An older friend once gave me a piece of advice，“Enjoy the last few weeks of college，” she said，“since college is the best time of your life.”
This was not the first time I’d heard such a statement，but with graduation fast coming close，her words especially struck me.It seemed a bit disappointing to reach one’s life peak at only 22 years of age，but in her opinion，college had been one of the best times in my life so far.I made friends，took classes，and learned a great deal about myself.But I was also excited for the time after college—moving to a new city，starting a new job，and becoming a “real” person.I hoped that my great dreams were practical.
Then，last week I read a column in Real Simple Magazine called 100 Years of Attitude，in which women 100 years or older shared their life experiences and views.I noticed that none of them considered college as the “best” time of their life.Not all of them went to college，but still in most cases their teens and twenties were not the best times of their life.They said some of their favorite times were raising their children，traveling after retirement，and even enjoying their present time and age.
Enjoying one’s present time and age was a clear theme of the interviews.A piece of advice given by the women was about the importance of making the best of all situations.I think it more accurate than that of my friend；I can say with certainty that if I am lucky enough to make it to 100.I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting (跌落) downhill，or even leveling off.
I am sure that our eagerness and devotion will make us college students live a meaningful life.We will not just look backwards or miss our college days.We will look forward in excitement about continued journey uphill.
小題1:Which of the following opinions does the writer agree with?

A．College is the best time of one’s life.

B．Twenties were the best time of the old people.

C．One should make the best of all situations.

D．One should not look backwards at their college time.

小題2:In the second paragraph，the writer wants to say________.

A．her achievements in college would be the peak of her success

B．she is looking forward to living as a “real” person in college

C．she becomes more and more uneasy with graduation

D．she is satisfied with the college life but is hopeful for the future

小題3:The column the writer read is mainly about those old women’s________.

A．best time of life at youth

B．life experiences and views

C．different opinions about life

D．favorite time with best friends

小題4:By saying “I refuse to spend the last 80 years of my life plummeting downhill，or even leveling off” (in Paragraph 4)，the writer really means________.

A．she will not spend the rest of her time at college

B．she will not just obtain a college level certificate

C．she will not be satisfied with what she has already accomplished

D．she will not be content with the life in the future

小題5:Which of the following words can be used to describe the writer?

A．Ambitious.	B．Practical.
C．Imaginative.	D．Proud.

Depression (抑郁癥) is a serious problem today.Depression causes workers to be unproductive，causing companies and countries to lose billions of dollars.One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread，costly and deadly”．Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated，studies show that depression is a problem among everyone.Over any six­month period，between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression.Suicide rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme，or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the population at large，and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks.People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping，getting up on time，and doing work productively.
Depression，which researchers agree has its origin in the genes，brings loss of confidence and ability to concentrate—making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently.
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s inability to face it.Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy.Besides，there is no good treatment，with few specialists available.“Most patients in China just don’t get help，”a Chinese doctor says.“In my hospital，I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning，just have time to say ‘Hello，how do you feel？’”
In Western countries，people are not afraid to admit that they have depression，but most do not tell it to their boss，because they fear that they will be stricken_off_the_rolls.“In my experience，aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it.Because they feel the most secure about themselves，” an American doctor says.
Hopefully，in the near future，people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.
小題1:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression.

B．Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work.

C．Depression is a commonly­existing problem only in rich countries.

D．The poorer and the less educated a person is，the less he will suffer from depression.

小題2:．Compared to normal people，the depressed people are likely to be________.

A．very unconfident and often absent­minded

B．easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks

C．working efficiently and productively

D．either weak or lazy

小題3:Depression becomes more serious in China because of________.

A．the understanding of the problem

B．the lack of treatment and doctors

C．their unwillingness to tell it to their boss

D．the doctors’ careless work

小題4:What can we infer from the passage?

A．People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists.

B．The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed.

C．More and more patients will turn to specialists for help.

D．Western people are braver than Chinese people.

小題5:What does the underlined words in the 5th paragraph mean?

