Since the day of its birth, the United Nations has been the subject of much debate.

{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Others think that it is too weak. We can better understand this debate if we learn more about the U.N. and its history.

        The U.N. was started for two reasons. First, when the idea wasborn, people all over the world were tired of war. They felt that there must be peaceful answers to the world's problems.

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        The second reason was that modern science had developed newbombs and airplanes.

{#blank#}3{#/blank#} National borders were beginning to lose theirmeaning. Science would develop even more dangerous weapons in the future. Onlyan international organization would be able to control modern science.

        Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. President at the time, believed thatthe Allies (联盟) should plan for peace before the war ended. On December 1, 1943, Roosevelt, Britain's Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin from Soviet Union agreed to start anorganization for world peace.

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        During the next year and a half, the idea of such anorganisation was debated around the world. Then came the big day. On April 11,1945, the first international meeting of the United Nations took place in SanFrancisco. The goal of the meeting was to write the U.N. Charter (宪章). All of thefifty-one nations at the meeting had their own ideas to offer for the Charter.

{#blank#}5{#/blank#} Every nation present voted for the Charter. Noone voted against it.

A. The U.N. Charter is a beautiful piece of writing.

B. After a long debate, a final Charter was agreed upon.

C. Even the smallest country on earth can have its voice heard.

D. They asked all countries, large and small, to join theorganization.

E. These weapons made it almost impossible for a country todefend itself.

F. Some people attack the organization because they think it istoo powerful.

G. They also felt that only an international organization couldkeep world peace.

    Suddenly another thought went through Kate's mind like an electric shock. An express train was due to go past about thirty minutes later. If it were not stopped, that long train, full of passengers, would fall into the stream. “Someone must go to the station and warn the station-master，” Kate thought. But who was to go? She would have to go herself. There was no one else.

    In wind and rain she started on her difficult way. Soon she was at the bridge that crossed the Des Moines River, a bridge also built of wood, just like the bridge across Honey Creek. The storm had not washed this away, but there was no footpath across it. She would have to cross it by stepping from sleeper (枕木)to sleeper. With great care she began the dangerous crossing, sometimes on her hands and knees, hardly daring to look down between the sleepers into the wild flood waters below. If she should slip, she would fall between the sleepers, into the rapidly flowing stream.

At last -- she never knew how long it had taken her一 she felt solid ground under her feet. But there was no time to rest. She still had to run more than half a mile and had only a few minutes left. Unless she reached the station before the express did, many, many lives would be lost.

    She did reach the station just as the train came into sight. Fortunately the station-master was standing outside. “The bridge is down! Stop the train! Oh, please stop it!” Kate shouted breathlessly.

    The station-master went pale. He rushed into the station building and came back with a signal light. He waved the red light as the train came into the station. It was not a second too early.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案，并将选定答案的字母标号填在题前括号内。

    Dreams can be familiar and strange, fantastical or boring, but some dreams might be connected to the mental processes that help us learn. In a recent study, scientists found a connection between nap time dreams and better memory in people who were learning a new skill.

    In the study, 99 college students between the ages of 18 and 30 each spent an hour on a computer, trying to get through a virtual maze (逃宫). The maze was difficult, and the study participants had to start in a different place each time they tried, making it even more difficult. They were also told to find a particular picture of a tree and remember where it was.

    For the first 90 minutes of a five - hour break, half of the participants stayed awake and half were told to take a short nap. Participants who stayed awake were asked to describe their thoughts. Participants who took a nap were asked about their dreams after sleep and they were awakened within a minute of sleep to describe their dreams.

    Stickgold, a neuroscientist, wanted to know what people were dreaming about when their eyes weren't moving during sleep.Four of the 50 people who slept said their dreams were connected to the maze. Some dreamed about the music that had been playing when they were working; others said they dreamed about seeing people in the maze. When these four people tried the computer maze again, they were able to find the tree faster than before their naps.

    Stickgold suggests the dream itself doesn't' help a person learn, it's the other way around. He suspects that the dream was caused by the brain processes associated with learning.

    All four of the people who dreamed about the task had done poorly the first time,which makes Stickgold wonder if the dreams show up when a person finds a new task particularly difficult. People who had other dreams, or people who didn't' take a nap, didn't show the same improvement.

    TO： ALL STUDENTS

    FROM ： John Keating

    SUBJECT ： Academic Honesty Policy

    As we start a new semester at City College, I would like to remind everyone of our commitment to academic honesty.

    Today, all students received a copy of our Academic Honesty Policy. I know everyone's mailbox can get very full at this time of year. However, this document is very important. It explains the rules that we expect all members of our academic community to follow. You are responsible for reading and understanding these rules. If you have any questions about the policy, please make an appointment to speak with your academic advisor.

    What is academic dishonesty?

    Often students can be unsure what we mean by academic dishonesty. The Academic Honesty Policy explains the types of behavior that are not allowed. Here are two examples of academic dishonesty：

    Cheating is breaking a rule to get a higher grade. Some examples of cheating include:

    Copying a classmate's answers during an exam.

    Looking at notes during an exam.

    Submitting homework that you borrowed from another student.

    Taking an exam for another student.

    Plagiarism is submitting the words or ideas of other people as your own work. Some examples of plagiarism include：

    Copying text from the Internet and submitting it as your own work.

    Copying text from a book, changing some of the words, and submitting it as your own work.

    Using another person's ideas and not giving that person credit.

    What happens if you are found guilty of academic dishonesty?

    If you are accused of academic dishonesty, the Student Honor Office will investigate your case. If you are found guilty of breaking the rules, the college will take disciplinary action. In serious cases, students can receive a failing grade. They may also be asked to leave school for good. For less serious cases, students could have to revise their work and receive a lower grade.

    Academic work can be difficult. At times, you may be tempted to use dishonesty to make the work easier. As you gather the knowledge and skills that will prepare you for your future career, remember this: It is our values that will help us achieve these goals. With every action, always remember to be honest, responsible and fair.

    Good luck with the new semester.

John Keating

President

City College

    Sitting is an art that isn't getting passed along. People these days feel as though they have to be doing something. If they are not working, they are jogging, or playing tennis or golf to guard against illnesses, or taking courses to improve their minds or bodies -- or they are parked in front of the TV. Sitting in front of the TV isn't sitting -- it's watching.

    People used to sit a whole lot. You would walk down the street or drive down the road, and there they would be, out on the doorsteps, sitting. You could go to the grocery to buy some garlic or some fruits and vegetables and sit on the bench out front m the summer or around the fire in the winter. You could go down to the store to buy an outer garment, an electric grill or anything else. There were sitting benches out in the town square. At the garage, there were straight-backed chairs. There among the oilcans and tires and spare parts, you could kick back and sit.

    Houses used to have sitting rooms, where the grown-ups would go after Sunday dinner. Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Aunt Ruby would gather round, sit and digest (消化) the fried chicken and talk about Aunt Ethel's illness, and how well the minister did today. They may just talk a load of garbage and even gesture with their hands when they become excited. Outside, the younger generation, the children would play on the ground, and the afternoon would pass by in a comfortable haze（ 悠闲的氛围).

    That sort of thing looks like doing nothing. A recharging battery (正充电的电池) doesn't look as if it's doing anything either. Sitting restores your soul. If you want to enjoy a truly full life, don't just do something--sit there.

    Directions Choose a book from the list below and bring it to class by the due date. You will have approximately one trimester，from September 14 to November 16，to read the book and complete your report. It is okay to switch your book if you do not like your original choice. Students are encouraged to check out the book of their choice from the public library.

    The purchase of a book is optional.