While students in Hainan are quite used to clear skies, Beijing teenagers are not so
lucky. As another warm winter approaches, the city can expect the normal clouds of smoke
caused by air pollution.
    But things could start to get better soon. The government is co-operating with a US-
based environmental protection agency to update existing buses and trucks with clean fuel
technology. The new technology could reduce air pollutants in existing diesel vehicles (柴
油机) by 40 per cent. The programme will begin by testing buses in Beijing to see if the
technology can be applied to them.
    "We encourage the development of public transportation. But at the same time we need
to reduce pollution from them," said an official.
    Efforts are being made to improve the capital's environment with tighter controls on
emissions (排放). Some heavily polluting factories and construction sites, such as those
owned by the steel giant Shougang Group, have been asked to cut production in November
and December or be closed. Beijing was the third polluted city in the world at the end of
last century, according to the UN. But thanks to recent measures, the capital has made
some progress. Last year 224 clear days were rated as having good air quality. In 1998
the air quality index (指数) gave just 100 days as good.
    "I am glad to see an improvement," said a Senior 1 boy living in the northwest of
Beijing. "Compared to other places, the air quality of Beijing is still worrying though.
I hate the pollution. Once I was riding my bike in the morning when I almost had a traffic
accident because I couldn't see a car only metres away from me in frog."
    In early October, the skies were covered by such a thick fog that a display show by
the visiting French air force was called off.
    Rapid development, industry, traffic fumes (烟) and sandstorms from the desert all
contribute to the city's bad air.

1. The passage is mainly about ______?

A. a programme to improve Beijing's air quality
B. progress made in Beijing's air quality
C. Beijing's air pollution
D. the difference between Hainan and Beijing

2. Which of the following is not the measure taken or to be taken to improve Beijing's
   air?

A. Clean fuel technology will be used in public transportation.
B. Some factories have been asked to cut production.
C. Some construction sites have been told to be closed.
D. A display show of airplanes has been called off.

3. We can infer from the passage that, with the aim of being an ecological (生态的) city
   by the 2008 Olympics, ______.

A. far more still needs to be done
B. nothing else needs to be done
C. all traffic has to be closed
D. the development of the city has to be slowed down

4. Which is not correct according to the passage?

A. Beijing's air quality is getting worse and worse.
B. Development, industry, traffic fumes and sandstorms are all the causes of bad air
   quality.
C. Clouds of smoke in the sky is the common feature in the winter of Beijing.
D. The government is making every effort to stop air pollution.

    Walking is a popular form of exercise. It is an easy activity and offers a good way
to improve physical fitness. Walking also gives many of the same benefits as other kinds
of exercise.
    Regular, brisk walks help a person's body work better. Walking builds a stronger heart
and healthier lungs. The heart pumps blood through the body. It gets more rest between
beats. Walking also seems to help protect the heart from heart diseases. The lungs work
better because they take in and use oxygen more effectively. Walking can help , too. A
quick fifteen-minute walk buns as many calories as jogging the same distance in half the
time. Walking causes very few injuries. So there is also a lower "dropout" rate among
walkers than among runners. People are more likely to continue a walking program. This
gives a better chance for success.
    Walking offers some mental benefits, too. It seems to make people feel better. Many
walkers say they sleep better at night when they take regular walks. Others say they have
a better attitude about life.
    Walking offers many of the same physical and mental benefits as other forms of
exercise, but walking offers some special advantages, too.
    ★Almost everyone can walk. There are no special lessons of coaching. To become a
serious walker, a person only needs to walk faster, farther and more often.
    ★People can walk almost anywhere. There are no special playing fields or courts for
walking. Sidewalks, streets, parks, fields and malls are excellent places for walking.
    ★People can walk almost anytime. A person doesn't need a team or a partner for
walking. There is no "season" for walking. Most walkers walk in all kinds of weather.
    ★Walking doesn't cost anything. There are no special fees for walking. Good walking
shoes and comfortable clothes are only equipment that a walker needs.
    Walking offers a form of exercise within the reach of nearly everyone. With a little
time and effort, people can rediscover a valuable form of exercise and improve their
fitness.

