Men are spending more and more time in the kitchen encouraged by celebrity (名人) chefs like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver, according to a report from Oxford University.
The effect of the celebrity role models, who have given cooking a more manly picture, has combined with a more general drive towards sexual equality and men now spend more than twice the amount of time preparing meals than they did in 1961.
According to the research by Prof. Jonatahn Gershuny, who runs the Centre for Time Research at Oxford, men now spend more than half an hour a day cooking, up from just 12 minutes a day in 1961.
Prof. Gershuny said, “The man in the kitchen is part of a much wider social trend. There has been 40 years of sexual equality, but there is another 40 years probably to come.”
Women, who a generation ago spent nearly two hours a day cooking, now spend just one hour and seven minutes—a great fall, but they still spend far more time in the kitchen than men.
Some experts have named these men in aprons as “Gastrosexuals (men using cooking skills to impress friends)”, who have been inspired to pick up a kitchen knife by the success of Ramsay, Oliver as well as other male celebrity chefs such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.
“I was married in 1974. When my father came to visit me a few weeks later, I was wearing an apron when I opened the door. He laughed,” said Prof. Gershuny. “That would never happen now.”
Two-thirds of adults say that they come together to share at least three times a week, even if it is not necessarily around a kitchen or dining room table. Prof. Gershuny pointed out that the family meal was now rarely eaten by all of its members around a table—with many “family meals” in fact taken on the sofa in the sitting room, and shared by family members. “The family meal has changed a lot, and few of us eat—as I did when I was a child—at least two meals a day together as a family. But it has survived in a different format.” What is one reason behind the trend that men spend more time cooking than before?
| A．The improvement of cooks’ status. |
| B．The influence of popular female chefs. |
| C．The change of female’s view on cooking. |
| D．The development of sexual equality campaign. |
What does the author think about the time men and women spend on cooking?
| A．Men spend more time cooking than women nowadays. |
| B．Women spend much less time on cooking than before. |
| C．It will take 40 years before men spend more time at the stove than women. |
| D．There is a sharp decline in the time men spend on cooking compared with 1961. |
How did Prof. Gershuny see the family meal according to the passage?
| A．It has become a thing of the past. |
| B．It is very different from what it used to be. |
| C．It shouldn’t be advocated in modern times. |
| D．It is beneficial to the stability of the family. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．The Changes of Family Meals |
| B．Equality between Men and Women |
| C．Cooking into a New Trend for Men |
| D．Cooking—a Thing of the Past for Women |
One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality conflicted with mine. He seemed most unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. My hostility toward that clerk increased with each step.
On the outside, standing by the road, was a dark-skinned young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, dazzling smile covered his face. I gave way immediately. The magnetic power of that smile dissolved all bitterness within me, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” I remarked in passing. Then, I turned back. “I really owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. “Sir, but he doesn’t speak English,” she volunteered. “You want I should tell him something?”
At that moment I felt transformed. The young man’s smile had made a big person of me.
“Yes,” my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, “tell him I said ‘Thank you!’ ”
“Thank you?” The woman seeded slightly puzzled. I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. “Just tell him that,” I insisted. “He will understand; I am sure!”
Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning. From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody.The author left the store angrily because____.
| A．his intended purchases were of poor quality. |
| B．there’s nothing he wanted in the shop |
| C．the clerk didn’t speak English |
| D．the clerk didn’t treat him kindly |
The underlined word “hostility” in the first paragraph probably means ____.
| A．attitude | B．hatred | C．idea | D．opinion |
What does the author mean by saying “I found the muscles in my own face happily responding” in Paragraph 2 ?
| A．He did not want to smile. |
| B．He would thank the young man. |
| C．He smiled back at the young man. |
| D．He was happy to meet the young man. |
The passage tell us that we should____.
| A．help people in trouble |
| B．smile at others |
| C．practice smiling every day |
| D．be generous to strangers |
The author asked the woman to say “Thank you!” to the young man because the young man___.
| A．taught the author a valuable lesson |
| B．taught the author how to smile |
| C．had offered help to the author |
| D．was a friendly employee of the shop |
Ask most people how they define the American Dream and chances are they’ll say, “Success.” The dream of individual opportunity has been home in American since Europeans discovered a “new world” in the Western Hemisphere. Early immigrants like Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur praised highly the freedom and opportunity to be found in this new land. His glowing descriptions of a classless society where anyone could attain success through honesty and hard work fired the imaginations of many European readers: in Letters from an American Farmer (1782) he wrote. “We are all excited at the spirit of an industry which is unfettered (无拘无束的) and unrestrained, because each person works for himself … We have no princes, for whom we toil (干苦力活)，starve, and bleed: we are the most perfect society now existing in the world.” The promise of a land where “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” drew poor immigrants from Europe and fueled national expansion into the western territories.
