About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table，I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation．At one point the woman asked，“So，how have you been?" And the boy -who could not have been more than seven or eight years old-replied．“Frankly, I've been feeling a little depressed lately．"
This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed my growing belief that children are changing．As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”，that is，in low spirits，until we were in high school．
Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years．Children don't seem childlike anymore．Children speak more like adults，dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to．
Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different．Childhood as it once was no longer exists．Why?
Human development is depended not only on born biological states，but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge．Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social posifions．Children have always been taught adult secrets，but slowly and in stages；traditionally,we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders．
In the last 30 years，however, a secret-revelation(揭示)machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes．It is called television．Television passes information to all viewers allke，whether they are children or adults．Unable to resist the temptation(诱惑)，many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging，more attractive moving pictures．
Communication through print，as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain．Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials．According to the author, feeling depressed is ．
| A．a sure sign of a mental problem in a child |
| B．a mental state present in all humans, including children |
| C．something that cannot be avoided in children’s mental development |
| D．something hardly to be expected in a young child |
Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world ．
| A．through connection with society |
| B．gradually and under guidance |
| C．naturally without being taught |
| D．through watching television |
According to the author’that today’s children seem adultlike results from ．
| A．the widespread influence of television |
| B．the poor arrangement of teaching content |
| C．the fast pace of human scientific development |
| D．the rising standard of living |
What does the anthor think of communication through print for children?
| A．It enables children to gain more social information． |
| B．It develops children’s interest in reading and writing． |
| C．It helps chlldren to read and write well |
| D．It can control what children are to learn． |
What does the author think of the change in today’s children?
| A．He feels their adultlike behavior is so funny． |
| B．He thinks the change worthy of note． |
| C．He considers it a rapid development． |
| D．He seems to be upset about it． |
Sydney Airport International Terminal-Arrivals Area
SPECIALTY RETAIL
Newslink: Two separate Newslink stores cater to all your reading needs including newspapers, magazines and the latest bestsellers.
Downtown Duty Free: Make sure you shop at Downtown Duty Free for great savings on a range of items including perfume, alcohol, skincare and cigarettes. It’s your last chance before customs.
Beach Culture: A must for those who go into the Latest in beach clothing. Top surf, street and fashion labels including Mambo, Stussy and Quicksilver, including children’s sizes.
DINING
Blue Sky Care: Speedy service leaves you time to keep an eye on the arrivals gate. Morning pastries, fresh juice, breakfast rolls and coffee while you wait.
McDonald’s: hamburgers, fries, drinks, muffins and shakes—all your family favorites. Breakfast served until 10:30 a. m.
SERVICES
ATM: ATMs are conveniently located throughout Arrival and Departures. Dollars, pounds, francs and RMB are all available.
Vodafone Rentals: This communication center offers the very latest technology for mobile phone rentals, sales and servicing.Where is this passage likely to appear?
| A．A morning newspaper. |
| B．A monthly magazine. |
| C．A geography book. |
| D．An official guide. |
The underlined phrase “cater to” probably means ______.
| A．satisfy | B．afford | C．support | D．help |
If you want to have some coffee while waiting for your flight, you can go to ______.
| A．Vodafone Rentals | B．Blue Sky Cafe |
| C．Downtown Duty Free | D．McDonald’s |
At Beach Culture you can buy ______.
| A．newspapers and magazines |
| B．skincare and cigarettes |
| C．Mambo and Stussy |
| D．fresh juice and breakfast rolls |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．You can have breakfast at McDonald’s at 11:00 a. m.. |
| B．You’ll save money if you buy alcohol or perfume at Downtown Duty Free. |
| C．You’ll not find any beach clothing for your seven-year-old boy in Beach Culture. |
| D．There is only one ATM throughout Arrivals and Departure. |
More perhaps than any other European nation, the Swiss are accustomed to looking after foreign travelers. As early as the 18th century, wealthy French, Germans and Italians were treating the country as a amusement center while, in the 19th century, it became the major holiday playground for the British nobles. Today, it attracts visitors from all over the world.
