Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day. They don’t want anyone to go shopping that day.
Buy Nothing Day is November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping. At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “buy, buy, buy!”
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia. Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up to tell people that we buy too much.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day. They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high school liked the idea of this new tradition. Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day!Which of the following is NOT the day for people to celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
| A．The first day after Christmas. |
| B．25 days before Christmas. |
| C．After Thanksgiving. |
| D．November 29 |
When do people usually do shopping?
| A．Before Thanksgiving. | B．On Christmas. |
| C．Anytime. | D．Before Christmas. |
How do people celebrate Buy Nothing Day?
| A．In California, parents and children get together to play games. |
| B．In England, people celebrated by performing plays. |
| C．They bought nothing and made the others decide not to. |
| D．In Mexico, high school students dressed up. |
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism--the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize all possible basic knowledge. Instead, they work individually and find answers by themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages of both systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more about math, physics, biology and chemistry than American students by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from school, they haven’t memorized as many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have. The reason why American teachers attach much importance to individualism is that
_________.
| A．they are required to do so |
| B．their students do not memorize information |
| C．the United States is a country of many cultures |
| D．their students work individually |
Which of the following statements applies to Asian methods of education?
| A．Each child in a classroom draws a different picture. |
| B．students have to find information themselves. |
| C．Students are prepared for a society that values discipline. |
| D．Teachers serve as a guide in discussion. |
Which is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The system of education in the West is more creative than that in the East. |
| B．Japanese students learn much more about science than American students. |
| C．Canadian students are more individual than Korean students. |
| D．Students in North America are not so friendly as those in Asia. |
From the facts, we can infer that ______ .
| A．Asian students are more likely to do better in teamwork than American students |
| B．Chinese students are more hard-working in their studies than Mexican students |
| C．the Western educational system is much better than the Eastern educational system |
| D．the Eastern educational system is as difficult as the Western educational system |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational System. |
| B．The Value of Individualism. |
| C．Educational System-an Obvious Difference between the East and the West. |
| D．Memorization-an Important Learning Method. |
Several years ago, I had to replace a receptionist for my unit. Before I advertised for the position, I was approached by another manager, and asked if I would consider a transfer from his staff instead of opening a new competition. My natural question was to ask who he wanted me to consider and why.
It appeared from his description of this employee, Maria, that she was having a lot of problems performing her duties and had difficulties with her boss and did not appear to respond to any attempts he, the manager, had made to settle the issues. Now, after listening to his explanation, I really had severe doubts. What crossed my mind, after this discussion, was that he wanted me to take a problem off his hands.
I told him I would think about it and would let him know the next day. As promised, after thinking more about this potential performance issue, I decided that I would agree to speak with Maria privately before I made any decision.
And, what I found out during this interview, left me deep in thought. As it turned out, the performance issue appeared to result from working for a boss who never extended a good morning greeting, never gave a word of encouragement, and was constantly changing the work load and routines. The end result was a totally ruined employee who was unconfident and hated to see a new work day start.
I decided to accept her transfer to my unit. What started out as a shy, withdrawn and frightened employee turned out to be one of the most productive and loyal employee that I had ever worked with. Maria couldn’t do enough and was constantly asking for more responsibility. I was more than happy to give her what she needed – praise for work well done, respect as a person, and encouragement for doing well in anything she dealt with.
Sometimes we are guilty of holding others back from accomplishing or doing, or developing as they should or could. It may be a wise idea that we all look in the mirror, from time to time, to see what we are really like. What can we learn about the writer from the first paragraph?
| A．He is a manager in the company. |
| B．He doesn't like his receptionist. |
| C．He likes to compete with others. |
| D．He wants to find another position. |
After hearing his colleague's description of Maria, the writer thought that Maria ____ .
| A．attempted to settle the issues |
| B．was a problem to her boss |
| C．shouldn't stay in the company |
| D．could get on well with others |
Why did Maria fail to perform well in her previous job?
| A．Her previous job was not suitable for her. |
| B．She had difficulty responding to her manager. |
| C．Her boss didn't inspire her working enthusiasm. |
| D．Her boss showed no trust in her ability. |
We can infer that before working with the author, Maria ______.
| A．was not welcome by her colleagues |
| B．wanted to transfer her position |
| C．didn't like her boss |
| D．felt frustrated at her work |
The writer probably believes that a good boss should ______.
| A．praise and award his employees a lot |
| B．respect, praise and encourage his employees |
| C．greet his employees and give them much work |
| D．always give his employees guidance in working |
When I was an education official in Palo Alto, California, Polly Tyner, the president of our school board, wrote a letter that was printed in the Palo Alto Times. Polly’s son, Jim，had great difficulty in school．He was classified as the educationally disabled and required a great deal of patience on the part of his parents and teachers. But Jim was a happy kid with a great smile that lit up the room. His parents knew his academic difficulties, but always tried to help him see his strengths so that he could walk with pride. Shortly after Jim finished high school, he was killed in a motorcycle accident. After his death, his mother sent this letter to the newspaper．
Today we buried our 20-year-old son. He was killed instantly in a motorcycle accident on Friday night. How I wish I had known when I talked to him last that it would be the last time．If I had only known, I would have said, “Jim, I love you and I’m very proud of you．”
I would have taken time to count the many blessings he brought to the lives of the many who loved him. I would have taken the time to appreciate his beautiful smile，the sound of his laughter, his genuine love of people.
When you put all the good qualities on the scale and try to balance all the irritating phenomena such as the radio which was always too loud, the haircut that wasn't to our liking, the dirty socks under the bed, etc, your angry feelings won’t amount to much.
