牛津上海版高二年级英语第一学期话题阅读(二)literature and art(有答案)

话题阅读（二）science and technology(A)What is an insect? Insects of all kinds have existed on earth for millions of years. Sometimes we think of all insects as pests. Human life, however, would have a difficult time continuing without insects, because they pollinate plants and are a food source for many animals. Besides, insects, especially the social ones, are fascinating.One very interesting and useful social insect is the honey bee. Bees are considered social insects because they live and work together. They cooperate and communicate in order to survive. The bee lives in a beehive with other worker bees, and with the queen, who can lay thousands of eggs a day. The worker bees make wax used to create new cells inside the hive. Humans use this valuable beeswax in candles, cosmetics, expensive furniture polish, and other products. They also produce honey, a valuable food for humans (as well as for bees).Another fascinating social insect is the ant. Many types of ants live in colonies underground. There thousands of them build and maintain their "city". They keep it clean and free of enemies. They also cooperate to provide food, sometimes in a manner that looks human. For example, some ants actually raise their own food. One type of ant "farmer" keeps and cares for tiny insects that suck sweet sap from plants. Ant farmers milk them for the sap, just like actual farmers milk cows. The sap is then given as food to young ants and to the queen, whose main duty is to lay eggs. Another type of ant that produces its own food does so by gardening. These farmer ants take pieces of leaves into the colony and chew them up. The soft, chewed up leaves then sprout a fungus that the worker ants use to feed the queen and young ants. There are many other ways that ants cooperate to maintain and protect their colonies.There are also many other kinds of social insects. What makes them all so fascinating is their organization. Although each insect has certain tasks to perform, the entire hive or colony appears to function as one living organism.Word Bankbeehive n. 蜂窝sap n. 汁液sprout v. 涌出beewax n. 蜂蜡13. What does the word "pollinate" probably mean?A. Fertilize.B. Provide.C. Cultivate.D. Harvest.14. What is the reason humans think that beeswax is valuable?A.It can only be found inside of a beehive.B.It provides good food for humans.C.It is used in many helpful products.D.It is a food source for manyanimals.15. The passage is mainly about _________________ .A.different types of insectsB.the differences between bees and antsC.social insects and their featuresD.the differences between insects and pests16. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about bees and ants according to the passage?A.They both are social insects who live and work together.B.They both have their own queens whose main duty is to lay eggs.C.They need to communicate and cooperate so as to survive.D.They are fascinating insects who can raise and produce food.ACCD(B)It seems to be programmed into all of us the desire to be greater, to go further, to break down the boundaries. When we look to the stars, some of us wonder, "How far can we go?" Some scientists say not only will we go far, but we'll go soon.Seem believable? You know, it's not unreasonable to think that you might spend a couple of weeks vacationing in space or, who knows, maybe move on to another planet. I mean, who thought that Nell Armstrong was gonna walk on the moon, right? When he took those first steps, they seemed like real small steps, and if we start moving into another planets on our solar system, there are gonna be in small steps, too, but then, when we look back at the big picture, it's gonna seem like a giant leap.In our ever-shrinking world, it seems there are no more hills to climb, no new oceans to cross. Modern adventures are looking more and more to the heavens as the next explorablefrontier (疆界-).That adventure includes some fantastic ideas. Space hotel projects are in development across the country. Space Island Group of California plans to use empty fuel tanks and a space shuttle (区间内往返的车辆) to build a giant space hotel that will orbit the moon. The hotel could house up to 300 space guests, with a view that would be out of this world.The desire to vacation or adventure in space seems to be realistically within our reach. Is the space of our tomorrow filled with private rockets and space hotels?BEAFD(C)Nicotine(尼古丁) reaches the brain ten seconds after being breathed in. After repeated use, the brain and body become physically dependent on the drug.Smokers develop wrinkles at a younger age. Their teeth and fingers also become stained.Smokers are more likely to get cancer of the mouth than nonsmokers. Tobacco juice damages gums and teeth. Pipe smokers are more likely to get lip cancer. Tobacco smoke irritates the throat and can cause throat cancer. Smoking can make the voice thick and gravelly. It can ruin a singer's voice.Smokers are four times more likely than non-smokers to develop heart disease. Smokingputs stress on the heart and leads to high blood pressure. Smoking damages the air spaces in the lungs, causing "smoker's cough" , a disease that makes breathing difficult. Of those who die from this disease, 85% are smokers. Nicotine increases the production of stomach acid (酸) Smoking is also believed to double the risk of cancer of the digestive system.1. What is the effect of the repeated use of nicotine on the brain?2.If 20 non-smokers suffer from heart disease, it is likely smokers have thesame disease.3.According to the passage, it can be estimated that the number of smokers under the attack ofstomach cancer is likely to that of the nonsmokers.4.What percentage of the patients who die from "smoker's cough" are non-smokers?1.It becomes physically dependant on the poisonous chemical.2.803.be twice as many as \ double4.15%(D)Special trees that grow faster, fight pollution, produce better wood, and even sense chemical attacks are being planted by scientists in the US.When 40 percent of Hawaii's US $ 14 million-a-year papaya industry was destroyed by a virus five years ago, work began on creating genetically engineered trees.Researchers successfully introduced seed that were designed to resist the virus. Since then, more and more people have been testing genetically engineered trees.Some researchers put special bacteria into trees to help them grow faster and produce better wood. Others are trying to create trees that can clean polluted soil.Meanwhile fruit farmers are looking for trees that are strong enough to resist worms, and paper companies want trees that produce more wood and therefore more paper.The Pentagon even gave the researchers US $ 500,000 this year after they developed a pine tree that changes its colours if it senses a chemical attack.So far, the poplar, eucalyptus , apple and coffee trees are among those being engineered. All this can be done today because we have a better understanding of tree genomes.However, some people fear that the genetically engineered trees will cause dangerous results. They are worried that the new trees will breed with natural species and change the balance of the forest environment."It could be destructive," said Jim Diamond, an environmentalist. "Trees are what is left of our natural environment and home to many endangered species."But researchers insist that science could give nature a fighting change against both natural and man-made dangers.They hope to answer the critics by stopping the new trees from breeding, so their effecton the environment can be controlled. W ord Bankpapaya n. 木瓜poplar 杨树eucalyptus 桉树Pentagon n. 五角大楼1. Which kind of tree is not the ones that scientists are planting in the US?A.Trees that worms can't hurt.B.Trees that can protect themselves at a chemical attack.C.Trees that can resist wind better.D.Genetically engineered trees.2. What caused the American scientists to work on special trees?A.They think science could give nature a fighting chance against both natural andman-made dangers.B.Great numbers of trees have been lost due to attacks by viruses.C.Researchers successfully introduced seeds designed to resist the virus.D.Tree genomes are mapped out so scientists know how to improve trees.3. Which of the following was probably the first kind of trees being engineered?A. Papaya.B. Pine.C. Apple.D. Poplar.4. Why did critics think engineered trees dangerous?A.Because these trees can destroy the balance of nature.B.Because everything except trees has been genetically engineered.C.Because trees are home to many endangered species.D.Because these trees may affect normal trees.CBAD(E)Most episodes of absent-mindedness—forgetting where you left something or wondering why you just entered a room—are caused by a simple lack of attention. Schacter says, "You're supposed to remember something, but you haven't encoded it deeply. "Encoding, Schacter explains, is a special way of paying attention to an event that has a major impact on recalling it later. Failure to encode properly can create annoying situations. If you put your mobile phone in a pocket, for example, and don't pay attention to what you did because you're involved in a conversation, you Ml probably forget that the phone is in the jacket now hanging in your wardrobe. "Your memory itself isn't failing you," says Schacter. "Rather, you didn't give your memory system the information it needed."Lack of interest can also lead to absent-mindedness. "A man who can recite sports statistics from 30 years ago," says Zelinski, "may not remember to drop a letter in the mailbox." Women have slightly better memories than men, possibly because they pay more attention to their environment, and memory depends on just that.clear and available," he cautions. If you want to remember to take a medication with lunch, put thepill bottle on the kitchen table—don't leave it in the medicine chest and write yourself a note that you keep in a pocket.Another common episode of absent-mindedness:walking into a room and wondering why you're there. Most likely, you were thinking about something else. "Everyone does this from time to time," says Zelinski. The best thing to do is to return to where you were before entering the room, and you'll likely remember.Word Bankepisodes. 