(C)
YOUR mom might cook a bowl of noodles for you on your birthday. But in the US, a mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birthday.
Cupcakes are small, round cakes topped with frosting (糖霜). It has been an American tradition that moms bring cupcakes to the classroom to celebrate their child’s birthday.
But recently some doctors have called for this to be banned. They believe cupcakes contribute to child obesity.
Despite their good intentions, however, some people believe that experts are interfering (妨碍) with American culture. The cupcake is seen as American as apple pie — only prettier.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition at New York University, the cupcake is the most democratic (民主的) of desserts. As they are small enough for one person, you don’t have to share your cupcake with anyone — it’s all yours. They are also all the same size, so there can’t be any cries of “she got the bigger piece!”
Each bite can taste different depending on how much icing you have. It is a lesson in self-determination. Some people eat only a little of the frosting every time, others have it all in just one bite.
In recent years, eating a cupcake has become as trendy as having a cup of Starbucks coffee.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton jokingly promised on a talk show that if she was elected president, she would give everyone a cupcake on her birthday.
Ruth Reichl, editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, explains that the rise of the cupcake is very much about going back to American national identity in food, which is all about comfort. “People want to think about when they and their country were innocent,” she said.
51. According to the passage, it has been an American tradition that ___________.
| A. a party for children on their birthday |
| B. A mom cooks a bowl of noodles for her children on their birthday |
| C. A mom makes a cupcake for her children on their birthday and brings it to the classroom |
| D. parents go travelling with their children on their birthday |
52. Why do doctors ask people to ban cupcakes on children’s birthday?
| A. Because they themselves don’t like cupcakes. |
| B. Because they think cupcakes are not so delicious. |
| C. Because they believe cupcakes will cause cries of “She got the bigger piece”. |
| D. Because they believe cupcakes are one of the causes to make children become fat. |
53. Which of the following is Not true according to Marion Nestle?
| A. The cupcake is more democratic than any other deserts in the US. |
| B. The cupcake is too small to share with others. |
| C. The sizes of cupcakes are the same so it’s equal to everyone. |
| D. Cupcakes will lead to child obesity so they should be banned. |
54. The underlined word “trendy” in paragraph 7 probably means ________.
| A. popular |
B. gentle |
C. delicious |
D. different |
55. Why did the writer mention Hillary Clinton and Ruth Reichl?
| A. To arouse the readers’ attention. |
| B. To show that cupcakes are becoming a popular to show kindness and comfort. |
| C. To make a comparison between them. |
| D. To give readers a general idea of cupcakes. |
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted (提升) Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary worker. John couldn't understand it anymore, gave his resignation(辞呈) to the boss and complained that the boss didn't value hardworking workers, but only promoted those who flattered (奉承)him.
The boss knew John worked very hard for the years. He thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for your criticism(批评), but I have a request. I hope you'll do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you'll change your mind and take back your resignation."
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and find out anyone selling watermelon on the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg? John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to tell the boss$1.2 per kg.
Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon on the market. Bobby went, returned and said,"Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, and $ 10 for 10 kg. He has 340 melons in all, 58 of which are on the table. Every melon weights about 2kg. Bought from the South two days ago, they're fresh and red, good quality."
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
My dear friends, chances exist in the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to achieve his aim.According to the first paragraph, John thought that _____.
| A．Bobby was lazy though he was clever |
| B．it was unfair that the boss just promoted Bobby |
| C．Bobby wasn't fit to be a manager |
| D．the boss disliked hardworking workers |
The boss told John and Bobby to go to find anyone selling watermelon on the market in order to __.
| A．show watermelons were in great need on the market |
| B．test their abilities to make market research |
| C．make John find out the differences between them two |
| D．convince John of Bobby's ability to do business |
It is known from the text that John was hardworking but _____.
| A．a little stupid | B．a little rude | C．not good at learning | D．not thoughtful |
The story shows such an opinion that _____.
| A．a successful person observes and thinks more |
| B．a successful person is curious and eager to learn |
| C．the main key to success is to know what you want |
| D．one's success sometimes is not related to his hard work |
Exchanging music over the Internet is fun and easy. Better yet, it's free, which means you don't have to pay for any more expensive music CDs. Several online file-sharing services make it easy for music lovers to exchange their favorite tunes with one another.
However, this illegal sharing of music — a form of music piracy(盗版)— is doing harm to the music industry. Industry experts estimate (估计) that US$4.3 billion in worldwide sales was lost to music piracy last year. These lost profits could force record companies to stop producing the music of many popular artists. That would hurt both musicians and music fans alike.
Music producers are puzzled about how to fight music piracy. Their efforts to fight piracy using the law have had only limited success. The music industry did win a legal victory against Napster, a famous music website. The courts ordered Napster to stop giving away copyrighted music from their site. But a number of other music-sharing networks have sprung up in its place.
These new networks are made up of thousands, or even millions, of individuals. Unlike Napster, there's no one company controlling the distribution(发行)of music over each network. So it's nearly impossible to stop the illegal activities.
