Obama, Lady Gaga and Steve Jobs—what do they have in common? They are, of course, all Americans. And according to a survey by social networking site baidu. com, they all best illustrate(举例说明) the word “cool”.
But just what does it mean to say someone is “cool”? Most would answer that it is something to do with being independent-minded and not following the crowd.
Yale University art professor Robert Farris Thompson says that the term “cool” goes back to 15th century West African philosophy. “Cool” relates to ideas of grace under pressure.
“In Africa, ” he writes, “coolness is a positive quality which combines calmness, silence, and life.”
The modern idea of “cool” developed largely in the US in the period after World War II. “Post-war ‘cool’ was in part an expression of war-weariness (厌战情绪), . . . it went against the strict social rules of the time,” write sociologists Dick Pountain and David Robins in Cool Rules:Anatomy of an Attitude.
But it was the American actor James Dean who became the symbol for “cool” in the hugely successful 1955 movie Rebel without a Cause. Dean plays a tough guy who disobeys his parents and the authorities. He always gets the girl, smokes cigarettes, wears a leather jacket and beats up bullies. In the movie, Dean showed what “cool” would mean to American young people for the next 60 years.
Today the focus of “cool” has changed to athletics (体育运动) stars. Often in movies about schools, students gain popularity on the athletics field more than in the classroom. This can be seen quite clearly in movies like Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die.
But many teenagers also think being smart is cool. Chess and other thinking games have been becoming more popular in schools.
“Call it the Harry Potterization of America—a time when being smart is the new cool,” writes journalist Joe Sunnen.
If you were considered“cool”in Africa in the 15th century, you_____.
| A．thought and acted differently from the majority |
| B．had a calm and quiet attitude towards life |
| C．didn’t observe rules and authorities |
| D．had all kinds of “bad” manners |
The heroes in Varsity Blues and John Tucker Must Die are likely to be those who ________.
| A．do very well in their studies |
| B．are very skilled at sports |
| C．are good at chess and other thinking games. |
| D．have supernatural powers like Harry Potter |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the article?
| A．It is generally considered “cool” to be independent-minded and not to follow the crowd. |
| B．“Cool” was used as early as the 15th century. |
| C．Disobeying one’s parents and the authorities is considered “cool” among American young people nowadays. |
| D．Getting the first place in an exam can also be considered “cool”. |
What does the article mainly talk about?
| A．The origin of the word “cool”. |
| B．The kinds of people who are “cool”. |
| C．The changing meaning of the word “cool”. |
| D．How to be a “ cool” person. |
In Shanghai's Grand Theater, a fashionable, mainly young audience applauds enthusiastically as Guo Yong takes center stage．He holds a large bushy tree branch with leaves．Blowing on one of the leaves, he produces a sound like the singing of birds as he plays a traditional Buyi folk song．Some other musicians are also playing the traditional instruments from various ethnic groups in China．
It's the first time such music has ever been performed in the Grand Theater．But all this is the efforts of Zhu Zheqin, a Cantoneseborn singer, who has made it her mission to help preserve China's traditional ethnic music．
In 2009, after being appointed a United Nations Development Program ambassador, Zhu traveled through some of China's remotest regions in an attempt to document the traditional music of various minority groups．In the course of the fourmonth trip, she recorded more than a thousand songs．But she noticed that many of the best musicians were old, and some of the music was at risk of dying out．
“I was shocked by the beauty of what I heard—it was so good，” she says．“But it needed support．I hope to let people see the beauty of these things in the contemporary times．”
So Zhu decided to introduce some of the musicians to a wider audience．By doing this, she hopes to rekindle(点燃) the interest of the younger generation．“Young people don't like this music much; they prefer pop music and love songs．They think these songs are something their grandma sings．This kind of repackaging gives young people a new door into their heritage．”
Zhu believes China needs to look again at its own roots．“China today is basically all Western art; in our conservatories (音乐学院) Western classical music is the top，” she says．“For China to really contribute to the world, we need to go on our own path．So what can represent China today？” The answer, she suggests, is to move from “made in China” to “created in China”．From the first paragraph, we learn that________．
| A．the audience are all young people |
| B．Guo Yong is playing the Buyi folk music |
| C．Guo Yong is the only minority performer in China |
| D．tree branches make good musical instruments |
Which of the following is true of Zhu Zheqin?
| A．She teaches music in a conservatory． |
| B．She is helping preserve Chinese ethnic music． |
| C．She works as an official in the United Nations． |
| D．She's created all the music for the Grand Theater． |
What is Zhu Zheqin's idea about Chinese traditional music?