事件，插曲encode v. 把......译成电码（密码）5. We can learn from the passage that encoding _________________ .A.slows down the process of losing our memoriesB.helps us understand our memory system betterC.gets us to recall something from our memoriesD.helps us to find out the mobile phone in thepocket6. Why do women have better memories than men?A.Because they seldom use their mobile phones.B.Because they are more nervous about the environment.C.Because they are more interested in what's happening around them.D.Because they usually take some special medicine to improve memories.7. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4 means that____________________ .A. a note in the pocket will easily get lostB.putting something in sight can be a good reminderC.taking medicine can get rid of absent-mindednessD.people of absent-mindedness must take medicine withthem8. What is the passage mainly about?A.The causes of absent-mindedness.B.The environment and memory.C. A way of encoding and recalling.D.The process of gradual memory loss. CCBA。

话题阅读（二）Society and Life（A）As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing it is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress and such characters are prime materials for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first signs of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between "flee or fight" and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long, through continued exposure to stress, that health becomes endangered. Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart diseases have established links with stress. Since we can't remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.Word Bankprime adj. 基本crises n. 危机（复数）primitive adj. 原始的A. they do not know how to enjoy themselvesB. they do not believe that relaxation is important for healthC. they are traveling fast all the timeD. they are becoming busier with their workA. not fearing stressB. knowing the art of relaxationC. high sense of responsibilityD. having control over performance15. Which of the following statement is true?A. We can find some ways to avoid stress.B. Stress is always harmful to people.C. It is easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.D. Different people can withstand different amount of stress.16. In Paragraph 3,"such a reaction" refers back to .A. making a choice between flee and fightB. reaction to stress both chemically and physicallyC. responding to crises quicklyD. losing heart at the signs of difficulties13-16. DADB（B）Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. "It's a well-known pattern," said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan's Institute forSocial Research. "Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework "2.He points out that differences among households exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. "And the situation gets worse for women when they have children," Stafford said.3.Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more house work, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005. Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most—about 21 hours a week.4.Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.5.Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands' 10 hours.W or d Ban kbroom n. 扫帚clock v. 计时1-5. BFDEA（C）When a family climbs into a vehicle to go on a trip or even a short ride, it's important that every one is as safe as possible. We know that terrible accidents can occur. That's why devices like seat belts and air bags have been invented and put into cars, vans, and trucks.Unfortunately, devices that are meant to save lives can be a threat to life. The air bag is such a device. Air bags were designed to inflate rapidly in an accident. They were designed to stop an average adult male who didn't bother to fasten his seat belt from smashing(猛撞）into or through the front of a car. Therefore, they inflate at approximately 200 miles per hour. An airbag is not a soft cushion. It delivers a blow that can seriously injure or kill a child or small adult. Air bags can be beneficial, but you must know and account for the dangers.Children should not sit in the front passenger seat of a vehicle that has a passenger side air bag. It's especially dangerous to put an infant who must use a rear facing car seat in the front of such a vehicle.Children are always safer in the back seat. The center rear seat is best. And of course, all passengers should use their seat belts. Take your example from race car drivers. They know how to increase their chances of surviving a crash.The day will come when vehicles are equipped with " smart" air bags that automatically adjust their force to the size and weight of a passenger. But for now, each of us has to be smart about these imperfect "life savers".1. What are the air bags designed for?A. To provide air for the passengers.B.To protect the life of the passengers.C.To do harm to the passengers.D.To entertain the passengers.2. Does an adult male driver have to fasten his seat belt with an air bag?A.He has to do so.B.He does not have to do so.C.The passage does not mention it.D.The passage objects to it.3. ____________ is more beneficial for race car drivers.A. Air bagsB. Seat beltsC. NeitherD. Both4. According to the passage, the future of air bags will be________________ .A. more automatic.B. out of date.C. totally abolished.D. improved.Keys: BABD（D）Lack of parent willpower may contribute more to juvenile obesity than under-exercising or overeating.Research suggests that having over-weight parents is a big influence upon a child's weight, with one study finding that children with overweight parents were four times more likely to be overweight themselves.The findings add heat to an already fierce political debate (争论) over childhood obesity. The Prime Minister, John Howard, last week decided that $116 million be used for programs to deal with obesity, while the Opposition Leader, Mark Latham, recently announced that his party would move to protect children from unhealthy food advertisements.Clare Collins, a senior lecturer at the University of Newcastle, believes such programs will definitely fail unless they influence the way of life of whole families. "If we can't get parents to take action against their own weight problems, then we can't expect to influence their kids," she said.However, Professor Louise Baur from the Children's Hospital at Westmead, doubts whether adult education programs offer any solution to weight problems. " Many parents know they need to lose weight and they know it influences their kids, but they lack the willpower to do anything about it. "The 10-year study of 150 American children found two-thirds of children with overweight parents became overweight. Only one in six children whose parents were of average weight became overweight.The president of the Australian Society for the Study of Obesity, Associate Professor Gary Wittert, said parents needed help in doing their job and the Opposition Party's policy (政策) might be on the right track."We know that driving without a seat belt is unsafe, so we make law against it," hesaid. "Obesity is a major public health concern, so why shouldn't we change the law regarding unhealthy food ads?"1 . What does the underlined phrase "juvenile obesity" mean?A. Adult education.B. Childhood overweight.C. Parents' influence.D. Growing pains.2. What is TRUE about the programs supported by the Prime Minister?A.Debates on them will become less fierce.B.They will be effective in dealing with obesity.C. A large sum of money will be spent on them.D.They will influence people's way of life.3. Both Collins and Baur believe that over-weight parents_________________________ .A.will come up with better solutionsB.will help with their children's educationC.should be more active in reducing weightD.should carry out at least 10 years' study4. According to some experts, the Opposition Party's policy __________________________ .A.can help fight against unemploymentB.may protect kids from unhealthy food adsC.should be brought back to the right trackD.will work well to prevent traffic accidentsKeys: 1. BCCB。

