With the pace of life continuing to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be .A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "fight" or "flight" and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress. Since we cannot remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.
小題1:People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because_____.

A．they do not know how to enjoy themselves

B．they do not believe that relaxation is important for health

C．they are travelling fast all the time

D．they are becoming busier with their work

小題2:According to the writer, the most important character for a good manager is his ________.

A．not fearing stress

B．knowing the art of relaxation

C．high sense of responsibility

D．having control over performance

小題3:Which of the following statements is true?

A．We can find some ways to avoid stress

B．Stress is always harmful to people

C．It is easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.

D．Different people can withstand different amounts of stress

小題4:In Paragraph 3 "such a reaction" refers back to_______.

A．"making a choice between 'flight' or 'fight'"

B．"reaction to stress both chemically and physically"

C．"responding to crises quickly"

D．"losing heart at the signs difficulties"

小題5:What does the author think of stress?

A．Stress is a bad thing.

B．Different people can withstand the same amount of stress.

C．A certain amount of stress is not a bad thing.

D．Our health will become endangered if we cannot remove stress.

Nowadays, the food we eat seems to have great effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses are related to diet and forty percent of cancer is related to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures.
That food is related to illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, about 68 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue.
小題1:What is the best possible title of the passage?

A．Drug and Food	B．Cancer and Health
C．Food and Health	D．Health and Drug

小題2:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons

B．Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are given to the living animals

C．Researchers have known about the potential dangers of food additives for over thirty-five years.

D．Food may cause forty percent of cancer in world.

小題3:How has science done something harmful to mankind?

A．Because of science, diseases caused by polluted food have been virtually eliminated.

B．It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.

C．Because of the application of science, some potentially harmful substances have been added to food.

D．The scientists have preserved the color of meats, but not of vegetables.

小題4:What are nitrates used for?

A．They preserve flavor in packaged foods.

B．They preserve the color of meats.

C．They are the objects of research.

D．They cause the animals to become fatter.

小題5:The word 'carcinogenic' most nearly means '_____'.

A．trouble-making

B．color-retaining

C．money-making

D．cancer-causing

Why do men live a shorter life than women? The latest research indicates that men’s hearts going into a rapid decline when they reach middle age could be the cause.
The research of ageing on the heart has shown that women’s longevity may be linked to the fact that their hearts do not lose much pumping power with age.
“We have found that the power of the male heart falls by 20-25 percent between 20 and 70 years of age,” said the head of the study, Samantha of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK.
“Within the heart there are millions of cells which make it beat.Between the ages of 20 and 70, one-third of those cells die and are not replaced in men ,” said Samantha.“This is part of the ageing process.”
What amazes scientists is that the female heart suffers very little loss of these cells.A healthy 70-year-old woman’s heart could work almost as perfectly as a 20-year-old one’s.
“This gender （性別）difference might give the reason why men live shorter than women,”said Samantha.They studied over 250 healthy men and women between the ages of 17 and 80, who are mainly healthy persons so as to reduce the influence of disease.“The team has yet to think about why ageing suffers a greater loss on the male heart,” said Samantha.
But there is also good news -- men can enjoy the health of their hearts with regular exercise.Samantha stressed that women should also take regular exercise to stop their leg muscles getting weaker as they age.
小題1:The underlined word “l(fā)ongevity” in the second paragraph means “________”.

A．health

B．long life

C．ageing

D．effect

小題2:The text mainly talks about ________.

A．men’s heart cells	B．women’s ageing process
C．the gender difference	D．hearts and long life

小題3:According to the text, the UK scientists have known that ________.

A．men have fewer cells than women when they are born

B．women can produce the cells that make the heart beat

C．the female heart suffers less loss of the cells with age

D．women will never suffer the loss of pumping power with age

小題4:If you want to live a long life, you should ________.

A．enable your heart to beat much faster

B．think about the reason for ageing

C．take regular exercise to keep your heart healthy

D．stop your cells from being lost

An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.
Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14­year­old found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (軀干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.
This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超過) 15% of body weight.
Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.
For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感覺) about the bag’s weight.
Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性別) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.
Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.
Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design.
小題1:In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________.

A．reduce the load of their children’s schoolbags

B．put more books in their children’s schoolbags

C．get their children’s schoolbags ready for school

D．ask their children to walk to school carrying schoolbags

小題2:If a child weighs 40 kilograms，the weight of his schoolbag should be________.

A．no more than 15 kg

B．less than 6 kg

C．as heavy as 9 kg

D．more than 6 kg

小題3:We can learn from the passage that________.

