You hear the comment all the time: the U.S. economy looks good by figures, but it doesn’t feel good. Why doesn’t ever-greater wealth promote ever-greater happiness? It is a question that dates at least to the appearance in 1958 of The Wealthy Society by John Kenneth Galbraith, who died recently at 97.
The Wealthy Society is a modern classic because it helped describe a new moment in the human condition. For most of history, “hunger, sickness, and cold” threatened nearly everyone, Galbraith wrote. “Poverty was found everywhere in that world. Obviously it is not of ours.” After World War II, the fear of another Great Depression gave way to an economic growth. By the 1930s unemployment had averaged 18.2 percent; in the 1950s it was 4.5 percent.
To Galbraith, materialism had gone mad and would cause discontent. Through advertising, companies conditioned consumers to buy things they didn’t really want or need. Because so much spending was artificial, it would be unsatisfying. Meanwhile, government spending that would make everyone better off was being cut down because people wrongly considered government only as “a necessary bad.”
It’s often said that only the rich are getting ahead; everyone else is standing still or falling behind. Well, there are many undeserving rich — overpaid chief managers, for instance. But over any meaningful period, most people’s incomes are increasing. From 1995 to 2004, people feel “squeezed” because their rising incomes often don’t satisfy their rising wants — for bigger homes, more health care, more education, and faster Internet connections.
The other great disappointment is that it has not got rid of insecurity. People regard job stability as part of their standard of living. As company unemployment increased, that part has gradually become weaker. More workers fear they’ve become “the disposable American,” as Louis Uchitelle puts it in his book by the same name.
Because so much previous suffering and social conflict resulted from poverty, the arrival of widespread wealth suggested utopian (乌托邦式的) possibilities. Up to a point, wealth succeeds. There is much less physical suffering than before. People are better off. Unfortunately, wealth also creates new complaints.
Advanced societies need economic growth to satisfy the multiplying wants of their citizens. But the search for growth cause new anxieties and economic conflicts that disturb the social order. Wealth sets free the individual, promising that everyone can choose a unique way to self-accomplishment. But the promise is so unreasonable that it leads to many disappointments and sometimes inspires choices that have anti-social consequences, including family breakdown. Figures indicate that happiness has not risen with incomes.
Should we be surprised? Not really. We’ve simply confirmed an old truth: the seeking of wealth does not always end with happiness.The Wealthy Society is a book ______.
| A．about previous suffering and social conflict in the past |
| B．written by Louis Uchitelle who died recently at 97 |
| C．indicating that people are becoming worse off |
| D．about why happiness does not rise with wealth |
According to Galbraith, people feel discontented because ______.
| A．materialism has run wild in modern society |
| B．they are in fear of another Great Depression |
| C．public spending hasn’t been cut down as expected |
| D．the government has proved to be necessary but ugly |
Why do people feel“squeezed”when their average income rises considerably?
| A．They think there are too many overpaid rich. |
| B．There is more unemployment in modern society. |
| C．Their material demands go faster than their earnings. |
| D．Health care and educational cost have somehow gone out of control. |
What does Louis Uchitelle mean by “the disposable American” ?
| A．People with a stable job. |
| B．Workers who no longer have secure jobs. |
| C．Those who see job stability as part of their living standard. |
| D．People who have a sense of security because of their rising incomes. |
What has wealth brought to American society?
| A．Stability and security. |
| B．Materialism and content. |
| C．A sense of self-accomplishment. |
| D．New anxiety, conflicts and complaints. |
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven’t listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven’t listened carefully enough. We get things wrong because we haven’t quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us. Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember-- despite the benefit of notes-- exactly what everyone said. But success depends on getting things right--and that means listening.
Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effort actively. It demands attention and concentration. It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification------ it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong. However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you’ll miss what the speaker is saying------ probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical. And not having heard, you won’t know you’ve missed anything until it’s too late.
