Can you resist cream cakes? I miss my sugar! I've decided to lose weight and I had to give up cakes. It's difficult because I have a sweet tooth and I love cream cakes.

Not having treats can be good for your health. I've heard that the Burts，a family of five in South East England，lived sugar free for a whole year after they found out their daughter had diabetes (糖尿病).It wasn't easy. To avoid temptation，I don't go to any bakeries，but this family actually owns one，which makes up to 3，000 cakes a week.

They were in shock when the doctor said that their 16-year-old Lucy had to check her blood sugar levels regularly and take insulin (膜岛素).He advised her to eat a normal，balanced diet，but the Burts went further and got rid of sugar altogether.

And how does it feel to live without sugar for a while? Jason Burt said that for a month they felt weak. But later on it all changed. He says he feels "more awake" and full of energy.

And what about the Burt family business? It had to keep using half a ton of sugar a week and any cook worth his salt knows that you have to taste a recipe to know if it's right. No problem there，says Jason Burt's wife，Clare. She points out that she's got lots of people offering to taste the cakes for them. The family is also thinking about selling more delicious products.

    I wonder what makes us have a strong desire for sweet food. Anyway， I've decided to forget about the sweet taste of sugar for a while. As British model Kate Moss says: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels. ”

21. From the passage，what do we know about the author?

A. The author runs a bakery.                   B. The author hates sweet taste.

C. The author is on a diet.                       D. The author's daughter had diabetes.

22. What did the Burts do after hearing the doctor's advice?

A. They were shocked.                                  B. They went too far about it.

C. They used half a ton of sugar a week.        D. They avoided sugar completely.

23. From the passage we can learn it is necessary for a cook________.

A. to make up to 3，000 cakes a week         

B. to taste a recipe to know if it's right

C. to get lots of people offering to taste the cakes

D. to sell more delicious products

24. What does the sentence by Kate Moss mean ?

A. It is worthwhile to resist food to look skinny.

B. There is nothing tasting as good as sweets.

C. Nothing tastes good when the skin feels terrible.

D. Nobody can resist the desire for sweets.

Parents will do anything for their children. Whether it would be the food, clothes, or the place they live, parents will always make sure their children have the best of everything. One of the biggest concerns that parents currently have is educating their children. They are faced with lots of difficulties when it comes to education for their young ones. Choices include private school, charter school, public school or homeschooling.

Fortunately for parents, there are a variety of different strategies that a parent can take in order to increase their child's skills and overall intelligence. According to Ross A. Thompson, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of California at Davis, a child's brain will actually reach 90% of its full size by the time they start kindergarten.

Researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago concluded that playing a musical instrument directly affected the brain stem, the lower section of the brain. Moreover, children that learn an instrument at an early age tend to continue it when they are older. And numerous studies show that a well balanced meal is essential for a child's mental and physical health. It is recommended that parents teach their children two languages at once. Research suggests that a second language should be taught when children are in preschool. Other studies state that three to four years of age is the perfect time. Clearly, any age under four would work perfectly fine for a child.

The average child will learn how to read between kindergarten and second grade. Many parents can give their children a jump start by teaching them to read before they start school. Children could have an adequate background of the alphabet and sounds of words before attending school. This can be done by simply reading to them whenever you want. The more comfortable they get, the easier the process will be.

25. From the first paragraph, we can infer that .

A. parents find it hard to satisfy their kids' various demands

B. parents meet a new challenge when raising their kids

C. parents have more choices in offering education to their kids

D. parents get actively involved in the process of their kids' growth

26. What suggestion may the researchers in the passage make?

A. To train kids as early as possible.

B. To try as many means as possible.

C. To help kids develop as fully as possible.

D. To use as many available resources as possible.

27. We can replace the words “jump start” in the last paragraph with_____ .

A. inspiration              B. introduction            C. suggestion              D. promotion

One of the greatest gifts one generation can give to other generations is the wisdom it has gained from experience. This idea has inspired the award-winning photographer Andrew Zuckerman. He interviewed and took photos of fifty over-sixty-five-year-olds all over the world. His project explores various aspects of their lives. The photos and interviews are now available on our website.
Click on the introductions to read the complete interviews.

Let us now have a culture of peace.

—Federico Mayor Zaragoza, Spain

Federico Mayor Zaragoza obtained a doctorate in pharmacy(药学)      from the Complutense University of Madrid in 1958. After many years spent in politics, he became Director-General of UNESCO in 1987. In 1999, he created the Foundation for a Culture of Peace, of which he is now the president. In addition to many scientific publications, he has published four collections of poems and several books of essays.

Writing is a discovery.

—Nadine Gordlmer, South Africa

Due to a weak heart, Nadine Gordimer attended school and university briefly. She read widely and began writing at an early age. She published her first short story at the age of fifteen, and has completed a large number of works, which have been translated into forty languages. In 1991, Gordimer won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Jazz is about the only form of art today.

