Americans often plan social gatherings（社交聚会）on short notice, so don’t be surprised if you get invited to someone’s home or to see a movie or baseball game without much warning. If the time is convenient (方便) for you, surely accept their invitation. But if you’re busy, don’t be afraid to decline the invitation, perhaps suggesting a time that would be better. Your host won’t be shamed.
Invitations are usually sent in person or over the telephone. The main exception(例外) is for some formal occasions, in which case a written invitation will be mailed. You would normally receive a written invitation to a wedding(婚礼).
For a casual(不正式的)dinner invitation, don’t arrive more than 5 minutes early, because your host may still be preparing for your visit. Arriving more than 10 minutes late is considered rude if very few people were invited. If many people were invited, it’s OK to arrive a little late, even as much as half an hour late. For example, it’s OK to arrive late for a party, for a potluck (家常便饭) dinner or for a social gathering inviting a large group of people.
If you’re invited for dinner, it’s proper to bring the host a bottle of wine, a gift basket of fruit, a box of candy (糖果), or a bouquet(束)of flowers. Don’t bring roses, as men often give roses to women on a date (约会).
If you wish to thank the host for his or her hospitality (好客), it’s right to call or send a brief (简单的) written thank-you note the next day.The passage is to tell us ________.
| A．how to accept Americans’ invitations. |
| B．something about American social visits. |
| C．something about American business visits. |
| D．how to make a living in America. |
The underlined word “decline” in the first paragraph most probably means _____.
| A．accept | B．receive | C．refuse | D．follow |
If an American only invites you to his home for an informal supper at 7:30p.m., you’d better get to his house at ________.
| A．7:15p.m. | B．7:35p.m. | C．7:45p.m. | D．7:55p.m. |
In America, invitations to a wedding are often sent ________.
| A．by mail | B．by fax | C．by e-mail | D．over the telephone |
According to the passage, in American ________.
| A．if you’re invited to a family as a guest, you can stay as long as you please. |
| B．if you’re invited for a party, you must always be on time. |
| C．if you’re invited for dinner, you’d better bring some presents. |
| D．you must make a call to show your thanks after you get home from the dinner. |
Researchers from France and Italy discovered that Canadian parents are less strict with their children than mothers and fathers in France and Italy.
“Our most important finding was the difference between Canadians and the others，” said Professor Michel Claes，the lead author of the study.“Canadians focus on independence and negotiation．On the other hand，Italians，for example，exercise more control．We found Canadians seem to focus on negotiation in case of a conflict.”
Claes said Canada，France and Italy were selected for the study because they share important cultural and social factors.“We chose FrenchCanadians because they share the same language as France，and originally came from France and share certain values．Italy was included because it was considered to have similar，strong and important family values，” he explained.
The researchers examined the emotional ties between parents and their children by questioning 1,256 students aged 11 to 19 years old.
Canadian students reported less control and more free actions，according to the study．Italian parents were stricter and French parents were somewhere in the middle.
Claes explains that the differences lie in education in Canada，France and Italy.
“North America has its own educational values，which promote individualization．Tolerance and comprehension are encouraged．Italy，on the other hand，promotes respect of authority，control，and the need for permission.” he said.
Children from all three countries described their mothers as warm and communicative．Italian and Canadian children had similar feelings about their fathers，and reported high levels of emotional ties．But French fathers were generally thought by their children to be more distant and cold.
“We were surprised by this，” Claes admitted.“It seems as though the relationships between French mothers and their children were becoming closer over time，while fathers maintain a form of distance and coldness，which is more of a source of conflict in France than in the other countries.”
Professor Michel Claes believes that Canada，France and Italy ________.
| A．have the same family spirit |
| B．have some similar cultural traditions |
| C．have experienced some similar social changes |
| D．have experienced similar cultural developments |
How did the researchers carry out the study ?
| A．By collecting answers of parents from Canada，France and Italy. |
| B．By collecting answers of children from Canada，France and Italy. |
| C．By questioning parents and their children from Italian Canadian families. |
| D．By questioning children from FrenchCanadian families. |
According to Michel Claes，what mainly leads to the differences in parentchildren relationships among Canada，France and Italy?
| A．Educational opportunities. |
| B．Traditional ideas. |
| C．Educational values. |
| D．Historical events. |
Which of the following is NOT a finding of the study?
| A．French children have troubled relationships with their parents. |
| B．Canadian children have close relationships with their parents. |
| C．Italian children have good relationships with their parents. |
| D．Kids from Canada，France and Italy have closer ties with their moms. |
Mark and his brother Jason both were looking at the shining new computer enviously．Jason was determined not to go against their father's wishes but Mark was more adventurous than his brother．He loved experimenting and his aim was to become a scientist like his father.
