He made a lot of scientific discoveries that he shared with the world, p ______ in the field of astronomy. 

A yoga master made a shocking statement that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life．Lincoln delivered a proclamation setting up Thanksgiving as an American holiday in 1863．Research throws light on a possible Hindu （印度的）origin for the American celebration of Thanksgiving．

"The holiday of Thanksgiving has a Hindu origin," says Richard Salva, author of a book on the reincarnation （转世）of Abraham Lincoln entitled Soul Journey ： From Lincoln to Lindbergh which is based on a statement by the great master of yoga, Paramhamsa Yogananda， who declared that Abraham Lincoln had been a Himalayan yogi in a past life, and that he was reborn as the famous pilot, Charles Lindbergh．

“During my search for signs of a past-life yoga practice,” SaIva said, “I noticed that President Lincoln repeatedly chose Thursdays as national days of prayer, fasting （禁食），and thanksgiving．This was interesting, because Thursday is considered a holy day — a day for prayer, fasting, and spiritual reflection — among Hindus, who call it‘guru day’．”

“ Lincoln also set aside time on Thursdays to grieve for his son，Willie, who died in Washington．Clearly, Thursdays had a spiritual significance in Lincoln's mind．”

In his book, Richard Salva presents more than 500 connections between Lincoln_, Lindergh, and the ancient spiritual science of yoga．The connections run through every aspect of the human condition and provide convincing evidence that Lincoln had had a Hindu past life.

More than one out of every five Americans today believes in reincarnation—yet few are aware of how past-life patterns affect them．Soul Journey tries to fill this gap, by offering a substitute experience of reincarnation．Through clear and persuasive similarities between the lives of Lincoln and Lindbergh, the book discovers how the hidden laws of fate and reincarnation impact the events of his or her daily life．It addresses other issues, such as the secret spiritual history of America's greatest president, including his past life as a Himalayan yogi; the hidden clues that reveal past lives； the greatness he achieved； and the spiritual principles behind the yoga postures that millions now practice．

54. Based on Richard Salva’s view, ______.
A. Hindus started the holiday of Thanksgiving
B. the Americans copied Thanksgiving from Hindus
C. Thanksgiving had Hindus roots
D. Charles Lindbergh had been a Himalayan yogi

55. We can draw a conclusion from the passage that ______.
A. in India Thursday is a religious day
B. in India all the prayers are done on Thursday
C. Abraham Lincoln was once a famous pilot
D. Paramhamsa Yogananda once taught Lincoln yoga

56. It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.
A. the book discovers the laws of fate and reincarnation
B. yoga is closely connected with religion
C. the book gives a scientific description of Lincoln’s spiritual life
D. Lincoln and Lindbergh must have influenced each other a lot

57.When it came to the comparison between Lincoln and Lindbergh, the author held a ______ attitude.

A. neutral        B. doubtful       C. negative       D. positive

Don't Take the Fun Out of Youth Sports

When I joined a private football league a few years ago, the sport meant everything to me. My coach (教练) said that I had lots of potential (潜力), and I became captain of my ___1___. That was before all the fun was taken out of___2___

At first, everyone on the team got ___3___ playing time. Then the team moved up to the top division after winning all its games, and the ___4___ started. Some parents, who had paid the coach extra so their daughters could have ___5___ one-on-one training, got angry when she didn't give them more playing time in our ___6___. The coach was replaced.

The new coach, however, took all the fun out of the game: All we did during practice was ___7___ I always wished to God that it would rain so we would not have the___8___. Of course, all teams run drills; they are ___9___ But we ran so much that, afterwards, we had trouble___10___. Younger people shouldn't be doing exercises ___11___ for 18-year-old. お

I was very thin ___12___ I started football, but as a member of this team I wouldn't eat much, because I was afraid of being too ___13___ to run. I feared making mistakes, and the added pressure caused me to make more than my usual___14___

Is all this pressure necessary? I ___15___ up leaving the football team. Four other girls did the same, and two of them stopped playing football completely. That's ___16___, because they had so much potential. They were just burned- out with all the pressure they ___17___ from the coach or their parents.

I continued playing football at school and ___18___ my love for it. I joined a private team coached by my school coach. When I started playing ___19___ him, he told me I needed to relax because I looked nervous. After I ___20___ down, I played better. When you enjoy something, it's a lot easier to do it well.

