms(防盗警报装置).?

She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying,Mr. Lemoyne said.

He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions.?

　　Luz,28,was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October,but Morag Duff,defending,said she had never been in trouble with the police before that.?

“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn't really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said.“She didn't intend to steal when she went into the store.She is at a loss to explain it.She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady. She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is anything in particular that caused her to do this.”?

Judge David Azan fined Luz ￡50,and warned:“You've got a criminal record.If you carry on like this,you will end up in prison,which will ruin your bright future you may have.”?

Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain,went on to a famous? university in Berlin,Germany for her master's degree and is now studying for a PHD at Cambridge University,UK.

1.What is Ana Luz's nationality??

A.American.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.British.

C.Spanish.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.German.?

2.What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean??

A.In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things.?

B.She doesn't have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops.?

C.She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops.?

D.Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions.?

3.Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “shoplifting” use in the passage??

A.Carrying goods in a lift for a shop.?

B.Taking goods to the ladies'toilet.?

C.Selecting some goods from a display.?

D.Taking goods from a shop without paying.??

The kind of world that produces anxiety is actually a world of relative safety,a world in which no one feels that he himself is facing sudden death.The anxiety exists as an uneasy state of mind,in which one has a feeling that something unspecified and indeterminable may go wrong.If the world seems to be going well,this produces anxiety—for good times may end.If the world is going badly—it may get worse.Anxiety tends to be without focus;the anxious person doesn't know whether to blame himself or other people.He isn't sure whether it is the current year of the administration or a change in climate or the atom bomb that is to blame for this undefined sense of unease.?

It is clear that we have developed a society which depends on having the right amount of anxiety to make it work...While we agree that too much anxiety is harmful to mental health,we have come to rely on anxiety to push us into seeing a doctor about a symptom which may indicate cancer,into checking up on that old life-insurance policy which may have out-of-date provisions in it,into having a conference with Billy's teacher even though his report card looks all right.?

People who are anxious enough keep their car insurance up,have the brakes checked, don't take a second drink when they have to drive.People who are too anxious either refuse to go into cars at all—and so complicate the ordinary course of life—or drive so tensely and carefully that they help cause accidents.People who aren't anxious enough take chance after chance,which increases the terrible accidents of the roads.?

1.According to the author,anxiety is the emotion when_______.?

A.one is filled with a sudden sense of uneasiness?

B.one sees no immediate danger?

C.one has a vague sense about his life?

D.one feels that the world may go badly?

2.The author holds that_______.?

A.anxiety is a good thing?

B.anxiety is a symptom of mental illness?

C.some anxiety can lead to changes for the better?

D.no anxiety is bad for society?

3.According to the author,accidents of the road tend to be caused by_______.?

A.all those who are too anxious?

B.all those who have anxiety?

C.those who have no anxiety?

D.those who are not anxious enough?

4.The best title for the passage would be_______.?

A.One Man's Thought about Anxiety?

B.The Right Amount of Anxiety?

C.Anxiety versus(与……相对) Safety?

D.Different Attitudes to Anxiety

　　There are many things you can do to be a good team player.By recognizing people's differences in gender,age or culture,you show them that you respect them.Adding to other team members' ideas to improve it lets them know that you think their ideas are good.

　　When working with others,be willing to compromise(妥协).Come up with a way to solve the problem instead of demanding that your idea is used.Try to understand and add to the goals and mission(使命) of your team.

　　Show devotion to your team and show that you are committed to(忠于) the team's growth and improvement.Help to develop and meet the team's needs in the future.

　　Find a way to work in different conditions.Be able to adapt to(调整以适应) change within the work settings.Be responsible in accepting new work methods.

　　Following these suggestions will help you become a better team member and will help achieve better results on the job.

1.A team player ________.

A.seldom gets along well with the other people on the job

B.regards himself/herself as the most important person on the job

C.thinks everyone on the job is useful and important

D.is someone who can play basketball or football

2.The underlined word “gender” is closest in meaning to ________.

