Across the globe, single parent homes are on the rise. In the US, the 2000 census (人口普查) showed 24.8 million, or nearly 24 percent of the nation’s 105.5 million households, were traditional two-parent homes. By comparison, 9.8 million households, or 9 percent of all US households were headed by an adult raising a child alone. The 1990 census showed 26 percent of homes were led by a married mother and father, and 8 percent of homes were led by a single parent.
Similar increases occurred in other countries. In the UK, lone-parent homes increased from 3.3 percent in 1990 to 5.5 percent in 1999. Single parent households in Australia rose from 5.8 percent in 1990 to 7.6 percent in 1999. Belgium saw the increase from 1.8 percent to 2.7 percent during the same period of time. These countries tend to have greater acceptance of the single parent because there are fewer nearby family members to disapprove, Riche, a Census Bureau director, said.
Just as in the US, those changes raised new questions about how involved govenment should be in helping single parent families. Some research suggests children raised in two-parent families are better off than those who depend on one.
“The position of one-parent families in any country is very much a gender (性别) issue-women’s opportunities, especially working-class women on low income,” said Sue Cohen, coordinator (协调员) of the Single Action Parents Network in England.Not considering the exact number of the single-parent families, which country saw the fastest rise rate in 1999, compared with 1990?
| A．UK. | B．Australia. | C．America. | D．Belgium. |
What is the cause of the rise of single parent families across the globe?
| A．The nearby family members have a favourable opinion. |
| B．A lone parent is well off enough to support his /her children. |
| C．A lot of problems have arisen in two-parent families. |
| D．We cannot get enough proving information from the text. |
Which of the following is TRUE about the increase of single parent families according to the passage?
| A．It will somewhat limit the growing population of younger generation. |
| B．Governments should take actions about the social problems brought about by it. |
| C．Single parent families are not looked down upon in any country mentioned here. |
| D．Generally speaking, the single parents needn’t worry since they are highly paid. |
Which of the following diagrams correctly shows the rise of single parent families in the US from 1990 to 2000?
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Do you know the fiddler crab(招潮蟹) is a living clock? It shows the time of day by the color of its skin, which is dark by day and pale by night. The crab’s changing skin color follows a regular twenty-four hours cycle that exactly matches the daily rhythm of the sun.
Does the crab actually keep time, or does its skin simply respond to(对……反应) the sun’s rays, changing color according to the amount of light that strikes it? To find it out, biologists kept crabs in a dark room for two months. Even without daylight the crab’s skin color continued to change exactly on time.
This probably developed gradually in response to the rhythm of the sun, to help protect the crab from sunlight and enemies. After millions of years it has become completely regular inside the living body of the crab.
The biologists noticed that once each day the color of the fiddler crab is especially dark, and that each day this occurs fifty minutes later than on the day before. From this they discovered that each crab follows not only the rhythm of the sun but also that of the tides(潮汐). The crab’s period of greatest darkening is exactly the time of low tide on the beach where it was caught!
64. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The crab cannot actually keep time.
B. The crab’s skin changes color according to the amount of light that strikes it.
C. The crab’s skin still changes color even if there isn’t any daylight.
D. The crab likes the sun’s rays best of all.
65. The crab’s color-changing ability was probably developed _________.
A. by the work of biologists B. over plenty of dark nights
C. by protecting themselves from enemies D. over millions of years
66. The biologists discovered that the crab’s darkest color occurs _________.
A. at the time of low tide B. when it’s dark
C. fifty minutes later than the sunset D. every two days
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LONDON(Reuters)—Ecotourism(生态旅游) is causing a lot of damage to wildlife and may be endangering the survival of the very animals people are flocking to see, according to researchers.
Biologists and conservationists(自然环境保护论者) are worried because polar bears, dolphins, penguins and other creatures are getting stressed and losing weight and some are dying.
“Evidence is growing that many animals do not react well to tourists in their backyard,” New Scientist magazine said.
The immediate effects researchers have noticed are changes in behavior, heart rates, or stress hormone(荷尔蒙) levels but they fear it could get much worse and over the long term “could endanger the survival of the very wildlife they want to see”.
Although money produced through ecotourism, which has been growing at about 10～30 percent a year, has major benefits for poor countries and people living in rural areas, the Swiss-based World Conservation Union and some governments fear not all projects are audited (审计) and based on environmentally friendly policies, according to the magazine.
“The transmission(传播) of disease to wildlife, or small changes to wildlife health through disturbance of daily life or increased stress levels, while not obvious to the casual observer, may translate to lower survival and breeding,” said Philip Seddon of the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand.
Scientists have noticed that bottleneck dolphins along the northeastern coast of New Zealand become nervously excited when tourist boats arrive. Similar changes in behavior have been observed in polar bears and yellow-eyed penguins in areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies.
Conservationists are not calling for more research into the effect of ecotourism on animals and say the industry must be developed carefully. They also want studies done before new ecotourism projects are started.
“The animals’ welfare should be very important because without them there will be no ecotourism,” said Rochelle Constantine of the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
60. What’s the passage mainly about?
A. Many animals are dying because of lack of money.
B. There will be no ecotourism without animals.
C. Ecotourism could endanger the survival of the wildlife people want to see.
D. More research should be done on ecotourism.
61. We may learn from the passage that ________.
A. ecotourism must be developed properly
B. polar bears are losing weight without enough food
C. all the poor countries have stopped ecotourism
D. money produced through ecotourism should be spent on wildlife
62. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Many animals do not react well in their backyard.
