Brain Power

You carry around a three-pound mass of wrinkly material in your head that controls every single thing you will ever do. From enabling you to think, learn, create, and feel emotions to __51__ every breath, and heartbeat—this fantastic control center is your brain. It is a structure so __52__ that a famous scientist once called it "the most complex thing we have yet discovered in our __53__."

Your brain is faster and more___54___ than a supercomputer. Your kitten is on the kitchen counter. She's about to step onto a hot stove. You have only seconds to act. Assessing the signals coming from your eyes, your brain __55__ calculates when, where, and at what speed you will need to dive to stop her. Then it orders your muscles to do so. Your timing is perfect and she's __56__. No computer can come close to your brain's magic ability to download, process, and __57__ the flood of information coming from your eyes, ears, and other organs.

Your brain changes when you learn. Riding a bike seems __58__ at first. But soon you master it. How? As you practice, your brain sends "bike riding" messages over and over, forming new connections. In fact, the __59__ of your brain changes every time you learn, as well as whenever you have a new __60__ or memory.

Exercise helps make you___61___. It is well known that any exercise that makes your heart beat faster, like running or playing basketball, is great for your body and can even help __62__ your mood. Scientists have recently found that for a period of time after you've exercised, your body__63__ a chemical that makes your brain quicker to learn. __64__ if you're stuck on a homework problem, go out and play a game of soccer, then try the problem again. You just might discover that you're able to __65__ it.

51. A. consuming             B. holding                C. controlling            D. distributing

52. A. annoying               B. amazing              C. horrifying             D. amusing

53. A. brain                           B. continent              C. laboratory           D. universe

54. A. powerful                     B. profitable          C. potential         D. positive

55. A. slowly                  B. essentially                     C. quickly              D. additionally

56. A. proud                  B. safe                  C. burned                     D. dangerous

57. A. react to                   B. refer to                        C. send out                   D. search for

58. A. acceptable                    B. enjoyable             C. impossible          D. convenient

59. A. responsibility         B. structure                      C. nature              D. quality

60. A. invention                    B. position                C. idea                          D. result

61. A. slimmer                     B. stronger                   C. smarter             D. healthier

62. A. describe               B. affect                  C. approve               D. improve

63. A. lacks                           B. produces                   C. needs             D. resists

64. A. So                  B. But                 C. Or                    D. Yet

65. A. puzzle               B. operate             C. promote              D. settle

For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts and rejections with it.

    Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is to believe that being thin equals being loved, special and cherished. We fantasize about what it will be like when we reach the long term goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.

    But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self-worth, and, of course, love.

    It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty.

Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if being slim is the happiness we want, is it the happiness we really want? Why not put our energy on something else rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.  

66. The passage tries to highlight the importance of ______.

   A. body size    B. attitudes toward life  C. culture difference   D. different beauty standards

67. What can be inferred about the author?

   A. The author is a Samoa.

   B. The author has regained weight.

   C. The author has been troubled by his weight.

   D. The author probably got wounded in wars or accidents.

68. According to the author, what is the common view of those who have regained their weight?

   A. They feel annoyed about the regained weight.

   B. They are indifferent to the regained weight.

   C. They feel optimistic about future plans on weight control.

   D. They think they should give up their weight-controlling plans.

FIRE INSTRUCTIONS

THE PERSON DISCOVERING A FIRE WILL:

    1. OPERATE THE NEAREST FIRE ALARM.

2. ATTACK THE FIRE WITH AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT, IF IT IS SAFE TO DO SO.

FIRE ALARM BELLS

The Fire Alarm Bells will ring either in the area of A Block or in the area of B Block and C Block. Those in the area where the Alarm Bells are ringing should take action as indicated below. Others should continue with their work.

ON HEARING YOUR FIRE ALARM:

    1. Those in class: will go to the Assembly Area under instructions given by the teacher.

2. Those elsewhere: will go to the Assembly Area by the most sensible route, and stay near the Head of their Department.

ASSEMBLY AREA

The Assembly Area is the playing field which is south of the Sports Hall. Here names will be checked.

