Teenagers are under a lot of pressure to be thin. They resort to starving, vomiting and eating only diet foods to try and be thin. Television is a big influence on them. They watch shows like Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place and feel they need to look as thin as the actresses on these shows. Society is brainwashing young people into believing that being thin is important and necessary.
Diet commercials are constantly appearing on our television screens telling us that once we lose weight, we will be happy. While you’re standing at the grocery store you are surrounded by magazines claiming to have the newest and best diet. Each month another new diet appears claiming to be the diet to end all diets. If diets really worked, then why are there so many of them? The reason a new diet pops up each month, is that last’s month’s diets did not work. The truth of the matter is that DIETS DON’T WORK.
The diet and fashion industries are not totally to blame for society’s obsession with thinness. We are the ones keeping them in business. We buy into the idea that we can attain the “ideal” body image. We allow ourselves to believe the lies being thrown at us constantly. We are throwing away our hard earned money trying to live up to the standards that society has set for us. It’s unfortunate, but in today’s society, people have forgotten that it’s what’s inside a person that counts, not what’s on the outside. We need to start loving and accepting each other for who we are, not what we look like.
Once again, I would like to stress the fact that diets don’t work. Eating three healthy meals a day, a few snacks and doing moderate exercise, will allow your body to go to its natural set point. Next time you decide that you are going to start another diet because you feel you are too fat, stop, sign up for a self-esteem class instead. That would be money well spent.What are Beverly Hills 90210 and Meltrose Place ?
| A．Fashion shows. | B．Two famous place in America. |
| C．Popular TV shows. | D．Two TV channels. |
According to the author, which of the following statements is NOT true ?
| A．Our society is flooded with diet commercials. |
| B．The latest diet is necessarily better than all the previous ones. |
| C．People in North America become crazy over Dieting. |
| D．All diets are useless in fact |
Why are there so many diets popping up according to the second paragraph?
| A．Because teenagers are under a lot of pressure to be thin. |
| B．Because there are more and more fat teenagers. |
| C．Because the diets have no effect. |
| D．Because teenagers are fascinated by the newest and best diet. |
We can infer from this passage that __________ .
| A．if your diet doesn’t work, the only thing you can do is to accept your body image . |
| B．attending a self-esteem class will help you keep fit. |
| C．we shouldn’t pay attention to the size of our body. |
| D．what’s inside a person is much more important than his/her appearance. |
What’s the function of the last paragraph in the whole text ?
| A．persuasion | B．summarization | C．argumentation | D．description |
Believe it or not, the ability to choose is the power to change. If you can choose to live your life differently, will you be the same person?
Well, choosing to do the following few “simple” things will help to change your life.
Review your life. Take time to go through your life and ask yourself, “If I do the same thing I do every day, will there be a change? If I want to change, where will my first step be?”
Make careful choices. Choose exactly what you wish to get to live your life; describe and think what you really want.
Keep up with chances. Find out about the possibilities and ways that can make you move toward your goals, write them down and see which one suits you most.
Get down to business. Start working on your goals. People may bring you down; you may have difficulties; you will fail and want to give up. But the most important thing is never to give up.
If you try these “simple” things, you will find that success is something for everyone, and you will finally become what you want to be. Remember, success is more than what you hold in your hands; it is something from the heart.How many pieces of advice does the writer give on changing one’s life?
| A．Three | B．Four | C．Five | D．Six |
Once you get down to business, the most important thing is to _____.
| A．set goals | B．see possibilities |
| C．keep on trying | D．ask for help |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to ____.
| A．change | B．choice | C．life | D．success |
This passage mainly discussed the relationship between ______.
| A．power and life | B．choice and change |
| C．power and success | D．choice and difficulty |
Every year, British newspapers report on the stranger questions asked in Oxbridge (Oxford & Cambridge) interviews. Often, though, these questions are not as strange as they first seem. And they are all designed to give applicants (申请者) a chance to think.
Arriving for her first Oxford interview, my sister Jen saw that there was only one chair in the waiting room. On the chair was a large fork. Jen had heard about the strange things in Oxbridge interviews, and believed that this was a test. “What if they’re watching me?” she thought. “If I move the fork, it will show initiative (主动性); if I don’t move it, it will show that I can easily fit into new situations.” In the end, she sat uncomfortably on the edge of the chair!
Applicants must be prepared for the unexpected. Now it was Jen’s turn. She was handed a monkey skull (颅骨) and asked to talk about it. At first, this seemed unfair --- what could she say? But she soon calmed down, started thinking, and found that there was plenty to talk about.
