Most people agree that the direct, assertive(过分自信的) American personality is a virtue, but it sometimes surprises foreigners. In many cultures, respect for older people or those in positions of authority keeps others from expressing their true feelings. But in the U.S, children often argue with their parents, students may disagree with their teachers, and citizens may express opposition to the actions of the government. If the soup has a fly in it or the meat is too tough to chew, the diner can complain to the waiter, if the boss makes a mistake, an employee will politely point it out.
Some straight talk about the American character must include the admission that Americans have their faults. The extremely competitive nature of Americans is probably their worst fault. Of course, competition isn’t always bad. As a matter of fact, it promotes excellence by encouraging individuals and businesses to try to do their best. But the desire to get ahead of others sometimes causes people to do things that are unkind and even dishonest. Also, Americans admire what is practical, fast, efficient, and fresh. Sometimes they fail to understand and appreciate practices that have greater respect for more traditional, leisurely ways of doing things. On the other hand, people from other cultures may dislike the practical, challenging American lifestyle.
Despite culture differences, most foreigners give Americans credit for their virtues. Americans are generally viewed as friendly, adaptable, energetic, and kindhearted. Most newcomers to the U.S. like Americans, and the feeling is usually mutual. Perhaps the greatest American virtue is a deep interest in new ideas and new people. In a nation of immigrants, the foreigner does not remain an outsider for long.
In order to show the respect for older people,. .
| A．people from some other cultures will always express their true feeling |
| B．people from some other cultures may sometimes hide their true feeling |
| C．Americans always show their true feelings |
| D．Americans usually argue with them |
Why is the extremely competitive nature considered as one of American faults?
| A．Because people from other cultures fear competition. |
| B．Because only American people own it. |
| C．Because it will make people forget leisure. |
| D．Because it may sometimes urge people to do something bad. |
It can be inferred from the passage that . .
| A．American people are more critical of everything than people from other cultures |
| B．the author believes that American character has more faults than virtues |
| C．the author admires American virtues as they are viewed as competitive and anti traditional |
| D．it is difficult for newcomers to get on with Americans |
The passage mainly talks about . .
| A．American virtues | B．American characters | C．American faults | D．American lifestyles |
They are among the 250, 000 people under the age of 25 who are out of work in the Netherlands, a group that makes up 40 percent of the nation’s unemployed. A storm of anger boils up at the government-sponsored (政府资助的) youth center, even among those who are continuing their studies.
“We study for jobs that don’t exist,” Nicollets Steggerda, 23, said.
After thirty years of prosperity, unemployment among 10 member nations of the European Community has reached as much as 11 percent, affecting a total of 12.3 million people, and the number is climbing.
The bitter disappointment long expressed by British youths is spreading across the Continent. The title of a rock song “No Future” can now be seen written on the brick walls of closed factories in Belgium and France.
One form of protest(抗议) tends to put the responsibility for a country’s economic troubles on the large numbers of “guest workers” from Third World nations, people welcomed in Western Europe in the years of prosperity.
Young Europeans, brought up in an extended period of economic success and general stability, seem to be similar to Americans more than they do their own parents. Material enjoyment has given them a sense of expectation, even the right to a standard of living that they see around them.
“And so we pass the days at the discos, or meet people at the café, and sit and stare,” said Isabella Cault. "There is usually not much conversation. You look for happiness. Sometimes you even find it.”Unemployment in the Netherlands has affected _______
| A．about 0.6 million people | B．250,000 people |
| C．1ess than half of the population | D．one million people |
What Nicollete Steggerda said (Para.2) means that ________.
| A．what the students learn is more than necessary |
| B．the students cannot get work after graduation |
| C．the students’ aim in study is not clear |
| D．school education is not sufficient |
The underlined word ‘‘it” in the last paragraph most probably refers to ________.
| A．material enjoyment | B．a sense of expectation |
| C．a job | D．happiness |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．British youths have pity on the unemployed on the Continent． |
| B．British youths care about unemployment in France and Belgium． |
| C．British youths show their disappointment over joblessness． |
| D．British youths have confidence to find work on the Continent． |
With alarming regularity, we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills(泄露) on people, nature, and the environment.
Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil. Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea.
Of all of today’s environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious. Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material. In the end, it breaks down naturally. There are, of course, long-term effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term.
Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible. In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Sicily Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tones of oil into the ocean. If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened.
Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage. Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run!
We should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil. Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power(太阳能), electricity, hydrogen, and so on. Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal.
If the world’s millions of cars were 10% more efficient(高效的) — and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient — we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year. If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too.What is the passage mainly talking about?
| A．Oil tanker accidents. | B．What oil pollution is. |
| C．Oil spills pollution. | D．How to reduce oil pollution. |
How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?
| A．By giving an example. | B．By making an argument. |
| C．By giving a description. | D．By drawing a diagram. |
What does the underlined word “risk” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
| A．Transportation depending more on oil. |
| B．More environmental damage being caused. |
| C．Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea. |
| D．Poisonous oil breaking down naturally. |
Which suggestion is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?
| A．We should build safer oil tankers in the near future. |
| B．Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines. |
| C．We should develop new technologies to cut oil use. |
| D．Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea. |
Volunteers, as an essential part of a successful world exposition, are a major channel for the public to participate in, serve and share the world exposition and a means to showcase the image of the host country and city. The following information is about the volunteer for the World Exposition 2010 Shanghai China.
I. Basic Requirements for Volunteers
lBe willing to participate in voluntary services of Expo 2010;
lAge limit: Expo Site volunteers must be born before April 30, 1992 and Expo City Voluntary Service Station volunteers before April 30, 1994;
lObey the laws and regulations of the PRC;
lBe able to participate in training and relevant activities before the opening of Expo 2010;
lPossess necessary knowledge and skills needed by the position;
lBe in good health to meet the requirements of corresponding voluntary positions.
II. Further Information for Volunteers
lSource
lResidents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, as well as overseas Chinese, and foreigners can all apply to be the volunteers.
lSignup methods
lApplicants may log in onto the official websites for online signup. They may also consult or connect with the Expo Volunteer Stations.
lTime
lMay 1 – December 31, 2009
III. Volunteer Training
Volunteer training includes general training, special training and position training. General training is carried out through the Internet, while special training and position training are provided through classroom lectures and field practice.
IV. Volunteer Types
lExpo Site volunteers refer to those offering voluntary services to visitors and the Organizer in the Expo Site, mainly including information, visitor flow management, reception, translation and interpretation, assistance for the disabled, and assistance in media service, event and conference organization and volunteer management.
lInformation booth volunteers are stationed in the Expo’s information booths at key transportation centers, commercial outlets, tourist attractions, restaurants, hotels and cultural event places outside the Expo Site. They offer services including information, translation, interpretation and even first aid.What’s the purpose of this writing?
| A．To give some basic information of the World Expo 2010 |
| B．To recruit(招募) the volunteers for the World Expo 2010 |
| C．To praise the hard work of the volunteers |
| D．To attract people to visit the World Expo 2010 |
If you were born in April 1993, where can you be a volunteer?
| A．In the Expo Site. | B．In the host country. |
| C．In the Expo City. | D．In Chinese mainland. |
Which of the training will be done on the Internet?
| A．General training. | B．Position training. |
| C．Classroom training. | D．Special training. |
Which of the following service is offered by information booth volunteers?
| A．Visitor flow management. | B．Helping the disabled. |
| C．Assistance in media service. | D．Emergency first aid. |
Shopping in the United States changes a lot. About ninety years ago most people shopped in small stores that were owned by one person or a family. Women went from the bakery to the butcher’s to the grocer and on to the fruit and vegetable seller in order to get their food for the week. Then, about sixty years ago, supermarkets were born. In a supermarket, people could get all the different kinds of food they needed without going to different stores.
