A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone. By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The author also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight, with passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue.” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使……缓解)the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies, About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers, California is the strictest, with a novice (新手)driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20(without the presence of an adult over 25)for the first six months. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?
| A.Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m. |
| B.A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight. |
| C.Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night. |
| D.A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car. |
According to Robert Foss, the high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to ________.
| A.their frequent driving at night |
| B.their lack of driving experience |
| C.their improper way of driving |
| D.their driving with passengers |
According to Paragraph 3.which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A.The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents. |
| B.Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn. |
| C.Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons. |
| D.Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive. |
The most suitable measure to be taken to reduce teenagers' driving accidents is that ________ .
| A.driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule |
| B.they should be prohibited from taking on passengers |
| C.the licensing system should be improved |
| D.they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m. |
Teens don’t understand the big fuss. As the first generation to grow up in a wired world, they hardly know a time when computers weren’t around, and they eagerly catch the chance to spend hours online, chatting with friends. So what?
But researchers nationwide are increasingly worried that teens are becoming isolated, less skillful at person-to-person relationships, and perhaps numb to the cheatings that are so much a part of the e-mail world. “and a teen’s sense of self and values may be changed in a world where personal connections can be limitless,” said Sherry Turkle.
Another researcher, Robert Kraut, said he’s worried about the “opportunity costs” of so much online time for youths. He found that teens who used computers, even just a few hours a week, showed increased signs of loneliness and social isolation. “Chatting onine may be better than watching television, but it’s worse than hanging out with real friends,” he said.
Today’s teens, however, don’t see anything strange in the fact that the computer takes up a central place in their social lives, “School is busy and full of pressure. There’s almost no time to just hang out.” said Parker Rice, 17. “Talking online is just catch up time.”
Teens say they feel good about what they say online or taking the time to think about a reply. Some teens admit that asking someone for a date, or breaking up, can be easier in message form, though they don’t want to do so. But they insist there’s no harm.She researchers argue that___.
| A.teens may develop a different sense of values |
| B.nothing is wrong with teens' chatting online |
| C.teens can manage their social connections |
| D.spending hours online does much good to teens |
Teens think that talking online can help them ____.
| A.use computers properly | B.improve their school work |
| C.develop an interest in social skills | D.reduce their mental pressures |
The text mainly deals with __ _.
| A.teens' pleasant online experience |
| B.teens' computer skills and school work |
| C.the effects of the computer world on teens |
| D.different opinions on teens' chatting online |
The purpose of the text is to ____.
| A.describe computer research results |
B.draw attention to teens' computer habits |
| C.suggest ways to deal with problem teens |
| D.discuss problems teens have |
It was the summer of 1965. Deluca, then 17, visited Peter Buck, a family friend. Buck asked Deluca about his plans for the future. “I’m going to college, but I need a way to pay for it,” DeLuca recalls saying. “Buck said, ‘You should open a sandwich shop.’”
That afternoon, they agreed to be partners. And they set a goal: to open 32 stores in ten years. After doing some research, buck wrote a check for $1000. DeLuca rented a storefront (店面) in Connecticut, and when they couldn’t cover their start-up costs, Buck kicked in another $1000.
But business didn’t go smoothly as they expected. DeLuca says, “After six months, we were doing poorly, but we didn’t know how badly, because we didn’t have any financial controls.” All he and Buck knew was that their sales were lower than their costs.
DeLuca was managing the store and going to the University of Bridgeport at the same time. Buck was working at his day job as a nuclear physicist in New York. They’d meet Monday evenings and brainstorm ideas for keeping the business running. “We convinced ourselves to open a second store. We figured we could tell the public, ‘We are so successful, we are opening a second store.’” And they did—in the spring of 1966. Still, it was a lot of learning by trial and error.
But the partners’ learn-as-you-go approach turned out to be their greatest strength. Every Friday, DeLuca would drive around and hand-deliver the checks to pay their suppliers. “It probably took me two and a half hours and it wasn’t necessary, but as a result, the suppliers got to know me very well, and the personal relationships established really helped out,” DeLuca says.
And having a goal
was also important. “There are so many problems that can get you down. You just have to keep working toward your goal,” DeLuca adds.
DeLuca ended up founding Subway Sandwich, the multimillion-dollar restaurant chain.DeLuca opened the first sandwich shop in order to ____.
| A.support his family |
| B.pay for his college education |
| C.help his partner expand business |
| D.do some research |
Which of the following is true of Buck?
| A.He put money into the sandwich business. |
| B.He was a professor of business administration. |
| C.He was studying at the University of Bridgeport. |
| D.He rented a storefront for DeLuca. |
What can we learn about their first shop?
| A.It stood at an unfavorable palce. |
| B.It lowered the prices to promote sales. |
| C.It made no profits due to poor management |
| D.It lacked control over the quality of sandwiches |
They decided to open a second store because they ___.
| A.had enough money to do it. |
| B.had succeeded in their business |
| C.wished to meet the increasing demand of customers |
| D.wanted to make believe that they were successful |
What contribute most to their success according to the author?
| A.Learning by trial and error. | B.Making friends with suppliers. |
| C.Finding a good partner. | D.Opening chain stores. |
Are you sometimes a little tired and sleepy in the early afternoon? Many people feel this way after lunch. They may think that eating lunch is the cause of the sleepiness. Or, in summer, they may think it is the heat. However, the real reason lies inside their bodies. At that time – about eight hours after you wake up – your body temperature goes down. This is what makes you slow down and feel sleepy. Scientists have tested sleep habits in experiments where there was no night or day. The people in these experiments almost always followed a similar sleeping pattern. They slept for one long period and then for one short period about eight hou
rs later.
