We’ve all seen them: perfectly toned famous people on late-night television telling us that we too can develop rock-hard abdominal muscles(腹部的). It's easy! Just pay $149.99 for the Torso Track or $149.75 for the Ad-Doer and watch those unwanted inches leave your waist. Americans spend tens of millions of dollars on various products to firm up their fat around the waist.

  And did they work? Not necessarily. Independent studies have concluded that most of these products ---- no matter who approved them or how expensive they are ---- shape your midsection no better than old-fashioned stomach crunches(仰卧起坐). Some can even cause injury ---- like the $518.99 Body Shaper-Q8SP, which left electrical burns on some researchers at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. Others, like the popular Ab-Doer, typically burn less energy than a gentle walk, according to a study to be published in September by the American Council on Exercise.

  The fact is that many Americans don't have the biological makeup to develop an obvious abdominal muscles. They are either unable to get the necessary muscle mass or they can't lose enough fat to make a  difference. Even if the underlying muscles are well developed, all it takes to hide it is one-sixteenth of an inch of fat. That's enough to exclude most healthy women as well as plenty of guys who do crunches every day.

  So what works best? In its new study, the exercise experts researched on the results of the popular

  Ab-Doer. A lengthy TV advertisement promises that just 10 minutes a day performing such movements as "Body Boogies" and "Good Mornings" will "help form those muscles the fun and easy way without diets." Steven Loy, professor at California State University, Northridge, tested the promise by measuring the electrical activity produced by the abdominal muscles during three Ab-Doer movements. He and his colleagues then compared the results with those produced during traditional exercises. They determined  that the muscles were no more active, and in some cases less so, when exercisers were using the Ab-Doer.

  Taking a broader approach, researchers at San Diego State University compared 13 abdominal

  exercises for their ability to develop the central abdominal muscles. They concluded, in a report published in May, that the most effective exercises kept turning the body and worked the muscles the entire time. Among the winners: the bicycle movements ---- so called because it looks as if you are riding a bike while lying flat on the floor ---- and exercises performed on the "Captain's Chair", a product typically found in gyms that helps hold the body in the air while you raise your legs up toward your chest. Researchers suggested that a varied routine of the different exercises could deliver the best results.

21.Which of the following is the most effective in building abdominal muscles?

A．Torso Track.       B．Captain's Chair.

C．Ab-Doer.          D．Body Shaper-Q8SP.

22．According to the author, it's difficult for many Americans to get visible firm abdominal muscles mainly because          .

A．how big their muscles will be is determined by birth

B．they change their exercise routine regularly

C．injuries interrupt their exercise frequently

D．they do not put in enough efforts

23．The author convinces the readers by          .

A．describing successful cases

B．presenting findings of researches

C．offering comments directly from exercisers

D．comparing advertisements of products

24．What's the main purpose of this passage?

A．To sponsor rich healthy lifestyle based on advanced product research.

B．To indicate that diet and exercises are necessary factors for a fit midsection.

C．To promote proven exercise techniques and to advise against false advertisements.

D．To research and develop in order to create the perfect stomach and exercise machine.

  SAN FRANCISCO- Only 21 percent of workers worldwide are“engaged"-that's the word used to describe workers who are ready to expend some extra effort at work-while 38 percent are disengaged, according toa new survey.

  “Engagement is not satisfaction or happiness, but the degree to which workers connect to the company emotionally, and the degree to which workers are aware of what they need to do to add value and are willing to take that action," said Julie Gebauer, a managing director of Towers Perrin,  a  consulting firm, which surveyed almost 90,000 workers in 19 countries.

  “Happy employees don't necessarily create better financial results, but there is a  definite link between engagement and a company's financial performance," Gebauer said.

  The survey found 21 percent of workers worldwide are engaged, and another 41 percent are ”enrolled", which means they're on the road to engagement.

  More than 80 percent of the engaged employees say they contribute to the quality of company products, services and customer satisfaction, while only 40 percent of disengaged workers agree.

  Engagement helps retention（留置）too. About 50 percent of engaged employees say they have no plans to leave their company versus 15 percent of the disengaged.

  “The fact that almost 80 percent of workers are disengaged is likely costing   companies money." Gebauer said.

  “The conception of engagement is really a financial issue," said Gebauer.   ‘Organizations that have employees that are highly engaged deliver better financial results than those that don't. "

  In a separate study, Towers Perrin assessed data on 40 global companies over a three-year period, measuring employee engagement at a certain point and then looking at the companies' financial results over the following three years.

  Companies with highly motivated workers enjoyed a 3. 7 percent increase in profits, while companies with a lower level of worker commitment saw a decrease in profits slightly.