| A．It is completely out of date． |
| B．Only old musicians play it well． |
| C．It needs changes to attract young people． |
| D．It is quickly dying out． |
What does Zhu Zheqin mean in the last paragraph?
| A．The traditional music should be repackaged． |
| B．Chinese conservatories shouldn't teach Western music． |
| C．China has contributed a lot to the Western art． |
| D．Only the things created in China can be symbols of China． |
In 1693 the philosopher John Locke warned that children should not be given too much “unhealthy fruit” to eat．Three centuries later, misguided ideas about child-raising are still popular．Many parents fear that their children will die unless ceaselessly watched．In America the law can be equally paranoid (偏执的)．In South Carolina this month Debra Harrell was jailed for letting her 9-year-old daughter play in a park unsupervised (无人监督的)．
Her severe punishment reflects the rich world’s worry about parenting．By most objective measures, modern parents are far more conscientious (认真的) than previous generations．Dads are more hands-on than their fathers were, and working mothers spend more time nurturing their children than the housewives of the 1960s did．However, there are two problems in this picture, connected to class．One is at the lower end．Even if poor parents spend more time with their children than they once did, they spend less than rich parents do．America is a laggard here: its government spends abundantly on school-age kids but much less than other rich countries on the first two or three years of life．If America did more to help poor parents with young children, it would have huge returns．
The second one, occurs at the other end of the income scale, and may even apply to otherwise rational (理性的) Economist readers: well-educated, rich parents try to do too much．Safety is part of it—they fear that if they are not constantly watching their children may break their necks, which is the least rational．Despite the impression you get from watching crime dramas, children in rich countries are safe, so long as they look both ways before crossing the road．The other popular parental fear—that your children might not get into an Ivy League college—is more rational．Academic success matters more than ever before．But beyond a certain point, parenting makes less difference than many parents imagine．Studies in Minnesota and Sweden, for example, found that identical twins grew up equally intelligent whether they were raised together or apart．A study in Colorado found that children that adopted and raised by brainy parents ended up no brainier than those adopted by average parents．
This doesn’t mean that parenting is irrelevant．The families who adopt children are carefully screened, so they tend to be warm, capable and middle-class．But the twin and adoption studies indicate that any child given a loving home and adequate stimulation is likely to fulfill her potential．Put another way, better-off parents can afford to relax a bit．And if you are less stressed, your children will appreciate it, even if you still make them eat their fruit and vegetables．Which of the following statements is NOT a misguided idea of parenting mentioned in the passage?
| A．Children should be protected from any dangers by their parents |
| B．The more conscientious parents are, the more children will surely benefit from parenting |
| C．Children will die unless ceaselessly watched |
| D．Children are likely to fulfill their potential with a loving home and adequate stimulation |
The underlined word “laggard” in Paragraph 2 probably means a country that __________．
| A．is ahead in development |
| B．falls slow behind others |
| C．is free from physical or mental disorder |
| D．moves to a higher position |
Which of the following can we learn from the passage?
| A．Only warm, capable and middle-class people can adopt a child． |
| B．When it comes to child-raising, Economist readers will become more rational． |
| C．Children in rich countries are in greater danger due to the bad influence of crime dramas． |
| D．Although poor parents spend more time with their kids than they once did, they spend less than rich parents do． |
This passage is mainly written to __________．
| A．urge American laws concerning parenting to be changed |
| B．advise modern parents to learn from their previous generations |
| C．persuade stressed parents to learn to relax and give more freedom to their children |
| D．call on the government to do more to help poor parents with school-age children |
MUMBAI – Indian commandos battled into the early hours of Friday to end a multiple hostage crisis in Mumbai after suspected Islamic militants killed 125 people across the city．
Officials said they had almost totally cleared the luxury Taj Mahal hotel where gunmen had been held up for more than 24 hours．
Indian security forces personnel released hostages from Nariman House in Mumbai．Thirty-nine people were rescued from the five-star Oberoi hotel, where "mopping up（清理火场）" operations were still underway, police said．
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the militants had come from "outside the country．”
The Press Trust of India said one Pakistani militant had been arrested, although Pakistan's government fiercely denied any involvement．
Indian media reports said between six and nine foreign nationals were among the dead in Mumbai -- including a Japanese businessman, an Australian, a Briton , a German and an Italian．
At least five gunmen had been shot dead and one captured, police said．Fourteen security personnel were also killed, including the head of Mumbai's anti-terror squad．
To draw maximum international attention, the militants used small groups to attack a total of about a dozen targets in India's financial hub , including the main railway station, a hospital and a restaurant popular with tourists．
An unknown group calling itself the Deccan Mujahedeen claimed responsibility, with one gunman telling an Indian TV channel by phone that the outfit（装备）was of Indian origin and motivated by the treatment of Indian Muslims．
Up to 327 people were reported wounded．
