阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每小题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but good sense too. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and calm so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. Typical examples are the driver who waves a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may be not able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship. Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.The passage mainly talks about .
| A．road politeness | B．traffic jams |
| C．good manners | D．modern drivers |
Troubles on the road are often caused by .
| A．traffic jams | B．the behavior of the drivers |
| C．great speed | D．terrible road conditions |
According to the writer, a good driver should .
| A．beat back when forced to face rude driving |
| B．be able to recognize politeness when he sees it |
| C．encourage old ladies to cross the roads whenever they want to |
| D．join in traffic stream quickly however other people feel |
The following statements are right EXCEPT that .
| A．some modern drivers are not good at driving |
| B．road politeness is good sense as well as good manners |
| C．it is also right to have a tiger in the driver’s seat |
| D．a friendly driver should nod or wave thanks in answer to an act of politeness |
It is not always right for drivers to .
| A．master roadman ship |
| B．recognize politeness when they see it |
| C．wave a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path |
| D．give a friendly nod in answer to an act of politeness |
Most people look forward to retirement as a time when they can finally take up activities that they never had the time or energy to pursue before. Bust some recent studies on people in their golden years are disturbing: they suggest that retirees are more likely to suffer from depression and possibly higher rates of other diseases such as heart disease and high blood pressure. That’s why a new study of French workers is welcome news.
Led by Hugo Westerlund, a professor of psychology at Stockholm University, the study of more than 14,000 workers found lower rates of depression and fatigue(疲劳) in people after they got tired while they were still employed.
The scientists followed the employees of the French national gas and electric company for 14 years. They found in the year immediately after retirement, the volunteers reported 40% fewer depressive symptoms than they had in the year before their retirement. The researchers also found an 81% drop in reports of both mental and physical fatigue over the same time period.
Clearly, said Westerlund, much of these decrease in physical and mental fatigue can be traced back to relief from the stresses of work. The decline in depressive symptoms suggests that retirement may be having a positive mental effect, too, which may have a lot to do with the generous pensions(养老金) that French workers enjoy. Most retirees in that country still benefit from about 80% of their yearly salaries.
“The economic or financial situation in retirement is very important,” Westerlund says. “We don’t know if the decrease in fatigue and depressive symptoms is because of the removal of something bad while in work or the addition of something good while in retirement. But no matter the reason, if life in retirement is not comfortable, then we won’t see the improvements we did.”
However, in European nations like France, governments are considering changes to pension plans, which may affect retirees’ health after they leave their jobs—with less of a financial safety net, workers may no longer seem so mentally and physically happy to be out of work.
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS)According to some recent studies, retired people may have depression and higher rates of other disease like ____________________________________.
Westerlund’s group found that in the year just after the retirement most retired French workers felt much less tired both __________________________________.
What dies the word “improvements” in paragraph 5 refer to?
_______________________________________________________________Retirement may make people happier with ___________________________________
LONDON—Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent(永久的) fast-forward.
Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hagner also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.
Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.
Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.
"Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress," says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.
Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four.
"There is a new parenting trend under way which says that you have to tap all your child's potential at a young age; otherwise you will let him down,” says Terry Alter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist （青少年精神病专家）
"It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted."From the second paragraph of this passage we can find that ______.
| A．Hagner wastes much time helping her children's lessons |
| B．Hagner doesn't spend much time on her full-time job |
| C．Hagner is interested in spots and music |
| D．Hagner busies herself by following a trend |
British parents, as the writer described in this passage, _____.
| A．treat their children as spots players |
| B．pay no attention to their children's lessons |
| C．bring up their children in a simple way |
| D．give their children little time to develop freely |
The writer's opinion about after-school clubs is that ______.
| A．activities in the country are too competitive |
| B．children should attend four clubs at a time |
| C．some clubs result in competitive pressures |
| D．clubs should have more subjects for school children |
The last paragraph tells us that in Britain ______.
| A．parents used to take their children to every club |
| B．parents used to be wise on how to raise children |
| C．parents have all benefited from children's clubs |
| D．parents have come to know the standard of education |
Have you ever wondered why the roots of the plants always know which way to grow—into the soil but not above it? Some British scientists have recently solved this mystery.
