A

Not everyone thinks laughter is the best medicine， but it seems to help. Scientists conducted a study on diabetes（糖尿病）patients to test this idea.

Researchers divided 20 high-risk diabetes patients into two groups. Both groups were given standard diabetes medicine. The laughter group （Group L） viewed 30 minutes of humor of their choosing， while the control group （Group C） did not. This went on for a year.

By two months into the study， the patients in Group L had a lower level of the hormone epinephrine（荷尔蒙肾上腺素）which is considered to be a measure of stress. After 12 months， HDL cholesterol had risen by 26 percent in Group L but only by 3 percent in Group C. In another measure， C-reactive proteins， a marker of heart disease， dropped by 66 percent in Group L but only by 26 percent in Group C.

“The doctors believe that there is a physical change brought about by positive emotions，” said study leader Lee Berk of Loma Linda University. Other research has also found that humor makes us more hopeful. “Still， more study is needed to determine what these results mean，” Berk said. The research by Berk found that humor can bring about changes in body chemistry. The research result will be presented this month at a meeting in the US. Researches at the University of Maryland School of Medicine showed that laughter causes the inner lining of blood vessels（血管）to expand， increasing blood flow in a way thought to be healthy.

“Lifestyle choices have an important effect on health and these are choices which we and patients should pay attention to，” Berk said in a statement.

1. Whats the scientists purpose of conducting the research on diabetes patients？

A. To find out the causes of diabetes.

B. To bring laughter to diabetes patients.

C. To find out if laughter is good for health.

D. To discover the best medicine to cure diabetes.

2. What does the underlined part “HDL cholesterol” in Paragraph 3 probably refer to？

A. A sign of a serious disease.

B. A kind of effective medicine.

C. Something that can cause stress.

D. Something good for peoples health.

3. According to the study， after a year ___ .

A. all members of Group L recovered completely

B. C-reactive proteins dropped 66 percent in Group L

C. C-reactive proteins increased 26 percent in Group C

D. Group Ls level of the hormone epinephrine remained the same

4. In which way does laughter help improve peoples health？

A. It makes blood flow.

B. It makes blood vessels thin.

C. It helps to increase blood flow.

D. It helps to reduce blood pressure.

B

Man is a land animal， but he is also closely tied to the sea. Throughout history the sea has served the needs of man. The sea has provided man with food and a convenient way to travel to many parts of the world. Today， nearly two-thirds of the worlds population live within 80 kilometers of the sea coast.

In the modern technological world， the sea offers many resources to help mankind survive. Resources on land are beginning to be used up. The sea， however， still can be expected to supply many of mans needs.

The list of riches of the sea yet to be developed by mans technology is impressive. Oil and gas explorations have been carried out for nearly 30 years. Valuable amounts of minerals （矿物）exist on the ocean floor ready to be mined（开采）.

Fish farming promises to be a good way to produce large quantities of food. The culture of fish and shellfish is an ancient skill practised in the past mainly by Oriental people， like Chinese and Japanese.

Besides oil and gas， the sea may offer new sources of energy. Experts believe that the warm temperature of the ocean can be used in a way similar to the steam in a steamship. Ocean currents and waves offer possible use as a source of energy.

Technology is enabling man to explore ever more deeply under the sea. The development of strong， new materials has made this possible.

The technology to harvest the sea continues to improve. Experts believe that in the near future the problems that keep us from exploiting fully the food， minerals， and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved.

5. What are the major things that the sea offers man？

A. Fish and oil.

B. Minerals and oil.

C. Warm temperature and ocean currents.

D. The food， energy sources， and minerals.

6. What do the underlined words “Oriental people” in Paragraph 4 probably refer to？

A. Asian people. B. African people.

C. European people. D. American people.

7. What can we conclude from this passage？

A. The sea resources have largely been used up.

B. The sea， in the broad sense， has not yet been developed.

C. The technology will be good enough to exploit all the sea resources in the near future.

D. The problems that prevent us from using the source of the sea have already been solved.

8. Whats the best title of this passage is？

A. Sea Food

B. Sea Harvest

C. Man and the Sea

D. Technology for Exploiting the Sea

C

If Confucius（孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake， there would be a lot of candles. Hed need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.

While many people in China remember Confucius on his special day， few people in the United States give him a passing thought. Its nothing personal. Most Americans dont even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.

But this doesnt mean that Americans dont care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.

In the past two decades， the Chinese study programme has gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently， the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in many countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art， history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States， at the same time， are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand Chinese customers. So the old thinkers ideas are still well alive.