话题阅读（二）Work and Career(A)One of the most common questions I get asked is whether, when, and how to follow up after a job interview. Following up in some way is important. Yes, you can get a job without it, but if you're in competition with other top candidates, following up to repeat your interest when the other candidate doesn't can sometimes help you. Here's how to follow up well.Send a thank-you note immediately. E-mail is fine for this and has the advantage of arriving faster, but handwritten notes are still appreciated. And if there are multiple interviews, send a thank-you note each time.Find out their timeline. Hopefully, you asked about their timeline in the interview itself, but if you didn't, follow up within a week to reinforce your interest and politely ask what they expect their timeline for a decision to be.Be enthusiastic—but not desperate.Most commonly, job seekers are too worried about looking desperate. It doesn't look desperate to express your interest in the job or check in to ask about the timeline. However, enthusiasm does cross the line if you are calling more than once a week, calling earlier than the date they said they'd get back to you, sounding like you're eager to take any job, or appearing as if this is the only choice you have.Don't be afraid if you don't hear from them immediately. The hiring process often takes longer than a candidate would like, for all sorts of reasons — the decision makers are out of town or scheduling conflicts have delayed a final interview, and so forth. It really makes you feel nervous, but don't read too much into it.When you don't hear back after they said you would. If you're past the time they indicated you would hear something, this isn't necessarily cause for alarm. Hiring often ends up taking longer than expected. Just politely follow up, explain you're very interested but understand that hiring can take time, and ask if they have an updated timeline.13. In the passage, the author intends to tell us .A. how to follow up after an interviewB. how to send a thank-you noteC. how to take part in an interviewD. how to prepare for an interview14. According to the passage, you'd better to express your thanks after an interview.A. write a letterB. send an e-mailC. visit the companyD. buy some gifts15. From the fourth paragraph, we know that you should after a job interview.A. call more than once a week for the timelineB. call much earlier than the expected dateC. show your eagerness to take any jobD. show your interest or ask about information properly16.In which part of a newspaper does this article probably appear?A. Science.B. Education.C. Career.D. Health.13-16 ABDC（B）Aware of the worst job market in more than 25 years, many students enrolling in colleges and universities this fall are considering majors that they believe will land them stable career.Students with degrees in nursing, health care, accounting, computer, general science and engineering report the most success in finding jobs. Those with degrees in finance, journalism, graphic design, and international relations have had tougher times, liberal arts graduates also struggle.Still career experts say students should major in whatever area most interests them, even if it's a less specialized liberal arts field, such as Chinese and or sociology. In a national survey, communication, followed closely by a strong work ethic and team work skills, was rated at the most important qualities sought by employers. "Liberal arts teaches us how to learn. When we go out into the world of work, we are going to have to continue to learn," said Dan Naegeli, director of the university of North Texas career center.Texas Health Resources uses a wide range of workers at its 14 hospitals and other sites. The 18,000 employees company hires about 2000 people a year. It looks for candidates with "promise behaviors", human resource director Justin Clem said."The resume is great... Education is wonderful," Clem said. "But when we interview, we really want to look at situations they were put into the past, what actions they took, and what were the results. "Do these results really support treating other people with courtesy dignity and respect? And communicating clearly and earning people' s trust? And thinking before they act?"The company also looks for people who have record of providing service, said Janaelle Nowne, vice president of human resource. If a student mowed lawns or worked at a fast-food restaurant, she said, "the things that we would want to hear is how you attended to providing service to people that you were working with and how you were attending to the quality of the products that you have. ""Experience is always helpful, but it is not always the guarantee that person is going to get the job," she added. "We look at the behaviors and the attitude they bring in and their willingness to be a part of the team. "Lockheed Martin has all sorts of jobs in all sorts of fields. One of the skills recruiters consider is the ability to work in teams."Most of what we do is problem solving, and you get people with different kinds of skillstogether to solve the problem," said Norman Robbins, senior manager community relations. "If you are real bright but you can't get along with anybody, you' re not going to be as successful as you will be if you can work in teams."ECABF（C）Some children are natural-born bosses. They have a strong need to make decisions, manage their environment, and lead rather than follow. Stephen Jackson, a Year One student, "operates under the theory of what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine," says his mother. "The other day I bought two new Star Wars light sabers(剑). Later, I saw Stephen with the two new ones while his brother was using the beat-up ones. ""Examine the extended family, and you'll probably find a bossy grandparent, aunt, uncle or cousin in every generation. It's an inheritable trait," says Russell Barkley, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. Other children who may not be particularly bossy can gradually gain dominance (支配地位) when they sense their parents are weak, hesitant, or in disagreement with each other.Whether it's inborn nature or developed character at work, too much control in the hands of the young isn't healthy for children or the family. Fear is at the root of a lot of bossy behavior, says family psychologist John Taylor. Children, he says in his book From Defiance to Cooperation," have secret feelings of weakness" and "a desire to feel safe". It's the parents' role to provide that protection.When a "bossy child" doesn't learn limits at home, the stage is set for a host of troubles outside the family. The overly willful and unbending child may have trouble obeying teachers or coaches, for example, or trouble keeping friends. It can be pretty lonely as the top dog if no one likes your bossy ways." I see more and more parents giving up their power," says Barkley, who has studied bossy behavior for more than 30 years. "They bend too far because they don't want to be as strict as their own parents were. But they also feel less confident about their parenting skills. Their kids, in turn, feel more anxious. "16. Bossy children like Stephen Jackson _________________ .A. make good decisionsB. showself-centerednessC. lack care from othersD. have little senseof fear17. The study on bossy behavior implies that parents ________________ .A.should give more power to their childrenB.should be strict with their childrenC.should not be so anxious about their childrenD.should not set limits for their children18. Bossy children may probably become________________ .A. relaxedB. skillfulC. hesitantD.lonely19. What is the passage mainly about?A.How bossy behavior can be controlled.B.How we can get along with bossy children.C.What leads to children's bossy behavior.D.What effect bossy behavior brings about.Keys: BBDC（D）1.Before you argue with your boss, check with the boss's secretary to determine his mood. If he ate nails for breakfast, it is not a good idea to ask him for something. Even without the boss's secretary, there are keys to timing. : don't approach the boss when he's on deadline; don't go in right before lunch, when he is apt to be distracted and rushed; don't go in just before or after he has taken a vacation.2.If you're mad, that will only make your boss mad. Calm down first. And don't let a particular concern open the floodgates for all your accumulated frustration. The boss will feel that you think negatively about the company and it is hopeless trying to change your mind. Then, maybe he will dismiss you.3.Terrible disputes can result when neither the employer nor the employee knows what is the problem the other wants to discuss. Sometimes the fight will go away when the issues are made clear. The employee has to get his point across clearly in order to make the boss understand it.Your boss has enough on his mind without your adding more. If you can't put forward an immediate solution, at least suggest how to approach the problem. People who frequently present problems without solutions to their bosses may soon find they can' t get past the secretary.To deal effectively with a boss, it's important to consider his goals and pressures. If you can put yourself in the position of being a partner to the boss, then he will be naturally more inclined to work with you to achieve your goals.Keys: CDABE。

