We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft no longer exists.
One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability, “Homes in those days were well-built.” they say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship.
Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, most people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairway. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old.
One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and power planes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon any more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a sold knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs.
The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty yeas ago, but only if given proper material.Compared with the carpenters in the past, modern carpenters are ________ .
| A.more learned | B.more successful |
| C.more imaginative | D.more hardworking |
What does the underlined word “they” (paragraph 2) refer to?
| A.Carpenters who are fond of oak stairways. |
| B.People who think highly of carpenters of old. |
| C.Carpenters who have college degrees. |
| D.People who think that modern material is of low quality. |
What dose the third paragraph mainly discuss?
| A.People in the past preferred to use oak to build stairways. |
| B.It is now expensive to employ a carpenter. |
| C.Good carpenters still exist in modern times. |
| D.Modern houses last as long as the old ones. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A.Carpenters Today and Yesterday |
| B.Craft, Back to Life? |
| C.History of Craftsmanship |
| D.Is Craft Dead? |
B
“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 new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device of such products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoter. 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, 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 it 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.
55. It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are ______.
A. objective B. costly C. unreliable D. illegal
56. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The court is in charge of removing dangerous product.
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.
57. FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product ________.
A. if it is a drug
B. if it is a device
C. if its consumers make complaints
D. if its distributors challenge FDA’s authority
58. 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
59. The author intends to __________
A. make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promises
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
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
It was the first snow of winter – an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been old enough to dress myself, but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through first snow days many times, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow trousers. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and scarf were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots(靴子).
In her calm, motherly voice she said, “By the end of winter, you will all be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected grown-ups to do all the work. After much pushing, she managed to get the first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced, “They’re on the wrong feet.”
She struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again.
“They’re my brother’s boots, you know,” I said. “I hate them!”
Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying little girl, She pushed and pushed, less gently this time. With a greater sigh, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your mittens(连指手套)?”
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I hid them in the toes of my boots.”
51. According to the passage,the little girl got ___________ from her brother.
A. the wool snow pants and the jacket B. the jacket and the boots
C. the jacket and the hat D. the boots and the gloves
52. What made it so hard for the teacher to help the little girl put her boots on?
A. The gloves in the toes of the boots. B. The slowness of the teacher.
C. The wrong size of the boots. D. The unwillingness of the girl.
53.Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
A.Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes.
B.Because it was the most exciting day of the winter.
C.Because the little girl played a trick on her.
D.Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf.
54.We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson_________.
A.was losing confidence in the little girl B.gradually lost patience with the little girl
C.because disappointed with the little girl D.was getting bored with the little girl
E
The knowledge society will be a highly competitive one, for organizations and individuals alike, information technology, although only one of many new features of the next society, is already having one important effect: it is allowing knowledge to spread nearinstantly, and making it accessible to everyone. Given the ease and speed at which information travels, every institution in the knowledge society—not only businesses, but also schools, universities, hospitals and increasingly government agencies too—has to be globally competitive, even though most organizations will continue to be local in their activities and in their markets. This is because the Internet will keep customers everywhere informed of what is available anywhere in the world, and at what price.
This new knowledge economy will rely heavily on knowledge workers. At present, this term is widely used to describe people with considerable theoretical knowledge and learning, such as doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants and chemical engineers. But the most striking growth will be in “knowledge technologists”: computer technicians, software designers, analysts in clinical labs, manufacturing technologists. These people are as much manual(体力) workers as they are knowledge workers; in fact, they usually spend far more time working with their hands than with their brains, but their manual work is based on a large amount of theoretical knowledge which can be acquired only through formal education, not through an apprenticeship(学徒期). They are not, as a rule, much better paid than traditional skilled workers, but they see themselves as “professionals”, just as unskilled manual workers in manufacturing were the dominant social and political force in the 21st century, knowledge technologists are likely to become the dominant social—and perhaps also political—force over the next decades.
67.The quick spread of knowledge in the next society______
A.is based on information technology
B.results from a highly competitive society
C.is likely to increase information flow
D.will become the biggest problem to handle
68.“Knowledge workers” mentioned in the passage most likely______.
