Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, king of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War II. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist (免疫学家)， encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because________.
| A．they lived healthily in a dirty environment |
| B．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in |
| C．they believed disease could be spread in public baths |
| D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease |
Which of the following best describes Henry IV’ s attitude to bathing?
| A．Afraid | B．Curious | C．Approving | D．Uninterested |
How does the passage mainly develop?
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By following the order of importance. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To stress the role of dirt. |
| B．To introduce the history of dirt. |
| C．To call attention to the danger of dirt. |
| D．To present the change of views on dirt. |
As soon as you meet, or even see, a person, you form an impression of him based on his posture, gestures and facial expressions. This is why it is important to make a good first impression on the person who will be interviewing you. Within the first 60 seconds of meeting you, the interviewer will have formed an impression about what type of person you are and what kind of employee you would become, and 55% of this will be based only on your body language. Here are some tips to make that impression a good one.
First of all, relax. Think positive thoughts and you are more likely to come across as a positive, confident person during the interview. Dress smartly, as your appearance is one of the first things an interviewer will notice you. Stand up straight, and walk in with your shoulders back and your head up. Try to avoid slowing down as you walk into the room because this suggests fear and uncertainty. Shake hands with the interviewer firmly. You should have a positive handshake and a warm smile. Opening your coat or jacket as you sit down shows that you, too, are open.
Posture is important. You should be sitting well back in your seat. Sit up straight and lean forward slightly, but not too much. Sitting at too much of an angle (角度) expresses discomfort and distrust. Tow of the most common defensive (防卫的) signals are crossing your arms and legs, so try to avoid them.
Another important issue is eye contact. Looking someone in the eye shows confidence in yourself and trust in the other person. However, don’t overdo it, as too much eye contact or staring will make the other person uncomfortable. Use more eye contact when listening than when talking, and when you look away, look down. Looking up at the ceiling will make you seem bored or rude.The purpose of the first paragraph is to tell readers .
| A．what a good first impression is |
| B．how to make a good first impression |
| C．how long it takes to make a first impression |
| D．the importance of making a good first impression |
Which of the following does the author advise you to do when you are being interviewed?
| A．Cross your arms or legs. |
| B．Open your coat or jacket when sitting down. |
| C．Go into the room more slowly than usual. |
| D．Avoid looking at the eyes of the interviewer directly. |
If you lean forward too much, it means .
| A．you are very bored | B．you are too nervous |
| C．you don’t have confidence | D．you don’t trust others |
What is the best title for the text?
| A．How to use body language to win an interview |
| B．How to answer questions in an interview |
| C．How to understand body language |
| D．How to deal with an interviewer |
When you’re lying on the white sands of the Mexican Rivera, the stresses (压力) of the world seem a million miles away. Hey, stop! This is no vacation—you have to finish something.
Here lies the problem for travel writer and food critic (评论家) Edie Jarolim. “I always loved traveling and always liked to eat, but it never occurred to me that I could make money doing both of those things,” Jarolim said. Now you can read her travel advice everywhere--- in Arts and Antiques, in Brides, or in one of her three books, The Complete Idiot Travel Guide to Mexican Beach Resorts.
Her job in travel writing began some eight years ago. After getting a PhD in English in Canada, she took a test for Frommer’s travel guides, passed it, and got the job. After working at Frommer’s, Jarolim worked for a while at Rough Guides in London, then Fodor’s where she fell so in love with a description of the Southwest of the U.S. that she moved there.
Now as a travel writer, she spends one-third of her year on the road. The rest of the time is spent completing her tasks and writing reviews of restaurants at home in Tucson, Arizona.
As adventurous as the job sounds, the hard part is fact-checking all the information. Sure, it’s great to write about a tourist attraction, but you’d better get the local museum hours correct or you could really ruin someone’s vacation.What is most difficult for Jarolim?
| A．Working in different places to collect information. |
| B．Checking all the facts to be written in the guides. |
| C．Finishing her work as soon as possible. |
| D．Passing a test to write travel guides. |
What do we know about Jarolim from the text?
| A．She is successful in her job. |
| B．She finds her life full of stresses. |
| C．She spends half of her time traveling. |
| D．She is especially interested in museums. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A．Adventures in Travel Writing | B．Working as a Food Critic |
| C．Travel Guides on the Market | D．Vacationing for a Living |
It all started at the beginning of this term. At first, Carmen wasn’t really sure what was happening. In class, she had to squint (眯眼) to see the blackboard clearly. As it got worse, she became more and more worried. It was important for her to see the notes and homework the teacher wrote on the board.
In class, she asked for a desk that was closer to the blackboard. One day, her teacher said, “Carmen, I’ve noticed you squinting a lot. Are you having trouble seeing the board?” Carmen shook her head. “I’m fine, Mrs. Cruz.”
