In addition to writing articles and books, Mark Twain delighted the audience with his public lectures about the faraway places he visited on his travels. People were eager to learn about his trips to places like the Sandwich Islands (now Hawaii), Egypt and the Holy Land. Twain often used the fees he earned from his lectures to pay for more adventures. His well-attended performances also served to bring attention to his published work. At that time, the public lecture was a very popular form of entertainment, and audiences’ expectations ran high, but Twain never failed to amuse them.
Twan also wrote on amusing subjects. In 1873, he released a book called The Gilded Age. The book was a satire（讽刺）of the very wealthy of the time. A satire is a work that makes fun of bad human behavior, such as wasteful spending. Twain made people laugh at the excesses（无节制）of the rich.
In 1889, Twain took on other members of the Establishment. He wrote A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, about a boy who travels back to the time of King Arthur. Twain made fun of those who were given advantages not because they had earned them but because of their family connections. If you have never read any of Mark Twain’s works, try reading A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, or The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They will make you laugh.What do we learn about Mark Twain from the passage?
| A．He liked showing off by talking about his travels abroad. |
| B．He thought the rich should show mercy to the poor. |
| C．His lectures were very popular. |
| D．He supported those who succeeded with the help of others. |
Mark Twain was good at each of the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．writing excellent works |
| B．giving wonderful lectures |
| C．writing or speaking in a humorous style |
| D．laughing at people without a lot of money |
What’s the author’s attitude towards Mark Twain?
| A．Interested. | B．Admiring. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Indifferent. |
Labor force is defined as being the total number of people who are available to work and earn income. This definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid employment, so it includes employers and the self-employed. Labor is one of the country's resources which can be combined with other resources to produce the goods and services wanted by the community.
Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution (分布) of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than if there were a balanced spread age distribution. If the population naturally grows rapidly, the number of births greatly exceeds (超出) the number of deaths then as a total population increases proportion of the workforce declines.
Sometimes a po
pulation is described as aging which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire from the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it. In that situation the population is top-heavy with older people. So the percentage of the population in the workforce declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate.
The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group. If the aged are to be cared for in special homes, finance must be available for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population, then the government tax revenue (税收) is relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed more heavily. In the passage “labor
force” is defined as ___________.
| A．people who are available to work and earn income |
| B．self-employed people only |
| C．people who are looking for an employment |
| D．employers who create job opportunities |
The conclusion which can be drawn from the second paragraph is that___________.
| A．a natural growth of population leads to a balanced workforce |
| B．a large population does not necessarily mean a higher proportion of workforce |
| C．the larger the population, the higher the proportion of the workforce |
| D．the workforce will be lower, if the population has a balanced age distribution， |
When a population is said to be aging，___________.
| A．there are more people retiring than those entering the workforce |
| B．the birth rate must be growing |
| C．there should be an oversupply of workforce |
| D．There are more people entering the workforce than those retiring |
The population which is top-heavy with older people ___________ of a country.
| A．leads to the high rate of unemployment |
| B．results in low tax on the workforce members |
| C．affects employees’ incomes |
| D．places pressure on the economy |
Children of all ages love birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo. Where else can you invite real party animals to join in the fun?
Who is invited?
Parties at the Staten Island Zoo are designed for children who are turning 4 years old and older, with a maximum group size of 15 children and 4 adults．Along with your human guests，2-3 live animals will also be invited into your party room. No need for more introductions. By the end of your party, our teachers will make sure everyone is well familiar with their new scaly(有鳞的)，feathery or furry friends．
What is included?
Each party lasts an hour and a half (two hours if pizza is included) and includes live animal demonstration，games or stories，and animal skills．Each member will receive a goodie bag to take home for fun. Besides, birthday invitations will be given to you for giving to your guests．
Birthday party themes
Choose from four different themes：
Animal Tracks
Discover different types of animal’s feet and their purpose．Track some animals and then make a take home plaster mold(石膏模型)．
African Savannah
Join in the fun at exploring the mysteries of the African Savannah．Learn about favorite foods of the Savannah’s people and make an animal mask to enjoy the fun．
Tropical Rainforest
Listen to the sounds of the jungle and find where the animals live．Create a colorful rainforest bird.
