Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime "business hours" are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant （不相关的）. A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more "flexible," is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the "law of time" even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years-but unless we meet the truant officer （学监）, we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents' demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with "extra pay for overtime working," but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes （构成）"overtime" is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: "Here is the law in action"? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law - as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess.
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By saying "Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be", the writer means that.
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The author raises the questions in Paragraph 2 to introduce the fact that people
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According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they.
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What is the main idea of the passage?
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七．阅读理解 (20分)
When did you see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps ? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3 degrees. And the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don’t agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so slow that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water tempreature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循环系统) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”
1. Doctors _________ .
A. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming
B. believe swimming is helpful both in summer and in winter
C. enourage people to take part in cold-water swimming
D. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming
2. According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _______ .
A. Polar bears are bears swimming in freezing water
B. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high
C. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue
D. cold-water swimming causes more heart attack in summer than in winter
3. The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for _______ .
A. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter
B. they can stay young
C. they find it enjoyable and interesting
D. they might meet fewer troubles in life
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text ?
A.The Polar Bear is a club in which people swim to protect polar bears.
B. The club members are all over 60 years old.
C. There is no woman in the club.
D. None of the above.
5. This passage is mainly about _______ .
A. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club
B. a group of cold-water-swimming lovers
C. the Polar Bears’ life in New York
D. doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming
Live Earth Announces 2010 Global Event!
This is the web version of the October 15, 2009 Live Earth email to members. Click here to join and receive bi-weekly updates from Live Earth.
Live Earth is pleased to announce the largest worldwide water initiative(倡议)in history to help fight the global water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water—to take place on April 18, 2010—will consist of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities, raising awareness and funds to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher will lend their names and their time in support of this global event.
Water shortage is a major issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people doesn’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. Communities in Africa, Latin America and Asia suffer 1.8 million deaths every year from diarrheal(腹泻）diseases and the death of 5,000 children each day due to inadequate water infrastructure(基础设施). In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to get water that is likely unsuitable for drinking. However, the water crisis is not only limited to developing nations. Adding to these existing issues, the effects of climate change are increasingly impacting both supply and quality of available fresh water throughout the world.
In 60% of European cities with populations greater than 100,000, groundwater is being used faster than it can be replenished(补充). By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions.
You can help solve the water crisis by participating in the April 18th event. Run/walk registration is now officially open! Sign up now at http://liveearth.org/run.
Thanks and be sure to visit liveearth.org for the latest on The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, conservation tips, and more!
Follow Live Earth on:
68. Which of the following activities will the Dow Live Earth organize on April 18, 2010?
A. Receiving the latest news from Live Earth.
B. Putting on musical performances.
C. Calling on pop stars to walk 6 km to get water.
D. Lending names and time to support the event.
69. According to the passage, which of the statements is true?
A. You can turn to http://liveearth.org for water protection tips.
B. Jessica Biel can’t take part in the event even if she signs up.
C. The information on Live Earth is updated every month.
D. Every year 1.8 million people in the world die from the disease related to dirty water.
70. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. by 2010, two-thirds of the world’s population will be short of water
B. we can solve the water crisis by taking part in the April 18th event
C. seven-eighths of the people in Asia can have access to safe, clean drinking water
D. there are different channels for people to get access to Live Earth
Celebrations spread across China when Shanghai, the Oriental Pearl, was given the right to host the 2010 World Expo on December 3. Shanghai won the honor after beating rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea.
“I’m very proud of being Chinese,” said Wang Kaibo, a Senior 2 student of the Middle School Affiliated (附属的) to Beijing Medical University. “The winning of the expo is a victory, not only for Shanghai residents, but for the people of the whole Chinese nation.”
Bidding for the expo shows that China is more confident of playing a more important role on the international stage. It’s competing for large events and the next one could be the World Cup, Wang said.
The World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Beijing Olympics will become the twin shining stars of China’s development over the next 10 years, said experts. The World Expo is known as “Olympics of the economic, cultural, scientific and technological fields.” It is usually held every five years and lasts for six months. The Olympics, World Cup and World Expo are considered three top international events in the world.
China is the first developing country to win the expo bid in the event’s about 159-year history. Not only will it attract more foreign investment to China, but experts say that the half-year-long exhibition will bring at least 70 million visitors to Shanghai.