1. What's the best title of the passage? (within 10 words)
   _____________________________________________________________________________________
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?  
   Comparing with running, more people can continue walking as a form of exercise.
   _____________________________________________________________________________________
3. Please fill in the blank in the 2nd paragraph with proper words or phrases. (within 10
   words)
   _____________________________________________________________________________________
4. Among the special advantages of walking, which one do you think is the most important?
   Why (within 30 words)
   _____________________________________________________________________________________
5. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
   _____________________________________________________________________________________

    An allergy (过敏反应) is a strong reaction to a substance. Many things can cause
allergies. The most common cause is pollen (花粉), which is usually produced by trees in
the spring, grasses in the summer and weeds in the fall, as part of their reproductive
process.
    Other causes include organisms, chemicals, plants and dead skin particles (微粒) from
dogs and cats can also cause allergic reactions. So can insect stings and some food.
    The most common kind of allergic reactions is itchy (痒的), watery eyes and a blocked
or watery nose. Allergies can also cause red, itchy skin. Some reactions can be life-
threatening, for example, when breathing passages become blocked.
    It is not always easy to avoid allergies. Drugs may offer an effective treatment.
Another treatment used in some cases is called immunotherapy (免疫疗法). A patient is
injected with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. The idea is that larger and
larger amounts are given over time until the patient develops a resistance in his body.
    In the United States, experts estimate that up to 8% of young children have food
allergies. Every year these allergies cause about 30,000 cases with severe reactions that
require immediate treatment. It can result in breathing trouble and in some cases death.
It is said that about 100 to 200 people will die. It says most of the reactions are caused
by peanuts and tree nuts like walnuts.
    People can also be allergic to medicines. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and
Immunology says about 10% of bad reactions to commonly used medicines are allergic. In
other words, a person's immune system overreacts and produces an allergic reaction. The
most common reactions include skin rashes (皮疹), itching, breathing problems and swelling
in areas such as the face.

1. Allergies seldom occur in winter because _____.

A. plants don't flower in cold weather
B. people usually wear thick clothes
C. pollen is active below freezing point
D. the weather is not too cold for viruses

2. What will happen if one's breathing passages get blocked?

A. It is nothing serious.
B. One's life is at risk.
C. One has to be sent to hospital.
D. One is sure to breathe easily.

3. According to immunotherapy, the patient is supposed to _____.

A. take some medicines to produce antibodies
B. have immediate operations
C. be given the allergy-causing substance until he develops a resistance
D. be exposed to enough allergy-causing substances

4. The best title would be "_____".

A. The ABCs of Allergies
B. The Cause of Allergies
C. The Treatment of Allergies
D. The Prevention of Allergies

    Living in a green area can make you live longer, according to research published
today. The research also shows that the difference in life expectancy (预期寿命)
between rich and poor becomes smaller among those who live in an environment
with parks and trees.
    Richard Mitchell, from Glasgow University, and his colleagues, found that the gap
between the number of deaths of people on high incomes and the number of deaths
of those on low incomes in green areas was half that compared with figures relating
to built-up areas.
    Green spaces, classified by the researchers as "open, undeveloped land with natural
vegetation", encouraged people to walk and be more active. Exercise in these settings
could have greater benefits than exercise elsewhere, the researchers said.
    The benefits potentially go beyond exercise. Studies have shown that being around
green spaces can reduce blood pressure and stress levels, and possibly help patients
recover faster.
    A number of researchers have looked at the effects of greenery on our well-being.
But few studies had looked at whether living in green areas reduced health inequalities,
the Glasgow team said.
    Using information from a land-use database of 2001, the researchers divided the
pre-retirement population of England into four groups according to income level, and
five groups according to access to green space. They then looked at death rate for
2001～2005. They found that the inequality in death rate from all causes relating to lack
of money was less in those populations in the greenest areas compared with the figures
for people living in more built-up places.
    They found an even stronger relationship when it came to deaths from certain diseases
such as heart conditions and stroke (中风). There was no difference, however, in deaths
from lung cancer.
    The researchers said that changing the physical environment was an easier way to fight
against poor health than using media campaigns or giving out information on health. "The
result of the study is clear: Environments that promote good health might be very important
in the fight to reduce health inequalities."

