The hit movie Notting Hill begins with a famous scene. Hugh Grant bumps (撞) into Julia Roberts and spills (洒) orange juice all over her. After the collision, Grant repeatedly says: “ I am so sorry. I am so sorry.”
His actions in this scene are very British. If Roberts’ character were from Britain then she would probably apologize repeatedly as well—even if the crash were not her fault. But this doesn’t happen in the film, as Roberts is from the US.
A report in The Telegraph last week said that three-quarters of British people apologize when they bump into someone in the street — regardless of whether they are responsible or not. In fact, we Britons use “sorry” in many situations. For example, if we mishear someone, we say “Sorry?” The person we are talking to will also apologize by replying: “No, I am sorry!” This can go on for up to five minutes as we compete over who is the most sorry.
Life is never as simple as “duibuqi” and “meiguanxi”.
How we use “sorry” has changed. Traditionally, “sorry” was used to express deep regret, but a survey in 2007 showed that we use it to mean anything from “what” to “whatever”.
Why are Britons so sorry? Mark Tyrell, a psychology writer in the UK, thinks about our apologetic tendencies are rooted in the British class system. We say sorry because historically the new middle classes in Britain had to apologize for not being working class, but also for not really being upper class. Another theory is that we apologize to avoid confrontation(冲突). For example, if you bump into someone they might get angry. To avoid this we instantly say “Sorry!”.
True manners are about being considerate and the modern day obsession with apologizing show that we are perhaps not as thoughtful as we once were. The word has lost some of its meaning. Do you see my point? Sorry, it might just be a British thing…What can we infer from paragraph 2?
| A．In fact Roberts are responsible for the collision. |
| B．People from the US say “sorry” more than British people. |
| C．There is no crash happening in the film. |
| D．British people say sorry even if it is not their fault. |
Which of the following might Mark Tyrell agree to?
| A．British people are sincere while saying sorry. |
| B．Now more British people say sorry because of the British class system. |
| C．British people say sorry to avoid quarrels. |
| D．British people apologize for not working hard. |
What does the author want to tell us with the passage?
| A．British people overuse “sorry” in daily life. |
| B．British people now say “sorry” in different situations. |
| C．Middle classes in British are to blame for not being working class. |
| D．Britons say “sorry” to avoid confrontation. |
What does the underlined word “collision” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．quarrel | B．disagreement | C．crash | D．fight |
British researchers have found that children’s IQ predicts their probability of becoming vegetarians (素食者) as young adults.
Recent studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with lower cholesterol (胆固醇), reduced risk of overweight and heart disease.
“We know from other studies that brighter children tend to behave in a healthier fashion as adults—they’re less likely to smoke, less likely to be overweight，less likely to have high blood pressure and more likely to take exercise.” lead author Catharine Gale said, “This study provides further evidence that people with a high IQ tend to have a healthier lifestyle.”
In the study, Gale’s team collected data on nearly 8,200 men and women aged 30, whose IQ had been tested when they were 10 years of age.
“Children who scored higher on IQ tests at age 10 were more likely than those who got lower scores to report that they were vegetarian at the age of 30.”Gale said.
The researchers found that 4.5 percent of participants were vegetarians. Of these, 2.5 percent were vegan, and 33.6 percent said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken.
There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but also ate fish or chicken，the researchers added.
One expert said the findings weren’t the whole answer，however.
“We don’t know the beliefs or attitudes of the parents of the children，nor do we know if there was a particular event that led these children to becoming vegetarian in their teens or adulthood.” said Lona Sandon, and assistant professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.From the article，we know that ________.
| A．brighter children are likely to become vegetarians when they are ten. |
| B．people with a higher IQ will not be overweight |
| C．brighter children are likely to have a healthier lifestyle |
| D．overweight may cause high blood pressure |
What does the underlined word “vegan” in the sixth paragraph mean?
| A．Someone who only eats vegetables. |
| B．Someone who chooses not to eat meat or fish. |
| C．Someone who likes eating meat and fish. |
| D．Someone who likes eating vegetables. |
This study left some unanswered questions EXCEPT “________”．
| A．Did the vegetarian children grow up in a family with a vegetarian parent? |
| B．Did the children eat a primarily vegetarian diet at the age of 10? |
| C．Were meatless meals regularly served in the participants’ families? |
| D．Did the vegetarian children really have a high IQ? |
The main idea of the passage is that ________.
| A．the low IQ children will be unhealthier when they grow up |
| B．being vegetarians can reduce the risk of overweight and heart disease |
| C．IQ is important to vegetarians |
| D．high IQ children are more likely to become vegetarian when they grow up |
Many people in the world live in big cities, which are often dirty and difficult places to live. So, some cities will get bigger. They will also get higher, and lower, because people will begin to live under the ground as well as in tall buildings. Scientists also say that men can begin to live in cities under the sea, when there is not enough space on the land. Of course, these new cities will be very expensive, and difficult to build, but they are not impossible. Already, some countries are building places to live under the ground so their people can go there if there is a new war. There are underground cities in Switzerland（瑞士）and China, built by the government（政府）to help some of the people live during a great war.
But will people change if they live under the ground for a long time？For example some fish go blind if they live in the dark sea for a long time. People will not go blind, because there will be light underground, but they may change in some way. Scientists say that people who live in cities today are losing their senses of smell, touch and taste. They can’t smell the dirty air, they can’t taste the chemicals（化学制剂）in their food. These senses are not as strong as before, when people lived in the country and grew their own food. The city has changed that. What will the underground city change in everyone？ People will live under the ground because _________．
| A．it’s neither hot nor cold there |
| B．they’ll be afraid of the war |
| C．there’ll be less space on the ground |
| D．they’ll make their life comfortable |
Some countries try to build some places under the ground so that people will be able to live there _____．
| A．when summer comes |
| B．when a war breaks out |
| C．because they think it’ll be safer for them |
| D．when they’re fed up with the life on the land |
_________, so people who will live there won’t go blind．
| A．There’ll be enough light under the ground |
| B．It’ll be easy to go upstairs |
| C．Glasses will be sold under the ground |
| D．Medicine will be supplied for free |
People will lose some senses under the ground because _______．
| A．the world are polluted |
| B．it’s dark there |
| C．the air is dirty and there are a lot of chemicals in their food |
| D．they can’t grow their own food in the sun |
Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored the importance of music and drama as part of the high-school curriculum.
The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test，it is not the fault of drama and music classes—they are failing because the “academic” classes are not sufficient.
It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music lessons，and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete，well-rounded people. It blocks the natural sense to create and express feelings through art—there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math and English provide. What happens after a test? Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited knowledge—certainly not a good preparation for the real world.Music and drama are not included in the high-school curriculum mainly because ________.
| A．the school committee pays no attention to them |
| B．the school is afraid of losing financial support |
| C．the students are not interested in both of them |
| D．the state standardized test is more important |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test. |
| B．Quite a few students are discouraged from learning music and art in today's school system. |
| C．Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons. |
| D．The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts. |
We can learn that music and art can ________.
| A．motivate students in creativity and expression |
| B．make students round-shaped people in future |
| C．provide students with analytical thinking |
| D．prevent students graduation from high school |
The best title of the passage can be ________.
| A．“Who killed music and drama？” |
| B．“Can curriculum go without music？” |
| C．“Why is music so important？” |
| D．“How to prepare for the real world？” |
If Confucius(孔子）were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be many candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy（哲学）. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in ___________.
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
Welcome to Adventure land!
Everyone loves Adventure land! The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore, enjoy, and admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience.
The Travel Pavilion
Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.
Visit the Amazon jungle (丛林) village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain house and others. Talk to the people there, who will tell you about their lives and things they make. You can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing…
The Future Tower
This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and you can even take a "journey" to Mars!
The Nature Park
This is not really one park but several parks.
In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals and see lions, giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales.
The Pyramid
This is the center of Adventure land. Need some postcards, stamps or even toys? For all these things and many more, visit our underground shopping center.The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors _____.
| A．realize the importance of travelling |
| B．become familiar with mountain countries |
| C．learn how to make things such as fishing nets |
| D．learn something about different places in the world |
If you are interested in knowing about what people’s life will be, you may visit _____.
| A．the Travel Pavilion |
| B．the Future Tower |
| C．the Safari Park |
| D．the Pyramid |
If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?
| A．The Pyramid. |
| B．The Nature Park. |
| C．The Future Tower. |
| D．The Travel Pavilion. |
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