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 |
Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast. Diagnosed with diabetes(糖尿病), Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin(胰岛素) three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death. And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance.
After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back. He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones—a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources.
Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six. Father and son visit the online children's forums(论坛) together most evenings. "Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. "They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone." Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases. And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages.
These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity（慈善机构）, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people—225 to date—who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses. Fight-it.org has raised about $23,000—in products and in cash. In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean.
Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables. "Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. "But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now."Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?
| A．He needs to go to the doctor every day. |
| B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes |
| C．He has a positive attitude to this disease. |
| D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles. |
Diabeitcrockstar.com was created for _________.
| A．diabetics to communicate | B．volunteers to find jobs |
| C．children to amuse themselves | D．rock stars to share resources. |
According to the text, Kody ______.
| A．feel lonely because of his illness |
| B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com |
| C．helps create the online kid’s forums |
| D．writes children’s stories online |
What can we learn about Fight It?
| A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties. |
| B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year. |
| C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics. |
| D．It owns a well-known medical website. |
The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ______.
| A．works full-time in a diabetes charity |
| B．employs 22 people for his website |
| C．helps diabetics in his own way |
| D．tries to find a cure for diabetes |
We all, at one time or another, have pretended to be a rock star, singing and dancing along to our favorite song. Most of us have done this in the privacy of our own room when we were kids and as adults, in the privacy of our homes. Me? I love to do that when I drive! I turn on the radio, find a song that I can sing along too and pretty soon my arms are in the air and I am moving along to the rhythm. Most of the time, I do this on my way to work.
Yes, that is true, I will be in my nice work clothes, jamming while driving or stopped at a traffic light I get weird（古怪的）looks from some people and others laugh. Personally, I love to get lost in the rhythm of a song which leads me to share with you the importance of being silly!
The definition for the word silly, according to the dictionary is: stupid, foolish and nonsensical. I know many people do not want to look foolish. So they walk around all serious, which in all honesty, is foolish!
No one is perfect, I repeat: no one is perfect. I don't care how educated, how thin, how beautiful, how simple, how frugal （节俭的）, how rich, and so on...No one is perfect! So why pretend to be something you are not?
Life is so short. You never know when this beautiful journey will be over, so why waste a single second on being so full of rigidity（呆板）? Here is a quote by Souza, that I think says it all and is a great recipe for life:
"Dance as though no one is watching you,
Love as though you have never been hurt before,
Sing as though no one can hear you,
Live as though heaven is on earth."
When we were kids, we had no idea of what limitations were and we had no care in the world so we could do things without worrying about how we appeared to others. However, as we grew up, we lost that childlike innocence.
So don't lose the child that still lives within you. The next time you feel down, go turn on your favorite song, and sing and dance along like there is no tomorrow or watch something that makes you laugh. Laughter is the best medicine to whatever ails （使……痛苦） you and nothing is better than laughing so hard that your stomach hurts. Trust me, you will feel a whole lot better, and who doesn't want to feel good?According to the text, what does the writer usually do?
| A．He repeats the words of songs. |
| B．He sings songs on his way to work. |
| C．He dances in his own home. |
| D．He shares music with other drivers. |
What does the writer think of the people who look very serious?
| A．They are honest. | B．They are educated. | C．They are perfect. | D．They are foolish. |
The writer quotes Souza to show that____.
| A．life is a beautiful journey | B．life is full of rigidity |
| C．life is to be treasured | D．life is a great recipe |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．The Innocence of Being a Child | B．The Importance of Being Silly |
| C．No One Is Perfect | D．Life Is Short |
A Hollywood movie was met with an awkward situation last Saturday in China. While fans are standing in long queues to watch the first show, others are advocating a boycott（抵制）on the American movie with Chinese story elements.
After "Kung Fu Panda", a cartoon movie telling about a panda’s Kung Fu master journey, hit China’s silver screens in 2008, its sequel (续集), Kung Fu Panda 2, was released in China just ahead of International Children’s Day, adding more Chinese elements such as shadow play (皮影戏) and lion dancing.
However, some Chinese artists and scholars argue that the movie has twisted (扭曲) Chinese culture and serves as a tool to "kidnap (绑架)" the mind of the Chinese people.
