Morethan30millionkidsbuyschool-优题课

Although women lead healthier, longer lives, the cruel perception that they reach their sell-by date and become “old” sooner than men is widespread in the workplace, research shows.
A survey of more than 2,600 managers and personnel professionals showed that age discrimination is not only common in the workplace, but is full of inconsistencies(矛盾). Six in ten managers thought that they had suffered from age discrimination——usually because they were turned down for a job for being too old or too young. Yet more than a fifth admitted that they used age as a condition when they employ new workers.
Although the survey found widespread agreement that older workers were better than younger colleagues when it came to reliability, commitment, loyalty and customer service, these qualities were not necessarily considered to be worthy of advancement. More than half of respondents believed that workers between 30 and 39 were the most likely to be advanced in their company, with only 2 per cent citing (引证)50-year-olds or above.
Dianah Worman of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development said that there was anecdotal evidence that people were considered old at different ages in different sectors. “We heard of one man working in IT who said he was considered too old by the age of 28,”she said.“There was no evidence to suggest that older workers were less valuable to companies than younger workers, in fact the opposite was often true because older workers often brought experience.” she added.
The findings also suggested that the Government’s ideas on age in the workforce may also be out of step with reality.
1. The text is mainly about ______.
A. the government’s idea on age in workforce
B. age discrimination in the workforce
C. the people who find work
D. the discussion about who is worth promoting
2. Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A. Women get older than men though they are healthier.
B. Sixty percent of the managers were refused because they were too older.
C. Young workers are more valuable to companies than the older ones.
D. The people in their thirties are easier to be promoted than those in their fifties.
3. The underlined word “sell-by date” in paragraph 1 probably refers to______.
A. the age when they retire
B. the age when they should be promoted
C. the date on which they’re sold
D. the date when they sell goods

Well before the 15th century, an Anglo-Saxon custom required that a prospective bridegroom break some highly valued personal belonging. Half of the broken token was held by the father of the bride and the other half by the groom. A wealthy man was expected to split a piece of gold or silver.
The earliest engagement rings were also used as wedding rings, serving to seal an act of sale which transformed ownership of a daughter from father to husband. Such rings were usually of solid gold to prove the groom’s worth.
For Roman Catholics, the engagement ring became a required statement of Nuptial intent（结婚意向）, as decreed by Pope Nicholas I in 860 A.D. The engagement ring was to be of valued metal, preferably gold, which for the husband-to-be represented a financial sacrifice.
Signifying enduring love, and chosen for its durability, the diamond was chosen for the engagement ring. The diamond’s fire is also associated with “love’s clear flame,” given by Medieval Italians because of their belief that the diamond was created from the flames of love.
The Venetians were the first to discover that the diamond is one of the hardest, most enduring substances in nature, and fine cutting and polishing releases the brilliance. Rarity and cost limited their rapid proliferation（急增） throughout Europe but their intrinsic（内在的） appeal guaranteed them a future. By the 17th century, the diamond ring had become the most sought after statement of European engagement.　　
1. Who kept the two halves of the engagement rings before marriage?
A. The bride’s father and the bridegroom’s mother.
B. The bride’s mother and the bridegroom.
C. The bride and the bridegroom.
D. The bridegroom and the bride’s father,
2. What’s TRUE about the early Anglo-Saxon custom before the 15th century ?
A. A will-be bridegroom should beat all his valuable belongings.
B. Every will-be bride should split a piece of gold.
C. The engagement rings were also used to prove the groom’s worth.
D. A rich bride should break one of her most valuable personal belongs.
3. Pope Nicholas made the engagement ring a required statement of nuptial intent ______.
A. in the 15th century B. over 1,000 years ago
C .in the 1860s D. by the 17th century
4. What kind of engagement ring has been the most popular one in Europe ?
A. Rings made of goldB. Rings made of silver
C. Rings made of diamond D. Rings made of an unknown substance in nature.

Fear and its companion pain are two of the most useful things that man and animals possess if they are used. If fire didn’t hurt when it burned, children would play with it until their hands were burned away. Similarly, if pain existed but fear didn’t, a child could burn itself again and again because fear would not warn it to keep away from the fire that had burnt it before. A really fearless soldier—and some do exist—is not a good soldier because he is soon killed; and a dead soldier is of no use to his army. Fear and pain are therefore two guards without which man and animals might soon die out.
In our first sentence we suggested that fear ought to be properly used. If, for example, you never go out of your house because of the danger of being knocked down and killed in the street by a car, you are letting fear rule you too much. The important thing is not to let fear rule you, but instead, to use fear as your servant and guide. Fear will warn you of dangers; then you have to decide what action to take.
In many cases, you can take quick and successful action to avoid the danger. For example, you see a car coming straight towards you; fear warns you, you jump out of the way, and all is well.
In some cases, however, you decide that there is nothing that you can do to avoid the danger. For example, you cannot prevent an airplane crashing into your house, and you may not want to go and live in a desert where there are no airplanes. In this case, fear has given you its warning, you have examined it and decided on your course of action, so fear of the particular danger is no longer of any use to you, and you have to try to overcome it.
1. Children would play with fire until their hands are burnt away if _________.
A. they were not well educated at school B. they had never played with fire before
C. they had no sense of pain D. they were fearful of pain
2. People sometimes succeed in timely avoiding danger because _________.
A. they have gained experience B. they are warned of the danger and take quick action
C. they jump out of the way in time D. they are calm in face of danger
3. What is implied but not stated in the passage?
A. Too much fear is harmful B. Fear is always something helpful
C .Fear is something that can be avoided
D. Fear ought to be used as our guide in our life
4.The best title for this passage should be __________.
A. No Pains, No Gains B. Pain and Actions
C. The Value of Fear D .The Reason Why People Fear

