The regular use of text messages and e-mails can lower the IQ more than twice as much as smoking marijuana（大麻）. That is the claim of psychologists who have found that tapping away on a mobile phone or computer keypad or checking them for electronic messages temporarily knocks up to ten points off the user’s IQ.
This rate of decline in intelligence compares unfavorably with the four-point drop in IQ associated with smoking marijuana, according to British researchers, who have labeled（把……稱為）the fleeting phenomenon of enhanced stupidity as “infomania”.
The noticeable drop in IQ is believed to be the result of the constant distraction of “always on” technology when employees should be concentrating on what they are paid to do. Infomania means that they lose concentration as their minds remain fixed in an almost permanent state of readiness to react to technology instead of focusing on the tasks in hand.
The brain also finds it hard to deal with keeping lots of tasks in motion at once, reducing its overall effectiveness. While modern technology can have huge benefits, excessive(過(guò)度的)use can be damaging not only to a person’s mind, but to his or her social life.
Eighty volunteers took part in clinical trials on IQ damage and 1,100 adults were interviewed.
More than six in ten people polled admitted that they were addicted to checking their e-mail and text messages so that they examined work-related ones even when at home or on holiday. Half said that they always responded immediately to an e-mail and one in five would interrupt a meeting to do so.
Furthermore, infomania is having a negative effect on work colleagues, increasing stress and disagreeing feelings. Nine out of ten polled thought that colleagues who answered e-mails or messages during a face-to-face meeting were extremely rude. Yet one in three Britons believed that it was not only acceptable, but actually diligent and efficient to do so.
67. What does the underlined part mean?
A.A person’s IQ drops ten points if he or she always checks electronic messages.
B. The person who has a higher IQ enjoys checking electronic messages.
C. The person who has a lower IQ enjoys checking electronic messages.
D. A person’s IQ is ten points higher if he or she always checks electronic messages.
68. What happens to people with infomania?
A. People with infomania can only concentrate on their tasks in hand.
B. people with infomania are addicted to smoking marijuana.
C. People with infomania can’t respond to technology immediately.
D. People with infomania can’t concentrate on their tasks in hand.
69. From the passage, we can learn that ______.
A. about 550 interviewees responded to an e-mail immediately
B. about 670 interviewees responded to an e-mail immediately
C. about 50 taking part in clinical trials on IQ were addicted to checking e-mails
D. about 16 taking part in clinical trials on IQ refused to answer e-mails immediately
70. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The regular use of text messages and e-mails can be compared to smoking marijuana.
B. Modern technology can damage a person’s mind.
C. The regular use of text messages and e-mails can harm your IQ.
D. Electronic messages have side effects on the user’s life.

Ever since news of widespread food recalls caused by a carcinogenic dye broke, there has been confusion（混淆） over possible links to the country of the same name, but Sudan officials say there is no connection whatever.
Sudan?1 is a red industrial dye that has been found in some chilli powder, but was banned in food products across the European Union (EU) in July 2003.
Since the ban was put in place, EU officials have been striving to remove some food products from the shelves. So far 580 products have been recalled.
Last week Sudan’s Embassy in the United Kingdom asked the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for clarification of the origin of the dye’s name.
Omaima Mahmoud Al Sharief, a press official at Sudan’s Embassy in China, explained the purpose of the inquiry was to clear up any misunderstanding over links between the country and the poisonous dye.
　　"We want to keep an eye on every detail and avoid any misunderstanding there," she said. "Our embassy to Britain asked them how the dye got that name and whether the dye had something to do with our country. But they told us there was no relationship."
The FSA, an independent food security watchdog in Britain, received a letter from the Sudanese embassy last week.
　"They asked us why the dye is named Sudan, however, we also do not know how it got the name," she said. "People found the dye in 1883 and gave it the name. Nobody knows the reason, and we cannot give any explanation before we find out."
Sudan dyes, which include Sudan?1 to 4, are red dyes（顏料） used for colouring solvents（溶劑）, oils, waxes, petrol, and shoe and floor polishes. They are classified as carcinogens by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
小題1: What does the underlined word mean in paragraph one?

A．Causing cancer.

B．Having side effect.

C．Containing poison.

D．Poisonous.

小題2:How did the Sudan?1 get its name?

A．The dye is often produced in Sudan.

