The relationship between humans and animals has always been complex. Some cultures have developed entire belief systems around favored animals. Even in cultures with less formal belief systems, connections between people and animals still lead to commonly accepted opinions about animals.
These belief systems usually develop around the animals that interact (互動) with humans most frequently. Therefore, it should not be surprising that so many stories surround the most common of animals: rats. Rats live side by side with humans all over the world and regularly interact with people. Human-rat coexistence may be common all around the world, but different cultures respond to that closeness in different ways.
In the United States and Europe, one typical attitude is that the rat is a pest. This could be due to the common belief that rats spread disease. Actually, they don’t, at least not directly, but many people don’t know that. The Pied Piper of Hamlin, a well-known children’s story, is one example of how rats have been described in Western literature: in that story, rats cause such a problem that a town has to hire a piper to call them all away.
In many Latin American countries, the rat is described in a very different way. The story of the tooth fairy (a fairy believed by children to leave money while they sleep in exchange for a tooth that has come out) is common all over the world, but in Latin America, the “fairy” is a rat! Rats do have very strong teeth, which could explain the association. Clearly, this shows another attitude toward rats that is much more positive.
Yet another attitude toward the rat can be seen in the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). The Rat is one of the animals of the Zodiac. Like the other zodiac animals, the Rat is neither entirely good nor entirely bad. It’s described as clever and friendly, but also tricky and not entirely honest. That may be the most accurate description of the rat so far. Whether you like rats or not, it’s hard to deny their reputation for cleverness.
As many people are discovering these days, rats can even make excellent pets, so long as you remember to close the cage carefully!
小題1:What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．A trend of keeping rats as pets.

B．How different cultures look at rats.

C．How humans get along with animals.

D．Favored animals in different cultures.

小題2:The rats in The Pied Piper of Hamlin appear______.

A．unpleasant

B．honest

C．smart

D．unusual

小題3:The tooth fairy in Latin America mentioned in Paragraph4 is to show______.

A．the tooth fairy is lovely

B．rats look very frightening

C．rats are welcome in Latin American countries

D．the story of the tooth fairy is common all over the world

小題4:According to the author, rats______.

A．don’t spread disease

B．should be treated as pests

C．a(chǎn)re fairly described in the Chinese Zodiac

D．a(chǎn)re kept as pets by more and more people

小題5:The passage is probably taken from a ______.

A．travel guide

B．news report

C．nature magazine

D．history textbook

Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth’s neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth’s size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles（裝置）. Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft(航天器) and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_____________________________________
But before you start packing your bags, let’s consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth’s gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won’t survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星細(xì)菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion(萬億). How can we justify spending that much when so many problems—poverty, disease—could use the cash here on Earth?
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE according to the “A welcoming planet” part?

A．Mars is a little bigger than Earth.

B．There are flowing rivers on Mars.

C．People haven’t been to Mars so far.

D．Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars.

小題2:Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage?

A．Living in space.	B．Limited resources.
C．Extreme conditions.	D．Interesting challenges.

小題3:By “Tiny dangers” the author means ________________.

A．there is no serious danger

B．people won’t be in any danger

C．it’s difficult for people to realize the danger

D．the danger may be caused by very small things

小題4:Which may cause the biggest danger?

A．Martian germs may be different from those on Earth.

B．Martian germs may be brought back to Earth.

C．People may carry germs to Mars.

D．There may be germs on Mars.

小題5:Which section of a newspaper is the passage most probably taken from?

