We have an amazing 99 friends at the age of 21--more than at any other time in our life, according to a new study. The typical 21-year-old’s social circle nearly hits 100, with 13 “best” friends, 17 “close” friends and 70 acquaintances.
The research undertaken by skin care brand Nivea found our social circle peaks at 21 as we meet people at work while keeping in touch with friends from school and university. But as our working lives take over，we lose contact with some old friends causing the number to drop to around 68 by the time we are 29 years old. Although this decline continues into old age，it slows down slightly for people in their 30s when many of them become first-time parents. It is believed that this is because people form new friendships while on the maternity ward(产科病房)，at post-natal(产后) groups and when taking their toddlers(学步时期的小孩) to nursery.
The Nivea Closeness Report found the balance between our numbers of “best friends”，“close friends” and “acquaintances”，remains fairly constant throughout our lifetime. The average Briton has 18 close friends and a friendship circle，when all Facebook and other social networking “friends” are included，of 208 people. The report found that men have more than twice the number of close friends，with around 27 compared to women who have just 12. Londoners are also the most sociable，with 39 “close friends”，while the Welsh have just 11.
The age of 21 is such a critical junction in life and that’s why we have so many friends then. As we get older we become more selective and have fewer close friends with whom we talk about the things that are really important to us. Perhaps when we are younger，instead of having one trusted confidante(知己) we share different things with a variety of different people.
According to the Nivea Closeness Report，who have the largest number of close friends?
| A．Canadians. | B．The Welsh. |
| C．Londoners. | D．Americans. |
Older people have fewer friends than the 21-year-olds because .
| A．they think friends are no longer important |
| B．they are more selective and cautious |
| C．they are less interested in making friends |
| D．they have little time to make friends |
The research suggests that the number of friends in one’s late twenties reduces by or so, compared to that in one’s early twenties.
| A．70 | B．20 | C．30 | D．200 |
Why does the number of one’s friends decrease slowly when he is about 30 years old?
| A．Because they achieve success in business and get acquainted with more colleagues. |
| B．Because many parents make friends with people who have similar experiences in bringing up children . |
| C．Because they make more friends through Facebook or the Internet. |
| D．Because as they grow older, they have more confidantes instead of acquaintances. |
It is a common fear among users of Facebook and other social media around the world—how to deal with a friend request from your boss or employee.
A survey released on Thursday found that 56 percent of Americans say it is irresponsible to be friends with a boss and 62 percent say it is wrong to be friends with an employee. But 76 percent believe it is acceptable to be friends with a workplace peer，according to the survey of 1，000 people by Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project.
"When the roles change what do you do then? Do you unfriend someone if they have now been promoted to be your boss or if you’re now their boss，”said researcher Kelly Holland. "We get into some really sticky situations there in terms of what people will think is responsible，”she said.
When using social media at work，73 percent say it is not appropriate to update your Facebook status，82 percent say you should not upload photos，72 percent believe tweeting is wrong and 79 percent say it is not acceptable to watch online videos. Yet 66 percent say it is fine to check your personal email while at work.
“When people focus on responsibility，they know what the responsible thing is to do but whether they are doing that in practice or not is a different story,”said Holland.
Americans are split on whether companies should review the social media profiles of job candidates with 52 percent saying it is appropriate and 48 percent saying it is unacceptable. Social media can also lead to some difficult decisions when it comes to family and relationships. Sixty percent of those polled say that it is“completely acceptable" to unfriend an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend. More than 40 percent of parents believe it is irresponsible to post photos of children online. Thirty one percent monitor their children's Facebook accounts and almost 70 percent are friends with their children on Facebook or MySpace. But 72 percent limit the time their children spend on social media networks.
The poll was taken between January 12一15．The text is mainly about________
| A．social，family and relationships. | B．ways of making friends |
| C．not using social media at work | D．action of responsibility |
The underlined word "Facebook" in the first paragraph refers to________
| A．a book about face | B．an Internet site of making friends |
| C．a broadcasting media | D．a newspaper or magazine |
Which the following is TRUE according to the text?
| A．thirty one percent of the parents keep watching on their children’s Fecebook accounts. |
| B．Forty eight percent agree to review the social media profiles of job candidates. |
| C．Eighty two percent say it isn’t appropriate to upload photos at work. |
| D．Seventy six percent believe it is acceptable to be friends with employee, |
What was the writer’s attitude towards the result of survey?
| A．Defensive. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Doubtful |
"What’s in a name?”According to Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet，there is not too much.“That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. "But Shakespeare may have been wrong. In most cultures，names matter a great deal.
Americans choose names for their children with care. Parents usually think about the impression a name gives，not its meaning. Most Americans would consider a “Jennifer” more attractive than a“Bertha"，for example. The last name，or，surname，must also be considered when choosing a first and middle name. A name like Lester Chester Hester would sound poetic，but odd. Parents would avoid names that remind them of people they don’t like. On the other hand，people might name their children after a respected elderly relative or even a famous person. The popularity of certain names can change with each new generation. Names that were once common，like Fanny or Elmer，sound old-fashioned today. But other names—like John and David，Mary and Sarah—have stood the test of time and continue to be favorites.
People in Ameica don’t always call their friends and relatives by their given names. Instead，they often use nicknames. Sometimes nicknames are short forms of a longer name. For instance，a girl named Elizabeth may be called Lisa，Beth or Betsy. As children grow up，they may decide for themselves which nickname they wish to be called.
