When Joan gave birth to the first boy in her family in three generations, she and her husband were overjoyed. So were her parents. Joan expected her elder sister, Sally, to be just as delighted as them. Joan had always admired Sally--the beauty and the star of the family--and felt happy about her achievements.
But since the baby's arrival, the sisters have become distant. Joan feels hurt for Sally seems completely uninterested in her baby. Sally, who has no children, claims that her younger sister "acts as if no one ever had a baby before."
Neither Sally nor Joan understands that the real cause of the current coldness is that their family roles have suddenly changed to the opposite. Finally Joan seems to be better than her elder sister--and Sally doesn't like it! Their distance may be temporary, but it shows that childhood competitions don't fade easily as ages grow. It can remain powerful in relationships throughout life.
In a study of the University of Cincinnati, 65 men and women between ages 25 and 93 were asked how they felt about their brothers and sisters. Nearly 75 percent admitted having hidden competitive feelings. In a few cases, these emotions were so strong as to have affected their entire lives.
Many adult brothers and sisters are close, supportive--yet still tend to compete. Two brothers I know turn into killers when on opposite sides of a tennis net. Off the court, they are the best of friends. My own younger sister can't wait to tell me when I've put on weight. However, she's a terrible cook and that pleases me; I tease her when she comes to dinner. Happily, despite these small failings, we have been an important resource for each other.
In between the very competitive and the generally supportive children lie those who say that no friendship should survive. Some brothers and sisters stay at arm's length, but never give upcompetition completely. Why do these puzzling, unproductive, often painful relationships continue to exist?When Joan's son was born, Sally .
| A．felt very happy | B．felt not delighted |
| C．moved away | D．admired her a lot |
What happens to children's desire to compete with their brothers and sisters?
| A．It sometimes will disappear when they grow up. |
| B．It will never disappear throughout life. |
| C．It will improve their relationships when they grow up. |
| D．It will never harm their relationships when they grow up. |
Why does the author's sister often tell her when she's put on weight?
| A．Because she wants the author to go on a diet. |
| B．Because she wants the author to stop calling her a bad cook. |
| C．Because she wants to make fun of the author's weight. |
| D．Because she wants to be honest with the author. |
The underlined sentence means that although some brothers and sisters .
| A．live near each other, they still have competitions |
| B．live away from each other, they stop their competitions |
| C．live together, they often think of ending their competitions |
| D．live within a big family, they often try to end their competitions |
Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.
Certain microorganisms（微生物）cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release（释放）poisons that make people sick.
Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.
Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.
When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.
Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied.Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Food when poisoned can make people sick. |
| B．Food poisoning means death. |
| C．Food poisoning comes in varieties. |
| D．Food poisoning can be serious. |
We know from the passage that the symptoms of food poisoning.
| A．are always accompanied by a fever |
| B．are too common to be noted |
| C．can be noticed within hours |
| D．can be ignored |
Food poisoning can be caused by all the following EXCEPT.
| A．some chemicals |
| B．low temperatures |
| C．some tiny living things |
| D．certain natural materials |
From Paragraph 5, we can learn that.
| A．mushrooms should not be eaten |
| B．vegetables are safer than meat and seafood |
| C．natural poisons are more dangerous than chemicals |
| D．different types of food should be handled differently |
It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A．natural materials are safe in food processing |
| B．chemicals are needed in food processing |
| C．food poisoning can be kept under control |
| D．food poisoning is out of control |
Too much TV-watching can harm children’s ability to learn and even reduce their chances of getting a college degree, new studies suggest in the latest effort to examine the effects of television on children.
One of the studies looked at nearly 400 northern California third-graders. Those with TVs in their bedrooms scored about eight points lower on math and language arts tests than children without bedroom TVs
A second study, looking at nearly 1,000 grown-ups in New Zealand, found lower education levels among 26-year–olds who had watched lots of TV during childhood. But the results don’t prove that TV is the cause and don't rule out that already poorly motivated youngsters (年轻人）may watch lots of TV.
Their study measured the TV habits of 26-year-olds between ages 5 and 15. Those with college degrees had watched an average of less than two hours of TV per weeknight during childhood, compared with an average of more than 2 1/2 hours for those who had no education beyond high school.
In the California study, children with TVs in their rooms but no computer at home scored the lowest while those with no bedroom TV but who had home computers scored the highest.
