Minh Pham was born in Vietnam. He left there when he was 21 years old. Minh has been in America for almost two years. There is still much he does not understand about America.
Once, Minh was in a supermarket. He saw an old man and an old woman. They wanted a box of cereal（麦片）.The box was on a high shelf. The man and the woman couldn’t reach it. Minh saw a stepladder. He got on the ladder and got the box. He handed it to the elderly couple. They thanked him.
“Where are your children?” asked Minh. “Why don’t they help you buy food?” “Our children have their own lives,” said the man and the woman. “We like to be independent.” Minh doesn’t think this is right. In his country, children help their parents. Minh gave the elderly couple his phone number. He told them to call him if they needed help. One night they asked Minh to dinner, but they never asked him for help.
One day, Minh was walking with a Vietnamese friend. The two men were going to a movie. Minh wanted to go to a restaurant first. Minh took his friend’s hand. He pulled him towards the restaurant. People on the street stared at Minh. In Vietnam, friends often hold hands. Minh found that the people in America are not used to men holding hands.
Minh Pham is going through a process（过程） known as resocialization. Socialization（社会化） is the process in which a person learns to live in a society. Everyone goes through this process. Minh went through it when he lived in Vietnam. But the Vietnamese way of life is rather different from the American way of life. When Minh came to America, he had to learn a new way of life. He had to learn how to live in a new society. Minh has learned a lot about American life in two years. He still has a lot to learn. The process of resocialization can take many years.The main idea of the passage is that socialization is the way in which a person ______.
| A．learns to live in a society |
| B．travels from one country to another |
| C．learns to act independently |
| D．learns about their country |
The passage states that Minh didn’t understand why the elderly man and woman were not ______.
| A．helped by their children | B．shopping for their children |
| C．holding hands | D．using a stepladder |
According to the passage, socialization happens to ______.
| A．only the Vietnamese in America | B．only Americans |
| C．only older people | D．everyone |
The underlined word “resocialization” means ______.
| A．keeping one’s own way of life |
| B．keeping up with others |
| C．a process of learning how to live in a new society |
| D．understanding a new culture |
China is going green．In order to reduce air pollution and oil-shortages, car makers have announced their plans to develop hybrid（混合燃料）cars for the Chinese market．Toyota’s hybrid car Prius will be ready to drive in China this week．Let’s have a look at the new car.
Any vehicle is a hybrid car when it combines two or more sources of power．Hybrid cars have special engines, which are smaller than traditional gasoline engine．They run at 99 percent of their power when the car is going at a steady speed． A specially designed battery motor provides extra power for running up hills or when extra speed-up is needed．
Step into a Prius, and turn on the engine．The first thing you notice is how much quieter it is than a traditional car．At this point, the car’s gasoline engine is at rest．The electric motor will provide power until the car reaches about 24 kilometers per hour．If you stay at a low speed, you are effectively driving an electric car, with no gasoline being used, and no waste gas gives off.
The computer makes the decision about when to use a gas engine, when to go electric, and when to use a combination of the two．If you go over 24 kilometers per hour, when you step on the gas, you are actually telling the computer how fast you want to go.
The electronic motor recharges automatically using a set of batteries．When driving at a high speed, the gasoline engine not only powers the car, but also charges the batteries.
Any time you use the brake, the electric motor will work like a generator（发电机）and produce electricity to recharge the batteries．As a result, the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles.Which of the following pictures can show how the power system of Prius works correctly?（W—Wheel of the car, E.M—electric motor, G.E—gasoline engine, C—computer, B—batteries）
A． |
B． |
C． |
D． |
What is the most important characteristic of hybrid cars?
| A．They are powered by both a rechargeable battery and gasoline. |
| B．They have smaller engines than traditional gasoline ones. |
| C．They use only 99 percent of their power to run up hills. |
| D．They are much quieter than traditional cars. |
We can know from the report that ___________.
| A．the batteries can be recharged at any time you want |
| B．using the brake suggests that the gasoline engine should work |
| C．the gasoline engine charges the batteries as well as powering the car |
| D．the car’s batteries will last for around 200,000 miles without being recharged |
The author writes this passage mainly to ___________.
| A．announce plans to develop hybrid cars for the Chinese market |
| B．let people know how to save their gasoline when driving a car |
| C．teach people how to drive a hybrid car |
| D．introduce a new kind of “green” car |
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR
Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise, it lowers “bad” Cholesterol (胆固醇) in your blood． It can also raise “good ”cholesterol.
Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease, high blood pressure, age and smoking.
WHO IS LIPITOR FOR?
Who can take LIPITOR：
· People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise.
· Adults and children over l0.
Who should NOT take LIPITOR：
· Women who are pregnant, may be pregnant, or may become pregnant．Lipitor may harm your unborn baby．
· Women who are breast-feeding．Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby．
· People with liver(肝脏)problems.
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR
Serious side effects in a small number of people：
· Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems, including kidney failure.
· Liver problems．Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it．
Call your doctor right away if you have：
· Unexplained muscle pain or weakness, especially if you have a fever or feel very tired．
· Swelling of the face, lips, tongue, or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or Swallowing.
· Stomach pain.
Some common side effects of LIPITOR are：
· Muscle pain.
· Upset stomach.
· Changes in some blood tests.
HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR
Do：
· Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor．
· Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor．
· Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food．
· If you miss a dose (一剂), take it as soon as you remember． But if it has been more than
12 hours since you missed dose, wait, Take the next dose at your regular time．
Don’t：
· Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor．
· Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor．
What is the major function of Lipitor?
| A．To help quit smoking. |
| B．To lower "bad" cholesterol． |
| C．To improve unhealthy diet. |
| D．To control blood pressure. |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should .
| A．change the amount of your next dose |
| B．eat more when taking your next dose |
| C．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| D．take the next dose at your regular time |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery． |
| B．To present a report on a scientific research. |
| C．To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
| D．To give information about a kind of medicine. |
There are probably no people on Earth who like to gossip as much as the British. If prying into(打探) other’s lives were an Olympic sport, then Team GB would surely take the gold medal.
And when the British can’t watch the lives of real people, they have another source of entertainment to fall back on—the soap opera． British soap operas are very different to US TV dramas. For one, they are normally longer running. The two most popular, Coronation Street and East-enders, have been running for 48 and 24 years respectively. Both are broadcast several times a week, so remarkably there have been more than 7,000 episodes of Coronation Street.
The most obvious difference is that, unlike US dramas, the British soap operas focus on the real world． There is little glamour (魅力), the stars are rarely rich, and they normally have boring jobs. Perhaps the appeal is that the lives of the characters often mirror the lives of the audience—but with some drama added． This means the viewer can relate to the characters and feel the pain and happiness they go through on the show.
Because these soap operas last for decades, the cast is ever changing. The shows rarely focus on one or two main characters. Like the real world, people come and go all the time. However, there are exceptions. Coronation Street’s William Roach, 76, has played the role of Ken Barlow since the very first episode of the show in 1960, and he is still a regular.
The choice of which soap opera you follow is often cultural: People from the north of British tend to watch Coronation Street as it is set in Manchester. People from the south generally prefer East-enders, which is set in the east of London. The show is generally considered grittier and is aimed at a younger audience.What is the main difference between American dramas and British soap operas?
| A．American dramas are longer. |
| B．British soap operas are longer. |
| C．American dramas deal with dangerous things. |
| D．British soap operas deal with real people. |
Why do British people like to watch such operas?
| A．They can find their own life from the operas. |
| B．They can enjoy the operas in their free time. |
| C．They can watch the operas for many years. |
| D．They care about the fate of the characters in the operas. |
The underlined world “episodes” in the 2nd paragraph probably means ______.
| A．plays |
| B．pages |
| C．issues |
| D．parts |
One characteristic of British operas is that ______.
| A．the characters play the same role for a long time. |
| B．the characters in the play often change |
| C．people don’t know what will happen next |
| D．there is only one or two characters in them |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中（A、B、C和D），选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so right now, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble (发牢骚) afterward． This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause any embarrassment. Margolis writes, “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that piece of raw chicken on my plate instead of complaining to restaurant staff. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this ashamed．”
In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.
