Forget Twitter and Facebook, Google and the Kindle. Television is still the most influential medium around. Indeed ,for many of the poorest regions of the world, it remains the next big thing——finally becomes globally available. And that is a good thing, because the TV revolution is changing lives for the better.
Across the developing world, around 45% of families had a TV in 1995; by 2005 the number had climbed above 60%. That is some way behind the U.S. , where are more TVs than people, and where people now easily get access to the Internet. Five million more families in sub-Saharan Africa will get a TV over the next five years. In 2005 , after the fall of the Taliban（塔利班）,which had outlawed TV, 1 in 5 Afghans had one. The global total is another 150 million by 2013——pushing the numbers to well beyond two thirds of families.
Television’s most powerful effect will be on the lives of women. In India, researchers Robert Jensen and Emily Oster found that when TVs reached villages, women were more likely to go to the market without their husbands’ approval and less likely to want a boy rather than a girl. They were more likely to make decisions over child health care. TV is also a powerful medium for adult education. In the Indian state of Gujarat, Chitrageet is a popular show that plays Bollywood songs with words in Gujarati on the screen. Within six months, viewers had made a small but significant improvement in their reading skills.
Too much TV has been associated with violence, overweight and loneliness. However, TV is having a positive influence on the lives of billions worldwide. The underlined word “outlawed” in paragraph 2 probably means “ ”.
| A．allowed | B．forbidden | C．offered | D．refused |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Americans used to get access to the Internet easily. |
| B．The world’s TV sets will total 150 million by 2013. |
| C．45% of families in the developing countries had a TV in 2005. |
| D．Over two thirds of families in the world will have a TV by 2013. |
The author intends to .
| A．stress the advantages of TV to people’s lives |
| B．persuade women to become more independent |
| C．encourage people to improve their reading skills |
| D．introduce the readers some websites such as Google |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．TV Will Rule the World | B．TV Will Disturb the World |
| C．TV Will Better the World | D．TV Will Remain in World |
From the passage, we know _______________.
| A．It is impossible for women in India to get access to TVs now. |
| B．Robert Jensen and Emily Oster are Indian women. |
| C．Women in India are more likely to want a girl than a boy because of the arrival of TV. |
| D．Viewers of a popular TV show can improve their reading skills greatly in half a year. |
Until the 1980s, the American homeless population comprised (组成) mainly older males. Today, homelessness strikes much younger part of society. In fact, a 25-city survey by the U. S. Conference of Mayors in 1987 found that families with children make up the fastest growing part of the homeless population. Many homeless children gather in inner cities; this transient(变化无常的) and frequently frightened student population creates additional problems — both legal and educational — for already overburdened（负担过重的）urban school administrators and teachers.
Estimates of the number of homeless Americans range from 350,000 to three million. Likewise, estimates of the number of homeless school children vary radically. A U.S. Department of Education report, based on state estimates, states that there are 220,000 homeless school-age children, about a third of whom do not attend school on a regular basis, But the National Coalition for the Homeless estimates that there are at least two times as many homeless children, and that less than half of them attend school regularly.
One part of the homeless population that is particularly difficult to count consists of the “throwaway” youths who have been cast of their homes. The Elementary School Center in New York City estimates that there are 1.5 million of them, many of whom are not counted as children because they do not stay in family shelters and tend to live by themselves on the streets.
Federal law, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, includes a section that addresses the educational needs of homeless children. The educational provisions of the McKinney Act are based on the belief that all homeless children have the right to a free, appropriate education. It is implied in the first paragraph that ____.
| A．the writer himself is homeless, even in his eighties |
| B．many older homeless residents are going on strike in 25 cities |
| C．there is a serious shortage of academic facilities (设施). |
| D．homeless children are denied the opportunity of receiving free education |
The National Coalition for the homeless believes that the number of homeless children is _____.
| A．350,000 |
| B．1,500,000 |
| C．440,000 |
| D．110,000 |
One part of the homeless population is difficult to estimate. The reason might well be ____.
| A．the homeless children are too young to be counted as children |
| B．the homeless population is growing rapidly |
| C．the homeless children usually stay outside school |
| D．some homeless children are deserted by their families |
The McKinney Act is mentioned in this passage in order to show that ___.
| A．the educational problems of homeless children are being recognized |
| B．the estimates on homeless children are hard to determine |
| C．the address of grade-school children should be located |
| D．all homeless people are entitled（有权利的） to free education |
The passage mainly deals with ____.
| A．the legal problems of the homeless children |
| B．the educational problems of homeless children |
| C．the social status of older males |
| D．estimates on the homeless population |
It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors despite working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My parents and five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my diploma. I was so excited and proud to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family’s well-being.
