Just like the young character in Hannah Montana, who so often fights with her father over her desire to be more independent, British teenagers also have their troubles.
A recent survey among 2,000 British parents shows that girls and boys experience similar kinds of stress, with some slight differences .
Girls want to grow up fast, demanding greater freedom. They feel pressure from their peers to be thin and sometimes dangerously experiment with alcohol .
Girls over 14 are more concerned with getting a boyfriend, make-up and going out with friends than with their schoolwork. They are more likely to complain about pocket money .
Parents found they have their toughest time with boys over the age of 15. Their sons are battling bad skin, are reluctant(不情愿的) to speak, and just like girls over 14 are little interested in their studies. Seven out of ten parents said their s
ons become frustrated(挫败的) when they are not understood .
Unsurprisingly, it isn’t just British teenagers who have such problems.
In a survey published in the US last month, two out of three high school students said their life was tough. There was a universal worry over body image and ability to fit in socially.
Plenty of the teenagers feel great pressures to get good grades, with nearly half regarding this as their top worry. The next biggest issue is pressure they face to get into good college. According to the survey, 66 percent reported saving their money to pay for all or part of college.
“Today’s American teens have witnessed what their families have endured during recent economic challenges, and they are much more aware of the importance of planning ahead,” said Stuart Rubinstein, managing director with TD Ameritrade, which carried out the survey.What is the article mainly about?
| A．What makes the lives of teenagers so hard? |
| B．How to deal with teen problems? |
| C．Stress faced by UK and US teenagers. |
| D．Peer pressure faced by UK and US teenagers. |
According to the survey, boys over 15 often feel great pressure to ______.
| A．grow up fast | B．experiment with alcohol |
| C．get into a good college | D．be more open and communicative |
The underlined word “universal” in Paragraph 7 is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．global | B．common | C．average | D．reasonable |
How have recent economic challenges affected American teens?
| A．They have become more concerned about their future. |
| B．They are now more worried about the ability to fit in socially. |
| C．They are attempting to learn more about money management. |
| D．They are spending more time developing their practical skills. |
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Laws that would have ensured pupils from five to 16 received a full financial education got lost in the ‘wash up’．An application is calling on the next government to bring it back.
At school the children are taught to add up and subtract（减法） but, extraordinarily, are not routinely shown how to open a bank account — let alone how to manage their finances in an increasingly complex and demanding world.
Today the parenting website Mumsnet and the consumer campaigner Martin Lewis have joined forces to launch an online application to make financial education a compulsory element of the school curriculum in England．Children from five to 16 should be taught about everything from pocket money to pensions, they say．And that was exactly the plan preserved in the Children, Schools and Families bill that was shelved by the government in the so-called “wash-up” earlier this month — the rush to legislation before parliament was dismissed．Consumer and parent groups believe financial education has always been one of the most frustrating omissions of the curriculum.
As the Personal Finance Education Group (Pfeg) points out, the good habits of young children do not last long．Over 75% of seven- to 11-year-olds are savers but by the time they get to 17, over half of them are in debt to family and friends．By this age, 26% see a credit card or overdraft（透支） as a way of extending their spending power．Pfeg predicts that these young people will “find it much harder to avoid the serious unexpected dangers that have befallen many of their parents' generation unless they receive good quality financial education while at school.”
The UK has been in the worst financial recession（衰退）for generations．It does seem odd that — unless parents step in — young people are left in the dark until they are cruelly introduced to the world of debt when they turn up at university．In a recent poll of over 8,000 people, 97% supported financial education in schools, while 3% said it was a job for parents．
61．The passage is mainly about _____________.
A．how to manage school lessons
B．how to deal with the financial crisis
C．teaching young people about money
D．teaching students how to study effectively
62．It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that __________.
A．the author complains about the school education
B．pupils should not be taught to add up and subtract
C．students have been taught to manage their finances
D．laws on financial education have been effectively carried out
63．The website and the consumer campaigner joined to _________.
A．instruct the pupils to donate their pocket money
B．promote the connection of schools and families
C．ask the government to dismiss the parliament
D．appeal for the curriculum of financial education
64．According to Pfeg, ___________.
A．it is easy to keep good habits long
B．teenagers spend their money as planned
C．parents are willing to pay the debt for their kids
D．it will be in trouble if the teenagers are left alone
65．A poll is mentioned to ___________.
A．stress the necessity of the curriculum reform
B．show the seriousness of the financial recession
C．make the readers aware of burden of the parents
D．illustrate some people are strongly against the proposal
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第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出最佳选项。
Knowing how much her own children loved presents at Christmas, Ann Sutton always tried to seek help for one or two poor families．With a social worker mother, the Sutton children had inherited her commitment to service, and knew never to take their good fortune at Christmas for granted． This year, Kinzie, her seven-year-old daughter was thrilled that Santa Claus would make a special visit to a 22-year-old mother named Ashley who worked in a factory raising her 12-month-old son by herself．
The phone rang on Sunday．A representative from a local organization was calling to say that the aid Ann had requested for Ashley had fallen through．No Santa Claus, no presents, nothing．
Ann saw the cheer vanish from her children’s faces at the news．Without a word, Kinzie ran into her bedroom．She returned, her face set with determination．Opening up her piggy bank, she put all the coins onto the table: $3.30．Everything she had.
