A newly-published study has shown that loneliness can spread from one person to another, like a disease.
Researchers used information from the Framingham Study, which began in 1948. The Framingham Study gathers information about physical and mental health, personal behavior and diet. At first, the study involved about 5,000 people in the American state of Massachusetts. Now, more than 12,000 individuals are taking part.
Information from the Framingham Study showed earlier that happiness can spread from person to person. So can behaviors like littering and the ability to stop smoking.
University of Chicago psychologist John Cacioppo led the recent study. He and other researchers attempted to show how often people felt lonely. They found that the feeling of loneliness spread through social groups.
Having a social connection with a lonely person increased the chances that another individual would feel lonely. In fact, a friend of a lonely person was 52% more likely to develop feelings of loneliness. A friend of that person was 25% more likely. The researchers say this shows that a person could indirectly be affected by someone’s loneliness.
The effect was strongest among friends. Neighbors were the second most affected group. The effect was weaker on husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters. The researchers also found that loneliness spread more easily among women than men.
The New York Times newspaper reports that, on average, people experience feelings of loneliness about 48 days a year. It also found that every additional friend can decrease loneliness by about five percent, or two and a half fewer lonely days.
Loneliness has been linked to health problems like depression and sleeping difficulties. The researchers believe that knowing the causes of loneliness could help in reducing it.
The study suggests that people can take steps to stop the spread of loneliness. They can do this by helping individuals they know who may be experiencing loneliness. The result can be helpful to the whole social group.
小題1: What is true about the Framingham Study?

A．It was only conducted in 1948.	B．It involves more than 12,000 participants.
C．It was led by John Cacioppo	D．It showed that any behavior could spread.

小題2: From the passage, we can learn that            .

A．the habit of littering doesn’t spread

B．a(chǎn) lonely person won’t have friends

C．everyone may be affected by others’ loneliness

D．lonely people don’t know the cause of their loneliness

小題3: Which statement about the spread of loneliness is true?

A．The spreading effect was the second strongest among friends.

B．No spreading effect was found on husbands and wives.

C．Women are more likely to be affected than men.

D．Brothers are more easily affected than neighbors.

小題4: If you make 10 more friends in a year, the days of your feeling loneliness will be reduced by            .

A．48 days

B．25 days

C．20 days

D．15 days

小題5:What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Actions should be taken to help lonely people.  B. People feel lonely for many reasons.
C. Ways to fight against loneliness.             D. Lonely people can affect others.

Paul, the oracle octopus (神算章魚), was given a replica (復(fù)制品) of the World Cup as a reward for his perfect eight-for-eight record in predicting the results of matches.
The two-year-old octopus with possible supernatural powers turned into a worldwide celebrity for accurately predicting the German team’s five World Cup wins as well as their two defeats. Paul also tipped Spain to beat Netherlands in the final.
“We have had a lot of offers for Paul but he will definitely be staying with us and returning to his usual job-making children smile,” Sea Life spokeswoman Tanja Munzig in Oberhausen said after presenting Pual with the World Cup replica.
There’s no rational(合理的)reasons why Paul always got it right. Bettors around the world made small fortunes based on Paul’s guess, said Graham Sharpe, media relations director at William Hill in London. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my lifetime but this is the first time I’ve ever seen people making their picks based on what an octopus tells them. We had people coming in saying they didn’t know how to place a bet but heard about this German octopus and wanted to bet with him. It’s funny. But he kept getting it right.” said Sharpe.
Sharpe said that anyone who had placed a 10-pound accumulator bet(累計(jì)下注)on Paul’s prediction from the start of the World Cup would have won 3,000 pounds($4,500)by the end of the tournament.
Paul’s home at Sea Life aquarium(水族館)in Oberhausen has been crowded with visitors and media from across Europe. Many networks broadcast his predicting live. Many networks broadcast his picks live. Hundreds were on hand to watch the World Cup replica lowered into his tank on Monday, 12 July, 2010.
小題1: Paul was rewarded a replica of the Word Cup because he          .

