The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. Paintings of Egyptians dating back over 4,000 years show both men and women painting their nails and wearing makeup. In 8th-centuryFrance, wealthy noblemen wore large wigs (假发）of long, white hair to make themselves attractive. Today, people continue to devote a lot of time and money to their appearance.
There is at least one good reason for the desire to be attractive：beauty is power. Studies suggest that good-looking people make more money, get called on more often in class, and are regarded as friendlier.
But what exactly is beauty? It's difficult to describe it clearly, and yet we know it when we see it. And our awareness of it may start at a very early age. In one set of studies, six-month-old babies were shown a series of photographs. The faces on the pictures had been rated for attractiveness by a group of college students .In the studies, the babies spent more time looking at the attractive faces than the unattractive ones.
The idea that even babies can judge appearance makes perfect sense to many researchers. In studies by psychologists, men consistently showed a preference for women with larger eyes, fuller lips, and a smaller nose and chin while women prefer men with large shoulders and narrow waist.
According to scientists, the mind unconsciously tells men and women that these traits —the full lips, clear skin , strong shoulders —equal health and genetic well-being.
Not everyone thinks the same way, however. " Our hardwiredness can be changed by all sorts of expectations —mostly cultural, " say C. Loring Brace, an anthropologist at the University of Michigan. What is considered attractive in one culture might not be in another. Look at most Western fashion magazines：the women on the pages are thin. But is this "perfect" body type for women worldwide? Scientists' answer is no; what is considered beautiful is subjective and varies around the world. They found native peoples in southeast Peru preferred shapes regarded overweight in Western cultures.
For better or worse, beauty plays a role in our lives. But it is extremely difficult to describe exactly what makes one person attractive to another. Although there do seem to be certain physical traits considered universally appealing, it is also true that beauty does not always keep to a single, uniform standard. Beauty really is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder.People's ideas about beauty __________
| A．have existed since ancient times |
| B．can be easily described |
| C．have little influence on a person's success |
| D．are based upon strict criteria |
In Paragraph 3, the babies in the study __________.
| A．were rated for their appearance |
| B．were entered in a beauty contest |
| C．were shown photos of a group of college students |
| D．were able to tell attractive faces from unattractive ones |
A skinny woman in southeast Peru is more likely to be considered as _______ by the locals
| A．unattractive | B．charming |
| C．unknown | D．ordinary |
We can learn from the passage that __________
| A．the ideas of beauty vary as people grow up |
| B．the search for beauty is rooted in lack of confidence |
| C．the standards for beauty are based on scientific researches |
| D．the understanding of beauty depends on cultural backgrounds |
第三部分：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、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meeting, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores (杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering, I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper … On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition（过渡）, that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough, But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my new found “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all, My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment (责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war, Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!
1.What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
A. To stay away from busy schedules. B. To write some great books.
C. To do some voluntary work D. To plan for his future.
2.Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
A. He missed his students in that country.
B. He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor.
C. He was concerned about the people there.
D. He was not satisfied with his retired life.
3.The underlined part “the tables have turned”(Paragraph 5) means that the writer_________.
A. improved the situation in his school
B. felt happy to work with students again
C. became a learner rather than a teacher
D. changed his attitude toward his retired life
4.What does the writer think of his retired life now?
A. Disappointing B. Troublesome C. Promising D. Meaningful
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(暂时地) 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 (草药) 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, proven 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 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.
1. It can be learned from the 1st 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 contribute to hair loss
2 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.
3. 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
4. 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
What do you want to be when you grow up? A teacher? A doctor? How about an ice-cream taster?
Yes, there really is a job where you can get paid to taste ice cream. Just ask John Harrison, an “Official Taste Tester” for the past 21 years. Testing helps manufacturers(制造商) to be sure of a product’s quality. During his career Harrison has been responsible for approving large quantities of the sweet ice cream— as well as for developing over 75 flavors .
Some people think that it would be easy to do this job; after all, you just have to like ice cream, right? No— there’s more to the job than that, says Harrison, who has a degree in chemistry. He points out that a dairy or food science degree would be very useful to someone wanting a career in this “cool” field.
