Many college-bound freshmen are worrying about more than just who their roommates will be this fall. They may also be nervous about the well-known fact that they are likely to gain weight this school year. Or will they? While many of us remember the extra weight that showed up right around the start of our college careers, we are not always clear on how much weight we realize gained or why.
Many nutrition experts and psychologists think that it is the change in environment and the stress of a new beginning that cause the typical college freshmen to gain extra pounds. As students start a new stage of their lives, many eat to deal with the stress of change or loneliness. Often, college students are making meals or choosing foods independently for the first time in their lives. If they live in the college dormitory, they have a wide variety of foods to select from that may be higher in calories and fatter than the foods they consumed living at home. In addition, college social events usually center around food. I clearly remember sitting in my dorm cafeteria for two or three hours on a Saturday morning socializing with my new friends. Instead of eating only one meal, we would start with breakfast, eat throughout the duration of our socializing, and finish with lunch. Food also makes an appearance after late-night parties, as part of a school day, or simply to break the monotony(单调 ).
So will this year’s typical freshmen really gain 15 pounds? According to a 2006 Tufts University study, students enrolling in college this fall will gain weight, but maybe not the assumed 15 pounds. Based on the students surveyed, the study found that men can expect to gain an average of 6 pounds and women an average of 4.5 pounds during the freshman year.According to the passage, it is obvious that __________.
| A.the foods the freshmen had at home may be healthier than those in the dorm cafeteria |
| B.to break the monotony, the students should start with breakfast, and finish with lunch |
| C.the students should eat to deal with the stress of change or loneliness in new situations |
| D.the boys may gain less pounds than the girls during the first year in the college |
Nutrition experts and psychologists think that __________.
| A.students should get used to the stress of change through foods they had at home |
| B.the new environment and the stress have something to do with the students’ extra pounds |
| C.students should know in what way they gain so much weight |
| D.choosing foods independently can make people lose weight naturally |
From the writer’s experience, the writer thinks that ____________.
| A.foods in the dorm cafeteria are all higher in calories and fatter |
| B.the best way to break the monotony is through breakfast, lunch and supper |
| C.students in college will gain an average of about 5.25 pounds every fall |
| D.social events in the college are usually celebrated around food |
This passage is mainly about ______________.
A how and why the freshmen gain extra pounds
B. the experience of the freshmen in the college
C. the freshmen with trouble in a new environment
D. the views of the nutrition experts and psychologists about gaining weight
Dolphins(海豚)are not fish, but warm-blooded animals. They live in groups, and speak to each other in their own language. In this, they are like other animals, such as bees and birds. But dolphins are very different from almost all land animals. Their brain is nearly the same size as our own, and they live a long time―at least twenty or thirty years. Like some animals, dolphins use sound to help them find their way around. They also make these sounds to talk to each other and to help them find food. We now know they do not use their ears to receive these sounds, but the lower part of the mouth, called the jaw.
Strangely, dolphins seem to like man, and for thousands of years there have been stories about the dolphin and its friendship with people.
There is a story about sailors in the 19th century. In a dangerous part of the sea off the coast of New Zealand, they learnt to look for a dolphin called Jack. From 1871 to 1903, Jack met every boat in the area and showed it the way. Then in 1903 a passenger on a boat called The Penguin shot and wounded Jack. He recovered and for nine years more continued to guide all ships through the area-except for The Penguin.
Today, some people continue to kill dolphins, but many countries of the world now protect them and in these places it is against the law to kill them. Dolphins are different from many other animals in that they _____.
| A.live in groups | B.have large brains | C.are warm-blooded | D.have their own language |
Which of the following does the dolphin use to help it find its way around?
| A.Its nose. | B.Its ears. | C.Its mouth. | D.Its eyes. |
Why did the sailors off the coast of New Zealand look for Jack?
| A.He was lonely and liked to be with people. |
| B.They enjoyed playing with him. |
| C.He was seriously wounded. |
| D.They wanted his help. |
By telling the story of Jack, the writer wanted to show that _____.
| A.dolphins are friendly and clever | B.people are cruel to animals |
| C.Jack is different from other dolphins | D.dolphins should be protected by law |
Today our lives are changing faster than at any time in history. Here we report on three important changes that will have a big impact on our everyday lives in the future.