A．most of the students in Australia walk to school

B．neck pain is uncommon among young teenagers

C．walking while carrying a backpack helps reduce back pain

D．males are more likely to experience back pain than females

小題4:According to the passage，what change has taken place since the 1980s?

A．How students carry their schoolbags.

B．How heavy students’ schoolbags are.

C．How students go to school every day.

D．How long students carry their schoolbags for.

Ever tried taking smart drugs to perform better in exams? They certainly work. Before last summer's exam, a few of my mates, merely out of curiosity, took a considerable amount of Modafinil, a drug normally used for narcolepsy(嗜眠發(fā)作癥). Guess what? While I was feeling sleepy, bored by revision, my mates were more focused.
Modafinil is a smart drug that gives a user a feeling of staying awake for hours. It also sharpens the mind, improves memory and helps problem-solving.
But it does more than just keeping you awake. It disturbs your mental system, making you desperate to do what you are doing. You just don't want to do anything else but revise all the time non-stop.
A recent study discovers that healthy people use smart drugs, like Modafinil, to get down to and complete tasks they have been putting off, because these tasks seem more enjoyable when taking these drugs. This might sound like what a stressed student desires. However, the pills have a range of side-effects.
"At present no evidence shows that these drugs are safe in healthy people," as a medical expert puts it, "Ordering online, though easy, is a dangerous way to obtain drugs. You never know what you're actually purchasing. "
In my experience, Modafinil changes people's behaviour too. Over those weeks my friends became different people—in turn aggressive, cold. Even eating became "a waste of time" and so did conversation.
A BBC survey found that of those who had tried smart drugs before, 92% would do so again. My friends say they'd happily do so without considering the practice a form of cheating.
I admit I was curious—but not enough to try it. Seeing the strange behaviour of other users, I feel a little bit upset and scary. Modafinil may promise to change your grades, but it might also change the way you act. Don't say you haven't been warned!
小題1:According to the author, his mates took Modafinil for the purpose of______.

A．escaping from reality	B．getting better exam results
C．curing their narcolepsy	D．leading an active life

小題2:Taking the smart drug can lead to ______.

A．cheating in the exam	B．dropping out of school
C．youth crime(犯罪)	D．drug addiction(上癮)

小題3:What does the author think of his mates' taking the smart drugs?

A．Worrying.	B．Inspiring.
C．Acceptable.	D．Reasonable.

小題4:Which statement about Modafinil is wrong?

A．Modafinil sharpens the mind and helps problem-solving.

B．Modafinil more than just keeps you awake.

C．Modafinil has a range of side effects.

D．Modafinil is safe in healthy people.

小題5:Who are the target readers of this passage?

A．Teachers.

B．Doctors.

C．Scientists.

D．Students.

The smell of fresh air is becoming something of a distant memory, thanks to our increasing use of fragrance (香氣). From air fresheners to scented (有香味的) candles, we live in a world of scent.
Recent figures show seven in ten people use air fresheners or scented candles to keep our homes smelling sweet. Yet recent records suggest that perfumed products could affect our health, causing problems including allergies (過敏), headaches and asthma (哮喘) .
One leading expert believes nearly a third of people suffer health effects from being exposed to scents. A major problem is so-called “contact” allergy—where perfumes and scented products cause eczema (濕疹) when they come into contact with the skin. About one in 20 is thought to be affected by fragrance allergy.
“Often it may not be immediately obvious that you have developed a fragrance allergy,” says Dr. Baron. “You don’t react immediately. Gradually, as you are exposed more and more, the body increases its reaction, until it becomes noticeable to you.”
People with pre-existing eczema are particularly vulnerable (易受影響). “The eczema worsens in areas in contact with perfumes,” says Dr. Baron. “But even those without allergies can be at risk of fragrance allergy.” You can become suddenly allergic to perfumes and personal care products that you have been using for years. “Even if you know which fragrance causes a problem, it can be difficult to avoid, as most personal care products –soap, shampoo, sun cream and washing powder—contain fragrances,” says Dr. Baron.
And strong scents can also cause headaches. Fragrances activate the nose’s nerve cells, stimulating the nerve system associated with head pain. To minimize risk, sufferers are advised to minimize the contact.
“Fragrance suggest cleanliness – yet people are smelling a potentially dangerous chemical mixture,” says Anne Steinemann, professor of the University of Washington. “We often use them to mask one problem – as with air fresheners – but create a greater one – adding poisonous chemicals to the air.”
小題1:What is the text mainly about?

A．The world trend of using fragrance.

B．The benefits of using non-fragranced products.