A．People

B．History

C．Science

D．Business

Every year in late spring at Wild Friends, the wildlife health center, workers receive baby animals, including songbirds and rabbits. This is the busiest time when workers care for and raise all the little ones before sending them back into the wild.
There are many reasons for these little animals' coming to the center. First of all, street cats or dogs catch, injure or take away little birds from their nests. Sometimes people catch baby animals and keep them at home, giving them food that they are not used to. It would make them sick. Most people don't realize that it's against law to get live animals out of their nests.
As for songbirds, people often find them on the ground in their yards, thinking they have no other choice but to leave them on the ground to die. This is because many people wrongly believe that once a bird is touched by a person, its mother will not accept this child bird. But that's not true.
If a little bird falls out of the nest, you should check whether it is injured. If not, you should put the bird back in the nest. If the bird is injured, call your local wildlife center quickly.
As for the progress of protecting wild animals, people at Wild Friends devote all their energy to this work. Over the last weeks, they have been able to send many of the birds and rabbits that came here earlier this spring back to nature.
小題1:Which is the busiest season for workers at Wild Friends?

A．Spring

B．Summer.

C．Autumn.

D．Winter.

小題2:Which of the following will probably injure young birds?

A．Giving them food they don't like.	B．Letting them play with children.
C．Leaving them on the ground.	D．Bringing them to the center.

小題3:If a young healthy bird is lying on the ground, you should ________.

A．wait for its mother	B．help it go back home
C．touch it with your hands	D．call workers at Wild Friends

My house is made of wood, glass and stone. It is also made of software.
If you come to visit, you'll probably be surprised when you come in: Someone will give you an electronic PIN to wear. The PIN tells the house who you are and where you are. The house uses this information to give you what you need. When it's dark outside, the PIN turns on the lights near you, and then turns them off as you walk away from them. Music moves with you, too. If the house knows your favorite music, it plays it for you. The music seems to be everywhere, but in fact other people in the house hear different music or no music. If you get a telephone call, only the nearest telephone rings.
Of course, you are also able to want something. There is a home control console (控制臺) which is a small machine that turns things on and off around you.
The PIN and the console are new ideas, but they are in fact like many things we have today. If you want to go to a movie, you need a ticket. If I give you the key to my car, you can use my car. The car works for you because you have the key. My house works for you because you wear the PIN or hold the console.
I believe that in ten years from now, most new houses will have the systems that I've put in my house. The systems will probably be even bigger and better than the ones I've got.
I like to try new ideas. I know that some of my ideas will work better than others'. But I hope that one day I will stop thinking of these systems as new, and ask myself instead, ”How did I live without them?”
小題1:The writer’s house is made of the following EXCEPT_________.

A．bamboo

B．wood

C．glass

D．software

小題2:What is the writer most likely to be according to the passage?

A．An IT expert.	B．A famous doctor.
C．A sportsman.	D．An experienced teacher.

小題3:The writer's new house is different from ordinary ones mainly because______________.

A．it has your favorite music following you

B．you can make a telephone call anywhere

C．the writer is able to change his new idea into practice

D．it is controlled by computers

小題4:What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．How to develop a new system.	B．The function of the PIN.
C．How great the computers are.	D．Easy life in the future.

Siri. The intelligent assistant that helps you get things done. All you have to do is ask.
Now you can use your voice to use your iPhone 4S. Just talk to Siri as you would to a person: “Do I need an umbrella?” or “Where’s the closest ATM?” Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean. It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, it answers you. Siri makes phone calls, sends messages, schedules meetings, sets reminders, and more. How much more? Just ask, and Siri tells you that, too.
Dual-core A5 chip: the most powerful iPhone ever.
Two cores in the A5 chip provide up to two times more power and up to seven times faster graphics. And you’ll feel the effects. iPhone 4S is quick and responsive, which makes all the difference when you’re launching apps, surfing the web, gaming, an doing just about everything. And no matter what you’re doing, you can keep on doing it. Because the A5 chip is so power-efficient, iPhone 4S has outstanding battery life.
FaceTime. It’s even better face-to-face.
FaceTime of iPhone 4S lets you hear a voice and see the face that goes with it—iPhone to iPhone, iPad 2, iPod touch, or Mac over Wi-Fi. So no matter where they are, no matter where you are, you’ll always be there. Making a FaceTime call is just as easy as making a phone call. And it’s even easier with Siri. Just tell Siri “FaceTime with Mom” and you show up, smile and wave hello. You’ll never miss a big event, an important meeting or a good laugh. And who wouldn’t be happy to see your face?
小題1:The passage is mainly about __________.