The cashless society
Cash and bank-notes will disappear almost completely. They will be replaced by smart cards, namely plastic cards: microchip(微芯片)processors(处理器)loaded with some money. When we pay for goods,the shop assistant will put our smart card into a payment terminal(终端)and money will come into his card from our card. When all the money is used up,we will be able to reloadit by putting it into a telephone,dialing our bank account and money will be put into the card from the account.
Interactive telephones
Talking computers will play an important part. They will recognize speech, ask us what information we need, look through a database,and put the information into speech.If we want to book a flight or pay a bill by phone, we will interact with a talking computer to do so. Human telephone operators will be used only for more complex operations such as dealing with complaints or solving special problems.
Traffic jams in cities will be reduced because drivers will use electronic route maps to find the quickest route to their destination. Electronic systems will start changing motorists for driving in cities.As soon as motorists have to pay to drive in cities, they will stop using their cars and use public transport instead. Speed control systems will be built into cars. These systems will automatically(自动地)regulate the speed of the car to take account of traffic and weather conditions and prevent accidents. It will be many years before these changes bring results but when they do,there will be a titanic improvement in road safety.
With the development of science and technology, more and more advanced things will be invented or created. Life in the future is undoubtedly different from that at the present. Cash and bank-note will disappear because .
| A.they will be out of use sooner or later |
| B.they will be replaced by plastic cards convenient to use |
| C.we can load money from the bank |
| D.they will be rejected by payment terminals |
What will you do if the money in your card is used up?
| A.Go to the bank to deposit some money. |
| B.Put the card into a telephone and dial the bank account. |
| C.Buy a new card. |
| D.We don’t know. |
Which of the following would be the best subtitle for the fourth paragraph?
| A.Future cars | B.Speed control systems | C.Intelligent cars | D.Traffic jams |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A.When we buy tickets for flying somewhere else, we can have a talk with the computer. |
| B.If you make a complaint, you can use human telephone operation. |
| C.Drivers will stop using their cars and use public transport in order to prevent accidents. |
| D.The help of electronic route maps will decrease traffic jams. |
The underlined word “titanic” in Paragraph 4 means .
| A.huge and great | B.the name of a ship | C.slight | D.increasing |
The view over a valley of a tiny village with thatched (草盖的) roof cottages around a church, a drive through a narrow village street lined with thatched cottages painted pink or white, the sight over the rolling hills of a pretty collection of thatched farm buildings―these are still common sights in parts of England. Most people will agree that the thatched roof is an essential part of the attraction of the English countryside.
Thatching is in fact the oldest of all the building crafts(工艺)practised in the British Isles. Although thatch has always been used for cottage and farm buildings, it was once used for castles and churches, too.
Thatching is a solitary(独自的)craft, which often runs in families. The craft of thatching as it is practised toady has changed very little since the Middle Ages. Over 800 full-time thatchers are employed in England and Wales today, keeping and renewing the old roofs as well as thatching newer houses. Many property owners choose thatch not only for its beauty but because they know it will keep them cool in summer and warm in winter.
In fact, if we look at developing countries, over half the world lives under thatch, but they all do it in different ways. People in developing countries are often unwilling to go back to traditional materials and would prefer modern buildings. However, they may lack the money to allow them to get the necessary materials. Their temporary mud huts with thatched roofs of wild grasses often only last six months. Thatch which has been done the British way lasts from twenty to sixty years, and is an effective defiance against the heat.Which of the following remains a special feature of the English countryside?
| A.Narrow streets lined with pink or white houses. | B.Rolling hills with pretty farm buildings. |
| C.Cottages with thatched roofs. | D.Churches with cottages around them. |
What do we know about thatching as a craft?