B．The dye has something to do with the country named Sudan.

C．Nobody is sure of the origin of the name.

D．Many foods produced in Sudan contain the dye.

小題3:We can infer from the passage that.

A．the Sudan government is paying much attention to the food safety

B．Sudan?1 is often used to be added to the food

C．people didn’t realize the danger of Sudan?1 until 2003

D．many food shops will be closed down

小題4:Which of the following is the best title?

A．Keep away from Sudan?1

B．No Sudan?1 dye links to the country

C．How Sudan?1 dye got its name?

D．Pay attention to the food safety

Wine drinkers tend to buy healthier food than beer drinkers, according to a Danish study published on Tuesday on the website of a weekly medical magazine.
People who bought wine at the store were also more likely to buy fruit, vegetables, fish, lean meat (瘦肉) and milk than beer buyers did, said the study.
Beer buyers were more likely to buy frozen dinners, cold cuts, pork, sugary products, and soft drinks.
The study was conducted by four researchers from the National Institute of Public Health over the course of six months.
Alcohol researchers Erik Schulenburg and Marten Greenback and two other doctors collected 3.5 million receipts from 98 stores. The customers at the stores represented a large number of Danish people, they said.
“Our results confirm international studies which show that wine drinkers tend to eat more fruit, vegetables and fish and rarely eat fats, compared to those who like other kinds of alcoholic drinks,” they concluded.
Wine buyers also tended to have higher education levels, higher earnings and be in better mental health, they added.
Their interest in consumers’ shopping bags followed a series of studies in the Danish media. The studies suggested that wine drinkers ran a lower risk of cardiovascular (心血管的) disease and some types of cancer than beer drinkers.
小題1:The passage mainly tells us that wine drinkers ______.

A．eat more vegetables than beer drinkers

B．usually buy healthier food than beer drinkers

C．a(chǎn)re mostly healthier than beer drinkers

D．run a lower risk of diseases than beer drinkers

小題2:According to the passage, beer buyers are less likely to buy ______.

A．cold cuts

B．pork

C．soft drinks

D．vegetables

小題3:The researchers did the study mainly by means of ______.

A．handing out papers with a list of questions

B．collecting receipts from stores

C．watching what customers bought at stores

D．visiting some families throughout the country

小題4:Which of the following is NOT a feature of wine drinkers according to the passage?

A．Rarely eating fats.	B．Being in better mental health.
C．Exercising more.	D．Having higher education levels.

Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situation－for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic (the opposite of “temporary”) usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person’s social contacts, for example, friends, family members, co－workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease, while temporary and situational loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.
小題1:How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?     

A．Talk to friends.	B．Just ignore it.
C．Go to see a doctor.	D．Ask your teachers for guidance.

小題2:“It” in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to ___________.

A．temporary loneliness	B．situational loneliness
C．a(chǎn) new place	D．sleeplessness

小題3:Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems.

B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness

C．Chronic loneliness can not be overcome.

D．Chronic loneliness is incurable.

小題4:What is the best title for the passage?

A．Three kinds of loneliness	B．Loneliness and disease
C．Loneliness and social contacts	D．Chronic loneliness

Lego, the inventor of those colorful bricks that have inspired kids’ imaginations world-wide, has celebrated its 50th anniversary.

On January 28, 1958, a man named Godtfred Kirk Christiansen created the plastic building bricks that can now be found in almost every child’s toy box. The simple building block has become one of the most well-known and popular toys around the world.
"The Lego brick continues to be very attractive, because it allows children, and others, to develop their creativity and imagination," said Charlotte Simonsen, a spokeswoman of the Danish Lego company.
The company’s building brick allows an infinite number of links. With just two bricks there are 24 different links, and with six, there are 915 million possibilities, according to Lego.
A half-century after its creation, more than 400 million children and adults spend five billion hours a year putting the bricks together and pulling them apart. Also, the bricks made today can still interlock with those made in 1958.
Lego bricks are not just child’s play: they also attract the interest of adults. South Korean adventurer, Heo Young-Ho, who climbed Mount Everest in 1987, left a Lego toy behind in the snow during his climb.
After its great success Lego experienced a severe crisis at the end of the 1990s, hit hard by fierce competition from electronic games. This so-called "Toy of the Century" then suffered a dark period that lasted several years.
With great efforts, the company began to prosper again, and in 2006 it earned about 1.5 billion dollars in 130 countries. Seven boxes of Lego are now sold every second around the world, and 19 billion bricks are produced each year: enough to encircle the Earth five times！
小題1:The Lego bricks have remained popular in the past 50 years as a result of _______.

