EVERY so often, a sensational (轰动的) story hits the media about the kind of role models influencing UK teenagers. Youth culture celebrates too many bad examples, the reports say, and the finger of blame is often pointed at celebrities (名人) who drink or take drugs, or who are seen as sexually casual. Yet according to parents and educationalists the media itself is partly to blame. They argue that television, newspapers and magazines are obsessed (迷恋的) with celebrity lives and over-promote a “celebrity culture” in which reality show stars are respected purely because they are on television.
Meanwhile child psychologists warn of the negative effects of unsuitable role models, claiming that young people are being brainwashed into wanting to become famous overnight. They are taught to value physical appearance over personal achievement and set themselves impossible goals. According to a 2010 Home Office study, too many girls think that they have to look “sexy” and “hot” like their idols , and when they can’t achieve this, they lose self-esteem (自尊) or suffer from depression and eating disorders.
But perhaps young people today are not as easily influenced as we think. The Girls’ Attitudes Survey by Girlguiding UK (2011), for example, showed that young girls aged 11 to 21 questioned the media’s description of women. Over half of the respondents disagreed with the statement that “girls and young women are portrayed fairly in the media”.
A Scout Association survey, of over a thousand 13- to 18-year-olds, showed that teenagers see their parents and siblings (兄弟姐妹) as far more positive role models than celebrities, and while many youngsters list celebrities like Kate Moss and Katie Price as role models, others list high achievers like David Beckham, Paralympian swimmer Eleanor Simmons, and grandparents who fought in the Second World War.What is the main purpose of this article?
| A．To analyze what influences UK’s youth culture. |
| B．To criticize the media’s influence on UK’s youth culture. |
| C．To figure out who is to blame for the celebrity obsession. |
| D．To discuss how much the media affects the role models UK’s young people choose. |
What’s the opinion of parents about role models according to the article?
| A．Bad role models should not appear on television. |
| B．Stars in the spotlight are actually not worthy of our respect. |
| C．The media should stop promoting a “celebrity culture” among teenagers. |
| D．The media somewhat encourages young people to admire bad role models. |
Which of the following is true according to psychologists, ______.
| A．those who set themselves high goals tend to achieve success faster |
| B．celebrities are famous because of their appearances rather than their achievement |
| C．young people should put more importance on achievement rather than appearance |
| D．role models have more negative effects on young people than positive ones |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Role Modles | B．Celebrity Culture |
| C．Media Influence | D．Psychological Recognition |
A traveller was staying in an Egyptian village. One day, she held up her camera to take pictures of the children. Suddenly the young ones began to shout at her. The traveller's face turned red and she apologized to the head for what she was doing, and told him she had forgotten that people in some places believed a person would lose his soul(灵魂) if his picture was taken. She explained to him the operation of a camera for a long time. Several times the head tried to say something, but he couldn't. When she believed that the head didn't fear any longer, the traveller then let him speak. With a smile, he said, "The children were trying to tell you that you forgot to take off the lens(镜头) cap!" The children shouted when the traveller was taking pictures of them because _______.
| A．they didn't want to stop playing |
| B．the traveller forgot to take off the cap on her head |
| C．they didn't want to have their pictures taken |
| D．the traveller was not doing well with her camera |
The traveller made an apology to (向……道歉) the head because _______.
| A．she thought it was not right to take people's pictures without telling them beforehand (事先) |
| B．the children would lose their souls |
| C．she had stayed in the village too long |
| D．she didn't take a picture of the head first |
The traveller explained how to use a camera to the head because _______.
| A．the head was very interested in her camera |
| B．the head wanted to learn to take pictures |
| C．she was afraid of the head |
| D．she wanted the head not to worry about what she was doing |
Which of the following is NOT right?
| A．The traveller knew something about people in some countries. |
| B．The children wouldn't mind if the traveller took pictures of them. |
| C．The head was afraid that the traveller's camera would hurt the children. |
| D．The traveller didn't understand why the children shouted. |
There was a story many years ago of a school teacher--- Mrs. Thompson. She told the children on the first day that she loved them all the same. But that was a lie. There in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. He didn’t play well with the other children and he always needed a bath. She did not like him.
