DIknowwhatyou’rethinking:pizza-优题课

Most American students said goodbye to expensive fruits these days. In school canteens across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges heave replaced them. “People are afraid to spend now” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They basically don’t know what the future will bring and keep waiting till after the Presidential Election.”
The current financial crisis(金融危机)， during which several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close, has made lots of Americans unwilling to buy expensive goods.
Samira Martino, a restaurant owner in Miami, found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and more people are sharing meals. In more than two dozen interviews with the Associated Press across the country last month, American talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts about simply making ends meet.
The crisis began last year. Experts blame it on U.S. banks lending money too easily. A lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders, the whole world’s financial markets were involved.
This month the U.S. government agreed on a $ 700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But a turn-around(转机) is not sure. President George W. Bush has warned it will take some time for the full effects of the plan to take hold in an economy that has had a world of trouble.
Last week top finance officials from 20 major economies promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. They believe the current crisis is the worst since the Great Depression in 1929. And they all think international cooperation is the key to solve it.
56. From the first paragraph, we can infer that______
A. apples and oranges become more expensive
B. people are worrying about the Election
C. people are expecting a turn-around after the Election
D. expensive fruits are in short supply in American markets
57. Samira Martino’s restaurant is mentioned in the passage in order to ______
A. show that people cut down their expenses.
B. attract more people to come to his restaurant
C. show how hard he is trying to run his business
D. encourage people to start businesses like him
58. What is the cause of the current financial crisis of America?
A. The Presidential Election
B. U.S. banks lending money too easily.
C. The decreasing economy.
D. America’s rapid development.
59. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Many students can not eat expensive fruits in school canteens.
B. Americans are very worried about their lives.
C. The international cooperation is most needed.
D. The current financial crisis is the worst in American history.
60. This passage mainly talks about______
A. the terrible life of Americans
B. the situation of the financial crisis
C. the way to go through the crisis
D. the world financial market

Last week, while visiting my dad with my daughter, we went to a restaurant for dinner. When we were seated, my dad asked the waitress if there were any soldiers eating at the restaurant. Then waitress said there was a soldier having dinner with his friend. My dad told the waitress to tell the soldier and his friend that their dinner was paid for! He also said that he did not want to be known as the benefactor(施主).
Then waitress later commented on my dad’s thoughtful behavior saying that she had never seen anything like this before. At a local college, she had studied opera and so she used this to thank my dad by performing a piece from The Pearl Fisherman. Her voice brought me to tears because it sounded perfect!
After a while, the soldier appeared at our table (I don’t know how he knew my dad paid the bill for him.) and said that he would be sent to the front the next morning and that he could not leave this country without saying “thanks” to my dad. My dad replied that it was he who wanted to say “thanks”. They shook hands as the soldier left.
Before we left, the waitress came by again. She did a magic show as another way to show her “thanks” to my dad. Her show was really great. My dad left her a note with email address asking for her next performance time in addition to a $ 50 tip.
Everyone witnessed something exemplary in the human spirit that night. I can only hope to see more of this in the future.
46. My dad offered help to the soldier and his friend in the restaurant probably because________.
A. he wanted to thank them for all they had done
B. he wanted to know more about then
C. he wanted the waitress to thank him
D. he wanted the soldiers to know his kindness
47. The waitress performed The Pearl Fisherman in the restaurant because____.
A. she was asked to perform to the guests
B. she wanted to show off her wonderful skills
C. she wanted to show her respect and thanks to the author’s dad
D. she wanted to attract more and more guests
48. What did the soldier do in response to the author’s father’s kindness?
A. He gave something to author’s dad.
B. He gave a big tip to the waitress.
C. He said thanks to the author’s dad in person.
D. He did a magic show for the author and her father.
49. The author considered her father’s action to be ____.
A. funny B. understandable C. worthless D. honorable
50. The passage mainly tells us that we should ____.
A. learn to be grateful to others B. find ways to thank others
C. try to learn from each other D. respect soldiers and waitresses

