If you want to stay young, sit down and have a good think. This is the research finding of a team of Japanese doctors, who say that most of our brains are not getting enough exercise, and as a result, we are growing old unnecessarily soon.

Professor Taiju Matsuzawa wanted to find out why quite healthy farmers in northern Japan appeared to be losing their ability to think and reason at a rather early age, and how the speed of getting old could be slowed down.

With a team of researchers at Tokyo National University, he set about measuring brain sizes of a thousand people of different ages with different jobs.

Computer technology helped the researchers to get most exact measurements of the sizes of the front and side parts of the brain, which have something to do with thinking and feeling, and decide the human character. As we all know, the back part of the brain, which controls task like eating and breathing, does not contract(萎縮) with age.

Contraction of front and side parts, as cells(細(xì)胞) die off, was seen in some people in their thirties, but it was still not found in some sixty and seventy-year-olds.

Matsuzawa concluded from his tests that there is a simple way to prevent the contraction---using the head.

The findings show that contraction of the brain begins sooner in people in the country than those in the towns. Those with least possibility, says Matsuzawa, are lawyers, followed by university professors and doctors. White-collar workers doing the same work day after day in government offices are, however, as possible to have contracting brains as the farm workers, bus drivers and shop assistants.

64. The team of doctors wanted to find out ____.

   A. at what point people grow live longer.   B. how to make people live longer

   C. the size of certain people’s brains.      D. which group of people are the busiest

65. Their research findings are based on ______.c

   A. an examination of farmers in northern Japan   B. using computer technology

   C. examining the brain sizes of different people   D. tests given a thousand old people

66. According to the article, _____ are growing mentally old earlier.

   A. engineers    B. office clerks    C. professors    D. researchers

67. The most possible conclusion of the article is that ____.

   A. most of us should take more exercise   B. it’s better to live in the towns

   C. the brain contracts if it is not used 

       D. the more one uses his brain, the sooner he becomes old

To extinguish （熄滅）different kinds of fires, several types of fire extinguishers have been invented. They must be ready for immediate use when fire breaks out. Most portable kinds operate for less than a minute, so they are useful only on small fires. The law requires ships, trains, buses and planes to carry extinguishers.

 Since fuel（燃料）, oxygen and heat must be present in order for fire to exist, one or more of these things must be removed or reduced to extinguish a fire. If the heat is reduced by cooling the material below a certain temperature, the fire goes out. The cooling method is the most common way to put out a fire. Water is the best cooling material because it is low in cost and easy to get.  

Another method of extinguishing fire is by cutting off the oxygen. This is usually done by covering the fire with sand, steam or some other things. A blanket may be used to cover a small fire.

 A third way is called separation, which includes removing the fuel, or material easy to burn, from a fire, so that it can find no fuel.

 The method that is used to put out a fire depends on the type of fire. Fires have been grouped in three classes（級(jí)別）. Fires in wood, paper, cloth and the like are called Class A fires. These materials usually help keep the fire on. Such fires can be stopped most readily by cooling with water.

 60. If a fire breaks out on a bus, which of the following should be ready there for you to use?

 A. Sand       B. An extinguisher      C. A blanket.      D. Water

 61. To cover a small piece of burning wood with a basin in order to stop the fire is an example of

    _______.

 A. separating the fire                    B. cutting off the oxygen

 C. removing the fuel                    D. reducing the heat

 62. In choosing how to put out a fire, we should first be clear about_______.

 A. when it breaks out                    B. how it comes about

 C. what kind it is                    D. where it takes place

 63. What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

 A. Another class of fires              B. Another type of extinguishers

 C. How fires break out.               D. How fires can be prevented.

English families face being limited to 80 bags of rubbish a year. Households throwing away more waste will have to take it to the tip (垃圾站) or buy a limited number of extra bags.

Doretta Cocks, protester of the Campaign for Weekly Waste Collections, said, “They must think we are fools. How can they claim to care for the environment when they tell people to drive to the local tip? And what do you do if you don’t have a car? Walk?”

The plan pays little attention to the voice from ministers to end such heavy – handedness (笨拙).

It is to be carried out by the Tory – led council (市政廳) in Wokingham, Berkshire, and is already in operation in Brozbourne in Hertfordshire.

Many of the 180 councils that still offer unlimited weekly rubbish collections are watching the trial.

Wokingham officials have told residents(市民) that 75–litre bags will be given to each household and anything not left in them will not be collected.

 “Every household will receive 80 bags every year,” it said. “You can buy extra bags in rolls of ten but this will not be encouraged.”

