When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak contemptuously of the poor old Romans because they relished the orgies of slaughter that went on in their arenas. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them condescendingly because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the spectators who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remains as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungey lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of sophisticated arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long age; sports which are quite as barbarous as, say, public hangings or bearbaiting.
It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men batter each other to pulp in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Let us not deceive ourselves. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is sheer hypocrisy. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Spectators are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they have been deprived of the exquisite pleasure of witnessing prolonged torture and violence.
Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally – admittedly with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen cooped up in cages, or public floggings of any of the countless other barbaric practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the grim forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly and unaccountably improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is degrading and unworthy of human beings.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is
| A．not very high. | B．high. |
| C．contemptuous. | D．critical. |
The main idea of this passage is
| A．vicious and dangerous sports should be banned by law. |
| B．people are willing to pay vast sums money to see violence. |
| C．to compare two different attitudes towards dangerous sports. |
| D．people are bloodthirsty in sports. |
That the author mentions the old Romans is
| A．To compare the old Romans with today’s people. |
| B．to give an example. |
| C．to show human beings in the past know nothing better. |
| D．to indicate human beings are used to bloodthirsty. |
.How many dangerous sports does the author mention in this passage?
| A．Three. | B．Five. |
| C．Six. | D．Seven. |
The purpose of the author in writing this passage is
| A．that, by banning the violent sports, we human beings can improve our selves. |
| B．that, by banning the dangerous sports, we can improve the law. |
| C．that we must take positive steps to improve social welfare system. |
| D．to show law is the main instrument of social change. |
Vocabulary
relish 从……获得乐处，享受
orgy 狂欢，放纵
arena 竞技场，活动或斗争的场所
blood-thirsty 残忍的，嗜血的
bear-baiting 逗熊游戏
bull-fight 斗牛
batter 猛击，连续地猛打/捶，乱打
pulp 成纸浆，成软块
burst into flames 突然燃烧起来/着火
grim 令人窒息的，简陋的
coop up 把……关起来
难句译注
bear-baiting 逗熊游戏。这是一种十六、十七世纪流行于英国的游戏――驱狗去咬绑着的熊，很残忍，后被禁止。
…two men batter each other to pulp in the boxing ring.
【结构简析】batter one to pulp =" beat" one to a pulp 狠揍某人，打瘫某人
【参考译文】两个人在拳击场内彼此狠揍，知道一个人被打倒在地，爬不起来。
…unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames.
【参考译文】眼见一辆或多辆赛车相互撞击，突然烧起来而无动于衷。
A world heavy weight championship match is front page news.
【参考译文】世界重量级冠军赛总是头版头条新闻。
写作方法与文章大意
作者采取先对比、后分析的写作手法。先是今人和古罗马人对暴虐体育上对此两者都欣赏。后者坦率成人“欣赏暴力体育”，前者施以各种接口、实际都是嗜血成性者。第二段进一步剖析今人欣赏暴虐体育的种种实例，最后指出改善“暴虐”的根本嗜为改善法律采取积极的步骤，法律才能施以巨大的文明影响，否则人类很难改变。
I suppose that having been brought up in the countryside and close to animals，it wasn’t remarkable(不平常的)when I decided to become a vet(兽医)．Luckily I was also good at all the necessary science subjects. So after the college entrance examination I found myself at a veterinary college，training to look after animals in all kinds of situations. I hoped that I would be able to work in the research field so that I could find cures for animal diseases.
Much to my surprise，I found public health care was a very important aspect of my course. This is an area of animal medicine where a vet’s work has many things in common with the work of a doctor of human diseases. I particularly liked it because I recognized that the study of animal diseases can help human medicine. As we know，many infectious diseases come from animals—including SARS and bird flu.
Some of the infections have only been understood after carefully analytical work in labs by animal doctors. They helped identify the animal source for diseases such as SARS. They were also the first to identify various kinds of viruses. Sometimes vets are also able to suggest a cure for human illnesses. When I found this out I was determined to make public health medicine my chosen career.
