In “Relax, We’ll Be Fine”, columnist David Brooks writes, “the fact is, despite all the problems, America’s future is extremly bright.”
Mr. Brooks acknowledges that “According to recent survey, 60 percent of Americans think the country is heading in the wrong direction. The same percentage believe that the U.S. is in long-term decline. The political system is not functional. A financial crisis looks unavoidable. There are plenty of reasons to be sad.”
But, he writes:
“Demographers(人口学家) predict that over the next 40 years, the U.S. population will increase by an additional 100 million people, to 400 million over all. The population will be determined, hardworking and relatively young. In 2050, only a quarter will be over 60, compared with 31 percent in China and 41 percent in Japan.”
As the rising generation leads an economic recovery, it will also participate in a communal
(of community) one. We are living in a global age of social entrepreneurship(创业精神).
In sum, the U.S. is on the edge of a demographic, economic and social recovery, built on its historic strengths. The U.S. has always been good at destructive change. And it’s always been good at decentralized community-building, too. Surely a country with this much going for it is not going to wait around passively and let a rotten political culture drag it down.
51.In his article Relax, We’ll Be Fine, David Brooks intends to____________.
A.encourage Americans to be optimistic about their future
B.give Americans courage to face their financial crisis
C.persuade Americans to live happily and generously
D.inspire Americans to lead an economic recovery
52.There are all the reasons for Americans to be unhappy except____________
A.the function-failed political system B.the increasing population
C.the declining economy D.the wrong direction and financial crisis
53.Over the next 40 years, according to David Brooks, Americans will be____________
A.more optimistic and humorous B.more pessimistic and stronger
C.more energetic and promising D.more considerate and aggressive
54.In the author’s opinion, America____________.
A.has always benefited from wars B.has done well by its political system
C.has contributed a lot to human progress D.has contributed to world’s economy
55.We can learn from the passage that____________
A.American political system and culture are backward
B.Americans are not a nation to give in to difficulties
C.Americans are very destructive and aggressive
D.America has been in an economic and social recovery
D
This brief book is aimed at high school students , but speaks to anyone learning at any stage of life.
Its formal ,serious style closely matches its content ,a school-masterly book on schooling .The author , W .H . Armstrong ,starts with the basics : reading and writing . In his opinion , reading doesn’t just mean recognizing each word on the page ; it means taking in the information, digesting it and incorporating it into oneself just as one digests a sandwich and makes it a part of himself .The goal is to bring the information back to life , not just to treat it as dead facts on paper from dead trees . Reading and writing cannot be completely separated from each other ; in fact ,the aim of reading is to express the information you have got from the text .I’ve seen it again and again :someone who can’t express an idea after reading a text is just as ineffective as someone who hasn’t read it at all.
Only a third of the book remains after that discussion, which Armstrong devotes to specific tips for studying languages, math, science and history. He generally handles these topics thoroughly and equally, except for some weakness in the science and math sections and a bit too much passion regarding history. Well, he was a history teacher---if conveyed only a tenth of his passion to his students, that was a hundred times more than my history teachers ever got across .To my disappointment, in this part of the book he ignores the arts. As a matter of fact, they demand all the concentration and study that math and science do, though the study differs slightly in kind. Although it’s commonly believed that the arts can only be naturally acquired ,actually ,learning the arts is no mor
e natural than learning French or mathematics.
My other comment is that the text aged. The first edition apparently dates to the 1960s—none of the references(参考文献)seem newer than the late 1950s. As a result, the discussion misses the entire computer age.
These are small points, though, and don’t
affect the main discussion. I recommend it to any student and any teacher, including the self-taught student.According to Armstrong, the goal of reading is to________.
| A.gain knowledge and expand one’s view |
| B.understand the meaning between the lines |
| C.express ideas based on what one has read |
| D.get information and keep it alive in memory |
The author of the passage insists that learning the arts_________.
| A.requires great efforts |
| B.demands real passion |
| C.is less natural than learning math |
| D.is as natural as learning a language |
What is a shortcoming of Armstrong’s work according to the author?
| A.Some ideas are slightly contradictory. |
| B.There is too much discussion on studying science. |
| C.The style is too serious. |
| D.It lacks new information. |
This passage can be classified as________.
| A.an advertisement |
| B.a book review |
| C.a feature story |
| D.A news report |
C
By far the most common difficulty in studying is simple failure to get down to regular concentrated wo
rk. This difficulty is much greater for those who do not work to a plan and have no regular routine of study. Many students muddle (胡乱对付) along, doing a bit of this subject or that, as the mood takes them, or letting their set work pile up until the last possible moment.