● Not making introductions
Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without being introduced gives them a stomachache”. Americans rarely introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves.
● “Quite” good
Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in Britain, don't describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was OK but could have been better.
● Money Talk
Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis, “Talking about how much we make is unthinkable — even 1ess so than discussing our feelings.”
● Over-politeness
“It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who's been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis. In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating.Margolis’ dining experience in Paragraph 1 shows that_______.
| A．Britons are particular about foods |
| B．Britons are not good at complaining |
| C．Americans usually complain directly |
| D．Americans complain more than Britons |
Which of the following might Margolis agree with?
| A．Britons enjoy talking about their feelings. |
| B．Americans introduce themselves at parties. |
| C．Americans dislike talking to strangers at parties. |
| D．Britons feel happy if treated like close friends. |
The underlined phrase “detracts from” in the text probably means ____.
| A．differs greatly from |
| B．increases the quality of |
| C．reduces the strength of |
| D．draws attention away from |
What does the text mainly talk about?
| A．How to get on well with westerners. |
| B．How to start conversations with Britons. |
| C．Ruth Margolis’ tips on public behavior. |
| D．Some American habits that annoy Britons. |
We are not who we think we are.
The American self-image is spread with the golden glow of opportunity．We think of the United States as a land of unlimited possibility，not so much a classless society but as a place where class is mutable—a place where brains，energy and ambition are what counts，not the circumstances of one's birth.
The Economic Mobility Project， an ambitious research led by Pew Charitable Trusts， looked at the economic fortunes of a large group of families over time， comparing the income of parents in the late 1960s with the income of their children in the late 1990s and early 2000s．Here is the finding: "The 'rags to riches' story is much more common in Hollywood than on Main Street． Only 6 percent of children born to parents with family income at the very bottom move to the top.
That is right， just 6 percent of children born to parents who ranked in the bottom of the study sample， in terms of income， were able to bootstrap their way into the top． Meanwhile， an incredible 42 percent of children born into that lowest are still stuck at the bottom，having been unable to climb a single rung of the income ladder.
It is noted that even in Britain---a nation we think of as burdened with a hidebound class system-children who are born poor have a better chance of moving up． When the studies were released，most reporters focused on the finding that African-Americans born to middle-class or upper middle-class families are earning slightly less，in inflation-adjusted dollars，than did their parents.
One of the studies indicates，in fact，that most of the financial gains white families have made in the past three decades can be attributed to the entry of white women into the labor force．This is much less true for African-Americans.
The picture that emerges from all the quintiles，correlations and percentages is of a nation in which，overall，"the current generation of adults is better off than the previous one"，as one of the studies notes.
The median income of the families in the sample group was $55，600 in the late 1960s; their children's median family income was measured at $71，900．However，this rising tide has not lifted all boats equally．The rich have seen far greater income gains than have the poor.
Even more troubling is that our nation of America as the land of opportunity gets little support from the data．Americans move fairly easily up and down the middle rungs of the ladder，but there is "stickiness at the ends" —four out of ten children who are born poor will remain poor，and four out of ten who are born rich will stay rich.
What did the Economic Mobility Project find in its research?
| A．Children from low-income families are unable to bootstrap their way to the top. |
| B．Hollywood actors and actresses are upwardly mobile from rags to riches. |
| C．The rags to riches story is more fiction than reality. |
| D．The rags to riches story is only true for a small minority of whites. |
It can be inferred from the undertone of the writer that America，as a classless society，should ________.
| A．perfect its self-image as a land of opportunity |
| B．have a higher level of upward mobility than Britain |
| C．enable African-Americans to have exclusive access to well-paid employment |
| D．encourage the current generation to work as hard as the previous generation |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The US is a land where brains，energy and ambition are what counts. |
| B．Inequality persists between whites and blacks in financial gains. |
| C．Middle-class families earn slightly less with inflation considered. |
| D．Children in lowest-income families manage to climb a single rung of the ladder. |
What might be the best title for this passage?
| A．Social Upward Mobility. |
| B．Incredible Income Gains. |
| C．Inequality in Wealth. |
| D．America Not Land of Opportunity. |
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