After graduation，I applied for a job in public health. Soon I found myself concerned with the problem of bird flu. This is an illness that attacks birds，but humans can catch the disease if they are in close contact with infected birds. Though the job is dangerous，it makes me proud that vets and other animal disease researchers are in the front line helping to fight these unknown human diseases
The writer wanted to become a vet mainly because______.
| A．he did well in all necessary subjects |
| B．he wanted to help animals |
| C．he was close to animals in his early life |
| D．he wanted to find cures for human diseases |
What made the writer particularly like the course of public health care was that________.
| A．it was both important and interesting |
| B．it could help him connect many human diseases with animals |
| C．it made a vet’s work very much like a doctor’s |
| D．it could help human medicine by studying animal diseases |
What can be followed if this passage continues?
| A．The writer’s happy family life. |
| B．How the writer did research work in studying bird flu. |
| C．How the writer dealt with the relationship with other workmates. |
| D．What difficulty the writer met in the research work. |
Which of the following is implied in the passage?
| A．Animals with infectious diseases should be killed. |
| B．Keeping animals is dangerous to humans. |
| C．Dangerous as a vet’s job is，it is significant to the human race. |
| D．Animal researchers work in the same way as human doctors. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Being a vet is helpful to both animals and humans. |
| B．Vets can cure both animals and humans. |
| C．Vets helped identify animal resources for SARS. |
| D．Both SARS and bird flu are infectious diseases coming from animals. |
Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling．Recycling in the home is very important of course．However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need．We are dealing with the results of that over–consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place．
The total amount of packaging has increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005．It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK．In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard．
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment．The UK, for example, is running out of it for burying this unnecessary waste．If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect．Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy．The solution is not to produce such items in the first place．Food waste is a serious problem, too．Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need．However, few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue, encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example．
But this is not just about supermarkets．It is about all of us．We have learned to associate packaging with quality．We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality．This is especially true of food．But it is also applied to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary．
There are signs of hope．As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realize just how much unnecessary materials are collected．We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb．What does the underlined phrase “that over-consumption” refer to?
| A．Using too much packaging． | B．Recycling too many wastes． |
| C．Making more products than necessary． | D．Having more material than is needed． |
The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show ___________．
| A．the tendency of cutting household waste | B．the increase of packaging recycling |
| C．the rapid growth of supermarkets | D．the fact of packaging overuse |
According to the text, recycling ___________．
| A．helps control the greenhouse effect | B．means burning packaging for energy |
| C．is the solution to gas shortage | D．leads to a waste of land |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?
| A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality． |
| B．Supermarkets care more about packaging． |
| C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging． |
| D．Other products are better packaged than food． |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult． |
| B．Needless material is mostly recycled． |
| C．People like collecting recyclable wastes． |
| D．The author is proud of their consumer culture． |
Every girl wants to have a great-looking tattoo (纹身) design that makes them more attractive. Small and lovely tattoo designs are the path to go for girls planning to get tattooed for the first time.
Nowadays, more and more females are getting a tattoo inked on their body. In the last fifteen years, tattoos have grown from being a sign of rebelliousness and trouble to a state of popular acceptance as a mark of fashion.
Tattoos are permanent so you need to be sure that you like it before getting one. A great way is to have small tattoos that look beautiful as well. You can get a cherry blossom tattoo on the foot, perhaps, a hibiscus flower on the shoulder or a lovely butterfly on the lower stomach; whatever design you choose, it can definitely add to your attractiveness and charm.
Deciding to get a tattoo needs careful thought and reflection. Otherwise, you could make some serious tattoo mistakes. Try to avoid big and obvious designs if possible. Another important part of choosing a tattoo design is the location. What part of the body do you want it on? Choosing a hidden location can often make the tattoo the perfect adornment (装饰). As for professional women, tattoos should normally be where they can be hidden.