Few students work to a set timetable. They say that if they did work out a timetable for themselves they would not keep to it, or would have to change it frequently, since they can never predict from one day to the next what their activities will be.
No doubt some students are more willing to accept a regular routine than others. There are many who shy away from a self-controlled weekly timetable, and dislike being tied down to a fixed program of work. Many able students state that they work in cycles. When they become interested in a topic, they work on it attentively for three or four days at a time. On other days they avoid work completely. It has to be admitted that we do not fully understand the motivation (动机)to work.. Most people over 25 years of age have become used to routine, and the majority of real productive workers set aside regular hours for the more important areas of their work. The “tough-minded” school doesn’t fully accept the idea that good work can only be done naturally, under the influence of inspiration.
Those who believe that they need only work and study as the fit takes them have a mistaken belief either in their own talent or in the value of “freedom”. In fact, freedom from control and discipline(纪律)leads to unhappiness rather than to “self-expression” or “personality development”. Our society insists on regular habits, timekeeping and punctuality (准时), and whether we like it or not, if we mean to make our way in society, we have to meet its demands.The most widespread problem in applying oneself to study is ______.
| A.changing from one subject to another |
| B.the failure to keep to a set timetable of work |
| C.the unwillingness to follow a systematic plan |
| D.working on a subject only when one feels like it |
Which of the following is true?
| A.Many students are not interested in using self-controlled timetable. |
| B.Many students don’t like being told to study to a fixed timetable. |
| C.Most people of over 25 years of age don’t work to a set timetable. |
| D.Tough-minded people agree that good job is done naturally |
The underlined part “as the fit takes them” in paragraph 4 probably means ______.
| A.when they have the energy |
| B.when they are in the mood |
| C.when they feel fit |
| D.when they find conditions are suitable |
A suitable title for the passage might be ______.
| A.Attitudes to Study | B.A study Plan |
| C.The Difficulties in Studying | D.Study and Self-discipline |
B
HOTEL INFORMATION
Baymont Inn Ft.Lauderdale
3800 W.Commercial, Ft. Lauderdale.FL 33309
Lowest Prices 110% Guaranteed (保证)
Room Information
Rooms are equipped with Double, Queen , or King bed (s) , smoking or non-smoking based on location and availability. Provided in each spacious guest room is a hair dryer, coffee maker, iron, ironing board, 25’TV and guest voice mail.
Check-in Time:7:00 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Free Parking, 24 Hour Front Desk, Pool, Television with Cable, Coffee Maker in Room, Hairdryers Available.
Beach Plaza Hotel
625 N.Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd, Ft.Lauderdale, FL 33304
Room Information
The oceanfront accommodations at Beach Plaza Hotel are some of the most affordable on Fort Lauderdale Beach.Each room features direct-dial telephone, cable television and daily maid service.The very affordable efficiency studios even include full kitchens! All rooms surround the private poolside garden courtyard.
Check-in Time:7:05 P. M.
Hotel Amenities:Air Conditioned, Coffee Maker in Room, 24 Hour Front Desk, Parking, Hairdryers Available, Pool, Television with Cable.
Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel
3711 N.Ocean Blvd, Ft.Lauderdale, FL 33308
Room Information
Guest rooms feature TVs, in-room movies, Internet access, in-room safes, alarm clock radios, hairdryers, refrigerators, microwaves, and balconies.
Check-in Time:7:00 A.M.
