第一次 Why do smokers tend to weigh less than nonsmokers and gain weight when they give up the habit? Contrary to “common knowledge”, nonsmokers do not generally eat more than smokers, nor do they exercise less, studies find. Research performed on smokers at rest indicates that nicotine (尼古丁) itself can increase basal metabolic (新陈代谢的) rates, meaning smokers burn more energy than nonsmokers during periods of inactivity. But surveys suggest most smokers smoke not while completely at rest, but while performing light activities such as desk work that can increase metabolic rates by two or three times. Unless nicotine’s metabolic effects increase proportionally with metabolic rates, its influence on weight might be insignificant. Now a study shows that nicotine’s effects on body-fuel consumption indeed increase proportionally with increases in activity. “These results indicate that the metabolic effect of nicotine may play a greater part in accounting for body-weight differences between smokers and nonsmokers than was previously believed,” says Kenneth A. Perkins and his colleagues at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The researchers gave a nicotine nose spray to individuals performing light work — in this case riding an exercise bicycle modified to allow easy riding while subjects remain seated in a comfortable armchair. The activity raised resting metabolic rates two to three times. By analyzing air breathed out, the researchers calculated energy consumption in the armchair bicyclists before and after giving the nose spray and compared the relative changes with subjects in the control group given placebo (（试验药物用的）无效对照剂) nose sprays. Relative to their baseline bicycle expenditures, individuals in the nicotine group expended considerably more energy than did those in control group while doing the same amount of work. With nicotine, Perkins says, “It’s as if the body is becoming much less efficient in using its stored energy.” While the results may seem discouraging to smokers who’d like to quit without gaining weight, Perkins notes that walking an extra mile a day should make up for the difference in metabolic efficiency. And he says smokers would have to gain “well more than 50 pounds” to counterbalance the health risks of continued smoking. 1. What might “common knowledge” say about smokers and nonsmokers? A) Smokers eat more and exercise more than nonsmokers. B) Smokers eat less and exercise less than nonsmokers. C) Smokers eat less and exercise more than nonsmokers. √ D) Smokers eat more and exercise less than nonsmokers. 答案：C 2. When might nicotine influence smokers’ weight significantly? A) When Nicotine’s metabolic effects and metabolic rates increase at the same rate. √ B) While smokers are exercising. C) While smokers are at rest. D) When Nicotine’s metabolic effects increase proportionally with the amount of light activities. 答案：A 3. The word “subjects” in the fourth paragraph means . A) people under medical treatment B) researchers C) people undergoing an experiment √ D) addicted smokers 答案：C 4. What have the researchers found out in their study? A) People in the armchair expended more energy than people doing desk work. B) People in the control group breathed out more air. C) People without nicotine nose spray are becoming much less efficient in using energy. D) People in the nicotine group consumed more energy. √ 答案：D 5. Why do the study results seem discouraging to some smokers according to the passage? A) Because they want to gain weight to tackle the health risks of continued smoking. B) Because they want to quit smoking and still keep fit. √ C) Because they want to walking an extra mile a day to lose some weight. D) Because they want to keep fit without having to quit smoking. 答案：B A certain amount of controversy has been caused by the publication of a new report by a team of educationalists headed by Pro. B. J. Smith. The report claims to have statistical evidence that children who attend a number of different schools through their parents having to move around the country are more than normally vulnerable to a vicious cycle of low academic achievement. There are also indications, says Professor Smith, of an unusually high rate of psychological dismay among such children. The professor, who has long suspected that the effect on children whose parents travel to different parts of the country in search of work has not been sufficiently researched, stresses that this is not merely an expression of prejudice. “We are not dealing here with opinions,” he says, “It’s true, my personal feeling is that for children’s well-being, they should stay in one school. However, our findings are based on research and not on any personal attitudes that I or my colleagues may have on the subject.” Capt. Thomas Muller, an Army lecturer for the past 20 years and himself a father of two, said, “I’ve never heard such rubbish. As far as I’m concerned, absolutely no harm is done to the education of children who change schools regularly — as long as they keep to the same system as in our Army school. In my experience — and I’ve known quite a few of them — Army children are as well-adjusted as any others, if not more so. What the Professor doesn’t appear to appreciate is the fact that in such situations children will adapt much better than adults.” When this was put to Professor Smith, he said that at no time had his team suggested that all such children were backward or dismayed in some way, but simply that in their experience there was a clear tendency. “Our findings indicate that while the extremely bright child can cope with regular emotional turbulence without harming his or her general academic progress, the majority of children suffer from constantly having to enter a new learning environment.” 6. What does Professor Smith’s report suggest? A) Children shouldn’t change schools too often. √ B) Children who have to move around the country are better at academic achievement. C) Children attending many schools have caused a certain amount of controversy. D) Children who attend different schools are more vulnerable to vicious diseases. 答案：A 7. What does Professor Smith think of the findings of the research? A) They are proved by the research. √ B) They are just based on his personal feeling. C) They may merely be an expression of prejudice. D) They are based on personal attitudes. 答案：A 8. What does Capt. Thomas Muller think of children who change schools regularly? A) They can actually deal with the new environment better than adults. √ B) They do no harm to the education. C) They find it difficult to keep to the same system. D) They are generally ill-adjusted. 