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Paragraph OneWhen you lose an hour of sleep, it decreases your well-being, productivity, health, and ability to think the following day. One of (he most influential studies of human performance found that top performers slept 8 hours and 36 minutes per day. You are simply a different person when you operate on insufficient sleep.Insufficient sleep may lead to p _______ performance.

In the laboratories where astronauts are trained for their journeys, they are subjected to conditions that resemble those of flight. It takes time for them to prepare for the great changes that occur in space. When the spaceship leaves the earth at tremendous speed, the astronauts feel as if they are being crushed against the spaceship floor. Later, when they leave the zone of the earth’s gravitation, they are unable to stay in one place. Simple actions, such as eating and drinking, become very difficult to perform. You may get an inkling of what the astronauts have to deal with if you try to drink a glass of water while standing on your head or while just lying down.The beginnings of man’s conquest of space took place in 1958, seven years before Leonov’s trip. The first successful launching of “Sputnik” demonstrated that it was indeed possible to send objects far enough out of range of earth’s gravity so that they would not fall back to earth. Rather, such objects could be forced to revolve about the earth, just as the moon does. However, while the moon is so far from earth that it takes it a month to revolve around the earth, man-made satellites, which are closer to earth, can make a complete revolution in a few hours.It was three years after the first satellite launching that a spaceship containing a man made a successful flight. The flight lasted less than two hours, but it pointed the way to future developments.Other planets are so far away that spaceships must attain tremendous speeds to reach them in a reasonable time. If spaceships were launched from space or from the moon, the absence of weight would permit the ships to be launched with great speed at reduced pressures. A relatively small explosion would be enough to send a ship off at a very fast rate. And, since there is no atmosphere in space as there is on earth, the spaceship would meet with no resistance.

“In the beginning was Apple. All things were made by it; and without it was not anything made that was made.” If technophiles were to write their own Testament, these might be the opening lines. Apple’s ability to redefine the appeal of whole categories of computing has attracted the unerring faith of millions of followers. Apple has popularized existing technologies four times: with the Macintosh computer in 1984, the iPod in 2001, the iPhone in 2007 and the iPad in 2010. Recently the faithful have prayed that Apple will pull it off again with its smartwatch. Many firms already make wrist-based devices that measure sleep patterns and exercise, but so far the category has remained a niche plaything for geeks and athletes.On March 9th the firm gathered its flock to share details about the Apple Watch, which will go on sale next month. Tim Cook, its boss, called it “the most advanced timepiece ever created”. In addition to telling the time, it can respond to voice commands, measure its wearer's heart rate, act like a credit card at payment points and provide alerts for incoming calls and e-mails. It can display many of the apps that are popular on smartphones, such as those of social networks, without the hassle of having to pull out a phone.The launch of the Apple Watch points to a broader story: high expectations that wearable technology will soon take off. Some 21m wearable devices were sold last year, according to IDC, a research firm; wrist-worn wearables, including watches, were the majority.Wearables have so far lacked the elegant design and ease of use that helped smartphones ring in such success. Even the fashion models who were hired to demonstrate Google Glass struggled to make it look stylish. Most companies are focusing on the engineering challenges in front of them and paying too little attention to the “cultural engineering” that needs to happen for wearables to become accepted. Apple has hired fashion-conscious executives from luxury brands like Burberry and Yves Saint Laurent to make its watch attractive, but it is not yet obvious that it has cracked the cool code. But the biggest challenge facing wearables is the absence to date of a “killer app”. Watches do not yet provide much more than smartphones currently do, and some models offer far less. Moving beyond phones’ capabilities will take time. It will also depend on getting developers to build apps that will make the most of wearables’ possibilities.1. The author listed the Macintosh, iPod, iPhone and iPad to___.2. The underlined part in Paragraph 1 means_.3. According to Paragraph 2, Apple Watch cannot be used to_____.4. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?5. What is the current status of wearables?

