Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be. Places of business that used to keep daytime “business hours” are now open late into the night. And on the Internet, the hour of the day and the day of the week have become irrelevant. A half century ago in the United States, most people experienced strong and precise dividing lines between days of rest and days of work, school time and summer time. Today the boundaries still exist, but they seem not clear.
The law in almost all states used to require stores to close on Sunday; in most, it no longer does. It used to keep the schools open in all seasons except summer; in most, it still does. And whether the work week should strengthen its legal limits, or whether it should become more “flexible,” is often debated. How should we, as a society, organize our time? Should we go even further in relaxing the boundaries of time until we live in a world in which every minute is much like every other?
These are not easy questions even to ask. Part of the difficulty is that we rarely recognize the “law of time” even when we meet it face to face. We know as children that we have to attend school a certain number of hours, a certain number of days, a certain number of years — but unless we meet the truant officer （学监）, we may well think that we should go to school due to social custom and parents’ demand rather than to the law. As adults we are familiar with “extra pay for overtime working,” but less familiar with the fact that what constitutes （构成） “overtime” is a matter of legal definition. When we turn the clock forward to start daylight-saving time, have we ever thought to ourselves: “Here is the law in action”? As we shall see, there is a lot of law that has great influence on how we organize and use time: compulsory education law, overtime law, and daylight-saving law — as well as law about Sunday closing, holidays, being late to work, time zones, and so on. Once we begin to look for it, we will have no trouble finding a law of time to examine and assess.
. By saying “Sunday is more like Monday than it used to be”, the writer means that .
| A．work time is equal to rest time |
| B．many people have a day off on Monday |
| C．it is hard for people to decide when to rest |
| D．the line between work time and rest time is unclear |
The author raises the questions in Paragraph 2 to introduce the fact that people ________ .
| A．fail to make full use of their time | B．enjoy working overtime for extra pay |
| C．are unaware of the law of time | D．welcome flexible working hours |
According to the passage, most children tend to believe that they go to school because they ______.
| A．need to acquire knowledge | B．have to obey their parents |
C．need to find companions | D．have to observe the law |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph probably refers to ___
_____ .
| A．influence |
| B．overtime |
| C．a law of time |
| D．being late to work |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Our life is governed by the law of time. | |
| B．How to organize time is not worth debating. |
C．New ways of using time change our society. |
| D．Our time schedule is decided by social customs. |
阅读下面短文并回答问题，然后将答案写到答题卡相应的位置上（请注意问题后的词数要求）。
[1] Parents and educators battle over how much homework kids should have, and how often they should have it. This past school year, my eldest daughter's teacher did not assign too much homework, and often gave the kids extra time during class to get it done. Meanwhile, my daughter's dear friend — who attends the same school and is in the same grade — struggled nightly with her lengthy homework assignments. She had work to do every night, extra projects to complete, and assignments to complete over holiday break.
[2] So which was the lucky kid? Some might argue that my child was — she had more time to play, and spent less time stressing over assignments. Others might feel that my child was missing out on a key element of her education by not having what she was learning during the school day reinforced.
[3] To be honest, I'm not really sure which camp I'm in, but it's debates like this one that have sparked a homework revolution between parents and schools all over the country. A New York Times article reported that the school district in Galloway, N.J., is considering a proposal to limit weeknight homework to 10 minutes for each year of school — 20 minutes for second-graders, 30 minutes for third-graders, etc. — and ban assignments on weekends, holidays and school vacations. The school district in Pleasanton, Calif., is looking at a similar proposal. __________, other schools around the country are introducing homework-free holidays, no-homework nights, and goal-work — instead of homework — that can be completed throughout the school day.
[4] Most of these changes are in response to annoyed parents who see lengthy homework assignments competing with what little family time they have each day. The documentary "Race To Nowhere" spurred（激起）more debate by highlighting the unnecessary pressure on kids in today's educational system.What is the text mainly about? (no more than 8 words)
What sparked a homework revolution among parents and schools all over the country according to Paragraph 3? (no more than 5 words)
Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 5 words)
What’s the parents’ attitude towards too much homework according to the last paragraph? (no more than 4 words)
What does the underlined word (Line 3, Paragraph 1) probably refer to? (no more than 3 words)
Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body.
Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods. When we cook foods, we destroy the natural enzymes (酶) that are part of the food in its raw form. These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food. When we consume food without these natural enzymes, our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream. In both instances, the result is obesity. When too many nutrients are absorbed at once, the body grows fat. Improperly digested food moves slowly through the digestive tract, where it becomes increasingly acidic. To protect its vital organs from this acidic waste, the body changes the acid into fat and stores it safely away from the organs.
Processed foods contain chemical elements, which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat; as a result, people often overeat. Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle. The body will either identify these foods as allergens and then store them safely away from the organs as fat, or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste, which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body’s cells. The body’s metabolism (新陈代谢) becomes inactive, and the result is weight gain and obesity.
The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion increasingly inefficient. When that happens, even healthy foods can become acidic and the food allergies will become more common.
To stop this vicious（恶性的） circle in its tracks, people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize the acid already accumulated in body. Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help. It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance. You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production. If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself, you need to take an active approach.It can be inferred from Para. 2 that __________.
| A．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs |
| B．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods |
| C．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit |
| D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle |
Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.
| A．destroy body’s cells | B．may lead to obesity |
| C．are difficult to digest | D．stop body’s metabolism |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To warn people of the problem of obesity. |
| B．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods. |
| C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods. |
| D．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods. |
What is likely to be talked about following the last paragraph?
| A．Suitable types of raw and whole foods. |
| B．Different causes of acid accumulation |
| C．Correct ways to cook raw foods. |
| D．Active approaches to avoid acid. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Processed foods are good for our appetite mechanism. |
| B．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods does good to our body. |
| C．The accumulation of acid in the digestive tract makes digestion more effective. |
| D．Processed foods also comfort the digestive tract. |
Babies understand what their mothers say, even when they speak a language their children have never heard before, scientists claim.
The researchers found that one-year-olds reacted in exactly same way to their mothers’ voices regardless of whether they were speaking English or Greek, showing what mothers have long known – that babies pick up on tone of voice rather than the words themselves.
The researchers, from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, observed babies as they watched their mothers perform actions with toys using the English words “whoops” and “there”. The scientists studied reactions from one-year-old babies to their mums’ voices even when they were speaking both English and Greek, and keeping the same tone of voice. The academics found that babies reproduced the same reactions regardless of whether they knew the language.
Study leader Dr Merideth Gattis of Cardiff University’s School of Psychology says, “What this work showed was that children could have access to understanding simply through tone of voice. We did ‘whoops’ and ‘there’ in two languages and got exactly the same results.” The research, published in the journal Cognitive Development, was conducted on 84 babies aged between 14 and 18 months, over the course of a year, with none of the babies having any previous exposure to Greek.
Dr Gattis says that children respond to tone clues in their parents’ voices from an early age.
She says, “Tone of voice is a really useful signal of what someone is thinking. We never have direct access to other people’s minds, except the signals in language that they give out.” She says the study shows that it is less important what parents say than how they say it.
Dr Gattis adds, “A child may ask if you like his / her drawing, for example. You might say yes, but if you don’t sound enthusiastic, the meaning may not get across.” Before children begin to speak, parents should use exaggerated tone when speaking to them.According to the text, what have mothers long-known?
| A．Babies have a better understanding of English. |
| B．Babies pick up on tone of voice. |
| C．Babies like their mothers’ performances. |
| D．Babies like drawing from an early age. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the study?
| A．Tone of voice is the most useful sign of what someone is thinking. |
| B．After children begin to speak, tone becomes unimportant. |
| C．The babies acted the same way regardless of the language. |
| D．The research was conducted on 48 babies. |
According to the text, Dr. Gattis believes that _________.
| A．we have no access to other people’s minds |
| B．babies can’t understand what “yes” means |
| C．parents should always sound enthusiastic |
| D．how a parent speaks is more important than what he or she says |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．The content of the journal Cognitive Development. |
| B．The famous works of Dr. Gattis. |
| C．Babies understanding their mothers through tone. |
| D．Babies having the potential to learn language well. |
The text can be classified as _________.
| A．a report | B．an advertisement | C．a handbook | D．a guide |
Apple Seeds
Circulation(发行量) : 1 Year, 9 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55
Price For You: $33.95
Product Description: Apple Seeds is an award winning magazine filled with stories for kids aged from 7 to 9. The cover is very soft, providing durability（耐用性） that allows each issue to be enjoyed for many years to come. Besides, there is a big surprise for you --- it’s being sold at a more favorable discount than usual.
