Wanttobeperfectataholidaydinne-优题课

Nowadays people are troubled by the violence that spreads throughout the media. Movies, television and video games are full of gunplay and bloodshed, and one might reasonably ask what’s wrong with a society that presents videos of violence as entertainment.
Viewing large amounts of violent television and video games may well contribute to violent behavior in certain individuals. The trouble comes when researchers downplay uncertainties in their studies or overstate the case for causality（因果关系）. Skeptics were dismayed several years ago when a group of societies including the American Medical Association tried to end the debate by issuing a joint statement: “At this time, well over 1,000 studies… point to a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children.”
Freedom-of-speech advocates accused the societies of catering to politicians, and even disputed the number of studies (most were review articles and essays, they said). When Jonathan Freedman, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto, reviewed the literature, he found only 200 or so studies of television-watching and aggression. And when he weeded out “the most doubtful measures of aggression”, only 28% supported a connection.
The critical point here is causality. The alarmists say they have proved that violent media cause aggression. But the assumptions behind their observations need to be examined. When labeling games as violent or non-violent, should a hero eating a ghost really be counted as a violent event? And when experimenters record the time it takes game players to read “aggressive” or “non-aggressive” words from a list, can we be sure what they are actually measuring? The intention of the new Harvard Center on Media and Child Health to collect and standardize studies of media violence in order to compare their methodologies, assumptions and conclusions is an important step in the right direction.
Another appropriate step would be to tone down the criticism until we know more. Several researchers write, speak and testify quite a lot on the threat posed by violence in the media. That is, of course, their privilege. But when doing so, they often come out with statements that the matter has now been settled, drawing criticism from colleagues. In response, the alarmists accuse critics and news reporters of being deceived by the entertainment industry. Such clashes help neither science nor society.
46. Why is there so much violence shown in movies, TV and video games?
A. Showing violence is thought to be entertaining.
B. Something has gone wrong with today’s society
C. Many people are fond of gunplay and bloodshed.
D. There is a lot of violence in the real world today.
47. What is the skeptics’ view of media violence?
A. Violence on television is fairly accurate reflection of real-world life.
B. Most studies exaggerate(夸大) the effect of media violence on the viewers.
C. A causal relationship exists between media and real-world violence.
D. The influence of media violence on children has been underestimated.
48. The author uses the term “alarmists” to refer to those who _________.
A. use standardized measurements in the studies of media violence
B. initiated the debate over the influence of violent media on reality
C. insist on a direct link between violent media and aggressive behavior
D. use appropriate methodology in examining aggressive behavior
49. The underlined phrase “weeded out” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _________.
A. got rid of things that are not good B. removed unwanted parts from something
C. picked out things that are useful D. took away unnecessary details of a report
50. What does the writer think of the debate concerning the relationship between the media and violence?
A. He more than agrees with the views held by the alarmists.
B. It should come to an end since the matter has now been settled.
C. The past studies in this field have proved to be misleading.
D. More studies should be conducted before conclusions are drawn.

Ⅲ 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn’t drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train, and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I’d be a subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I’d be overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges — those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.
The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.
I can remember the questions now: “Why did you leave your last job?” “Why did you leave your job before that?” “And the one before that?” I can’t recall my answers, except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed (揭示) a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. “You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position.”
Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually, such jobs — being a postman is another one I still desire — demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full self-understanding. I was also short of cash.
41．The writer applied for the job chiefly because _________.
A．he wanted to work in the centre of London
B．he could no longer afford to live without one
C．he was not interested in any other available job
D．he had received some suitable training
42．The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because _________.
A．he often traveled underground B．he had written many poems
C．he could deal with difficult situations D．he had worked in a company
43．The length of his interview meant that _________.
A．he was not going to be offered the job
B．he had not done well in the intelligence test
C．he did not like the interviewer at all
D．he had little work experience to talk about
44．What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?
A．How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be. B．How difficult it is to be a poet.
C．How unsuitable he was for the job. D．How badly he did in the interview.
45．What’s the writer’s opinion of the psychologist?
A. He was very aggressive. B. He was unhappy with his job.
C. He was quite inefficient. D. He was rather unsympathetic.

GENEVA(Reuters) -Pregnant women and other people at high risk should be vaccinated(注射疫苗) against the H1N1 swine flu virus as the cold weather begins to bite in the northern hemisphere(半球), the World Health Organization(WHO) said on Tuesday.
It voiced concern that some vulnerable(弱势的) people don’t have access to the pandemic(传染病) vaccine, which the WHO stressed had not caused any unusual side effects in hundreds of thousands of people to have received it worldwide so far.
“Certainly th e fact that the vaccine isn’t being used by those who would have access to it and who would be in priority risk groups is of concern, yes,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told a news briefing.
At least 5, 712 people have died from the swine flu virus, according to the United Nations agency. Health workers, pregnant women and people with conditions such as asthma are deemed at greatest risk and should be top priority for getting the shot.
“We have seen many, many examples of people in high risk groups such as pregnant women who have very severe disease or outcomes. These outcomes could be in all likelihood avoided if one were to get vaccinated,” Hartl said.
Unlike seasonal flu, which is most dangerous to the elderly, H1N1 is hitting younger adults and children especially hard.
The WHO recommends a single vaccine dose for protecting adults against H1N1. It has also urged governments to consider giving a single dose to as many children under age 10 as possible, but says more research is needed into child dosages.
In the United States, studies show that children under the age of 9 will need two doses of the vaccine to be fully protected, officials there said on Monday.
Parts of North America and Europe have already crossed the epidemic (流行病) threshold( 开始了), ahead of the normal influenza season which peaks in January-February for the northern hemisphere, WHO says.
51. According to the passage, what is WHO probably most concerned about now?
A. Whether the vaccine has side effect or not.
B. How many people are infected by the H1N1 swine flu virus.
C. Whether pregnant women and those at high risk can get the vaccination.
D. What is the difference between H1N1 and seasonal flu.
52. According to the passage, what group of people are more vulnerable to H1N1 swine flu virus?
A. The elderly. B. A teenager with asthma.
C. An adult with heatstroke. D. A newly-born baby.
53. In paragraph 4, “getting the shot” means ____________.
A. being shot B. being vaccinated C. being cured D. getting killed
54. What can we learn from this passage?
A. Pregnant women will surely get severe disease if infected with H1N1.
B. Seasonal flu is more likely to hit younger adults and children.
C. one more dose of vaccine should be given to the children under 9.
D. About 6000 people have died from seasonal flu.
55. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Pregnant women need flu shot.
B. Differences between H1N1 flu and seasonal flu.
C. The harm caused by H1N1 swine flu virus.
D. A breakthrough in H1N1 cure: vaccination.

