Singles' Day ---- the Chinese opposite of Valentine’s Day has turned into a massive online shopping event. It is a day when single people are supposed to buy themselves presents. But there are sociological reasons behind China's “celebration” of single life. And the imbalance could have big consequences for the country.
There were 34 million more men than women in China in 2011. Part of that is natural – usually there are 105 boys born for every 100 girls. But the Chinese gender ratio (性别比例) at birth is much more obvious. It was 116 boys to 100 girls in 2012. The one child policy is largely to blame. Brought in to limit population expansion, the policy allows only one child per family. But because male children are seen as more valuable, as well as more likely to support their parents in old age, some parents choose to have a son over a daughter. The result is that large numbers of men will likely never get married. In fact, one study has predicted that by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese men in their 30s will never have married, while another states that 94% of unmarried people in China are men.
Traditionally, China has seen high levels of marriage, usually among the young. Besides, the increased education and career opportunities for women have meant that marriages are happening later. It is also traditional that women often marry men of a higher socioeconomic status than themselves. So women at the top and men at the bottom find themselves alone. One study has even suggested a link between an imbalanced gender ratio and growth in violent crime in the country.
Singles ' Day can’t solve all the problems China’s singles face. Indeed, it is possible that it is causing even more problems, as men resort to increasingly risky lines of work to increase their chances of gaining money and thus a wife. I am worried that as money starts to overcome romance, there is evidence that China ' s marriage market is increasingly materialistic.
In 2012, if 50 girls were born, how many boys were probably born?
A.50. | B.52. | C.58. | D.60. |
What made women in China get married late?
A.Their support of the government’s late marriage policy. |
B.Their higher education level and more work chances. |
C.That they expect to enjoy their single time when young. |
D.That there are too many excellent young men to choose from. |
What’s the writer’s attitude to the imbalance gender ratio in China?
A.Optimistic | B.Concerned |
C.Indifferent | D.Unknown |
We can learn from the passage that .
A.Singles' Day is celebrated all over the world. |
B.by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese women in their 30s will be out of marriage. |
C.an imbalanced gender ratio is related to the growth in violent crime. |
D.Singles' Day will solve all the problems China’s singles face. |
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The Pow Wow(印第安人的帕瓦仪式)is held annually at the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in Hopkinsville,Kentucky.The Pow Wow provides an opportunity for participants to celebrate the great heritage of the American Indian through dance,drumming and singing,traditional foods,crafts and storytelling.For the visitors,it provides an exceptional educational experience.
The idea for hosting a Pow Wow in Hopkinsville was developed by the Trail of Tears Commission in 1988 as a way to commemorate(纪念)the 150th anniversary of the cruel Cherokee removal from their ancestral homelands in the southeast,across the Mississippi to Indian Territory,which is now Oklahoma.Known as the“trail of tears”,this forced removal affected Hopkinsville,which was along the trail,and served as a major stopping point for the Cherokees during the freezing winter of 1838 and 1839.
The president and founder of the Trail of Tears Commission,Beverly Baker,began work in late 1985 to gain support for his idea for a commemorative park,and to encourage interest in acknowledging this event in local history.Volunteers joined Baker in pursuing support of the park and designation(指定)of the Trail of Tears as a National Historic Trail.City and county governments,and a church offered$1,000 in seed money to the group.And then other help came.
A proclamation(宣言)by the governor set 1988 as the Year of the Trail of Tears.In 1992,the Pow Wow celebrated the Year of the American Indian.The state provided money to help develop the Pow Wow grounds as the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park,which opened in 1993.In 1996,the National Park Service designated the park as a site on the National Historic Trail of Tears—the first nonfederal property to receive this designation.Since 1989,Pow Wow’s own income has supported development,operation,and maintenance of the park and its heritage center.School and scout groups,local clubs,and tourists regularly visit the park and center.The Pow Wow is held each year to________.
A.honor Beverly Baker |
B.offer all kinds of entertainment to visitors |
C.provide visitors with an educational experience |
D.honor the cruel Cherokee removal |
The Pow Wow was first held in the Trail of Tears Commemorative Park in________.
A.1988 |
B.1838 |
C.1989 |
D.1993 |
Which of the following shows the correct order for the development of Trail of Tears Pow Wow?
a.The idea for hosting a Pow Wow was developed.
b.The Trail of Tears Commemorative Park was designated as a site on the National Historic Trail of Tears.
c.The Pow Wow celebrated the Year of the American Indian.
d.The idea for a commemorative park was put forward.