  What makes for an engaged employee? It's not necessarily pay. While the level of pay is important, it's not among the top 10 drivers of engagement. Rather than only using the pay, companies should survey their work force, much as they might study their customers, to assess what employees are seeking.

25. The underlined word “ienrolled" in Paragraph 4 means        .

A. engaged                    B. disengaged

C. over-engaged                D. not yet but to be engaged

26. According to the text, among 500 disengaged employees, how many would probably have the intention of leaving their company?

A. 50.            B. 75.             C. 250.          D. 425.

27. What would probably be talked about following the last paragraph?

A. The top ten drivers of engagement.

B. The reason to encourage engagement.

C. The importance of the pay level in engagement.

D. The survey of work force in a company.

  Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to the patients at the clinic.

  One evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful-looking man. He’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old son. “Good evening. I’ve come to see if you’ve a room. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there’s no bus till morning.” He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success. “I guess it’s my face…I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…” For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: “I could sleep in this chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.”

  I told him we would find him a bed. When I had finished the dishes, I talked with him. He told me he fished for a living to support his five children, and his wife, who was hopelessly crippled (残疾的) from a back injury. He didn’t tell it by way of complaint. Next morning, just before he left, as if asking a great favor, he said, “Could I come back and stay the next time?” He added, “Your children made me feel at home.”

  On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and the largest oysters (牡蛎) I had ever seen. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

  In the years he came to stay overnight with us and there was never a time that he did not bring us vegetables from his garden. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned how to accept the bad without complaint when facing the misfortune.

28. Why did the author agree to let the man spend the night in his house at last?

A. Because the man said others refused to accommodate him.

B. Because the man said he would not cause much inconvenience.

C. Because the man said he had come from the eastern shore.

D. Because the man said he had been hunting for a room since noon.

29. How long would it take the man to travel from his home to Baltimore by bus?

A. About 1 hour.   B. About 2 hours.    C. About 3 hours.    D. About 4 hours.

30. From the text we can know that __________.

A. the author’s children were kind and friendly to the man

B. the man was fed up with his hard-work and his family

C. John Hopkins Hospital provided rooms for the patients to live in

D. the author and his family were thought highly of by his neighbors

31. The author’s family were grateful to know the man because __________.

A. he often brought them fish and vegetables from his garden                 

B. he paid them money for his staying

C. he taught them how to accept the bad without complaint

D. he stayed only overnight with the writer’s family

  An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond．The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.

  In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit (追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools．The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched (发起）the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998．Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea  has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.

  In Chicago, the mayor appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program．As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city．Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at  night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character．

  The only problem arose in New York ,where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population．This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity(一致）can be achieved .Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point ,putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.

  Ultinatelas Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would  not otherwise have shared a word.

32．What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?

A．To invite authors to guide readers.

B．To encourage people to read and share.

C．To involve people in community service.

D．To promote the friendship between cities.

33.Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?

A．They had little interest in reading.

B．They were too busy to read a book.

C．They came from many different backgrounds

D．They lacked support from the local government

34．According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?

A．In large communities with little sense of unity

B．In large cities where libraries are far from home

C．In medium-sized cities with a diverse population

D．In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached

35．According to Nancy, the degree of students of the project is judged by      .

A．the careful selection of a proper book

B．the growing popularity of the writers

C．the number of people who benefit from reading.

D．the number of books that each person reads.

How to express your anger

The best way to manage anger is by dealing with it directly—you must learn to express your anger in a healthy and helpful way.

Expressing yourself when you are very angry can be difficult. But it can also be very helpful.     　36　They feel better about themselves. And most importantly, they are taking control of their own emotions. They are reacting to their anger in a good way.

37　First, stay calm when you are expressing yourself. It is also important to be clear and direct when you express yourself. You should also show respect to the other person.

It is also important not to blame other people. Blaming other people can lead to arguing and fighting. Instead, people should express their anger by saying what they are feeling. For example, if a person is angry, she should use “I statements”. These are simple sentences that state how a person feels. For example, you should not say “You never help me clean the home”! 　38　When people are expressing their anger, they should remember to think about the other people who are involved in the situation. 　39　Often, when people look at a situation in this way, they can admit that they are not always being fair. People can admit that their anger is not being helpful. People cannot always control what other people do or what happens around them. But people can control the way they react!

Do not let your anger build up inside of you! As a person once said: “It is not good for me to hold on to anger.　40　”

A. You can talk to a doctor.

B. I am the only one that it is really hurting.

C. Words can be extremely damaging to a relationship.

D. Try to look at the situation from the other person’s point of view.

E. When people can express their needs, they feel like they are solving the problem.

F. Instead, you could say “I am angry that you did not offer to help me clean the home”.

G. But there are things people should remember when they express their needs when angry.