Ridgewood is a small, quiet town 20 miles from Manhattan. It is a typical suburban town, perfect for raising children away from the fast pace of the city. However, some Ridgewood kids feel as upset as if they were on the city’s busy streets. In addition to hours of homework, Ridgewood’s children are occupied with afterschool activities — from swimming to piano to religious classes.
Out of desperation one day, the town decided to schedule another activity. This one was called “Ridgewood Family Night — Ready, Set, Relax!” Instead of schedules filled with sports, music, or overtime at the office, some of the town’s 25,000 residents decided to take the night off and stay home. For a few months before Family Night, a committee of volunteers worked hard to spread the word. Younger students took “Save the Date for Me” leaflets home to their parents. The mayor issued a statement, and schools and clubs agreed to cancel homework and meetings so families could relax and be together.
The tension between a hope for a more relaxed lifestyle and the knowledge that the benchmark for success has been raised in recent years weighs heavily on the minds of the townspeople. Some parents like to recall a different kind of childhood, one without so many scheduled afterschool activities. However, these same parents feel obliged to make sure their children are prepared to survive in today’s high-pressure work environment. They are afraid that any gap in their children’s physical or intellectual development might mean they won’t be admitted to the “right” universities and won’t succeed in a more and more competitive world.
Nevertheless, it seems that Family Night worked, at least to a point. Cars moved easily around Ridgewood’s normally busy downtown streets, and stores and restaurants saw a drop in business. Some families ate supper together for the first time in months.
Initially, there was great hope of taking back their lives. But sadly, few families believe that one night will change their lives. Many are sure that they will fall back into the habit of over-scheduling their children to be overachieving adults.The writer describes Ridgewood as a town where ________.
| A．residents take little notice of education |
| B．children are stressful and over expected |
| C．parents are concerned about children’s safety |
| D．children lead a life of relaxed, ordinary rhythms |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true about the Family Night?
| A．Schools assigned no homework. |
| B．Fewer people ate in the restaurants. |
| C．The streets were less crowded. |
| D．People enjoyed meeting each other. |
According to the passage, the parents in Ridgewood ________.
| A．have conflicting desires about what experiences to offer their children |
| B．are happy with the lifestyle they have chosen for themselves and the children |
| C．believe that it is their duty to make a change for the stressful life style |
| D．are worried about their children’s lacking of big ambition |
We may get the conclusion from the passage that ________.
| A．the concept of Family Night will become a regular part of life in Ridgewood |
| B．Ridgewood people believe the Family Night will change their way of living |
| C．Family Night is not as popular as people have originally thought |
| D．schools are worried about students being given too much free time |
Part three: Reading Comprehension (20 items; 40 pts.)
The common cold is the world's most widespread illness, which is plagues (瘟疫) that flesh receives.
The most widespread fallacy (谬误) of all is that colds are caused by cold. They are not. They are caused by viruses passing on from person to person. You catch a cold by coming into contact, directly or indirectly, with someone who already has one. If cold causes colds, it would be reasonable to expect the Eskimos to suffer from them forever. But they do not. And in isolated arctic regions explorers have reported being free from colds until coming into contact again with infected people from the outside world by way of packages and mail dropped from airplanes.
During the First World War soldiers who spent long periods in the trenches (战壕) cold and wet, showed no increased tendency to catch colds.
In the Second World War prisoners at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp (奥斯维辛集中营), naked and starving, were astonished to find that they seldom had colds.
At the Common Cold Research Unit in England, volunteers took part in Experiments in which they gave themselves to the discomforts of being cold and wet for long stretches of time. After taking hot baths, they put on bathing suits, allowed themselves to be dipped with cold water, and then stood about dripping wet in drafty room. Some wore wet socks all day while others exercised in the rain until close to exhaustion. Not one of the volunteers came down with a cold unless a cold virus was actually dropped in his nose.
