An Israeli law banning too skinny models went into effect with the start of 2013. The law, approved last March in Israel, requires models to prove they have maintained a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 18.5 for three months before a fashion show. That means a woman who is 5'8''tall can weigh no less than 119 pounds.
“This law is another step in the war against eating disorders,” said physician Adatto. “Underweight models,” he explained, “can no longer serve as role models for innocent young people who copy their false image of being skinny.”
But some critics in this country say it is misguided, focusing on weight instead of health. They also say the Israeli ban is bound to fail because of the strong power of the fashion industry. “I think it’s an approach that isn’t going to work.” Said eating disorder expert Susan Ice, who worked with an organization which creates a healthy working environment for models.
But Adatto told the reporter that he began to concern the issue after meeting an ambitious model who looked like she needed to be hospitalized. He said. “I realized that only legislation can change the situation. There was no time to waste, so many girls were dieting to death.”
However, the efforts to regulate models’ weight in Spain and Italy have not resulted in significant changes in part because of difficulties in determining reliable methods of measuring weight and health.
Still, folks including Ice say there’s no denying that images from Hollywood and the fashion industry can be difficult for young women to deal with. “Certainly I don't believe the modeling industry has caused the rise in eating disorders, but it makes it harder,” she says. “It’s a difficult recovery environment, worshiping thinness as the beauty ideal.”What does BMI in the first paragraph refer to?
| A．A measure of body health based on height and weight. |
| B．A worldwide prize for the healthiest model. |
| C．A new show held by those skinny models. |
| D．A kind of medicine to cure eating disorders. |
One benefit the new Israeli law may bring is ________.
| A．to change the working conditions of models |
| B．to lower the chance of skinny models’ death |
| C．to provide guidance for women worshiping thinness |
| D．to prevent models from suffering from eating disorders |
In the opinion of the critics, the law won’t succeed because .
| A．it misleads young women to form a bad eating habit. |
| B．it doesn’t provide a proper approach that can work well. |
| C．it doesn’t create a healthy working environment for models. |
| D．the fashion industry is much too influential. |
What caused Adatto to think that a law was needed to change the situation?
| A．Meeting an ambitious but too skinny model. |
| B．Establishing his fashion model agent. |
| C．Being interviewed by a reporter. |
| D．Seeing a model die from eating disorders. |
According to the passage, the new Israeli law banning skinny models is .
| A．practical | B．controversial | C．acceptable | D．Reasonable |
Many critics worry about violence on television, most out of fear that it stimulates viewers to violent or aggressive acts. Our research, however, indicates that the consequences of experiencing TV’s symbolic world of violence may be much more far-reaching.
We have found that people who watch a lot of TV see the real world as more dangerous and frightening than those who watch very little. Heavy viewers are less trustful of their fellow citizens, and more fearful of the real world. Since most TV “action-adventure” dramas occur in urban settings, the fear they inspire may contribute to the current flee of the middle class from our cities. The fear may also bring increasing demands for police protection, and election of law-and-order politicians.
While none of us is completely dependent upon television for our view of the world, neither have many of us had the opportunity to observe the reality of police stations, courtrooms, corporate board rooms, or hospital operating rooms. Although critics complain about the fixed characters and plots of TV dramas, many viewers look on them as representative of the real world. Anyone who questions that statement should read the 250,000 letters, most containing requests for medical advice, sent by viewers to “Marcus Welby, M.D.” —a popular TV drama series about a doctor— during the first five years of his practice on TV.
Violence on television leads viewers to regard the real world as more dangerous than it really is, which must also influence the way people behave. When asked, “Can most people be trusted?” the heavy viewers were 35 percent more likely to choose “Can’t be too careful.”
Victims, like criminals, must learn their proper roles, and televised violence may perform the teaching function all too well. Instead of worrying only about whether television violence causes individual displays of aggression in the real world, we should also be concerned about social reality. Passive acceptance of violence in the face of injustice may result from far greater social concern than occasional displays of individual aggression.
We have found that violence on prime-time（黄金时段）network TV cultivates overstated （夸大的）assumptions about the threat of danger in the real world. Fear is a universal emotion, and easy to exploit. The overstated sense of risk and insecurity may lead to increasing demands for protection and to increasing pressure for the use of force by established authority. Instead of threatening the social order, television may have become our chief instrument of social control. Which of the following is NOT among the consequences of watching TV too much?
| A．Distrusting people around. |
| B．Moving into rural areas. |
| C．Turning to the police for protection. |
| D．Holding more elections. |
According to the passage, why did “Marcus Welby, M.D.” receive so many letters?
