Sociologists（社会学家）, working in western countries, have found that a large number of women wished they had been born men. The number is said to be as high as 60％ in Germany.
"Women often wish they had the same chances as men have, and think it is still men's world. " said Dr. James Helen, one of the sociologists who did the study.
Many men say that they have more duties than women. A man has to make money to support his family and to make the important decision, so it is right for men to be paid more. Some are even against their wives working at all. When wives go out to work, they say, the home and children cannot be taken good care of. If women take full-time jobs, they won't be able to do what they are best at doing: making a nice home and bringing up the children.
Some women disagree. They say they want to get out of their homes and to have freedom to choose between work and home life. Women have the right of equal pay and equal chances.
Anne Harper has a very good job. She also believes in "Women's Liberation", "I don't wish I were a man," she says, "and I don't think many women do. But I do wish people would stop treating us like second-class people. At work, for example, we usually do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs only to men—usually they are the best ones. If you are a man, you have a much better chance of living a wonderful life. How many women scientists are there…or engineers?"Many men think ______.
| A．women can't do what men can |
| B．men have to work much harder than women |
| C．men can make money more easily than women |
| D．women's duty is mainly to do housework at home |
Some women have different ideas. They say that ______.
| A．women need chances to go out of the home more often |
| B．women want more freedom in deciding the kind of life they want |
| C．if women are given equal pay, they can do everything instead of men |
| D．women are no longer interested in taking care of their homes |
Anne Harper thought that ______.
| A．women should live a better life than men |
| B．women should be really liberated |
| C．women should be given better jobs than men |
| D．women should live a more wonderful life than men |
Below is a selection from a popular science book.
If blood is red, why are veins（静脉）blue?
Actually, veins are not blue at all. They are more of a clear, yellowish colour. Although blood looks red when it’s outside the body, when it’s sitting in a vein near the surface of the skin, it’s more of a dark reddish purple colour. At the right depth, these blood-filled veins reflect less red light than the surrounding skin, making them look blue by comparison.
Which works harder, your heart or your brain?
That kind of depends on whether you’re busy thinking or busy exercising. Your heart works up to three times harder during exercise, and shifts enough blood over a lifetime to fill a supertanker. But, in the long run, your brain probably tips it, because even when you’re sitting still your brain is using twice as much as your heart, and it takes four to five times as much blood to feed it.
Why do teeth fall out, and why don’t they grow back in grown-up?
Baby (or “milk”) teeth do not last long; they fall out to make room for bigger, stronger adult teeth later on. Adult teeth fall out when they become damaged, decayed and infected by bacteria. Once this second set of teeth has grown in, you’re done. When they’re gone, they’re gone. This is because nature figures you’re set for life, and what controls regrowth of your teeth switches off.
Do old people shrink as they age?
Yes and no. Many people do get shorter as they age. But, when they do, it isn’t because they’re shrinking all over. They simply lose height as their spine(脊柱)becomes shorter and more curved due to disuse and the effects of gravity（重力）. Many (but not all) men and women do lose height as they get older. Men lose an average of 3—4 cm in height as they age, while women may lose 5 cm or more. If you live to be 200 years old, would you keep shrinking till you were, like 60 cm tall, like a little boy again? No, because old people don’t really shrink! It is not that they are growing backwards—their legs, arms and backbones getting shorter. When they do get shorter, it’s because the spine has shortened a little. Or, more often, become more bent and curved.
Why does spinning make you dizzy(眩晕的)?
Because your brain gets confused between what you’re seeing and what you’re feeling. The brain senses that you’re spinning using special gravity-and-motion-sensing organs in your inner ear, which work together with your eyes to keep your vision and balance stable. But, when you suddenly stop spinning the system goes out control, and your brain thinks you’re moving while you’re not!
Where do feelings and emotions come from?
Mostly from an ancient part of the brain called the limbic system. All mammals have this brain area—from mice to dogs, cats, and humans. So all mammals feel basic emotions like fear, pain and pleasure. But since human feelings also involve other, newer bits of the brain, we feel more complex emotions than any other animals on the planet.
If exercise wears you out, how can it be good for you?
