The easiest way for the English to deal with their social discomfort is to avoid social interaction altogether, by choosing either leisure (闲暇) activities that can be performed in the privacy of one’s own house, or outdoor activities that follow their interest without direct contact with anyone other than one’s own family members, such as going for a walk, or to the cinema, or shopping.
In recent survey, over half of all the leisure activities were of this private domestic type, and of the top ten pastimes, only two—having friends round for a meal or drink, and going to the pub—could be described as ‘sociable’. The most domestic activities are the most popular: watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, DIY （Do It Yourself） and gardening. Even when the English are being sociable, the survey findings show that most of them would much rather entertain a few close friends or relatives in the safety of their own homes than venture out among strangers.
In the latest national census survey （人口普查）, over half of the entire adult male population had been DIYing in the four weeks before the census date. Nearly a third of the female population had also been busily improving their homes, and their work with their gardens was equally obvious: 52 percent of all English males and 45 percent of females had been out there, cutting branches and weeding grass.
Even among people claiming to belong to a particular religion, only two percent attend services every week. The rest of the population can be found every Sunday at their local garden center or DIY superstore. And when they want a break from caring about their own homes and gardens, they go on trips to visit bigger and better houses and gardens, such as the stately homes and gardens opened to the public by the National Trust and the Royal Horticulture Society. Visiting grand country houses always ranks as one of the most popular national pastimes.
45. The result of the survey shows that ________.
A. about half English people enjoy working in their gardens
B. 8 out of 10 pastimes can be described as social activities
C. 2 percent of the religious people enjoy visits to public houses
D. visiting stately homes is the most popular national pastime
46. According to the passage, the English enjoy all of the following EXCEPT________.
A. the social activities, such as gathering with friends
B. working at home and in their gardens
C. dining out in a public place among strangers
D. visits to stately homes and gardens
47. The underlined word “domestic” probably means________.
A. public B. household C. outdoor D. collective
48. The passage mainly tells us about________.
A. why the English don’t like social activities
B. how the English spend their leisure time
C. what the result of a recent census survey is
D. where the English hold their private activities
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
B
Reading to dogs is an unusual way to help children improve their literacy skills(读写能力). With their shining brown eyes, wagging tails, and unconditional love, dogs can provide the nonjudgemental listeners needed for a begining reader to gain confidence(自信心), according to Intermoutain Therapy Animals(ITA) in Salt Lake City. The group says it is the first program in the country to use dogs to help develop literacy in children, with the introduction of Reading Education Assistance Dogs(READ)．
The Salt Lake City Library is sold on the idea. “Literacy specialists admit that children who read below the level of their fellow pupils are often afraid of reading aloud in a group, often have lower selfrespect, and regard reading as a headache，”said Lisa Myron, manager of the children's department.
Last November the two groups started“Dog Day Afternoon”in the children's department of the main library. About 25 children attended each of the four Saturday—afternoon classes, reading for half an hour. Those who attended three of the four classes received a“pawgraphed”book at the last class.
The program was so successful that the library plans to repeat it in April, according to Dana Thumpowsky, public relations manager.What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Children's reading difficulties |
| B．Advantages of raising dogs |
| C．Service in a public library |
| D．A special reading program |
Specialists use dogs to listen to children reading because they think________.
| A．dogs are young children's best friends |
| B．children can play with dogs while reading |
| C．dogs can provide encouragement for shy children |
| D．children and dogs understand each other |
By saying“The Salt Lake City Public Library is sold on the idea”， the writer means the library________.
| A．use dogs to attract children |
| B．accepts the idea put forward by ITA |
| C．has opened a children's department |
| D．has decided to train some dogs |
A“pawgraphed”book is most probably________.
| A．a book used in Saturday classes |
| B．a book written by the children |
| C．a prize for the children |
| D．a gift from parents |
阅读下面的短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中，选出最佳选项。
A
A young girl and a man were recently found murdered in a parked car in a Boston suburb. The police found no sign in the car. Then they found a witness who had seen a car pass by the murdered couple's car. His description placed the car as a 1950 or 1951 Chevrolet.
Ordinarily, searching through the files for owners of elderly Chevrolets would have been an impossible difficult task because there were two and a half million such cars. In this case, however, the police had a powerful tool—the computer.
