Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Or do they? Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs (实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public.
Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy (嫉妒) . As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy .That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant (傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots .”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were friendlier, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.What does the underlined “it” in the second paragraph refer to?
| A．One group of people | B．A great survey |
| C．A nation | D．National character |
Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that .
| A．the British public are hardworking |
| B．they are not popular simply because they are successful |
| C．love of success is Britain’s national character |
| D．they are considered as “green-eyed monsters” |
What does the result of the Warwich University test show ?
| A．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed |
| B．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money |
| C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people |
| D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others |
The writer of the passage seems to suggest that .
| A．jealousy is Britain’s national character |
| B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated |
| C．the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properly |
| D．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test |
Never Talk to Strangers?
“Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction(诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill(灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety.
To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common—but a lost children may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behaviour; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not.
For young children, nothing replaces close supervision(监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and sttitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 11-year-old boy?
| A．He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule. |
| B．He hid from the rescuers to avoid possible abduction. |
| C．He eventually showed up when his hide-and-seek game ended. |
| D．He stayed where he was, expecting the coming of familiar people. |
Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?
| A．Being abducted by a parent. | B．Wandering off. |
| C．Being abducted by strangers. | D．Running away. |
The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because ___.
| A．a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous |
| B．adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell |
| C．the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting |
| D．a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger |
Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?
| A．It is not well recognized by parents. |
| B．It is not effective in keeping kids safe. |
| C．It is easy enough for children to follow. |
| D．It is practical as a safety tip in daily life. |
It is bad to have food stuck between your teeth for long periods of time. This is because food attracts germs(细菌), germs produce acid, and acid hurts your teeth and gums. Flossing(使用牙线) helps to remove the food that gets stuck between your teeth. This explains why flossing helps to keep your mouth healthy, but some doctors say that flossing can be also good for your heart.
It may seem strange that something your do for your teeth can have any effect on your heart. Doctors have come up with a few ideas about how flossing works to keep your heart healthy. One idea is that the germs that hurt your teeth can leave the mouth and travel into your blood. Germs that get into the blood can then attack your heart. Another idea is based on the fact that when there are too many germs in your mouth, the body tries to fight against these germs. For some reason, the way the body fight these mouth germs may end up weakening the heart over time.
Not every doctor agrees about these ideas. Some doctors think that the link between good flossing habits and good heart health is only a coincidence. The incidence(发生率) of two or more events is completely random, as they do not admit of any reliable cause and effect relationship between them. For example, every time I wash my car, it rains. This does not mean that when I wash my car, I somehow change the weather. This is only a coincidence. Similarly, some doctors think that people who have bad flossing habits just happen to also have heart problems, and people who have good flossing habits just happen to have healthy hearts.
The theory that flossing your teeth helps to keep your heart healthy might not be true. But every doctor agrees that flossing is a great way to keep your teeth healthy. So even if flossing does not help your heart, it is sure to help your teeth. This is enough of a reason for everyone to floss their teeth every day. From the passage, we know that_____
| A．food stuck between your teeth may hurt your teeth |
| B．all of the doctors agree that flossing is good for your heart |
| C．doctors’ judgment about flossing is based on medical research |
| D．not every doctor thinks flossing helps to keep your teeth healthy |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 is to____.
| A．Provide an example |
| B．Make a comparison |
| C．Introduce a new topic |
| D．Develop a previous statement |
Which of the following best states the main idea of the last paragraph?_______.
| A．It is a fact that flossing can help your heart as well as your teeth. |
| B．There is no good reason to believe that flossing will help your heart. |
| C．Because doctors find flossing won’t help your heart, it is useless to floss. |
| D．Even if flossing is only good for your teeth, you should still do it every day. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Flossing by Coincidence |
| B．How to Keep Your Teeth Healthy |
| C．Flossing Habits and Healthy Hearts |
| D．Why Doctors Disagree about Flossing |
Wild
I was 16 when my father finally decided he would send me to wilderness camp for several months. He had threatened to do it many times before, but my mother had always managed to prevent him from doing so. This time he insisted on doing it.
The latest incident was the last straw. Impulsively(冲动地), I hade pushed Mr. Ford, my math teacher, down a flight of steps at school. He broke his arm in two places. Anyway, he had agreed not to accuse me as a favour to my dad, who was in the middle of a tight race for sheriff(执法官) in our town. But my reckless behaviour had my dad’s closest advisor talking.
“John, he’s your son and he’s a kid, but he is dragging you down,” I heard Jake Hutch tell my dad through his closed office door the night after I pushed Mr. Ford. “If you can’t make your son obey the rules, how can you make the law obeyed in this town?”
So, off to Pisgah National Forest I went. I imagined hours of untold abuse at the hands of some strong sergeants(警官). I was determined no to be broken. I was who I was.
Nearly every day for six months, a small group of other troubled teens and I carried our 30-pound backpacks on a difficult journey covering about 10 miles. We hiked in a rough wilderness that seemed untouched by civilization.
Our sergeants were firm but kind, not frightening as I had imagined. We learned how to make a fire without matches and create a shelter with branches and grass. We learned which plants were safe to eat out in the wild. I felt myself change. I was calm and often reflective. My old, impulsive self was gone.