Because our bodies adapt to everything we do to them. And as far as your body is concerned, it’s “use it, or lose it”! It’s not that exercise makes you healthy; it’s more that a lack of exercise leaves your body weak and easily affected by disease.What is the colour of blood in a vein near the surface of the skin?
| A．Blue | B．Dark reddish purple |
| C．Red | D．Light yellow |
Why do some old people look a little shrunken as they age?
| A．Because their spine become more bent. |
| B．Because they are more easily affected by gravity. |
| C．Because they keep growing backwards. |
| D．Because their spine is in active use. |
Which of the following statements about our brain is true?
| A．The brains of the other mammals are as complex as those of humans. |
| B．When our brain senses the spinning, we will feel dizzy. |
| C．In the long run, our brain probably works harder than our heart. |
| D．Our feelings and emotions come from the most developed area in our brain. |
. In this article, we can know except _____.
| A．it takes four to five times as much blood to feed our brain as to feed our heart. |
| B．when adult teeth are gone, they cannot grow back. |
| C．the reason why spinning make us dizzy. |
| D．how we can grow taller. |
What is the main purpose of the selection?
| A．To give advice on how to stay healthy. |
| B．To report the latest discoveries in medical science. |
| C．To challenge new findings in medical research. |
| D．To provide information about our body. |
Believe it or not, going to school is not a legal(法定的) requirement in the United States. It
is a legal requirement that all kids be educated, though. When parents believe they can give their kids a better education--- or have other reasons for not wanting to send their kids to a local school --- they may choose home schooling.
However, if a kid hates school, home schooling is probably not the escape he is looking for. Home schooled students can learn just as much as they would in regular school if they and their parents work hard to cover all the subjects and experiences necessary. Parents who home school usually have higher levels of education than parents who do not. They already have the skills to educate themselves about teaching their kids.
Parents who home school have to be able to put the time and skill into not just teaching, but also researching lesson plans and resources(资源). So they have to know how to find the information necessary to teach their kids. State schools often provide home-schooling parents with a curriculum(课程), books and materials and places to meet. Some state schools will point parents to other resources for brushing up on forgotten subjects. Or parents may receive continuing education at local colleges or universities.According to American law, _______________.
| A．all kids shall go to school |
| B．all kids must receive education |
| C．home schooling parents shall receive continuing education |
| D．state schools must give support to home-schooling parents |
According to the text, most home-schooling parents________________.
| A．are short of money | B．dislike schools |
| C．used to work as teachers | D．are well-educated |
Which of the following is NOT true about parents who home school?
| A．They should have enough time. |
| B．They should have some skills in teaching. |
| C．They must receive special curriculums at the university. |
| D．They have to be able to know lesson plans and resources. |
The underlined phrase “brushing up on” in the last paragraph can best be replaced by _____.
| A．reviewing | B．changing |
| C．choosing | D．discussing |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．Home schooled kids learn fewer. |
| B．Home schooled kids spend less time studying. |
| C．Being a home-schooling parent needs a lot of effort. |
| D．Home schooling will replaced school education. |
Luo Jingyu, 19, has four years of experience of running business. He is also a freshman in the arts department of Hubei University.
Luo Jingyu is from an ordinary family. He said, “My parents told me if I wanted something I should make an effort to get it, so I earned pocket money by doing housework when I was little.” The dream of running his own business grew in his heart. He said, “I want to be a successful person, like Alibaba’s Ma Yun.”
When Luo was a junior student, he had the idea of selling lanterns(灯笼)when he saw many people flying Chinese lanterns in a square. Luo bought some lanterns from a store, but the sales were not as good as he had expected. Then he found another way to do business. He bought lanterns on the Internet at a very low price. Finally he easily made 5,000 yuan in two days.
With a happy beginning, Luo planned to open a dress shop. “My parents didn’t support me opening a dress shop, so I had to borrow 120,000 yuan for it.” Although he did market research before starting, the business wasn’t very good because his taste in fashion wasn’t accepted by customers. The shop eventually closed down after half a year.
After experiencing a big loss, he decided to do something he was familiar with --- selling painting tools. As a fine arts student, he knew the market. He convinced his friends to invest one million yuan in his shop. With a good business mind and a lot of effort, the sales of the shop reached six million yuan in a year.
Even though Luo is rich, he uses a cheap cell phone and does not wear luxury(奢华的) clothes. He has a simple lifestyle. “It isn’t easy to make money, so money should be used on something worthwhile,” he said.We can learn from the second paragraph that Luo’s parents _______.
| A．asked him for money to pay the rent |
| B．gave him some money to do business |
| C．advise him to pay more attention to his studies |
| D．suggested that he work hard to get something |
What is the right time order for the following events?
a. Luo bought some lanterns from the store.
b. Luo bought some Lanterns on the Internet.
c. Luo began selling painting tools.
d. Luo opened a dress store.
| A．abcd | B．abdc | C．bacd | D．cbad |
Why wasn’t the dress shop successful?
| A．He had to prepare for his exam. |
| B．The dresses he bought weren’t of high quality. |
| C．Customers didn’t accept his taste in fashion. |
| D．He didn’t have enough money to buy beautiful dresses. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Luo learnt to make lanterns from his father. |
| B．Luo’s friends advised him to sell painting tools. |
| C．The loss at the dress shop taught Luo a lesson. |
| D．Luo borrowed money from the bank to open shops. |
Which of the following words can describe Luo best?
| A．Talented but lazy. |
| B．Rich but mean. |
| C．Optimistic and generous. |
| D．Hard-working and plain-living. |
When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has long realized the limitations of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on the phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker (股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent voice that was not very convincing, "This is Mrs. Tan."
