The first day of school always goes wrong. For many students in the United States, however, this year it was even more so. It was all due to one extra school policy – they are now required to follow a new standardized dress code.
According to the handbooks of all high schools in Allentown, Pennsylvania, students must wear short- or long-sleeve polo shirts and khaki (卡其色) or black pants. Skinny jeans, leggings and open-toe shoes are not allowed.
Allentown schools are not alone. At Edgewater High School in Florida, shirts must have collars or sleeves, and pants must not sag (下垂) and reach at least mid-thigh (大腿中部). No see-through shirts or T- shirts with references to sex on them are allowed.
Overall, more than half of US public schools now enforce dress codes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. About 57 percent of schools now have a “strict dress code”, up from more than 47 percent a decade earlier, USA Today said.
Among young people, there are mixed emotions. Some don’t mind wearing similar clothes every day while others aren’t happy. Despite dress codes in many school districts, some students still come to school – even on their first day – in skirts that are too short, necklines that are too low and sagging pants that don’t stay up on their hips.
But there are punishments. If they are out of dress code, students can be removed from the classroom until they fix the problem. In Florida, wearing sagging pants is illegal for youths according to a state law issued in 2011. Breaking the rule results in not being able to do after-school activities, and even being forbidden to attend class.
Some US schools go further and require students to wear uniforms. Many say that they simplify their jobs, saving teachers from having to punish students for wearing skirts or shorts that are too short, for instance. They can also prevent feelings of competition and envy among students.
“It takes away the daily fashion show and helps level the playing field a little bit with the haves and have-nots,” longtime school safety consultant Ken Trump told USA Today.
Critics of uniforms say they rob students of individuality. But for some people, that’s a lazy argument.
“Clothing isn’t the only form of self-expression. Students should know that it’s what they do that counts,” commented a parent named Beth Kassab in The Orlando Sentinel in Florida.According to the new standardized dress code, students in the US are allowed to wear .
| A．knee-length pants | B．shirts without sleeves |
| C．transparent T-shirts | D．jeans sticking to skin |
What is the main idea of Para 5?
| A．What the new dress code is. |
| B．How students dressed themselves. |
| C．What punishments students may receive. |
| D．How students responded to the code. |
Students in some US schools are required to wear uniforms Not to .
| A．pay less attention to their appearance |
| B．prevent comparison among students |
| C．bring out the best in students |
| D．spare teachers from punishing students for their improper dress |
What do Beth Kassab’s words imply?
| A．Uniforms limit the individuality of students. |
| B．Students should pay more attention to their behavior. |
| C．Clothing is of no importance to students. |
| D．Students should concentrate more on their study. |
Zoe Cha
mbers was a successful PR (Public Relations) consultant (顾问) and life was going well—she had a great job, a beautiful flat and a busy social life in London. Then one evening in June last year, she received a text message telling her she was out of work. “The first two weeks were the most difficult to live through,” she said. “After everything I’d done for the company, they dismissed me by text
! I was so angry and I just didn’t feel like looking for another job. I hated everything about the city and my life.”
Then, Zoe received an invitation from an old school friend, Kathy, to come and stay. Kathy and her husband, Huw, had just bought a farm in northwest Wales. Zoë jumped at the chance to spend a weekend away from London, and now, ten months later, she is still on the farm.
“The moment I arrived at Kathy’s farm, I loved it and I knew I wanted to stay,”said Zoe.“Everything about my past life suddenly seemed meaningless.”
Zoe has been working on the farm since October of last year and says she has no regrets. “It’s a hard life, physically very tiring,” she says.“In London I was stressed and often mentally exhausted. But this is a good, healthy tiredness. Here, all I need to put me in a good mood is a hot bath and one of Kathy’s wonderful dinners.”
Zoe says she has never felt bored on the farm. Every day brings a new experience. Kathy has been teaching her how to ride a horse and she has learnt to drive a tractor. Since Christmas, she has been helping with the lambing—watching a lamb being born is unbelievable, she says,“It’s one of the most moving experiences I’ve ever had. I could never go back to city life now.”
When she worked as a PR consultant in London, Zoë thought she lived a life.
| A．meaningless | B．tough | C．boring | D．satisfying |
The most important reason why Zoe went to visit Kathy’s farm is that .
| A．Kathy persuaded her to do so | B．Zoe lost her job as a PR consultant |
| C．Zoe got tired of the city life | D．Zoe loved Wales more than London |
How does Zoe feel about the country life according to the passage?
| A．Physically tiring but rewarding. | B．Romantic and peaceful. |
| C．Mentally exhausting but healthy. | D．Tiresome and troublesome |
Which of the following is closest to the main idea of the passage?
| A．A friend in need is a friend indeed. | B．A misfortune may turn out a blessing. |
| C．Kill two birds with one stone. | D．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
On March 5, 2009, Michael Jackson stood in front of crowds of fans．Before screaming fans, he pronounced with pumping arms: "This is it!"
