If you are a male and you are reading this, congratulations, you are a survivor．According to statistics, you are more likely to die of skin cancer than a woman, and nine times more likely to die of AIDS． Assuming you make it to the end of your natural term, about 78 years for men in Australia, you will die on average five years before a woman．

There are many reasons for this—typically, men take more risks than women and are more likely to drink and smoke but perhaps more importantly, men don’t go to the doctor．

 “Men aren’t seeing doctors as often as they should,” says Dr． Gullotta, “This is particularly so for the over 40s, when diseases tend to strike．”

Gullotta says a healthy man should visit the doctor every year or two． For those over 45, it should be at least once a year．

Two months ago Gullotta saw a 50-year-old man who had delayed doing anything about his smoker’s cough for a year．

 “When I finally saw him it had already spread and he has since died from lung cancer,” he says, “Earlier detection and treatment may not have cured him, but it would have prolonged（延长）his life． ”

According to a recent survey, 95% of women aged between 15 and early 40s see a doctor once a year, compared to 70% of men in the same age group．

 “A lot of men think they are invincible（不可战胜的）” Gullotta says． “They only come in when a friend drops dead on the golf course and they think, ‘Geez, if it could happen to him, ’”

Then there is the ostrich（鸵鸟）approach, “Some men are scared of what might be there and would rather not know,” says Dr．Ross Cartmill．

 “Most men get their cars serviced more regularly than they service their bodies,” Cartmill says．He believes most diseases that commonly affect men could be addressed by preventive check-ups．

Regular check-ups for men would inevitably place strain on the public purse, Cartmill says．“But prevention is cheaper in the long run than having to treat the diseases．Besides, the ultimate cost is far greater: it’s called premature death． ”

1．What does the author state is the most important reason men die five years earlier on average than women?

A．Men drink and smoke much more than women．

B．Men don’t seek medical care as often as women．

C．Men aren’t as cautious as women in face of danger．

D．Men are more likely to suffer from fatal diseases．

2．Which of the following best completes the sentence ‘Geez, if it could happen to him,____（Para．8）?

A．it could happen to me, too．                 B．I should avoid playing golf．

C．I should consider myself lucky．             D．it would be a big misfortune．

3．What does Dr．Ross Cartmill mean by “the ostrich approach”（Para． 9）?

A．A casual attitude towards one’s health conditions．

B．A new therapy for certain psychological problems．

C．Refusal to get medical treatment for fear of the pain involved．

D．Unwillingness to find out about one’s disease because of fear．

4．What does Cartmill say about regular check-ups for men?

A．They may increase public expenses．

B．They will save money in the long run．

C．They may cause psychological strains on men．

D．They will enable men to live as long as women．

Two traveling angels(天使) stopped to spend the night in the home of a wealthy family. The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement. As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied: “Things aren’t always what they seem.”
The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor but very hospitable(好客的) farmer and his wife. After sharing what little food they had, the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night’s rest. When the sun came up the next morning, the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their only income, lay dead in the field.
The younger angel was very angry and asked the older angel, “How could this happen?” Why did you not watch out for the cow? The first man had everything, yet you watched over his house,” she accused. “The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you did not help.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem,” the older angel replied. “When we stayed in the basement, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall. Since the owner was so greedy and unwilling to share his good fortune, I asked God if I could seal(封口) the wall so he couldn’t find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmer’s bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I asked God if the angel could take the cow instead. Things aren’t always what they seem.”

1. 1.

   Why did the older angel repair the hole for the rich family?

   1. A.
      Because she didn’t like the greedy owner.
   2. B.
      Because she wanted to save the gold for the poor.
   3. C.
      Because the basement was too cold to stay in.
   4. D.
      Because she believed that one should always be ready to offer help.
2. 2.

   In paragraph two, “the pair” refers to_____________.

   1. A.
      The poor couple
   2. B.
      the rich couple
   3. C.
      the guests
   4. D.
      the angels
3. 3.

   The story tries to tell the reader that_________________.

   1. A.
      angels are always ready to help the poor
   2. B.
      sometimes things are not what they seem
   3. C.
      angels are always ready to help the rich
   4. D.
      the young should always learn from the old.

