Here below are two pieces taken from a blog．
▲ Growing up as one of three girls I’ve always been keen on women’s issues．And now with three daughters to raise，I have the responsibility of ensuring that they grow up without any preconceived(预想的) ideas of their capabilities ＆ potential based on their gender．Earlier this year I read an article that indicated that women surpassed men in the workforce for the first time in history．That is a milestone! And while we still don’t have equality in leadership positions or pay (especially if you’re a mom)，we have made significant progress over the past couple of decades．All this prompted me to do some digging around to see what else I could learn．Here are some fun facts from the census bureau for you：
●29％ of women aged 25 or older had obtained a bachelors degree in 2008 vs．18％ in 1987．
●55％ of all college students were women in the Fall of 2008．
●60％ of women 20 years or older participate in the workforce today vs．34％ in 1950．
●14％ of the armed forces were women in 2008．compared to 2％ in 1950．
▲We’re all looking to stretch the value of our dollar as much as possible．Every day as you juggle the needs of your family，remember to eat right，take your vitamins and keep up with laundry and bills－you probably also look for budget friendly，family appropriate activities．A day trip to a national park is a great way to explore all the wonders of nature，without breaking the bank．Once or twice a month，my wife and I will prepare for a leisurely hike in one of our favorite parks close to home．The night before，she makes some homemade granola and I make sure our reusable water bottles are full and on ice．Next time you’re looking for an inexpensive adventure that your family isn’t soon to forget，take a hike! To find a national park near you，just visit www．nps．gov
43．According to the first blog，__________．
A．the blogger has three sisters
B．there are more women than men at work this year
C．14％ of women are working in the army
D．women has got equality in leadership position
44．What is mainly talked about in the first blog?
A．Responsibility． B．Women’s potential．
C．Workforce． D．Women’s issues．
45．The underlined words“breaking the bank”in the second blog means__________．
A．robbing the bank B．getting some money from the bank
C．using up the money in the bank D．going to the bank
46．What’s the writer’s suggestion in the second blog?
A．We all have to think about the needs of our family．
B．All the wonders of nature are in the national park．
C．To go hiking once or twice a month will be an inexpensive adventure．
D．Each of us will have to make our budget friendly．
For any person who must speak in public, to business or pleasure groups, humor is a helpful, and necessary, tool for getting your message across. Why does humor work a lot? There are several reasons.
People will enjoy what you have to say if it is presented with humor. But, more importantly, if you are in a situation where important, and perhaps controversial（有争议的）, ideas must be presented to less than open minds, humor allows those ideas to be presented in a non-threatening (无威胁的) manner. Abraham Lincoln was famous for his ability to relate humorous stories to make a point. Humor used carefully throughout a presentation will also keep the listener’s interest high. In a word, individuals learning how to use humor in their speeches can strengthen arguments, support interesting presentations and, most of all, entertain their audience in a positive and comfortable way.
While popular culture may well hold many kinds of humor, some of it has no place in presentations that are designed to educate and encourage the audience. If you want to become a professional stand-up (单人表演的) comedian whose goal is 100% entertainment, then you may be able to use some of the reference materials like The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking. They can help you develop your skills and sources of humor. To that end, your participation in this study of humor will become necessary. Hopefully, you will come to appreciate the special difficulty of entertaining the audience with good and clean humor. How many reasons does the author give for using humor?
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
What’s the purpose of stand-up comedians?
| A．To educate the audience. | B．To encourage the audience. |
| C．To entertain the audience. | D．To exchange with the audience. |
Why did the author suggest reading The Art of Using Humor in Public Speaking?
| A．It was good for training one’s skills of humor. |
| B．It helped the readers relax after work. |
| C．It gave some tips on how to live a positive life. |
| D．It was a textbook for professional stand-up comedians. |
Which of the following has a similar meaning to the underlined word “end” in the last paragraph?
| A．Finishing. | B．Conclusion. | C．Stop. | D．Result. |
The passage is most likely to benefit________ a lot.
| A．science researchers | B．public speakers |
| C．dress designers | D．sports players |
There was once a blind man, who did a lot of traveling alone. He was making his first trip to Texas and happened to be seated next to a Texan on the flight.
The Texan spent a lot of time telling him how everything was bigger and better in Texas. After the blind man reached his destination, a large resort (度假) hotel, he was very excited about being in Texas.
The long trip had worn him out a little so he decided to stop at the bar for a small soda and a light snack before going up to his room to sleep.
When the waitress set down his drink, it was in a huge cup. “Wow, I had heard everything in Texas is bigger,” he told her.
“That’s right,” she replied. The blind man ate his snack and finished his drink. After drinking such a large amount, it was natural that his next stop was to be the restroom. He asked the waitress for directions. She told him to turn left at the corner, and then take the second door on the right.
He reached the first door and continued. A few steps later he stumbled (绊倒) slightly and missed the second door and ended up going through the third door instead. Not realizing he had entered the swimming area he walked forward and immediately fell into the swimming pool.