答案：A 9. How does Professor Smith defend himself again Capt. Thomas Muller? A) He suggests that children having regular emotional turbulence do not harm their academic progress. B) He argues that only a few children will suffer from changing schools regularly. C) He stresses that the majority of children tend to suffer from constantly adapting to a new learning environment. √ D) He believes that extremely bright child likes to enter a new learning environment. 答案：C 10. What does the passage mainly talk about? A) How army children get used to a new learning environment. B) Whether children would be affected by changing schools regularly. √ C) The procedure Professor Smith followed to conduct a study. D) The opinions people have about children who often change schools. 答案：B Recently there has been a tendency to sympathize with thieves whose operations have been carried out on a grand scale, and no attempt whatever has been made to hold them responsible. Some of the most thievish (像窃贼的) transactions have flourished and are still flourishing. Their success and their wealth are the only things recognized. They are honored as financiers and men of affairs, looked up to and respected. In reality they are nothing more and nothing less than a lot of merciless and heartless thieves. Fraud is fraud and cheating is cheating despite the artistic manner in which it is committed or the size of the scale upon which it is operated. It is time these men were classed properly and placed where they rightly belong, for they are no better than the miserable sneak-thief who steals a penny from a blind man’s dog. For the past two or three years working people who have made sacrifices to save a few pennies have been cheated most unmercifully. Their hard-earned savings have been stolen from them by every possible scheme from the obvious looting (打劫) of a bank to the higher and more artistic method of legalized high risk, complex financial products. Men high up in the financial world have lent their names to some of the most shady and notorious schemes that ever dishonored a community or a people. Because of this the most diligent and economical (节俭的) American people have been induced to place their hard-earned and carefully guarded savings in what they were led to believe was a safe investment, only to find out when too late that they had fallen into the hands of a gang of extremely respectable cheats. They cannot recover what they have lost. The thief is too powerful to be affected by the law while the victim is too weak to put its machinery in motion. It may be that the law is defective, or it may be that those having its machinery in charge are influenced by the wealth of the transgressors (违犯者). Whatever or whichever it is that is responsible ought to be investigated and the evil remedied. 11. What does the tendency mentioned in the first paragraph reflect? A) People encourage some of the most thievish transactions to flourish. B) People only respect success and wealth without any moral judgment. √ C) People prefer to carry out operations on a grand scale. D) People have made attempt to hold thieves responsible. 答案：B 12. How did working people lose their hard-earned savings? A) They lent their money to men high up in the financial world. B) They were cheated by the bank. √ C) They were unlucky in investment. D) They were robbed by the thieves nearby. 答案：B 13. When the writer says “a gang of extremely respectable cheats” in Paragraph Four, it is implied that . A) they are well-educated but ill-behaved √ B) they are respectable in artistic cheating C) they are cheats with respectable goals D) they are not well-educated but respected 答案：A 14. What could be a possible reason for the thieves to escape from law according to the passage? A) They are powerful enough to ignore the law. B) There are defects in the law. √ C) They are wealthy enough to compensate the victims. D) The victim is too weak to investigate them. 答案：B 15. It can be inferred from the passage that . A) there are too many thieves and robbers B) industrious and honest people should be highly paid C) moral standards are always upheld D) any thief should be punished √ 答案：D People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language. A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn. Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet. Some people seem to learn languages readily, while others find it very difficult. Teachers and the circumstances in which the language is learned also play an important role, as well as each learner＇s motivation for learning. If people learn a language because they need to use it professionally, they often learn it faster than people studying a language that has no direct use in their day to day life. Apparently, British diplomats and other embassy staff have found that the second hardest language is Japanese, which will probably come as no surprise to many, but the language that they have found to be the most problematic is Hungarian. This does not mean that Hungarian is the hardest language to learn for everyone, but it causes British diplomatic personnel, who are generally used to learning languages, the most difficulties. Different cultures and individuals from those cultures will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers of related languages may find it easier, while struggling with languages that the British find relatively easy. 16. Why is it hard to say which language is the most difficult to learn? A) Because it is only relevant when learning a second language. B) Because differences between languages are unimportant. C) Because people learn their mother tongue naturally. D) Because many factors have to be considered. √ 答案：D 17. Who will find Portuguese much easier to learn? A) A native speaker of Japanese B) A native speaker of Hungarian C) A native speaker of Spanish √ D) A native speaker of Chinese 答案：C 18. What is the most problematic language to British diplomats and other embassy staff? A) Japanese B) Spanish C) Hungarian √ D) Chinese 答案：C 19. Why do many people think Chinese is the hardest language to learn? A) Because the pronunciation of Chinese is difficult. √ B) Because the grammar of Chinese is complex. C) Because Chinese is not directly used in their life. D) Because Chinese uses the Roman alphabet. 