At last unemployment is easing. But the latest low rate—hovering below 6 percent~~obscures a deeper, longer-term problem: “skills mismatches” in the labor force, which will only worsen in years to come. According to the most recent figures, 93 million Americans are unemployed, but 4.8 million jobs stand empty because employers can’t find people to fill them. With new technology transforming work across a range of sectors, more and more businesses are struggling to find workers with the skills to man new machines and manage new processes.One solution has enchanted employers, educators, and policymakers on both sides of the aisle: European-style apprenticeship.I've just come back from Germany, where I visited some half dozen apprenticeship programs at brand-name companies like Daimler, Siemens, and Bosch, and the metaphor I came away with is a native tree—flourishing, productive, highly adapted to its local climate zone, but unlikely to take root or grow in a climate as different as the America’s. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t adapt the German model. But it’s not going to be quick or easy.The U.S. has its own tradition of apprenticeship going back many years. But like most kinds of vocational education, it fell out of fashion in recent decades―a victim of our obsession with college and concern to avoid anything that resembles tracking. Today in America, fewer than 5 percent of young people train as apprentices, the overwhelming majority in the construction trades. In Germany, the number is closer to 60 percent—in fields as diverse as advanced manufacturing, IT, banking, and hospitality. And in Europe, what’s often called “dual training" is a highly respected career path. “Dual training” captures the idea at the heart of every apprenticeship: Trainees split their days between classroom instruction at a vocational school and on-the-job time at a company. The theory they learn in class is reinforced by the practice at work. They also learn work habits and responsibility and, if all goes well absorb the culture of the company. Trainees are paid for their time, including in class. The arrangement lasts for two to four years, depending on the sector. And both employer and employee generally hope it will lead to a permanent job—for employers, apprentices are a crucial talent pool.The first thing you notice about German apprenticeships: The employer and the employee still respect practical work. German firms don’t view dual training as something for struggling students or at-risk youth. “This has nothing to do with corporate social responsibility,” an HR manager at Deutsche Bank told the group I was with, organized by an offshoot of the Goethe Institute. UI do this because I need talent.” So too at Bosch.1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that in the U.S. ___.2. The word “man” in Paragraph 1 means _.3. According to the author, Germany’s apprenticeship program_.4. In the U.S., young people usually train as apprentices in___.5. What do you know about “dual training”?

I’ve known the mother sitting in front of me at this parent-teacher conference for years, and we have been through a lot together. I have taught three of her children, and I like to think we've even become friends during our time together. She’s a conscientious mother who obviously loves her children with all of her heart. I’ve always been honest with her about their strengths and weaknesses, and I think she trusts me to tell her the truth. But when she hits me with the concern that’s been bothering her for a while, all I can do is nod, and stall for time.“Marianna’s grades are fine; I’m not worried about that, but she just doesn't seem to love learning anymore.” She’s absolutely right. I’d noticed the same thing about her daughter over the previous two or three years, and I have an answer, right there on the tip of my tongue, for what has gone wrong.The truth—for this parent and so many others—is this: Her child has sacrificed her natural curiosity and love of learning at the altar of achievement, and it's our fault. Marianna's parents, her teachers, society at large—we are all implicated in this crime against learning. From her first day of school, we pointed her toward that altar and trained her to measure her progress by means of points, scores, and awards. We taught Marianna that her potential is tied to her intellect, and that her intellect is more important than her character. We taught her to come home proudly bearing as, championship trophies, and college acceptances, and we inadvertently taught her that we don't really care how she obtains them. We taught her to protect her academic and extracurricular perfection at all costs and that it's better to quit when things get challenging rather than risk marring that perfect record. Above all else, we taught her to fear failure. That fear is what has destroyed her love of learning.Marianna is very smart and high-achieving, and her mother reminds her of that on a daily basis. However, Marianna does not get praised for the diligence and effort she puts into sticking with a hard math problem or a convoluted scientific inquiry. If that answer at the end of the page is wrong, or if she arrives at a dead end in her research, she has failed—no matter what she has learned from her struggle. And contrary to what she may believe, in these more difficult situations she is learning. She learns to be creative in her problem-solving. She learns diligence. She learns self-control and perseverance. But because she is scared to death of failing, she has started to take fewer intellectual risks.1. Marianna’s mother ___.2. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that_.3. According to the author, _____.4. What can we learn from Paragraph 4?5. Which of the following can be the best title of this passage?