“Mom,” she told Ann, “I know it’s not much．But maybe this will buy a present for the baby.”
At a breakfast meeting the next day, Ann told her coworkers about her daughter’s story．To her surprise, staff members began to open their purses and empty their pockets to help Kinzie．By day’s end, the story of Kinzie’s gift had spread beyond Ann’s office．She received a call from an unknown donor．If a seven-year-old could give everything she had, he said, he should at least match her gift 100 to 1．He contributed $300．
On Christmas Eve, Ann drove through the pouring rain to the small trailer where the Ashleys lived．Then she began to unload the gifts from the car, handing them to Ashley one by one．
Ashley was very moved．Reflecting on a little girl’s generosity, Ashley says she’ll one day be able to do something similar for someone else in need．“Kinzie could have used that money for herself, but she gave it away,” Ashley says．“She’s the type of kid I’d like my son to grow up to be.”
56．According to the text, Ann Sutton ______________.
A．is making lots of money B．is ready to help others
C．is only caring about herself D．is a hard-working mother
57．Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A．Ashley lived a hard life with her little son.
B．The Sutton children took Anne as an example to follow．
C．The coworkers of Ann helped Kinzie to realize her wish.
D．Ann Sutton tried to ask for help for her own children.
58．What can we learn about Kinzie?
A．She was afraid that Santa Claus would visit the Ashleys.
B．She should get some presents from her mother at Christmas．
C．She devoted all her coins to buying a present for the baby.
D．She was cheerful when hearing the aid had fallen through.
59．Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
A．It rained heavily on Christmas Eve.
B．Ann handed gifts to Ashley one by one.
C．Ashley hoped she would help someone else in need.
D．A good deed can influence many people’s behavior.
60．What would be the best title for the text?
A．A Young Girl’s Gift B．A Mother’s Love
C．A Story of Young Girl D．An Unknown Donor
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The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries(画廊) and into public places, some of the country’s most gifted artists have been called in to change older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant collections of modern art in corridors(走道), waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives(new plans) owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester Hospital in Northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A common hospital waiting room might have as many as 5,000 visitors each week. What a better place to hold regular exhibitions of art and paintings, in the outpatients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain’s first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduations.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms, the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyard.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expense when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong painkillers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at.
67. What does the author mean by using the phrase “to soften the hard edge of modern buildings” in the second paragraph?
A. To hold exhibitions of art and paintings in hospitals.
B. To tear down the old hospital and build a new one.
C. To decorate hospitals with art collection.
D. To paint the walls of hospitals in soft colors.
68 What is true about Peter Senior?
A. A famous doctor in Manchester Hospital and a gifted artist.
B. Britain’s first hospital artist and a patient in Manchester Royal Hospital.
C. One of the six young art school graduations.
D. A gifted artist and a pioneer introducing art into hospitals.
69. According to Peter Senior, we can infer that________.
A. modern hospitals have a lot of patients
B. art is not appreciated by a large number of people in modern society
C. patients should be encouraged to learn painting
D. artists can not find their positions in modern society
70. What does the last paragraph suggest?
A. The improvement of hospital environment may help the patients recover from illness.
B. The improvement of hospital environment may cost the patients more than before.
C. The patients needed no painkillers when they had a view of a painting.
D. The patients had no pain at all after the improvement of hospital environment.
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Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun.
●All Star Readers
The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites.
Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become “All Star Readers” at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes.
●Sparkey Spots the Ball
Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, “Sparkey Spots the Ball”. They will receive their own reading folders（文件夹）to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon（优惠券）for McDonald’s ice cream.
●X-treme Read
Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called “X-treme Read”. Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more.
The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations (集会).
63. Students who take part in the reading club can _________.
A. take part in extreme bike races
B. get a good mark in the final exam
C. get better prepared for the new term
D. finish their homework ahead of time
64. In order to become “All Star Readers” and win a lot of prizes, you _________.
A. should be 18 years old
B. should be at least five years old
C. must read at least 1,000 pages or 10 books
D. just need to sign up at the Milwaukee library
65. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A. Children up to 5 might win a baseball or an ice cream.
B. Teens who have listened to books might win movie tickets.
C. The public libraries only allow children to read in the reading club.
D. Students who want to read can sign up at any public library at Milwaukee.
66. If you are a 17-year-old student who wants to win some prizes, you can take part in _________.
A. 2007 Summer Reading Club B. X-treme Read
C. Sparkey Spots the Ball D. All Star Readers
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Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook from scratch? Have you been doing internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can't you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of adults are so idle they'd catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain's largest health charity. The results were startling.
About one in six people surveyed said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it's no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said: "People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently their pets too.
"If we don't start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most rudimentary of tasks."
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.
59.How many people questioned don’t play with their children?
A.1280.B.More than 333. C.654.D.About 420.
60.The study leads us to believe that _______.
A. the pets in the UK will be in trouble if their owners keep their way of life
B. Glasgow people feel ashamed because they don’t get enough exercise
C. British people are the laziest around the world
D. five sixths of the British children are healthy
61. How does the author convince the readers?
A. By presenting the results of a study. B. By providing answers to questions.
C. By interviewing some experts. D. By telling a story.
62. What is the passage mainly about?
A. A study of British people’s laziness. B. A study of British people’s lifestyles.
C. The health service in the UK. D. The obesity problem in the UK.