Social networking websites are causing alarming changes in the brains of young users, a famous scientist has warned．Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are said to shorten attention spans （幅度）, encourage instant satisfaction and make children more self-centered．
Warnings from neuroscientist （神經(jīng)系統(tǒng)科學(xué)家） Susan Greenfield will disturb the millions whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites each day．But they will strike a chord （弦） with parents and teachers who complain that many teenagers lack the ability to communicate or concentrate away from their screens．
More than 150 million use Facebook to keep in touch with friends, share photographs and videos and post regular updates of their movements and thoughts．A further six million have signed up to Twitter, the "micro-blogging" service that lets users exchange text messages about themselves．But while the sites are popular and extremely profitable, a growing number of psychologists and neuroscientists believe they may be doing more harm than good．
Baroness Tarot, an Oxford University neuroscientist believes repeated exposure could rewire the brain．Computer games and fast-paced TV shows were also a factor, she said．"My fear is that these technologies are weakening the brain to the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a small attention span and live for the moment．" "I often wonder whether real conversation in real time may eventually give way to these easier and faster screen dialogues, in much the same way as killing and butchering an animal to eat has been replaced by the convenience of packages on the supermarket shelf," she said．
Psychologists have also argued that digital technology is changing the way we think．They point out that students no longer need to plan their term papers before starting to write—thanks to word processors they can edit as they go along．
A study by the Broadcaster Audience Board found teenagers now spend seven and a half hours a day in front of a screen．Educational psychologist Jane Healy believes children should be kept away from computer games until they are seven．Most games only excite the "flight or fight" areas of the brain, rather than the areas responsible reasoning．
Sue Palmer, author of Toxic Childhood, said: "We are seeing children's brain development damaged because they don't engage in the activity they have engaged in for thousands of years．I'm not against technology and computers．But before they start social networking, they need to learn to make real relationships with people．"
小題1:.
According to the passage, social networking websites might _____．

A．make young users more selfish

B．lengthen young users' attention span

C．encourage young users constant satisfaction

D．help young users communicate better with their families

小題2:.
A neuroscientist may worry that sites like Facebook may ______．

A．help children learn to make real relationships with people in society

B．encourage students not to plan their term papers before starting to write

C．disturb those whose social lives depend on surfing their favorite websites

D．make real conversation in real time give way to easier and faster screen dialogue

小題3:.
From the passage we can infer that _____．

A．Baroness Tarot agrees websites cause small children's small attention span

B．Jane Healy believes computer games can do good to children's reasoning

C．Susan Greenfield's warnings have been brought to wide public attention

D．Sue Palmer's book Toxic Childhood discusses the development of networking

小題4:.
What is the purpose of this passage?

A．To tell us the conflict between neuroscientists and psychologists on websites．

B．To present some negative opinions on social networking websites．

C．To offer advice on the problem of brain damage caused by social networking．

D．To analyse how social networking websites cause damage in the brains of teenagers．

We like to consider ourselves the superior race, and we are. It’s true that we are getting to know more and more, and we actually live in “the information age”. Our human vanity(虛榮心) makes us believe that we really have to know everything! Surprisingly, we do not have this ability. The question “what is happening in the Bermuda Triangle” is the very proof.
Where is the Bermuda Triangle located? The mysterious triangle is believed to be situated between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico, where too many unusual events have happened.
On December the 5^th 1945, five U.S. military planes took off from Florida on a clear day only to disappear over Bermuda. Furthermore, some other disappearances took place; in 1947, an American C54 plane simply disappeared at 100 miles from Bermuda; at 80 miles, a Star Tiger plane disappeared in 1948.
Even Columbus had trouble in Bermuda. Some of his journals were about the strange happenings there: “the waters are changing their colors” and “compasses are going wild”.
Maybe it’s why it is called the Devil’s triangle or the Atlantic cemetery.
Many hypotheses were stated in order to explain the strange events. In spite of these attempts, the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle remains unsolved.
Some people get to say that maybe aliens are involved in it. Other imaginative scientists relate the happenings in Bermuda to Einstein’s theory, saying that the missing ships and planes are translated to another dimension of space and time and taken into another world.
Maybe we will just have to wait to go to Heaven and ask the One who made it. The answer will surely be a satisfying one!
小題1:The writer may probably think that______.

A．humans have to and can know everything strange

B．the missing ships are taken into another world

C．humans can know more in “the information age”

D．God created the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle

小題2: Columbus’ journals told us that in Bermuda _______.

