This is an excerpt from Emma Watsons speech at the United Nations headquarters.
Today we are launching a campaign(called "He For She"). I am reaching out to you because we need your help. We want to end gender inequality, and to do this, we need everyone involved. This is the first campaign of this kind in the UN. We want to try to involve as many men and boys as possible to be advocates for change.
I started questioning gender-based assumption a long time ago. When I was 8, I was confused being called bossy because I wanted to direct a play that we put on for our parents, but the boys were not. When I was 14, I started to be sexualized by certain elements of the media. At 15, my girlfriends started dropping out of a lot of sports teams because they didn’t want to appear masculine. At 18, my male friends were unable to express their feelings.
I decided that I was a feminist. This seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Women are choosing not to identify as feminists. Why has the word become such an uncomfortable one? I’m from Britain and I think it is right that I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decisions that will affect my life. I think it is right that socially, I am afforded the same respect as men.
But sadly, I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights. No country in the world can yet say that they have achieved gender equality. These rights, I considered to be human rights, but I am one of the lucky ones.
My life is a sheer privilege because my parents didn’t love me less because I was born a daughter. My school did not limit me because I was a girl. My mentors didn’t assume that I would end up nowhere because I might give birth to a child one day. These influences were the gender equality ambassadors that made me who I am today. They may not know it but they are the inadvertent feminists who are changing the world today. We need more of those.
Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend you a formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too. Because to date, I’ve seen young men suffering from mental illness, unable to ask for help for fear it will make them less of a man, or less of men. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality, either. Both men and women should feel free to be sensitive, both men and women should be free to be strong. This is what "He For She" is about. It’s about freedom.
You might be thinking: who is this Harry Potter girl? What is she doing at the UN? I’ve been asking myself at the same thing. All I know is that I care about this problem and I want to make it better. And having seen what I’ve seen and given the chance, I feel my responsibility to say something. Statesman Edmund Burke said all that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph is for good men and women to do nothing.
In my nervousness for this speech and in my moment of doubt, I told myself firmly: If not me, who? If not now, when? If you have similar doubts when opportunities are presented to you, I hope those words would be helpful. Because the reality is that if we do nothing, it will take 75 years, or for me it will be nearly 100 before women can be expected to be paid as same as men for the same work. 15.5 million girls will be married in the 16 years as children. At current rate, it will be until 2086 before all rural African girls can have secondary education. We are struggling for a uniting world, but the good news is we have a uniting movement. It is called “He For She”. I am inviting you to step forward, to be seen and to ask yourself: if not me, who? If not now, when?
Thank you.The campaign “He For She” aims to ________.
A.give women more freedom than men |
B.give men more freedom than women |
C.involve everyone to struggle for the end of gender inequality |
D.involve as many men and boys as possible to live a free life. |
We can know from Emma Watson’s personal experience that _________.
A.feminism has become an unpopular word |
B.her parents didn’t love her because she was born a daughter |
C.she was called bossy because she didn’t want to appear masculine |
D.her mentors treated her the same way they treated boy students. |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
A.Good men and women doing nothing leads to evil forces to develop. |
B.Good men and women need to do nothing to defeat evil forces. |
C.The victory of evil force leads to good men and women doing nothing. |
D.It is necessary for good men and women do nothing to combat evil forces. |
In the speech, Emma calls on people to ________.
A.participate in the campaign actively and take actions |
B.admit that men and women should be equally paid |
C.pay more attention to men suffering from mental illnesses |
D.believe in her although she acted in the Harry Potter series |
A letter to Edward,a columnist (报刊专栏作家)
Dear Mr Expert,
I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home.I always Promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible.Now,at the age of 20,I have a good job and a nice house,and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem:several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine—so much so that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me.But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like.They bring boyfriends over,talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes—it makes the place feel comfortable and warm—but this is my home,not a party house.I was old enough to move out on my own,so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?
Joan
Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan,
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child,you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛),you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with—or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy.You need to understand that in true friendship it’s Okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send.For example,“I really love your company but I also need some privacy.So please call before you come over.”
Edward
1. We can learn from the first letter that Joan___________.
A.lives away from her parents B.takes pride in her friends
C.knows Edward quite well D.hates her parents very much
2. We can infer from the first letter that___________.
A.Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B.Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C.Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D.Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
3. According to Edward,why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A.She is afraid of hurting her friends.
B.She does not understand true friendship.
C.Her family experience stops her from doing so.
D.She does not put her needs first.
4 .The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means___________.
A.dependent life B.fierce fight C.bad manners D.painful feeling
5.The second letter suggests that Edward .
A.is worried about Joan’s problem
B.warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends
C.advises Joan on how to refuse people
D.encourages Joan to be brave enough
四. 阅读理解(40分)
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity(好奇).Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary(薪水) and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said,“Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand,“Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat?When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的),complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”.These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为).But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying,“That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”,or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “Think”.It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, In as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目标) for your disagreement.
Lastly, show don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜),and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates (蒸发),set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
1..According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is .
A.to let them see the world around
B.to share the children’s curiosity
C.to explain difficult phrases about science
D.to supply the children with lab equipment
2.In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by________.
A.any questions B.any problems
C.questions from textbooks D.any number of questions
3.According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults___________.
A.ask them to answer quickly
B.wait for one or two seconds after a question
C.tell them to answer the next day
D.wait at least for three seconds after a question
4.In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?
A.The second and third. B.The fourth and fifth.
C.The fifth and sixth. D.The seventh.
5.The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should___________.