A．how to use iPhone 4S	B．some models of iPhone 4S
C．some special uses of iPhone 4S	D．how to understand some pictures

小題2:What is special about Siri?

A．It can take photos.	B．It can make videos.
C．It can write messages.	D．It can answer questions.

小題3:Which of the following helps iPhone 4S to perform fast?

A．

B．

C．

D．

小題4:Which of the following is NOT TRUE about FaceTime?

A．It can be used together with Siri.

B．It allows you to see the other person’s face.

C．It allows you to hear the other person’s voice.

D．It can only be used between iPhone and iPhone.

Jerry Morris died on 28 October 2009. He was 99 years old. You have probably never heard of him. He was a professor of public health. More than 50 years ago he produced one of the most famous epidemiological (流行病學(xué)) papers of the 20th century.
His study showed that bus conductors were much less likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers. Why? Because the conductors spent their working day walking. It seems obvious now but in the middle of the last century doctors were puzzled by the rising numbers of people who got heart diseases. Jerry Morris found one of the main causes: a sedentary (久坐不動的) lifestyle. He started exercising for a few minutes each day and lived until his 100th year.
If you wish to protect your heart, you have to do more than wander in the garden. The exercise needs to be reasonable. Jogging is not for everyone and a round trip to the gym takes a couple of hours, plus the monthly membership fee is only good value if you visit regularly. The answer is simple: walk.
A half-hour purposeful walk five times a week will lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and strokes. Older people sometimes feel they have left it too late. But it is never too late to start and there are no upper age limits. Start gently. Take your time: a 15-minute flat walk in the nearest park, four or five times a week. Within a month or so, you are already beginning to protect your heart. Build the walks up. When you can comfortably walk for half an hour in the park, go further: try following rivers and canals.
Regular walkers have their own natural gymnasium. There is no membership fee, just some of the finest scenery in the world. Great Britain is the walker’s gym. When you have followed the rivers and canals, and are enjoying walking for a couple of hours, head for the coast. Once again, build it up slowly. When you are comfortable with long coastal walks, you can think of our national parks.
小題1:Jerry Morris is mentioned in the first paragraph mainly to __________.

A．make his epidemiological message known to the public

B．praise his research into ways of improving public health

C．introduce the topic of doing exercise and keeping healthy

D．give an example of a person who lives a healthy and long life

小題2:We can learn from the passage that __________.

A．bus conductors are more likely to die of heart disease than bus drivers.

B．doctors in the 1950s knew why heart diseases kept happening to people.

C．walking is better than doing sports in a gym because it saves time and money.

D．British people love walking because they have free gymnasium with finest scenery.

小題3:What suggestion does the writer give about walking?

A．Parks are the best place for walking.

B．Starters should not push themselves too hard.

C．A two-quarter walk a day is suitable for starters.

D．People of old age might not be fit enough to start walking.

小題4:What might be the best title for this passage?