C．The health problems caused by fragrance

D．The ways of removing allergy.

小題2:According to Dr. Baron,            .

A．our bodies have an immediate reaction to fragrance.

B．seven in ten have suffered fragrance allergy.

C．fragrance can affect people who don’t have allergy

D．people can avoid contacting with fragrance easily

小題3:Which of the following questions does the text NOT answer?

A．Which products contain fragrance?

B．What’s the influence of fragrance in the air?

C．What are the air fresheners made up of?

D．How are headaches caused by fragrance?

小題4:The following paragraph might discuss            .

A．the asthma caused by strong scents.

B．people’s efforts to protect fresh air.

C．the methods of curing eczema

D．the bad effects of air fresheners.

C
If you have to miss a meal a day, which meal will cause you fewest health problems if you don’t eat it? If you have to make a decision of this type, most people (especially very busy people) will choose to skip breakfast.
However, many experts in the field of health consider breakfast ( the meal which “break” you “fast” ) to be the most important  meal of the day. If we eat a good breakfast, they say, we will have the energy and nutrients (營養(yǎng)) we need to begin our working day with vigor(活力) and stay hopeful with good honor. However, many people skip breakfast or substitute a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal. What happens if we ignore the importance of breakfast?
One recent study conducted in the United States tested a large number of people. Participants(參加者) included both males and females who ranged in age from 12 to 83. The results showed that if a person eats an adequate(豐富的) breakfast, he or she will work more efficiently(效率高地) and more productively than if he or she skips breakfast or eats a very poor breakfast. This fact appears to be especially true if a person’s work involves mental(腦力的) activities. The study showed that if school-children eat fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, they will learn more quickly and will be able to concentrate on their lessons for a longer period of time than if their breakfast is inadequate(不豐富).
The study also showed that contrary to what people believe, if you skip breakfast, you will not lose weight. This is because people become so hungry if they skip breakfast that they eat too much for lunch and end up gaining weight instead of losing. So remember, if you want to lose weight, skipping breakfast will not help you. You will likely lose more weight if you decrease your other meals.
小題1: According to experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because _____.

A．a good breakfast breaks you down fast

B．you’ll lose weight quickly if you skip breakfast

C．breakfast provides what a person needs to work

D．after a long night, you’ll feel very hungry

小題2:The underlined part “substitute a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal”(Para. 2) probably means _______.

A．to exchange a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal.

B．To drink a cup of coffee instead of a well balanced meal.

C．To change a cup of coffee into a well balanced meal.

D．To regard a cup of coffee as a well balanced meal.

小題3:The example of school-children in para.3 shows that _______.

A．school-children will be quick and attentive all day if they eat breakfast

B．a proper breakfast will make mental workers more efficient

C．fruit, eggs, bread and milk are the best breakfast for mental workers

D．school-children who have breakfast are much brighter than those who don’t

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

A．Some people skip breakfast because they want to be slimmer.

B．Most people who skip breakfast actually eat more for lunch.

C．People put on weight because they eat too much breakfast.

D．Skipping breakfast won’t help people who want to lose weight.

小題5:The best title of the passage is _______.

A．How to Lose Weight	B．What’s a Healthy Diet
C．Surprising Results of a Study	D．Breakfast – A Meal That Breaks You Fast

( D )
Your body works 24 hours a day. It’s always building and repairing, feeding and cleansing itself. Its goal is to be ready for your every movement, breath, and thought. The quality of your life depends on how well your body works. And how well your body works depends on how much energy it gets. Energy comes from the food you eat. Food contains nutrients that your body needs for growth and energy.
By eating a balanced diet, your body gets the six important nutrients it needs. Minerals（礦物質） are nutrients that build bones and teeth. Minerals also form red blood cells and other substances. Water aids digestion and waste removal. Carbohydrates（碳水化合物） give your body its main source of energy. Two carbohydrates are sugars from foods such as fruits and vegetables and starches found in rice, potatoes, and bread. Fats help build cell membranes（膜）. Proteins repair and grow body tissues（組織）. Finally, vitamins help your body use carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
The United States Department of Agriculture（USDA） has created a nutritional food pyramid（金字塔）. It shows the daily number of servings you should eat from five food groups. The food pyramid has four levels. The base of the pyramid is the largest level. It contains the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group from which you need six to eleven servings. The next level has two food groups: vegetables and fruits. The USDA recommends three to five servings of vegetables and two to four servings of fruit. The third level also has two groups: the milk, yogurt, and cheese group and the meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts group. You need two to three servings from each of these groups. The top of the pyramid is the smallest level. It contains fats, oils, and sweets. These foods have few nutrients, so eat them sparingly（有節(jié)制地）.
小題1:What is the main idea for this passage_________?

