Why People Get Tattoos
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger
repeatedly stabbed (刺) him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour
steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo. His friend Tony had
recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by it that he decided
to get one too. Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression
are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today.
The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Some of these groups wear only brand–name clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same thing.
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America. A wide variety of media images (人物，图像) show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines, fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colorful patterns. These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status. As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value.
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings－in other words, to show their individuality (个性). A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders. A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.
As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform, a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality. The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself. For Jack, it was a mixture of all three.
45. Jack has got tattoos in order to ______.
A. show his great bravery B. gain a special experience
C. make himself more healthy D. be different from others
46. According to the passage, media images are linked to ______.
A. traditional lifestyle B. social position C. cultural background D. public interest
47. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. some people get tattoos out of pressure
B. tattoo is related to religious belief
C. getting tattoos costs a lot of money
D. most people with tattoos are artists
48. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
 |
CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub – point (次要点) C: Conclusion
Look closely at ,your hands-are they clean? It doesn't matter how many times you was your hands. They're still crowded with microbes, which are also called "germs" or "bacteria". Microbes are everywhere. But don't worry-most microbes don't harm you. and many actually help you stay alive.
Now, scientists say the microbes that live on our hands could be used in a surprising way: fighting crime.
When police visit the scene of a crime, they often look for fingerprints to try to identifythe criminal. But according to a recent study, investigators could even use microbes to help break a criminal case.
Every person has his or her own set of microbes that live on their hands, according to scientists at,the University of:Colorado. That means the mix of different kinds of microbes on everybody's hand is unique-much like one's fingerprint.
The scientists wanted to know whether this microbe mix could be used as a new kind of fingerprint-especially in a crime scene where fingerprints might be hard to find. And policemen use forensics such as studying fingerprints to identify the criminal.
"Microbe fingerprints are harder to hide," said Noah Fierer, one of the scientists.
"You can't sterilize(为……杀菌) a surface just by wiping it off. "
His team compared the bacteria on the hands of 273 people with the bacteria found on each person's computer keyboard. For the study, the keyboards had been used only by the people who were being tested. The study showed that the mix of microbes from each per- son's hands matched the mix of microbes on that person's keyboard. The scientists were easily able to tell the 273 people apart-just by looking at their keyboards.
But there are a lot more than 273 criminals. Other scientists wonder whetherthe microbe fingerprint can really be that useful.
Fierer agrees that scientists have a lot more work to do before the microbe fingerprint will be a useful tool．According to the passage, microbes on people's hands_____
| A．do more harm than good | B．are easy to get rid of |
| C．are almost the same | D．might help find crimes |
The underlined word "forensics" in Paragraph 5 probably refers to________.
| A．the scientific test used by police |
| B．a new kind of fingerprint |
| C．a kind of bacteria'in people's hands |
| D．a kind of newly invented keyboard |
What did Fierer's team find through the study?
| A．They found the criminal among the 237 people. |
| B．They could tell who had used which computer. |
| C．Computer keyboards couldn't keep people's microbe fingerprints. |
| D．People's characters could be identified by the keyboards they used. |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A．your microbes may give you away |
| B．scientists will come to a clear conclusion soon |
| C．many scientists think microbe fingerprints useless |
| D．the microbe fingerprint has been used in many cases |
The main idea of the passage is about_____.
| A．the importance of fingerprints | B．how to clean our hands |
| C．the usefulness of microbes | D．different germs on our hands |
If you want to teach your children how to say sorry, you must be good at saying it yourself, especially to your own children. But how you say it can be quite tricky.
If you say to your children "I'm sorry I got angry with you, but...", what follows that "but" can make the apology ineffective:"I had a bad day" or "your noise was giving me a headache" leaves the person who has been injured feeling that he should be apologizing for his bad behavior in expecting an apology.
Another means by which peaple appear to apologize without actually doing so is to say "I'm sorry you're upset"; this suggests that you are somehow at fault for allowing yourself to get upset by what the other person has done.
Then there is the general, all-covering apology, which avoids the necessity of identifying a specific act that is particularly hurtful or insulting, and which the person who is apologizing should promise never to do again. Saying "I'm useless as a parent" does not commit a person to any specific improvement.
These pseudo-apologies(假道歉) are used by people who believe saying sorry shows weakness. Parents who wish to teach their children to apologize should see it as a sign of strength, and therefore not take these pseudo-apologies.
