This is the age of the quick action. We have instant satisfaction, fast food, speed reading, mobile phones; even the stress management books have titles like “Stress Management in 60 Seconds”.
Canadian Classics Professor Margaret Visser points out that the perception that we have “no time” is one of the most strict concepts of Western culture. Visser says that “no time” is used as an excuse and also as a spur(刺激); it both stimulates us and forces us, just as a concept such as ‘honour’ did for the ancient Greeks. According to Visser, the feeling that Westerners have “no time” is abstract, quantitative, amoral(非道德性的), unarguable, bringing pressure on each person as an individual. At the same time, the “no time” excuse escapes censure by claiming to be a condition created entirely out of our good fortune.
Life offers “so many pleasures, so many choices”.
The fact that women now work outside the home has contributed to the “no time” trend. But more important, Visser says, is the fact that feeling rushed has become an important component(成分) of our economy. Marketing of “time-saving” products causes people to buy more and work longer. So we eat out or buy prepared food to save time. The fax-it-to-my-car technology only contributes to the constant hurry. In our rushed and exhausted state, even the obligation(义务) to sit down to casual meal with family seems like a pressure. In comparison with the decision to act on a sudden whimz (一时的兴致) to consume a microwave mug of soup， the act of eating together and not getting up from the table until everyone else has finished seems an incredibly time-consuming event. Being in one’s own personal hurry in the West is somehow “free and preferable”The word “censure” in the second paragraph is closest in meaning to “ ”
| A．examination | B．force | C．blame | D．pressure |
Which of the following doesn’t contribute to feeling rushed?
| A．Marketing of time-saving products. |
| B．The fax-it-to-me-car technology. |
| C．Eating together and not getting up until everybody has finished |
| D．Longer working hours. |
We can learn from the passage that “no time” trend ___________.
| A．brings pressure on the individual |
| B．is very desirable to the individual |
| C．is not harmful if you have no control of events |
| D．has caused heart diseases and psychological problems |
Imagine going to sleep then waking up speaking another language. It may sound impossible， but it's actually happened.
The phenomenon(现象)of being able to suddenly speak another language is known as“Xenoglossia”， from the Greek words“xenos”(foreigner)and “glossa”(language)．
It once happened to a 13yearold girl from Croatia. After being unconscious(不省人事的)because of a disease for 24 hours in 2010，she woke up speaking fluent German. The girl， who came from the town of Knin in the south of Croatia，was studying German at school but she'd only started recently. Her parents said that she'd been reading German books and watching German TV at home， but that she wasn't fluent in the language.However ，since waking up， she's been able to communicate “perfectly”in German.What's really strange is that she's now unable to speak Croat，her mother language.Doctors at Split's KB Hospital have asked some experts to examine the girl as they try to find out what caused the change.Dr Mijo Milas said，“In earlier times this would have been considered as a miracle(奇迹)；we prefer to think that there must be an explanation—it's just that we haven't found it yet.”
In 2007，Matej Kus from Czech became unconscious after a motorbike accident. On waking up 45 minutes later，he could speak fluent English.Matej was only 18 years old at the time， and had just started studying the language and so was at a low level.Peter Waite，Kus's teammate said，“I couldn't believe what I was hearing.It was really clear English.It was unbelievable to hear him talk in unbroken English.”Unluckily，Matej's new language skills didn't last.Two days later， when he recovered fully from the accident， he'd completely forgotten his English.
We still don't know exactly what happened to the two people. Perhaps scientists will discover something new and exciting. But until then， keep studying!According to the passage，what is“Xenoglossia”？
| A．That someone becomes unconscious. |
| B．That someone speaks a new language in a sudden. |
| C．That someone doesn't like his mother language. |
| D．That someone is able to speak Greek suddenly. |
What does the underlined word “It” in Para.3 probably refer to?
| A．Having accidents. |
| B．Speaking fluent German. |
| C．The phenomenon of Xenoglossia. |
| D．Being unable to speak. |
We can learn from Paragraph 3 that the girl from Croatia ______.
| A．wanted to know what caused her change |
| B．believed she had a talent for language |
| C．didn't study German for a long time |
| D．didn't like learning German |
Which of the following is TURE according to the test?
| A．Matej Kus is now afraid of motorbike racing. |
| B．The girl from Croatia lost consciousness for several days. |
| C．The girl from Croatia was knocked unconscious in an accident. |
| D．Matej Kus could only speak a little English before the accident . |
Food prices have risen sharply over the past few years. The good news is that the rate of increase has slowed. The bad news is that prices will not go down anytime soon.