The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished. We then stop listening. Even worse, this often adds rudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it. Good listeners don’t interrupt. In fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points. Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well.
Above all be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators. It’s helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying. Equally important you should put yourself in the other person’s place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they are getting at and form a response. But don’t be too clever. Faced with a know-all, many people keep quiet because they see no point in continuing.
56. Which is the best title for this passage?
A. Don’t be too cleverB. Be a good listener.
C. Don’t miss anything critical D. Think of the speaker
57. In the last paragraph, “…… what they are getting at ……” means________ .
A. what they imply B. what they like
C. what they attack D. what they achieve
58. What is the writer’s opinion?
A. If you want to be a good listener, you should be very clever and emotional.
B. Speakers won’t continue talking when their listeners explain what they’ve heard.
C. If you don’t want to get things wrong, it’s important to be a good listener,
D. It’s hard to be a good listener because listening tests you on your intelligence.
59. What is the lesson we can learn from this passage?
A. Don’t accuse others of not listening while talking with them.
B. Don’t get anything wrong if you miss what the speaker is saying.
C. Listening inattentively may cost you the loss of your success.
D. Think carefully of what you’re going to say before the speaker finishes.
D
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity. Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said, “Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand, “Have you ever seen what a grassshopper（蚱蜢）eats? When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical, complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good.” These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior. But in talking about science, quick going by saying “That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before,” or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “think”. It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling him what to do. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, in as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target for your disagreement.
Lastly, show, don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lessons children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass（放大镜）, and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates（蒸发）, set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
68.According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is ___________.
A.to let them see the world around
B.to share the children’s curiosity
C.to explain difficult phrases about science
D.to supply the children with lab equipment
69.Children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults _______.
A.ask them to answer quickly
B.wait for one or two seconds after a question
C.tell them to answer the next day
D.wait at least three seconds after a question
70.The author mentioned all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity EXCEPT that adults should _______________.
A.tell their children stories instead of reciting facts
B.offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C.be patient enough when their children answer questions
D.encourage their children to ask questions of their own
C
Two farmers in northeast China Heilongjiang Province have been sentenced to nine and five years in jail because of eating a tiger, the local court said on Tuesday.
Zhang Licheng and Gong Weisheng, both farmers in Dongning County, were put into prison for the crime of illegally hunting and killing endangered wild animal species, according to the People’s Court of Dongning County.
The Siberian tiger, mistakenly trapped but intentionally（故意的）eaten by the farmers, was an endangered animal which is under the first-class state protection in the country. The farmers, living in a village very close to forests, used to trap wild animals like roe deer and hares when the dying tiger unfortunately caught in their trap in February 2003.
Knowing that tiger trade was illegal, Zhang and Gong, however, thought eating a dead tiger’s meat was not breaking the law. They decided to cover it up and therefore did not report to the relevant authorities, the court said.
Six days later they secrectly carried home the tiger that had died of hunger as they had expected.The two farmers burnt the tiger’s skin, ate its meat and hid away the bones, according to the court. The crime was uncovered and reported to the police about a year later and the transgressors（违反者）were arrested on Jan.16, 2004.
64.When the two farmers found the tiger trapped, they ______________.
A.wanted to kill it for its skin
B.were pleased to have the chance to eat its meat
C.hoped to sell it at good price
D.reported the case to some departments of the government
65.After reading the passage, we know that ___________.
A.roe deer are being well protected
B.the Siberian tigers do no harm to people
C.China values the protection of endangered animals
D.farmers in Dongning County won’t like endangered wild animal species any longer
66.What is the best title for the passage?
A.Tigers Are Endangering
B.Two Unlucky Farmers
C.Tigers Are Well Protected in China
D.Two Farmers Jailed for Eating Tiger
67.The right statement of the following about the tiger is ____________.
A.It died of hunger.
B.It was eaten by the farmers unintentionally.
C.Before dying, it had eaten roe deer and hares.
D.It was skinned and its bones and meat were sold.
