Humans have sewn by hand for thousands of years. It was said that the first thread was made from animal muscle and sinew (腱). And the earliest needles were made from bones. Since those early days, many people have been involved in the process of developing a machine that could do the same thing more quickly and with greater efficiency.
Charles Wiesenthal, who was born in Germany, designed and received a patent on a double-pointed needle that eliminated the need to turn the needle around with each stitch (缝合) in England in 1755. Other inventors of that time tried to develop a functional sewing machine, but each design had at least one serious imperfection. Frenchman Barthelemy Thimonnier finally engineered a machine that really worked. However, he was nearly killed by a group of angry tailors when they burned down his garment factory. They feared that they would lose their jobs to the machine.
American inventor Elias Howe, born on July 9, 1819, was awarded a patent for a method of sewing that used thread from two different sources. Howe’s machine had a needle with an eye at the point, and it used the two threads to make a special stitch called a lockstitch. However, Howe faced difficulty in finding buyers for his machines in America. In frustration, he traveled to England to try to sell his invention there. When he finally returned home, he found that dozens of manufacturers were adapting his discovery for use in their own sewing machines.
Isaac Singer, another American inventor, was also a manufacturer who made improvements to the design of sewing machines. He invented an up-and-down-motion mechanism that replaced the side-to-side machines. He also developed a foot treadle(脚踏板) to power his machine. This improvement left the sewer’s hands free. Undoubtedly, it was a huge improvement of the hand-cranked machine of the past. Soon the Singer sewing machine achieved more fame than the others for it was more practical, it could be adapted to home use and it could be bought on hire-purchase. The Singer sewing machine became the first home appliance, and the Singer company became one of the first American multinationals.
However, Singer used the same method to create a lockstitch that Howe had already patented. As a result, Howe accused him of patent infringement（侵犯）. Of course, Elias Howe won the court case, and Singer was ordered to pay Howe royalties（版税）. In the end, Howe became a millionaire, not by manufacturing the sewing machine, but by receiving royalty payments for his invention.Barthelemy Thimonnier’s garment factory was burned down because _____________.
| A．people did not know how to put out the fire |
| B．Elias Howe thought Thimonnier had stolen his invention |
| C．the sewing machines was couldn’t work finally |
| D．workers who feared the loss of their jobs to a machine set fire |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Singer is an American inventor and manufacturer. |
| B．The Singer sewing company became more practical. |
| C．The foot treadle helped to make the sewer’s hands free. |
| D．Singer made improvements to the design of sewing machines. |
Why did the court force Isaac Singer to pay Elisa Howe a lifetime of royalties?
| A．Because the judge was against Singer for his surly attitude. |
| B．Because Howe had already patented the lockstitch used by Singer. |
| C．Because Singer had borrowed money from Howe and never repaid it. |
| D．Because Singer and Howe had both invented the same machine. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．A Stitch in Time Saves Nine |
| B．The Case between Howe and Singer |
| C．Patent Laws on the Sewing Machine |
| D．The Early History of the Sewing Machine |
Specialists say that it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is the term these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. There are three stages of culture shock, say the specialists. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to adjust to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some obvious factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems—the telephone, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The most simple things seem to be big problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their home countries and were successful in their community. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same established positions. They find themselves without a role, almost without an identity. They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rise to a feeling of disorientation (迷惘). This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves for the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for the short term, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience—these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.According to the passage, factors that give rise to culture shock include all of the following
except _____.
| A．language communication | B．weather conditions and customs |
| C．public service systems | D．homesickness |
According to the passage, the more successful you are at home, __________.
A, the fewer difficulties you may have abroad
B. the more difficulties you may have abroad
C. the more money you will earn abroad
D. the less homesick you will feel abroad What is the main idea of the last passage?
| A．Escape unfamiliar environment |
| B．The feeling of homesickness. |
| C．Homesickness can solve the problem of culture shock. |
| D．The best way to overcome culture shock: get familiar with the new culture. |
In many ways, our society doesn’t simply prepare for the kinds of lives that the elderly must lead. We have made medical advances that allow people to live longer than ever before, but we do not seem to know what to do with them after we have saved their lives. Too little allowance (津贴) is made for the person who is no longer earning a living, who can not walk long distances or drive a car, or who may have physical or mental disabilities that keep him from communicating with others. The institutional (慈善机构的) care we give our older people is a good reflection of the overall attitude of our society toward the aged.
In the past few years, nursing homes have received wide attention as boring, meaningless places where old people often have little else to do but wait for the end of their lives. Elderly wards in mental hospitals are even worse. One of the most shocking things abort nursing homes has been the unwillingness of people on the outside to show real concern for what happens in these institutions. Even people who are entrusting (委托) a parent to the care of a home rarely ask about the nurse-parent ratio (比率), about the kinds of creative facilities or physical treatment equipment available, or about the frequency of doctors’ visits.
And the government has provided federal money without enforcing high standards of care. In fact federal standards were lowered in 1974. Therefore, in some sense our concern for the aged seems to be moving backwards, not forwards. This picture is in striking contrast to the treatment of respectable patriarchs (男长者) and matriarchs (女长者) in many societies.
