The necktie looks set to follow the top hat in being handed over to the fashion museum by office workers within the next 50 years, according to research.
Nearly three quarters (74%) think the tie will not survive within British firms beyond the next half a century with the popularity of the open-collared shirt. Its demise is being blamed on the boom in creative businesses, such as Facebook and Google, and online trading companies where formal dress codes tend to be avoided in favour of a more casual approach.
Once considered an important part of business dress, the tie has become a victim of the spread of "casual Fridays" into other weekdays, according to researchers.
The poll, by Deal Jungle. com, which helps small and medium enterprises, found more than half (51% ) thought the tie would die out in offices within the next 20 years and almost a quarter (22%) believed it would last less than 10 years.
A spokesman for the site, which has 20, 000 registered members, said: "Ties have been around seemingly forever but increasing numbers of office workers are telling them to get away."
"The success of businesses such as Facebook and Google, where even the CEO turns up wearing jeans and a hoodie, also seems to have had a corrosive (侵蚀性) effect on the idea of dressing formally for work."
"Many of our members keep their expenses to a minimum by working from home so they feel no need to dress up to go to work. We know that when they meet with clients, they still put on a business suit, but a tie is no longer seen as an essential part of the suited-and-booted look."
"Instead, many businessmen and increasing numbers of executives choose a suit and shirt with an open collar. The tie-less suit creates an impression of a more approachable deal maker, someone who is still business-minded, yet creative and technology-sensible, too. "Why are ties expected to disappear in offices?
| A．CEOs in creative businesses set a rule to forbid wearing ties. |
| B．The idea of casual weekdays is increasingly accepted. |
| C．Office workers are tired of wearing ties daily. |
| D．The tie-less look appears more modern. |
According to the spokesman, how are their members dressed before clients?
| A．Business suits and casual jeans. |
| B．Formal suits and a shirt with a tie. |
| C．Casual suits and buttoned-up shirt. |
| D．Business suits and an open-collared shirt. |
What kind of image does the tie-less suit create?
| A．Accessible in business. | B．Professional in fashion. |
| C．Casual in working. | D．Creative in dressing. |
What does the underlined word "demise" mean in Para.2?
| A．popularity | B．survival | C．disappearance | D．development |
To what degree can a computer achieve intelligence？The answer to this question may lie in a newly-developed US computer program called Smarter Child and the Internet.
If you ran into Smarter Child online, you would be surprised at this kid’s huge memory. It can recite many facts. For example, Smarter Child knows every baseball player in every team this season.
He knows every word in the dictionary and the weather in every major city areas across the US. However, if you ask Smarter Child other questions, you get strange answers. A question about Smarter Child’s age returns. “One year, 11 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes, and 47 seconds!” Asking where he lives gets, “In a clean room in a high-tech building in California.”
Smarter Child uses the vast information on the World Wide Web as his memory bank. To answer questions about spelling, for instance, Smarter Child goes to American Heritage Dictionary online. For the weather, he visits www.intellicast.com.
Some scientists believe that by joining the many systems of the Internet, an artificial being with the combined knowledge of, say, Albert Einstein, Richard Nixon and Britney Spears could be born. However, if Smarter Child wants to think and learn on his own like the boy-computer David in the movie A. I. Artificial Intelligence, he must overcome two problems.
The first is that computers find it difficult to read web pages because the files are labeled in different ways. That’s why programmers need to tell Smarter Child where to look for the weather. It would be a much more difficult task to let him find it himself.
Another problem is that while Smarter Child can process information more exactly and faster than any human, he lacks common sense—a basic grounding of knowledge that is obvious to any young child.From the text we can infer that www.intellicast.com is a website
| A．where we people can find Smarter Child |
| B．which is specially designed to help Smarter Child |
| C．where weather forecasts are made |
| D．which is about artificial intelligence |
It is probably most difficult for Smarter Child to .
| A．learn the ability to tell right behaviors from wrong ones. |
| B．tell us how to spell a difficult word |
| C．provide us with a famous poem by Shakespeare |
| D．tell us how the American government is run |
The underlined “it ” in Paragraph 6 refers to ________.
| A．where to look for the weather | B．Smarter Child. |
| C．a much more difficult task | D．to read web pages |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．A New Web Child | B．Intelligence Development |
| C．Smarter Child | D．The Future of Internet |
Andy rode slowly on his way to school, day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him. He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.
He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present. He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens. What he saw shocked and terrified him. A huge swarm(群) of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and seemed to be heading angrily towards him.
With no time to waste, Andy sped off in the opposite direction, without knowing how to escape the swarm. With a rapidly beating heart, he sped down the rough road. As the bees came closer, his panic increased. Andy knew that he was allergic to bee stings(蜇). The last sting had landed him in hospital —and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days. Suddenly, his father’s words came to him. “When you are in a tight situation, don’t panic. Use your brain and think your way out of it.”
