Weallknowthatthemeparksareplac-优题课

I fell in love with England because it was quaint （古雅）— all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners — people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
56. The writer doesn’t like London because she ______.
A. is not used to the life there now
B. has lived there for seventeen years
C. prefers to live in an old-fashioned house
D. has to be polite to everyone she meets there
57. Where do people usually meet their friends in England?
A. In a cafe. B. In a restaurant. C. In a nightclub. D. In a pub.
58. The underlined part “it” （in Para. 4） refers to______.
A. a taxi B. the money C. a bomb D. public transport
59. The writer took her neighbour to France for Christmas because he ______.
A. felt lonely in England B. had never been to France
C. was from a typical French family D. didn't like the British idea of family

How Long Can People Live?
She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121 st birthday.
When it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s record holder. She lived to the ripe old age of 122. So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span（寿命）? If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging, could we possibly make it to 150－or beyond?
Researchers don’t entirely agree on the answers. “Calment lived to 122, so it wouldn’t surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135,” says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas.
Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees. “People can live much longer than we think,” he says. “Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110. When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120. So why can’t we go higher?”
The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it’s all just guessing. “Anyone can make up a number,” says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan. “Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine.”
Won’t new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries? Any cure, says Miller, for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120. Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most. So, if the average human life span is about 80 years, says Miller, “adding another 50 percent would get you to 120.”
So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers? That life span is flexible（有弹性的）, but there is a limit, says George Martin of the University of Washington. “We can get flies to live 50 percent longer,” he says. “But a fly’s never going to live 150 years.” Of course, if you became a new species （物种）, one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.
Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve （进化）their way to longer life? “It’s pretty cool to think about,” he says with a smile.
72. What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us?
A. People can live to 122. B. Old people are creative.
C. Women are sporty at 85. D. Women live longer than men.
73. According to Steve Austad at the University of Texas, ______.
A. the average human life span could be 110
B. scientists cannot find ways to slow aging
C. few people can expect to live to over 150
D. researchers are not sure how long people can live
74. Who would agree that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity?
A. Jerry Shay. B. Steve Austad C. Rich Miller D. George Martin
75. What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?
A. Most of us could be good at sports even at 120.
B. The average human life span cannot be doubled
C. Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before.
D. New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species

It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations.” I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial（财政的）package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition（学费）, room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus （校园）including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream” university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.
59. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?
A. He was full of joy.
B. He was lost in his dream.
C. He was worried about the money.
D. He was uncertain which school to go to.
60. We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.
A. honest B. strict C. supportive D. decisive
61. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride” can be replaced by “_______”.
A. would pay for transport to the school
B. would show me around the campus
C. would offer free meals at all events
D. would charge me nothing for tuition
62. What does the author mainly want to say?
A. Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit.
B. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.
C. You should try your best to attend your dream school.
D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

There is one foreign product the Japanese are buying faster than others, and its popularity has caused an uneasy feeling among many Japanese.
That product is foreign words.
Gairaigo－words that come from outside -- have been part of the Japanese language for centuries. Mostly borrowed from English and Chinese, these terms are often changed into forms no longer understood by native speakers.
But in the last few years the trickle（涓涓细流）of foreign words has become a flood, and people fear the increasing use of foreign words is making it hard for the Japanese to understand each other and could lead to many people forgetting the good qualities of traditional（传统的）Japanese.
“The popularity of foreign words is part of the Japanese interest in anything new,” says university lecturer and writer Takashi Saito. “By using a foreign word you can make a subject seem new, which makes it easier for the media（媒体）to pick up.”
“Experts（专家）often study abroad and use English terms when they speak with people in their own fields. Those terms are then included in government white papers,” said Muturo Kai, president of the National Language Research Institute. “Foreign words find their way easily into announcements made to the general public, when they should really be explained in Japanese.”
Against the flow of new words, many Japanese are turning back to the study of their own language. Saito’s Japanese to Be Read Aloud is one of many language books that are now flying off booksellers’ shelves.
“We were expecting to sell the books to young people,” said the writer, “but it turns out they are more popular with the older generation, who seem uneasy about the future of Japanese.”
68．What advantages do foreign words have over traditional Japanese terms?
A．The ideas expressed in foreign words sound new.
B．Foreign words are best suited for announcements.
C．Foreign words make new subjects easier to understand.
D．The use of foreign words makes the media more popular.
69．In the opinion of Takashi Saito, Japanese people ________.
A．are good at learning foreign languages
B．are willing to learn about new things
C．trust the media
D．respect experts
70．Which of the following plays an important part in the spread of foreign words?
A．The media and government papers
B．Best-selling Japanese textbooks.
C．The interest of young Japanese.
D．Foreign products and experts.
71．The book Japanese to Be Read Aloud ______________.
A．sells very well in Japan
B．is supported by the government
C．is questioned by the old generation
D．causes misunderstanding among the readers

A child's birthday party doesn't have to be a hassle; it can be a basket of fun, according to Beth Anaclerio, an Evaston mother of two, ages 4 and 18 months.
　　"Having a party at home usually requires a lot of running around on the part of the parents, and often the birthday boy or girl gets lost in wild excitement. But it really doesn't have to be that way," said Anaclerio. Last summer, Anaclerio and her friend Jill Garlisle, a Northbrook mother of a 2-year-old, founded a home party-planning business called "A Party in a Basket." Their goal is to help parents and children share in the fun part of party planning, like choosing the subject or making a cake, while they take care of everything.
　　Drawing on their experiences as mothers, they have created（制作）10 ready-to-use, home party packages. Everything a family needs to plan a party, except the cake and ice cream, is delivered to the home in a large basket.
　　"Our parties are aimed for children 2 to 10."Anaclerio said, "and they're very interactive（互动）and creative in that they build a sense of drama based on a subject. For example, at the Soda Shoppe party the guests become waiters and waitresses and build wonderful ice cream creations."
　　The standard ＄200 package for eight children includes a basket filled with invitations, gifts, games and prizes, paper goods, a party planner and the like. For more information, call Anaclerio at 708-864-6584 or Carlisle at 708-205-9141.
72. The main purpose of writing this text is ____.
　　A. to share information about party planning
　　B. to introduce the joys of a birthday party
　　C. to announce a business plan
　　D. to sell a service
73. The most important idea behind the kind of party planning described here is that ____.
　　A. it brings parents and children closer together
　　B. guests play a part in the preparation of a party
　　C. parents are spared the trouble of sending invitations
　　D. it provides a subject of conversation
74. What does the underlined word "hassle"（Paragraph 1） probably mean？
　　A. a party designed by specialists
　　B. a plan requiring careful thought
　　C. a situation causing difficulty or trouble
　　D. a demand made by guests
75. Which of the following is most likely to be a party planner？
　