Some people just go by the initials of their first and middle names，like B. J, or R. C. And of course，people may call their children or their sweethearts other special nicknames. Often they have a “sweet” flavor，like Honey or Sugar. What’s in a name? A world of significance. So if you’re choosing an English name for yourself，take care to choose a good one. A made—up name could sound strange to native English speakers. And a translation of your Chinese name may not make an appropriate name，either. But a good name can leave a positive and lasting impression. As an American politician once said，“In real life，unlike in Shakespeare，the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears.”What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．People change names in order to be popular with the new generanon. |
| B．Names will change by themselves in order to be popular. |
| C．Some names may no longer be popular among the new generation. |
| D．No names can stand the test of time. |
When choosing names，you should stick to the following principles EXCEPT that
| A．the impression a name gives is more important than its meaning |
| B．you can name after a well-known person |
| C．surname should be paid attention to |
| D．you can create a name that is special |
The author will name a newly born baby girl________.
| A．Bertha | B．Fanny | C．Yunyun | D．Elizabeth |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Names have great significance to Americans. |
| B．Names change when time goes by. |
| C．Chinese people should be careful when choosing their English names. |
| D．Roses smell sweet by any other name. |
Remember how great exercise was when you were a little kid? Back then, racing around the playground or skipping rope for hours, you weren’t thinking fitness, you were thinking entertainment. But in this age of high-tech home equipment and underused gym memberships, the simple joy of jumping rope has been forgotten. Rediscovering it will give you a total-body exercise you can find.
Although considered an excellent form of exercise, jumping rope has never gained widespread acceptance because of two fundamental reasons. First, most people recognize jumping rope as an excellent form of cardiovascular (心血管的) exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don’t think they’ll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes that it takes to achieve a beneficial physical outcome. Second, many view it as somewhat boring and overly repetitive—not as something fun or enjoyable.
As a matter of fact, jumping rope can be great fun if you find a proper way to practice it. Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce over and over again, people good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double–bounce, a skip, a knee-up, side swings, as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping.
Now researchers are learning that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning. It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres to perform in parallel to each other. In short , jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space, yet leading to a much healthier life. From the first paragraph we learn that .
| A．jumping rope has faded from people’s memories |
| B．people now have more advanced equipment |
| C．racing around the playground was preferred |
| D．people now like to have exercise in a gym |
Rope jumping has not spread widely because .
| A．it benefits the cardiovascular system | B．it is neither easy nor enjoyable |
| C．it is considered boring and repetitive | D．it requires little equipment, time and space |
The first sentence in the 3rd paragraph implies .
| A．there is only one proper way to follow | B．the usual way should not be used |
| C．the easiest way is always the best | D．there are many ways to follow |
What is the author’s attitude towards rope jumping?
| A．He is arguing against it. | B．He is in favor of it. |
| C．He is sitting on the fence of it. | D．He is not clear about it. |
A primary school teacher who left a class of 25 pupils in tears after she told them Santa Claus did not exist has been fired. When excited youngsters became rowdy as they talked about Santa, the supply teacher said out suddenly, "It's your parents who leave out presents on Christmas Day."
The class of seven-year-olds at Blackshaw Lane Primary School, Royton, Greater Manchester burst into tears and told their parents when they arrived home. Mothers and fathers then complained about the incident and were sent a letter by the school saying the teacher, who only worked at the school for one day last week, has been punished.
The school has now said it will not hire her again.
One father said, "My son came home and said that his teacher had told the class that Santa doesn't exist and it’s their mum and dad that put out presents for them. Obviously, they were all talking about Christmas and being a bit rowdy. She just came straight out with it. "
"My son was in tears and so was everyone else in the class — especially as it was so close to Christmas. I thought it was wrong. He was crazy about it. He’s only seven-year-old and it's part of the magic of Christmas to him. "
"We told him that she did not believe in Father Christmas because of her religion and he's fine now."
"The father described the incident as ' shocking' and believed it was done with malicious intent (恶意地). A lot of parents were angry and complained to the school. The teacher, who was supplied by Rochdale and Oldham Supply Agency, is still listed and will work with other schools," the agency said.
However, the head teacher in Angela McCormick refused to comment on the incident. Who felt the angriest about the incident?
| A．The teacher who was fired. | B．The parents whose children cried. |
| C．The pupils who were in tears. | D．Santa Claus the teacher talked about. |
We can infer from the passage that .
| A．the teacher was fired and couldn't continue her career in teaching |
| B．the parents complained about the discipline of the school |
| C．the little pupils felt disappointed after hearing the words said by the teacher |
| D．in reality, Santa Claus exists and gives out presents once a year |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word "rowdy"?
| A．surprised. | B．noisy. | C．discouraged. | D．annoyed. |
There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do .
In the ancient world , as is today ,most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another .In societies where social roles are rigidly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls are being prepared, even in play , to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world .
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same . The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship ,mechanics, and technology . It is the universality of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing .In Egypt ,America ,China ,Japan and among the Arctic (北极的)people, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Variations depended on local customs and way of life because toys imitate their surrounding. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize inventions for adult use .The progress from the wheel to the cart to the automobile is a direct line of ways up. The progress from a rattle (拔浪鼓) used by a baby in 3000BCto one used by an infant today , however , is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of available materials.The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that .
| A．their social roles are rigidly determined |
| B．they like challenging activities |
| C．most boys would like to follow their fathers’ professions |
| D．boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers. |
One aspect of “the universality of toys ”lies in the fact that .
| A．the basic characteristics of toys are the same all over the world |
| B．technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys |
| C．the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of toys |
| D．the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities |
Which of the following is the author’s view on the historical development of toys?
| A．Toys are playing an increasingly important role in shaping a child’s character. |
| B．The toy industry has witnessed great leaps in technology in recent years. |
| C．The craftsmanship in toy-making has remained essentially unchanged. |
| D．Toys have remained basically the same all through the centuries. |
Regarded as a kind of art form, toys .
| A．reflect the pace of social progress |
| B．are not characterized by technological progress |
| C．follow a direct line of ascent |
| D．also appeal greatly to adults |
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