Who"s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of u

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Who"s in control of your life? Who is pulling your string? For the majority of us, it"s other people-society, colleagues, friends, family or our religious community. We learned this way of operating when we were very young, of course. We were brainwashed. We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we

learned to do everything we could to make other people like us. As Oscar Wilde puts it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else"s opinions, their lives a mimicry(模仿)，their passions a quotation.”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are, it makes us feel good. We long for this good feeling like a drug－we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can. Therefore, we are so eager for the approval of others that we live unhappy and limited lives failing to do the things we really want to. Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix(一剂毒品)，we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval.
But just as with any drug, there is a price to pay. The price of the approval drug is freedom－the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot-control what other people think. People have their own agenda(日程安排), and they come with their own baggage and, in the end, they"re more interested in themselves than in you. Furthermore, if we try to live by the opinions of others, we will build our life on sinking sand. Everyone has a different way of thinking, and people change their opinions all the time. The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probable pleasing no one in the process.
So how can we take back control? I think there"s only one way－make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think. We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values－not values imposed from the outside by others, but innate values which come from within. If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others, we will live a more authentic(真实的), effective, purposeful and happy life.
小题1:What Oscar Wilde says implies that .

A．most people"s thoughts are controlled by others.

B．we have thoughts similar to those of others.

C．most people have a variety of thoughts.

D．other people"s thoughts are more important.

小题2: What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?

A．The price of taking the drug is freedom.

B．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom.

C．We may lose ourselves to please others.

D．We need to pay for what we want to get.

小题3: It can be concluded from the passage that .

A．it"s important to accept others" opinions.

B．it"s better to do what we like.

C．we shouldn"t care what others think.

D．we shouldn"t change our

won opinions.

小题4: The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his arguments mainly by .

A．making suggestions.	B．analyzing causes and effects.
C．providing examples and facts.	D．discussing questions

答案

小题1:A
小题2:C
小题3:C
小题4:B

解析

略

举一反三

How much can environment affect intelligence? In one study, striking increases in IQ occurred in 25 children who were moved from an orphanage(孤儿院) to more stimulating（使人兴奋的，使人振奋的） environments．The children, who were all considered mentally retarded and unadoptable, were moved to an institution where they received personal attention from adults．Later, these supposedly retarded children were adopted by parents who gave them love, a family ,and a stimulating home environment．The children gained an average of 29 IQ points．For one child, the increase was an amazing 58 points．A second group of initially less "retarded" children, who stayed in the orphanage, lost an average of 26 IQ points.
Other encouraging results can be found in early childhood education programs, which provide stimulating intellectual experiences for disadvantaged children．In one study, children from low-income families were given enriched environments from early infancy(婴儿期) through preschool．By age 2 their IQ scores were already higher than those in a control group．More important, they were still 5 points higher seven years later．High-quality enrichment programs such as Head Start can prevent children from falling behind in school.
A particularly striking environmental effect is the fact that 14 nations have shown average IQ gains of from 5 to 25 points during the last 30 years．These IQ boosts, averaging 15 points, occurred in far too short a time for genetics to explain them．It is more likely that the gains reflect environmental forces, such as improved education, nutrition, and living in a technologically complex society.
小题1:What"s the main idea of this passage

A．Retarded children cannot improve their IQ"s.

B．Orphanages are full of mentally retarded children.

C．Environmental factors influence a child"s IQ.

D．Early childhood education programs are important.

小题2:The author is in favor of _____________ according to the passage.

A．putting retarded children into institutions

B．providing early childhood education programs

C．keeping children in orphanages

D．keeping retarded children with others like themselves

小题3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned as an environmental factor that affects IQ .

A．Good nutrition．	B．Improved technology.
C．Better education．	D．Food pollution.

小题4:What can we conclude from the passage ?

A．Attention from parents has little effect on a child"s IQ.

B．Head Start programs are a waste of money.

C．Increases in IQ have happened in the US more rapidly than elsewhere.

D．Genetics are less important than environment in gaining one"s IQ.