Also，the rate of global agricultural production is slowing. Yet it needs to increase 60% over the next 40 years to feed a growing world population.
These are among the findings from the OECDFAO(the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development & the Food and Agriculture Organization)Agricultural Outlook(展望)2012－2021.
FAO DirectorGeneral Jose Graziano da Silva spoke at a news conference in Rome when the report was released. Mr.Da Silva said that，not surprisingly，the world's poorest people will feel the greatest effects of higher prices.
“For the millions and millions of extremely poor people， the effects of high food prices are clear—they might have to change their diets，usually to ones with poorer nutrition quality， ”he said.
In middleincome countries， people are gaining weight as they eat fewer fruits and vegetables and more of the cheaper but less nutritious foods.
The report also shows that farmers in poorer countries will be leading efforts to feed an expected 9,000,000,000 people by 2050.The outlook predicts that farmers in Latin America，the Caribbean and subSaharan Africa will drive agricultural production in the future.
Angel Gurria，SecretaryGeneral of the OECD，said：“We can feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050 on this planet. But we have to organize ourselves better.” But there are plenty of challenges.Onefourth of all agricultural land is damaged. Many countries face water shortages(短缺)．And experts believe climate change is driving increasingly unusual weather patterns.
The report says farmers need to use more growing methods that can't cause damage to the environment.At the same time，it says governments should end economically harmful supports and spend more money to increase agricultural production.Mr.Gurria says rich and poor nations need to treat agriculture more like a business.
“In many cases，agriculture is related in people's minds to the poorest. It's related to aid. It's related to very poor living conditions，etc. We have got to shake that image away，”he said.Why are people gaining weight in countries with average incomes?
| A．They eat more food. | B．They eat less nutritious foods. |
| C．They eat cheaper fruits. | D．They eat cheaper vegetables. |
It can be inferred from the text that poorer countries ______.
| A．are damaging a great part of their agricultural land |
| B．will play a great role in feeding the growing world population |
| C．are spending lots of money increasing agricultural production |
| D．will not be so seriously affected by food prices as rich nations |
What can be done to deal with the slow agricultural production?
| A．Improving the growing methods. |
| B．Finding more agricultural land. |
| C．Preventing governments' involvement. |
| D．Improving farmers' living conditions. |
Which of the following might Angel Gurria agree with?
| A．Agriculture means difficulty and sadness. |
| B．Food prices will go down in the near future. |
| C．It's almost impossible to feed 9,000,000,000 people by 2050. |
| D．Both rich and poor countries should take agriculture seriously. |
Cold weather has a great effect, on how our minds and our bodies work. Maybe that is why there are so many expressions that use the word “cold”. For centuries, the body’s blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, for example, are said to be cold-blooded. Cold-blood people act in a merciless way. They may do brutal things to others, and not by accident. For example, a newspaper says the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. The killer murdered someone, not in self-defense. He seemed to kill with no emotion.
Cold can affect other parts of the body, the feet, for example. Heavy socks can warm your feet, if your feet are really cold. But there is an expression ---- to get cold feet--- that has nothing to do with cold or your feet. The expression means being afraid to do something you decided to do. For example, you agree to be president of an organization. But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned. All the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation.
Cold can also affect your shoulder. You “give someone the cold shoulder” when you refuse to speak to them. You treat them in a distant, cold way. The expression probably come from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face-to- face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you or to someone who has lied about you to others.
“A cold fish” is not a fish. It is a person. But it is a person who is unfriendly, unemotional and show no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone.
