.
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes-khaki pants and sports shirt-to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
46. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because _______.
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
C. he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
47. The reason why David Smith wears casual clothes now is that _______.
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
48. Which of the following statements cannot be inferred from the passage?
A. All the employers in the U. S. show their approval for casual office wear.
B. Comfortable clothes increase employees’ productivity.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D. Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
49. According to this passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.
B. “Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.
C. Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.
D. Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.
50. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned in the passage except ___.
A. saving employees’ money B. making employees more attractive
C. improving employees’ motivation D. making employees happier
Sightseeing Tours in Germany
Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich．Thankfully, these major German cities offer sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country’s most historic sites．
Berlin on Bike
berlin image by Jürgen Remmer from Fotolia.com
Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides．Regular tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin’s Best, with stops at some of the city’s most famous landmarks, such as the Reichstag and the Berlin Wall．Specialty tours include the East Unplugged, which explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist rule．The cost of the tour includes
the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the tour has ended．
berlinonbike.de/english/index.php
Munich City Sightseeing Tour
The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air, double-decker bus．Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day．This tour includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park, Munich’s opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city．The bus features a narrated tour guide and offers an English-language option．
raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html
Nice City Tours－Cologne
Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of languages．The Old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral and some of the city’s old squares．The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city’s most beloved breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne’s resident beer．Finally, the Old Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town’s most historic sites and ends with a ride down the Rhine River．
nicecitytours.com/tours.htm
68．The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include ________.
A．bus tours B．English service C．three routes D．guide’s service
69．If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?
A．The Wall Tour B．The Brewery Pub Tour
C．The Old Town Tour D．The Munich City Sightseeing Tour
70．Where can you probably see this passage?
A．In a textbook B．On a website
C．In an encyclopedia D．In a journal
Dr．Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish．It’s not because fish are endangered, though wild fish stocks in many oceans are very low．It’s not because they’re bad for you, though fish in many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water．It’s because they’re smart．
“Fish are sensitive, they have personalities,” says the marine biologist．For Earle, eating a fish would be like eating a dog or a cat．“I would never eat anyone I know personally.”
There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to be touched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human．They can remember things and learn from experience．Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these as strong arguments against eating fish altogether．
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way from the sea to the supermarket．“While it may seem obvious that fish are able to feel pain, like every other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables,” says Dr．Lynne Sneddon．“Really, it’s kind of a moral question．Is the enjoyment you get from fishing (or eating fish) more important than the pain of the fish?”
Fishermen and (fried) fish lovers are doubtful．“I’ve never seen a smart fish,” says Marie Swaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant．“If they were very smart,
they wouldn’t get caught.”
“For years, everyone’s been telling us to eat fish because it’s so good for us,” says another diner．“Now I’ve got to feel guilty while I’m eating my fish? What are they going to think of next? Don’t eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?”
64．Dr．Sylvia Earle discourage people from eating fish because _____________.
A．there are not that many wild fish in the ocean
B．fish actually are sensitive and have personalities
C．some ocean fish contain poisonous substances
D．fish are like dogs or cats that people know personally
65．We can infer from the passage that _____________.
A．all people don’t agree with the idea to stop eating fish
B．people will be persuaded not to eat fish in the future
C．stopping eating fish will lead to people’s not eating vegetables
D．we shouldn’t care too much about the feeling of fish
66．By saying “There’s a lot more to fish than meets the eye,” the writer means ____________.
A．there are far more fish than other animals in the world
B．there are more fish in the world than people can see
C．people can see more fish if they pay more attention
D．fish are not that simple as they appear to people’s eyes
67．What is the writer’s attitude towards people eating fish?
A．Neutral. B．Indifferent. C．Approving. D．Opposed．
The British last an average of eight minutes and twenty-two seconds before they lose temper, according to new research.
The Internet has increased people’s service demands and it is destroying the classic British characteristic of patience．More than half of the British have admitted they lose their temper quicker than ever before．People have become so used to the speed and convenience of the Internet that more than seven in ten get angry if forced to wait longer than one minute for a web page to download．
Being kept on hold made the British see red more than anything else, with the average person reaching their impatience limit after five minutes and four seconds.
In today’s fast food culture, restaurant rage starts after only eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds, when the average diner will start to wonder whether the meal they have ordered will ever arrive.