A．a(chǎn)ttracting many children worldwide	B．brought imagination to the children worldwide
C．making the children and even adults worldwide creative and imaginative
D．having infinite links that bring many imagination

小題2:The author gave the example of South Korean adventurer Heo Young-Ho in order to prove that ______.

A．Heo Youn-Ho also loved playing Lego bricks

B．the Lego bricks made him a mountain climber

C．the Lego bricks not only interest children but also adults

D．the Lego bricks are a must when on goes on an adventure

小題3:It can be inferred from the text that ______.

A．there are 915 different links with just 6 bricks

B．the Lego Bricks Company has made a lot of money from the people worldwide

C．the Lego Bricks can’t compare with computer games

D．the bricks made today don’t change much compared with those made in 1958

小題4:The underlined word “hit” in the seventh paragraph means _____.

A．defeated in a fight or a competition

B．have a crash in an accident or a fight

C．get known through a song

D．a(chǎn)ttack somebodyin a fight

小題5:The main idea of the story is that _____.

A．Lego bricks: brilliant past and struggling future

B．Lego bricks: an attraction of both children and adults

C．Lego bricks: making creativity and imagination

D．Lego bricks: making billions of money every year

What is green food? Do you enjoy green food every day? The concept of “green food” was first suggested by the Department of the Ministry of Agriculture in 1990.
Green symbolizes life, health and energy. Nowadays, people demand healthy and fresh food. Having enough food to eat is only a basic requirement, and they need more than this. They want to enjoy unpolluted, safe and nutritious food and eat comfortably. So the government does this through a set of “from the land to the dinner table” quality controls. It requires to change China’s traditional agricultural structures and ensure the food of high quality.
Safe vegetables refers to products without substances harmful to humans. Growing such vegetables requires no strong poisons, thus guaranteeing vegetables fresh and clean. There are strict regulations in place for even applying fertilizer(肥料). The examination of vegetables should reach the state food hygiene(衛(wèi)生) standard. The following conditions for green food are regulated by the China Green Food Development Center. Firstly, products or raw materials must reach the green ecological environment standard set by the Ministry of Agriculture. Secondly, crop planting, livestock raising, fish breeding and food processing must follow green food operating procedures set by the Ministry. Products must be up to the green food hygiene standard. External packing must be pasted with national standard universal labels, special green food packing decoration and tag regulations.
However, by now, our goal hasn’t been completely realized. When you return home with a full basket, you are still worried about whether what you have bought is green and healthy. Indeed, for the sake of our health, we still have a long way to go.
小題1: According to the passage, we know that green food __________.

A．means the color of food is green

B．mainly refers to green vegetables

C．doesn’t need to be fertilized

D．is examined by a series of standards

小題2:Which of the following isn’t the required standard green food must reach?

A．Green food must not cause ecological destruction.

B．Green food should agree with green food operating procedures.

C．Green food itself should be labeled with special packing decoration.

D．Green food should meet the green food hygiene standard.

小題3: According to the passage, we know the Ministry of Agriculture is a department ____.

A．which governs agriculture

B．which sells food and vegetables

C．which plants green food

D．which examines food standards

小題4:The best title for this passage probably is ___________.

