Most Americans believe that someone isn’t grown-up until the age of 26 and they should complete their education, have a full-time job, have a family to support and be financially independent. They also believe that becoming a real grown-up is a process which begins at about the age of 20 and takes about five years, according to the report from the University of Chicago’s National Opinion Research Center.
The findings are based on a representative sample of 1,398 people over the age of 18 who were surveyed in person. The survey found that people expect the transitions to grown-up status to be completed at the following ages: age 20.9 self-supporting; age 21.1 no longer living with parents; age 21.2 having a full-time job; age 22.3 education completed; age 24.5 being able to support a family financially; age 25.7 getting married; and age 26.2 having a child.
“There is a large degree of agreement across social groups on the relative importance of the seven transitions,” said Tom Smith, director of the survey. The only obvious pattern of differences is on views about supporting a family, having children and getting married. Older adults consider these more important than younger adults do. This probably shows in large part a change in values across generations away from traditional family values. The most valued step toward reaching adulthood, the survey found, is completing education, followed by full-time employment, supporting a family, financial independence, living independently, and marriage.According to the first paragraph, someone is a grown-up when he _______.
| A．has found a full-time job |
| B．has finished his study in university |
| C．can make money and support himself after completing his education |
| D．can support a family and be financially independent after graduation |
A young man of 24 may be busy ________.
| A．finding a job | B．finding a girl friend |
| C．making money | D．preparing for his wedding |
The underlined word “status” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．position | B．rank | C．level | D．situation |
From the passage, we learn that _________.
| A．being grown-up is just a matter of age |
| B．being grown-up is a process which takes some time |
| C．all people think completing education means being grown-up |
| D．the survey found everyone had a different view about being grown-up |
The best title for the passage should be “________”
| A．It takes a long time to grown up. |
| B．Are we grown-up yet? |
| C．Getting married means being grown-up. |
| D．Completing education means being grown-up. |
Shopping for clothes is not the same experience for a man as it is for a woman. A man goes shopping because he needs something. His purpose is settled and decided in advance. He knows what he wants, and his objective is to find it and buy it; the price is a secondary consideration. All men simply walk into a shop and ask the assistant for what they want. If the shop has it in stock, the salesman promptly produces it, and the business of trying it on goes forward at once. All being well, the deal can be and often is completed in less than five minutes, with hardly any chat and to everyone's satisfaction. For a man, slight problems may begin when the shop does not have what he wants, or does not have exactly what he wants. In that case the salesman, as the name implies, tries to sell the customer something else, he offers the nearest he can to the article required. No good salesman brings out such a substitute without least consideration; he does so with skill and polish（完美）: “I know this jacket is not the style you want, sir, but would you like to try it for size. It happens to be the color you mentioned." Few men have patience with this treatment, and the usual response is: “This is the right color and may be the right size but I should be wasting my time and yours by trying it on.
Now how does a woman go about buying clothes? In almost every respect she does so in the opposite way. Her shopping is not often based on need. She has never fully made up her mind what she wants, and she is only “having a look round". She is always open to persuasion: indeed she sets great store by what the saleswoman tells her, even by what companions tell her. She will try on any number of things. Uppermost in her mind is the thought of finding something that everyone thinks suits her. Contrary to a lot of jokes, most women have an excellent sense of value when they buy clothes. They are always on the lookout for the unexpected bargain. Faced with a roomful of dresses, a woman may easily spend an hour going from one rail to another, to and fro often retracing her steps, before selecting the dresses she wants to try on. It is a tiresome process, but apparently an enjoyable one. Most dress shops provide chairs for the waiting husbands.According to the passage, a man’s shopping is based on _______.
| A．his money | B．his hobbies |
| C．his need | D．his friends |
Why does a lady welcome suggestions from anyone while buying a dress?
| A．Because she wants to buy a dress that every one thinks suits her. |
| B．Because she doesn’t know how to buy a dress. |
| C．Because she doesn’t know whether to buy it or not. |
| D．Because she wants to show herself off in public. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Most men have patience with trying it on while buying a jacket. |
| B．Most women have a poor sense of value when buying a dress. |
| C．A woman’s shopping is based on her need. |
| D．A man doesn’t pay much attention to the price of the clothes he wants to buy. |
The passage mainly talks about the ______ between men shoppers and women shoppers for clothes.
| A．similarities | B．differences |
| C．varieties | D．Intentions |
Babysitter(保姆) Wanted
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then other times as needed. He or she should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have some experience in caring for babies. This position also suits a college student with experience looking for a part-time job. The pay is $10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good job to you, please reply to rebecharv@aol.com or call 800-4964.
Office Manager Wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time experienced manager to run the business. Strong skills in organization and business management are required for this position. The office manager will be responsible for keeping financial (财务的) records, so he or she should be familiar with computers.
Please reply to jim@californiaaquatics.com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress Wanted
A restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter / waitress. Knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics (基本要素) of fine dining and customer service.
