One of the best-known women in the world is a small doll(洋娃娃). This famous doll, called Barbie, was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. Now Barbie is known everywhere. Before Barbie, all dolls were made to look like babies. People thought that this was a way to teach young girls how to become a good mother. Barbie was the first doll made to look like an adult instead of baby.
From the beginning, Barbie was a modern career(职业) girl. There was a different Barbie for each job: nurse, teacher, police officer, race car driver, professional basketball player, pilot, as well as the very first female to fly in space. Barbie made it possible for young girls to dream about a future other than being a mother and a housewife. It showed girls that they had choices and could become anything they wanted to be. At the time, these ideas were very new and positive. The movement for equal opportunity(机会) for women had just begun and women wanted to have the same chance as men to do important work.
However, Barbie’s approval(认同) as a role model has not lasted. Today, many people criticize(批评) Barbie for making young girls too concerned about their appearance(外表). These people complain that the beautiful, well-dressed Barbie seems to tell girls that while they can hope to have different career, it is more important for them to be beautiful and thin. The female figure that Barbie represents has also been criticized for being unrealistic(不现实). Young girls might think that Barbie’s figure is beautiful and desirable(可取的). However, if Barbie were a real person, she would be six feet tall and wear a size three shoe!What does the passage mainly discuss?
| A．The roles of a modern woman. |
| B．The image(形象) of Barbie dolls |
| C．What is role models? |
| D．What is beauty? |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Barbie was created by Ruth Handler in 1959. |
| B．Barbie was the first doll that was made to look like an adult. |
| C．Barbie served as a role model for girls when she was created. |
| D．Barbie is criticized by many young girls today. |
The author suggests that Barbie’s figure is ________.
| A．beautiful and desirable |
| B．unrealistic and impossible |
| C．real and delicate(易损的) |
| D．tall and modern |
Geologists have been studying volcanoes for a long time.Though they have learned a great deal,they still have not discovered the cause of volcanic action.They know that the inside of the earth is very hot,but they are not sure exactly what causes the great heat.Some geologists have thought that the heat is caused by the great pressure of the earth’s outer layers.Or the heat may be left from the time when the earth was formed.During the last sixty years scientists have learned about radium,uranium,thorium,and other radioactive elements.Many scientists now believe that much of the heat inside the earth is produced by radioactive elements.
Whatever the cause of the heat may be,we do know that the earth gets hotter the farther down we dig.In deep mines and oil wells the temperatures rise about 1°F for every 50 feet.At this rate of the temperature 40 miles below the earth’s surface should be over 4 000°.This is much hotter than necessary to melt rock.However,the pressure of the rock above keeps most materials from melting at their usual melting points.Geologists believe that the rock deep in the earth may be plastic,or puttylike（油灰状的）.In other words,the rock yields slowly to pressure but is not liquid.But if some change in the earth’s crust releases the pressure,the rock melts.Then the hot,liquid rock can move up toward the surface.The cause for the great heat inside of the earth is______.
| A．great pressure of the earth’s outer layers |
| B．the heat left from the time when the earth was formed |
| C．radioactive elements giving out heat |
| D．not sure |
According to the passage,______ prevents most rock from melting at its usual melting points.
| A．the pressure of the rock itself |
| B．the pressure of the rock above |
| C．the pressure of the earth’s outer layers |
| D．the heat given out by some radioactive elements |
According to the passage,which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The farther down,the hotter the earth gets. |
| B．The rock deep in the earth is liquid. |
| C．When the pressure releases from the earth’s crust,the rock melts. |
| D．Rock would be melted at 4 000°. |
An Announcement
It was a small town which lay by the coast.Most people there lived by catching fish.The hurricanes often struck the area from July to October.Some of the people died on the sea when their boats were blown over by the high winds.So they paid much attention to the weather forecasts.They were afraid to meet with the hurricanes when they were catching fish on the sea.Each of the families had a radio and people always took them with themselves and listened to them at any time.
It was September.A hurricane attacked the town one night.Plenty of trees were pushed over and all the electric and telephone lines were broken.People couldn’t watch TV,or call their friends,or go to work.To their anger,they couldn’t listen to the weather forecasts the Town Radio Station broadcast.The food and fresh water would soon be short and the patients couldn’t be given medical care—no medicine could be carried there.People didn’t know what would happen and they looked anxious.