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
This August has seen athletes doing their sweaty part in the "Good Luck Beijing" sports events. Some foreign athletes have commented on the passion of Chinese spectators（观众）.
Not all the spectators, however, came out looking exactly good. Girls holding umbrellas on beach volleyball stands. Spectators crying sharply during the hockey matches. These can be unintended disturb. To avoid them, we'd keep in mind some special manners:
Beach volleyball
1. Dress down for beach volleyball. It's also a good time to show off your colorful top and sexy shorts.
2. Use protective cream for your skin. Wear sunglasses and bring something to drink. But don't carry something that blocks others' view.
3. Look all you want at the body shapes around you, but save some attention for the players' skills.
Archery & shooting
1. Sit at the back or on either side of the field. For safety's sake, do not risk out of there.
2. Above all, keep quiet during the match. Put your cellphone on vibrate or turn it off.
3. Do not use the flash on your camera, because it can disturb the athletes.
4. When the athletes are aiming at the target, keep your voice down.
Baseball, basketball & football
1. Drinks in glass bottles or cans are not allowed.
2. Don't bring a whistle. Referees use them and you can puzzle the players.
3. Players can be tense when taking a shot. Keep the cheering down at critical moments. Do not use the camera flash.
4. If you easily get nervous, bring some snacks. Keep your mouth moving to calm you down.
Cycling & marathon
1. Spectators should keep off the track. Control your pets.
2. Cyclists or runners might look tired, sweaty and thirsty, but, do not hand them a bottle of water, a cool towel or anything else. Any help from spectators can disqualify（剥夺资格）an athlete.
3. Again, if a cyclist or runner falls, do not rush over to help. The best thing to do is to contact medical personnel.
1. When watching beach volleyball matches, you should not __________.
A. bring anything to drink B. use an umbrella on stands
C. wear sunglasses D. look at the body shapes
2. You’d better not _________.
A. eat anything when watching matches B. use camera flash when watching cycling
C. shout loudly when watching archery D. stay where you sit when watching shooting
3. If you go to watch marathon, you can not ________.
A. bring your pets B. give athletes something to drink
C. cry sharply D. ask medical personnel to help athletes
4. The passage mainly tells us ___________.
A. how spectators disturb athletes B. how spectators help athletes
C. dos and don’ts while watching matches D. some rules for sports events

About 70 scientists were working on a very busy project. All of them felt really desperate due to the pressure of work and the demands of their boss but everyone was loyal to him and did not think of quitting their job.
One day, one scientist came to his boss and told him, “Sir, I’ve promised to take my children to the exhibition going on in our township so I want to leave at 5:30 p. m.” His boss replied, “OK. You’re permitted to leave the office early today.”
The scientist started working. He continued his work after lunch. As usual, he got involved to such an extent that he looked at his watch only when he felt he was close to completion. The time was 8:30 p. m. Suddenly he remembered his promise to the children. He looked for his boss but he was not there. Having told him in the morning himself, he closed everything and left for home. Deep within himself, he was feeling guilty for having disappointed his children. He reached home. The children were not there. His wife alone was sitting in the hall and reading magazines. The situation was explosive; any talk would boomerang on him. His wife asked him, “Would you like to have coffee or shall I straight away serve dinner if you are hungry?” The man replied, “If you would like to have coffee, I too will have but what about the children?” His wife replied, “You don’t know? Your boss came here at 5:15 p. m. and has taken them to the exhibition.”
What had really happened was the boss who gave him permission was observing him working seriously at 5:00 p. m. He thought to himself: this person will not leave the work, but he’s promised to take his children to the exhibition. So he took the lead in taking them there. The boss does not have to do it every time. But once it’s done, loyalty is established.
That is why all the scientists at Thumba continued to work under their boss even though the stress was extraordinarily huge. By the way ,can you boldly guess who the boss was? He was none other that the mastermind behind India’s successful nuclear weapons program, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, former president of India.
1．The scientist asked for an early leave because______.
A．he felt increasingly desperate about his work
B．he meant to accompany his wife at dinner
C.the task at hand was close to completion
D．he’d promised to take his kids to a show
2．The underlined sentence implies that the scientist thought his wife was _____.
A．dissatisfied with his coming home late
B．ready to serve dinner for him
C.grateful to his kind-hearted boss
D．delighted to see him back home
3．The boss took children to the exhibition_________.
A．when it was too late for the scientist to do so
B．because the scientist was absorbed in his work
C.because he also wanted to see what was on show
D．when the man’s wife asked him to do so
4．All the scientists stayed loyal to their boss__________.
A．out of gratefulness for his thoughtfulness
B．because he had power over them
C.to learn how to live under pressure
D．every time he took the children to the show