Barnyard Friends
Stories, games, activities and crafts will all focus on the differences between wild and domestic animals．Make a small bookmark to use at home．
Costs
Pizza，ice cream cake，juice and party (includes cutlery, paper plates, cups and napkins) --- $370 Staten Island Zoo members／$400 non．Members．
Party only --- $250 Staten Island Zoo members／$275 non．Members What’s special about the birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo?
| A．There are 19 people in one party at least． |
| B．Parties are intended for those who are just 4 years old． |
C．It is necessary to introduce the s trangers at the parties． |
| D．Live animals will take part in the birthday parties． |
If you choose a theme of Tropical Rainforest，what kind of works of art can you make?
| A．A take-home plaster mold． | B．A colorful rainforest bird． |
| C．An animal mask． | D．A small bookmark to use at home． |
A non-member who only plans to hold a party at the Staten Island Zoo should pay______.
| A．$250 | B．$275 | C．$370 | D．$400 |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．All birthday parties last one and a half hours． |
| B．We should buy birthday invitations for our guest at the zoo． |
| C．Animals will make a performance at the party． |
| D．Any party member will be given a bag to store rubbish at the party． |
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most
of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat（拍）yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.
| A．dare to challenge yourself | B．feel it hard to change yourself |
| C．are unconfident about yourself | D．have a high opinion of yourself |
How should you change your self-image according to the passage?
| A．To keep a different image of others. | B．To make your life successful. |
| C．To understand your own world. | D．To change the way you think. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to prepare for your success. | B．How to face challenges in your life. |
| C．How to build a positive self-image. | D．How to develop your good qualities. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Adolescents. | C．Educators. | D．People in general. |
One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering（阻止）your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym . ”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when then they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life. Who has ever resisted the employees of the large company in St. Louis, Missouri?
| A．The boss | B．The leader of their group |
| C．The sign | D．The employees themselves |
Who passed away in the large company?
| A．No one | B．The boss | C．One of the employees | D．One of the colleagues |
What’s the best title of this paragraph?
| A．Independent | B．Hard Working | C．Team Work | D．Last Respects |
The five clearest role-related behaviours of travellers (in order of relative importance )
| Tourist |
takes photos, buys souvenirs, goes to famous places, stays briefly in one place, does not understand the local people |
| Traveller |
stays briefly in one place, experiments with local food, goes to famous places, takes photos, explores places privately |
| Holidaymaker |
takes photos, goes to famous places, is separated from the local society, buys souvenirs, contributes to the visited economy |
| Jet-setter |
lives a life of luxury (奢侈) , concerned with social status, seeks physical pleasures, prefers communicating with people of his/her own kind, goes to famous places |
| Businessperson |
concerned with social status, contributes to the economy, does not take photos prefers interacting with people of his/her own kind, lives a life of luxury |
| Conservationist |
interested in the environment, does not buy souvenirs, does not exploit the local people, explores places privately, takes photos |
| Explorer |
explores places privately, interested in the environment, takes physical risks, does not buy souvenirs, observes the visited economy |
| Overseas student |
experiments with local food, does not exploit the people, takes photos, observes the visited society, takes physical risks |
| International athlete |
is not separated from their own society, does not exploit the local people, does not understand the local people, explores places privately, searches for the meaning of life |
| Overseas journalist |
takes photos, observes the visited society, goes to famous places, takes physical risks, ex plores places privately |
Which of the following behaviours do Tourist, Traveller and Holidaymaker share?
| A．Stay briefly in one place. | B．Buy souvenirs. |
| C．Go to famous places. | D．Explore places privately. |
We can learn that overseas students .
| A．are curious about the society they visit |
| B．like to do experiments with local food |
| C．take photos as their teachers have instructed |
| D．enjoy taking physical risks because they are brave |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Three groups are interested in exploring places privately. |
| B．More than two groups live a life of luxury. |
| C．Six groups are fond of taking photos. |
| D．Two groups don't like buying souvenirs. |
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