Searching for love is no longer just a favorite subject for songs. It has also become a huge industry. Researchers say the online dating industry in the US earned 649 million dollars in 2006. They expect this number to increase to more than 9 million dollars by 2011.
Experts say that the industry has grown because traditional social ties have weakened. Many young people leave behind a close community of friends and family to find work in bigger cities. People work longer hours, so they have less time to meet new people.
This helps explain the popularity of online dating. Some estimates say120 thousand marriages a year result from matches made on the Internet.
The dating industry has also been expanding in new ways. Many companies offer personalized services for finding the perfect mate. These companies are answering a large demand by single people. They are willing to invest their time and money to find love with carefully planned methods, instead of leaving love to chance.
AskRomeo is a company in Virginia. It provides single people with advice on how to meet a person for the first time.
Also in Virginia, the company True Life Partners provides a more costly and detailed dating service. The company hires a team of professional persons who help couples meet. But this level of service comes at a high price. Men pay thousands of dollars for the service. But women get to take part at no cost.
There are lots of other costs linked to dating. And we wonder how the economic recession(衰退) has affected dating in the US.What can we infer from the first paragraph?
| A．Songs were only written to express love in the past. |
| B．Many people will take part in the industry in two thousand eleven. |
| C．The industry will increase the interest by nine hundred million dollars. |
| D．Love is not only the soul of some songs but also the heart of an industry now. |
According to the passage, we can know ______.
| A．most of the marriages result from the Internet. |
| B．the dating industry is popular now |
| C．women won’t spend money when dating |
| D．single people like love at the first sight now |
The author took AskRomeo and True Life Partners for examples to ______.
| A．emphasize the important role of the companies |
| B．praise the two companies’ good work |
| C．show how the companies help expand the dating industry |
| D．show the companies are the base of the industry |
What will the author talk about in the following paragraph?
| A．The situation of dating now in the economic recession |
| B．How to deal with the economic recession |
| C．What the economic recession is. |
| D．Whether the cost of dating is decreasing now in the US. |
It’s only 4 hours flying time from Sydney, but a world away. What better place to rest than a country where the only place people hurry is on the football field and things are done in “Fiji time”?
Viti Levu – Great Fiji – is the largest island. Here you’ll find the capital Suva and the international airport at Nadi. On the other hand, Vatoa, is a tiny island in the farthest part of Fiji. Then there are 331 other islands, many of them with places to stay.
With less than a million people living on islands, you’ll never feel crowded. And with a climate(气候) that changes only for five degrees between seasons, there’s never a bad time to come.
From cities to villages, from mountains to beaches, from water sports to wooden artworks, Fiji can give you more adventures and special experiences than you could find almost anywhere in the world.
Whenever you come, wherever you go, you’re sure to see some unforgettable events. From war dances to religious(宗教的) songs. From market days to religious days. It’s not just staged for tourists; it’s still a part of everyday life in Fiji. And any one of us can enjoy Fiji’s spirit by being part of the traditional(传统的) sharing of yaqona, a drink made from the root of a Fiji plant.
So why not join us for the experience of a life-time?
1. Where is the international airport of Fiji?
A. In Suva. B. In Sydney.
C. On the island of Vatoa. D. On the island of Viti Levu.
2. What does the text tell us about Fijian people?
A. They invented “Fiji time” for visitors.
B. They stick to a traditional way of life.
C. They like to travel from place to place. D. They love taking adventures abroad.
3. One of the things that make Fiji a tourist attraction is _______.
A. it’s comfortable hotels B. its good weather all year round
C. its exciting football matches D. its religious beliefs
4. Where can we most probably read this text?
A. In a personal diary. B. In a science report.
C. In a travel magazine. D. In a geography textbook.
Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily ,” Tony said, ”You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. ”You said I could bring one carry-on bag. ”
“That’s right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip. ”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal(罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn’t for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible(灵活的) about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
1. Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?
A. Because they were the uniforms for air couriers.
B. Because that made him easier to be recognized.
C. Because his backpack had no room his clothes.
D. Because he did not have any luggage with him
2. An air courier is a person who_________
A . manages a business company in foreign countries
B. organizes international flights for tourists
C. travels around the world with cheap tickets
D delivers papers and packages to foreign countries.
3. Business choose the air-courier service because_____.
A. it costs less B. it is flexible C. it saves time D. it grows fast
4. The author of the text mainly______.
A. describes the activities of a law-breaker B. suggests an ideal way to travel
C. argues against the air-courier travel D. tells us about a developing business
Far from the land of Antarctica(南极洲), a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod. For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1. 88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2. 05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein(蛋白质) never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules(分子) held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content. It is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein, or AFGP.
1. What is the text mainly about?
A. The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.
B. A special fish living in freezing waters.
C. The ice shelf around Antarctica. D. Protection of the Antarctic cod.
2. Why can the Antarctic cod live at the freezing temperature?
A. The seawater has a temperature of -1. 88℃.
B. It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture.
C. A special protein keeps it from freezing.
D. Its blood has a temperature lower than -2. 05℃.
3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. A type of ice-salt mixture. B. A newly found protein.