Reply to:job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org to apply.
This is a part-time job.
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for a Part-time job? A position in the Mississauga area needs an office cleaner! Part-time 4 hours a day from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm.
Duties include:
●Cleaning the washrooms
●Cleaning the furniture
●Sweeping the floors
●Other general cleaning experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour
Reply to:job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org or call 800-8197.Which of the following position is a full-time job?
| A．Babysitter. | B．Office manager. |
| C．Waiter / waitress. | D．Office cleaner. |
If a college girl with some experience caring for children wants to apply for a job, where should she send an email?
| A．job-p3b7u-1365632206@craigslist.org |
| B．job-tkupe-1329358152@craigslist.org |
| C．jim@californiaaquatics.com |
| D．rebecharv@aol.com |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The office cleaner has to work three hours each day. |
| B．One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone. |
| C．A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour. |
| D．Experience is necessary for all these four jobs. |
Which of the following is necessary for a waiter / waitress?
| A．Being familiar with computers. |
| B．Having knowledge of wines. |
| C．Knowing more about menus. |
| D．Working well with others. |
阅读下列列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出最佳选项。并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑．
I was twenty-two, and in Bolivia. I’d been to every other country in South America, and now I was set on getting into Chile, the last on the list.
After several days, I reached the hills. It was cold, and even the distant mountains were clear. The days were lonely, but one evening I met Filomeno and his fellow teachers. They tried to persuade me not to go to Chile, saying it was a bad place, and that I would be killed. I didn’t believe them. I knew nothing of the current politics; I just wanted to go there.
So I walked into the mountains, feeling excited, and came to a sign with the word "Chile" on it. A frightening soldier appeared, stuck a gun in my back, and pushed me down a slope to the police station. The police chief then told me, "There’s nothing for you here." I explained that I had come to see this beautiful country. But he was annoyed.
In the evening they filled me with food. There was laughter, and I was less tense. Then the police chief took me to a tiny cell. I lay down on the mattress (垫子). Even though I had no light and none of my possessions, I felt euphoric. At least I had arrived! And what a story I’d have to tell! The next morning I was released, and I was told that Chile didn’t want me. Throwing my belongings into my backpack, I shouted and screamed at the soldiers. After all this effort I was being sent home! I stomped (以重踏步方式走) towards Bolivia expecting to feel a bullet. But I’d be back! I told myself.The author went to Chile to ______.
| A．visit his friend Filomeno | B．settle there forever |
| C．complete his trip plan | D．risk his life |
The underlined word "euphoric" in Paragraph 4 most probably means "______".
| A．terrible | B．shamed | C．bored | D．excited |
According to the last paragraph, the author lost his temper because ______.
| A．he was prevented from entering Chile |
| B．he was badly treated by the soldiers in Chile |
| C．it was his last chance to travel |
| D．his friends had stopped him from going to Chile |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．An exciting fight with soldiers in Chile. |
| B．How the author escaped from Chile. |
| C．An adventure in Chile. |
| D．Why the author went to Chile. |
The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place. Now it is an ecological disaster area. Nauru's heartbreaking story could have one good consequence-other countries might learn from its mistakes.
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization. The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798. He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship. He called the island Pleasant Island.
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first. The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol. These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island. A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900.
Nauru's real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate(磷酸盐)on the island. In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming. The company began mining the phosphate.
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine. When a company strip-mines, it removes the top player of soil. Then it takes away the material it wants. Strip mining totally destroys the land. Gradually, the lovely island or Nauru started to look like the moon.
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world. Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate.
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars. In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses. Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem—their phosphate was running out. Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing. By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined. Experts say that it would take approximately$433, 600, 000 and more than 20 years to repair the island. This will probably never happen.What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?
| A．Rich and powerful] |
| B．Modern and open |
| C．Peaceful and attractive |
| D．Greedy and aggressive |
The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from .
| A．soil pollution |
| B．phosphate overmining |
| C．farming activity |
| D．whale hunting |
Which of the following was a cause of Nauru's financial problem?
| A．Its leaders misused the money |
| B．It spent too much repairing the island |
| C．Its phosphate mining cost much money |
| D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war. |
What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?
| A．The leaders will take the experts' words seriously |
| B．The phosphate mines were destroyed |
| C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans |
| D．The ecological damage is difficult to repair. |
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 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．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit |
| B．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods |
| C．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs |
| D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle |
Processed foods are unhealthy because they __________.
| A．destroy body’s cells |
| B．stop body’s metabolism |
| C．may lead to obesity |
| D．are difficult to digest |
What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To warn people of the problem of obesity |
| B．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods. |
| C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods. |
| D．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods. |
The underline word “vicious” in the last paragraph probably means ____________.
| A．violent |
| B．progressive |
| C．positive |
| D．harmful |