The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”．But this meaning does not tell us very much．Unlike the other disciplines, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it si actually unlimited．Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy．For this reason you get a Doctorate（博士学位）of Philosophy （Ph．D．） in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology．
Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy．Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking．It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasonign．The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy．
Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement．It is necessary for understanding other disciplines．Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines．And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field．
There are a number of general uses of philosophy．It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data．These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management and leadership later on．It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job．The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement．No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict．
31．According to paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of ．
A．social sciences B．natural sciences
C．both social and natural sciences D．the subject matter of politics
32．What does “discipline” mean in the first paragraph?
A．subject B．science C．literature D．occupation
33．With the study of philosophy, you can ．
A．become a great leader
B．succeed in everything
C．find a good job soon after graduation
D．make progress in your career development
34．According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Philosophy is an independent discipline．
B．Logic helps you to become a better thinker．
C．The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits．
D．The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define．
35．From the passage, we can conclude ．
A．not all the subjects have to do with philosophy
B．a person will get a Ph． D．if he/she studies philosophy
C．philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects
D．philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing. Three years ago, few people would go swimming in the icy waters, But now there is a Winter-swimming Enthusiast’s club(冬泳爱好者协会)and it has more than 2,000 members. The oldest is 84years old and the youngest in only 7. The members are from all walks of life. They may be workers, peasants, soldiers, teachers, students...
Though it is now the coldest part of the season and the water temperature in the city’s lakes is around 0℃, many winter swimmers still swim in the icy waters, even when it is snowing. They enjoy themselves in the lake, while the people by the side of the lake are wearing heavy clothes.
Why are so many people interested in winter-swimming? Because winter-swimming can be good for one’s health.
Bei Sha is a good example. He is 69,and he once suffered from heart trouble for 26 years. After ten years of winter-swimming he is now in good health. Scientists are now studying the effects of winter-swimming on health.Among the winter-swimmers the oldest man is _______ years older than then youngest one.
| A．91 | B．84 | C．77 | D．7 |
Guess what “The members are from all walks of life” means?
| A．The members do different jobs at different places. |
| B．They come from all parts of Beijing. |
| C．They are persons of different ages. |
| D．They are men and women, old and young. |
The winter-swimmers are able to swim in the icy waters, even on snowy days because______.
| A．They are not afraid of coldness. |
| B．They often swim in the icy waters. |
| C．They know that they can benefit from it. |
| D．winter-swimmers can make people healthy. |
Winter-swimming has become popular in Beijing because_____________.
| A．more and more people like to swim Beijing |
| B．it is more interesting than swimming in summer |
| C．winter-swimmers are brave men |
| D．winter-swimmers does a lot of good to one’s health |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．People in Beijing Like swimming in Winter |
| B．Winter-swimming—A Craze in Beijing |
| C．People Benefit from Winter-swimming |
| D．winter-swimmers Are Brave Men |
You speak, write a letter, make a telephone. Your words carry a message. People communicate with words. Do you think you can communicate without words? A smile on your face shows you are happy or friendly. Tears in your eyes tell others that you are sad.
When you put up your hands in class, the teacher 
knows you want to say something or ask questions. You shake your head, and people know you are saying "No". You nod and people know you are saying "Yes". Other things can also carry messages. For example, a sign at the bus helps you to know which bus to take. A sign on the door helps you where to go in or out. Have you ever thought that there are a lot of signs around you and that you receive messages from them all the time? People can communicate in many other ways. An artist can use his drawing to tell beautiful mountains, about the blue sea and many other things. Books are written to tell about all the wonderful things in the world and also about people and their ideas. Books, magazines, TV, radio and films all help us communicate with others. They can help us to know what is going on in the world and what other people are thinking about.People communicate ________.
| A．with words only | B．in many different ways |
| C．in letters and drawings | D．with smiles, tears and hands |
Signs can carry as many _________ as words.