“Dad will be really mad if he finds out you've been playing with his new computer.”Jason said，“He told us not to touch it.”
“He won't find out，” Mark said，“I'll just have a quick look and shut it down.”
Mark had been scolded before for touching his father's equipment．But his curiosity was difficult to control and this new computer really puzzled him.
It was a strangelooking machine—one his dad had brought home from the laboratory where he worked.“It's an experimental model，” his father had explained，“so don't touch it under any circumstances.” But his father's warning only served to make Mark more curious．Without any further thought，Mark turned on the power switch．The computer burst into life and seconds later，the screen turned into colors，shifting and changing and then two big white words appeared in the center of the screen：“SPACE TRANSPORTER.”
“Yes！” Mark cried excitedly，“It's a computer game．I knew it！Dad's only been pretending to work．He's really been playing games instead.” A new message appeared on the screen：“ENTER NAMES
VOYAGER 1：...
VOYAGER 2：...”
Mark's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed in both of their names.
“INPUT ACCEPTED.START TRANSPORT PROGRAM．AUTORETRIEVE INITIATED(自动回收程序已启动)．”
The screen turned even brighter and a noise suddenly rose in volume.
“I think we'd better shut it off，Mark，” Jason yelled，reaching for the power switch．He was really frightened.
But his hand never reached the switch．A single beam of dazzling white light burst out of the computer screen，wrapping the boys in its glow(光芒)，until they themselves seemed to be glowing．Then it died down just as suddenly as it had burst into life．And the boys were no longer there．On the screen，the letters changed.
“TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL.DESTINATION: MARS.RETRIEVE DATE：2025.”
Why did Mark touch the computer against his father's warning?
| A．He wanted to take a voyage. |
| B．He wanted to practice his skill. |
| C．He was so much attracted by it. |
| D．He was eager to do an experiment. |
Where did the boys' father most likely work?
| A．In an electronic factory. |
| B．In a computer company. |
| C．In a scientific research center. |
| D．In an information processing center. |
Mark thought “SPACE TRANSPORTER” on the screen was the name of ________.
| A．a computer game |
| B．a company website |
| C．a software producer |
| D．an astronomy program |
Why did Jason want to shut off the computer?
| A．He was afraid of being scolded. |
| B．He didn't like the loud noise and light. |
| C．He didn't want to play games any more. |
| D．He was afraid something dangerous might happen. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中, 选出最佳选项。
According to the US government, wind farms off the Pacific coast could produce 900 gigawatts of electricity every year．Unfortunately, the water there is far too deep for even the tallest windmills to touch bottom．An experiment under way off the coast of Norway, however, could help put them anywhere．
The project, called Hywind, is the world’s first large-scale deepwater wind turbine (涡轮发电机)．Although it uses a fairly standard 152-ton, 2．3-megawatt turbine, Hywind represents totally new technology．The turbine will be fixed 213 feet above the water on a floating spar, a technology Hywind’s creator, the Norwegian company StatoilHydro, has developed recently．The steel spar, which is filled with stones and goes 328 feet below the sea surface, will be tied to the ocean floor by three cables ; these will keep the spar stable and prevent the turbine from moving up and down in the waves．Hywind’s stability in the cold and rough sea would prove that even the deepest corners of the ocean are suitable for wind power．If all goes according to the plan, the turbine will start producing electricity six miles off the coast of southwestern Norway as early as September．
To produce electricity on a large scale, a commercial wind farm will have to use bigger turbines than Hywind does, but it’s difficult enough to balance such a large turbine so high on a floating spar in the middle of the ocean．To make that turbine heavier, the whole spar’s center of gravity must be moved much closer to the ocean’s surface．To do that, the company plans to design a new kind of wind turbine, one whose gearbox (变速箱) sits at sea level rather than behind the blades．
Hywind is a test run, but the benefits for perfecting floating wind-farm technology could be extremely large．Out at sea, the wind is often stronger and steadier than close to shore, where all existing offshore windmills are planted．Deep-sea farms are invisible from land, which helps overcome the windmill-as-eyesore objection．If the technology catches on, it will open up vast areas of the planet’s surface to one of the best low-carbon power sources available．The Hywind project uses totally new technology to ensure the stability of_________.
| A．the cables which tie the spar to the ocean floor |
| B．the spar which is floating in deep-sea water |
| C．the blades driven by strong and steady sea wind |
| D．the stones filled in the spar below the sea surface |
To balance a bigger turbine high on a floating spar, a new type of turbine is to be designed with its gearbox sitting_________.
| A．on the sea floor |
| B．on the spar top |
| C．at sea level |
| D．behind the blades |
Wide applications of deepwater wind power technology can_________.