People running late to meet a friend should not leave it any longer than ten minutes and one second if they do not want to face their anger.
Finally, when receiving a text or voicemail, be warned that the clock is ticking as the average Englishman expects a response within thirteen minutes and sixteen seconds.
Mark Schmid, of telecom giant TalkTalk, which conducted the research among 2,050 people, said that the speed of the online world is making us less prepared to wait for things to happen in the offline world．“This is causing people to reach the point of impatience earlier than ever before.”
60．Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．More than half of the British get angry more easily than before.
B．Waiting for an Internet page to download will make half of the British angry.
C．Any Englishman may last 8 minutes and 22 seconds before they lose temper.
D．Waiting for friends to show up within 10 minutes and 1 second will not be acceptable.
61．The underlined word “rage” in the passage can be replaced by ___________.
A．disappointment B．sadness C．annoyance D．worry
62．According to the passage, the following things may make people impatient EXCEPT ___________.
A．the response to a text massage B．the food service in a restaurant
C．the speed of the Internet D．the business trade
63．The passage is mainly about ___________.
A．how long the British can keep their temper
B．when people lose temper easily
C．what makes the British lose temper quicker
D．why the Internet influences people’s life
The dog that gave us the most trouble was a beagle (猎兔犬) named Murphy．As far as I’m concerned, the first thing he did wrong was to turn into a beagle．I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window, and I went in and asked the man, “How much is that adorable fox terrier (小猎狗) in the window?” Did he say “That adorable fox terrier is a beagle”? No, he said, “Ten dollars, lady.” Now, I don’t mean to say one word against beagles．They have rights just like other people．But it is a bit of a shock when you bring home a small ball of fluff (绒毛) in a shoebox, and three weeks later it’s as long as the sofa．
Murphy was the first dog I ever trained personally, and I was delighted at the enthusiasm with which he took to the newspaper．It was some time later that we discovered, to our horror, that—like so many dogs—he had grasped the letter but not the spirit of the thing．Until the very end of his days he felt a real sense of duty whenever he saw a newspaper—any newspaper—and it didn’t matter where it was．I can’t bring myself to go into the details, except to mention that we were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox．
He had another habit that used to leave us open to a certain amount of criticism from our friends．He never climbed up on beds or chairs or sofas．But he always sat on top of the piano．In the beginning we used to try to pull him off．But after a few noisy fights in which he knocked a picture off the wall, scratched the piano, and smashed a lamp, we just gave in—only to discover that he hopped up and down as skillfully as a ballet dancer．
Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog．If they do, I say, “Maybe I’d better keep away from it—I have bad allergy.” This sometimes annoys the host．But it works．It really works.
56．The writer uses a hyperbole (夸张) in Paragraph 1 to suggest that the dog grew _____________.
A．surprisingly lovable B．comfortable in the house
C．too fierce to tolerate D．larger than expected
57．Which sentence shows the author’s inability to train Murphy?
A．I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window.
B．We were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox.
C．He never climbed up on beds or chairs.
D．Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog．
58．What can you infer from the second paragraph?
A．The writer tried to train Murphy to fetch newspapers but in vain.
B．Like other dogs, Murphy hated newspapers.
C．Murphy learned to help the writer clean the papers.
D．Murphy liked fetching letters rather than newspapers.
59．Which can be the best title of the passage?
A．Murphy—My Favorite Dog B．Murphy—An Adorable Dog
C．Murphy Gave Me Trouble D．Murphy Turned Into A Beagle
E
Sport is not only physically challenging，but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches，parents，and other teammates，as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical，emotional，or psychological，and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can，for example，learn how to cooperate with others，make friends，and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware，at all times，that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find flaws（缺陷）in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting，young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement（正面强化）should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again，criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
72．An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is ____________.
A．to make sports less competitive
B．to make sports more challenging
C．to reduce their mental stress
D．to increase their sense of success
73．According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that____________.
A．it can help them learn more about society
B．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
C．it enables them to find flaws in themselves
D．it can provide them with valuable experience
74．Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes ________.
A．without realizing criticism may destroy their self-confidence
B．in order to make them remember life lessons
C．believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development
D．so as to put more pressure on them
75．The author’s purpose in writing the passage is ____________.
A．to persuade athletes not to worry about criticism
B．to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement to young athletes
C．to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement
D．to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout