As the summer time approaches, more and more commercials and advertisements can be seen on the mass media encouraging students to join English study tours abroad. The purpose of these tours is to provide students with an opportunity to learn English in a native speaking environment and use English in real situations. Parents always believe that their children will automatically speak good English after attending these study tours. However, for me, as an English major and former participant of many English study tours, I find these summer tours ineffective.
Parents who send their children abroad for a summer to study English usually believe that the native speaking environment, including the courses, teachers, and host families, can help their children to learn English better. This might be true if the students really study hard and they really get an all-English environment. But the fact is that, most of the time, the tour part is more important than the study part. Although these tours take place in foreign countries, students are rarely exposed in an all-English environment. You will find that, in the morning classes, Taiwanese students would like to stick together and speak Chinese with each other, even though there are some students from other countries. In the afternoon, the students go on a sightseeing excursion with their companions from Taiwan; they speak Chinese of course. In the evening, when students return to the host families, they would stay in their room and share the day with their roommate, another Taiwanese student. People who speak the same language with you is like a log（原木）in the ocean when living in a foreign country where you can not express yourself well, so that you would naturally stick with them. This is especially true with children.
Another unrealistic expectation parents have for these tours is that the experience of living abroad can make their children more independent and mature. However, maturity does not come overnight. It takes time and practice. The most important of all is that they need a good mentor（顾问）. None of these exist in the study tours. Which of the following is the most important thing for children who study in an English environment according to the writer?
| A．Host families. | B．Hard work. | C．Courses. | D．Teachers. |
The underlined word “mature” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．active | B．free | C．outgoing | D．grown-up |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the English study tours abroad?
| A．Doubtful. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Neutral. |
This is a dangerous world we live in. The number of murders goes up every year, people are dying of cancer, more people contract HIV, more teens are using drugs, ect. You know this because you’ve heard all the statistics on the news and in the paper. But do you really have an accurate idea what they mean? The numbers are going up, but how do they compare to the growth in population? Are more cases of these diseases being reported because of better testing techniques, or are the diseases more common? The fact is that without knowing the background statistics mean very little.
This growing trend of reporting only part of the information is becoming dangerous. For example, several years ago 
a high school student reported the dangers of the chemical known as dihydrogen monoxide. This chemical, found in most cancerous tumors, is often found in the blood of people drunk on alcohol, and causes complete physical and mental dependence for those who take the chemical even once. After reading his report, more than 75% of his Advanced Placement Chemistry class voted to forbid this dangerous chemical! Every one of the above statement is true, yet this chemical is necessary to all life on earth. The students made a mistake because they voted knowing only a few statements and statistics, rather than the chemical’s full background.
The point of this article is that one should be aware of what is and is not being said. When one finds a new fact or number, one should try to consider other important information before forming an opinion with only half-truths. Always remember that the author is trying to convince you of his or her own view, and will leave our information that is different from his view. For example, look again at the statistics that suggest skiing is safe. Only 32 people die each year when skiing, while 897 die from lightening strikes, but which is really more dangerous? If you think more about it, you will realize far fewer people go skiing each year than the number of people in danger of a lightning strike. When you think about it again, skiing is more dangerous than you might at first think when looking at the statistics. If we teenagers are to be left in this world, we had better be able to think critically, and form our own views, rather than be easily persuaded by another’s. to be warned is just to be prepared.
1.What’s the author’s attitude towards the growing trend of reporting only part of the___________ info
rmation?
A.sapproving B. Positive C. Indifferent D. Dangerous
2.In the first paragraph, what does the writer suggest?
A.We are now living in a dangerous world.
B.We get a lot of false statistics from the media.
C.There are around us more and more murders diseases, ect.
D.Statistics alone without full background don’t give us an accurate picture of things.
3.What’s the purpose of the writer’s using the two examples in the second paragraph?
A.To argue that high school students are easily persuaded.
B. To prove what is necessary to us might be dangerous.
C.To show the danger of reporting only part of the information.
D.To warn us of the harmful substance around us.
4.Relative information is often left out because ___________________.
A.it is not important
B.the author is trying to show what he or she says is true
C.readers will consider other important information
D.readers are able to form an opinion with half-truths
5.What can we learn from the passage?
A.Some measures must be taken to protect our dangerous world.
B.The growing trend of reporting only half-truths is getting out of control.
C.Teenagers ought to improve their ability of telling right from wrong.
D.We should learn to think critically and look at problems from all sides.
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked with A、B、C and D, Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
For new countries joining the European Union, and older ones getting used to their dark red passport, becoming “Europeans” is a bit like marrying a large and strange family.
Europeans have a lot in common but it is their differences, not their similarities, that attract the attention of sociologies and market researchers, and are more interesting
35% of Germans live alone, but only 9% of Spaniards. Perhaps this explains why Spaniards lead Europe in the habit of going out for a drink.
