Not very long ago, a special family system(体系) existed in certain parts of South India. In the system, the actual head of a family unit was the mother’s eldest brother, though the mother also had an important position in the family. In families of this kind, a husband was actually no more than a visitor. He did not live with his wife, but with his own mother, brothers and sisters in another house. He saw his sons and daughters sometimes, but the man who actually fed and cared for them and acted as their father was their uncle--- their mother’s brother.
But this system, in which brothers and sisters take the place of the father, no longer exists in South India except in a few villages. Economic(经济的) changes have had far- reaching effect on family life. Family life began to change when men went out to work in factories and offices instead of working with their mothers, brothers, and sisters on the land. When a man went out to work, he had money of his own and could buy his own land and build his own family, instead of depending on his mother and his brothers. He wanted to be independent(独立的). This is an example of the way in which economic relations can have an effect on family relationships. The best title of this passage is ______.
| A．Husband Actually Visitor in Family |
| B．Family System in South India |
| C．Wife Has Important Position in Family |
| D．Economic Relations Affects Family Relationships |
Who had the actual control of a family in South India not long ago?
| A．The mother. | B．The mother’s eldest brother. |
| C．The father. | D．The father’s mother. |
In this system, the husband lived together with______.
| A．his wife | B．his sons and daughters |
| C．his mother, brothers and sisters | D．his wife’s brother |
Now in South India there are__ of this system in which a husband has no control of his family.
| A．no families | B．many more families |
| C．very few families | D．not any families |
The question this week comes from our listener Herve Acard, who asks about the American word “OK”, which means “all right” or “acceptable”. It expresses agreement or approval. The word is used more often than any other word in the world.
Language expert Allen Walker Read said the word began as a short way of writing a different spelling of the words “all correct”. Old stories say some foreign-born people would write “all correct” as o-l-l k-o-r-r-e-c-t and spoke it as “OK”. Some people say it came from the Native American Indian tribe known as the Choctaws. The Choctaw word “okeh” means the same as the American word “OK”. Experts say early explorers in the Western America spoke the Choctaw language in the nineteenth century. The language spread across the country.
According to some people, “OK” was a way to shorten Greek words that mean everything is fine. It is also said that a railroad worker named Obadiah Kelly invented the word. He is said to have put the first letters of his names — O and K — on each object people gave him to place on the train.
Another explanation is that “OK” was invented by a political organization that supported Martin Van Buren for president in the 1800s. They called their organization the OK Club. The letters O and K were taken from the name of the town where Martin Van Buren was born — Old Kinderhook, New York.
Not everyone agrees with these explanations, but experts do agree that the word is purely American and has spread to almost every country on Earth. Yet in the United States, it is used mostly in speech. Serious writers prefer using words, such as “agree”, “approve” or “confirm” instead.Where does the passage probably come from?
| A．A newspaper. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A radio program. | D．A language magazine. |
Of the following origins, which one has the same meaning as the American word “OK”?
| A．The OK Club |
| B．The Choctaw word “okeh” |
| C．The word invented by Martin Van Buren |
| D．The short form of “all correct” |
According to the passage, which statement is NOT true?
A. People disagree about the origin of “OK”.
B. “OK” is often used in formal writing in the USA.
C. The word “OK” is widely used all over the world.
D. Native American language once influenced American English.
Children pushed in buggies which face away from their parents may suffer longterm emotional（情感的）and language problems，according to a study published on Friday.
The research，believed to be the first of its kind，found that children who were not facing the person pushing them were less likely to talk，laugh and communicate with their parents.
The findings were based on a study of 2,722 parents and babies and an experiment where 20 babies were wheeled in buggies for a mile，facing their parents for half the journey and facing away for the other half. Parents using facetoface buggies were twice as likely to talk to their children while the babies’ heart rates fell and they were twice as likely to fall asleep，showing that they were feeling relaxed and safe.
In addition，only one baby out of the 20 studied laughed while sitting in an awayfacing buggy.
“Our data(数据) suggests that for many babies today，life in a buggy is emotionally impoverished and possibly stressful. Stressed babies grow into anxious adults，” said Dr Suzanne Zeedyk，Developmental Psychologist at Scotland’s Dundee University who carried out the research.
The study，which was published by National Literacy Trust as part of its “Talk To Your Baby” campaign，found that 62 percent of all children observed travelled in awayfacing buggies.
Zeedyk said it would have a negative effect on babies’ development if they spent a long time in awayfacing buggies，which would be bad to their ability to communicate with their parent at a time when their brain was developing rapidly.