答案：A 20. What factors cannot affect learning a second language according to the passage? A) each learner＇s motivation for learning B) neighboring countries √ C) teachers and the circumstances D) first language 答案：B In 1976, Winkler wrote a My Turn about the overwhelming reaction to the character he played on the popular television sitcom (情景喜剧), “Happy Days”. The show was at its peak, and Fonzie was its superstar. In fact, Americans related so strongly to the character that Winkler became apparently permanently part of the country’s broad, extended family. Three decades later, fans still greet the actor with Fonzie’s signature thumbs-up sign and a long, drawn out “Aaay!” “All these years later, the warmth I am treated with is unbelievable, and it’s all over the world,” Winkler says. He no longer receives the 50,000 fan letters a year that he got during “Happy Days”’s original run, but they still come by the hundreds. And on the street, folks tend to have a common reaction. “They thank me for making them laugh for so long. They say, ‘I grew up with you,’ or ‘my children grew up with you,’ or, ‘we sat and watched it together’,” he says. Winkler says his Fonzie days came back to him vividly as he read over his old My Turn. Cast on his 28th birthday, the Yale-trained performer had been a struggling actor, dreaming of fame. The dream turned real very quickly. “We were hardly on the air when this thing started to snowball, going from zero to 60 in about three seconds,” Winkler recalls. Today, Winkler gives speeches to college students about living their dreams, focusing on how to become a successful actor. “If you are determined, have a sense of humor and never take your eye off what it is you want, you can actually have it,” he says. Winkler is also at work on his first children’s book, co-authoring with Lin Oliver. He was recently named executive producer of “Hollywood Squares” and produces the show “Intuition” on the Game Show Network. His next movie, “Holes”, based on a children’s book, is scheduled for release this winter. In October 2000, Winkler made his Broadway debut costarring with John Ritter in the show “The Dinner Party.” But through it all, Winkler remains Fonzie. “I think he is the architect of my home, of my professional life, and of my good fortune in the world,” Winkler says. “He literally is the foundation for everything that was to come.” 21. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as fans’ reaction to Fonzie? A) Fans write lots of letters to Winkler for many years. B) Fans thank Winkler when they meet him on the street. C) Fans greet Winkler by imitating Fonzie’s signature. D) Fans sit and watch the sitcom together with Winkler. √ 答案：D 22. Which of the following influences him most according to the author? A) The television sitcom “Happy Days”. √ B) The show “The Dinner Party”. C) The movie “Holes”. D) The show “Intuition”. 答案：A 23. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage? A) Winkler spent long time struggling to make his dream come true. B) successful actor must have a sense of humor. C) Fans like Winkler as a superstar only for a few years. D) Fonzie usually utters a long, drawn out “Aaay!” in “Happy Days”. √ 答案：D 24. What does the word “snowball” in Paragraph three most probably mean?. A) throw at B) a ball made of snow C) grow rapidly √ D) melt easily 答案：C 25. Which of the following is the author primarily concerned with in this passage? A) Winkler’s article My Turn B) Fans’ reaction to Fonzie played by Winkler C) Winkler’s life as an actor D) Winkler and his sitcom “Happy Days” √ 答案：D 第二次 We all laugh. We all hurt. We all make mistakes. We all dream, that’s life. It’s a journey. Please follow these rules to make the journey of your life a journey of joy! Staying positive through the cold season could be your best defense against getting ill, new study findings suggest. In an experiment that exposed healthy volunteers to a cold or flu virus, researchers found that people with a generally sunny disposition (性格) were less likely to fall ill. The findings, published in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine, build on evidence that a “positive emotional style” can help ward off the common cold and other illnesses. Researchers believe the reasons may be both objective as in happiness boosting immune function and subjective as in happy people being less troubled by a scratchy throat or runny nose. “People with a positive emotional style may have different immune response to the virus,” explained lead study author Dr Sheldon Cohen of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. “And when they do get a cold, they may interpret their illness as being less severe.” Cohen and his colleagues had found in a previous study that happier people seemed less likely to catch a cold, but some questions remained as to whether the emotional trait itself had the effect. For the new study, the researchers had 193 healthy adults with complete standard measures of personality traits, self-perceived health and emotional “style”. Those who tended to be happy, energetic and easy-going were judged as having a positive emotional style, while those who were often unhappy, tense and hostile had a negative style. The researchers gave them nose drops containing either a cold virus or a particular flu virus. Over the next six days, the volunteers reported on any aches, pains, or sneezing (打喷嚏) they had, while the researchers collected objective data. Cohen and his colleagues found that based on objective measures of nasal woes (鼻部的不适), happy people were less likely to develop a cold. 1. The new study findings in the experiment suggest that _________. A) Having a good disposition is more likely to get ill. B) Being optimistic is more probable to keep healthy. √ C) Having a negative emotion is harmful to the character. D) Staying positive is more likely to catch cold. 答案：B 2. The phrase “ward off” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “_________”. A) shrug off B) give in C) keep away √ D) set aside 答案：C 3. It can be inferred from Dr. Sheldon Cohen’s interpretation that ______________. A) people with a positive emotion are more likely to interpret their illness objectively. B) people with a negative emotion are more likely to boost immune function to the virus. C) people with a negative emotion are more likely to interpret their illness subjectively. D) people with a positive emotion are more likely to regard their illness as less serious. √ 答案：D 4. It can be learnt from the passage that the benefits of having a positive emotional style are _____________. A) to be further studied B) still dubious C) self-evident D) proven by scientific research √ 答案：D 5. Which of the following would be the best TITLE for the passage? A) A Happy Journey Full of Joy B) Scientific Evidence of Staying Healthy C) The Secrets of Staying Positive D) The Health Benefits of Staying Positive √ 答案：D How is it that despite our amazing