Common-cold Sense¹

   You can" t beat it, but you don"t have Jo join it.² Maybe it got the name ” common cold" because it"s more common in winter. The fact is, though, being cold doesn"t have anything to do with getting one ³. Colds are caused by the spread of rhinoviruses,, and, at least so far, medical science is better at telling you how to avoid getting one than how to get rid of one⁴.

    Children are the most common way cold viruses are spread to adults，because they have more colds than adults 一 an average of about eight per year. Why do kids seem so much more easily to get colds than their parents? Simple. They haven"t had the opportunity to become immune to many cold viruses.  

    There are more than 150 different cold viruses, and you never have the same one twice. Being infected by one makes you immune to it _ but only it.⁵

    Colds are usually spread by direct contact, not sneezing or coughing. From another person"s hand to your hand and then to your nose or eyes is the most common route.⁶ The highest concentration of cold viruses ⁷ anywhere is found under the thumbnails of a boy, although the viruses can survive for hours on skin or other smooth surfaces.

    Hygiene is your best defense. Wash your hands frequently, preferably with a disinfectant soap, especially when children in your household have colds.

    But even careful hygiene won"t ward off ⁸ every cold. So, what works when a coughing, sneezing, runny nose ⁹ strikes?

    The old prescription of two aspirins, lots of water, and bed rest is a good place to start. But you"ll also find some of the folk remedies¹⁰ worth trying. Hot mixtures of sugar (or honey)， lemon, and water have real benefits.

词汇：

rhinovirus/"raɪnəʊ,vaɪrəs/ n.鼻病毒

preferably /"prefrəblɪ/ adv.更可取地，更好地

infect /ɪn"fekt/ vt.传染，侵染，感染

virus /"vaɪrəs/ n.病毒

disinfectant /dɪsɪn"fekt(ə)nt/ n.消毒剂，杀菌剂

immune /ɪ"mjuːn/ adj.免疫的，有免疫力的

prescription/prɪ"skrɪpʃ(ə)n/n.诀窍；处方，药方

sneeze /sniːz/ vi.打喷嚏

remedy /"remɪdɪ/n.治疗，治疗法，药品

thumbnail /"θʌmneɪl/n.拇指甲

注释：

1. 标题“common-cold sense”实际上是在单词“commonsense”（常识）中插入cold (感冒）一词,意为“关于感冒的常识”。

2. "You can"t beat it, but you don"t have to join it. ”字面上的意思是“你无法打败它，但你并不 是非得加入它的行列不可”，实际上指的是目前尚没找到彻底对付感冒的办法，但至少我们 可以试图预防感冒。

3.  …being cold doesn"t have anything to do with getting one.动名词短语“being cold"意思是 “感到冷”，在句中作主语；动词短语“not have anything to do with something"意思是“与某 事无关”，在句中作谓语；最后一个不定代词“one”指的是“一种感冒”，作宾语。整句话的 意思是“受凉和得感冒并没有什么因果关系”。

4. ... medical science is better at telling you how to avoid getting one than how to get rid of one.医学与其说能教你如何摆脱感冒，不如说它能告诉你如何预防感冒。

5.Being infected by one makes you immune to it — but only it.被一种病毒感染过后使你对它 产生免疫力——但只是对这种（病毒）而言。be immune to sth.意思是“对某物有免疫力” 或“不受某事的影响”。

6.From another person"s hand to your harld and then to your nose or eyes is the most common route.这是一个倒装句，按照正常语序句子应该是The most common route is from another person"s hand to your hand and then to ybur nose or eyes,意为“最普通的（传染）途径是从 别人的手传到你的手中，再传到你的鼻子或眼睛里去”。

7.The highest concentration of cold viruses ：感冒病菌最集中的地方

8.ward off：避开，防止

9.runny nose：流鼻涕

10.folk remedies: 土药方，偏方

Children have more colds because____

A:they are usually infected about eight times each year B:they are not immune to many cold viruses yet C:they never wash their hands so that their thumbnails are dirty D:they don"t like eating lemon

