Earthisthethirdplanetfromthesu-优题课

Listen carefully; we would like to tell you something that could save your precious time and money! Best of all, it is free! It’s “no”. What do you ask? We’ll say it again. “No”. Sweet and simple “no”.
Say “no” at your office and see how quickly that pile of work on your desk disappears. “Saying “no” to others means you are saying “yes” to yourself,” said Leslie Charles, a professional speaker from East Lansing, Michigan.
Susie Watson, a famous writer, said people who always say “yes” need to say “no” without guilt （内疚） or fear of punishment. “I would rather have someone give me a loving ‘no’ than an obligated （强制的）‘yes’”, she said.
Susie Watson says she feels “no” obligation to give an explanation when she says “no” either socially or professionally. Does she feel guilty about it? “Not at all,” said Watson, who is director of advertising and public relations at Timex Corp in Middle-bury. “Most people are afraid of saying “no”. My advice is to say “yes” only if you don’t mean ‘no’.”
Watson said “no” is the most effective weapon against wasting time. “Every year there are more demands on your time. Other people are happy to use up your time,” Watson said. Time saving appears to be “no’s” greatest friend. “No” can be your new friend, a powerful tool to take back your life. “No” may even take you further in the business world than “yes”. “No” is power and strength. “No” now seems completely correct. “Saying ‘no’ isn’t easy. But finally it’s greatly liberating,” Charles said. But, he added, a “no” project needs to be worked on every day because it is hard to change long-term habit.
But, he also warns: “Don’t go to extremes. Don’t find yourself saying “no” to everything. In return you should learn to hear “no”.”
1. The underlined part “saying ‘yes’ to yourself” in the second paragragh means ________.
A. you can have more time to play with others
B. you needn’t care about other’s feeling if you are happy
C. you are selfish and treat others rudely
D. you can deal with your business as you have planned
2. When you say “no” to others you should say it in a ________.
A. secret way B. polite way C. proud way D. guilty way
3 In Watson’s opinion, people can save much time on condition that ________.
A. they say “no” at a suitable time B. they say “no” as much as possible
C. they are afraid of saying “no” D. they make others angry at them
4. If a person says “no” to everything, the result he or she receives may be that he or she ________.
A. enjoys a wonderful life B. makes a lot of money
C. faces difficulty in life D. forgets to say “yes” in the end

The Chinese word “Shanzhai” means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name for fakes (假货) after “Shenzhen Cellphones” produced by small workshops in southern China became popular in the mainland market over the past two years.
Besides “Shanzhai” has electronic products, there are “Shanzhai” movies, “Shanzhai” stars and even a “Shanzhai” Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve.
“Shanzhai” has become a culture of its own, symbolizing anything that imitates something famous.
The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China’s Chongqing Municipality, a “Shanzhai” version “Bird’s Nest” woven by farmers with bamboo attracts wide attention and the “Shanzhai” version “Water Cube” is popular with tourists too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the “Shanzhai” Gala as an example, when the traditional CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the “Shanzhai” version appears naturally to attract people.
“In spite of its poor techniques and operation, ‘Shanzhai’culture meets the psychological demands of common people and could be a comfort to their minds,” Xie said.
Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that “Shanzhai” culture never copies classic things, only trendy products. In that sense, it’s like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning.
Though controversial, “Shanzhai” culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon.
To the mainstream culture, the rise of “Shanzhai” culture is a challenge as well as a motivation, said Xie.
Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to choose.
1. The Chinese Word“Shanzhai”may have its origin in _________.
A. fake cellphones B. electronic products
C. Spring Festival Gala D. Olympics buildings
2. A. The underlined word “imitates” is closest in meaning to _______.
A. steals B. copies C. advertises D. cheats
3. A. According to the passage, “Shanzhai” culture refers to ________.
A. The action that a person imitates famous people
B. anything that imitates something famous
C. those similar names to famous brand
D. products with poor techniques and quality
4. A. We can infer that the mainstream culture ________.
A. Will be held back by “Shanzhai” culture
B. will sooner or later be replaced by “Shanzhai”culture
C. may develop faster because of the challenging of “Shanzhai”culture
D. thinks nothing of the challenge of “Shanzhai”culture
5. Which of the following might be the best title of passage?
A.“Shanzhai”culture will definitely fade out
B.“Shanzhai”culture –the mountain village culture
C.“Shanzhai”culture – the mainstream culture
D.“Shanzhai”culture takes on life of its own

