It is no surprise that more and more people like bicycling, because it is fun, healthy and good. Maybe that's why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today, Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost.
Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighborhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don't even have to ride all the way.
Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.
Health Benefits of Bicycling:
It helps to prevent heart diseases and control your weight.
A 15-minute bike ride three times a week burns off five kilos of fat a year.
Bicycling can improve your mood.
Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.
Bicycling is healthier than driving.
【小題1】From the passage, we know that bicycling is becoming very _______.

A．surprising

B．exciting

C．expensive

D．popular

【小題2】When you are riding your bicycle around your neighborhood, you may ______.

A．pollute the environment around	B．find something you didn't notice
C．go everywhere and use a little oil	D．get off your bike and begin to work

【小題3】If you travel with a folding bike, you can fold it and _______.

A．get out of the car	B．take it onto a train
C．put it in your purse	D．go on airline websites

【小題4】One of the benefits of bicycling is that ______.

A．you can fold the bicycle	B．you will be friendly to others
C．you will be more relaxed	D．you may get fatter and fatter

【小題5】Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Bicycling is an enjoyable exercise for people.

B．Driving cars is healthier than riding bikes.

C．Riding a bike pollutes your neighborhood.

D．Common bikes are welcomed by all airlines.

It started off as part of French military training and has since evolved as a sport, founded by Sebastian Foucan and David Belle, to encompass a wide variety of techniques, philosophies and exercises. Park-our now enjoys the devotion of many die-hard fans across the world and has been the source for much inspiration.
But what is park-our? It is the art of using only your body to navigate from Point A to B in the least time possible, which involves besides leaping, climbing and sprinting, various unusual and complex movements to overcome barriers. Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond’s wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.
Yes, that’s pork-our, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Park-our is considered an extreme sport. As its participants dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from rooftop to rooftop.
Park-our can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds, but its participants see much more in park-our than that.
To overcome all the obstacles on the course and in life is part of the philosophy(理念)behind park-our. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, jump over all the barriers as if in park-our and never fall back from them in your life to reach the destination successfully. A park-our lover said, “I love park-our, because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything.”
Another philosophy we’ve learned from park-our is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself so that you earn energy and confidence.
【小題1】 Park-our has become popular throughout the world because of ________.

A．its founder, David Belle	B．the film, Casino Royale
C．its risks and tricks	D．the varieties of participants

【小題2】The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．streets

B．objects

C．barriers

D．roofs

【小題3】As its participants move around a city, _________.

A．they can ask for help	B．they may choose to escape
C．they should run to extremes	D．they must learn to survive

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE about park-our?

A．It challenges human abilities.	B．It is a good but boring sport
C．It needs special training	D．It is a team sport

【小題5】Which of the following is the philosophy of park-our?

A．Sports and extremes.	B．Excitement and freedom.
C．Dreams and success.	D．Self-confidence and freedom.

The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursday it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.
An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives -- a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean -- virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s climate change panel has warned.
President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a convention centre, homes and an 18-hole golf course. “It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the possibility,” a government official said.
The company, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai. There was no immediate comment from the firm but its website said it undertook projects that make “l(fā)and from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”.
The Maldives began work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion. The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.
Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people’s dilemma , has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are flooded. He has also pledged the Hulhumale to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020. His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The Maldives plans to build floating homes for the rising sea level.

B．The Maldives’s president signed a deal with a Dutch company.

C．The Maldives staged the first underwater cabinet meeting.

D．The Maldives is considering ways to fight against the global warming.

【小題2】Which statement is true about the Hulhumale?

A．The Hulhumale is a natural island near the capital of Male.

B．The Hulhumale is an artificial island to be built near the capital.

C．The Hulhumale was built in 1997 and has settled over 30,000 people.

D．The Hulhumale is protected by a 30-million-dollar sea wall.

【小題3】According to the passage, the underlined word congestion means _______.

A．being endangered	B．being crowded
C．being flooded	D．being disappearing

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT Nasheed’s idea?_______

A．To purchase land elsewhere in the world to help Maldivians to relocate if their homes are flooded.

B．To make his nation a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020

C．To stop using fossil fuel and power all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources.

D．To build more artificial islands for people to settle there.