A.a,b,c,d |
B.d,a,c,b |
C.c,a,d,b |
D.d,b,c,a |
It can be inferred that when the idea for a commemorative park was put forward,________.
A.it won many people’s support |
B.Beverly Baker grew more and more famous |
C.it was refused by the government |
D.it only received$1,000 in seed money in all |
How many of the following pieces of information can be gathered from the passage?
a.It was in 1838 that the cruel Cherokee removal took place.
b.Hopkinsville sheltered the Cherokees from freezing cold of winters throughout their trail.
c.Conventionally federal property has the honor to be designated as the site on the National Historic Trail of Tears.
d.The park relies on Pow Wow in terms of monetary support.
A.4 |
B.3 |
C.2 |
D.1 |
There are a number of special days of the year that are celebrated in different countries.The origins of most of the days are unknown.They were certainly not created by individual people.Other days,however,especially those celebrated in western countries often owe their origins to a particular person.One of the most popular of these,even though it is fairly recent,is Mother’s Day.Mothers have always been highly regarded in all cultures.The ancient Romans had a festival known as Hilaria,during which children took presents to the temple of the “Mother of the Gods”.The Christian Church adopted this idea and called it Mothering Sunday.However,over the years this custom was gradually forgotten,and almost disappeared by the end of the 19th century.
Born in 1864 in Virginia,USA,Anna Jarvis was a school teacher and believed children should show gratitude to their mothers for all their love and care.Encouraged by a friend,she wrote to thousands of important people—politicians,churchmen,doctors,city officials and asked them to support her idea:a special day of the year for thanking mothers.
In 1910 the Governor of West Virginia introduced Mother’s Day into the state.The date chosen was May 10—the second Sunday in May,which is still observed in America today.This date was chosen because May 10 was the date on which in 1908 Anna Jarvis’s mother died.In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made May 10 the official date for Mother’s Day throughout the United States.
Soon there was a Mother’s Day International Association and the custom began to be adopted in many countries of the world.
Anna Jarvis,a sad and disillusioned woman died in 1948.The custom she had worked hard to establish and which had become almost universal had lost its original purpose.It had been taken over by business.As with Christmas,the giving of presents and the sending of cards had become a multimillion dollar industry.The story is about ________.
A.Mothering Sunday for Christmas |
B.the origin of a special day for mothers |
C.President Wilson and Anna Jarvis |
D.how people celebrate Mother’s Day |
Hilaria was a festival in ________.
A.ancient Rome |
B.America |
C.China |
D.the Christian Church |
Anna Jarvis wanted to ________.
A.thank her mother for her care |
B.introduce a celebration for mothers |
C.meet thousands of important people |
D.make her pupils celebrate her on Mother’s Day |
May 10 became the date for Mother’s Day because ________.
A.May is in the American spring |
B.it was the second Sunday in May in 1910 |
C.President Wilson liked the date |
D.this was the date on which Anna Jarvis’s mother died |
Unfortunately,Anna Jarvis was not happy with Mother’s Day when she died because ________.
A.her mother was not there to see it |
B.she had never been a mother herself |
C.people were too interested in making it a business |
D.no one gave any presents or cards to their mothers |
If you look for a book as a present for a child,you will be spoiled for choice even in a year where there is no new Harry Potter J.K Rowling’s wizard is not alone:the past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books,which has set off a large quantity of films and in turn led to increased sales of classics such as The Lord of the Rings.
Yet despite that,reading is increasingly unpopular among children.According to statistics,in 1997,23% said they didn’t like reading at all.In 2003,35% did.And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computer games.Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile.Either way,Chancellor Gordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class.In his prebudget report,he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.
Reading Recovery is aimed at six year olds,who receive four months of individual daily halfhour classes with a specially trained teacher.An evaluation earlier this year reported that children on the scheme made 20 months’ progress in just one year,whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well,but read less often for fun than those elsewhere.Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can expect lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success.According to the OECD,being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.Which of the following is TRUE of Paragraph 1?
A.Many children’s books have been adapted from films. |
B.Many highquality children’s books have been published. |
C.The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films. |
D.The sales of presents for children have increased. |
Statistics suggested that________.
A.the number of top students increased with the use of computers |
B.a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading |
C.a minority of primary school children read properly |
D.a large percentage of children read regularly |
What do we know about Reading Recovery?
A.An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year. |
B.Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking. |
C.It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading. |
D.Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading. |
Reading for fun is important because bookloving children________.
A.take greater advantage of the project |
B.show the potential to enjoy a long life |
C.are likely to succeed in their education |
D.would make excellent future researchers |
The aim of this text would probably be________.