powers of production there are still hundreds of millions of people all over the earth in continuous want and poverty, and dangerously near the brink of starvation? What are the causes of poverty? Everyone is forced to realize and recognize its existence and no one has yet found a cure for it. Every thinking man has realized that poverty and starvation are not inevitable in the scheme of things. On the contrary, the fruitful earth yields enough for every one of the human beings inhabiting its surface without the twisted distribution of nature’s generosity (慷慨). This twisting is caused by our crude and ill developed ideas of distribution and the improper ordering of human services. In the first place, these services can be hindered at their source, and among the factors that operate in this direction may be war, crime, lack of healthy supervision, insufficient attention to rising generations, monopolies (垄断) and various private ownerships that limit the usefulness of property, and neglected and wasteful destruction of property. In the second place, the great cause of poverty is unproductive consumption. Services become unproductive when they are devoted to supplying luxuries or an excessive quantity of necessaries, which may be summed up in a single word: waste. These are the primary causes of poverty; they are responsible for the presence of starvation. Is there a remedy? The elimination of waste through perfect production and distribution is a problem that is slowly but surely being solved by the great combinations of capital that have destroyed competition. These monopolies, selfish in the extreme and with no thought beyond profit at any price, are rendering us useful service by teaching us the importance of cooperation and cooperative methods. When these great industrial combinations, these wonderfully smooth running great business machines become the property of all the people and cease to be operated for private gain, a great step will have been taken in the direction of the solution of the starvation problem. When everyone will produce according to his ability and consume according to his needs, then, and not until then will poverty and starvation depart entirely and forever from the minds of men. 6. According to the passage, starvation _____. A) is due to excessive consumption by human beings B) is inevitable in whatever condition C) is owing to the improper distribution of nature’s generosity √ D) is the result of insufficient production 答案：C 7. Which of the following can hinder human services at their source? A) Crime and lack of wealthy supervision. B) Private ownerships and unproductive consumption. C) War and destruction of property. √ D) Luxuries and an excessive quantity of necessaries. 答案：C 8. Why does unproductive consumption is considered as the great cause of poverty in Paragraph Three? A) Because people stop producing but only consume. B) Because people who don’t produce are responsible for the presence of starvation. C) Because people devote too much to luxuries and don’t produce anything. D) Because people are supplied with excessive quantity of necessaries and waste a lot. √ 答案：D 9. How to eliminate waste through production and distribution according to the passage? A) By seeking profit at any price and being selfish. B) By cooperating and making the industrial combinations public property. √ C) By creating more monopolies to make more profits. D) By privatizing business machines and teaching the importance of cooperation. 答案：B 10. When can the starvation problem be solved according to the passage? A) When the great industrial combinations cease to be operated for private gain. B) When private monopolies become public property and the element of profit is eliminated. C) When production is organized based on personal capabilities and distribution on individual needs. √ D) When efficiency of production has been greatly enhanced. 答案：C MY NEIGHBOR HAS A GUN. In fact, not having the good fortune to live in the last house on a dead-end street, I am surrounded by neighbors with guns. My situation is hardly novel, since most American households own at least one weapon. We now have enough privately owned guns to arm nearly every man, woman and child in the country. And some of those children are not just imaginary gun users, as recent statistics indicate. My neighbors’ guns make me nervous; I’m afraid that they might go off at the wrong time, pointed in the wrong direction. I’ve asked why such dangerous items are allowed to clutter up the house. I’ve gotten several answers, from constitutional rights to the innocent sport of blasting birds out of the skies. I’d like to focus on just one of these reasons. My neighbor tells me that curling up at night with his gun nearby makes him feel safer. Safer from what? A madman out to better the going entry in the “Guinness Book of World Records” for bloody brutality? My neighbor faces far less danger from the mentally ill killer, who fortunately is extremely rare, than he does from my other neighbor who also has a gun. Contrary to the public myth, mental patients have crime rates far below those of my neighbor or me; for all categories of crime and for homicide in particular. One of the few safe places left to live in this gun-packing country is on the grounds of your local mental hospital, where the residents are far less aggressive than my neighbor and guns are checked in at the gate. Safer from some intruder (侵入者) in the night seeking to deprive his wife of her virtue or him of his new color television? According to best available estimates, my neighbor’s odds of doing himself in accidentally with his own gun are about five times higher than his odds of being done in by some intruder. As a gun owner, my neighbor would be better advised to invest his money in locks and a loud dog. Actually, the intruder in the night accounts for fewer than three percent of our gun deaths. The bulk comes from perfectly law-abiding (守法的) but gun-toting (持枪的) people like my neighbors, who kill each other, themselves, or me. 11. Which of the following can be inferred from the first paragraph? A) Some American children have used gun to kill people. √ B) Every person in this country knows how to use guns. C) Each American household owns at least one weapon. D) The author lives in the last house on a dead-end street. 答案：A 12. Which of the following may be NOT the reason why neighbors’ guns make the author nervous? A) Their arms might kill me by accident. B) Dislike the sport of blasting birds out of the skies. √ C) Their guns might point in the wrong direction. D) Their guns might go off at the wrong time. 