5. Passage 1 The secret of being born lucky is a summer birthday， with May babies most likely to enjoy a lifetime‘s good fortune， according to a study of more than 40，000 people. The time of year at which you are born has an enduring influence on levels of optimism and self-reported luck， according to a research by British and Swedish scientists. May was the luckiest month in which to be born， with 50 percent of those born then considering themselves lucky， while October was the least lucky month， with just 43 percent claiming good fortune. The findings add to growing evidence that the phenomenon of luck is not all down to chance， but is affected by a person‘s general disposition. Other research has shown that whether people think themselves fortunate depends less on objective success than on having a ―glass half-full‖ or ―half-empty‖ approach to life. ―What we are seeing suggests that something is influencing how people perceive their luckiness. My hypothesis is that people create their own luck by traits such as optimism， that luck is a psychological phenomenon rather than a matter of blind chance，‖ said Professor Richard Wiseman， who led the research. The pattern of the result， with those born in spring and in summer reporting themselves luckier than those born in autumn or winter， could have two potential explanations， Professor Wiseman said. What is the best title for the passage?

5. Passage 3 Dieting to lose weight has become very popular in recent years. People have become more health conscious and try to take better care of their bodies by eating more nutritiously and exercising more regularly to lose any unnecessary fat that they may have. Not only are people being more careful about what they eat， they are also concerned with how they eat and how their meals are prepared. People are taking more time for each meal. Many avoid the so called ―plastic‖ fast-food hamburgers and choose to eat a salad or a sandwich of more healthful ingredients(成分) in a quiet restaurant with a more leisurely atmosphere. At home， they also try to take enough time to eat a relaxing dinner without phone or TV interruptions. While dieting may be viewed as beneficial， it has also become a serious problem for Americans， particularly for young women. Dieting for them has actually become a psychological addiction( 依 赖 ). They eat so little that they can lose as much as fifty percent of their total body weight， and although they look like skeletons， they still insist that they are fat. The current waves of exercising， dieting and the problems produced have caused many organizations to begin educating the public. Many schools， hospitals， health organizations， newspapers and magazines， for example， are offering classes， printing booklet articles， etc. to inform the public of the way to exercise and diet， of the dangers of dieting too rapidly， and of the places people can go for medical help if they find themselves on the road to ―diet addiction‖. According to the passage， we can infer that the atmosphere of eating has something to do with( ).

A. 　dieting

B. 　 manners

C. 　 health

D. 　 exercising

2. Passage 8 Upon reaching an appropriate age (usually between 18 and 21 years)， children are encouraged， but not forced， to ―leave the nest‖ and begin an independent life. After children leave home they often find social relationship and financial support outside the family. Parents do not arrange marriages for their children， nor do children usually ask permission of their parents to get married. Romantic love is most often the basis for marriage in the United States; young adults meet their future spouses through other friends， at jobs， and in organizations and religious institutions. Although children choose their own spouses， they still hope their parents will approve of their choices. In many families， parents feel that children should make major life decisions by themselves. A parent may try to influence a child to follow a particular profession but the child is free to choose another career. Sometimes children do precisely the opposite of what their parents wish in order to assert their independence. A son may deliberately decide not to go into his father‘s business because of a fear that he will lose his autonomy in his father‘s workplace. This independence from parents is not an indication that parents and children do not love each other. Strong love between parents and children is universal and this is no exception in the American family. Coexisting with such love in the American family are cultural values of self – reliance and independence. Most young adults in the U.S. get married for the sake of .

A. 　 love

B. 　 financial concern

C. 　 their parents

D. 　 family background

146.This company is closing up， so lots of workers will be laid( ).

A. 　down

B. 　 out

C. 　 off

D. 　 aside

44.The blind old woman( )to the little girl‘s hand tightly when they crossed the street.

A. 　held out

B. 　 held on

C. 　 held down

D. 　 held back

148.Some developed countries are trying to( )the serious problems resulting from the energy crisis.

A. 　step up

B. 　 cope with

C. 　 cut off

D. 　 end up

87.Online shopping has been growing( )an increasing rate these years.

A. 　for

B. 　 at

C. 　 in

D. 　 up

3. Passage 12 More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun， healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that‘s why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere， and there is no oil cost! Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighborhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don‘t even have to ride all the way. Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers. Health Benefits of Bicycling: It helps to prevent heart diseases. It helps to control your weight. A 15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year. It can improve your mood. Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better， more relaxed and self-confident. Bicycling is healthier than driving. If you travel with a folding bike， you can fold it and( ).

A. 　get out of the car

B. 　 take it onto a train

C. 　 put it in your purse

D. 　 go on airline websites

3. Passage 2 Man has always wanted to fly. Some of the greatest men in history had thought about the problem. One of them， for example， was the great Italian artist， Leonardo Da Vinci. In the 16th century he made designs for machines that would fly， but they were never built. Throughout history， other less famous men had wanted to fly. An example was a man in England 800 years ago. He made a pair of wings from chicken feathers. Then he fixed them to his body and jumped into air from a tall building. He did not fly very far. Instead， he fell to the ground and broke every bone of his body and rested in peace. The first real step took place in France， in 1783. Two brothers， the Montgolfiers， made a very large ―hot air balloon‖. They knew that hot air rises. Why not fill a balloon with it? The balloon was made of cloth and paper. In September of that year， the King and Queen of France came to see the balloon. They watched it carry the very first air passengers into the sky. The passengers were a sheep and a chicken. We do not know how they felt about the trip. But we do know that the trip lasted eight minutes and that the animals landed safely. Two months later， two men did the same thing. They rose above Paris in a balloon of the same kind. Their trip lasted twenty-five minutes and they traveled about. In fact， the Englishman who tried to fly.

A. 　got badly wounded

B. 　 succeeded in flying

C. 　 lost his life

D. 　 flew only 8 minutes

22.The biscuit consists of many sorts of ingredients like peanuts and sesame. So it ( )delicious.

A. 　works

B. 　 takes

C. 　 tastes

D. 　 sounds

1. Passage 18 Students can travel in the United States without spending too much money if they follow these suggestions. A travel agent can give you information on special economy fares for trains， buses and planes. Think about hiking or biking for a part of your trip， too. You‘ll not only save money， but you‘ll also see a lot more of the country. Some students may want to travel by car. Be sure to think about going with other students — many colleges have ―ride boards‖ that list when and where other students plan to travel. Many radio stations provide the same sort of service — they announce who‘s driving where， when， how many riders they will take and what the expenses will be. There are many inexpensive， older hotels near bus or train stations. Check your travel guide for names of the best. Many parts of the country also have youth hostels where young people can stay for only a few dollars a night. You don‘t have to eat in restaurants all the time， but we don‘t recommend a diet of candy and cola， either. You can usually get a healthy， cheap breakfast in a restaurant. If the weather is warm， you can buy food in supermarkets or at roadside stands and have a picnic for lunch. For dinner you can get the names of good， cheap restaurants from travel guides or friends. The passage tells students( ).

A. 　how to make travel plans

B. 　how to get help while traveling

C. 　how to use less money while traveling

D. 　how to choose hotels