Romantic love is a culture trait found primarily in industrialized societies. Elsewhere in the world, pragmatic(重实效的) considerations rather than flights of fancy are often used to make a choice of partner, and romantic love is seen as an unfortunate inconvenience that gets in the way of the ordinary, rational process of mate selection. Traces of this attitude persist in the American upper classes, where daughters are expected to marry “well”-----that is, to a male who is eligible by reason of family background and earning potential. Most Americans, however, see romantic love as essential for a successful marriage, and tend to look askance（轻蔑地）at anyone who marries for a more practical reason in which love plays no part.
The phenomenon of romantic love occurs when two young people meet and find one another personally and physically attractive. They become mutually absorbed, start to behave in what appears to be a flighty（充满幻想的）, even irrational manner, decide that they are right for one another, and may then enter a marriage whose success is expected to be guaranteed by their enduring love. Behavior of this kind is portrayed and warmly endorsed（赞同）throughout American popular culture, by books, magazines, comics, records, popular songs, movies, and TV.
Romantic love is a noble ideal, and it can certainly provide a basis for the spouses to “live happily ever after.” But a marriage can equally well be founded on much more practical considerations”----as indeed they have been in most societies throughout most of history. Why is romantic love of such importance in the modern world? The reason seems to be that it has some basic functions in maintaining the institution of the nuclear family（小家庭）.
1. Romantic love is less frequently found in many non-industrial societies because people in these societies_______.
A . firmly believe that only money can make the world go round
B. fail to bring the imaginative power of the mind into full play
C. fondly think that flights of fancy prevent them from making a correct choice of partner
D. have far more practical considerations to determine who will marry whom
2. The word eligible (in Line5, Para. l), could best be replaced by ____.
A . qualified B. available C. chosen D. influential
3. According to the passage, most Americans _____.
A. expect their daughters to fall in love with a male at first sight
B. regard romantic love as the basis for a successful marriage
C. look up to those who marry for the sake of wealth
D. consider romantic love to be the most desirable thing in the world
4. What can we learn from the second paragraph about romantic love?
A. It is a common occurrence among the old.
B. It is primarily depicted by books.
C. It is characterized by mutual attraction and absorption.
D. It is rejected as unreasonable.
5. The author seems to believe that ___________
A. romantic love makes people unable to think clearly in the process of mate selection
B. only romantic love can make a marriage happy ever after
C. much more practical considerations can also be the basis for a successful marriage
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school. There, a few kids picked on(欺负)me, calling me names. Then I knew. After that, I began to hate the first day of school each year. I didn’t know who was new and would stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs. Some of the kids would point and say, “Look at that kid. Look at her.”
As time went on, I just tried to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life. I was determined to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage. My friends became increasingly protective. They’d help me up the bus steps. If people were cruel, they would take them aside and correct them.
What I lacked in height, I made up for in personality----my ability to laugh, even at myself. For example, one time I was reaching into the washing machine at my parents’ house to grab the wet clothes. I fell all the way in and yell for Mother, who was sitting nearby reading the paper. Watching feet flying everywhere, she laughed quietly and said, “I should leave you in there.” I laughed with her.
I’m 47 now, and the stares have not decreased as I’ve grown older. People ask my friends if I live in a dollhouse. They look in disbelief when they see me get out of my car on the driver’s side. During those times, I try to keep a good attitude. When people are rude, I remind myself, “Look what else I have----a great family, nice friends…”What is the main idea of the second and third paragraphs?
| A．How the writer changed her disadvantage to advantage. |
| B．The writer’s friends and mother loved her deeply. |
| C．The writer had many friends helping her. |
| D．The writer had the ability to laugh. |
By saying “the stares have not decreased” in the last paragraph, the author suggests that____.
| A．she is able to live a happy life like a normal person |
| B．she isn’t afraid of being noticed by others any more |
| C．some people still don’t treat her as a normal person |
| D．more and more people treat her with respect now |
How is the author feeling now about her situation?
| A．Quite optimistic. |
| B．Very satisfied. |
| C．Deeply upset. |
| D．Rather anxious. |
We can infer that the author believes that_________.
| A．society should help the disabled as much as possible |
| B．only your parents and friends can help you |
| C．what people say about you is none of your business |
| D．all people should be treated with respect |
World Wrestling Entertainment is the largest professional wrestling organization in North America. It was called World Wrestling Federation until it changed its name because of a legal dispute.Its more than one hundred wrestlers fight each other in competitive matches that are written and practiced before they are performed.
Professional wrestlers are athletes but act as entertainers.They are not seeking athletic records, but instead want to excite an audience.To do this, they use unusual names and wear special clothing during wrestling matches.These wrestlers include the Stone Cold Stunner and the Undertaker.
Most professional wrestling matches are between two men or two women.They fight inside an area called a ring that is separated from the audience by ropes.Each match continues until one wrestler forces the other's shoulders to the floor and holds them there for a count of three.Most World Wrestling Entertainment matches continue for only about four to seven minutes.
An organization official called a promoter decides before the match who will win. But who wins and who loses is not the important thing in professional wrestling.The important thing is that the audience enjoys the pretend fight.Some wrestlers rarely win, but continue to be popular.
