Passage One

Ann Curry is a famous news presenter of the NBC News "Today" show. When she was 15 she happened to walk into a bookstore in her hometown and began looking at the books on the shelves.The man behind the counter, Mac McCarley, asked if she'd like a job. She needed to start saving for college, so she said yes.

Ann worked after school and during summer vacations , and the job helped pay for her first year of college. During college she would do many other jobs: she served coffee in the student’ union,was a hotel maid and even made maps for the US Forest Service. But selling books was one of the most satisfying jobs.

One day a woman came into the bookstore and asked Ann for books on cancer(癌症). The woman seemed anxious. Ann showed her practically everything they had and found other books they could order. The woman left the store less worried, and Ann has always remembered the pride she felt in having helped her customer.

Years later, as a television reporter in Los Angeles, Ann heard about a child who was born with problems with his fingers and his hand. His family could not afford a surgical(外科的) operation, and the boy lived in shame, hiding his hand in his pocket all the time.

Ann persuaded her boss to let her do the story. After the story was broadcast, a doctor and a nurse called. offering to perform the surgical operation for free.

Ann visited the boy in the recovery room after the operation. The first thing he did was to hold up his repaired hand and say, "Thank you." What a sweet sense of satisfaction Ann Curry felt !

At McCarley's bookstore, Ann always sensed she was working for the customers, not the store. Today it's the same. NBC News pays her, but she feels as if she works for the people who watch the programs, helping them make sense of the world.

Passage Two

Lawn tennis is a good sport, being based on the ancient game of court tennis , which probably came up in Egypt or Persia some 2, 500 years ago. Major Walter Wingfield thought that something like court tennis could be played outdoors on lawns, and in December 1873, he introduced his new game, which he called Sphairistike, at a lawn party in Wales. The sport became popular very rapidly, but the strange, difficult name disappeared almost at once, being replaced by the very simple and logical term "lawn tennis".

By 1874 the game was being played by British soldiers in Bermuda, and in the early months of that year a young lady named Mary Outerbridge returned from Bermuda to New York, bringing with her the equipment necessary to play the new game. With the help of one of her brothers, she laid out a court on the grounds of the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, and there, in the spring of 1874, Miss Outerbridge and some of her friends played the first game of lawn tennis in the United States.

And just two years later, in 1876, the first United States lawn tennis tournament(锦标赛) was held-at Nahant near Boston.

Passage Three

There is no creature that does not need sleep or complete rest every day.

If you want to know why, just try going without sleep for a long period of time. You will discover that your mind and body would become too tired to work properly. You would become irritable and find it hard to think clearly or concentrate on your work. So sleep is quite simply the time when the cells of your body recover from the work of the day and build up supplies of energy for the next period of activity.

One of the things we all know about sleep is that we are unconscious in sleep. We do not know what is going on around us. But that doesn't mean the body stops all activity. The important organs continue to work during sleep, but most of the body functions are slowed down.

For example, our breathing becomes slower and deeper. The heart beats more slowly, and the blood pressure is lower. Our arms and legs become limp(柔软的) and muscles are at rest. It would be impossible for our body to relax to such an extent if we were awake. So sleep does for us what the most quiet rest can not do.

Your body temperature becomes lower when you are asleep, which is the reason people go to sleep under some kind of covers. And even though you are unconscious , many of your reflexes(反射动作) still work. For instance, if someone tickles(使觉得痒) your foot, you will put it away in your sleep, or even brush a fly from your forehead. You do these things without knowing it.

Passage Four

The first European stock exchange was established in Antwerp, Belgium(比利时) , in 1531. There were no stock exchanges in England until the 1700's. A man wishing to buy or sell shares of stock had to find a broker( agents) to transact his business for him. In London, he usually went to a coffee house, because brokers often gathered there. In 1773 , the brokers of London formed a stock exchange .

In New York City, brokers met under an old button-wood tree on Wall Street. They organized the New York Stock Exchange in 1792. The American Stock Exchange, the second largest in the United States, was formerly called the Curb Exchange because of its origin on the streets of New York City.