“Out in the cold” is and expression often heard. It means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise. He was left our in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be. The text is intended to tell us that ______.
| A．cold weather has a great effect on human bodies |
| B．“cold” is a word closely linked with human emotions |
| C．many English expressions contain the word “cold” |
| D．the word “cold” has many different meanings in English |
The underline word “brutal” in paragraph 1 most probably means ______.
| A．merciless | B．illegal | C．impolite | D．extreme |
Which phrase can best describe a person who is unwilling to offer anything to others?
| A．Cold-blooded. | B．To get cold shoulder. |
| C．A cold fish. | D．A cold shoulder. |
If the teacher gives all the boys except Tom a pen as a prize, you can say he ______.
| A．is given the cold shoulder | B．is punished by a cold fish |
| C．has got cold feet | D．is left out in the cold |
Most kinds of rose plants come from Asia. But roses are also native to other areas including northwest Africa, Europe and the United States. In 1986, Congress chose the rose as America’s national flower. Technically, Congress and President Ronald Reagan declared it the “national floral emblem.” Whatever the name, the decision did not smell sweet to supporters of others popular flowers.
Some people say roses are difficult to grow. But you have a good chance of success if you start with a few suggestions from experts. You should plant your roses where they can get sunshine for about six hours on bright days. You can buy roses form a garden center or by mail order. You can buy potted roses, also known as container roses, or bare-root plants. Each kind has its fans.
Some gardeners say potted roses are easier to plant. They say the roots develop better. But Jeffrey Dinslage, an expert, pint out that bare-root roses come without soil. So they weigh less to transport.
Another expert advises getting bare-foot roses as close to planting time as you can. If they arrive before you are ready to plant them, make sure the packing material is moist. Keep the plants in a cool, dark place. The resting plants have no leaves but still need water. When growing roses, the soil should feel moist deep down. Watering should be done in the morning.
But do not water too much. People often ask Jeffrey Dinslage about unhealthy discoloration on rose leaves. He says the spots are usually caused by too much water. After heavy rains or too much watering, he advises pulling away mulch, the substance used to protect the roots, temporarily from around the roots. This will help dry the soil. From the first paragraph, we know that in the United States _______.
| A．all the people like roses | B．there are a lot of national flowers |
| C．some roses don’t smell sweet | D．there are some other popular flowers |
Why does Jeffrey Dinslage suggest planting bare-root roses?
| A．They are easier to plant. | B．Their roots develop better. |
| C．They are cheap to transport | D．Their leaves need no water |
Which of following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “moist”?
| A．Slightly wet. | B．Pretty dry. | C．Too hard. | D．Lightly soft. |
According to Jeffrey Dinslage, people should ______ to avoid the spots on the rose leaves.
| A．not water roses in the morning | B．protect the roots of roses |
| C．improve the quality of the soil | D．not water roses very much |
You may have heard some respectable elders say, “It’s not what you want in this world, but what you get.”
Psychology teaches that you do get what you want if you know what you want and want the right things.
You can make a mental blueprint of a desire as you would make a blueprint of a house, and each of us is continually making these blueprints in the general routine of everyday living. If we intend to give a dinner for friends, we plan the menu, make a shopping list, and decide which food to cook first, and such planning is essential and necessary for any type of meal to be served.
Similarly, you can make a blueprint for your could-be-job, take a sheet of paper, and write a brief account of yourself. In making a blueprint for a job, begin with yourself, for when you know exactly what you have to offer, you can intelligently plan where to sell your service.
This account of yourself is actually a description of your working life and should include education, experience and references. Such an account is valuable. It can be referred to filling out standard application blanks and it is extremely helpful in personal interviews. While talking to you, your could-be employer is deciding whether your education, your experience and other qualifications will pay him to employ you, and your abilities must be displayed on an orderly and reasonably connected manner. When you have carefully prepared a blueprint of your abilities and desires, you have something exact to sell. Then you are ready to hunt for a job.
Get all the possible information about your could-be job. Make your eyes and ears open, and use your own judgment. Spend a certain amount of time each day seeking in the employment you wish for, and keep in mind: Obtaining a job is your job now!When the elders say, “It’s not what you want in the world, but what you get”, they mean ______.
| A．you will certainly get what you want |
| B．it’s no use dreaming but be practical |
| C．you should never be satisfied with what you have |
| D．it’s essential to be ambitious |
The blueprint made before inviting a friend to dinner is used as______.
| A．a set rule for job hunters |
| B．a suggestion on how to get a good job |
| C．an example of how to plan important things ahead |
| D．a guideline for a job description |
In the passage, the author mainly intends to point out the importance of ____.
| A．writing up a detailed plan for a job interview |
| B．keeping a blueprint of what you want to do |
| C．drawing a description of your working life |
| D．seeking the employment you want |