Smaller than your fist, your healthy heart just goes on and on. It will beat more than 60 times a minute for 70 years or more. That’s something that most of us take for granted. But it’s an amazing fact.
60 times a minute for 60 minutes is 3,600 times. What physical thing can most of us do 3,600 times in one hour? Blink? Maybe. Tap our fingers on the desk? No. Jump up and down? Certainly not! But our heart keeps beating, hour after hour. Every day, it pumps almost 2,000 gallons of blood through our blood vessels(血管). It takes you about five years to drink 2,000 gallons of water.
And, unlike your knees or your back, your heart does all this work without ever complaining（抱怨）! You never know that it’s even there. Your heart is such a reliable “silent partner” that people forget to care for it. For many, the first indication（跡象）that their heart isn’t working properly is a serious heart illness! Over 650,000 Americans die of some kind of heart disease every year. Cancer kills 560,000, stroke kills 143,000, and accidents kill 118,000 Americans annually.
Like accidental deaths, many heart disease-related deaths can be avoided if people simply follow the advice of the experts. Unfortunately, most people seem to listen to a little voice in their head that says, “It won’t happen to me. ” So these people keep on smoking and drinking. They continue to eat too much meat. And their only “exercise” is getting off the sofa to get something out of the fridge. Please follow the following steps to keep your heart healthy.
小題1:The text is most probably taken from a (an) __________.

A．a(chǎn)rt book	B．science fiction
C．healthy magazine	D．psychology book

小題2:Which of the following physical activities can keep going on and on?

A．Blink.

B．Jump.

C．Finger tap.

D．Heart beat.

小題3:According to the numbers mentioned in paragraph 3, we can know __________.

A．Accidents can be the biggest “killer” in America every year.

B．In America, heart disease causes the highest death rate annually.

C．Cancer causes more threat than any other diseases for Americans.

D．Recently, nobody died of stroke or heart disease in America.

小題4:What do we know about our healthy hearts?

A．our healthy hearts work with many complains as our knees.

B．our healthy hearts can pump 3,600 gallons of blood everyday.

C．our healthy hearts are smaller than our fists.

D．our healthy hearts can beat 60 times in one hour.

小題5: What do you think the next paragraph is about?

A．Some tips for keeping a healthy heart.

B．Some suggestions for avoiding accidental deaths.

C．Some reasons for doing regular exercise.

D．Some exercise for keeping a healthy lifestyle.

Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生蟲引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect. They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next.
小題1:According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because___.

A．they can remain unaffected for long

B．it is unusual to seek care

C．they are too poor

D．there are too many people suffering from the disease

小題2:People suffering from malaria___.

A．have to kill female mosquitoes

B．have ability to defend parasites

C．have their red blood cells infected

D．have sudden fever, followed by chills

小題3:Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?

A．Its outbreaks in cities with large populations.

B．Its ability to pass on the virus frequently.

C．Its resistance to global warming.

D．Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs.

小題4:It can be inferred from the passage that___.

A．no drugs have been found to treat the disease

B．the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people

C．malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites

D．nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease

小題5:Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?

A．How can we know one is suffering from malaria?

B．How many people are killed by malaria each year?

C．Why are there so many people suffering from malaria?

D．What has been done to keep people unaffected for long?

Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief above was long­lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ.Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first­time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary，Mary Ruebush，an American immunologist(免疫學家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.
小題1:The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because ________.

A．they believed disease could be spread in public baths

B．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in

C．they lived healthily in a dirty environment

D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease

小題2:Which of the following best describes Henry IV's attitude to bathing?

A．Approving.

B．Afraid.

C．Curious.

D．Uninterested.

小題3:How does the passage mainly develop?

A．By providing examples.

B．By making comparisons.

C．By following the order of importance.

D．By following the order of time.

小題4: What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?

A．To stress the role of dirt.

B．To introduce the history of dirt.

C．To present the change of views on dirt.

D．To call attention to the danger of dirt.