Our national mythology (神化) is full of illustration of the American success story. There’s Benjamin Franklin, the very model of the self-educated, self-made man, who rose from modest origins to become a well-known scientist, philosopher, and statesman. In the nineteenth century, Horatio Alger, a writer of fiction for young boys, became American’s best-selling author with rags-to-riches tales. The notion of success haunts us: we spend million every year reading about the rich and famous, learning how to “make a fortune in real estate with no money down,” and “dressing for success.” The myth of success has even invaded our personal relationships: today it’s as important to be “successful” in marriage or parenthoods as it is to come out on top in business.
But dreams easily turn into nightmares. Every American who hopes to “make it” also knows the fear of failure, because the myth of success inevitably implies comparison between the haves and the have-nots, the stars and the anonymous crowd. Under pressure of the myth, we become indulged in status symbols: we try to live in the “right” neighborhoods, wear the “right” clothes, eat the “right” foods. These symbols of distinction assure us and others that we believe strongly in the fundamental equality of all, yet strive as hard as we can to separate ourselves from our fellow citizens.What is the essence of the American Dream according to Crevecoeur?
| A．People are free to develop their power of imagination. |
| B．People who are honest and work hard can succeed. |
| C．People are free from exploitation and oppression. |
| D．People can fully enjoy individual freedom. |
By saying “the rewards of a man’s industry follow with equal steps the progress of his labor” (Line 10, Para. 1), the author means __________ .
| A．the more diligent one is, the bigger his returns |
| B．laborious work ensures the growth of an industry |
| C．a man’s business should be developed step by step |
| D．a company’s success depends on its employees’ hard work |
The characters described in Horatio Alger’s novels are people who ___________.
| A．succeed in real estate investment |
| B．earned enormous fortunes by chances |
| C．became wealthy after starting life very poor |
| D．became famous despite their modest origins |
It can be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph that ____________.
| A．business success often contributes to a successful marriage |
| B．Americans wish to succeed in every aspect of life |
| C．good personal relationships lead to business success |
| D．successful business people provide good care for their children |
What is the paradox (说法) of American culture according to the author?
| A．The American road to success is full of nightmares. |
| B．Status symbols are not a real indicator of a person’s wealth. |
| C．The American Dream is nothing but an empty dream. |
| D．What Americans strive after often contradicts their beliefs. |
China has now mapped out plans for its next four launches in the Shenzhou program on the next flight. But one conclusion seems to have escaped most reports in the aerospace media. The flight of Shenzhou 7 could be timed to coincide with the Beijing Olympics. Plans for the 2008 Summer Olympics call for the events to be held between the 8th and 24th of August. It's reasonable to expect that China will use the event to promote its achievements before the world, and human spaceflight is China's most significant recent breakthrough.
Shenzhou 7, China's next manned space mission, was originally advertised for 2007. This fit into the pattern of staging a two-year gap between crewed Shenzhou missions, which have previously launched in 2003 and 2005. But Chinese media statements have recently amended this to 2008. Chinese media have reported that while the overall program is going well, more time is needed to work on the spacesuit that will be used on this flight to stage China's first spacewalk. It's possible that Chinese engineers want to make best preparations for this complex mission.
China could intend to carry out the mission of Shenzhou 7 just as media attention is focused on the lead-up to the Olympics. The crew of the flight, and possibly China's other flown astronauts, could then take part in the opening ceremony. China has previously feted her space travellers in great celebrations, such as the Hong Kong event that saw Yang Liwei singing with actor Jacky Chan.
