It seems that every week someone becomes “the first” or “the youngest” or even “the first married couple” to do something that doesn’t seem to be very useful to the rest of us.
Why do they do it? Don’t they have better things to do with their time and money? And why should I be interested anyway? Human beings have already climbed the highest mountains, sailed across the oceans and flown around the world. Many of these things were done a long, long time ago. There just isn’t anything left to explore nowadays. I suppose there’s still a lot of the universe left, and the bottom of the ocean is still a bit of a mystery, but you need a lot of technology to explore areas like that. So, those people who feel the need for adventure can only do things that have been done before.
In May of this year a British man became the first person to walk alone from Canada to the North Pole. Personally, if I wanted to visit the Arctic, I’d rather go as a tourist on a cruise ship, with a helicopter trip to the North Pole included in the price. But OK, this man decided that he wanted to walk. The problem was that he went in the spring when the ice begins to melt and break up. So he got stuck on a longely piece of ice and a plane had to be sent in to rescue him.
These sorts of rescues are making many Australians angry with these record breakers. People trying to break sailing or rowing records get into trouble in the seas. So the Australian navy has to send ships to save them and this costs the government millions of dollars. I suppose we can’t just leave them to drown but we should give the bill to the people who are rescued.According to the author, the so-called record breakers .
| A．do not benefit other people at all |
| B．inspire people to continue exploring |
| C．are boring and should be stopped |
| D．are usually not wealthy enough |
We can infer from the second paragraph that .
| A．there are no high mountains for people to climb |
| B．nothing is left for people to explore in the universe |
| C．it’s beyond ordinary people to explore the unknown |
| D．human beings could fly around the world long ago |
Many Australians are angry because the record breakers .
| A．often get into trouble |
| B．never use a cruise ship or a helicopter |
| C．never pay their own costs |
| D．satisfy their needs at the cost of others’ interest |
What is the writer’s attitude towards the record breakers?
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uninterested. | D．Neutral（中立的）. |
Justin Young is a _______.
| A．TV reporter | B．popular singer | C．song writer | D．radio reporter |
Which song does NOT change its place this week?
| A．Are You There? | B．The Bees. | C．Say Cheese. | D．Perhaps. |
How many songs listed above are new this week?
A．One. |
B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．You can listen to Music Ground once a week. |
| B．Justin Young is talking about popular songs this week. |
| C．People can call in to listen to their favorite songs. |
| D．Stupid Machine is now in the radio station with OK Band. |
Recently a Beijing father sent in a question at an Internet forum (论坛) asking what “PK” meant.
“My family has been watching the ‘Super Girl’ singing competition TV programme. My little daughter asked me what ‘PK’ meant, but I had no idea,” explained the puzzled father.
To a lot of Chinese young people who have been playing games online, it is impossible not to know this term. In such Internet games, “PK” is short for “Player Kill”, in which two players fight until one ends the life of the other.
In the case of the “Super Girl” singing competition, “PK” was used to refer to the stage where two singers have to compete with each other for only one chance to go up in competition ranking (排名).
Like this father, Chinese teachers at high schools have also been finding their students’ compositions using Internet jargons which are difficult to understand. A high school teacher from Tianjin asked her students to write compositions with simple language, but they came up with a lot of Internet jargons that she didn’t understand.
“My ‘GG’ came back this summer from college. He told me I’ve grown up to be a ‘PLMM’. I loved to ‘FB’ with him together; he always took me to the ‘KPM’,” went one composition.
“GG” means Ge Ge (Chinese pinyin for brother). “PLMM” refers to Piao Liang Mei Mei (beautiful girl). “FB” means Fu Bai (corruption). “KPM” is short for KFC, Pizza Hut and McDonald’s.
Some specialists welcome Internet jargons as a new development in language.
If you do not even know what a Kong Long (dinosaur, referring to an ugly looking female) or a Qing Wa (frog, referring to an ugly looking male) is, you will possibly be regarded as a Cai Niao! By writing the article, the writer tries to ________.
| A．explain some Internet language | B．suggest common Internet language |
| C．laugh at the Beijing father | D．draw our attention to Internet language |
What does the writer think about the term “PK”?
| A．Fathers can’t possibly know it. | B．The daughter should understand it. |
| C．Online game players may know it. | D．“Super Girl” shouldn’t have used it. |
The examples of the Beijing father and the Tianjin teacher are used to show that Internet jargons ________.
| A．are used not only online | B．can be understood very well |
| C．are welcomed by all the people | D．cause trouble to our mother tongue |
The underlined word “jargons” probably means ________.
| A．expressions | B．phrases | C．letters | D．spellings |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A puzzled father | B．Do you speak Internet jargons? |
| C．Keep away from Internet jargons | D．Kong Long or Qing Wa? |
Having friends may well keep you healthier and help you deal with stress better. Some studies show that people with close friends have a greater ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
Make friendship a priority. Find the time to be with friends even if it means letting the grass in your garden uncut or the dishes unwashed for a while. When you can’t get together, use the phone to keep in touch.
Open up to close friends. Maintaining a deep friendship requires a level of “heartfelt” intimacy (亲密). Don’t be afraid to express your inner fears and disappointments. Listen to your friends when they have problems，but offer advice only when it’s wanted. Help raise friends’ self-esteem (自尊)when they are shaken by a job loss, or other such events.
Have different friends for different activities, such as going to the movies，singing in a choir，and joining in a bowling league.
Don’t wait for a friend to ask a favor. When a friend has the flu，offer to go to the store or drive his or her children to their afterschool activities.
Never take a friendship for granted. Like a good marriage，friendship needs care and patience. Become a joiner. Find a group that matches your interests.
Talk to strangers. Conversations started in museums, laundry rooms，or bookstores can lead to firm friendship.
Enroll in an adulteducation course. A classroom is an ideal place to meet others with similar interests. People with close friends have a ________ ability to fight disease than people who are alone.
| A．less | B．greater | C．poorer | D．little |
According to the passage，you’d better offer advice to your friends ________.
| A．at any moment | B．only when they are happy |
| C．only when they want it | D．only when you are glad |
How many things have been mentioned that we must pay attention to in the passage to have friends?
| A．3 | B．4 | C．6 | D．7 |
Which of the statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．You should have different friends for the same activities. |
| B．You should wait for a friend to ask a favor. |
| C．You should avoid talking with strangers in museums, laundry rooms, or bookstores. |
| D．You should never take a friendship for granted. |
The underlined word “enroll” in the last paragraph means________.
| A．give | B．join | C．get | D．catch |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes---khaki pants and sports shirt---to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” of “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.” David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because _______.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _______.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is false?
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
| D．All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is true?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned in the passage except _______.
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |
The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings had appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics.
Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen. We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．No stamps were printed in the first two White Olympics |
| B．The first stamps marking the opening came out for the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．The 3rd White Olympics was in the USA |
| D．The 3rd White Olympics were held in 1932 |
The world made it a rule to publish stamps to mark the great world games _____.
| A．after the year 1936 | B．after the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．before the 3rd White Olympics | D．before the year 1932 |
The Winter Olympics is held once _______.
| A．every two years | B．every three years |
| C．every four years | D．every five years |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| B．Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| C．All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| D．Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games |
What may appear on the stamps of the White Olympics?
| A．Basketball. | B．Table tennis. | C．Football. | D．Skating. |