A．Hired.	B．Dismissed.
C．Promoted.	D．Recommended.

When you tidy your messy bedroom，it gets a lot easier to find things.Dreams may work the same way for a messy brain，helping you learn by organizing memories and ideas.
To test how much dreams can help learning，Robert Stickgold had some students play a shape­fitting game called Tetris (俄羅斯方塊) for a few hours and then go to sleep.Soon they were dreaming of falling Tetris shapes.Interestingly，the worst Tetris players had the most Tetris dreams and improved their game the most.Similar tests have shown the same results for all kinds of skills.
As we dream，many important tasks are getting done.The brain decides what to keep and what to forget.It is connecting new experiences to older learning.In fact，the brain is learning all night long.
Another important task of dreams may be to help us deal with emotions (情緒)．At night，emotions are in the driver’s seat.People who have had an upsetting experience often dream  about  it  afterward.Often  the  dream event  changes somehow—another way the brain tries to make the memory less upset.So if your best friend moves away，you might dream that you’re the one who’s moving.In fact，dreams have a proven power to improve mood，and people who dream about what’s bothering them usually feel better sooner than those who don’t.
Everybody dreams for a couple of hours every night—in the course   of your life，you’ll spend about 25 years asleep and 6 years dreaming.There’s probably no single answer to the question why we dream，but there doesn’t have to be.One dream might help you remember your math facts，while another might lead to a new invention，or give you a fun，crazy story to tell your friends.It’s all in a night’s work for our busy，mysterious brains.
小題1:Robert Stickgold’s test shows that________.

A．games are useful for memory

B．dreams can help improve skills

C．players stop learning in dreams

D．tasks can only be settled through dreams

小題2:We can learn from Paragraph 4 that________.

A．dreams can get rid of sufferings

B．only drivers can deal with emotions

C．one may be less upset after a dream

D．dreams can copy what one experienced

小題3:Which of the following does the author probably agree with?

A．Dreaming does harm to one’s mood.

B．Dreaming affects the quality of sleep.

C．It’s hard to find out the secrets of dreaming.

D．It’s not so important to know the cause of dreaming.

小題4:What does the text focus on?

A．Dreams and memories.	B．Dreams and emotions.
C．The benefits of dreams.	D．The patterns of dreams.

小題5:In which part of a magazine can this text be found?

A．Entertainment.	B．Tourism.
C．Science.	D．Advertisement.

Think of the last time a song really moved you, or meant something to you．Listening to and playing music affects marry different sections of the brain, affecting us physically as well. Why are we as humans so connected to music?
Making music is something that we are born with. There's a reason we refer to music as the “universal language”；there has been no known human culture without music. Dancing and music came before agriculture, and possibly even before language．The fact that whale music and human music have so much in common suggests that music may exist before humans and that we may be latecomers to the musical scene rather than being the inventors of music．
We begin life being affected by music; babies first begin to respond to music even before their birth. Whether or not it's true, everyone has heard that playing classical music; for your baby supposedly helps him or her become smarter. A study done in the United Kingdom concluded that children were able to recognize and even preferred music that they had heard lip to three months before birth. Although it made no difference whether it was rock music or country music, the babies who were exposed to faster songs showed a stronger preference for that song than those who had heard something slower. Researchers have also found that the playing of soft background music or a mother's soft singing actually helps premature (早產(chǎn)的)babies. Those who were subjected to the music tended to gain weight faster and were able to leave hospitals earlier than those who weren't. However, the study in the UK uncovers no links between babies listening to music and increased intelligence or brain development.
Another experiment at the University of California at Irvine compared the puzzle-solving abilities of 3-year-olds who were given piano lessons with the ability of others who sang, used computers, or did nothing. The children studying piano were better at the puzzles. Also, high school students with a musical background seem to do better on their SATs. Whether it's natural intelligence that helps the children excel in both music and math, or the music that helps develop other areas, you can't deny the benefits of a musical background.    
On the other hand, it's possible that some music and lyrics（歌詞）could be hard for children and teenagers．The lyrics of today's popular music are stated more and more clearly. A study oil mass media and teenagers showed that a group of 14- to 16-year-olds in 10 different southeastern cities listened to music an average of 40 hours per week. Obviously, the music they are listening to plays a large part in their lives，and especially influences self-identity. So any bad influences in the music will have a very direct effect on the teenagers.     Several other experiments mentioned in the American Academy of Pediatrics' policy statement on the "Effect of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth" supported this idea. One study from Sweden found that children who developed a preference to rock music were more likely to be influenced by their peers than by their parents. Others showed links between a predilection for heavy metal and detrimental behaviors, including taking drugs, self-killing risk, and other risk-taking habits. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) doesn't support the idea of censorship（檢查制度）, but strongly encourages parents to monitor what their children are listening to.
小題1:Music is regarded as the “universal language” because ______.