A 
few months later, Jackson was dead．With the late pop star’s return to radio, television and the cultural events, Forbes judges that Jackson has made $90 million since his death June 25．This figure is based on his royalties（版税） from album sales, radio play, rights to his name and royalties from his stock in the Sony/ATV music catalog （编目权）．
Jackson's music was his most easily-seen source in the last months．“Nothing increases the value of an artist than death ．．．an untimely death,” says Barry Massarsky, a music industry economist．
The music's immediate value was clear．Since June, Jackson has sold more than 5．9 million albums in the U．S．and another 4．5 million overseas．In the first weeks after his death, there were 5．6 million single downloads across North America, Europe and Australia．Jackson recently has three of the top 20 best-selling albums of the year in the US, according to Nielsen SoundScan．His 2003 hits album Number Ones is the best seller of the year, beating Taylor Swift's Fearless．
More than 500,000 Jackson ringtones and 100,000 music videos were sold．In the week following his death, songs by The Jackson 5, The Jacksons and Michael were played over 100,000 times on the radio, according to Nielsen BDS．
Jackson's estate（遗产）will likely see more money by the end of this year, as it has rights to some of the profits from This Is It as well as the two-di
sc album of the same name．The estate will share 90% of the film profits with AEG．
Ticket sales from an exhibit opening in London will also contribute a likely profit．Hundreds of Jackson's personal belongings－his L．A．Rolls Royce etc－will remain on show for three months at the O2 Arena for fans willing to shell out $25 for a view．
The pop singer bought ATV Publishing, for $47．5 million in 1985．Ten years later, he sold the catalog to Sony for $95 million and took a 50% stock in Sony/ATV, which is now worth about $1．7 to $2 billion．So he still owned half the Sony/ATV catalog at his death．
Jackson's future earning potential is based on his stock in valuable music as well as the value of his image（肖像）．As many musicians, actors and artists before him, Jackson's fame could have a long tail on the market with allowable products, advertising and entertainment events．What do Barry Massarsky’s words in Paragraph 3 imply?
| A．Jackson died at the time as expected． |
| B．Only at death can an artist become famous． |
| C．Jackson became more famous at death than when he was alive． |
| D．Jackson’s unexpected death raised his value as an artist immediately． |
All the fol
lowing is true EXCEPT that _____．
A．“This is it” is the last concert that Jackson gave
B．Jackson has sold 10．4 million albums since June
C．Jackson’s L．A．Rolls Royce is now for show and will finally be sold
D．Jackson’s stock in music and his image will keep on earning money in the futureWhat can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Jackson’s album Number Ones beat Taylor Swift’s Fearless in 2003． |
| B．Taylor Swift’s Fearless is the second best seller of music albums of 2009． |
| C．AEG takes in more film profits from “This is it” than Jackson’s estate． |
| D．More Jackson’s music videos were sold than his ringtones right after his death． |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Why Michael Jackson’s music is so popular all over the world． |
| B．How Michael Jackson has earned $90 million in the months since his death． |
| C．What Michael Jackson's future earning potential is based on． |
| D．How much Michael Jackson earned in the first few months after his death． |
Massachusetts （美国一州名） became the first state in the nation to ban the dumping （倾倒;抛弃） of electronic equipment such as computer monitors and television sets．It means people there can no longer put computer monitors, TV sets and other devices containing glass picture tubes out on the street for pickup by garbage cleaners．
Official said much of this equipment is loaded with poisonous heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury．These poisonous heavy metals could go into groundwater or be released （释放） into the air．
The Boston Globe reports the state has set up a system to recycle techno-garbage at state expense through community recycling centers．
Robin Ingenthron of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said the state has been trying to get its electronics-recycling program in place ‘before the future wave of electronics hits’．The National Safety Council estimates some 300 million computers will enter the nation’s waste system in the next few years．
In addition, millions of people will be getting rid of their old television sets．New high-quality digital televisions and new rules will make old TV sets no longer in use over the next several years．The word ‘techno-garbage’ in the 3rd paragraph probably means ________．
| A．all kinds of dirty things | B．deserted TV sets |
| C．heavy metals | D．used electronic equipment |
Which is NOT a reason that
the state enforces （强制执行） a ban on electronic equipment dumping?