| A.It is a collective activity. |
| B.It is practised on farms all over England. |
| C.It is quite different from what it used to be. |
| D.It is in most cases handed down among family members. |
Thatched houses are still preferred because of _________.
| A.their style and comfort | B.their durability |
| C.their easy maintenance | D.their cheap and ready-made materials |
People in developing countries also live under thatch because ________.
| A.thatched cottages are a big tourist attraction |
| B.thatched roof houses are the cheapest |
| C.thatch is an effective defense against the heat |
| D.they like thatched houses better than other buildings |
Gary Locke, 61, who comes from a Chinese background and even looks Chinese, became the new US ambassador(大使)to China.
“I can think of nobody who is more qualified than Gary Locke.” President Obama said. Locke’s new position is clearly a sign that US President is trying to improve relations with China.
When he made his first speech to the Chinese press in Beijing, Locke said,“I think ,being a Chinese-American, I have a greater understanding of the history and culture of China, but I am here as a representative of the US government.”
Before becoming ambassador to China, Locke was US secretary of commerce(商务部长). This means he has plenty of trade experience, which will be useful in building economic links between the two countries.
Locke’s grandfather went to the United States over a century ago to work as a houseboy for a family in Washington State in exchange for English lessons. His father moved to the US as a teenager.
“I’m going back to the birthplace of my grandfather ,my father and my mom, and I’ll be doing so as a devoted diplomat(外交官) for America,the country where I was born and raised,” Locke said.President Obama thinks Gary Locke ________.
| A.is the right person for the new position |
| B.is still not too old to be an ambassador |
| C.is not qualified as secretary of commerce |
| D.can help improve US relations with Asia. |
What message did Locke express in his first speech in Beijing?
| A.He is proud of his parents and his grandfather. |
| B.He will work for both China and the United States. |
| C.He will represent the US government. |
| D.He was still not ready for his new job. |
Locke will benefit from his ________ as a former secretary of commerce.
| A.trade experience | B.public relations | C.work training | D.government knowledge |
We learn from the text that Locke’s father ________.
| A.worked as a houseboy for an American family |
| B.was born in China. |
| C.moved to the US as a baby. |
| D.was not able to return to China |
Australia is largely a nation of immigration(移民), with one in four of Australia’s 21 million population born overseas. But immigrations hoping to become Australian citizens will soon have to take a test examining their knowledge of the country's history and institutions.
While Australia prides itself on its multicultural background, the government wants newcomers to integrate (同化)more fully . Form later this year, new immigrants will have to show an understanding of the English language. They will also be required to answer 20 questions from a list of 200. Anyone who gives fewer than 12 correct responses will not be accepted.
Immigrants will also have to accept what the government considers to be 10 important Australia values, including “mateship” and “giving people a fair go”. Other important Australia values are said to include tolerance, compassion, gender equality and freedom of speech.
The new citizenship application procedures are detailed in a 40-pages booklet(小册子). It describes Australia as “a nation at ease with the world and itself” but says that newcomers are expected to respect its values. The booklet sums up mateship as voluntary helping and receiving help from others, especially in difficult times. The immigration Minister said they aimed to achieve a balance between ethnic diversity and social stability(稳定), “particularly as we now draw people from so many different countries and so many different cultures”.
Critics have attacked the English language requirement, pointing out many immigrants could not speak English when they arrived. But the minister said, “We are trying to encourage people to learn English, because we think that is the way they will achieve their dreams in Australia.”What’s new in Australia’s immigration policy?
| A.New immigrants will have to take a test |
| B.New immigrants should speak perfect English |
| C.New immigrants must bring enough money |
| D.New immigrants must be healthy |
Those who want to move to Australia have to answer_____ questions right
| A.20 | B.12 | C.200 | D.10 |
The word "mateship" is closest in meaning to _____.
| A.equality | B.freedom | C.fairness | D.friendship |
Which is one of the reasons for the change of application?
| A.To encourage new immigrants | B.To control the population |
| C.To promote Australia ' values | D.To teach the English language |