At home, she had to sit closer and closer to the television. Her mother noticed her squinting as she watched her favorite shows.
“Tomorrow I will go to see a doctor,” she said firmly. Three days later, Carmen had new glasses. She was told to wear them all the time. “All of the kids at school will think I am a nerd (书呆子)，” she said. “You look just as beautiful with those glasses on as you do without them,” her mother said. But Carmen didn’t believe her.
The next day, Carmen kept the glasses in her pocket as she walked into the schoolyard. Suddenly, she heard her friend Theresa shout. “What’s wrong?” she asked.
“My silver ring is gone!” Theresa cried. Carmen could tell that Theresa was very upset. They all looked for the ring in the grassy area of the playground.
Carmen realized that she could search better if she could see better. She took the glasses out of her pocket and put them on. Everything looked so different! So clear! And a glimmer (微光) of silver caught her eye.
“Here it is,” she shouted. “Thanks Carmen,” Theresa said. “I didn’t know you wore glasses. They look great!” “Thanks,” Carmen replied shyly.
As they walked back toward the school building, two more girls praised her glasses. Carmen smiled. “Maybe wearing glasses won’t be so bad after all,” she thought.According to the text, Carmen_________.
| A．doesn’t like doing homework |
| B．often tells lies to her teacher |
| C．cares how well she does in lesson |
| D．has trouble getting along with her classmates |
When Carmen wore glasses for the first time, she felt________.
| A．sad | B．pleased | C．surprised | D．disappointed |
What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?
| A．Other girls expect to have new glasses. |
| B．Carmen will get used to wearing glasses. |
| C．Wearing glasses will make Carmen look beautiful. |
| D．Carmen hopes to receive more comments on her glasses. |
The purpose of the text is to tell readers__________.
| A．how to protect their eyes |
| B．never to make fun of others |
| C．things aren’t always as bad as we expect |
| D．it is necessary to give a hand to those in trouble |
Camping wild is a wonderful way to experience the natural world and, at its best, it makes little environmental influence. But with increasing numbers of people wanting to escape into the wilderness, it is becoming more and more important to camp unobtrusively(不引人注目地)and leave no mark.
Wild camping is not permitted in many places, particularly in crowded lowland Britain. Wherever you are, find out about organizations responsible for managing wild spaces, and contact them to find out their policy on camping and shelter building. For example, it is fine to camp wild in remote parts of Scotland, but in England you must ask the landowner’s permission, except in national parks.
Camping is about having relaxation, sleeping outdoors, experiencing bad weather, and making do without modern conveniences. A busy, fully-equipped campsite(野营地)seems to go against this, so seek out smaller, more remote places with easy access to open spaces and perhaps beaches. Better still, find a campsite with no road access: walking in makes a real adventure.
Finding the right spot to camp is the first step to guaranteeing a good night’s sleep. Choose a campsite with privacy and minimum influence on others and the environment. Try to use an area where people have obviously camped before rather than creating a new spot. When camping in woodland, avoid standing dead trees, which may fall on a windy night. Avoid animal runs and caves, and possible homes of biting insects. Make sure you have most protection on the windward side. If you make a fire, do so downwind of your shelter. Always consider what influence you might have on the natural world. Avoid damaging plants. A good campsite is found, not made—changing it should be unnecessary.You needn’t ask for permission when camping in .
| A．national parks in England | B．most parts of Scotland |
| C．crowded lowland Britain | D．most parts of England |
The author thinks that a good campsite is one .
| A．with easy access | B．used previously |
| C．with modern conveniences | D．far away from beaches |
The last paragraph mainly deals with
| A．protecting animals |
| B．building a campfire |
| C．camping in woodland |
| D．finding a campsite with privacy |
The passage is mainly about
| A．the protection of campsites |
| B．the importance of wild camping |
| C．the human influence on campsites |
| D．the dos and don’ts of wild camping |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive (欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, some might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery (彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents(对手) says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” that’s true. However, and honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers(广告商) will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too of often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.How much did the lottery winner lose?
| A．One hundred dollars. | B．Two hundred dollars. |
| C．Three hundred dollars. | D．Four hundred dollars. |
We may infer that the author believes people should _______.
| A．buy lottery tickets |
| B．make use of half-truths |
| C．not take anything at face value |
| D．not trust the Yucky Company |
What do the underline words “net gain” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．final increase | B．big advantage | C．large share | D．total saving |
What can we know from the example of the Yucky Pill advertisement?
| A．False statements are easy to see through. |
| B．Half-truths are often used to mislead people. |
| C．Doctors like to act in advertisements. |
| D．Advertisements are based on facts. |