| A．This kind of garbage is poisonous． |
| B．Recycling systems are not working well． |
| C．The poisonous heavy metals can go to the underground water and the air． |
| D．There will be much more electronic garbage soon． |
According to the last paragraph many people will be dumping their TV sets because ________．
| A．they are broken | B．they are poisonous |
| C．new TV standards have come out | D．people will be tired of them |
The passage tells us chiefly about __________．
| A．forbidding of a certain type of garbage dumping |
| B．new problems of environmental protection |
| C．household problems raised by computers and TV sets |
| D．the handling of garbage |
For a 400-year-old art form, operas had a bad fame: overweight actresses singing the words which are hard to understand in one of those romance languages you were supposed to learn in high school. And with tickets costing as much as $ 145 a performance, opera goers also have a certain appearance in people’s mind: rich, well-dressed and old.
But now opera companies around the country are loosening their ties and kicking off their shoes in an attempt to bring the opera to the audience. It needs to keep it alive, the young and not-so-rich.
Opera producers have found that to attract this crowd, they need to make the opera closer to common people. That means no formal suits, old-styled theatre or band-breaking ticket prices. And because young people don’t or won’t come to the opera, companies are bringing the opera to them, giving performances in such unusual places as parks, lib
raries and public schools.
The Houston Grand Opera’s choice is the public library, where it performs “mobile operas”, shortened versions (剧本) of child-friendly operas. This summer’s production is Hansel & Gretel. By performing smaller versions of large productions, producers are able to make people interest
ed while keeping costs at a reasonable level. The San Francisco Opera, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is staging Cinderella free of charge, keeping costs down by employing students from its Young Artists’ Training Program. Which is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Opera is famous for its long history. |
| B．Opera is only for rich people. |
| C．Opera companies are trying to keep opera alive. |
| D．Young people are not interested in opera. |
The underlined part in paragraph 2 means ______.
| A．breaking up the old rules | B．changing the formal suits |
| C．making the audience at ease | D．advertising themselves |
Opera companies prefer to perform smaller versions because .
| A．they can be performed in public libraries |
| B．short versions are easy to perform |
| C．it is hard to find long versions |
| D．they can make people interested |
The San Francisco Opera Company employs student actors in order to ______.
| A．attract young people | B．reduce the cost |
| C．celebrate its 75th anniversary | D．make Cinderella popular |
What can you infer from the passage?
| A．The tickets for operas are very expensive at present. |
| B．Operas are performed in a difficult language difficult to understand. |
C．Operas are not so popular an art form today. |
| D．Students enjoy performing operas very much. |
The rising costs of health care have become a problem for man y countries in the world. To deal with this problem, it is recommended that a big part of the state health budget be used for health education and disease prevention instead of treatment. Actually, many kinds of diseases are preventable in many ways and preventing a disease is usually much cheaper than treating it. For example, people could avoid catching a cold if they dressed warmly when the weather starts getting cold. But many people get sick because they fail to do so, and have to spend money seeing a doctor.
Daily habits like eating more healthy food would have kept millions of families from becoming bankruptif the patients had taken ways for early prevention. For example, keeping a balanced diet, such as not consuming too much animal fat and trying to have enough vegetables and fruits, seems to be quite important.
One very effective and costless way of prevention is regular exercise, which is necessary for a healthy mind and body. Regular exercise, such as running, walking, and playing sports is a good way to make people feel better or reduce stress.
In addition, health education plays a key role in improving people’s health. By giving people more information about health, countries could help people understand the importance of disease prevention and ways to achieve it. For example, knowing one’s family medical history is an effective way to help keep healthy. Information about health problems among close relatives will make them aware of what they should do to prevent certain diseases through lifestyle changes, which will work before it is too late.
However, paying more attention to disease prevention does not mean medical treatment is unimportant. After all, prevention and treatment are just two different means toward the same effect. In conclusion, we could save money on health care and treat patients more successfully if our country spends more money on health prevention and education.What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Prevention or Education? | B．Exercise or Illness? |
| C．Health or Illness? | D．Prevention or Treatment? |
Which of the following can replace the underlined word “bankrupt”?
| A．Unable to be cured. | B．Unable to pay one’s debts. |
| C．Stronger than ever before. | D．More successful than ever before. |
We learn from the passage that ______．
| A．dressing warmly can prevent diseases. |
| B．a balanced diet is cheaper than regular exercise. |
| C．the more health education, the better. |
| D．the government’s health budget should be increased. |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
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