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 |
One thing that British and Chinese cultures share is a love for fine tea. Today, when we think of Western tea culture, we often think of the English and beautiful china tea cups.
Afternoon tea
People believe that an English lady, Anna, first introduced the idea of afternoon tea. In the 18th and 19th centuries. the English ate only two main meals each day ,breakfast and a heavy supper that would last for several hours in the evening. As a result, people often got very hungry during the long wait between these two meals. To solve this problem, Anna came up with the clever idea of inviting some friends to join her for an afternoon meal between four and five o'clock. This meal included cakes and sandwiches. and tea was served(提供)to wash down the food. In order to make this afternoon meal important, fine china cups and plates, and silver teapots. knives, forks and spoons were used .Soon, afternoon tea parties became popular social occasions. Today, afternoon tea parties continue to play an important part in the social life in modern Britain.
Will you come for coffee?
Coffee also has an important role in British culture. People often use the words” Will you come for coffee?” to mean “Would you like to come to my home for a chat?” Normally, several different drinks such as tea, hot chocolate or a soft drink like orange Juice will be served as well as coffee. and you will be asked what you would like. However, you will not normally be offered wine at a "coffee" party.
Coffeehouses and the London Stock Exchange
In the 17th century London, coffeehouses were busy and noisy places. Businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses to do their business, as well as to drink coffee. In fact, the London Stock Exchange(股票交易所) is believed to have started from these coffeehousesAnna introduced the idea of drinking afternoon tee because she _______.
| A．enjoyed chatting with her friends at home |
| B．loved fine tea and beautiful china tea cups |
| C．wanted to share nice food with her friends |
| D．found people felt hungry during the long wait between the two meals |
What does “social occasions” mean in Chinese?
| A．集体婚礼 | B．社交活动 | C．社区表演 | D．公共场合 |
If someone says to you “Will you come for coffee?”, you _______.
| A．will be offered coffee only |
| B．are asked what you would like to drink |
| C．will be asked to have a chat with him or her |
| D．are invited to take part in an afternoon tea party |
From the last paragraph (段落) we can see _______.
| A．a new business was started in coffeehouses |
| B．coffeehouses are still used by businessmen and bankers |
| C．businessmen and bankers went to coffeehouses just for coffee |
| D．most people wouldn’t like to go to coffeehouses because of the noise |
It was the first snow of winter — an exciting day for every child but not for most teachers. Up until now, I had been able to dress myself for recess(课间休息), but today I would need some help. Miss Finlayson, my kindergarten teacher, had been through first snow days many times in her long career, but I think she may still remember this one.
I managed to get into my wool snow pants. But I struggled with my jacket because it didn’t fit well. It was a hand-me-down from my brother, and it made me wonder why I had to wear his ugly clothes. At least my hat and matching scarf(围巾) were mine, and they were quite pretty. Finally it was time to have Miss Finlayson help me with my boots(靴子). In her calm, motherly voice she said, "By the end of winter, you will be able to put on your own boots.” I didn’t realize at the time that this was more a statement of hope than of confidence.
I handed her my boots and stuck out my foot. Like most children, I expected the adult to do all the work. After much wiggling and pushing, she managed to get first one into place and then, with a sigh, worked the second one on too.
I announced，“They’re on the wrong feet.” With the grace that only experience can bring，she struggled to get the boots off and went through the joyless task of putting them on again. Then I said，“These aren’t my boots, you know.” As she pulled the offending boots from my feet, she still managed to look both helpful and interested. Once they were off, I said，“They are my brother’s boots. My mother makes me wear them, and I hate them!” Somehow, from long years of practice, she managed to act as though I wasn’t an annoying(烦人的) little girl．She pushed and shoved, less gently this time, and the boots were returned to their proper place on my feet. With a great sigh of relief, seeing the end of her struggle with me, she asked, “Now, where are your gloves?’’