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Cities need to put efforts to deal w

ith pollution and clear the air.
Chinese cities will need to put efforts to clear up the sky when

a new department to improve regional air quality is set up by 2015, according to the latest plan released by the State Council．
Besides the existing pollution control program for S02, regional emission caps （区域排放上限） for other certain chemicals will be established in the three key air polluting areas— rhe Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region．Coal-consumption caps will also be tried out in some areas, according to the plan．
The plan is aimed at dealing with regional air pollution—such as acid rain and smog—which have become increasingly obvious in China in recent years and caused a severe threat to people"s health, Zhang Lijun, vice-minister of environmental protection, said in an interview on Monday.
The air quality in a city affects the regions nearby because pollutants （污染物）can travel through the atmosphere, said Chai Fahe, vice-direc

tor of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences．
“So efforts to reduce air pollution in a single city, targeting a certain pollutant w

ill not oe enough," Chai said．
Zhang said the country"s major industrial districts—the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta and the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region—have recorded more than 100 misty days annually in recent years．
These three regions, home to at least 200 millio

n people, occupy only 6．3 percent of the country"s area but consume 40 percent of the country"s coal and produce half of its steel, according to official figures．
Studies also show that the visibility （能见度） in eastern regions of China has dropped by 7 to 15 km compared to that in the early 1960s, as a result of air pollution．
Liaoning province, the Shandong Peninsula, Wuhan in Hubei province and its surrounding area, the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan region in Hunan province, the Chengdu-Chongqing region, and the western coast of the Taiwan Straits are also listed as areas to carry out such regional air pollution control programs, according to the plan．
The new plan also requires an improved air quality system, which will measure the pollution levels．"The current system, which only measures some major pollutants, cannot reflect the true picture．" said Chai．
小题1:It will not be enough to reduce air pollution in a single city because ______.

A．air pollution has b

een becoming more and more serious in recent years

B．air pollution like acid rain and smog is threatening people"s health

C．air pollutants in a city can travel in the sky and affect nearby areas

D．air pollutants stay in fixed places over the cities

小题2:Suppose the visibility in eastern regions of China was 130 km in the early 1960s, the visibility there nowadays is .

A．123 to 115 km

B．137 to 145 km

C．123 to 145 km

D．115 to 137 km

小题3:The main purpose of the passage is .

A．to inform readers of the damage caused by air pollution

B．to introduce the new plan to control air pollution

C．to provide official figures of air pollution levels

D．to point out the regions affected by air pollution

小题4:What does the underlined phrase "the true picture" in the last paragraph mean?

A．The major pollutants．

B．The key polluted areas．

C．The major polluted cities．

D．The pollution levels．

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Running like the wind, roaring （咆哮） like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world．But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China．
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China"s State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund．
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China．In the 1950"s, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country．But due to the destruction of their natural habitat （栖息地） and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world"s top ten most endangered species．
Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China．But they are nothing like their wild cousins．They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing．If they were set free they could not look after themselves．
"Breeding has damaged the quality of the species", said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo．
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa．Four of them have already arrived．Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts（本能） and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．
" South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild．The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in", said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center．" We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain（生物链） and there was a lack of space．"
The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready．
小题1:What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world"s top ten most endangered species?

A．Because it has lost its natural instincts．

B．Because there is not a complete eco-chain．

C．Because there is no space for it．

D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions．

小题2:How is the programme of sending several tigers to South Africa getting on?

A．Its effect still remains to be seen．

B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins．

C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills．

D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007．

小题3:By saying " but they are nothing like their wild cousins", the writer means that ______．

A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals

B．they don"t know how to hunt or kill

C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding

D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task

小题4:What is the purpose of sending young tigers to South Africa?

A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild．

B．To provide them with a better environment．

C．To get the tigers to go on a tour．

D．To find a complete eco-chain for them．

小题5:Which one is not the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place?

