“Whatever",totally tops most annoying word in the poll (民意测验).So, you know, it is what it is, but Americans are totally annoyed by the use of‘ whatever"’ in conversations. The popular term of indifference (不感兴趣）was found most annoying in conversations by 47 percent of the Americans surveyed in a Marist College poll on Wednesday.
“Whatever"easily beat out “you know",which especially annoyed a quarter of interviewers. The other annoying expressions were "anyway"(at 7 percent), “it is what it is” (11percent) and “at the end of the day(2 percent).
"Whatever" is an expression with staying power It left everyone a deepimpression in the song by Nirvana (“oh well, whatever, never mind”）in 1991 and was popularized by the Valley Girls in the film “Clueless”,later that decade. It is still commonly used, often by younger people.
It can be a common argument-ender or a signal of indifference. And it can really be annoying. The poll found "whatever" to be consistently(始终地) disliked by Americans regardless of their race, sex, age, income or where they live.
“It doesn't surprise me because ‘whatever’，is in a special class, probably, said Michael Adams, author of “Slang(俚语)~The People's Poetry" and an associate professor of English at Indiana University. "It's a word that -and it depends on how a speaker uses it -can suggest being not worthy of attention or respect.” Adams, who didn't take part in the poll and is not annoyed by "whatever," points out that its use is not always negative. “It can also be used in place of other neutral(中性的）phrases that have fallen out of favor, like ‘six of one, half dozen of the other’ ” he said. However, he also noted that the negative meaning of the word might explain why “whatever” was judged more annoying than the ever-popular “you know”.Which tops second among the annoying expression according to the passage?'
| A．Whatever. | B．You know |
| C．Anyway. | D．It is what it is. |
What can we know about the word "whatever"?
| A．It became popular because of Nirvana. |
| B．It can be commonly used at the beginning of an agreement. |
| C．Old people like it while young people don't. |
| D．Almost half of the Americans surveyed disliked it. |
In Adams' opinion, the reason why “whatever”, was judged more annoying may be that_____.
| A．most of the people don't like it |
| B．it can be used in place of other neutral phrases |
| C．it carries certain negative meaning sometimes |
| D．the poor don't like it |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Adams is not only a writer but also a professor. |
| B．“Whatever” is a signal of concern. |
| C．Adams is angry at the word “whatever” |
| D．"Whatever" will be replaced by "You know” |
Almost 55,000 people who have had a major impact on British society are profiled in a new 60-volume book that has taken 12 years to compile.
It has cost more than ￡25 million and taken 10,000 writers to update the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
Murder victims Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger are among those joining the likes of Queen Victoria and Gandhi.
The new version of the dictionary, which was founded in 1882, costs ￡7,500 and takes up 12 feet of shelf space.
Projects director Robert Faber said Stephen Lawrence was included because his death triggered "dramatic developments in British policing and social policy".
Women make up 10% of the entries - double the previous share - and include Queen Elizabeth I, Dusty Springfield, Linda McCartney and Virginia Woolf, whose father compiled the first edition.
Alongside the famous names are lesser known individuals such as the inventor of snooker, army reservist (预备役军人) Neville Chamberlain.
Stephen Lawrence and James Bulger were both included because of the "overwhelming soul-searching (真挚的自我反省、深思) and examination of education and social policy" which followed their deaths.
Mr Faber said: "These are not just people who were killed but people who had an impact. Jill Dando is there as much for her career but also because her death became a public event.
"So many of these people have seized the public imagination and have contributed to public debate."？
|
It can be inferred that Jill Dando _____.
| A．died in a case of murder which drew the public much attention |
| B．isn’t included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |
| C．is the director of the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography |
| D．is included in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography only for her death |
_____ are collected in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
| A．Those who were murdered in history | B．Those who have shaped Britain |
| C．Those who are famous all over the world | D．Those who live in Britain |
How much does a volume of the new version cost on average?
| A．More than ￡25million. | B．More than ￡400, 000. | C．￡7, 500. | D．￡125 |
Before the early 1960’s people interested in the differing roles of the left and right hemispheres(半球) of the brain depended almost entirely on facts drawn from animal research, form studies of patients with one-sided brain damage. But it was possible to find out which brain hemisphere was most involved in speech and other functions in normal people by having them listen to two different words coming to the two ears at the same time. This became known as the “dichotic listening” procedure. When several word pairs are given in a row, people are unable to report them all, and most right-handers prefer to report, and report more correctly, words given to their right ears. This seems to be related to the fact that signals from the right ear, although sent to both hemispheres, are better sent to the left hemisphere which controls speech. People who have speech represented(回忆) in the right hemisphere, a very unusual occurrence even in left-handed people, more correctly report what their left ears hear.