China has also suggested that the activity will be carried out by a single astronaut, and has indicated that half an hour is a rough estimate of the planned time for the spacewalk. China is apparently following suit, probably for the same reasons of conservative mission planning and safety.From the first paragraph we can infer that ___________.
| A．China hasn’t made its plan for the Beijing Olympics |
| B．the new Shenzhou program are known to all the reporters |
| C．China has planned to send up Shenzhou 7 in 2008 |
| D．Beijing Olympics will be held during the flight of Shenzhou 7 |
China has decided to carry out its human spaceflight in 2008 in order to _________.
| A．make the Beijing Olympics more interesting. |
| B．show its great achievements to the world. |
| C．prove that China is a developed country. |
| D．introduce its science and technology to the world. |
Which one of the following is WRONG according to this passage?
| A．China sent its first manned spacecraft in October of 2003. |
| B．Chinese engineers want to make more preparations for Shenzhou 7. |
| C．The spacesuit for the flight of Shenzhou 7 hasn’t been prepared well. |
| D．Two Chinese astronauts walked in space in 2003. |
The underlined word “amended” in the passage has a similar meaning to _________.
| A．improve | B．change | C．expect | D．decide |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．The Beijing Olympics. |
| B．The Shenzhou Olympics. |
| C．China’s Shenzhou Program. |
| D．Spacewalk in 2008. |
So you thought the hamburger was the world’s most popular fast food? After all, McDonald’s Golden Arches span the globe. But no, there is another truly universal fast food, the ultimate（极好的）fast food. It’s easy to make, easy to serve, much more varied that the hamburger, can be eaten with the hands, and it’s delivered to your front door or served in fancy restaurants. It’s been one of America’s favourite foods for over 50 years. It is, of course, the pizza.
It’s kind of silly to talk about the moment when pizza was “invented”. It gradually evolved over the years, but one thing’s for certain—it’s been around for a very long time. The idea of using pieces of flat, round bread as plates came from the Greeks. They called them ‘plakuntos’and ate them with various simple toppings such as oil, garlic, onions, and herbs. The Romans enjoyed eating something similar and called it ‘picea’. By about 1000 a.d. in the city of Naples, ‘picea’ had become ‘pizza’ and people were experimenting with more toppings: cheese, ham, anchovies, and finally the tomato, brought to Italy from Mexico and Peru in the sixteenth century. Naples became the pizza capital of the world. In 1889, King UmbertoⅠand Queen Margherita heard about pizza and asked to try it. They invited pizza maker, Raffele Esposito, to make it for them. He decided to make the pizza like the Italian flag, so he used red tomatoes, white mozzarella cheese, and green basil leaves. The Queen loved it and the new pizza was named ‘Pizza Margherita’ in her honour.
Pizza migrated to America with the Italians at the end of the nineteenth century. The first pizzeria in the United States was opened in 1905 at 53 Spring Street, New York City, by Gennaro Lombardi. But the popularity of pizza really exploded when American soldiers returned from Italy after World WarⅡ and raved about ‘that great Italian dish’. Americans are now the greatest producers and consumers of pizza in the world.When did pizza become really popular in the United States?
| A．After 1945. | B．At the end of nineteenth century. |
| C．In 1905. | D．In 1889. |
What do the Italian flag and a Pizza Margherita have in common?
| A．There is a picture of a Pizza Margherita on the flag. |
| B．They have the same colours. |
| C．Both of them represent Italy. |
| D．They are as popular as each other in Italy. |
Which one is the correct timeline of the evolvement of pizza?
| A．pizza, plakuntos, picea |
| B．picea, plakuntos, pizza |
| C．plakuntos, pizza, picea |
| D．plakuntos, picea, pizza |
Why are Mexico and Peru important in the development of pizza?
| A．Because pizza was invented in these countries. |
| B．Because the people in these countries are the greatest consumers of pizza in the world. |
| C．Because one kind of toppings was brought to Italy from these countries. |
| D．Because pizza first became popular in these two countries. |
Which one is the best title for the passage?
| A．McDonald’s and Pizza. |
| B．The Popularity of Pizza in the United States. |
| C．Global Pizza. |
| D．How to Make Pizza. |
Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands. Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn't forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin's footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.
The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.
The most well-known animal of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise (巨型海龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago (群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself.
Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.
Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time.What do we know about Darwin's visit to the islands?
| A．He completed his famous book on the islands |
| B．He was touched by the geography of the islands |
| C．He studied different creatures on the islands |
| D．He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands |
Which of the following plays a role in making the islands "a paradise for wildlife"?
| A．People cannot visit the islands as they wish. |
| B．Animals on the islands feed on grass. |
| C．Local government forbids killing wildlife. |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals. |
Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of _____.
| A．Darwin's inspiring trip |
| B．The beautiful sea views |
| C．a closer view of animals |
| D．various daring activities |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Galapagos as a Paradise for Adventures |
| B．Charles Darwin as a Symbol of Galapagos |
| C．A successful Example of Wildlife Protection |
| D．A Unique Attraction for Wildlife Lovers |
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