答案：B 13. What does the author imply in the passage? A) madman kills people to enter “Guinness Book of World Records”. B) My neighbor is not likely to be killed by my other neighbor with guns. C) People like my neighbor have a higher crime rate than mental patients. √ D) Living in a mental hospital is dangerous due to its aggressive residents. 答案：C 14. What can we conclude from the fourth paragraph? A) The gun deaths are primarily caused by those intruders in the night. B) My neighbor is more likely to be killed by his own gun than by intruders’. √ C) It’s better to invest money in guns than in locks or dogs. D) Those people carrying guns don’t abide by the law. 答案：B 15. What is the author primarily concerned with In this passage? A) Discussing the bloody brutality of killing by gun B) Analyzing crimes committed by mental patients. C) Explaining why my neighbors need to own guns. D) Worrying about the need for gun control. √ 答案：D Before, during and after the recession, demand for one sort of worker has been persistently stronger: jobs that involve assisting or caring for other people – from fast-food workers to home-health assistant to nail polishers. These occupations have one thing in common: They aren＇t easily automated (使自动化) or outsourced (转包) abroad. “You can＇t send people to China or India for a haircut,” says Israel Kakuriev, 37 years old, who has been cutting hair in midtown Manhattan for the past 20 years. Nor is there, yet, a robot that can cut hair or hold the hand of an elderly woman with Alzheimer＇s(老人痴呆症) or do all the work that flight attendants do. The U.S. government releases its latest report on the job market Friday morning amid worrisome signs that economic growth is slowing well short of full employment. But economists see a couple of longer-term trends. Dividing the workforce into high, medium and lower-skill workers, they note that around the world, demand for the most skilled and educated – from engineers to specialized factory workers – has been relatively strong. But globalization and technology have eroded demand for routine middle-skill, middle wage jobs: In factories, assembly jobs have been eliminated by automation or moved overseas; in offices, tasks once done by humans are done by computers and voice-response software. At the same time, Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist David Autor notes an increase in personal-service jobs – the ones that can’t be done remotely from overseas and can’t easily be done by machines. To measure this, Mr. Autor and MIT’s Daron Acemoglu sliced the U.S. workforce into 318 occupations, ranked by skill and education. Between 1989 and 2007 – just before the recession – they found a five percent increase in routinized production, machine-operator and office jobs – but a 36 percent increase in personal-service jobs and a 40 percent increase in top-of-the-pyramid jobs, such as managers, professionals and financial wizards (奇才). 16. Why has the demand been persistently strong for jobs that involve assisting or caring for other people, according to the passage? A) Because these jobs are high-skill occupations. B) Because these jobs are especially popular before, during and after the recession. C) Because these jobs are common and not so many people compete for them. D) Because these jobs cannot be replaced by machines or be done in another country. √ 答案：D 17. Which of the following is a long-term trend, according to economists? A) The workforce gradually develop into high, medium and lower-skill workers. B) Technology gives rise to strong demand for middle-skill, middle wage jobs C) Lower-skill jobs will gradually be eliminated in the globalized world. D) Demand for the most skilled has always been relatively strong. √ 答案：D 18. What was found by scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology? A) They found an increase of personal service jobs during the recession. B) They found that most of the personal-service jobs will be done by machines. C) They found that U.S workforce could be divided into 318 occupations based on their increase of wages. D) The found an increase of top-level jobs before the recession. √ 答案：D 19. Which of the following occupation probably cannot be popular during recession? A) fast-food workers. B) professionals. C) machine-operators. √ D) flight attendants. 答案：C 20. What can be inferred from the passage? A) To find a personal-service job is superior to most skilled and educated workers. B) Many assembly jobs are done by computers and voice-response software. C) Managers and professionals can keep a good salary during recession. D) Even the most intelligent robot could not take the place of all human labor. √ 答案：D Some prominent businesswomen believe they are being asked to disclose more about their personal lives as they climb the career ladder than their male counterparts (对应的人或事). One seemingly innocent but frequently asked question illustrates the keen interest in the balance that women have to achieve between their professional and private lives – “how do you make it work?” Campaigners say that this question would hardly ever be put to a man and that it implicitly raises doubts over women’s commitment to their professional lives. Similarly, in a recent interview, one female chief executive declined to answer questions about her home life, saying her own achievements might then be attributed to having a supportive husband and family – or to being single or childless. Deborah Meaden, the entrepreneur (企业家) whose profile rose dramatically when she began appearing on a BBC’s popular television show, has developed strict boundaries around the parts of her life that she will and will not discuss. “I was fairly nervous about mentioning anything at the start, but I am clear now about what I will and won’t talk about,” she explains. “You will never see a picture of my home, but there are stories that I have decided I don’t mind talking about – like the fact that I keep pigs and sheep. Who my friends are and what I do in my private life is not public information,” she says. But she believes that the scale of interest in her personal life is the result of her media career, as much as her gender. “There are more men in business and so it’s a fact that if you are a woman you are a rarity and therefore you will attract more interest. And there is interest in how your life works because the traditional form is that women look after the family. But a lot of business people go about their life without anyone being interested in their home life.” 21. What does the question “how do you make it work?” mean to successful women? A) People have more interest in their professional life. B) people are curious about how women could be more successful than their male counterparts. C) People want to know more about their personal lives. D) People are doubtful over women’s commitment to their professional lives. √ 答案：D 22. What can you learn from the story of Deborah Meaden? A) She will disclose who her friends are and what she does after work. B) She was always worried about her personal life. C) She will never talk about her private life publicly. √ D) She will tell her stories about how to keep pigs and sheep. 