The main Bombay Stock Exchange was closed until further notice, as were shops, schools and businesses．
Prime Minister Singh said the aim had clearly been to spread panic by choosing high profile（知名度高的）targets and "indiscriminately（随心所欲地）killing foreigners．"
Witnesses said the gunmen had been very particular in their choice of hotel hostages．"They said they wanted anyone with British and American passports," said one British guest at the Taj Mahal hotel．The following statements are NOT true except ________．
| A．thirty-nine hostages were rescued from the Taj Mahal Hotel |
| B．fourteen gunmen were killed in Nariman House |
| C．the target of the attack was obviously on Britons and Americans |
| D．an American was among the killed foreigners |
The best title of this passage can be _______．
| A．Hostages Released by Indian Commandos |
| B．Mumbai Under Terrorist Attack |
| C．Islamic Militants Attacking Westerners in Mumbai |
| D．Unfortunate Britons and Americans in Mumbai |
China is going green．In order to reduce air pollution and oil-shortages, car makers have announced their plans to develop hybrid（混合燃料）cars for the Chinese market．Toyota’s hybrid car Prius will be ready to drive in China this week．Let’s have a look at the new car.
Any vehicle is a hybrid car when it combines two or more sources of power．Hybrid cars have special engines, which are smaller than traditional gasoline engine．They run at 99 percent of their power when the car is going at a steady speed． A specially designed battery motor provides extra power for running up hills or when extra speed-up is needed．
Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine．The first thing you notice is how much quieter it is than a traditional car．At this point, the car’s gasoline engine is at rest．The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24 kilometers per hour．If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gasoline being used, and no waste gas gives off.
The computer makes the decision about when to use a gas engine, when to go electric, and when to use a combination of the two．If you go over 24 kilometers per hour, when you step on the gas, you are actually telling the computer how fast you want to go.
The electronic motor recharges automatically using a set of batteries．When driving at a high speed, the gasoline engine not only powers the car, but also charges the batteries.
Any time you use the brake, the electric motor will work like a generator（发电机）and produce electricity to recharge the batteries．As a result, the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles.Which of the following pictures can show how the power system of Prius works correctly?（W—Wheel of the car, E.M—electric motor, G.E—gasoline engine, C—computer, B—batteries）
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
What is the most important characteristic of hybrid cars?
| A．They are powered by both a rechargeable battery and gasoline. |
| B．They have smaller engines than traditional gasoline ones. |
| C．They use only 99 percent of their power to run up hills. |
| D．They are much quieter than traditional cars. |
We can know from the report that ___________.
| A．the batteries can be recharged at any time you want |
| B．using the brake suggests that the gasoline engine should work |
| C．the gasoline engine charges the batteries as well as powering the car |
| D．the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles without being recharged |
The author writes this passage mainly to ___________.
| A．announce plans to develop hybrid cars for the Chinese market |
| B．let people know how to save their gasoline when driving a car |
| C．teach people how to drive a hybrid car |
| D．introduce a new kind of “green” car |
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR
Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise, it lowers “bad” Cholesterol (胆固醇) in your blood． It can also raise “good ”cholesterol.
Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, age and smoking.
WHO IS LIPITOR FOR?
Who can take LIPITOR：
· People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise.
· Adults and children over l0.
Who should NOT take LIPITOR：
· Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or may become pregnant．Lipitor may harm your unborn baby．
· Women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby．
· People with liver(肝脏)problems.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR
Serious side effects in a small number of people：
· Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems, including kidney failure.
· Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it．
Call your doctor right away if you have：
· Unexplained muscle pain or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired．
· Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or Swallowing.
· Stomach pain.
Some common side effects of LIPITOR are：
· Muscle pain.
· Upset stomach.
· Changes in some blood tests.
HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR
Do：
· Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor．
· Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor．
· Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food．
· If you miss a dose (一剂), take it as soon as you remember．But if it has been more than
12 hours since you missed dose, wait, Take the next dose at your regular time．
Don’t：
· Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor．
· Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor．What is the major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. |
| B．To lower "bad" cholesterol． |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. |
| D．To control blood pressure. |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should .
| A．change the amount of your next dose |
| B．eat more when taking your next dose |
| C．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| D．take the next dose at your regular time |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery． |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
| D．To give information about a kind of medicine. |