But when I got home that evening, there was a note from my husband written on the back of an envelope. It basically said he had come to get his clothes and wouldn’t be back. We’d been having trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had emptied our bank account. We were horribly in debt. I had quit my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. Plus, I was eight months pregnant.
I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep sadness, I had to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, fixed breakfast, and basically did everything I always did. I used my routine to keep me moving. After being in the military for six years, I guess you can say I relied on my training, like all good soldiers do in tough situations. One small step after one small step was the way I bounced back(恢复原状).
And in the seven years since, I’ve continued moving forward. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher, earned a master’s degree in education, and watched my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly would never have chosen to put them through this, but looking back, I’m glad it happened to me when it did. It helped me find my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me grow independent, confident, and strong—things I’m hopefully instilling(灌输) now in my children.After getting her bachelor’s degree, the author expected to ________.
| A．become a teacher | B．be a wife and mother |
| C．work two jobs | D．get divorced |
What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．Her husband wrote a note to congratulate her on her graduation. |
| B．She had just been to a job interview when her husband left her. |
| C．Her husband paid off all the debts from the bank. |
| D．She was going to have another baby soon. |
The author’s hardships in life made her ________.
| A．become confident and independent |
| B．work harder in the kindergarten |
| C．use her routine to move forward |
| D．feel pleased with what happened to her |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．The author’s parents helped her a lot |
| B．The author received further education later |
| C．The author earned a master’s degree when she was 29 |
| D．The author didn’t know how to deal with marriage |
What helped the author to pull through her hard time?
| A．The divorce with her husband. |
| B．Her fellow soldiers in the army. |
| C．Her decision to find a new job. |
| D．A strong mind and love for her kids. |
During the summer holidays there will be a revised schedule of services for the students. Changes for dining-room and library service hours and for bus schedules will be posted on the wall outside of the dining-hall. Weekly film and concert schedules, which are being arranged, will be posted each Wednesday outside of the student club.
In the summer holidays, buses going to the town center will leave the main hall every hour on the half hour during the day. The dining-room will serve three meals a day from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm during the week and two meals from noon to 7:00 pm on weekends. The library will continue its usual hours during the week, but have shorter hours on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekend hours are from noon to 5:00 pm.
All students who want to use the library borrowing services must have a new summer card. This announcement will also appear in the next week’s student newspaper.The main purpose of this announcement is to ________.
| A．tell students of important schedule changes |
| B．show the excellent services for students |
| C．tell students of new bus and library services |
| D．ask students to renew their library cards |
At which of the following times will the bus leave the main hall?
| A．8:00, 9:00, 10:00, 11:00 | B．8:30, 9:30, 10:30, 11:30 |
| C．8:30, 9:00, 9:30, 10:00 | D．8:00, 9:30, 11:00, 12:30 |
Times for films and concerts are not listed in this announcement because ________.
| A．they are not to be announced | B．the full list is not ready |
| C．they are hard to arrange | D．the full list is too long |
In the summer holidays, the library will have __________.
| A．no special hours |
| B．special hours on weekdays |
| C．special hours on weekends |
| D．special hours both on weekdays and weekends |
We may infer that during the summer holidays ________.
| A．The library will continue its usual hours on weekdays |
| B．students will stay in the university |
| C．there will be a concert or film once a week |
| D．no breakfast will be served on weekends |
When a first-time father saw his newborn son, he immediately noticed the baby's ears obviously standing out from his head. He expressed his concern to the nurse that some children might be made fun of his child. A doctor examined the baby and reassured the new dad that his son was healthy---- the ears presented only a small problem with its appearance.
But the nervous father continued. He wondered if the child might suffer psychological effects of ridicule, or if they should consider plastic surgery(整形手术). The nurse assured him that it was really no problem, and he should just wait to see if the boy grows into his ears.
The father finally felt more optimistic about his child, but now he worried about his wife's reaction to those large ears. She had been delivered by operation, and had not yet seen the child.