答案：C 23. Why was Deborah Meaden attracting so much interest? A) Because she always developed strict boundaries around the parts of her life. B) Because she has no children. C) Because she is a prominent woman appearing on a popular television show. √ D) Because she is having a supportive husband and family. 答案：C 24. What can be inferred from the text? A) People have gender-related prejudice against women’s success in career. √ B) People are curious about women’s marriage and family. C) People assume that women should not ignore their commitment to family. D) People have more interest in businessmen’s home life. 答案：A 25. The author’s tone in this passage is ____________. A) doubtful B) surprised C) Objective √ D) critical 答案：C 第三次 Have you ever met someone and within seconds completely forgotten their name? Remembering people＇s names is crucial if you want to build strong relationships in life. And we all know strong relationships are one of the most important factors for a productive and successful life. So why is it so difficult to remember someone＇s name? And what can we do to make sure we＇re not left in an awkward situation where we utter those fatal words: “sorry–what was your name again?“ One of the key reasons we forget names is that we don＇t “focus“ our attention on them. As soon as we＇re introduced to someone new, our thoughts are racing ahead to think of “what to say next“ and we pay no attention to the name we＇ve just been told. Not only is it embarrassing when this happens, it can also severely damage new relationships. On the flip side, one of the quickest and easiest ways to build rapport and demonstrate your respect for someone – is to use their name when you＇re speaking to them. You may have noticed that successful people who carry a lot of authority in their jobs often use people’s names when they＇re speaking. There are a few things you can do to help you with this. For example: 1. Focus and listen intently. 2. Repeat the name. 3. Associate the name. 4. Rhyme (使押韵) the name. 5. Note facial features. As you can see, there are many ways to increase your memory when it comes to remembering people＇s names. And in my experience it really is worth making the effort, especially if it means you escape that dreaded phrase: “Sorry what was your name again?“ Why not try using one of these tips next time you＇re introduced to someone? Who knows – it could be the start of a really important relationship in your life? 1. What is the crucial reason why we couldn’t remember people＇s names? A) We are too nervous and embarrassed. B) We don’t care what the person’s name is. C) We don’t pay attention to the name we＇ve just been told. √ D) We are afraid of damaging new relationships. 答案：C 2. What does rapport in Paragraph 3 probably mean in the context? A) effort B) experience C) authority D) relationship √ 答案：D 3. What is not the proper way to remember people＇s names? A) To rhyme their name with another word. B) To repeat the name of the person you have just met. C) To associate their name with something familiar. D) To note any distinguishable clothes features. √ 答案：D 4. What can be inferred from the passage? A) To remember the person’s name shows that you have a good memory. B) To remember the person’s name indicates that you long to build a good relationship with others. C) To remember the person’s name as soon as possible is not easy at all. D) To remember the person’s name is one of the critical qualities for a successful person. √ 答案：D 5. Which of the following would be the best topic for this passage? A) Some tips on how to remember people’s names. √ B) Some tips on how to build good relationship. C) How to become a successful speaker. D) Why should we remember successful people’s names. 答案：A In today’s knowledge economy, nations survive on the things they do best. Japanese design electronics while Germens export engineering techniques. The French serve the best food and Americans make computers. Britain specializes in the gift of talking. The nation doesn’t manufacture much of anything. But it has lawyers, stylists and business consultants who earn their living from talk, talk and more talk. The World Foundation think tank (智囊库) says the UK’s four iconic jobs today are not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses. Instead，they’re hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers. But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can. Although the country’s trade deficit was more than￡60 billion in 2006，UK’s largest in the postwar period, officials say the country has nothing to worry about. In fact, Britain does have a world-class pharmaceutical (制药的) industry‚ and it still makes a small sum from selling arms abroad. It also trades services – accountancy（会计业）, insurance, banking and advertising. The government believes Britain is on the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. After all, the country of Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a literary tradition of which to be proud. Rock ‘n’ roll is an English language medium, and there are billions to be made by their cutting-edge bands. In other words, the creative economy has plenty of strength to carry the British economy. However, creative industries account for only about four percent of UK’s exports of goods and services. The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The report shows only 38 percent of British companies were engaged in “innovation activities”，three percentage points below the EU average and well below Germany (61 percent) and Sweden (47 percent). In fact, it might be better to call Britain a “servant” economy – there are at least four million people “in service”. The majority of the population is employed by the rich to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Many graduates are even doing menial (仆人的) jobs for which they do not need a degree. Most employment growth has been，and will continue to be，at the low-skill end of the service sector – in shops, bars, hotels, domestic service and in nursing and care homes. 