The tea gardens in Sri Lanka are actually large estates(种植园). The best tea usually comes from plants grown on high grounds, the cool hilltops with rows and rows of tea plants. The plants are about one metre apart. The plant is often pruned so that it remains only 60 to 90 centimetres high. Pruning is important because it encourages the growth of tender hoots, or young leaves. It is from these shoots that the best in got.
Practically all the tea pickers are women. The estates like to employ women pickers because they are more careful. Their thin fingers can easily remove the twin leaves and new shoots from the plant, which are the parts used for processing(加工)tea. The pickers carry large baskets into which they throw their pickings. A skilled worker can harvest between 9 to 14 kilogrammes of tea leaves a day. Usually new shoots can be picked from the plants about every ten or fifteen days.
Processing tea shoots into the familiar dry tea leaves requires great care and skill. There are various methods of processing depending on the type of tea required. For black tea, the young green leaves are first spread out on shelves to dry. This process removes much of its water and the leaves become soft. After this, the leaves are passed through heavy rollers. This operation will press the leaves for juices which give the tea both its colour and taste. Then the leaves are spread out on floors and left to ferment(发酵)under wet conditions. Fermentation develops the rich taste of black tea. The fermented leaves are then dried with a hotair blower until they become rolledup black leaves. The final step is to sort and grade them before the black tea is ready for sale to countries all over the world.In the first paragraph, the word“pruning”means______.
| A．regular cutting of the plants. | B．frequent watering |
| C．regular use of chemicals | D．growing the plants high in the mountain |
One of the reasons why women are employed to do the picking is that________.
| A．they work harder than men do in picking |
| B．they can throw their picking more easily into the baskets |
| C．their fingers fit them better for the job |
| D．they can move easily find the twin leaves |
How many processing steps are mentioned in the last paragraph?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
What's the writer's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To introduce various methods of tea processing. |
| B．To persuade readers to buy tea from Sri Lanka. |
| C．To tell a story that had happened in the tea gardens. |
| D．To inform readers of tea growing, picking and processing. |
Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier，have better marriages and have more respectable occupations. Personal consultants give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants(被告)．But in the executive circle，beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder，it is harmful to a woman.
Handsome male executives were thought as having more integrity than plainer men；effort and ability were thought to account for their success.
Attractive female executives were considered to have less integrity than unattractive ones；their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more integrity and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly，though，the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was attributed more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able？An attractive woman is thought to be more feminine and an attractive man more masculine(有男子气概的)than the less attractive ones. Thus，an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs，but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the “masculine” qualities required.
This is true even in politics. “When the only clue is how he or she looks，people treat men and women differently，”says Anne Bowman，who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs，one of men and one of women，in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again，in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males utterly defeated unattractive men，but the women who had been ranked most attractive invariably received the fewest votes.The underlined word “liability”(in Para.1)most probably means “________”．
| A．misfortune | B．instability | C．disadvantage | D．burden |
In traditionally female jobs，attractiveness________.
| A．reinforces(加强)the feminine qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of primary importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman's experiment reveals that when it comes to politics，attractiveness________.
| A．turns out to be an obstacle to men |
| B．affects men and women alike |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women |
It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.
| A．practical | B．prejudiced | C．oldfashioned | D．pessimistic |
The author writes this passage to________.
| A．demand equal rights for women |
| B．emphasize the importance of appearance |
| C．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
| D．give advice to jobseekers who are attractive |
There is one type of illness in the world that affects more people than anything else and is very deadly. If untreated this illness could affect everything you do. What is this illness? Depression. Serious depression requires professional treatment. Self-induced depression is something each of us can change.
Everyone's circumstances are different, but the causes of self-induced depression are common: low self-esteem, hurtful thinking and a bad attitude.
So how can we change the way we think, feel, and cultivate a cheerful attitude?
First we must look at ourselves, truly and honestly examining our motives for what we wish to achieve. If you are dissatisfied because you feel you haven't or can't do anything, then one step is needed - to set goals.
Always start your goals relatively small and easy to attain. Think of them as sand; one grain may be insignificant but as a group they form the beach. Once you have set and attained small goals for yourself, move on to slightly larger, more challenging goals.
It takes more than just setting goals to be happy. It takes positive thinking. How can we attain this?
There are a number of factors that can make us think negatively and one of those is diet.
In my opinion, a person who eats a lot of take out and fast food is feeding their body junk. Start by eating better foods which give the body much NEEDED minerals. If your physical body is happy, it's much easier for your mental body or "thinking ability" to be happy.
Next, exercise. A half-hour a day is recommended for positive well being. Then think about good memories you had, or generally think of things that make you smile. Remember, everything you wear costs money but to wear a smile is free. A smile can be the difference between an average day and a great day.