A．will celebrate his birthday soon

B．predicted the results of matches accurately

C．helped beat Netherlands in the final

D．helped many fans earn much money

小題2: If a fan had placed a 200-pound accumulator bet on Paul’s prediction, he would have won
          during the tournament.

A．$30,000

B．$45,000

C．$60,000

D．$90,000

小題3: The underlined word “tipped” in the 2nd paragraph probably means          .

A．ordered

B．a(chǎn)nnounced

C．predicted

D．helped

小題4: From what Sharpe said we can learn that          .

A．it’s amazing for Paul to make more exact prediction than people

B．octopus like Paul may all have the ability to predict exactly

C．it’s common for people to believe in sea life for prediction

D．we’d better not bet with animals when we have trouble making our picks

小題5: We can learn from this passage that          .

A．Paul used to be children’s favorite sea life

B．it’s useless to bet with the oracle octopus

C．Paul was born with the ability to predict World Cup results

D．Germany will never be beaten if Paul stays with them

“Dr.Papaderos,what is the meaning of life?”
The usual laughter followed,and people stirred(騷動)to go.Papaderos held up his hand and stilled the room and looked at me for a long time,asking with his eyes if I was serious and seeing from my eyes that I was.
“I will,answer your question.”
Taking his wallet out of his hip pocket,he fished into a leather billfold and brought out a very small round mirror,about the size of a quarter.And what he said went like this:
“When I was a small child,during the war,we were very poor and we lived in a remote village.One day,on the road,I found the broken pieces of a mirror.A German motorcycle had been wrecked in that place.
I tried to find all the pieces and put them together,but it was not possible,so I kept only the largest piece.This one,and,by scratching it on a stone.I made it round. I began to play with it as a toy and became fascinated by the fact that I could reflect light into dark places where the sun would never shine——in deep holes and crevices(裂縫)and dark closets. It became a game for me to get light into the most inaccessible places I could find.
I kept the little mirror,and,as I went about my growing up,I would take it out in idle moments and continue the challenge of the game.As I became a man,I grew to understand that this was not just a child’s game but a metaphor for what I might do with my life.I came to understand that I am not the light or the source of light.But light——truth,understanding,knowledge——is there,and it will shine in many dark places only if I reflect it.
I am a fragment(碎片)of a mirror whose whole design and shape l do not know.Nevertheless,with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world——into the black places in the hearts of men—and change some things in some people.Perhaps others may see and do likewise.This is what I am about.This is the meaning of my life.”
小題1:On hearing the author’s question,Dr.Papedotes       at first.

A．laughed at his foolishness	B．wasn’t sure of the answer
C．doubted his seriousness	D．wasn’t interested at all

小題2:How did Dr.Papaderos get the small round mirror when he was a child?

A．He found it on the road and made it round.

B．A dying German soldier gave him as a present.

C．He chanced to find it in the street while playing.

D．He put the broken pieces together and made it.

小題3:Why did Dr.Papaderos like the small round mirror so much as a child?

A．Because he was too poor to afford other toys.

B．Because it could shine the places where tke sun couldn’t reach.

C．Because he believed it would bring good luck to him.

D．Because it tofd him a lot about what life really meant to him.

小題4:The underlined“metaphor”in the 7th paragraph most probably means       .

A．symbol

B．source

C．light

D．purpose

小題5:Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．A Special Game in the Childhood	B．A Broken Piece of Mirror
C．Dr.Papaderos’Experience	D．The Meaning of Life