If, then, cold and wet have nothing to do with catching colds, why are they more frequent in the winter? Despite the most pains- research, no one has yet found the answer. One explanation offered by scientists is that people tend to stay together indoors more in cold weather than at other times, and this makes it easier for cold viruses to be passed on.
No one has yet found a cure for the cold. There are drugs and pain-killer pills such as aspirin, but all they do is relieve the symptoms.
1. The writer offered examples to support his argument.
A. 4 B. 5 C. 6 D. 3
2. Which of the following does not agree with the chosen passage?
A. The Eskimos do not suffer from colds all the time.
B. Colds are not caused by cold.
C. People suffer from colds just because they like to stay indoors.
D. A person may catch a cold by touching someone who already has one.
3. Arctic explorers may catch colds when .
A. they are working in the isolated arctic regions
B. they are writing reports in terribly cold weather
C. they are free from work in the isolated arctic regions
D. they are coming into touch again with the outside world
4. Volunteers taking part in the experiments in the Common Cold Research Unit .
A. suffered a lot B. never caught colds
C. often caught colds D. became very strong
5. The passage mainly discusses .
A. the experiments on the common colds B. the fallacy about the common cold
C. the reason and the way people catch colds D. the continued spread of common colds
Over the past century, all kinds of unfairness and discrimination(歧视) have been made illegal. But one popular form continues to exist, that is alphabetism (字母排序法). This, for those as yet unaware of such a disadvantage, refers to discrimination against those whose surnames (姓氏) begin with a letter in the lower half of the alphabet.
It has long been known that the cars of a taxi firm called AAAA have a big advantage over Zodiac cars when customers look through their phone directories. Less well known is the advantage that Adam Abbot has in life over Zoe Zysman. English names are fairly spread between the halves of the alphabet. Yet a quite large number of top people have surnames beginning with letters between A and K.
Thus the American presidents and vice-presidents have surnames starting with B and C separately and 26 of those before George Bush took office (including his father) had surnames in the first half of the alphabet against just 16 in the second half. Even more striking, six of the seven heads of government of the G7 rich countries are alphabetically advantaged (Berlusconi, Blair, Bush, Chirac, Chretien and Koizumi ). The world’s three top central bankers (Greenspan, Duisenberg and Hayami) are all close to the top of the alphabet, even if one of them really uses Japanese characters. The same case are the world’s five richest men (Gates, Buffet and so on).
Can this merely happen by chance? At the start of the first year in primary school, teachers seat pupils alphabetically from the front, to make it easier to remember their names. So shortsighted Zysman gets stuck in the back row, and is seldom asked the improving questions by those teachers. At that time the alphabetically disadvantaged may think they have had a lucky escape. Yet the result may be worse qualifications, because they get less attention, as well as less confidence in speaking publicly.
The unfairness continues. At university graduation parties, the ABCs proudly get their awards first. However, by the time they reach the Zysmans most people are a little tired. Lists of job interviews and conference speakers and attendees all tend to be drawn up alphabetically, and their readers lose interest as they plough through them.
1. What does the author intend to show with AAAA cars and Zodiac cars?
A. An example of competition of two kinds of cars. B. Some advantages of AAAA cars in the taxi firm.
C. An example of unfairness caused by alphabetism. D. Some disadvantages of Zodiac cars in the taxi firm.
2. What can we infer from the first three paragraphs?
A. The alphabet is to blame for the failure of Zoe Zysman.
B. In both East and West, names are important to success.
C. Customers often pay a lot of attention to companies’ names.
D. The discrimination in alphabetism can be found in many areas.
3. The fourth paragraph suggests that .
A. alphabetically disadvantaged students often escape from class
B. teachers should pay equal attention to all their students
C. questions are often put to the more intelligent students
D. students should be seated according to their eyesight
4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. VIPs in the western world gain a great deal from alphabetism.