In many parts of the world, people take naps in the middle of the day. This is especially true in warmer climates, where the heat makes work difficult in the early afternoon. Researchers are now saying that naps are good for everyone in any climate. A daily nap gives one a more rested body and mind and therefore is good for health in general. In countries where naps are traditional, people often suffer less from problem such as heart disease.
Many working people, unfortunately, have no time to take naps. Though doctors may advise taking naps, employers do not allow it! If you do have the chance, however, here are a few tips about making the most of your nap. Remember that the best time to take a nap is about eight hours after you get up. A short sleep too late in the day may only make you feel more tired and sleepy afterward. This can slao happen if you sleep for too long. If you do not have enough time, try a short nap – even ten minutes of sleep can be helpful.Why do people feel sleepy in the early aftern
oon according to the text?
| A.They eat too much for lunch. |
| B.They sleep too little at night. |
| C.Their body temperature becomes lower. |
| D.The weather becomes a lot warmer. |
If you get up at 6:30 am, what is the best time for you to take a nap?
| A.About 12:30 pm. | B.About 1:30 pm. |
| C.About 2:30 pm | D.About 3:30 pm |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A.Just for a Rest | B.All for a Nap |
| C.A Special Sleep Pattern. | D.Taking Naps in Warmer Climate. |
There was a story many years ago of a school techer-Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she oved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then. Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水).
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math
. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention
to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by
before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed. Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.(医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference, I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
| A.She made Teddy feel ashamed. |
| B.She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
| C.She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
| D.She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
| A.He often told lies. |
| B.He was good at math. |
| C.He needed motherly care. |
| D.He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
| A.She taught fewer school subjects. |
| B.She became stricter with her students. |
| C.She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
| D.She card more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
| A.She had kept in touch with him. |
| B.She had given him encouragement. |
| C.She had sent him Christmas presents. |
| D.She had taught him how to judge people. |
Pupils are ordered not to wade into ankle-deep water unless teachers first carry out a full risk assessment and put“proper measures in place”.
Staff are expected to check rivers, ponds and the sea for currents and rocks before allowing children to dip their feet.
Guidance issued to schools warns that any“impromptu (事先无准备的) water-based activities”could pose dangers to children.
The recommendations were outlined in a document-available to all 21,000 schools in England — to help teachers organize more school trips. Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families is intended to cut red tape (官样文章) and give staff practical tips.
But the guidance caused argument after teachers were presented with a series of orders surrounding swimming and the use of minibuses.
It said:“Swimming and padding or otherwise entering the waters of river, canal, sea or lake should never be allowed as an impromptu activity. The pleas of young people to bathe — because it is hot weather, for example, should be resisted where bathing has not been prepared for.”
“In-water activities should take place only when a proper risk assessment has been completed and proper measures put in place to control the risks.”
Teachers are urged to check the weather, currents, weeds, rip tides, river or sea beds and breakwaters before allowing children into the water. No child should be able to swim deeper than waist height, the guidance added.
Margaret Morrissey, from campaign group Parents Outloud, said:“Wading out into the ocean is one thing but there’s nothing wrong with padding where the waves break.”
“Part of children’s learning is to walk along the water’s edge and get your feet wet. There are dangerous currents further out and you stay at the edge.”
She added:“I want to see schools and youth groups taking advantage of opportunities that learning outside the classroom can provide.”
But the Department for Children, Schools and Families said teachers had to plan activities carefully.
“We are not banning padding,”said a spokeswoman.“We have seen cases in the past where things have not been planned and assessed for the risk. Unplanned activities around water can be dangerous.”
67.Guidance issued to schools in England gives the information that _________.
A.school trips to oceans are forbidden in the country
B.school swimming pools should be surrounded with fence
C.school staff must plan water-based activities carefully
D.school children shouldn’t have a walk along river banks
68.Advice from the Department for Children, Schools and Families shows us that _________.
A.they are strongly against the guidance
B.they are fond of the outline of the guidance
C.they don’t understand the aim of the guidance
D.they want the guidance to become more useful
69.To the guidance, Margaret Morrissey holds the opinion that _________.
A.oceans are dangerous place for children to visit
B.young people should be encouraged to learn outside
C.children should learn padding in rough ocean alone
D.schools should stop students from walking along beaches
70.Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A.No padding on school trips, children told.
B.No walking along the rivers, teachers told.
C.No swimming after school, parents told.
D.No learning out of school, students told.