HOWTOBOOKByphone:CallTicketmas-优题课

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。
A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives．It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society．I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem．
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees．To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose．But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs．
Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual．This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement．This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years． This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor．
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly．This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions．Furthermore, some institutions should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them．Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer．The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young．
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent．
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages．Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations．
41．What is the passage mainly about?
A．The problems faced by the old in society．
B．Why we should take responsibility for the old．
C．How we can improve the lives of the old．
D．Where the old can go to get their pensions．
42．According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?
A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire．
B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years．
C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old．
D．Make available pensions for those who have retired．
43．The underlined word "viable" most probably means"______________"．
A．impossible B．practical C．useful D．important
44．What can be concluded from the passage?
A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money．
B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age．
C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people．
D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old．
45．What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?
A．To point out the need for government support for old people．
B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people．
C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem．
D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life．

NOT all memories are sweet. Some people spend all their lives trying to forget bad
memories. Violence and traffic accidents can leave people with terrible physical and emotional scars.
Now American researchers think they are close to developing a pill, which will help people forget bad memories. The pill is designed to be taken immediately after a scary events. They hope it might reduce ,or possibly erase,the effect of painful memories.
In November, experts tested a drug on people in the US and France. The drug stops the body producing chemicals that fix memories in the brain. So far the research has suggested that only the emotional effects of memories may be reduced, not that the memories are erased.
The research has caused a great deal of argument. Some think it is a bad idea, while others support it.
Supporters say it could lead to pills that prevent or treat soldiers' troubling memories after war. They say that there are many people who suffer from terrible memories.
"Some memories can ruin people's lives . They come back to you when you don't want to have them in a daydream or nightmare. They usually come with very painful emotions," said Roger Pitman.
But those who are against the research say that changing memories is very dangerous because memories make us different from others. They also help us all avoid the mistakes of the past.
"All of us can think of bad events in our lives that were horrible at the time but make us who we are. I'm not sure whether we want to wipe those memories out, "said Rebecca Dresser, a medical ethicist.
56.What does the underlined word “erase” mean?
A. change B remove C add D forgive
57. The passage is mainly about ________ .
A. a new medical invention
B. a new research on the pill
C. a way of erasing painful memories
D. the argument about the research on the pill
58. The drug tested on people can ___________ .
A. cause the brain to fix memories
B. stop people remembering bad events
C. prevent body producing certain chemicals
D. wipe out the bad memories
59. Which of the following statements is TRUE? .
A. Some people doubt whether the pills should be used to help people forget bad memories.
B. the pill will stop people's bad memories.
C. taking the pill will do harm to people's health
D. the pill has been produced in America
60. Which of the following does Rebecca Dresser agree with?
A. Some memories can ruin people's lives.
B. People want to get rid of bad memories.
C. Having bad events makes us different from others.
D. The pill will reduce people's sufferings from bad memories

How I Turned to Be Optimistic（乐观的）
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt’s house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then, I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to “the hard times”
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.
52. How did the author get to know America?
A. From her relatives. B. Form her mother.
C. Form books and pictures. D. From radio programs.
53. Upon leaving for America the author felt________.
A. confused B. excited
C. worried D. amazed
54. What can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4 ?
A. She worked as a translator
B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family.
D. She helped her family with her English.
55. The author believes that___________.
A. her future will be free from troubles
B. it is difficult to become patient
C. there are more good things than bad things
D. good things will happen if one keeps trying

I know what you’re thinking : Pizza? For breakfast? But the truth is that you can have last night’s leftovers with it in the morning, if you want to.
I know lots of women who skip breakfast , and they have a ton of different excuses for doing it . Some say they don’t have time. Others think they’re “saving” calories （卡路里）, still others say they just don’t like breakfast food .
But the fact is that eating in the morning is very important when you’re trying to lose weight. “Eating anything from 300 to 400 calories would be better than nothing at all,” says Katherine Brooking , who developed the super-easy eating plan for this year’s “SELF CHALLENGE”. And even pizza can be healthy if it’s loaded with vegetables, as long as you stick to only one small piece.
Breakfast is one meal I never miss, and the same goes for most weight loss success stories. Research shows that eating breakfast keeps you from overeating later in the day. Researchers at the University of Southern California found that breakfast skippers have a bigger chance of gaining weight than those who regularly have a morning meal.
So eat something in the morning, anything. I know plenty of friends who end up having no breakfast, or they just have coffee or orange juice. I say, try heating up last night’s leftovers . It may sound crazy, but if it works for you, do it! I find if I tell myself, “You can always eat it tomorrow,” I put away the leftovers instead of eating more that night. Try it, and you may save yourself some pre-bedtime calories. And you will watch your body gain the fat-burning effects.
48. The underlined word “leftovers” in Paragraph 1 probably means__________.
A.food remaining after a meal B. breakfast
C. meals made of vegetables D. pizza with fruit
49. What can we infer from the text?
A. Working women usually have breakfast in a hurry.
B. Many people have wrong ideas about breakfast.
C. If we have pizza loaded with vegetables, we will certainly not gain weight.
D. Eating vegetables helps us to save energy.
50. According to the last paragraph, it is important to____________.
A. eat something for breakfastB. be careful about what you eat
C. heat up food before eating it D. eat calorie-controlled food
51. The text is written mainly for those_____________.
A. who go to work early B. who want to lose weight
C. who stay up late D. who eat before sleep

There was a story many years ago of a school teacher—Mrs.Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs.Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs.Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students,Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)
Teddy said,“Mrs.Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.”After the children left , she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs.Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive.The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade,Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs.Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed: Theodore Stoddard,M.D.(医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr.Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson’s ear,“Thank you, Mrs.Thompson, for believing in me.You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs.Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back,“Teddy, you have it all wrong.You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”
44.What did Mrs.Thompson do on the first day of school?
A.She made Teddy feel ashamed.
B.She asked the children to play with Teddy.
C.She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row.
D.She told the class something untrue about herself.
45.What did Mrs.Thompson find out about Teddy?
A.He often told lies.
B.He was good at math.
C.He needed care from mother or someone like that.
D.He enjoyed playing with others.
46.In what way did Mrs.Thompson change after she received the gifts?
A.She taught fewer school subjects.
B.She became stricter with her students.
C.She no longer liked her job as a teacher.
D.She cared more about educating students.
47.Why did Teddy thank Mrs.Thompson at his wedding?
A.She had kept in touch with him.
B.She had given him encouragement.
C.She had sent him Christmas presents.
D.She had taught him how to judge people.

A．0844 847 2484	B．0800 587 5007
C．0844 499 6699	D．0161 245 6609

A．Delayed payment for tickets.	B．Invitations to opening nights.
C．Reduced booking fees by phone	D．Generous discounts on tickets.