“She doesn't take things as easily as I do,” he said to the nurse.
By this time, the new mother was settled in the recovery room and ready to meet her new baby. The nurse went along with the dad to lend some support in case this inexperienced mother became upset about her baby's large ears.
The baby was in a blanket(毛毯) with his head covered for the short trip through the cold air-conditioned corridor. The baby was placed in his mother's arms, who eased the blanket back so that she could look at her child for the first time.
She took one look at her baby's face and looked to her husband and gasped, “Oh, Honey! Look! He has your ears!”
No problem with Mom. She married those ears...and she loves the man to whom they are attached.
The poet Kahlil Gibran said, “Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.” It's hard to see the ears when you're looking into the light.When the father first saw his baby, he was worried that________.
| A．The baby might not grow up healthily. |
| B．The baby might be laughed at by others. |
| C．The baby might disappoint its mother. |
| D．the baby might have mental problems. |
According to the doctor and nurse, the baby’s ears________.
| A．could not function well. |
| B．looked the same as others. |
| C．only caused a small problem. |
| D．needed to have plastic surgery. |
What is true about the baby’s mother?
| A．She blamed her husband for the baby’s big ears. |
| B．She was the first to discover the baby’s large ears. |
| C．She suggested having an operation on the baby immediately. |
| D．She found something similar between the baby and its father. |
What does the underlined word they refer to in the last but on paragraph(倒数第2段)?
| A．The ears. | B．The parents. | C．The doctor and nurse. | D．The problems |
What’s the function of the last paragraph?
| A．To advise readers to listen carefully. |
| B．To draw a conclusion from the story. |
| C．To criticize the wrong attitude to physical beauty. |
| D．To stress the importance of doctor-patient relationship. |
How many times have you gotten upset because someone wasn’t doing their job, because your child isn’t behaving？How many times have you been annoyed when you’ve planned something carefully and things didn’t go as you’d hoped?
This kind of anger and irritation happens to all of us — it’s part of the human experience.
One thing that annoys me is when people talk during a movie. Or cut me off in traffic. Actually, I have a lot of these little annoyances — don’t we all? And it isn’t always easy to find peace when you’ve become upset or annoyed.
Let me tell you a little secret to finding peace of mind: see the glass as already broken.
See, the cause of our stress, anger and irritation is that things don’t go the way we like, the way we expect them to. Think of how many times this has been true for you. And so the solution is simple: expect things to go wrong, expect things to be different than we hoped or planned, expect the unexpected to happen. And accept it.
One quick example: on our recent trip to Japan, I told my kids to expect things to go wrong — they always do on a trip. I told them, “See it as part of the adventure.”
And this worked like a charm. When we took the wrong train on a foreign-language subway system, or when it rained on the day we went to Disney Sea, or when we took three trains and walked 10 blocks only to find the National Children’s Castle closed on Mondays … they said, “It’s part of the adventure!” And it was all OK — we didn’t get too bothered.
So when the nice glass you bought inevitably falls and breaks, someday, you might get upset. But not if you see the glass as already broken, from the day you get it. You know it’ll break someday, so from the beginning, see it as already broken. Be a time-traveler, or someone with time-traveling vision, and see the future of this glass, from this moment until it inevitably breaks. And when it breaks, you won’t be upset or sad — because it was already broken, from the day you got it. And you’ll realize that every moment you have with it is precious.The author would probably agree that________.
| A．we should control our anger and irritation |
| B．we must get well prepared for the future |
| C．optimism can help us overcome our anger and irritation |
| D．anger and irritation is an important part of our life |
The purpose of the author is to ___________.
| A．tell us his own experience in life |
| B．give advice on how to find peace of mind |
| C．tell us a happy trip took with his children |
| D．advise us to see things from both sides |
By the underlined part, the author intends us to _____________.
| A．get ready for the worst result of things |
| B．enjoy the process of things |
| C．expect little from life |
| D．find the relation between cause and effect |
The author’s children could enjoy their trip to Japan because _____________.
| A．everything went smoothly |
| B．they had a lot of adventures |
| C．they had expected things to go wrong |
| D．they could soon get used to the customs there |
We can learn from the passage that the author ____________.
| A．often gets angry in his life |
| B．can adjust his state of mind accordingly |
| C．always expects others to act in his way |
| D．has suffered a lot from his anger and irritation |
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