| A．questions | B．examples | C．tears and smiles | D．messages |
Which of the following is not talked in the passage as which can help us communicate?
| A．books and magazines | B．TV and films | C．newspapers | D．radio |
Communication is important because it can help people to ______.
| A．understand the world and other people better around us. |
| B．teach each other to speak, write, read and draw. |
| C．know what other people are thinking about |
| D．learn about mountains,blue sea and other things. |
The best title（题目）for this short passage is _________.
| A．Signs Carry Messages | B．The important Communication |
| C．Words, Signs and Drawing | D．Ways of Communication. |
The word “day” has two meanings. When we talk about the number of days in a year, we are using “day” to mean 24 hours. But when we talk about day and night, we are using “day” to mean the time between sunrise and sunset. Since the earth looks like a ball, the sun can shine on only half of it at a time. Always one half of the earth is having day and the other half night. A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by the spinning(旋转) of the earth. At the equator(赤道) day and night are sometimes the same length. They are each twelve hours long. The sun rises at 6 in the morning and sets at 6 in the evening. For six months the North Pole is tilted(倾斜) toward the sun. In those months the Northern Hemisphere(半球) gets more hours of sunlight than the Southern Hemisphere. Days are longer than nights. South of the equator nights are longer than days. For the other six months the North Pole is tilted away from the sun. Then the Southern Hemisphere gets more sunlight. Days are longer than night. North of the equator nights are longer than days. Winter is the season of long nights. Summer is the season of long days.When the Western Hemisphere is having day, the Eastern Hemisphere is having ______.
| A．both day and night | B．day | C．neither day nor night | D．night |
A place is moved from day into night and from night into day over and over by ______ of the earth.
| A．the pushing | B．the pulling | C．the spinning | D．the passing |
At the equator day is as long as night ______.
| A．sometimes | B．never | C．usually | D．always |
When the North Pole is tilted toward the sun, the Northern Hemisphere gets _____ sunlight.
| A．less | B．more | C．all | D．no |
When it is winter in China, ______.
| A．the USA is tilted toward the sun |
| B．the South Pole is tilted away from the sun |
| C．the North Pole is tilted toward the sun |
| D．the North Pole is tilted away from the sun |
Are you looking for something fun and would you like to help others in your spare time? Then join us to be a volunteer! We’re a non-profit (赢利的) organization. We have volunteer jobs of all ages. Anyone, from twelve-year-old children to people in their seventies can become a volunteer.
You can help people in many ways. Schools need help with taking care of children while parents are working. Hospitals need volunteers to look after children while their parents are seeing a doctor. Animal lovers can help take care of those dogs and cats without homes. There is something for everyone.
“As a volunteer, I don’t want to get anything. Seeing the children’s happy faces, I’m happy, too.” Said Carlos Domingo, an old woman of 62. “I often played computer games in my spare time before. Now I help older people learn how to use computers.” said another volunteer at the age of 18.
If everyone helps out a bit, we’ll have a better world to live in. Interested? Call us 1-800-555-5756 or visit our website: www.activol.com.When do the volunteers help others?
| A．In their spare time. | B．At weekends | C．On weekdays. | D．In the evenings. |
_____ can be a volunteer.
| A．Children | B．Old women | C．Anyone aged 12-70 | D．Young people |
Volunteers want to get _______ when they help others.
| A．money | B．computers | C．everything | D．nothing |
Carlos Domingo does volunteer work with ______.
| A．animals | B．children | C．computers | D．older people |
We can read such a passage ______.
| A．in a newspaper | B．in a storybook | C．in a picture book | D．in a textbook |
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red? Do you prefer grays and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings.
If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly
A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day.
A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides(自杀) than any other bridge in the area-until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or gray.
| A．On the other hand, black is depressing. |
| B．They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favorite color as grow up—we are born with our preference. |
| C．The rooms are pained in different colors as you like. |
| D．If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement. |
E.Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.
F.Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.
G. Colors do influence our moods-there is no doubt about it.