1. What would be the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Failure of Care for the Elderly B. The Elderly
C. Institutional Care D. A National Shame
2. We can conclude from this passage that the writer feels ____.
A. nursing homes should be got rid of
B. a country that can help people live longer should also be able to care for them better
C. people have no thanks toward their parents
D. our society’s institutions need to be reformed
3. The writer believes that people who place a parent in a nursing home should ____.
A. demand higher federal standards
B. consider the example set in other countries
C. be ashamed of not keeping the parents in their own homes
D. investigate it first
4. The writer complains ____.
A. about the indifference of some people towards nursing homes
B. about the shortage of equipment in nursing home
C. that nursing homes keep the aged from communicating with others
D. both A and B
Shanghai-More Shanghai people are renting cars to travel over the coming National Day holiday, Tom reported today.
Most cars in large local car-rental companies such as Yongda, Anji and Dazhong are leased so far with the Buick Sport Utility Vehichle (SUV) in high demand.
Santana and Jetta were previously the most popular car models rented by Shanghai people for travel, while the high-end Buick models have generated great interest among locals renting cars these years. However, the rent on a Buick GL or GS model is between 650 yuan and 750 yuan a day, nearly double those of the Santana and Jetta cars.
Compared with Santana, Buick looks better, has greater capabilities and is safer and more comfortable, said a car leaser. “I don’t mind paying a higher cost for a Buick to enjoy the holiday,” he said.
SUV cars are very popular in the car renting market, according to some car rental firms.
“All the 31 Buick GL8SUV cars were leased out several days ago,” said an employee with the Shanghai Yongda Car Rental Co.
local people are more inclined (倾向于) to go travel with groups of friends, so SUV cars are a better choice, said an industry analyst (分析家). Moreover, SUV car are safer on rugged and rough roads, the analyst said.
According to the data, most people rented cars for seven days; a less number rented them for two or three days.What’s the best title for the passage ?
| A．How Shanghai People Spend Their Holidays |
| B．Why So Many Shanghai People Rented Cars for Holidays |
| C．More Shanghai Rent Cars for Holidays |
| D．Shanghai Rent SUV Instead of Santana and Jetta |
According to the passage we can see SUV is ________.
| A．the name of a car-rental company |
| B．the name of an expensive car |
| C．the name of an ordinary car |
| D．the place for the holiday |
At present for how much money can you rent a Santana or Jetta for a day ?
| A．Between 650 yuan and 750 yuan. |
| B．Between 350 yuan and 380 yuan. |
| C．About 450 yuan. |
| D．Less than 300 yuan. |
Why do many people choose SUV cars for their holidays ?
| A．Because they are cheaper. |
| B．Because they are convenient on rugged and rough roads. |
| C．Only because they can run on bugged and tough roads. |
| D．Because no Santana and Jetta can be rented now. |
The way people hold to the belief that a fun - filled, pain free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment （预担的义务）, self - improvement.
Ask a bachelor（单身汉） why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because ________ .
| A．he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
| B．he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
| C．he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
| D．he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
Raising children, in the author’s opinion is ________ .
| A．a moral duty | B．a thankless job |
| C．a rewarding task | D．a source of inevitable pain |
From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________ .
| A．hatred | B．misunderstanding | C．prejudice | D．ignorance |
To understand what true happiness is one must ________ .
| A．have as much fun as possible during one’s lifetime |
| B．make every effort to liberate oneself from pain |
| C．put up with pain under all circumstances |
| D．be able to distinguish happiness from fun |
What is the author trying to tell us?
| A．Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain． |
| B．One must know how to attain happiness. |
| C．It is important to make commitments. |
| D．It is pain that leads to happiness. |
America is growing older. Fifty - eight years ago, only 4 out of every 100 people in the United States were 10 or older. To day, 10 out of every 100 Americans are over 10. The aging of the population will affect（影响）American society in many ways—education, medicine, and business. Quietly, the graying of America has made us a very different society—one in which people have a quite different idea of what kind of behavior（行为） is suitable（合适）at various , ages.
A person s age no longer tells you anything about his/her social position, marriage or health. There’s no longer a particular year in which one goes to school or goes to work or gets married or starts a family. The social clock that kept us on time and told us when to go to school, get a job, or stop working isn’t as strong as it used to be. It doesn’t surprise us to hear of a 29 - year - old university president or a 35 - year -old grandmother, or a 15 year - old man who has become a father for the first time. Public ideas are changing.
Many people say, “I am much younger than my mother— or my father— was at my age. ”No one says“Act your age” any more. We’ve stopped looking with surprise at older people who act in youthful ways.
12．It can be learnt from the text that the aging of the population in America ________ .
A. has made people feel younger B. has changed people’s social position
C. has changed people’s understanding of age D. has slowed down the country’s social development
13．The underlined word “one”refers to ________ .
A. a society B. America C. a place D. population
14．” Act your age” means people should ________ .
A. be active when they are old
B. do the right thing at the right age
C. show respect for their parents young or old
D. take more physical exercise suitable to their age
15．If a 25 - year - old man becomes general manager of a big firm, the writer of the text would most probably consider it ________ .
A. normal B. wonderful C. unbelievable D. unreasonable
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