A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．

B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers．

C．Because there is a complete eco-chain and enough space there．

D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in．

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COOL INVENTIONS

From school to band Practice, the Venturi Eclectic is an Earth-friendly way to get Where you want to go．This battery-powered, zero-emission (meaning it doesn"t pollute the air) vehicle runs mainly on renewable energy．Solar panels on the Eclectic"s roof absorb sun rays when you"re driving．On windy days, you can connect a machine to the car"s roof that collects energy from the wind while you"re parked．The Eclectic"s top speed is 28 miles an hour; the battery lasts for 31 miles before it needs to be recharged．Zipping (迅速行进) around the neighborhood has never been better.
Here"s an eco-friendly way to tell time: Simply fill the Bedol Water-powered Clock"s tank (箱) with water, add some lemon juice, and the clock will display the time without the need for environmentally harmful batteries．There are two sets of metal electrodes (电极) inside the water tank．Water contains ions (离子) that carry negative and positive charges．These ions complete a charge between the electrodes, creating enough energy to power the clock．Just refill the tank every few weeks, and this clock will keep on

ticking.
Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) will be the first car to attempt to break the l,000-mile-an-hour barrier．(The current record is 763 miles an hour.) A concept for now, the rocket-shaped car gets its initial push to 350 miles an hour from a jet engine．Then a rocket fires up, pushing the SSC past 1,000 miles an hour．In order to keep the car streamlined (流线型的), the driver lies back at a 45-degree angle.
You"re having a blast at your friend"s birthday party．But when it"s time to bring out the cake, everyone crowds around, blocking your view．No worries．Throw the Triops into the air, and this clever camera captures the view from above．The Triops can take three pictures at once, each from different angles．You can also record sounds and command the Triops to start shooting whenever it hears that noise．That"s one smart camera.
小题1:According to the passage, the Venturi Eclectic .

A．is popular with businessmen	B．is suitable for a long trip
C．can turn wind into energy	D．has only a little gas emission

小题2:What is the common characteristic of the Venturi Eclectic and the Bedol Water-powered Clock?

A．They don"t need batteries.	B．They are difficult to operate.
C．They can be powered by water.	D．They are environmentally friendly.

小题3:The underlined phrase “having a blast” in the last paragraph probably means .

A．looking at a picture	B．enjoying yourself
C．blowing out a candle	D．recording sounds

小题4:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The Triops is sensitive to sounds.

B．The driver of the SSC must be of great size.

C．The color of the Bedol Water-powered Clock is like that of lemon.

D．The SSC doesn’t have anything to do with a rocket actually.

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LAS VEGAS (AFP) — Children may not like it but a British technology firm has invented an electronic babysitter -- a wristwatch-like device that lets parents know where their children are at all times.
The GPS Child Locator, or num8, attaches securely to a child’s wrist and contains a Global Positioning System (GPS), said Matthe

w Salmon, a spokesman for the manufacturer, lok8u.
"It uses GPS and GSM (Global System for Mobiles) technology with an accuracy of 10 feet (three meters)," he said. "It tracks your child."
"It only starts working when the device is

connected to the child’s wrist," Salmon said, and is "very difficult to get off."
"Even if the child managed to get it off it would send an emergency text message through to your mobile phone," he said. "It would give you a Google Maps image with their exact location, the street name and the zip code."
When a child is wearing the device, a parent sends the text message "wru" and the chi

ld’s current location is sent back to a mobile phone or computer.
Parents can also log on to the company website to discover their child’s present location.
"You can also set up a perimeter, an invisible fence, and if they wander out of this invisible fence which you put on the Internet it will warn you," Salmon said. "It will text you immediately."
Salmon said the device is waterproof and shockproof and lasts for three days with a full charge.
It will be available in both Britain and the United States this year and retails for 200 dollars with a 10 dollar a month subscription fee.
He said the company had received thousands of inquiries about the device since launching it this week. "Fifty percent are positive, 50 percent are negative, that it’s a bit Big Brotherish," he said. "But it’s really just about letting you have freedom of mind."
小题1:Only when does the device begin to work.

A．it uses GPS and GSM technology	B．it is put within about 3 meters
C．it’s joined to parents’ computer	D．it is fastened to the child’s wrist

小题2:If a child is wearing the “wristwatch”, parents can track them by .

A．sending the text message “wru”	B．replying to the text message
C．getting a Google Maps picture	D．phoning the local police station

小题3:What Can we conclude from the text?

A．It won’t be easily found if a child loses t11e device

B．The device won’t work while a child is swimming

C．Parents can easily track children due to the device

D．The new product needs to be fully charged daily

小题4:The purpose of the text is to .

A．explain how to use the new device

B．attract more buyers to the new product

C．discuss advantages of a new invention

D．introduce a new electronic equipment

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