Over time, the custom of kissing developed as a way for adults to express their love and affection for one another. The roots of this form of affection can be traced back to primitive times, when mothers fondled their children, much as mothers do today.
Much later, in the sixth century, society apparently accepted the custom of kissing between adults as an expression of their affection. Not surprisingly, France first accepted kissing in courtship (求爱). There, figure dancing was popular, and each dance was sealed with a kiss.
The custom of kissing swept from France through Europe to Russia, where Russian nobility loved to imitate the French. Eventually, the kiss was incorporated into marriage ceremonies, and today lip locks couples into sweet matrimony.
The custom of kissing today, as well as in ancient times, serves to pay homage to another. Early Romans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another in a manner they thought to be dignified. One Roman emperor even ranked a person's importance by the body part he was allowed to kiss. He allowed important nobles to kiss his lips, less important ones to kiss his hands, and the least important ones to kiss his feet.
In Russia, the highest sign of recognition from the Crown meant a kiss from the Tsar himself. Today, natives of many African tribes pay homage to their Chief by kissing the ground over which he has walked.What’s mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．The way to express love and respect. | B．The expression of affection. |
| C．The custom of kissing. | D．The function of kissing. |
Which of the following can best explain the underlined word “homage” in the 4th paragraph？
| A．recognition | B．respect | C．importance | D．loyalty |
It can be learned from the passage that ___________.
| A．kissing is a widely accepted way to show love and affection |
| B．kissing used to be a proper way to show love on the wedding ceremony |
| C．kissing is a widely accepted way of greeting in the world |
| D．kissing from the Tsar is only sign of being accepted from the Crown |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It was France that made the custom of kissing go to the whole world. |
| B．Early Africans kissed each other on the mouth or on the eyes to greet one another. |
| C．One Roman emperor allowed important nobles to kiss his nose. |
| D．Russian nobility followed the custom of kissing from the French. |
We can infer from the passage that __________.
| A．mothers created the custom of kissing |
| B．kissing means differently on different occasions |
| C．figure dancing was usually sealed with a kiss in Russia |
| D．society found it hard to accept kissing in public in the sixth century |
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition . Some value it highly , believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity . Others say that competition is bad ; that it sets one person against another ; that it leads to unfriendly relationship between people .
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied (依赖)on how well they performed at tennis and other skills . For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit ( 追求)of success , the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten .
However ，while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed , others take an opposite attitude .In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players , they strongly blame competition . Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society . Teaching these young people . I often observe in them a desire to fail . They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success . By not trying , they always have an excuse : “I may have lost . but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try . “What is not usually admitted by themselves is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot . Such a loss would be a measure of their worth . Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves . Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others . Both are afraid of not being valued . Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve (缓解) can we discover a new meaning in competition .
What does this passage mainly talk about ?
| A．Competition helps to set up self-respect . |
| B．Opinions about competition are different among people |
| C．Competition is harmful to personal quality development . |
| D．Failures are necessary experiences in competition |
Why do some people favor competition according to the passage ?
| A．It pushes society forward . |
| B．It builds up a sense of duty . |
| C．It improves personal abilities . |
| D．It encourages individual efforts |
The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 means .
| A．those who try their best to win |
| B．those who value competition most highly |
| C．those who are against competition most strongly |
| D．those who rely on others most for success |
Which point of view may the author agree to ?
| A．Every effort should be paid back . |
| B．Competition should be encouraged . |
| C．Winning should be a life-and-death matter . |
| D．Fear of failure should be removed in competition |
Intellectual property (IP) is a product of the mind that has commercial value. The concept dates back to 1623 when the first patent law to protect IP sights was passed. IP rights protect the artist from having his/her creative ideas copied by another. For example, if somebody generated an idea for a novel, that idea is protected by IP rights. If someone else wishes to represent the idea or develop it further, he/ she must consult the original artists, who will normally be rewarded financially for its use. Back in the 17th century, IP rights were primarily carried out to protect newly developed manufacturing processes against stealing. But today, intellectual property rights, are also enjoyed by those who creative music, art and literature.
In recent years, IP rights have been the focus of a great deal of discussion because of a technology which looks set to weaken them altogether; the Internet. Many years ago, if you wanted a recording of a song, you would have to purchase it from a music store; if a novel, form a book store. In those days, IP rights were easily protected since it was very difficult to obtain intellectual property without paying for it. However, a lot of IP, including songs, films, books and artwork, can be downloaded today free of charge using the Internet. This practice has now taken the world by storm, dramatically affecting the way in which we view IP rights.According to the writer, in the beginning, If rights were mainly of use to ______.
| A．those creating music, art and literature |
| B．novelists |
| C．engineers and inventors |
| D．those not receiving financial reward for their work |
What do we know about the internet according to the passage?
| A．It makes IP rights harder to protect. |
| B．It sells songs and films. |
| C．It does not affect the way we understand IP rights. |
| D．It prevents the production of artwork. |
According to paragraph 2, what has “taken the world by storm”?
| A．Intellectual property rights. |
| B．The Internet. |
| C．Free downloading |
| D．The large number of songs, films and books. |
A possible title for this passage could be ______.
| A．A History of IP Rights |
| B．Ways to Protect Your IP Rights. |
| C．The Present and the Future Of IP |
| D．IP Rights and Our Attitudes |
Diana Jacobs thought her family had a workable plan to pay for college for her 21-year-old twin sons: a combination of savings, income, scholarships, and a modest amount of borrowing. Then her husband lost his job, and the plan fell apart.
“I have two kids in college, and I want to say ‘come home,’ but at the same time I want to provide them with a good education,” says Jacobs.