The Swiss are clear about the importance of tourism to their economy, which contributes about eight percent of Gross National Product, and helps the industry greatly. Managers of hotels the world over go to Switzerland to learn how to do the job, and a generally high standard can be expected from the great majority of the country’s hotels, most of which are small and pride themselves on a personalized service. Public transport is the best in Europe. Both the Swiss Federal railways and the private railways are fully electrified, and the total network is made up of about 5000 kilometers of track.
Under the Fly Baggage system passengers can check luggage in at 116 railway stations and have it automatically carried to their flight. The national highway system is equally well planned, and the mountain roads offer views of some of the country’s most breathtaking scenery. Also serving the mountains is an effective system of railways and cable ways, while more than 160 passenger cars cross the lakes and rivers to and fro. Hiking in the mountains is equally popular with Swiss nationals and foreign visitors. For those who want to view the country from a height without having to climb the mountain themselves, it is always possible to take in the view from a balloon. Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Most of the hotels in Switzerland are big in size. |
| B．The hotels in Switzerland offer exactly the same service. |
| C．Most of the hotels in Switzerland offer first class service. |
| D．The hotels in Swizerland are accustomed to learn from the world. |
The Fly Rail Baggage system is service to carry your luggage between the railway station and ___________.
| A．the airport | B．the hotel | C．the motorway station | D．the cable ways |
According to the passage, Switzerland is now often visited by ________.
| A．wealthy French | B．rich Germans and Italians |
| C．noble British | D．people from various countries |
The best title for this passage is _______.
| A．Scenery in Switzerland | B．Life in Switzerland |
| C．Tourism in Switzerland | D．Transportation in Switzerland |
As you can see in the following list, there is a rainbow of colors in the sky represented by the planets.
| Planet |
Color |
| Mercury（水星） |
Orange |
| Venus（金星） 0） |
Yellow |
| Earth |
Blue, brown, green |
| Mars |
Red |
| Jupiter（木星） |
Yellow, red, brown, white |
| Saturn（土星） |
Yellow |
| Uranus（天王星） |
Green |
| Neptune（海王星） |
Blue |
| Pluto（冥王星） |
Yellow |
The color of a star is an indication (标示) of its brightness, temperature, and age. Stars are classified into groups. From oldest to youngest and from hottest to coolest, the types of stars are:
| Temperature |
|||
| Type |
Color |
Fahrenheit |
Celsius |
| O |
Blue |
45,000-75,000 |
25,000-40,000 |
| B |
Blue |
20,800-45,000 |
11,000-20,000 |
| A |
Blue-white |
13,500-20,000 |
7,500-11,000 |
| F |
White |
10,800-13,500 |
6,000-7,500 |
| G |
Yellow |
9,000-10,800 |
5,000-6,000 |
| K |
Orange |
6,300-9,000 |
3,500-5,000 |
| M |
Red |
5,400-6,300 |
3,000-3,500 |
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all have rings. Jupiter's rings were discovered by Voyager 1 in March 1979. The rings extend 80,240 miles from the center of the planet. They are about 4,300 miles wide and less than 20 miles thick.
Saturn has the largest, most wonderful rings in the solar system. Saturn's rings are about 41,168 miles wide and 169,800 miles in diameter, but less than 10 miles thick.
In 1977, when Uranus passed in front of a star, scientists found that the light from the star winked several times before the planet totally blocked the star from view. It was due to the rings around Uranus. The rings are thin, narrow, and very dark.
Voyager 2 discovered a series of at least five very faint rings around Neptune in 1989. The rings are made up of particles, some of which are greater than one mile in diameter.
A day, the period of time it takes a planet to make one complete turn, varies from planet to planet. A day on Venus, Mercury, and Pluto is several times longer than a day on Earth. A Martian day is closest in length to our own. The rest of the planets have shorter days than we do.
Length of Day
| Planet |
Earth Days |
Hours |
Minutes |
| Mercury |
58 |
15 |
30 |
| Venus |
243 |
32 |
|
| Earth |
23 |
56 |
|
| Mars |
24 |
37 |
|
| Jupiter |
9 |
50 |
|
| Saturn |
10 |
39 |
|
| Uranus |
17 |
14 |
|
| Neptune |
16 |
3 |
|
| Pluto |
6 |
9 |
18 |
Among the nine planets, how many may show yellow color?