On the fourth day they read an announcement（通告）on the Town Weekly.It was written,“Recently we have to stop the weather forecast because of the bad weather.We usually get the forecasts from the airport.But the roads are all blocked by the fallen trees and stones.Whether or not we’ll be able to broadcast the weather forecast tomorrow depends on the weather！”The people in the town often took radios with themselves because______.
| A．they felt lonely when catching fish on the sea and listened to the weather forecasts |
| B．they were interested in the weather forecasts |
| C．they couldn’t watch TV on the sea |
| D．they hoped to listen to some good news |
The writer writes the passage mainly to ______.
| A．desrcibe the importance of weather forecast |
| B．give a news report |
| C．describe a bad effect of natural disasters |
| D．to warn people to be careful against hurricane |
Read the announcement,the people were______.
| A．encouraged | B．happy | C．excited | D．disappointed |
Alzheimer’s disease is a major national health problem.Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer’s disease.It is a leading cause of death among the elderly.But Alzheimer’s disease is not confined （限于） to the aged.There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time,people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”.The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old,but it is now known that Alzheimer’s disease strikes young and old alike.It is an organic （器官的） disease,that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer’s disease affects the patient’s memory,speech,and movement.In the beginning stages of the disease,the patient may seem slightly confused.He may have trouble speaking,then the patient’s memory begins to fail.He may forget dates,numbers,names and plans.
As the disease progresses,the patient may not recognize family and friends.These symptoms（症状） often cause terrible anxiety in the patient.He may feel lost and frightened.Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease,the patient may not be able to take care of himself.He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Scientists don’t know exactly what causes Alzheimer’s disease.It may be caused by a virus （病毒）.It may be caused by a poisonous substance（物质） in the environment.At present,there is no cure for the disease.But there are ways to slow its progress.Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.The main idea of the passage is that Alzheimer’s disease ________.
| A．is a terrible part of the aging process |
| B．is an organic disease that affects young and old |
| C．can be cured by physical treatment |
| D．causes forgetfulness |
All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease EXCEPT________.
| A．forgetfulness | B．difficulty in speaking |
| C．loss of sight | D．loss of the ability to walk |
According to the passage,which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease?
| A．Poisons produced by the brain. | B．Getting old. |
| C．A virus. | D．Lack of exercise. |
The press of Alzheimer’s disease can be slowed by________.
| A．operation | B．a change in environment |
| C．medicines | D．physical treatment and exercise |
Bill and his family has been living in the six－family building for years.All the neighbours got along fairly well with each other until recently.
An old man and his wife used to live on the second floor.Bill’s mother and the old lady were good friends.Unfortunately the lady died last month.Her husband could not live alone,so he had his grandson move over and live with him.
The grandson has become a problem to all the neighbours,especially to Bill’s family.The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy.Bill is used to peace and quiet but the young man likes to listen to the radio late at night.Sometimes friends of his visit and they make a lot of noise.That is too much for Bill’s family.
Bill’s mother once asked the old man politely if he was able to sleep well at night,but obviously the man didn’t understand what she meant.If he did and spoke to his grandson,the young man obviously didn’t listen,since things haven’t changed any.Everyone in Bill’s family agrees that something must be done though they don’t want to hurt the kind old man.Bill’s family got angry because ________.
| A．the old lady had died |
| B．a young man moved in |
| C．the old man could not live alone |
| D．the grandson made a lot of noise |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The old man could not live without his wife’s help. |
| B．The old man and his wife were sometimes making trouble too. |
| C．Bill’s mother was kind to her neighbours. |
| D．Bill’s mother was the only one who likes the young man. |
It seems that ________to solve the problem.
| A．anyone is able | B．only the grandfather is going |
| C．Bill’s mother is able | D．nobody is likely |
Tourism probably started in Roman times.Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman empire.But when the empire broke down,this kind of tourism stopped.
In the early 17th century,the idea of the“Grand Tour”was born.Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel（英吉利海峡）.They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time,including Paris in France,and Rome and Venice（威尼斯）in Italy.Their tours lasted for two to four years,and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city.The“Grand Tour”was an important part of young people’s education—but only for the rich.
In the 18th century,tourism began to change.For example,people in the UK started to visit some towns,such as Bath to“take the waters”.They believed that the water there was good for their health.So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns.
In the 19th century,travel became much more popular and faster.When the first railways were built in the 1820s,it was easier for people to travel between towns,so they started to go for holidays by the sea.And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger,noisier and dirtier.
Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built.People began to travel more to far away countries.
The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people.Planes were made larger,so ticket prices dropped and more people used them.
Thus tourism grew.In 1949,Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays.The company organizes everything—plane tickets,hotel rooms,even food—and tourists pay for it all before they leave home.The package tour and modern tourist industry was born.
The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949.But tourism did not take off until 1978.In 2002,the industry was worth 500 billion yuan and became an important part of China’s social development.In the early times,the travelers ________.
| A．all came from Roman |
| B．were very young and strong |
| C．had lots of money |
| D．traveled by boat |
________ played the most important role in the tourism development.
| A．Education | B．Money | C．Transportation | D．People’s ideas |
Modern tourism was born ________.
| A．in 1949 | B．in Roman times |
| C．in the early 17th century | D．in the 19th century |
The underlined phrase“take off”means ________.
| A．a plane rising into the air |
| B．develop very fast |
| C．remove hats and clothes |
| D．bring down the prices |
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