If women are mercilessly exploited(剥削) year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend large sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time changing their old-fashioned dresses. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with necessary things like warmth, comfort and durability (耐用). They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or picking her way through deep snow in high heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability(稳定耐用)? That is for you to decide.Designers and big stores always make money_________.
| A．by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry |
| B．because they are capable of predicting new fashions |
| C．because they attach great importance to quality in women's clothing |
| D．by constantly changing the fashions in women's clothing |
To the writer, the fact that women change their old-fashioned dresses is seen as ___________.
| A．a waste of time | B．a waste of money |
| C．an expression of taste | D．an expression of love beauty |
New fashions in clothing are created for ___________.
| A．an important contribution to society |
| B．the women's strength of character |
| C．basic qualities of inconstancy and instability |
| D．the commercial exploitation of women |
By saying "the conclusions to be drawn are obvious" (Line One to Line Two, Paragraph Four),
the writer means that ___________.
| A．men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
| B．women are better able to put up with discomfort |
| C．men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers |
| D．women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
A shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness from the wisest man in the world. The boy walked a long way, and finally came upon the beautiful castle where the wise man lived.
On entering the main room of the castle, the boy was quite surprised: tradesmen coming and going, people chatting in the corners, and a small orchestra playing soft music. The wise man talked with everyone, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn.
The wise man listened carefully to the boy’s explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn’t have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.
“Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something,” said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. “As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.”
The boy began to walk up and down stairs of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the wise man.
“Well,” asked the wise man, “Did you see the Persian tapestries（挂毯）in the hall? Did you see the garden that took the master gardener ten years to create?” The boy was embarrassed, and replied that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil.
“Then go back and observe the wonders
of my world,” said the wise man. The boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace. This time he observed all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. When he returned, he described in detail everything he had seen.
“But where are the drops of oil?” asked the wise man. Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.
“Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,” said the wise man. “The secret of happiness is to see all the wonders of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.”
When the boy arrived at the castle, he .
| A．received a warm welcome from the wise man |
| B．had already missed his chance to talk to the wise man |
| C．didn’t expect to see so many people around |
| D．was shown around the palace by the local people |
The wise man gave the boy two tasks in order to .
| A．teach him the secret of happiness |
| B．show him how to observe the wonders in the world |
| C．make him learn from his mistakes |
| D．let the boy enjoy his palace and garden |
We can infer from the article that “the drops of oil on the spoon” probably refer to ______
| A．the beauty of nature |
| B．the fortune a person owns |
| C．the responsibilities of a person |
| D．the great opportunities in life |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?
| A．The wise man was satisfied with the way the boy performed the second task |
| B．It took the wise man about 10 years to finish his garden. |
| C．The wise man wasn’t paying much attention to the boy at first. |
| D．The boy took no notice of the surroundings during his first task. |
The Atlantic Ocean is one of the oceans that separate the Old World from the New. For centuries it kept the America from being discovered by the people of Europe.
The Atlantic Ocean is only half as big as the pacific, but it is still very large. It is more than 4,000 miles (6,000 km) wide where Columbus crossed it. Even at its narrowest it is about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) wide.
There is so much water in the Atlantic that it is hard to imagine how much there is. But suppose no more rain fell into and no more water was brought to it by rivers. It would take the ocean about 4,000 years to dry up. On the average the water is a little more than 2 miles (3.2 km) deep, but in some places it is much deeper. The deepest spot is near Puerto Rico. This "deep" measures 30,246 feet --- almost six miles (9.6 km).
Several hundred miles eastward from Florida there is a part of the ocean called the Sargasso Sea. Here the water is quiet, for there is little wind. Today the Atlantic is a great highway. It is not, however, always a smooth and safe one. Storms sweep across it and pile up great waves. Icebergs float down from the Far North across the paths of ships. We now have such fast ways of travelling that this big ocean seems to have grown smaller. Columbus sailed for more than two months to cross it. A fast modern steamship can make the trip in less than four days. Airplanes fly from New York to London in only eight hours and from South America to Africa in four!From the third paragraph, we can learn that ______ .
| A．the Atlantic will dry up in 4,000 years' time |
| B．no river flows into the Atlantic ocean |
| C．it's hard to imagine how much water there is in the Atlantic ocean |
| D．the Ocean floor is rather flat |
Suppose it's February 27th, 2000. You take a steamship to cross the Atlantic to North America, when will you probably get there?
| A．On March 2nd | B．On March 3rd |
| C．On February 28th | D．In eight hours' time |
What can you learn from the last paragraph of the passage ?
| A．The Atlantic has grown smaller than it used to be. |
| B．The Atlantic had grown wider than it used to be. |
| C．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean grow smaller. |
| D．Fast ways of travelling make the ocean seem to grow smaller. |
Nodira, 18, lives in the Tashkent region of Uzbekistan. She was born with a rare disease and is now paralyzed(瘫痪) from the waist down. Her life is confined to a wheelchair but her dreams know no such boundaries. Her hopes for the future include attending university, riding in her father’s car and being able to walk like other children.
Nodira, which means ‘unique’ in Uzbek, is one of five children in a poor family. Every morning, after reciting her prayers, Nodira feeds the hens and goats from her wheelchair. The rest of her day is spent knitting for other people and helping her mother with the household chores.
Nodira has never been to school because it is too far from her home and inaccessible for her wheelchair. A local teacher used to come and tutor her at home and, as a result, she was able to finish third grade. After that, her parents moved to another town and the tutor could not visit as much.
Despite the many difficulties in Nodira’s life she is lucky to be living with 
her family. The stigma(羞辱) attached to the children living with disabilities, combined with the lack of wheelchair access in schools and the economic difficulties faced by many Uzbek families, have led many parents to place children with disabilities in special institutions.