Telling Tales about People

    One of the most common types of nonfiction, and one that many people enjoy reading, is stories about people"s lives. These stories fall into three general categories: autobiography, memoir, and biography.
    An autobiography is the story of a person"s life written by himself or herself. Often it begins with the person"s earliest recollections and ends in the present. Autobiography writers may not be entirely objective in the way they present themselves. However, they offer the reader a good look at the way they are and what makes them that way. People as diverse as Benjarmin Franklin and Helen Keller have written autobiographies. ¹Other writers, such as James Joyce，have written thinly fictionalized accounts of their lives. These are not autobiographies，but they are very close to it.
    Memoirs, strictly speaking, are autobiographical accounts that focus as much on the events of the times as on the life of the author. ² Memoir writers typically use these events as backdrops for their lives. They describe them in detail and discuss their importance. Recently，though，the term memoir seems to be becoming interchangeab1e with autobiography. A memoir nowadays may or may not deal with the outside world.
    Biographies are factual accounts of someone else"s life. In many senses，these may be the hardest of the three types to write. Autobiography writers know the events they write about because they lived them. But biography writers have to gather information from as many different sources as possible. Then they have to decide which facts to include. Their goal is to present a balanced picture of a person，not one that is overly positive or too critical. A fair well-presented biography may take years to research and write.
　　

词汇：
backdrop [ˈbækdrɒp] n. 背景

interchangeable [ˌɪntəˈtʃeɪndʒəbl] adj. 可转换的
　　

注释：
1. People as diverse as Benjamin Franklin and Helen Keller have written autobiographies. 就像本杰明 富兰克林和海伦 凯勒一样，各种各样的人们已经写了自传。
2. Memoirs，strictly speaking，are autobiographical accounts that focus as much on the events of the times as on the life of the author. 严格意义上来讲，回忆录是既注重作者本身的生活经历，也注重其所处的时代所发生的事件的自传性的描述。

Autobiography writers are not always objective because they________.

A:feel they have to make up details to make their books sell B:constantly compete with biography writers C:want to present themselves in a good light D:have trouble remembering the good times

“Lucky" Lord Lucan - Alive or Dead

On 8th November 1974 Lord Lucan, a British aristocrat, vanished.  The day before, his children"s nanny had been brutally murdered and his wife had been attacked too. To this day the British public are still interested in the murder case because Lucan has never been found. Now, over 30 years later, the police have reopened the case,  hoping that new DNA techniques will help solve this murder mystery. ¹

People suspected that "Lucky", as he was called by friends, wanted to kill his wife he no longer lived with. They say that Lucan entered his old house and in the dark, killed the nanny by mistake.  His estranged wife heard noises, came downstairs and was also attacked, but managed to escape.  Seven months after the murder. a jury concluded that Lucan had killed the nanny.

    What happened next is unclear, but there are several theories which fall into one of three categories:  he may have killed himself, he could have escaped or he might have been killed. Itappears that the night after the murder, "Lucky" borrowed a car and drove it, Lucan"s friend Aspinall said in an interview that he thought Lucan had committed suicide by sinking his boat in the English Channel.

    Another version of events says that "Lucky" left the blood-soaked car on the coast and took a ferry to France. ² He was met there by someone who drove him to safety in another country.

    However, after a time, his rescuers became worried that they would become involved in the murdertoo and so Lucan was killed.

A further fascinating theory was made in the book Dead Lucky by Duncan MacLaughlin, a former detective. He believes that Lucan travelled toGoa,India, where he assumed the identity of a Mr Barry Haplin. Lucan then lived inGoatill his death in 1996. In the end the claim tumed outto be a case of mistaken identity. The man who died in 1996 was really Haplin, an ex-schoolteacher turned hippy. So what is the truth about "Lucky""? DNA testing has solved many murder cases, but who knows if it can close the book on this one ³.

