One summer I was driving from my hometown of Tahoe City，Calif.，to New Orleans.In the middle of the desert, I came upon a young man standing by the roadside. He had his thumb out and held a gas can in his other hand. I drove right by him.There was a time in the country when you'd be considered a jerk if you passed by somebody in need. Now you are a fool for helping. With gangs, drug addicts, murderers, rapists, thieves lurking everywhere, “I don't want to get involved” has become a national motto.
Several states later I was still thinking about the hitchhiker.Leaving him stranded in the desert did not bother me so much.What bothered me was how easily I had reached the decision.I never even lifted my foot off the accelerator.
Does anyone stop any more? I wondered.I recalled Blanche DuBois's famous line：“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers”. Could anyone rely on the kindness of strangers these days? One way to test this would be for a person to journey from coast to coast without any money, relying solely on the goodwill of his fellow Americans.What kind of Americans would he find? Who would feed him, shelter him，carry him down the road?
The idea intrigued me.
The week I turned 37，I realized that I had never taken a gamble in my life.So I decided to travel from the Pacific to the Atlantic without a penny.It would be a cashless journey through the land of the almighty dollar.I would only accept offers of rides, food and a place to rest my head.My final destination would be Cape Fear in North Carolina，a symbol of all the fears I'd have to conquer during the trip.
I rose early on September 6, 1994, and headed for the Golden Gate Bridge with a 50pound pack on my back and a sign displaying my destination to passing vehicles：“America”．
For six weeks I hitched 82 rides and covered 4,223 miles across 14 states.As I traveled, folks were always warning me about someplace else.In Montana they told me to watch out for the cowboys in Wyoming; in Nebraska they said people would not be as nice in Iowa. Yet I was treated with kindness everywhere I went.I was amazed by people's readiness to help a stranger, even when it seemed to run contrary to their own best interests.Why did the author drive past the young man in the desert without stopping?
| A．Because he failed to notice this man. |
| B．Because he was driving too fast. |
| C．Because he thought the young man didn't need help. |
| D．Because he was afraid of being tricked. |
What was it that made the author upset?
| A．Leaving the young man alone in the desert. |
| B．Being considered a fool. |
| C．Making the decision of not offering help so easily. |
| D．Keeping thinking about the young man. |
The author decided to travel without a penny in order to ________.
| A．find out how long he could survive without help |
| B．go through the great difficulty in surviving unexpected environment |
| C．find out whether strangers would offer help to him |
| D．figure out how strangers thought of his plan |
In the passage，the author described his journey as a gamble because ________.
| A．he was not so sure of the outlook of the journey |
| B．he had no money to give to strangers |
| C．he was sure of the coming sufferings |
| D．he wasn't sure whether to make the journey |
The following part might probably ________.
| A．describe how he fooled strangers |
| B．describe how strangers went out of their way to help him |
| C．explain why people refused to help strangers |
| D．explain how he overcame his difficulties on the way |
Depression(抑郁症)is a serious problem today．Depression causes workers to be unproductive，causing companies and countries to lose billion of dollars．One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread, costly and deadly”．Depression hits one person in five around the world．
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated，studies show that depression is a problem among everyone．Over any six-month period, between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression．
Suicide(自杀)rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme, or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the population at large, and sufferers were four times more likely to have heart attacks．People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping，getting up on time，and doing work productively.
Depression, which researchers agree has its origin in the genes(基因)，brings loss of confidence and ability to concentrate, making it possible for employees and managers to work efficiently．
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s inability to face it．Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy．Besides，there is no good treatment，with few specialists available．
“Most patients in China just don’t get help,” a Chinese doctor says．“In my hospital，I have
to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning，and just have time to say ‘Hello，how do you feel ?…’”
In Western countries，people are not afraid to admit that they have depression，but most do not tell it to their boss，because they fear that their boss would fire them．
“In my e
xperience，aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it, because they feel
the most secure about themselves, ” an American doctor says．
Hopefully，in the near future，people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression． |
| B．Depression brings great problems to its sufferers in their life and work． |
C．Depression is a commonly- existing problem only in rich countries． |
| D．The poorer and the less educated a person is，the less he will suffer from depression． |
Compared to normal people，depressed people are likely to be________．
| A．very unconfident and often absent-minded | B．easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks |
| C．working efficiently and productively | D．either weak or lazy |
Depression becomes more serious in China because of_________．
| A．the understanding of the problem | B．the lack of treatment and doctors |
| C．their unwillingness to tell it to their boss | D．the doctors’ careless work |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists． |
| B．The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed． |
| C．More and mote patients will turn to specialists for help |
| D．Western people are braver than Chinese people |
The trend in everyday conversation is to use grandiose(夸大的)words．“Outstanding” is the
new “good,” “amazing” is the new “OK, ” and “huge” is the new “big.”