Many people believe that taking vitamin supplements is the best safeguard against the dangers of an incomplete diet, but this should be a last resort rather than a way out of a problem. Even if there is a genuine need for extra vitamins, then sooner or later the question arises “which ones do I need, how much of them, and how often?” There is really no simple answer to this question. The Food Standards Committee suggests in their recent report to the government that we do not need any extra vitamins. They say that they are “not necessary for a healthy individual eating a normal diet”. Whilst few of us would challenge their authority on the subject of nutrition, it is, perhaps, pertinent to ask the question “how many of us are healthy, and what is a normal diet?” There is an element of doubt in many minds about these two aspects and though few people are familiar with the wording of the Food Standards Report they do wonder instinctively if they are eating the right things. The blame for faulty eating habits is often placed at the door of the ubiquitous junk and convenience foods. As we have seen, some of these are not the criminals they are made out to be. White bread is only slightly less nutritious than brown bread and frozen vegetables can be almost as “fresh” as fresh food. There are very few foods which can really be described as pure rubbish. Many pre-packed foods contain too much sugar and we would all benefit by avoiding these, but most tinned, processed and dried foods contain useful amounts of fat, protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and minerals. The addition of a small amount of fruit or a side salad to convenience foods such as pizzas or hamburgers can turn a snack into a well-balanced meal.“Junk” food is difficult to define. White sugar is probably the nearest contender for the title. It contains plenty of calories for energy but not much else, and is often described as an “empty calorie” food. Alcohol is also high in calories, but beer and wine contain some of the B vitamins and wine is a good source of iron, so even a teetotaler could not describe all alcohol as useless, nutritionally speaking. Calories measure the energy we derive from the food we eat, and sugar and alcohol are sometimes described as having a high energy density. There is a limit to the amount of energy we need each day (2,000-2,200 calories is the average for women and 2,500~3,000 for men) and if we eat too much sugar and alcohol there is no appetite left for the vitamin-rich foods we need—fish, meat, fruit and vegetables. Buying vitamins can be predicted by psychological as well as nutritional motives and it is prudent to investigate why we think we need them and what benefits we expect from them before we rush off to the health shop to make our purchases.1. According to the Food Standards Committee, ___.2. Canned foods do not necessarily mean unhealthy because they may contain _.3. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that _.4. The word “teetotaler'' in Paragraph 2 means _.5. The passage tells us that _____.

Altogether, American consumers today owe about 1.3 trillion dollars. There is some danger in taking on debts, however. When the economy slackens and employers lay off workers, families that lose breadwinners often fail to make the payments on their debts. (46. If they fall behind too far on these responsibilities. they run the risk of having their houses, cars, or other items taken over or repossessed by the lenders). But in the U.S. economy, most people are lenders as well as borrowers. Normally a family has a saving account, money that is, in effect, loaned to a saving institution in return for interest. Most also have life insurance. The insurance company takes the premiums, guarantees a payment to be made when a policy-holder dies, and meanwhile invests some of the money. (47. Many experts recommend that families save no less than 5 percent of their disposable income for further needs.) Many countries depend much less than the U.S. does on the marketplace to decide who will sell goods and in what quantity. In communist and socialist countries, government agencies decide the amount, type and price of many of the goods to be produced. Many or all places of economic activity such as factories, farms, mines, utilities and transportation network are owned chiefly by the government. In the U.S., too, the role of government is growing. (48. Corporate leaders and economists are wondering how much regulation the market system can take before it loses its ability to respond to consumer needs.) But the system continues to function, and businesses continue to work for more profits and consumers for more income, knowing that they will be able to retain much of their wealth. (49. Most men and women learn early that society places a certain monetary value on various professions and skills, based again on the law of supply and demand.) Doctors, who must study long years to develop specialized skills and are therefore in short supply, earn more than labors who have little training and many competitions for the same job. That's not to say that good jobs and more wealth are guaranteed to Americans. The U.S. economy has been plagued periodically with two major problems: high unemployment and the rising cost of living—inflation. The two problems are closely linked. (50. When prices climb faster than people's incomes, families sooner or later are forced to cut back on buying in order to make each end meet.) (51. That limits what business can produce and how many people they can employ. It may even start a temporary decline in the country's economy—such as the one that ran from late 1973 to the spring of 1975, when millions of people were laid off from their jobs.) Still, despite all of the problems that exist, most Americans prefer the U.S. economic system to any other, as the result of poll after poll indicates.

Paragraph TenThere are 15 million of us who fly across multiple time zones every year, with 500,000 of us in the air at any given moment. And for those of us who fly more than a couple of time zones from home, jet lag can be a serious challenge.Millions of people s___ from jet lag every year.

Paragraph NineTo tell someone that they should lose a few 1bs — even if you are just trying to help — could actually cause them to gain weight instead, according to new research. The study showed that women who receive more “acceptance messages” are more successful at maintaining and even losing weight overall, compared to those who receive more negative messages.Negative messages are not helpful for weight l____.

Paragraph EightNew climate simulations from NASA show that under the warmer global temperatures of the 20th century, water vapor in the atmosphere took longer than normal to fall, out of the sky as rain, snow and other precipitation. Generally speaking, the amount decreased over land but increased over oceans.Warmer weather p____ less rain on land but more at sea.

