Although Paris is often considered the city of romance, close to a million adults who call it home are single. Many single people say that France’s capital is one of the most difficult places to meet people. The complaints(抱怨) of this lonely group have inspired a new phenomenon known as “supermarket dating.” At Galerie Lafayette Gourmet, singles can shop for more than just the items on their grocery list. They can look for someone who has blue eyes, brown hair, and is 1.8 meters tall, or whatever may be on their romantic shopping list.
At this Paris location, single people of all ages can schedule their shopping for Thursday nights between 6:30 and 9:00 p.m. When they walk through the door, they pick up a purple basket to advise that they are looking for love. They try to arrive early because the baskets disappear quickly, and then they have to wait in line for their turn to wander the store aisles(过道) .
With purple baskets in hand, shoppers can consider their romantic options while they pick out their groceries. When they are ready to pay, they can go to the checkout line for singles who want to chat.
Most of the people who look for love in the supermarket are skeptical of Internet dating. They know that it is easy to embellish(美化) one’s appearance or to lie about one’s age over the Internet. The supermarket, on the other hand, is considered a safe and casual environment in which to meet a potential match. In addition, what one finds in another’s grocery basket can say a thing or two about that person’s character or intentions. Buying pet food can be a man’s way of showing a potential match that he has a sensitive side. Women who fill their baskets with low-fat food show their healthy style of living. These days it’s possible to find much more than food at a grocery store.What do many single people in Pairs complain about?
| A．The difficulty in meeting people. |
| B．The idea of supermarket dating. |
| C．The items on their grocery list. |
| D．The inconvenience in shopping. |
Which of the following can be inferred but is not clearly stated in the second paragraph?
| A．The dating supermarket is located in Paris. |
| B．The dating supermarket is open only on Thursday evenings. |
| C．People looking for love must get a basket of a particular colour |
| D．The dating supermarket has very good business. |
According to the writer, a possible way to win a woman’s heart is to _______.
| A．pick up a purple basket |
| B．Buy low-fat food |
| C．embellish your appearance |
| D．buy pet food |
Why do the people prefer the supermarket dating to Internet dating?
| A．The supermarket dating is more convenient. |
| B．The supermarket dating is more casual. |
| C．The supermarket dating can be trusted more. |
| D．The supermarket dating is less expensive. |
B
| Café en Seine The wildly luxury （奢华） new art style of this huge bar has been a huge hit since it first opened in 1995, and while it may not be the “in” place it once was, it is still very popular with the after-work crowd and out-of-towners．Maybe it’s the glass frames, or the real 12m-high trees; but most likely it’s the beautiful people supporting the wood-and-marble bar． Good for: decoration, cocktails, amazing food and service Address: 40 Dawson St Transport: all city centre Phone: 01 677 4369 |
| Gravediggers （aka Kavanagh’s） The gravediggers from the neighboring Glasnevin Cemetery had a secret serving hatch （舱口） so that they could drink on the job – therefore the pub’s nickname．Founded in 1833 by one John Kavanagh and still in the family, this pub is one of the best in Ireland, almost unchanged in 150 years．In summer time the green of the square is full of drinkers bathing in the sun, while inside the hardened locals ensure that never a hint of sunshine disturbs some of the best Guinness in town．An absolute classic． Good for: Guinness, traditional pub, pub food Address: 1 Prospect Sq Glasnevin Transport: 13 from city centre Phone: 830 7978 |
| Davy Byrne’s James Joyce, an Irish author and a poet （1882-1941）, would hardly recognize the bar that Leopold Bloom rushed into for a gorgonzola sandwich and a glass of wine in Ulysses．It doesn’t stop Davy Byrne’s from making the most of its Joyce’s connections, even though today's version is strictly for out-of-towners and the rugby crowd． Good for: socializing with the locals, tasty Irish food, watching TV Address: 21 Duke St Transport: all city centre Website: www．davybyrnes．com Phone: 01 677 5217 |
People choose Café en Seine most probably because they enjoy _____as well as its cocktails and service．
| A．its location | B．its decoration |
| C．its history | D．its environment |
“Guinness” in Gravediggers probably refers to ________．
| A．a kind of tea | B．the name of the boss |
| C．a kind of beer | D．the name of the town |
We can infer that Davy Byrne’s is ________．
| A．a newly-opened bar |
| B．an old-fashioned bar |
| C．a bar with a long history |
| D．a bar popular with foreigners |
What do Café en Seine and Davy Byrne’s have in common?