One morning, six months later, my dad came to pick me up. I ran to hug him and saw relief and love in his eyes.
“So what’s it like being sheriff?” I asked on the ride home.
“I lost the race, Danny,” he said.
“I’m sorry, Dad.” I knew my behaviour probably had a lot to do with hid defeat.
Dad squeezed my shoulder and brought me close. “As long as I don’t ever lose you, I’m okay.”The author was finally sent to wilderness because _____.
| A．he could learn how to survive in the wild |
| B．his teacher insisted on giving him a lesson |
| C．he pushed his math teacher down the stairs |
| D．his mother feared that he would be accused |
The underlined word “reckless” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．selfish | B．careless | C．rude | D．reasonable |
What can we learn about the author from the passage?
| A．He changed a lot after the camp. |
| B．He was not satisfied with his life in the camp. |
| C．He was still what he used to be after the camp. |
| D．He made enemies with other troubled teen at the camp. |
How did the author’s father feel at the end of the story?
| A．Grateful. | B．Annoyed. |
| C．Disappointed | D．Relieved |
Applying to Stellinga College
Why Stellinga?
Thank you for your interest in Stellinga International College. As an international student, we are sure you will find our college an exciting place to study, with like-minded and ambitious people.
Preparing and submitting your application
We have tried to make the application process as easy as possible for you, but there are a number of procedures you must follow.
All our courses are taught in English, so first of all you will probably need to submit evidence of your English language ability. We require an IELTS score of 6.5. You will also have to send us your secondary school diploma, so that we can evaluated it.
We will also require a personal statement. This is a text of up to 1,000 words in which you introduce yourself, explain your interest in our college, and why you want to study your chosen course.
If you are from outside the European Union(EU), it is important that you have an entrance visa before you come to study in the Netherlands, but we will apply for this for you.
We now only accept online applications, so please ensure that you have all your documents ready to upload before you begin. Any documents that are not in English originally will also need to be translated and the translation also uploaded.
You will need a passport photograph; a copy of your passport; copies of all your certificates and diplomas; your proof of language ability; and your personal statement in English.
What happens next?
Your application will then be considered. If your initial application is successful, you will be invited for an interview. This will be conducted in English via skype, over the phone or on site. You will talk to two or three members of staff for up to 30 minutes. We aim to inform you of our decision in writing, within 4 weeks. There are several possible outcomes: you may not have been successful; you may be offered a place on the waiting list. You will need to reply to any offers within two weeks, otherwise your place may be offered to somebody else.
Good luck with your application.Which is unnecessary for people inside the EU when submitting applications?
| A．A personal statement. |
| B．An entrance visa. |
| C．Evidence of English ability. |
| D．A secondary school diploma |
If your first application is accepted, what is the next process?
| A．You will have an interview in English. |
| B．You will get the reply over the phone. |
| C．You should make a decision within 4 weeks. |
| D．You should reply to the offer the moment you get it. |
Where can we find the passage?
| A．In an educational magazine. |
| B．On a notice board. |
| C．In an English teaching book. |
| D．On a university’s website. |
Last week，all the teachers and students of our school watched a special performance by some disabled people．The first program was a dance named “The light of life”．To my surprise，all the dancers had lost one of their legs．As they were performing，I could see how they had to face so many difficulties．However，they showed us many wonderful programs．From these programs，I could see how lively their minds were．
The two persons who came out next shocked us all．The first one was a singer．He was very young but unfortunately he had lost both of his hands in a big fire．The song he brought us was “Late Autumn” and he sang it in such a low and sweet voice．Though it was warm spring， I felt a little cold when I heard the song as if it was really late autumn．“How much love and feeling is hidden in my heart? I wish to hold your hands again．” Hearing this，I couldn’t keep back my tears．
The other one was also a young man．He lost both of his arms when he was six．From then on，his feet became his “hands”．However，he could manage a number of things with his feet．What moved us most was his feet writing．The two words “Flying High” expressed his wishes．
“If your wings are gone，your heart can still fly，” said Zhang Haidi，a disabled writer．
In the world，there are many disabled people，yet most of them don't give in．They have strong wishes and beautiful dreams．Just as Zhang Haidi said they could fly．
Disability doesn't mean complete failure．Once you try hard，miracles（奇迹）will happen sooner or later．I believe where there is a will，there is a way．The teachers and studentslast week．
| A．saw a film |
| B．held a party |
| C．watched a football match |
| D．watched a performance |
Why did the writer feel cold when he heard the song “Late Autumn”?
| A．Because it was cold at that moment. |
| B．Because he had a bad cold． |
| C．Because it was late autumn and the weather was cool． |
| D．Because the song was moving． |
The underlined word “shocked” probably means．
A．surprised B．crashed
C．warned D．sounded
36．“Flying High” expressed the wish of．
A．a blind person
B．a person with no arms
C．a person without feet
D．a person with neither hands nor feetWhat do you think is the best title for this passage?
| A．An unforgettable Day |
| B．Some Disabled people |
| C．A Special Performance |
| D．A Strange Writer |