Risk of death is 3.5 to 5 times greater for obese (肥胖的) smokers than it is for people who have never smoked and are at a normal weight, according to a study published in the November, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study, which began with a self-administered questionnaire taken between 1983 and 1989, asked more than 80,000 radiologic technologists aged 22 to 92 questions about age, height, weight and smoking behavior.
BMI (body mass index) was calculated, with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 being considered obese, and 35 and over being very obese. Smoking behavior was analyzed by looking at a person's tobacco consumption level, number of years smoked, and current smoking status. Researchers then followed participants through December of 2002, noting the number of deaths that occurred.
The study involved researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the University of Minnesota and the American Registry of Radiolegic Technologists.
Key Findings:
20 percent of obese adults in the United States smoke.
Obese smokers face a greater risk of death from cancer and circulatory disease.
Current smoking is a greater risk factor for death by cancer than obesity is, generally speaking.
The higher a person's pack-years (number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked) are, the greater the risk of death.
Men and women of all ages faced an elevated risk of death due to circulatory disease as BMI increased. And for those who were both obese and currently smoking, risk of circulatory disease increased 6 to 11 times under the age of 65, as compared to their never-smoking, normal weight counterparts.
While it's not surprising that obesity coupled with smoking is a recipe for trouble, it is important to highlight this growing health concern in America today.
Taking Charge of Your Health
Making healthy choices can be difficult when we're constantly exposed to products that are dangerous to our health, but it's not impossible. With education and some motivation, we all have the ability to make lasting changes for the better. If you're an overweight smoker worried about gaining weight due to quitting, take heart. It's never too late to change your course and even reduce damage to some extent.
小題1:60. What is the American Journal of Preventive Medicine?

A．An medical institute.	B．A research center.
C．A medical magazine	D．A TV station

小題2:Which of the following is true according to the text?

A．Obese smokers are less likely to suffer from cancer.

B．Obese smokers are more likely to suffer from cancer.

C．Obese smokers tend to gain fewer body mass index.

D．Obese smokers tend to get heavier than those who never smoke.

小題3:According to the author, it is ________ to get rid of smoking.

A．easy and possible	B．difficult and impossible
C．easy ant worthwhile	D．difficult but worthwhile

小題4:What is the purpose of the text?

A．To inform the readers of the findings about obese smoking.

B．To warn the readers of the danger of obese smoking.

C．To tell us what obese smoking is.

D．To call on the obese smokers to quit smoking.

Researchers in London and Bristol have found that men are particularly likely to yield to depression if their partners are also depressed.
The finding highlights the importance of paying attention to the partners of depressed mothers, as young children themselves are vulnerable (容易受傷的) to social problems if both parents are depressed.
Researchers in London and at the University of Bristol launched their study to investigate whether family structure affects the likelihood of depression in men around the time their child is born. They looked at men from traditional families, men with children from a previous relationship, men whose partners had children by a former partner, and men who were not living with their partners.
All 7,108 participants filled out a questionnaire on depression, and answered questions about their age, education level and employment status. Details about the quality of their relationships with their partners, networks of friends and previous life events were also recorded.
About 3.5 percent of the men and 13 percent of their partners suffered depression around the time their child was born. While men in stepfamilies or who were not living with their partners were twice as likely to get depressed as those in traditional families, this could be explained by other factors that are more common in nontraditional families, such as poor education and relationship conflicts.
Even allowing for all these factors, however, the partners of women who were suffering from prenatal (圍產(chǎn)期的) depression were significantly more likely to become depressed themselves, the researchers report in an American journal. Ten percent of women who were depressed had depressed partners. For the healthy women, the figure was only 2.6 percent.
Previous research suggests that families with two depressed parents may need special attention. A researcher in Atlanta has found that primary school children with two troubled parents have difficulty relating to their peers. “It’s extremely important to look at the whole family.” she says.
小題1:What can we conclude from the first two paragraphs of this passage?