| A．Their represent the same architecture style． |
| B．They give the same description about transport． |
| C．They both serve cocktails and tasty Irish food |
| D．They are both popular with the rugby crowd． |
Four years ago my sweet mom went to be with her Lord．She did it her way．
I got the call at work, and I headed home quickly．Mom and Dad lived on a small farm that they had owned since I was seven．I hated going there every weekend．There was nothing for a young girl to do but watch the one station on the old TV set, if the weather allowed reception．
My mom, on the other hand, loved the peace and quiet of the land．The place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat．We had a big wood stove in the kitchen that did its best to heat the little farmhouse, but it always seemed cold and too quiet to me．
In the evenings, my mom and I would sit for hours singing in the little kitchen．I sang the melody and Mom harmonized．Her favorite song was "Moon River" and we sang it over and over．Mom told me stories about how when I was a little girl, I could sing before I could talk．
As time passed, I had my own children and went to visit them every week or two．The kids loved the farm and the tractor rides with my dad．Me, well, I still hated the silence of the farm．While my mom loved to sit at her kitchen table and look out at her garden and flowers and retell all the old stories, I missed the hustle and bustle（喧闹）of my life at home．But I sat there listening quietly as she reminisced．
Now, I sat back in the silence and the silence was deafening so I finally leaned over to turn on an old radio．Music always comforted me．
My heart skipped a beat．"Moon River" was playing on the radio．I sat there stunned, with a tear running down my cheek, as I listened to every familiar note．From the first paragraph, we know that the writer’s mother ________．
| A．left the small farm with Lord |
| B．passed away four years ago |
| C．left for Lord to live her own way |
| D．preferred to be with Lord |
The underlined word reminisced in the fifth paragraph probably means ________．
| A．shouted | B．comforted |
| C．recalled | D．sighed |
The writer didn’t like staying in the farm for the following reasons except that ________．
| A．she could only sing one song in the small farm |
| B．it was too cold and quiet |
| C．there was nothing more that could make her excited |
| D．the place was rustic, with no indoor plumbing or heat |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? _______
| A．Cherish（珍惜） life | B．My happy childhood |
| C．Our small farmhouse | D．Mom’s music |
Just 25 years ago，the top three career hopes for young people in Britain were teacher，banker and doctor. Now，they want to be sports star，pop star and actor，according to a survey by the Guardian newspaper.
Rachel，a character in the popular TV show Glee，may be said to speak for British teenagers. “Nowadays being nobody is worse than being poor，” he said.
Emma Brockes，a reporter from Guardian，believes it is “the bad influence of celebrity(名人) culture” that is to blame. “When children wanted to be doctor，it wasn't because they were really more interested in the functions of human organs than they are now；you go where the respect is，”she wrote.
It could explain why there has been such an increase in levels of anxiety and depression. Dr. Carlo Strenger，of Tel Aviv University，studied the sense of self for his new book The Fear of Insignificance：Searching for Meaning in the 21st Century. He told Daily Mail that young people now are affected by the close connection to the global entertainment network，which has turned ranking and rating people according to wealth and celebrity into an obsession(痴迷)．
“As humans，we naturally measure ourselves against those around us，but now we live in a global village. We are comparing ourselves with the most ‘important’ people in the world and finding ourselves wanting，” he said. Today，even high achievers constantly fear that they are insignificant when they compare themselves to success stories in the media.
The way out？Simply stop measuring your achievements through a fantasy of wealth and celebrity. Dr. Strenger said that it is a process called “active self-acceptance through a constant search for self-knowledge through life”．
“The fear of insignificance can only be overcome through strong individual and cultural identity over and above measurable achievements，” he said.Nowadays，young people in Britain want to ________.
| A．choose jobs based on interests |
| B．become famous |
| C．be teacher，banker or doctor |
| D．earn more money |
According to Emma Brockes，what causes the increasing level of anxiety?
| A．The choice of future career. |
| B．The access to the global network. |
| C．The bad influence of celebrities. |
| D．The endless comparison with others. |
Which of the following is true of Dr. Carlo Strenger?
| A．He is a newspaper reporter. |
| B．He is a spokesman of teenagers. |
| C．He tells success stories on TV. |
| D．He is against ranking people by wealth. |
Dr. Carlo Strenger suggests that young people should ______.
| A．seek active self-acceptance |
| B．stick to their own dreams |
| C．make great achievements |
| D．search for the secret of wealth |
The text is mainly written to ________.
| A．talk about job choices |
| B．analyze a social phenomenon |
| C．encourage celebrity culture |
| D．introduce three famous people |
Most American students go to traditional public schools. There are about 88,000 public schools all over the US. Some students attend about 3,000 independent public schools called charter schools.
