Recently I spoke to some of my students about what they wanted to do after they graduated, and what kind of job prospects they thought they had.
Given that I teach students who are training to be doctors, I was surprised to find that most thought that they would not be able to get the jobs they wanted without “outside help”. “What kind of help is that?” I asked, expecting them to tell me that they would need a relative or family friend to help them out.
“Surgery(外科手术)”, one replied. I was pretty alarmed by that response. It seems that the graduates of today are increasingly willing to go under the knife to get ahead of others when it comes to getting a job. One girl told me that she was considering surgery to increase her height. “They break your legs, put in special extending screws, and slowly expand the gap between the two ends of the bone as it regrows, you can get at least 5cm taller!”
At that point, I was shocked. I am short, I can’t deny that, but I don’t think I would put myself through months of agony(痛苦) just to be a few centimeters taller. I don’t even bother to wear shoes with thick soles, as I’m not trying to hide the fact that I am just not tall!
It seems to me that there is a trend toward wanting “perfection”, and that is an ideal that just does not exist in reality.
No one is born perfect, yet magazines, TV shows and movies present images of thin, tall, beautiful people as being the norm. Advertisements for slimming aids, beauty treatments and cosmetic surgery clinics fill the pages of newspapers, further creating an idea that “perfection” is a requirement, and that it must be purchased, no matter what the cost. In my opinion, skills, rather than appearance, should determine how successful a person is in his chosen career.We can know from the passage that the author works as ______.
| A．a doctor | B．a model | C．a teacher | D．a reporter |
Many graduates today turn to cosmetic surgery to______.
| A．marry a better man\woman | B．become a model |
| C．get an advantage over others in job-hunt | D．attract more admirers |
According to the passage, the author believes that ______.
| A．everyone should purchase perfection, whatever the cost |
| B．it’s right for graduates to ask for others to help them out in hunting for jobs |
| C．media are to blame for misleading young people in their seeking for surgery |
| D．it is one’s appearance instead of skills that really matters in one’s career |
What does the author think of his height?
| A．He hates to be called a short man. |
| B．He tries to increase his height through surgery. |
| C．He always wears shoes with thick soles to hide the fact. |
| D．He just accepts it as it is |
Are you single or married? Are you a cat or a dog owner? Do you exercise, or are you a “couch potato” (a person who sits on the sofa all day watching TV, eating and basically doing nothing)? These questions and many others are about your lifestyle.
People in the United States feel that they can choose their lifestyles and even shape their own identities. The great variety of lifestyles leads to constant national discussion of choices that people make. This freedom of choice is fun and exciting, but it also creates stress and uncertainty. In newspapers, lifestyle issues are discussed in the features or style section. In The Chicago Tribune this section is called “Tempo”. People turn to this section for lively discussion on lifestyle choices they face with regard to their personal identities, their families, and their social lives.
Many American people believe that they can make their lives happy and satisfying despite their problems. If they lack confidence or tend to feel anxious, shy, angry, or depressed, they believe that they can change themselves. Self-help books, magazines, and feature articles are filled with advice from experts about steps to take to become a happier or more satisfied person and to improve one’s self-respect. Part of this research for self-improvement is a belief that even one’s own appearance can be controlled. This is why there are so many articles in the newspaper about looking young, wearing the latest fashions, and becoming physically fit.
Lifestyle choices also involve moral and social issues. How should children be raised? How should people behave on a date? How should elderly people be treated? How can people stay happily married? All these kinds of issues are constantly discussed and are constantly changing. Not only are experts such as psychologists consulted, but stars from the political and entertainment worlds are held up as lifestyle leaders as well. In the newspaper, feature articles called profiles discuss in detail the personal lives or public work of movie stars, authors, artists, and exceptional individuals who are not stars. The lifestyle choices these people make contribute to the public discussion of all the issues that people think about.
A well-known advertising slogan is “Just do it.” In the culture of the United States, people believe that they can take action and become the kind of people they want to be and live the way they want to live.The section “Tempo” in The Chicago Tribune mainly discusses ______.
| A．lifestyle choices |
| B．current affairs |
| C．experts’ opinions on life |
| D．how to improve one’s self-respect |
According to the author, Americans are pretty sure that they can ______.
| A．control their own appearance |
| B．solve all the problems in their life |
| C．live a happy life in spite of their problems |
| D．improve their life by following the elders’ advice |
According to the passage, people’s opinions on moral or social issues can be influenced by ______.
| A．their superiors |
| B．family members |
| C．friends and colleagues |
| D．experts and famous people |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Just Do It |
| B．Make Our Lives Happy |
| C．Lifestyles in the United States |
| D．Choosing the Way We Live |
Scientists have produced new evidence suggesting eating lots of red and processed meat damages health. They found big meat eaters had a raised risk of death from all causes over a 10-year period. In contrast, a higher intake of white meat was associated with a slightly reduced risk of death over the same period.
