Social networking isn’t only for the under 40s. More than 25 percent of Americans 50 years and older stay connected using sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, according to new research.
“The latest data tells us that more and more social networking is becoming a part of everyday life for Americans 50 plus,” said Kevin Donnellan, the chief communications officer at AARP, which released (发布)the report.
Nearly a quarter of older Americans are on Facebook and 73 percent said they use it to stay in touch with relatives, but not just their children and grandchildren. “They are using the Internet to keep up with the world and the people who are important to them,” said Jean Koppen, the author of the report. She added that older adults are also on Facebook to stay connected, not only with their family, but with their friends and those in the same age group. Almost 50 percent of older adults were introduced to the social networking sites by a family member, mainly a child or grandchild. “Just under one-fifth of adults aged 50 and older say they do not use the Internet,” according to the report.
The findings are based on a telephone survey of 1,863 adults. In addition to keeping up on Facebook and Twitter older adults are aware of the latest technology. Eighty-three percent had heard about the Apple iPad and 11 percent intended to buy one.
Despite the popularity of the Internet among the over 50s, they still mostly go to print newspapers and magazines for news. Only one percent said they followed blogs.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Social networking isn’t for the under 40s in the U.S.A.
B.American old people’s way of life is quite fashionable.
C.Social networking is becoming popular among older Americans.
D.Facebook, MySpace and Twitter are the most popular websites in the US.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.85% of Americans 50 plus choose the Internet over print media. |
B.About 460 people in the telephone survey often use Facebook. |
C.About 20% of adults aged 50 plus have access to (利用)the Internet. |
D.Three quarters of the people surveyed got to know the Internet through their family. |
Where does the text probably come from?
A.A novel. | B.A newspaper. |
C.A technology guide. | D.A student’s research paper |
Vicki Larrieux, a 22-year-old student from Portsmouth, says she is unable to keep a healthy diet because she is frightened of vegetables. She survives on a diet of meat, potatoes, cereals(谷类食品)and apples but refuses even a single slice of carrot on her plate. She suffers from sweating and panics at the slightest sight of a carrot or a pea.
“I have always had a fear of vegetables. Even as a child I used to freak out if some carrots or a few peas were on my plate.” She said. “But as it continued into adult life, I started to think it might not just be a dislike for vegetables but an actual phobia(恐惧症). Every time I see vegetables, not just on my plate, but anywhere, I would get feelings of panic and my heart would beat faster.”
Miss Larrieux’s condition makes trips to the supermarket or eating out at a restaurant with her boyfriend a major problem. It is an unpleasant experience for her to go to the supermarket. Luckily, her boyfriend is very understanding and does his best to comfort her.
A spokesman for phobia charity Anxiety UK says that around 13 percent of British people suffer a phobia of some form, there are treatment available(有效的)including medication and self-help groups for all manner of phobias.
1. Larrieux eats the following as a daily diet EXCEPT______.
A. meat B. potatoes C. peas D. cereals
2. The underlined part “freak out” in Paragraph 2 means “_________”.
A. feel scared B. get interested
C. feel relaxed D. get sad
3. According to the passage, Larrieux’s fear for vegetables _____.
A. was found out recently B. is a kind of phobia
C. makes her famous D. makes her hard to get along with
4. What do we know from the passage?
A. Only a few people around the world suffer from phobias
B. Larrieux is not confident about her future
C. Larrieux’s boyfriend doesn’t like meat
D. Phobia can be treated.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born in Hartford in 1907. The Hepburns made sure to educate their children about important political and social subjects and sports. She rode horses, swam and played golf and tennis.
Katharine graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1928. She soon started appearing in small roles in plays. After a few successful plays, Hollywood filmmakers became interested in her. She later signed with RKO Pictures. Her first movie came out in 1932.
The next year she acted in the film Morning Glory. This gave her the chance to let her acting skills shine. This movie earned Hepburn her first Academy Award for Best Actress.
During the 1930s, critics(评论家) either loved or hated Katharine Hepburn. But Hepburn wanted to face the movie industry in her own way. She did not want to be like other actresses. She did not wear make-up on her face. She would not let photographers take sexy pictures of her.
By the late 1930s, she had become unpopular with the public. But Hepburn was not raised to quit easily. She starred in The Philadelphia Story in 1940. For this movie, Hepburn received another Academy Award nomination(提名) for Best Actress. She had taken control of her career once again.
In 1967, she starred in her last movie with Spencer Tracy. For this movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, she won her second Academy Award. She won her third Academy Award the next year for A Lion in Winter. And, in her mid-seventies she won her last Academy Award for On Golden Pond.
Even into her eighties, she kept working. She also wrote several books. In 2003, Katharine Hepburn died.
As part of her last wishes, she helped create the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center to help support the things that were important to her: film and theater, women’s right, and civic(国民的) responsibility.
1. What do we learn about Katharine Hepburn from the passage?
A. As a little girl, she showed a gift for acting.
B. She was well educated when she was young.
C. She stopped working in her mid-seventies.
D. Her small roles in plays were not good for her movie career.
2. The following movies all won Katharine Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress EXCEPT_______.
A. Morning Glory B. A Lion in Winter
C. The Philadelphia Story D. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
3. Which of the following words can best describe Katharine Hepburn?
A. Humorous but mean. B. Independent and successful.
C. Beautiful but unpopular. D. Strict and inexperienced.
4. The passage is developed by______.
A. space orderB. comparison C. time orderD. listening examples
Public transportation is a great method of decreasing(减少)pollution and traffic within an urban setting. However, as with any public setting, it is important to take safety measures to avoid any unpleasant situations.
