From their beginnings New England towns had a special democratic system of government. At a stated time all the citizens would assemble at a town meeting, where they would discuss local problems and express opinions freely. They also elected the town’s officials at these gatherings and made decisions about the taxes they would pay and about other community matters. These meetings were usually held at the town hall, which was located in the central square.
In the eighteenth-century town meetings, only men who owned property and who were church members actually voted, although everyone present was allowed to express their opinions. Later, all citizens were allowed to vote. Thus the town meeting became truly democratic. Town meetings are still common in New England communities.
In recent years the town meeting idea has been widely imitated. There are open sessions of this kind on radio and television. Occasionally a meeting of this type is called by a government agency in order to give an opportunity for free and open discussion on current problems and policies.At a town meeting, people do the following things EXCEPT __________.
| A．express their opinions about the government |
| B．elect officials of the towns |
| C．make a decision about whom they should marry |
| D．discuss some community matters |
In the 18th century, who had the right to vote?
| A．All the citizens. |
| B．All the men except those who were church members. |
| C．The rich. |
| D．The rich men and the church members. |
Why has the town meeting been widely imitated?
| A．Because many people are interested in it. |
| B．Because it is very democratic. |
| C．Because many people enjoy themselves at town meetings. |
| D．Because sometimes government agencies call them. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Citizens can elect the officials in the town meeting. |
| B．In recent years, town meetings are often called by a government agency. |
| C．People can say what they want to say at the town meeting. |
| D．Nowadays this kind of meeting is also held on radio and television. |
This passage mainly talks about _______.
| A．the New England town meeting | B．modern town meetings |
| C．a democratic meeting | D．New England towns |
There's no need to say it, but there are really more than a few benefits to educational tours. From the word itself, an educational tour is something done to gain knowledge while traveling and touring to some place. It creates opportunities for people to think out of the box and see things and places that aren't usually seen in their normal environment.
Educational trips aren't always those that cover far distances. As already said, it is done to gain knowledge and you wouldn't need to go very far to have it. Sometimes, an educational trip could be in your hometown.
Historic places and museums are always on top of the lists of the places to go in an educational tour. Educational tours like these would make you know your country better. Your country's history is rich and it is the reason why you came. But remember that the history of other states, counties and countries are as important as your own.
When you go on a trip to another country, it is likely that you learn their culture first. Different cultures have different understanding and perspective of different acts, and it could be dangerous or offending if you cannot understand a culture.
When you go on an educational tour, it is likely that you would have the opportunity to socialize with other people. Students are encouraged to talk to locals and natives and learn from them, because it is with understanding that students gain knowledge. When students talk with local people, they are gaining insights to their life and their culture. It is said that when in Rome, act and think as the Romans do, and this is a valuable skill that not all people could do.
There are millions of people who want to travel, and an educational tour is the perfect time to do so. Traveling opens new doors and opportunities; it always makes you want to learn more. Cultures are many and widely different, and it is a very valuable talent to understand the people of different cultures.
Traveling with groups of other students is safer than traveling alone, and bulk travels like those could also be helpful on the budget. Group of friends could stay at one place and get discounts on the place that you wouldn't get if you are traveling alone. Traveling is fun and more budget-friendly when with other people on an educational tour.
Travel abroad for a month, try and see if you wouldn't miss your own country. Traveling would let you see your own country in a different way. The benefits of an educational tour are all important, but this one creates patriotism in a person.
A school isn't a place where they teach you to find the answers; it is a place where one teaches you to find the questions and learn the answers for yourself. Educational tours are valuable this way. They teach you that you are not the only one seeking for questions and that there are other people who are willing to help you on your way too.What are educational tours according to the passage?
| A．Something done to gain knowledge while traveling. |
| B．Something done to know more about one's own country while traveling. |
| C．Something done to know more about a foreign country while traveling. |
| D．Something done to seek for more friends while traveling. |
What places are people most likely to go to in an educational tour?
| A．Schools and churches. | B．Government buildings. |
| C．Places of amusement. | D．Historical places and museums. |
Which statement is correct according to the passage?