The website YouTube was created in 2005 and became an overnight success.Google bought YouTube for more than $1,600,000 the following year.In May,YouTube announced that two billion videos were watched each day.
In June,the Guggenheim Museum in New York City announced it would hold a competition among YouTube videos.Now,the judges have chosen the top 125 videos.
The Guggenheim and YouTube launched the competition called“YouTube Play.A Biennial(兩年一度)of Creative Video.”The information technology companies HP and Intel are supporting the event.23,000 videos entered the competition.They represented 91 countries and every possible style of movie making.
The rules of the competition were few.Video makers had to be eighteen years or older.They could enter only one video.It had to be no more than ten minutes long.Any language,subject,sound,and style were considered.
Eleven people are judging the videos.They include artists,musicians,and filmmakers.Laurie Anderson is all three.She says all her art starts with a story,so she looks for a story as she judges the videos.
Other judges include the filmmaker Darren Aronofsky,the band Animal Collective,and artist and filmmaker,Shirin Neshat.
New Jersey artist Dahlia Elsayed’s video is one of the finalists.She used the camera in her computer to record herself describing her daily food desires for one month.The video is simple,short,and interesting.
A frightening,but beautiful video came from Chile.The video by Niles Atallah,Joaquin Cocina Varas.and Cristobal Leon is called“Luis”.It is an animated ghostly story of a tense,angry boy.It is very dark,but impossible to stop watching.
“Mars to Jupiter”is a video from Canada by Sterling Pache.It is about a survivor of the 1994 genocide(種族屠殺)in Rwanda.The video explores how her past still haunts(縈繞) her.
Other chosen videos are from France,Spain,Taiwan,Australia,and Israel.Almost thirty countries are represented.You can see them if you link to YouTube Play from our website at voaspecialenglish.com.
People can also see the 125 videos at the Guggenheim museums in New York；Bilbao,Spain;Berlin,Germany;and Venice,Italy.
On October 21,the YouTube Play judges will announce the final twenty winning videos at a special event at the Guggenheim in New York.The Videos will be on View there until October 24.
小題1:Accoding to the text,YouTube might be       .

A．a(chǎn) video sharing website

B．a(chǎn) supporting company of the event

C．a(chǎn) museum in New York City

D．a(chǎn) frightening,but beautiful video

小題2:Who were supposed to enter the contest according to the text?

A．Video makers in English—speaking countries.

B．Video makers from New York City.

C．Video makers all over the world.

D．Video makers under the age of 18.

小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the text?

A．The rules of the competition were quite complicated.

B．Twenty videos will finally be picked out as the best.

C．The style of video was strictly limited.

D．Only artists can judge the competitio.

小題4:        is a simple and relaxing story about daily life.

A．“Mars to Jupiter”	B．Niles Atallah’s video
C．“Luis”	D．Dahlia Elsayed’s video

小題5:The text is mainly about       .

A．a(chǎn) famous wetsite	B．a(chǎn) famous museum
C．some interesting videos	D．a(chǎn) video competition

Douglas Grace talks about his ideal city of the future.
I see the city of the future in three zones——inner， middle and outer. In the inner zone there will be no private cars. Public transport will be free and there will only be ambulances， fire engines， taxis and police cars. This inner zone will be the residential（住宅的） and recreational（娛樂的） area of the city. People will live there and go out to enjoy themselves——to cinemas and restaurants. There will be parks and open spaces， trees and lakes， schools and universities. This way， when people are at home， they can go out easily and safely.
Just outside the inner zone there will be big car parks for all private cars.
The banks and most of the shops and hospitals will be in the middle zone. These are things that people don’t need every day.
All the factories and offices will be in the outer zone. People will travel out of the center to work， and back to the center in the evenings. The inner zone will be cleaner and better to live in and there will be more space for industry on the outside.
This is my ideal city of the future—— a very beautiful place！ But I don’t really think things will ever be like that！
小題1:Where will people live and go out to enjoy themselves？

A．In the middle zone.

B．In the inner zone.

C．In the outer zone.

D．In the inner and middle zone.

小題2: Where will big car parks be？

A．Just outside the middle zone.

B．Just inside the middle zone.

C．Just outside the inner zone.

D．Just inside the inner zone.

小題3: What will be in the middle zone？

A．The banks，hospitals and schools.

B．The banks，hospitals and police stations.