A．Green food and health

B．The green food project

C．The future of green food

D．The regulations of green food

    You hear this，“No wonder you are fat．All you ever d0 is eat．”You feel sad．“I skip my breakfast and supper．I run every morning and evening．What else can I do?”
Basically you can do nothing．Your genes，not your life habits，determine your weight and your body constantly tries to maintain it．
Albert Stunkard of the University of Pennsylvania found from experiments that“80 percent of the children of two fat parents become fat，as compared with no more than 14．percent of the children of two parents of normal weight．”   
How can obese people become thinner through dieting? Well，dieting can be effective．but the health costs are great．
Jules Hirsch，a research physician at Rockefeller University，did a study of eight fat people．They were．given a liquid formula（配方）providing 600 calories a day．After more than 10 weeks，the subjects lost on average 45 kg．But after leaving the hospital，they all regained the weight．
The results were surprising：by metabolic（新陳代謝的）measurement，fat people who lost large amounts of weight seemed like they were starving．They had psychiatric problems．They dreamed of food or of breaking their diet They were anxious and depressed．Some wanted to kill themselves．They hid food in their rooms．
Researchers warn that it is possible that weight reduction doesn’t result in normal weight，but in an abnormal state lust like that of starved non．obese people．   
Thin people, however，suffer from the opposite．They have to make a great effort to gain weight  Ethan Sims of the University of Vermont got prisoners to volunteer to gain weight．In four to six months—they ate as much as they could．They succeeded in increasing their weight by 20 to 25 percent. But months after the study ended，they were back to normal weight and stayed there．
This did not mean that people are completely without hope in controlling their weight．It means that those who tend to be fat will have to constantly battle their genetic inheritance（遺傳）if they want to significantly 1ower their weight．
The findings also provide evidence for something scientists thought was true—each person has a comfortable weight range．The range might be as much as 9kg．Someone might weigh 60--69kg without too much effort．But，going above or below the natural weight range is difficult.The body resists by feeling hungry or full and changing．the metabolism to push the weight back to the range it seeks．
小題1:The story is mainly written to      。

A．point out the relations between our body and mind

B．warn us it’s extremely harmful to reduce or gain our weight

C．tell us that it’s difficult to make a significant change in our weight

D．stress that dieting 1s a recommended way to help you reach your desired weight

小題2:Jules Hirsch’s study’found that        ．

A．big weight loss could lead to mental problems

B．a(chǎn) person’s weight can be decided by their parents’ weight

C．only dieting cannot produce a desired result in weight reduction

D．big efforts to lose weight may result in a weight much heavier than one’s normal weight

小題3:From the text，we know that the body can still feel comfortable

A．when the weight goes up or down by 6 kg

B．when the weight goes up or down by l0 kg

C．when the weight is increased by 20 to 25 percent

D．when the weight is decreased by 20 to 25 percent

小題4:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．When it comes to weight，naturalness is the healthiest

B．Weight reduction could be both risky and painful．

C．Seek professional advice when reducing your weight．

D．There’s no hope and no point in controlling your weight．

Because of the stress and strains of modern life folks today would rather watch television than get together with neighbors. Their behavior doesn't mirror TV soaps like Coronation Street and East Enders.?
The Street's Ashley Peacock and Toyah Battersby know all their neighbors. But the Royal Mail survey shows that real-life under?35s wouldn't dream of popping next door for a chat or to borrow a cup of sugar.?
Three out of ten say they wouldn't know their neighbors if they saw them in the street. The same proportion would only offer to help neighbors if absolutely necessary, while thirty-one??percent? don't want to get to know them better. Twenty-six percent rarely or never speak to the person next door. Thirty-five percent only talk to neighbors occasionally, and six percent actively dislike them. The older generation are still sociable, with seventy percent of over?55s ?taking? time to chat to people next door. The report says: “In the past, the British tradition of village green gossip（閑聊）between neighbors was celebrated worldwide. But there's been a clear shift away from local links by the young generation.” Londoners are least likely to be neighbors, with a third rarely or never chatting over the garden fence. People in the Midlands—where 65 percent often speak to their neighbors are most friendly.?
Sociologist Jane Blakeman said: “People are working longer hours than ever before, and are traveling further to work. It leaves them far less time at home.”?
小題1:Almost a third of young people_______.?

A．know their neighbours quite well?

B．have no idea who lives next door to them ?

C．talk to their neighbours when they want to borrow something?

D．spend time chatting with neighbours like their parents?

小題2:It can be inferred that Ashley Peacock and Toyah Battersby are both_______.?

A．important roles in a popular TV series

B．famous stars in TV programmes?

C．old soap operas

D．members of royal family?

小題3:Gossip among neighbours is still common among_______.?

A．people under?35s	B．people between 35 and 55?
C．people over?55s	D．people of different ages?

小題4:There is a difference between London and the rest of Britain mainly in that non-Londoners
_______.?

A．would help their neighbours only when necessary?

B．a(chǎn)re less likely to have good relations with their neighbours ?

C．wouldn't travel far and find more time to chat with neighbours?

