While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruiningg their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, certainly share their disappointment : my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we two are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story is disappointed that he can’t afford to get a Ph. D in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be increasing, Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(经济衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful---for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day---than on longing for some kind of luxury life. . What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
| A．They expect everything to be easy for them. |
| B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans. |
| C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges. |
| D．They are burdened by student loans. |
. The underlined word “fertility” in paragraph 3 probably means“_____”.
| A．baby production | B．pleasant | C．baby comfort | D．comfortable |
. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the complaints of the 20-somethings?
| A．They can’t have children for at least a decade a decade to buy a house. |
| B．They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in. |
| C．They can’t buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans. |
| D．They despair at not being able to afford a PH. D in literature. |
. What’s the Kobliner’s attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations?
| A．Unbearable | B．Opposite | C．Doubtful | D．Understanding |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Young people afford to continue their study |
| B．Young people can’t afford to buy a house |
| C．Young people’s high hopes create despair |
| D．The 20-somethings’ high expectations |
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
Many people have discovered that hobbies can be profitable as well as fun. Some people have such fine collections of bottles, flags, buttons or shells that others are willing to pay to see them or they offer to buy their collections for large sums of money.
Some of the best collections are owned by people who started their hobbies as young boys or girls. Some of the things that American children like to collect are stamps and dolls. Older people also save stamps, but they collect coins and things made of glass more often than dolls.
Painting, writing and taking photographs are the best examples of hobbies that may become occupations. Every writer, artist and photographer probably started as a hobbyist before becoming a professional.Other hobbies that could be profitable include cooking, sewing and making things out of wood.
Many doctors believe that hobbies help to make our lives more enjoyable. They believe that people who raise fish or collect recorders are too busy to spend their time worrying. Doctors also think that an active person, such as a baseball player, should have a restful hobby such as reading, while a person who sits at a desk all day should have lively hobbies such as tennis, golf or swimming. Most people in the United States agree with the doctor. It is difficult to find an Am
erican who does not have a favorite hobby.
1 The underlined word “occupations”(paragraph3) can be replaced by _______.
A. lives B. jobs C. collections D. things
2 Doctors believe that people who have hobbies _______.
A. worry too much about themselves B. are very busy in their lives
C. don’t have time to worry D. work busily in their business
3. Almost everyone in the United States_______.
A. starts his hobby during his childhood
B. has a favorite hobby
C. spends a lot of money on the lively hobby
D. follows the doctors’ advice to have a hobby
4. What can we learn from the text ?
A. Hobbies can cause us a lot of trouble .
B. Football players should have lively hobbies
C. All of the people started their hobbies from childhood.
D. A writer should have tennis , golf or swimming as his hobbies.
“Life is speeding up. Everyone is getting unwell.”
This may sound like something someone would say today. But in fact, an unknown citizen who lived in Rome in AD 52 wrote it.
We all love new inventions. They are exciting, amazing and can even change our lives.
But have all these developments really improve the quality of our lives?
Picture this: You’re rushing to finish your homework on the computer. Your mobile phone rings, a QQ message from your friend appears on the screen, the noise from the television is getting louder and louder. Suddenly the computer goes blank and you lose all your work. Now you have to stay up all night to get it done. How calm and happy do you feel?
Inventions have speeded up our lives so much that they often leave us feeling stressed and tired. Why do you think people who live far away from noisy cities, who have not telephones, no cars, not even any electricity often seem to be happier? Perhaps because they lead simpler lives.
One family in the UK went “back in time” to see what life was like without all the inventions we have today. The grandparents, with their daughter, and grandsons Benjamin, 10, and Tomas, 7, spent nine weeks in a 1940s house. They had no washing machine, microwave, computer or mobile phones.
The grandmother, Lyn, said, “It was hard physically, but not mentally.” She believed life was less materialistic. “The more things you have, the more difficult life becomes,” She said. The boys said they fought less to fight over, such as their computer. Benjamin also noticed that his grandmother had changed from being a “trendy（时髦的）, beer-drinking granny, to one who cooked things.”
Here are some simple ways to beat the stress often caused by our inventions!
Don’t be available all the time. Turn off your mobile phone at certain times of the day. Don’t check your e-mail every day.
Don’t reply to somebody as soon as they leave a text message just because you can. It may be fun at first, but it soon gets annoying.
1．The passage is mainly about________.
A．problem with technology
B．improvements of our life with technology
C．the important roles technology plays in our everyday life
D．major changes which will be likely to happen to technology
2．The writer quoted（引用） what a citizen in ancient Rome said at the beginning of the story in order to___________.
A．share a truth about life
B．tell us what life was like long time ago
C．make us wonder what causes such a thing to happen
D．point out that you experience some big problems and they may be the same
3．Why did the family choose to spend some time in a 1940’s house? Because________.
A．they liked to live simple lives
B．they were curious about how people lived without modern inventions
C．they were troubled by modern inventions
D．living in a different time would be a lot of fun for them
4．What do you think the underlined word “available” in the first suggestion offered by the writer mean?
A．Busy on line. B．Free C．Be able to. D．Be found by others.
After the September 11 terrorist attacks, some high schools in America wanted the students to pledge allegiance（宣誓效忠） to the flag. Is it necessary or not? Let’s see how the kids think of this requirement.