话题阅读（二）Finance and Trade（A）In recent years, Israeli consumers have grown more demanding as they've become wealthier and more worldly-wise. Foreign travel is a national passion; this summer alone, one in 10 citizens will go abroad. Exposed to higher standards of service elsewhere, Israelis are returning home expecting the same. American firms have also begun arriving in large numbers. Chains such as KFC, McDonald's and Pizza Hut are setting a new standard of customer service, using strict employee training and constant monitoring to ensure the friendliness of frontline staff. Even the American habit of telling departing customers to "Have a nice day"has caught on all over Israel. "N obody wakes up in the morning and says, 'Let's be nicer,'"says Itsik Cohen, director of a consulting firm. "N othing happens without competition."Privatization,. or the threat of it, is a motivation as well. Monopolies that until recently have been free to take their customers for granted now fear what Michael Perry, a marketing professor, calls "the revengeful consumer". When the government opened up competition with Bezaq, the phone company, its international branch lost 40% of its market share, even while offering competitive rates. Says Perry, "People wanted revenge for all the years of bad service." The electric company, whose monopoly may be short-lived, has suddenly stopped requiring users to wait half a day for a repairman. Now, appointments are scheduled to the half hour. The graceless EI Al Airlines, which is already at auction, has retrained its employees to emphasize service and is boasting about the results in an ad campaign with the slogan, "You can feel the change in the air." For the first time, praise outnumbers complaints on customer survey sheets.Word Bankmonopolies n. 垄断auction n. 拍卖revengeful a. 报复的13. It may be inferred from the passage that .A. customer service in Israel is now improvingB. wealthy Israeli customers are hard to pleaseC. the tourist industry has brought chain stores to IsraelD. Israel customers prefer foreign products to domestic ones14. In the author's view, higher service standards are impossible in Israel .A. if customer complaints go unnoticed by the managementB. unless foreign companies are introduced in greater numbersC. if there's no competition among companiesD. without strict routine training of employees15. If someone in Israel today needs a repairman in case of a power failure, .A. they can have it fixed in no timeB. it's no longer necessary to make an appointmentC. the appointment takes only half a day to makeD. they only have to wait half an hour at mostA. revengeful customers are a threat to the monopoly of enterprisesB. an ad campaign is a way out for enterprises in financial difficultyC. a good slogan has great potential for improving serviceD. staff retraining is essential for better service13-16. ACDD（B）People have expressed themselves through the movements, steps, and rhythms of dance since the beginning of time. They have prayed and celebrated their victories through dance. People have mourned their dead and healed their sick through dance, the language of the body.Today there are many kinds of dancing. For example, there is folk dancing, ballet dancing, and modern dancing. Modern dance, which began in the early 1900s, is a very expressionistic dance. Modern dancers follow no set pattern. Rather, they create their own movements to match the feelings they are trying to express. But modern dance means more than just self-expression.Martha Graham is one of the world's greatest modern dancers. As a young dancer, she studied with some of the founders of the modern dance movement. Influenced by many different kinds of dancing, Martha Graham developed her own personal dance style. She later formed her own dance company and school in New York City. The following are some of herfeelings about herart.4.The modern dancer's costume is an important part of his or her dance. There are always some reasons why a dance costume should be a certain color or an outfit cut in a certain way. The reason comes out of the dance itself. Unlike a ballet costume, a modern dance costume is left of the dancers' art except the pictures and the memories.Dances come from something deep within a person. That something cannot be expressed with words—it must be told through movement. Because dance expresses emotions, it affects the mind and the body. Dance should not be taken apart and interpreted—dance must be experienced.Keys: AFBDC（C）Beware of those who use the truth to deceive. When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can create a false impression. For example, someone might say, "I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!" This guy's a winner, right? Maybe, not. We then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was a winner. He's really a big loser! He didn't say anything that was false, but he omitted important information on purpose. That's called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.Untrustworthy candidates in political campaigns often use this tactic. Let's say that during Governor Smith's last term. One of her opponents ran an ad saying, "During Governor Smith's term, the state lost one million jobs!" That's true. However an honest statement would have been, "During Governor Smith's term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs."Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It's against the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth. An ad might boast, "Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples. It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation."This kind of deception happens too often. I t's a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.W ord Bankdeceive v. 欺骗tactic n. 策略lottery n. 彩票pimple n. 粉刺1. Which statement is true according to the article?A.Whenever people tell the truth, they may lie.B.You cannot trust lottery agents.C.All governors help their states.D.The truth can be used in dishonestways.2 . The author clearly wants people________________ .A.to think carefully about what they read and hearB.to vote for female candidatesC.not to believe ads of any kindD.not to trust any politician3. Governor Smith's opponents wanted_______________ .A. to make her a liarB. to beat her in the campaignC. to get jobs in the governmentD. to detect her lie4. Which of the following would be the appropriate title for this article?A. How to deceive people.B. Everyone lies.C. Lying with the truth.D. Never believe anyone.Keys: DABC（D）There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns. It is sometimes placed among "situations vacant", although it does not offer anyone a job, and sometimes it appears among "situations wanted", although it is not placed by someone looking for a job either. What it does is to offer help in applying for a job."Contact us before writing your application", or "Make use of our long experience in preparing your job history", is how it is usually expressed. The growth and success of such a specialized service is, of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment. It is also an indication of the growing importance of job history, with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form itself.There was a time when those job hunters simply wrote letters of application. "Just put down your name, address, age and whether you have passed any exams", was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school. The letter was really just for a start, it was explained, everything else could and should be saved for the interview. And in those days of full employment the technique worked. The letter proved that you could w rite and were available for work. Y our eager face and intelligent replies did the rest.Later, as you moved up the ladder, something slightly more sophisticated was called for. The advice then was to put something in the letter which would make you different from the rest. "Your search is over. I am the person you are looking for", was a widely used trick that occasionally succeeded. Or it might be some special feature specially designed for the job in view.There is no doubt, however, that it is the increasing number of applicants with university education that has led to the greater importance of the job history.W ord Bankcolumn n. 分类广告栏vacant adj. 空缺的sophisticated adj. 老练的rms job hunters of the opportunities availableB.promises useful advice to those looking for employmentC.divides available jobs into various typesrms employers that people are available for workA.there is a lack of jobs available for artistic peopleB.there are so many top-level jobs availableC.there are so many people out of workD.the job history is considered to be a work of artA.write a letter giving their life historyB.pass some exams before applying for a jobC.have no qualifications except being able to read and writeD.keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview8. Later, as one went to apply for more important jobs, one was advised to include in theA.something that would attract attention to one's applicationB. a personal opinion about the organization one was trying to joinC.something that would amuse the person reading itD. a lie which could easily fool othersKeys: BADC。

话题阅读（二）Survey and Report（A）Lead deposits, which accumulated in soil and snow during the 1960's and 1970's, were primarily the result of leaded gasoline emissions originating in the United States. In the twenty years that the Clean Air Act has mandated unleaded gas use in the United States, the lead accumulation worldwide has decreased significantly.A study published recently in the journal Nature shows that air-borne leaded gas emissions from the United States were the leading contributor to the high concentration of lead in the snow in Greenland. The new study is a result of the continued research led by Dr Charles Boutron, an expert on the impact of heavy metals on the environment at the National Center for Scientific Research in France. A study by Dr Boutron published in 1991 showed that lead levels in arctic snow were declining.In his new study, Dr Boutron found the ratios of the different forms of lead in the leaded gasoline used in the United States were different from the ratios of European, Asian and Canadian gasolines and thus enabled scientists to differentiate the lead sources. The dominant lead ratio found in Greenland snow matched that found in gasoline from the United States.In a study published in the journal Ambio, scientists found that lead levels in soil in the Northeastern United States had decreased markedly since the introduction of unleaded gasoline.Many scientists had believed that the lead would stay in soil and snow for a longer period.The authors of the Ambio study examined samples of the upper layers of soil taken from the same sites of 30 forest floors in New England, New York and Pennsylvania in 1980 and in 1990. The forest environment processed and redistributed the lead faster than the scientists had expected.Scientists say both studies demonstrate that certain parts of the ecosystem respond rapidly to reductions in atmospheric pollution, but that these findings should not be used as a license to pollute.W ord Bankecosystem n. 