Charter schools are self-governing. Private companies operate some charter schools. They are similar in some ways to traditional public schools. They receive tax just as other public schools do. Charter schools must prove to local or state governments that their students are learning. These governments provide the schools with the agreement called a charter that permits them to operate.
Charter schools are different because they do not have to obey most laws governing traditional public schools. Local，state or federal governments cannot tell them what to teach. Each school can choose its own goals and decide the ways it wants to reach them. Class size is usually smaller than in traditional public schools.
Governments strongly support charter schools as a way to reorganize public schools that are failing to educate students. But some education agencies and unions oppose charter schools. One teachers' union has just made public the results of the first national study comparing the progress of students in traditional schools and charter schools.
The American Federation of Teachers criticized the government's delay in releasing the results of the study，which is called the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Union education experts say the study shows that charter school students performed worse in math and reading tests than students in regular public schools.
Some experts say the study is not a fair look at charter schools because students in those schools have more problems than students in traditional schools. Other education experts say the study results should make charter school officials demand more student progress.If a private company wants to operate a charter school，it must ________.
| A．try new methods of teaching |
| B．prove its management ability |
| C．obey all local and state laws |
| D．get the government's permission |
Charter schools are independent because ________.
| A．they make greater progress |
| B．their class size is smaller |
| C．they enjoy more freedom |
| D．they oppose traditional ways |
What's the governments' attitude toward charter schools?
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Supportive. |
| C．Subjective. |
| D．Optimistic. |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．More students choose to attend charter schools. |
| B．Charter schools are better than traditional schools. |
| C．Students in charter schools are well educated. |
| D．People have different opinions about charter schools. |
It can be inferred from the text that ________.
| A．charter schools are part of the public education system |
| B．one-on-one attention should be paid to students |
| C．the number of charter schools will be limited |
| D．charter schools are all privately financed |
Why was Bastille important to the citizens of Paris? The building of the Bastille had been started in 1370 under Charles V. By the seventeenth century, it had stopped to be important for defense. Cardinal Richelieu turned it into a prison. It was not an ordinary prison to punish common crimes. Its huge doors closed only on enemies of the King. The Bastille's workings were secret. Prisoners were taken to it in closed vehicles. Soldiers on guard duty had to stand with their faces to the wall. No talking was allowed. Worst of all, a prisoner never knew if he would be there a day, a week, a year, or forever. Only the King's letter could set him free.
Over the years, the number of arrests by King's letter had become fewer. By the time of its fall, most of the prisoners were writers who had written against the corruptions(贪污腐败)of the government. Voltaire, the famous French writer, spent a year there in 1717-1718, and another 12 days in 1726.
For those who believed in free speech and free thinking, the Bastille stood for everything evil. The day it was captured, only seven prisoners were found inside. Still, the Bastille was hated by the people. It was a symbol of the King's complete power.The Bastille had been a prison ______.
| A．since the time of Charles V |
| B．since the time of Cardinal Richelieu |
| C．before the seventeenth century |
| D．since 1370 |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Anyone who did something wrong could find himself suddenly in the Bastille. |
| B．The Bastille was only for those who were opposed to the King. |
| C．Things done in the Bastille were hardly known to people outside. |
| D．Voltaire was twice put in the Bastille. |
At the time of its fall, the Bastille housed ______.
| A．a large number of prisoners |
| B．a lot of writers who had been against the government |
| C．some dozens of people who believed in free speech and free thinking |
| D．only a few prisoners |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The King could put people in, or let them go out, as he wanted. |
| B．Over the years the number of prisoners in the Bastille was getting more and more. |
| C．All prisoners in the Bastille had to stay there for life. |
| D．At the time it was captured, there were so few prisoners in it that it meant little to the people. |
This passage mainly ______.
| A．tells how the prisoners were controlled by the King |
| B．tells how little was known about the Bastille |
| C．shows the inner workings of the Bastille |
| D．gives a brief history of the Bastille |