The Jacobs family did work out a solution: They asked and received more aid form the schools, and each son increased his borrowing to the maximum amount through the federal loan (贷款) program. They will each graduate with $20,000 of debt, but at least they will be able to finish school.
With unemployment rising, financial aid administrators expect to hear more families like the Jacobs. More students are applying for aid, and more families expect to need student loans. College administrators are concerned that they will not have enough aid money to go around.
At the same time, tuition（学费）continues to rise. A report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education found that college tuition and fees increased 439% from 1982 to 2007, while average family income rose just 147%. Student borrowing has more than doubled in the last decade,
“If we go on this way for another 25years, we won’t have an affordable system of higher education,” says Patrick M. Callan, president of the center. “The middle class families have been financing it through debt. They will send kids to college whatever it takes, even if that means a huge amount of debt.”
Financial aid administrators have been having a hard time as many companies decide that student loans are not profitable enough and have stopped making them. The good news, however, is that federal loans account for about three quarters of student borrowing, and the government says that money will flow uninterrupted.
According to Paragraph 1, why did the plan of Jacobs family fail?
| A．The twins wasted too much money. |
| B．The father was out of work. |
| C．Their saving ran out. |
| D．The family fell apart. |
How did the Jacobs manage to solve their problem?
| A．They asked their kids to come home. |
| B．They borrowed $20,000 from the school. |
| C．They encouraged their twin sons to do part-time jobs. |
| D．They got help from the school and the federal government. |
Financial aid administrators believe that _______.
| A．more families will face the same problem as the Jacobses |
| B．the government will receive more letters of complaint |
| C．college tuition fees will double soon |
| D．America’s unemployment will fall |
What can we learn about the middle class families from the text?
| A．They blamed the government for the tuition increase. |
| B．Their income remained steady in the last decade. |
| C．They will try their best to send kids to college. |
| D．Their debts will be paid off within 25 years. |
According to the last paragraph, the government will .
| A．provide most students will scholarships |
| B．dismiss some financial aid administrators |
| C．stop the companies from making student loans |
| D．go on providing financial support for college students |
Imagination and fantasy can play an important role in achieving the things we fear. Children know this very well. Fred Epstein ,in his book If I Make It to Five, tells a story he heard from one of friends about Tom, a four-year-old boy with a cancer in his back bone. He came through several operations and a lot of pain by mastering his imagination.
Tom loved to pretend, and he particularly loved to play superheroes ,Dr. Epstein explained that it was actually a brilliant way for his young mind to handle the terrifying and painful life he led.
The day before his third trip to the operating room, Tom was terribly afraid. ”Maybe I could go as Superman ,”he whispered to his mom. Hearing this, the mother hesitated for a while. She had avoided buying the expensive costume（戏装），finally she agreed.
The next day Tom appeared as the powerful Superman, showing off through the hospital halls and coolly waving his hand to the people greeting him along the way. And Tom, with the strength of his fantasy, successfully made it through the operation.
The power of imagination need not be reserved for children only. We all have the power to use our fantasies to attempt things we never thought possible, to go through those things that seem impossible, and to achieve what we never believed we could. Just as Dr. Epstein puts it ,”If you can dream it, you can do it”
It doesn‘t mean that you should dress as a superhero for your next job interview. But, next time you are texted in a way that seems impossible, imagine what it would take to overcome it .Become the person you need to become to win over your challenge and do it in your mind first. So, let your imagination run wild, and dare to dream.
What do we know about Tom?
| A．He was seriously ill |
| B．He was a dishonest boy. |
| C．He was crazy about magic |
| D．He was Dr.Epstein’s patient |
What can be inferred about Tom’s mother?
| A．She was a rich lady |
| B．She refused Tom’s request |
| C．She wanted Tom to be a superhero |
| D．She wanted to get Tom through the pain |
When Tom went for the third operation,he .
| A．pretended to be painful |
| B．acted like a superhero |
| C．appeared in poor spirits |
| D．argued with his mother |
In the last paragraph, you are advised______ .
| A．to go through some difficult tests |
| B．to wake up from your wild dreams |
| C．to become a powerful person in your mind |
| D．to wear expensive clothes for job interviews |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To tell us an interesting story. |
| B．To help us make right decisions. |
| C．To advise us to care about children. |
| D．To encourage us to use our imagination. |
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoter. The re they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally promoted to the public, it is necessary? Understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA（Food Drug Administration）can require proof （证明）under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that safe and effective before it is put on the market . But if the product is a device, FDA. has no author to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the marker danger to health, FDA. can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the a voluntarily, or it can take legal action ,including seizure （查封） of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the ## through contact pads. FDA. took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the ## the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Olwionsly, most of the devices on the maker never been the subject of court proceedings （法律诉讼）,and new devices appear continually, Before buying, it is up to the consumer to the safety or effectiveness of such items.It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are ______.
| A．objective | B．costly |
| C．unreliable | D．illegal |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. The court is in charge of removing dangerous product.
B. New products are more likely to be questionable.
C. The production of a device must be approved by FDA.
D. The promoters usually just care about profits.FDA. can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product ________.
A. if it is a drug
B. if it is a device
C. if its consumers make complaints
D. if its distributors challenge FDA’s authorityThe Relaxacisor is mentioned as_______.
| A．a product which was designed to produce electricity |
| B．a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case |
| C．a successful advertisement of a beauty product |
| D．an example of a quality beauty product |
The author intends to __________
A. make consumers aware of the promoters’ false promises
B. show the weakness of the law on product safety
C. give advice on how to keep young and beautiful
D. introduce the organization of FDA.
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