These days, Nodira does homework exercises at home and reads as much as she can. Still, it is unlikely that she will be able to finish her primary education, much less attend university. While missing out on an education is a great disappointment to Nodira, her greatest wish, for a true friend, can still come true. “What I want more than anything is a friend who also has a disability,” she says. “Somebody will not feel sorry for me or make fun of me, and will understand what my life is like.”The underlined sentence in the first paragraph probably means “_____”.
| A．her dreams will help her desert her wheel chair |
| B．her dreams are never limited by her disability |
| C．she often dreams of moving freely without a wheel chair |
| D．she never dreams of recovering from her disability |
Nodira does all the following every day EXCEPT _____.
| A．give food to some animals |
| B．to make clothes from woolen or cotton thread |
C．drive cars designed  for the disabled |
| D．help with the housework |
The underlined word “tutor” in the 3rd paragraph can be replaced by “_____”.
| A．educate | B．visit | C．treat | D．comfort |
What Nodira wants most is ______.
| A．to go to university |
| B．to walk on her own feet |
| C．to finish her primary education |
| D．to find a true friend |
In the office of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, there is a picture of Catherine the Great, the legendary Russian Empress. When asked why she has the picture, Merkel says, “She was a strong woman”. Many say the same of Merkel.
The most powerful woman in the world, according to US Forbes magazine, was in China last week. She came to discuss trade and environmental issues with China’s top leaders. Germany’s first woman leader is known as a brave and practical statesman(政治家). Even since her time at school, she had the habit of getting everything in order. Every day before doing her homework she would clean the desk and think about what to do next. “I prefer a long time for full preparations to make my decision. But once I decide, I will stand up for what I believe,” Merkel said.
Perhaps it was good habits that helped her do well in her studies. At 32, she got a doctorate (博士学位) in physics and then she worked as a researcher.
However, the life of a scholar couldn’t put off her love of politics. While working in labs, Merkel took time off to read political books and at last joined a political party. “Her calmness helped her stand out in the party. She could always find a way out while others felt hopeless,” said one of her old friends.
In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s youngest chancellor since the second World War.
Now half way through her four-
year term, the 53-year-old woman has made a name for herself both in Germany and abroad. At the EU summit in 2005 when France quarreled with Britain over the EU budget(预算), some people believed the EU was close to breaking down. But Merkel didn’t give up. She shuttled(穿梭) between the heads of the two powers and had them reached an agreement.
“Strength comes from composure(镇定) and courage. Many people say I am a strong woman. But I would rather say I have perseverance,” said Merkel.Why does Merkel put a picture of Catherine the Great on the wall of her office?
| A．Because Catherine the Great is beautiful. |
| B．Because Merkel wants to be a strong woman too. |
| C．Because Merkel likes the drawing skill of it. |
| D．Because it is very expensive. |
What is the correct order of the following events?
a. became the German Chancellor
b. got a doctorate in physics and then she worked as a researcher
c. join a political party
d. visit China
e. take part in the EU summit
f. as Minister for the Environment
| A．bcafde | B．cbfdae | C．bcfaed | D．cbfaed |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Merkel usually is hurry to make a decision when facing difficulties. |
| B．At the EU summit in 2005, the relationship between French and Britain was in tension. |
| C．Merkel is a well-known leader all over the world. |
| D．She is outstanding because of her calmness. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．An excellent lecturer | B．Germany’s iron lady |
| C．The change of a scholar | D．The youngest chancellor |
While it is impossible to live completely free of stress, it is possible to prevent stress as well as reduce its effect when it can't be avoided. The US Department of Health and Human Services offers the following suggestions for ways to deal with stress.
Try physical activity
When you are nervous, angry or upset, try releasing the pressure through exercise or physical activity. Running, walking, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some of the activities you might try. Physical exercise will relieve your anxiety and worry and help you to relax. Your body and your mind will work together to ease the stress in your life.
Share your stress
It helps to talk to someone about your anxieties and worries. Perhaps a friend, family member, teacher or even your leader can help you a better view of what's troubling you. If you feel your problem is serious, you might seek professional help from a psychologist or a doctor. Knowing when to ask for help is an important step in avoiding serious problems later.
Take care of yourself
You should make every effort to eat well and get enough rest. If you easily get angry and cannot sleep well enough, or if you're not eating properly, it will be more likely that you will fall into stressful situations. If stress repeatedly keeps you from sleeping, you should consult a doctor. Make time for yourself.
Make a list of the things you need to do
Stress can result from disorganization and a feeling that "there's so much to do, and not enough time". Trying to take care of everything at once can be too much for you and as a result, you may not achieve anything. Instead, make a list of everything you have to do, then do one thing at a time, checking off each task as it is completed. Set out to do the most important tasks first.
Go ahead and cry
A good cry can be a healthy way to 
bring relief to your anxiety. It might even help you avoid a headache or other physical effect of anxiety and stress.What is most probably the writer's purpose in writing the article?
| A．To release his or her working tiredness. |
| B．To help solve the universal problem of stress. |
| C．To strengthen his or her anxiety. |
| D．To have more people cry out. |
Physical activity can help people re
lease stress because________.
| A．only your body movement can help you relax |
| B．your mind can work better to free you of anxiety |
| C．your body and mind can cooperate in releasing stress |
| D．physical activity doesn't play an important part in reducing nervousness |
What is similarity between "Share your stress" and "Go ahead and cry"?
| A．They both help you let out your feelings. |
| B．They both need physical movement. |
| C．They both require mental relaxation. |
| D．They can cause a headache. |
The underlined sentence is close to the meaning of "________".
| A．Strike while the iron is hot |
| B．More haste, less speed |
| C．Practice makes perfect |
| D．Quietness wins time |
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