42. We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. the magazines an d maps are free

B. the membership costs a lot of money

C. the payments will support some research

D. the magazines can only be found in the library

43. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To call for more social research. B. To ask people to continue membership.

C. To introduce a popular magazine. D. To encourage people to travel the world.

B

Fly Alone for the First Time

I began flying lessons at the age of 14; but the Federal Aviation Administration requires yoto be 16 before yomake flight by yo urself. So I had to wait for two long years until I could fly a plane by myself. I used th at time to master the basic maneuvers (要领) of flying. I learned emergency procedures and practiced hundreds of takeoffs and landings until I could land the airplane smoothly without bouncing it down the runway. It wasn’t always easy, and many times I would come home feeling discouraged and thinking maybe everyone was right—I would never learn to fly, but by the next day, I was always eager to try again.

On the day of my 16th birthday, I made my first solo flight, which meant I could finally fly alone. The night before, my dad, who was my flight instructor, explained that the winds were forecast to be high. He said if we were in the air by dawn, the winds would probably be calm enough for me to solo. The next morning it was cold, but the sky was completely clear, and the winds were calm. I expected my dad to stay in the plane for at least three takeoffs and landings. But after the first one, he told me to pull off the runway, and he got out of the plane.

I was alone. As I climbed higher and higher, the world began to change. Everything on the ground became miniature. Houses, cars, and all looked like tiny toys that could fit in the surface of my hand. I made three takeoffs and landings that day. Each landing was perfect. It was one of t he happiest days of my life.

Today, as a flight instructor, I stand alongside runways watching as my own students take to the sky on their first solo flights. I understand the joy faces, which always bring me back to that day when my dream came true. I learned that no matter how people tell yothat yocan’t do something, if yobelieve in yourself, yocan succeed.

44. When practicing flying, the author ______.

A. met several times of emergencies B. was worried about his own safety

C. couldn’t wait to fly alone in the sky D. sometimes doubted his ability to fly

45. The underlined word “miniature” probably means “______”.

A. distant B. unclear C. small D. high

46. What was the father concerned about before his son flied alone?

A. Whether his son was brave enough. B. Whether it would be too windy.

C. Whether he was able to protect his son. D. Whether there were negative comments.

47. What lesson does the author learn from his experience?

A. Be confident and yowill succeed.

B. Be responsible and yocan grow up.

C. Give up something and yomay win more.

D. Think hard and yocan achieve your dream.

C

An Oil for Life

Maria Alcala of Madrid speaks for many Mediterranean people when she says that “a meal without olive oil would be a bore.” No one knows when the Mediterranean civilizations fell in love with olives. That occurred before recorded history. However, there is evidence that the cultivation (种植) of olive trees began in countries around the Mediterranean Sea in approximately 4000 B.C., and 2000 years after that people in the eastern Mediterranean area began to produce oil from olives. The Mediterranean still accounts for 99 percent of all world olive oil production.

From ancient times until today, the basic process of producing the oil is the same. First, whole olives are pressed hard into pieces. Then, the liquid is separated from the solids. After that, the valuable oil is separated from the water.

Many olive growers make their ancient traditions continue and still harvest the olives by hand. “We harvest in the traditional way,” says Don Celso, an olive farmer from Tuscany, Italy. “It would be less expensive to do it with machines, but it’s more a social thing. Twenty people come to help with the harvest, and we pay them in oil.”

Olive oil has had a variety of uses through its long history. In ancient times, olive oil was used as money and as medicine. It was even used during war—heated up and dropped down on attackers. It is still used in religious ceremonies. It is great for protecting t he freshness of fish and cheese. There are even olive oil lamp and olive oil soaps.

One important study shows that Mediterranean people have the lowest rate of heart disease among Western nations. This is partly associated with their frequent use of olive oil. Other studies show that food cooked in olive oil is healthier, and that eating olive oil twice a day reduces women’s risk of getting breast cancer. The world is beginning to understand its benefits, and olive oil is no longer an unusual sight at dinner tables outside the Mediterranean area. The olive oil producing countries now sell large amounts of olive oil to countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America.

Olive oil improves the lives of people everywhere. Its benefits, recently confirmed by science, were already understood in ancient times. Mediterranean people are happy to share their secret with the world.

48. Which step occurs first in olive oil production?

A. Drying the olives under the sun.

B. Separating the oil from the water.

C. Separating the liquid from the solids.

D. Pressing the whole olives into pieces.