If you follow these steps, positive change is inevitable. Which of the statements about depression is TRUE?
| A．Depression is a kind of illness that can’t be cured like some cancer. |
| B．Depression can all be cured successfully by patients themselves. |
| C．Those who suffer from depression feel dissatisfied with themselves. |
| D．Those who suffer from depression live in similar circumstances. |
According to the passage we can learn that ____________.
| A．a practical goal can help people to achieve a sense of success |
| B．we shouldn’t be satisfied with small goals that are insignificant |
| C．we should avoid challenging goals that may lead to failure |
| D．people can enjoy happiness only if they set reasonable goals |
In order to achieve positive thinking a person should do these things EXCEPT____________.
| A．set challenging goals | B．eat healthier foods |
| C．exercise half an hour a day | D．always wear a smile |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．To prove the argument that depression can be changed. |
| B．To analyze the danger depression can bring to people. |
| C．To introduce to readers how to keep positive thinking. |
| D．To recommend some ways to deal with depression. |
Barack Obama makes his first trip to Asia as president this week, leaving behind a host of domestic (国内的) problems with the visit that recognizes the region’s economic and diplomatic importance. “Obama”s trip includes stops in Japan, Singapore, China and South Korea, and his message will be simple, says Nicolas Lardy at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “Well, I think his broadest aim is to convince Asians that the United States is fully committed to the region that we have an agenda that’s much broader than they saw over the past eight years of the very heavy focus on anti-terrorism.”
Obama’s first stop is Japan, where he meets with the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama who has promised to steer a diplomatic course more independent of Washington. While Japan is seen as a getting-to-know-you stop, when Obama heads to the Singapore for the APEC meeting, he will likely face pressure on trade. “Many Asians are concerned about what US trade policy will be, and they’ve been somewhat alarmed by the fact that the president really hasn’t set out very much revision for what US trade policy is in his administration.”
But the critical leg of the trip will come in China, his third stop where Obama will have to navigate the complex relationship with the country that is the largest holder of US debt. “As you say, you know, if you owe the bank one dollar, it’s your problem, if you owe the bank, you know, 3 million dollars, it’s the bank’s problem, so it’s similar with China. I mean they have no interest in trying to use the influence with us, because eventually, they’re the one that they own all those dollars.”
Also on the table will be North Korea and Iran’s nuclear ambitions as well as cooperation on Afghanistan.
With Obama enjoying sky high popularity level in the countries he is visiting, detailed results may be beside the point, given that Obama is still in his first year in office, analysts say this trip is mostly about laying the ground work for the future. From the second paragraph, we can infer that.
| A．Japan has not been the closest friend of America |
| B．Japan and Singapore will give America some pressure on trade |
| C．Japan is concerned about what US trade policy will be |
| D．Japan decides not to rely on America too much |
What can you infer about China’s relation with America in the third paragraph?
| A．China will sell all its shares in US national debt. |
| B．It will hurt China if the value of the dollar falls. |
| C．China will not be the largest debt holder of US. |
| D．China is US’ s overseas bank where US can borrow money. |
The author develops the passage mainly.
| A．by examples | B．by cause and effect |
| C．by comparison | D．by order in time |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days！”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine，newspaper，radio and television ads，promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs，slim the face，smooth wrinkles，or in some other way to add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than moneymaking things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable，and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public，it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug，FDA(Food and Drug Administration)can require proof under the Food，Drug，and Cosmetic Act that is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device，FDA has no authority to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health，FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily，or it can take legal action，including seizure(查封)of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor，which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously，most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings(法律诉讼)，and new devices appear continually. Before buying，it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that the ads mentioned in the text are________.
| A．objective | B．costly | C．unreliable | D．illegal |
FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product ________.
| A．if it is a drug |
| B．if it is a device |
| C．if its consumers make complaints |
| D．if its distributors challenge FDA's authority |
The Relaxacisor is mentioned as________.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
The author intends to________.
| A．make consumers aware of the promoters' false promises |
| B．show the weakness of the law on product safety |
| C．give advice on how to keep young and beautiful |
| D．introduce the organization of FDA |
Even plants can run a fever, especially when they're under attack by insects or disease. But unlike human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away—straight up. A decade ago, adopting the infrared(红外线)scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide(杀虫剂)spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don't have pest problems.
Even better, Paley's Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a colourcoded map showing where plants were running “fevers”. Farmers could then spotspray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley's company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and longterm backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. “This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, ” says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago.Plants will send out an increased amount of heat when they are________.
| A．facing an infrared scanner |
| B．sprayed with pesticides |
| C．in poor physical condition |
| D．exposed to excessive sun rays |
In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to________.
| A．estimate the damage to the crops |
| B．draw a colourcoded map |
| C．measure the size of the affected area |
| D．locate the problem area |
Farmers can save a considerable amount of pesticide by________.
| A．resorting to spotspraying |
| B．transforming poisoned rain |
| C．consulting infrared scanning experts |
| D．detecting crop problems at an early stage |
The application of infrared scanning technology to agriculture met with some difficulties—________.
| A．its high cost |
| B．the lack of official support |
| C．the lack of financial support |
| D．its failure to help increase production |