—Dave Brubeck , USA

Dave Brubeck studied music at the University of the Pacific and graduated in 1942. After World War Two he was encouraged to play jazz. In 1951, he recorded his first album(专辑). Brubeck’s 1959 album has become a jazz standard. He received a Grammy lifetime Achievement Award in 1996.

For more figures CLICK HERE.

28. Why did Andrew Zuckerman choose the fifty elders for his project?

A．Because their wisdom deserves to be passed on.

B．Because they are physically impressive.

C．Because their accomplishments inspired him.

D．Because they have similar experiences.

29. According to the web page, Federico Mayor Zaragoza_____.

A．has won many awards for his work in politics

B．has served as the president of a university

C．has devoted all his life to the field of science

D．has made achievements in different areas

30.Who most probably said “My education has been the library and books” in the interview when reflecting on his/her experience?

A．Andrew Zuckerman.

B．Federico Mayor Zaragoza.

C．Nadine Gordimer.

D．Dave Brubeck.

31. What is the main purpose of this web page?

A．To show Zuckerman’s awards.

B．To publicize Zuckerman’s project.

C．To spread the wisdom of the three people.

D．To celebrate the achievements of the three people.

Two of the saddest words in the English language are “if only”. I live my life with the goal of never having to say those words, because they convey regret, lost opportunities, mistakes, and disappointment. 
    My father is famous in our family for saying, “Take the extra minute to do it right.” I always try to live by the “extra minute” rule. When my children were young and likely to cause accidents, I always thought about what I could do to avoid an “if only” moment, whether it was something minor like moving a cup full of hot coffee away from the edge of a counter, or something that required a little more work such as taping padding (衬垫) onto the sharp corners of a glass coffee table. 
    I don’t only avoid those “if only” moments when it comes to safety. It’s equally important to avoid “if only” in our personal relationships. We all know people who lost a loved one and regretted that they had foregone an opportunity to say “I love you” or “I forgive you.” When my father announced he was going to the eye doctor across from my office on Good Friday, I told him that it was a holiday for my company and I wouldn’t be here. But then I thought about the fact that he’s 84 years old and I realized that I shouldn’t give up an opportunity to see him. I called him and told him I had decided to go to work on my day off after all.
    I know there will still be occasions when I have to say “if only” about something, but my life is definitely better because of my policy of doing everything possible to avoid that eventuality. And even though it takes an extra minute to do something right, or it occasionally takes an hour or two in my busy schedule to make a personal connection, I know that I’m doing the right thing. I’m buying myself peace of mind and that’s the best kind of insurance for my emotional well-being. 
32. Which of the following is an example of the “extra minute” rule? 
A. Start the car the moment everyone is seated. 
B. Leave the room for a minute with the iron working. 
C. Wait for an extra minute so that the steak tastes better. 
D. Move an object out of the way before it trips someone. 
33. The author decided to go to her office on Good Friday to ______. 
A. keep her appointment with the eye doctor
B. meet her father who was already an old man
C. join in the holiday celebration of the company
D. finish her work before the deadline approached
34. The underlined word “foregone” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______. 
A. abandoned             B. lacked              C. avoided           D. wasted

35. What is the best title for the passage? 
A. The Emotional Well-being    
B. The Two Saddest Words
C. The Most Useful Rule     
D. The Peace of Mind

Things You Should Stop Doing to Be Successful

Are you a happy person? How often do you think of reasons why everyone around you is successful though they are not better than you in general? What do you do wrong? Here are some things you should stop doing to be successful.

1.   36    

Different people may interpret “success” in different ways: some of them measure it in money, other ones — in positive changes to people around them and the world in general.   37   Don’t worry about what other people think but come after what makes you happy.

2.Do not believe anything without questioning it.

___38   They are critical thinkers, and they understand that we all are ruled by our prejudices, so they will always question new information.

3.Do not worry about all unpredictable things that may happen to you.

If you want to be successful, stop thinking about everything that MAY happen to you.   39  Be ready to improve and change your deeds and decisions when things suddenly don’t go according to your plan.

4.Do not care about what other people think of you.

___40  Your attempts to become “good” for everyone will turn into nothing but new worries, stresses, and problems. Successful people do not concentrate on the quantity of people to please, but worry about their quality and focus on developing friendships with people they really care about.

A. Do not wait for the “right time” to do anything. 

B. Do not let others decide what “success” is for you.

C. Successful people do not just accept any new information to be true.

D. As far as we all know, it’s impossible to please all the people who surround us.

E. Try to feel comfortable with the reality and accept the fact your future can’t be predicted. 

F. If you want to be successful, do not let others force their interpretation of success on you. 

G. Successful people never ignore or avoid problems, no matter how big and awful they seem.