A stock exchange is a market place where member brokers buy and sell stocks and bonds and bonds(债券) of American and foreign businesses on behalf of the public. A stock exchange provides a market place for stocks and bonds in the same way a board of trade does for commodities. The stockbrokers receive a small commission on each transaction they make.

The stockholder may sell his stock wherever he wants to unless the corporation has some special rule to prevent it. Prices of stock change according to general business conditions and the earnings and future prospects(前景) of the company. If the business is doing well, the stockholder may be able to sell his stock for a profit. If it is not, he may have to take a loss.

Passage Five

Tom had once worked in a city office in London, but now he is out of work. He had a large family to support, so he often found himself in difficulty. He often visited Mr. White on Sundays, told him about his troubles, and asked for two or three pounds.

Mr.White, a man with a kind heart, found it difficult to refuse the money, though he himself was poor. Tom had already received more than thirty pounds from Mr. White, but he always seemed to be in need of some more.

One day, after telling Mr.White a long story of his troubles, Tom asked for five pounds.

Mr.White had heard this sort of thing before, but he listened patiently to the end. Then he said, "I understand your difficulties, Tom. I' d like to help you. But I' m not going to give you five pounds this time. I'll lend you the money, and you can pay me off next time you see me."

Tom took the money, but he never appeared again.

Passage One

Can animals be made to work for us? Some scientists think that one day animals may be trained to do a number of simple jobs that are now done by human beings.

They point out that at a circus，for example，we may see elephants，monkeys，dogs and other animals doing quite skillful things.Perhaps you have seen them on the television or in a film. If you watch closely，you may notice that the trainer always gives the animal a piece of candy or a piece of fruit as a reward. The scientists say that many different animals may be trained to do a number of simple jobs if they know they will get a reward for doing them.

Of course, as we know, dogs can be used to guard a house，and soldiers in both old and modern times have used geese to give warning by making a lot of noise when a stranger or an enemy comes near. But it may be possible to train animals to work in factories. In Russia, for example, pigeons which are birds with good eyesight，are being used to watch out for faults in small steel balls that are being made in one factory. When the pigeon sees a ball which looks different from others ，it touches a steel plate with its beak.This turns on a light to warn people in the factory.At the same time a few seeds are given as a reward. It takes three to five weeks to train a pigeon to do this and one pigeon can inspect 3 000 to 4 000 balls an hour.

Apes have been used in America in helping to make cars，and scientists believe that these large monkeys may be one day gather crops and even drive trains.

Passage Two

Hair loss is one of those things we still do not understand.Science has, of course, shown that men are more likely than women to suffer major hair loss.Some kinds of hair loss are temporary(暂时的),an effect of illness.In those cases we can expect the hair to grow back.

It all depends on whether the hair root is alive. If it is not, hair loss is permanent and nothing will help.

Some daily loss of hair is a normal, healthy sign.Most people lose between 40 to 50 scalp hairs each day.

Each of these scalp hairs grows for from two to six years and then rests. About three months later it is pushed out by a new hair growing from the same root.

This is not something that should cause great concern.

Something else we know is that normal hair loss is seasonal, with the most hair loss occur-ring in the fall. Everyone experiences a normal cycle of loss and growth.

The problem of hair loss results when loss is greater than growth.

The main cause of hair loss in men seems to be accumulation(积累) of a hormone(荷尔蒙) in the body. When that hormone reaches a certain level, the hair growing period is shortened and hair loss is the result. This is no cure for most cases of hair loss. This, however, is not the end of the world.

Passage Three

Jimmy was five years old and his brother , Billy, was only a baby.One morning his mother waited for an important telephone call for hours , but nobody called. There was no bread in the house and she had to go out to buy some. Jimmy stayed at home to look after the baby. When the mother was out, the telephone rang and Jimmy answered.

Mr. Baker : "Hello! May I speak to Mrs.White?" Jimmy : "Sorry , Mother is out."

Mr. Baker : "Well , when she comes back , say to her , 'Mr.Baker called.'"Jimmy : " What?"

Mr. Baker : "Mr. Baker. Write it down. B-A-K-E-R." Jimmy : "How do you write B?"

Mr. Baker: "How do I write ...? Listen , little boy , is there anybody else with you? Any brothers or sisters?"