A.to overcome primary school pupils’ reading difficulty |
B.to encourage the publication of more children’s books |
C.to remind children of the importance of reading for fun |
D.to introduce a way to improve early childhood reading |
One of the bestknown American writers of children’s books is Alfred Strong,or Doctor Strong,as he is better known to readers everywhere.Now,an art show called “Doctor Strong From Then To Now” is travelling around the United States.The pictures and drawings show the history of Doctor Strong.
Doctor Strong first became famous almost fifty years ago when his first children’s book was published.Since then,he has written fortyfive books that have sold more than one hundred million copies around the world.
Doctor Strong’s books are known for their easy use of words and colorful,handdrawn pictures.These drawings bring life to his imaginary creatures,The Cat in the Hat,Horton the Elephant,The Grinch Who Stole Christmas,and hundreds of others.
The San Diego Museum,in California,organized the show.It included about three hundred Doctor Strong’s original (最早的) drawings and some of his writings.
Most of Doctor Strong’s books,although written in a funny way,have serious messages.For example,in Mc Elligot’s Pool,he describes the danger of pollution.He discusses the arms race in The Butter Battle Book,written in nineteen eightyfour.
Doctor Strong is almost eightyfour years old now.He says he never plans to write stories just for children.He says he writes stories that interest people of all ages.He says he uses easy words so that everyone,even a child,can understand.Alfred Strong is a famous ________ in the United States.
A.doctor |
B.artist |
C.writer |
D.reader |
Doctor Strong first became famous in ________.
A.his eighties when an art show was travelling around the United States |
B.his fifties when his drawings and writings were published |
C.nineteeneightyfour when his book Mc Elligot’s Pool was published |
D.his thirties when his first book was published |
Doctor Strong’s books are very popular in America because ________.
A.they are stories about animals such as cats,elephants and so on |
B.they are written in easy words with colorful pictures |
C.he organized an art show in California |
D.they are written in a funny way |
His purpose of writing many such books is ________.
A.to show his original pictures and drawings |
B.to organize a special art show of his own |
C.to make his readers laugh when they read his books |
D.not only to interest people but to expose(uncover)some serious social problems |
Doctor Strong says he writes his stories ________.
A.for all people |
B.for all his patients |
C.just for grownups |
D.just for children |
I suppose that having been brought up in the countryside and close to animals,it wasn’t remarkable(不平常的)when I decided to become a vet(兽医).Luckily I was also good at all the necessary science subjects.So after the college entrance examination I found myself at a veterinary college,training to look after animals in all kinds of situations.I hoped that I would be able to work in the research field so that I could find cures for animal diseases.
Much to my surprise,I found public health care was a very important aspect of my course. This is an area of animal medicine where a vet’s work has many things in common with the work of a doctor of human diseases.I particularly liked it because I recognized that the study of animal diseases can help human medicine.As we know,many infectious diseases come from animals—including SARS and bird flu.
Some of the infections have only been understood after carefully analytical work in labs by animal doctors. They helped identify the animal source for diseases such as SARS. They were also the first to identify various kinds of viruses. Sometimes vets are also able to suggest a cure for human illnesses.When I found this out I was determined to make public health medicine my chosen career.
After graduation,I applied for a job in public health.Soon I found myself concerned with the problem of bird flu.This is an illness that attacks birds,but humans can catch the disease if they are in close contact with infected birds.Though the job is dangerous,it makes me proud that vets and other animal disease researchers are in the front line helping to fight these unknown human diseases.The writer wanted to become a vet mainly because
______.
A.he did well in all necessary subjects |
B.he wanted to help animals |
C.he was close to animals in his early life |
D.he wanted to find cures for human diseases |
What made the writer particularly like the course of public health care was that________.
A.it was both important and interesting |
B.it could help him connect many human diseases with animals |
C.it made a vet’s work very much like a doctor’s |
D.it could help human medicine by studying animal diseases |
What can be followed if this passage continues?
A.The writer’s happy family life. |
B.How the writer did research work in studying bird flu. |
C.How the writer dealt with the relationship with other workmates. |
D.What difficulty the writer met in the research work. |
Which of the following is implied in the passage?
A.Animals with infectious diseases should be killed. |
B.Keeping animals is dangerous to humans. |
C.Dangerous as a vet’s job is,it is significant to the human race. |
D.Animal researchers work in the same way as human doctors. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A.Being a vet is helpful to both animals and humans. |
B.Vets can cure both animals and humans. |
C.Vets helped identify animal resources for SARS. |
D.Both SARS and bird flu are infectious diseases coming from animals. |