While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象)is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response(回应)in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”. According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
| A.their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
| B.the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
| C.the common worry about their income |
| D.the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
| A.live in the countries with more money |
| B.seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C.continue their studies abroad |
| D.realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _________.
| A.they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B.they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C.they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D.they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A.the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B.“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C.children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D.the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
An eight-year-old girl took a jar with all her change in it, slipped out of the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drugstore with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door. She waited patiently for the storek
eeper to give her some attention. At last she was noticed.
“What do you want?” the storekeeper asked, “I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen for ages,” he said without waiting for a reply to his question.
“Well, I want to talk to you about my brother, ” Tess answered. “He’s really sick and … and want to buy a miracle…. ”
“I beg your pardon?”said the storekeeper.
“His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?”
“We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,” the storekeeper said.
“Listen, I have the money to pay for it. Just tell me how much it costs,” said the girl with her eyes welling up.
The storekeeper’s brother was a well-dressed gentleman. He came up and asked, “What kind of miracle does your brother need?”
“I don’t know,” Tess replied. “I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.”
“How much do you have?” asked the man
from Chicago.
“One dollar and eleven cents.”
“Well, what a coincidence(巧合)﹗”smiled the man. “A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for your brother.”
That gentleman was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a famous surgeon(外科医生). The operation was completed free of charge. Tess’s Mom and Dad were happily talking about the surgery—“a miracle”. Only Tess knew exactly how much the miracle cost. One dollar and eleven cents... plus the faith of a little child.
59. Why didn’t the storekeeper notice the little girl?
A. Because he was busy with his work.
B. Because the girl was too little to be seen.
C. Because he was talking with his brother.
D. Because he was telephoning his brother.
60. We can infer at first the storekeeper spoke to the little girl in a(n) _______.
A. friendly voice B. impatient voice C. delighted voice D. surprised voice
61. The well-dressed gentleman _______.
A. was a very wealthy gentleman B. was a famous biology professor
C. operated on the girl’s brother free D. visited his brother now and then
62. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A. Faith leads to the miracle B. A very generous surgeon
C. A little girl saved her brother D. A dollar and eleven cents
第三部分: 阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
第一节:(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
It seems that beauty and women are twins. You are joking? No, I’m not. Observe for yourself. Ads on fashion flood TV screens, radio programs, magazines, newspapers, and the streets. Whether they have realized or not, women are besieged by a sea of fashion. They are taught to think that without beautiful clothes they will grow old and lose their charm. So who dares to neglet dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth?
But I do not agree with the opinion that women have to show their minds through their looks. The richness of their mind proves to be more beautiful and attract
ive than their looks. A woman who has experienced many troubles and may be called “aunt” or “granny” can still maintain her beauty if she has such excellent qualities as knowledge, ability, a kind heart, great courage, concern for others, etc.
In addition, old and young, beautiful and ugly are relative concepts. People who keep a young mind will never feel old. Curious about new things and eager to learn more, they keep up with the tide. Painly dressed women may have a type of beauty, which is pure and real.
Reading and learning are the best way to keep one youthful. Good books are fertile soil which can feed the flower of one’s heart and looks.
56.The underlined word “besieged” may mean _______.
A. belonged to B. beside C. drew D. surrounded with
57. “So who dares to neglet dressing up at the cost of their appearance and youth?” means_______.
A. no one dares to notice that dressing up needs money
B. no one dares to fail to care for her appearance and youth with dressing up
C. everyone dares to notice that dressing up needs money
D. everyone dares to fail to care for her appearance and youth with dressing up
58. What’s the writer’s attitude of this passage?
A. He thinks that richness is beautiful.
B. It’s impossible to be old if you keep a young mind.
C. The richness of the mind is really beautiful.
D. An old lady can keep her beauty if she has knowledge.
People are overweight for many reasons, the most important one of which is
that they eat the wrong foods, get the wrong types of calories per meal, and they also eat meals at the wrong time each day. Food is more powerful than any weight loss pill, because the food that you eat can either make you thin or fat. This is true because your body is like an engine, and it only needs certain foods at certain intervals(间隔)each day.
Low-calorie Diets Do Not Work
The reason pe
ople cannot lose weight by starving themselves is that their metabolism(新陈代谢)will detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust(调整)itself by burning fewer calories each day. That is the reason why you can eat 1,000 calories per day and not lose any weight, while your friends can eat 2,500 calories per day and not gain any weight.