In a typical morning on the job, Harrison tastes and assesses 60 ice-cream samples. He lets the ice cream warm up about 12℉. Harrison explains, “You get more flavor from warmer ice cream, which is why some kids like to stir it, creating ice-cream soup.”
While the ice cream warms up, Harrison looks over the samples and grades each one on its appearance. “Tasting begins with the eyes,” he explains. He checks to see if the ice cream is attractive and asks himself, “Does the product have the color expected from that flavor?” Next it’s time to taste!
Continuing to think up new ideas, try out new flavors and test samples from so many kinds of ice cream each day keeps Harrison busy but happy— working at one cool job.
1. According to John Harrison, to be qualified in the “cool field”, it is helpful to __________.
A. keep a diary of work
B. have a degree in related subjects
C. have new ideas every day
D. find out new flavors each day
2. What does Harrison do first when tasting ice cream?
A. He stirs the ice cream. B. He examines the color of the ice cream.
C. He tastes the flavor of the ice cream. D. He lets the ice cream warm up.
3. Which of the following is probably the best title of the passage?
A. Tasting with Eyes B. Flavors of Ice Cream
C. John Harrison’s Life D. One Cool Job
Finally, this week’s comedy “Tomorrow’s Another Day” at the Cambridge MGM cinema, is another one in the long line of successes from director Peter Hamin.
This one has an unusual story line. Just imagine this; one day Mickey Style , a TV reporter, goes off to make a program about an exciting film festival in Canada. On his first morning there he wakes up, the sun is shining, the birds are singing , and life just couldn’t be better. He works through the day , goes to bed; wakes up the next morning… to find it’s the same day! The same sun, the same birds singing in the same tree, the same people saying and doing exactly the same things, day after day, He is caught in a place where time has simply stood still, where there will be no tomorrow.
This could be very serious, but it’s not. It’s an extremely funny film, which made everyone, including your reviewer (评论家) , laugh out loud. It has the silliest ending , and the audience loved it! Sabetha Tayior is great as the generous bank manager, yes, really, although Hollywood probably won’t give her any prizes. So if you want to forget your troubles, this is the film for you.
1.What is the writer trying to do in the text? _________
A. To give his or her opinions about an actor.
B. To give his or her opinions about a film.
C. To describe a Canadian film festival.
D. To describe his or her strange experience.
2. Why would somebody read the text? ___________
A. To enjoy the extremely funny jokes.
B. To find the answer to a problem.
C. To find out more about a cinema.
D. To choose their evening’s entertainment.
3. What is the writer’s opinions of “Tomorrow’s Another Day”? ___________
A. It’s serious B. It’s exciting C. It’s successful D. It’s terrible
4. Where was Mickey Style when something strange happened to him? _________
A. On a working trip B. At the office
C. On holidays D. At the movies
四．阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.
One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say！”“You don’t say!” I was puzzled. I thought, perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. “Well, I’d better change the topic. ”So I said to him, “well, shall we talk about the Great Wall?” By the way, have you ever been there? “Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It was magnificent（壮丽的）.” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are proud of it.” Soon I was interrupted again by his order “You don’t say!” I couldn’t help asking .I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say?” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed to tears. He began to explain, “You don’t say actually means really? It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you don’t pay attention to English idioms.” Only then did I make a fool of myself. Since then I have been more careful with idiomatic expression.
1. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because.
A. English idioms were too difficult to master
B. I cared little about the teacher’s instruction
C. my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance
D. I had no interest in English learning
2. When I first heard “You don’t say!” I thought.
A. the Englishman was not interested in my English
B. the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall.
C. I had talked too much
D. I had to stop talking at once
3. Which of the following is true?
A. The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall.
B. The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.
C. The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.
D. The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting
4. After the Englishman explained the idiom, ___.
A. the Englishman made me a fool
B. the Englishman made a fool of himself
C. I felt very silly
D.I felt proud of my understanding