A.sex　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.nationality

C.height　　　　　　　　　　 D.appearance

3.To be a team player,you must ________.

A.always stick to your idea

B.always agree with the others ideas

C.work harder than anyone else

D.put the team's interests before your own

4.This passage is mainly about ________.

A.the importance of being a team player

B.how to be a team player

C.how to be a popular person

D.employer-employee relationships

Lori and Reba have never been alone and they want to keep it that way.?

The 40-year-old conjoined twins in Pennsylvania,US,have read about others locked together by an accident of birth who have been medically separated.But they insist only death can part them.

“We've never imagined a life divided,”Lori said.?

　　Lori and Reba are joined together at the side of their heads,facing in opposite directions.Their blood supply is partly linked,but each has a separate brain.?

　　Reba suffers from a disease which has left her completely dependent on her sister.?

　　Lori wheels her everywhere they go in different professional directions.Lori worked in a laundry room at a hospital for six years before giving that up to allow Reba to try to become a country singer.?

Her first song is called “The Fear of Being Alone”,which was inspired by Reba and Lori's desire for togetherness.?

Reba's career has taken her across the United States,Europe and parts of Asia.?

While the twins receive some money from the government,the earning from Reba's concerts go to AIDS and cancer charities(慈善机构).?

The sisters have set goals for themselves.Reba looks forward to a successful career as a country singer,while Lori says she hopes to get married and have children.Lori said,“So when it comes,it comes.Meanwhile,I live wonderfully from day to day.”?

1.By leading separate lives,the topic means that__________ .?

A.either of the two can look after herself?

B.the twins do different things?

C.they face in opposite directions?

D.they are no longer conjoined now?

2.When Reba gives performances as a country singer,Lori __________.?

A.works in a hospital

B.continues her college education?

C.brings up her children

D.looks after her sister?

3.The twins lead active lives because they __________.?

A.are tired of staying at home doing nothing?

B.need more money?

C.want to prove themselves as useful citizens?

D.have to earn their own bread?

4.From the last paragraph we can understand that Lori __________.?

A.thinks it's too late for her to have children?

B.is sure she'll get married and have children?

C.prefers to have things go naturally?

D.would rather not change her way of life??

There is no necessary connection between the symbol and that which it stands for.Just as social positions can be symbolized by feathers worn on the head,by gold on the watch chain,or by a thousand other things according to the culture we live in,so the fact of being hungry can be symbolized by a thousand different noises according to the culture we live in.

However,obvious these facts may appear at first glance,they are actually not so obvious as they seem except when we take special pains to think about the subject. Symbols and the things they stand for are independent of each other,yet we all have a way of feeling as if,and sometimes acting as if,there were necessary connections.For example,there are people who feel that foreign languages are unreasonable by nature： foreigners have such funny names for things,and why can't they call things by their right names? This feeling exhibits itself most strongly in those English and American tourists who seem to believe that they can make the natives of any country understand English if they shout loud enough.Like the little boy who is reported to have said：“Pigs are called pigs because they are such dirty animals,” they feel the symbol is inherently（内在地） connected in some way with the things symbolized.

1.Language is a highly developed system of symbols because human beings ________.

A.have made use of language for centuries

B.use our nervous systems to support language

C.have made various noises stand for any events

D.can make anything stand for anything by agreement

2.What can we conclude from Paragraph 2?

A.Different noise may mean different things.

B.Our culture determines what a symbol stands for.

C.The language we use symbolizes our social positions.

D.Our social positions determine the way we are dressed.

3.In Paragraph 3,“take special pains”probably means “_________”.

A.try very hard　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.take our time

C.are very unhappy　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.feel especially painful

4.The example of the little boy is used to show that _________.

A.adults often learn from their young

B.“pig” is a dirty word because pigs are dirty

C.words are not connected with the things they stand for

D.people sometimes have wrong ideas about how language works

　　A priest(牧师) named Valentine broke the rule and secretly married a great many young people.Finally,Claudius found out about Valentine and put the priest in prison,where he remained until his death on February 14.?