Paragraph SevenMany centuries of rain caused huge rivers to move violently through this area. Over time, these rivers cut deep into the new mountains. During the great Ice Age, millions of tons of ice cut and shaped the cooled granite to form giant rocks, known as Half Dome.Various forms of water c____ the outlook of the area.

Paragraph SixExcessive pressure from schoolwork is probably the most common problem in urban areas affecting Chinese children's development. Giving children time to dabble' in many fields is vital for their physical and mental development. In the process, they will gradually show a liking for particular activities. Parents can help their kids make choices.“Less work, more play" is g___ for the growth of children.

Paragraph FiveDining out with little children can be frustrating. They are either running around the entire restaurant or refusing to eat their meal. But now a Maryland restaurant has created a menu that all parents will relate to because it translates phrases such as I don't know what I want and I'm not hungry into meals you can order for them.A f____ menu for children.

Paragraph FourInterview is always used to select candidates. The argument against it is that through interview, employers do not choose the best candidate, but the one who gives them a good first impression. The argument in favor of it is that an employer pays more attention to the suitability of candidates personality for the particular work situation.Opposite o____ on interview.

Paragraph ThreeConsumers of electricity usually accept the fact that power cuts frequently occur during thunderstorms. If outages occur on a sunny day, consumers will blame the power company. However, most outages occur due to circumstances beyond the power company's control. Animals with the ability to reach the top of power poles can knock out power of many houses.Various c____ of power failure.

Paragraph TwoIn the U.S. today, it is common to pay one fourth to one third of a family's income on the place to live. Big houses are more expensive than smaller ones. And houses closer to the center of big cities are more expensive than the ones in the suburbs or in small towns.The high c___ of housing in the U.S. today.

Paragraph OneChildren who are older by a wider gap tend to teach their younger siblings social and manual skills, almost like a third parent, while rivalry is usually greatest when the age difference is small. It is especially so when siblings are under four -they are easily displeased when gratification of their needs is postponed.The role that age difference p____ in sibling rivalry.

Animals perform many useful and entertaining jobs. Dogs are particularly valuable in guiding the blind, protecting property, finding lost people, and hunting down criminals. Horses are used in guarding herds; carrying men in lands where there are no roads, and helping farmers work their land. Pigeons have long been used to carry messages. Wild animals from the jungles, forests and seas are very popular performers in circuses and movies. People realize that, although animals may not have the same intelligence as human beings, they are smart enough to learn certain things. Dogs are extremely useful as companions for blind people. When a dog has been properly trained, he will always lead his blind master in the right direction and keep him out of danger. For example, seeing-eye dogs learn never to cross a busy road when cars are coming, even if their masters command them to do so. Horses are also able to learn many things too. Horses that are used for guard or police duty must learn never to be frightened of noises, traffic, and other disturbance. Racing horses are able to run much faster than other horses, but they are also quite high strung. Therefore, it is necessary for people who train them to be very patient and understanding. Pigeons have a natural instinct to return home, even if they are very far away and the trip is hard or dangerous. Men utilize this homing instinct to send messages on small pieces of paper that are fastened to the pigeon's back or legs. In wartime, pigeons have been known to fly as fast as 75 miles an hour and to cover distances of 500 to 600 miles. These homing pigeons begin their training when they are about four weeks old. After a few weeks they can begin flying and carrying messages. If all goes well, their flying career lasts about four years. Animals can learn to do many things that, while not necessarily useful, are very amusing to watch. In circuses, animals are taught to do the tricks that are most compatible with their physical and temperamental make-up. Lions and tigers can be taught to leap and spring gracefully when told to do so, or to stay in place on command. Elephants learn to walk in line, to stand on their hind legs, to lie on their sides, and to stand on their head. They can also learn to dance.1. complete an activity (Para. 1)2. things that belong to someone (Para. 1)3. protecting (Para. 1)4. pieces of written information (Para. 1)5. the ability to learn and understand (Para. 1)6. persons or animals accompanying someone (Para. 2)7. order (Para.2)8. something that interrupts (Para. 3)9. an innate behavior in response to certain stimuli (Para. 4)10. make use of (Para.4) 31. travel a certain distance (Para. 4)12. continues for a particular length of time (Para. 4)13. entertaining (Para. 5)14. suitable (Para. 5)15. relating to the emotional part of the character (of an animal) (Para. 5)

The "administration" in the last paragraph refers to____.

The senators decided to draft legislation in order to ____.

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