1. A. class　　　　　　　　    B. club　　　　　　　　  C. team　　　　　　　　 D. board

2. A. playing　　　　　　　　 B. living　　　　　　　　 C. learning　　　　　　 D. working

3. A. great　　　　　　　　    B. equal　　　　　　　　 C. right　　　　　　　　 D. extra

4. A. business　　　　　　   B. struggle　　　　　　 C. attempt　　　　　　 D. pressure

5. A. free　　　　　　　　　　  B. private 　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　　　 D. basic

6. A. matches　　　　　　    B. courses　　　　　　 C. lessons　　　　　　  D. programs

7. A. jump　　　　　　　　    B. play　　　　　　　　  C. run　　　　　　　　   D. shoot

8. A. duty　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. meeting　　　　　　 C. operation　　　　   D. training

9. A. necessary　　　　　　 B. boring　　　　　　   C. scientific　　　　   D. practical

10. A. speaking　　　　　　 B. moving　　　　　　  C. sleeping　　　　　　 D. breathing

11. A. used　　　　　　　　   B. intended　　　　    C. made　　　　　　    D. described

12. A. till　　　　　　　　　　  B. since　　　　　　　　 C. before　　　　　　   D. because

13. A. full　　　　　　　　　　 B. tired　　　　　　　　  C. lazy　　　　　　　　  D. big

14. A. size　　　　　　　　    B. share　　　　　　　　 C. space　　　　　　    D. state

15. A. gave　　　　　　　　   B. kept　　　　　　　　  C. ended　　　　　　    D. picked

16. A. sad　　　　　　　　　　 B. shameful　　　　   C. silly　　　　　　　　  D. serious

17. A. received　　　　　　  B. suffered　　　　    C. brought　　　　　　 D. felt

18. A. reconsidered　　　　　　  B. rediscovered　　  C. reformed　　　　   D. replaced

19. A. at　　　　　　　　　　   B. by　　　　　　　　　　 C. for　　　　　　　　    D. around

20. A. fell　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. stepped　　　　　　 C. slowed　　　　　　  D. calmed

When I joined a private football league a few years ago, the sport meant everything to me. My coach (教练) said that I had lots of potential (潜力), and I became captain of my ___1___. That was before all the fun was taken out of___2___

At first, everyone on the team got ___3___ playing time. Then the team moved up to the top division after winning all its games, and the ___4___ started. Some parents, who had paid the coach extra so their daughters could have ___5___ one-on-one training, got angry when she didn't give them more playing time in our ___6___. The coach was replaced.

The new coach, however, took all the fun out of the game: All we did during practice was ___7___ I always wished to God that it would rain so we would not have the___8___. Of course, all teams run drills; they are ___9___ But we ran so much that, afterwards, we had trouble___10___. Younger people shouldn't be doing exercises ___11___ for 18-year-old. お

I was very thin ___12___ I started football, but as a member of this team I wouldn't eat much, because I was afraid of being too ___13___ to run. I feared making mistakes, and the added pressure caused me to make more than my usual___14___

Is all this pressure necessary? I ___15___ up leaving the football team. Four other girls did the same, and two of them stopped playing football completely. That's ___16___, because they had so much potential. They were just burned- out with all the pressure they ___17___ from the coach or their parents.

I continued playing football at school and ___18___ my love for it. I joined a private team coached by my school coach. When I started playing ___19___ him, he told me I needed to relax because I looked nervous. After I ___20___ down, I played better. When you enjoy something, it's a lot easier to do it well.

1. A. class　　　　　　　　    B. club　　　　　　　　  C. team　　　　　　　　 D. board

2. A. playing　　　　　　　　 B. living　　　　　　　　 C. learning　　　　　　 D. working

3. A. great　　　　　　　　    B. equal　　　　　　　　 C. right　　　　　　　　 D. extra

4. A. business　　　　　　   B. struggle　　　　　　 C. attempt　　　　　　 D. pressure

5. A. free　　　　　　　　　　  B. private 　　　　　　 C. good　　　　　　　　 D. basic

6. A. matches　　　　　　    B. courses　　　　　　 C. lessons　　　　　　  D. programs

7. A. jump　　　　　　　　    B. play　　　　　　　　  C. run　　　　　　　　   D. shoot

8. A. duty　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. meeting　　　　　　 C. operation　　　　   D. training

9. A. necessary　　　　　　 B. boring　　　　　　   C. scientific　　　　   D. practical

10. A. speaking　　　　　　 B. moving　　　　　　  C. sleeping　　　　　　 D. breathing

11. A. used　　　　　　　　   B. intended　　　　    C. made　　　　　　    D. described

12. A. till　　　　　　　　　　  B. since　　　　　　　　 C. before　　　　　　   D. because

13. A. full　　　　　　　　　　 B. tired　　　　　　　　  C. lazy　　　　　　　　  D. big

14. A. size　　　　　　　　    B. share　　　　　　　　 C. space　　　　　　    D. state

15. A. gave　　　　　　　　   B. kept　　　　　　　　  C. ended　　　　　　    D. picked

16. A. sad　　　　　　　　　　 B. shameful　　　　   C. silly　　　　　　　　  D. serious

17. A. received　　　　　　  B. suffered　　　　    C. brought　　　　　　 D. felt

18. A. reconsidered　　　　　　  B. rediscovered　　  C. reformed　　　　   D. replaced

19. A. at　　　　　　　　　　   B. by　　　　　　　　　　 C. for　　　　　　　　    D. around

20. A. fell　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. stepped　　　　　　 C. slowed　　　　　　  D. calmed

Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17,1706 in Boston，America. In his life he built a successful printing and publishing business in Philadelphia；he conducted scientific studies of electricity and made several important discoveries；he was a diplomat (外交官) and statesman；he helped establish Pennsylvania’s first university and America’s first city hospital；he also organized the country’s first subscription library (收费图书馆)．
Franklin was also unequaled in America as an inventor until Thomas Edison. Ben had poor eyesight  and needed glasses to read. He got tired of always taking them off and putting them back on，so he decided to figure out a way to make his glasses let him see both near and far. He had two pairs of glasses cut in half and put half of them together. Today，we call them bifocals (双光眼镜)．Another invention of his，an iron stove，allowed people to warm their homes.
He loved to learn about new things. He also thought it was important to make life better with the things that he invented. Electricity was one of the things he experimented with when he retired from his business. Ben discovered that lightning (闪电) and electricity were the same thing. The lightning rod was an important invention that we still use today to protect buildings and ships from lightning damage.
Franklin preferred to have his inventions used freely for the comfort and convenience of everyone. Thomas Jefferson，the third president of America，called Benjamin Franklin “the greatest man of the age and country in which he lived”．To Benjamin Franklin there was no greater purpose in life than to “live usefully”．
【小题1】Benjamin Franklin was NOT a________.