B
A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale shook Haiti on Tuesday, causing several buildings to collapse in the Western hemisphere's poorest nation and leading to an unknown number of fatalities（死亡）, officials and witnesses said.
The earthquake was centered just 10 miles southwest of the crowded and impoverished（贫困的）capital of Port-au-Prince（太子港）.Making matters worse, the earthquake was relatively shallow, at a depth of five miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said Shallow earthquakes can cause more damage.
“I think it's really a huge catastrophe,” Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., Raymond Alcide Joseph, told Cable News Network.
An Associated Press（美联社）videographer saw the ruins of a hospital in Petionville, near Port-au-Prince. Reuters（路透社）news agency said several buildings had crumbled in the capital and that there were dead and injured trapped in the rubble.
At least 1.8 million people live within the area where the earthquake had its highest intensity, John Bellini, a geophysicist at the USGS, told The Wall Street Journal. “With a strong and shallow earthquake like this in such a populated area, it could really cause substantial damage.” he said.
“The quake was the most powerful to hit Haiti since at least 1770. This isn't normally an earthquake-prone（地震频发）area.” Mr. Bellini added.
Within minutes of the original quake, two aftershocks rolled through the area, measuring 5.9 and 5.5 on the Richter scale.
60. The main purpose of this passage is to ________.
A. tell people some disasters are very dangerous.
B. introduce some common sense of natural disasters.
C. appeal to readers for help, love and support.
D. present some information of Haiti’s earthquake this year.
61.What can we learn from John Bellini’s words?
A. The earthquake which took place in Port-au-Prince was strong and shallow.
B. Thanks to the shallow earthquake, it did little damage to Port-au-Prince.
C. Earthquakes occur frequently in the area of Port-au-Prince,capital of Haiti.
D. At least 1770 people lost their lives in the earthquake.
62. The underlined word catastrophe is closest in meaning to __________.
A. problem B. disaster C. phenomenon D. news
63. How many earthquakes of Haiti are mentioned in this article?
A. None. B. One C. Two. D. At least three.
第三部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta (born March 28, 1986), better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American recording artist. She began playing in clubs in the New York City area while also working at Interscope Records as a songwriter for several established musicians, including Akon. After hearing Gaga sing, he signed her to a joint deal with his own company, Kon Live Distribution. She then started to work on her first studio album.
She began working with a collective(组合) called the “Haus of Gaga” in 2008, and released her first album “The Fame”. The album peaked in countries such as the United Kingdom and Canada, receiving critical acclaim. So far, the album has spawned（产生）the international number one singles “Just Dance”, nominated for Best Dance Recording at the 51st Grammy Awards（格莱美音乐奖）, and “Poker Face”. After writing songs for New Kids On The Block and the Pussycat Dolls, Gaga began her first tour, headlined “The Fame Ball”.
Gaga has been influenced by fashion and has been appreciated for her provocative（刺激的） sense of style and her influence on other celebrities（名流）. Musically, she is inspired by David Bowie and Queen, as well as pop singers such as Michael Jackson and Madonna.
In which order did the following things happen to Lady Gaga?
Gaga released her first album “The Fame”.
Gaga began playing in clubs in New York city.
Gaga began her first headlined tour.
Akon signed Gaga to join his own company.
56.Her single “Just Dance” was nominated at the 51st Grammy Awards.
A. b a d c e B. b d a e c C. d b e c a D. d c e a b
57. The underlined word “acclaim” means _______.
A. gift B. praise C. complaint D. income
58. According to the passage, who influenced Gaga musically EXCEPT ________.
A. Michael B. Madonna C. David Bowie D. Avril Lavigne
59. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Lady Gaga began playing in clubs in New York city area after she worked at Interscope
Records as a songwriter.
B. Gaga’s first album spawned only one international NO.1 single --“Just Dance”.
C. Akon signed Gaga to work for his own company after hearing her singing.
D. “The Fame Ball”is the second single of Lady Gaga.