The US study, based on more than 500,000 people, found those whose diet contained the highest proportion (比例) of red or processed meat had a higher overall risk of death, and specifically a higher risk of cancer and heart disease than those who ate the least.
People eating the most meat were eating about 160g of red or processed meat per day— approximately a 6oz steak. Those who ate the least were only getting about 25g per day— approximately a small piece of bacon. Just the opposite, those who ate the highest proportion of white meat had a lower risk of overall death, and a lower risk of fatal cancer or heart disease than those who ate the lowest proportion.
Meat is a major source of saturated (饱和的) fat, which has been associated with breast and colorectal cancer. In addition, lower meat intake has been linked to a reduction in risk factors for heart disease, including lower blood pressure and cholesterol (胆固醇) levels. The latest study adds to a growing body of research linking high red and processed meat consumption to an increased risk of ill health. Ed Yong, of the charity Cancer Research UK, said, “Evidence from large studies tells us that cutting down on processed food, such as bacon or burgers, can reduce the risk of dying from cancer and other diseases.”
Dr Barry Popkin of the University of North Carolina stressed there were health benefits from eating some red meat. But he added: “The need is for a major reduction in total meat intake, an even larger reduction in processed meat and other highly processed and salted animal source food products and a reduction in total saturated fat.” Dr Mark Wahlqvist, a nutrition expert from Australia, said eating small amounts of red meat—around 30g a day—provided a good source of key nutrients. He said, “Fresh, lean red meat of these amounts is likely to be of more benefit than harm.”According to the passage, we know ______.
| A．big meat eaters eat a 6oz steak per day |
| B．big meat eaters have heart disease ten years earlier |
| C．people eating more meat will suffer from a heart attack |
| D．people eating more red meat have a higher risk of death |
Processed meat is a kind of ______.
| A．red meat |
| B．white meat |
| C．vegetable with a similar taste of meat |
| D．meat prepared by producers |
According to the passage, how should we eat red meat in a healthy way?
| A．We should eat red meat as we like. |
| B．We should eat proper amount of red meat per day. |
| C．We should reduce the amount of fresh, red lean meat. |
| D．We should completely cut out red meat from our diet. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．Too much red meat consumption contributes to ill health. |
| B．A well-balanced diet accounts for a healthy life. |
| C．A higher intake of white meat brings benefits. |
| D．Red meat contains saturated fat. |
（Published March 30, 2011）Albert Einstein’s Theory of Relativity might have a few mistakes—and Jake Barnett has set out to prove it. Between attending college classes at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and tutoring his fellow students, Jake is also working on a new theory about the creation of the universe. He happens to be 12 years old.
From an early age, Jake showed an extraordinary interest in stars. When he was 3, his parents took him to a space observatory. He tried to learn as much as he could about astronomy. Jake’s IQ measured remarkably high at 170.
As a baby, Jake was found out with Asperser’s syndrome, a form of autism (孤独症). Autism causes difficulties in communication and social abilities. People with autism may also have strong interests—like Jake’s interest in the stars at a young age.
The symptoms of autism can range from mild to extremely severe. Asperser’s is one of the milder forms of autism. Sometimes people with Asperser’s, like Jake, develop extremely advanced skills in science, music or art.
When Jake was in elementary school, his parents worried that the effects of his Asperser’s were worsening. He became quiet. And he was withdrawing from people. So a doctor recommended that Jake’s parents let him study more advanced subjects, like math and physics.
Jake’s mother asked an astronomy professor to let Jake sit in on his class. Now, Jake studies advanced sciences like electromagnetic physics at IUPUI.
But Jake thinks it’s important to have a normal life too. He likes to play Guitar Hero with his friends and watch science fiction movies. He also enjoys playing classical music on the piano.But for Jake, studying physics is the most important thing. Jake’s professor, John Ross, is working on getting a large sum of money for him to do research at the university.
Doctors have said Jake’s autism symptoms have lessened over time. Still, Jake proudly refers to himself as an “Aspy”, or someone with Asperser’s. In an interview with his university student newspaper, he said, “I think the autism is the reason I’m even at IUPUI.”What did Jake want to do at IUPUI?
| A．Get a degree in astronomy. |
| B．Put forward his own theory in physics. |
| C．Become an Albert Einstein in the future. |
| D．Teach his fellow students Theory of Relativity. |
Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Jake?
a. He set out to disprove Einstein’s theory.
b. He was interested in astronomy.
c. He began to study math and physics.
d. He was found out with a mild form of autism.
| A．b-d-c-a | B．d-b-c-a | C．b-a-c-d | D．d-c-b-a |
The underlined sentence in the passage means ______.
| A．he was unable to help others |
| B．he was impolite to other people |
| C．he was afraid of seeing other people |
| D．he was only concerned about learning |
In the eyes of Jake, autism is something ______.
| A．not worth worrying about |
| B．annoying |
| C．not necessary to know about |
| D．embarrassing |
In the past, if a person wanted to see the national treasures of a country, one had to go there in person. Therefore, very few people were able to enjoy some of history’s most important and interesting artifacts (手工艺品). This has changed with an increase in the number of traveling museum exhibitions.