A．a(chǎn)n American C54 plane disappeared

B．there were some strange happenings

C．the compasses were lost

D．a(chǎn) cemetery was found

小題3:The underlined word “hypotheses” in the 6^th paragraph probably means______.

A．guesses

B．reports

C．places

D．stories

小題4:The purpose of the writer is to______.

A．tell some stories about the Bermuda Triangle

B．warn people not to travel to the Bermuda Triangle

C．laugh at man’s vanity to know everything

D．prove man does not have the ability to know all

Are some people born clever and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experiences? Strangely enough, the answer to both questions is yes.To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of a person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, but whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be in intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random (隨意地) from the population, it is likely that their degrees of intelligence will be completely different. If on the other hand we take two identical twins, they will very likely be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that integigence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates (表明) that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who lives in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all, are likely to have similar degrees of intelligence.
小題1:Which of the following best describes the writer’s point in Paragraph One?

A．To some extent, intelligence is given at birth.

B．Intelligence is developed by the environment.

C．Some people are born clever and others born stupid.

D．Intelligence is fixed at birth, but is developed by the environment.

小題2:In the first paragraph,“no amount of special education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence” suggests that       .

A．no environment can change the least able into the most able

B．the difference in men’s intelligence depends on the amount of their education

C．if a person is born clever, he is certain to be a genius

D．if a person is born stupid, nothing can change him into an educated person

小題3:The last paragraph mainly shows       .

A．the importance of education

B．the relationship between environment and birth

C．the writer’s final conclusion

D．the relationship between intelligence and environment

小題4:The best title for this passage would be       .

A．Dependence on Education	B．Intelligence
C．Surroundings	D．Effect of Education

小題5:Which statement about the passage is true?

A．All twins have similar degrees of intelligence.

B．A man who is educated in university must make greater achievements than a man who works in a boring factory.

C．Proper education can change one’s intelligence at some degree.

D．Education can’t make a child born with low intelligence cleverer.

In 1963,former Senator Gaylord Nelson began to worry about our planet (A senator is a person that the people of the United States have chosen to help make the laws.). Senator Nelson knew that our world was getting dirty and that many of our plants and animals were dying .He wondered why most people weren’t trying to solve these problems. He talked to other lawmakers and to the President. They decided that the President would go around the country and tell people about these concerns（關(guān)系重大之事）. He did, but still not enough people were working on the problem.
Then, in 1969, Senator Nelson had another idea. He decided to have a special day to teach everyone about the things that needed changing in our environment .He wrote letters to all of the colleges and put a special article in Scholastic Magazine to tell them about the special day he had planned (Most of the schools got this magazine) and he knew that kids would help him.
On April 22,1970, the first Earth Day was held .People all over the country made promises to help the environment. Everyone got involved and since then, Earth Day has spread all over the planet. People all over the world know that there are problems we need to work on and this is our special day to look at the planet and see what needs changing. Isn’t it great? One person had an idea and kept working until everyone began working together to solve it. See what happens when people care about our world?
小題1:The passage mainly talks about _________.

A．the importance of Earth Day

B．the person who planned the Earth Day

C．the history of Earth Day

D．the first Earth Day

小題2:Why did Senator Gaylord Nelson worry about our planet?_________

A．The world was getting dirty.

B．Many plants and animals were dying.

C．Few people cared about the earth.

D．All of the above.

小題3:From the text, we know that _________ helped him most .

A．the president	B．the other lawmakers
C．the colleges	D．the students

小題4:It took Nelson ______ years to get the people pay much attention to the earth.

A．10

B．7

C．6

D．1

Social networking isn't only for the under 40s. More than 25 percent of Americans 50 years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, according to new research.
"The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50 plus," said Kevin Donnellan, the chief communications officer at AARP, which released the report.
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73 percent said they use it to stay in touch with relatives, but not just their children and grandchildren. "They are using the Internet to keep up with the world and the people who are important to them," said Jean Koppen, the author of the report. She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected, not only with their family, but with their friends and peers. Almost 50 percent of older adults were introduced to the social networking sites by a family member, mainly a child or grandchild. "Just under one-fifth of adults aged 50 and older say they do not use the Internet," according to the report.
The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,863 adults. In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are also aware of the latest technology. Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11 percent intended to buy one.
小題1:What’s the main idea of the passage?             
A.       Social networking isn’t for the under 40s in the U.S.A.
B.       American old people’s way of life is quite fashionable.
C.       The Internet is also popular among the American over 50s.
D.       Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are hot websites in America.
小題2:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?    

