While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruiningg their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, certainly share their disappointment : my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we two are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story is disappointed that he can’t afford to get a Ph. D in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be increasing, Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(经济衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful---for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day---than on longing for some kind of luxury life. . What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
| A．They expect everything to be easy for them. |
| B．They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans. |
| C．They are unwilling to face all of the challenges. |
| D．They are burdened by student loans. |
. The underlined word “fertility” in paragraph 3 probably means“_____”.
| A．baby production | B．pleasant | C．baby comfort | D．comfortable |
. Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the complaints of the 20-somethings?
| A．They can’t have children for at least a decade a decade to buy a house. |
| B．They have only a one-bedroom apartment to live in. |
| C．They can’t buy a house until 40 and are burdened by student loans. |
| D．They despair at not being able to afford a PH. D in literature. |
. What’s the Kobliner’s attitude towards the 20-somethings with high expectations?
| A．Unbearable | B．Opposite | C．Doubtful | D．Understanding |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．Young people afford to continue their study |
| B．Young people can’t afford to buy a house |
| C．Young people’s high hopes create despair |
| D．The 20-somethings’ high expectations |
Some people think that they will get ill if they use their brains（大脑）too much. It is not true. Through many researches, scientists show us that the more you use your brains, the better they will be, and the wiser you will become.
Of course, if you want to keep your mind clear and be energetic（充满活力的）, you must take a proper rest and study properly. To the teenagers, using their brains in the morning is good for their health.
There are many ways to rest. One is a peaceful rest. Sleep is a peaceful rest. Another is an active rest. For example, take a walk outdoors, do morning exercises every day. To change the way of the brains’activities（活动）is also a good way to rest.
In everyday life, to eat some eggs, meat, fresh vegetable and fruit is also good for the brains.
Wish you a wise man and a happy life.If ________________ ,your mind will be clean?
| A．You go swimming in a lake |
| B．You are active in learning |
| C．You have a good rest and study properly. |
| D．You can sing a song |
Which of the following statements is false?
| A．Sleep is a kind of good rest. |
| B．Doing morning exercises is a peaceful rest. |
| C．Going out for a rest is an active rest. |
| D．Different activities are a good rest. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Illness comes from the fact that the brains are used too much. |
| B．Fruits are the most important for the brains. |
| C．The brains will be better if they are used often. |
| D．Sleep is the only way of having a rest. |
Which of the following can be used as the best title of the passage?
| A．How to Use your Brain | B．How to Rest |
| C．How to Become a Wise Man | D．Keep Your Mind Clear |
Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good. You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different sense, to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses. While most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type. The giant panda (大熊猫) eats only one particular type of bamboo (竹子). Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly (蝴蝶) will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet (多样化饮食). The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health, Choosing the right food, therefore, has become an area of study in modern life.We can infer from the text that humans and animals - —.
| A．depend on one sense in choosing food |
| B．are not satisfied with their food |
| C．choose food in similar ways |
| D．eat entirely different food |
Which of the following eats only one type of food?
| A．The white butterfly. | B．The small bird. | C．The bear. | D．The fox. |
Certain animals change their choice of food when _________
| A．the season changes |
| B．the food color changes |
| C．they move to different places |
| D．they are attracted by different smells |
We can learn from the last paragraph that___________ .
| A．food is chosen for a good reason |
| B．French and British food is good |
| C．some people have few choices of food |
| D．some people care little about healthy diet |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their ears, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货) saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that，several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
A. The man’s job was bike racing. B. It was their only possession.
c. It was a nice Kona 18 speed. D. They used it for work and daily lifeWe can infer from the text that ________
| A．The couple worked 60 hours a week |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike |
| D．life was hard for the young family |
How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
| A．From radio broadcasts. | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
What does the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Science, as we think, was born when the Greek philosopher ( 哲学家 ) Thales ( about 640-546 B.C.) asked a difficult question: What makes up our universe?
No one had a ready answer, so Thales went on studying the earth around him, the sky and the stars. He saw so much water on earth and so much water falling from the sky as rain that he decided water must be the basic substance ( 物质 ) of the universe.
Other Greek thinkers became interested in this question. They suggested other answers. One said that because air lies around the earth, it must be air that makes up all things. Another said that fire, appearing in different forms, was the building block of the universe.
The Greek philosophers were feeling their way towards the ideas on which chemistry is based. Centuries later, scientists proved that the universe is made up of certain basic substances. But the list is much more complicated than the Greeks realized. We now know of 103 basic substances which we call “ elements ( 元素 )”.Thales, the famous Greek philosopher, died when he was about _______________.
| A．94 years old | B．106years old |
| C．40 years old | D．46 years old |
The meaning of the underlined word “complicated” in the last paragraph is “ ____________”.
| A．not difficult | B．not simple | C．not famous | D．not different |
After reading the passage, we can be sure that________________.
| A．nothing ever changes in the universe |
| B．Thales decided that the basic substance of the universe was air |
| C．the universe is made up of four different substances |
| D．the early Greek thinkers did much valuable work for the progress of science |
Ten years ago I used to be very fit (健康的). I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed doing.
Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like that any more.
There’s a lot of stress (压力) in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.
Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!
Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something like I used to do. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think? Compared with ten years ago, what is worse for the author now?
| A．His job. | B．His pay. |
| C．His means of transport. | D．His health. |
According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．He got higher pay. |
| B．His working hours weren’t long. |
| C．He found it very stressful. |
| D．He had little free time at weekends. |
After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him _____.
| A．not to work any longer |
| B．to take a long vacation abroad |
| C．to stop smoking and take exercise |
| D．not to eat out any more |
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