Thousands of people living in the Chinese capital will celebrate the start of the Chinese New year by heading for the ski resorts (滑雪场). Never mind that Beijing’s dry weather seldom produces snow. It is cold enough in winter for snow-making machines to make a covering for the hills north to the capital. And the rapid growth of a pleasure-seeking middle class has formed the basis for this new craze(热潮）.
Since Beijing’s first ski resort was opened ten years ago, the sport has enjoyed astonishing increase. There are now more than a dozen resorts. Clothes markets in the city have added bright colored ski suits to their winter collections. Mr. Wei, a manager of a newly-opened ski resort in Beijing, sees the growth of an industry that could soon lead Chinese to head for the ski resorts of Europe. In recent years ski resorts offering natural snow have opened in China. But many are in faraway areas of the country and can’t really match the equipment and services of some ski resorts in Europe.
Beijing’s skiing craze is partly a result of the recent increase in private cars. This has led to the growth of a leisure industry in the capital’s suburbs, which until the late-1990s were unreachable to ordinary people. According to Mr. Wei, about 40% of the visitors to his resort come in their own cars. The rest are bused in by schools, businesses or government offices.
The problem is making money. Starting ski resorts requires quite a lot of money: hiring land from the local government, preparing the hills, buying snow machines, making sure there are enough water and electricity to run them, and buying ski equipment for hiring out to customers.
The ski resort where Mr. Wei works cost nearly $4m to set up. And, as so often in China when someone comes up with a good idea, many others rush in and price wars break out. Beijing now offers some of the cheapest ski training classes in the world, though with most people rather new to the sport, expecting a few more doing the same job.What does this text mainly talk about?
| A．Convenience for skiers brought about by private cars. |
| B．Skiing as a new way of enjoying one’s spare time. |
| C．Things to be considered when starting a ski resort. |
| D．A sudden increase of ski training classes in Beijing. |
Why are some Chinese likely to go skiing in Europe?
| A．To visit more ski areas. |
| B．To ski on natural snow. |
| C．For a large collection of ski suits. |
| D．For better services and equipment. |
What is the main problem in running a ski resort?
| A．Difficulty in hiring land |
| B．Lack of business experience |
| C．Price wars with other ski resorts |
| D．Shortage of water and electricity |
There is an old saying in English： "Laughter is the best medicine". Until recently, few people took the saying very seriously. Now, however, doctors have begun to investigate laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found evidence that laughter really can improve people's health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films, while doctors checked their heart rate, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, the heart rate and the rate of breathing； it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be capable of reducing the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group which tolerated the pain for the longest time was 'the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce endorphins （内啡肽） in the brain. These are natural chemicals which diminish both stress and pain.
There is also some evidence to suggest that laughter helps the body's immune(免疫的)system, that is, the system which fights infection. In an experiment, one group of students watched a funny video while another group served as the control group - in other words, a group with which to compare the first group. Doctors checked the blood of the students in both groups and found that the people in the group that watched the video had an increase in the activity of their white blood cells, that is, the cells which fight infection.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors and psychiatrists （精神病学家） in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they try to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter. We learn from the first paragraph that laughter____________________.
| A．is good for one's health |
| B．is related to some illness |
| C．has been investigated long since |
| D．has no effect on the body |
Doctors have found that laughter_______________________.
| A．keeps down blood pressure. |
| B．has similar effects to physical exercise |
| C．decreases the heart rate |
| D．increases stress |
Which of the following statements is NOT true of laughter, according to the passage?
| A．It reduces pain. |
| B．It exercises the body. |
| C．It improves the body's immune system. |
| D．It can cure cancer. |
The writer's attitude towards laughter is__________.
| A．critical |
| B．doubtful |
| C．positive |
| D．negative |
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从第31至第40小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Dear Mr. Takashhi,
I am writing to apologize for any misunderstandings that occurred when I showed you around Beijing the other day. I noticed that you were a bit 31 when I put the business card you gave me in my 32 without looking at it. And 33 did not know why you kept making an OK sign and why you 34 so many things. After reading a magazine article, I know that Japanese people give out their business cards 35 they greet others and they would like others to look at their cards carefully. So I should have read your 36 before I put it in my pocket. And I also know why you bought so many things 37 . Because gift-giving is expected in Japan and on a trip, you must bring back lots of 38 . As for the OK sign, I now know it is a request for small change.