“Children’s Day should be pure. Don’t turn it into a money-making day for Hollywood, and don’ t fool our next generation with American fast food,” according to an open letter to Chinese cinema managers written by Zhao Bandi, an artist hoping to boycott the “Americanized” movie. His move is backed by Kong Qingdong, a professor of the Chinese language in Beijing University, who said Chinese elements have become advertising products to advocate American culture. "It is a cultural invasion," said Kong.
In the movie, the main character called “Po,” a panda, is talkative, humorous, lovely, and is widely believed to be a typical American figure.
However, the panda has won millions of fans in China. On China’s most popular website, comments on the movie reached nearly 270 million entries.
“I won’t call it a cultural invasion,” said Li Jiayi, a Beijing university student. “I see nothing bad for others to use our cultural elements to make a movie. I’ m a huge fan of Po. In spite of being a cartoon, it is still loved by many adults like me,” said the 25-year-old after watching the first show at midnight.
Cao Hui, general manager of Shenzhen Global Digital Creations company, said: “instead of a
‘boycott’, movie producers should learn from the movie to make better use of Chinese story elements. Technically, Kung Fu Panda is not more advanced than Chinese movies, but as for story telling skills, Chinese movies have a long way to go”.Some artists and scholars are against "Kung Fu Panda" because they think_____.
| A．it has added too many Chinese elements |
| B．it has ruined Chinese image deliberately |
| C．it is an exact copy of Chinese culture |
| D．it is advertising American culture |
What does the underlined word “backed” in the fourth paragraph mean?
| A．supported | B．criticized | C．released | D．resisted |
This passage can be classified as _________.
| A．an advertisement | B．a feature story | C．a news report | D．a film review |
It’s easy to see how to help others, but what about those whose needs aren’t so obvious? This story may have happened a while back, but it was a lesson which has stayed with me and helped me ever since.
It was Thanksgiving and I was volunteering with my parents at a shelter for the poor. We stood behind the counter dishing out hot food to whoever came in. Most of our dinners looked like they had been having hard times, their clothes old, worn and dry. In short, they looked poor!
Then, a man came in, who looked anything but poor. He was well dressed, wearing an expensive suit. I wondered what he was doing there and my jaw dropped in amazement when he joined the line for food. The closer he came to my service station, the more I muttered. What was this man doing? I wanted to know. Surely he wasn’t going to take food.
Then my mother quietly took me to one side. She said, “ You have assumed that the needs of the people who come here must be purely physical: hunger, inadequate shelter and needs are emotional? What if he needs comfort, friends, or just to be among other human beings?” Her words hit me like a ton of bricks! About a week later the shelter received a large donation from an anonymous source. I can’t help but wonder if it came from that man. I felt like I should apologize to the man, but I didn’t.
Now, whenever I meet others, I remember my mother’s words and try to send kindness and blessings to them, regardless of how they look. Needs aren’t always visible. But kindness always makes a difference.The task of the author at the shelter was to_______.
| A．decide whether dinners looked poor |
| B．learn life experience there |
| C．serve hot food to the poor |
| D．help parents order dishes |
When the man waited in line, how did the author feel?
| A．Surprised | B．Pitiful | C．Excited | D．Angry |
The author felt he should apologize to the man, because he_______.
| A．was asked to do so by his mother |
| B．gave the man food much less than others |
| C．realized something was wrong with the man |
| D．knew later that the man might go there to donate |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．We should show others kindness whatever their needs are |
| B．Some needs can’t be known clearly at times |
| C．Needs can always be met by kindness |
| D．We should find out others’ needs |
Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall! It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.We can know from the passage that the author works as ______.
| A．a doctor | B．a model | C．a teacher | D．a reporter |
Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to______.
| A．marry a better man\woman |
| B．become a model |
| C．get an advantage over others in job-hunt |
| D．attract more admirers |
According to the passage, the author believes that ______.
| A．everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost |
| B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs |
| C．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery |
| D．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career |
What does the author think of his height?
| A．He hates to be called a short man. |
| B．He tries to increase his height through surgery. |
| C．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact. |
| D．He just accepts it as it is |