生态系统differentiate v. 区分11. The study published in the journal Nature indicates that__________________________ .A. the Clean Air Act has not produced the desired resultsB. lead deposits in arctic snow are on the increaseC. lead will stay in soil and snow longer than expectedD. the US is the major source of lead pollution in arctic snow12. Lead accumulation worldwide decreased significantly after the use of unleaded gas in the US.A. was discouragedB. was enforced by lawC. was prohibited by lawD. was introduced13. How did scientists discover the source of lead pollution in Greenland?A. By analyzing the data published in journals like Nature and Ambio.B. By observing the lead accumulations in different parts of the arctic area.C. By studying the chemical elements of soil and snow in Northeastern America.D. By comparing the chemical compositions of leaded gasoline used in various countries.14. The authors of the Ambio study have found that .A. forests get rid of lead pollution faster than expectedB. lead accumulations in forests are more difficult to deal withC. lead deposits are widely distributed in the forests of the USD. the upper layers of soil in forests are easily polluted by lead emissionsDBDA（B）Professor Reason recently persuaded 35 people to keep a diary of all their absent-minded actions for two weeks. When he came to analyse their embarrassing errors, he was surprised to find that nearly all of them fell into a few groups.One of the women, for instance, on leaving her house for work one morning threw her pet dog her ear-rings and tried to fix a dog biscuit on her ear. "The explanation for this is that the brain is like a computer," explains the professor. "People programme themselves to do certain activities regularly. It was the woman's custom every morning to throw her dog two biscuits and then put on her ear-rings. But somehow the action got reversed in the programme." About one in twenty of the incidents the volunteers reported were these "programme assembly failures".Twenty percent of all errors were "test failures"—primarily due to not verifying the progressof what the body was doing. A man who was about to get his car out of the garage passed throughthe back yard where his garden jacket and boots were kept, put them on-much to his surprise. A woman victim reported:"I got into the bath with my socks on. "The commonest problem was information "storage failures". People forgot the names of people whose faces they knew, went into a room and forgot why they were there, mislaid something, or smoked a cigarette without realizing it.The research so far suggests that while the "central processor" of the brain is liberated from second-to-second control of a well-practised routine, it must repeatedly switch back its attention at important decision points to check that the action goes on as intended. Otherwise the activity maybe "captured" by another frequently and recently used programme, resulting in embarrassing errors.15. The purpose of Professor Reason's research is.A. to show the difference between men and women in their reasoningB. to classify and explain some errors in human actionsC. to find the causes which lead to computer failuresD. to compare computer functions with brain workings16. Which of the following might be grouped under "programme assembly failures"?A. A woman went into a shop and forgot what to buy.B. A man returning home after work left his key in the lock.C. A lady fell as she was concentrating on each step her feet were taking.D. An old man, with his shoes on, was trying to put on his socks.17. The word "verifying" in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by.A. improvingB. changingC. checkingD. stopping18. According to the passage, the information "storage failures" refers to _________________________ .A. the destruction of information collecting systemB. the elimination of one's total memoryC. the temporary loss of part of one's memoryD. the separation of one's action from consciousnessBDCC（C）A Brown University sleep researcher has some advice for people not run high schools: Don'tstart classes so early in the morning. It may not be that the students who nod off at their desks arelazy. And it may not be that their parents have failed to enforce bedtime. Instead, it may be thatbiologically these sleepyhead students aren't used to the early hour."Maybe these kids. are. being asker to rise at the wrong, time, for their bodies " says Mary, Carskadon, a professor looking at problem of adolescent sleep at Brown's School ofMedicine.Carskadon is trying to understand more about the effects of early school time in adolescents.And, at a more basic level, she and her team are trying to learn more about how the biologicalchanges of adolescence affect sleep needs and patterns.Carskadon says her work suggests that adolescents may need more sleep than they did at childhood, no less, as commonly thought.Sleep patterns change during adolescence, as any parent of an adolescent can prove. Most adolescents prefer to stay up later at night and sleep later in the morning. But it's not just a matterof choice—their bodies are going through a change of sleep patterns.All of this makes the transfer from middle school to high school—which may start one hour earlier in the morning—all the more difficult, Carskadon says. With their increased need for sleepand their biological clocks set on the "sleep late, rise late" pattern, adolescents are up againstdifficulties when it comes to trying to be up by 5 or 6 a. m. for a 7:30 a. m. first bell. A short sleepon a desktop may be their body's way of saying "I need a timeout".Word Bankenforce v. 确保timeout n. 隔离处分1. Carskadon suggests that high schools should not start classes so early in the morning because ___________________2. They underlined phrase "nod off" most probably means".16. 3. According to the passage, what's the sleep pattern of most adolescents?4. According to the passage, what might be a reason for the hard transfer from middle school to high school?1.It is biologically difficult for students to rise early.2. fall asleep3. to stay up later at night and sleep later at night.4. Adolescents need more sleep than they used to（D）ABC News anchor Peter Jennings died on Aug. 7, 2005 at home in New York after a brief battle with lung cancer. ABC News anchors said they hope if anything good can be taken from Jennings' death, it is a great awareness of the dangers of smoking."I want to give a message," Barbara Walters said. "If you have kids who are smoking, tell them that we lost Peter."Lung cancer is the worst killer in America, taking more lives each year than any other cancer, according to the America Cancer Society. About 160,440 Americans die each year of cancer, making up 28 percent of all cancer deaths. More than 87 percent of lung cancers are smoking related.Dr Derek Raghavan, director of the Cleveland Clinic's Taussing Cancer Center, said that once a person stops smoking, he starts getting better. Three to five years after quitting, the possibility of getting lung cancer is reduced by half.Warning signs of lung cancer can also be mixed with symptoms connected with long-term smoking. The three main warning signs are an increase of coughing that doesn't clear up, coughing up blood and sharp chest pains.People with those symptoms should see a doctor. Raghavan said there have been promising developments in the treatment of lung cancer, including uses of radiation and surgery and drugs. "But the fact is that stopping smoking is the most important thing we can do," Raghavan said. "There is no treatment that even comes close. "Word Bankanchor n. 节目主持人symptom n. 征兆1. Anchor Peter Jennings died of lung cancer which was possibly caused by_______________________ .A. his bad eating habitB. overmuch workC. long-term smokingD. the old age2. The first paragraph mentioned Peter Jennings' death in order to ____________________ .A. make him the main character of the passageB.warn the smokers of the danger of smokingC.introduce the topic to be talked aboutD.make him better-known than beforeA. doing more exerciseB. giving up smokingC. getting over lung cancerD. staying in hospital4. To fight against lung cancer, what matters much to smokers is ____________________A. to receive the treatment of lung cancerB. to do exerciseregularlyC. to see a doctor in timeD. to stop smokingCCBD（E）of Dahab on Monday, killing 23 people and wounding dozens of others, rescue and security officialssaid.Witnesses said smoke billowed up from the town's tourist bazaar, and residents said they sawbody parts and debris on the street after an explosion at a restaurant.People in the small beach and diving resort, which is popular with backpackers, described scenes of carnage and chaos.A cafe worker who was about 200 meters (yards) from the scene said: "We saw many dead people. People were screaming. People were being taken to hospital. Egyptians went to give blood. There were body parts. There's police everywhere.""There are ambulances and cars taking people to hospital," said another resident, who also did not want to be named.The explosions took place at the Nelson Restaurant, the Aladdin Cafeteria and the Ghazala Supermarket, the Interior Ministry said.The explosions took place in quick succession at about 7.15 p. m. (1715 GMT). "There is smoke coming from the area and there are people running everywhere," said one witness, who heard the blasts.An official with the local ambulance service said many of the dead appeared to be foreigners.Israeli divers often stay in the resort but with the Passover holiday over it is unlikely many were there. The Israeli ambassador in Cairo and Israeli authorities said they did not know of any Israeli casualties. One visitor said police were stopping cars and buses leaving the resort and had imposed restrictions on movements in and out of backpacker camps in the area.It was the third set of three explosions on the eastern coast of the Sinai Peninsula since October 2004, when a group attacked the Hilton hotel in the border resort of Taba and two other resorts on the northeast coast, killing 34 people.Word Bankexplosion n. 爆炸ambassador n. 大使( )5. What's the result of the explosions in Dahab ?A.34 people were killed.B.There were many Israeli casualties.C.23 people were killed and dozens of others were injured.D.Many houses were burned to the ground.( )6. What does the underlined word "resort" mean?A.Popular holiday centre.B.Hotel or guest-house for holidaymakers.C.Visiting some place.D.Making use of something for help.( )7. Which of the following statements is right?A.Many of the dead appeared to be residents.B.The first set of three explosions took place in October 2004.C.Police couldn't know what to do.D.Israeli divers stayed in the resort with the Passover holiday. CAB。