B. Polar bears in the areas visited by ecotourists are producing smaller babies.
C. Ecotourism has been growing at about 10～30 percent a year.
D. Studies should be done before new ecotourism projects are started.
63. What Rochelle Constantine said in the last paragraph implies that ______.
A. if people want to get high income, they must develop ecotourism
B. animals have the rights to live their own life
C. animals are people’s good friends
D. people should take good care of wildlife
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Ⅳ.阅读理解
Everyone knows that the French are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes(陈规) or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeeds or fails?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs(实业家) in the UK found that 70 percent felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy(嫉妒). As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood”. Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green-eyed monster(怪物)” and the UK is its home. Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little money were given the chance to destroy the large amounts of money given to others—but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Econnomic Cooperation and Development(OECD) recently reported that the UK was now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It’s not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a Professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems arrogant(傲慢) or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
56. What does the underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refer to?
A. One group of people. B. A great survey.
C. National character. D. A nation.
57. Most of the British top entrepreneurs surveyed believe that ________.
A. they are not popular simply because they are successful
B. the British public are hardworking
C. love of success is Britain’s national character
D. they are considered as “green-eyed monsters”
58. What does the result of the Warwich University test show?
A. Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.
B. Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.
C. An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.
D. Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.
59. The writer of the passage seems to suggest that _______.
A. jealousy is Britain’s national character
B. British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated
C. the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test
D. the British dislike the entrepreneurs because they do not behave properly
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You can love them or hate them, but no matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you’ll see someone with their head buried in a Lonely Planet guidebook.
Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts(播客)all devoted to travel.
Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They also save time and make sure you don’t miss the best things.
They also provide the reviews of hostels, restaurants and ticket information about your destination.
This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map that directs the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.
But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers like them. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自发性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also regret that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same thing and having the same experience as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same route.
Another criticism of travel guides is that they have a large impact on local communities. For example, some locals devote their lives to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They pretend to live a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses in order to attract the tourist dollar.
72. The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that ___.
A. you can speak a foreign language when opening a guidebook
B. you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city
C. it provides lots of useful information about your destination
D. it can help you save time and money when traveling
73. People criticize the guidebook because __________.
A. it is not as useful as most travelers expect
B. tourist destinations will be crowded if everyone follows the same route
C. travelers may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures
D. local people keep modern lifestyles under its influence
74. What do we know about the Lonely Planet guidebook from the text?
A. It’s a world-famous brand only producing guidebooks for travelers.
B. It’s very useful to a person who’s nervous about touring an unfamiliar place.
C. It’s very useful to a tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences.
D. It is loved by all travelers because of the convenience it brings to travelers.
75. Which of the following best shows the structure of the text? (①—⑦ stand for Paragraph 1 — Paragraph 7 )
A. ① B. ① C. ① D. ①
② ②③ ④ ② ② ③
③④ ⑤⑥⑦ ⑤ ⑥⑦ ③④⑤ ⑥⑦ ④⑤ ⑥⑦
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Joanne was stuck in a traffic jam in central Birmingham at 5：30. and at 6：30 she was expected to be chairing a meeting of the tennis club. At last，the traffic was moving. She swung quickly racing to her house. As she opened the door，she nearly tripped over Sheba.
“Hey，Sheba，”she said，“I've got no time for you now，but I'll take you out as soon as I get back from tennis club. ”Then she noticed Sheba seemed to be coughing or choking Obviously，she could hardly breathe. Immediately. Joanne realized she would have to take her to the vet(兽医) . When she got there，the vet was just about to close for the day. Seeing the state of Sheba，Dr. Sterne brought her quickly into his office.
“Listen，doctor，I'm really in a rush to get to a meeting, can I leave her with you，and go and get changed? I'll be back in ten minutes to pick her up，and then I'll take her on to the meeting with me, Is that OK?”
“Sure. ”said the doctor
Joanne made the quick trip back to her house in a couple of minutes. As she was once more entering the hallway，the phone by the door began to ring.
“This is Dr. Sterne，”said an anxious voice. “I want you to get out of that house immediately，”said the doctor's voice. “I'm coming round right away，and the police will be there any time now. Wait outside!”
At that moment，a police car screeched to a stop outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house. Joanne was by now completely confused and very frightened. Then the doctor arrived.
“Where’s Sheba? Is she OK?” shouted Joanne.
“She’s fine，Joanne. I took out the thing which was choking her，and she’s OK now. ”
Just then，the two policemen reappeared from the house，half-carrying a white—faced man，who could hardly walk. There was blood all over him.
“My God，”said Joanne，“how did he get in there? And how did you know he was there?”
“I think he must be a burglar. ”said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was stuck in Sheba’s throat：it turned out to be three human fingers”
60. What was Joanne supposed to do at 6：30？
A. To walk her dog.
B. To see her doctor.
C. To attend a club meeting.
D. To play tennis with her friends.
61. Joanne wanted to get back to her home again .
A. to dress up for the meeting
B. to phone the police station
C. to catch the badly hurt burglar
D. to wait for her dog to be cured
62. From the passage，we can infer that .
A. Sheba fought against the burglar
B. the police found the burglar had broken in
C. Joanne had planned to take her dog to the meeting
D. the doctor performed a difficult operation on the dog
63. In this passage，the writer intends to tell us that the dog is .
A. clever B. friendly C. frightening D. devoted
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