6. What can be learnt from the first paragraph? A) Knowledge is important for a country’s survival. B) A country has to offer its best products to survive in the knowledge economy. √ C) Every country has its own contribution to today’s knowledge economy. D) Technology plays a role in today’s knowledge economy for every country. 答案：B 7. Why do some officials say that Britain has nothing to worry about although it suffers a heavy trade deficit? A) Because they believe Britain still has some world-class industries. B) Because they believe Britain is keeping up with the knowledge economy. √ C) Because Britain is still making profit from some trade services. D) Because the creative literary tradition has strength to carry the British economy. 答案：B 8. Why were there fewer British companies engaged in “innovation activities”? A) Because British companies are not good at innovation activities. B) Because Britain can rely on other industries to make profits. C) Because the competition between different economies is fierce. D) Because creative industries are difficult to make money. √ 答案：D 9. What does the author mean by saying Britain’s economy a “servant” one? A) Many people are willing to be servants. B) Many people are employed to do low-skill jobs. √ C) Many people do not have creative ideas. D) Many people do not have the ability to earn a degree. 答案：B 10. What is probably the author’s attitude toward UK’s current economy? A) sneering B) doubtful √ C) sympathetic D) confident 答案：B The time has come for humanity to journey to Mars. We’re ready. Though Mars is distant, we are far better prepared today to send humans to Mars than we were to travel to the Moon at the beginning of the space age. Given the will, we could have our first teams on Mars within a decade. The reasons for going to Mars are powerful. We must go for the knowledge of Mars. Our robotic probes have revealed that Mars was once a warm and wet planet, suitable for hosting life’s origin. But did it? A search for fossils (化石) on the Martian surface or microbes (微生物) in groundwater below could provide the answer. If found, they would show that the origin of life is not unique to the Earth, and, by implication, reveal a universe that is filled with life and probably intelligence as well. From the view point of learning our true place in the universe, this would be the most important scientific enlightenment since Copernicus. Earth’s atmosphere and environment in significant ways. It has become a critical matter for us to better understand all aspects of our environment. In this project, comparative planetology is a very powerful tool, a fact already shown by the role that Venusian (金星的) atmospheric studies played in our discovery of the potential threat of global warming by greenhouse gases. Mars, the planet most like the Earth, will have even more to teach us about our home world. The knowledge we gain could be key to our survival. We must go for the future. Mars is not just a scientific curiosity; it is a world with a surface area equal to all the continents of the Earth combined, possessing all the elements that are needed to support not only life, but technological society. It is a New World, filled with history waiting to be made by a new and youthful branch of human civilization that is waiting to be born. We must go to Mars to make that potential a reality. We must go, not for us, but for a people who are yet to be. We must do it for the Martians. 11. Why has the time come for humanity to travel to Mars according to the passage? A) Because the first team on Mars has already been organized. B) Because most people are financially better off than they were. C) Because people are far better ready today to send people to Mars than before. √ D) Because people are willing to sacrifice their own life to travel to Mars. 答案：C 12. What is the purpose of the search for fossils on the Martian surface or microbes in groundwater? A) To explore the origin of the universe. B) To ascertain whether life can exist on the planet Mars. √ C) To test whether the robotic probes can really function on the Mars. D) To reveal how intelligent the people are on the earth. 答案：B 13. The author believes that the most important scientific enlightenment of the universe would be ___________. A) the discovery of our place in the universe B) the discovery of fossils on the Martian surface C) the discovery of life on Mars √ D) the discovery of ground water on Mars 答案：C 14. Why must we go for knowledge of Earth? A) Because it could help us find out the potential threat from other planets. B) Because it could help us learn more about the Earth for our survival. √ C) Because it could help us compare the Earth with other planets. D) Because it could help us use the knowledge of Earth to explore other planets. 答案：B 15. What can be inferred from the sentence “Mars is not just a scientific curiosity.”? A) Mars is a world full of history of adventures. B) Mars can make people more civilized. C) Mars could be utilized to support our life and technological society. √ D) Mars is suitable for all the people to explore. 答案：C People have wondered for a long time how their personalities, and behaviors are formed. It is not easy to explain why one person is intelligent and another is not, or why one is cooperative and another is competitive. Social scientists are, of course, extremely interested in these types of questions. There are no clear answers yet, but two distinct schools of thought on the matter have developed. The controversy is often conveniently referred to as “nature vs. nurture”. Those who support the “nature” side of the conflict believe that our personalities and behavior patterns are largely determined by biological factors. That our environment has little, if anything, to do with our abilities, characteristics and behavior is central to this theory. Taken to an extreme, this theory maintains that our behavior is predetermined to such a great degree that we are almost completely governed by our instincts. Those who support the “nurture” theory, that is, they advocate education, are often called behaviorists. They claim that our environment is more important than our biologically based instincts in determining how we will act. The behaviorists maintain that, like machines, humans respond to environmental stimuli (刺激) as the basis of their behavior. Let us examine the different explanations about one human characteristic, intelligence, offered by the two theories. Supporters of the nature theory insist that we are born with a certain capacity for learning that is biologically determined. Needless to say, they don’t believe that factors in the environment have much influence on what is basically a predetermined characteristic. On the other hand, behaviorists argue that our intelligence levels are the product of our experiences. Behaviorists suggest that the child who is raised in an environment where there are many stimuli which develop his or her capacity for appropriate responses will experience greater intellectual development. The social and political implications of these two theories are profound. In the United States, blacks often score below whites on standardized intelligence tests. This leads some nature supporters to conclude that blacks are biologically inferior to whites. Behaviorists “in contrast“ say that differences in scores are due to the fact that blacks are often deprived of many of the educational and other environmental advantages that whites enjoy. 