第三部分阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
In 2008, the main candidates（候选人）for President each used this expression: “You can put lipstick（口红）on a pig, but it is still a pig.” This means that it is a waste of time to change something from ugly or unpleasant–looking to beautiful.
There are other expressions about improving a pig’s appearance, like this one: “A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog.” Hogs are similar to pigs, only bigger. Americans use many other expressions about pigs, hogs and female hogs called sows, like this one, “You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” This means you cannot create something valuable from something that has no value. Then there is the expression “Cast pearls before swine（猪）.” That means wasting something valuable on someone who will not be thankful or care about it.
Hogs, which are very large animals, take up a lot of space but people should not take up more than their share. If one of your children is taking up too much space sitting in front of the television, other children might say: “Do not hog the couch.” And a road hog is a driver who uses more than his share of the road. Such a driver increases dangers for other drivers.
Pig terms are also used in American politics. Farmers mark their pig’s ears to identify them. In politics, earmarks are money set aside for projects in a congressman’s home state.
In many areas, pigs provide ham, bacon and other pork products to eat. All Americans want to be able to bring home the bacon because they want to earn enough money to provide the necessities of life. Experts say this term was first used in the 1920s. But it is believed to come from the much older game of catching a greased（涂了油的）pig. This was a popular event at country fairs in which the winner was awarded the pig.
41. The author writes this passage mainly to _________.
A. express his support for the Presidential Election
B. introduce some expressions used in Americans’ daily life
C. criticize the bad influence caused by expressions about pigs
D. discuss some problems caused by expressions about pigs
42. If you give a good book to a person who can’t read, which of the following is the most suitable to describe it?
A. Cast pearls before swine.
B. You can put lipstick on a pig, but it is still a pig.
C. A hog in a silk waistcoat is still a hog.
D. You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
43. A driver who takes up too much space on the road is often referred to as _________.
A. a greased pig B. a couch hog
C. a road hog D. a road earmark
44. How many words which refer to the same animal are mentioned in this passage?
A. Three B. Four C. Five D. Six
45. Which of the following expressions are similar to “You cannot make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”?
A. When pigs fly! B. To eat like a pig
C. To sell a pig in a pork. D. To sweat like a pig.

After blogging regularly for two months, people felt they had better social support and friendship networks than those who don’t blog. Blogging can help you feel less isolated, more connected to a community and more satisfied with your friendships, both online and face-to-face, new Australian research has found.
Researchers James Baker and Professor Susan Moore from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne have written two papers investigating the psychological benefits of blogging, regularly updating personal web pages with information that invites others to comment.
The first, published in the latest issue of the journal Cyber Psychology & Behavior, compares the mental health of people intending to blog with that of people not planning to blog. Moore says the researchers messaged 600 My Space users personally and directed them to an online survey. A total of 134 completed the questionnaire; 84 intended to blog and 50 didn’t.
“We found potential bloggers were less satisfied with their friendships and they felt less socially integrated, and they didn’t feel as much part of a community as the people who weren’t interested in blogging…” Moore says. “It was as if they were saying ‘I’m going to do this blogging and it’s going to help me.’”
And it seemed to do the trick, as the researchers’ second study shows. This study, which is yet to be published, was conducted two months later. The researchers sent out questionnaires to the same group of My Space users; this time 59 responded. Bloggers reported a greater sense of belonging to a group of like-minded people and feeling more confident for they could rely on others for help. All respondents, whether or not they blogged, reported feeling less anxious, depressed and stressed after two months of online social networking.
“So going onto My Space had lifted the mood of all participants in some way,” Moore says. “Maybe they’d just made more social connections.” Moore acknowledges this early research and hopes to follow a larger group of people for a longer period time to test some of the research findings.
46. What does the passage mainly tell us?
A. The mental health of bloggers B. Blogging improves one’s social life.
C. What kind of people are likely to blog D. Blogging has become more popular.
47. It can be inferred from the fourth paragraph that ______.
A. those who were not interested in blogging didn’t have good mental health.
B. people were likely to become bloggers if they felt socially isolated
C. potential bloggers were those who had mental health problems
D. potential bloggers usually held a wrong view about blogging
48. The purpose of the second study is to find out ______.
A. what people do on My Space
B. how many people became bloggers
C. how people felt after blogging for two months
D. how many people kept blogging after two months
49. The second study shows that ______.
A. online social networking can do people good
B. only bloggers benefit from online social networking
C. not many potential bloggers became real bloggers
D. not all bloggers found the help they needed
50. The main purpose of people going on My Space is probably to ______.
A. exchange goods B. entertain themselves
C. seek help D. exchange views

My secret for staying young is simple. Put all attention to the part of you---your brain and keep it young and growing. Keep your mind awake and you’ll stay young all over. These are exciting time. Take an interest in the world around you, and stick to(坚持) learning at least one new thing every day.
No matter how old you are, it’s not too late to make your life more interesting. I know a housewife with no knowledge before who made herself into a famous industrial engineer(工业工程师).I know a retired(退休) electrical engineer who has became a highly-paid ceramin (陶器的) artist.
Get over the idea that you are ever too old to go back to school. I know a man who entered a medical college at 70.He got his degree with honor and became a doctor. Another man went to law school at 71 and now is an active lawyer(律师).Staying young is easy for those, old or young, who live in the future. You can do it if you care enough to try. Keep you mind awake and active: that’s the only elixir(万验灵丹)
41.The statement that brain to people of all ages, remains young and growing is_____.
A.impossible B.a scientific fact(科学事实)
Ｃ.supposed(或许) to be true D.a wrong conclusion( 错误结论)
42.It is wrong to______.
think oneself too old to go back to school B.keep one’s mind awake
try to stay young D.get one’s degree with honors
43.The passage tells that the man who entered college at 70 became_____.
A.an active lawyer B.an electrical engineer
C.a famous doctor D.a highly-paid ceramic artist
44.The only youth elixir is______.
to go back to school B.not to think about one’s age
to live in the future D.to keep one’s mind awake and active
45.According to the writer,you should_____learning at least one new thing every day.
A.take care of B.start C.begin D.keep on