Edgar felt quite excited at the thought of his first swim of the summer. With the sun shining down so strongly, the sea was certain to be warm enough. He walked quickly along the sea-front towards the steps that led on to the sands. He smiled cheerfully at the passersby. He had just smiled and raised his hat to an elderly lady when a man with a camera caught his arm and stopped him. Edgar heard a little buzzing noise from the camera.
“Your photograph, sir, in glorious colour in just one moment if you please,” said the man in one breath. Then the buzzing stopped, and he held the photograph in his hand and was waving it to and fro. In a
moment he handed it over, and Edgar saw the bright blue splash of his shirt half filling the picture.
“Seventy pence, sir,” the man said. “It’s the bargain of your holiday.”
“Seventy pence,” Edgar repeated, mildly. “For this?” He stared at the photographer.
“They’re normally eighty-five, sir, but for a single subject I make a cut-price offer. It’s the best value you’ll get in Chadwell.”
“You’ll have to make a better offer,” Edgar said. It was a good photo though, he thought, so bright and clear. His hat was held high, and he was smiling broadly at the old lady, whose arm and handbag came into a lower corner. He had had no idea that he was being snapped. He thought he was really quite a good-looking chap.
“That’s as good as any studio job that would cost you pounds,” said the cameraman. “It’s better in a way because it’s so natural. Only seventy pence, sir.”
“I’ve never paid so much for a snap in my life. It simply isn’t worth that kind of money. It’s not as if I need the thing. Look, I’ll give you twenty-five.”
“No, I can’t do that. Each of these instant colour shots costs me 50p — that’s the price of the blank frame, so you see…”
“Criminal, criminal,” Edgar broke in. “You want a profit of forty per cent. Well, not at my expense, I’m afraid. I’ll give you your 50p and that’s that.”
“Let me see, then.” The man suddenly took the photograph out of Edgar’s hand. “I can’t waste any more time with you. It’s 70p or I keep it.”
“Keep it,” Edgar said. He turned, looked out to the sea, and then walked quickly away.Why do you suppose Edgar was in Chadwell?
| A．It was his hometown. |
| B．He was there on holiday. |
| C．He was in the making of a film. |
| D．He was there to have his photograph taken. |
Edgar smiled at and raised his hat to the lady because ________.
| A．he thought he recognized her |
| B．he wanted the photograph to be amusing |
| C．she was having her photograph taken |
| D．he was feeling excited and cheerful |
The photographer lowered his price to 70p because __________.
| A．Edgar wanted to bargain for the photo |
| B．Edgar couldn’t afford to pay the normal price |
| C．Edgar was the only person in the photo |
| D．there was only one copy of the photo |
What did Edgar think of the photo?
| A．He thought it made him look like a criminal. |
| B．He liked it but thought it was too dear. |
| C．It annoyed him because he hadn’t expected it. |
| D．He thought it was a bargain at the price. |
We can infer from the passage that _______ .
| A．Edgar was an indifferent but good-looking man |
| B．Edgar smiled at the photographer because he was being photographed |
| C．the photographer was actually a criminal |
| D．Edgar didn’t buy the snap at length. |
More Americans are Googling themselves ------ and many are checking out their friends, co-workers and romantic interests, too.
In a report Sunday, the Pew Internet and American Life Project said 47 percent of U.S. adult Internet users have looked for information about themselves through Google or another search engine.
That is more than twice the 22 percent of users who did in 2002, but Pew senior research specialist Mary Madden was surprised the growth wasn't higher.
"Yes it's doubled, but many Internet users have never done this simple act of plugging their name with search engines," she said.
Americans under 50 and those with more education and income were more likely to self-Google because their jobs demand a certain online persona.
Meanwhile, Pew found that 53 percent of adult Internet users admit looking up information about someone else, not including celebrities.
Often, it's to find someone they have lost touch with. But looking up information about friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbors also was common.
Although men and women equally searched for online information about themselves, women were slightly more likely to look up information about someone they are dating.
In many cases, the search is done to find someone's contact information. But a third of those who have conducted searches on others have looked for public records, such as bankruptcies(破产) and divorce （离婚）proceedings. A similar number have searched for someone else's photo.
Few Internet users say they Google themselves regularly —— about three-quarters of self-searchers say they have done so only once or twice. And most who have done so consider what they find accurate.
Pew also found that teens were more likely than adults to restrict who can see their information at an online hangout(常去之处) like Facebook or News Corp's MySpace.The number of American adult Internet users______ Mary Madden.
| A．frightened | B．pleased | C．disappointed | D．annoyed |
What does “ they” refer to in the seventh paragraph?
| A．common people | B．scientists |
| C．adults | D．53 percent adult Internet users |
How many people have checked others’ photos?
| A．One- fifth | B．One-fourth | C．One- third | D．A half |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Learn to Google Yourself | B．Googling Oneself Is Popular |
| C．New Performance Online | D．Don’t Google Yourself Online |
Women turn to online shopping
Women have jumped ahead of men for the first time in using the Internet to do their holiday shopping, according to a study published last week in the US.
For years men have been more likely to shop on the Internet than women, but during the 2004 holiday season, 58 percent of those making online purchases were women.
“It shows how mainstream the Internet is becoming,” said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project group, which carried out the study.
Rainie said it was only a matter of time before women shoppers caught up with men. This is because women traditionally make decisions about spending.
