Do you consider your bed a safe haven of rest and calm? Do you sink into a mattress after a hard day's work and feel tension and stress drain away as you rest your weary head on a soft pillow? Well, you might not feel so relaxed if you knew that microscopic pests were lurking there! It seems that beds may not be such a good place for our well-being – they could actually be making us ill!

Recent studies have shown that bacteria, fungi and dust mites, some smaller than the diameter of a hair, live in our bedding. When we move around in our sleep, we disturb them and they are propelled into the air – which we then breathe in as we sleep. According to the American Lung Association, four out of five households in the United States now have high levels of dust mites, although it's not the mites themselves that cause the problems, but their droppings. These are "highly allergenic" according to Dr William Berger, a fellow with the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. "Even if you aren't allergic… they can still irritate you, the way pepper would if it blew into your nose and eyes."

Brendan Boor, Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering, who carries out bed research, also found that bed dust in the air triggers allergies – causing watery eyes, sneezing, coughs and asthma. He has recommended ways to limit our exposure to these unsavory allergens:

Firstly, he suggests vacuuming your mattress regularly – weekly, or even daily. He also recommends doing away with carpets and washing floors. Using allergen-proof bed covers, he says, can reduce the risk of getting allergies. In addition, washing bedding and pillows frequently can help, as can a portable air cleaner placed near the bed.

If you do as Brendan Boor suggests, you will breathe in cleaner air as you sleep… or will you? Is it really safe for you to go back in your bed?

21. According to the article, which thought is false?

A. beds are not the secure places we thought they were.

B. There are microscopic pests in beds and these are making us ill.

C. according to Brendan Boor, you vacuum your mattress every day or twice a week.

D. Dust mite droppings causing a lot of allergies in US households.

22. Some symptoms that might indicate you are allergic to something not including______.

A. watery eyes      B. sneezing              C. has fever    D. asthma

23. What phrase means 'to get rid of something'?
A.do away with      B. drive away from       C. call for       D. look around

Last night’s meteor(流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

      “My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

      Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.

      There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

      Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase person’s chances of getting cancer.

      Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is under way to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.

24. What do the astronomers complain about?

A. Meteor showers occur less often than before.               

B. Their observation equipment is in poor repair.               

C. Light pollution has remained unsolved for years.                 

D. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting.

25. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?

A. Birds may take other migration paths.               

B. Animals’ living habits may change suddenly.               

C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced.                 

D. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.

26. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona are put into effect to ______.

A. lessen the chance of getting cancer               

B. create an ideal observation condition               

C. ensure citizens a good sleep at night                 

D. enable all creatures to live in harmony

27. What message does the author most want to give us?

A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves.              

B. Great efforts should be made to save energy.               

C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly.                 

D. New equipment should be introduced for space study.

   Events

Long March exhibit

The Shanghai History Museum is putting on an exhibition to mark the 60^th anniversary of the Long March. On show are more than 220 photos and 40 items that explain with pictures how the communist Red Army drew back from its besieged(被围困的)bases in Jiangxi Province and fought its way to northern Shanxi province in the mid-1930s. Explanations are all in Chinese. The show will end on November 20.

 Time: 10:00 am—4:00 pm.

 Address: 1286 Hongqiao Road

 Admission:8 yuan for Chinese/ 15 yuan for foreigners

Thai elephants

Eight elephants from Thailand are entertaining visitors at Changfeng Park by riding bikes, playing basketball, balancing on a beam, dancing and blowing a mouth-organ. People are encouraged to have a tug-of-war(拔河比赛)with the animals or lie on the ground and have the elephants walk over them. The elephants give three shows a day at 9:30 am, 3:30 pm and 8:00 pm and there is an additional show at 1:30 pm at weekends. The show will end on November 15.

Address: 189 Daduhe Road

Admission: 30-40 yuan

Dancing dolphins

Dolphins jumping from the water to touch a ball, swaying their bodies to music, kissing people and soing math by tapping their tails have made the dolphinarium in Peace Park an attraction for chidren. Seals and sea lions also perform.

Hours:10:30 am, 4:00 pm, and 7:30 pm

Admission: 20 yuan for adults and 10 yuan for children.