Laura Barbour of the Sutton Trust，a social mobility charity which funded the research，said buggy manufacturers(制造商) should look closely at the findings.Using awayfacing buggies may________.
| A．benefit both the babies and their parents |
| B．affect babies’ language ability permanently |
| C．help babies communicate with their parents |
| D．have positive effect on babies’ development |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Parents may talk twice with the babies in awayfacing buggies. |
| B．The study suggests children feel relaxed and safe in buggies. |
| C．The samples (案例)of the study were 20 babies wheeled in buggies. |
| D．One of the 20 babies was twice as likely to fall asleep in buggies. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Best for Kids to Face Parents in Buggy |
| B．Best for Kids to Communicate with Parents |
| C．Stressed Babies Grow into Anxious Adults |
| D．Buggy Manufacturers Care about the Finding |
I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickle(五分镍币). It was the first nickle I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.Why did the boy start his job young?
| A．He wanted to be famous in the future | B．The job was quite easy for him. |
| C．His mother had high hopes for him. | D．The competition for the job was fierce. |
From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
| A．excited | B．interested | C．ashamed | D．disappointed |
What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
| A．She forced him to continue. | B．She punished him. |
| C．She gave him some money. | D．She changed her plan. |
The phrase “this battle” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．the war between the boy’s parents |
| B．the arguing between the boy and his mother |
| C．the quarrel between the boy and his customers |
| D．the fight between the boy and his father |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．The early life of a journalist. |
| B．The early success of a journalist. |
| C．The happy childhood of the writer. |
| D．The important role of the writer in his family. |
Climbers at the top of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, will now be able to make video calls and surf the Internet on their mobile phones, a Nepalese (尼泊尔的) telecom group claims.
Ncell, a branch company of Swedish phone giant TeliaSonera, said on Thursday it had set up a high-speed third-generation (3G) phone base station at an altitude of 5,200 metres in the Everest region.
“Today we made the world’s highest video call from Mount Everest base camp successfully. The coverage (覆盖范围) of the network will reach up to the peak of Mount Everest,” Ncell Nepal chief Pasi Koistinen told reporters in Kathmandu.
The installation (安装) will also help tens of thousands of tourists and hikers who visit the world’s highest mountain every year.
Climbers who reached its 8,848-metre peak previously depended on expensive satellite phones and a voice-only network set up by China Mobile in 2007 on the Chinese side of the mountain.
“This is a great milestone for mobile communications as the 3G high speed Internet will bring faster, more affordable telecommunication services from the world’s tallest mountain,” said Lars Nyberg, chief executive of TeliaSonera, which owns 80 percent of Ncell.
The 3G services will be fast enough to make video calls and use the Internet, said the company, which also claimed the world’s lowest 3G base at 1,400 metres below sea level in a mine in Europe.
Despite the installation in Mount Everest, telecom services cover less than one-third of the 28 million people of Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.
TeliaSonera said it planned to invest $ 100 million in the next year to ensure that mobile coverage increases to more than 90 per cent of the Himalayan nation’s population.
The 3G network on Mount Everest puts TeliaSonera ahead of state-controlled Nepal Telecom, Indian-owned United Telecom and China Mobile.
Around 3,000 people have climbed to the Everest summit since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to conquer the peak in 1953.Who are most likely to benefit from the 3G services at Mount Everest?
| A．The telecom firm. | B．The local residents. |
| C．Travelers to Nepal. | D．Mount Everest explorers. |
According to Lars Nyberg, the 3G services they provide __________.
| A．are fast and convenient | B．are a little expensive |
| C．can make voice-only calls | D．offer free emailing |
What do we know about TeliaSonera?
| A．80 percent of it is owned by Ncell |
| B．It belongs to Nepal Telecom. |
| C．It is in the charge of Pasi Koistinen |
| D．It provides services for Pasi Koistinen. |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．Telecommunication in Nepal |
| B．3G services reach Mt. Everest summit |
| C．TeliaSonera takes lead in communication |
| D．Good news for hikers and climbers |
To help make the most of your experience at Auckland Zoo we suggest:
Plan Your Day:
Plan your day to learn more about your favorite zoo animals.
Don’t forget your camera – the best way to capture your visit forever.
Keep Safe at the Zoo:
Children aged 12 years and under need to be accompanied (陪同) by a caregiver.
To keep the safety of our animals, any throwing games are not permitted in the zoo grounds.
The zoo animals are not trained. Do not enter any enclosure (围场), or put any part of your body into an enclosure.
There are a number of natural waterways at the zoo, so please take care of your children at all times.
General Information:
Check out the weather before you come. In winter we suggest you bring a jacket and an umbrella, and in summer, be sure to bring sunscreen and a hat.
Every zoo animal enjoys its own specific: well-balanced food. We hope that you enjoy some great food treats on your zoo visit, but please do not feed any of our animals. Our keepers work strictly on this.
Feel free to take personal photos and make videos. However, any commercial photography or filming needs written permissions from zoo management.
Not all animals are permitted in the zoo grounds. We welcome people with guide dogs, but they must contact us ahead of time about their visit. Please phone the Zoo Information Center on +64(0)9-360-3805.
Smoking is not permitted in covered areas.
Auckland Zoo does not allow entry to any unaccompanied children 12 years and under. If the children are found by themselves, the staff do have the right to call the police.When visiting Auckland Zoo, parents should tell their children that _________.
| A．they could play throwing games |
| B．they couldstay close to the animals |
| C．the zoo animals have been well-trained |
| D．it’s dangerous to play near the waterways |
The underlined word “this” in the part of “General Information” refers to the fact that ____.
| A．zoo animals enjoy their well-balanced food |
| B．visitors are not allowed to feed animals |
| C．visitors enjoy their own food treats |
| D．children offer food to the zoo animals |
The main purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．give people some tips on visiting Auckland Zoo |
| B．introduce Auckland Zoo animals |
| C．ask people to stop polluting Auckland Zoo |
| D．attract people to the zoo |
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