For many years, I was convinced that my suffering was due to my size. I believed that when the weight disappeared, it would take old wounds, hurts and rejections with it.
Many weight-conscious people also mistakenly believe that changing our bodies will fix everything. Perhaps our worst mistake is believing that being thin equals being loved, being special, and being cherished. We fantasize about what it will be like when we reach the long-awaited goal. We work very hard to realize this dream. Then, at last, we find ourselves there.
But we often gain back what we have lost. Even so, we continue to believe that next time it will be different. Next time, we will keep it off. Next time, being thin will finally fulfill its promise of everlasting happiness, self-worth, and, of course, love.
It took me a long while to realize that there was something more for me to learn about beauty. Beauty standards vary with culture. In Samoa a woman is not considered attractive unless she weighs more than 200 pounds. More importantly, if it’s happiness that we want, why not put our energy there rather than on the size of our body? Why not look inside? Many of us strive hard to change our body, but in vain. We have to find a way to live comfortably inside our body and make friends with and cherish ourselves. When we change our attitudes toward ourselves, the whole world changes.What does the underlined word “everything” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．All the problems. | B．All the properties. |
| C．The whole world. | D．The absolute truth. |
What can be inferred about the author?
| A．The author is a Samoan. |
| B．The author succeeded losing weight. |
| C．The author has been troubled by her weight. |
| D．The author probably got wounded in an accident. |
According to the text, those who have lost weight first and gained it back later feel _______.
| A．angry about the regained weight |
| B．indifferent to the regained weight |
| C．optimistic about future plans on weight control |
| D．they should give up their future plans on weight control |
The text tries to stress the importance of ____________.
| A．body size | B．attitudes toward life |
| C．culture difference | D．different beauty standards |
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some new studies about animals. |
| B．People’s wrong ideas about animals. |
| C．Why the number of animals has dropped. |
| D．The importance of protecting animals. |
According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
| A．are less clever than rodents | B．can find their home |
| C．can read maps | D．are good planners |
Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
| A．The species of grass in grasslands. |
| B．The species of trees in grasslands. |
| C．The number of flowers in grasslands. |
| D．The number of animals in grasslands. |
In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?
| A．Geography. | B．Culture. | C．Travel. | D．Nature. |
B
Have you ever considered all the English expressions that include words about clothes? Let’s have a look．
People wear pants to cover the lower part of their bodies．We sometimes say that people who are nervous have ants in their pants．Sometimes，people may get caught with their pants down．They are found doing something they should not be doing．And，in every family，one person takes contro1．Sometimes a wife tells her husband what to do．Then we say she wears the pants in the family.
Pants usually have pockets to hold things．Money that is likely to be spent quickly can bum a hole in your pocket．Sometimes you need a belt to hold up your pants．If you have less money than usual，you may have to tighten your belt.
I always praise people who can save their money and not spend too much. l really take my hat off to them. Yet, when it comes to my own money, I spend it at the drop of a hat, which means I immediately spend it.
Boots are a heavy or strong kind of shoes. People who are too big for their boots think they are more important than they really are. I dislike such people.
My father is an important person. He runs a big company. He wears a suit and tie, and a shirt with sleeves that cover his arms. Some people who do not know him will think he is too serious and never shows his feelings openly. But I know that my father wears his heart on his sleeve.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．What pants mean in English. |
| B．Some special English expressions. |
| C．Some funny English expressions. |
| D．Some expressions related to clothes. |
Which of the following expressions can show someone is nervous?
| A．Get caught with one's pants down. | B．Have ants in one's pants. |
| C．Wear the pants in the family. | D．Bum a hole in one's pocket. |
If we say someone has to tighten his belt, we probably mean he
| A．has done something wrong | B．used to live a rich life |
| C．has put on the wrong pants | D．doesn’t have enough money |
Someone who spends his money at the drop of a hat most probably_
| A．doesn’t save money | B．earns much money |
| C．never wastes his money | D．spends more than he earns |
A
My friend Robert started a new job this week and he’s been in the training class for two days. The employer has a very strict dress code—dark blue shirts and pants.
On the first day, an older gentleman in his class did not have the proper clothes and he was strictly told that he would be fired if he didn’t have the right clothes the next day. He explained, “Sir, I had not been told about this. Because of my larger size, it’s sometimes difficult to find the right clothing for a price I can afford.”
Last night, Robert and I decided that this old man shouldn’t lose the chance of work simply because he couldn’t afford the clothes. I had some cash on hand and Robert took it with him this morning just in case it was needed.
When training started this morning, the trainer was ready to fire the older gentleman. “You have 10 minutes to be in proper clothes,” he was told. At this point, Robert spoke up and asked if he could have 10 minutes to get him the clothes. He then ran out to the store and bought the proper-sized pants and a shirt; he returned with both and gave them to the older man.
The older gentleman began to cry and told him that he couldn’t accept such a gift from a stranger. Robert told him he had to because he had lost the receipt(收据) and couldn’t return them—a little white lie. The pants were a perfect fit, the shirt was a bit tight but he was able to keep his job.
“My wife and I tried to gather together some money last night, but we didn’t have enough to buy the clothes,” he told Robert. “It’s unbelievable to me that anybody would do such a thing for only knowing me a day!”
More unbelievable is how good it has made Robert and me feel to do this.If the older man did not have the proper clothes, he would _____
| A．be punished | B．be offered another job |
| C．put off the training class | D．lose his job |
The money which was paid for the clothes belonged to _____
| A．the trainer | B．the older man |
| C．the writer | D．Robert |
How did Robert persuade the older man to accept the clothes?
| A．He told the older man that he would lose his job if he did not take them. |
| B．He told a lie that the clothes didn’t fit himself. |
| C．He told the older man that he could save money and return it later. |
| D．He told the older man that he had no way to send them back. |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Proper clothes for a stranger | B．Fight against strict rules |
| C．A strange employer | D．An unbelievable thing |
（二） 66Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.
The ridge （隆起） structure on a person's fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries. Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original pattern.67Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.
Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer's ink. They can by be recorded easily. 68 Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case. A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain. 69 . When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. 70 Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.
| A．Special techniques are used to "develop" them. |
| B．A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges of all part of the finger. |
| C．It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed. |
| D．With special methods, identification can be achieved successfully within a short time. |
E. A latent print is the chance reproduction of the friction ridges deposited on the surface of an item.
F. His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.
G. Every human being has a unique arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable.
（一）It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. ____61____. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur（业余）and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. ____62____. The game originated（起源于）in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier.
The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States.______63_____. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
____64_____. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century . ______65______
| A．A famous French humorist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. |
| B．It is called soccer in the United States |
| C．It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven |
| D．In summer, cricket is the most popular sport |
E. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity
F. But it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.
G. Not everyone likes ball games