　　After his death,Valentine was made a saint(圣人),and the day of his death was named Saint Valentine's Day.It became the custom for lovers to send each other message on this day.Now Saint Valentine's Day is a time for people to send one another greeting of many kinds.?

　　February 14,Valentine's Day,is sweethearts' day,on which people in love with each other express their tender(温柔的) emotions.?

　　 People sometimes put their love message in a heartshaped box of chocolates,or a bunch of flowers tied with red ribbons(带子).Words of letters may be written on the flower covered card,or something else.Whatever the form may be,the message is almost the same：“Will you be my Valentine?”?

1.Valentine was put in prison because ______.?

A.he secretly got married　　　　　?

B.he didn't serve in the army?

C.he married many young people secretly　　?

D.he broke the laws?

2.According to the rule, ______.?

A.no young men could get married unless they were old enough?

B.young men could marry if they served in the army for several years?

C.no one could get married without the emperor's permission?

D.young men could marry only in the army?

3.This passage mainly tells us about ______.?

A.how Valentine died　　　　　　

B.the Emperor of Rome?

C.how Valentine's Day is celebrated　　　

D.the origin Valentine's Day?

4.February 14 is chosen as Valentine's Day because ______.?

A.lovers express their tender emotions on this day?

B.people want to remember Valentine?

C.people send one another greetings of many kinds on this day?

D.people want to fix a date for lovers to express their emotions??

　　A Scandinavian manuscript(手稿),900 years old,tells of how one player,who lost a game,picked up the board and hit his opponent on the head with it.Boards were made of stone in those days.

　　Grandmasters have called it “a blood sport”,“like a fight to the death with broken bottles” and “very dangerous—you have to kill people”.

　　If you agree with the old saying that life is too short for chess,play blitz chess.Five minutes on the clock.Non-players think chess is slow and boring,but blitz is an extremely exciting sport.And as aggressive(进攻性的) as any martial art(武术).In parks in Russia, where they gather in summer to play blitz,the players don't just take pieces,they knock them off the board onto the ground.And in the classic game,even world championship players have been known to kick each other under the table.

　　With all this aggression,and the stories of nervous breakdowns among chess players, it's worth remembering that chess can heal as well as harm.My own favourite chess story is that of John Healy.His autobiography(自传),?The Grass Arena,was made into a great film by the BBC.Healy was a failed boxer who became the most serious kind of alcoholic(酒鬼).He became homeless.The bottle nearly killed him.But in prison,he discovered chess,and managed to give up drinking completely.He is now a successful chess player,journalist and writer.

　　Healy is played in the film by the British actor Mark Rylance.It's the performance of a lifetime—chess makes surprisingly good cinema.There is a moving scene where Healy tries to find the words to describe how his life has changed.“It's like boxing again...but not with fists...with the mind.”

1.The underlined sentence in the second paragraph suggests ________.

A.the board couldn't have been broken by the player

B.the player was a very strong man

C.the opponent must have been seriously injured

D.stone chess boards were very popular at the time

2.Which of the following best describes blitz chess?

A.Slow and boring.　　　　　　　　　　 B.Fast and interesting.

C.Peaceful but exciting.　　　　　　 D.Quick and violent.

3.Which of the following is the correct order of what happened to John Healy?

a.He began to play chess.

b.He gave up drinking completely.

c.He wrote The Grass Arena.

d.He broke the law.

e.He became homeless.

f.He was defeated in boxing.

g.He became alcoholic.

A.f-g-d-e-a-c-b

B.f-g-e-d-b-a-c

C.f-g-e-d-a-b-c

D.c-b-d-a-e-g-f

4.John Healy's story shows chess can ________.

A.heal　　　　　　　　 B.harm　　　　　　　　 C.trick　　　　　　　　 D.kill

5.The underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ________.

A.Mark Rylance performed very well in this film

B.Mark Rylance performed only once in his life

C.it was the last performance in Mark Rylance's life

D.Mark Rylance had never performed before