Oxbridge interviews are designed to find out how you think, not just what you think. And there are no wrong answers. Jen learnt that, and she passed the interview. What advice does she give? “ Don’t be nervous, and be prepared for the unexpected!”According to British newspapers, questions for Oxbridge applicants are very _____.
| A．unfair | B．normal | C．easy | D．strange |
On her first interview, Jen ____ after she entered the waiting room.
| A．moved the fork | B．sat down on the fork |
| C．sat down on the chair | D．moved the chair |
Jen learned that it was very important to _____ in order to pass the Oxbridge interviews.
| A．make up new situation | B．show how one thinks |
| C．describe what one hears | D．talk about various monkeys |
The writer uses a(n) ____ to introduce how Oxbridge applicants are interviewed.
| A．example | B．guess | C．experiment | D．survey |
| Parents Are Invited To a Lecture On Raising a Self-Disciplined Child Help Your Child Become More Responsible, Confident, and Lively  Presented by Dr Robert Brooks Robert Brooks, Ph.D., one of the two authors of Raising a Self-Disciplined Child, is a nationally famous speaker and author. This book presents parents with “ a positive approach to discipline that helps children to develop self-discipline, respect, responsibility and liveliness rather than anger.” Dr Brooks of Harvard Medical School uses real-life stories to discuss such topics as self-respect and family relationships. Copies of Raising a Self-Disciplined Child, Raising Lively Children, and other books by Dr Brooks will be available for sale and signing following the talk. Wednesday, January 12 @ 7 PM Allison Williams Activity Center Trinity School 4301 Northside Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30327 Call Ms Ginny Perkinson at 404-231-8113 for questions |
Who is this lecture intended for?
| A．Children | B．Robert Brooks | C．Ginny Perkinson | D．Parents |
This lecture is mainly about how to _____.
| A．tell stories | B．sell a book | C．raise children | D．become a writer |
People can _____ if they have questions about the lecture.
| A．visit Dr Goldstein | B．call 4301-30327 |
| C．call 404-231-8113 | D．visit Mr Williams |
Raising a Self-Disciplined Child is the name of a ______.
| A．book | B．company | C．school | D．newspaper |
The US government has started a website, Admongo, to help children think critically about the advertising aimed at them. It claims to provide visitors with an “education” through games and other amusement.
A cartoon man dressed in old time pilot clothing greets visitors to Admongo. “Call me Haiz”, he says upon arrival in a rocket ship that opens up with a crazy world inside it. Spacey dance music plays in the background as Haiz tells visitors that they need to learn about advertising.
Its inventors say eight to twelve years old is the age kids develop their critical thinking abilities. Kids that age are also a big market for advertisers.
The idea behind Admongo is to teach children three things: To identify the advertiser. To know what the advertiser is really saying. And to know what the advertisement is trying to get the child to do.
Children learn these things through a video game. They create their own game character. They can choose different skin colors, hair styles, eye and mouth shapes. Then they begin a trip through ad-land, where there are ads on buses and billboards. The players have to find all the marketing in the neighborhood before they can move on to the next level.
The Admongo game takes players inside a home, to the advertising studio and everywhere else ads can be found. It is a complete exploration of the world of marketing.
One such area is food marketing. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it is a big business. The FTC estimates that food, drink and fast-food restaurants spent more than one and a half billion dollars on advertising to young people in 2010.
The FTC says children are important for three reasons. They buy products. They influence parents and caregivers to buy. And they are the future adult buyers of the products.
A recent study says most advertising aimed at children is for foods of the lowest nutritional value. First Lady Michelle Obama has said she would like to see advertisers marketing healthy foods for children.What is the best title of the text?
| A．The guide of Admongo |
| B．An education website for children |
| C．A popular online video game |
| D．A website aimed at children |
Why did the government start the website?
| A．To attract the biggest market of buyers. |
| B．To sell the products of its company. |
| C．To help children know about advertising. |
| D．To advertise the video game for children. |
The underlined word “identify” can be replaced by _________.
| A．recognize | B．inform | C．persuade | D．forbid |
What can players do in the website game?
| A．Choose hair styles for their character. |
| B．Travel to a supermarket. |
| C．Eat in a fast-food restaurant. |
| D．Play video games during the trip. |
Children are important for advertising because they are _________.
| A．important for the society | B．the most potential buyers |
| C．easily influenced by ads | D．easily affected by poor products |
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’, and dogs can learn how to talk ‘cat’.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other’s body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other’s presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don’t get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.The underlined word “swimmingly” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to “without _________”.
| A．a message | B．a problem | C．introduction | D．delay |
Some cats and dogs may fight when _________.
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstood each other’s signals |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
| A．They eat and sleep each other. |
| B．They observe each other’s behaviors. |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language. |
| D．They know something from each other’s voices. |
It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs _________.
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are less intelligent than was expected |
What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
| A．We should learn to live in harmony. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |