C
More surprising，perhaps，than the current difficulties of traditional marriage is the fact that marriage itself is alive and thriving (兴盛)．As Skolnick notes，Americans are marrying people—relative to Europeans，more of us marry and we marry at a younger age．Moreover，after a decline in the early 1970s，the rate of marriage in the United States is now increasing．Even the divorce rate needs to be taken in this pro-marriage context: some 80 percent of divorced individuals remarry．Thus，marriage remains，by far，the preferred way of life for the vast majority of people in our society．
What has changed more than marriage is the nuclear family．Twenty-five years ago，the typical American family consisted of a husband，a wife and two or three children．Now，there are many marriages in which couples have decided not to have any children．And there are many marriages where at least some of the children are from the wife’s previous marriage，or the husband’s，or both．Sometimes these children spend all of their time with one parent from the former marriage;sometimes they are shared between the two former spouses．
Thus，one can find the very type of family arrangement．There are marriages without children;marriages with children from only the present marriage;marriages with “full time”children from the present marriage and “part-time” children from former marriages．There are stepfathers，stepmothers，half-brothers，and half-sisters．It is not all the unusual for a child to have four parents and eight grandparents！ There are enormous changes from the traditional nuclear family．But even so，even in the midst of all this，one thing remains constant: most Americans spend most of their adult lives married．By calling Americans marrying people the author means that ______．
| A．more of Americans，as compared with Europeans，prefer marriage and they accept it at a younger age |
| B．Americans expect more out of marriage than Europeans |
| C．there are more married couples in USA than in Europe |
| D．Americans are more traditional than Europeans |
Which of the following can be presented as the picture of today’s American families？
| A．A typical American family consists of only a husband and a wife． |
| B．Many types of family arrangements have become socially acceptable． |
| C．Americans prefer to have more kids than before． |
| D．There are no nuclear families any more． |
Even though great changes have taken place in the structure of American families ______．
| A．the functions of marriage remain unchanged |
| B．most Americans prefer a second marriage |
| C．the vast majority of Americans still have faith in marriage |
| D．marriage is still enjoyed by all Americans |
Surfing the Internet for fun will make you a better employee, according to an Australian study.
The University of Melbourne study shows that people who use the Internet for their own reasons at work are about 9 percent more productive 
than those who do not. Study author Brent Coker said, “Surfing the Internet at times helps increase an employee’s attention.”
“People need to relax for a bit to get back their attention,” Coker said on the university’s websit
e. “Having a short break, such as a quick surfing of the Internet, helps the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total Internet attention for a day’s work, and as a result, increases productivity(生产效率),”he said.
According to the study of 300 workers, 70 percent of people who use the Internet at work surf the Internet for their own reasons during office hours. Among the most popular surfing activities are searching for information about products, reading online news, playing online games and watching videos. “Firms spend a lot of money on software to block their employees from watching video, using social networking sites or shopping online,” said Coker. “That’s not always a good idea
.”
However, Coker said the study looked at people who surfed the Internet in moderation (适度), or were on the Internet for less than 20 percent of their total time in the office. “Those who spend too much time surfing the Internet will have a lower productivity than those without,” he said. What does the University of Melbourne study mainly show?
| A．People who surf the Internet are good employees. |
| B．Not everyone surfs the Internet for fun during office hours. |
| C．Surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity. |
D．The Internet is becoming more and more impo rtant in people’s life. |
According to Paragraph 3, Brent Coker would most probably agree that______.
| A．the longer a person’s mind rests ,the better attention he will have |
B．surfing the Internet is the best way to increase productivit y |
| C．workers should have a long break during office hours |
| D．Workers should let their minds rest now and then |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage as one of the most popular surfing activities?
| A．Watching videos. | B．Reading online news. |
| C．Reading online novels | D．Playing online games. |
The underlined word “block” in Paragr
ap4 means “_____”.
| A．prevent | B．cycle | C．burst | D．breathe |
What can we infer form the last paragraph?
| A．Spending too much time surfing the Internet reduces productivity. |
| B．Those who never surf the Internet have the lowest productivity. |
| C．Most people don’t surf the Internet in moderation during office hours. |
| D．People should spend as little time as possible surfing the Internet. |
If you’re planning on traveling, there a
re a few simple rules about how to make life easier both before and after your jou
rney.
First of all, always check and double-check departure (起程) time. It is amazing how few people really do this carefully. Once I arrived at the airport a few minutes after ten. My secretary had got the ticket for me and I thought she had said that the plane left at 10:50. When I arrived at the airport, the clerk at the departure desk told me that my flight was closed. Therefore, I had to wait three hours for the next one and missed an important meeting.
The second rule is to remember that even in this age of credit cards, it is still important to have at least a little of the local currency(货币) with you when you arrive 
in a country. This can be necessary if you are flying to a place few tourists normally visit. A few years ago I was sent to Tulsa, Oklahoma. I flew there from London via(经由)Dallas, with very little time to change planes in between. I arrived there at midnight and the bank at the airport was closed. The only way to get to my hotel was by taxi and because I had no dollars, I offered to pay in pounds instead.
“Listen! I only take real money!” the driver said angrily. Luckily I was able to borrow a few dollars from a clerk at the hotel, but it was embarrassing (令人难
堪的).