Hotel Amenities:Parking,Heated Pool, Television with Cable, and Coffee Maker in Room.Which hotel gives a promise?
| A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. | B.Beach Pl aza Hotel. |
| C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
In which hotel parking is the cheapest?
| A.Baymont Inn Ft . Lauderdale. | B.Beach Plaza Hotel. |
| C.Baymont Inn Hotel. | D.Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
If you ______ , you will probably go to Beach Plaza Hotel.
| A.enjoy seeing films without leaving your hotel room |
| B.are fond of swimming in heated water |
| C.want to eat food cooked by yourself in the hotel |
| D.are a cigarette smoker |
Which of the following is NOT true to the ads?
| A.All of the three hotels provide television with cable. |
| B.You can keep your money in the room safe in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel. |
| C.In Beach Plaza Hotel a 24-hour maid is available. |
| D.While staying in Fort Lauderdale Plaza Hotel, you can surf the Internet. |
A
BEUING (Associated Press 美联社)
—China has a growing middle class, a tradition of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.
While China may be the world’s biggest toy maker, many of the best are exported. Department stores here do not have enough toys of high quality. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.
A US company, Baby Care, is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.
Baby Care works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company’s "mother club" can get lectures and newsletters on baby and child development at no extra cost, if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company’s educational toys and child-care books.
"We want to build a seven year relationship with those people," said Matthew J. Estes, Baby Care’s president. "It starts during pregnancy (孕期), when the anxiety and needs are highest." Baby Care works on a one-to-one basis. Doctors, nurses, and teachers paid by Baby Care advise parents and explain toys that are designed for children at each stage of development to age six.
Baby Care opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.
It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children’s education and health that no other companies are in.What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?
| A.Educational toys and foreign toy markets. |
| B.Problems with China’s toy market and education. |
| C.Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China. |
| D.Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China. |
Which of the following is a fact according to the passage?
| A.Club members buy Baby Care products for free child care advice. |
| B.Doctors in Beijing help in making Baby Care products. |
| C.Parents are encouraged to pay $ 18 for club activities. |
| D.Baby Care trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost. |
Baby Care is developing its business in China by ___________.
| A.opening stores in Beijing hospitals |
| B.offering 18 month courses on child care |
| C.setting up children’s education centers |
| D.forming close relationships with parents |
Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage?
| A.Mother’s Club in China. | B.Baby Care and Doctors. |
| C.American Company Model. | D.Educational Toys in China. |
For a girl who's interested in fashion, what would be the dream job? Being a model? Probably
no–-that's for a pencil thin who doesn't eat. One answer is, fashion stylist.
Girls can find it hard to ignore this attractiveness and the field is opening up to normal girls,
not only style or fashion design majors(某专业的学生). "It looked too high before, but now I
find it more approachable," said Xue Rui, 22, a Fudan University Chinese literature graduate who works as an assistant stylist at Hermès in Shanghai. "There is no certain principle in dressing up models, and you can try every way with your own distinct taste to make them pretty and attractive." Some professionals said that Xue's not mistaken.
The attractiveness of this work is not only in the wonderful clothes. Now it's a career with a bright future and pay packet. The income can allow you to buy expensive clothes and, with your name and photo appearing on pages, readers will remember your fashion tips.
A stylist at a fashion magazine can have some unique rights. You have a chance to contact famous persons and dress them up in a style you like. You need to cooperate with top photographers and select places around the world to take photos in. You might also be invited to fashion shows of top brands and can select some of the favorite clothes.
"You have to be ‘all-round’:from hair and make up to clothes, shoes, and accessories (配饰) to the event," said He Qing, 21, a junior in fashion design at the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. "You have to know everything, and handle several things at the same time. It's challenging. That's why I love it."
So, remember girls, you've been warned. The underlined phrase “ pay packet” (paragraph 3) means________.
| A.a large bag | B.a large amount of money | C.chances | D.choices |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A.There are certain principles in dressing up models. |
| B.The only attractiveness of this work is in the wonderful clothes. |
| C.Only style or fashion design majors can work as a fashion stylist. |
| D.A stylist knows how to make a person beautiful, from head to toe。 |
What is the unique right a stylist at a fashion magazine can have?
| A.You have a chance to contact celebrities and dress them up in a style you like. |
| B.You need to cooperate with top photographers and select places around the world to take photos in. |
| C.You might also be invited to fashion shows of top brands and can select some of the favorite clothes. |
| D.All of above |
What will the author write in the 6th paragraph?
| A.Top brands that fashion stylists like best. |
| B.Various fashion shows |
| C.Difficulties that fashion stylists may meet |
| D.Other dream jobs |