1. The underlined word "that" in Paragraph 2 refers to _____.

A. the gap
B. the number of deaths
C. the income
D. the living area

2. What was the special point of the Glasgow team's research?

A. They offered a scientific definition of "green spaces".
B. They encouraged people to exercise in green areas.
C. They studied the effects of greenery on people's health.
D. They focused on the influence of greenery on health inequalities.

3. What advice would the researchers probably give according to the last paragraph?

A. More health information should be given to the public.
B. People should take more exercise every day.
C. More trees and grass should be planted in cities.
D. People should help to fight against health problems.

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. People should live in green areas.
B. Green spaces promote good health.
C. Income influences health less than environment.
D. Exercise in green areas benefits people a lot.

     One day last September, as Britney Spears was about to board a flight to Los Angeles from London, a blue
bottle fell out of her purse. She quickly put it back in, but not before the camera recorded the event. Neither
Spears nor her spokesman was willing to comment on the contents of the bottle, but the next morning London's
Daily Express published a page of pictures under the headline "EXCLUSIVE: POP PRINCESS SPOTTED AT
AIRPORT WITH POT OF SLIMMING TABLETS. " Spears was apparently carrying Zantrex-3, one of the
most popular weight-loss pills now sold in the United States. The pill, which is sold at about fifty dollars for
a month's supply, contains a huge amount of caffeine, some green tea, and three common South American
herbs that also act as stimulants (兴奋剂). It hit the U.S. market last March and has had a success that would
be hard to overstate. Millions of bottles have been sold, and during the Christmas season it was displayed in the
windows of the nation's largest chain of vitamin shops, G.N.C. (It is so highly sought after that many of the
stores keep it in locked counters.) Zantrex-3 is also sold at CVS, Rite Aid, Wal-Mart, and other chains, and over
the telephone and on the Internet. If you type "Zantrex" into Google, more than a hundred thousand pieces of
information about it will appear. At any moment, there are scores of people sell it on eBay.
     Perhaps the most interesting thing about the success story of Zantrex-3, however, is that it is far from
unique.There are hundreds of similar products on the market today, and they are bought by millions of
Americans. And though Zantrex's producer makes some exciting statements ("the most advanced weight
control compound (化合物) period"), so do the people who sell Stacker 2 and Anorex along with those who
sell Carb Eliminator and Fat Eliminator. Almost all of these compounds suggest that they can help people lose
weight and regain lost energy, and often without diet, exercise, or any other effort.

1. Britney Spears is a / an _____.

A. dancer
B. singer
C. athlete
D. chemist

2. Which of the following is also a kind of weight-loss pill?

A. CVS
B. Rite Aid
C. Wal-Mart
D. Anorex

3. The underlined part of the sentence in the first paragraph is most likely similar in meaning to _____.

A. it is difficult to say how successful Zantrex-3 is
B. you can't overstate the success of Zantrex-3
C. you can't think too highly of the success of Zantrex-3
D. Zantrex-3 is not very successful

4. From the second paragraph we know that _____.

A. Zantrex-3 is one of the successful weight-loss pills on the US market
B. Zantrex-3 is the most successful weight-loss pills on the US market
C. Zantrex-3 is the only weight-loss pill on the US market
D. there are five kinds of weight-loss pills on the US market

5. The text mainly tells us _____.

A. when Britney Spears was found taking weight-loss pills with her
B. how Zantrex-3 became successful in the USA
C. weight-loss pills are very popular in the USA
D. Zantrex-3 is forbidden to be sold on the US market