D．a(chǎn)re more likely to keep up the old British tradition of having a chat over garden fence

The high noise of modern life may affect speech and language development in the very young, according to a study that found the auditory (聽覺的) parts of the brains of young mice are slower to organize properly in the presence of continuous sounds.
Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, reared a group of rats in an environment of continuous background noise and found that their brain circuits that receive and interpret (解釋) sound did not develop at the same rate as animals that were raised in a quieter environment.?
Edward F. Chang and Michael Merzenich, co-authors of the study appearing in the journal Science, said that the continuous noise delayed the organization of auditory neurons (神經(jīng)細(xì)胞) during a critical two-to-three-week period after the rat pups were born.?
For rats not exposed to the noise, the auditory cortex(皮層) neurons during this period gathered into a smaller area and began developing a selective response to sounds.?
But for the noise?exposed rats, this organization was slowed, causing a delay in the development of the ability to discriminate(辨別) specific sound tones. The researchers said it took three or four times longer for the rats raised in a noisy environment to reach the basic bench marks (基準(zhǔn)) of auditory development seen in the rat pups not exposed to noises.?
Although the rat is not a perfect model for what happens in humans, the authors note, the study does suggest that high levels of noise might possibly affect some language learning in babies.?
“These findings suggest that environmental noise, which is commonly present in contemporary child-rearing environments, can potentially contribute to auditory and language-related development delays,”the authors wrote in Science.?
The authors noted that although the brain development was delayed in rats exposed to the noise, their brains did eventually mature (成熟的) normally.?
小題1:The scientists at California University studied rats_______.?

A．of different age groups	B．with different habits?
C．in different environments	D．from different areas?

小題2:The rats exposed to noise, compared to those not exposed, _______.?

A．were more sensitive	B．were duller?
C．grew up more slowly	D．gathered together more quickly

小題3: The result of the research mainly tells us that noise _______.

A．delays brain development	B．stops baby growth
C．a(chǎn)ffects speech and language	D．destroys brains?

小題4: The findings of the research are said to have special connections with _______.

A．causes of noises	B．medical science?
C．other living things	D．human babies??

Common indoor plants may prove to be a valuable weapon in the fight against rising levels of indoor air pollution. Those plants in your office or home are not only pretty, but NASA scientists are finding them to be surprisingly useful in absorbing possible harmful gases and cleaning the air inside modern buildings.?
NASA have announced the finds of a 2-year study that suggested the common indoor plants may provide a natural way of helping fight against “Sick Building Syndrome(綜合癥)”.?
Research into the use of biological processes as a means of solving environmental problems, both on Earth and in space habitats, has been carried out for many years by Dr. Bill Wloverton, a senior research scientist at NASA. ?
Based on preliminary evaluations(初步評(píng)估) of the use of common indoor plants for indoor air purification(凈化),NASA funded a study using about a dozen popular varieties of attractive plants to determine their effectiveness in removing several key pollutants linked with indoor air pollution. NASA research on indoor has found that living plants are so efficient at absorbing pollutants in the air that some will be launched into space as part of the biological life support system aboard future orbiting space stations.?
While more research is needed, Wolverton says the study has shown that common indoor plants can remove certain pollutants from the indoor environment. “We feel that future results will provide an even stronger argument that common indoor plants can be a very effective part of a system used to provide pollution free homes and work places,” he concludes.?
“Combining nature with technology can increase the effectiveness of plants in removing air pollutants,” he said.
NASA research has always shown that living, green and flowering plants can remove several poisonous chemicals from the air inside buildings. You can use plant in your home or office to improve the quality of the air to make it a more pleasant place to live and work—where people feel better, perform better, and enjoy life more.
小題1:The main idea of the passage is _______.?

A．plants are very useful to human beings?

B．indoor plants can help remove indoor air pollution?

C．indoor plants should be raised in both homes and offices?

D．NASA have studied indoor plants for many years?

小題2:Why do you think NASA are very interested in indoor plants??

A．Some indoor plants would be used in space stations.?

B．They want to find a way to cure Sick Building Syndrome.?

C．They need indoor plants to carry out their experiments.?

D．Indoor plants are pretty and attractive.?

小題3:The underlined word “pollutants” refers to _______.?

A．some kinds of indoor plants	B．ways to solve air pollution?
C．research on indoor plants	D．poisonous chemicals in the air?