I feel very sorry for not having known these 39 habits earlier. I hope you can forgive me for all these misunderstandings. I hope 40 our next meeting will be happier.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hualing
1. A. pleased B. upset C. excited D. encouraged
2. A. hand B. box C. watch D. pocket
3. A. I B. you C. we D. nobody
4. A. made B. saw C. bought D. eat
5. A. unless B. before C. after D. when
6. A. faces B. books C. cards D. clothes
7. A. there B. here C. home D. everywhere
8. A. gifts B. photos C. pictures D. sweets
9. A. strange B. rare C. unusual D. cultural
10. A. which B. that C. when D. where
Speakers of different languages not only describe the world differently but think about it differently too, according to a new study.
Researchers used a cartoon cat Sylvester to study how language was reflected (反映) in the gestures people made. Dr. Sotaro Kita of the University of Bristol’s Department of Experimental Psychology (心理学), showed the cartoon to a group of native English, Japanese and Turkish speakers and then watched their gestures as they described the actions they had seen. He found speakers of the three different languages used different gestures to describe the same event, which appeared to reflect the way the structure of their languages expressed that event. For example, when describing a scene where the cat swings on a rope, the English speakers used gestures showing an arc trajectory (弧形轨迹) and the Japanese and Turkish speakers tended to use straight gestures showing the motion but not the arc.
Dr. Kita suggests this is because Japanese and Turkish have no proper verb to express the English meaning “to swing”. While English speakers use the arc gesture as their language can readily express the change of location and the arc-shaped trajectory, Japanese and Turkish speakers cannot as easily express the idea of movement with an arc trajectory so they use the straight gesture.
Dr. Kita said, “My research suggests that speakers of different languages cause different spatial (空间的) images of the same event in a way that matches the expressive possibilities of their own languages. In other words, language influences (影响) spatial thinking at the moment of speaking.”
68. Researchers watched the gestures the people made because they wanted to know _____.
| A．how language was reflected |
| B．whether they could express the same idea |
| C．whether they could describe what they had seen |
| D．how the structure of language changed |
69. After watching the gestures of speakers of the three different languages, Dr. Kita concluded that _____.
| A．Japanese and Turkish people couldn’t express the meaning of “swing” |
| B．English was obviously better than Japanese and Turkish |
| C．no word in Japanese and Turkish could express some ideas of English |
| D．every language had its own special way to describe things |
70.What is mainly discussed in the text?
| A．Differences between languages. |
| B．Differences between gestures. |
| C．How people use different gestures to express the same event. |
| D．That language influences the way people think. |
Think back to this time last year. What was on your mind?
Most likely, you were thinking about finals or the holidays, although in this city I’ve noticed that thinking about the holiday is a fancy way of saying how much stuff will I get.
Now reflect on your thoughts for this holiday season. Most people are still thinking about the holidays, but I say that with a grain of salt. Everybody with a functioning brain and the ability to communicate knows that this holioday season comes with a pretty large price tag: the debt of all the hardships, both domestic and foreign, that we’ve faced over the past 12months.
Let’s face it: some of us will get everything we want over the holidays. But there are others whose parents have lost their jobs or who have lost jobs themselves because of the current economic situation. As much as we try to ignore it, there is still economic unrest in the blue and gold suburb.
In this situation, we have three options. One: We ignore the situation, like we seem to do for every bad thing that happens around us, because by God, it’s the American Way! Two: We recognize that our economy is shot, feel bad about it and spend our time wishing for the good old days. Three: We recognize that our economy is shot, but instead of moping, reflect on every good thing that we have going for us. Now, which option sounds best to you?