In contrast to the right-ear advantage for speech, there is generally a left-ear advantage for another type of auditory(听觉的) signal: music. When right-handed people listen to melodic patterns they report them better from the left ear.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the passage?
| A．An Introduction to Speech Damage in Patients with Brain Damage. |
| B．An Investigation into the Role of the Brain’s Hemispheres. |
| C．An Analysis of Left and Right-handed People. |
| D．An Examination of “Dichotic Listening”. |
The “dichotic listening” procedure could best be described as hearing _______.
| A．two different words in the same ear twice |
| B．the same word twice in the same ear |
| C．two different words in different ears |
| D．two different words twice in two ears |
according to the passage, right-handed people normally _______.
| A．have better hearing in their both ears |
| B．have little difficulty in reporting words given to their right ears |
| C．are unable to report word pairs given to their left ears |
| D．correctly report word pairs given in a row |
according to the passage, music is best appreciated when heard by _______.
| A．the left ear of right-handers |
| B．people with a left-ear advantage |
| C．left-handers in their right ears |
| D．right-handed people who understand melodic patterns |
Zipped into a bag, it looks like a large umbrella. Unfolded, it goes along the street like any other bicycle.
It's the "A-bike", the brainchild (脑力劳动的产物) of British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair, who made history in the 1970s by developing the world's first pocket calculator. He described his new invention as "the world's smallest, lightest foldable bicycle".
"My original thought was that if you could have a bicycle that was dramatically lighter and more firm than the ones that exist today, it would change the way in which bicycles are used,"said Sinclair.
The mini-bike, showed in Singapore last week and set to go on sale worldwide in 2005 at a price of nearly US$300, is built for riders as heavy as 112 kilograms and is height-adjustable（可调整高度的）. It takes about 20 seconds to fold or unfold.
Its wheels are a quarter the size of those on a regular bicycle, but Sinclair promises a smooth ride for most cyclists. "You require no extra energy to ride the A-bike and it can go up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour)," he said. Constructed mainly of plastic, the 5.5-kilogram bicycle folds into a package of less than 0.03 cubic meters （立方米）.
Sinclair also invented the first pocket TV in 1984 and the futuristic C5 electric tricycle in 1985. He said he hoped the bicycle would attract common citizens, officials, campers or anyone needing transport for a short trip and he said the next step for the A-bike was to add an electric motor in a few years. The most important character of this kind of bike is its ________ .
| A．big size |
| B．light weight |
| C．beautiful appearance |
| D．foldable structure |
The wheels of a regular bicycle is ________ the size of this kind of bike.
| A．four times |
| B．three times |
| C．one-fourth |
| D．one-third |
This kind of new bike is mainly made of ________ .
| A．plastic | B．packages | C．bags | D．metal |
The best title of the text is ________ .
| A．World's smallest foldable bicycle arriving |
| B．A new bike, a large umbrella |
| C．A foldable bike, a large bag |
| D．A great inventor of a new bike |
This kind of new bike hasn't been fixed with ________ .
| A．a wheel |
| B．an electric motor |
| C．pedal |
| D．a hand |
Sydney—A shark savaged a schoolboy's leg while he was surfing with his father at a beach in Sydney on February 23.It was the third shark attack along the coast of Australia's largest city in a month.
The 15-year-old boy and his father were in the water off Avalon，on Sydney's northern beaches，around dawn when he was attacked.The city's beaches are packed with locals and tourists during the summer months.
“The father heard a scream and turned to see his son thrashing(激烈扭动)about in the water，”the police said.“Fortunately，the shark swam away and the boy was helped to the shore by his father.”