28. If you go to visit the Long March exhibit with an Australian, how much will you pay altogether for the admission?

  A. 16 yuan    B. 23 yuan     C. 30 yuan    D. 20 yuan

29. At the exhibition, you will see ________.

  A. many articles written by famous writers    B. many things left by the Red Army

  C. books on the Long March       D. many photos and pictures about the Long Match.

30. Which of the following is NOT done by the Thai elephants?

  A. Riding bicycles.         B. Blowing a mouth-organ

  C. Doing math            D. Having a tug-of-war with people.

31. The dolphinarium in Peace Park is a hall where you can see________.

  A. not only dolphins but also seals and sea lions perform  B. only seals and sea lions perform

  C. only dolphins perform      D. only seals perform

Xinhua News---The Beijing government has set out to recruit thousands of university graduates to work as junior officials in rural areas to both improve rural administration and ease the city’s employment problems.

    The government plans to recruit 3,000 university graduates this year, 1,000 more than last year, to work as assistants to village heads or party secretaries in suburban areas.

    People interested in jobs in Beijing’s rural villages and towns can send applications to Beijing Municipal Bureau of Personnel or log on to www.bjbys.com from February 1 through March 15.

“We hope university graduates will seize this opportunity to use their knowledge in rural villages and to start their careers,” Sun Zhenyu, the Deputy Director of Beijing Personnel Bureau, told Xinhua News Agency.

    The government has promised successful candidates a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan in the first year, 2,500 yuan the second year and 3,000 the third year, provided their performance is up to the required standards, Sun said.

    Wang Lina, who graduated from Beijing Union University last year, was one of the first graduates to find work in the city’s countryside. After majoring in Industial and Commercial Administration, Wang served as the assistant to the village head of Ertiaojie Village in suburban Beijing’s Pinggu District. For one project, Wang contacted people at Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences and arranged for the local farmers to receive training in strawberry planting. Her efforts paid off. The village had a plentiful harvest of organic strawberries earlier this year.

    Nationwide, about 150,000 university graduates found employment in rural areas last year, according to the figures provided by the Ministry of Education.

The ministry predicts that 4.95 million students will graduate from universities across the country this year, 820,000 more than last year. About 1.4 million of them are unlikely to find jobs when they graduate.

    In Beijing, a record of 200,000 people are expected to graduate from university this year. Less than half of them are expected to be offered jobs, according to Beijing Personel Bureau.

32. From the story of Wang Lina we can learn that _________.

     A. Wang had great difficulty in helping villagers plant organic strawberries

     B. local farmers can get big harvests if they work together with her

     C. the sooner you go to the countryside, the sooner you will be successful

     D. university graduate can realize their value no matter where they work

33. The underlined word “recruit” in the first paragraph probably means _________.

     A. force                B. employ                  C. encourage                 D. train

34. The last two paragraphs seem to tell us that ________.

     A. it is not easy for graduates to find jobs nowadays

     B. more and more graduates will work as junior officials

     C. the universities should not enroll so many students

     D. there are more and more jobs provided by the Ministry of Education

35. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?

     A. The Government’s Help for University Graduates

     B. A Good Choice for University Graduates

     C. Job Hunting for University Graduates   

D. What is the Best Career?

Ways to Save Time

We all wish we had just a bit more time. Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine, or spring-clean the house, or write your novel, or learn the guitar and so on.

　36　But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.

1. Get Out of Bed Earlier

If you normally get up at 7: 30 a. m. , try getting up at 7: 00 a. m. That half-hour might not sound like much, but it could be time that you use to exercise, to read that book you’ve been meaning to finish. 　37 

2. Do the Important Tasks First

Once you get to work, get the important ones done first(not the easy ones, or even the urgent ones). You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big, important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.

　38　The urgent tasks will still get done, and you won’t miss the important ones.

3. Reduce Interruptions

If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat, or if the phone is constantly ringing, you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter. Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time, they also break your concentration.

When you’ve got a big task to focus on, let your calls go to voicemail. 　39　Wearing headphones makes it less likely that people will try to strike up a conversation.

4. 　40 

A few minutes chatting, browsing the web, and so on, can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.

When you’re working, work.  If your concentration is slipping, take a proper break: go and get a glass of water, or stretch your legs a bit. And if you’re facing a difficult task, try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to deal with.

A. Stay Focused on Your Work

B. Take Breaks When Necessary

C. If you have an office door, close it.

D. If you work like this, you’ll usually save time.

E. Would you want me to make your day longer?

F. I can’t magically make all your days 25 hours long.

G. Or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.