阅读理解

    Reading can be a social activity. Think of the people who belong to book groups. They choose books to read and then meet to discuss them. Now, the website BookCrossing.com turns the page on the traditional idea of a book group.

    Members go on the site and register the books they own and would like to share. BookCrossing provides an identification number to stick inside the book. Then the person leaves it in a public place, hoping that the book will have an adventure, traveling far and wide with each new reader who finds it.

    Bruce Pederson, the managing director of BookCrossing, says, “The two things that change your life are the people you meet and books you read. BookCrossing combines both.”

    Members leave books on park benches and buses, in train stations and coffee shops. Whoever finds their book will go to the site and record where they found it.

    People who find a book can also leave a journal entry describing what they thought of it. E-mails are then sent to the BookCrossing to keep them updated about where their books have been found. Bruce Pederson says the idea is for people not to be selfish by keeping a book to gather dust on a shelf at home.

    BookCrossing is part of a trend among people who want to get back to the “real” and not the virtual（虚拟）. The site now has more than one million members in more than one hundred thirty-five countries.

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

"Multiple measures have been taken to stop illegal use of farmland,'' a Ministry of Natural Resources official  (tell) a news conference on Monday.

Together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the ministry released two notices in July. One banned the illegal use of farmland  real estate (地产)projects and the other sought  (ensure) reasonable land use for housing construction in rural areas.

Since the release of the two notices, several regions  (raise) public awareness about the legal use of farmland through short television  (program) or online films in local dialects.

Inspections and law enforcement (执行)have also been strengthened in recent months, with satellite remote sensing being introduced.

"The central government has attached great  (important) to farmland protection, the ministry said. Those involved in the illegal use, sale and transfer of permanent farmland covering more than 0.33 hectares or ordinary farmland covering more than 0.66 hectares will be sued. Farmland in China (classify) as permanent when its use for nonagricultural purposes is banned. Ordinary farmland can be used for other purposes in certain circumstances.

China will establish  national territorial (领土的)planning system by the end of this year. It w山 be guided by three "red lines", one of  will include about 103 million hectares of permanent farmland with the aim of boosting safety, improving quality and (prevent) nonagricultural use.

She didn't fancy the idea of going home in the dark.

阅读理解

    It happens from time to time: you feel terrible when you take your first bite of a certain food, but after eating more, you find yourself enjoying it. This is what is called an acquired taste. But why do our tastes change?

    The answer, according to a recent study presented at an American Chemical Society meeting in Boston, lies in proteins in our saliva (唾液).

    Most of us tend to think saliva, almost entirely made up of water, is “only a mouth lubricant (润滑剂) helping us to swallow food,” the New York Times said. However, it also contains many proteins, which can help break food down, protect our teeth and help in tasting food.

    To explain how these proteins affect taste, a team of scientists from Purdue University in the US invited 64 volunteers to drink a bitter-tasting chocolate milk three times a day for six weeks and rated their tastes at the same time.

    According to the research, the participants found a strong bitterness on the first day, but the unpleasant flavor came to decrease as time went on and finally disappeared.

    That is not all that was changing. A noticeable increase in the levels of proline-rich (富含脯氨酸的) proteins was found in the saliva samples of the test subjects in the research period. These proteins serve to reduce the bitterness we taste and improve our adaptation to this flavor.

    “We think the body adapts to reduce the negative feeling of these bitter compounds,” said Cordelia Running, a food scientist at Purdue University. “Saliva changes flavor, which in turn changes eating choices.”

    This change in taste not only makes the food tastier, but also helps people keep an appetite for healthy food whose flavor might otherwise keep them away.

    One day, these proteins may even be extracted (提炼) and used as a separate food additive that could help people stick to healthy food whose flavor they continue to dislike, researchers told Science Alert. And according to Running, even it doesn't happen, the idea that “maybe some little piece of your body is actually trying to help you” could really benefit some people. Let's wait and see.

__________ you may have, you should gather your courage to face the challenge.

Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. maintained   B. serious      C. indications         D. figures     E. anxious F. concern     G crisis       H. decided          I. available     J. reversed

    Filmgoers should be told how many calories there are in the popcorn, ice cream and soft drinks that they buy in cinemas, according to the Food Standard Agency.

    Smaller popcorn buckets and drink cups should also be made , the nutrition inspector said.

    Tim Smith, chief executive of the agency, told The Times that cinemas should help to deal with the country's overweight .

    "There is a misbelief that popcorn is calorie-free, but that is not the case. It is a to us," he said. "Portion sizes are also a big issue, and there seems to be increasingly big packs on sale."

    He spoke as a number of food chains such as Pret A Manger, Wimpey and The Real Greekto put calorie counts on all their menus.

    A trial scheme（试行方案） with 21 food companies took place last summer, and are that consumers altered their buying habits when they realised the number of calories in a product.