     Before 1900, many theories existed as to the cause of yellow fever (黄热病). Some doctors were sure the
disease was air-born; others felt that it was spread from person to person. Dr. Carlos Finlay, a well-known
Cuban doctor of that time, had long held the theory that it was caused by the bite of mosquitoes (蚊子). But
neither the pubic nor the doctors then accepted his idea.
     Despite this, Walter Reed, an American doctor sent to study yellow fever in Cuba, went to talk with Finlay.
Reed, after reading a lot on the subject, had begun to think that Dr. Finlay might be right. Then Reed and his
comrades set to work at once. Outside Havana, they set up a laboratory and began experiments to test the
theory. The experiments were successful. Now we know: A period of about two weeks must pass before a
mosquito, after feeding on a sick person, could infect another person. The sick person had to have yellow
fever a certain number of days before the mosquito biting him was able to carry the disease.

1. Before 1900,many people didn't think yellow fever was spread _____.

A. by air
B. by getting in touch with the patient
C. by the bite of mosquitoes
D. by dirty water

2. What is true according to the passage?

A. Reed agreed with Finlay after his talk with him.
B. Reed proved the theory by reading a lot of articles.
C. Reed proved the theory in his American lab.
D. Reed scientifically proved the theory.

3. Who first realized the actual cause?

A. The public.
B. Reed.
C. Finlay
D. Doctors

4. A person comes down with yellow fever because he has been bitten _____.

A. by a mosquito
B. by a mosquito that has bitten a patient
C. by an infected mosquito
D. by a mosquito that has bitten a patient of some days

5. What is the possible title of the passage?

A. Reed, an Outstanding Doctor
B. Several Theories on Yellow Fever
C. Fight Against Yellow Fever
D. The Cause of Yellow Fever

     Is there anything more important than health? I don't think so. "Health is the greatest wealth." wise people
say. You can't be good at your studies or work well when you are ill. If you have a headache, toothache,
backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a bad cough, if you run a high temperature
and have a bad cold, or if you suffer from high or low blood pressure, I think you should go to the doctor.
The doctor will examine your throat, feel your pulse, test your blood pressure, take your temperature, sound
your heart and lungs, test your eyes, check your teeth or have your chest X-rayed. After that he will advise
some treatment, or some medicine. The only thing you have to do is to follow his advice. Speaking about
doctor's advice, I can't help telling you a funny story. An old gentleman came to see the doctor. The man
was very ill. He told the doctor about his weakness, memory loss and serious problems with his heart and
lungs. The doctor examined him and said there was no medicine for his disease. He told his patient to go to
a quiet place for a month and have a good rest. He also advised him to eat a lot of meat, drink two glasses
of red wine every day and take long walks. In other words, the doctor advised him to follow the rule:"Eat at
pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is." The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well
again, he shouldn't smoke more than one cigarette a day. A month later the gentleman came into the doctor's
office. He looked cheerful and happy. He thanked the doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.
"But you know, doctor," he said, "it's not easy to begin smoking at my age."

1. The writer thinks that _____.

A. health is more important than wealth
B. work is as important as studies
C. medicine is more important than pleasure
D. nothing is more important than money

2. The doctor usually tells his patient what to do _____.

A. without examining the patient
B. after he has examined the patient
C. if the patient doesn't take medicine
D. unless the patient feels pain

3. The underlined part means "_____".

A. he was feeling better than ever
B. he wasn't a healthy man
C. he was feeling worse than before
D. he will be well again

4. From the last sentence of the passage, we learn the man _____ before the doctor told him not to smoke
    more than one cigarette a day.

A. was a heavy smoker
B. didn't smoke so much
C. didn't smoke
D. began to learn to smoke

5. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. The doctor usually tests his/her blood pressure when a person is ill.
B. The man told the doctor he couldn't remember things.
C. The man thanked the doctor.
D. The man didn't follow the doctor's advice.