Most importantly, no matter what tattoo design you choose the final goal is that the design should be something you like. If you are into the tattoo and really feel passionate about it you will carry yourself in a different manner when you get it inked on your body.A girl wants to have a tattoo in order to ________.
| A．show that she is unique | B．catch up the present fashion |
| C．become more attractive | D．have more confidence |
The underlined word “hallmark” in Paragraph 2 probably means _________
| A．feature | B．exhibition | C．entertainment | D．room |
What did people think of girls who got tattooed in the past?
| A．They looked down upon these girls | B．They thought these girls liked to show off |
| C．They thought these girls were fashionable | D．They thought these girls were rebellious |
What is the author’s attitude towards girls’ getting a tattoo?
| A．He is against girls’ doing so |
| B．He thinks professional women should not get tattooed |
| C．He is in favor of it as long as it is done probably |
| D．He calls on all the girls to do so |
According to the author, which of the following is the right kind of tattoo that girls should get?
| A．Big, beautiful tattoos inked on the back |
| B．Small, lovely tattoos inked on the hidden part of the body |
| C．Big and fashionable tattoos inked on the foot |
| D．Small and beautiful tattoos inked on where it is easy to see |
We all know how important human life is—it’s priceless. It doesn’t matter where you are from or what the color of your skins is—all people are human beings. Firstly, we can tell you that the lives of your relatives could depend on your ability to give first aid. If you think highly of human’s life, this website is for you! Here you can find information about first aid.
The very first thing that you should do when you see an accident is to evaluate the situation and prevent further dangerous incidents. First of all, you have to recognize what has happened and what the dangers to rescuers and victims are. Think about how to take care of the victims.
Helping usually takes place in very difficult conditions and injuries can be very bad. Therefore, you cannot be too afraid of making mistakes to help. Sometimes you have to face the fact that regardless of your actions and your efforts the victim’s condition might not improve—he or she could even die. In some cases even professional medical aid may not succeed. If you have done everything you think you should do, you shouldn’t feel guilty.
Do not expose yourself to danger. Giving first aid can be dangerous. While trying to help a victim, do not forget about your own safety. If something happens to you, you won’t be able to help anyone.
Call for help after you find out the condition of a victim. But remember if a victim faints due to breathing failure caused by drowning, choking or poisoning, you should first take actions that help to bring back the heart beat and breathing. While calling, talk shortly but clearly. Always provide the following information: the location of the accident, the kind of accident, the number of the injured and your full name and phone number and so on.The passage is probably taken from _________.
| A．a newspaper | B．the Internet | C．a textbook | D．a guide book |
The underlined word “ evaluate” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______.
| A．leave | B．protect | C．avoid | D．judge |
What’s the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．You should learn some professional knowledge about first aid. |
| B．You shouldn’t feel guilty if you don’t know about first aid. |
| C．Try your best to give first aid and don’t be afraid of making mistakes |
| D．Don’t make mistakes when you are giving first aid. |
The author thinks that helping a victim can be ____________.
| A．risky | B．shocking | C．exciting | D．boring |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．young people must learn how to give first aid |
| B．you should forget about your own safety while giving first aid. |
| C．when you see an accident you should do nothing but call the police. |
| D．when calling for help you should give all relevant details. |
American Watersports
Tuesday--Saturday
Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jetskis, and even parasails! Enjoy the water upclose or from a bird’s eye view! No matter what activity you’re enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!
15th Street Boat Company
Monday --Saturday
15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They’re sure to have what you are looking for, whether it’s a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagent boat with comfortable seats with a stereo(立体声) and high tech navigation(导航). You can rent a boat for half a day, a couple days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they’ve got it. It’s fun for everyone!
Coconut’s Watersports
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday
Coconuts Water Sports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the jet ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended.
Jet Ski Tours of Miami
Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-7p.m.
Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two hour tour and each jet ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins playing or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters. What activity is convenient for the visitors to have lunch?
| A．Jet Ski Tours of Miami | B．Coconut’s Watersports |
| C．15th Street Boat Company | D．American Watersports |
To satisfy your son’s curiosity about marine animals, you ___________.
| A．will rent a boat to ride with him. |
| B．prefer an extravagant (奢侈的) boat with comfortable seats with a stereo. |
| C．would like to prefer American Watersports to Florida waters. |
| D．can choose the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock. |
If you like to sail a boat, you can________.
| A．go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort | B．visit 15th Street Boat Company |
| C．choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami | D．go to Coconut’s Watersports |
To ride alone in the jet ski activities, _____________.
| A．you have to be at least 14 years old. | B．you can choose to wear a life jacket or not. |
| C．you must be over18 years old. | D．you have to be with parents. |