词汇：

vanish / vænɪʃ / v. 消失

suicide /" s(j)uːɪsaɪd / n. 自杀

case / keis / n. 案件

detective / di"tektiv / n. 侦探

nanny /" nænɪ / n. 保姆

注释：

Now, over 30 years later,the police have reopened the case ,hoping that new DNA techniques

will help solve this murder mystery.30多年后的今天，警察重新调查案件，希望新的DNA技术帮助揭开这个谋杀之谜。

2. Another version of events says that "Lucky" left the blood-soaked car on the coast and took a ferry to France.另一个版本是说“幸运的”把被血染了的车子扔在了海岸上，乘上了一艘开往法国的船。

3.  DNA testing has solved many murder cases, but who knows if it can close the book on this one.

DNA鉴定破了很多谋杀案件，但是不知它能否把这个案件做个了结。

It is thought that Lucan Hlled the nanny because____.

C:it was dark and he thought she was Lady Lucan D:Loard Lucan thought the nanny stole his car

Feast on Turkeyand Good Wishes at Thanksgiving ¹

    Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets. That was Halloween ².In a few weeks American houses will, be red and green and filled with presents ,for Christmas ³.

    As if all this isn"t enough, on Thursday this week, America will enjoy another festival一Thanksgiving.

    Children will have two days off school, shops will close and houses will be filled with families enjoying mountains of food.

    Every year, inGainesville,Florida, an entire class celebrate Thanksgiving together. The class dresses up and puts on plays for their families. After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie.

    Dean Foster, an 11-year-old boy will take part in this celebration. He said:"I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school, lots of nice food and a happy family."

    His brother Ben, nine, said: "The best thing about Thanksgiving ,is that when it is finished ,it is time to start Christmas."

    But behind the food and the large amount of money spent there is another message. On Thursday evening, Dean and Ben"s family will make a basket and put it on the table as they eat their evening meal.

    Each of them will write a list of things that they are thankful for and place the paper in the basket. The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives.

    Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621, when the first pilgrims arrived inAmericato start a new life. After a hard year, they had a big autumn harvest. They held a feast and invited the native American Indians along to thank God for giving them enough food.

    Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving. They often fall after the fields have been harvested and the crops collected for winter.

词汇：

turkey /"tə:ki/ n．火鸡

pumpkin /"pʌmpkin/n．南瓜

pilgrim /"pilgrim/n．朝圣者

注释：

1.Thanksgiving /"θæŋks,giviŋ/：感恩节（11月的第四个星期四）

2. Halloween /,hæləu"i:n/：万圣节10月31日之夜（据传此时可见到鬼）

Many children in the United Stateslike Thanksgiving because________.

A:they can stay with their parents at home and eat a lot of nice food B:they can dress up like monsters C:they can put on plays D:they can visit American Indians

In fall 2006, the National Basketball Association (NBA) started using basketballs made with synthetic, or man-made, material instead of leather. They made the change because they wanted every basketball they use to feel and bounce the same. Not all leather balls are exactly alike in weight or how they bounce, but the synthetic balls are.
However, some players complained right away that the new balls bounced differently and were actually harder to control than the leather ones.
Physics helped answer questions about why the new balls felt different. For example, the scientists studied friction, which in this case affects the ability of a player to hold onto a ball. "The greater the friction, the better it will stick to his hand," explains a scientist.
Tests on both wet and dry balls showed that while the synthetic ball was easier to hold onto when dry, it had less friction and became much harder to hold onto when wet. That’s because sweat stays on the surface of the synthetic balls but gets taken into the leather balls.
The scientists also tested bounce and found that the logo printed on the new balls made their surface uneven and caused them to bounce a little strangely compared with the leather balls.
In January, the NBA went back to using the leather balls. They aren’t perfect, but for now, that’s just the way the ball bounces.
Why were the synthetic balls expected to be used in NBA according to the text

A:Because they are easier to control. B:Because they waste less material. C:Because they look exactly alike. D:Because they feel and bounce alike..