Tips for staying safe on the bus, train or subway:
Report any unusual activities.
Report any broken or missing equipment.
Report any strange noises or smells.
If you see an unattended(无人看管的)package, do not touch it, and immediately report it to the nearest employee.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. This will decrease your chance of getting sick or spreading germs(细菌).
While on public transportation the most important safety measure to take is simply paying attention to your surroundings. By taking these steps you can have a better and more enjoyable experience while using the public bus, train or subway.
Safety measures and regulations(规章制度)
Sometimes stories of tragic public transportation are released(发布) through the media(媒体). When this happens it is natural to question the safety of using public transportation. When the driving itself is out of your control, it is important to know what measures and regulations are put into place to keep you safe.
One of the greatest concerns for public transportation safety is the lack of safety belts. While accidents involving buses or trains is not common, when they do occur they are highly dangerous due to the lack of safety belts. Passengers are likely to be injured simply from being hit by another passenger.
Good drivers make safe passengers
With hundreds of thousands of public bus passengers every day, it is important that the drivers of these vehicles(车辆)are trained and experienced enough to manage the dangerous situations that can happen on the road. Bus and train drivers must meet the standards set by their state.
1. One advantage of public transportation is that __________________________.
A. it’s cheaper B. it saves more time
C. it has more safety measures D. it helps protect the environment
2. To keep safe on public transportation, you are advised to _____________.
A. repair any broken equipment if necessary
B. cover your nose with your hand to keep germs away
C. pay attention to any unusual activities and report them in time
D. take the package which nobody takes care of to the employee
3. We can know from the passage that ___________________________.
A. few reports are about public transportation accidents
B. passengers seldom get hurt in public transportation accidents
C. safety belts are useless for passengers on public transportation
D. it is important to know some safety measures for public transportation
4. What is important to make a good public transportation drivers?
A. Skills at handling traffic accidents
B. Higher standards and shorter working hours.
C. Polite service and clean working environment.
D. Proper training and rich driving experience.
Once a year we show our love for our fathers by celebrating(庆祝) Father’s Day. This is the time when you have the chance to show your dad how much you love him. On Father’s Day, children usually give gifts to their fathers and take them out for a nice meal. But when and how did Father’s Day get started?
Father’s Day was introduced in the early part of the 20th century. It was to show love for our fathers in the same way that people did to mothers on Mother’s Day. This tradition began in Spokane, Washington, from an idea of a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd.
Mrs Dodd was raised by her father after her mother died. Looking back on all the things that he did for the family made Mrs Dodd realize just how special her father was. She realized that her father was a very loving man who should be honored and praised for all the things that he did for his family. Since her father was born in the month of June, Mrs Dodd decided to celebrate Father’s Day on June 19th, so the first Father’s Day was held in June, 1910.
By the year 1926, a committee (委员会) was formed in New York City to honor Father’s Day, and in 1956, it was recognized as a day of celebration. President Nixon made Father’s Day a national holiday in the year 1972.This is when it was decided that it would always be celebrated on the third Sunday of every June.
1. What is the best title for this passage?
A. The history of Father’s Day. B. The story of Sonora Smart Dodd.
C. Something about Mother’s Day. D. How to show your love for your father.
2. According to Paragraph 1, what do children usually do on Father’s Day?
A. Spend the whole day with their fathers.
B. Say aloud that they love their fathers.
C. Cook something nice for their fathers.
D. Prepare gifts for their fathers.
3. We learn that Father’s Day _______.
A. started from a story made up by a woman
B. is celebrated on the first Sunday of every June
C. is surely only celebrated by children in America
D. started from a woman’s wish to honor and praise her father
4. Americans have been celebrating Father’s Day as a national holiday since_____.
A. 1910 B. 1926 C. 1956 D. 1972
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,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In the days when an ice cream sundae(圣代冰淇淋)cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress came to his table and put a glass of water in front of him. “Miss, how much is an ice cream sundae?” he asked. “Fifty cents,” replied the waitress. The little boy pulled his hand out of his pocket and counted(数) the coins in it.
“Okay then, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?” he asked. By now, more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient. “Thirty-five cents,” she replied rudely. The little boy again counted his coins. “I’ll have the plain ice cream,” he said.
The waitress brought the ice cream sundae, put the bill on the table, and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier, and left.
When the waitress came back to that table, she began to cry as she wiped(擦) it with the wash cloth. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish were fifteen cents.
You see, the little boy couldn’t have the sundae because he wanted to have enough coins to leave her a tip. The waitress regretted having treated the little boy like that. And from that, she learned that she should treat all her customers well.
1. Why didn’t the little boy have an ice cream sundae?
A. Because he didn’t have enough money for one.
B. Because he liked a plain dish of ice cream better.
C. Because he wanted to have enough coins to leave a tip.
D. Because he was told not to have such an expensive ice cream.
2. When the little boy ordered a plain dish of ice cream, the waitress looked ______.
A. happy B. surprised C. impatient D. ashamed
3. We infer that the waitress cried most probably because_____.
A. she had never received a tip before
B. she was touched by the little boy’s deed
C. she knew the little boy wouldn’t come back again
D. the boy was too generous
4. According to the last paragraph, what did the waitress regret?
A. Not having offered the little boy an ice cream sundae.
B. Not having asked the little boy for more money.
C. Not having treated everybody the same.
D. Not having treated the little boy well.