Families of five will get 100 rubbish bags a year and households of six or more will get 120.

Residents will have a weekly recycling collection limited to cans, paper and cards, plastic bottles and so on.

Plastic packaging and glass including bottles must either go with the general waste or be taken to recycling points. Green waste pick – ups cost an extra ￡60 a year.

The council has told residents it will save ￡922,000 a year under the new system. There will be no local consultation (商討) before it is introduced next April.

56. What’s Doretta Cock’s attitude towards the new plan?

     A. Satisfied.                B. Curious.                C. Angry.                  D. Interested.

57. What does the underlined word “this” refer to in the seventh paragraph?

     A. Receiving 80 rubbish bags every year.      B. Buying extra bags every year.

     C. Driving to city tips.                     D. Getting 100 rubbish bags a year.

58. It can be learned from the passage that         .

     A. the new plan is agreed by most ministers

     B. the new plan will waste a lot of money

     C. the government has asked for much advice of the new plan

     D. the new plan does not necessarily do good to the environment

59. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

     A. English families are limited to 80 bags of rubbish a year

     B. English families can’t clear away their rubbish

     C. English families are angry with their government

     D. English government pays no attention to residents’ interest

One morning Raman, a true master of the art of archery(箭術(shù)), invited his favorite student to watch a display of his skill. The student had  36  this more than a hundred times before, but he still obeyed his  37  .

Together, they went into a nearby wood and reached a tall  38  . Raman picked a rose flower and  39  it on one of the branches of the tree. He  40  opened his bag and took out three objects: his  41  , an arrow and a white handkerchief.

   Raman stood one hundred paces from the spot where he had placed the  42  . Facing his target, he  43  his student to blindfold(蒙住眼睛) him with the handkerchief. The student did as his teacher   44  .

“How often have you seen me practice the sport of archery?” Raman asked him  45  .

“Every day,” replied his student. “And you have  46  managed to hit the rose from three hundred paces away.”

With his eyes covered by the  47  , Raman placed his feet firmly on the ground and  48  the bowstring(弓弦) with all his strength. Aiming at the rose on the  49  , he let the arrow fly. The arrow whistled through the air,  50  it did not even hit the tree, missing the target by a few meters.

“Did I   51  it?” said Raman, removing the handkerchief from his eyes.

“No, you missed   52 ,” replied the student. “I thought you were going to  53  me the power of thought and your ability to perform magic.”

“I have  54  taught you the most important lesson about the power of thought.” replied Raman. “When you  55  something, concentrate only on that: No one will ever hit a target they cannot see.”

36. A. thought          B. seen             C. heard         D. felt

37. A. teacher          B. boss            C. father         D. monitor

38. A. wall            B. tree             C. pole           D. house

39. A. buried         B. educated        C. signed       D. placed

40. A. first           B. now             C. then             D. finally

41. A. bow          B. hammer       C. apple            D. knife

42. A. arrow       B. shoe            C. flower         D. bag

43. A. advised         B. expected         C. encouraged      D. asked

44. A. planned         B. imagined       C. requested        D. promised

45. A. angrily              B. calmly        C. disappointedly  D. sadly

46. A. never         B. almost          C. always         D. also

47. A. cloth          B. handkerchief   C. paper            D. leaf

48. A. drew back     B. brought up      C. held back      D. took off

49. A. ground          B. branch         C. tip           D. root

50. A. and            B. for           C. so           D. but

51. A. touch         B. learn            C. miss            D. hit

52. A. completely   B. suddenly         C. quickly         D. carefully

53. A. show         B. give             C. offer            D. lend

54. A. again          B. even             C. just           D. seldom

55. A. buy           B. find             C. notice          D. want

–A boy was killed by the tiger in the zoo.

–He was believed ______ into the cage while feeding the tiger without permission.

　 A. to fall　　　　　　　　 B. to be falling　　　 　 C. to have fallen　　 D. having fallen

Eating too much fat can ______ heart disease and cause high blood pressure.

A. result from       B. contribute to        C. come across      D. focus on 

 Mr. Benet is a wise teacher. Never have I regretted        the advice he gave me.

A. to take                B. not taking               C. not to take     D. taking

 I feel proud to be born into a family ______ education is highly valued.

   A. where                 B. that                     C. which               D. who

 You may find it _______ that Charlie was taught to sing as soon as he could speak.

A. astonishing     B. astonished        C. astonish       D. astonishes

 Instead of having to choose one or the other, we can adopt _____of the magazines.

A. some                  B. both                       C. all                    D. another