Urbanization
(2013·高考北京卷)Until relatively recently，the vast majority of human beings lived and died without ever seeing a city.The first city was probably founded no more than 5,500 years ago.__ __In fact，nearly everyone lived on farms or in tiny rural (乡村的) villages.It was not until the 20th century that Great Britain became the first urban society in history—a society in which the majority of people live in cities and do not farm for a living.
Britain was only the beginning. __The process of urbanization—the migration (迁徙) of people from the countryside to the city—was the result of modernization，which has rapidly transformed how people live and where they live.
In 1990，fewer than 40% of Americans lived in urban areas.Today，over 82% of Americans live in cities.Only about 2% live on farms.__ __
Large cities were impossible until agriculture became industrialized.Even in advanced agricultural societies，it took about ninetyfive people on farms to feed five people in cities._ _Until modern times，those living in cities were mainly the ruling elite(精英) and the servants，laborers and professionals who served them.Cities survived by taxing farmers and were limited in size by the amount of surplus food that the rural population produced and by the ability to move this surplus from farm to city.
Over the past two centuries，the Industrial Revolution has broken this balance between the city and the country. _Today，instead of needing ninetyfive farmers to feed five city people，one American farmer is able to feed more than a hundred nonfarmers.
| A．That kept cities very small. |
| B．The rest live in small towns. |
| C．The effects of urban living on people should be considered. |
| D．Soon many other industrial nations became urban societies. |
E．But even 200 years ago，only a few people could live in cities.
F．Modernization drew people to the cities and made farmers more productive.
G．Modern cities have destroyed social relations and the health of human beings.
Industrial pollution is not only a problem for the countries of Europe and North America but also an extremely serious problem in some developing countries. For these countries, economic growth is a very important aim. They want to introduce industries, and so they put few controls on the industries which cause pollution.
Cubatao, an industrial town of 85 000 people in Brazil, is an example of the connection between industrial development and pollution. In 1954, Cubatao had no industry. Today it has more than twenty large factories, which produce many pollutants(污染物). The people of the town are suffering from the poisonous matter in their environment and the bad effects can be clearly seen. Birth shortcomings are extremely common. Among children and adults, lung problems are sometimes twelve times more common in Cubatao than in other places.
It is true that Brazil, like many other countries, has laws against pollution, but these laws are not enforced strictly enough. It is cheaper for companies to take no notice of the laws and pay the fines(罚款) than to buy the expensive equipment that will reduce the pollution. It is clear, therefore, that economic growth is more important to the government than to the health of the workers. However, the responsibility(责任) does not completely lie with the Brazilian government. The example of Cubatao shows that international companies are not acting in a responsible way either. A number of the factories in the town are owned by large companies from France, Italy, and the U. S. They are doing things in Brazil that they would not be able to do at home. If they caused the same amount of pollution at home, they would be severely(严厉地) punished or even put out of business. Why don’t developing countries have strict pollution controls?
| A．The new industries they want to introduce do not cause much pollution. |
| B．Pollution is not a serious problem for developing countries. |
| C．They don’t realize the balance of nature will be destroyed by some pollutants. |
| D．If they put stricter controls on industry, fewer companies would build new plants in developing countries. |
What is the author’s purpose in taking Cubatao as an example?
| A．To show that industry can develop very fast in developing countries. |
| B．To show that the pollution problem in Brazil is extremely serious. |
| C．To show that industrial growth can cause pollution problems for developing countries. |
| D．To show that pollution is killing many people and destroying the whole economy of Brazil. |
How is the health of the population of Cubatao?
| A．There are more heart diseases among people who live near chemical factories. |
| B．More people suffer from lung diseases because of poisonous matter. |
| C．Their health is affected by pollutants the same way as that of other Brazilians. |
| D．Babies there are found not as bright as those who live in other places. |
Why do some foreign companies like to set up their plants in Brazil?
| A．The investment(投资) environment in Brazil is suitable for them. |
| B．They will not be severely punished if they cause pollution in Brazil. |
| C．They can make much money because they do not have to pay Brazilian workers much. |
| D．They can act in an irresponsible(不负责任的) way in Brazil because there are no pollution laws there. |
“Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”
Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy(怀孕) was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the change from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this re-socialization process. Although many good books have been written about American mothers, only recently have some books discussed the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father’s role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother’s role. The mother’s role seems to require a complete transformation of daily routine and adaptation to a new life, on the other hand, the father’s role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we have mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household. According to the author, being a father _______.
| A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men |
| B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters |
| C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy |
| D．means nothing but more responsibilities. |
It is stated in the passage that ________.
| A．some parents are not prepared to have a child |
| B．young couples do not like children at all |
| C．working couples do not have much time to take care of their children |
| D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child |
The transition to the mother’s role requires that the wife _______.
| A．changes her life style in a quite different way |
| B．makes a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation |
| C．stays at home to take care of the baby |
| D．helps her husband in his re-socialization process |
Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers, _______.
| A．have to do more in the household | B．have to make more difficult adaptations |
| C．have an easier job to do | D．can usually do a better job |
The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card (信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site(非法网站).
Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.
On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number — or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers(黑客) have broken down security(安全) systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25, 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer(零售商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157, 828 to get back the information.
Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. Mastercard is working on plans for Web — only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated(欺骗).
Ask about your credit-card firm’s on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent(欺骗性的) spending.
And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Website address may also start https: //—the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password(密码) safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?
| A．A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet. | B．Fraud on the Internet. |
| C．Many Web sites are destroyed. | D．Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet. |
What is the meaning of “fraud”?
| A．Cheating. | B．Sale. | C．Payment. | D．Safety. |
How can the thieves get the information of the credit card?
| A．The customers give them the information. |
| B．The thieves steal the information from Web sites. |
| C．The customers sell the information to them. |
| D．The thieves buy the information from credit-card firms. |
How many pieces of advice does the passage give to you?
| A．Four. | B．Three. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do?
| A．Order the TV set at once. | B．Do not buy the TV set on this site. |
| C．E-mail the site your credit-card information. | |
| D．Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you. |
Right is right. Right? Of course. But is left wrong? Well, the Romans used to think so. They thought left-handed people were mistakes of nature. Latin, the language of the Romans, had many words that expressed this view. Some words we use today still have this meaning. The Latin word “dexter” means “right”. The English word “dexterous” comes from this word. It means “handy” (clever with hands). So, right is handy. But the Latin word for left is “sinister”. The English word “sinister” comes from this word. Sinister means “evil” (very bad). Is it fair to call right-handed people handy and left-handed people evil? Well, fair or not, many languages have words that express such beliefs. In old English, the word for left means “weak”. That isn’t much of an improvement over “evil”.
Not very long ago, children were often forced to write with their right hands. Doctors have since found that this can be very harmful. You should use the hand you were born to use.
People who use their left hands are just starting to get better treatment. But why they get all these bad names in the first place? One reason may be that there are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people. There is one left-handed person for every five right-handed ones. People who are different are often thought to be wrong. But attitudes do seem to be changing. Fair-minded right-handed people are finally starting to give left-handed people a hand.What does the passage lead us to believe when one writes?
| A．He can only use his right hand. |
| B．He can only use his left hand. |
| C．He can use either his left hand or his right hand. |
| D．He can use both his left hand and his right hand. |
The last sentence of this article means ________.
| A．Fair-minded right-handed people want to change the habit of the left-handed people |
| B．Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to help the left-handed people |
| C．Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to use left hand to write and so on |
| D．Fair-minded right-handed people are starting to give up using their left hands |
After we read the article we can certainly know that _______.
| A．left-handed people have been treated poorly |
| B．the number of the left-handed people is larger than that of right-handed people |
| C．right-handed people are much cleverer than left-handed people |
| D．left-handed people are less smart but hardworking |
Which of the following is NOT right, according to the article?
| A．At one time, left-handed people were forced to use their right hands. |
| B．Left-handed people today are being treated better than those in the past. |
| C．There are not as many left-handed people as there are right-handed people today. |
| D．“Dexterous” comes from Latin, means “evil” and English “sinister” means “handy”. |
Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences, especially during Spring Break — a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you’re a student and don’t have enough money for a trip? Don’t worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
●Save: This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you’ll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
●Plan ahead: Don’t wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security(安全) and savings.
●Do your homework: No matter where you go, research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
●Plan sensibly: Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
●Travel in groups: Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.
●Work as you go: Need more money to support your trip? Look for work in the places you visit.
●Go off the beaten path: Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesser-known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
●Pack necessary things: The most important things to take are not always clothes: Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
●Use the Internet: The Net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www. Travelocity. com, www. bargains-lowest fare. com and www. Economic travel. com.
By planning sensibly, even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.This passage is about _______.
| A．how to plan your travel | B．how to travel with enough money |
| C．how to make your travel interesting | D．how to get life experiences |
Before your trip, the first thing you should do is _______.
| A．to make a plan of the route | B．to get information in the Internet |
| C．to save money by spending less | D．to buy tickets in advance |
The writer advises you _______.
| A．to share costs with any other people | B．not to go to well-known places |
| C．not to visit dangerous places | D．to buy anything you want to buy |
During your trip, _______.
| A．you need more shoes than clothes | B．you shouldn’t look for work all the way |
| C．you can gain valuable life experiences | D．you should forget to do your homework |