I won't get another chance to tell my son all that I would have wanted him to hear, but, other parents, you do have a chance. Tell your young people what you would want them to hear if you knew it would be your last conversation. The last time I talked to Jim was the day he died. He called me to say, “Hi, Mom! I just called to say I love you. Got to go to work, Bye.” He gave me something to treasure, forever．
If there is any purpose at all for Jim's death, maybe it is to make others appreciate more of life and to have people, especially members, take the time to let each other know just how much we care.
You may never have another chance. According to the passage, we know that .
| A．Jim was always ashamed of himself |
| B．Jim did very well in his studies |
| C．Jim’s parents were patient with him |
| D．Jim failed to finish his high school |
The underlined word "irritating" in paragraph 4 most probably means .
| A．annoying | B．aggressive |
| C．impatient | D．surprising |
By writing the letter printed in the Palo Alto Times, the author intends to __________.
| A．mourn(哀悼)her son’s sudden death in a traffic accident |
| B．remind people to be cautious of motorcycles |
| C．tell parents to take better care of their children |
| D．suggest people taking the chance to express their love in time |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Many people loved him． |
| B．Jim's smile cheered up his family． |
| C．Jim was killed in a motorcycle accident at the age of 20． |
| D．Jim constantly expressed his love to his mother． |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Love Your Family | B．Do It Today |
| C．Walk with Pride | D．Appreciate Smiles |
Like the post-90s generation in China, today’s teenagers in the UK have a problem with how they’re represented. Most of them feel unfairly represented by the media and their lives are negatively (负面地) influenced, says a recent survey.
The survey was carried out by the UK Demos, in which more than 1000 14-17-year-old teens from England and Northern Ireland took part.
The survey report shows that four-fifths of teens (81%) felt there was a false image of young people in the media and wider society. Most of them (85%) said that it is hurting both their self-esteem(自尊) and chance of getting a job.
By researching six UK newspapers over the past 10 years, Demos found that words most commonly connected with “teenagers” and “young people” were “binge-drinking”, “yobs” and “crime”.
“The young people out there are doing good things for the community, but there are always bad things on the news. But we’re not all like that, it’s only a few,” said Becky Brunskill, 18, member of Youth Parliament for Liverpool.
The survey also found that 80% of UK teenagers believed they cared more about social issues than the older generation. This was a view shared by their teachers, 66% of whom agreed in a separate Demos survey of 500 teachers.
The UK youth are also eager to make a difference. But rather than traditional politics, 87% of the teens believed social media was a good way to change society.
Jonathan Birdwell, author of the Demos report, said “They could be the most active citizens we have seen in a generation.”What problems are current UK teenagers troubled with according to Demos?
| A．Their bad school image. |
| B．The media’s negative image of them. |
| C．Their false social relationships. |
| D．The difficulty of getting jobs. |
How many people think that the false image is hurting their self-esteem?
| A．800 | B．810 | C．850 | D．1000 |
We can guess the underlined words “binge-drinking” and “yobs” are about .
| A．something bad | B．something good |
| C．students | D．adults |
What can we tell from the passage?
| A．Few young British people are doing good things for the community. |
| B．British teenagers care more about their parents than social issues. |
| C．Young Britons are inactive in trying to prove themselves. |
| D．Young Britons believe social media is a good way to change society. |
There are several reasons for hair loss in women. However, in most cases, treatment is quite effective. Female hair loss patterns in women are not as easily recognizable as they are in men. A woman may experience it temporarily due to pregnancy or illness, although they may experience it for other reasons.
Hair loss can be due to a variety of factors, including a genetic tendency (which is not genetically linked to just one parent—both parents contribute to the tendency to lose hair).
Women who are experiencing hair problems seem to have more limited choices than men. There are some female hair loss treatments that are available such as the Tricomin System which is a topical treatment that is nutrition based. Shen Min for Women is another natural treatment that contains herbs (药草) that are said to stimulate(刺激) hair growth and even restore hair that is graying to its natural color.
The majority of the popular, prove hair loss treatments are only intended for men and are not suitable for women. True, a woman’s hair issue is different from a man’s. The biological makeup is different and the needs are different. Women have different needs and their bodies react in different ways to environmental changes, physical illness and even the treatments that are available. There are many natural treatments such as vitamin and mineral supplements that are said to stimulate hair growth, but, for the most part, these claims are currently unproven.
One of the first and most important factors to effectively treating is to get a diagnosis from a doctor. Talk to your doctor about any symptoms(症状) that you may be experiencing in addition to the thinning hair. Stress, weight loss or gain, illness and depression, all of these can be contributing factors.It can be learned from the lst paragraph that ___________.
| A．usually hair loss is hard to heal. |
| B．female hair loss is more common than the men’s. |
| C．women tend to suffer from hair loss during the pregnant period. |
| D．only illness contributes to hair loss. |
Which of the following statements matches the text about the two treatments?
| A．Both are to solve the problem of male hair loss. |
| B．Tricomin System is effective in speeding the growth of the new hair. |
| C．Shen Min is an updated way of treating hair loss. |
| D．The former is nutrition-based, while the latter is medicine-based. |
The reasons for the differences between the female and male hair loss problems do not include.
| A．The biological structure and composition of the hair |
| B．The wants and needs |
| C．The reactions and responses to the outside changes |
| D．The approach to taking exercise |
The natural treatments __________.
| A．include vitamin and mineral supplements. |
| B．are applied to keep the hair healthy. |
| C．have been proved useful. |
| D．are the most commonly-used ways. |