The Boston Registry of Motor Vehicles programmed its computer to screen all 1950 and 1951 Chevrolets within a fifteenmile radius(半径)of the suburb—the area in which the police believed the murderer was most likely to be found. Within minutes, the computer uncovered one thousand of wanted cars. A few hours of hand screening turned up a 1950 Chevrolet owner who lived close to the scene of the crime(犯罪)and who had received many traffic tickets. He was among the first suspects(嫌疑犯)to be investigated,_and signs connecting him with the murdered couple were found. He was arrested, and is now waiting for trial.It can be learned from the text that________.
| A．the murderer's car hit the couple's car but did not stop |
| B．the murderer was last found with the help of a Chevrolet owner |
| C．the police would not have found the suspect so soon but for the witness |
| D．searching through the files of Chevrolets owners was impossibly difficult |
The underlined word“investigated”is closest in meaning to“________”．
| A．questioned |
| B．supposed |
| C．determined |
| D．discovered |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The suspect had often broken the traffic rules before he was caught. |
| B．One of the police officers saw what the suspect did to the couple. |
| C．At least 1950 cars were searched in order to find the suspect. |
| D．The description of the witness turned out to be a lie. |
The best title for this passage would be________.
| A．Crime—A Problem in the West |
| B．Chevrolet—A Type of an Old Car |
| C．Police—A Force in Catching the Murderer |
| D．Computer—A Help in Fighting against Crime |
Tourism Problems
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants(居民)of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country's economy(经济). It is important to think about the people of a destination(目的地)country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wellbeing of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country's economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people will lose jobs. Businesses will also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build a large hotels, airports, air terminals, firstclass roads, and other support facilities(设施)needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major internationalclass tourism hotel needs as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT________.
| A．a bad effect on other industries |
| B．a change of tourists' customs |
| C．overcrowding of places of interest |
| D．pressure on traffic |
Not enough tourism can lead to________.
| A．an increase of unemployment |
| B．a decrease in tourist attractions |
| C．the higher cost of support facilities |
| D．a rise in price and a fall in pay |
The word“handle”in the last paragraph most probably means“________”．
| A．carry away |
| B．pick up |
| C．get in |
| D．take down |
(2010·全国卷Ⅱ)When you're lying on the white sands of the Mexican Riviera, the stresses(压力)of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation—you have to finish something!
Here lies the problem for travel writer and food critic(评论家)Edie Jarolim. “I always loved traveling and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things，” Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere—in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one of her three books. The Complete ldiot't Travel Guide Medco' Beach Recarts.
Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took a test for Frommer's travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer's, Jarolim worked for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor's, where she fell so in love with a description of the Southwest of the U．S. that she moved there.
Now as a travel writer, she spends onethird of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is factchecking all the information. Sure, it's great to write about a tourist attraction, but you'd better get the local(当地的)museum hours correct or you could really ruin someone's vacation.Which country does Jarolim live in now?
| A．Mexico. |
| B．The U．S. |
| C．The U．K. |
| D．Canada |
What is most difficult for Jarolim?
| A．Working in different places to collect information. |
| B．Checking all the facts to be written in the guides. |
| C．Finishing her work as soon as possible. |
| D．Passing a test to write travel guides. |
What do we know about Jarolim from the text?
| A．She is successful in her job. |
| B．She finds her life full of stresses. |
| C．She spends half of her time traveling. |
| D．She is especially interested in museums. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Adventures in Travel Writing |
| B．Working as a Food Critic |
| C．Travel Guides on the Market |
| D．Vacationing for a living |
Excused from recycling(回收利用)because you live in a high rise with a rubbish chute(垃圾滑道)? You_won't_be_for_long. Miami's Mark Shantzis has made it simple for those living in tall buildings to use the chute and recycle too.
In Shantzis' HiRise Recycling System, a chute leads to pieshaped container with six boxes that can turn around when operated. The system, which fits in the same space as the chute and container now in use, enables glass, plastic, paper, metal and other rubbish to go into separate boxes.
The system is controlled from a board fixed next to the chute door. The board has a button for each class of recycling materials(as well as for un-recyclables). At the press of a button, a microcomputer locks all other floor's chute doors and sets the recycling container turning until the right box comes under the chute. The computer also counts the loads and gives a signal by phone when the box is full. And a particular piece of equipment breaks up the nonrecyclables.
Sorting(分类)recyclables before they are collected saves the use of expensive materials recovery equipment which otherwise has to do the sorting. Such equipment often makes recycled materials very expensive, so expensive that tons of recyclables remain wasted! Shantzis believes his system could help recycled materials become more costeffective.The purpose in writing this text is________.
| A．to encourage people to recycle their rubbish |
| B．to introduce a recycling system for high rises |
| C．to describe the use of computer technology in recycling |
| D．to explain the need for rubbish collection in high rises |
When he says“You won't be for long”the writer means that________.
| A．you'll soon be living in a cleaner building |
| B．rubbish chutes will become out of date before long |
| C．you won't wait long for your turn to recycle rubbish |
| D．it won't be long before you'll have to recycle rubbish |
Before dropping rubbish into the chute you have to________.
| A．lock the other floors' chute doors |
| B．check if the container is full |
| C．press the correct button |
| D．break up the rubbish |
The biggest advantage of this new system is that________.
| A．it reduces the cost of recycling |
| B．it saves time and space |
| C．it saves money for people living in high rises |
| D．it makes better use of the existing recovery equipment |