A
While reading a story on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy is ruining their life plans, I couldn't help but think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children who grow up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment –my husband and I probably won't be able to buy a house until we're in our forties, and we two are burdened by student loans. But why should it be different? Being young people in America, shouldn't they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won't be able to have children for at least a decade because they can't afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought what planet she is living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury（奢华）, not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old man in the story is disappointed that he can't afford to get a Ph. D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it's sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people's expectations grow up when their wealth appears to be increasing. Their parents probably see their home values rise along with their investments. "So we have people who have grown up in an environment where people have great expectations of what living well means," says Kobliner.
This recession（经济衰退） will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems much better for our mental health to focus on being grateful—for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day—than on longing for some kind of luxurious life.In the passage, the writer mainly talked about _____.
| A．young people’s high expectations result in their disappointment |
| B．the 20-somethings' high expectations and ambitions |
| C．the poor living conditions of the 20-somethings |
| D．the necessity of receiving high education |
In the writer’s opinion, what is the reason for young people’s dissatisfaction?
| A．The declining economy. |
| B．Their high expectations. |
| C．Poor living conditions. |
| D．Their constant failure. |
What are some young people complaining about?
| A．They are complaining their aims are hard to achieve. |
| B．They are complaining their parents can’t give them a good education. |
| C．They are complaining they can’t afford to travel abroad. |
| D．They are complaining poor economic condition is ruining their life. |
How can we describe the writer?
| A．Lost and disappointed. | B．Passive and stressed. |
| C．Determined and helpful. | D．Positive and grateful. |
The passage is developed mainly by ________.
| A．facts and descriptions |
| B．comparison and persuasion |
| C．examples and explanation |
| D．figures and conclusion |
Jamie Oliver has been invited by Gordon Brown to prepare a banquet at No．10 for President Barack Obama and other leaders of the G20, offering a cut-price menu to reflect times when trade and industry are far from prosperous and the rate of employment is decreasing.
Downing Street sources say Oliver, the well-known chef, will cook using "honest high-street products" and avoid expensive or "fancy" ingredients.
The prime minister is trying to avoid a repeat of the embarrassment last year when he sat down to an 18-course banquet at a Japanese summit to discuss world food shortages．
Obama, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and other leaders will be served by apprentices （学徒） from Fifteen, the London restaurant Oliver founded to help train young people in poverty in order to make a living by mastering a skill.
Brown wants the dinner to reflect the emphasis of the London summit, which he hopes will lead to an agreement to lift the world out of recession．"To be invited to cook for such an important group of people, who are trying to solve some of the world's major problems, is really a privilege," said Oliver.
"I'm hoping the menu I'm working on will show British food and produce is some of the best in the world, but also show we have pioneered a high-quality apprentice scheme at Fifteen London that is giving young people a skill to be proud of."
The chef has not yet finalized me menu, but is expected to draw inspiration from his latest book, Jamie's Ministry of Food, which has budget recipes for beef and ale stew （啤酒炖菜） and "impressive" chocolate fudge cake. (286 words)What can we learn about Oliver from the text?
| A．He is a well-known American cook． |
| B．He is invited to attend the G20 summit． |
| C．He has founded the Fifteen London． |
| D．He is one of the apprentices serving leaders of the G20. |
The menu of the banquet for the leaders of the G20 is supposed to ____．
| A．include all delicious British food |
| B．use inexpensive produce with special characteristics |
| C．be rich, varied and of high quality |
| D．imitate the menu of last Japanese summit |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．Oliver is honored to be invited to cook for the G20 leaders. |
| B．Altogether three presidents are mentioned in the text． |
| C．President Barack Obama offers the cut-price menu． |
| D．The menu for the G20 dinner banquet has been decided． |
What is the Fifteen London?
| A．an apartment in London． | B．a luxurious restaurant in London． |
| C．a restaurant as well as a training center． | D．a famous avenue. |
How Do Animals Catch Their ZZZ’s?
Different creatures have developed some pretty creative ways to get their rest and stay safe. The lizard（蜥蝎）likes to sleep at the far end of small branches hanging out over a pond or lake in the rain forest. If a snake tries to slither up the branch to eat it, it will shake the branch and knock the lizard off , and the lizard will fall safely into the water. Chameleons （变色龙）can change color to match their surroundings in order to hide even while sleeping.
Corillas（大猩猩）like to sleep high in the trees. They build a new bed every night, sometimes taking up to half an hour to pile branches, twigs, and leaves into a comfortable bed. Birds also find it safe to sleep in the trees, but unless they have eggs or young chicks, they don’t use a nest. They just lock their feet around a branch and hang on. A special tendon（腱）in their legs is automatically tight when they are at rest, so they won’t let go and fall.