A．Men often beat their children.

B．Depressed women often have depressed partners.

C．All young children are vulnerable to social problems.

D．Women with children often have depressed partners.

小題2:Why did researchers in London and Bristol carry out such an investigation?

A．To see what kind of family environment is ideal for children to grow up in.

B．To study whether family structure affects depression in men when their child is born.

C．To investigate why so many men get depressed when a child is born.

D．To see whether it is true that behind every depressed man there is a depressed woman.

小題3:What kind of men is least likely to get depressed when their child was born?

A．Men in stepfamilies.

B．Men who were not living with their partners.

C．Men in traditional families.

D．Men in nontraditional families.

小題4:According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Ten percent of women who were depressed had depressed partners.

B．2.6 percent of healthy women were depressed.

C．Special attention should be paid to families in which both the father and the mother were depressed.

D．Primary school children whose parents were both depressed couldn’t get along well withtheir peers.

Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can’t find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you.
　　Then , consider this: you might be in a state of sub - health （亞健康）.
　　Sub - health, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease.
　　According to the survey by the National Health Organization, Over 45 percent of sub - healthy people are middle-aged or elderly. The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam week.
　　Symptoms （征兆）include a shortage of energy, depression, slow reactions, insomnia （失眠）and poor memory , Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs.
　　The key to preventing and recovering from sub - health, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, ale mate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities.
　　As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar . They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements - vitamins and trace elements - that are important to the body.
　　Nutrition experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract （消化道）. They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding sub - health.
小題1:When you are in a state of sub - health, you should________.

A．stay home and keep silent

B．go to a doctor and buy some medicine

C．not consider it very serious

D．find out the reasons and relax yourself

小題2:Middle - aged people may be easy to get sub - healthy because________.

A．they have used up their energy

B．they have lost their living hopes

C．they have more pressure in life and work.

D．they have changed their way of life

小題3:The key to preventing you from falling into a state of sub health is to________.

A．keep on working regularly	B．go to sleep a bit earlier
C．form good living habits	D．take medicine if necessary

小題4:As for food, experts suggested that________.

A．we should never eat meat

B．we should have variety of food

C．we should eat less than usual

D．we should have meals without sugar

小題5:The underlined word “alternate” in this passage is closest in meaning to________

A．a(chǎn)rrange by turns	B．cause to take place
C．make up for	D．keep away from

Our risk of cancer rises rapidly as we age. So it makes sense that the elderly should be routinely screened for new tumors (腫瘤) or doesn’t it?
While such tracking of cancer is a good thing in general, researchers are increasingly questioning whether all of this testing is necessary for the elderly. With the percentage of people over age 65 expected to nearly double by 2050, it s important to weigh the health benefits of screening against the risks and costs of routine testing.
In many cases, screening can lead to additional examinations and operations to remove cancer, which can cause side effects, while the cancers themselves may be slow-growing and may not cause serious health problems in patients’ remaining years. But the message that everyone must screen for cancer has become so ingrained (根深蒂固的) that when health care experts recommended that women under 50 and over 74 stop screening for breast cancer, it caused a noisy reaction among doctors, patients and social groups.
It’s hard to uproot deeply-held beliefs about cancer screening with scientific data. Certainly, there are people over age 75 who have had cancers detected by routine screening, and gained several extra years of life because of treatment. And clearly, people over age 75 who have other risk factors for cancer, such as a family history or previous personal experience with the disease, should continue to get screened regularly. But for the rest, the risk of cancer, while increased at the end of life, must be balanced with other factors like remaining life expectancy.
A recent study suggests that doctors start to make more objective decisions about who will truly benefit from screening—especially considering the explosion of the elderly.
It’s not an easy calculation to make, but one that makes sense for patients. Dr. Otis Brawley said, “Many doctors are ordering these tests purely to cover themselves from medical disputes. We need to think about the wise use of health care, which means making some difficult decisions with elderly patients, and going against the misguided belief that when it comes to health care, more is always better.”
小題1:Routine cancer screening for the elderly people makes sense because ______.

