A quarter of US adults say they read no books at all in the past year, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos survey. The typical person said that he / she read four books in the last year and, excluding those who had not read any books at all, the usual number of books read was seven.
Of those who did read, women and pensioners (领养老金者) were the most eager readers, and religious works and popular fiction were the top choices. The number of books read was nine books for women and five for men. The number also showed that those with college degrees read the most, and people aged 50 and over read more than those who are younger.
People from the West and Midwest are more likely to have read at least one book in the past year. Southerners who do read tend to read more books — mostly religious books and romance novels — than people from other regions.
Those who said they never attend religious services read nearly twice as many books as those who attend frequently, but the Bible and religious works were read by two thirds of the people in the survey, more than all the other categories. Popular fiction, histories, biographies and mysteries took up about half, while one in five read romance novels. Politics, poetry and classical literature were named by fewer than 5% of readers. More women than men read every major category of books except for history and biography books. Men tend to prefer non-fiction.
Book sales in the US have been flat in recent years and are expected to stay that way, which, experts think, results from competition from the Internet and other media, and the unsteady economy.The passage mainly tells us ______.
| A．the number of Americans who read books last year dropped |
| B．the book sales in the US have been dropping in recent years |
| C．the reasons why one in four Americans read no books last year |
| D．about region differences in the number and kind of books read last year |
Which kind of Americans read the most last year according to the survey?
| A．Older men with college degrees from the South. |
| B．Older women with college degrees from the South. |
| C．Younger educated men from the Midwest. |
| D．Younger educated women from the West. |
What kind of books was read most according to the passage?
| A．Religious works. | B．Popular fiction. |
| C．Poetry. | D．History. |
Which of the following reasons why people read fewer books is true?
①. Competition from the Internet.
②. Competition from other media.
③. The unsteady economy.
④. People attend religious services
⑤. No time for reading.
| A．①②③ | B．②③⑤ | C．①③⑤ | D．②③④ |
If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.
Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.
Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!
Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?
If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?
If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have gotten too busy, take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?
If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over-committed because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be delegated to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?
Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.
If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.
60．The author mainly discusses ______in this passage.
A．how to spend our spare time
B．how to balance friendship and work
C．whether we should keep friendship
D．whether we should invite friends to dinner
61．Which of the following doesn’t indicate a good relationship?
A．You have someone to count on when you are in trouble.
B．You have someone to have close talks with.
C．You have fun when you are with someone.
D．You feel depressed with others in life.
62．What does the underlined word “delegated”（para.7）probably mean?
A．replaced B．appointed
C．defeated D．handled
63．The reason why you have become too busy for friends may be the following EXCEPT that_____.
A．you feel it difficult to keep friendship
B．you spend too much time seeking material toys in your life
C．you stick to doing everything all by yourself
D．you never refuse whatever other people ask you to do
When I was 19 years old, I was at a dance club. As we were walking to my car one cold night, a man walked up to us. Behind him was a woman carrying a small child. The child had a jacket on but it wasn’t buttoned up（扣上）. The man began to tell us he wanted to borrow some money for the night to get his wife and kid into a hotel. He had a job but no place to live in and was waiting for he first paycheck. He said he could get our mailing address and mail the money back.
The guy I was with reached into his pocket to give this man a $20 bill. As the other man was extending his hand out to take the money, I put my hand on my new friends’ hand and said, “ Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I told him that every day people asked my mother for money on her way to work. She said they made more money than she did, simply begging for money. These people were scamming those with soft hearts. And if they were truly worried about their child suffering from the cold, they would have at least buttoned his jacket or covered him with his blanket.
My new friend looked at me with disappointment and said, “Michelle, I know there are people out there that take advantage of others. I also know there are people out there that are one paycheck away from being homeless. If I give $ 20 to 10 people and only one of them really needs it and uses it for the right thing, it is worth it.”
I am now 37 years old and have never forgotten what he said to me. I don’t even remember his name. But I do remember that that experience changed the way I look at different situations.
56. What do we know about the stranger according to the passage?
A. He had been begging for a long time near the dance club.
B. He would spend the cold night at an expensive hotel.
C. He was careless and didn’t take good care of his child.
D. He might be just lying in order to get some money.
57. Why did the author put her hand on her new friends’ hand?
A. She wanted to tell him to give some more money to the stranger.
B. She believed her mother had already given the stranger some money.
C. She wanted to warm him not to be cheated by the stranger.
D. She asked her friend to pay more attention to the baby instead.
58. Which of the following can take the place of the underlined word “ scamming ” in the 3rd paragraph?
A. cheating B. respecting C. disappointing D. understanding
59. We can safely say that the author’s friend was_________.
A. funny B. kind C. rich D. brave
How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病). Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it – the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way. ”
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success – you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best
Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological (心理的) tool.”
67. What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
A. Difficulties influenced his career. B. Specialists offered him medical advice.
Training helped him defeat his disease. D. He overcame the shadow of illness to win.
68. What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
A. Her training schedule. B. Her daily happenings.
Her achievements. D. Her sports career.
69. What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to?
A. Ways that help one to focus. B. Words that help one to feel less tense.
Activities that turn one’s attention away. D. Habits that make it hard for one to relax.
70. According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
A. Courage. B. Devotion.
Hard work. D. Self-confidence.
Some people think as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbacks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbooks, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.
63. It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge
B. cinemas are the best choice in getting information
reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun
D. newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself
64. What does the sentence “Television has not killed reading, however” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?
A. People only need reading, though. B. Reading is still necessary today.Reading is more fun than television. D. Watching television doesn’t help reading.
65. Which of the following is mainly discussed in the last paragraph?
A. Types of books B. Kinds of dictionariesLists of history books. D. Collections of stories and poems.
66. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
B. A good dictionary should be kept in every home.Books with hard covers sell better than paperbacks.
D. More people like TV programs about famous men.
No one could have failed to be moved had he watched the live televised volleyball game between the Chinese and Cuban women’s teams. As we sat before the television set, with our eyes fixed on the screen, we experienced every kind of feeling. When the two teams played neck and neck, we were on pins and needles, anxious as to what would come next, and when our team fell behind, our hearts were in our mouths. Watching the game between those two teams is not only a matter of great joy. For more than that it provides food for thought. Just see how the Chinese women won the game — by their cooperation, by their excellent skill, their effort and strong will. A Chinese saying goes, "When two competent opponents (比赛的双方) meet, the strong-minded one will win." This is the spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team. If every Chinese showed some of the spirit, never losing heart in times of difficulty and remaining clear-minded in times of advantage, then our nation would stand in the vanguard (前列) of the world family of nations, just as the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team has done, is doing and will do.
59. While watching the game, we _____.
A. had feelings of different kinds
B. enjoyed a friendly and wonderful game
clapped and cheered only for the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
D. were eager to know what would happen later on
60. The wonderful game _____.
A. brought us great joy
B. provided us with food for our thoughts
gave us not only great joy but also food for thoughts
D. give us a valuable amusement
61. The author believed that _____.
A. the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team was the strongest
B. China was sure to become stronger and stronger if only we have that spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
the Chinese must remain clear-minded in time of advantage
D. the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team would never be beaten.
62. The best title of the passage might be “_____”.
A. Watching a Close Volleyball Game
B. The Spirit of the Chinese Women’s Volleyball Team
Learn from the Members of the Volleyball Team
D. The Strong - Minded Are the Winners