Dolphins(海豚) live underwater, but must come to the surface to breathe. Scientists now believe that dolphins may sleep with only half their brain, while the other half stays awake to keep them safe and breathing. Seals (海豹) also do this，lying on their sides on the surface of the water with one flipper underwater paddling to keep their noses above the surface. Some ducks may also have this ability, and actually sleep with one eye closed and one eye open. (281 words) How many animals are mentioned in this passage?
| A．6. | B．7. | C．8. | D．9. |
How does a chameleon protect itself while sleeping?
| A．By changing its body colors. | B．By hinging out over a pond. |
| C．By sleeping with half their brain. | D．By making beds with branches. |
Why will not birds fall when they are at rest?
| A．They build nests and sleep in them. | B．They fall asleep automatically. |
| C．They have a loose tendon in their legs | D．They lock their feet around a branch. |
What does the writer intend to tell us?
| A．The cleverest animal is the gorilla because it can make beds. |
| B．Differences in habitat could lead to different living habits. |
| C．The ways animals catch their ZZZ’s are pretty much the same . |
| D．In order to protect themselves most animals choose not to sleep. |
Basic Study Manual (Hardcover): $37.50…… Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by students. Read this book and learn:
*What the three barriers to study are and what to do about them
* What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying
*Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding
Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.
Study Skills for Life (Hardcover): $31.99
L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them advice on how to study and learn. Fully illustrated（插图）for easy comprehension.
Learning How to Learn (Hardcover):$24.99
The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year-olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book can regain their liking for study. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!
How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children (Hardcover):$34.90
In spite of billions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning: how to use a dictionary. Written for children 8 to 12-year-old, this fully illustrated book will teach your children:
*How to find words in a dictionary
*The different ways that words are used
*How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words
At last, you’ll just pay 50% for these books before May 1, 2007. （260 words）The four books can mostly satisfy .
| A．teachers | B．children | C．adults | D．parents |
If you want to improve your ability to study, you’ll probably choose .
| A．Basic Study Manual | B．Study Skills for Life |
| C．Learning How to Learn | D．How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children |
If you buy all the fully illustrated books before May 1, 2007, you will pay about .
| A．$56 | B．$111 | C．$46 | D．$92 |
This passage aims to .
| A．introduce new books to readers | B．guide readers to choose books |
| C．encourage people to buy the books | D．enlarge students’ knowledge about books |
It’s you and I who are to blame for the state of the earth. No question about it. It’s our life-style that is threatening life on Earth, so we must make the changes. The good news is that many of those changes are really quite simple, even enjoyable, but for every careful step we take as individuals , we must press government and industry to take a big step on our benefit . And we must start now. Tomorrow’s too late.
My aim this year is to persuade as many of my friends and colleagues as possible to choose the train, and leave their cars behind too. My gardens have been pesticide(杀虫剂)–free zones for years and I enjoy seeing more wildlife on my doorstep as a result; I’ve tried to reduce my contribution to water pollution too, by using environment-friendly, phosphate(磷)–free washing powder , and by no longer thinking of the toilet as a suitable waste-disposal(处理) point .
I ran after a young lady through town recently to give her back the piece of paper she had carelessly thrown away. She disappeared into a shop, and when I followed her inside and made my presentation, she was doubly embarrassed--she worked there, and the boss gave her a ticking–off too. I’ve started asking fellow drivers at gas stations why they aren’t using unleaded (无铅的) petrol . These are small things, but we have to start somewhere, and every little does help .To help the environment, the author is trying to do everything mentioned below EXCEPT .
| A．taking the train instead of a car |
| B．throwing away the old cars |
| C．avoiding the use of pesticides |
| D．running after those who throw articles carelessly |
The author ran after a woman through town because he wanted .
| A．to find out where she worked |
| B．to give her back the piece of paper she had lost |
| C．to tell her not to throw away pieces of paper carelessly |
| D．to ask her to pay him for picking up the piece of paper. |
The word “ticking-off ” in the last paragraph probably means .
| A．blaming | B．a piece of paper | C．prize | D．ticket |
The purpose of this passage is to .
| A．persuade his friends to take the train |
| B．inform us of the good news |
| C．make clear who is responsible for the environment |
| D．try to advise us all to protect our environment |
Scientific discoveries have changed man’s life a great deal during the past century. First of all, they have greatly improved material well-being in several areas of life. In the field of medicine, cures for life threatening diseases have enabled people to live longer. In communication, the telephone and e-mail have made it possible for us to communicate with anyone in the world without leaving our homes or offices. Advances in transportation allow businessmen to fly across the ocean in the morning and return home the same evening. Space technology has put men on the moon. More efficient ways of using available resources, such as coal and solar power, have been explored.
Scientific discoveries have also changed man’s moral atmosphere. Ethical (伦理的) issues are raised by these discoveries. Should we keep a terminally ill person alive through drugs and machines or should we allow him to die in dignity? With advances in transportation had come the problem of pollution for nearly every major city in the world. If cities become uninhabitable, then such technical advances may come with too great a price to pay. Many people also question the wisdom of sending men to the moon when there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth. During future years, increasing attention must be given to the moral as well as the practical applications of science.Scientific discoveries have improved man’s life in several fields. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．medicine | B．communication and transportation |
| C．education | D．space technology |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Scientific discoveries have only changed man’s moral atmosphere. |
| B．Scientific discoveries have only changed man’s material well-being. |
| C．Scientific discoveries have helped people find efficient ways of using available resources. |
| D．Men are sent to the moon because there are urgent problems that have not been solved on earth. |
At the end of the passage the author says that increasing attention must be given to _________.
| A．the moral applications of science | B．the practical applications of science |
| C．urgent problems on the earth | D．both A and B |
The best title for the passage is __________.
| A．Science discoveries | B．Science and daily life |
| C．Advances in transportation | D．City pollution |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号