Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled (皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about thirty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
D. he no longer works for any company
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Company workers started to dress down about thirty years ago. |
| B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
| C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
| D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
We do some strange things when we don’t like the way our life is going．Too often we blame(责怪)someone else．‘‘I wish my parents were more understanding．”
“I have such a bad Chemistry teacher!”
“My friends are so boring and self-centered．They make my life worse and worse．’’
Blame! Blame! Blame!
It seems natural to sing this self-pitying song，but the truth is，if you don’t like your life，you should do something about it．No one else knows exactly how you feel or what you need．No one can read your mind correctly．You are the only one with the power to check your life，and if you want it to be different，you can change what you’re doing．
When you’re in trouble，don’t give away your power to decide how you feel about yourself. Choose how you want to think and act．Other people can’t make you unhappy or angry．They only act in their own way and then it’s up to you to decide how you will respond(回应)．For example，your friends go out to lunch without you and you feel very angry．How are you going to act? You may blame your friends，“They are not kind．Who needs them anyway?” Or you may tell your friends how you feel，listen to their explanation，and let them know you’d like to be invited next time．
When you decide everything in your own way，you’re getting hold of your own life and shaping(塑造)it according to your tastes and feelings．You can choose to be happy，to make friends and to build an interesting life．When you blame others for what is or isn’t happening in your life，you have stopped growing or learning．
One of the most important rules is that you can never change another person by your direct action．The only person you have the right to change is yourself．Once you change，the other person has something different to respond to and change is possible．If you want change in your life，begin with yourself．What should we do if we don’t like our life?
| A．Change what we’re doing． | B．Read our minds correctly． |
| C．Sing that self-pitying song． | D．Tell others what we want． |
If the writer’s friends have dinner together without him，he may _________.
| A．ask somebody else to talk to them |
| B．do the same thing to them in return |
| C．talk to them and try to find out why |
| D．forget it and be still friendly with them |
What’s the writer’s idea about how to change others?
| A．He thinks it’s impossible to change others． |
| B．He believes our love can change everything． |
| C．He chooses to talk with others directly． |
| D．He prefers to change ourselves first instead． |
At the beginning of the passage three examples are given __________.
| A．to support the idea that people often blame others |
| B．to suggest that there are various problems in people’s life |
| C．to show that not all chemistry teachers are fit for their job |
| D．to explain the reason why some people’s life is worse and worse |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Blame! Blame! Blame! | B．Who Controls My Life? |
| C．Change! Change! Change! | D．What Makes Me Unhappy? |
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I’m Roy, and this is my show. This is a television show for all families, and I know you’ll enjoy it.
Let’s start with a story. Once there was a proud pig on a farm. He thought he was the most important of all the animals on the farm. But it was not enough that he himself thought this: he had to be sure that other animals thought it, too. So he went up to a chicken and asked, “Who is the most important animal on the farm?” The chicken answered, “You are, Mr. Pig.” Then he asked a dog, and he got the same answer.
Next, he asked a cow. When the cow seemed uncertained of the right answer, the pig looked angry, and showed his teeth, “Oh, you are, of course, Mr. Pig.” said the cow. “Of course,” the pig said, “there is no doubt about it. ”
At last the pig asked a big horse the same question. The horse lifted one foot, rolled the pig over and placed his foot on the pig’s head. “I think you know the answer now.” said the horse.The Roy show is _________ .
| A．a family show on TV | B．for kids only |
| C．a sports show | D．a clothes show on TV |
When the pig asked a dog, the dog ________ .
| A．said nothing |
| B．said the pig was the most important |
| C．said the pig was as important as the horse |
| D．said he was more important than the pig. |
The horse thought ________ was the most important on the farm.
| A．nobody | B．the pig |
| C．the cow | D．he himself |
The word “ uncertained ” means _________ .
| A．相同的 | B．犹豫的 |
| C．令人满意的 | D．高兴的 |
What’s the best title of this passage?__________ .
| A．A pig and a cow | B．A farm |
| C．The most important animal | D．A horse |
In the United States, headmasters and teachers discipline (惩罚) students in several ways. The teacher often writes to or calls the students’ parents. Sometimes students have to stay at school for one hour. If a student behaves (行为) very badly, the headmaster can stop the student having classes. The student can’t come to school for one, two or three days. Mr Lazares, the headmaster of a middle school in Ohio, did not like to do so. When he didn’t let the students come to school, they were happy. “A three-day holiday!” they thought.
One day, a boy was in Mr Lazares’s office. The boy was not behaving well in class. Mr Lazares telephoned the boy’s parents. “If you come to school with your son, I won’t stop him having classes.” He said. The boy’s father came to school and went with his son to every class. Other students looked at the boy and his father. The boy was embarrassed (难为情). After that he behaved better. And, of course, other students behaved better, too.