话题阅读（一）School and Education(A)For the past two years, I have been working on student's evaluation of classroom teaching. Istudents hate to buy a required textbook that the professor has written only to have his lectures repeated from it."1.FJGDE 6. ACIH(B)should be introduced in a concluding paragraph.paragraph.1. A.introduction B.impression C.examination D. stimulation2. A.lonely B.single C.isolated D. separate3. A.as B.to C.for D. in4. A.carefulness B.awareness C.business D. completeness5. A.deals B.summarizes C.refers D. bursts6. A.practised B.arranged C.recognized D. admitted7. A.most B.more C.least D. less8. A.sharpen B.shorten C.brighten D. weaken9. paring B.Considering C.Concluding D. Communicating10. A.forceful B.hesitant C.specific D.instant11. A.consisted B.made C.listed posed12. A.previous B.important C.new D.personal13. bine B.link C.mix D.invite14. A.instance B.moment C.outlook D.case15. A.confusion B.obstacle C.proposal D.answer1. BDADB 6. BADCA 11. BCBAD(C)children read stories about divorce, death, drugs, air pollution, political extremism and violence. Relying on the magic of the illustrator, all kinds of books are being published.Before they know how to read, babies can play with books made of cloth or books to take in the bath. Later on, they are given picture books that may be cubical or triangular, outsized or very small. They also like work-books which come with watercolors and paintbrushes, and comic books filled with details where they have to spots a figure hidden among thousands of others.Not that the traditional children's books are being neglected. There are still storybooks where the pages pop up when they are opened, to make a forest or a castle. Among the latest ideas are interactive stories where readers choose the plot or ending they want, and books on CD, which are very popular in rich industrialized countries.The public has enthusiastically greeting the wealth of creativity displayed by publishers. "Previously, giving a child book was often seen as improper," says Canadian author Marie-France Herbert. Her books, published by a French-language publisher, sell like hot cakes in hundreds ofthe passion for reading which is food for the mind and the heart, like a medicine or a vitamin. "1. "Reworked" used in Paragraph 1 means" ________________ ".A. rewordedB. rewrittenC. processedD. revised2. In the second paragraph the author lists the kinds of books.A. recently publishedB. of various shapesC. babies likeD. popular among children3. Which of the following statements is true?A.. Books made of cloth came out earlier than picture books.B. When you buy work-books you will be given free comic books.C. Traditional children's books are not being removed from market.D. Babies cannot have books while taking a bath.A. pass on to childrenB. make children believeC. teach childrenD. get around to childrenDDAA(D)It is generally accepted that every experience teaches the child something and the effects arewithin the home. This is closely related to the treatment and training of the child in school, which is usually distinguished by the term "education". In a society such as ours, both parents and teachers are responsible for the opportunities provided for the development of the child, so that upbringing and education are interdependent.The ideals and practices of child rearing vary from culture to culture. In general, the more rural the community, the more uniform are the customs of child upbringing. In more technologically developed societies, the period of childhood and adolescence tends to be extended over a long time, resulting in more opportunity for education and greater variety in character development.Early upbringing in the home is naturally affected both by the cultural pattern of the community and by the parents' capabilities and their aims and depends not only on upbringing and education but also on the innate abilities of the child.Intelligent parents, however, realize that the particular setting of each family is unique, and there can be no rigid general rules.All parents have to solve the problems of freedom and discipline. The younger the child, the more readily the mother gives in to his demands to avoid disappointing him. She knows that if his energies are not given an outlet, her child's continuing development may be warped.A child must be allowed to enjoy this "messy" but tactile stage of discovery before he is ready to go on to the less physical pleasures of toys and books. Similarly, throughout life, each stage depends on the satisfactory completion of the one before.W ord Bank :adolescence n. 青少年tactile adj. 触觉的innate adj. 天生的warp v. 扭曲5. The word "cumulative" most probably means ________________ .A. decisiveB. extremely beneficialC. strongD. progressively greater6. It can be seen from the passage that ________________ .A. the cultural pattern is the single factor that affects a child's upbringing in the homeB. by no means does the technological factor affect the development of children's characterC. there are advisable rules for parents to go by in binging up their childrenD. upbringing and education are mutually complementary7. A child's development might well be badly affected if __________________ .A. he was subjected to unusually strict disciplineB. his mother often gave in to his demandsC. his energies were freely given an outletD. he were brought up in a happy environment8. As it is presented in the passage, rather than a smooth profession the development of the human character and personality is a series of.A. actsB. stagesC. functionsD. completion'sDDAB(E)American middle school students don't seem to care that they're worse at maths than their counterparts in China's Hong Kong and Finland. "I don't need it," my student says. "I'm going to be a basketball star. Or a car mechanic, or a singer. "Middle school students' maths skills were tested by the International Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The United States ranked 28th out of 41 countries tested. After all, when was the last time you used algebra?But maths isn't just about training Americans to become scientists. It has its own value. It helps you see patterns and develops your logic skills, and it teaches you to concentrate and to separate truth from falsehood. Maths helps you make wise financial decisions, so you can avoid false claims from advertisers, politicians and others. It helps you determine risk. For example, after an airplane crash, studies show that people are more likely to drive than to take a plane in spite of the fact that they are much more likely to be killed or injured while driving. Planes are not like criminals who repeat the same crime over and over. One plane is not more likely to crash just because another plane recently did. In fact, the most dangerous time to drive is probably right aftera plane crash because so many people are on the road.It is not possible to really understand science and the scientific method without understanding maths. A rainbow is even more beautiful and amazing when we understand it.The precision of maths helps us think in a very special way. How do we bring the learning of maths back to life? I don't have the big answer. I try my best to help pupils find answers to some maths problems. When I can get one to say "wow, that's great", I feel the joy of a small victory.W o r d B a nkcounterpart n. 同龄人falsehood n. 谎言algebra n. 代数A.maths is useless to most peopleB.they have no interest in mathsC.they think maths has nothing to do with their futureD.they don't do well in mathsA.every coin has its two sidesB.we should not be cheated by fault factsC.maths is close to our daily life 'D. a simple fact showscomplicated rules11. The writer would agreethat .A.it's normal that American kids are weak in mathsB.without maths we'll miss much in our lifeC.maths is the most important subject at schoolD.American kids don't work hard at schoolA. a student career guideB. a researcher on students' problemsC. a specialist in students' studiesD. a maths teacherCCBD(F)A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking. Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficulties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in. Reading remained as a significant （显著的) problem.The information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join in the course with a reasonable motivation(动机), we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching in their own country. To use the same method would be self-defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining (保持) or increasing motivation. Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest by about halfway through the ten weeks. This led us to a major rethink, so finally we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students.13. What is the text mainly about?A.Foreign students have more problems.B.There are many ways to improve English.C.Teaching should meet students' needs.D.English learning problems should be studied again.A.had to write their papersB.became better at speakingC.became less interested in readingD.had fewer problems with listening15. We may infer from the last two paragraphs that ______________.A.different teaching methods should be usedB.grammar-based teaching seems to be encouragingC.English courses are necessary for foreign studentsD.teaching content should be changed halfwayCAA。

