Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to declare war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. "We will rest here tonight, my men," he said. "Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die."

They were all very tired so they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots up. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people like it. But the people of Scotland like it so much that they made it their national flower.

1. At the shout of a Roman soldier, all the Scots who were asleep at the hill ________.

A. began to fight the Romans hard

B. stood up without putting on their shoes and began to fight

C. woke and rose immediately, ready to fight

D. put their feet into their shoes at once and were ready to fight

2. The result of the war is that __________.

A. the Romans killed all the Scots 

B. the Scots were defeated

C. the Scots were driven out of Scotland

D. the Scots defeated the Romans

3. The Scots made thistle their national flower because thistle __________.

A. is lovely, though not beautiful

B. gives them happiness

C. is a kind of useful plant

D. helped the Scots in wiping out the Roma

What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world?

That's an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that's why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."

Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners -- some in electronic form -- to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more time out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of."

To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people's time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology and an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation is, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time.

To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than schedules. In these societies, people don't try to control time, but to experience it. Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time -- like money -- slips all too easily through our fingers. And time -- like the weather-- is very hard to predict. Nevertheless, time is one of life's most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun.

4. What’s the main topic of this passage?

A. What is time?                                                B. Time among Americans.

C. Make good use of time.                             D. How to control time?

5. What’s the meaning of the underlined word “conserve”?

A. protect                B. develop                  C. produce                  D. assist

6. The sentence " Americans seem tied to the clock" in paragraph 5 probably means________.

A. Americans often carry a clock with them.    

B. Americans can take control over time.

C. Americans often make full use of time.      

D. Americans can not predict the time.

7. We can safely draw a conclusion from this passage that _________.

A. Americans have more time than others.

B. by using pocket planners, people can have more time.

C. for informal meeting, Americans often arrive 30 minutes earlier.

D. Americans often attend seminars, because they want to use time better

To extinguish (熄灭) 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 (手提式的) 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, 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 method 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 upon the type of fire. Fires have been grouped in three classes. 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.

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

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

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

A. cutting off the oxygen             B. reducing the heat  

C. removing the fuel                 D. separating the fire 

10. In choosing how to put out a fire, we should first be clear about          .

A. when it breaks out                B. what kind it is  

C. how it comes about               D. where it takes place

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

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

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

Could your cellphone give you cancer? Whether it could or not, some people are worrying about the possibility that phones, power lines and wi-fi could be responsible for a range of illnesses, from rashes to brain tumors.

Some say there is evidence to support the growing anxieties. David Carpenter, a professor of environmental health sciences at the university at Albany, in New York, thinks there’s a greater than 95 percent chance that power lines can cause childhood leukemia (白血病). Also there’s a greater than 90 percent chance that cellphones can cause brain tumors. “It’s apparent now that there’s a real risk,” said Carpenter.

But others believe these concerns are unjustified. Dr Martha Linet, the head of radiation epidemiology(流行病学) at the US National Cancer Institute, has looked at the same research as Carpenter but has reached a different conclusion. “I don’t support warning labels for cellphones, ” said Linet. “We don’t have the evidence that there’s much danger. ”

Studies so far suggest a weak connection between EMFs (电磁场) and illness— so weak that it might not exist at all. A multinational investigation of cellphones and brain cancer, in 13 countries outside the US, has been underway for several years. It’s funded in part by the European Union, in part by a cellphone industry group. The final report should come out later this year, but data so far don’t suggest a strong link between cellphone use and cancer risk.

12．From the passage we can learn that some people are worried because _______.

A. they have evidence that the use of cellphones can lead to cancer

B. they make a fuss over cellphone use

C. some experts have given a warning

D. cellphones are responsible for brain tumors

13．By saying “I don’t support warning labels for cellphones,” Dr Martha Linet has the idea that _______.

A. the worrying is unnecessary

B. cancer-warning labels should be on cellphones

C. there is a link between cellphones and cancer

D. cellphones have nothing to do with cancer

14．Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards the debate?

A. Optimistic.       B. Objective.       C. Opposite.   D. Casual.

15．What’s the best title of the passage?

A. Cellphones: is there a cancer link?

B. There is a link between cellphone and cancer.

C. A research on the cellphone.

D. The cellphone and radiation epidemiology

Four ways to Improve Your Memory

Have you ever imagined the benefits that a good memory can bring to you? Being able to remember important pieces of information can give you a powerful advantage in your life.___16__. Here are four ways to improve your memory：

Make the most of your imagination. ___17___For example, to remember where you have left your car keys, pretend to hold a camera to your eyes, focus on the scene, and click the image into your memory when you are leaving. This technique works with almost everything you want to remember, as the roll of films in your mind is endless.

Try to practice. There are lots of ways to do this: try to remember which day of the week your last birthday was.__18___Try to remember all the ping-pong finalists and the winner. If you can try to remember the scores as well, it would be even better to practice. It won’t be long before your daily practice pays off, making your mind sharper and more adaptable.

Get physical exercise. Physical exercise not only improves memory but also helps you think faster. A combination of mental and physical activity can protect your memory. It is known that the brain’s processing speed gradually slows as you age.____19____                             

__20______Mental exercises are as important as physical ones to keep one’s brain power. Take up word games like crossword puzzles. Memorize favorite poems and read challenging books or articles that encourage you to expand your interests. Any activity that requires you to think and concentrate will challenge your brain. And your brain will develop better on the challenge.

A. Exercise your brain.

B. Play more games.

C. Fortunately, staying physically fit can avoid some of the effects of age on the brain.

D. In fact, the ability to remember things is necessary to your success.

E. Then extend this to the birthdays of all your family members.

F. An easy way to remember something is to “take a picture”.

G. If you are right-handed , try to brush your teeth with your left hand.