C．The banks，schools and car parks.

D．The banks，hospital and most of the shops.

小題4: Where will the factories and offices be？

A．In the outer zone.

B．In the middle zone.

C．In the inner zone.

D．In the middle and inner zone.

小題5: Douglas Grace is probably     .

A．a(chǎn) painter

B．a(chǎn) builder

C．a(chǎn) town planner

D．a(chǎn) dentist

In order to be a success in the American business world, you must “get along” with people. You must learn to conduct yourself in such a way _16_ you earn the affection and respect of others._17_ we have already pointed out, Americans_18_ business and pleasure. Therefore, learning how to _19_ informally can be a help with your American business _20_. Americans like to talk about a _21_of different topics—sports, politics, cars, popular movies and television shows and personal interests. Many large American cities have sports teams. If you are _22_ with Americans in the United States, it would be a good idea to _23_out about the local sports teams so that you can _24_ in the almost inevitable discussions about “how our _25_ will do this year”. Politics can be a _26_ topic unless everyone is of the same mind _27_. Limit your discussions to asking questions of your friends. Most Americans are _28_ owners and some are even fond of the subject. You can contribute _29_talking about cars you have owned or by _30_ information you have read in automotive magazines. Americans watch television almost every night and attend movies regularly,
_31_ naturally television shows and the _32_ movies become topics for discussions. If you are unable to _33_ American television or attend American movies, reading the _34_ section of such magazines as Time News week will keep you up to date on _35_is popular in America.

小題1:	A．which B．where C．a(chǎn)s D．that

小題2:	A．While B．Since C．As D．Because

小題3:	A．mix B．enjoy C．like D．manage

小題4:	A．conduct B．a(chǎn)ppear C．behave D．chat

小題5:	A．friends B．efforts C．contacts D．companies

小題6:	A．bit B．total C．group D．number

小題7:	A．meeting B．working C．living ` D．playing

小題8:	A．find B．learn C．go D．stay

小題9:	A．work B．participate C．succeed D．break

小題10:

A．group B．business C．company D．team

小題11: A. common    B. sensitive            C. special.    D daily

小題12:

A．politically B．economically C．professionally D．personally

小題13:

A．house B．car C．business D．land

小題14:

A．to B．toward C．by D．through

小題15:

A．collecting B．sharing C．gathering D．a(chǎn)nalyzing

小題16:

A．so B．therefore C．thus D．hence

小題17:

A．interesting B．exciting C．excellent D．latest

小題18:

A．witness B．look C．watch D．glance

小題19:

A．entertainment B．sports C．business D．movie

小題20:

A．which B．that C．what D．a(chǎn)s

Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an “English teacher”, since almost all pupils study English from their third year. Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school. But my first English teacher is no other than my father. Looking back, I can see that, when I was only a little girl, he created an English environment by providing me with flashcards（識字卡），fun English- language toys and even dolls which can sing English songs! My interest in English had certainly been awakened（喚起） when I began to learn English at school. Just imagine, he went a step further and asked me to learn New Concept English by myself! I was confused and even angry. I could not understand why a father could be so strict with his little girl. All the same, he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his idea. At first, I read stories with tears and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me. In the end, I came to love the funny stories and, to be honest, my father was always there with a helping hand. I am sure that my English would never have got so far without his support. And that’s why my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher. He is the one who awoke my interest, who gave me confidence and who offered me much needed help.
小題1:Most pupils in China begin to learn English________.

A．in primary school

B．from parents

C．a(chǎn)t three years old

D．a(chǎn)t home

小題2:The underline part ‘no other than my father’ in the passage probably means________.

A．like my father

B．not my father

C．my father himself

D．not only my father

小題3:From the whole passage we can see that________.

A．the girl preferred playing to learning English

B．the girl hates her father because he was strict

C．the girl is very thankful to her father

D．the father gave up after knowing his daughter could not understand

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The girl’s father is her first English teacher.

B．The girl had been interested in English before going to school.

