Allan goes everywhere with Birgitta Anderson, a 54-year-old secretary. He moves around her office at work and goes shopping with her. “Most people don’t seem to mind Allan,” says Birgitta, who thinks he is wonderful. “He’s my fourth child.” She says. She may think of him and treat him that way, buying his food, paying his health bills and his taxes, but in fact Allan is a dog.
Birgitta and Allan live in Sweden, a country where everyone is expected to lead an orderly life according to rules laid down by the government, which also provides high level of care for its people. This level of care costs money.
People in Sweden pay taxes on everything, so aren’t surprised to find that owning a dog means yet more taxes. Some people are paying as much as 500 Swedish kronor in taxes a year for the right to keep their dog, money that is spent by the government on dog hospitals and sometimes medical treatment for a dog that falls ill. However, most such treatment is expensive, so owners often decided to pay health and even life insurance(保险) for their dog.
In Sweden dog owners must pay for any damage(损坏) their dog does. A Swedish Kennel Club official explains what this means: if your dog runs out on the road and gets hit by a passing car you, as the owner, have to pay for any damage done to the car, even if your dog has been killed in the accident.Birgitta pays taxes for Allan because ____________.
| A．he is her dog | B．he is her child |
| C．he follows her everywhere | D．he often falls ill |
If a dog causes a car accident and gets killed, who should pay for the damage done to the car?
| A．The owner of the car | B．The owner of the dog |
| C．The insurance company (公司) | D．The government |
From the text it can be learned that in Sweden ____________.
| A．dogs are welcome in public places |
| B．keeping dogs means asking for trouble |
| C．many car accidents are caused by dogs |
| D．people care much about dogs |
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
●Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name, repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
●Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone, ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
●Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
●Use associations.
Link each person you meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example, you could make a mental note: “Vicki Cheng－tall, black hair.” To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
●Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning first names. Last names can come later.
●Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometime just a few people show up on time. There’re fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to other an automatic review for you.How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
| A．They will be moved. | B．They will be annoyed. |
| C．They will be delighted. | D．They will be discouraged. |
If you can’t remember someone’s name, you may ________.
| A．tell him the truth | B．tell him a white lie |
| C．ask him for pity | D．ask others to help you |
When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember ________.
| A．all their games | B．a couple of names first |
| C．just their last names | D．as many names as possible |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Tips on an important social skill. |
| B．Importance of attending parties. |
| C．How to make use of associations. |
| D．How to recite and repeat names. |
What does the underlined word “reinforce” mean?
| A．build | B．connect | C．form | D．strengthen |
Afraid that her son would be too tired, Ms. Wendy would sometimes tell the boy to skip school, but each time, Fabian would insist on going to school.
“I don’t like it because when I return to school, I don’t know what’s going on,” the 12-year-old boy explained. He suffers for SMA－a neuromuscular（神经肌肉的）disease that leads to weakness in muscles－and gets around in a wheelchair.
Fabian’s determination to excel in his studies was evident when he was disappointed that he got a total score of 236 yesterday in his Primary School Leaving Examination. He was hoping for a score of at least 240, but his mother was full of pride. “I am happy with his results. He’s very motivated,” said Ms. Wendy.
When Fabian was two months old, he was diagnosed with SMA. Ms. Wendy, who used to go to other homes to teach piano lessons, started teaching lessons at home so she could take care of her son. Fabian proved to be a fighter. Ms. Wendy said, “ He would study every day on his own even though he was weak and his spine（脊柱）was already starting to curve quite badly.”
Fabian is also active in the Singapore Disability Sports Council, where he plays boccia（滚球）, a ball sport for those who require a wheelchair due to physical disability.
At just 133cm tall and weighing 14kg, he knows that he will have to rely on others all his life. “I’m afraid that when my parents grow older, they will not be able to carry me and that there will be nobody to carry me,” said Fabian. “But for now, I feel lucky that I get to go out and do a lot of things that I thought I couldn’t.”