While this study does not prove that bedroom TV sets caused the lower scores, it adds to accumulating findings that children shouldn't have TVs in their bedrooms.According to the California study, the low-scoring group might _________.
| A．have watched a lot of TV |
| B．not be intersected in math |
| C．be unable to go to college |
| D．have had computers in their bedrooms |
What is the researchers' understanding of the New Zealand study results?
| A．Poorly motivated 26-year-olds watch more TV. |
| B．Habits of TV watching reduce learning interest. |
| C．TV watching leads to lower education levels of the 15-year-olds. |
| D．The connection between TV and education levels is difficult to explain. |
What can we learn from the last two paragraphs?
| A．More time should be spent on computers. |
| B．Children should be forbidden from watching TV. |
| C．'IV sets shouldn't be allowed in children's bedrooms. |
| D．Further studies on high-achieving students should be done |
What would be the best title for this text?
| A．Computers or Television |
| B．Effects of Television on Children |
| C．Studies on TV and College Education |
| D．Television and Children's Learning Habits |
What does the word “accumulating” in the last paragraphy mean?
| A．withdraw | B．underline |
| C．increase | D．tolerate |
We know the westerners like to plan for their time carefully in order to do all the things that are important to them. So if your American or English friend asks you to dinner, he usually invites you a week ahead. But if you really have no time and can’t go to the dinner, you can ring him to say sorry. The dinner is usually served at home, sometimes at a restaurant. You should get there on time, and don’t forget to put on your fine clothes. It is also a good idea to take some little presents to your friend, such as flowers, chocolates and so on. When you are at dinner, you should also observe some other customs. Here I’ll give you some dos and don’ts about them in the following:
1) Don’t leave bones on the table or the floor. (You should put them on your plate with fingers.)
2) Don’t use your bowl to drink soup, but use your spoon to help you instead,
3) Don’t talk with much food in your mouth.
4) Don’t ask others to have more wine. (This is quite different from that in China.)
5) After dinner, use your napkin to clean your mouth and hands.
6) Make sure small pieces of food are not left on your face.
Then after dinner, you can stay there a little time. And your friend will be pleased if you leave in half an hour or so. Next day, you had better ring him up to thank him for the good dinner. If your American or English friend wants to invite you to dinner, he will invite you _____.
| A．on the night before the dinner |
| B．on the day before the dinner |
| C．a week before the dinner |
| D．at the last moment |
When you come to the dinner, you’d better_____.
| A．get there a bit earlier |
| B．put on your usual clothes |
| C．take some presents like flowers, chocolates and so on |
| D．take your best friends with you |
It would be impolite to______.
| A．put bones on your plates with fingers |
| B．persuade others to drink more |
| C．drink soup with your spoon |
| D．make sure that there is nothing left on your face after dinner |
Which of the following is not true?
| A．After dinner, you’d better stay and talk with your friends for a long time to show your thanks. |
| B．You’d better ring your friend the next day to show your thanks. |
| C．After dinner, you’d better leave in half an hour. |
| D．After dinner, use napkin to clean you r mouth. |
The best title for this passage would be_____.
| A．Customs in England and America |
| B．Customs in the West |
| C．Living Customs in the West |
| D．Customs at Dinner Table in the West |
Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? You are not alone.
Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast(宴会),have a small, low-fat snack(小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods. Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them.
Choose lean meat(瘦肉 ).Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables.
If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate.
Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess(过多的) calories. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may ______
| A．bring weight problems |
| B．bring you much trouble in your life |
| C．make you worried about your foods |
| D．make you hate delicious foods |
In order to really enjoy your holidays without putting on weight, you'd better__
| A．drink much water and have vegetables only |
| B．not eat the food in high fat |
| C．not accept invitations to feasts |
| D．turn away from delicious foods |
According to the passage, ___ is a necessary part to stop you from putting on weight.
| A．vegetables | B．water |
| C．calories of energy | D．physical exercise |
Many people can't help putting on weight after the holidays because they _______ .
| A．can't control themselves |
| B．go to too many feasts |
| C．enjoy delicious foods |
| D．can't help turning away from the foods |
Here is a question I have often asked at dinner parties:
You're on an island with only one other person, your best friend. He's dying of cancer. In his final days, he tells you, "I have 100,000 dollars in a bank back home. When I die, make sure my son goes to medical school." Then he dies. But his son is a no-good playboy who has no interest in going to medical school and will waste that money away in a very short time. But your son is entering college, and he is willing to become a doctor. Which one do you give the money to for medical school?
I've asked this question of everyone from the president of a famous university to an ordinary young soldier, and it has never failed to get a discussion going. Everyone has an opinion, most of them different, but all of them correct. Sometimes this one topic lasts the whole evening.Which of the following is TRUE to the passage?
| A．Only the clever people can answer the question rightly. |
| B．Some people refuse to answer such a silly question. |
| C．Everyone at the dinner party seems to be interested in the question. |
| D．Most of the people have the same answer. |
What the writer often says at dinner parties is _______.
| A．not a true story | B．a true story |
| C．a strange story | D．just a joke |
Why does the writer often ask people such a question? Because ______.
| A．he wants to find the answer for a research |
| B．he is interested in such a question |
| C．he likes to make fun of people at parties |
| D．he wants to offer people a topic in which everyone could say something |
Which of the following decisions is most likely NOT correct?
| A．You give the money to your friend's son. |
| B．You give the money to your son for medical school. |
| C．You keep the money for your future medical care. |
| D．You keep the money for your friend's son. |