On a nearby hill, he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought. “They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but he knew he could not reach the house in time. The bees would catch up with him soon.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eyes, he spotted a small dam used by Mr. Nelson to water his vegetable garden. He got off his bike and into the cool water, disappearing below the surface. After holding his breath for as long as he could, Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam, he struggled up the hilly slope(坡) and rang the doorbell. Mrs. Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.
“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief. “Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her. He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow. Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?
| A．He was riding to school. |
| B．He was listening to a strange sound. |
| C．He was going fishing with his father. |
| D．He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip. |
How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?
| A．He asked Mr. Nelson for help. | B．He hid himself under the water. |
| C．He rushed into the Nelson house. | D．He rode off in the opposite direction. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?
| A．They crowded like a black cloud. | B．They shocked and terrified Andy. |
| C．They made Andy stay in hospital. | D．They were coming towards Andy. |
Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?
| A．No pains, no gains. | B．Once bitten, twice shy. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. | D．One’s mind works faster in an emergency. |
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses（球场） in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free.Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
| A．Cycling around a lake. | B．Motor racing in the desert. |
| C．Playing basketball in a gym. | D．Swimming in a sports center. |
What do we know about golf from the passage?
| A．It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
| B．It causes water shortages in some areas. |
| C．It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
| D．It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
The author writes the passage to_______.
| A．show us the function of major sports |
| B．introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
| C．discuss the major influence of popular sports |
| D．encourage us to go in for green sports |
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR
Lipitor is a prescription medicine．Along with diet and exercise, it lowers（降低）"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 10
Who should NOT take DIPITOR:
●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, and/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 your 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．Taking Lipitor is helpful for _______________.
| A．women who are pregnant | B．teenagers with liver problems |
| C．breast-feeding women | D．adults having heart disease |
If it has been 7 hours since you missed a dose, you should ____________.
| A．eat more when taking your next dose |
| B．have a dose as soon as you remember |
| C．take the next dose at your regular time |
| D．change the amount of your next dose |
Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
| A．Throat swelling． | B．Upset stomach. |
| C．Kidney failure. | D．Muscle weakness． |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach patients ways for quick recovery． |
| B．To show the importance of a good lifestyle． |
| C．To give information about a kind of medicine． |
| D．To present a report on a scientific research． |
答对三题以上（含三题）才给予加分；请在完成前五部分的前提下完成该部分
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Honesty may well be the policy, but it often deserts us when no one is watching, psychologists report today. Experiments with an honesty box to collect payments for hot drinks show that people are better at paying up when under the gaze of a pair of eyes. The surprise was that the eyes were not real, but photographed.Researchers at Newcastle University set up the experiment in secret. They attached a poster to a cupboard of mugs above an honesty box alongside a kettle, with tea, coffee and milk. Over 10 weeks, they alternated (轮流替换) each week between images of eyes and pictures of flowers.Dr. Bateson, a behavioral biologist and leader of the study, said that even though the eyes were not real they still seemed to make people behave more honestly. The effect may result from behavioral characteristics that developed as early humans formed social groups that increased their chances of survival. Individuals had to co-operate for the good of the group, rather than act selfishly.
“If nobody is watching us it is in our interests to behave selfishly. But when we think we’re being watched we should behave better, so people see us as co-operative and behave the same way towards us,” Dr. Bateson said.
“We thought we’d get a slight effect with eyes, by it was quite striking how much difference they made. Even at a subconscious level, it seems people respond to eyes, and that might be because eyes send a strong biological signal we have evolved(进化) to respond to.”
The finding, which researchers believe sheds light on our evolutionary past, could be turned to practical use. The psychologists say images of eyes could increase ticket sales on public transport and improve monitor systems to prevent antisocial behavior.This passage is mainly about ____________.
| A．the policy of honesty | B．an honesty box to collect money |
| C．evolution on honesty | D．an experiment on honesty |
The reason for doing the experiment secretly is that the researchers __________.
| A．wanted to get a comparatively more exact result |
| B．had known they wanted to do something illegally |
| C．meant to get the co-operation of their colleagues |
| D．intended to sell the hot drinks at a higher price |
People behave honestly under watchful gaze of eyes because ____________.
| A．they want to leave a good impression |
| B．they fear to be laughed at by others |
| C．they’ve got the nature through evolution |
| D．they take the photo for a real pair of eyes |
The underlined phrase “sheds light on” in the last paragraph means _________.
| A．causes somebody to become cheerful |
| B．makes something easier to understand |
| C．comes upon something by accident |
| D．brings something into the broad daylight |
Images of a pair of eyes can be applied to all except ________.
| A．ticket sales on public transport |
| B．cold drink sales in public places |
| C．places with “No spitting!” signs |
| D．electrical appliances(电器) used at home |
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