The easiest way for the English to deal with their social discomfort is to avoid social interaction altogether, by choosing either leisure (闲暇) activities that can be performed in the privacy of one’s own house, or outdoor activities that follow their interest without direct contact with anyone other than one’s own family members, such as going for a walk, or to the cinema, or shopping．
In recent survey, over half of all the leisure activities were of this private domestic type, and of the top ten pastimes, only two—having friends round for a meal or drink, and going to the pub—could be described as ‘sociable’．The most domestic activities are the most popular: watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, DIY （Do It Yourself） and gardening．Even when the English are being sociable, the survey findings show that most of them would much rather entertain a few close friends or relatives in the safety of their own homes than venture out among strangers．
In the latest national census survey （人口普查）, over half of the entire adult male population had been DIYing in the four weeks before the census date．Nearly a third of the female population had also been busily improving their homes, and their work with their gardens was equally obvious: 52 percent of all English males and 45 percent of females had been out there, cutting branches and weeding grass．
Even among people claiming to belong to a particular religion, only two percent attend services every week．The rest of the population can be found every Sunday at their local garden center or DIY superstore．And when they want a break from caring about their own homes and gardens, they go on trips to visit bigger and better houses and gardens, such as the stately homes and gardens opened to the public by the National Trust and the Royal Horticulture Society．Visiting grand country houses always ranks as one of the most popular national pastimes．
45．The result of the survey shows that ________.
A．about half English people enjoy working in their gardens
B．8 out of 10 pastimes can be described as social activities
C．2 percent of the religious people enjoy visits to public houses
D．visiting stately homes is the most popular national pastime
46．According to the passage, the English enjoy all of the following EXCEPT________.
A．the social activities, such as gathering with friends
B．working at home and in their gardens
C．dining out in a public place among strangers
D．visits to stately homes and gardens
47．The underlined word “domestic” probably means________.
A．public B．household C．outdoor D．collective
48．The passage mainly tells us about________.
A．why the English don’t like social activities
B．how the English spend their leisure time
C．what the result of a recent census survey is
D．where the English hold their private activities
Most American children eat potatoes every day, but they don't know which part of potato is most nourishing(有营养的).Take a sharp knife and cut a very thin slice(薄片) from it and hold it to the light, and you will see that the potato has skin, an outside rim(边缘) and the inner part. The outside rim which is right under the skin is most nutritious.But this part is often thrown away with the skin. Even the skin itself is better for food than the inside. When eating a cooked potato, if you choose the inside and leave the outside, you are wasting the best part of it. If you can’t eat the whole potato, it is better to eat the outside rim and leave the inner part.A potato has _________.
| A．one part only | B．two parts | C．three parts | D．four parts |
The best part of the potato is the _________.
| A．middle | B．skin | C．outside rim | D．inside |
What does this reading tell about potatoes? It tells us _________.
| A．how to cook them | B．how to cut potatoes |
| C．what is a potato made up of | D．how to eat them |
Every culture has it own ways to show friendship. On the island of Hawaii, friendship is part of the “aloha spirit”. In the language of the Hawaiians who first settled the islands long ago, aloha had a very special meaning. That is “to be with happiness”.
Hawaiians believe that once somebody loves the land, they are ready to love their people or community. This is the second most important thing of friendship. It is called lokahi in the Hawaiian language, which means “oneness with all people”. To enjoy the land you should not be selfish. The land is for everyone who lives on. Today many different people call Hawaii their home. Indeed, Hawaii is a place where people make one big community from many smaller communities. Each person gives kokua(help) to other people so that all feel stronger. It is believed that the islands can be a paradise(天堂) when people live in peace. People are told that their actions should be as gentle as the wind that blows from the sea. When problems happen, people are asked to solve them with understanding. So when people of Hawaii talk about ohana(family), they are really talking about all those who live on the island.
Living in peace, Hawaiians have developed a third sign of friendship. This personal friendship is shown by giving leis to one another. The lei, a string of flowers, is put over a friend’s neck. Then the friend is given a kiss on the cheek. Visitors to the islands are also given leis. When they hear aloha, visitors began to feel at home. Aloha also means “goodbye”, so visitors will hear it again when they leave. It can mean “our hearts singing together”. Perhaps this is how most visitors will remember their new friendship.Which of the following can be the proper title for this text?
| A．People in Hawaii | B．Visitors to Hawaii |
| C．Traveling in Hawaii | D．Friendship in Hawaii |
How do you understand the underlined sentence in the first paragraph ?
| A．Happiness matters most for Hawaiians. | B．Friendship is always together with happiness. |
| C．Friendship is every thing in Hawaiian culture. | D．Friendship has special meanings for Hawaiians. |
Which of the following proverb can best express the idea of friendship by Hawaiians?