It turns out that roots have special hairs that tie them into the soil and help them grow their way past obstacles, a team at the John Inners Center in Norwich reports in the February 29 issue of Journal Science.
“The key is in the fuzzy(有绒毛的)coat of hairs on the roots of plants,” says professor Liam Dolan. “We have found a growth control system that enables these hairs to find their way and to become longer when their path is clear.”
Root hairs explore the soil in much the same way a person would feel their way in the dark. If they come across an obstacle, they make their way around until they can continue growing in an opening. In the meantime, the plant is held in place as the hairs grip(紧紧抓住)the soil.
The hairs are guided by a clever chemical trick. A protein(蛋白质) at the tip of the root hairs called RHD2 helps them to take calcium(钙) from the soil. Calcium makes the hairs grow, and produce more RHD2, and take more calcium.
But when an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, or the hair reaches the surface of the soil, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another direction.
This system gives plants the flexibility to explore a complex environment and to live in even the most unpromising soils, says Dolan.
In poor soils such as in parts of Australia and Africa, native plants have adapted by producing enormous numbers of root hairs. A better understanding of this adaptation will allow scientists to develop hairy rooted crops that can grow in unfriendly environments.
According to Dolan, “Research in the John Inners Center is taking a breeding approach to increase hair length in wheat but it will be some time before new cultivars(栽培变种) are developed.”The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．why the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it |
| B．how the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it |
| C．the process of plants growth |
| D．a growth control system of plants |
How does the circle work?
| A．RHD2 takes calcium from the soil, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2 and take more calcium |
| B．Roots take RHD2 and calcium from the soil and produce RHD2 |
| C．Roots make hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium |
| D．RHD2 takes protein, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium |
We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.
| A．hairy rooted crops can grow better in unfriendly environments |
| B．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair has been developed by scientists |
| C．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair is still on test |
| D．the roots of plants always know which way to grow |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes---khaki pants and sports shirt---to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because_______.
| A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
| B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
| C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
| D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because________
| A．they make him feel at ease when working |
| B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
| C．he looks handsome in casual clothes |
| D．he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
| A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
| B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive |
| C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees |
| D．All the employers in the U.S are for casual office wear. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT_______.
| A．saving employees’ money |
| B．making employees more attractive |
| C．improving employees’ motivation |
| D．making employees happier |
[1] Is the supermarket a place where you listen to music while dragging your feet into it ? Despite the music , supermarket shopping can be interesting . After all , once you’ve chosen those tasty foods , you get to eat them . Before you seize a shopping cart and head for the shopping areas , check out these tips for smart and healthy supermarket shopping.
[2]You can go to a supermarket almost anytime you want-many are open 24 hours . Choosing
for your food shopping can help you shop smarter .
[3]Don’t shop when you’re hungry
If your stomach is empty when you enter the store , you’ll be crazy when you see all those tasty treats . Eat a healthy meal before you go to the supermarket.
[4]Pick the best supermarket for you
If you have a choice on where to shop , think about the kinds of things that you want the store to have . A salad bar? A great seafood department of bakery? Choose a supermarket that can make your shopping convenient and easy . And once you’ve found a store you like , stick with it . Knowing where to find the things you want in the store will help you find them faster.
[5]Shop during off-peak times
Did you ever get stuck behind a person pushing the cart slowly in front of you because the store was so crowded? Try to avoid stores when they’re likely to be the busiest-after work hours (weekdays between 5 pm and 7 pm ) and weekend mornings , for example . The best time to shop is very early in the morning or on a popular TV night-you can set your VCR, do your shopping , and watch the shows later.What does the passage mainly tell us ?(no more than 6 words)
Why do you avoid the peak times when shopping ? (no more than 6 words)
Complete the following sentence with words from paragraph 3. (no more than 3 words)
You’d better not when you feel very hungry.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 2 with proper words . (no more than 5 words)
What does the word “them” (Line 5, Paragraph 4) probably refer to ? (no more than 4 words)
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