The next big change in shopping in the United States was the shopping mall. A shopping mall is a group of stores under one roof. Because malls allowed people to shop without worrying about the weather, they soon became very popular. The mall became a place for people to socialize in addition to shopping. If you walk through a mall, you will see older people sitting, chatting and drinking coffee. Malls are places for teenagers to hang out. Many teens will often just “go to the mall” and spend time with their friends.
The recent change in American shopping was the superstore. Large chain stores such as Wal-Mart, Office Depot and Toys“R”Us have been built all across the United States. Because they are so large, they can buy goods at a great discount and sell them much cheaper than smaller stores. Sometimes, when they are built near small towns, many of the small town stores have to close. They just cannot compete with their giant neighbors.
And now, online shopping is becoming more and more popular all over the States. People are too busy to go to the physical stores, so they go shopping over the Internet. Online shopping has lots of advantages. For instance, online stores are usually available 24 hours a day. Searching or browsing online shops can be faster than browsing the physical stores. While, online shopping also has its disadvantages. People are at higher risk of being cheated on the part of the merchant than in a physical store. And privacy of personal information may be let out.Which of the following shows the right order of shopping development in the United States?
①small stores②superstores③shopping malls④shopping online⑤supermarkets
| A．①②③④⑤ | B．①⑤②③④ | C．②③④①⑤ | D．①⑤③②④ |
Which is the place for people to spend time with others according to the passage?
| A．Small stores. | B．Shopping malls. | C．Supermarkets. | D．Superstores. |
Why can the superstores sell products at much lower prices?
| A．Because they can buy goods at a reduction in price. |
| B．Because they are across the United States. |
| C．Because they sell all kinds of products people need. |
| D．Because they are built near small towns. |
What’s the disadvantage of online shopping according to the passage?
| A．Wasting time. | B．Fixed prices. |
| C．Leaking personal information. | D．No chance to do physical activities. |
An altimeter(高度计) is an instrument used in an airplane to tell the pilot how high he is flying. The altimeter used in most airplanes is a kind of barometer(气压计), which, like barometer found in ordinary homes, is a measuring instrument for air pressure. The weight of the atmosphere presses downwards everywhere. At sea level this pressure is more than 14 pounds on every square inch of the surface. The higher you go into the air, the lower the air pressure is. An altimeter measures this air pressure to show the altitude of the airplane, or, how high it is above sea level.
But the altimeter does not show how high the plane is above the ground. A plane might be flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet, but it would be only a thousand feet or so above the ground if the land in that area happened to be 14,000 feet above sea level. The pilot adjusts his altimeter to the actual sea-level pressure before leaving the airport and then corrects it in flight by new information given to him by radio. He flies high enough to be above any mountain he may pass on his course .The barometer altimeter is correct within about 300 feet.
Another kind of altimeter, the radio altimeter, makes use of radio reflection. It calculates the height of the flying plane by sending out electrical signals to the surface below and measuring the time required for them to bounce back(反弹). It is correct within 15 feet over water, but is not reliable over land. Big planes usually have both kinds of altimeter.
67. Which of the following diagrams gives the correct relationship between altimeters and barometers? (a----altimeters, b----barometers)
68. The following drawing shows a plane flying over a mountain. Which of the heights given in the drawing is given by the barometer altimeter in the plane at this moment?
69. Suppose a plane using a radio altimeter is flying 10,000 meters above highland which is 4,000 meters above sea level. What reading will be given by the altimeter?
A.10,000meters. B. 4,000meters. C.14,000meters. D. 6,000 meters.
70. Suppose a plane using both kinds of altimeters is flying over a mountainous area where the land rises and falls very abruptly (迅速地). The pilot keeps his plane steady at the same height. What kind of reading will you get on each of the altimeters?
A. The readings on both altimeters will remain steady.
B. The readings on both altimeters will rise and fall abruptly.
C. The readings on the barometer altimeter will rise and fall abruptly, while that on the radio altimeter will remain steady.
D. The readings on the radio altimeter will rise and fall abruptly, while that on the barometer altimeter will remain steady.