话题阅读（二）Trips and journey(A)There are many famous museums throughout the world where people can enjoy art. Washington, D. C. has the National Gallery of Art; Paris has the Luvre; London, the British Museum. Florida International University (FIU) in Miami also shows art for people to see. And it does so without a building, or even a wall for its drawings and paintings.FIU has opened what it says is the first computer art museum in the United States. You don't have to visit the University to see the art. You just need a computer linked to a telephone. Y ou can call the telephone number of a university computer and connect your own computer to it. All of the art is stored in the school computer. It is computer art, produced electronically by artists on their own computers. In only a few minutes, your computer can receive and copy all the pictures and drawings.Robert Shostak is director of the new computer museum. He says he started the museum because computer artists had no place to show their works.A computer artist can only record pictures electronically and send the records, or floppy discs, to others to see on their computers. He can also put his pictures on paper. But to print good pictures on paper, the computer artist needs an expensive laser printer.Robert Shostak says the electronic museum is mostly for art of computer students at schools and universities. Many of the pictures in the museum are made by students. Mr zShostak said the FIU museum will make computer art more fun for computer artists because more people can see it. He says artists enjoy their work much more if they have an audience. And the great number of home computers in America could mean a huge audience the electronic museum.W ord BankLuvre 卢浮宫floppy adj. 移动或落下10. The main purpose of this passage is to give information about _____________________ .A. museums throughout the worldB. an electronic art museum in Miami, USAC. art exhibitions in Florida International UniversityD. Latest development of computer art11. To see the art in FLU museum, people need _____________________.A. floppy discsB. a computer and a printerC. pictures and drawings on paperD. a computer connected to the museum by telephone line12. The FIU museum was started when___________________ .A. Robert Shostak wanted to do something for computer scientistsB. Art students needed a place to show their worksC. Robert Shostak wanted to help computer artistsD. Computer scientists wanted to do something about art13. "An audience" in the last paragraph refers to _____________________ .A. computerB. art studentsC. those who will enjoy artD. computer artistsBDCA(B)1.The opinion of many engineers is that the architects that designed the New York World TradeCenter Twin Towers did a good job in designing the buildings. The buildings were safe from the hazards envisioned at the time. Indeed, they were designed to withstand the force of aircraft that might crash into them. They were not however, designed to withstand the effects of the very high temperatures generated by the ignition of tons of fuel carried by the aircraft.Steel lightly covered with concrete is the main structural component of the towers and steel loses a lot of structural strength when heated to 1,100 degrees Centigrade and beyond, as it was. To shield the steel the towers' beams were coated with a few centimeters of concrete. That insulation was to provide structural integrity for at least 1 hour of fire. The towers met the test. The south tower lasted 62 minutes. The north: 103 minutes. Tragedy followed when not all could escape prior to the collapse.3.Most experts agree that the Twin Towers were very well designed. Many also agree that the people planning the attacks were very knowledgeable and aimed the aircraft at a height that would cause the most damage. The aircraft crash and resulting fuel-fed fires were aimed at about the 90th floor. That was just high enough to insure that the upper floors would weaken with the heat and crack down, dropping into the remaining part of the building.The mass of the falling top floors created such a falling load that some experts estimate it exceeded by 5 to 10 times normal bearing loads. The effect was like a giant hammer, each floor contributing more weight to be born by the next floor down.Were the Trade Towers well designed? Engineers say yes. The public refers to the belief that architects will never again design a tall building without considering the effects of terrorist attacks of all potential kinds. That not only includes the ability of the structure to withstand attack but the means to allow the buildings' occupants to escape in time to survive.EAFDB(C)Martha’s Vineyard has long been considered a favorite quiet of the Northeast. The vineyard is rich in history, breathtaking beaches, and beautiful scenery. It is well known for its unique lighthouses – you’ll enjoy the variety and the history of each lighthouse, among the mostphotographed structures on the Vineyard. When the former First Family, the Clintons, chose to vacation on the island several years ago, it became a more popular tourist attraction.Martha’s Vineyard got its name from its discoverer, Bartholomew Gosnold, who gave it the name of his wife Martha and was in memory of the thick growth of wild trees on the land.The island of Martha’s Vineyard lies south of Cape Cod off the southeastern coast of Massachusetts，United States. It is nearly 20 miles long and runs from 2 to 10 miles in width. There are wide, hard beaches on the southern side. The north is hilly, but in the south and eastern parts there are wide areas of open land covered with wild flowers.The island was discovered early in the 17th century. The Indians were quiet and friendly, and the new-comers fished for a living, making a lot of money from whaling (捕鲸). With the decline (衰落) of whaling and sailing ships, Martha’s Vineyard was almost forgotten until about 60 years ago when people began to buy the old houses of the whaling captains and the small buildings of the fishermen near the beaches. Now people go there year after year for their summer holidays.1．What is Martha’s Vineyard famous for?A．Lighthouses.B．A long history.C．Friendly Indians.D．Fishing industry.2．Which of the following maps tells where Martha’s Vineyard is？（Mas = Massachusetts；C = Cape Cod；M = Martha's Vineyard）3．Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?A．How the island got its name.B．The population of the island.C．The scenery of the island.D．When the island was discovered.4．When you visit Martha’s Vineyard, .A．you can see a lot of hills in the eastern partsB．you can enjoy the sunshine on the beach on the northern sideC．you can live in the fishermen’s old houses in the hillsD．you can see different kinds of lighthouses and learn about the history1. A2.C3.B4.D(D)There are thirty-four bridges on the Thames River in London, the following are among the most famous ones. Tower BridgeTower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of the finest, most recognizable bridges in the World. It is the bridge in London you may see in movies and on advertising writing for London. Tower Bridge is the only Thames Bridge that can be raised. It used to be raised about 50 times a day, but nowadays it is only raised 4 to 5 times a week. London BridgeThe construction of the first stone London Bridge started in 1176 and finished years later. Houses and shops were once built on the bridge, which made the road so narrow that it was oftenjammed with people, horses and carts. A "keep left" rule was made in 1733 to keep the traffic moving. This became the rule of the road in Britain. In 1757 the old bridge was pulled down and a new one was built in 1831. Interestingly, that one was pulled down again in 1967 but rebuilt in Lake Havasu City, USA, as a tourist attraction. The present London Bridge was opened in 1973. Millennium BridgeThe Millennium Bridge is a bridge for walkers. It was built to connect the Tate Modem Art Gallery to the City and St Paul's Cathedral (Sf&^ifcl:) in 2000. Thousands of people rushed to see the new bridge. Almost immediately after opening, the bridge had to be shut because of the dangerous waving caused by too many visitors. It has now been reopened. The bridge is about 320 meters, costs 16 million pounds to build and only takes walkers. Westminster BridgeWestminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster and Lambeth. The present bridge, opened in 1862, is the second on the site and took the place of an earlierbridge opened in 1750. The British romantic poet, William Wordsworth, wrote a famous poem "Composed Upon Westminster Bridge" in the autumn of 1802.Want to know more about the bridges on the Thames River? Click here1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?A.The 1831 London Bridge is now in the USA.B.Tower Bridge is much less frequently lifted today than before.C.Cars and buses are not allowed to cross Millennium Bridge.D.W estminster Bridge is for walkers only.2.The Passage is most probably taken from a ________________ .A. school reportB. website articleC. teenage magazineD. science fiction3.The word "j ammed^ in the passage has the closest meaning with_____________________ .A. fixedB. crowdedC. boredD. pleased4.What can we learn from the passage?A.William W ordsworth wrote many poems of the bridges on the Thames River.lennium Bridge wasn't built strong enough so that it had to be pulled down and rebuilt.C.That all the traffic is kept left in Britain was from a rule of an old London Bridge.D.Tower Bridge is the symbol of London because it is the first bridge on the Thames River.1.D2.B3.B4.C。