A. Because viewers believed the doctor did exist in the real life.
B. Because certain TV programmes recommended him to viewers.
C. Because he was an experienced doctor and saved many lives.
D. Because the TV appealed to people to pay attention to health. According to the author, _________ is mainly to blame for people’s fear of the real world.
| A．network TV |
| B．social reality |
| C．individual display of violence |
| D．televised violence |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．people tend to be aggressive or violent after watching TV too much |
| B．people can learn to protect themselves from dangers by watching TV |
| C．the occasional displays of individual aggression may threaten the social order |
| D．watching TV may cause the misuse of authority and disturb the social order |
What Is a Boy?
Between the innocence of babyhood and the seriousness of manhood we find a delightful creature called a "boy". Boys come in different sizes, weights, and colors, but all boys have the same belief: to enjoy every second of every minute of every hour of every day and to fill the air with noise until the adult males send them off to bed at night.
Boys are found everywhere-on top of, under, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around, or jumping to. Mothers spoil them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers love them, and God protects them. A boy is TRUTH with dirt on its face, BEAUTY with a cut on its finger, WISDOM with chocolate in its hair, and the HOPE of the future with a snake in its pocket.
When you are busy, a boy is a trouble-maker and a noise. When you want him to make a good impression,his brain turns to jelly or else he becomes a wild creature destroying the world and himself with it.
A boy is a mixture-he has the stomach of a horse, the digestion of stones and sand, the energy of an atomic bomb, the curiosity of a cat, the imagination of a superman, the shyness of a sweet girl, the brave nature of a bull, the violence of a firecracker (鞭炮), but when you ask him to make something, he has five thumbs on each hand.
He likes ice cream, knives, saws, Christmas, comic books, woods, water (in its natural habitat), large animals, Dad, trains, Saturday mornings, and fire engines. He is not much for Sunday schools, company, schools, books without pictures, music lessons, neckties, barbers, girls, overcoats, adults, or bedtime. Nobody else is so early to rise, or so late to supper.
Nobody else gets so much fun out of trees, dogs, and breezes. Nobody else can put into one pocket a rusty knife, a half eaten apple, a three-foot rope, six cents and some unknown things.
A boy is a magical creature-he is your headache but when you come home at night with only destroyed pieces of your hopes and dreams, he can mend them like new with two magic words, "Hi, Dad!" The whole passage is in a tone (调子) of ______.
| A．humor and affection |
| B．respect and harmony |
| C．ambition and expectation |
| D．confidence and imagination |
Could you figure out the meaning of the underlined sentence?
| A．He has altogether five fingers. |
| B．He is slow, foolish and clumsy. |
| C．He becomes clever and smart. |
| D．He cuts his hand with a knife. |
According to the writer, boys appreciate everything in the following except ______.
| A．ice cream |
| B．comic books |
| C．Saturday mornings |
| D．Sunday schools |
What does the writer feel about boys?
| A．He feels curious about their noise. |
| B．He is fed up with these creatures. |
| C．He is amazed by their naughtiness. |
| D．He feels unsafe staying with them. |
A study of English learning problems was carried out among a total of 106 foreign students. It shows that most students considered understanding spoken English to be their biggest problem on arrival. This was followed by speaking. Writing increased as a problem as students discovered difficultties in writing papers that they were now expected to hand in. Reading remained as a significant (显著的) problem.
Information gained helped us in determining where special attention should be paid in our course. Although many students have chosen to join the course with a reasonable motivation (动机), we considered it important to note what seemed to encourage interest. Nearly all the students have experienced some kind of grammar-based English teaching in their own country. To use the same method would be self-defeating because it might reduce motivation, especially if it has failed in the past. Therefore a different method may help because it is different.