The expo was first held in London in 1851. It has a history of global influence. The Eiffel Tower, built during the Paris World Expo in 1889, became the symbol of the French capital. Many historic inventions, such as the telephone and airplane, all made their first appearance at a World Expo.
64. What does the word in bald “rivals” probably mean in the second paragraph?
A. competitors. B. enemies. C. players. D. supporters.
65. The winning of bidding for the World Expo 2010 and the 2008 Olympic Games implies ______.
A. China is beginning to play a more important part on the international stage.
B. China has played the most important role in the international affairs.
C. China has become a developed country for many years.
D. China is the first Asian country to win the expo bid in history.
66. As we know, in general, the Word Expo is usually held every ______ years, while the Olympics is usually held every ______ years.
A. 4；5 B. 5；4 C. 4；4 D. 5；5
67. By bidding for the expo and the Olympics, we are sure that ______.
A. China will beat rivals from Russia, Mexico, Poland and South Korea
B. China will become a super country in the United Nations
C. China will build a famous tower like Eiffel Tower as the symbol of the capital
D. China will develop more quickly than before and will benefit a lot from them
It was midnight in Paris and we were rolling toward Avenue Bosguet. As we came to the Pont Alexandra Ⅲ, the taxi slowed down, for the traffic light was red against us, and then, without stopping, we sailed through the red in a sudden burst of speed. The same performance was repeated at the Alma Bridge. As I paid the driver, I asked him why he had driven through two red lights.
“You ought to be ashamed of yourself, breaking the law and endangering your life that way,” I protested.
He looked at me, astonished. “Ashamed of myself? I am a law abiding(守法的)citizen and have no desire to get killed either.” He cut me off before I could protest.
“No, just listen to me before you complain.What did I do? Went through a red light. Well, did you ever stop to consider what a red light is, what it means?”
“Certainly,” I replied. “It’s a stop signal and means that traffic is rolling in the opposite direction.”
“Half-right,” said the driver, “but incomplete. It’s only an automatic stop signal. And it does not mean that there is cross traffic. Did you see any cross traffic during our trip? Of course not. I slowed down at the light, looked carefully to the right and to the left. Not another car on the street at this hour. Well, then! What would you have me do? Should I stop like a stupid animal because an automatic, brainless machine turns red every forty seconds? No, sir,” he shouted. “I am a man, not a machine. I have eyes and a brain and judgment, given me by God. Ashamed of myself, you say? I would only be ashamed of myself if I let those blinking lamps do my thinking for me. Good night ,sir.”
Is this bad, is this good? Frankly I am no longer sure...
60. At the Alma Bridge, ______.
A. the writer stopped the taxi and paid the driver
B. the taxi went through a red light again
C. there was a performance the writer had already watched
D. the writer began to criticize the driver
61. To the taxi driver, a red light ______.
A. was not a stop signal
B. should not work at midnight
C. sometimes made mistakes in judgment
D. didn’t always mean that there was cross traffic
62. The main reason the driver dared to drive through the red light was that ______.
A. he found there was no cross traffic there at that time
B. he thought it a shame to be controlled by a machine
C. he knew no other driver would see him at this hour
D. he didn’t trust any brainless machine
63. According to the passage, the driver thought what he had done was ______.
A. law abiding（守法的） B .lawbreaking
C. something to be proud of D .something to be ashamed of
第三部分：阅读理解（共15题，每题2分，共30分）
If you do not use your arms or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way.
When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong.
If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his fault. But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame(责备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault.
Have you ever found that some people can't read or write but they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things; they cannot write them down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised.
So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: practise remembering.
56. The main reason for one's poor memory is that ______.
A. his memory is not often used
B. he does not use his arms or legs for some time
C. his father or mother may have a poor memory
D. he can't read or write
57. If you do not use your arms or legs for some time, ______.
A. you can't use them any more
B. they will become stronger
C. they become weak and won't become strong until you use them again
D. they become weak but they slowly become strong again
58. Some people can't read or write, but they usually have better memories, because ______.
A. they have saved much trouble
B. they have saved much time to remember things
C. they can't write everything in a little notebook
D. they have to use their memories all the time
59. Which is the best title of the passage?
A. Don't Stop Using Your Arms Or Legs B. How To Have A Good Memory
C. Strong Arms And Good Memories D. Learn From The People