I spent a week this summer working in and around New York City with the city’s homeless population. Or so I thought. Although a lot of the people I served were in fact homeless, a significant number of them had a job or a home or both. The truth of the importance of this situation is that they and thousands of others across the country can’t afford even the most basic things of life, even while working two jobs. Yet no one that I met complained about their hardships. Instead, they took whatever I happened to give them(which was, more often than enough, not enough) and were genuinely grateful for what they had.
Wrap your heads around that statement for a second. These people worked their butts off to stay alive with minimal results, yet were overjoyed by a flimsy(脆弱的) paper plate with donated green beans on it. Although I am ashamed to admit it( both as a girthy figure and an affluent citizen), I have taken for granted most of my meals, let alone green beans, and I know for a fact that I am not alone.
64. According to the passage when people think about holidays they care much for ____.
| A．where to spend their holidays | B．how to spend their holidays |
| C．what they can get for their holidays | D．who they should go to visit |
65. When the author wrote the article, the economic situation in his country ____.
| A．began to go bad. | B．began to improve | C．was still serious | D．was favorable for middle class. |
66. The author wrote the article mainly to advise people____.
| A．to be thankful in time of hardship. | B．to spend their holidays in a wise way |
| C．to think little about their holidays | D．to help the country to sail through the crisis |
67. It can be inferred from the passage that the writer is most probably ______.
| A．a homeless child | B．an old professor | C．a famous scientist | D．a young student |
Holiday
The Bay Hotel
It is a quiet, comfortable hotel overlooking the bay in an uncommerciallised Cornish fishing village on England’s most southerly point. If pop music is no longer your strong point, and you are considering a relaxing holiday where the scenery is break taking and sound of the sea is live music to your ears, come and stay with us. For adults only. Sssh! Don’t tell everyone! 01326 280464
Willapark Manor Hotel.
Peaceful situation in 14 acres of separated gardens and woodlands, overlooking picturesque bay. Close to coastal path and beach. Excellent cuisine. Our excellent service bring our guests back year after year. Children and pets welcome. 01840 770782
The Country Garden Hotel.
Delightful hotel set in lovely gardens; calm Island of Wight near Tennyson Downs, Great food! Garden, sea view and ground floor rooms. Please call for brochure(服务指南) and sample menu. Adults only and pets welcome. 0800 980 1943.
Boscastle.
Romantic 17th Century farmers’s cottage in countryside with splendid coastal views. Well equipped. Sleeps 5. Regret no pets/ smoking. Garden with furniture. Brochure: 01633 450417 Godshill. 4 stars self---served units. Nonsmoking. Cosy. No pets. Brochure: 01983 840371
The Blakeney Hotel. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizen.
Overlooking harbor traditional privately owned friendly hotel with 60 bedrooms, lift, heated indoor pool, spa bath and saunas. Relax, walk, sail, play golf, explore the Norfolk villages, countryside and coast. Special seasonal midweek price for aged citizen. 01263 7407 97
S W France.
Rural setting near Corders. Two beautifully repainted old houses, sleep 4/5 and 5. Gardens,woodland, pool, views, excellent walks. Available all year round. Outstanding 01962 776967
60. If you want to take your children and pets with you on holiday, you can choose _____.
| A．Boscastle. | B．The Bay Hotel. | C．Willapark Manor Hotel. | D．S W France. |
61. All of the following hotels are close to the sea Except ______.
| A．The Country Garden Hotel | B．The Blakeney Hotel. | C．Willapark Manor Hotel. | D．S W France |
62. We learn from the text that ____.
| A．If you are a smoker, you can stay at Boscatle. |
| B．If you want to play golf, you can call S W France. |
| C．Maybe the price is low for aged citizens during special seasonal midweek. |
| D．Adults with pets can call 01326 280464 |
63. What is the aim of putting this advertisement?
| A．To give a description of the hotels. |
| B．To encourage more people to know about hotels. |
| C．To tell people some special things in the hotels. |
| D．To introduce the hotels and attract more visitors to stay there. |
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