Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth, but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. Both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values-not many children, different attitudes towards life, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people aware of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth _____.
| A．by educating its citizens |
| B．by careful family planning |
| C．by developing TV programmes |
| D．by chance |
What can you infer from the passage about many Third World countries ?
| A．They haven’t attached much importance to birth control. |
| B．They would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate. |
| C．They haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population. |
| D．They neglected the role of TV plays in family planning |
Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ______.
| A．they keep people sitting long hours watching TV |
| B．they have gradually changed people’s way of life |
| C．people are drawn to their attractive package |
| D．they popularize birth control measures |
You either have it , or you don’t –a sense of direction ,that is．But why is it that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map ,while others can lose themselves in the next street?
Scientists say we’re all born with a sense of direction ,but it is not property understood how it works．One theory is that people with a good sense of direction have simply worked harder at developing it．Research being carried out at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don’t use it．we lose it．
“Children as young as seven have the ability to find their way around．” says Jim Martland．Research Director of the project．“However if they are not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car ,they never develop the skills”
Jim Martland also emphasizes that young people should be taught certain skills to improve their sense of direction．He makes the following suggestions．
●If you are using a map ,turn it so it relates to the way you are facing．
●If you leave your bike in a strange place ,put it near something like a big stone or a tree．
Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike．When you return ,go back
along the same route
●Simplify the way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town,
streams ,or walls in the countryside to guide you．Count your steps so that you know how
far you have gone and note any landmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to
find out where you are．
Now you need never get lost again!
60．Scientists believe that．
A．some babies are born with a sense of direction
B．people learn a sense of direction as they grow older
C．people never lose their sense of direction
D．everybody posses a sense of direction from birth
61．What is true of seven-year-old children according to the passage?
A．They never have a sense of direction without maps．
B．They should never be allowed out alone if they lack a sense of direction．
C．They have a sense of direction and can find their way around．
D．They can develop a good sense of direction if they are driven around in a car．
62．If you leave your bike in a strange place ,you should．
A．tie it to a tree so as to prevent it from being stolen
B．draw a map of the route to help remember where it is
C．avoid taking the same route when you come back in it
D．remember something easily recognizable on the route
63．According to the passage the best way to find your way around is to．
A．ask policemen for directions
B．use walls．streams , and streets to guide yourself．
C．remember your route by looking out for steps and stairs．
D．count the number of landmarks that you see．
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone．Enter the Red Hat Society －a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun．
“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody．They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society．
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age．But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers(生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old．
If you take into consideration feminism(女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的)．In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple(紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing．
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple．With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998．When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention．
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper saiD．“Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves．” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful．“We’re a ladies’ play group．It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood．
56．The underlined word “chapter” in paragraph 2 means __________．
A．one branch of an organization B．a written agreement of a club
C．one part of a collection of poems D．a period in a society’s history
57．From the text , we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who．
A．have gradually become more noticeable
B．are worried about getting old too quickly
C．are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young
58．It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are．
A．interested in raising money for social work
B．programmers who can plan well for their future
C．believers in equality between men and women
D．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others
59．Who set up the Red Hat Society ?
A．Emily Cornette． B．Ellen Cooper．
C．Jenny Joseph． D．Joe Heywood．
Baths and bathing have been considered of an important medical therapy to man. In Greece there are the ruins of a bath tub and water system built over 3 000 years ago. The Romans had warm public baths. In some public baths as many 3 000 persons could bathe at the same time.
Treating diseases by bathing has been popular for centuries. Modern medical bathing, or hydrotherapy, first became popular in Europe and by the late 1 700’s also became popular in the United States.
For many years frequent bathing was believed to be bad for one’s health. Ordinary bathing just to be clean was avoided, and perfume(香水) was used to cover up body and smell.
By the 1 700’s doctors began to say that soap and water were good for health. They believed that it was good for people to be clean. Slowly, people began to bathe more frequently.
In the United States ordinary bathing was slow to become popular. During the 18th and early 19th centuries, many Americans were known as “the great unwashed”. In one American city, for example, a person could only take a bath every 30 days! That was a law.
Frequency of bathing today is partly a matter of habit. People know that bathing for cleanliness is important to health. Doctors know that dirty bodies increase that chance of disease.
Therefore in the United States people generally bathe often.
1．What does the word “hydrotherapy” underlined in the second paragraph refer to?
A．A bathing tub. B．Medical bathing.
C．Ordinary bathing. D．Warm public baths.
2．Until when did doctors believe that ordinary bathing was good for health?
A．Until the 16th century B．Until the 17th century.