A．music is important for human beings’ mental and physical health

B．music is played by people from all over the world

C．music is of great benefits to human language

D．music is present throughout the development of human culture

小題2:Which of the following proves a musical background benefits children a lot?

A．An experiment at the University of California.

B．A study done in the United kingdom.

C．A study on mass media and teenagers.

D．A study from Sweden.

小題3:According to Paragraph 3, what affects babies’ preference for songs?

A．The lyrics

B．The tone

C．The style

D．The speed

小題4:The author mentioned several other experiments in the AAP’s policy statement to prove________.

A．parents should monitor what their children are listening to

B．music can have harmful effects on teenagers

C．teenagers are more likely to be affected by their friends

D．children shouldn’t be exposed to too much music

小題5:What will the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A．More bad effects of music on teenagers’ daily habits.

B．Some experiments about music and teenagers.

C．Tips for parents on monitoring the music their children prefer.

D．Benefits of listening to a variety of music.

“I can’t concentrate.” “My mind wanders when I try to study.” Lack of concentration is one of the most common complaints heard at school.
We all have the ability to concentrate. Think of the times when you were attracted to a super novel or the times when you were playing your guitar or piano. But at other times your mind races from one thing to another. Here are some tips.
Rest from time to time. Remember to take short breaks. Lectures are usually 50 minutes long, and that’s about the length of time most people can direct their attention to one task. But that’s just an average. Your concentration time might be shorter (20-35 minutes) or longer (perhaps 90 minutes).When you take a break, you get more oxygen to your brain! When we sit for long periods, blood tends to be pooled in our lower body and legs. Get up and walk around the room for a couple of minutes. As a result, more oxygen is carried to the brain and you can concentrate better.
_______________If you study one subject for a long time, you may find it hard to concentrate. Many students improve their concentration by changing one subject to another every one to two hours. In this way you can pay more attention to something that’s different.
Reward yourself. Give yourself a reward when you’ve completed a task. The task might be small, such as staying with a difficult paper until you’ve finished. But giving yourself a reward can help you be more interested in doing other tasks.
Increase your activity level. Your concentration wanders more easily if you just read an article straight through. Instead, take the heading for each part and turn it into a question. For this part, that would be, “How can I increase my activity level while studying?” Then study that part to answer that question. Do this routinely. The questions give us a focus for each part and increase our involvement(參與).
小題1:According to Paragraph 3, what’s the purpose of walking around?

A．To help us stay fit.

B．To benefit our lower body.

C．To provide the brain with more oxygen.

D．To increase our concentration time to 90 minutes.

小題2:What’s the best title for Paragraph 4?

A．Study for one hour each time.

B．Do something difficult.

C．Study in different ways.

D．Change subjects.

小題3:In the last paragraph, the writer suggests that______.

A．we just read the heading of some articles

B．we do our best to read an article straight through

C．we ask ourselves questions about what we are reading

D．we ask other people questions about the article we are reading

小題4:The writer wrote the passage to______.