The British attend more adult evening classes than anyone else in Europe, and the Belgians least. So it can’t just be the dark evenings. There are no figures on how many Britons go for a drink afterwards. If there were, they might be up at the top with Spain.
The British think black cats are lucky. Every other European country regards them unlucky.
The French are the most athletic Europeans. Next come the Dutch. But the Belgians, just over the border, play fewest sports.
The Germans spend twice as much on heating as the S
paniards. Well, of course they do, it’s colder.
Dutch husbands do the household shopping a lot more often than Italians or Spaniards.
The French are the champion public transport commuters(经常往返者)of Europe. If you hate commuting, go and live in the Netherlands, where journeys to work are shorter than anywhere else.
The amount of direct eye-contact between strangers is three times greater among Spaniards than it is among the British or Swedes. So, sharing a lift is a torture for both the British and the Swedish.
There are exceptions to all these rules. Deal with them in the spirit of my 8-year-old daughter. “If you don’t understand each other’s language, just laugh a lot and eat and point at things.”
1.We can know from this passage that______________.
A.sociologist are most interested in the idea of European Union
B.most European countries are not willing to join the European Union
C.Europeans have more differences than similarities
D.trade opportunities exit in the cultural differences in the European Union
2.If you work and live in Belgium, you will______________.
A. have to change your living places often B. not get used to its cold weather
C. seldom sees people playing sports D. be invited to go for a drink frequently
3. The underlined sentence means that the British and Swedish _________________.
A. care about their safety most B. like to appear gentle and smart
C. hate to look at each other face to face D. enjoy a richer life than others
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Spain?
A.Spaniards hate direct eye-contact between strangers.
B.Spaniards like to go for a drink after dark.
C.Spaniards spend twice as much on heating as the Germans.
D.In Spain, husbands do more household shopping than those in Italy.
5.In the last paragraph, the author wants to express his idea that ______________.
A.his daughter knows well how to understand foreigners in unfamiliar situations
B.Europeans actually share the same culture even if they have different languages
C.being a European, you will have no living trouble at all in the European Union
D.there are differences between European countries, but don’t take them too seriously
An 18th-century statesman Edmund Burke once said, “All that is needed for the success of a misguided cause is that good people do nothing.” One such cause now seeks to end biomedical research because of the theory that animals have rights to decide whether to be used in research. Scientists need to respond forcefully to animal rights advocates, whose arguments are puzzling the public and threatening advances in health knowledge and care. Leaders of the animal rights movement attack biomedical research because it depends on public funding, and few people understand the process of health care research. Hearing false reports of cruelty to animals in research settings, many are puzzled that anyone would harm an animal on purpose.
For example, a grandmotherly woman setting up an animal rights booth at a recent street fair was giving out sheets that encouraged readers not to use anything that comes from or is tested in animals－no meat, no fur, no medicines. Asked what will happen when epidemics(传染病) return, she said. “Don’t worry, scientists will find some way of using computers.” Such well-meaning people just don’t understand.
Scientists must communicate their message to the public in an understandable way－in human terms, not in the language of biology. We need to make clear the connection between animal research and a grandmother’s organ replacement, a father’s bypass operation, a baby’s vaccinations(接种疫苗), and even a pet’s shots. To those who know nothing about the animal research that was needed to produce these treatments, as well as new treatments and vaccines, animal research seems wasteful at best and cruel at worst.
Much can be done. Scientists could give middle school lessons and present their own research. They should be quick to respond to letters to the editor, in case animal rights misinformation goes unchallenged and gains a false appearance of truth. Research institutions could be opened to tours, to show that laboratory animals receive humane care. Finally, because there are a lot of patients, the health research community should actively recruit(招募) not only well-known personalities such as Stephen Cooper, who has made courageous statements about the value of animal research, but all who receive medical treatment. If good people do nothing, there is a real possibility that uninformed citizens will wipe out the precious of medical progress.
1. The purpose of the author beginning his article with Edmund Burke’s words is to _____.
A．call on scientists to take some actions
B．argue against the cause of animal rights
C．warn of the failure of biomedical research
D．show the success of the animal rights movement
2. In the second paragraph, the author took a grandmotherly woman as an example to show ____.
A. the way to prevent epidemics B. the innocence of the woman
C. how strong the opposition was D. how important the animal rights were
3. In the eyes of the author, misguided people are likely to think that using an animal in research
is ______.
A．cruel but necessary B．just but unnecessary
C．meaningful and wasteful D．inhuman and unacceptable
4. What can be inferred from the passage?
A．People care very little about returns of epidemics.
B．The public lacks knowledge of biomedical science.
C．Stephen Cooper is very seriously concerned about animal treatment.
D．Scientists should make efforts to develop new cures by means of hi-tech.