C．Until the 18th century. D．Until the 19th century.
3．Where did the ordinary bathing first become popular according to the passage?
A．In Africa. B．In Europe.
C．In the USA. D．The passage doesn’t tell us.
4．Which of the following statements is not true?
A．Bathing was important to Greeks and Romans.
B．The Greek built water systems.
C．The Greek had warm public baths.
D．The Greek used bath tubs.
5．The passage is mainly about ______.
A．bathing in the USA
B．the good points and bad points of bathing
C．the history of bathing
D．the modern medical bathing
Now, it’s time for some brief news items.
Teens Go Online
Some 13 million European children under 18 use the Internet for schoolwork, games and music according to research done by Nielsen’s “Net-rating”. The study covered Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. Experts advesed parents to limit the time their kids on line and keep them away from chat rooms.
Chat to the magic Mum
British author J.K.Rowling, mother of magic boy Harry Potter, will do an Internet interview about her new bool”Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”on June 26. Before the event, children are invited to send their questions about Harry to the website. The book will hit stores in the US and UK on June 21 and will arrive in China in August.
School Soldiers
Russian school students will have to do basic military training in their final year of school, the government has decided．The lesson will include learning to fire guns, marching drills and how to deal with a chemical, nuclear or biological attack. The activity is seen as part of a drive toward the education of their love for their country.
Is it hard for you to get up early and get ready for classes? Some students at Winter Park High School just roll our of bed in their pajamas(睡衣) and go to class in their own bedrooms. Of course, their teachers and classmates do not see them because all their class work is on the computer. The Florida High School, the state’s only online school, had 250 students who are taking classed at home by computer. Students in this first online program take classed in algebra(代数)， American government , chemistry, computer, economics, and web-page design. They also have to go to regular school to attend other classes.
66．In the first news item, which country is NOT covered in the research?
A．Britain. B．France. C．Sweden. D．Spain.
67．Why will Russian school students have basic military training?
A．To get ready for a milirary parade. B．To learn to protect themselves.
C．To gain some military knowledge. D．To develop their love for the country.
68．About Florida High School, which of these facts is true?
A．Some of the students have to attend classed at home instead of in the school.
B．There are altogether 250 students who take classes in the classrooms.
C．As the state’s only online school, it has 250 students who take classes by computer.
D．Students can’t take classes in algebra, American government, chemistry, computer and so on.
69．The news from Florida can be given a title” ” .
A．Get up Lage B．Online School
C．Magical Computers D．No Teachers
70．What is the second news item mainly about?
A．J.K.Rowling will have an Internet interview.
B．Children will meet Harry Potter’s mother.
C．The Harry Potter book will be available on the Internet.
D．The Harry Potter book will arrive in China in early June.
New York State has passed the USA’s first state law banning motorists talking on hand-held cell phones. The ban will begin November 1, although drivers caught using hand-held cell phones will be given only warnings during the first month.
First-time violators(违法者) will face a ＄100 fine. A second time call for a ＄200 fine and every violation after that will cost＄500．
At least a dozen localities(地方) have established bans, starting in 1999; and 40 states have had bans proposed but not passed．At least 23 countries, including the Great Britain, Italy, Israel and Japan, ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones.
There are about 115 million cell phones in use in the United States and more than 6 million in New York State.
“To think that I’m not going to use cell phone when at the same time I can still use my laptop, I still can read a paper, I can still change my pants(裤子) while driving 65 mph. I think there’s just something wrong,” an official said．
Other critics noted that other things like eating, drinking coffee and applying make-up while driving posed(造成) at least as much of a concern. They suggested that the ban include a broader range of things.
1．How much fine will a hand-held cell phone user receive if he has been caught using it four times while driving after November?
A．$500． B．$1000． C．$1200． D．$1300．
2．We can see from this passage that _______.
A．the ban has been put into effect in most states in the U. S.
B．many of the developed countries forbid drivers using hand-held cell phones
C．over fifty localities or states ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones
D．more people in the U. S. are against the ban than for it
3．The official mentioned in this passage _______.
A．does not agree with this ban
B．doesn’t believe using hand-held cell phones while driving will cause any danger
C．doesn’t understand why hand-held cell phones alone should be banned among many others
D．believes changing pants while driving will cause greater danger
4．The writer intends to tell us in the last paragraph that _______.
A．it is not fair to have this ban passed
B．the ban will never be passed in the whole country
C．more activities of the same kind should also be banned
D．the ban will meet with more criticism
5．This article is most probably taken from_______.
A．a newspaper article B．an advertisement
C．a personal diary D．a letter