When we think of leadership, we often think of strength and power. But what are these really, and how do they operate?
Leadership today is not about forcing others to do things. If this is even possible, it is short-term, and tends to backfire. If you order someone to do something against their will, they may do it because they feel they must, but the anger they feel do more harm in the long-term. They will also experience fear.
Fear causes the thinking brain to shut down, making the person unable to function at his or her best. If they associate you with his emotion of fear, they will become less functional around you., and you will have succeeded in not only shooting yourself in the foot, but possibly making a very good employee or partner unable to perform effectively. Fear has no place in leadership.
The way we influence people in a lasting way is by our own character, and our understanding and use of emotion. We can order someone to do something, which may be part of the work day; or we can employ them at the emotional level, so they become fully devoted to the projects and provide some of their own motivation. Today’s work place is all about relationships.
Anyone works harder in a positive environment in which they are recognized and valued as a human being as well as a worker. Everyone produces just a bit more for someone they like. Leaders understand the way things work. They know the pay check is not the single most motivating factor in the work life of most people.
The true strength of leadership is an inner strength that comes from the confidence of emotional intelligence---knowing your own emotions, and how to handle them, and those of others. Developing your emotional intelligence is the single best thing you can do if you want to d evelop your relationships with people around you, which is the key to the leadership skills.
46. An employee may have a feeling of fear in the work place when_________.
A. he is forced to do things. B. he can’t work at his best.
C. he feels his brain shut down. D. he thinks of his work too heavy.
47. Which of the foll owing is TRUE according to the passage?
A. People tend to associate leadership with fear.
B. Working conditions affect people ‘s physical health.
C. Good relationship is the key to business success.
D. Smart people are more functional in the work place.
48. To positively influence employees a leader should first of all_________.
A. provide better suggestions B. develop his own personality
C. give his employees a pay rise D. hide his own emotion of fear
49. Good leadership is mainly seen in a leader’s ability to __________.
A. provide a variety of project for employees
B. help raise employees’ living standards
C. give employees specific instructions
D. deal wisely with employees’ emotions
50. This passage is mainly about___________.
A. not forcing others to do things B. how to develop your emotional intelligence
C. how to be a good leader D. how to influence people

第三部分阅读 ( 共两节，满分40分)
第一节阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I walked into the house after school, the first thing I noticed was a box with items I recognized from my dad’s office.
“What are you doing home already?” I asked casually.
“Andrew, I was laid off today,” he answered, quietly.
I was sure he was joking. “No, you weren’t. Why are you really home?”
Then I noticed his seriousness and realized he was telling the truth. My father has always been a hard worker and prided himself on his career. Providing for our family has been his joy, and I guess I had taken his work for granted.
My father’s unemployment created many changes in our lives. For starters, he was home all the time, which meant my bed had to be made, my room cleaned up, and my homework done right after school. I would come home every day to find him at the computer searching for jobs. I began to notice how down he seemed, and how losing his job had affected his self-esteem, though he tried to be optimistic. For the first time, I saw my dad as vulnerable. He asked my brother and me to spend less. I gave up my allowance, which even though it wasn’t much, felt like the right thing to do. I also found a part-time job.
After several difficult months of searching, my dad decided to go in a totally different direction. He explained that he never wanted to be laid off again, so he was going to start his own business. Day by day, I watched him build it, and I admired how much time and energy he expended.
One evening I asked if he needed help.
“Only if it doesn’t interfere with school,” he said.
I showed up at his office the next afternoon, and most afternoons after that for two months. I always knew he was a hard worker, but watching him in action really impacted me. Although this was one of the worst experiences for our family, it taught me a lot about dealing with adversity. Now I know that through creative problem-solving, I can always find Plan B, ask for help, and take risks. What I have learned from my dad’s understanding of business and his work ethic are two of the most important lessons I will ever learn, and will be my foundations for success.
41. The author’s father stayed at home because __________.
A. he had to help with the author’s lessons
B. his boss had stopped employing him
C. heavy house work was waiting for him to do
D. he wanted to search for new jobs on line
42. What made the author know the truth?
A. The box from his dad’s office. B. His father’s words.
C. His father’s expression_r_r. D. Being informed by his family.
43. The author’s attitude toward his father’s former job was __________.
A. unconcerned B. sympathetic C. doubtful D. tolerant
44. By saying “Only if it doesn’t interfere with school,” the author’s father seemed ____________.
A. to refuse the author’s advice on the new business
B. to show his discontent with the author’s schoolwork
C. to have said yes to the author’s offer of help
D. to be looking forward to the author’s good behavior at school
45. It can be inferred from the text that ___________.
A. the author’s father was more optimistic to stay at home
B. the author couldn’t put up with his dad’s own business
C. the author’s father offered little allo wance to the author
D. the author benefited from his father on how to deal with adversity