I looked into her eyes and said, “I didn’t want to lose them, so I put them into the toes of my boots.”According to the passage, the little girl got_______from her brother.
| A．the wool snow pants and the jacket |
| B．the jacket and the boots |
| C．the jacket and the hat |
| D．the boots and the gloves |
Why does the author say Miss Finlayson would remember that first snow day?
| A．Because the little girl played a trick on her. |
| B．Because it was the most exciting day of the winter. |
| C．Because the little girl was in her brother’s clothes. |
| D．Because the little girl wore a pretty scarf. |
We can learn from the text that Miss Finlayson_________.
| A．was losing confidence in the little girl |
| B．gradually lost patience with the little girl |
| C．because disappointed with the little girl |
| D．was getting bored with the little girl |
It can be inferred(推断) that before the little girl finally went out to enjoy the first snow of winter，the teacher had to help her put on her boots __________.
| A．once | B．twice | C．three times | D．four times |
A study led by Professor Mark Weiser of Tel Aviv University and the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer Hospital has determined that young men who smoke are likely to have lower IQs than their non-smoking peers (同龄人). Tracking 18-to 21-year-old men enlisted in the Israeli army in the largest ever study of its kind, he has been able to demonstrate an important connection between the number of cigarettes young males smoke and their IQ.
The average IQ for a non-smoker was about 101, while the smokers’ average was more than seven IQ points lower, at about 94, the study determined. The IQs of young men who smoked more than a pack a day were lower still, at about 90. An IQ score in a healthy population of such young men, with no mental disorders(心理疾病), falls within the range of 84 to 116.
An addiction that doesn’t discriminate(歧视)
“In the health profession, we’ve generally thought that smokers are most likely the kind of people who have grown up in difficult neighborhoods, or who’ve been given less education at good schools,” says Weiser, whose study was reported in a recent version of the journal, Addiction, “But because our study included subjects with various socio-economic backgrounds, we’ve been able to rule out socio-economics as a major factor. The government might want to rethink how it arranges its educational resources on smoking.
Making the results more significant, the study also measured effects in twin brothers. In the case where one twin smoked, the non-smoking twin registered a higher IQ on average.
Although a lower IQ may suggest a greater risk for smoking addiction, the representing data on IQ and smoking found that most of the smokers investigated in the study had IQs within the average range, nevertheless.
In the study, researchers took data from more than 20,000 men before, during and after their time in the military. All men in the study were considered in good health, since pre-screening(筛选的)measures for suitability in the army had already been taken. The researchers found that around 28 percent of their samples smoked one or more cigarettes a day, 3 percent considered themselves ex-smokers, and 68 percent said they never smoked.
“People on the lower end of the average IQ tend to display poorer overall decision-making skills when it comes to their health,” says Weiser. He adds that his finding can help address serious concern among heath counsellors at grade and high schools.The study led by Professor Mark Weiser shows that .
| A．the IQ of smoking males is lower than that of non-smokers |
| B．the IQ of smoking males is higher than that of non-smokers |
| C．the IQ of smoking males is the same as that of non-smokers |
| D．the IQ of smoking males is higher than that of female smokers |
According to the passage, a smoking man’s IQ is most likely to be .
| A．101 | B．94 | C．80 | D．120 |
What can be learned from the passage?
| A．People in the military are more likely to become smokers than other people. |
| B．Most heavy smokers are found to have mental problems. |
| C．Socio-economic backgrounds have nothing to do with smoking behaviour. |
| D．People with lower IQs tend to be less good at controlling their addiction to smoking. |
What is the meaning of the underlined part “An addiction that doesn’t discriminate”?
| A．Smokers do not believe their IQ is affected by being addicted to smoking. |
| B．All people, no matter what their background, can become addicted to smoking. |
| C．Smoking is an addiction, and we must not discriminate against smokers. |
| D．The addiction to smoking is difficult to get rid of. |
The deadly earthquake and tsunami (海啸) that struck Japan on March 11 damaged two nuclear power stations. Officials are now working to prevent dangerous radiation from poisoning the air in the area surrounding the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The Japanese government has ordered people living within 12 and a half miles of the plant to evacuate, and asked those living 12 and a half to 20 miles away to stay indoors.
Nuclear power plants create energy using a chemical reaction that produces large amounts of heat. Reactors(反应堆)in Japan have many long, thin rods, called fuel rods(棒), which must be kept cool.
If the reactor’s fuel rods aren’t cooled, the reaction can burn out of control. That’s what happened at the two Japanese plants after the quake caused a power failure and the cooling systems malfunctioned(发生故障). This overheating could cause radiation to escape and sicken many people.
Japan’s 54 nuclear reactors are built to withstand the many small or moderate earthquakes the country faces each year. But Friday’s earthquake was one of the most severe earthquakes ever recorded.
People exposed to unsafe levels of radiation have a higher than normal risk of getting cancer. The Japanese government has been distributing potassium iodide(碘化钾)pills to people in the surrounding areas to protect those who may have come in contact with radiation from the power plant. The pills flood the body with healthy potassium iodide. The potassium iodide works to crowd out “bad” iodine in the body that may have been poisoned by radiation.
On Tuesday morning, 750 workers left the Fukushima Daiichi plant. However, 50 workers stayed behind to use sweater to cool the fuel rods. These dedicated employees are risking their own lives to save many others.
On Thursday, officials used helicopters, fire trucks, and water cannons to spray water on the reactors to cool the fuel rods. But it’s not clear whether these efforts were successful. Officials are now working on a power line to restore electricity to the plant. They hope this will help restart the plant’s cooling system and stop the fuel rods from leaking radiation.The underlined word “evacuate” in Paragraph 1 probably means .
| A．help | B．rest | C．stop | D．leave |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．The local people are scared and ready to run away. |
| B．The earthquake led to many deaths and caused damage to roads. |
| C．The Japanese government has found a kind of pill that can treat cancer. |
| D．The two stations were damaged because their cooling systems didn’t work. |
In the last paragraph, the author mainly states .
| A．lack of help |
| B．international aids |
| C．the government’s efforts |
| D．the result of the disaster |
This text is most probably taken from .
| A．a research paper |
| B．a newspaper report |
| C．a class presentation |
| D．a chemistry textbook |
To see the world is one thing; to have someone to share it with is another. Indeed, travel becomes more interesting when you have a travel partner. A travel partner can be a close friend, a family member, a pal you’ve met online, or a business friend.
You can have someone to talk to
Traveling alone is fun, but wouldn’t you feel lonely? Having a travel partner can remove the feeling of loneliness. This is especially true if you can get a travel companion who is very familiar with the place you’re traveling to. You don’t have to ask any information from the locals, and you can increase the time you spend in the country.
One of the major headaches in traveling is the costs involved. You can’t simply ignore the rising price of hotels or plane tickets. You should also think about your daily needs, such as your food. Of course, you can’t simply go back without bringing any souvenirs (纪念品) to your friends and family. All these can ruin your budget. However, when you have a travel friend, you can have someone to share the expenses with.
You can meet a good friend
Having a travel mate is a good way of meeting a new friend or even a lifelong partner. You can never count the number of couples who actually found their way into each other’s heart while traveling together in another country.
You can have someone to watch out for you
When you’re in a foreign land, you’ll never be really safe. You don’t know the rules as well as the culture of the people. A travel will be perfect to remind you of your duties in the country and to watch your back just in case you get lost. So why don’t you find a travel companion now!
Let’s find out how…What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To introduce a travel company. |
| B．To encourage us to have a travel partner. |
| C．To explain how to be a perfect travel partner. |
| D．To tell an interesting experience with a travel partner. |
What’s the best title for the 3rd paragraph?
| A．You can have someone to share the expenses with |
| B．You can know the local culture well |
| C．You can enjoy food with your partner |
| D．You can save money by bargaining together |
Which of the following statements agrees with the author’s opinion?
| A．Traveling alone is not fun. |
| B．Buying souvenirs isn’t necessary. |
| C．Many people fall in love when traveling. |
| D．It’s better to choose a stranger as a travel partner. |
Which of the following things is NOT mentioned?
| A．A travel partner can help you take care of your child. |
| B．A travel partner can help get rid of loneliness. |
| C．A travel partner can help you save money. |
| D．A travel partner can make you safer. |