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Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.
People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.
The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.
Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.
Piobbico is rather special in that        .

A.it is a very small town
B.it is home to ugly people
C.it receives no visitors
D.it is the capital of Italy

Why is Lacobelli elected the president of the Ugly Club every year?

A.Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world.
B.Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable.
C.Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere.
D.Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A.Ugly people are most respected in Italy.
B.The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years.
C.Ugly people are unfairly treated in society.
D.The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.The Ugly Capital of the World
B.The Ugliest Person of the World
C.Festival of the Ugly
D.Beauty Contests Should be Banned
科目 英语   题型 阅读理解   难度 中等
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one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.
Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed(解散). As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible (负责任) for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized(强调) the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating(欺骗) themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously(认真地) about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.
Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued(继续) to believe that I had cheated on the test.
36. The story took place(发生) exactly ____________ .
A. in the teacher’s office
B. in an exam room
C. in the school
D. in the language lab
37. The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ____________ .
A. she had not brought a pen with her
B. she had lost her own on her way to school
C. there was something wrong with her own
D. her own had been taken away by someone
38. The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____________.
A. to go on writing his paper B. to stop whispering
C. to leave the room immediately D. to stay behind after the exam
39. The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was (were) ____________ .
A. honesty B. sense of duty
C. seriousness D. all of the above
40. The boy knew everything ____________.
A. the moment he was asked to stay behind
B. when the teacher started talking about honesty
C. only some time later
D. when he was walking out of the room

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” 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.”
31. 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
32. 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
33. According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?
A. Many workers don’t like a conservative dress code.
B. Comfortable clothes make workers more productive.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers.
D. All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.
34. According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Company workers started to dress down about twenty 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.
35. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.
A. saving worker’s money
B. making workers more attractive
C. improving worker’s feeling
D. making workers happier

Ⅱ阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一节:阅读理解(共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Everyone has got two personalities — the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real.You don’t show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior,but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you.In a normal night,of course,people frequently change their position.The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back,you’re a very open person.You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas.You don’t like to upset people,so you never express your real feelings.You’re quite shy and you aren't very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach,you are a rather secretive(不坦率的)person.You worry a lot and you're always easily upset.You’re very stubborn(顽固的),but you aren't very ambitious.You usually live for today not for tomorrow.This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up(卷曲),you are probably a very nervous person.You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive.You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people.You prefer to be on your own.You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side,you have usually got a well-balanced personality.You know your strengths and weaknesses.You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality.You sometimes feel anxious,but you don't often get depressed.You always say what you think even if it annoys people.
26.According to the writer,you naturally show your secret and real personality __________.
A.only in a normal night
B.only when you go to sleep
C.only when you refuse to show yourself to the world
D.only when you change sleeping position
27.Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person's personality?
A.He or she is always open with others.
B.He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others.
C.He or she is always easily upset.
D.He or she tends to believe in others.
28.Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping
on his or her stomach?
A.He or she is careful not to offend others.
B.He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion.
C.He or she can't be successful in any business.
D.He or she likes to bring others happiness.
29.Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up.Why?
A.He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you.
B.He or she is rarely ready to help you.
C.He or she prefers staying at home to going out.
D.He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you.
30.It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ________________.
A. he or she always shows sympathy for people
B. he or she is confident,but not stubborn
C. he or she has more strengths than weaknesses
D. he or she often considers annoying people

London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub.
Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London.
In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City.
As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.
“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert.
Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.
There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.
“Both cities have changed beyond recognition,” said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. “I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”
But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose. “I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized,” she said. “In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares.”
72..It can be inferred that ___________.
A.Paris and London are the two biggest cities in the world
B.In the 19th century, Dickens told his stories in the two cities
C.London and Paris used to be separated
D.Liverpool is a big city in France
73.According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.People feel it difficult to find a job in Paris.
B.People can't travel to London without a passport.
C.Living in France is more expensive than in London.
D.People can find any job in London.
74.The underlined phrase in Para9 most probably means “_____________”
A. beyond one’s imagination
B. so much that people don’t know them well again
C. so little that people still know them well
D. to people’s satisfaction
75.What’s the meaning of the last two sentences?
A.People can do everything in London.
B.People will feel lonely in London.
C.People in London enjoy living in different ways.
D.People in London enjoy a lawless life.

Researchers are placing robotic dogs(机器狗)in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated ,”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”
In the study, the robot, called AIBO, is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect baseline data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activity before and after AIBO. Then, the researchers will review the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.
“I talk to him all the time, and he responds to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady, “When I’m watching TV, he’ll stay in my arms until he wants down. He has a mind of his own.”
The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.
“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog, because it was metal and not furry.” Beck says,“But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”
“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more-valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”
68.The purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study is to .
A.understand human-animal relationship
B.make lonely old people’s life better
C.find the causes of old people’s loneliness
D.promote the animal-assisted research
69.In the research, the old people are asked to .
A.note the activities of AIBOs B.keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks
C.record their feelings and activity D.analyze the collected information
70.What is the advantage of AIBO over live dogs?
A.It is easier to keep at home. B.It can help the disabled people.
C. It responds to all the human orders. D.It can watch TV with its owner.
71.The author seems to suggest that the future robotic dogs may .
A.cure certain diseases B.keep old people active
C. change people’s beliefs D.look more like real dogs

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