A．Nearly 2000 adults took part in the survey on line.

B．The over 50s were introduced to the Internet by the young.

C．About 20% of adults aged 50 and older don’t like the Internet.

D．Many Americans 50 plus stay connected using the Internet.

小題3:What’s the underlined sentence used for?    
E.                   It’s used as a reason for the popularity of the Apple iPad in America.
F.                   It’s used as an example of the older adults’ awareness of the latest technology.
G.                  It’s used as a suggestion to the readers who are interested in the IT products.
H.                  It’s used as a choice for the Americans intending to use Social networking.
小題4:Where can we most probably read this passage?    
I.                     In an experiment introduction.
J.                    In a computer magazine.
K.                  In a product advertisement.
In a news report

閱讀下面的短文，并根據(jù)短文后的要求答題（請注意問題后的字?jǐn)?shù)要求）。
[1] I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day. But I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
[2] The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Recently I was in a car with three friends. The driver told us to be quiet because he could not hear the person on the other end of his cell phone. There we were, four friends going down the highway, unable to talk to one another because of a tool designed to make communication easier.
[3]Why is it that the more connected we get, ________________________ ? Every advance in communications technology is a hurt to the closeness of human interaction (互動). With e-mail and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone.
[4] More and more, l find myself hiding behind e-mail to do a job meant for conversation. Or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn’t really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier.
[5] So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell-phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I' m home.
小題1: What does the author say about communications technology according to the first two paragraphs? (within 15 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
小題2:Which sentences in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?
However, I felt left out as if we were not conducting the conversation.
_________________________________________________________________________
小題3: Fill in the blanks in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (within 10 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
小題4: Does the author restrict (約束) his own activity to improving the situation? Give an example. How？(within 15 words)
_________________________________________________________________________
小題5: Translate the underlined sentences in Paragraph 4 into Chinese.
________________________________________________________________________

小題1:The main aim of Environment Awareness Week is to _____．

A．educate the public on protecting the environment

B．discuss global warming and other environmental problems

C．explain ways for producing freshwater to save the environment

D．learn about renewable energy sources that protect the environment

小題2:The organizer of the event is _____．

A．Global Gaia Network	B．Clean Energy Agency
C．Green Earth Foundation	D．International Environment Fund

小題3:If you are interested in renewable energy sources, you should go to _____．

A．Hall 1

B．Hall 2

C．Hall 3

D．Hall 4

小題4:The "3 Rs" stand for _____．

A．Read, Realize and Remember	B．Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
C．Green Earth Foundation	D．Global Gaia Network

小題5:Which of the following statements is NOT true of the event?

A．It will last a week and the halls will be open 11 hours a day．

B．You can send an email to Mrs．Daisy Soh for more information．

C．Each hall charges the same amount of money as the other．

D．Lectures in Hall 1 will be given by university students．

閱讀下面短文，并根據(jù)短文后的要求答題（請注意問題后的字?jǐn)?shù)要求）。
[1]Global difference in intelligence is a sensitive topic, long filled with a large number of different opinions. But recent data has indeed shown cognitive (認(rèn)知的) ability to be higher in some countries than in others. What's more, IQ scores have risen as nations develop—a phenomenon known as the "Flynn effect". Many causes have been put forward for both the intelligence difference and the Flynn effect, including education, income, and even non-agricultural labor. Now, a new study from researchers at the University of New Mexico offers another interesting theory: intelligence may be linked to infectious-disease rates.
　　[2]The brain, say author Christopher Eppig and his colleagues, is the "most costly organ in the human body". Brainpower consumes almost up to 90 percent of a newborn's energy. It's clear that if something affects energy intake while the brain is growing, the impact could be long and serious. And for vast parts of the globe, the biggest threat to a child's body—and therefore brain—is parasitic (由寄生蟲引起的) infection. These illnesses threaten brain development________________. They can directly attack live tissue, which the body must then try every means to replace. They can invade the digestive pipe and block nutritional intake. They can rob the body's cells for their own reproduction. And then there's the energy channeled (輸送) to the immune system to fight the infection.
　　[3]Using data on national "disease burdens" (life years lost due to infectious diseases) and average intelligence scores, the authors found they are closely associated. The countries with the lowest average IQ scores have the highest disease burdens without exception. On the contrary, nations with low disease burdens top the IQ list.
　　[4]If the study holds water, it could be revolutionary for our understanding of the still-confusing variation in national intelligence scores.
小題1:What is the main idea of the text？(no more than 10 words)________________________
小題2:Complete the following statement with proper words.(no more than 4 words)
　　Those countries that have the ________________ are always at the bottom of the  IQ list.
小題3:Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words.(no more than 5 words)
___________                                                                
小題4:What can cause intelligence difference？(no more than 8 words)
　　________________________________________________________________________
小題5:What does the word "they" (Line 2, Paragraph 3) probably refer to？(no more than 8 words)
________________________________________________________________________