话题阅读（二）School and Education（A）1.Listening is not as easy as someone thought. Even good listeners may recall only fifty percent of what they hear. Retention, the ability to remember and recall information, decreases about twenty to twenty-five percent after a few days. So no matter how well you listen in class, you're always going to have to refresh your memory before a test! Unfortunately, many people have poor listening habits, and little listening training. To improve your listening skills, it's important to understand what causes poor listening.If you find it difficult to concentrate solely on what a speaker is saying, there' s a good reason. The mind processes information much faster than a speaker can speak. The brain can process over 500 words per minute, while the average speaker talks at a rate of 124 to 250 words per minute. That means the mind can hear what's being said and can think about something else at the same time.If you have a negative idea about the speaker or the topic, you'll find it difficult to listen attentively. Hostile or captive audiences often have more difficulty listening than do favorable or voluntary ones.If a speaker speaks "above the heads" of an audience, people find it difficult to concentrate. Speakers who use unfamiliar words or who use incomplete explanations make it more difficult to listen. Speakers who "speak down" to audiences, failing to acknowledge what the audience alreadyknows, also create mental blocks.When people listen selectively, they simply block out what they don't want to hear. For instance, many people have habits that are dangerous to their health, like smoking. However, they often choose to block out what a speaker says about health risks. They may listen to a speech and think that the speaker's message applies to other people, not them. In other words, they hear what they want to hear and ignore what they don't want to hear.W ord BankCADFB（B）You are from a middle-class family, and live in a normal-size home without any showy possessions, but you are surrounded by surprising consumption. This contrast is beginning to bother your 6-year-old son. You are worried that he will want to live as they do, and wonder if you should move.Sometimes big pocket money, joyful birthday parties, special playrooms and super-big houses tell you that your neighbors probably have more money than you do, and that they're not as careful as you are with money, but you may find that they cook and dig in the garden with their children just as often as you do, talk with them as freely and read to them every night.Or you may find that some of these parents stay in one wing of their big house while their child plays by himself, way off in a wing of his own. In that unfortunate case, he is basically growing up alone without being looked after properly, but this can happen to a child who lives ina normal-size house, too, if he has a TV, a computer and a few video games in his room. Even the most caring parent doesn't walk in and out of it to see what show her child is watching, what internet site he has found and if he's still playing that video games.Too much uncontrolled screen then may lead to a certain loss of innocence, but mostly this child will lose the sense of unity and satisfaction that comes from being in a family.A neighborhood should also provide you with a sense of unity and satisfaction, and if it doesn't you might decide to move. Don't judge your neighborhood too harshly, though. There are some things that are right with almost any neighborhood and things that are wrong with the best of them—like those super-big houses. The wealth of their owners and the way they throwand his dad save some of the money, give some to people who don't have enough and use the rest topay for whatever the family needs.Children want—should be provided with—explanations when their parents don' t givethem what they want.1. What is the problem with the worried parent in the passage?2. In Para. 2 and Para. 3, the author seems to agree that parents should___________________________________ .3. By saying "throw money around" in Para. 5, the author means that rich people __________________________4. According to the passage, what should parents do when they don't give their children what theywant?Keys: 1 . He or she worries about the effect of the neighbors on his or her son2. spend more time with their children3. spend much money carelessly4. They should provide their children with explanations.（C）In a recently published book, I came across some exercises with interesting names such asfishbone diagrams, lotus flowers and clustering. As I used these exercises in my classes, I noticedthat students were interested. They said more and wrote more. They enjoyed expressing their ideasand sharing them in groups. They were no longer passively waiting for the bell, but actively takingpart in the lesson. I find that creativity can act as a way to increase participation and improvefluency.Creativity has become a popular word in recent years. Scholars in arts, psychology,business, education and science are all working to get a deeper understanding of it. Robert J.Sternberg is a creativity specialist and Yale professor of psychology. He defines creativity as "theability to produce work that is both new (original) and appropriate (applicable to the situation)".This definition is useful, as we want our students to use language in a new way and to use itcorrectly and properly. Most scholars say there are two types of creativity: big "C" creativity andsmall "c" creativity. Big "C" creativity refers to genius level thinking that results in artistic masterpieces and scientific breakthroughs. Small "c" creativity refers to everyday level thinkingthat can be used in any situation. Our emphasis is on the latter. While it goes without sayingthat any of our students could go on to be the next Picasso or Edison, our aim is to help students produce more ideas and use language in a new way.23. The underlined words "waiting for the bell" in the first paragraph probably meansA. longing for a phone callB. hoping to have a bellC. expecting the end of the classD. waiting to speak in the class24. It can be inferred from the passage that the author thinks the exercises in the book were.A. popularB. usefulC. scientificD. creative25. When you use a familiar word in a new way, you are________________ .A.creative in the sense of big "C" creativityB.creative in the sense of small "c" creativityC.showing the sense of big "C" creativityD.not creative in the sense of small "c"creativity26. The main purpose of the passage is to_______________ .A. show how useful the book isB. explain what creativity isC. discuss how one can be creativeD. tell what creativity aims atKeys:CDBB（D）1.Growing numbers of foreigners are showing a desire to learn the Chinese language, according to the latest official statistics. It is estimated that the number coming to China to learn the language has maintained an average annual growth rate of 35 per cent, over the past few years.China's continuous economic expansion and the strengthening of its trade and business ties with the rest of the world have been behind the interest in learning Chinese. These kinds of business engagements have in turn sparked a huge demand for professional employees in foreign countries with a good command of Chinese.3.The trend is more evident among some of China's largest trading partners, particularly Japan, the United States, the Republic of Korea and some nations in Southeast Asia. " I think good knowledge of Chinese can help me secure a good job back in my country as there is a growing number of companies setting up operations in China," said a 24-year-old female student of Peking University who comes from South Korea. She added that a certificate of the Chinese Proficiency Test, or Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi (HSK) , is important when seeking a job in a large foreign trade company in South Korea.The HSK test began in Beijing in 1988. It is a national, standardized test designed to assess foreign students' command of Chinese. So far, the Office of the State Commission for the Chinese Proficiency Test has set up 44 testing centres in 27 cities in China, including Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, and 55 centres in 24 other countries in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania. Since 1991, a total of 380,000 people from 120 countries have taken the test in those centres, said Vice-Minister of Education Zhang Xinsheng."The Chinese language as well as Chinese culture and other languages and cultures —has played a tremendous role in developing human civilization and pushing forward social progress.” Zhang said. " Hopefully the exchange of languages can help enhance understanding and friendship between peoples of different countries," he added.Keys: DBCAE。