The passengers on the bus watched with sympathy as Susan made her way carefully up the steps. She paid the driver and then, using her hands to  36  the seats, settled in one of them.
It had been a year since Susan became blind. As the result of an accident she was suddenly thrown into a world of  37 . Susan’s husband Mark watched her  38  into hopelessness and he was  39  to use every possible means to help his wife.
Finally, Susan felt ready to 40  to her job, but how would she get there? She used to take the bus, but she was now too  41  to get around the city by herself. Mark  42 to ride the bus with Susan each morning and evening  43  she could manage it by herself.
For two weeks, Mark  44  Susan to and from work each day. He taught her how to rely on her other  45 , specifically her hearing, to determine where she was and how to adapt to her new  46 .
At last, Susan decided that she was ready to try the trip  47 . Monday morning arrived. Before she left, she hugged her husband  48 , her eyes filled with tears of gratitude（感激）. She said good-bye and, for the first time, they went their  49  ways. Each day went perfectly, and a wild excitement   50  Susan. She was doing it!
On Friday morning, Susan took the bus to work  51 . As she was getting off the bus, the driver said, “Miss, I sure  52  you.” Curious, Susan asked the driver   53 .
“You know, every morning for the  54  week, a fine-looking gentleman in a military uniform has been standing across the corner watching you until you enter your office building safely,” the bus driver said.
Tears of happiness poured down Susan’s cheeks. She was so lucky for he had given her a gift more powerful than  55 . That is the gift of love that can bring light where there is darkness.

【小题8】

A．when B．as C．until D．after

Pet owners are being encouraged to take their animals to work，a move scientists say can be good for productivity，workplace morale（士气），and the well-being (安宁, 幸福)of animals.

A study found that 25% of Australian women would like to keep an office pet. Sue Chaseling of Pet care Information Service said the practice of keeping office pets was good both for the people and the pets.“On the pets’ side，they are not left on their own and won’t feel lonely and unhappy，”she said. A study of major US companies showed that 73% found office pets beneficial（有益的），while 27% experienced a drop in absenteeism（缺勤）.

Xarni Riggs has two cats walking around her Global Hair Salon in Paddington.“My customers love them. They are their favorites，”she said.“They are not troublesome. They know when to go and have a sleep in the sun.”

Little black BJ has spent nearly all his two years “working” at Punch Gallery in Balmain. Owner Iain Powell said he had had cats at the gallery for 15 years.“BJ often lies in the shop window and people walking past tap on the glass，”he said.

Ms Chaseling said cats were popular in service industries because they enabled a point of conversation. But she said owners had to make sure both their co－workers and the cats were comfortable.

The percentage of American companies that are in favor of keeping office pets is ________.

A.73%              B.27%                C.25%              D.15%

We know from the text that “BJ” ________.

A. works in the Global Hair Salon              B. often greets the passers－by

C. likes to sleep in the sun                    D. is a two－year－old cat

The best title for this text would be ________.

A. Pets Help Attract Customers                B. Your Favorite Office Pets

C. Pets Join the Workforce                    D. Busy Life for Pets

One morning I stood beside the window. Across the river, the __1___ decorated the edge of the shore in white. I stood __2____ and looked at what the night’s storm had ___3___.

I leaned forward and stood close to the window. There was a goose out there, quite ___4___, its wings folded to its sides, its feet ___5___ to the ice. Then from the dark skies, I saw a line of swans. They moved in their own ___6___ style, graceful and free.

As I watched, the leader __7___ from the sky and landed on the ice. As the swans surrounded the frozen goose, I __8___ it might be killed by those great swan beaks(鸟喙).

__9__instead, those beaks began to work on the ___10___. The long necks were lifted and curved down, again and again. At last, the goose’s head ___11___; its body pulled. Then the goose was ___12____ and standing on the ice. And the swans stood in the air ___13___. It seemed as if the goose was crying, “I cannot fly.” Four of the swans came down around it. Their powerful beaks cleaned the goose’s ___14___ from top to bottom, chipping off the ice held in the feathers. ___15___at last the goose’s wings were free,  the four swans ___16___  and joined the group.They restarted their eastward journey cheerfully.

I watched them until they ___17____ over the tops of the farthest trees. Only then did I realized that __18____ were running down my cheeks. Believe me! This story is __19____. And I will ask “If so for birds why not for ___20____?”

1.A. flower       B. tree          C. snow       D. picture

2.A. quietly       B. silently        C. happily     D. nervously

3.A. washed      B.painted        C. destroyed   D. cleaned

4.A. hungry       B. thirsty        C. terrible     D. still

5.A. frozen       B. put          C. turned      D. tied

6.A. common     B. ordinary      C. noticeable   D. boring

7.A. dived        B. moved        C. flew       D. circled

8.A. frightened    B. feared         C. hoped      D. knew

9.A. Wonderfully  B. Puzzlingly  C. Surprisingly  D. Disappointingly

10.A. ice          B. earth        C. goose        D. swan

11.A. carried       B. pushed      C. moved        D. lifted

12.A. glad         B. sad         C. free           D. lucky

13.A. listening     B. hearing       C. fighting       D. watching

14.A. head         B. legs         C. feathers       D. body

15.A. While        B. When        C. Before        D. Until

16.A. took off       B. took up      C. got away       D. got up

17.A. climbed       B. stopped      C. disappeared     D. landed

18.A. leaves         B. hairs        C. rivers          D. tears

19.A. actual         B. real          C. true           D. right

20.A. animals        B. man         C. people         D. insects