    A consultation(征询意见) on the trial ends next month but Mr Smith is already planning the second drive for American-style calorie counts and is  to win support from cinemas and other entertainment places, from football grounds to concert halls.

    Governmentsuggest that two thirds of adults and a third of children are overweight. If trends are not , this could rise to almost nine in ten adults and two thirds of children by 2050, putting them at  risk of heart disease, cancer and other diseases.

假定你是新华中学的学生李华，在校报英语专栏中看到了为学校“英语文化节”招募志愿者的一则启事，你很感兴趣，决定写一封应征信。

1）表达写信意图；

2）陈述当志愿者的目的；

3）陈述自己的条件(性格、英语能力等)。

注意:

1）词数100左右，开头和结尾已给出，但不计入总词数；

2）可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Sir/Madam,

    I'm Li Hua, a student from Xinhua High School.

 

    Looking forward to your early reply if possible.

    Best wishes.

Yours truly,

Li Hua

阅读选择

Wanted, Someone for a Kiss

We're looking for producers to join us on the sound of London Kiss 100 FM. You'll work on the station's music programs. Music production experience in radio is necessary, along with rich knowledge of modern dance music. Please apply in writing to Producer Vacancies, Kiss 100.

Father Christmas

We're looking for a very special person, preferably over 40, to fill our Father Christmas suit.

Working days：Every Saturday from November 24 to December 15 and every day from December 17 to December 24 except Sundays, 10∶ 30 －16∶ 00.

Excellent pay.

Please contact the Enterprise Shopping Centre, Station Parade, Eastbourne.

Accountants Assistant

When you join the team in our Revenue Administration Unit, you will be providing assistance within all parts of the Revenue Division, dealing with post and other general duties. If you are educated to GCSE grade C level we would like to talk to you. This position is equally suitable for a school leaver or for somebody who has office experience.

Wealden District Council

Software Trainer

If you are aged 24—45 and have experience in teaching and training, you could be the person we are looking for. You should be good at the computer and have some experience in program writing. You will be allowed to make your own decisions, and to design courses as well as present them. Pay upwards of ￡15, 000 for the right person. Please apply by sending your CV (简历) to Mrs. R. Oglivie, Palmlace Limited.

任务型阅读

Fireworks are one of many Americans' favorites. While it's safer to leave the show to the professionals and attend a public display, many people also love to shoot off their own.  Fireworks can cause serious burns and injuries, even death. It's extremely important that you do everything you can to deal with fireworks safely.

The first step to keep yourself safe is to obey all local fireworks laws. States determine what's legal for you to use. In four states，consumer fireworks are completely illegal. It can even vary by county or municipality (市).

Next, know your fireworks. Only buy fireworks from licensed dealers. When buying fireworks, read the instructions carefully so you know what each firework will do. Some, like fountains, sit on the ground and shoot sparks into the air. These are less predictable and more likely to function improperly.

Once it's time to set off the fireworks，follow these steps to stay safe: Never give fireworks to children. Always have a responsible adult keep an eye on activities. Light fireworks in a clear outdoor area. Never relight a firework that does off. After fireworks are done burning, doucs(浸) them in water.

Remember your pets. They're often afraid of the noises fireworks make. Don't take your pets to a fireworks display. This includes small displays or neighborhood gatherings.  If it gets scared and runs off during a fireworks display, it will be easier to find with them.

A. Start off by knowing your local rules.

B. But shooting them off is a risky activity.

C. Put your pet in a room away from windows.

D. Others are held in the hand and shoot flaming balls.

E. Dispose of them in a metal dustbin to prevent a fire.

F. Make sure your pet wears identification tags (标签).

G. Light fireworks away from trees, buildings, or vehicles.

I wonder how it（发生） that she was two hours late on such a short trip.

课文语法填空

Macquarie Island was a beautiful place  its native inhabitants, including royal (penguin), king penguins, and elephant seals, existed  harmony with their natural habitat for thousands of years. However, in 1810, humans (arrive) on the island with rats and mice. They quickly took over the island, eating birds' eggs and (attack) baby birds. Cats (bring) to control the rats and mice, but they also liked eating birds. Meanwhile, rabbits were introduced to the island but the exploding rabbit population provided food for cats, meaning that the number of cats also increased (rapid). This in turn led to more cats hunting birds. The end result was that parakeets, once large in number and native to the island, died in 1891.

A virus (release) onto the island caused rabbits to decrease, but the cats, without enough rabbits to eat, killed native birds for food. Although all the cats were caught in 2000, rats and mice exploded once again. Besides, the rabbits' (dig) caused some land to collapse and killed many penguins.

A programme was started to tackle this problem. This intervention is a long process, but we humans owe it to the island to give it a happy ending.

It was his poor English language skills that put him at a d in this job interview.

All the players went all out to (打败) the Brazil Volleyball Team.