Hereisaposteronamiddleschoolwe-优题课

Prolonging human life has increased the size of the human population. Many people alive today would have died of childhood diseases if they had been born 100 years ago. Because more people live longer, there are more people around at any given time. In fact, it is a decrease in death rates, not an increase in birthrates, that has led to the population explosion.
Prolonging human life has also increased the dependency load. In all societies, people who are disabled or too young or too old to work are dependent on the rest of society to provide for them. In hunting and gathering cultures, old people who could not keep up might be left behind to die. In times of famine, infants might be allowed to die because they could not survive if their parents starved, where as if the parents survived they could have another child. In most contemporary(当代的) societies, people feel a moral obligation to keep people alive whether they can work or not. We have a great many people today who live past the age at which they want to work or are able to work; we also have rules which require people to retire at a certain age. Unless these people were able to save money for their retirement, somebody else must support them. In the United States many retired people live on social security checks which are so little that they must live in near poverty. Older people have more illnesses than young or middle-aged people; unless they have wealth or private or government insurance, they must often “go on welfare” if they have a serious illness.
When older people become senile (衰老的) or too weak and ill to care for themselves, they create grave problems for their families. In the past and in some traditional cultures, they would be cared for at home until they died. Today, with most members of a household working or in school, there is often no one at home who can care for a sick or weak person. To meet this need, a great many nursing homes and convalescent (疗养的) hospitals have been built. These are often profit making organizations, although some are sponsored by religious and other nonprofit groups. While a few of these institutions are good, most of them are simply “dumping (倒垃圾的) grounds” for the dying in which “care” is given by poorly paid, overworked, and under skilled personnel.
1. The author believes that the population explosion results from _______.
A. an increase in birthrates B. the industrial development
C. a decrease in death rates D. human beings’ cultural advances
2. It can be inferred from the passage that in hunting and gathering cultures _______.
A. it was a moral responsibility for the families to keep alive the aged people who could not work
B. the survival of infants was less important than that of their parents in times of starvation
C. old people were given the task of imparting the cultural wisdom of the tribe to new generations
D. death was celebrated as a time of rejoicing for an individual freed of the hardships of life
3. According to the passage, which of the following statements about the old people in the United States is true?
A. Many of them live on social security money which is hardly enough.
B. Minority of them remain in a state of near poverty after their retirement.
C. When they reach a certain age, compulsory retirement is necessary and beneficial.
D. With the growing inflation, they must suffer more from unbearable burdens than ever.
4. The phrase “this need” in paragraph 3 refers to ________.
A. prolonging the dying old people’s lives
B. reducing the problems caused by the retired people
C. making profits through caring for the sick or weak people
D. taking care of the sick or weak people
5. Which of the following best describes the author’s attitude toward most of the nursing homes and convalescent hospitals?
A. Sympathetic. B. Approving. C. Optimistic. D. Critical.

Ⅱ阅读(共两节，满分50分)
第一节：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
TODAY, Friday, November 12
JAZZ with the Mike Thomas Jazz Band at The Derby Arms. Upper Richmond Road West, Sheen.
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco. Free at The Lord Napier, Mort lake High St., from 8a. m. to 8p. m. Tel: 682—1158.
SATURDAY, November 13
JAZZ Lysis at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 60p.
MUSICAL HALL at The Star and Garter, Lower Richmond Road, Putney, provided by the Aba Daba Music Hall company. Good food and entertainment fair price. Tel: 789—6749.
FAMILY night out? Join the sing-along at The Black Horse. Sheen Road, Richmond.
JAZZ The John Bennett Big Band at The Bull’s Head, Barnes. Admission 80p.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion(手风琴). Tel: 789—4536
SUNDAY, November 14
DISCO Satin Sounds Disco, free at The Lord Napier, Mort Lake High Street, from 8 a. m. to 8 p. m.
FOLK MUSIC at The Derby Arms. The Short Stuff and residents the Norman Chop Trio. Non-remembers 70p. Tel: 688—4626.
HEAVY MUSIC with Tony Simon at The Bull, Upper Richmond Road West, East Sheen.
THE DERBY ARMS, Upper Richmond Road West, give you Joe on the electric accordion.
1. Where and when can you hear the Norman Chop Trio?
A. At the Bull’s Head on Sunday.
B. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.
C. At the Bull on Saturday.
D. At the Black Horse on Saturday.
2. Where and when can you hear the Mike Thomas Jazz Band?
A. At the Derby Arms on Friday.
B. At the Black Horse on Friday.
C. At the Star and Garter on Saturday.
D. At the Derby Arms on Sunday.
3. You want to enjoy the electric accordion on Saturday. Which telephone number do you have to ring to find out what time it starts?
A. 789—6749. B. 789—4536. C. 682—1158. D. 688—4626.
4. You want to spend the Saturday by joining the entertainment with your family. Where should you go?
A. Disco at The Lord Napier.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse.
C. The electric accordion at The Derby Arms.
D. Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
5. You want to spend the same day at two different places and don’t want to cross any street. Which of the following is your best choice?
A. The sing-along at the Black Horse and Jazz at The Bull’s Head.
B. The sing-along at The Black Horse and Folk Music at The Derby Arms.
C. Folk Music at The Derby Arms and Heavy Music with Tony Simon at The Bull.
D. Musical Hal lat The Star ＆Garter and Disco at The Lord Napier.

