A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure（闲暇）. As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.
The figures support the western prejudice（偏见） that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.
But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised（隐性的） pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.
1．The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that ______________.
A．the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people
B．the government needs to get more goods from abroad
C．the Japanese have been working too hard
D．the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice
2．The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is______________.
A．the small companies B．the industrialists
C．the unions D．the younger generation
3．The unions think that______________.
A．the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get
B．the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy
C．the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have
D．the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be
4．The best title for this passage can be ______________
A．Oh no! Not Saturday Again! B．Leisure: the Greatest Threat!
C．Enjoy While You are Young! D．Less Work and More Play!
| Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed Six months’ preparation in Denmark: Africa studies, team work combined with social work with risk group teenagers. Six months’ community work in Malawi in People to People Projects: Child Aid, HIV / AIDS. Fights and Teacher Training. Qualifications: 18 years, hard working and social engagement. Please contact us by e-mail: takeaction@ betterworld.com. |
| Part-time work with Exchange Students YOUTH International is a non-profit high school foreign exchange students organization. We welcome teenagers from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families. The community Representative is a part-time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something rewarding in the community and earn some extra money. Applicants best suited for this work should enjoy teenagers, have a strong interest in cross-cultural communication and feel comfortable networking. Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the US. Positions available in most states. If interested, please email staff@ youth. org or call 888—123—9872. |
| International Summer Job Hi, I’m an ESL student in China. I’m 20, quiet and polite, and I speak reasonable English. I’m looking for a summer job in an English-speaking country. I can teach Chinese or do house and garden work and cook Chinese dishes. Can anybody offer me a job? I don’t need to earn much, just enough in two months ( July --- August) to pay for my return ticket to China. My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world. My email is: ram3462@ hotmail.com. |
| Call for Native Speaker of English I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment. This experiment is carried out over the Internet. You don’t need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level. The first task will take you around 15 minutes. After this task, you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment. The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers. If you are willing to help me, then please email us: club3864@ hotmail.com |
Who is suitable to work as a Community Representative in YOUTH International?
| A．One who enjoys working with teenagers from different countries. |
| B．One who hopes to take action in fighting against diseases. |
| C．One who has a strong desire to improve his or her English. |
| D．One who wants to earn some pocket money in the program. |
Where will jack, a volunteer, receive the training before he is sent to work in Malawi?
| A．In some local offices in the US. |
| B．In an ESL organization in China. |
| C．In a preparation program in Denmark. |
| D．In an exchange student center in Africa. |
If Mrs. Black in the US hopes to learn some Chinese at home, she may contact _______.
| A．takeaction@betterworld.com | B．ram3462@hotmail.com |
| C．club3864@hotmail.com | D．staff@youth.org |
What are volunteers for an experiment over the Internet supposed to do?
| A．To interview people online. | B．To do some house work. |
| C．To offer advice on Child Aid | D．To provide language exercises. |
A qualified doctor who rarely practiced but instead devoted his life to writing. He once said: “Medicine is my lawful wife, and literature is my lover.” Russian writer Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, was a great playwright and one of the masters of the modern short story.
When Chekhov entered the Moscow University Medical School in 1879, he started to publish hundreds of comic short stories to support his family. After he graduated, he wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
As a writer he was extremely fast, often producing a short story in an hour or less. Chekhov’s medical and science experience can be seen through the indifference(冷漠) many of his characters show to tragic events. In 1892, he became a full time writer and published some of his most memorable stories.
Chekhov often wrote about the sufferings of life in small town Russia. Tragic events control his characters who are filled with feelings of hopelessness and despair.
It is often said that nothing happens in Chekhov’s stories and plays. He made up for this with his exciting technique for developing drama within his characters. Chekhov’s works combined the calm attitude of a scientist and doctor with the sensitivity(敏感) of an artist.
Some of Chekhov's works were translated into Chinese as early as the 1940s. One of his famous stories, The Man in a Shell, about a school teacher’s extraordinarily orderly life, was selected as a text for Chinese senior students.Anton Pavlovich Chekhov ________.
| A．had a lawful lover | B．was an illegal writer |
| C．used to be a lawyer | D．was a competent doctor |
In 1880, Chekhov ________.
| A．became a full-time writer |
| B．studied medicine in Moscow University |
| C．practiced medicine in his hometown |
| D．published his most memorable stories |
Which of the following adjectives can’t be used to describe Chekhov?
| A．Sensitive. | B．Cool. | C．Quick-minded. | D．Warm-hearted. |
Which of the following is the right order of the events?
a. became a doctor
b. became a full time writer
c. started to publish comic short stories
d. wrote regularly for a local daily newspaper.
e. entered the Moscow University Medical School
| A．e→c→a→d→b | B．d→a→b→c→e |
| C．e→c→b→a→d | D．a→e→c→b→d |
If you want to learn anything at school, you need to listen to your teachers. Unfortunately, millions of kids can’t hear what their teachers are saying. And it’s not because these students are goofing off. Often, it’s the room’s fault. Building architecture and building design can create echo(回声)-filled classrooms that make hearing difficult.
Children with hearing impairments（损伤）suffer most from noisy classrooms. They sometimes can’t hear questions that other students ask in class. Compared with kids with healthy hearing, they have a harder time picking up new vocabulary words by hearing them in talking.