Learning to play a musical instrument can change your brain, with a US review finding musical training can lead to improved speech and foreign language skills.
Although it was suggested in the past that listening to Mozart’s music or other classical music could make you smarter, there has been little evidence to show that music can boost(使增長) brain power.
But a data-driven review by Northwestern University has pulled reaserch together that links musical training to learning that spills over into (波及) skills including language, speech, memory, attention and even vocal emotion.
Researcher Nina Kraus said the data strongly suggested that the nervous connections made during musical training also prepared the brain for other aspects of human communication.
“ The effect of musical training suggests that, like physical exercise and its effect on body fitness, music is a resource that tones the brain for auditory fitness and thus requires society to re-examine the role of music in shaping individual development, ” the researchers said in their study.
Kraus said learning musical sounds could improve the brain’s ability to adapt and change and also enable the nervous system to provide constructing patterns that are important to learning.
The study, published in Nature Review Neuroscience , looked at the explosion of research in recent years focusing on the effect of musical training on the nervous system which could have impacts for education.
The study found that playing an instrument prepares the brain to choose what is related in a complex process that may involve reading or remembering a score, timing issues and coordination with other musicians.
小題1:What is the text mainly about ?

A．The effect of physical exercise.	B．The researcher named Kraus.
C．The benefit of musical training.	D．Musicians’ improved skills.

小題2:The underlined word “ auditory ” in Paragraph 5 probably means “ __________”.

A．of the body	B．connected with seeing
C．of the mind	D．connected with hearing

小題3:It was believed but not proved that listening to classical music could __________.

A．a(chǎn)dd to your intelligence	B．improve your speech
C．boost your memory	D．make you think faster

小題4:According to Kraus, musical training contributes to the following EXCEPT __________.

A．body fitness	B．the way to speak
C．langugage learning	D．mental concentration

Hi! Have you ever suddenly felt that someone you knew was in trouble — and was he? Have you ever dreamed something that came true later? Maybe you have ESP (超感覺知覺).
　　ESP stands for Extrasensory Perception. It may be called a sixth sense. It seems to let people know about events before they happen, or events that are happening some distance away.
　　Here's an example. A woman was ironing clothes. Suddenly she screamed, "My father is dead! I saw him sitting in the chair!" Just then, a telegram came. The woman's father died of a heart attack. He died sitting in a chair.
　　There are thousands of stories like this one on record. Scientists are studying them to find out what's behind these strange mental messages. Here's another example—one of hundreds of dreams that have come true.
　　A man dreamed he was walking along a road when a horse and carriage came by. The driver said, "There's room for one more." The man felt the driver seemed dead, so he ran away. The next day, when the man was getting on a crowded bus, the bus driver said, "There's room for one more."
　　Then the man saw that the driver's face was the same face he had seen in the dream. He wouldn't get on the bus. As the bus drove off, it crashed and burst into flames. Everyone was killed!
　　Some people say stories like these are coincidences. Others, including some scientists, say that ESP is real. From studies of ESP, we may someday learn more about the human mind.
小題1:According to the passage, the author believes that the sixth sense is ________.

A．in existence

B．imaginative

C．not real

D．impossible

小題2:ESP lets people know _________.

A．a(chǎn)bout events before they happen

B．a(chǎn)bout events after they happen

C．a(chǎn)bout events that are happening some distance away

D．A and C

小題3:By studying ESP, scientists may get to ________.

A．learn how people tell lies	B．know more about human dreams
C．know more about human mind	D．learn how strange things happen

小題4:In the last paragraph the underlined word "coincidences" probably means _______.

A．things that may not happen	B．things that happen in a dream
C．things that must happen	D．things that happen by accident