Then Mrs. Thompson got to know that Teddy was actually a very good boy before the death of his mother. Mrs. Thompson was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when, like all her other students, Teddy brought her a Christmas present too. It was his mother’s perfume(香水)。
Teddy said, “Mrs. Thompson, today you smell just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she stopped teaching reading, writing and math. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. The boy’s mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he improved. By the end of the sixth grade, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class.
Six years went by before she got a note from Teddy. He wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. He went to college. Mrs. Thompson got two more letters from him with the last one signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M. D. (医学博士).
The story doesn’t end there. On his wedding day, Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson’s ear, “Thank you, Mrs. Thompson, for believing in me. You made me feel important and showed me that I could make a difference.”
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back, “Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn’t know how to teach until I met you.”What did Mrs. Thompson do on the first day of school?
| A．She made Teddy feel ashamed. |
| B．She asked the children to play with Teddy. |
| C．She changed Teddy’s seat to the front row. |
| D．She told the class something untrue about herself. |
What did Mrs. Thompson find out about Teddy?
| A．He often told lies. |
| B．He was good at math. |
| C．He needed motherly care. |
| D．He enjoyed playing with others. |
In what way did Mrs. Thompson change?
| A．She taught fewer school subjects. |
| B．She became stricter with her students. |
| C．She no longer liked her job as a teacher. |
| D．She cared more about educating students. |
Why did Teddy thank Mrs. Thompson at his wedding?
| A．She had kept in touch with him. |
| B．She had given him encouragement. |
| C．She had sent him Christmas presents. |
| D．She had taught him how to judge people. |
Most American students have to say goodbye to fancy (高档的) fruits these days. In school restaurants across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges have taken their place.
“People are afraid to spend now.” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They don’t know what the future will bring”. During the financial crisis (金融危机), several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close. This has made lots of Americans afraid to buy expensive things.
The crisis began last year. Experts (专家) think it was because US banks lend money too easily. Last year a lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders (国界), the whole world was in trouble.
This month the US government agreed on a $700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But no one is sure whether it will help or not. Last week presidents from 20 countries promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. This passage is probably taken from ___________.
| A．a story book | B．a novel | C．a newspaper | D．an advertisement |
Why are people in the US afraid to spend?
| A．Because they think it’s unnecessary |
| B．Because they don’t have the habit of spending money |
| C．Because they worry about their future |
| D．Because they don’t have any money |
From the passage, we still don’t know ________.
| A．when the financial crisis began |
| B．when the financial crisis will end |
| C．why some of the US banks closed |
| D．whether the crisis has spread to other countries |
The best title for the passage is ___________.
| A．Ways to Save Money |
| B．Financial Crisis facing the World |
| C．Banks in the USA |
| D．The USA Becoming Poor |
If you exhibit positive characteristics such as honesty and helpfulness, the chances are that you will be thought as a good-looking person, for a new study has found that the perception （认知） of physical attractiveness is influenced by a person's personality．
The study, which was led by Gary W．Lewandowski, has found that people who exhibit negative characteristics, such as unfairness and rudeness, appear to be less physically attractive to observers．In the study, the participants viewed photographs of opposite-sex individuals and rated them for attractiveness before and after being provided with information about their personalities．
After personality information was received, participants also rated the probability of each individual' s becoming a friend and a dating partner．Information on personality was found to significantly change the probability, showing that cognitive （认知的） processes modify （修改） judgments of attractiveness．
"Thinking a person as having a desirable personality makes the person more suitable in general as a close relationship partner of any kind," said Lewandowski．
The findings show that a positive personality leads to greater expectation of becoming friends, which leads to greater expectation of becoming romantic partners and, finally, to being viewed as more physically attractive．The findings remained consistent regardless of how "attractive" the individual was formerly thought to be or of the participants' current relationship status．
"This research provides a positive outcome by reminding people that personality goes a long way toward determining your attractiveness; it can even change people's impressions of how good-looking you are," said Lewandowski．In the study the participants were required to _____．
| A．try to make friends with each other |
| B．try to prove positive characters make people more attractive |
| C．exhibit negative characters such as unfairness and rudeness |
| D．rate one's attractiveness by photos before and after knowing her or his personality |
What's the CORRECT order of how cognitive processes modify judgments of attractiveness?