The third and last rule is to find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you leave. I feel sorry for some of my workmates who travel in heavy suit and raincoats in May, when it is still fairly cool in London or Manchester, to places like Athens, Rome or Madrid, where it is already beginning to get quite warm during the day.According to the passage, it’s obvious that______
| A．The author learns some rules of traveling from his own experience. |
| B．The author doesn’t plan his trips or journeys carefully. |
| C．Englishmen like to wear heavy suits wherever they travel |
| D．The America taxi driver never travels to England. |
What should you make sure first before setting off?
| A．When you will leave. | B．Where you will go. |
| C．How you will travel | D．Whom you will go with. |
According to the passage, the driver was angry because_______
| A．the author gave him false money |
| B．the author did not give him the local currency |
| C．the author did not give him money |
D．the auth or had no enough change |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author tells people to choose warm places as their travel destinations. |
| B．You don’t have to take credit cards when traveling. |
| C．You should know more about the weather of the place you’ll visit. |
D．You should take enough change when yo u travel to other countries. |
What is t
he main idea of the passage?
A．A few simple rules about how to make life easier both befo re and after your journey. |
| B．Always check and double-check departure time. |
| C．It is important to have the local currency with you when you arrive in a country. |
D．To find out as much as you can about the weather at your destination before you lea ve. |
Everyday, 340 million people speak it. One billion people are learning it and it is said that by 2050, half of the world’s population will be using it. What are we talking about? That is the global language—English.
The English language started in Britain in the 5th century. It is a mixed language. It was built up when German. Scandinavian and French invaders settled in England and created a common language for communication.
Today it is the official language of the UK, the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and Ireland as well as many islands in the Caribbean. Many other countries and regions use it for politics and business, for
example, India. Pakistan, Nigeria and the Philippines. English is also one of the official languages of Hong Kong.
But global advertising and pop music mean that in most countries, you will see or hear some English. Thanks to McDonalds, we all know about “burgers”. “fries” and “milkshakes”. Songs by Madonna, Britney Spears and Celine Dion are in English. We can sing along, even if we do not understand what we are singing!
English is a messy (杂乱的) language. Every year, dictionaries include new word
s that talk about popular culture, for example, computer-related words such as "blogging", "download" and "chartroom". Also included are words that teenagers use. Who does not know “cool”, “OK” and “hello”?
Other languages also influence 
English. Many English words come from French. Words like “café” and expressions like “c'est la vie” (that is life) are all part of the English language. On the other hand, the French language includes English words like "le weekend" and "le camping". German words are also part of English
. Words like "kindergarten" come from the German language.
Recently, British peo
ple have become interested in “yoga”. But the word comes from an ancient Hindu language in India.The English language has a history of ______.
| A．over 2000 years | B．over 500 years |
| C．over 1500 years | D．over 1000 years |
The underlined expression “thanks to” can be replaced by ______.
| A．because of | B．in order to | C．as usual | D．as if. |
Which of the following statements is true about the language of English?
| A．It has been changing all the time. |
B．It has borrowed words from all the other languages. |
C．French words are used by the En glish because dictionaries have French words. |
| D．Singers and film stars have the greatest influence on language. |
How many people in the world are using English now?
| A．One billion people | B．340 million |
| C．almost all the people in the world. | |
| D．not mentioned above, but the number is growing rapidly. |
Many countries and regions use it for politics and business except______.
| A．the USA | B．Nigeria | C．the Philippines | D．Norway |
Everyone needs friends. We all like to feel close to someone. It is nice to have a friend to talk, laugh and do things with. Sure, there are times when we need to be alone. We don’t always want people around. But we would feel lonely if we never had a friend.
No two people are the same. Sometimes friends don’t get along well. That doesn’t mean they no longer like each other. Most of the time they will go on being friends. Sometimes friends move away. Then we feel very sad. We miss them very much. But we can call them and write to them. Maybe we wound never see them again. And we can make new friends. It is surprising to find out how much we like new people when we get to know them. Families sometimes name their children after a close friend. Many places are named after men and women, if they are friendly to people in a town. Some libraries are named in this way. So are some schools. We think of these people when we go to these places.
There is more good news for people, if they have friends. These people live longer than those people who don’t have friends. Why? It could be that they are happier. Being happy helps you stay well. Or it could be just knowing that someone cares. If someone cares about you, you take better care of yourself. The first paragraph tells us_______
what is the feeling of having no friends
how to communicate with friends
making friends is a need in people’s life
we need to be alone in our life According to the author, why sometimes friends don’t get along well? Because________
friends move away
we don’t call them and write to them
we have made new friends
no two people are the same Which of the following places people name after their friendly people is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．A town | B．A room | C．A school | D．A library |
Why do people who have friends live longer?
They feel happier and healthier.
They know more about friendship.
They take less care of themselves.
They care more about their friends.This passage mainly tells us ______
that people are all friends B. that people need friends
how to get to know friends D.how to name a place
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings(缺点). Sometimes she said I was thin. Sometimes she said I was lazy. Sometimes she said I wasn’t a good student. Sometimes she said I talked too much, and so on. I tried to put up with(忍受) her as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then he asked, “Are the things she said true or not? Mary, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me and to my surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true.
I brought the list back to my dad. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be helpful to you. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you think is right.”
Many years have passed. The situation often appears in my mind. In our life we often meet with some trouble and we often go to someone and ask for advice. For some advice you will treasure(珍惜) all your life!What did the writer’s father do after he heard her complaints(抱怨)?
| A．He agreed with her “enemy”. |
| B．he let her continue to put up with her “enemy”. |
| C．He told her to write down all her “enemy” had said about her. |
| D．He told her not to pay attention to what her “enemy” had said. |
The writer felt ______ when she did the things as her father had told her.
| A．surprised | B．angry | C．disappointed | D．sad |
Which of the following can we know from the passage?
| A．The “enemy” thought the writer was pretty. |
| B．The “enemy” thought the writer studied hard. |
| C．The writer and her “enemy” became best friends at last. |
| D．The writer is grateful to her father. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．My Parents |
| B．A Serious Criticism(批评) |
| C．What People Say About You Is Always Right |
| D．The Best Advice I Ever Had |