Lifesaving Club spokesman Nick Miller said，“It got him around the top of his left leg and the father came and dragged him out of water.”He said the boy was bleeding heavily when he was brought to the shore.“There was a lot of pain，as you can imagine.”The teenager was airlifted to hospital for treatment for leg injuries.
Police said the bites “cut through to the bone”，but the boy did not appear to have sustained any fractures (骨折)．He was in a stable condition now.
Several beaches were closed after the attack.Water police and lifeguards were searching for the shark，while the police hoped to identify its species by the shape of the bite marks.But they said it was too early to say what type of shark attacked the boy.“I don't even know if he saw it，”Miller said.
Many shark species live in the waters off Sydney's beaches，but attacks on humans are still relatively rare.However，there were two attacks on successive days earlier this month，one on a navy diver in Sydney harbor，not far from the famous Opera House，and the other on a surfer at the city's world-famous Bondi beach.
Fishermen say shark numbers are on the rise.There is a ban on commercial fishing in the harbor，which has increased fish stocks.Marine experts also claim environmental protection has created a cleaner environment，attracting sharks closer to the shore as they chase fish.Many shark species，including the Great White—the man-eaters made famous in Steven Spielberg's Jaws—are protected in Australian waters.The report mainly tells us ________.
| A．shark attacks on humans are on the rise |
| B．sharks attacked humans three times in one month |
| C．a boy was attacked by a shark at a Sydney beach |
| D．shark numbers are increasing in the waters off Sydney's beaches |
The underlined word “savaged” in the first paragraph probably means “________”．
| A．attracted | B．dragged | C．bit | D．packed |
What do we know about the city of Sydney from the passage?
B．Sydney harbor is not far from the famous Opera House.
C．There are many locals and tourists on its coast all the year round.
D．There are few shark species in the waters off Sydney's beaches.About the injury of the boy we know that ________.
| A．he was losing much blood when he was dragged out |
| B．he was very nervous when he was sent to hospital |
| C．he may be in danger of losing his leg |
| D．he was injured in the right leg |
All the following are the causes of Australia's sharks' increasing EXCEPT that ________.
| A．environmental protection has created a cleaner environment |
| B．a ban on commercial fishing has increased fish numbers |
| C．many shark species are protected in Australian waters |
| D．the film Jaws has made the Great White famous |
A HOUSE WITH A HISTORY
Foulsham House is a fine,stone house of the 1790s.It stands by the River Byre,in twenty－five hectares（公顷）of the best farmland in the southwest.
Smithson built the house,and the story goes back to George,the young Prince of Wales,who fell in love with the beautiful lady Kitty Wake,at one of the first Lord Foulsham’s wild woods parties.In the past many great men rode on the hills about Foulsham House,and many fine ladies took tea in the Green Room.
The house has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms,two living－rooms and a dining room with a real Adam fire－place（壁炉）.The gentleman’s library has a view over the park and the river.All rooms are light and airy（空气通畅的）,with wood,high windows,and wood floors.
At the back of the house,where the third Lord Foulsham kept the horses,there is garage－space（停车的地方）for four cars.In many other ways,this house of the 1790s meets the needs of the 2000s.
If you wish to know more about Foulsham House,write to:
Harvey,Platt,Longford & Sons,
Castle Green, Gilham, Byreside.The writer writes this passage to ________.
| A．persuade people to buy it |
| B．give some information about Foulsham House |
| C．tell a love story |
| D．describe the beauty of a best farmland |
People say that ________.
| A．Smithson built the house for Lord Foulsham’s wild parties |
| B．Prince George fell in love with Kitty Wake at Foulsham House |
| C．Prince George and Kitty Wake fell in love with the Green Room |
| D．Lord Foulsham fell in love with a lady in Wales |
The library ________.
| A．has a fine view of the park and the river |
| B．is where great men and fine ladies took tea |
| C．has an Adam fire－place,and a real wood floor |
| D．has eight bedrooms,three bathrooms and two living－rooms |
All the rooms in the house ________.
| A．have a view over the park and the river |
| B．are light,and have good windows to let in fresh air |
| C．have high floors and wood windows |
| D．have fire－places and wood floors |