Users were more likely to shop online to save time. Internet users between the ages 18 and 29 were responsible for some of the most dramatic increase in the online gift-buying population this time around.
However, three- quarters of the US Internet users did not buy holiday gifts online in 2004. They worried about credit card security, or just compared online prices with off-line prices, then dashed off to the shops to get the best deals.
“ But even if shoppers don’t buy online , websites are becoming promotion tools for stores,” said Dan Hess, vice president of ComScore Networks Inc. Hess said that actually most stores’ websites can make customers fully believe the security of their credit card numbers. And most are able to ensure that gifts arrive on time.
“ It’s all about making the shopping experience more efficient, more reliable and more comfortable.” Hess said.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．There were fewer women online shoppers than men in 2004 |
| B．Most of the Internet users between the ages of 18 and 29 are women. |
| C．People in the US were more likely to buy gifts online. |
| D．More women shopped online than men in 2004 |
From the passage we can infer that______.
| A．Men usually decide how to spend money in the family |
| B．Women usually decide what to buy in the family |
| C．The Internet is used in all the shops |
| D．More and more shops will sell their goods online |
According to Dan Hess, shopping online_______.
| A．is unsafe | B．is convenient |
| C．is a waste of money | D．is cheaper |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．American people only gift in holidays |
| B．Shopping online is fun for women. |
| C．Shopping off-line provides better service. |
| D．Young people like to do gift-shopping online. |
Directions: Read the following passage．Answer the questions according to the information
given in the passage.
Why should you keep exercising even when cold temperatures make you want to hide under the covers? With the temperatures dropping at this time of year, many of us tend to hibernate (冬眠) inside our homes. But, hibernating is for bears. As humans it’s important to stay active through all four seasons. Yet, a poll of 5,000 people found that 30 percent get no exercise at all during the winter months.
Just because it is cold outside it is no excuse not to exercise. There are many exercise choices one can choose to take part in regardless of the cold weather. Depending on your location and likes, you can choose to exercise inside or outside.
All that is required for winter-time exercise is some planning and the following of some safety tips. If you prefer to exercise outside, keep the following tips in mind.
Get warm first. A proper warm-up is critical. Cold temperatures can make your muscles tight and therefore they are easier to be injured. So, it’s important to get them warm-up before intense (激烈的) physical activity.
No sweat. Don’t assume that you have to sweat in order to get a good workout. You should avoid sweating that causes the clothing layer closest to your skin to get wet and cause you to be cold.
Don’t undress when you get inside. While you may want to immediately remove your layers when returning inside, you should give your body time to adjust.
Drink up. It’s just as important to stay hydrated (含水的) when exercising in winter as it is in summer, even though you might not feel as thirsty.
Be seen. If possible, it’s best to exercise outdoors during daylight areas. If you exercise outdoors when it is dark, wear reflective (反光的) materials to ensure that you can be seen.
By staying fit during winter, you’ll be able to avoid gaining weight and losing strength caused from inactivity. Why is it important to get your muscles warmed-up before intense physical activity? (no more than 16 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What are needed for exercising in winter? (no more than 6 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What are the advantages of staying fit during winter? (no more than 9 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 4 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Read the following passage．Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage．Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism—the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize information. Instead, they work on their own and find answers themselves. There is often a discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in these Asian countries reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more maths and science than American students learn by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, but many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information they have memorized.
The advantage of educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven’t memorized as much basic rules as students in other countries have.
Title: A comparison of two different educational systems
| 71__________ |
Features of education |
72 __________ |
Disadvantage |
| The United States and Canada |
● 73__________ ●emphasizing qualit- -ies making each student special |
●learning to 74 ________ ●preparing them for a society valuing creative ideas |
75 ________ |
| Asian countries such as China, 76__________ |
● 77__________ in group goals and purposes |
●learning much more 78______ than American students do ●studying more hours each day and more days each year ●preparing students for a society valuing 79________ |
forgetting much of 80_______ |
About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked: “So, how have you been?” And the boy—who could not have been more than seven or eight years old—replied, “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”
This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low sprits, until we were in high school.
Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.
Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?
Human development is based not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of access to social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new status. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages: traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.
In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation（揭示）machine has been installed in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation, many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more vivid moving pictures.
Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information to which children have access. Reading and writing involve a complex code of symbols that must be memorized and practiced. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.According to the author, feeling depressed is________.
| A．a sure sign of a mental problem in a child |
| B．a mental state present in all humans, including children |
| C．something that cannot be avoided in children’s mental development |
| D．something hardly to be expected in a young child |
Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world________.
| A．through connection with society |
| B．gradually and under guidance |
| C．naturally without being taught |
| D．through watching television |
According to the author, that today’s children seem adultlike results from ________.
| A．the widespread influence of television |
| B．the poor arrangement of teaching content |
| C．the fast pace of human scientific development |
| D．the rising standard of living |
What does the author think of communication through print for children?
| A．It enables children to gain more social information. |
| B．It develops children’s interest in reading and writing. |
| C．It helps children to read and write well. |
| D．It can control what children are to learn. |
What does the author think of the change in today’s children?
| A．He feels their adultlike behavior is so funny |
| B．He thinks the change worthy of note. |
| C．He considers it a rapid development. |
| D．He seems to be upset about it. |