Remembering that everything was bigger in Texas, he had his head above water and started shouting “Don’t flush(冲洗)! Don’t flush!”Why was the blind man excited about being in Texas?
| A．It was the first time that he had travelled abroad. |
| B．People from Texas were very friendly than he expected. |
| C．He heard that everything was bigger and better in Texas. |
| D．The service staff in the large resort hotel was very humorous. |
Why did the blind man enter the swimming area?
| A．He wanted to go swimming. |
| B．He wanted to have a bath. |
| C．He stumbled and missed the restroom door. |
| D．The waitress gave him wrong directions. |
Why did the blind man go to the bar?
| A．To go through it on his way to his room. |
| B．To have a short rest after a long walk. |
| C．To have something to eat there. |
| D．To ask a waitress for directions. |
Why did the blind man shout out “Don’t flush! Don’t flush!”?
| A．He thought he was caught in a big toilet and someone was cleaning it. |
| B．He didn’t want anyone to clean the toilet at that time. |
| C．He didn’t want anyone to clean the swimming pool at that time. |
| D．He thought it was such a big swimming pool that making it clean was no use. |
If the passage is taken from a website, which part of the website does it belong to?
| A．Travel services. | B．Hotel services. | C．Funny stories. | D．Health problems. |
It is true that shyness can be a disadvantage socially for those who suffer from it seriously. I mean real shyness, not somebody who is simply quiet. Quiet people could be shy, but on the other hand, they may just be observing because they are unsure of you or others in your company. They may be capable of being extrovert (性格外向的) and sociable, but on some particular occasions, they are quiet.
I have learnt from my experience that those who observe and listen more and talk less can gain a position of strength. This means that even a very shy person, the type who is reluctant to talk in company , especially new company, can become a strong person in just about anything they choose. Remember, knowledge is power, and a shy introvert (性格内向的人) is in a better position to gain knowledge than an extrovert. Introverted people can give great attention to learning, and as good listeners they can take in an enormous amount from others. Over time, people can come to respect them far more than the extrovert who speaks a lot. Usually about themselves.
What does it take , then for a very shy person to be that successful person they have always wanted to be ? They may only need one more thing to push themselves on their way. They need to dare themselves to take the leap; and when they do , they will probably find all the knowledge they have gained over the years will help them on their way to the top in their chosen field.What does the first paragraph mainly want to tell us?
| A．A person who is quiet may not be shy. |
| B．A shy person may not be a calm one. |
| C．Quiet people are usually doubtful. |
| D．Shyness is sometimes a bad feature. |
The underlined word “reluctant” in paragraph 2 probably means _____.
| A．lazy | B．careful | C．eager | D．unwilling |
According to the author, introverted people can be successful because they usually ______.
| A．have a strong will | B．talk less and show off less |
| C．learn more than extroverts | D．have a good attitude to learning |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that “one more thing” probably refers to _____.
| A．energy | B．courage | C．quietness | D．knowledge |
Well, when the huge wave hit the boat, my safety belt broke and I was swept overboard. I don’t really understand how it happened, but it did. I heard someone yell out, but then my boat, Wild One, went off into the darkness and I was alone in a very rough sea. I then spent five and a half hours in the water. The place where it happened was, oh, about 50 kilometers from shore. It was likely that I wouldn’t see another day, but I always thought I’d overcome the difficulties. At first I was watching out for Wild One. The rest of the crew knew I was gone, so they were sure to come back and look for me. After a while, I saw the boat’s lights when it came looking for me. They were within about 300 meters of me, but the spotlight just missed me. The reason why they didn’t see me was because of the huge waves. You know, I started sailing when I was seven, and started ocean racing when I was about eighteen, but I’d never been overboard before. I believed I was going to survive, but it was very cold, and as the hours passed I started to get desperate——and frozen! It was around 5 am when I saw the lights of a tanker coming towards me. I figured it was probably my last chance. At first, I thought they were going to miss me, and then they made a slight turn and I yelled out “Help!” and they heard me. Then another yacht appeared. These guys were terrific. They gave me dry clothes, and then one jumped into the bunk and hung onto me. They covered us with as much dry clothing as they could, and the guy in with me stayed to transfer his body heat to me.The author of the passage was alone in the sea NOT because ______.
| A．the wind was too strong | B．the wave hit the boat |
| C．the safety belt was broken | D．his boat was in the darkness |
He was not saved by his crew because ______.
| A．he didn’t yell out “Help!” | B．300 meters was long distance |
| C．he was not found | D．he didn’t see the spotlight |
It was inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．he was swept overboard at about midnight |
| B．Wild One was the name of a crew member |
| C．he started ocean racing at about seven |
| D．he was too hopeless to take the last chance |
One of the guys who saved him jumped into the bunk in order to ______.
| A．cover him with more dry clothes |
| B．warm him with his body heat |
| C．comfort him |
| D．congratulate him |
If there is one thing I'm sure about，it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives - the big political stories，the coverage of the wars，earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do - as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted（传送）electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact，I’m pretty sure that how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu；making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read - sports and international news, etc.
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures：on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something just on a screen. What is the best title for the passage？_____.
| A．The Best Way to Get News | B．The Changes of Media |
| C．Make Your Own Newspaper | D．The Future of Newspaper |
In the writer’s opinion, in the future，_____.
| A．more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news |
| B．newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer |
| C．newspapers will cover more scientific research |
| D．more and more people will watch TV |
From the passage, we can infer _____.
| A．newspapers will win the competition among the different media |
| B．newspapers will stay with us together with other media |
| C．television will take the place of newspaper |
| D．the writer believe some media will die out |
The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means ______.
| A．depend on | B．compete with | C．fight with | D．kill off |