BEscapingafireisaseriousmatter-优题课

"My kids really understand solar and earth-heat energy," says a second-grade teacher in Saugus, California. "Some of them are building solar collectors for their energy course." These young scientists are part of City Building Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills, and more.
The children don't just plan any city. They map and analyze (分析) the housing, energy, and transportation requirements of their own district and foretell its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an architect ( 建筑师) who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs and build models of their creations. "Designing buildings of the future gives children a lot of freedom," says the teacher who developed this program. "They are able to use their own rich imagination and inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, an elected ‘official’ and ‘planning group’ make all the design decisions for the model city, and the teacher steps back and becomes an adviser."
CBEP is a set of activities, games and imitations that teach the basic steps necessary for problem-solving: observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the children's own standards.
63. The Program is designed _____.
A. to direct kids to build solar collectors
B. to train young scientists for city planning
C. to develop children's problem-solving abilities
D. to help young architects know more about designing
64. An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom ______.
A. to find out kids’ creative ideas B. to discuss with the teacher
C. to give children lecturesD. to help kids with their program
65. Who is the designer of the program?
A. An official. B. An architect. C. A teacher. D. A scientist.
66. The children feel free in the program because______.
A. they can design future buildings themselves B. they have new ideas and rich imagination
C. they are given enough time to design models D. they need not worry about making mistakes

Handshaking, though a European practise is often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed (无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of goodwill. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other’s hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. This practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. “Let’s shake (hands) on it” sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No. Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or-her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly- There is generally a misunderstanding (误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straight forward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.
64. In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other ______.
A. to make a dealB. to greet each other
C. to show friendliness D. to reach an agreement
65. The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. where handshaking was first practised
B. how handshaking came about
C. about the relationship between handshaking and trade
D. about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China
66. According to the text. which of the following statements is true?
A. Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese.
B. Westerners are unwilling to shake hands.
C. We should make a judgment before shaking hands.
D. We shouldn’t shake hands with European women.
67. The main purpose of the text is ______.
A. to tell us some differences between the East and the West
B. to offer us some important facts about handshaking
C. to introduce us to some different customs in the West
D. to give us some advice before we travel abroad

Pet owners are being encouraged to take their animals to work, a move scientists say can be good for productivity, workplace morale (士气)，and the well-being of animals.
A study found that 25% of Australian women would like to keep an office pet. Sue Chaseling of Petcare Information Service said the practice of keeping office pets was good both for the people and the pets. “On the pets’ side, they are not left on their own and won’t feel lonely and unhappy,” she said. A study of major US companies showed that 73% found office pets beneficial (有益的), while 27% experienced a drop in absenteeism (缺勤).
Xami Riggs has two cats walking around her Global Hair Salon in Paddington. “My customers love them. They are their favorites,” she said. “They are not troublesome. They know when to go and have a sleep0 in the sun.”
Little black BJ has spent nearly all his two years “working” at Punch Gallery in Balmain. Owner Iain Powell said he had had cats at the gallery for 15 years. “BJ often lies in the shop window and people walking past tap on the glass,” he said.
Ms Chaseling said cats were popular in service industries because they enabled a point of conversation. But she said owners had to make sure both their co-workers and the cats were comfortable.
1．The percentage of American companies that are in favor of keeping office pets is __________.
A．73% B．27% C．25% D．15%
2．We know from the text that “BJ”_____.
A．works in the Global Hair Salon
B．often greets the passers-by
C．likes to sleep in the sun D．is a two-year-old cat
3．The best title for this text would be _____.
A．Pets Help Attract Customers B．Your Favorite Office Pets
C．Pets Join the Workforce D．Busy Life for Pets

I fell in love with England because it was quaint （古雅）— all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners — people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
56. The writer doesn’t like London because she ______.
A. is not used to the life there now
B. has lived there for seventeen years
C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house
D. has to be polite to everyone she meets there
57. Where do people usually meet their friends in England?
A. In a cafe. B. In a restaurant. C. In a nightclub. D. In a pub.
58. The underlined part “it” （in Para. 4） refers to______.
A. a taxi B. the money C. a bomb D. public transport
59. The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he ______.
A. felt lonely in England B. had never been to France
C. was from a typical French family D. didn't like the British idea of family

How Long Can People Live?
She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121 st birthday.
When it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s record holder. She lived to the ripe old age of 122. So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span（寿命）? If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging, could we possibly make it to 150－or beyond?
Researchers don’t entirely agree on the answers. “Calment lived to 122, so it wouldn’t surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135,” says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas.
Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees. “People can live much longer than we think,” he says. “Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110. When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120. So why can’t we go higher?”
The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it’s all just guessing. “Anyone can make up a number,” says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan. “Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine.”
Won’t new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries? Any cure, says Miller, for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120. Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most. So, if the average human life span is about 80 years, says Miller, “adding another 50 percent would get you to 120.”
So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers? That life span is flexible（有弹性的）, but there is a limit, says George Martin of the University of Washington. “We can get flies to live 50 percent longer,” he says. “But a fly’s never going to live 150 years.” Of course, if you became a new species （物种）, one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.
Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve （进化）their way to longer life? “It’s pretty cool to think about,” he says with a smile.
72. What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us?
A. People can live to 122. B. Old people are creative.
C. Women are sporty at 85. D. Women live longer than men.
73. According to Steve Austad at the University of Texas, ______.
A. the average human life span could be 110
B. scientists cannot find ways to slow aging
C. few people can expect to live to over 150
D. researchers are not sure how long people can live
74. Who would agree that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity?
A. Jerry Shay. B. Steve Austad C. Rich Miller D. George Martin
75. What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?
A. Most of us could be good at sports even at 120.
B. The average human life span cannot be doubled
C. Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before.
D. New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species