A．Long Life Comes from Walking

B．Walking Helps Cure Heart Disease

C．A Walk a Day Keeps the Doctors away

D．An Hour’s Walk in Nature is Worth Two in the Gym

Many people are aware of the beauty of a solar eclipse (日食), but are surprised to learn that lunar eclipses are often just as impressive. While total solar eclipse lasts only for a few minutes and can be seen only in a small area of a few kilometers, total lunar eclipse can last for several hours and can be seen over much of the planet. In fact, the beauty and stability of lunar eclipses make them a favorite of both amateur and professional photographers.
Lunar eclipses generally occur two or three times a year, and are possible only when the Moon is full. When we see the Moon, we are actually seeing sunlight reflected off the surface of the Moon When the Earth is positioned in between the Moon and the Sun, however, the Earth's shadow falls on the Moon, and a lunar eclipse occurs.
The type of lunar eclipse - total, partial, or penumbral (半影) - that occurs depends both on how much of the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow and through which part of the shadow it passes. A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the Earth's outer shadow. This type of eclipse is brief and frequently goes unobserved by all but astronomers. By contrast, total and partial eclipses occur when all or part, respectively, of the Moon passes through the umbra（本影） shadow of the Earth. These eclipses are quite easy to see and are widely observed.
Unlike solar eclipses, lunar eclipses are safe to watch. Solar radiation that occurs during an eclipse of the Sun can cause a form of burns of one's eyes known as eclipse blindness. In fact, the only way to safely view a solar eclipse is by using specially designed equipment. However, since the Moon's light is reflected sunlight, it is completely safe to watch a lunar eclipse without any special equipment, although a pair of binoculars can certainly help the viewer appreciate the beauty of this phenomenon
小題1:The underlined word "stability " most probably means_______.

A．strength

B．position

C．steadiness

D．visibility

小題2:According to the passage, a partial lunar eclipse occurs________.

A．when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth

B．when all of the Moon passes through the Earth's umbra shadow

C．when only a part of the Moon passes through the Earth's outer shadow

D．when only a part of the Moon passes through the Earth's umbra shadow

小題3:The passage implies that penumbral eclipses are________.

A．longer-lasting than most solar eclipses

B．more common than partial or full lunar eclipse

C．the result of the shadow cast by the Moon onto the Earth

D．more difficult to observe than other types of lunar eclipse

小題4:According to the passage, it is safe to watch a lunar eclipse, unlike a solar eclipse, because ________.

A．moonlight is less strong than sunlight

B．a(chǎn) lunar eclipse is briefer than a solar eclipse

C．a(chǎn) lunar eclipse lasts much longer than a solar eclipse

D．special equipment can be employed to view a lunar eclipse

There has been a large increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is believed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in thefuture. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水閘)has protected the city from the threat (威脅)of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 31 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not solved
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property(財產(chǎn)）in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脫水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(強度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed（安裝）in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
About 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption（消耗）. China depends heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.
小題1:What problem should be settled now in London?

A．How to protect the city’s property

B．Where to build its flood defences

C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city

D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences

小題2:Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?

A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo.

B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes.

C．Forbidding the city to build “Flower Tower”.

D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings.

小題3:The major threats to Shanghai are __________.

A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations

B．rising sea levels and typhoons

C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels

D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons

小題4:The purpose of the passage is __________.

A．to tell us how to protect the big cities

B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters

C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves

D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities

What if I took that big jump on my bike?What’s the worst thing that could happen if I go out at midnight?Should try smoking?The teen years can play out like a choose-your-own-adventure novel.
Teenagers must act on an endless parade of choices.Some choices.including smoking.Come with serious consequences.As a result, adolescents often find themselves trapped between their impulsive tendencies（-Just try it!)and their newfound ability to make well-informed and logical choices（-Wait, maybe that’s not such a good idea!）.
So what makes the teenager’s brain so complex? What drives adolescents-more than any other age group-to sometimes make rash or questionable decisions?
If you have ever thought that the choices teenagers make are all about exploring and pushing limits, you are on to something. Experts Experts believe that this tendency marks a necessary period in teen development.The process helps prepare teenagers to confront the world on their own. It is something all humans have evolved to experience-yes, teens everywhere go through this exploratory period.Nor is it unique to people:Even laboratory mice experience a similar stage during their development.
For example，laboratory experiments show that young mice stay close by their mothers for safety. As mice grow．their behavior does too．“When they reach puberty，they’re like，‘I’m gonna start checking out how this environment looks without my mom，…explains Beatriz Luna,of the University of Pittsburgh．
As a developmental cognitive neuroscientist，Luna studies those changes that occur in the brain as children develop into adults．She and other researchers are showing how the teen experience can lead to powerful advantages later in life．Take mice again：Young mice that explore most tend to live longest——that is，unless a cat eats them，Luna adds．
小題1:What is the best title for the text?