A.work with hands rather than brains
B.have received primary and secondary education
C.have acquired theoretical knowledge through apprenticeship
D.have received higher education and acquired theoretical knowledge
69.The underlined word “dominant” in this passage probably means______.
A.most influential B.most interesting C.most diligentD.most serious
70.The chief reason for fierce competition in the knowledge society is that______.
A.individuals are easily influenced by information
B.customers keep track of new products worldwide
C.anyone can have access to knowledge anytime and anywhere
D.local organizations such as universities and hospitals will be globalized
D
KIDS in a Sudanese refugee camp raise a cloud of dust as they kick around a football. NBA superstar Traey Mc Grady watches from a distance before offering to buy the kids a grass patch for $1,000.
Perhaps he sees a Ronaldinho rising up out of the African soil. Or maybe he just wants to do something—anything—to give these children some hope. But he is told, politely, that grass is not what the kids need.
Mc Grady, 29, writes on his website that he traveled to Africa because he was tired of only reading about it in the news.“Who are the faces behind the statistics?” he said.“I need to see it for myself.” And he did. He stepped out of his beautiful house and flew to a place torn to bits by war and famine(饥荒). He slept in a tent. He talked with people who had suffered. And he swallowed his pride.
But no one should blame Mc Grady for wanting to buy the kids a patch of grass. Sport gave him a chance, so perhaps he thought it would do the same for the refugees.
Mc Grady was eyed by NBA scouts as a teenager and he didn’t bother going to college. Instead, he leaped right into the NBA. Since that move, basketball has given him a handsome living, but one very far removed from the lives of ordinary people. As Mc Grady would learn in Africa, most people see sport as just a break from life’s difficulties. They don’t mistake it for life itself. Only Mc Grady knows how the trip to Africa changed him, but I’d bet that, at the very least, it has given him a new sense for what is truly meaningful.
Mc Grady doesn’t own an NBA championship ring. He hasn’t risen to the heights of Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan. But, perhaps, now he knows he doesn’t have to in order to truly make a difference in the world.
63.The refugee children most probably need______.
A.clean drinking water B.a grass football patch
C.necessities of survival D.a tent to sleep in
64.What can we learn about Mc Grady from the passage?
A.Basketball made him what he is today.
B.He is an NBA superstar as great as Kobe or Jordan.
C.He didn’t show his talent for basketball as a teenager.
D.He taught children to play football in a refugee camp.
65.What does the underlined part “scouts” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
A.players. B.fans. C.audience. D.hunters.
66.Mc Grady learned from his visit to Africa that______.
A.he needn’t improve his basketball skills to reach the heights of his seniors
B.sport gave him a chance and means everything to him
C.people in hunger can never understand the importance of sport
D.what’s truly meaningful can be a world of difference to different people
C
In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin. Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial group, if some members are darker skinned than others.
The result is that skin lightening has become a common activity across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world. More and more people with dark skin are using skinlightening products, even if they may face health risks.
They believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives. Many people think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. This process is also called bleaching. But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. One of the most dangerous is hydroquinone.
Hydroquinone has been banned in several countries. This chemical has been linked to kidney damage and some kinds of cancer. It also causes low birth weight in babies when mothers use it during pregnancy.
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter. But after long term use they can cause problems. They can even make some skin darker. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin. The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse.
Fatimata Ly treats skin conditions in the Senegalese capital. Dakar. Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal. She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger. Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent skin damage.
And these are not the only risks. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regret and sadness. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was.
59.Which of the following words can replace the underlined word “bleaching”?
A.coloring B.changing C.lighting D.pleasing
60.Why has the skin lightening become a common activity all over the world?
A.There are many products that can make the dark skin light.
B.Many people with dark skin have no confidence.
C.People with light skin seem to have more advantages over people with dark skin.
D.People with dark skin are forced by the pressure of their families.
61.According to the text customers using the bleaching products would also risk______.
A.finger damageB.low weight C.skin cancerD.emotional damage
62.The writer’s attitude toward using the bleaching products is______.
A.supportive B.positive C.doubtful D.negative