Now people in the music industry have decided that " if you can't beat them, join them." They've begun to offer legal alternatives to online music piracy. Major music producers have given companies like Apple Computer permission(许可) to sell their music online. Apple's iTune Music Store allows computer users to legally download any song for 99 cents.
Will these new measures save the music industry from piracy? That depends on whether music fans are willing to pay 99 cents fro a song that they can download illegally for free. Unfortunately, many people believe music should be free. The music industry, however, hopes to persuade these music fans to change their tune.This text is written to _____.
| A．discuss music piracy on the Internet |
| B．introduce the popularity of online music |
| C．persuade music fans to give up downloading music |
| D．protect copyrighted music from being downloaded illegally |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Some online file-sharing services are responsible for music piracy. |
| B．Napster, a famous music website, broke down because of its piracy. |
| C．There have been no perfect measures to put an end to piracy. |
| D．Legal sharing of music is available at Apple's iTune Music Store. |
Which of the following statements would the author agree with?
| A．The only effective way to fight music piracy is to stop it by law. |
| B．Music lovers will be persuaded to pay for online music in time. |
| C．It is certain that no one will be willing to pay for online music. |
| D．There is a long way for music industry to go in fighting piracy. |
The underlined word "illegal" in Paragraph 2 probably means _____.
| A．being protected by the law | B．popular | C．being against the law | D．surprising |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible(有责任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
| A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
What do you think “florists” do?
| A．They sell flowers. |
| B．They make and sell bread. |
| C．They offer enough room for having family parties. |
| D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. |
Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
| A．It has only two kinds of colors. |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. |
| C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May. |
What do you know from the passage?
| A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May. |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,.
| A．people usually have family parties |
| B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery |
| C．children always go to parents’ home |
| D．hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts |
The office has always been a place to get ahead. Unfortunately, It is also a place where a lot of natural resources start to fall behind. Take a look around next time you’re at work. See how many lights are left on when people leave. See how much paper is being wasted. How much electricity is being used to run computers that are left on. Look at how much water is being wasted in the rest-rooms. And how much solid waste is being thrown out in the rubbish cans. We bet it’s a lot.
Now, here are some simple ways you can produce less waste at work. When you are at the copier, only make the copies you need. Use both sides of the paper when writing something less important. Turn off your lights when you leave. Use a lower watt bulb in your lamp. Drink your coffee or tea out of your mugs instead of single-use cups. Set up a recycling box for cans and one for bottles. And when you’re in the bathroom brushing your teeth or washing your face, don’t let the tap run. Remember, if we use fewer resources today, we’ll save more for tomorrow. The main purpose of the passage is to tell people _______.
| A．the disadvantages of working in an office |
| B．the waste produced in an office |
| C．to save resources when working in an office |
| D．how to save water in a restroom |
How many kinds of waste are mentioned in the passage？
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
From the passage we can infer that in the office ________.
| A．using computers is a waste of resource |
| B．many people don’t turn off the computers after using them |
| C．computers are run by electricity |
| D．a computer is not a must for working |
It is suggested that we use both sides of the paper at the copier because _______.
| A．we are short of paper | B．the printing is not important |
| C．we should save paper | D．we have to pay for the paper |
The underlined word mugs is most likely to be _______.
| A．a machine that makes coffee |
| B．a container that can be used again and again |
| C．a paper product for tea |
| D．something that can only be found in an office |
People believe that climbing can do good to health. Where can you learn the skill of climbing then? If you think that you have to go to the mountains to learn how to climb，you’re wrong. Many Americans are learning to climb in city gyms(体育馆). Here，people are learning on special climbing walls. The climbing wall goes straight up and has small holding places for hands and feet.
How do people climb the wall? To climb，you need special shoes and a harness(保护带)around your chest to hold you. There are ropes(绳索)tied to your harness. The ropes hold you in place so that you don’t fall. A beginner’s wall is usually about 15 feet high，and you climb straight up. There are small pieces of metal that stick out for you to stand on and hold on to. Sometimes it’s easy to see the new piece of metal. Sometimes, it’s not. The most difficult part is to control your fear. It’s normal for humans to be afraid of falling, so it’s difficult not to feel fear. But when you move away from the wall，the harness and the ropes hold you，and you begin to feel safe. You move slowly until you reach the top.
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body，especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb，both your mind and your body can become stronger. What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People are fairly interested in climbing nowadays. |
| B．It is impossible to build up one’s body by climbing. |
| C．People can only learn the skill of climbing outdoors. |
| D．It is always easy to see holding places in climbing. |
The most difficult thing to do in wall climbing is .
| A．to tie ropes to your harness | B．to control your fear |
| C．to move away from the wall | D．to climb straight up |
The word “workout” underlined in the last paragraph most probably means .
| A．settlement | B．exercise | C．excitement | D．tiredness |
Why does the author write this passage?
| A．To tell people where to find gyms. |
| B．To prove the basic need for climbing. |
| C．To encourage people to climb mountains. |
| D．To introduce the sport of wall climbing. |