Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today.
Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship (求爱). There, figure dancing was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.
The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony.
The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay homage to another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.
In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.What’s mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The way to express love and respect. | B．The expression of affection. |
| C．The custom of kissing. | D．The function of kissing. |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “homage” in the 4th paragraph？
| A．recognition | B．respect | C．importance | D．loyalty |
It can be learned from the passage that ___________.
| A．kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and affection |
| B．kissing used to be a proper way to show love on the wedding ceremony |
| C．kissing is a widely accepted way of greeting in the world |
| D．kissing from the Tsar is only sign of being accepted from the Crown |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It was France that made the custom of kissing go to the whole world. |
| B．Early Africans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another. |
| C．One Roman emperor allowed important nobles to kiss his nose. |
| D．Russian nobility followed the custom of kissing from the French. |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．mothers created the custom of kissing |
| B．kissing means differently on different occasions |
| C．figure dancing was usually sealed with a kiss in Russia |
| D．society found it hard to accept kissing in public in the sixth century |
Bringing art into hospitals
The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in helping patients to get better.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the museums and into public places, some of the country's best artists have been called in to change older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 national health service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have very valuable collections of present art in passages, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent movements first started by one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society, and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience(观众).
A common hospital waiting room might have as many as 500 visitors each week. What a better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Royal Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images(形象) and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto gardens needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at.Some best artists of Britain have been called in to ________
| A．set up new hospitals |
| B．make the corners of the hospital collect paintings |
| C．Bring art into hospitals |
| D．help patients recover form serious illnesses |
After the improvement of the hospital environment, _________
| A．patients no longer take drugs to kill their pains |
| B．patients don’t have to stay long in hospital |
| C．patients need fewer pain killers when they suffer from an illness |
| D．patients feel happy in hospital |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________
| A．the role of hospital environment is important |
| B．hospital artists have done more than doctors |
| C．exhibitions attract more audience in hospitals |
| D．the hospital is a better place for people |
When I was young I wanted to be a model，so when a national contest was staged，I convinced my parents to take me for an audition(试演). I was selected and told I had potential．They said that for only$900 I could attend a weekend event which dozens of the most prestigious(有声望的)modeling agencies from around the world would attend．At l 3，my hopes of fame and fortune clouded all judgment and I begged my parents to let me go．We have never been rich，but they saw my enthusiasm and agreed．
I imagined being signed by some famous model companies．For months，any boredom or disappointment I faced was pushed aside because I knew I would soon have the chance to be a real model．I thought I would grace the covers of famous magazines!
Of course，I wasn’t signed，but what hurt the most was being told that if I grew to 5'9”(about 1．75metres)I could be a success．I prayed for a growth spurt(冲刺)because I could not imagine giving up my dream．I made an appointment with a local modeling agency and the agent demanded$500 for classes．$500 for a photo shoot and $300 for other expenses．My parents only agreed after hours and hours of me begging．
The agency sent me out on a few auditions，but with every day I didn’t receive a call，I grew more depressed．The final straw came in July after I had decided to focus on commercial modeling．There was an open call in New York City．We spent hours driving and another few hours waiting．only to be told that I was too short．I was devastated(极度不安的)．
Years later，I realized that the trip to New York was good as it made me notice I didn’t actually love modeling，just the idea of it．I wanted to be special and 1 was innocently determined to reach an impossible goal．The experience has made me stronger and that will help me in the future．What’s the main reason why the author wanted to be a model?
| A．She won a national contest． |
| B．She wanted to get reputation and wealth． |
| C．She was urged by some modeling agencies． |
| D．She had full potential to be a successful model． |
What’s the author’s parents’attitude toward her dream?
| A．Encouraging． | B．Worried． |
| C．Doubtful． | D．Enthusiastic． |
What was it that made the author end her attempt to become a model?
| A．Her parents were strongly against it． |
| B．She realized that it was impossible for her． |
| C．Even a local modeling agency turned her down． |
| D．She realized that she didn’t actually love the idea of modeling. |
The underlined phrase‘'The final straw”probably means __________ .
| A．the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc |
| B．the final result that she was admired by the model company |
| C．the final audition given by the famous agency |
| D．the decision that she made at last not to be a model any more |
For years scientists have been worrying about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.
Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer, Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution.
People have paid more attention to the problem now. It is true that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using man-made building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases.
As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building—green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square metres of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals.
So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and more healthy place.Generally speaking, indoor air pollution may be more harmful than the air outside because ________.
| A．indoor air pollution can make a person seriously ill |
| B．man - made building materials give off dangerous gases |
| C．there may be more harmful gases outside the buildings |
| D．the air indoors is polluted, which is very harmful |
Some kind of indoor pollution can be found in ________
A. every modern house
B. every old house
C. all kinds of houses
D all kinds of officesThe indoor air pollution is caused by ______
| A．the limit of the flow of air between inside and outside |
| B．the building way that the builders want to save energy |
| C．the building things that are made of man-made materials |
| D．the man-made building materials and the limit of airflow |
The reason why we should use different kinds of plants to clean the air is that _______
| A．plants can let out all kinds of pollutants indoors |
| B．plants may take in more oxygen which people need |
| C．plants can absorb all kinds of harmful indoor chemicals |
| D．plants can make our houses prettier and more healthy |
Do you want a bit of an adventure? Would you like to discover all the corners of the UK, or travel abroad? Maybe you have never tried the motorhome lifestyle before. Well, read this article and you will know why a motorhome is a good choice.
Nothing is better than a motorhome. It has so many uses that it is considered the most versatile vehicle and it is also very comfortable. If you are thinking about hiring a motorhome this summer, then the best choice is to book it early, especially if you are considering the school holidays. The motorhome hire service is very seasonal and motorhome hire companies will never have extra vehicles available in the summer months.
There are a lot of companies throughout the UK, and some of the big ones have motorhomes spread all over the country. At present, the largest network for motorhome hire is provided by Motorhome which is based in Cambridge. If you are in the UK, you may phone 0800612-8719 for details of its motorhome hire information. Motorhome has a network of over 500 vehicles all over England, Scotland and Wales.
Most people wishing to hire a motorhome are families that are looking for an alternative to a European package holiday, especially as flying now has become more expensive, and is considered to be environmentally unfriendly. There is no doubt that the idea of no-fly holidays is going to become more popular as fewer people think it is safe to fly. This explains why more and more people are choosing to hire a motorhome for their holidays.The main purpose of this text is to explain why it is a good idea to _________.
| A．take an adventure |
| B．travel to England |
| C．try a new lifestyle |
| D．hire a motorhome |
What does the underlined word “versatile” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Fast. | B．Safe. |
| C．Useful. | D．Exciting. |
Why should you book a motorhome early if you want to book one for this summer?
| A．Booking early is much cheaper. |
| B．Summer is usually a very busy season. |
| C．You can arrange your time better this way. |
| D．Students usually book them to earn money. |
The last paragraph tells us the advantages of hiring a motorhome by _________.
| A．telling us a story |
| B．giving detailed data |
| C．comparing it with flying |
| D．showing the results of a study |
Want to find a job? Now read the following advertisements.
| WILSON BOOKSTORE Accountant(会计) ---Aged between 25 and 40 ---With an experience of at least two years ---With a degree and an accountant certificate(证书) ---Paid 3000-4000 dollars monthly ---With a knowledge of computer Salesclerk ---Basic education of 12 years or more ---Good at computer ---Paid 1800-2200 dollars monthly Tel: 447-4398 Fax: 3485269 |
| A．a secretary | B．a waiter or a waitress |
| C．an accountant | D．a salesclerk |
| A．being a woman |
| B．knowing well how to use a computer |
| C．having been an accountant |
| D．having an accountant certificate |
| A．have to be a woman and know foreign languages |
| B．should be a university graduate |
| C．have to be taller than 1.72 meters |
| D．should be younger than 30 years old |