The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone.Enter the Red Hat Society -a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.
“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody.They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society.
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age.But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.
If you take into consideration feminism(女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的).In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing.
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple.With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998.When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention.
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper saiD.“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful.“We’re a ladies’ play group.It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood.
56.The underlined word “chapter” in paragraph 2 means __________.
A.one branch of an organization B.a written agreement of a club
C.one part of a collection of poems D.a period in a society’s history
57.From the text , we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who .
A.have gradually become more noticeable
B.are worried about getting old too quickly
C.are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D.tried living a different life from their parents when they were young
58.It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are .
A.interested in raising money for social work
B.programmers who can plan well for their future
C.believers in equality between men and women
D.good at cooking big meals and taking care of others
59.Who set up the Red Hat Society ?
A.Emily Cornette. B.Ellen Cooper.
C.Jenny Joseph. D.Joe Heywood.
For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life:. This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed(流域) covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.
Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought(干旱)adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases continue unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source(来源) of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI),is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions(解决办法). Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations;yet, somehow, they must find the resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.
68. What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces?
A. The development of .shipping industry.
B. Overfishing of native people.
C. Water shortage and water quality.
D. Increasing population and tourism.
69. The underlined word “hyacinths”(in Paragraph 3) refer to “ ”.
A. animals B. plants C. rocks D. salts
70. The program NBI is mainly aimed at .
A. preventing water pollution B. changing the river course
C. improving living condition of the poor
D. preventing land from becoming desert
71. What would be the best title of this passage?
A. People's Life in Egypt and Sudan
B. Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan
C. The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin
D. The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin
It used to be that Christmas, with a little help from Blue Peter, was about adding the personal touch. We'd sit there for hours making cards and gifts for family and friends, knowing that the thought put into them would be properly appreciated.
Nowadays, time is against us, but there is still one easy way for you to make someone's Christmas this year — a personalised card from M&S’ new website. To celebrate their new site, M&S is offering Times readers two-for-one on all cards. Simply choose one of the 300 exclusive(独家的)Christmas designs — starting from£1. 99, personalise it by changing the name and writing a message or uploading a photo. Then, add the receiver’s address and the card will be sent for you. Order by 2pm and it will be posted the same day.
In all, there are l,500 card designs to choose from, covering all kinds of special occasions. So if you want to get ahead of yourself for 2010, you know where to visit. You can even choose to be reminded of those important dates every year.
To claim your two-for-one on M&S personalized cards, simply visit marksandspencer-personalised.com. Remember to enter the code ‘TIMESFRI’ on the payment page. This code is available for two days.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS:M&S PERSONALISED CARDS
1. The product given for free must be of equal or lower value.
2. Payment of postage is required.
3. Marks & Spencer reserves the right to take back this offer without prior(预先)notice.
64. What does the underlined part “two-for-one”(in Paragraph 3)mean in the ad?
A. Two paid cards and one free card.
B. One paid card and two free cards.
C. Your name and a message on one card.
D. Your photo and the receiver’s on one card.
65. From the ad we can know that M&S is most probably .
A. a website selling Christmas cards only
B. an agency of the newspaper Times
C. a company promoting the sales of cards
D. an advertising agency of card producers
66. To order the product for your friends now, you should .
A. enter a code on the payment page of M&S’ website
B. always order it before two o’clock in the afternoon
C. put into the card your own date of birth and address
D. spend time making cards with the help of Blue Peter
67. According to the ad, if you order the Christmas cards, .
A. they can be delivered free of charge
B. you can enjoy the special offer all the year round
C. their value may be lower than that of a free card
D. you can get a favor of at least £1. 99
On the first day of my new high school, I almost had a nervous breakdown. Everything about the school seemed so difficult. When I got home, my parents said, “You're nervous and that's okay. Everyone is afraid of high school. ”I denied it. I wanted to be strong, so I refused to let anyone know about my fear, even my closest friends.
On the first day I was late for every class and was constantly lost. The school seemed like a puzzle that I couldn't figure out. Was this how the whole year was going to be? I didn't think I could rise to this challenge, especially carrying a huge backpack that I could hardly lift. It was so big that I could knock someone out with it!The schoolmates seemed to regard me as a fool, and they were probably right.
Despite my fears, after the first week I finally had my schedule figured out.
With the exception of falling up and down the stairs a couple of times and getting laughed at, high school was turning out to be not so bad. It was actually much better than middle school and much more challenging.
Since then, I've been elected vice president of my class, which wasn't much of a victory since only three people ran for the four positions.
It is normal to be scared about a new school. Take a deep breath and relax. High school is something that any student can overcome. Make sure you participate in some out-of-class activities because you’ll find it easier to make friends. Try to do your best, even if it isn't straight A’s.
Most important of all, be who you are , whether you're a “fool”, an athlete, or a lower grader. Don't try to pretend to be someone you're not. Now you know the true secrets of high school.
