The Loss of Innocence
Innocence is such a precious gift． It’s explained as freedom from guilt or wrong doing． Just imagine never having to worry about anything and having a guilt free mind． Some people wish to save this kind of innocence from being lost from childhood to adulthood．
What would the world be like if innocence were never lost？One way it would benefit humanity is the lack of hatred （仇恨）among the world． During youth，there may be an occasional argument， even a little physical fight， but nothing like firing a handgun at a fellow human being． And children are blind towards the racial differences of others． A kid will hang out with any other kid． It is the lack of innocence and the ignorance we learn from adults that influence children otherwise． Another benefit is the constant desire for fun and adventure． With very little if any time at all for fun， the adventurous mind is lost in time with the responsibilities placed upon adults．If innocence were kept alive， these ambitions would never depart from our lives．
However， other people actually hate the idea of innocence lasting forever． They feel that the lack of organization and mental power of those with innocence would cause extremely destructive consequences to society in general． A large number of individuals would never have the urge to learn，work， and act upon the necessary needs for humanity to survive． Without a proper education which is usually provided by those who no longer live in a world of innocence， people would not have the desire to succeed， get a good job in life， or provide income for their families， which would hurt the lives of children．
The lack of a good education and career would also harm the economy． As long as innocence is kept alive， no one would be terribly angered at the lack of effort people put out in the workplace， resulting in a strong decline in production and quality of needed goods．
Maybe it is wrong in wanting to save innocence． It sure is a nice thought，though． Perhaps innocence was meant to be lost． It was god’s will to make things the way they are， and there is a good purpose for everything． All that remains to be said about innocence is to enjoy it while it lasts．
The author believes that the loss of innocence in adulthood should be _______．
| A．avoided |
| B．condemned |
| C．accepted |
| D．inspired |
Lifelong innocence would be beneficial to society in that _______．
| A．proper education would be provided |
| B．there would be no racial discrimination |
| C．more happy families would be guaranteed |
| D．people would realize their childhood dreams |
According to the author， people with innocence can hurt the economy with their lack of _____．
| A．motivational will |
| B．mental ability |
| C．adventurous ambitions |
| D．needed goods |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage？
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the more wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she’d said again, “it’s for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional(易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace— it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside —a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times.
Give me an answer, my letter asks, in any way you choose. Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words. The passage shows that ______.
| A．mother cared much about her daughter in words |
| B．mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done |
| C．mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter |
| D．mother wrote to her daughter in careful words |
The underlined word “gulf” in the fourth paragraph means ______.
| A．different ideas between the mother and the daughter |
| B．deep understanding between the old and the young |
| C．free talks between mother and daughter |
| D．part of the sea going far in land |
What did mother do with her daughter’s letter asking forgiveness?
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
| D．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．My letter to Mother | B．Mother and Children |
| C．Talks between Mother and Me | D．My mother’s Desk |
There’s been a lot of talk about white-and-blue collar（衣领） workers, and you may have even heard of gold collar workers, but lately a new color of collar is making its way into China’s urban vernacular(土话)—green. Green collars say no when work is life and life is work. They choose to get out of the fast lane(车道), and explore new ways of living “green”.
Living green doesn’t mean someone is working as an environmentalist, biologist or scientist. Instead it is more of a lifestyle choice. A typical green collar is well educated like a white-collar but physically tough like a blue-collar, likely born in the 70s or 80s of the last century and living in one of China’s big cities, with a monthly income well above 5,000 yuan(about US $700).
The life of a green collar may go something like this: Turn off the mobile phone after work, eat only healthy food rich in vitamins, go on hikes every weekend, and like to help the underprivileged.
Green collars even have their own club. In Beijing, the Green Collar Club is for people who share a “be happy, healthy and helpful” spirit. The club often holds charity parties and uses the donations for environmental protection and poverty relief projects in China.
“They are successful in their careers, but do not miss the pleasures in life. They have a lot of money, but do not fall slave to it.” said Zuo Shiguang, one of the founding members of the club.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Differences between white-and-blue collars and green collars. |
| B．The increasing awareness(意识) of environmental protection. |
| C．New trends of life in China’s big cities. |
| D．The lifestyle of green collars. |
Green collars are living green because _________.
| A．they have a large income to use |
| B．they refuse to live an unhealthy life |
| C．they spend a lot of money and time in the open air |
| D．they devote themselves to environmental protection |
What’s Zuo Shiguang’s attitude towards green collars?
| A．Appreciative. | B．Doubtful. | C．Negative(否定的). | D．Neutral(中立的). |
The underlined part “the underprivileged” probably refers to those who are_________.
| A．in heavy polluted areas | B．in faraway places |
| C．in a poor state of education | D．in unfavourable(不利的) conditions |
This may be music to your ears.
Researchers P. Jason Rentfrow and Samuel Gosling gave 3,500 people a personality quiz. Then they asked them to name their favorite kind of music. “We found that the musical style people like are closely linked to their personalities,” Gosling says.
RAP/HIP-HOP
Known for their quick speech, some rappers can say more than 700 syllables (音节) a minute!
If you like rap/hip-hop, you are energetic and have a way with words. You put a fresh spin on things, whether it’s new moves on the dance floor or your hip style.