Not all wrestling matches are between two people.Some are called tag team matches and involve teams of two, three or four wrestlers.Another kind of match is called a battle royal.It involves thirty to sixty wrestlers competing against each other.A wrestler loses when he or she is thrown out of the ring.The winner is the last wrestler still standing.Why did World Wrestling Federation change its name?
| A．Because audience didn’t like it. |
| B．Because maybe there was another name similar to it. |
| C．Because they wanted their name more unusual. |
| D．Because the name was out of date. |
Professional wrestlers’ main aim is to _______.
| A．excite the audience | B．make a record |
| C．win a prize | D．win the match |
As a whole, the third paragraph is _______.
| A．entertaining | B．descriptive | C．instructive | D．persuasive |
Which of the following statements is right according to the passage?
| A．All professional wrestling matches are between two men or two women. |
| B．The wrestler who loses the match will lose popularity. |
| C．Wrestlers usually wear special clothing to look funny. |
| D．A wrestler who is thrown out of the ring will lose the match in all wrestling matches. |
During the last century we have moved from the Industrial Age through the Information Age to the Knowledge Age. The ability to obtain and apply the right knowledge effectively will become a key skill in the next century. Our ability will no longer be judged only by knowledge gained in the past, but will also be measured by our ability to learn and adapt in the future.
Learning isn’t just about economic success, however. It is the key to achieving our full potential(潜能,潜力). Human beings are particularly adapted to learn and we have the ability to do so throughout our lives.
Learning has the power to change us. Specifically, we can become more successful. Learning can enable us to solve problems and change our attitudes. It makes us more interesting to be with. It can be enormous fun. It can also be very challenging.
We all have the ability, at any age, to change our lives through learning. Our survival in the twenty-first century as individuals, organizations and nations, will depend on our ability to learn. A learning population is healthier, more tolerant(容忍的,宽容的), independent and fulfilled. Learning can take place in a range of styles: anytime, anywhere, anyhow.
None of us learn in isolation(隔绝,孤立). There are a whole range of factors that can affect us in learning. The key factors affecting people’s learning include: ●their resources ●their image of learning ●the rewards associated with any learning activity ●the availability of information about learning opportunities ●the climate created by government and employers in which learning takes place What is the most important skill in the next century according to the passage?
| A．Knowledge we obtained in the past. |
| B．Computer skill. |
| C．The ability to obtain and apply knowledge. |
| D．Foreign language. |
What is the most important purpose of learning?
| A．To succeed economically. |
| B．To achieve in life. |
| C．To solve problems. |
| D．To achieve our full potential. |
In many ways learning has the power to transform us, so which of the following does NOT belong to the ways?
| A．We can have a longer life. |
| B．We can become more successful through learning. |
| C．We can be more open-minded. |
| D．We can be more agreeable. |
Which of the following proverbs can best go with the fourth paragraph?
| A．Learning makes a good man better and an ill man worse. |
| B．It’s never too late to learn. |
| C．Reading makes a full man. |
| D．Knowledge is power. |
Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you are awake because you can control your behavior, but when you are asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their positions. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to displease people. So you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t quite sure of yourself.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You always stick to your own opinions or judgment, but you don’t raise your hope too much. You usually live for today not tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well—balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You’re usually careful. You believe in yourself. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get sad. You always say what you think even if it makes people rather angry. According to the passage, a person, who is not willing to change his mind and hard to deal with, probably sleeps ___.
| A．on his side | B．on his back | C．curled up | D．on his stomach |
If a person prefers to sleep curled up rather than on his back, he may be well content to ____.
| A．do things personally. | B．stay alone |
| C．keep things secret | D．trust others easily |
What the author mainly intends to tell us is that _______.
| A．one’s sleeping position has something to do with one’s character. |
| B．everyone has got both real and secret personalities. |
| C．the position in which one goes to sleep is the most important one. |
| D．when awake, one does not show one’s secret personality. |
Less TV Reduce Kids Weight
PALO AITO, California—“Switching off the television may help prevent children from getting fatter—even if they do not change their diet or increase the amount they exercise,” US researchers said last week.
A study of 192 third and fourth grades, generally aged eight and nine, found that children who cut the number of hours spent watching television gained nearly two pounds （0.91 kg） less over a one-year period than those who did not change their television diet.
“The findings are important because they show that weight loss can only be the result of a reduction in television viewing and not any other activity,” said Thomas Robinson, a pediatrician （儿科专家）at Stanford University.
“ American children spend an average of more than four hours per day watching television and videos or playing games, and rates of childhood being very fat have doubled over the past 20 years,” Robinson said.
In the study, presented this week to the Pediatric Academic Societies’ annual meeting in San Francisco, the researchers persuaded about 100 of the students to reduce their television viewing by one-quarter to one-third.
Children watching fewer hours of television showed a significantly smaller increase in waist size and had less body fat than other students who continue their normal television viewing, even though neither group ate a special diet nor took part in any extra exercise.
“One explanation for the weight loss could be the children unstuck to the television may simply have been moving around and burning off calories,” Robinson said.
“Another reason might be due to eating fewer meals in front of the television. Some studies have suggested that eating in front of the TV encourages people to eat more,” Robinson added. The author tries to tell us in the first two paragraphs that ____.
| A．children will get fatter if they eat too much. |
| B．children will get thinner if they eat less. |
| C．children will get fatter if they spend less time watching TV. |
| D．children will get fatter if they spend more time watching TV. |
According to the passage, the time American children usually spend on watching TV ____.
| A．is more than four hours a day. | B．is less than four hours a day. |
| C．doubled in the last twenty years. | D．is more than on any other activities. |
Which of the following is right ?
| A．Children usually eat fewer while watching TV. |
| B．Children usually eat more while watching TV. |
| C．Children eat the same amount of meals while watching TV. |
| D．Children usually eat nothing while watching TV. |
Why can watching TV increase kids’ weight according to the passage ?
| A．They usually eat more while watching TV. |
| B．They burn off fewer calories. |
| C．They change their diet while watching TV. |
| D．Both A and B |