Now headmasters all over the USA are trying Mr Lazares’s idea. They, too, think that students behave better when parents come to school.What does a headmaster usually do to the student if he behaves very badly?
| A．Calls the student’s parents. |
| B．Writes to the student’s parents. |
| C．Let the student stay at school for an hour. |
| D．Stops the student having classes for several days. |
When a student was stopped having classes for two or three days, he was ____ .
| A．happy | B．angry |
| C．worried | D．afraid |
What did Mr Lazares do when his students were not behaving well in class?
| A．Tried to talk them. |
| B．Sent them home |
| C．Had them stay in his office. |
| D．Telephoned their parents to come to school and go to classes with them. |
Why did the other students behave better, too?
| A．They were afraid of teachers. |
| B．They were afraid of Mr Lazares. |
| C．They didn’t want their parents to come to school. |
| D．They didn’t like to have classes with the boy’s father. |
Which is TRUE according to the passage ?
| A．Students can behave well if headmasters and teachers discipline them. |
| B．The teacher can stop the students having the class if they behave very badly. |
| C．Mr Lazares didn’t let the students leave the school for one or two days. |
| D．Mr Lazares likes the parents to come to school. |
Too many people want others to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendship don’t last long. To have a friend, You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be good friend means learning three rules:
be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose the friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable to friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity and understanding.Some friendships don’t last very long because_______.
| A．some people receive friendship but don’t give friendship back |
| B．there are too many people who want to make friends |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others. |
| D．they don’t know friendship is something serious. |
According to the passage honesty is_________.
| A．something countable |
| B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money |
| D．more important than anything else |
Which of the following isn’t mentioned in the passage?
| A．Always tell your friends the truth. |
| B．Sharing your mind with your friends is of great value. |
| C．Discussing your problems with your friends often helps to solve the problem. |
| D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. |
The best title of this passage is_________.
| A．Honesty Is the Best Policy |
| B．A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed |
| C．How to Be Friends |
| D．Three Important Points in Life |
What’s the meaning of “count on” in the second paragraph?
| A．期望，依赖 | B．认为 |
| C．重视 | D．数，点（数） |
Scientists have discovered a special biological behavior in dolphins（海豚） that could lead to a treatment for late-onset diabetes（晚发的糖尿病） in humans. Studies on dolphins found that healthy dolphins switch into a diabetic-like state overnight when they are not feeding, but return to normal when they eat the following morning.
The extraordinary finding has led scientists to suggest that dolphins have “genetic switch” that allows them to imitate diabetes while they are not feeding for a night, without suffering any ill effect.
If researchers can identify a similar genetic pathway in human, they may be able to develop drugs to effectively switch off diabetes. Some 2.2 million people in Britain have type 2 (or late-onset) diabetes, a figure that is expected to reach 4 million by 2025 as a consequence of rising levels of obesity（肥胖）.
The tissues of people with type 2 diabetes have become resistant to insulin（胰岛素）so they lose the ability to control sugar levels in their blood. The condition can damage the heart, eyes, kidneys（肾脏） and nerves and contribute to 5% of all deaths, according to the World Healthy Organisation.
Dolphins appear to imitate diabetes to keep high levels of blood sugar when food is rare. Like humans, dolphins need some sugar in their blood for their brains to function normally. Venn-Watson’s team analysed 1,000 blood samples（样本） from 52 dolphins while they didn’t eat anything overnight and fed in the morning. At night time, the dolphins’ metabolism（新陈代谢）changed greatly and showed similar characteristics to that seen in people with type 2 diabetes.
“It is our hope that this discovery can lead to new ways to prevent, treat and maybe even cure diabetes in humans,” said Stephanie Venn-Watson, director of clinical research at the National Marine Foundation in San Diego.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Humans get some idea of treating diabetes from dolphins. |
| B．Dolphins can switch into a diabetic-like state overnight. |
| C．Humans can suffer the same disease as dolphins. |
| D．Dolphins should be fed regularly to avoid diabetes. |
The key to applying the finding to curing human diabetes lies in ____________.
| A．producing insulin in a larger amount |
| B．developing drugs from healthy dolphins |
| C．identifying a similar genetic pathway in human |
| D．analysing more blood samples from hungry dolphins |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Scientists have found a similar genetic switch in humans. |
| B．More British people will suffer type 2 diabetes due to obesity. |
| C．2.2 million people with type 2 diabetes die in Britain every year. |
| D．Dolphins imitate diabetes to avoid a high blood sugar level. |
What will happen to dolphins if not fed for a night according to Venn-Watson?
| A．Their metabolism breaks down. |
| B．They become resistant to insulin. |
| C．Their heart and kidneys are damaged. |
| D．They keep high levels of blood sugar. |