Sex prejudices are based on and justified by the ideology(意识形态) that biology is destiny. According to this ideology, basic biological and psychological differences exist between the sexes. These differences require each sex to play a separate role in social life. Women are the weaker sex both physically and emotionally. Thus, they are naturally suited, much more so than men, to the performance of domestic(家庭的) duties. A woman’s place, under normal circumstances, is within the protective environment of the home. Nature has determined that women play caretaker roles, such as wife and mother and homemaker. On the other hand, men are best suited to go out into the competitive world of work and politics, where serious responsibilities must be taken on. Men are to be the providers; women and children are “dependents”.
The ideology also holds that women who wish to work outside the household should naturally fill these jobs that are in line with the special capabilities of their sex. It is appropriate for women, not men, to be employed as nurses, social workers, elementary school teachers, house-hold helpers, clerks and secretaries. These positions are simply an extension of women’s domestic role. Informal distinctions between “women’s work” and “men’s work” in the labor force, according to the ideology, are simply a functional reflection of the basic differences between the sexes.
Finally, the ideology suggests that nature has worked her will in another significant way. For the human species to survive over time, its members must regularly reproduce. Thus, women must, whether at home or in the labor force, make the most of their physical appearances.
So goes the ideology. It is, of course, not true that basic biological and psychological differences between the sexes require each to play sex-defined roles in social life. There is enough evidence that sex roles vary from society to society, and those role differences that do exist are largely learned.
But to the degree people actually believe that biology is destiny and that nature intended for men and women to make different contributions to society, sex-defined roles will be seen as totally acceptable.According to the biology-is-destiny ideology, women_______.
| A.cannot compete with men in any field |
| B.are suited more to domestic jobs than men |
| C.are sensitive enough to be a good caretaker |
| D.are too weak to do any agricultural work at all |
Those who have prejudices against women think that_______.
| A.women shouldn’t go out for work |
| B.women should earn money to add the family income |
| C.women going out for work should only do “women’s work” |
| D.women should take jobs to drill the special capabilities of the sex |
The author thinks that the positions women hold outside_______.
| A.are determined by what they are better suited to |
| B.grow out of their household responsibilities |
| C.represent their breakthrough of sex discrimination |
| D.are physically and emotionally suitable to them |
What does the underlined sentence imply?
| A.Sex roles are socially determined |
| B.Sex roles are emotionally and physically determined |
| C.Sex roles are biologically and psychologically determined |
| D.Sex roles are determined by education people take |
I climbed Kilimanjaro with Lava Expeditions (探险队) during the rainy season.
I flew to Nairobi in Kenya and spent several days there. At my hotel in Nairobi I met the rest of the group with whom I would spend the next week. We all travelled on the bus together for a 6-hour journey into Tanzania and then Arusha , a quiet town.
After we arrived at our hotel in Arusha , we had dinner and a few drinks. Then we were introduced to more members including Taddeus Minja, the main guide, who was very experienced — climbing Kilimanjaro runs through the generations (代) of his family.
The next day the Lava Expeditions members checked if we had the correct and enough clothing for our expedition on Kilimanjaro. Only one person needed to bring more clothes.
After that we set off, walking in the rain through the beauty of the rainforest, all the way to the first camp. I was happy the next few days as the view was so wonderful and changed every day. I suffered a little during the trip and I felt so tired. But the members of Lava Expeditions provided me with lots of encouragement, which was one of the best memories. Finally we reached the top of Kilimanjaro in bright blue skies.
I felt excited about climbing Kilimanjaro and the feeling didn’t change during my trip. Lava Expeditions looked after me so well that I was deeply thankful for their help.How did the author get to Nairobi?
| A.By bus. | B.By train. | C.By air. | D.On foot. |
What do we know about Taddeus Minja according to the passage?
| A.He organized the journey. |
| B.He was the main guide of Lava Expeditions. |
| C.He was the manager of a hotel in Arusha. |
| D.He had little knowledge about climbing mountains. |
How did Lava Expeditions help the author while climbing Kilimanjaro?
| A.By carrying bags for him. |
| B.By offering food to him. |
| C.By encouraging him. |
| D.By teaching him climbing skills. |
What did the author think of his climbing Kilimanjaro?
| A.Tiring and disappointing. |
| B.Tiring but excited. |
| C.Dangerous but exciting. |
| D.Dangerous and tiring. |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A.To tell readers about Lava Expeditions. |
| B.To give readers advice on climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| C.To encourage more people to climb Kilimanjaro. |
| D.To share his experience of climbing Kilimanjaro. |
Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?
Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)
Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)
Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects (影响) of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.
Angela Merkel (1954 - )
In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.
Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 - )
When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court (最高法院) in 1981 after years of hard work.
Margaret Thatcher (1925 - )
In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister (首相). She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.
Marie Curie (1867-19245102534)
Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射能). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.Who once won the Nobel Prize?
| A.Jane Addams and Marie Curie. |
| B.Jane Addams and Margaret Thatcher. |
| C.Marie Curie and Angela Merkel. |
| D.Marie Curie and Rachel Carson. |
We can infer from the text that Rachel Carson worked to _____.
| A.help the poor |
| B.spread geographic knowledge |
| C.protect the environment |
| D.protect the rights of women |
What do Angela Merkel and Margaret Thatcher have in common?
| A.Both of them were scientists before coming to power. |
| B.Both of them are the first woman head of their country. |
| C.Both of them are famous for being strict. |
| D.Both of them have worked for three terms. |
Who once failed to find a job?
| A.Jane Addams. | B.Sandra Day O’Connor. |
| C.Rachel Carson. | D.Margaret Thatcher. |
What would be the best title for the text?
| A.Great women . |
| B.Famous scientists . |
| C.Strong leaders . |
| D.Ways to success for women . |
I have a friend named Monty Roberts who owns a horse ranch (大牧场) in San Isidro. He lets me use his house to hold events to raise money for youth at risk programs.