Jimmy : "Yes,my brother Billy is here."

Mr. Baker : "Good. I want to talk to him , please."

Jimmy : All right.

Then Jimmy took the telephone to the baby's bed and put it beside its head.Not long after that his mother came back.

Mother : "Did anybody call?"

Jimmy : "Yes, a man called. But he only wanted to talk to Billy."

Passage Four

Uncle Sam is a tall , thin man. He's an elder man with white hair and a white beard. He often wears a tall hat , a bow tie，and the stars and stripes of the American flag.

Who is this strange-looking man? Would you believe that Uncle Sam is the US government? But why do you call the US government Uncle Sam?

During the War of 1812, the US government hired meat packers to provide meat to the army. One of these meat packers was a man named Samuel Wilson.Samuel was a friendly and fair man. Everyone liked him and called him Uncle Sam.

Sam Wilson stamped the boxes of meat for the army with a large US for United States. Some government inspectors came to look over Sam 's company. They asked a worker what the US on the boxes stood for. As a joke , the worker answered that these letters stood for the name of his boss, Uncle Sam.

The joke spread, and soldiers began saying that their food came from Uncle Sam. Before long , people called all things that came from the government "Uncle Sam's", "Uncle Sam" became a nickname for the US government.

Soon there were drawings and cartoons of Uncle Sam in newspapers. In these early pictures, Uncle Sam was a young man. He wore stars and stripes, but his hair was dark and he had not a beard. The beard was added when Abraham Lincoln was President. President Lincoln had a beard.

The most famous picture of Uncle Sam is on a poster from World War I. The government needed men to fight in the war. In the poster , a very serious Uncle Sam points his finger and says "I want YOU for the US Army."

Passage Five

Anyone who has ever attended a university knows that the quality of lecturers varies greatly. A few are very effective communicators, conveying the substance of their lectures clearly and interestingly and inspiring students to want to know more about the subject. Others produce dull lectures from which the students learn little and which are likely to kill any interest they may have in the subject. Lecturing is a major part of a university lecturer's job and it would seem reasonable that effectiveness in this task should be a major standard in assessing a lecturer for promotion. However, it is very often the case that far more weight is given to such factors as participation in research, number of publications and even performance of administrative duties.My point of view is that a lecturer's lecturing should be regularly evaluated and that the best people to carry out this evaluation are those directly on the receiving end.

It could, of course, be argued that students are not competent to evaluate the academic quality of lectures. If anyone should evaluate lecturers, it should be their colleagues. However, I am not arguing that students should be asked to comment on the academic content of lectures, but to evaluate the effectiveness.

I suspect that many of the objections to student evaluation stem from the fear some lecturers have of being subject to criticism by their students. However, lecturers should see such evaluation as an opportunity to become aware of defects in their lecturing techniques and thus to become better lecturers. Such a system should benefit both students and lecturers as well as help department heads to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching staff.

Passage One

Train companies in Tokyo are taking action to reduce the number of people jumping in front of trains. They are fitting blue lights on station platforms to try and create a more calming atmosphere. The East Japan Railway Company has invested almost $ 170,000 to install the lights in all of the 29 stations on the capital's busy Yamanote Line.There has been an alarming rise in the number of people committing suicide at train stations.A total of 68 people threw themselves under trains in the year up to March. This compares with 42 suicides in the same period a year earlier. In 2008 , Japan had nearly 2 ,000 suicides by jumping in front of a train;around six percent of all suicides nationwide. Suicides have risen sharply in the past decade due to poor economic conditions.

No one knows if the blue lights will work. There is no evidence to show that blue light reduces suicidal feelings. Keihan Railway spokesman Osamu Okawa stated:“We thought we had to do something to save lives. We know there is no scientific proof that blue lights deter suicides, but if blue has a soothing effect on the mind ,we want to try it to save lives.”The Associated Press news agency reports on a Japanese therapist called Mizuki Takahashi.She explained her reasons why the blue lights might be a good idea:“We associate the color with the sky and the sea. It has a calming effect on agitated people，or people obsessed with one particular thing, which in this case is committing suicide,”she said.Other companies are watching this experiment with interest.