| A．Educational trips always cover long distances. |
| B．When on educational trips, you seldom have the chance to talk with other people. |
| C．Educational trips are always too short to learn knowledge. |
| D．Learning the culture first is a must before you go on educational trips. |
If you want to go on a cheap and safe educational trip, you'd better __________.
| A．go with groups of other students |
| B．avoid the top spots |
| C．book one in advance |
| D．learn the culture first |
What does the word "patriotism" in the eighth paragraph mean?
| A．同情 | B．爱国心 |
| C．羞耻心 | D．虚荣心 |
I was doing some Christmas shopping in a toy store and decided to look at Barbie dolls for my nieces. A nicely dressed little girl was excitedly looking through the Barbie dolls as well. As she was looking, a little boy came to the Pokemon toys. He was dressed neat-ly, but his clothes were obviously old. He was with his father as well, and kept picking up the Pokemon video toys. Each time he picked one up and looked at his father, his father shook his head and said，"No. "
The little girl had chosen her Barbie. However, she stopped and was watching them. Rather dejectedly, the boy had to give up the Pokemon toys and choose something else. The little girl put her Barbie back on the shelf, and ran over to the Pokemon toys. She excitedly picked up one and raced towards the checkout. I picked up my purchases and got in line behind them. Then, much to the little girl's delight, the little boy and his father got in line behind me. After the toy was paid for and bagged, the little girl handed it back to the cashier （收银员）and whispered something in her ear. The cas her smiled and put the package under the counter.
I paid for my purchases and was rearranging things when the little boy came up to the cashier. The cashier checked his purchases and said，" Congratulations, you are my hundredth customer today, and you win a prize ！" With that, she handed the little boy the Pokemon toys, and he could only stare in surprise. It was exactly what he had wanted ！ The little girl and her father had been standing at the doorway during all of this. Then they walked out. As I walked back to my car, I heard the father ask his daughter why she had done that. I'll never forget what she said to him. "Daddy, didn't grandparents want me to buy something that would make me happy?" He said，"Of course they did, honey. " To which the little girl replied，" Well, I just did ！"
I feel very shocked to have witnessed the true spirit of Christmas in that toy store, in the form of a little girl who understands more about the meaning of this festival than most adults I know.The underlined word "dejectedly" in the second paragraph probably means __________.
| A．delightedly | B．disappointedly |
| C．excitedly | D．unexpectedly |
How did the little boy get the Pokemon toys?
| A．His father bought him the Poknemon toys. |
| B．Fortunately, he was the hundredth customer and won the Poknemon toys. |
| C．The cashier felt sympathy for the little boy and gave him the Poknemon toys. |
| D．The little girl bought the Poknemon toys for him. |
What did the little girl mean when saying " Daddy, didn't grand-parents want me to buy something that would make me happy?"
| A．Her grandparents wanted her to be happy. |
| B．Making the little boy happy made her happy. |
| C．The Poknemon toys made her happy. |
| D．Her grandparents hoped that she could help others. |
When you're surfing the Internet on your laptop from your dorm or home, do you know your personal details are being gathered secretly? And would you be surprised to know the information may be sold cheaply to advertisers and marketers?
According to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal, all it takes is a tiny file in a computer-a single code consisting of a long series of numbers and letters-to record the computer user's age, gender, location, favorite movies and hobbies.
The newspaper reports that Lotame Solutions Inc.，a New York company, uses sophisticated （高科技）software called a "beacon" to capture what people are typing on a website.
Lotame packages that data into profiles （个人资料）about individuals, only without their names, and sells the profiles to companies seeking customers. Batches of such data may be sold for a few dollars.
Hie Wall Street Journal survey discovered that spying on Internet users is one of the fastest-growing businesses on the World Wide Web.
The "cookie"-a tiny text file put on your PC by websites or marketing firms which might be used to remember your preferences for one site, or to track you across many sites is already old news. There are new and more complex tools such as " beacons " which scan in real time what people are doing on a webpage. These bea-cons instantly assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions.
Millions of Internet users around the world also face unprecedented （空前的）threats. Private, sensitive, personal and business information is being gathered and sold without their knowledge.
Companies insist the information they gather is anonymous and the data is used harmlessly. But the technology has grown so powerful that even some of the biggest websites in the US don't know that they were installing intrusive files on visitors' computers. These include MSN. com and Yahoo, com.