I was in a restaurant in Washington D．C．last weekend and every question I asked was answered with exaggeration．
Me：How is the salmon?
Sever：Fantastic!
Me：Does it come with rice?
Sever：Absolutely!
Would a “good” and a “yes” have been enough? Of course!
My father is an average-sized man．He hasn’t gained weight or height for the past 30 years. Therefore, his size remains the same．However，in the same amount of time，his T-shirt size has gone from small to medium to large to extra large．
The reason for the exaggerated word is clear：we are bored with our lives. We want the next
—next thing now．Immediately!
And we also want others to think that we still care，that we can still be delighted，that we know that everything is just great．Even when deep inside we know it can’t be．Everything can’t be great．
I’m not a scientist，so many methods of proof leave little to be desired，or a lot to be desired，or an immensity(无限)．
Listen to the voices around you．Listen to your own voices．There is nothing on the radio that is good or bad，weather is either beautiful or horrible．
Listen，the next time when someone asks you something and you agree，because when you
could simply say “yes”, instead you will say “absolutely’’ or “without doubt ” or “Oh，yeah，unquestionably ---- absolutely without doubt."
Have people forgotten what it is like to be OK? Simply OK with what they have and who they are? If everything is outstanding，if everything is the most amazing thing ever，is anything ever amazing at all?By telling his experience in the restaurant，the author intends to ________．
| A．show his interest in exaggerated words |
| B．prove that exaggerated words are widely used |
| C．blame the restaurant for using exaggerated words |
| D．tell us the food in the restaurant is extremely good |
What do we know about the author’s father?
| A．He has gained height and is now a tall man． |
| B．He likes following the fashion in clothing． |
| C．His weight is getting greater and greater． |
| D．The size of his T-shirt is described in exaggerated words． |
．So many people like using exaggerated words because_________．
| A．they are not satisfied with being normal |
| B．they don’t want to be looked down upon by others |
| C．they want to be different from others |
| D．they are brave in telling their true feelings |
According to the passage，if you approve of something，you’d better say “________”．
| A．fantastic | B．perfect | C．OK | D．absolutely |
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn
from experiences at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly．
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration．Some children get a weekly allowance．Others get a monthly allowance．
In any case, parents should make clear what，if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money．At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this，they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget．Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance．
The object is to show young people that a budget demands a choice between spending and saving．Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs，like clothing or electronics．Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home．These jobs are a normal part of family life．
Paying children to do extra work around the house，however，can be useful．It can even provide an understanding of how a business works．
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money．They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want．Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice．You have to cut costs and plan for the future．Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing．Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.
A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest．
Compounding works by paying interest on interest．So，for example，one dollar invested at two per-cent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year．The second years，the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents，and so on．That may not seem like a lot．But over time it adds up．Giving an allowance, parents should consider all the following EXCEPT_______.
| A．how much the child should get each time | B．whether the child has made a budget |
| C．where the money really goes | D．how often a child can get it |
The author of the passage holds the opinion that________.
| A．what children learn by handling allowances may be beneficial in the future |
| B．children can learn to set up their own business with their allowances |
| C．keeping allowances in the bank is the best choice for children |
| D．it is not a good idea to pay children for housework at home |
The underlined words “compound interest” in the passage probably mean ________.
| A．increasing curiosity to learn how to make more money |
| B．stronger power to hold one’s attention to saving money |
| C．money paid by the bank on your original money and the gain from it |
D．the sum of money that you earn from keeping your money in  the bank |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Be Generous to Pay Your Children． | B．Be Wise to Avoid Financical Mistakes． |
| C．Saving Allowances Does Good to Children. | D．Allowances Help Children Learn about Money． |
The definition of the standard kilogram is almost entirely wrong. Getting that definition right is a challenge that has tried the patience and intelligence of scientists for decades.
Scientists use just seven basic units to define all the other quantities we use — quantities such as speed or electric power. All of those basic units except the kilogram are themselves defined according to natural properties（属性）that are beyond human control.
For example, the standard second (time) is defined as a specific number of vibration（振动）of a type of radiation sent out by atom
s of a special metal. The standard metre (length), in turn, is defined as the length of the path light travels under certain conditions.
Not so the kilogram. This orphan of the basic unit family is simply the mass of a small platinum-iridium alloy cylinder（铂—铱合金筒）locked away in a
container maintained by the International Bureau of Weights & Measures in Sevres, France, near Paris. Official bodies around the world have copies of the cylinder.