16. What are social scientists interested in according to this passage? A) Why people have certain personalities and behaviors. √ B) Why there is a controversy between nature and nurture theories. C) Who are more intelligent and cooperative than others. D) What are the differences between nature and nurture theories. 答案：A 17. According to the supporters of the nature side, our personalities and behavior patterns are mainly determined by ____________. A) physical development B) experience and knowledge C) biological strength √ D) environmental influence 答案：C 18. Which of the following is not true about the explanation of intelligence according to the passage? A) The nurture theory believes that we can improve our intelligence by learning in an environment full of stimuli. B) The nature theory believes that intelligence is the product of our experiences. √ C) The nature theory believes that intelligence is biologically determined. D) The nurture theory believes that intelligence comes mainly from experience. 答案：B 19. What is the purpose of using the example of American blacks in the passage? A) To show the profound impact brought about by the two theories. √ B) To show the significance of American blacks for academic research. C) To show that education is important in improving the condition of American blacks. D) To show that American blacks are biologically inferior to whites. 答案：A 20. What is the author’s attitude toward the two theories in the passage? A) The author seems to think that the nature theory is more believable. B) The author seems to say no to both theories. C) The author seems to think that the nurture theory is more reasonable. D) The author seems to hold a neutral standpoint. √ 答案：D The standardized educational or psychological tests that are widely used to aid in selecting, classifying, assigning, or promoting students, employees, and military personnel have been the target of recent attacks in books, magazines, the daily press, and even in Congress. The target is wrong, for in attacking the tests, critics divert attention from the fault that lies with ill-informed or incompetent users. The tests themselves are merely tools, with characteristics that can be measured with reasonable precision under specified conditions. Whether the results will be valuable, meaningless, or even misleading depends partly upon the tool itself but largely upon the user. All informed predictions of future performance are based upon some knowledge of relevant past performance: school grades, research productivity, sales records, or whatever is appropriate. How well the predictions will be validated by later performance depends upon the amount, reliability, and appropriateness of the information used and on the skill and wisdom with which it is interpreted. Anyone who keeps careful score knows that the information available is always incomplete and that the predictions are always subject to error. Standardized tests should be considered in this context. They provide a quick objective method of getting some kinds of information about what a person learned, the skills he has developed, or the kind of person he is. The information so obtained has the same advantages and shortcomings as other kinds of information. Whether to use tests, other kinds of information, or both in a particular situation depends, therefore, upon the evidence from experience concerning comparative validity (有效性) and upon such factors as cost and availability. In general, the tests work most effectively when the qualities to be measured can be most precisely defined and least effectively when what is to be measured or predicated can not be well defined. Properly used, they provide a rapid means of getting comparable information about many people. Sometimes they identify students whose high potential has not been previously recognized, but there are many things they do not do. For example, they do not compensate for gross (严重的) social inequality, and thus do not tell how able an underprivileged youngster might have been had he grown up under more favorable circumstances. 21. Why are the standardized tests criticized by so many people according to the passage? A) Because the standardized tests can only be used under specific conditions. B) Because people’s attention is diverted by some critics from the real problem. √ C) Because the standardized tests are used so widely that people are deeply affected. D) Because the standardized tests are merely tools with limited functions. 答案：B 22. How do we evaluate informed predictions of future performance according to the passage? A) By seeing whether they are based on some information about past performance. B) By listening to the opinions of those who keep careful score. C) By knowing the wisdom and skills of people who provide the predictions. D) By paying attention to how the information is used and interpreted. √ 答案：D 23. What does the passage say about standardized tests? A) They provide a particular situation where a person can experience. B) They serve as tools to get some quick and objective information about a person. √ C) They depend largely on how much experience a person has. D) They can help to get detailed information about a person quickly. 答案：B 24. Which of the following situation does a standardized test work most effectively? A) To identify whose high potential has not been previously recognized. B) To prove how able an underprivileged youngster could be. C) To predict what a person would be like if he grew up under more favorable circumstances. D) To measure a person’s qualities that can be described precisely. √ 答案：D 25. What in general is the author’s attitude toward standardized tests in this passage? A) Neutral B) doubtful C) Negative D) Positive √ 答案：D
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