A.tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts
B.offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C.be patient enough when their children answer questions
D.encourage their children to ask questions of their own
第二节(共5小题,每小题2分,满分10分)
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。其中有两项为多余选项。
Is the customer always right? 71 Shopping is very much a part of a country’s culture, and attitudes to shopping and consumers vary from country to country just as much as climate or taste in food.
Recent economic hardship has given the consumers increased power in Europe because shopkeepers fight to win their share of reduced disposable(可支配的) income. This has meant falling prices, plenty of special offers and a re-examination of what customer service really means. 72 In restaurants in the south of the USA, for example, waiters compliment(恭维) you on your clothes, ask about your day, compliment you on your wisdom of your order and then return every ten minutes to refill your glass and make sure that everything is to your satisfaction.
Anyone who has waited 30 minutes to be served in a restaurant may possibly dream of such customer service. 73 In fact, different nationalities expect different types of service. As a friend of mine once told me, “By the end of evening I had spent as much time talking to the waiter as to my wife.”
A Chinese-American friend loves telling people about how her Chinese mother shops for clothes. First of all she waits until they are on sale. 74 And later she finds some small fault with the product and demands a further reductio
n. She never buys anything at the regular price. Could you imagine trying such ways in department stores in other countries?
Attitudes to service are, of course, affected by employers’ attitudes to their workers. As American waiters heavily depend on tips, they have to provide more service. But is this fair? 75 It might not be a
case of “Is the customer always right?” but a case of “How much service is it fair to expect?”
A.People often point to America as an example of good customer service. |
B.It is a question of expectations. |
C.Do we think it is fair to ask shop assistants to work late evenings or on Sundays? |
D.Then she asks for a discount until she gets an even better price. |
E.The answer, it seems, depends on which country you are in.
F.The way we shop shows the way we get along with other people.
G..However, do Europeans really want US style service?
Guide to Restaurants in New York City
Nearly 1,000 restaurants are included in this latest edition of the most trusted guide to eating well in New York. Brief reviews by the city’s most respected food writers are made more readable by what cannot be found in any other restaurant guide, including: suggested dishes final bill. Hardcover.$14.95.
How Electronic Things Work
A guided tour of everyday technology from the pages of the New York Times Circuits section, with easy to understand explanations of the inner workings of computers, CD players, ATM’s, digital cameras and 76 other devices, 100 illustrations,St. Martin’s Press. 195 pages. Hardcover.
The New York Times Book of Natural Disasters
The book gathers together the paper’s finest articles about humankind’s quest to understand natural disasters. Possible causes and effects of global warming are studied, as is the surprising force of nature’s violent excitement in such phenomena as hurricanes, forest fires, sinkholes and others. Illustrated, soft cover, 216 pages,$16.95.
Campaigns: A Century of Presidential Races
Every campaign since 1900—including the historic 200 races—in images from the New York Times Photo Archives. With 350 photos, contemporary newspaper reports and an introduction by prize winning historian Alan Brinkldy DK Publishing. 410 pages. Hardcover.
1. A student of history is most likely to take _____ listed above.
A. the fourth book B. the third book C. the second book D. the first book
2.The underlined word“others”in Paragraph 3 may include______.
A. traffic accidents B.floods C. pollution D.explosions
3.It can be learned from one of the books _____.
A. how to repair your digital camera for yourself
B. how to work out the expenses before going to a restaurant
C. how to get the latest information about natural disasters
D. how to learn a lot about historian Alan Brinkley
A team of researchers recently created a robot that can repair itself. The newly designed machine can sense injury to itself and adapt. That ability sets the new robot apart from earlier machines. Because the robot can recover from unexpected damage, it may be especially useful in exploring unfamiliar places. “There is a need for planetary robotic rovers(流浪者) to be able to fix things on their own,” says Josh Bongard, one of the device’s creators. “Robots on other planets must be able to continue their mission without human help if they are damaged and cannot communicate their problem back to Earth.”
A typical robot functions according to a computer program, but the new robot works differently. First, sensors in its four legs observe the robot’s movements and signals to its built-in computer. From the information it collects, the robot creates its own programs that allow it to adapt to different situations. For example, when the researchers shortened one of the robot’s legs, the smart machine simply adjusted its way of walking—it used three legs instead of four.
The researchers are looking for other places to put the resilient(迅速恢复) robot to work. One possible spot is the ocean floor. That dark and dangerous undersea terrain(地带) might be a good choice for a robot the scientists call the Starfish. “We never officially named the robot, but we usually refer to it as the Starfish, even though a real starfish has five rather than four legs,” says Bongard. “Also, a real starfish is much better than our robot at recovering from injury, because it can actually regrow its legs.” Scientists have created robots that help humans in many ways: by exploring space, fighting fires, and even performing surgery.
1. The newly designed robot is different from the former ones because it ___________.
A. can communicate with people on the earth about their problems
B. works according to a certain computer program
C. can find problems itself and get used to the new environment
D. can explore unfamiliar places
2. An example is given in the second paragraph in order to explain that the new robot ___________.
A. is used to create new programs B. has typical robot functions
C. has sensors to observe its movements D. can adapt to new conditions
3. What might be the best title of the passage?
A. How does the Starfish Robot work B. Do-It-Yourself Robot Repair
C. Robots Designed to Work On Other Planets D. New Robot Helping Us In Many Ways
4. Which of the following is True about the Starfish?
A. It has more than four legs. B. It hasn’t been officially named.
C. It can regrow its legs quickly. D. It has started to work on the ocean floor.