A．encourage us to try to concentrate

B．teach us how to concentrate while studying

C．give us the reasons for a lack of concentration

D．list the benefits we can get from concentration

It’s a delicate（棘手的）time — if not every parent’s worst nightmare — when a child enters adolescence. 
Not only are their bodies __   _ physically , but hormones (荷爾蒙) are spreading violently and bad moods are in full swing (活躍).Katie Couric spoke with Dr. Barbara Greenberg, a parenting expert and clinical psychologist , all about how parents can _  _ with their teens , and finally get some answers .Every parent wants to know what is going on inside their teenager’s _   ___, and while the normal instinct (本能) is to give them the third degree (盤問) about their day , Dr Greenberg strongly _  __ us not to question teens closely for long , who are _  __ to get upset or excited all of a sudden.
      direct, general questions like “How was your day?” or “How was the date?”. Teens will respond more positively to        questions like “How was the movie?”      they aren’t ready to give you a whole bunch of information at once. Listening is an important part of any       , and interrupting your child may not get you much       .
Most adolescents are discovering who they are and how they        society. While it might seem that their eyes are laden with laser beams (激光束) and you are their next target, they are also under a lot of pressure, both socially and academically. Let them        themselves freely; this is their way of telling you about their       .
Even though the idea isn’t “cool”, research has found that about 80% of teens admire and want to spend time with their parents. Teens really love their parents!
     , but believe it. They are        between wanting that precious independence and        mom and dad.
Show your kids at an early age that it’s okay to talk about anything at home.        like drugs, sex and alcohol can be scary for both        to discuss, but having these conversations has been proven to help teens keep a healthy lifestyle.
It is totally possible to        a strong relationship with your teen! Just remember to stay calm,      what they have to say, and don’t take that sigh when you ask about their homework too personally.

小題1:	A．promoting B．changing C．enlarging D．increasing

小題2:	A．talk B．live C．deal D．fight

小題3:	A．room B．body C．school D．head

小題4:	A．suggests B．a(chǎn)ppeals C．encourages D．persuades

小題5:	A．supposed B．concerned C．wanted D．expected

小題6:	A．Ignore B．Ask C．Escape D．Avoid

小題7:	A．common B．indirect C．a(chǎn)ccurate D．specific

小題8:	A．unless B．because C．if D．when

小題9:	A．thought B．understanding C．conversation D．saying

小題10:

A．response B．love C．news D．a(chǎn)ttitude

小題11:

A．fit into B．put into C．object to D．respond to

小題12:

A．examine B．teach C．enjoy D．express

小題13:

A．day B．future C．failures D．studies

小題14:

A．Exciting B．Disappointing C．Shocking D．Frightening

小題15:

A．fighting B．struggling C．concerning D．pushing

小題16:

A．carrying on with B．holding on to C．keeping up with D．keeping out of

小題17:

A．Worries B．Conversations C．Topics D．Questions

小題18:

A．parties B．people C．members D．families

小題19:

A．grasp B．find C．hang D．keep

小題20:

A．be silent B．keep smiling C．listen to D．be friendly

Picture the scene: the battery on your mobile phone has run out． You can't make any calls for help and no one can contact you． You are all alone - well, not quite． Just reach into your pocket and take out a piece of sugar．Put it into the battery, wait a minute, and you're back on the phone．
Thanks to a couple of American scientists, this situation could become real．Swadesh Chaudhuri and Derek Lovely have invented the"bacteria battery" - powered by bacteria that eats sugar and turns it into electricity．
"This is a special organism," Lovely said．"You can harvest enough electricity to power a cell phone battery for about four days from a spoonful of sugar．"
In the past, bacteria batteries have been expensive and not long-lasting． But this battery uses more efficient bacteria that can turn 80 percent of sugar into electrical energy． This is 30 percent more than similar batteries can manage．
The bacteria battery could become as small as a household battery． It's also cheap and stable, as sugar can be taken from waste and crops．
But the sugar to electricity process is slow: it could take weeks for the bacteria to digest a cup of sugar．And it produces "greenhouse" gases which pollute the environment．
The scientists understand there is a lot more work to be done． "It is still young," said Lovely．"Where we are now is where solar power was 200r 30 years ago．"
But he believes the battery could be used in scientific equipment at the bottom of the ocean．Other ideas include using sugar in the blood to run medical devices in the human body, and taking sugar from animal waste to provide energy to power homes in rural areas．
小題1:This passage is mainly about_       ．

A．how to change sugar into electricity

B．a(chǎn) scientific invention of a new kind of bacteria battery

C．a(chǎn) new way to reduce pollution caused by mobile phones

D．a(chǎn) new kind of mobile phones and its future

小題2:Which of the following is not the strong point of the newly-developed battery?

