For many centuries，countless scholars have asked the question：What is beauty? As designers update the latest fashions and artists create their masterpieces, what is considered beautiful changes at an alarming pace. Fifty years ago, the full-figured American actress Marilyn Monroe was a symbol of the American aesthetic(美学的)value；today, many Hollywood actresses different in appearance from Marilyn’s have taken her place. However，aesthetic values not only differ from generation to generation，but do so along cultural lines as well. Often, what is considered hating one civilization is just the aesthetic appeal in another. Thus it is difficult to give an absolute definition(定义)of beauty.
As fundamental(基础的)physicists，my colleagues and I like to believe that we are involved in a search for a beauty that affects definition. The beauty that we search for is not what is set up through the work of people and subject to the tastes, but rather what has been laid down by nature Physics allows its students to look past outer appearances，into a deeper beauty. As a human being, I am attracted by the visual appeal of a wave crashing on the beach. As a physicist, however I am able to see the deeper beauty of the physical laws that govern such a phenomenon.
In truth，since Albert Einstein put forward the idea that there might be one main physical theory that governs the universe，aesthetics have become a driving force in modern physics. Einstein and other later physicists have discovered that：Nature, as its most fundamental level，is beautifully constructed. The extraordinary simplicity (朴素)of the laws that govern the universe is really breathtaking. As Einstein said, it would seem more likely that we should find ourselves living in a “chaotic (无秩序曲)world，in no way graspable（能理解的） through thinking”. Yet we are now closer than ever to a full understanding of the universe’s beautiful clockwork. As new discoveries and technologies allow us to examine the physical world on deeper and deeper levels，we find that the beauty itself becomes much deeper.The reference to “Marilyn Monroe” in Paragraph 2 mainly serves to___________.
| A．provide an example of today’s beauty standards |
| B．show there is no fixed definition of aesthetics |
| C．compare traditions of the East to the West |
| D．discuss her abilities as an actress |
When appreciating a wave crashing on the beach，a physicist sees the beauty of_____.
| A．the visual attraction |
| B．the powerful sounds |
| C．the physical laws behind |
| D．the lovely creatures |
Why are Albert Einstein’s words mentioned in Paragraph 3?
| A．To detail the functions of physical laws. |
| B．To highlight the range of Einstein’s influence. |
| C．To show that Einstein doubted the beauty of physics. |
| D．To stress the very simplicity of the laws of the universe. |
The passage is mainly to___________.
| A．present a special way of seeing beauty |
| B．emphasize the influence of physics |
| C．discuss the awareness of cross-culture |
| D．argue the traditional ideas on value |
Rain, who was born on June 2, 1982 in Seoul, South Korea, is a popular singer with a very deep and rich voice. Jung Ji Hoon is his real name, known as the “Michael Jackson of Korea” for his amazing dancing skills. Rain is very modest and friendly, even a little shy.
He released his first album Bad Guy in 2002, which caused a sensation. It took him to all the major award ceremonies, and many of them honored him with Best New Award. His following album How to Run from the Sun was successful, and his third album It’s Raining topped the charts for weeks.
Rain is not only a singer but also an actor, who has given impressive performances in two TV series, Sang Doo! Let’s go to school（《尚道，上学去》）in 2003 and Full House（《浪漫满屋》）in 2004. Rain’s leading role in Full House made him win Best Actor Award at the KBS Acting Awards and also deeply touched the hearts of many Asian female fans. At the same time it made him become one of the most popular Korean actors in Asia.
Now Rain is very popular in China. It’s Raining has already sold more than 100,000 copies in China. Rain received the “Korean Artist of the Year” award at the MTV -- CCTV Mandarin Music Honors held on July 24, 2005 at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, China. His recent Beijing concert caused a great hit, creating “Korean Fever” in China.The reason why Jung Ji Hoon is called “Michael Jackson of Korea” is that ______.
| A．he is a popular singer with a rich voice |
| B．his dancing skills are amazing |
| C．he is very modest and friendly |
| D．he shares the same name with Michael Jackson |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Michael Jackson of Korea --Rain |
| B．Jung Ji Hoon’s First Album – Bad Guy |
| C．Rain, a Singer and a Painter |
| D．Korea Fever in China |
Which of the following is True about Rain?
| A．His album “How to Run from the Sun” was so successful that it topped the charts for weeks. |
| B．Rain’s leading role in “Sang Doo! Let’s go to school” made him win Best Actor Award at the KBS Acting Awards. |
| C．Rain won the “Korean Artist of the Year” award because of his music career. |
| D．Rain has suffered a fever since his recent Beijing concert caused a great hit. |
Which of the following is the passage most likely from?
| A．Textbooks for senior school students. |
| B．Entertainment newspapers. |
| C．Textbooks for music students. |
| D．A book written for Michael Jackson. |
A man in a very splendid restaurant started to take off his jacket. Seeing this, the head waiter dashed to his table and said, “ I’m afraid I must ask you to keep your jacket on, sir, for it is not good manners to do it in such a smart restaurant.”
