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.”
1. 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.
2. The underlined word “rage” in the passage can be replaced by ___________.
A. disappointment B. sadness C. annoyance D. worry
3. 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
4. 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
A recent study, while showing a generally positive attitude toward science, also suggests a widespread worry that it may be “running out of control”. This idea is dangerous.
Science can be a force for evil as well as for good. Its applications can be channeled either way, depending on our decisions. The decisions we make, personally or collectively, will determine the outcomes of science. But here is a real danger. Science is advancing so fast is so strongly influenced by businesses that we are likely to believe whatever decisions we come to will make little difference. And, rather than fighting for the best possible policies, we may step back and do nothing.
Some people go even further. They say that despite the moral and legal objections （反对）, whatever is scientifically possible will be done ——somewhere, sometime. They believe that science will get out of control in the end. This belief is dangerous too, because it a fuels sense of hopelessness and discourages them from making efforts to build a safer world.
In our interconnected world, the lack of agreement in and of the world of science can lead to the failure to control the use of science. Without a common understanding, the challenges of “controlling” science in this century will be really tough. Take human cloning for example. Despite the general agreement among scientists on its possible huge impact （影响） on traditional moral values, some countries still go ahead with the research and development of its related techniques. The outcomes are hard to predict. u
Therefore, discussions on how science is applied should be extended far beyond scientific societies. Only through the united efforts of people with hope, can we be fully safe against the misuse of science and can science best serve mankind in the future. What can we conclude from the recent study?
| A．People think highly of science. |
| B．People hold mixed opinions about science. |
| C．Science is getting dangerously out of control. |
| D．Science is used for both good and bad purposes. |
According to the passage, what will happen if we hold that science is getting beyond control?
| A．The development of science will hopelessly slow down. |
| B．Businesses will have even greater influence on science. |
| C．The public will lose faith in bringing about a bright future. |
| D．People will work more actively to put science under control. |
The discussion should reach beyond scientific societies because __________.
| A．scientists have failed to predict the outcomes u |
| B．the ties between different areas need strengthening u |
| C．united efforts are necessary for the development of science u |
| D．people need to work together to prevent the bad use of science u |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Science and its applications bring us many dangers. |
| B．The development of science mostly lies in people’s attitudes. |
| C．Mankind can largely take control of science with their efforts. |
| D．The future of science will be influenced by the dangerous ideas. |
Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage （遗产） Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was at a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist （薄雾）, Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of sea-birds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries （美术馆） than most cities in Britain. At Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the Mersey River Festival attracts thousands of visitors, madding the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to complete, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub （酒馆）. It is a monument to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of “outstanding universal value”. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore. Visitors who see the city for the first time would be deeply impressed by __________.
| A．its charming banks |
| B．its famous museums |
| C．its wonderful palaces |
| D．its attractive buildings |
The third paragraph is developed mainly by __________.
| A．providing different examples |
| B．following the order of space |
| C．making comparisons |
| D．analyzing causes |
The author uses the Philharmonic pub to prove that _________.
| A．Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants |
| B．Liverpool is an impressive place full of attraction |
| C．a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves u |
| D．a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to complete their journey |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The universal value of the world heritage in Liverpool. |
| B．The exciting experience of the author in Liverpool. |
| C．The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
| D．The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
Ask a bachelor（单身汉） why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because ________ .
| A．he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
| B．he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
| C．he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
| D．he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
Raising children, in the author’s opinion is ________ .
| A．a moral duty |
| B．a thankless job |
| C．a rewarding task |
| D．a source of inevitable pain |
From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________ .
| A．hatred |
| B．misunderstanding |
| C．prejudice |
| D．ignorance |
To understand what true happiness is one must ________ .
| A．have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime |
| B．make every effort to liberate oneself from pain |
| C．put up with pain under all circumstances |
| D．be able to distinguish happiness from fun |
．What is the author trying to tell us?
| A．Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain． |
| B．One must know how to attain happiness. |
| C．It is important to make commitments. |
| D．It is pain that leads to happiness. |
When I was growing up, I was embarrassed (困惑) to be seen with my father. He was badly crippled (跛脚) and very short , and when we would walk together, his hand on my arm for balance, people would stare. I would be ashamed of the unwanted attention. If ever noticed or bothered, he never let on.
It was difficult to walk together-his steps slow, mine impatient-and because of that, we didn’t say much and we went along. But as we started out, he always said, “You set the pace. I will try to follow you.”
Our usual walk was to or from the subway (地铁), which was how he got to work. He went to work sick, and even in bad weather. He almost never missed a day, and would make it to the office even if others could not .It was a matter of pride for him.
When snow or ice was on the ground, it was impossible for him to walk , even with help. At such times my sister or I would pull him through the streets of Brooklyn, N. Y., on a child’s sleigh to the subway entrance .Once there, he would try to grasp handrail until he reached the lower steps that the warmer tunnel air kept ice free. In Manhattan the subway station was the basement of his office building, and he would not have to go outside again until we met him in Brooklyn on his way home.
When I think of it now, I am surprised at how much courage it must have taken for a grown man to suffer from shame and disability. And I am also surprised at how he did it -- without bitterness or complaint.
He never talked about himself as an object of pity, nor did he show any envy of the more fortunate or able. What he looked for in others was a “good heart,” and if he found one, the owner was good enough for him.
Now that I am older, I believe that is a proper standard (标准) by which to judge people, even though I still don’t know exactly what a “good heart” is. But I know the times I don’t have one myself.
He has been away many years now, but I think of him often. I wonder if he sensed my reluctance to be seen with him during our walks. If he did, I am sorry I never told him how sorry I was, how unworthy I was, how I regretted it. I think of him when I complain about my troubles, when I am envious of another’s good fortune, when I don’t have a “good heart”. How did the man treat his father when he was young?
| A．He helped his father happily. |
| B．He never helped his father. |
| C．He helped his father, but not very happily. |
| D．He only helped his father take a walk after supper. |
As a disabled man, his father____.
| A．didn’t work very hard |
| B．didn’t go to work from time to time |
| C．hated those who had good fortune |
| D．was happy and satisfied, and never lost hope |
What does the word “reluctance” mean in the article? It means ___.
| A．anger |
| B．sadness |
| C．happiness |
| D．unwillingness |
How did the father get to work usually?
| A．By subway. |
| B．By bus. |
| C．By wheelchair. |
| D．By bike. |
A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained (抱怨) that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation (职业). In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities.
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature (特点) of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes. The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______.
| A．the generation gap suddenly appeared |
| B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life |
| C．people can reduce the generation gap |
| D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap |
The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______.
| A．on all sides | B．near | C．in every direction | D．in existence |
In American society, young people often _______.
| A．depend on their parents to make a life |
| B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education |
| C．seek the best advice from their parents |
| D．have very little in common with their parents |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Parents should be strict with their children. |
| B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom. |
| C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation. |
| D．The generation gap does not exist in American society. |