I think it was my mother who taught me the meaning of honesty. Not because she actually was honest, but because she lied all the time. She felt that the easiest way out of any given situation was generally the best way out. And, for her, that generally meant telling a “little white lie.” As a young child I thought it was kind of cool. And, naturally, when I would come to her with a concern or question wondering what I should do, she generally advised me to lie.
“Mom, I told Theresa that I would go over to her house, but now I would rather go to Sue’s house to play.”
“Tell Theresa you’re sick,” she would advise. And generally I did. But I didn’t seem blessed with her lack of conscience. On many painful occasions Theresa would find out that I really went to Sue’s house without her. These occasions taught me that it is more painful to be caught in a lie than it is to tell the truth in the first place. I wondered how it was possible that my mother had never learned that lesson.
I started thinking of all the lies that I’d heard her tell. I remembered the time she told someone that her favorite restaurant had closed, because she didn’t want to see them there anymore. Or the time she told Dad that she loved the lawn-mower he gave her for her birthday. Or when she claimed that our phone lines had been down when she was trying to explain why she hadn’t been in touch with a friend of hers for weeks. And what bothered me even more were all the times she had involved me into her lies. Like the time she told my guidance counselor that I had to miss school for exploratory surgery, when she really needed me to babysit. And it even started to bother me when someone would call for her and she would ask me to tell them that she wasn’t there.
So, I started my own personal fight against her dishonesty. When I answered the phone and it was someone my mother didn’t want to talk to, I said, “Louise, mom is here, but she doesn’t want to talk to you.” The first time I did it, she punished me, but I refused to apologize. I told her that I had decided that it was wrong to lie. And the next time it happened I did the same thing. Finally, she approached me and said, “I agree that lying is not the best thing to do, but we need to find a way to be honest without being rude.” She admitted that her methods weren’t right, and I admitted that mine were a bit too extreme.
Over the past few years, the two of us have worked together to be honest—and yet kind. Honesty should mean more than not lying. It should mean speaking the truth in kindness. Though I started by trying to teach my mom the importance of honesty, I ended up gaining a deeper understanding of the meaning of the term. The author’s mother __________.
| A．thought white lies were not lies |
| B．helped the author get out of trouble with white lies |
| C．told the author to lie when in trouble |
| D．taught the author the importance of being honest |
The author __________.
| A．was thankful to her mother’s advice |
| B．felt more awkward when being caught lying |
| C．found that telling the truth hurt more than telling a lie |
| D．felt guilty when hurting people with her honesty |
It can be inferred that the author’s mother __________.
| A．met her friends in the same restaurant regularly |
| B．didn’t get along with the author’s teachers |
| C．was not popular among her friends |
| D．wanted to have something else for her birthday |
Finally the author and her mother agreed that __________.
| A．kind-heartedness is more important than honesty |
| B．appropriate methods are the key to telling a good lie |
| C．honesty is defined as kindness as well as truthfulness |
| D．absolute honesty is basic to good interpersonal relationships |
People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed．Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads．Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs．But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works．
Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together．So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another –traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties．This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options．
The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre．Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police．So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round．When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour noise hotline to be the first part of call for all complaints．
The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners．This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy and money．Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer （缓冲） zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas．
But there are obvious conflicts．Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night．Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don't’ want the problem of road noise．
I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change．There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycle ways and footpaths, even charges for road use．Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances．It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated （减轻） if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings．According to the recent public meeting in Brisbane, what was the first step to take in order to reduce noise pollution?
| A．Produce quieter air conditioners． |
| B．Provide better sound barriers around major roads． |
| C．Establish a noise complaints system． |
| D．Make stricter laws to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs． |
It can be inferred from the passage that _______．
| A．the Brisbane residents were satisfied with the present noise regulatory system |
| B．many people in Brisbane preferred to live near a pub to which they have easy access |
| C．nearly all the inhabitants in Brisbane were bothered by noise in one form or another |
| D．noise pollution is the most serious among pollution complaints in Brisbane |
What does the word “run-round” （Para．3） mean?