A．it is believed to contribute to a long life

B．it is part of their health care package

C．they are more sensitive about the health

D．they are in greater danger of tumor growth

小題2:How do some researchers now look at routine cancer screening for the elderly?

A．It adds too much to their medical bills.

B．They are doubtful about necessity.

C．It helps increase their life expectancy.

D．They think it does more harm than good.

小題3:What is the traditional view about women screening for breast cancer?

A．It is a must for adult women.

B．It applies to women over 50.

C．It is intended for young women.

D．It doesn’t apply to women over

小題4:Why do many doctors advise routine screening for cancer?

A．They want to take advantage of the medical care system.

B．They want to protect themselves against medical disputes.

C．They want data for medical research.

D．They want their patients to suffer less.

小題5:What does the writer say is the general view about health care?

A．Better care, longer life.

B．Prevention is better than cure.

C．Better early than late.

D．The more, the better.

Health experts are calling for action to increase cancer care and control in the developing world. A medical research paper says cancer was once thought of as a problem mostly in the developed world. But now cancer is a leading cause of death and disability in poor countries as well. Experts from Harvard University and other organizations urge the international community to fight cancer actively, saying it should be fought in the way HIV/AIDS has been fought in Africa.
Cancer kills more than 7.5 million people a year worldwide. Almost two-thirds are in low-income and middle-income countries.
They discover cancer kills more people in developing countries than AIDS, tuberculosis (肺結(jié)核) and malaria (瘧疾) combined. But the world spends only 5% of its cancer resources in those countries.
Felicia Knaul from Harvard Medical School was one of the writers of the paper. She was in Mexico when she was found to have breast cancer. She received treatment there and her experience showed her the sharp difference between the rich and the poor in treating breast cancer.
Felicia Knaul says, “And we are seeing how this is attacking young women. It’s the number two cause of death in Mexico for women thirty to fifty-four. All over the developing world, it’s the number one cancer-related death among young women. I think we have to again say that there is much more we could do about it than we are doing about it.”
Professor Knalul met community health workers during her work in developing countries. They were an important part of efforts to reduce deaths from the cancer. They were able to persuade people to get tested to prevent the illness. The experts say cancer care does not have to be costly. For example, patients can be treated with lower-cost drugs.
小題1:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Cancer – a leading cause of death in poor countries

B．What should we do in preventing and treating cancer?

C．What makes the first killer in developing countries?

D．Experts urge more efforts to fight cancer.

小題2:Felicia Knaul’s experience in Mexico shows that       .

A．many Mexican women suffer from breast cancer

B．there is not enough medicine for cancer there

C．many Mexican women can’t afford medical care

D．patients with breast cancer are treated differently

小題3:From what Felicia Knaul says, we can draw the conclusion that       .

A．breast cancer is a great threat to young women

B．people don’t pay enough attention to breast cancer

C．breast cancer is the second killer among women in Mexico

D．patients can be treated effectively in developing countries

小題4:Who plays an important part in preventing the cancer in developing countries?

A．The cancer patients.	B．The health experts.
C．Community health workers.	D．Young women.

小題5:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The number of cancer cases is decreasing.

B．HIV/AIDS is not being taken seriously in Africa.

C．Over 7.5 million people die of cancer every year.

D．It is very expensive to treat cancer.

