Vans, Keds, Dollies—they sound like the names of rock bands，but if you have teenagers, you'll know they’re actually the latest in teenage footwear.
But experts are now warning that the current shoe fashions will be causing teenagers discomfort in the short term and storing up years of foot, knee and back pain in the future. Here, the experts identify the problems caused by teenagers’ shoe choice.
KEDS/VANS
Slipon shoes with elastic (弹性的) sides are particularly popular among teenage boys—with Keds and Vans the most sought-after brands.
The main problem is that they are just too flat—so flat that the heel, which strikes the ground first, also becomes damaged and painful.
BALLET PUMPS 
The worst shoes of all are such light and thin dolly shoes. The problem is partly their flatness, as with Keds and Vans. However ballet pumps, which have no string or heel, have other specific problems.
“As the shoe has no fastening device, it relies on the toes to keep the shoe on, causing an awkward gait (步法) , this leads to short—and long-term problems such as calluses (茧子), heel and knee pain.”
WEDGES AND STILETTOS
These shoes can also cause problems with gait. They may look good, but the heels on these are so high they can force the wearer’s body weight forward, making them very unstable.
Teens who wear these shoes regularly are also in danger of joining those millions of women with constant back pain.
SCHOOL SHOES
So what do podiatrists (足科医生)have on their wish list, especially for everyday wear?
Something in a natural, breathable fabric, with a string to hold it on，with a small heel and a deep toebox that does not press the toes，such as Clark's，Marks & Spencer or Rhino.
If your teen insists on wearing “bad” shoes, get them some simple foot orthotics(矫形器) in the shoes. These support and correct the movement of the foot and, properly fitted by a podiatrist, can often transform their walk and halt the damage.Of all the shoes mentioned in the passage, which can cause the worst problems?
| A．Ballet Pumps. | B．Wedges & Stilettos. | C．Keds and Vans | D．Marks & Spencer. |
The underlined word “halt” in the last paragraph probably means________.
| A．increase | B．stop | C．worsen | D．cure |
From this passage we can infer________.
| A．podiatrists are expert at producing branded shoes |
| B．fashionable shoes all have orthotics in them |
| C．experts are strongly against wearing popular shoes |
| D．trendy shoes may ruin teenager’ health |
The customs in different countries are rather different. If I have dinner with a Chinese host, he always puts more food onto my plate as soon as I have emptied it. That often discomforts me greatly. I have to eat the food even if I do not want to, because it is considered bad manners in the west to leave one’s food on the plate. I have also noticed that when a Chinese sits at an American’s dinner party, he often refuses the offer of drink though he’s in fact still hungry or thirsty. This might be good manners in China but it is not in the west at all. In the United States, it is impolite to keep asking someone again and again or insist on his accepting something. Americans have a direct way of speaking. If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, “No, thanks.” When an American is served with beer by the host, for example, he might say, “No, thanks. I’ll take some orange juice if you have it.” That is what an American will do. So when you go to the United States, you’d better remember the famous saying: “when in Rome, do as the Romans do.”From this passage we can see that the writer is .
| A．a Chinese | B．a Roman |
| C．an American | D．a European |
When a Chinese host kept putting more food onto his plate, the writer felt .
| A．very happy | B．sad | C．angry | D．uneasy |
In the west, people consider it bad manners .
| A．to refuse an offer |
| B．to ask for something directly |
| C．to eat at a dinner party |
| D．to keep asking someone to accept something |
A guest at an American’s dinner party should show his politeness by .
| A．putting more food onto his plate as soon as he emptied it |
| B．refusing the offer of food or drink though he is still hungry or thirsty. |
| C．asking for things directly if he wants them |
| D．not eating all the food offered |
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
| A．She made Teddy feel ashamed. |
| B．She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
| C．She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
| D．She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
| A．He often told lies. |
| B．He was good at math. |
| C．He needed motherly care. |
| D．He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
| A．She taught fewer school subjects. |
| B．She became stricter with her students. |
| C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
| D．She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
| A．She had kept in touch with him. |
| B．She had given him encouragement. |
| C．She had sent him Christmas presents. |
| D．She had taught him how to judge people. |
Australia is the smallest continent in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It is on the Southern Hemisphere of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is small. The population of Australia is nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
Enough laws have been made to fight against pollution. The cities in Australia have little air or water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish in the rivers. Plants grow very well.
Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flower exhibition. There we saw large numbers of wild flowers on show, most of which we had never seen before. We had a wonderful time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. Every year in spring Perth has a wild flower exhibition. After visiting Perth, we spent a day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves very much. When we heard bells ringing at the top of the hills, we looked up, but what we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to our car as quickly as we could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us along the path.
Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos（袋鼠）. After a short drive from any town, you will find yourself among the white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere you can see sheep.Which country is the writer most possibly from?
| A．Japan | B．Canada | C．China | D．America |
We can learn from the passage that _________.
| A．Australia is the smallest country in the world |
| B．Australia is the same size of Shanghai. |
| C．Australia is in the northern part of the earth. |
| D．The people in Australia are as many as those in Shanghai. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Australia has enough laws to fight against pollution. |
| B．Perth is the biggest city in Australia. |
| C．The wild flowers in Perth must be different from what the author sees in his/her country. |
| D．The author enjoyed his/her visit in the country. |
The underlined word “exhibition” in the third paragraph means _________.
| A．a public show for people to visit |
| B．a market where you can buy all kinds of flowers |
| C．a place where all kinds of flowers are grown |
| D．a field where there are flowers and animal |
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, or red? If you do, you must be an active person who enjoys life. Do you like blue? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and would rather follow than lead.
Colors do influence our moods (情绪). A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. On the other hand, black is depressing(令人压抑的). There was a black bridge over the Thames River, near London. The number of people who killed themselves on that bridge used to be larger than on any other bridge in the area -- until it was repainted green.
Light and bright colors make people not only happier but also more active. In the factory, the workers will work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black.An active person may like ____
| A．yellow, orange, or red | B．yellow, black, or red |
| C．orange, blue, or black | D．black, red, or orange |
Most people feel more __ in a yellow room than in a dark green one.
| A．tired | B．bored | C．worried | D．relaxed |
More people killed themselves on the black bridge than on any other bridge probably because ____
| A．the bridge was very tall |
| B．the bridge was too crowded |
| C．people didn't like the bridge |
| D．the color of the bridge was depressing |
In the factory, when the machines are painted orange, the workers will work __
| A．worse | B．harder | C．more slowly | D．more angrily |
Most American students have to say goodbye to fancy (高档的) fruits these days. In school restaurants across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place.
“People are afraid to spend now.” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They don’t know what the future will bring”. During the financial crisis (金融危机), several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive things.
The crisis began last year. Experts (专家) think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders (国界), the whole world was in trouble.
This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no one is sure whether it will help or not. Last week presidents from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. This passage is probably taken from ___________.
| A．a story book | B．a novel | C．a newspaper | D．an advertisement |
Why are people in the US afraid to spend?
| A．Because they think it’s unnecessary |
| B．Because they don’t have the habit of spending money |
| C．Because they worry about their future |
| D．Because they don’t have any money |
From the passage, we still don’t know ________.
| A．when the financial crisis began |
| B．when the financial crisis will end |
| C．why some of the US banks closed |
| D．whether the crisis has spread to other countries |
The best title for the passage is ___________.
| A．Ways to Save Money |
| B．Financial Crisis facing the World |
| C．Banks in the USA |
| D．The USA Becoming Poor |