PROCEDURE

1.Move quietly.

2. Do NOT stop to collect your personal belongings.

3. Do NOT attempt to pass others on your way to the Assembly Area.

4. Do NOT use the lift.

FIRE ALARMS

Fire Alarms are situated as follows:

1. A Block

At the Reception Desk: at east end of connecting corridor; outside the kitchen door.

2. B Block

At the bottom of both stairways and on each landing.

3. C Block

Inside entrance lobby of Sports Hall.

69. On hearing the fire alarm, those in class should go to ______ .

   A. B Block.                                                       B. C Block.          

C. A Block.                                                       D. the Assembly Area.

70. What should you do during the fire alarm?

   A. Open the window and jump to the ground.         B. Collect personal things.

   C. Move along without noise.                                  D. Overtake others on the way.

71. Which of the following is NOT TRUE?

A. Operate the nearest fire alarm when the building or room is on fire.

B. Avoid passing others on your way to the Assembly Area.

C. Attack the fire with available equipment if it is safe to do so.

D. Leave the room as quickly as possible by taking the lift.

Surprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept.

We know that more than 850,000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital.

Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half of the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter has only a part-time teacher. The special children’s hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals on the country and holiday areas are worst off.

From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there were a teacher they would be more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games.

Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as “the library lady” or just “the helper”.

Children tend to rely on intimate school friends to keep in touch with school work. Once back at school, children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as well as they can.

Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.

72. Which of the following statements is true?

   A. Every child in hospital receives some teaching.

   B. Not enough is known about hospital teaching.

   C. Hospital teaching is of poor quality.

   D. The special children’s hospitals are worst off.

73. It can be inferred from the latest survey that        .

   A. hospital teaching across the country is similar

   B. each hospital has at least one part-time teacher

   C. all hospitals surveyed offer education to children

   D. only one-fourth of the hospitals have full-time teachers

74. The hospital teachers are found        .

   A. not welcomed by the children and their parents               B. unnecessary

   C. not quite helpful                                                               D. capable

75. We can conclude form the passage that the author is        .

   A. unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teaching

   B. in favor of the present state of teaching in hospitals

   C. unfavorable towards children receiving education in hospitals

   D. satisfied with the results of the latest survey

While contact between adolescents (between the ages of fifteen and nineteen) and their peers is a universal characteristic of all cultures, the nature and the degree of such contact vary a great deal. In American contemporary society, adolescents spend much more time with their peers than with younger children or adults.

 This pattern of age segregation(隔离) in American society did not become usual until the beginning of the industrialized society. Changes in the workplace separated children from adults, with adults working and children attending school. The dramatic increase of mothers in the workplace has further contributed to the reduction in the amount of time adolescents spend with adults. School reform efforts during the nineteenth century, which resulted in age-segregated schools and grades, have reduced the amount of time adolescents spend with younger children. Finally, the changes in population are considered a factor that may have contributed to the emergence of adolescent peer culture. From 1955 t0 1975, the adolescent population increased dramatically, from 11 percent t0 20.9 percent. This increase in the number of adolescents might be a contributing factor to the increase in adolescent peer culture in terms of growth in size.

Research supports the view that adolescents spend a great deal of time with their peers. Reed Larson and his colleagues examined adolescents' daily activities and found that they spend more time talking to their friends than engaging in any other activity. In a typical week, high school students will spend twice as much time with their peers as with adults. This gradual withdrawal from adults begins in early adolescence. In sixth grade, adults (excluding parents) account for only 25 percent of adolescent social networks. Another important characteristic of adolescent peer culture is its increasingly autonomous (自治的) function. While childhood peer groups are conducted under the close supervision of parents, adolescent peer groups typically make an effort to escape adult supervision and usually succeed in doing so.

(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN 8 WORDS.)

76. "This pattern of age segregation" refers to the phenomenon that adolescents segregate themselves from         

77. Besides changes in the workplace,                  are the other two factors contributing to adolescent peer culture.

78. When do adolescents start to spend less time with adults?

79. How do adolescent peer groups differ from childhood peer groups?