5. According to the passage, the author’s attitude toward biomedical research is ________.
A. Disinterested B. Indifferent C. Objective D. Supportive
“How’s the basketball coming on?”
I put down my drink and looked across at the next table. I was curious about that because both the man and the woman were at least 65.
“Oh, I’m not playing much basketball these days,” the woman replied. “But I’m getting much better at golf.”
What’s this, I thought. I opened my packet of crisps, thoughtfully.
“I’m still pretty hopeless at chess, I’m afraid,” the man said. “It beat me on level one this morning.”
The penny dropped. These two were the proud owners of computer games.
It’s very likely that one of the results of the development of the silicon chip (硅片) will be that a lot of people will have more exciting ways to spend their leisure time. It already has. Space invader machines are now a familiar sight everywhere. A lot of people play them, and some, particularly school children, get remarkably high scores. How, one wonders, do they find the time (and money) to become so good?
If you have your own computers, the possibilities are endless. You can play any active sports without stepping out of your living room.
You can become an expert at chess or backgammon (a kind of game) without ever playing with another human being. Indeed, human beings aren’t needed at all.
So, what of the future? Will we see school children stealing or even robbing to feed space invader machines? Will football grounds lie empty as families sit at home playing video football, or watching the national video football championship? Perhaps, it won’t go that far. But we won’t have to wait long for the Video Olympics. I’m sure of that.
Back in the pub, I stood up, took out 20 pence, and went over to the space invader machine. I may not be much good at beating computers at backgammon, but any space invaders who arrive on Earth anywhere near me had better watch out.
1. Why did the dialogue mentioned at the beginning of the passage draw the writer’s attention?
A. Because the speakers were old.
B. Because he wanted to join them.
C. Because the speakers were famous people.
D. Because he was interested in sports.
2. The example of the man and woman is taken at the beginning of the passage to show how ______ the computer games are.
A. convenient B. necessary C. curious D. popular
3. What does the underlined sentence “The penny dropped” most probably mean?
A. It was understood. B. It was strange.
C. It was great. D. It was accepted.
4. According to the writer, development in computer will make people ______.
A. friendlier B. less active C. more athletic D. smarter.
5. From the last paragraph we can see ______.
A. the writer is strongly against video games
B. the writer never plays video games
C. the writer is fond of playing video games
D. the write is better at “backgammon” than “space invader”
PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Jascha Richter once sang “don't need too much talking without saying anything” to reveal his lonely feeling in a crowd.
Dad always told me never to ever reveal my true opinions towards other people if such opinions are negative. He said this is the “Chu Shi Zhe Xue”, the philosophy of dealing with social network.
It seems that everybody here just follows this philosophy very, very well.
Friends. I would say that if I were given true friendship I would definitely treasure it with my greatest care. If I really regard someone as my close friend, I would never leave her alone whenever she's in need, either financially or mentally. And I always believe, as long as I treat people with whole-hearted honesty, I would have some rewards—at least, just ONE true friend of the same gender（性别）.
Sometimes I just miss my friends in China. Perhaps when we became friends, we were still young, too young to have been polluted by any dirt in the society. But here, it is simply different. It seems that all of us have learnt how to SURVIVE in a foreign land and such an experience actually makes us learn how to extract (榨取) the most benefits from the surroundings in order to survive.
All are friends around me. I've looked through all the dark sides of their personalities and yet I have to pretend that I know nothing. THEY ARE GOOD. THEY ARE GOOD. AND WE ARE FRIENDS. And then I can make myself comfortable enough to talk to people I hate the most. And of course, they don't say any words truly from their hearts. Neither do I.
But, sometimes I just feel unwilling to talk to these people. Sometimes, I just want to be alone, quietly, without being forced to listen to their gossip or other useless words.
“Standing on a mountain high
Looking at the moon through a clear blue sky
I should go and see some friends
But they don't really comprehend”
Jascha Richter expresses my feelings also.
1. What do we know about the writer’s father according to this passage?
A. He is really a good philosopher.
B. He possibly gets on well with others.
C. He told the writer to reveal her true opinions.
D. The passage doesn’t tell us at all.
2. What does the writer mean by saying “All are friends around me” in Paragraph 7?
A. People around her all like her. B. She has a lot of friends.
C. There are no real friends. D. No one is friendly to her.
3. What’s the most probable reason the writer mentions Jascha Richter’s song twice in the passage?
A.She likes Jascha Richter’s song.
B.Jascha Richter is one of her friends.
C The song were expresses her feelings.
D.She uses it to perfects her article.
4. Which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?
A. She is now living abroad but doesn’t enjoy the life there.
B. She absolutely believes in her father’s philosophy.
C. She shows a positive attitude towards her relationship with others.
D. She thinks highly of her friends by repeating “They are good”.
5. The writer mostly expresses her ______ in this passage.
A. happiness B. homesickness C. sadness D. loneliness
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