Next time you visit a webpage and find an ad banner advertising something you've been planning to buy, don't be amazed that your computer can read your mind.The purpose of the passage is to __________.
| A．introduce a tiny file in a computer-a single code |
| B．show how your individual information was let out when you surf the Internet |
| C．show how to protect your privacy |
| D．introduce a sophisticated software called a "beacon" |
It can be inferred that __________.
| A．because the data is used harmlessly the Internet users around the world will not face threats |
| B．when a person surf the Internet, his personal details may be let out without his knowledge |
| C．your computer can really read your mind |
| D．MSN. com and Yahoo, com use software to capture what people are typing on a website |
According to the passage，"beacon"__________.
| A．is a tiny text file put on your PC by websites |
| B．is a soft ware that can package that data into profiles about individuals |
| C．can assess the Internet user's location, income, shopping interests and even medical conditions |
| D．is not more complex than the "cookie" |
What's the writer's attitude to this problem?
| A．Neutral. | B．Worried. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Indifferent. |
Traveling in Viet Nam was like visiting a mysterious neighbor. You have lived next door to each other for years but knew very little about what happened on the other side of the fence.
I traveled there last August. A simple 180-kilometre trip from a Chinese border town to Hanoi, capital of Viet Nam, took an adventurous eight hours. That's because the country still doesn't have a modern expressway system. The major passage going through the peninsula（半岛）is only a two-way road. Also, many areas are mountainous.
Vietnamese drivers are impatient and fearless. They compete with each other at full speed no matter how scared the passengers feel. When the bus shook us violently many times, the driver made a joke to make us feel better. “See, this is just a gift Vietnamese people give you, a free passage service.”
It was midnight when I reached the hotel. Turning on the television, I was surprised by something ： All the characters in the TV dramas spoke in the same voice. At present, modern Korean dramas and historical Chinese dramas are popular with the Vietnamese. But it seemed they didn't have enough money to dub （配音）all these programmes. So, the same boring woman would appear behind every drama to speak for the roles.
The next morning when I opened the window, I found myself in a huge "garden". The buildings in the streets were dressed in all kinds of colors you can imagine. Vietnamese residents are allowed to paint their houses as they like. Each one is different and the colors bring the city alive.Before the author traveled in Viet Nam, he __________.
| A．had known a lot about the neighboring country |
| B．knew little about the neighboring country |
| C．had thought he would have a chance to visit the country |
| D．thought the country was very rich |
On the way to Hanoi, the author __________.
| A．was struck by the beautiful scenery in Viet Nam |
| B．was regretful for this travel |
| C．was in high spirits |
| D．was not pleased with Vietnamese drivers |
All the characters in the TV dramas spoke in the same voice be-cause __________.
| A．they all had the same accent |
| B．few people show interest in dubbing |
| C．the persons who dub may be looked down upon |
| D．they had no ability to afford so much money |
Which of the following can be used to describe the buildings in Hanoi?
| A．Very common. | B．retraditional. |
| C．Very colorful. | D．Rather dull. |
I travel a lot, and I find out different "styles"（风格）of directions every time I ask "How can I get to the post office?"
Foreign tourists are often confused （困惑）in Japan because most streets there don't have names; in Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers，"Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop. "
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say，" Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile. "
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?" you ask. "Oh，" they answer，"it's about five minutes from here. " You say，" Yes, but how many miles away is it?"They don't know.
It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say，" Sorry, I have no idea. “But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don't know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know. “is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan ！When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually __________.
| A．describe the place carefully |
| B．show him a map of the place |
| C．tell him the names of the streets |
| D．refer to recognizable buildings and places |
What is the place where people measure distance in time?
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles |
| C．Kansas. | D．Iowa |
People in Yucatan may give a tourist a wrong answer __________.
| A．in order to save time | B．as a test. |
| C．so as to be polite | D．for fun |
What can we infer from the text?
| A．It's important for travelers to understand cultural differences. |
| B．It's useful for travelers to know how to ask the way properly. |
| C．People have similar understandings of politeness. |
| D．New Yorkers are generally friendly to visitors. |