Text 1
Acid rain, which is a form of’ air pollution, currently becomes a subject of great debate because of widespread environmental damage for which it has been blamed. It forms when oxides of sulfur and nitrogen combine with atmospheric moisture to yield sulfuric and nitric acids, which may then be carried long distances from their source before they drop in the form of rain. The pollution may also take the form of snow or fog or fall down in dry forms. In fact, although the term "acid rain" has been in use .for more than a century--it is derived from atmospheric studies that were made in the region of Manchester, England--the more accurate scientific term would be’ acid deposition.’The dry form of such deposition is just as damaging to the environment as the liquid form.
The problem of acid rain originated with the Industrial Revolution, and it has been growing ever since. The severity of its effects has long been recognized in local settings, as exemplified by the spells of acid smog in heavily industrialized areas. The widespread destructiveness of acid rain, however, has’become evident only in recent decades. One large area that has been studied extensively is northern Europe, where acid rain has eroded structures, injured crops and forests, and threatened life in freshwater lakes. In 1984, for example, environmental reports indicated that almost half of the trees in Germany’s Black Forest had been damaged by acid rain. The northeastern United States and eastern Canada have also been particularly affected by this form of pollution; damage has also been detected in other areas of these countries and other regions of the world.
Industrial emissions have been blamed as the major cause of acid rain. Because the chemical reactions involved in the production of acid rain in the atmosphere are complex and as yet little understood, industries have tended to challenge such assessments and to stress the need for further studies; and because of the cost of pollution reduction, governments have tended to support this attitude. Studies released by the US government in the early 1980s, however, strongly indicated industries as the main source of acid rain, in the eastern US and Canada.

A:Because it is a new phenomenon B:Because it is not frequent enough C:Because its formation is complex D:Because it is difficult to study it

In fall 2006, the National Basketball Association (NBA) started using basketballs made with synthetic, or man-made, material instead of leather. They made the change because they wanted every basketball they use to feel and bounce the same. Not all leather balls are exactly alike in weight or how they bounce, but the synthetic balls are.
However, some players complained right away that the new balls bounced differently and were actually harder to control than the leather ones.
Physics helped answer questions about why the new balls felt different. For example, the scientists studied friction, which in this case affects the ability of a player to hold onto a ball. "The greater the friction, the better it will stick to his hand," explains a scientist.
Tests on both wet and dry balls showed that while the synthetic ball was easier to hold onto when dry, it had less friction and became much harder to hold onto when wet. That’s because sweat stays on the surface of the synthetic balls but gets taken into the leather balls.
The scientists also tested bounce and found that the logo printed on the new balls made their surface uneven and caused them to bounce a little strangely compared with the leather balls.
In January, the NBA went back to using the leather balls. They aren’t perfect, but for now, that’s just the way the ball bounces.
Why were the synthetic balls expected to be used in NBA according to the text

A:Because they are easier to control. B:Because they waste less material. C:Because they look exactly alike. D:Because they feel and bounce alike..

Wang ling, a middle school girl, felt angry with her parents after getting a boy’s phone call. "A classmate called me to discuss homework with him. We talked (1) just a few minutes before my parents got mad," said the girl. "They asked whether I liked the boy. I said I didn’t (2) they wouldn’t believe me. "Wang’s trouble is not strange at all because puppy love(早恋)becomes a big headache for (3) parents and schools. They worry that puppy love will be bad for (4) . Her school makes it a rule not to allow any talk or any physical contact(身体接触) (5) one boy and one girl alone.Many students say they understand (6) parents and teachers are so nervous about puppy love. But some think they are going too far. "We have our own thoughts and we know what to (7) with it," said Wang Ling.Another girl, Jiang Ting, liked making friends with boys. "Boys and girls can learn from each other, "she said. "My mother asks me to study hard. However, she (8) stops me from making friends with boys. "Once Jiang told her mother she might fall in love with a boy. Her mother let Jiang make (9) own decision. Soon Jiang found that she didn’t like him any more because the boy was not as (10) as what she had thought before. And she did worse and worse in her subjects because she spent much on it. At last she understood the worry from schools and most parents about puppy love.

A:because B:none C:but D:neither