Even kids with normal hearing have a harder time in the classroom when there’s too much noise. Younger children in particular have trouble separating important sounds – like a teacher’s voice – from background noise. Kids with learning disabilities and speech impediments（障碍）and kids for whom English is a second language also have a harder time learning in noisy situations.
In recent years, scientists who study sound have been asking schools to reduce background noise, which may include loud air-conditioners and pipes. They’re also targeting outdoor noises, such as highway traffic. Noise reduction is a big deal. Why? Because quieter classrooms might make you smarter by letting you hear your lessons better.
“It’s so obvious that we should have quiet rooms that allow for access to the lesson,” says Dan Ostergren, a hearing scientist. “Sometimes it surprises me that we spend so much time discussing this topic. I just want to go. Why is this hard for anyone to grasp?”The underlined part “goofing off” in the first paragraph can be replaced by “ ”.
| A．lazy | B．intelligent | C．sleepy | D．foolish |
Who is most affected by noisy classrooms?
| A．Children with learning disabilities. |
| B．Children with speech impairments. |
| C．Children with hearing impediments. |
| D．Children with normal hearing. |
Why should noise be reduced in classrooms?
| A．Quiet classrooms are suitable for kids to have discussions. |
| B．Quiet classrooms help kids recover from hearig impairments. |
| C．Kids can’t separate sounds of air-conditioners and pipes. |
| D．Kids can become smarter after hearing lessons better. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Classroom design | B．Noisy classrooms |
| C．The sense of hearing | D．Disabled kids |
Neighbours play an important role in our lives. Their lifestyles, friends, and social habits can have a strong influence on our lives. It is a good idea to get to know the people next door or across the street to develop a community (社区) of support and safety. You never know when a neighbour will find a stranger walking around your house, or you may want to leave an extra key at their house in case someone in your family gets locked out.
How do you get along with your neighbours? Here are some tips for building a better relationship with your neighbours.
Point ①…Proper greetings can make your neighbours remember your name and pave (铺) the way for more meaningful future meetings. Don’t stay too long, though, or you’ll wear out your welcome!
Point②…If your neighbour is building a pool, offer a few hours of help. Besides, you never know when the favor might be returned.
Point③…If you hear that someone who live close to you has had an accident, take over a hot meal or some fruit. Your action will add a special touch during a difficult time.
Point④…Invite your neighbours over for a cup of coffee in December or an Easter egg hunt in spring. A backyard barbecue (烧烤) can be a great way to share food and fun.
Your neighbours may annoy you at times, but they are like family in many ways. Appreciate their strengths and overlook their weaknesses, and everyone will get along just fine.What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?
| A．The possibility of a good community. |
| B．How to get to know your neighbours. |
| C．How to influence your neighbours. |
| D．The importance of neighbours. |
According to the passage, which of the following may NOT be something nice to do?
| A．Offering to help your neighbours if they need help. |
| B．Having a very long conversation with a new neighbour. |
| C．Inviting your neighbours over for a backyard barbecue. |
| D．Preparing a hot meal for a neighbour who is going through a difficult time. |
Match the following titles with each point.
a. Invite your neighbours over. b. Lend a helping hand.
c. Go over and introduce yourself. d. Offer support.
| A．①-c②-b③-d④-a | B．①-c②-b③-a④-d |
| C．①-b②-c③-d④-a | D．①-b②-c③-a④-d |
We infer(推断出) that the writer wrote this passage to .
| A．explain why it is good to get along well with others |
| B．give us some tips on how to support our neighbours |
| C．tell us how to get along with our neighours |
| D．advise us to be nice to our neighbours |
Paris is the capital of the European nation of France. It is also one of the most beautiful and most famous cities in the world.
Paris is called the City of Light. It is also an international fashion center. What women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world. Paris is also a famous world center of education. For example, it is where the headquarters of UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The Seine River divides the city into two parts. Thirty-two bridges cross this beautiful river. The oldest and perhaps most well-known is the Pont Neuf, which was built in the sixteenth century. The Sorbonne, a famous university, stands on the left bank of the river. There are many other famous places in Paris, such as the famous museum, the Louvre, as well as the Notre Dame. However, the most famous building in this city is Eiffel Tower.
Paris is named after a group of people called the Parisii. They built a small village on an island in the middle of the Seine River about two thousand years ago. This island, called the lie de la Cite, is where Notre Dame lies. Today around eight million people live in the Paris area.This article mainly tells us about .
| A．the buildings in Paris |
| B．the general situations of Paris |
| C．the center of the world |
| D．the famous buildings along the Seine River |
From the passage we may conclude that .
| A．the clothes worn by women in Paris are liked by women all over the world |
| B．women in Paris sell their clothes all over the world |
| C．women from all over the world go to Paris and wear their own clothes |
| D．women from all over the world like to go to Paris to buy clothes |
The building of is the most famous building in Paris.
| A．UNESCO | B．the Pont Neuf |
| C．Eiffel Tower | D．Notre Dame |
Which of the following descriptions of Paris is not true according to the text?
| A．Paris is the capital of the European nation of France. |
| B．Paris is called the City of Light. |
| C．The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is located in Paris. |
| D．The most famous building in this city is the famous museum, the Louvre. |
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