A．Convenient．

B．Stable．

C．Inexpensive．

D．Quick．

小題3:The underlined sentence in the 7th paragraph actually means        ．

A．the bacteria battery shares some similarities with solar energy

B．scientists will continue their work until they find solar power

C．there is much room for the improvement of the bacteria battery

D．the bacteria battery will get popular in 20 0r 30 years

小題4:According to the passage, who will find the bacteria battery less useful?

A．Farmers．

B．Divers．

C．Doctors．

D．Electricians．

Around 200 million years ago, the earth was 18 degrees warmer than it is now.  That might be a bit hot for humans, but it was just right for the giant dinosaurs that wandered about the earth during the Mesozoic (中生代的) era. A new study found that planteating dinosaurs may have contributed to the warming of the earth­by releasing significant amounts of methane (甲烷)．
The study, published in science journal Current Biology, focused on sauropods, long­necked herbivores (食草動物) that munched (用力咀嚼) on the top of trees. They  were the largest of the dinosaurs; food broke down in their  stomachs for long periods of time.  The researchers estimate that a sauropoda released 2,675 liters of methane per  day—adding up to a large amount of the greenhouse gas  being pumped from dinosaur's gut into the atmosphere.
Plant eaters naturally release methane as part of their   digestive process. The larger the animal, the more methane  it produces. Methane, a greenhouse gas, traps heat and remains in the atmosphere for approximately 9­15 years,  which warms the atmosphere.
Today,  some  animals,  such  as  cattle,  goats  and  sheep, produce large amounts of methane as a by­product  to their food digestion. Methane is also released from human—influenced sources such as landfill, agricultural activities, coal mining and other industrial practices—which all contribute to today's climate change, according to the  Environmental Protection Agency.
The researchers estimate that earth's sauropods would  have produced about 520 million tons of methane per  year—similar to the total amount of methane produced today by natural and man­made sources.  However, the researchers warn that their numbers are estimates based on  multiple assumptions about the digestive systems and populations of dinosaurs.
The author of the study David Wilkinson says the  emission of methane from dinosaurs would have been just  one of the causes of warm climate during the Mesozoic era.  Other  causes  include  gases  produced  from  volcanoes,  swamps, shallow seas and so on. Still, Wilkinson says，“  The amount of methane from dinosaurs is large enough to  have a measurable effect.”
小題1:Scientists think dinosaurs may have led to the global     warming because ________.

A．they ate everything they found

B．they usually had a good appetite

C．they released a lot of methane

D．there were too many dinosaurs on earth

小題2:What do we know about dinosaurs from Paragraph 2?

A．Sauropods fed on plants.

B．Sauropods were of medium size.

C．Dinosaurs used to live on trees.

D．Dinosaurs digested food quickly.

小題3:Which  of  the  following  activities  doesn't  produce     methane?

A．Coal is dug out by machine.

B．Trees and flowers are planted.

C．Goats digest grass under the tree.

D．Food is being processed in the factory.

小題4:How does the author make his writing reliable?

A．By listing some facts.

B．By making predictions.

C．By citing figures.

D．By using mind pictures.

小題5:David Wilkinson seems to believe that ________.