Are you nervous about climbing because you think it's too dangerous? Do you feel you're not fit enough to climb? Do you know how to start climbing?
Let's consider the idea that climbing is dangerous．Being afraid is natural, but if you use suitable ropes and other climbing equipments you will feel completely safe．Climbers are usually very careful because they know what they are doing is dangerous．Accidents happen, but when they do, they tend to attract a lot of publicity．As a result, people think there are many more accidents than there are in reality．
You cannot expect to start climbing straight away．Climbing is a challenge and challenges take time．It is necessary first of all that you achieve a good level of fitness．Begin as soon as you become interested in climbing? go to the gym, go swimming, take up jogging and continue to do so throughout your training period．
Discover as much as you can about climbing．Visit the library and find book, especially for beginners or buy climbing magazines and look for articles which describe your situation．Look up information on the Internet．Find out about equipment, methods and places to go．
Next, take a course on a climbing wall．There are plenty of climbing walls all over the country which have trained and qualified people as instructors．Call your local leisure centre to find out if there is one in your area. These training sessions are a quick way to get experience and you are likely to meet other beginners. After this, you can do an outside course of join a club where you can meet climbers of all abilities and eventually join in group-climbing events.
At first you may not understand the importance of a good training period, but after you have completed your first climb and you are standing safely at the top of a rock feeling thrilled, then you will know it was the right thing to do.
【小題1】The article is written by           .

A．a(chǎn) doctor	B．a(chǎn)n experienced climber
C．a(chǎn) beginner	D．a(chǎn) fitness instructor

【小題2】The writer thinks a new climber should          .

A．begin by becoming fit

B．have the courage to meet the challenges

C．be aware of the causes of the accidents

D．do enough sports to get interested in climbing

【小題3】By climbing walls you can        .

A．join a club you like

B．gain controlled experience

C．become qualified instructors

D．take part in group-climbing events

【小題4】The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably means     .

A．the climb

B．the training

C．the equipment

D．the achievement

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, fish and chicken.

【小題2】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

Like every other Olympics, the London 2012 Olympics will depend upon thousands of volunteers to help with the smooth running of the event. To show the importance of the role, London 2012 volunteers are to be called ‘Game Makers’. Lord Coe has said recently: “London 2012 is relying on brilliant Game Makers to help us create a great Olympic and Paralympic Games. ”
London 2012 Olympics volunteers will provide the face of London 2012, working behind the scenes and making sure the games are as well organized, efficient and, most importantly, as enjoyable as possible.
Despite the hard-work and often unsociable hours required of volunteers, applications to be considered as a Game Maker were unprecedented（空前的） with all the 70, 000 available positions applied within days. But, for those still interested in helping out during 2012 and being in the middle of the action, there are still a lot of opportunities available.
If you were one of those who missed out on the chance of becoming London 2012 volunteers, you can now apply to be one of the 8, 000 London Ambassadors（大使）. This important role involves greeting fans from all over the world, welcoming them to the fantastic capital city of London and providing a friendly face as well as help, advice and a good old traditional warm British welcome. The view of London most visitors take away with them after the 2012 Olympics will mostly be down to the volunteers and ambassadors, so these roles play a very important part in the process of making the UK a great place to travel to.
Becoming a London Ambassador is a brilliant way to be involved with the London 2012 volunteers scheme and become a part of what should be an historic summer.
【小題1】Why are London 2012 volunteers called “Game Makers”?

A．They’ll decide whether the London 2012 Olympics are a success.

B．They play an important role in the London 2012 Olympics.

C．The London 2012 Olympics won’t be organized without them.

D．They will work hard and effectively.

【小題2】Which of the following can replace the underlined part “be down to” in Paragraph 4?

A．be the responsibility of

B．be under the control of

C．be in harmony with

D．be in charge of

【小題3】What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To appeal to more volunteers.

B．To introduce the London 2012 Olympics.

C．To show the importance of volunteers.

D．To guide how to spend the historic summer.

When did you see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps ? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These  “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3 degrees. And the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don’t agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so slow that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water tempreature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循環(huán)系統(tǒng)) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”
【小題1】Doctors _________ .

A．have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming

B．believe swimming is helpful both in summer and in winter

C．enourage people to take part in cold-water swimming

D．point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming

【小題2】According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _______ .

A．Polar bears are bears swimming in freezing water

B．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

C．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

D．cold-water swimming causes more heart attack in summer than in winter

【小題3】The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for _______ .

A．it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter

B．they can stay young

C．they find it enjoyable and interesting

D．they might meet fewer troubles in life

【小題4】Which of the following is TRUE according to the text ?

A．The Polar Bear is a club in which people swim to protect polar bears.

B．The club members are all over 60 years old.

C．There is no woman in the club.

D．None of the above.

【小題5】This passage is mainly about _______ .

A．the requirements of the Polar Bear Club

B．a(chǎn) group of cold-water-swimming lovers

C．the Polar Bears’ life in New York

D．doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming

Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism  (新陳代謝) that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious（惡性的）circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize (使…中和) the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.
【小題1】What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods.

B．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods.

C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods.

D．To warn people of the problem of obesity.

【小題2】It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.

A．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs

B．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit

C．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods

D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle

【小題3】 Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.

