Passage Three

　　Eating an apple a day doesn' t keep the doctor away, but it does reduce the amount of trips you make to the drug store per year. That ' s according to a new study that investigates whether there' s any truth in the old saying.

　　A team of researchers led by Dr Matthew Davis, of the University of Michigan School of Nursing,asked 8,399 participants to answer survey questions about diet and health. A total of 753 were apple eaters, consuming at least 149g of raw apple per day. The remaining 7,646 were classed as non-apple eaters. When both groups answered questions on trips to the doctor and trips to the drug store per year,the apple eaters were found to be 27% less likely to visit the druggist for drugs.

　　Trips to the doctor were not significantly affected by apple consumption, though. "Evidence does not support that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. However, the small number of US adults who eat an apple a day does appear to use fewer prescription medications," the study concludes.

　　Apple eaters were also found to be less likely to smoke and be more likely to have a higher educational attainment than non-apple eaters. While apples do not compete with oranges, they docontain some immune (免疫的) system-increasing vitamin C, which may be why apple-eaters visit the druggist less. With over 8mg of vitamin C per medium-sized fruit, an apple can provide roughly 14% your daily recommended intake.

　　Previous studies have also linked apple consumption to a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes (二型糖尿病) ,improved lung function and a lower risk of colon (结肠) cancer.

　　44. How many non-apple eaters answered survey questions in the research?

　　A. 149.

　　B. 7,646.

　　C. 753.

　　D. 8,399.

　　45. What is the conclusion of the study?

　　A. Apple consumption has greatly reduced US adults' trips to the doctor.

　　B. An apple a day does keep the doctor away.

　　C. Apples are far more nutritious than oranges.

　　D. A small number of US adult apple eaters tend to take less medicine.

　　46. What can we learn from the passage?

　　A. Apples are better than oranges.

　　B. Apples do have some vitamin C to increase the immune system.

　　C. Apples can help cure certain diseases.

　　D. Apples can provide people with sufficient daily intake of energy.

　　47. What can be described as the writing style of this passage?

　　A. Objective.

　　B. Creative.

　　C.subjective

　　D.persuasive

　　Passage Four

　　Sometimes I scratch my head when I read about the government' s efforts to improve schools:new standards and tests to be applied, strict teacher evaluations, and threats of school closures and job losses. They frighten the school employees, not to mention the students. Instead of making people unable to solve problems or try new ideas--which is what fear does to us--research on school reform strongly suggests that policy-makers should encourage school leaders to take a more humane approach. In their study on the reform efforts of twelve Chicago public schools, Bryk and Schneider found that enabling positive social relationships between the adults was the key to successful school improvement and that trust was at the heart of those relationships.

　　Trust in schools comes down to one thing:psychological safety or safety to speak one's mind,to discuss with openness and honesty what is and isn' t working,to make collective decisions.

　　Yet this kind of safety doesn' t come easily to schools. According to Bryk and Schneider, the adults in school rely on each other to do their jobs correctly and with integrity (正直). The challeage is that our expectations are very diverse based on our unique backgrounds.

　　At one school where I taught, each teacher had different expectations about how much effort teachers should put into their work--a big difference between the teachers who left af~the last bell and those who worked into the evening. And when expectations are uncoasci or unspoken, it becomes impossible for others to live up to them.

　　We also make assumptions about the intentions behind a person' s behavior. As we all Imam,assumptions are often wrong. For example, parents and teachers my think the principal taml particular decision based on his career advancement rather than hat" s best for the studeata. don't feel psychologically safe to question our assumptions and e~aecmtiatm, trust itiea am the window and our relationships suffer.

　　48. According to Paragraph 1,why does the author scratch his head?

　　A. Because he doesn' t know what to do once schools are closed.

　　B. Because he is not sure about the practicability of those new tests.

　　C. Because he is concerned that many teachers will lose their jobs.

　　D. Because he is not in favor of the government' s reform efforts.

　　49. According to Bryk and Schneider, what was most important for successful school improvemt?

　　A. New standards and tests in schools.

　　B. Positive social relationships.

　　C. Strict teacher and student evaluations.

　　D. Assistance of the government.

　　50. What is meant by trust in school?

　　A. Freedom to express one' s views,

　　B. Extra effort teachers put into their work.

　　C. Independence of the teachers in schools.

　　D. Unconscious and unspoken expectations.

　　51. What does the author say about the assumptions made about the intentions behind a person's behavior?

　　A. They should be trusted.

　　B. They are often bold.

　　C. They are often incorrect.

　　D. They should be encouraged.

　　Passage Five

　　An interesting project called Blue Zones is recording the lifestyle secrets of the communities with the highest, hest concentrations of centenarians in the world.

　　The people in the five regions in Europe, Latin America,Asia and the US that live to be 100 have a lot going for them. Genes probably play a small role, but these folks also have strong social ties ,tightly-knit families and lots of opportunities to exercise.

　　As we were examining the dietary secrets of the Blue Zones, as described in author Dan Buettner" s latest book, The Blue Zones Solution, we were struck by how essential tea drinking is in these regions. In fact, Buettner' s Blue Zones Beverage Rule--a kind of guideline summarized from his 15 or so years of studying these places--is:" Drink coffee for breakfast, tea in the afternoon, wine at 5 p. tm"

　　Science has plenty to say about the healthful virtues of green tea. Researchers are most enthusi- astic almt the components in green tea, as well as foods like cocoa. Why might they help so many Okina~vans in Japan break 1007 Some components in green tea can lower the risk of stroke,heart disease attd several cancers. One review study also found that drinking green tea can slightly improve metabolism (新陈代谢).

　　If you find yourself on the island of Ikaria, the Greek Blue Zone in the middle of the Aegean, you won't be offered any tea made with tea leaves. Instead, Ikarians typically make their daily cup of tea with just one fresh herb that they have picked themselves that day--either rosemary, wild sage,oregano,nmrjotmn,mint or dandelion,all plants that may have anti-inflammatory (消炎的) properties,

　　which may help lower blood pressure. This could explain Ikaria' s very low dementia (痴呆) rate,since high blood pressure is a risk factor for the disease.

　　52. What does the underlined word "centenarians" in Paragraph 1 refer to?

　　A. People who have secret lifestyles.

　　B. People who enjoy physical exercise.

　　C. People who are one hundred years old or older.

　　D. People who carry the gene for being slim.

　　53. According to Paragraph 3 ,what is the recommended time for tea drinking?

　　A. In the morning. B. Any time of a day.

　　C. In the early evening. D. In the afternoon.

　　54. What may the tea Ikarians drink daily help?

　　A. To improve metabolism. B. To lower blood pressure.

　　C. To lower life stress. D. To improve social relationships.

　　55. What might be the best title of the passage?

　　A. Tea-Drinking Tips B. Lifestyle Secrets of Ikarians

　　C. Tea-Drinking Ceremony in Okinawa D. Blue Zones Solutions