| A．solve the technical problems of deepwater windmills |
| B．make financial profits by producing more turbines |
| C．settle the arguments about environmental problems |
| D．explore low-carbon power resources available at sea |
As a society we might want to rethink the time and money spent on education，so that these resources can benefit a greater percentage of the population．Ideally，both high schools and colleges can prepare individuals for the ever-changing roles．
High school degrees offer far less in the way of preparation for work than they might，or than many other nations currently offer，creating a growing skills gap in our economy．We encourage students to go on to college whether they are prepared or not，or have a clear sense of purpose or interest，and now have the highest college dropout rate in the world．
We might look to other countries for models of how high schools can offer better training，as well as the development of a work ethic(美德)and the intellectual skills needed for continued learning and development．
Meanwhile，the liberal arts(人文学科)become more important than ever．In a knowledge economy where professional roles change rapidly and many college students are preparing for positions that may not even exist yet，the skill needed is one that prepares them for change and continued learning．
Learning to express ideas well in both writing and speech，knowing how to find information，and knowing how to do research are all solid background skills for a wide variety of roles，and such training is more important than any particular major in a liberal arts college．We need to continue to value broad preparation in thinking skills that will serve for a lifetime．
Students also need to learn to work independently and to make responsible decisions．The lengthening path to adulthood appears exacerbated（恶化）by parental involvement in the college years．Given the rising investment in college education，parental concern is not surprising，but learning where and when to intervene will help students take more ownership of the outcomes of these increasingly costly educations．What kind of education does the author think is ideal？
| A．It benefits the great majority of the general population． |
| B．It prepares students to meet the future needs of society． |
| C．It encourages students to learn throughout their lives． |
| D．It ensures that students’ expectations are successfully fulfilled． |
What is the feature of a knowledge economy?
| A．People have to receive higher education to qualify for a professional position． |
| B．Students majoring in liberal arts usually have difficulty seeking a job． |
| C．New positions are constantly created that require people to keep learning． |
| D．Colleges find it hard to teach students how to cope with the changing economy． |
According to the author，a liberal arts college should focus on________？
| A．solid background knowledge in a particular field |
| B．practical skills urgently needed in current society |
| C．basic skills needed for change and lifelong learning |
| D．useful thinking skills for advanced academic research |
What suggestion does the author offer to parents？
| A．Rethinking the value of higher education． |
| B．Investing wisely in their children’s education． |
| C．Helping their children to bring their talent into full play． |
| D．Avoiding too much intervention in their children’s education． |
Why are people interested in eating raw foods or whole foods? One reason is that eating these types of food reduces the risk of acid accumulation in your body． Raw and whole foods are usually digested more efficiently than cooked and refined foods．
When we cook foods，we destroy the natural enzymes(酶)that are part of the food in its raw form．These enzymes were intended by nature to help us digest the food．When we consume food without these natural enzymes，our bodies either digest the food improperly or allow too many nutrients to be absorbed into the bloodstream．In both instances，the result is obesity．When too many nutrients are absorbed at once，the body grows fat．
Processed foods contain chemical elements，which might confuse the appetite mechanism that tells us when we’ve had enough to eat；as a result，people often overeat．Processed foods also upset the digestive cycle．The body will either identify these foods as allergens(过敏原)and then store them safely away from the organs as fat，or the remains of undigested food will become acidic and enter the bloodstream as acid waste，which will stick to the blood vessel walls and block the passage of vital oxygen and nutrients heading for the body's cells．The body's metabolism(新陈代谢)becomes inactive，and the result is weight gain and obesity．
To stop this vicious circle in its tracks，people need to consume food and supplements that will neutralize the acid already accumulated in body．Eating the right types of raw and whole foods can help．It’s also important to restore your enzyme balance．You need to identify and avoid the foods that cause acid accumulation and consume the foods that increase enzyme production．If you truly want to change and help your body heal itself，you need to take an active approach．
It can be inferred from Para．2 that________．
| A．foods with natural enzymes help people keep fit |
| B．we’d better be cautious about raw and whole foods |
| C．it is essential for people to protect their vital organs |
| D．giving up cooked and refined foods is a new lifestyle |
Processed foods are unhealthy because they________．
| A．destroy body's cells |
| B．may lead to obesity |
| C．are difficult to digest |
| D．stop body's metabolism |
What is the main purpose of this passage？
| A．To warn people of the problem of obesity． |
| B．To advocate eating more raw and whole foods． |
| C．To inform people of the harm of processed foods． |
| D．To tell the differences between raw and processed foods． |
The underlined word “vicious” in the last paragraph probably means________．
| A．violent | B．progressive | C．harmful | D．positive |
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