Low-fat Diets Do Not Work
Many people in today’s society are buying mostly low- fat or non-fat food at the grocery store. Everybody knows how much fat is inside the food they buy. However, people are getting fatter than ever before by doing this. They are not losing w
eight by changing to this low-fat lifestyle.
Losing weight has nothing to do with these things. One of the most important things you can do to control your weight is to eat the proper foods, such as fruit and vegetables, eat them at the right time, and exercise every day. If people make this a habit, they will lose weight.
68. What
is the main reason why people are overweight according to the author?
A. They eat the wrong foods at the wrong time.
B. They eat food with l
ots of calories.
C. They don’t take any weight loss pills.
D. They burn many calories every day.
69. The article is written in order to _______.
A. tell readers not to buy low-fat or non-fat food
B. tell readers how to
lose weight
C. tell readers about an important scientific discovery
D. call on people to lose weight and stay healthy
70. To realize the aim of your weight loss plan, you should ________.
a. do exercise ever
y day
b. eat meals at the right time
c. eat fruits and vegetables
d. eat low-fat or sweet food
e. eat the proper foods at each meal
A. a, b, c, dB. a, b, d, e C. a, c, d, eD. a, b, c, e
Shift Happens by Robert Holden
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It’s an excellent book that will greatly improve your life. It has insightful (富有洞察力的) wisdom that is easy to app
ly in everyday life. It’s written in a very thoughtful and humorous way. Read it when you are stressed and it will help you remember what is important in your life.
Balancing Work & Life by Robert Holden
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The book deals with the key challenges of our life. It is a must-read for anyone who is trying to balance work success, family joy and daily life.
★Practical techniques show you how to set your goals and make proper choices.
★Clear text and illustrations (图表) cover every aspect of defining success and achieving balance.
★Accessible (易懂的) charts and diagrams explore different choices f
or taking actions and provide examples.
Happiness Now by Robert Holden
Price:$8.00
This book explains what holds us back from being happy in our lives. Holden analyzes these similar questions and in the
process you will become more informed about what’s really going on in your mind. This is a must-have book for anyone wanting to understand how your thoughts keep you from your happiness.
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65. If you find it hard to get along with others, which book can offer you help?
A. Happiness Now
B. Balancing Work & Life
C. Shift Happens D. The Secrets of Relationships
66. All of these books mainly help people _____.
A. to make friends easily B. to improve their quality of life
C. to find a better job
D. to achieve their work success.
67. If you want to buy two copies of Balancing Work & Life and one copy of Happiness Now online, how much would you have to pay?
A. $29 B. $23.20 C. $26.50 D. $22.40
第三部分阅读理解(共两节,满分25分)
第一节(共10小题;每小题2分,满分20分)
Research has shown that music has an important effect on one’s body and psyche (心灵). In fact, there is a growing field of health care known as music therapy, which uses music to treat diseases. Even hospitals are beginning to use music therapy. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many powerful ways.
Research has shown that quick music can make a person feel more alert, while slow music can produce a calm, deep thinking state. Also, research has found that music can change brainwave activity levels. This can help the brain to change speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you’ve stopped listening.
Breathing and heart rates can also be influenced by music. This can mean slower breathin
g, slower heart rate. This is why music and music therapy can help reduce the damaging effects of long-term stress, greatly promoting (促进) not only relaxation, but health.
Music can also be used to bring about a more positive state of mind by helping to keep worries away. Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of strokes. It is no surprise that so many people are considering music as an important tool to help the body become or stay healthy.
61. What can we infer about music therapy?
A. It is a type of music.
B. It is a research about music.
C. It is a kind of musical effect on diseases.
D. It is the use of music method to help treat diseases.
62. According to the second paragraph, we
can know that ________.
A. music with different speeds has different effects
B. quick music is not good for one’s he
alth
C. slow music can help one to think more calmly and slowly
D. music will have less benefit after one stops listening
63. The reason why music can help deal with stress is that ________.
A. it is used by many hospitals
B. it can help change brainwaves
C. it does good to breathing and heart rates
D. it can bring a more positive state of mind
64. According to the passage, music can help deal with all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. nervousness B. mind illnesses
C. strokes D. high blood pressure