A. Four. B. Five. C Six. D. Seven.What is the type of Mars?
A. Type A. B.Type F. C. Type K. D. Type M. Whose rings are made up of particles around one mile in diameter?
| A．Jupiter's. | B．Saturn's. | C．Neptune's. | D．Uranus's. |
How long is a day on Mars?
| A．Fifteen hours and thirty minutes. |
| B．Seventeen hours and fourteen minutes. |
| C．Twenty-three hours and fifty-six minutes. |
| D．Twenty-four hours and thirty-seven minutes. |
People are always talking about "the problem of youth". If there is one—which I take leave to doubt—then it is older people who create it, not the young themselves. Let us get down to something basic and agree that the young are after all human beings—people just like their elders. There is only one difference between an old man and a young one: the young man has a beautiful future before him and the old one has a splendid future behind him and maybe that is where the rub is.
When I was a teenager, I felt that I was just young and unknown—that I was a new boy in a huge school, and I would have been very pleased to be regarded as something so interesting as a problem. For one thing, being a problem gives you a certain identity, and that is one of the things the young are busily engaged in seeking.
I find young people exciting. They have an air of freedom, and they have not a dull promise to mean ambitions(卑鄙的野心) or love of comfort. They are not anxious social climbers, and they have no devotion to important things. All these seem to me to link them with life, and the origins of things. It is as if they were in some sense from outside space and lovely contrast with us suburban people. All that is in my mind when I meet a young person. He may be ill-mannered, self-confident, but I do not turn for protection to boring clichés(陈腔烂调) about respect for elders as if the age is a reason for respect. I accept that we are equals, and I will argue with him, as an equal, if I think he is wrong.From the text we can see the writer’s attitude towards the young is ______.
| A．kind and satisfied | B．considerate and understanding |
| C．angry and unpleased | D．hopeless and boring |
The word "rub" in the last sentence of paragraph 1 is closest to the meaning of the following ________.
| A．polishing | B．difficulty | C．future | D．age |
One of the things the young are engaged in seeking is that ________.
| A．they want people to notice them |
| B．they want to make great troubles |
| C．they want to excite people around |
| D．they want to make some interesting events |
The combined sales of the 100 largest foreign investing companies in the U.S. increased by 40% in the two years between 1987 and 1989, and the number has continued to increase steadily. In 1990, South Africa proved to be the largest financial investor in the U.S., controlling about $19.2 billion in sales. The Netherlands and the U.K. follow as second largest investors—and Germany next. New of the list of the top 100 foreign investors are 12 banking and finance and insurance companies—the largest, the Hong Kong-Shanghai Banking Corp from Hong Kong. The number of Latin American companies engaged in business here is growing steadily, often through third country holding companies.
Why are so many firms coming to the U.S.? There are many reasons. One of the greatest attractions, of course, is a market of over 200 million consumers with a high average per capital income. In addition, with the devalued dollar the cost of American labor has declined markedly, relative to many foreign labor costs. Some firms seeking to avoid bureaucratic and/or political pressures at home find the U.S. a politically stable environment in which to work. Many hope they may be able to continue selling to the American market even if the U.S. Government restricts imports further, or if major price changes occur due to currency fluctuations (波动). Many foreigners are attracted by U.S. technology, its modern management methods, its labor saving and mass production techniques.All the following statements are mentioned in the passage except ______.
| A．South Africa controlled about $19.2 billion in sales in 1990 |
| B．in 1989 Hong Kong was the largest foreign investor in the U.S. |
| C．more and more Latin American companies were engaged in business in the U.S. |
| D．the combined sales of the top 100 foreign investing companies increased steadily |
The most important reason why so many companies come to the U.S. is that _______.
| A．the U.S. technology is advanced |
| B．the environment is politically stable |
| C．the labor cost there has been reduced |
| D．the market in the U.S. is very attractive |
Which of the following reasons for many firms coming to the U.S. is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．Skillful labor force in the U.S. |
| B．Modern management method. |
| C．Mass production techniques. |
| D．Rich American consumers. |
The best title for this passage would probably be________.
| A．Foreign Investors in the U.S. |
| B．Why Foreign Investors Like the U.S. |
| C．Foreign Business Is Growing in the U.S. |
| D．The 100 Top Largest Companies in the U.S. |