And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, "Why he don’t send me cheek, already two week late."
And then, in perfect English I said, "I’m getting rather concerned. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived."
Then she talked more loudly. "What he want? I come to New York tell him front of his boss." And so I turned to the stockbroker again, "I can’t tolerate any more excuse. If I don’t receive the cheek immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week."
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped shape the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.Why was the author’s mother poorly served?
| A．She was unable to speak good English. |
| B．She was often misunderstood. |
| C．She was not clearly heard. |
| D．She was not very polite. |
From Paragraph 2, we know that the author was .
| A．good at pretending |
| B．rude to the stockbroker |
| C．ready to help her mother |
| D．unwilling to phone for her mother |
After the author made the phone call, .
| A．they forgave the stockbroker |
| B．they failed to get the check |
| C．they went to New York immediately |
| D．they spoke to their boss at once |
What does the author think of her mother’s English now?
| A．It confuses her. |
| B．It embarrasses her. |
| C．It helps her understand the world. |
| D．It helps her tolerate rude people. |
We can infer from the passage that Chinese English .
| A．is clear and natural to non-native speakers |
| B．is vivid and direct to non-native speakers |
| C．has a very bad reputation in America |
| D．may bring inconvenience in America |
The National Library of Iceland is a reference library, which means books and other items in our collections cannot be browsed or borrowed, and must be ordered for consulation(查阅) in our reading rooms. The map below shows the location of the National Library. If you want to know more about our library, you can click on the link www. Nli.ie.
Opening Hours
| Location |
Hours |
| Main & Manuscripts Reading Room, Kildare Street |
Mon---Wed: 9:30am---7:45pm Thurs & Fri: 9:30am---4:45pm Saturday: 9:30am---12:45pm |
Kildare Street Exhibitions |
Mon---Wed: 9:30 am---7:45 pm Thurs & Fri: 9:30am---4:45 pm Saturday: 9:30 am-4:45 pm Sunday: 1---4:45 pm |
| National Photographic Archive, Temple Bar, Reading Room(appointment only) |
Tues &Weds: 10 am---1 pm Thurs: 10 am---1 pm and 2:30---4 pm |
| NPA Exhibitions |
Mon---Sat: 10 am---5 pm Sunday: 12-5 pm |
Readers’ Tickets
Anyone over 16 years of age who wishes to use NLI collections may apply for a readers’ ticket. A reader’s ticket is valid(有效的) for three years and give readers access to all our collections. You must bring your ticket with you when using the reading rooms. A reader’s ticket is not required to access newspapers or other items on microfilm(微缩胶片)。
What you should bring
All applicants must produce a form of photographic identification, such as a passport, driver’s license, student card and so on.
Applying for a reader’s ticket and using the Reading Rooms
You can apply for your ticket in our Main Reading Room. It only takes a few minutes to process an application and issue a ticket. You will need to complete an online registration form. We will then check your identification, take your photograph and provide you with a reader’s ticket.
Renewing your reader’s ticket
Please bring your most recent reader’s ticket with you when renewing your ticket. If the expiry date(有效期) is greater than 12 months, you will also need to produce a form of photographic identification.The National Library of Iceland is located on ____________.
| A．Nassau Street | B．Kildare Street |
| C．Dawson Street | D．Dame Street |
At which time can you visit the Main & Manuscripts Reading Room of the National Library?
| A．At 6:45 pm on Thursday. | B．At 10 am on Sunday. |
| C．At 9 am on Saturday. | D．At 5 pm on Monday. |
You must ________ when applying for a reader’s ticket.
①take a photo of yourself②have valid identity documents
③be older than 16 years old④fill in a paper registration form
| A．②③ | B．①③④ |
| C．③④ | D．①②④ |
Which of the following about the National Library is NOT true, according to the passage?
| A．It is not a lending library. |
| B．Reader’s tickets are valid for use in its reading rooms |
| C．There is no need to renew reader’s tickets after they expire. |
| D．Certain categories of material can only be viewed by appointment. |
The passage is probably taken from a(n) _____________.
| A．website | B．magazine |
| C．newspaper | D．advertisement |