If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech "Information Age" demands people who are flexible and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example , a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature (特点) of the kind of high speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as "very important" by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don' t regret their choice of study.
1．By saying that "you may have had the last laugh" in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have _______
A．shared the jokes with computer majors
B．earned as much as computer majors
C．found jobs more easily than computer majors
D．stopped joking about computer majors
2．Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates ____.
A．are ready to change when situations change
B．Bare better able to deal with difficulties
C．are equally good at computer skills
D．are likely to give others pressure
3．The underlined word "land" in the last paragraph probably means _______
A．keep for some time B．successfully get C．immediately start D．lose regretfully
4．According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?
A．Willingness to take low-paid jobs.
B．Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge.
C．Skills in expressing themselves.
D．Part-time work experience

第二卷（满分50分）
Ⅰ：阅读理解：（共8小题，每题1分，总分8分）
（A）
Chocolate might lower your chances of having a heart problem. According to a new study, a new study, a small amount of chocolate every day could decrease the risk of having a heart attack, by nearly 40 percent, German researchers followed nearly 20,000 people over eight years, sending them several questionnaires about their diet and exercise habits. They found people who had an an average of six grams of chocolate a day—or about one square of a chocolate bar—had a 39 percent lower risk of a heart attack.
Previous studies have suggested dark chocolate in small amounts could be good for you, but this is the first study to track its effects over such a long period. Experts think the flavonols（黄酮醇）contained in chocolate are responsible. Flavonols, also found in vegetables and red wine, help the muscles in blood vessels（血管）widen, which leads to a drop in blood pressure. “It’s a bit too early to come up with recommendations that people should eat more chocolate, but if people replace sugar or high-fat snacks with a little piece of dark chocolate, that might help,” said Brian Buijsse, a doctor at the German Institute of Human Nutrition in Nuthetal, Germany, the study’s lead author.
The people tracked by Buijsse and colleagues had no history of heart problems, had similar habits for risk factors like smoking and exercise, and did not vary widely in their Body Mass Index（身体质量指数）.
Since the study only observed people and did not give them chocolate directly to test what its effects were, experts said more research was needed to determine the candy’s exact impact on the body. Doctors also warned that eating large amounts of chocolate could lead to weight gain. “This is not a prescription（指示）to eat more chocolate,” said Robert Eckel, a professor of medicine at the University of Colorado who is not linked to the study. “If we all had (a small amount of)chocolate every day for the rest of our lives, we would all gain a few pounds.” Eckel said it was amazing to find such a small amount of chocolate could have such a protective effect, but that more studies were needed to confirm its conclusions.
1．What is the main purpose of the article?
A．To suggest people eat as much dark chocolate as possible.
B．To warn people not to eat too much chocolate.
C．To tell people how to avoid a heart attack.
D．To report on a study about the benefits of chocolate.
2．Both Buijsse and Eckel believe that .
A．dark chocolate in enough amounts could be good for our health
B．eating large amounts of chocolate could lead to weight gain
C．we can cure our heart problems with dark chocolate
D．we’d better not advise people to eat more chocolate at present
3．Which of the following statements about the study is FALSE?
A．It’s the first time that the effects of dark chocolate has been examined.
B．The researchers followed nearly 20,000 people for over eight years.
C．The researchers didn’t give any diet instructions to the people followed by the study.
D．The study found that eating about six grams of chocolate a day was beneficial.
4．We can infer from the text that .
A．eating a small amount of dark chocolate will lower your blood pressure
B．scientists are now certain of the effects of dark chocolate
C．eating a little chocolate over a long period will not lead to weight gain
D．Flavonols can only be found in dark chocolate and red wine

Usually, when your teacher asks a question, there is only one correct answer. But there is one question that has millions of current answers. That question is “What’s your name?” Everyone gives a different answer, but everyone is correct.
Have you ever wondered about people’s names? Where do they come from? What do they mean? People’s first names, or given names, are chosen by their parents. Sometimes the name of a grandparent or other member of the family is used. Some parents choose the name of a well-known person. A boy could be named George Washington Smith; a girl could be named Helen Keller Jones.
Some people give their children names that mean good things. Clara means “bright”; Beatrice means “one who gives happiness”; Donald means “world ruler”; Leonard means “as brave as a lion”.
The earliest last names, or surnames, were taken from place names. A family with the name Brook or Brooks probably lived near brook(小溪)；someone who was called Longstreet probably lived on a long, paved road. The Greenwood family lived in or near a leafy forest.
Other early surnames came from people’s occupations. The most common occupational name is Smith, which means a person who makes things with iron or other metals. In the past, smiths were very important workers in every town and village. Some other occupational names are: Carter — a person who owned or drove a cart; Potter —a person who made pots and pans.
The ancestors of the Baker family probably baked bread for their neighbors in their native village. The Carpenter’s great-great-great-grandfather probably built houses and furniture.
Sometimes people were known for the color of their hair or skin, or their size, or their special abilities. When there were two men who were named John in the same village, the John with the gray hair probably became John Gray. Or the John was very tall could call himself John Tallman. John Fish was probably an excellent swimmer and John Lightfoot was probably a fast runner or a good dancer.
Some family names were made by adding something to the father’s name. English-speaking people added –s or –son. The Johnsons are descendants of John; the Roberts family’s ancestor was Robert. Irish and Scottish people added Mac or Mc or O. Perhaps all of the MacDonnells and the McDonnells and the O’Donnells are descendants of the same Donnell.
1．Which of the following aspects do the surnames in the passage NOT cover?
A．Places where people lived. B．People’s characters.
C．Talents that people possessed. D．People’s occupations.
2．According to the passage, the ancestors of the Potter family most probably _______.
A．owned or drove a cart B．made things with metals
C．made kitchen tools or contains D．built houses and furniture
3．Suppose and English couple whose ancestors lived near a leafy forest wanted their new-born son to become a world leader, the baby might be named _______.
A．Beatrice Smith B．Leonard Carter
C．George Longstreet D．Donald Greenwood
4．The underlined word “descendants” in the last paragraph means a person’s _____
A．later generations B．friends and relatives
C．colleagues and partners D．later sponsors