B. People with surnames beginning with N to Z are often ill – treated.
C. Putting things alphabetically may lead to unintentional unfairness.
D. The movement to get rid of alphabetism still has a long way to go.
Learners report two main difficulties in reading, which may be linked. There are too many unknown words and as a result reading is simply not a pleasure. For some students, even reading in their own language is a chore.
Having a wide vocabulary is essential to making sense of written language. Of course, this is a circular argument, because the more you read the more vocabulary you learn and the more words you know the more easily you can read. Don’t make the mistake of reading with your dictionary beside you, looking up every single new or doubtful word. This is laborious and prevents you from practicing the skill of prediction.
Sometimes in reading you find a word you know but the sense doesn’t seem to fit in. This is not surprising because words have so many meanings and degrees of meaning. What is more, part of their meaning is shaped by the words around them. Keep looking at the surrounding words and asking yourself “what sort of meaning would make sense here?”
The more that people study the reading process, the better they can pass on to language learners a range of advice to choose from. People have learned to read in all kinds of ways. Here is some information that could help you plan to be a better reader in the foreign language you are studying.
1）Work out the general meaning first
When people read in a new language they often feel they must take a detailed approach, focusing on every word, particularly those they don’t know. They read as if they were using a microscope, looking carefully at each of the small pieces（the individual words）, but not necessarily seeing the whole picture at first. This is called the “bottom-up” approach. Other readers try to look first at the big picture（the “top-down” approach）, attending to individual bricks only as necessary, a process that involves some intelligent guesswork. Generally this second approach is recommended by successful learners.
2）Interactive reading
Another way of thinking about reading is to describe it as an interactive process, where the text brings something to you and you bring something to the text. Readers bring together all their knowledge of the world with what they see on the page in front of them. That is why, when reading in our own language, we don’t need to read every word. We add meaning which is not actually stated.
3）From supported reading to independent reading
Language learners start by needing considerable support as they read. Textbooks supply this support in the form of introductions that summaries the contents, glossaries, pictures, explanations of new grammar points. In your reading you need to move gradually from this support to reading more the text itself.
1. According to the author, ________.
A. looking up the dictionary is of great help for the understanding
B. reading more promotes the gaining of vocabulary
C. the more you read, the less useful the dictionary will be
D. the amount of vocabulary is the key to reading
2. Successful learners recommend ________.
A. trying to look first at the big picture B. looking carefully at each of the small pieces
C. focusing on every word D. “bottom-up” approach
3. The word “chore” in the first paragraph maybe means ________.
A. an important aspect B. a difficult and tiring thing
C. an easy question D. something special
4. You come across a new or doubtful word when you are reading, you can ________.
A. just miss it and let it be B. keep looking at the surrounding words
C. look it up in the dictionary each time D. make sense of it with the help of dictionary
Dye (染料) call bring a little colour to life. Most clothing is coloured with dyes. Modern，manufactured dyes can be costly. Natural dyes from plant and animal products have been used since ancient times. Here we describe a natural way to dye wool.
There are several methods to put dye onto material. The vat（缸）method，for example，can be used to dye wool with onionskins. For this example，use one hundred grams of natural woo1. The wool must be clean. Leave it overnight in water and liquid soap. Then wash it with clean water that is a little warm. Gently squeeze out the extra water.
A solution called a mordant (媒染) is used in the dying process. A mordant helps fix the dye to the material. Traditionally, mordants were found in nature. Wood ash is one example. But chemical mordants such as alum（矾）are popular today. Alum is sold in many stores. It is often mixed with cream of tartar, a fine powder commonly used in cooking.
Mix eight grams of alum with seven grams of cream of tartar in a small amount of hot water. Add the solution to a metal pan of cool water. Next, add the wool and place the mixture over heat. Slowly bring the liquid to eighty-two degrees Celsius. Heat the mixture for forty five minutes. After it cools, remove the wool and wash it.