If a city wishes to  host the Olympics, it must submit a proposal(提交提案) to the IOC. After all proposals have been submitted, the IOC votes. If no city with the fewest votes is eliminated, the voting continues, until a majority winner is determined. Typically the Games are awarded several years in advance, allowing the winning city time to prepare for the Games.
In selecting the site of the Olympic Games, the IOC considers a number of factors, and chiefly among them is which organizing committee seems most likely to stage the Games effectively. The IOC also considers which parts of the world have not yet hosted the Games. For instance, Tokyo, the host of the 1964 Summer Games, and Beijing, that of the 2008 Games, were chosen in part to popularize the Olympic movement in Asia. Because of growing importance television worldwide, the IOC in recent years has also taken into account the host city’s time zone. Whenever the Games take place in the USA or Canada, for example, American television networks are willing to pay specially higher amounts for television rights because they can broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours.
Once the Games have been awarded, it is the duty of the local organizing committee----not the IOC or the NOC of the host city’s country to provide them with money. This is often done with a part of the Olympic television revenues(收入), and corporate sponsorships(社團贊助), tickets sales, and other smaller revenue sources. In many cases there is also direct government support. Although many cities have achieved amounts of money by hosting the Games, the Olympics can be financially risky. When the financial gains from the Games were less than expected, the city was left with large debts.
小題1:_______will be determined to host the Olympic Games by the IOC.
A. A city that submits a proposal          B. A majority winner in voting
C. A city that has perfect time zone       D. One that hasn’t hosted the Games
小題2: Which of  the following words can be used to replace the word “ selecting” in   paragraph 2?

A．electing

B．hoping

C．choosing

D．thinking

小題3:If the Games take place in Canada, American television networks___.

A．can’t broadcast popular events live in the best viewing hours

B．will be forbidden to broadcast live sporting events

C．a(chǎn)re willing to pay much higher amounts for television rights

D．will not pay for the Canadian television networks

小題4:According to the last paragraph, which following statement is true?

A．The host city must be left with large debts

B．The city may achieve a lot of money

C．There is no financial risk in hosting the Olympic Games

D．It is impossible that the host city couldn’t make money

小題5:Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

A．How to host Olympic Games	B．Winner or loser
C．Applying for host for Olympics	D．The Olympic Games

British researchers have found that children’s IQ predicts their probability of becoming vegetarians (素食者) as young adults.
Recent studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with lower cholesterol (膽固醇), reduced risk of overweight and heart disease.
“We know from other studies that brighter children tend to behave in a healthier fashion as adults—they’re less likely to smoke, less likely to be overweight，less likely to have high blood pressure and more likely to take exercise.” lead author Catharine Gale said, “This study provides further evidence that people  with a high IQ tend to have a healthier lifestyle.”
In the study, Gale’s team collected data on nearly 8,200 men and women aged 30, whose IQ had been tested when they were 10 years of age.
“Children who scored higher on IQ tests at age 10 were more likely than those who got lower scores to report that they were vegetarian at the age of 30.”Gale said. 
The researchers found that 4.5 percent of participants were vegetarians. Of these, 2.5 percent were vegan, and 33.6 percent said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken.
There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken，the researchers added.
One expert said the findings weren’t the whole answer，however.
“We don’t know the beliefs or attitudes of the parents of the children，nor do we know if there was a particular event that led these children to becoming vegetarian in their teens or adulthood.” said Lona Sandon, and assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.
小題1:From the article，we know that ________.

A．brighter children are likely to become vegetarians when they are ten.

B．people with a higher IQ will not be overweight

C．brighter children are likely to have a healthier lifestyle

D．overweight may cause high blood pressure

小題2:What does the underlined word “vegan” in the sixth paragraph mean?

A．Someone who only eats vegetables.

B．Someone who chooses not to eat meat or fish.

C．Someone who likes eating meat and fish.

D．Someone who likes eating vegetables.

小題3:This study left some unanswered questions EXCEPT “________”．

A．Did the vegetarian children grow up in a family with a vegetarian parent?

B．Did the children eat a primarily vegetarian diet at the age of 10?

C．Were meatless meals regularly served in the participants’ families?

D．Did the vegetarian children really have a high IQ?

小題4:The main idea of the passage is that ________.

A．the low IQ children will be unhealthier when they grow up

B．being vegetarians can reduce the risk of overweight and heart disease

C．IQ is important to vegetarians

D．high IQ children are more likely to become vegetarian when they grow up