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Love me, love my dog. |
| C．A penny saved is a penny gained. | D．An apple a day keeps a doctor away. |
Which of the following is a sign to show friendship by Hawaiians?
| A．A warm handshake. | B．A kiss on the cheek. |
| C．A string of flowers. | D．A big hug. |
According to the text, which of the following Hawaiian word expresses more good wishes?
| A．aloha | B．lokahi | C．kokua | D．Ohana |
Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag. Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy's home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1992 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.”
He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world.Armstrong was called Pops because he ________.
| A．looked like a musician | B．had great effect on the world of music |
| C．showed great interest in music | D．traveled to play modern music |
What is the third paragraph mainly about?
| A．Armstrong loved traveling on the Mississippi River. |
| B．New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz. |
| C．Armstrong showed great talent for music in his youth. |
| D．Many great musicians were born in New Orleans. |
Which statement about Armstrong is true?
| A．His tale begins in New Orleans. | B．He was born before jazz was invented. |
| C．He learned popular music at a boy's home. | D．His music was popular with many people. |
So many people loved and respected Armstrong because ____________.
| A．his music had a deep humanity and warmth | B．he had two famous nicknames |
| C．he and Jazz grew up together | D．his mouth looked like a large bag |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Invention of the Jazz Music | B．The Father of the Jazz Style |
| C．The Making of a Musician | D．The Spread of Popular Music |
Plants are very important living things. Life could not go on if there were no plants. This is because plants can make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals and man cannot make food from air, water and sunlight. Animals get their food by eating plants and other animals. Therefore animals and man need plants in order to live. This is why we find that there are so many plants around us.
If you look carefully at the plants around you, you will find that there are two kinds of plants: flowering plants and non-flowering plants.
Flowering plants can make seeds. The seeds are protected by the fruits. Some fruits have one seed, some have two, three or four, and some have many seeds. But a few fruits have no seeds at all. An example of a fruit without seeds is the banana fruit.
Most non-flowering plants do not grow from seeds. They grow from spores(胚芽). Spores are very small. Some spores are so small and light that they can float in the air. We may say that spores are quite the same as seeds. When these spores are all on wet and shady places, they usually grow into new plants. The main idea of the first paragraph is that ______.
| A．plants are important for life | B．plants cannot grow without air |
| C．there are many plants in the world | D．we can not live without water |
Plants can make food from______.
| A．flower, water and air | B．water, sunlight and air |
| C．air, water and soil | D．air, sun and light |
What can we infer(推断) from the passage ?
| A．Of all living things animals are most important | B．Spores are seeds |
| C．All fruits of flowering plants have seeds | D．Without plants, man will die out |
This passage may be taken from______.
| A．a medicine book | B．a novel |
| C．a science magazine | D．an experiment report |
The underlined word “protected” in the third paragraph can be replaced by ______.
| A．damaged | B．polluted | C．prevented | D．guarded |
They leap from helicopters or speeding boats, bringing aid to swimmers who get into trouble off Italy’s popular beaches.
Hundreds of specially trained dogs from Italy’s corps of canine(犬类的) lifeguards set out each summer to help swimmers in need of rescue.
These "life dogs" wear a harness that victims can grab to be dragged back to shore, and unlike human lifeguards, they can easily jump from helicopters and speeding boats to reach swimmers in trouble.
With millions flocking to Italy’s crowded beaches each summer, the Italian Coast Guard says it rescues about 3,000 people every year —and their canine helpers have saved several lives.
It takes three years for the canines to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, said Roberto Gasbarri, who directs the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program.
"Dogs are of good physical strength. They can increase the speed at which victims are rescued," Gasbarri said.
"The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy(救生圈). It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents," he said.
The school will train any breed, as long as they weigh at least 30 kilograms, but New found lands and golden retrievers are most commonly used because they are good at swimming. Each dog works together with a human lifeguard, who also acts as the animal’s trainer.
"Being retrievers, they set out to pick up anything we tell them, be it a human being, an object, or a fish, and they bring it back to the shore," said lifeguard Monia Luciani. "They do not associate it with a physical activity, but it is rather a game for them."The dogs wear a harness so that __________.
The dogs are helpful to _________.
Why does the school usually choose to train the New found lands and golden retrievers?
___________________________________.How do the dogs regard the pickup training?
____________________________________.