To prepare the dye solution, cover thirty grams of onionskins with water. Use only the dry，brown outer skins. Boil the liquid until the onionskins lose their colour, about forty—five minutes. Remove the skins after the dye cools.
Now it is time to dye the wool. Place the wool into the dye and heat the mixture. Bring it to a boil，then immediately reduce the heat to eighty-two degrees. Now heat the dye for about forty-five minutes or until the wool is the desired colour. Keep in mind that wet wool looks darker than it is.
Once the dye cools, remove the wool and wash it. Now the wool is orange or yellow. Or at least it should be.
1. According to the passage, mordants are ___________.
A. dyes used in the dying process B. materials which will be put dye to
C. wood ashes used in the dying process D. not dyes but play an important role in the dying process
2. Which of the following statements about “natural dyes” is TRUE?
A. They might be cheaper than chemical dyes. B. They are more expensive than chemical dyes.
C. They have been used for only recent years. D. They are all made from animal products.
3. As for the vat method，which of the following things is NOT necessarily needed?
A. Ash. B. Water. C. Mordant. D. Temperature.
4. Choose the proper order of dying wool：
a. boil the liquid with onionskins
b. add mordants to a metal pan of cool water ,put the wool into it and heat the mixture
c. wash the wool with clean water after it is left overnight in water and liquid soap
d. put the wool into the dye and heat it
A. c, b, a, d B. d, c, d, a C. b, a, d, c D. a, b, c, d
Bayfield Shopping Coupons (赠券)
| 1. Six Hours Free Parking If you spend $ 100 or more in our stores you will receive six hours of free parking. When you have spent $100 or more, just take this coupon and your receipt to the customer service desk on level 4. They will stamp your parking ticket to allow 6 hours of free parking. Offer here until November 14. |
| 2. Win a $1000 CD Collection Win your choice of $1000 worth of CDs from JB Music Store. Just buy any two CDs and your name will go into the competition. Select your own prize from our wide variety of rock, pop, jazz and classical music. Competition ends November 14. Prize drawn on November 21. Check store for more information |
| 3. Buy One, Get One Free Buy one shirt or tie at Daniel’s Menswear, and get another shirt or tie of the same value free. Choose from any of our dress shirts and we will give you another one at no cost. Hurry! Offer ends November 14. Offer limited to one per customer. |
| 4. 10% Off Present this coupon at The Book Store to get a 10% discount on any books you buy. We have lots of books to choose from, including children’s books, novels, travel guides, and science works. You are sure to find something that you will enjoy. Shop now for Christmas, we have a large quantity of toys as gifts for you and avoid the rush! Offer here until November 14 |
| 5. Half-price Movie Tickets Buy any full-price movie ticket on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, and you can buy a second tickets for a friend for only half price. The latest movies are here, being shown in one of our five theaters at Bayfield Shopping Center. Offer here through December 1, Limit on per customer. |
| 6. Free Soft Drink Buy any meal for at least $6 at Mike’s Café, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best food in the Shopping Center. Come in and try our delicious meals and our excellent service. You won’t be disappointed! Free soft drink offer ends November 14. |
1. What are these ads for?
A. Food you can order for delivery. B. Places to go on vacation.
C. Special offers at a shopping center. D. Things on sale in a big store.
2. Which of the following is true according to the ads?
A. Spending $50 means 3 hours of free parking.
B. One person can buy 5 tickets for the price of three.
C. After buying two CDs, you can get another two CDs for free.
D. At Mike’s Café, people can get a free drink after spending $6.
3. Which of the following is NOT mentioned at this mall?
A. Clothes store. B. Music store. C. Restaurant. D. Toy store.
4. We can know from this passage ________.
A. there is more than on theater in the center.
B. if you buy a book there, you may pay less than half the price.
C. you may get a free on if you buy a shirt, or a tie, or a pair of shoes.
D. you won’t get a free soft drink unless you spend more than 10 dollars on the meal.