His dreams aren’t lofty（崇高的）either－all he want to be able to do is work and provide for his parents. “I just want to study hard so that I can be a businessman, like my dad.” He is planning to apply to study at Victoria School.The underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refers to ______.
A. going to school. B. being absent from school
C. studying hard. D. suffering from SMA.We can know from the text that Fabian ______.
| A．got the disease at the age of 12. |
| B．was proud of his exam results. |
| C．has no interest in any sports. |
| D．wants to be a businessman like his father. |
What do we know about Ms. Wendy?
| A．She insists that her son go to school. |
| B．She used to be a piano teacher in a school. |
| C．She is satisfied with her son’s performance at school. |
| D．She fears that her son will be helpless when she is older. |
Which words can best describe Fabian?
| A．Sensitive and weak. | B．Active and optimistic. |
| C．Clever and strong. | D．Stressed and concerned. |
What is the best title for the text?
A. He Is Disabled but He Is a Fighter.
B. A Great Mother and Her Special Son.
C. How to Fight Against SMA.
D. A disabled boy’s dream.
Drunken driving—sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic（流行病）. Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts, but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially concerning young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant（忍受）.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend（逆转潮流）in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18—20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already, to a marked drop in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition（禁令）of alcohol that began in 1919, which President Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption（腐败）and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．Young drivers were usually bad. |
| B．The legal drinking age should be raised. |
| C．Some drivers didn’t surprise the legal drinking age. |
| D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
The underlined word “lenient” in the first paragraph means .
| A．merciful | B．cruel | C．serious | D．determined |
As regards drunken driving, public opinion has changed because .
| A．judges are no longer lenient |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．drivers do not appreciate their manly image |
| D．the problem has attracted public attention |
Which of the following statements best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| B．It may lead to organized crime. |
| C．The new laws can stop heavy drinking |
| D．There should be no bars to serve drinks. |
To get an extra 14 years of life, don't smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in a proper amount．That is according to a study published this Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal．
After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45 to 79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993 to 2007, Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived all average of 14 years longer than those who didn't．
“We've known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we've not seen this benefit before, ” said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain's Medical Research Council．“The benefit was also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from．”
Study participants（参与者）scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake．
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to introduce policies helping people to adopt these changes．But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would surely gain 14 years．
“We can't say that any person could gain 14 years by doing these things, ”said Dr．Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization．“The 14 years is an average across the population of what's theoretically（理论上地）possible．”
“Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking isn't good for them, ” Susan Jebb said．“We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change．”Which of the following DOESN'T belong to the four healthy habits?
| A．Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day． |
| B．Do proper exercise in the morning every day． |
| C．Drinking alcohol in the proper amount every day． |
| D．Having a cigarette before going to bed every day． |
We can learn from the passage that．
| A．Susan Jebb did not take part in the study． |
| B．the study observed people as well as tested specific changes． |
| C．there's no need for people under 45 to adopt these good habits． |
| D．only those from first class can benefit from these healthy behaviors． |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．All the people are well aware of the harm of their bad habits． |
| B．People aged 45 to 70 have bad habits in the United Kingdom． |
| C．Governments should take measures to help people change their bad habits． |
| D．People have adopted the four healthy habits after knowing they're good． |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Smoking and Drinking Cuts You 14 Years |
| B．How to Live a Much Healthier Life |
| C．How to Make Your Life Longer Than Others |
| D．Healthy Habits May Give Extra 14 Years |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising good shapes and new look to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way add to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoters. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA (Food Drug Administration) can require proof under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act that it is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily, or it can take legal action, including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼), and new devices appear continually, Before buying, it is up to the consumer to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are_____.
| A．objective | B．costly | C．unbelievable | D．illegal |
The Relaxacisor is mentioned as______.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
The author intends to______.
| A．make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promise |
| B．show the weakness of the law on product safety |
| C．give advice on how to keep young and beautiful |
| D．introduce the organization of FDA |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The court is in charge of removing dangerous products.
B. New products are more likely to be questionable.
C. The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D. The promoters usually just care about profits.