A．Teenagers make endless choices

B．The teenage brain drives them to be different

C．How the teenage brain develops

D．Researches about the teenagers

小題2:What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 4 mean?

A．It means “you are wrong”.

B．It means“you lose your way”．

C．It means“you get the point”．

D．It means“you are off the point”.

小題3:According to the text,the teenager who explores most wiIl

A．make no mistakes in his life．

B．have advantages over others.

C．loSe his confidence even his life.

D．experience no failure and live Iongest.

小題4:What does the writer want to tell us by taking mice for example？

A．young mice try to look for safety.

B．Young mice like to stay with their mothers.

C．Mice also experience a period to explore the world.

D．Mice experience different stages.

小題5:What may the text discuss in the next part?

A．How call a teenager make right choices

B．Why the parents shouldn’t allow teenagers to smoke

C．What has been discovered in the lab experiment．

D．What really goes on in the teenage brain.

As people in Beijing and northern China struggle with severe air pollution this winter,the toxic(有毒的)air is also making life hard for plants and even food crops of China．
"in the last 50 years there has been a 1 6-fold increase in ozone(臭氧)pollution”in the Beijing area，said Hanqin Tian of Auburn University in Alabama,who studies the effects of China's pollution and climate change on plants．
Ozone is particularly harmful to plants because it damages the pores(氣孔)  on leaves，called stomata,which plants use to regulate how much water evaporates from the leaves．That，in turn，affectS how much water a plant must take up through its roots．Changes in water uptake by plants have been documented in other parts of the world，including the United States，as having major impacts on regional groundwater and surface water supplies．
In studies of the long-term productivity of plants，Hanqin Tian and some of his colleagues show that ozone pollution,along with climate change，has been lowering plant productivity in China,which reduces the amount of carbon and other pollutants that the plants Can absorb to fight all the emissions from the burning offossil fuels．
The worst effects on plants are likely to be in areas where the growing pollution problem is just fairly new, said Arthur Chappelka, also a plant researcher at Auburn University．Some plants are more resistant to pollutants than others，he said，and the plants that are living today in long-polluted urban areas are likely to be only those that are very pollution tolerant．
Away from the cities, however, where crops are necded to feed China’s yast population, the effeets of the growing pollution on crops is a significant concern.
“In some ways it affects the crop production and food securiy of China,”said Hanqin Tian.“Air quality is really important for human health, plants and ecosystem and sustainability.”
The problem is bound to get worse as China continues to develop economically, he said, and so he and other researchers continue to urge the Chinese government to take action to reduce emissions from cars and industries.
小題1:ozone does harm to plants mainly by ________.

A．exposing them to strong sunlight

B．damaging the structure of their leaves

C．a(chǎn)dding more pores to the roots

D．making the land unfit for the plants to grow

小題2:Which of the following statement does Hanqin Tian support?

A．Ozone pollution has increased 1 6 times in the past 30 years．

B．Ozone pollution has lowered plant productivity alone．

C．Plants can take in a large amount of carbon and other pollutants．

D．The toxic air has few effects on food supply in China．

小題3:What Can we infer from the passage?   

A．Healthy foods are not available in Beijing．

B．Some kinds of plants aren’t affected by air pollution．

C．Crops in China are hard to feed its large population．

D．People should stop developing economically

小題4:According to the passage，the Chinese govemment should

A．care more about developing economy

B．reduce the number of cars and industries

C．continue to make more researches

D．take measures to reduce carbon emissions

小題5:What′S the best title of the passage?

A．Polluted air damages plants and crops

B．Air pollution is becoming more serious

C．China’s air pollution and climate changes

D．Food security in China