A．Eating a balanced diet gives your body the energy it needs.

B．The top of the pyramid is the smallest level.

C．Meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs, and nuts are on the third level.

D．We should have a nutrition food pyramid.

小題2:The first paragraph suggests that __________?

A． food is something that cleanses your body.

B．food can improve the quality of your life.

C．food should be eaten at night as well as during the day.

D．food will make it easier for you to exercise.

小題3:By eating a balanced diet, your body gets the      important nutrients it needs.

A．four

B．five

C．six

D．seven

小題4:A balanced diet________.

A．is made up of foods from five food groups.

B．includes many foods containing fat.

C．includes six to eleven servings of fruit.

D．can be got by taking vitamins.

小題5:To help the reader understand the six nutrients needed by the body, the author________.

A．describes the five basic food groups.

B．explains what a balanced diet is.

C．writes the details of each nutrient.

D．tells the number of daily servings needed from each food group.

A
Car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health.
小題1:According to the passage, which of the following diets do you think is the best one?

A．Eggs, tomatoes and chicken.

B．Milk, bread, cabbages and beef.

C．Corn, fish, ice cream and pork.

D．Rice, beancurd(豆腐)，fish and chicken.

小題2:Which of the following is a good eating habit?

A．Going to school without any breakfast.

B．Eating fish and chips for supper all the time.

C．Having at least food from one of the four groups each meal.

D．Having different food from all four food groups.

小題3: In this passage the writer mainly tells us that____.

A．every person needs food to grow well.

B．taking exercise can keep your body strong.

C．the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy.

D．enough energy helps people think more quickly.

小題4:The underlined word “dairy” in the second paragraph means_____.

A．the food made out of cows such as milk and butter

B．the shop that sells milk and butter

C．a farm where cows are kept

D．a place where milk products are made

D
Parties, iPods, concerts, movies, TV shows, video games, traffic. All of these things of the modern world make life entertaining and enjoyable. But our 21^st-century lifestyle is also loud and, if we don’t take notice, it can have an effect on our hearing.
Most teenagers don’t think about hearing loss. But if you experience any of the following symptoms（癥狀）, you may already be hearing damaged: you make efforts to hear normal talk, you have to turn up the TV or radio so high that others complain, you watch other people’s expressions to understand what they are saying, you ask people to repeat themselves, you misunderstand what people are saying or you hear ringing in your ears.
iPods and other MP3 players are as common as the clothes you wear, and just as fashionable. But if you turn up an iPod to more than 60 percent of its maximum volume（最大音量）, and listen to music for more than an hour, you are asking for trouble. And, it does not matter if the music you play is classical, rock or heavy metal.
Some researchers find that young people who break the so-called 60-percent/60-minute rule in listening to iPods are at the risk of suffering hearing loss.
Why is an iPod dangerous? With ear buds placed directly in the ear canal and high-volume music played over a long period of time, it’s like working in a loud factory all day, being a maintenance（修理）person under a jet airplane or using a jackhammer（手提鉆）on a building site.
Similarly, iPod music can cause a short time or permanent（永久的）hearing damage. A loud iPod can cause a ruptured（破裂的）eardrum and, over time, may cause permanent damage to the tiny hairs in the inner ear. If these tiny hairs are damaged, they cannot effectively send sounds to the auditory nerves（聽覺神經）that connect to the brain. If this happens, hearing loss becomes permanent.
小題1:Which of the following shows that you are suffering hearing loss?

A．You are interested to listen to others’ talking.

B．You have to read others’ expressions to understand them.

C．You can only understand others over the phone.

D．You always think you hear the ringing of the phone.

小題2: Which of the following is TRUE when you listen to music?

A．Listen at least an hour every time.

B．Turn up the volume to the highest level.

C．keep the sound lower than 60% of its highest volume.

D．Choose classical, rock or heavy metal music.

小題3:What is the correct order of causing permanent hearing loss?
a. The eardrum is broken.
b. The auditory nerves cannot receive sounds.
c. Tiny hairs are damaged.
d. Ear buds are placed directly in the ear canal.
e. High-volume music is played over a long time.

A．d-a-c-b-e

B．e-c-a-b-d

C．b-c-a-d-e

D．d-e-a-c-b

小題4:This passage is mainly about      .

A．music that teenagers like	B．hearing problems caused by the loud world
C．ways that teenagers enjoy music	D．dangerous modern lifestyles of teenagers.