Passage Two

On the morning of November 18,1755,an earthquake shook Boston, Massachusetts. John Winthrop, a professor at Harvard College, felt the quake and awoke. "I rose," Winthrop wrote，"and lighting a candle, looked on my watch，and found it was 15 minutes after four." John Winthrop went downstairs to the grandfather clock. It had stopped four minutes before, at4:11. Except for stopping the clock, the quake had only thrown a key from the mantel(壁炉台) to the floor.

The clock had stopped because Winthrop had put some long glass tubes he was using for an experiment into the case for care.The quake had knocked the tubes over and blocked the pendulum(钟摆). Winthrop, therefore, had the exact time that the earthquake had hit Boston. He looked at the key on the floor. The quake had thrown it forward in the direction of the quake's motion(运动) by a shock coming from the northwest, perhaps in Canada.

Passage Three

The first true piece of sports equipment that man invented was the ball.

In ancient Egypt, as everywhere, pitching stones was a favorite children's game.But a badly thrown rock could hurt a child. Looking for something less dangerous to throw, the Egyptians made what were probably the first balls.

At first, balls were made of grass or leaves held together by vines. Later they were made of piece of animal skin sewed together and stuffed with feathers or hay.

Even though the Egyptians were warlike, they found time for peaceful games.Before long they had developed a number of ball games , each with its own set of rules.Perhaps they played ball more for instruction than for fun. Ball playing was thought of mainly as a way to teach young men the speed and skill they would need for war.

Passage Four

The cowboy is the hero of many movies. He is, even today, a symbol of courage and ad-venture. But what was the life of the cowboy really like?

The cowboy's job is clear from the word "cowboy". Cowboys were men who took care of cows and other cattle. The cattle were in the West and in Texas. People in the cities of the East wanted beef from these cattle. Trains could take the cattle east. But first the cattle had to get to the trains.Part of the cowboy's job was to take the cattle hundreds of miles to the rail road towns.

The trips were called cattle drives. A cattle drive usually took several months. Cowboys rode for sixteen hours a day. Because they rode so much, each cowboy brought along about eight horses. A cowboy changed horses several times each day.

The cowboys had to make sure that the cattle arrived safely. Before starting on a drive, the cowboys branded the cattle. They burned a mark on the cattle to show who they belonged to. But these marks didn't stop rustlers, or cattle thieves.Cowboys had to protect the cattle from rustlers. Rustlers made the dangerous trip even more dangerous.

Even though their work was very difficult and dangerous, cowboys did not earn much money. They were paid bally. Yet cowboys liked their way of life. They lived in a wild and open country. They lived a life of adventure and freedom.

Passage Five

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made.Al-though we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not a nearly reader and I could not do mental arithmetic.

Before World War I we spent our summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys. Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects.

l am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm had led me into varied investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people's observations and discoveries. Then something hap-pens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers, and books, which some might honour with the title of scientific research.

But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack. A scientist requires not only self-discipline but hard training, determination and a goal. A scientist, up to a point, can be made. A naturalist is born. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.

Passage One

Oceanography has been defined as "The application of all sciences to the study of the sea".

Before the nineteenth century scientists with an interest in the sea were few and far be-tween.Certainly Newton considered some theoretical aspects of it in his writings, but he was reluctant to go to sea to further his work.

For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface.The first time that the question "What is at the bottom of the oceans?" had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineer had to know the depth profile(起伏形状) of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured.

It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned , in 1853 , for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings(测水深) were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea.

The cable was laid, but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable.At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in deeper parts of the sea.

Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition(考察), which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.

Passage Two

BEIJING(Associated Press)—China has a growing middle class, a tradition(传统)of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.

While China may be the world's biggest toy-maker, much of the best is exported(出口).Department stores here do not have enough high-quality toys. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.

A US company, Baby Care, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China. Baby Care works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company's "mother's club" get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost—if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company's educational toys and childcare books.

"We want to build a seven-year relationship with those people," said Matthew J. Estes, Baby Care's president. "It starts during pregnancy(孕期), when the anxiety and needs are highest." BabyCare works on a one-to-one basis. Doctors, nurses, and teachers (paid by BabyCare) advise parents, explaining toys that are designed for children at each stage(阶段) of development to age six.

BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.

Passage Three

The small number of newborn babies, which has been caused by high price and the changing social situation of women, is one of the most serious problems in Asia. When people talk about it, you can hear a word invented in Japan , "DINKS", which means Double Income No Kids.

In many major Asian cities like Seoul, Singapore, and Tokyo, the cost of a house is extremely high. A young couple who want to buy their own house may have to pay about $ 300,000( though prices have fallen ). For a flat with one bedroom, one dining-room, a kitchen ,and a bathroom, the couple will pay about $ 900 a month. What's more, if they want to have a child, the child's education is very expensive.For example, most kindergarten charges at least $ 5 ,000 a year. In such a situation, it's difficult to afford children.

The number of married women who want to continue working increases rapidly because they enjoy their jobs. However, if they want to have children, they immediately have serious problems.Though most companies allow women to leave their job for a short time to have a baby, they expect women with babies to gave up their jobs. In short, if they want to bring up children properly, both parents have to work, but it is hard for mothers to work. Indeed,women who want to continue working have to choose between having children or keeping their jobs.

In a word, Asian governments must take steps to improve the present situation as soon as possible.

Passage Four

Every morning, kids from a local high school are working hard. They are making and selling special coffee at a coffee cafe. They are also making a lot of money.

These students can make up to twelve hundred dollars a day. They are selling their special coffee to airplane passengers. After the students get paid, the rest of the money goes to helping a local youth project.

These high school students use a space in the Oakland airport. It is usually very crowded.Many people who fly on the planes like to drink the special coffee.

One customer thinks that the coffee costs a lot but it is good and worth it. Most customers are pleasant but some are unhappy. They do not like it if the cafe is not open for business.

The students earn $ 6.10 an hour plus tips.They also get school credit while they learn how to run a business. Many of the students enjoy the work although it took some time to learn how to do it.

They have to learn how to steam milk, load the pots, and add flavor. It takes some skill and sometimes mistakes are made. The most common mistake is forgetting to add the coffee.

Passage Five

As my train wasn't due to leave for another hour, I had plenty of time to spare. After buying some newspapers to read on the journey, I made my way to the luggage office to collect the heavy suitcase I had left there three days before. There were only a few people waiting, and I took out my wallet to find the receipt for my case. The receipt didn't seem to be where l had left it. l emptied the contents of the wallet, and railway-tickets, money, scraps of paper, and photographs fell out of it; but no matter how hard I searched, the receipt was nowhere to be found.

When my turn came, I explained the situation sorrowfully to the assistant. The man looked at me suspiciously as if to say that he had heard this type of story many times and asked me to describe the case. l told him that it was an old, brown-looking object, no different from the many cases I could see on the shelves. The assistant then gave me a form and told me to make a list of the chief contents of the case. If they were correct, he said, I could take the case away. I tried to remember all the articles I had hurriedly packed and wrote them down as they came to me.

After I had done this, I went to look among the shelves. There were hundreds of cases there and for one dreadful moment, it occurred to me that if someone had picked the receipt up, he could have easily claimed the case already. This hadn't happened fortunately, for after a time I found the case lying on its side high up in a corner. After examining the articles in-side, the assistant was soon satisfied that it was mine and told me l could take the case away. Again I took out my wallet: this time to pay. I pulled out ten-shilling note and the "lost" receipt slipped out with it. I couldn't help blushing and looked up at the assistant. He was nodding his head knowingly, as if to say that he had often seen this happen before too!

Passage One

Valencia is in the east part of Spain. It has a port on the sea, two miles away from the coast. It is the capital of a province that is also named Valencia.

The city is a market center for what is produced by the land around the city. Most of the city's money is made from farming. It is also a busy business city, with ships, railways clothes and machine factories.

Valencia has an old part with white buildings, colored roofs, and narrow streets. The modern part has long, wide streets and new buildings. Valencia is well known for its parks and gardens. It has many old churches and museums. The University in the center of the city was built in the 13th century.

The city of Valencia has been known since the 2nd century. In the 8th century it was the capital of Spain. There is also an important city in Venezuela(委内瑞拉)named Valencia.