Variety of activity was also seen as a way of maintaining (保持) or increasing motivation. Several years ago we had one timetable that operated throughout, but we soon found that both the students and the teachers lost interest by about halfway through the ten weeks. This led us to a major re-think, so finally we brought it into line with the expressed language needs of the students. What is the text mainly about?
| A．Foreign students have more problems. |
| B．There are many ways to improve English. |
| C．Teaching should meet students' needs. |
| D．English learning problems should be studied again. |
Writing became a bigger problem when foreign students _____.
| A．had to write their papers |
| B．became better at speaking |
| C．became less interested in reading |
| D．had fewer problems with listening |
We may infer from the last two paragraphs that _____.
| A．different teaching methods should be used |
| B．grammar-based teaching seems to be encouraging |
| C．English courses are necessary for foreign students |
| D．teaching content should be changed halfway |
Ten years ago I went into the studio and recorded a 56-minute video for teenagers called “Three keys to greatness.” Although my focus was for teenagers, the principles I shared certainly apply to adults as well. Recently I was asked to list these three things. Now for your benefit here they are again.
Firstly, set goals. I call it the view of the future. Most people, including kids, will pay the price if they can see the promise of the future. So we need to help our kids see a clear future, and they will be ready to pay the price today to attain the rewards of tomorrow. Goals help them do this.
Secondly, pay attention to personal development. Simply making consistent investments in our education and knowledge we will benefit throughout our lives. I suggest having an amount of time set aside for reading books, listening to recording, attending discussion, keeping a journal and spending time with other successful people. Mr Jones recommends reading a lot as a good method of improving yourself. The simple fact is that you need to change your outlook on life and on yourself, as it will have a positive influence on your personality and outlook. You should learn something new about your profession every single day until you’re an expert in the field.
Thirdly, make a financial plan. I call it the 70/30 plan. After receiving your salary, simply setting aside 10% for saving, 10% for investing and 10% for giving, the rest for your life. And over time when you have your own family this will guarantee financial independence for you.
If people focus on doing these three simple things over a long period of time, I believe they will be surely successful! The advantage of setting goals is that ___.
| A．you’ll know the future of the world |
| B．you’ll know what kind of person you will become |
| C．you’ll be willing to work hard for your future |
| D．you’ll be satisfied with what you have achieved |
The author lays the most stress on ___.
| A．gaining knowledge |
| B．making good friends |
| C．attending discussions |
| D．listening to recordings |
According to the passage, one picture of reading a lot is to ___.
| A．lead a better life |
| B．have a good personality and outlook |
| C．change your position |
| D．become an expert in many fields |
Whom does the author mainly advise to make a financial plan?
| A．All kinds of people |
| B．The young people |
| C．The middle-aged people |
| D．The rich people |
The Queen’s English is now sounding less upper-class, a scientific study of the Queen’s Christmas broadcasts has found. Researchers have studied each of her messages to the Commonwealth countries since 1952 to find out the change in her pronunciation from the noble Upper Received to the Standard Received.
Jonathan Harrington, a professor at Germany’s University of Munich, wanted to discover whether accent changes recorded over the past half century would take place within one person. “As far as I know, there just is nobody else for whom there is this sort of broadcast records,” he said.
He said the noble way of pronouncing vowels (元音) had gradually lost ground as the noble upper-class accent over the past years. “Her accent sounds slightly less noble than it did 50 years ago. But these are very, very small and slow changes that we don’t notice from year to year.”
“We may be able to relate it to changes in the social classes,” he told The Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper. “In 1952 she would have been heard saying ‘thet men in the bleck het’. Now it would be ‘that man in the black hat’. Similarly, she would have spoken of ‘the citay’ and ‘dutay’, rather than ‘citee’ and ‘dutee’, and ‘hame’ rather than ‘home’. In the 1950s she would have been ‘lorst’, but by the 1970s ‘lost’.”
The Queen’s broadcast is a personal message to the Commonwealth countries. Each Christmas, the 10-minute broadcast is put on TV at 3 p.m. in Britain as many families are recovering from their traditional turkey lunch.
The results were published in the Journal of Phonetics.What is the text mainly about?
| A．The relationship between accents and social classes. |
| B．The Queen’s Christmas speeches on TV. |
| C．The changes in a person’s accent. |
| D．The recent development of the English language. |
The Queen’s broadcasts were chosen for the study mainly because ___.
| A．she has been Queen for many years |
| B．she has a less upper-class accent now |
| C．her speeches are familiar to many people |
| D．her speeches have been recorded for 50 years |
We may infer from the text that the Journal of Phonetics is a magazine on ___.
| A．speech sounds | B．Christmas customs |
| C．TV broadcasting | D．personal messages |
Which of the following is an example of a less noble accent in English?
| A．“dutay” | B．“citee” | C．“hame” | D．“lorst” |