King Tutankhamen Artifacts
A traveling exhibition of artifacts from the tomb of King Tutankhamen, popularly known as “King Tut”, toured the United States from November 1976 to April 1979. The 55 objects were shown in six cities and were seen by around eight million museum-goers. The second touring exhibit was started in 2007, this time with 130 artifacts and stops in London and three different American cities. However some objects, like the king’s golden face mask, are too valuable or too delicate to be transported long distances, so “replicas” (exact copies of something) are on show.
Japanese Color Woodblock Prints
The Art Museum at University of Virginia, in Charlottesville, Virginia, has an extraordinary collection of Japanese color woodblock prints (木刻版画). These prints document the period from about 1850 to 1900, a time when Japan was opening itself to Western influences. Before this point, Japan was a closed society that had little communication with the world outside of its borders. These works of art beautifully show the feeling of change and the trend toward modernization. The museum has put together a traveling exhibition of 60 of these prints, which can be borrowed and exhibited worldwide for periods of eight weeks or more.
Face-to-face with “Lucy”
One of the world’s most famous archaeological (考古学的) finds in history are the 3.2 million-year-old bones of a 106-centimeter-tall female found in the Ethiopian desert in 1974. Lucy, a name given to her by the discovery team, is a “hominid”, or a creature that scientists believe is the earliest ancestor of modern human beings. Rarely is an artifact this valuable allowed to travel widely, but Lucy has been taken to several museums in the U.S. while a detailed replica remains at the Ethiopian Natural History Museum.What do we learn about King Tutankhamen’s artifacts?
| A．The artifacts were shown in London first. |
| B．The artifacts were on show in the United States once. |
| C． The second touring exhibit showed more artifacts than the first one. |
| D．The king’s golden face mask was also shown in the traveling exhibitions. |
What do the Japanese woodblock prints show about the society from 1850 to 1900?
| A．Japan had little communication with other countries. |
| B．The whole country refused changes in the society. |
| C．Japan was opening itself up to Western ideas. |
| D．Japan achieved modernization. |
Who is Lucy according to the passage?
| A．An archaeologist. |
| B．The ancestor of modern human beings. |
| C．A 106-centimeter-tall female who died in 1974. |
| D．The first woman who visited the Ethiopian desert. |
A Japanese company has ordered its employees to get the same hairstyles--- to help save energy.
Tokyo-based Maeda Corporation has announced the move as part of a national campaingn to cut energy use.
Since Fukushima nuclear plant was destroyed in the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March, 2011, the county’s government has asked its people to slash their energy consumption.
Men are expected to sport a short back-and-sides, slightly longer on the top, while women have been asked to wear short hair with a fringer (刘海) that can be swept to one side.
Chizuru Inoue, a spokesman for Maeda Crop, said: “Our company is very devoted to protecting the environment and we encourage our staff to adopt many environment-friendly actions.”
“We are not sure of the data yet, but we believe if people have short hair they do not need to use their hairdryers for so long and they will use less water. If all our staff do this, then it may save a lot of power.”
There is another advantage for employees of the construction firm, Ms. Inoue added, as it is easier to make short hair neat again after staff had been wearing hard hats. She said a lot of staff had been calling for information on where they can get their hair cut in the correct style.
Following the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March, Japan has been struggling to produce enough electricity for the tsunami ended production at the Fukushima plant. The disaster resulted in a review of the country’s energy policy that now means less than a quarter of its remaining nuclear plants are in use. The government has talked about a move away from nuclear energy towards more sustainable (可持续性的) technologies. Many government institutions have taken measures to save power, including a reduced use of air-conditioning in offices and schools.What does the underlined word ”slash” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
| A．Stop | B．Maintain |
| C．Change | D．Reduce |
According to Chizuru Inoue, there are ____ advantages for the employees to have short hair.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Japan can provide enough electricity for its people. |
| B．The present situation of Japan’s energy is worrying. |
| C．Sustainable technologies are replacing nuclear energy. |
| D．One fourth of Japan’s nuclear plants are out of order. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Japan takes steps to protect the environment. |
| B．Japan is moving towards sustainable technologies. |
| C．A Japanese company takes measures to save energy. |
| D．Japan starts a campaign to save energy across the country. |
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