Embarrassingly, the last time the copies were brought to Sevres for a checkup in the 1980s, officials found that some copies had gained about 20 parts per billion in weight compared to the master cylinder since the previous checkup in the 1940s. This implies that the master cylinder itself may be an inconstant standard.
Several efforts in several different countries are under way to redefine the kilogram according to basic physical quantities such as counting the actual number of atoms of a specific substance in a kilogram or the electromagnetic（电磁的）force that balances a kilogram mass against gravity. A project of the latter type at the laboratories in Gaithersburg, Md., hopes eventually to define mass by means of electrical units.
So far, none of these redefinition projects has borne fruit. They require the very accuracy of measurement and control of experimental conditions. The slightest influence — even a tiny change in weather — can ruin results. You’ve got to hand it to scientists who are willing to devote many years to such painstaking — but extremely important — research. Compared with other basic units, the kilogram is ____.
| A．as accurate as other basic units |
| B．not universally accepted in the world |
| C．not defined according to natural properties |
| D．defined in the same way as other basic units |
The author introduced the examination of copies of a platinum-iridium alloy cylinder in the 1980s to indicate that ____.
| A．the causes of weight changes had been found |
| B．such kind of checks had been carried out regularly |
| C．the changes in weight challenged the definition of the kilogram |
| D．the consequences of such changes were great in research |
According to
the passage, to define the weight of mass by means of electrical units ____.
| A．is the only way to redefine the kilogram scientifically |
| B．has been accepted as the only possible redefinition project |
| C．is not as complicated as people understand |
| D．has been considered by some scientists as a better approach |
Which of the following cannot be concluded from the passage?
| A．Scientists will achieve success in redefining the kilogram in the near future |
| B．Some scientists are trying to redefine the kilogram according to basic physical quantities. |
| C．The redefining of the standard kilogram is quite complicated and can be affected by a number of factors. |
| D．A number of experiments are being carried out to redefine the kilogram. |
The following is a recent survey among teenagers:
| Radio Most teenagers nowadays are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a program specifically. The main reason teenagers listen to the radio is for music, but now with online sites streaming music for free they do not bother, and users can choose the songs they want instead of listening to what the radio presenter/DJ chooses. Television Most teenagers watch television, but usually there are points in the year where they watch more than average. This is due to programs coming on in seasons, so they will watch a particular show at a certain time (as long as it lasts) but then they may watch no television for weeks. Teenagers are also watching less television because of services such as BBC iPlayer, which allows them to watch shows when they want. Whilst watching TV, adverts come on quite regularly (18 minutes of every hour) and teenagers do not want to watch these, so they switch to another channel, or do something else whilst the adverts run. Newspapers No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarized on the Internet or on TV. Internet Every teenager has some access to the Internet, be it at school or home. Home use is mainly used for fun (such as social networking) whilst school (or library) use is for work. Most teenagers are heavily active on a combination of social networking sites. Facebook is the most common, with nearly everyone with an Internet connection registered and visiting >4 times a week. Facebook is popular as one can interact with friends on a wide scale. For searching the web, Google is the dominant figure, simply because it is well known and easy to use. Some teenagers make purchases on the Internet (on sites like eBay) but this is only used by a small percentage, as a credit card is required and most teenagers do not have credit cards. Many teenagers use YouTube to watch videos (usually anime which cannot be watched anywhere else) and some use it as a music player by having a video with the music they want to listen to playing in the background. Mobile Phones 99pc of teenagers have a mobile phone and most are q  uite capable phones. Usually, teenagers only use their phones for texting, calling. Features such as video messaging or video calling are not used—because they are expensive.Services such as instant messaging are used, but not by everyone. It usually depends whether the phone is Wi-Fi compatible, because otherwise it is very expensive to get Internet off the phone network. As most teenagers’ phones have Bluetooth support, and Bluetooth is free, they utilize this feature often. Mobile email is not used as teenagers have no need; they do not need to be connected to their inbox all the time as they don’t receive important emails. |
The survey carried out recently is mainly concerned with ______.
| A．how teenagers consume media |
| B．what electric devices teenagers favor |
| C．which new trend teenagers are following |
| D．how teenagers contact others and make their social net |
As is mentioned in the survey, the reason why teenagers watch less TV mainly lies in that ______.
| A．teenagers do not watch regular programs |
| B．all the TV programs are on for only a few weeks |
| C．teenagers may turn to other devices to watch their favorite |
| D．the TV adverts coming on every channel are just the same |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the survey?
| A．Radio presenter or DJ used to invite the listeners to choose the songs they want. |
| B．The main source for teenagers to get news is Internet as well as newspapers. |
| C．Google is the most common social networking sites due to its convenience. |
| D．Some features of modern mobile phones are not widely used by teenagers. |