| A．Unfair treatment． |
| B．Quick response． |
| C．Delaying action in response to a request． |
| D．Full attention． |
How could noise from building sites be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving?
| A．If daylight saving was adopted, the daytime would be prolonged and the night would become quieter． |
| B．If daylight saving was adopted, the working hours during the daytime would be shortened while the night would be extended and thus quieter． |
| C．If daylight saving was adopted, the night would be shortened and thus quieter． |
| D．If daylight saving was adopted, both the daytime and the night would be shortened and the noise would be reduced． |
What was the author’s attitude towards the industry awards for quieter equipment?
| A．Suspicious． | B．Positive． |
| C．Enthusiastic． | D．Indifferent． |
Are morning people born or made? In my case it was definitely made．In my early 20s, I rarely went to bed before midnight, and I would almost always get up late the next morning．
But after a while I couldn’t ignore the high relationship between success and rising early．On those rare occasions when I did get up early, I noticed that my productivity was almost always higher．So I set out to become a habitual early riser．But whenever my alarm went off, my first thought was always to stop that noise and go back to sleep．Eventually some sleep research showed me that I was using the wrong strategy．
The most common wrong strategy is this: you assume that if you’re going to get up earlier, you’d better go to bed earlier．It sounds very reasonable, but will usually fail．
There are two main schools（流派） of thought on sleep patterns．The first is that you should go to bed and get up at the same time every day．The second school says you should go to bed when you’re tired and get up when you naturally wake up．However, I have found both of them are wrong if you care about productivity．If you sleep at set hours, you’ll sometimes go to bed when you aren’t sleepy enough．You’re wasting time lying in bed awake and not being asleep．
If your sleep is based on what your body tells you, you’ll probably be sleeping more than you need．Also, your mornings may be less predictable if you’re getting up at different times．
The solution for me has been to combine both methods．I go to bed when I’m sleepy and get up with an alarm clock at a fixed time．So I always get up at the same time （in my case 5 am）, but I go to bed at different times every night — sometimes at 9:30pm, and other times at midnight．Most of the time I go to bed between 10-11 pm．
However, going to bed only when I’m sleepy, and getting up at a fixed time every morning is my way．If you want to become an early riser, you can try your own．According to the passage, the underlined phrase refers to ________．
| A．people who stay up until the next morning |
| B．people who feel sleepy in the morning |
| C．people who get up early in the morning |
| D．people whose productivity is the highest in the morning |
Why did the author want to become a habitual early riser?
| A．Because he / she wanted to form the habit of going to bed early and getting up early． |
| B．Because he / she wanted to see which of the two main schools of thought on sleep patterns was right． |
| C．Because he / she had found that his / her productivity was higher when he / she got up early． |
| D．Because he / she was told the high relationship between success and rising early． |
The passage is mainly about ________．
| A．how to have good sleep |
| B．how to become an early riser |
| C．wrong strategies for getting up early |
| D．main schools of thought on sleep patterns |
How should one invest a sum of money in these clays of inflation （通货膨胀）? Left in a bank it will hardly keep its value, however high the interest rate．Only a brave man, or a very rich one, dares to buy and sell on the Stock Market．Today it seems that one of the best ways to protect your savings, and even increase your wealth is to buy beautiful objects from the past．Here I am going to offer some advice on collecting antique clocks, which I personally consider are among the most interesting of antiques．
I sometimes wonder what a being from another planet might report back about our way of life．"The planet Earth is ruled by a mysterious creature that sits or stands in a room and makes a strange ticking sound．It has a face with twelve black marks and two hands．Men can do nothing without its permission, and it fastens its young round people's wrists so that everywhere men go they are still under its control．This creature is the real master of Earth and men are its slaves．"
Whether or not we are slaves of time today depends on our culture and personality, but it is believed that many years ago kings kept special slaves to tell the time．Certain men were very clever at measuring the time of clay according to the beating of their own hearts．They were made to stand in a fixed place and every hour or so would shout the time．So it seems that the first clocks were human beings．
However, men quickly found more convenient and reliable ways of telling the time．They learned to use the shadows cast by the sun．They marked the hours on candles, used sand in hour- glasses, and invented water-clocks．Indeed, any serious student of antique should spend as much time as possible visiting palaces, stately homes and museums to see some of the finest examples of clocks from the past．
Antique clocks could be very expensive, but one of the joys of collecting clocks is that it is still possible to find quite cheap ones for your own home．After all, if you are going to be ruled by time, why not invest in an antique clock and perhaps make a future profit?According to the passage, collecting antique clocks____．
| A．can hardly keep the value of your savings |
| B．will cost much of your savings |
| C．may increase your wealth |
| D．needs your bravery |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way to measure the time?