Lea Mouallem, Marymount High School
I believe that saying the Pledge of Allegiance is a way of reminding our country that no matter what happens, we are united. I don’t think our president wants us to go and join the army now, but he wants to tell us that we will be able to overcome the disaster as a whole nation that is working together.
Harry Chin, 15, Culver City High School
I am not for the Pledge of Allegiance and I am not against the Pledge of Allegiance because I just say it so many times that it loses meaning. I say it every day at school in the second period. It doesn’t mean anything any more.
David Tran, 15, Warren High School.
The Pledge of Allegiance is another sign of country. We should have some respect to it. In many schools, we don’t say the Pledge every morning-we just stand up and let the National anthem ring through the silence. We said the Pledge of Allegiance on Sept. 12.
Danny Maryanor, 16, Santa Monica High School
I wonder why we were suddenly asked to recite the Pledge when many of us stopped after elementary school; and the Pledge was recited before the play of “Ode to Joy” （欢乐颂）with recorders. This was not to express patriotism（爱国主义）, or even to remember those who lost their lives on Sept. 11.
I feel I cannot support a nation that in this time of crisis looks outward for revenge（报复）instead of inward for peace. Perhaps we should think more about our problems.
1．Saying the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag first appeared in American schools_______.
A．after Sept. 11, 2000 B．before Sept. 11, 2001
C．on Sept. 11, 2001 D．after Sept. 11, 2001
2．Who were for the Pledge of Allegiance?
A．Lea Mouallem; David Tran B．Harry Chin; Danny Maryanor
C．Lea Mouallem; Danny Maryanor D．Harry Chin; David Tran
3．Which of the following is TRUE?
A．Harry Chin thought the government required them to join the army.
B．Lea Mouallem thought the Pledge of Allegiance of no meaning.
C．Danny Maryanor felt the terrorist attacks happened partly because of America’s own problem.
D．The Pledge of Allegiance is of another country.
4．According to the passage, it can be imagined that___________.
A．all high school students say yes to the Pledge of Allegiance.
B．all high school students say no to the Pledge of Allegiance.
C．all kids don’t agree to the requirement of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
D．all high schools will require their students to pledge allegiance to the flag.
Sports is not only physically challenging, but it can also mentally challenging. Criticism（批评）from coaches(trainers), parents, and other teammates, as well as pressure to win can create too much anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical, emotional, or psychological, and research has showed that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can, for example, learn how to cooperate with others, make friends, and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware(realize), at all times, that their feedback（反馈）to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters many take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find a flaw（缺陷） in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious(careful) that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting, young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on(pay more attention to) the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement should be provided in spite of the outcome. Research shows that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again, criticism can create high levels of stress(pressure), which can lead to burnout.
1．According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that_______-.
A．it can help them learn more about society
B．it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
C．it enables them to find flaws in themselves
D．it can provide them with valuable experiences
2．Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes__________.
A．without realizing criticism may destroy their self-confidence
B．in order to make them remember life’s lessons
C．believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development
D．so as to put more pressure on them
3．According to the passage parents and coaches should____________-.
A．help children to win every game
B．pay more attention to letting children enjoy sports
C．enable children to understand the positive aspect of sports
D．train children to deal with stress
4．The author’s purpose in writing the passage is___________.
A．to persuade young children not to worry about criticism
B．to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement to children
C．to discuss the skill of combing criticism with encouragement
D．to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
Whatever our differences as human beings are, we all think we’re more like the rest of the animal world than we realize. It is said that we share 40 per cent of our genetic（遗传的）structure with the simple worm.
But that fact has helped Sir John Sulston win the 2002 Nobel Prize for Medicine. Sir John is the founder of the Sanger Institute in Cambridge, which was set up in 1992 to get further understanding of the human genome（染色体组.
To help them do this, they turned to the worm. The nematode（线虫类的）worm is one of the earliest creatures on planet earth. It is less than one millimeter long, completely transparent and spends its entire life digging holes through sand. But it still has lots to say about human life, and what can be done to make it better.
What the worm told Sir John and his colleagues was that each of cells in the human body is programmed like a computer. They grow, develop and die according to a set of instructions that are coded in our genetic make-up.
Many of the diseases that humans suffer from happen when these instructions go wrong or are not obeyed. When the cell refuses to die but carries on growing instead, this leads to cancer. Heart attacks and diseases like AIDS cause more cell deaths than normal, increasing the damage they do to the body. Sir John was the first scientist to prove the existence of programmed cell death.
1．Sir John Sulston got a Nobel Prize for Medicine because he has______.
A．found that human beings are similar to the worn
B．got the fact we share 40 per cent of our genetic structure with the simple worm
C．found the computer which controls each of the cells in the human body
D．proved that cell death is programmed
2．People might be seriously ill if the cells in heir body______-.
A．grow without being instructed B．die regularly
C．fail to follow people’s instructions D．develop in the human body
3．The underlined word “they” (paragraph 5) refers to_________-.
A．cell deaths B．diseases C．instructions D．cells
4．What is the subject discussed in the text?
A．The theory of programmed cell deaths.
B．A great scientist—Sir John Sulston.
C．The programmed human life.
D．Dangerous diseases.