But even when presented with examples of real apology, childfen still need help to become aware of the complexities of saying sorry. A three-year-old might need help in un- derstanding that other children feel pain just as he does, and that hitting a playmate over the head with a heavy toy requires an apology. A six-year-old might need reminding that spoiling other children's expectations can require an apology. A 12-year-old might need to be shown that destroying the biscuit tin without asking permission is acceptable, but that
borrowing a parent's clothes without permission is not.If a mother adds "but" to an apology, ________.
| A．the child may find the apology easier to accept |
| B．the child may feel that he owes her an apology |
| C． she promises never to do it again |
| D．she does not realize that the child has been hurt |
According to the author, saying "I am sorry you are upset" most probably means “_______”
| A．You have good reason to get upset |
| B．I apologize for hurting your feelings |
| C．I am at fault for making you upset |
| D．I am aware you are upset, but I am not to blame |
It is not advisable to use the general, all-covering apology because _______.
| A． it is not clear and ineffective |
| B． it is hurtful and insulting |
| C． it may make the other person feel faulty |
| D．it gets one into the habit of making empty promises . |
We learn from the last paragraph that in teaching children to say sorry_______
| A．the complexities involved should be ignored |
| B．parents need to set them a good example |
| C．their ages should be taken into account |
| D．parents should be patient and tolerant |
It can be inferred from the passage that apologizing properly is________.
| A．a sign of social,progress |
| B．not as simple as it seems |
| C．not necessary among family members. |
| D．a social issue calling for immediate attention |
Sarah came running in saying, "Look what l found. " Over the top of the paper I was reading I saw a long object that made me jump. It was a piece of snakeskin that had been shed （脱皮) by one of our garden snakes.
'Isn't it beautiful?" said my wide-eyed 7~year-old daughter. I stared at the organic wrapper and thought to myself that it really was not that beautiful, but I did not want to disappoint Sarah. Everything children see for the first time is elementary to their sense of beauty and creativity. They see only merit (忧点) and excellence in the world.
"Why does it do this?" Sarah asked. I like to teach my children that there is something else going on besides what they see in front of them. "Snakes shed their skin because they need to renew themselves," I explained.
"Why do they need to renew themselves?" Sarah asked. "We often need to shed our skins, those coatings that we cover ourselves with," I said to my now absorbed daughter. "We outgrow some things and find other stuff unnecessary. This snake no longer needs this skin. It is probably too old, and the snake probably doesn't think it looks as smart in the skin as it once did. Like buying a new suit. "
Of course, I'm sure this explanation won't suit naturalists. But Sarah got the point. As we talked, I knew that she began to understand that renewal is part of progress; that we need to take a good look at ourselves, and rooms and schoolwork and creativity, and she began to see what we need to keep and what need to cast off. I was careful to point out that this is a natural process, not one to be forced.
"Snakes don't peel off their skin when they feel like it," I explained. "lt happens as part of their growth. "
"I see, Dad. " said Sarah. She then jumped off my lap, grabbed the snakeskin, and ran off.
I hoped she would remember this. Often, in order to find our real selves underneath the layers of community and culture we are cloaked (掩饰) in year after year, we need to start examining these layers. We need to gently peel some away, as we recognize them to be worthless, unnecessary, or flawed (有缺陷的); or at best, remember the things we discard（丢掉）to teach us how we can improve.When Sarah asked the author whether the snakeskin was beautiful,___________
| A．he was shocked and jumped |
| B．he tried to understand her point of view |
| C．he thought that telling the truth was a merit |
| D．he decided to teach her something about the garden |
How did Sarah feel about the author's explanation?
| A．Confused. | B．Boreci | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
Which of the following would the author agree with?
| A．By reflecting on ourselves, we can better ourselves. |
| B．It is necessary to force others to remove some things. |
| C．The community and culture force us to change. |
| D．It is natural to keep some old clothes. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author___________.
| A．does not like nature much |
| B．takes the chilcl's feelings lightly |
| C．is both a logical and thoughtful person |
| D．loves to see his daughter excited about animals |
Which of the following could be the best title for the article?
| A．The things we should cast off | B．A shed snakeskin in Sarah's eyes |
| C．A natural part of our growth | D．Renewal for snakes and us |
As a senior high school student, my future is always on my mind. To be exact,thoughts of the future have kept me up countless nights and made me worry enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a source of comfort.Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford's graduating class in 2005 and his words resound repeatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future.
It started when l became a junior, when college came into view. It's the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well.
This doesn't mean that students shouldn't attend college, but rather that they shouldn't worry so much. You'll get where you need to go, even if your path is a bit morewinding(蜿蜒的)than you'd like.