Passage Two

At the University of Kansas art museum, scientists tested the effect of different colored walls on two groups of visitors to an exhibit of paintings.

For the first group the room was painted white; for the second, dark brown. Movement of each group was followed by an electrical equipment under the carpet.

The experiment showed that those who entered the dark brown walked more quickly, covered more area, and spent less time in the room than people in the white one. Dark brown made people more active, but the activity ended sooner.

Not only the choice of colors but also the general appearance of a room affects those inside. Another experiment presented people with photographs of faces whose energy was to be commented. Three groups of people were used; each was shown the same photos，but two of the groups were in an ordinary room--a nice office. The third was in a tastefully designed living room with carpeting.

Results showed that the people in the beautiful room tend to give higher marks to the faces than those in the ugly room did. Other studies that students do better on tests taken in comfortable room than in ordinary-looking or ugly rooms.

Passage Three

If women are mercilessly exploited(剥削)year after year, they are only themselves to blame.Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe(衣柜)packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.

Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have.Skirts are lengthened or shortened ;necklines are lowered or raised, and so on.

No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability(耐用) . They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.

When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashion of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be treated by fashion designers; Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and feasibility? That's for you to decide.

Passage Four

Climate, more than any other single factor, determines the distribution of life on earth. Climatic boundaries establish the limits which organisms can survive. Plants, even more than animals, must be well adapted to climate in order to survive. They cannot move about or take shelter but must be equipped to endure whatever weather conditions are likely to occur. In the harsh conditions of the tundra, for example, low growing mosses, lichens, and a few flowering plants all hug the ground for shelter from icy winds.

Animals, despite their ability to move about and find shelter, are just as much influenced by climate as plants are. Creatures such as the camel and the penguin are so highly specialized that they have an extremely limited distribution. Others, such as bears are flexible enough to adapt to a broad range of climates. Ocean-dwelling organisms are just as sensitive to climatic changes—in this case temperature and salinity—as land animals. Reef corals can survive only in clear warm seawater. Certain foraminifers are so sensitive to changes in their environment that their presence can be taken as an index of sea temperature. Human beings are among the least specialized of all animals and can live almost anywhere. Their clothes and their homes act as a sort of "miniature climate" that can be taken with them everywhere.

Passage Five

Exercise, everyone advises! But immediately, when you try, you run into trouble. There is so much contradictory, sometimes in correct advice about exercising that become confused. Test yourself on the following true-false quiz. It tell you what you need to know.

1. To lose weight you should always "work up a good sweat" when exercising.

False. Sweating only lowers body temperature to prevent overheating; it does not help you reduce weight. You may weigh less immediately after a workout, but this is due to water loss. Once you replace the liquid, you replace the weight.

2. You burn more calories jogging one mile than walking the same distance.

False. You use, the same amount of energy whether you walk or jog the mile, since in both cases you are moving the same weight the same distance. The speed doesn't matter. Of course, if you jog rather than walk for 30 minutes, you'll cover more distance, and therefore burn more calories.

3. If your breathing doesn't return to normal within minutes after you finish exercising, you've exercised too much.

True. Five minutes or so after exercising, your breathing should be normal, your heart shouldn't pounding, and you shouldn't exhausted. Beneficial exercise is not too difficult, unpleasant, and exhausting; it is enjoyable and refreshing.

4. Walking is one of the best exercises.

True. Walking helps circulation of blood throughout the body, and thus has a direct effect on your overall feeling of health.

Passage One

Every year just after Christmas the January Sales start. All the shops reduce their prices and for two weeks ，there are full of people looking for bargains.My husband and I do not normally go to the sales as we don't like crowds and in any case are short of money as we have to buy lots of Christmas presents.

Last year，however , I took my husband with me to the sales at the large shop in the center of London. We both needed some new clothes and were hoping to find a television set. When we got to Oxford Street, it was so crowded that we decided to split up and meet again at the underground station. So I left my husband and started looking around the shops. Unfortunately all the clothes were in very large sizes and so were not suitable for me. But I did buy a television at a very cheap price, so I felt quite pleased with myself.

When I arrived at the station, my husband was not there. So I sat down in a nearby cafe to have a cup of tea. l quickly finished my tea when I saw my husband and went out to meet him. He looked very happy. Then I saw he was carrying a large and heavy cardboard box. "Oh ,dear !" I thought. Yes, we had no new clothes but two television. We shall not be going to the sales again.

Passage Two

There are many commonly held beliefs about eyeglasses and eyesight that are not proven facts. For instance, some people believe that wearing glasses too soon weakens the eyes. But there is no evidence to show that the structure of eyes is changed by wearing glasses at a young age. Wearing the wrong glasses, however, can prove harmful. Studies show that for adults there is no danger, but children can develop loss of vision if they have the wrong glasses. We have all heard some of the common myths about how eyesight get bad. Most people believe that reading in dim light causes poor eyesight, but that is unique. Too little light makes the eyes work harder, so they do get tired and strained. Eyestrain also results from reading a lot, reading in bet, and watching too much television. But although eyestrain may cause some pain or headaches, it does not permanently damage eyesight.

Another myth about eyes is that they can be replaced, or transferred from one person to another. There are close to one million nerve fibers that connect the eyeball to brain, and as if yet it is impossible to attach them all in a new person. Only certain parts of the eye—the cornea and the retina—can be replaced. But if we keep clearing up the myths and learning more about the eyes, someday a full transplant may be possible!

Passage Three

All the housewives who went to the new supermarket had one great ambition: to be the lucky customer who did not have to pay for her shopping. For this was what the notice just in-side the entrance promised. It said: "Remember, once a week ,one of our customers get free goods. This May Be Your Lucky Day !"

For several weeks Mrs.Edwards hoped, like many of her friends, to be the lucky custom-er. Unlike her friends, she never gave up hoping. The cupboards in kitchen were full of things which she did not need. Her husband tried to advise her against buying things but failed. She dreamed of the day when the manager of the supermarket would approach her and say, "Madam, this is Your Lucky Day. Everything in your basket is free!"

One Friday morning, after she had finished her shopping and had taken it to her car, she found that she had forgotten to buy any tea. She dashed back to the supermarket, got the tea and went towards the cash-desk. As she did so, she saw the manager of the supermarket approach her. "Madam," he said, holding out his hand, "I want to congratulate you! You are our lucky customer of this week and everything you have in your basket is free!"

Passage Four

During the summer session there will be a revised schedule of services for the university community. Specific changes for intercampus bus services, the cafeteria, and summer hours for the infirmary(医务室) and recreational and athletic facilities will be posted on the bulletin board outside of the cafeteria. Weekly movie and concert schedules which are in the process of being arranged will be posted each Wednesday outside of the cafeteria.

Intercampus buses will leave the main hall every hour on the half hour and make all of the regular stops on their route around the campus. The cafeteria will serve breakfast, lunch, and early dinner from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during the week and from noon to 7 p.m. on weekends. The library will maintain regular hours during the week, but shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend hours are from noon to 7 p.m..

All students who want to use the library borrowing services and the recreational, athletic, and entertainment facilities must have valid summer identification cards. This announcement will also appear in the next issue of the student newspaper.

Passage Five

Table top magic requires no secret formula. Even the simplest meal will be received with enthusiasm if the table accessories are creative and colorful. No matter what type of dinner ware you own, you can enhance its beauty with a variety of attractive table linens.

When selecting a supply of tablecloths, place mats and napkins, choose easy-care or permanent press fabrics because these fabrics will reduce your workload when washday rolls around. Another consideration is the suitability of your linens for your dining style or the types of entertaining you do. The shape of your table will also dictate the kind of tablecloth you purchase. Circular or rounded tables look best covered with round or oval tablecloths. Square-cornered tables require squares or rectangles.

Finally, your table linens should complement your dinnerware. An elegant table setting requires an elegant tablecloth. A setting of stoneware looks best with heavy of colorful fabrics.

But sure to take all the necessary measurements before you start shopping for fabric of your choice. It could be embarrassing if your tablecloths are not long enough to cover the tables. It is equally distressing if your tablecloth is so long that your guests have to watch where they walk.