     For almost two months, Dominic York, a 23-year-old hairdresser, wandered about hospitals at night,
wearing a white coat and pretending he was a doctor. Yesterday he proudly claimed in court that despite
his complete lack of medical experience or qualifications, he had saved several people's lives. He has even
been allowed to assist a surgeon (外科医生) during an emergency operation on a patient who was about
to die on something she had eaten.
     "I watched one of those TV dramas about a hospital and suddenly I felt like playing one of the roles
myself. So I put on a white jacket and a stethoscope (听诊器) and walked around one of the biggest
hospitals in London. At first I just watched. Once you learn how doctors talk to patients, nurses and other
doctors, it's easy to take people in." he said.
     One of the patients he treated was Laura Kennan. She had been knocked down by a car and fainted.
When she came to hospital, York was standing over her.
     "He looked very professional. He told me his name was Doctor Simon. Then he gave me some sort of
injection," she said. And then he suddenly cleared off when a nurse asked who he was. She didn't think
there was anything wrong. "I would never have realized he was a fake if a policewoman hadn't showed me
his photograph a week later. When the policewoman told me who he really was, I could hardly believe my
ears."
     Judge Raymond Adams told York that he was "shocked and horrified" that he got away with his cheating
for so long, and then sentenced him to eighteen months in a special prison for criminals with mental disorders.
     "I can only hope that this will not lead to further problems. After all, you will have considerable opportunity
to study the behavior of the psychiatrists (精神科医生) who will look after you while you are there. If you
try to persuade people that you yourself area psychiatrist after you are set free, I shall make sure that you are
given a much longer sentence," Judge Adams warned York.

1. York was proud of' the fact that _____.

A. people thought he could become a real doctor
B. a surgeon let him watch an operation
C. he could perform some duties of a doctor
D. he had cheated doctors for so long

2. York learned how to behave like a doctor by _____.

A. observing doctors while he was a patient
B. watching other doctors work
C. talking to doctors and nurses
D. getting some training and experience

3. Why was Laura Kennan in hospital?

A. She had lost consciousness while driving.
B. She had swallowed something and almost died.
C. She had to have an emergency operation.
D. She had been injured in a road accident.

4. The judge's remark implied that York would be more severely punished if he _____.

A. studied the behavior of the psychiatrist
B. pretended to be a psychiatrist
C. tried to get away from prison
D. was proud of what he had done

     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.

1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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.

     Australia's Great Barrier Reef will lose most of its coral cover by 2050 and, at worst, the world's largest
coral system could collapse by 2100 because of global warming, a study recently said.
     The study by Queensland University's Center for Marine Studies, commissioned (委托) by the Worldwide
Fund for Nature, said that the destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef was unavoidable due to global
warming, regardless of what actions were taken now. "Under the worst-case scenario, coral populations will
collapse by 2100 and the reestablishment of coral reefs will be highly unlikely over the following 200-500
years," said the report entitled "Implications (可能的影响) of Climate Change for Australia's Great Barrier
Reef."
     The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living reef formation stretching 2,000 km north to south along
Australia's northeast coast. "Only if global average temperature change is kept to below two degrees Celsius
can the Reef have any change of recovering from the predicted damage," the report said. Coral has a narrow
comfort zone and is highly stressed by a temperature rise of less than one degree Celsius. Water temperature
rises of less than one degree coincided (同时发生) with the world's worst recorded coral bleaching (颜色变淡)
period in 1988. The warmer water forces out the algae (海藻) that give coral its color and, if all are lost, the
coral dies and the reef will die out. In 1988, 16 percent of the world's coral died, with 46 percent of the Indian
Ocean coral destroyed.
     Scientists express water temperatures to rise this century by between two and six degrees Celsius. "There
is little to no evidence that corals can adapt fast enough to match even the lower temperature rise," said the
report. Over-fishing and pollution from coastal farms were also contributing to the destruction of coral on the
Great Barrier Reef.
     The Great Barrier Reef supports huge fishing and tourism industries. Even under favorable conditions
tourists would only be able to experience real corals in reef "theme parks".