A．destroy body’s cells	B．a(chǎn)re difficult to digest
C．may lead to obesity	D．stop body’s metabolism

【小題4】What is likely to be talked about following the last paragraph?

A．Active approaches to avoid acid.

B．Different causes of acid accumulation.

C．Correct ways to cook raw foods.

D．Suitable types of raw and whole foods.

【小題5】What can we learn from the text?

A．Processed foods are good for our appetite mechanism.

B．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods does good to our body.

C．The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion more effective.

D．Processed foods also comfort the digestive tract.

Was the London Olympics a success? Many people hold different opinions. However one thing is certain, London could win a gold medal for hosting the “greenest” Games ever, BBC News reported.
Previous Olympic hosts have been criticized for the environmental damage they have caused through construction, waste. and transport. But things had to be different in London because seven years ago it bid for the Olympics through the concept of “a One Planet Olympics”.
What is most impressive is that London used the construction of the Olympic Park as an opportunity to clean up polluted areas — 2 million tons of contaminated (被污染的) soil were removed and 200 old factory buildings, were torn down, according to sustainablebusiness.com. But that’s not all —. 99 percent of the debris (廢瓦礫) were reused to build the Olympic Park. For example, part of the Olympic Stadium’s roof is made from 2,500 tons of steel tubes recycled from old gas pipelines.
As well as using recycled materials, all venues were built with green building techniques. The Olympic Stadium is the lightest one ever built, which minimized the amount of steel and concrete needed. Also, the handball field has lighting pipes on the roof that reduce electricity use by 40 percent, according to sustainablebusiness.com.
The effort that London made to deal with waste also deserves praise. Water used for drinking and watering plants was from collected rainwater or recycled wastewater. In this way. about 30-40 percent less water was used in total. Waste food packages were either recycled or processed and turned into renewable energy.
As one of the best connected places in Europe, London tried to solve traffic jams by encouraging the use of public transport. For example, it had trains deliver half of the building materials, instead of cars, which greatly reduced carbon emissions.
The clean anti-doping (反興奮劑) result also added to the greenness of the Games. The International Olympics Committee (IOC) said that the devices used this time were the most accurate and advanced. Only one athlete tested positive for a banned drug on the day of competing, which is why the IOC President, Jacques Rogge, has praised anti-doping efforts at the London Games.
【小題1】To make the Olympic Park green, London _______.

A．recycled 2 million tons of contaminated soil

B．removed 99 percent of the debris from the city

C．built the Olympic Stadium mostly with recycled materials

D．a(chǎn)pplied green building techniques to the construction work

【小題2】The underlined word “minimized” in the fourth paragraph probably means

A．increased as much as possible

B．reduced as much as possible

C．made good use of

D．took little notice

【小題3】What can we conclude from the article?

A．The London Olympics cost less than the other Olympics ever held.

B．London has possessed the most advanced techniques to deal with waste.

C．Public transport is made good use of in London during the Olympic games.

D．The anti-doping result in the London Olympics turned out to be dissatisfactory.

【小題4】Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?

【小題5】What is the best title of the passage?

A．How to deal with the anti-doping

B．How to use recycled materials

C．London’s green games

D．London’s public transport

Dieters' who eat meals high in protein might lose a bit more weight than those who get less protein and more carbohydrates (碳水化合物)一all other things being equal, a new analysis of past studies suggests. Researchers found that over an average of 12 weeks, people having a high一protein diet lost about 1.8 extra pounds, and more body fat, than those having a standard-protein diet.
Wycherley from the University of South" Australia in Adelaide, the lead author on the study says it’s possible that the body may spend more energy and bum more calories while dealing with protein, compared to carbohydrates. Another explanation for the link his team observed is that eating protein helps preserve muscle mass and muscle mass bums more calories, even when the body is resting, than other types of mass. He says people in the studies tend to get protein from a variety of animal and vegetable sources. Vegetable sources of protein include beans.
It is not obvious why a higher protein-to-carbohydrate ratio might help people lose more pounds——and one obesity researcher not involved in the new analysis questioned whether the trials were strong enough to make that conclusion. “The studies are generally far too short to tell effect,” Dr. James Levine from the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, told Reuters Health in an e-mail. But given the limitations of the present evidence, Levine said, “It makes no real difference which of the weight-loss ways one chooses.”
【小題1】According to Wycherley’s analysis, dieters should take in more ______.

A．fat

B．carbohydrates

C．protein

D．calories

【小題2】What can we learn from the studies?

A．It bums more calories to deal with carbohydrates.

B．Protein helps keep muscle mass which bums calories.

C．Vegetables contain more protein than animals.

D．No more calories are burned while the body is resting.

【小題3】What is Levine’s attitude towards the conclusion of the studies?

A．Doubtful.

B．Supportive.

C．Curious.

D．Agreeable.