CLASSLCAL
In the 18th century, classical musicians were like rock stars. Beethoven and Mozart, for example, played in packed concert halls.
If you like classical, you are open to new ideas and like debating with friends. Creative and imaginative, you can easily spend many hours scrapbooking, writing or painting.
COUNTRY
Country music came from the folk songs of English, Scottish, and Irish settlers of the southeastern United States.
If you like country, you express your opinions well, which makes you the ideal class president or team captain. Traditional and loyal, you enjoy spending time with your family.
POP
Pop music is designed to appeal to (吸引) almost everyone, and it does. Each year, the industry brings in about 30 billion dollars!
If you like pop, you are attractive to your friends. You can make big things happen, like planning for a huge party or inspiring your team to victory.
ROCK
In the 1950s, rock music created a brand-new culture. Teenagers, for the first time, had an identity separate from adults and children.
If you like rock, you are a risk-taker who never accepts no for an answer. You rise to any challenge, like doing very well in a big exam or landing the lead in the school play.
If these personality profiles don’t match you, that’s OK. These are just for fun.What does the underlined part “You put a fresh spin on things” mean in the passage?
| A．You can express your idea in a clever way that makes it seem better than it really is. |
| B．You have the ability to attract others’ attention. |
| C．You are always willing to communicate with others. |
| D．You are willing to express your thoughts to others all the time. |
If you like pop music, .
| A．you are traditional and prefer to stay with your family |
| B．you are easy to accept new ideas |
| C．you are welcome and your friends all like to be with you |
| D．you have a quick speech and can say 30 words in a minute |
We can know from this passage that .
| A．in the 18th century, classical musicians were like pop stars |
| B．country music came from the old songs of the Native Americans |
| C．pop music is liked by the largest number of people in the world |
| D．everyone can find his personality in this passage |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．When music came into being. |
| B．What your favorite music says about you. |
| C．Some basic information about music. |
| D．How to like music. |
Would you eat a ready meal from the fridge rather than cook by yourself? Have you been doing Internet shopping rather than going to the stores? What can’t you be bothered to do?
A study into how lazy British people are has found more than half of the adults are so idle (懒散的) that they’d catch the lift rather than climb two flights of stairs.
Just over 2,000 people were quizzed by independent researchers at Nuffield Health, Britain’s largest health center. The results were extremely surprising.
About one in six people questioned said if their remote control was broken, they would continue watching the same channel rather than get up.
More than one third of those questioned said they would not run to catch a bus. Worryingly, of the 654 respondents with children, 64% said they were often too tired to play with them.
This led the report to conclude that it’s no wonder that one in six children in the UK are classified as obese (very fat) before they start school.
Dr Sarah Dauncey, medical director of Nuffield Health, said, “People need to get fitter, not just for their own sake, but for the sake of their families, friends and evidently (明显地；显然) their pets too.”
“If we don’t start to take control of this problem, a whole generation will become too unfit to perform even the most fundamental tasks.”
And Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow, was shamed as the most idle city in the UK, with 75% questioned admitting they do not get enough exercise, followed closely by Birmingham and Southampton, both with 67%.
The results bring serious challenges for the National Health Service, where obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease and cancer have been on a steady increase for the past 40 years and are costing billions of pounds every year.How many people questioned don’t play with their children?
| A．1280. | B．More than 333. | C．654. | D．About 420. |
The study leads us to believe that _____________.
| A．the pets in the UK will be in trouble if their owners keep their way of life |
| B．Glasgow people feel ashamed because they don’t get enough exercise |
| C．British people are the laziest around the world |
| D．five sixths of the British children are healthy |
How does the author convince the readers?
| A．By presenting the results of a study. |
| B．By providing answers to questions. |
| C．By interviewing some experts. |
| D．By telling a story. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A study of British people’s laziness. | B．A study of British people’s lifestyles. |
| C．The health service in the UK. | D．The obesity problem in the UK. |
The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. “Banana 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira.”
He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill. He didn’t have change, so I told him not to worry.
He said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it’s not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.
I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What’s up?” I asked him. “I…I don’t have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills.
“Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. “Thank you, sir,” he said. “Thank you very much.”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for school-books. What if he’s a cheat? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn’t know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in Northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive. When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face.
“Oh, gosh! Long time.”
“Are you in school now?” I asked.
He nodded.
“That’s good,” I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. “Here,” I held out a 500 naira bill. “Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “It’s a gift.”
He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shone with sweat. He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, “I’ve been waiting to give these to you.”What was the author’s first impression of the boy?
| A．He seemed to be poor and greedy. | B．He seemed to have suffered a lot. |
| C．He seemed younger than his age. | D．He seemed good at bargaining. |
The third time the author met him, the boy ______.
| A．told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts |
| B．wanted to express his thanks |
| C．asked him for money for his schoolbooks |
| D．tried to take advantage of him |
Why did the author give his money to the boy?
| A．Because he had enough money to do that. |
| B．Because he had learnt to help others since childhood. |
| C．Because he held a higher position in the society. |
| D．Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so. |
Which of the following best describes the boy?
| A．Brave and polite. | B．Kind and smart. |
| C．Honest and thankful. | D．Shy and nervous. |