C. Fish blood. D. Sugar molecule.
4. What does “glycol-” in the underlined word “glycoprotein” in the last paragraph mean?
A. sugar B. ice C. blood D. molecule
Advertisers tend to think big and perhaps this is why they're always coming in for criticism. Their critics（批评家）seem to hate them because they have so much money to throw around. Why don’t they stop advertising and reduce the price of their goods? After all, it’s the consumer who pays.
The poor old consumer! He'd have to pay a great deal more if advertising didn't create mass markets for products. It is precisely because of the heavy advertising that consumer goods are so cheap. But we get the wrong idea if we think the only purpose of advertising is to sell goods. Another equally important function is to inform. A great deal of the knowledge we have about household goods is largely from the advertisements we read. Advertisements introduce us to new products or remind us of the existence of ones we already know about. Supposing you wanted to buy a washing machine, it is more than likely you would obtain details regarding performance, price, etc., from an advertisement.
Lots of people pretend that they never read advertisements, but this claim may be seriously doubted. It is hardly possible not to read advertisements these days. And what fun they often are, too! Just think what a railway station or a newspaper would be like without advertisements. Would you enjoy gazing at a blank wall or reading railway byelaws while waiting for a train? A cheerful, witty advertisement makes such a difference to a dull wall or a newspaper full of the incidents and disasters.
We must not forget, either, that advertising makes a positive contribution to our pockets. The fact that we pay so little for our daily paper, or can enjoy so many broadcast programmers is due entirely to the money spent by advertisers. Just think what a newspaper would cost if we had to pay its full price!
Another thing we mustn't forget is the “small ads.” What a tremendously useful service they perform for the community! Just about anything can be accomplished through these columns. For instance, you can find a job, buy or sell a house, announce a birth, marriage or death in what used to be called the “hatch, match and dispatch” column(栏目) but by far the most fascinating section is the personal or “agony” column. No other item in a newspaper provides such entertaining reading or offers such a deep insight into human nature. It's the best advertisement for advertising there is!
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Advertisements steal money from our pockets
B. The critics get the wrong idea of advertisements.
C. Advertisers perform a useful service to communities.
D. Advertisements are everywhere.
2. What is the attitude of the author toward advertisements?
A. He appreciates the role of advertisements.
B. He doubts the effect of advertisements.
C. He believes what is said in advertisements.
D. He complains too many advertisements in daily life.
3. Which of the following is Not True?
A. The personal or “agony” column makes us know more about human nature.
B. The only purpose of advertising is to sell goods.
C. A newspaper will cost us more if there is no advertisement on it.
D. Advertisement makes our life colorful.
4. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
A． B． C． D．
① ① ① ①
 |
 |
 |
 |
||||
② ② ③ ② ③ ④
③ ④ ④ ⑤
⑤ ⑤ ② ③ ④ ⑤
( ①=" Paragraph" 1, ②=" paragraph" 2, ③=" paragraph" 3, ④=" paragraph" 4 ⑤=" paragraph" 5 )
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分 40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑
Win $ 50 in the Coolest Gadget of the Week
Look at what’s the coolest gadget (vote for a chance to win $ 50).
Cryo S: A Cool Netbook Cooler
Like the other devices of NZXT, the Cryo S was designed to provide a competitive advantage at PC gaming. It has two adjustable 120mm fans that provide powerful cooling.
The full post can be found on Trends Updates.
Starry Night Bed
Are you having trouble getting that good nights sleep that you’re needing? Well, not any more. Why not take a look at the Starry Night Bed? The Starry Night Bed is a great new invention which will revolutionize the way in which you sleep. Not only is this bed fashionable and comfortable but it’s also a gadget heaven. With this bed you get many added gadgets including anti-snore technology, movie projector with speakers, temperature control and many more.
The full post can be found on Tech Styling.
Fugoo—talking gadgets
Fugoo gets all your appliances(装置，设备) talking to each other so your alarm clock could first wake you up and then tell the coffee machine to start working while checking traffic conditions online to tell you how long it will take you to get to work.
The full post can be found on Decide What to Buy.
Vote What is this week's coolest gadget?
〇 A Cool Netbook Cooler
〇Starry Night Bed
〇Fugoo—talking gadgets
1. Where can you find the full post of the “Cryo S”?
A. Tech Styling. B. Super Cool Pets.
C. Decide What to Buy. D. Trends Updates.
2.If you buy a Starry Night Bed, you can get all the following gadgets EXCEPT ___________.
A. temperature control B. movie projector
C. adjustable fans D. anti-snore technology
3.From this passage, we learn that Fugoo can_________.
A. check traffic conditions B. wake you up
C. take you to work D. make coffee
4.Where does this advertisement probably come from?
A. A magazine. B. A website. C. A newspaper. D. A textbook.
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