“Now listen,” said the man, “I’ll let you know that the Queen of England gave me permission to remove my jacket here.” “The Queen of England?” said the waiter in great surprise. “Sure,” replied the man, “ When I was in England last month, a friend of mine who had a very important position in high society took me to see the Queen. It was rather hot, so I started taking my coat off. The Queen looked over and said, “You may do that in the United States, but you may not do it here. ” So I got the Queen’s permission, right?When the head waiter asked the man not to take off his jacket, the man ______.
| A．took his advice immediately |
| B．obeyed him without any hesitation |
| C．apologized for his bad manners |
| D．refused to listen to him |
What the Queen really meant was that ______.
| A．people in the U.S. were stupid and less polite |
| B．she permitted him to take off his jacket in America |
| C．the English and the Americans enjoyed different ways of life |
| D．he shouldn’t take off his coat in such a formal occasion in England |
It is certain that the story happened ______.
| A．in England | B．in the Queen’s party |
| C．in America | D．in an ordinary restaurant |
Many smokers aren't finding the cost of cigarettes a laughing matter. The federal tax(联邦税) on a pack jumped Wednesday -- April Fools' Day -- from 39 cents to $1.01. The tax increase is so big, it's being called "historic."Higher federal taxes apply to(适用于) other tobacco products, so even those smokers who have taken to rolling their own to save money can't escape them. The tax is expected to cause about 1 million smokers to quit.
New York leads the pack, so to speak, with a combined $3.76. Any smokers planning to visit New York City should bring cigarettes from home. A pack there now costs more than $9.
Some tobacco companies raised their prices several weeks ago. For example, the price of a pack of Marlboros jumped 71 cents. Where the price settles depends on the company. Some may absorb part of the tax and others will make smokers carry the entire weight and more.
However, some people think the tax unfair. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only one in five Americans smokes, and over half of all smokers are low income, and one of four is officially classified as poor.
What do you think? Is the tax unfair? We think cancer sticks should have been taxed into disappearance years ago, combined with a very strong public and private effort to help smokers quit.Which of the following statements is wrong according to the passage?
| A．Cigarettes as well as other tobacco products are affected by the tax increase. |
| B．More and more smokers have to stop smoking as a result of tax increase on tobacco. |
| C．Cigarettes in New York must be very expensive. |
| D．smokers will carry all the tax increase on tobacco. |
The author’s attitude toward the tax increase is ________.
| A．showing agreement with the tax |
| B．showing disagreement with the tax |
| C．could not be seen |
| D．keeping his own ideas |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．The Federal Tax |
| B．New Cigarette Tax Is No April Fools’ joke |
| C．Stop Smoking Immediately! |
| D．Unfair Tax on Tobacco |
It’s said that one can know the nature of both man and woman by their behaviors at table. Indeed table manners are closely related to one’s life and one’s job. As the saying goes“ When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, English learners should know what the proper table manners are in western countries if invited to a dinner party. The followings are some suggestions that may be helpful to you.
The first important thing you need to know is when to begin eating. Before dinner, the hostess usually serves guests first and herself last. So do not eat as soon as you are served but wait until the hostess has also been served and has picked up her fork as the signal to begin. But at a large dinner party where there are many guests, the hostess may ask everyone to begin eating as soon as they are served. If you want to talk while eating, your mouth should certainly not be full of food because it is considered very bad manners. But it is possible to speak with a little food in the mouth. When you have to answer a question, naturally you must wait until the food in your mouth is eaten.
When a dish is passed to you with a fork in the plate, you should use it to take your food. Do not take too much at a time and make sure that the other guests can have enough food.
Anyway, good table manners are very important and they are not so simple as we thought. But it is necessary for one to know what good table manners are because they can help one succeed in his life!Table manners are closely related to one’s _______ in paragraph 1.
| A．life and name | B．job and age |
| C．job and name | D．life and job |
what is the first important thing to know at a dinner party?
| A．what to eat | B．whether to talk |
| C．when to begin eating | D．How to use forks. |
If you have to answer a question while eating, you should ________.
| A．refuse to answer it |
| B．answer it immediately |
| C．tell him/her to ask it later |
| D．wait until the food in your mouth is eaten |
In which section(栏目) of a newspaper can you find such a passage?
| A．Sports | B． Culture | C．Music | D．News |
A teacher let her class play a game. The teacher told each child to bring a bag with some potatoes. Each potato would be given a name of a person that the child hated, so the number of potatoes in his/her bag would depend on the number of people the child hated. Some children had two potatoes, some had three and others had up to five potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry the bag wherever they went for a week. After a week, the teacher asked, ”How did you feel?” The children started complaining about the unpleasant smell coming from the rotten potatoes when they had to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes everywhere they went.
Then the teacher said,” This is the same when you carry your hate for somebody inside your heart. The smell of hate will pollute your heart and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot bear the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what it is like to have the smell of hate in your heart for your lifetime?”In the game, the students should _________.
| A．keep the bag of potatoes in the classroom |
| B．carry the bag of potatoes everywhere they go |
| C．leave the bag of potatoes at home |
| D．count the bag of potatoes every day |
The underlined word “rotten” most probably means ___________ in Chinese.
| A．美味的 | B．新鲜的 | C．甜的 | D．腐烂的 |
According to the last paragraph, we can learn that ________.
| A．potatoes are very important to the students |
| B．hating others can make the life unhappy |
| C．the smell of hate is good for our health |
| D．the students like to carry the bag of the potatoes |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．An interesting game |
| B．Carry the smelly potatoes |
| C．The rotten potatoes |
| D．To excuse others is to excuse yourself |
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