Do you know the cold?
Everybody knows what happens when you catch a cold. First you sniffle(抽鼻涕) or get a more throat. Then you sneeze. After coughing and blowing your way through the next few days it’s over---until next time
Do you know what causes a cold, how it is spread or how to help prevent it? And which of the many medicines is best for your cold?
There is no known cure for the common cold. Once you catch a cold, your body usually produces antibodies(抗体) to the virus which caused the cold. These antibodies help the body develop resistance（抵抗力) to the virus if you catch it again. Unfortunately, over 200 different viruses cause the common cold. These viruses may change over time, so your resistance to them reduces. The large number of viruses and the fact that they change help explain why there is no cure for the common cold and why you will suffer colds in the future.
The colds increase in winter(usually between Septenber and March) but Not because of the cold! Cold weather has not been shown to increase the number of colds. People spend more time indoors in winter. They are therefore more likely to come into physical contact with each other and spread the disease. All these ideas remain to be proven. No one has been able to discover what really causes these colds
Common colds are spread by sneezes or by direct contact with a cold sufferer, usually when two people’ hands touch or an object is passed from one person to another. Sneezing spreads colds when someone sneezes near other people, or sneezes on objects which others later touch. A cold virus can survive up to three hours on hard surfaces.
The simplest and most effective way to lower the risk of catching a cold is to wash your hands frequently. Another important step in cold prevention is for cold sufferers to get rid of used tissues immediately after use.
1.From the passage, we can know____________.
A. a cold virus can survive up to four hours
B. most of people know how to cure a cold
C. there are more colds in November than in May
D. all of us catch more than one cold a year
2.According to the passage, people tend to catch a cold___________.
A. because they don’t take exercise in winter
B.if they stay outdoors in freezinf cold winter
C. if they stay indoors more often in winter
D.because the viruses of colds usually exist in winter
3.We can know colds sre spread through____________.
A. air and touching B. coughs and objects C.two people D. a person and his hands

第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题，第二节5小题；每小题2分，满分50分）
第一节：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。
Being interested in a theme park since the time that I was a child, I have learned a thing or two over the years about packing for a day of fun. A trip to a theme park is always a adventure, but if you’re not prepared, your day of fun could easily turn into a tiny little nightmare(噩梦). It is important to pack long sleeved(带袖的) shirts or jackets for all members of your family. I is also a good idea to pack an extra pair of socks for each member of the family, especially the children, as those wonderful water rides can be fun, but wet socks that won’t dry aren’t so much fun.
You don’t want to pack too much food, as you will probably want to experience at least some of the food offered at the theme park of your choice(that’s half of the fun), but it’s always a good idea to bring some energy increasing snacks, such as fruit,trail mix,etc. This can mean the difference between spending a lot of money on snacks or a little money on one or two good meals.
Theme parks,while fun and exciting, can wear a person out,especially a child, so it’s important to keep hydrated(含水的). I would suggest packing one bottle of water per person, and possibly a couple of cans of soda or bottles of juice as well.
It’s a good idea to have at least two cell phones or even a set of “walkie-talkies” in the event that your family gets,separated in the park. It’s a good idea to give one of these things to the children and one to the parents and make sure that each of them knows how to use it. This could be the difference between trouble and a happy ending,
1.You should get well prepared before going to a theme park__________.
A. because the trip always costs much money
B.because there are always too many people in a theme park.
C. so as not to suffer from bad dreams when going back
D.so as to cut down your trip expenses and have more fun
2.From the passage, we can know_______________.
A.the author was fond of visiting theme parks when he was a child
B.wearing wet socks in a theme park will bring children much fun
C.it is terrible to have a taste of the food offered in a theme park.
D. we’d better bring enough food, clothing and water when going to a theme park
3.What does th underlined part”walkie-talkies” in the last paragraph probably refer to?
A. A kind of transportation toolB.A kind of musical instrument
C.A kind of CDplayer D.A kind of phone
4.How many types of things does the author advise us to pack for day trips to a theme park?
A Three B.Five C.Six D. Eight

Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering, the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers (消费者). “This led to an enormous change in consumption (消耗、消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.
1. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.
A. by educating its citizens 　　　　　　　　B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programs 　　　　　　　D. by chance
2. According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.
A. haven’t attacked much importance to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
3. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
4. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)
D. A country’s production is limited by its population growth.