| A．Counting the beating of one's own heart． |
| B．Making use of candles, sand and water． |
| C．Observing shadows cast by the sun． |
| D．Keeping slaves busy day and night． |
The underlined phrase stately homes in paragraph 4 means
| A．state-owned houses |
| B．houses in very good condition |
| C．grand houses open to the public |
| D．houses where statesmen meet regularly |
As any homemaker who has tried to keep order at the dinner table knows, there is far more to a family meal than food．Sociologist Michael Lewis has been studying 50 families to find out just how much more． Lewis and his co-workers carried out their study by videotaping（录像） the families while they ate ordinary meals in their own homes．They found that parents with small families talk actively with each other and their children．But as the number of children gets larger, conversation gives way to the parents’ efforts to control the loud noise they make．That can have an important effect on the children．“In general the more question-asking the parents do, the higher the children’s IQ scores,” Lewis says．“And the more children there are, the less question-asking there is．”
The study also provides an explanation for why middle children often seem to have a harder time in life than their siblings（兄弟姐妹）．Lewis found that in families with three or four children, dinner conversation is likely to center on the oldest child, who has the most to talk about, and the youngest, who needs the most attention．“Middle children are invisible,” says Lewis．“When you see someone get up from the table and walk around during dinner, chances are it’s the middle child．” There is, however, one thing that stops all conversation and prevents anyone from having attention: “When the TV is on,” Lewis says, “dinner is a non-event．”The writer’s purpose in writing the text is to ______．
| A．show the relationship between parents and children |
| B．teach parents ways to keep order at the dinner table |
| C．report on the findings of a study |
| D．give information about family problems |
Parents with large families ask fewer questions at dinner because ______．
| A．they are busy serving food to their children |
| B．they are busy keeping order at the dinner table |
| C．they have to pay more attention to younger children |
| D．they are tired out having prepared food for the whole family |
By saying “Middle children are invisible” in paragraph 3, Lewis means that middle children ______．
| A．have to help their parents to serve dinner |
| B．get the least attention from the family |
| C．are often kept away from the dinner table |
| D．find it hard to keep up with other children |
Which of the following statements would the writer agree to?
| A．It is important to have the right food for children． |
| B．It is a good idea to have the TV on during dinner． |
| C．Parents should talk to each of their children frequently． |
| D．Elder children should help the younger ones at dinner |
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775, and died on July 18, 1817．She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously （匿名）But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath’s many famous local people and visitors．She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806, Bath was her home．Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath．The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels．Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen’s Bath can be enhanced （增强）by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street．Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen’s time and the importance of Bath in her life and work．The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society．After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts．Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy．
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen’s Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath．The tour lasts about one and a half hours．The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped．Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath________．
| A．in her early twenties | B．in her early teens |
| C．in her late twenties | D．in her late teens |
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
| A．Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen’s death． |
| B．The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it． |
| C．Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen’s time． |
| D．No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen’s time． |
The author writes this passage in order to________．
| A．attract readers to visit the city of Bath |
| B．ask readers to buy Austen’s books |
| C．tell readers about Jane Austen’s experience |
| D．give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society |
It takes you about one and a half hours________．
| A．to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street |
| B．to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts |
| C．to find a guide to take you to the Centre |
| D．to look around the city of Bath on foot |