A．methane had little effects on the earth

B．many other factors contributed to warm climate

C．other causes for warm climate were worth considering

D．dinosaurs were mainly to blame for global warming

As we know, the earth's climate has changed over time.The present rate of climate change depends, in large part, on human activities.Today, people all over the world are making everyday choices that help the environment.Small actions matter.In other words, climate change is your business.
A woman in Nicaragua buys fluorescent (熒光的) light bulbs that are 80 percent more energy­saving than traditional ones. Many  governments are now subsidizing energy­saving lights to encourage people  to turn to them.Consumers are discovering that the new­generation bulbs   help them save money in the long run.
Agriculture accounts for about 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (排放) , and transporting the food around adds to the environmental cost.There is a team of young vegetable growers in the United Kingdom who want to encourage kids to start planting their own fruit and vegetables.
A young lawyer wearing business clothes rides her bicycle to work in a large U．S.city.She's been biking to work every day for the past two years and says it's a lot easier than many people think.A recent study shows that more Americans bike or walk to work today than before.
A university student from southeastern China carries a reusable shopping bag to cut back on disposable (一次性的) plastics.Some large shopkeepers have removed paper and plastic bags, and consumers are responding.
In Canberra, Australia, summers are hot and winters cold.To save electricity, Adam Wilson in Canberra uses an energy­saving heating system, and he keeps the temperature lower than he did in years past.He still makes it through the summer without air conditioning.
小題1:The passage mainly tells us that________.

A．climate change is concerned with everyone

B．the global warming is getting worse

C．saving energy is of great necessity

D．human is to destroy the environment

小題2:The underlined word “subsidizing” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”．

A．charging	B．producing
C．giving allowance to	D．taking advantage of

小題3:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．The governments don't expect consumers to use the new­generation bulbs.

B．Agriculture should be responsible for part of the global gas emissions.

C．Many people in Nicaragua go to work on foot or by bike.

D．University students from China always carry disposable shopping bags.

小題4:We can learn from the last paragraph that________.

A．the climate in Canberra is mild all the year round

B．a(chǎn)n energy­saving heating system will come into use

C．Adam Wilson has a good habit of saving energy

D．Adam Wilson is skilled in inventing the energy­saving equipment

We can make all the jokes we want about taking baths ourselves, but if we are ill in bed and can't get up, we'll be thankful to the nurses who help us get clean. While I am not a nurse, and have never given anyone a bath, I would imagine that it would take a lot of sympathy (同情) and patience to do so.
Yet those who attended the International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems last month were introduced to Cody, a robot that can bathe human beings.
The robot has a base that can be turned to all directions, two human­like arms, and movable wrists (腕). It uses a camera to locate parts of the human body.  It then uses bath gloves to clean with a little pressure.
The robot was designed at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Charles Kemp of the Healthcare Robotics Lab is the senior researcher for the project. In a test run, Cody   was able to remove 96% of a test subject's dirt—not bad  for a robot.
But don't go asking for Cody yet—he's still a model.  Yet researchers believe that one day Cody may take the  place of nurses for this task.  Researchers say that Cody  will give patients dignity and protect their personal information. I suppose that would depend on the patient.  I'm  not sure whether a robot using a camera would make me  feel very dignified.
Even so, I can appreciate the need.  We don't have  enough nurses to go around, and those places that are the  most short­handed, for example, nursing homes, are those  that have the most patients who are unable to bathe themselves. Still, before I get there, I hope they think of a better way to solve the problem.
小題1:The writer thinks bathing others must ________.

A．be a lot of fun

B．make you feel thankful

C．take a lot of patience

D．make you feel dignified

小題2:What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Why and where Cody was designed.

B．What Cody looks like and who designed it.

C．What Cody can do and where it will work soon.

D．How Cody works and what has made that possible.

小題3:We know from the fourth and fifth paragraphs that ________.

A．Cody can bathe patients better than a real nurse can

B．robots like Cody are being produced in large numbers right now

C．Cody can take the place of nurses completely in hospitals

D．researchers think Cody can protect patients' personal information

小題4:There is a need for Cody because ________.

A．people are becoming lazier

B．it can bring down the cost of nursing

C．there are not enough nurses

D．there are too many nursing homes

小題5:In the writer's opinion, Cody is ________.

A．a(chǎn)cceptable but not perfect

B．strange but not creative

C．clever and strong

D．lovely and careful