Jobs talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got where he was meant to be, which restates the point: don't panic.One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted(引用)thc saying"Stay hungry, stay foolisll" and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing thatyou are still a fool, no matter how much you've learned or experienced. There is always more to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are still uneducated.
Steve Jobs' level of success is possible to achieve, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it's my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, I will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I'll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom a person could wish for. The author felt worried when_____.
| A．he had to take tests at school |
| B．he had lots of sleepless nights |
| C．he thought about his future |
| D．he searched for words of wisdom |
It is suggested in Paragraphs l and 2 that_____
| A．the author is a college student |
| B．the author cares much about his future |
| C．Steve Jobs failed because of his decision |
| D．Steve Jobs' words had no effect on the author |
What did the author gain from Jobs' speech?
| A．Courage to drop out of school. | B．Confidence in defeating Jobs. |
| C．Interest in computer industry. | D．Bravery to face uncertainties. |
What did NOT Steve Jobs encourage students to do in his speech?
| A．Be content with what they know. |
| B．Have the desire to learn more. |
| C．Stay calm in the face of hardships |
| D．Be modest so as to learn more. |
The passage is mainly about_____.
| A．an experience of a speech |
| B．a memorable meeting with Jobs |
| C．the most impressive quotation in life |
| D．the wisdom drawn from a speech |
How could I turn down an opportunity for a weeklong cruise on a luxury motorsailer in the Andaman Sea? Without a second thought, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane to Singapore, and the following day I found myself looking out the airplane window at the beautiful waters surrounding the island of Langkawi off the coast of Malaysia.
The last time I was in Langkawi was in 2001, when it was relatively quiet. Langkawi has come a long way since then; there are 4, 5, and even 6-star hotels, as well as spas, golfing, horseback riding and even a cable car taking visitors to the highest point on the island.
At the Langkawi International Airport I met my shipmates and we were driven to Pantai Tengah with a quick pit stop for sunblock and duty-free goodies. Many other shopping opportunities abound since Langkawi was designated as a duty-free zone in 1987 to entice tourists to the island.
A luxurious yacht tender picked us up. Phillipe, the first mate, maneuvered the tender between sailboats and as we went around a small island there she was, S/V Blue Gold. This majestic 10-passenger sailboat—all 165 feet of her—had been built in Italy and recently underwent a full retrofit. Once aboard, the crew welcomed us with refreshments and big smiles. Before we got too comfortable and settled into the plush comforts of the boat, Alain, the captain, took us on a tour of Blue Gold’s impressive accommodations. The master suite had a king-size bed, with a lounge area and “his & hers” wardrobes. The VIP cabin had a queen-size bed, also with a lounge area. Both had ensuite bathrooms.
The first evening aboard was the perfect start to our voyage—a small cocktail party followed by a light meal of seared tuna salad. It was exactly what our jet-lagged bodies craved, and we all slept very well aboard what would become our new home for the next 7 days.
In the morning after breakfast, we sailed to Pulau Ta Ngah (also spelled “Pulau Tengah”; pulau means island in Malay). In the 1970s the site had been a Vietnamese refugee transit camp. Not long after the end of the war, the camp was shut down and the island was gazetted as a marine park by the Malaysian government. Officially “uninhabited,” it does boast a golf course, but we were unable to determine if it was still in operation. The most intriguing event on the island occurs in July when the giant leatherback turtles lay their eggs on a beach on Ta Ngah. Where is Langkawi?
| A．In Pulau Ta Ngah | B．In Malaysia | C．In the Atlantic Ocean | D．In The Arctic |
We know from the passage Langkawi________.
| A．has become prosperous in the past decade |
| B．was a noisy industrial city twenty years ago |
| C．has no three-star hotels nowadays |
| D．is best known for its horse riding races |
S/V Blue Gold is __________.
| A．a small island with most beautiful sceneries we have ever seen |
| B．a luxurious 6-star hotel with best food and service |
| C．a VIP cabin with 9 queen-size beds and ensuite bathrooms |
| D．a splendid boat with comfortable accommodations |
It is implied that _________.
| A．many people go golfing on Pulau Ta Ngah every year |
| B．the Vietnamese War broke out in 1970 |
| C．the author liked the party and meal provided in the voyage |
| D．people living on Pulau Ta Ngah must have earned a lot of money |
The article is probably part of __________.
| A．a news report | B．a travel story | C．an advertisement | D．an operating manual |