C．The girl’s father was always ready to help her with her English.

D．The girl could have learned English well by herself without her father.

小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．How I learned English at school

B．My father---my first and lifelong English teacher

C．The relationship between my father and I

D．I’ve made progress in English learning

In spite of the television and other ways to pass information, the newspaper is still an important source. Many people begin their day by reading the paper. In this way they learn what is going on in the world. Sometimes, however, they don’t have time to read the news carefully and must be satisfied with a quick look at the front page, at other times, they may be in such a hurry that they have time only for a glance at headlines.
In the United States there are newspapers to satisfy all kinds of readers. In big cities there are many types of papers, with several different editions（版本） every day. In the small towns there are fewer newspapers and perhaps only one edition each day. In some areas the paper is even printed weekly.
Another type of publications that help the population know what is happening in the world is magazines. Some magazines are published weekly, others are put out monthly. There are news magazines, and magazines for special interests as sports, photography and music. In the United States, you can find the right thing for every taste and interest.
小題1:In order to know what is happening in the world,          .

A．people should read the whole newspaper carefully

B．people should read a newspaper as the first thing in the morning

C．one should at least have a quick look at the headlines

D．one doesn’t have to read the front page

小題2: In the United States,          .

A．people read more newspapers than in other countries

B．there are different newspapers even in a small town

C．people can read at least one newspaper each week

D．people spend a lot of time reading the Sunday section

小題3: Magazines are          .

A．weekly or monthly newspapers	B．a(chǎn) kind of publications
C．special reading materials for fun	D．just like newspapers

小題4:In the first paragrgh the underlined word “glance” probably means          .

A．quick look

B．quick movement

C．a(chǎn)ngry look

D．unpleasant look

In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair weather friends. They will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities  of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person's place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (經(jīng)驗(yàn)) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I've found a friend!
小題1:Which of the following qualities the writer thinks is the most important in choosing a friend?

A．understanding.

B．honesty.

C．reliability.

D．a(chǎn) sense of humor.

小題2:If you have fair weather friends, ______ .

A．they will give you all that they have when you need help

B．you will be refused when you get into trouble

C．you will become rich

D．you can be sure that you get real friends

小題3: Good friends need to ______.

A．a(chǎn)lways point out each other's mistakes	B．be helped with money
C．understand each other's feelings	D．have money or luck

小題4:This passage mainly discuss ______ .

A．the qualities of a friend	B．where to choose friends
C．how to get along with friends	D．the importance of having a friend

Compared with the previous week, air quality in Shanghai became worse last week , according to the latest report from the Shanghai Environment Monitoring Centre．
The average air pollution index （API） for sulphur dioxide （SO2） remain almost unchanged from the previous week, but the APIs for nitrogen oxide （NOx） and total suspended （懸浮） particles （TSP） rose by 35 and 27 percent．
The overall quality still belonged to class 2 category．Nitrogen oxide, caused mainly by vehicle exhaust and burning of cooking gas, was still the major pollutant of the week．
The Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Centre operates six automatic air monitors in the city’s Putuo, Yangpu, Luwan, Hongkou, Jing’an and Xuhui districts．

小題1:Judging from the chart, on which day was the air quality the worst?

A．October 13．

B．October 14．

C．October 17．

D．October 18．

小題2:Which of the following can be used to describe the air quality of the week?

A．Good．	B．Seriously polluted．
C．Excellent．	D．Slightly polluted．

小題3:Six automatic air monitors are operated in the city except ________．

A．Putuo District

B．Xuhui District

C．Chang’an District

D．Hongkou District

小題4:In shanghai, nitrogen oxide mainly comes from ________．

A．the burning natural gas

B．the burning cooking gas

C．the burning coal

D．dust raised by vehicles

小題5:This passage is obviously taken from ________．

A．a(chǎn) magazine about air pollution

B．a(chǎn) scientific report from TV

C．the weather column in a newspaper

D．the traveling guide to Shanghai