Better Life
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $44.55
Price For You: $15.00
Product Description: Designed for those who have a strong interest in personal lifestyle, Better Life is America’s complete home and family service magazine. It offers help with food, recipes, decorating, building, gardening, family health, money management, and education.
Humor Times
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $36.00
Price For You: $11.95
Product Description: Humor Times Magazine is for those who love to laugh! Full of cartoons and humor columns, it shows up in your mailbox once a month and keeps you smiling all year round! In today’s world, you need a reason to laugh. So let’s find it in Humor Times.
News China
Circulation: 1 Year, 12 Issues
Cover Price: $47.88
Price For You: $19.99
Product Description: News China Magazine is the English edition of China Newsweek. The magazine covers the latest Chinese domestic news in politics, business, society, environment, culture, sports and travels, etc. It is the first comprehensive news magazine for readers interested in China.What do we know about Apple Seeds?
| A．The magazine is going to surprise you for many years. |
| B．It can be purchased as an award for your children. |
| C．It offers the biggest discount among all the magazines. |
| D．The soft cover enables it to be read and kept long. |
Tom wants to beautify his house, so he may choose _________ .
| A．Apple Seeds | B．Humor Times | C．Better Life | D． News China |
What kind of people may buy News China?
| A．People who have an interest in Personal lifestyle of the Chinese. |
| B．People who are interested in China’s politics, business and culture. |
| C．People who want to enlarge the knowledge of their kids. |
| D．People who have a strong sense of humor and love to laugh. |
Which magazine provides the biggest discount if you buy it for the whole year?
| A．Better Life | B．Apple Seeds | C．Humor Times | D． News China |
Which magazine may best help relieve your work stress?
| A．Apple Seeds | B．Better Life | C．Humor Times | D． News China |
Once upon a time, a man was walking on a mountain when he found an incredible cave with all kinds of treasure inside it. So he gave up his job, his home, and his friends, and spent all his time guarding the cave.
He was so dedicated to it that he hardly ate or drank, and before long he fell ill. One day, when he could hardly move at all, he decided to share the treasure.
He crawled（爬）into the cave to get a handful of jewels, but discovered, to his horror, that it was empty except for a small emerald（绿宝石）. The man took it, and gave it to the first person he came by, a woman.
Then an old man came by. “What bad luck!” the man said. “Just a moment ago I gave a woman the last of the treasure I was guarding.”
“Are you sure there is nothing left?” the old man asked.
The man took him into the cave, where they found a chest with jewels and some bags of gold. The man was shocked, and the old man explained to him, “At last! At last someone has broken the spell（咒语）of this cave. This is the Cave of Treasure, and you’re the first to have passed its great test. Many have dedicated their lives to this cave, only to end up realizing there was nothing here…”
“And why does this happen?” the man asked.
“This magic cave has only as many riches as your own heart. When someone discovers it, the cave is filled with treasure, but later, when they have devoted themselves to guarding the treasure, their hearts empty, as does the cave. The only way to fill it is by filling your heart with all that is good, as you did by giving the woman that last jewel.”
From that day on, the man understood that it was better to share than to keep. Thanks to the cave and the old man, he became noble and generous.Why did the man give up his job, home and friends?
| A．Because he possessed a variety of treasure. |
| B．Because he had to guard the treasure cave. |
| C．Because he wanted to find the treasure cave. |
| D．Because he devoted himself to a great test. |
What did the man find when he showed his cave to the old man?
| A．A small emerald. | B．A handful of jewels. |
| C．All kinds of treasure. | D．A chest filled with jewels and some gold. |
What do we know about the people who dedicated their lives to the cave before?
| A．They all found the cave empty at last. |
| B．The old man freed them from its spell. |
| C．They all filled the cave with the treasure they had. |
| D．They thought it was better to share than to enjoy the treasure alone. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．The old man had devoted himself to it before. |
| B．The old man was the first to break the spell. |
| C．Only the old man could free people from its spell. |
| D．The cave and the old man helped the man become noble and generous. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Purely material things cannot make us truly wealthy. |
| B．Different people have different views. |
| C．Treasure only belongs to those who possess it. |
| D．Some people never learn what is really valuable. |