a．find a person with a positive personality
b．view the person more physically attractive
c．want to make friends with the person
d．want to be his/ her romantic partner
| A．a→c→d→b | B．d→c→b→a | C．c→b→a→d | D．a→d→c→b |
Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?
| A．The research reminds people to pay more attention to the personality． |
| B．Personality can change people's impressions of one's appearance． |
| C．The judgment of one's attractiveness always stays unchanged． |
| D．Positive personality may lead to more friends． |
The passage is written in a（n） _____ tone．
| A．subjective | B．objective | C．sceptical | D．negative |
Who are the intended readers of this passage?
| A．People with positive characteristics． |
| B．Good-looking people． |
| C．People with negative characteristics． |
| D．General people． |
Poetry Writing Classes Online
Consider it the caviar （鱼子酱） of literature: tiny eggs with wonderful taste． Poetry has inspired the human soul for thousands of years and there are those who still treasure its magnificence．If you hear mermaids singing or feel the wind or see the sun rising in ribbons then you are one of these happy few．Excellence in poetry is mysterious, but a quest（探索） worth pursuing．In our courses, you will learn to control sound, structure, line, word, theme etc．into well-crafted poems and you will improve your precision by experimenting with various time-honored forms．You will also learn how and where to market your work．
Level I
Poetry Writing 10-Week Workshop
Using a balance of lecture, exercise, and comment on work from the instructor and classmates, this course gives students a firm grounding in all the basics of poetry writing．
·Write two-six poems
·Lectures on basics of poetry craft
·Writing exercises
·Present work for critique （评论）（two times）
PoetryI is for beginners or anyone who wants to brush up on the fundamentals．
Online Classes
Registration Fee: $25．
Tuition: $395, Returning Students $365．
Each class strictly limited to 16 students, aged 18 and up
·You can still enroll in this class!
Advanced
Poetry Writing 10-Week Workshop
Focusing on developing projects and receiving comment from the instructor and classmates, this course helps students sharpen their skills and work toward completion of publishable work．Begin or refine two-six poems．
·Lectures that expand on basics of poetry craft
·Writing exercises
·Present work for in-depth critique （two times）
Online Classes
Registration Fee; $ 25．
Tuition: $395．Returning Students $365．
Each class strictly limited to 14 students, aged 18 and up．
·You can still enroll in this class!You learn the following on Poetry Writing Classes Online EXCEPT _____
| A．where you can sell your poems |
| B．why it's worth seeking excellence in poetry |
| C．how to write a well-crafted poem |
| D．how to sharpen your skills in poetry |
If you rejoin the online poetry writing classes, you should pay _____．
| A．$390 | B．$410 | C．$395 | D．$365 |
If you are a beginner, you can start the courses from _____．
| A．July 14 | B．Aug 14 | C．July 6 | D．Oct 6 |
In Advanced Poetry Writing Class, you are asked to _____.
| A．lay steady foundations for the basis of poetry writing |
| B．hand in your poems getting ready for publication |
| C．make comments on the work of your classmates |
| D．give some lectures on basics of poetry craft |
The passage is most probably from a _____．
| A．newspaper advertisement | B．book review |
| C．scientific magazine | D．news report |
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