60. The main reason for the authors fear on his first day is that .
A. he was unable to work out the puzzle
B. his schoolmates were unfriendly to him
C. he was not familiar with the new surroundings
D. his schoolbag was too heavy for him to carry
61. From the author's first day experience we can infer that .
A. his home was far from the school
B. he got to school after classes began
C. he didn’t get any school schedule
D. he didn't know the right way to class
62. After his first week at school, the author .
A. was still not accustomed to the schedule
B. gradually adjusted himself to the new school
C. found high school not so challenging as he had imagined
D. ran for president of his class against three other students
63. According to the passage, the secret of the author’s success lies mainly in .
A. making more friends B. getting more A’s at school
C. being who he really is D. joining in out-of-class activities
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is one of the most loved children’s books of all time, and many adults enjoys it as well. It tells the story of a young girl named Alice, who follows a rabbit entering a magical world called Wonderland. She has many experiences which seem to change the rules of reasoning or common sense. The popularity of the book comes from its imagination, interesting story, and art work.
Charles later wrote the story down under the name Alice’s Adventures Under Ground and gave it to Alice as a Christmas present. Later, he gave a copy to his friend George MacDonald. George read it to his children and they loved it. George suggested to Charles that he make a book from his story. Charles then wrote more parts to the story until it was around 35,000 words. It was first printed in 1866, with art work by John Tenniel, under the name Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland . The book was an immediate success.
even mentioned in the popular l999 film The Matrix by the character Morpheus.
56.The passage is mainly about .
A. Charles’ family life
B. a girl’s adventurous experiences
C. a magical world called Wonderland
D. the birth of a book and its lasting influences .
57. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The writer published his works under his real name.
B. The character Alice originated from George’s child.
C. John contributed partly to the popularity of the book.
D. Charles offered a copy to George for advice.
58. We can learn from the passage that .
A. Queen Victoria asked for a few of Charles' writings
B. Charles had a gift for reasoning and writing
C. Charles had all his works translated into fifty languages
D. The Matrix was based on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
59. Which of the following is the right order of the passage?
a. Charles gave his story to Alice as a Christmas present.
b. Charles had a picnic with three little girls on the Thames.
c. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first printed in 1866.
d. More parts were added to the story by Charles.
e. The book won a large number of fans.
A. c-b-a-d-e B. c-a-b-e-d C. b-a-d-c-e D. b-a-c-e-d
In this voyage I visited my new colony on the island, saw the Spaniards(西班牙人), had the whole story of their lives and of the villains(罪犯) I left there; how at first they treated the poor Spaniards badly,·how they afterwards agreed, disagreed, unired, separated, and how at last the Spaniards were forced to use violence with them; how they gave in to the spaniards, how honestly the Spaniards used them ---- a history, if it were entered into, as full of variety and wonderful
accidents as my own part ---- particularly, also, as to their battles with the Caribbeans, who landed several times upon the Island, and as to the improvement they made upon the Island itself, and how five of them made an attempt upon the main land, and brought away eleven men and five women prisoners, by which, at my coming, I found about twenty young children on the Island.
Here I stayed bout 20 days, left them supplies of all necessary things, and particularly of arms, powder, shot, cloths, tools, and two workmen, which I brought from England with me, namely a carpenter and a smith.
Besides this, I shared the Island into parts with them, reserved to myself the property of whole but gave them such parts resoeetively as they agreed on; and having settled all things with them and encouraged them not to leave the place, I left them there.
From then on I landed the Brazils, from where I sent a bark, which I bought there, with more people to the island; and in it, besides other supplies, I sent seven women, being such persons as I found proper for service, or for wives to such as would take them. As to the Englishmen, I promised them to send them some women from England, with a good cargo(船货) of necessaries, if they would apply themselves to planting ---- which I afterwards could not perform. And the fellows proved very honest and diligent after they were mastered and had their properties set apart for them. I sent them also from the Brazils five cows, three of them being big with calf, some sheep, and some pigs, which when I came again were considerably increased.
But all these things, with an account how 300 Caribbeans came and invaded(入侵) them, and ruined their plantations, and how they fought with that whole number twice, and were at first defeated, and one of them killed; but at last a storm destroying most of their enemies’ boats, they destroyed almost all the rest, and renewed and recovered the possession of their plantation, and still lived upon the Island.
All these things, with some very surprising incidents in some new adventures of my own, for ten years more, I may perhaps give a further account of the story.
66. From Paragraph l, we know _______ .
A. the Spaniards were always getting along well with the villains
B. the Spaniards were always the rulers of the island
C. the Spaniards and the villains both ruled the island peacefully
D. the Spaniards and the villains once had battles witll each other
67. In Paragraph 2, the place where I stayed was probably ________.
A. a wild island B. a deserted downtown
C. a primitive supermarket D. a new city
68. The underlined word “respectively” in the third paragraph probably means ______ .
A. separately B. particularly C. specially D. surprisingly
69. The writer of the story once went to _______.
A. Japan and Brazil B. England and Brazil
C. France and Spain D. Korea and Caribbean
70. From the story, we can judge the Writer might be _______ .
A. an invader B. a carpenter C. an adventurer D. a prisoner