The last time I was there he greeted me by saying, “I want to tell you why I let you use my house. It all goes back to a story about a young man who was the son of a poor horse trainer who would go from stable (马厩) to stable, farm to farm, training horses. As a result, the boy’s high school was continually interrupted (打断). One day in the last year of high school, he was asked to write a paper about what he wanted to do when he grew up.
“He wrote a seven-page paper about his goal of owning a horse ranch in great detail. He put a great deal of his heart into the project and even drew a detailed floor plan for the dream ranch. Then the next day he handed it in to his teacher. Two days later he received his paper back. But he got a low mark with a note that read, ‘See me after class.’
“The boy went to see the teacher after class and asked, ‘Why did I receive a low mark?’
“The teacher said, ‘This is an unrealistic dream for a young boy like you. You have no money. You come from a poor family. Owning a horse ranch requires a lot of money. There’s no way you could ever do it, your dream couldn’t come true . ’Then the teacher added, ‘If you will rewrite this paper, I will reconsider your mark.’
“The boy went home and thought about it long and hard. He asked his father what he should do. His father said, ‘Look, son, you have to make up your own mind on this. However, I think it is a very important decision for you.’
“Finally, the boy turned in the same paper, making no changes at all. He wrote, ‘You can keep the low mark and I’ll keep my dream.’
“I was that boy twenty years ago.” My friend said, smiling.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Monty Roberts?
| A.He was born in a poor family. |
| B.He received a good education. |
| C.He is raising money for the poor. |
| D.He is a horse trainer who works from farm to farm. |
From Paragraph 3, we know Monty Roberts _____.
| A.was just a daydreamer |
| B.decided to follow his father’s example |
| C.expected the teacher to praise him |
| D.had a great plan for his future |
The teacher thought Monty Roberts’s dream was _____.
| A.strange | B.great | C.pleasant | D.impossible |
From the end of the text, we can infer that Monty Roberts was very _____.
| A.careful | B.clever | C.determined | D.active |
The purpose of the text is to tell readers that _____.
| A.seeing is believing |
| B.knowledge is power |
| C.all roads lead to Rome |
| D.where there is a will, there is a way |
In much society, 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 pressures even within the same group, if some members are darker than others. The result is that skin lightening has become very common across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world and more people with dark skin are using skin-lighting products, even if it means they may face health risks. They believe that having whiter skin will improve the quality of their lives. Many people think they will have a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.
Some beauty care(美容)products and soaps contain chemicals
that make skin lighter. However, some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural barrier(障碍) 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, which just makes things even worse. Doctor Ly says some chemicals are so dangerous that they may lead to blackened fingernails, infections(感染) and serious skin damage.
And these are not the only problems. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regretful and sad. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to live and accept their skin color as it was.What’s the result of the wrong understanding of darker skin?
| A.Many people with dark skin try to make their skin whiter. |
| B.Many people with whiter skin live a better life than others. |
| C.People with darker skin try to marry people with light skin. |
| D.People with darker skin try to protect themselves against social pressures. |
The third paragraph is about .
| A.some medical effects that skin-lightening products have brought about |
| B.the mental damage that skin-lightening products have caused |
| C.the physical damage that skin-lightening products have caused |
| D.the causes why skin-lightening products can make skin whiter |
Why are chemicals in beauty care products dangerous?
| A.They can damage the skin’s color producing progress. |
| B.They can control people’s emotions and feelings. |
| C.They can make the fingernails and skin black. |
| D.They make more people decide to change their skin colors. |
Loma just had to get in touch with someone: “I had to tell my best
friend something important. I tried calling her but I couldn’t get through. So I sent her an e-mail and then I spoke to her on MSN. Without technology I would not have been able to tell her. ”
Staying connected with friends and family is important for us. That’s
why we asked our readers to tell us how cell-phones, e-mail, blogs, text messaging, and personal pages help them keep in touch. More than 1,500 responded.
Most of them told us they couldn’t live without technology: 80%of
teens said they need technology to stay in touch. Almost 30%said they’d be completely out of their friends without their cell-phones and other methods of communication.
What do they do when they’ve got news they need to share now? Most
teens say they try to reach their friends by phone. But if they don’t reach them, they use QQ, e-mails, and text messaging to get the words out.
Lots of people use one way of communication—like text messaging—to
get a friend’s attention and then use another where they can talk more. “My friends and I always tell each other everything that happens. So I send them text messages to tell them to come online so we can talk about it,” said Sabeiha.
“When planning to get together with friends”, Julian said, “the easiest
and fastest way I know is to send a text message to my contact group.”
Jocelyn said. “If I want to go to see a movie with a few friends, I usually
send text message to them. By telephone, you have to call every single friend
one by one. But text messaging allows you to send the same message to as
many as you’d like, which saves a lot of time. ”Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A.E-mails. | B.Blogs. | C.Personal pages. | D.Personal letters. |
What do most young people use first when they have news to tell their friends?
| A.MSN. | B.QQ. | C.Phones. | D.Text message. |
The underlined part “get the words out” means“”.
| A.send the message | B.send the e-mail |
| C.talk with their friends | D.meet their friends |
In which part of a newspaper can you find this passage?
| A.Sport. | B.Education. | C.Technology. | D.Culture. |