Today China attracts the West more than ever， and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.

As for the old thinker， he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West， even if his birthday is forgotten.

9. Whats the main purpose of the first paragraph？

A. To tell some key facts about Confucius.

B. To attract the readers interest in the subject.

C. To show great respect for the ancient thinker.

D. To prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations.

10. What can we learn about American students from Paragraph 4？

A. They fight for a chance to learn Chinese.

B. They try to get high scores in Chinese exams.

C. They have great interest in studying Chinese.

D. They take an active part in Chinese competitions.

11. What can we know about Confucius from the passage？

A. He can help businessmen make money.

B. He will be forgotten as his birthday was.

C. He is a bridge for foreigners to know China.

D. He receives big cakes with candles on his birthday.

12. What is the best title of the passage？

A. Forgotten Wisdom in America

B. Huge Fans of Chinese Language

C. Chinese Culture for Americans

D. Old Thinker with a Big Future

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Weight loss is a hard topic. Lots of people arent satisfied with their present weight， but most people arent sure how to change it. You may want to look like the models or actors in magazines or on TV， but those goals might not be healthy or realistic for you. 1

So what should you do about your weight control？

2 The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian（营养学家）. 3 If it turns out that you can benefit from weight loss then you can follow a few of the simple suggestions listed below to get started.

4 People who lose weight quickly by crash dieting or other extreme measures usually gain back all of the pounds they lost， because they havent permanently changed their habits. Therefore， the best weight management ways are those that you can maintain for a lifetime.

Small changes are a lot easier to stick with（坚持）than large ones. Try reducing the size of what you eat. 5 Once you have that down， start gradually introducing healthier foods and exercise into your life.

Its a good idea to maintain a healthy weight because its just that healthy.

A. Try giving up regular soda for a week.

B. Weight management is about long-term success.

C. Pay attention to what you eat and stop eating when you are full.

D. Changing from whole fat to non-fat milk is also a good idea.

E. Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you.

F. Besides， no magical diet will make you look like someone else.

G. They will compare your weight with healthy standards and help you set goals.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Your seat is moving ever higher. It gives you a birds eye 1 of the whole Beijing when， all of a 2 ， you are thrown 35 meters back down to earth. While the 3 journey only takes two or three seconds， you scream with 4 as the blood rushes to your head...

This 5 experience comes much cheaper than a plane ticket to Disney World. The Mega Drop ride is just one of the

6 at the World Carnival， which will be in Beijing from June 22 to August 26.

7 50，000 square meters， the worlds largest mobile amusement park 8 more than 150 entertainment programs.

The Dutch company World Carnival arrived in Shanghai last June， 9 as much as 100 million yuan from 1.3 million visitors. It is one of several companies 10 to establish themselves in China and use the worlds fastest 11 market to challenge Disney.

But they need to move quickly. Already well-known in China， Disney opened a theme park in Hong Kong in 2005 and began to construct 12 in Shanghai in 2011.

13 ， together with Mega Drop， there are G-Force， Wild Mouse and Top Buzz. With all these sharp turns and steep drops on offer， World Carnival thinks it can 14 .

“I am very 15 that I brought World Carnival to Beijing，” said the company president Hans Lodders， “I think it can 16 as part of the Olympic celebrations.”

17 World Carnival says that “everyone from the ages of 6 to 90 can find his or her favorite games”， you need to be careful.

Take care in the sun： Wear a hat and a long shirt to 18

yourself from the summer sun. Use sunscreen（防晒霜）on the parts of your body that are uncovered.

Dont overreach yourself： Heat and tiredness can make you feel sick. If you have a medical 19 ， think twice before you decide to go 20 the most challenging rides.

Crowd control： Be careful not to stumble（绊倒）and fall in the large crowds.

1. A. view B. sign C. scene D. sight

2. A. rush B. sudden C. second D. minute

3. A. breathtaking B. boring

C. comfortable D. ridiculous

4. A. surprise B. disappointment

C. excitement D. interest

5. A. attractive B. thrilling C. dangerous D. risking

6. A. collections B. connections C. attractions D. civilizations

7. A. Having B. Being C. Taking D. Covering

8. A. contains B. collects C. includes D. marks

9. A. having B. producing C. making D. receiving

10. A. looking B. giving C. risking D. leaving

11. A. growing B. reducing C. cutting D. weakening

12. A. other B. the other C. another D. the rest

13. A. Therefore B. Though C. However D. Hence

14. A. thrill B. compete C. beat D. hit

15. A. afraid B. proud C. nervous D. sad

16. A. achieve B. become C. serve D. play