After a particularly busy period at work, I decided to get away from it all by going on a hike in the mountains in southern France.
Before I left, I read an interesting story in a magazine. It read, “Once, while I was riding on a crowded bus, the man sitting next to me threw his cell phone out of the window when his phone rang. I was surprised. He looked at me, shrugged (耸耸肩) and looked away. I had no idea whether it was his or stolen or whether he even knew what a cell phone was or not, but he clearly wanted to be free of it, because it clearly troubled him. ”
Billions of people across the world use cell phones. Though cell phones are a wonderful way for communication, they often do the exact opposite. Using cell phones can increase stress within families and friends.
So when I recently returned home, I got rid of my cell phone. Now I go outside without taking my phone with me. I’ve noticed things in my neighborhood I never noticed before, such as gardens. I’ve met new people, started conversations with neighbors I didn’t speak to before and talked with some of my friends face to face instead of chatting over the phone.
Instead of keeping me off from the world, stopping using my cell phone has helped me get even closer to my family and friends.According to the story, the man on the bus threw away his cell phone because ______.
| A．it didn’t work properly |
| B．it was stolen from someone else |
| C．he didn’t like the phone’s style |
| D．he didn’t want to be bothered by it |
We can learn from the passage that cell phones _____.
| A．are too expensive for many people |
| B．can also get people into trouble |
| C．stop people from communicating face to face |
| D．can make life more interesting |
What can we learn about the author?
| A．He wants to own a garden now. |
| B．He always chatted with his neighbors. |
| C．He used to take his cell phone when going outside. |
| D．He once rode on a crowded bus in France. |
The main purpose of the passage is to _______.
| A．tell us not to let cell phones control our lives |
| B．encourage others to hike with him in France |
| C．share his experiences in France with us |
| D．teach us how to get along with neighbors |
Depression(抑郁症)is a serious problem today. Depression causes workers to be unproductive，causing companies and countries to lose billions of dollars. One expert says that depression is like cancer because it is “widespread, costly and deadly”. Depression hits one person in five around the world.
Although people have believed depression to be a problem among the rich and educated, studies show that depression is a problem among everyone．Over any six-month period, between five to seven percent of the world’s population will be suffering from a serious depression．
Suicide(自杀) rates among people suffering from the disease in its extreme, or clinical form were 80 percent higher than in the population at large．and suffers were four times more likely to have heart attacks．People who suffer from depression often have problems sleeping，getting up on time，and doing work productively.
Depression，which researchers agree has its origin in the genes(基因)，brings loss of confidence and ability to concentrate—making it impossible for employees and managers to work efficiently．
Depression is made more serious in China by Chinese’s inability to face it．Many people believe that depressed people are either weak or lazy．Besides，there is no good treatment，with few specialists available．
“Most patients in China just don’t get h
elp，”a Chinese doctor says．“In my hospital，I have to see 30 or 40 patients in a morning，and just have time to say ‘Hello，how do you feel? ’ ”
In Western countries，people are not afraid to admit that they have depression，but most do not tell it to their boss，because they fear that their boss would fire them．
“In my experience，aging bosses are the most willing to admit they have it, because they feel the most secure about themselves．”an American doctor says.
Hopefully，in the near future，people around the world will be able to admit that they have depression so that they can get the right treatment.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It is widely believed that everyone may suffer from depression．
B. Depression brings great problems to its suffers in their life and work．
C. Depression is a commonly-existing problem only in rich countries．
D. The poorer and the less educated a person is，the less he will suffer from depression．
2. Compared to normal people，depressed people are likely to be_________. ‘
A. very unconfident and often absent-minded
B. easy to avoid being hit by heart attacks
C. working efficiently and productively
D. either weak or lazy
3. Depression becomes more serious in China because of _________.
A. the understanding of the problem
B. the lack of treatment and doctors
C. their unwillingness to tell it to their boss
D. the doctors’careless work
4. What can we infer from the passage?
A . People are suffering from depression because of the shortage of specialists．
B. The aging bosses around the world dare to say they are depressed．
C. More and more patients will turn to specialists for help
D. Western people are braver than Chinese people
The trend in everyday conversation is to use grandiose(夸大的) words. “Outstanding”is new “good,” “amazing” is the new “OK,” and “huge” is the new “big”.
I was in a restaurant in Washington D．C．last weekend and every question I asked was answered with exaggeration．
Me：How is the salmon?
Sever：Fantastic!
Me：Does it come with rice?
Sever：Absolutely!
Would a “good” and a “Yes” have been enough? Of course!
My father is an average-sized man．He hasn’t gained weight or height for the past 30 years. Therefore, his size remains the same．However，in the same amount of time，his T-shirt size has gone from small to medium to large to extra large．
The reason for the exaggerated word is clear：we are bored with our lives．We want the next—next thing now．Immediately!
And we also want others to think that we still care，that we can still be delighted，that we know that everything is just great．Even when deep inside we know it can’t be．Everything can’t be great．
I’m not a scientist，so many methods of proof leave little to be desired，or a lot to be desired，or an immensity(无限)．
Listen to the voices around you．Listen to your own voices．There is nothing on the radio that is good or bad，weather is either beautiful or horrible．
Listen，the next time when someone asks you something and you agree，because when you could simply say “yes”, instead you will say “absolutely’’or “without doubt”or “Oh，yeah，unquestionably---absolutely without doubt. ”
Have people forgotten what it is like to be OK? Simply OK with what they have and who they are?If everything is outstanding，if everything is the most amazing thing ever，is anything ever amazing at all?
1. By telling his experience in the restaurant，the author intends to __________.
A. show his interest in exaggerated words
B. prove that exaggerated words are widely used
C. blame the restaurant for using exaggerated words
D. tell us the food in the restaurant is extremely good
2. What do we know about the author’s father?
A. He has gained height and is now a tall man．
B. He likes following the fashion in clothing．
C. His weight is getting greater and greater．
D. The size of his T-shirt is described in exaggerated words．
3. So many people like using exaggerated words because __________.
A. they are not satisfied with being normal
B. they don’t want to be looked down upon by others
C. they want to be different from others
D. they are brave in telling their true feelings
4. According to the passage，if you approve of something，you’d better say “ _______”.
A. fantastic B. perfect C. OK D. absolutely
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑.
Many children first learn the value of money by receiving an allowance (pocket money). The purpose is to let children learn from experiences at an age when financial mistakes are not very costly．
The amount of money that parents give to their children to spend as they wish differs from family to family. Timing is another consideration．Some children get a weekly allowance．Others get a monthly allowance．
In any case, parents should make clear what，if anything, the child is expected to pay for with the money．At first, young children may spend all of their allowance soon after they receive it. If they do this，they will learn the hard way that spending must be done within a budget．Parents are usually advised not to offer more money until the next allowance．
The object is to show young people that a budget demands a choice between spending and saving．Older children may be responsible enough to save money for larger costs，like clothing or electronics．Many people who have written on the subject of allowances say it is not a good idea to pay your child for work around the home．These jobs are a normal part of family life．
Paying children to do extra work around the house，however，can be useful．It can even provide an understanding of how a business works．
Allowances give children a chance to experience the three things they can do with money．They can share it in the form of gifts or giving to a good cause. They can spend it by buying things they want．Or they can save it.
Saving helps children understand that costly goals require sacrifice．You have to cut costs and plan for the future．Requiring children to save part of their allowances can also open the door to future saving and investing．Many banks offer services to help children and teenagers learn about personal finance.
A saving account is an excellent way to learn about the power of compound interest.
Compouding works by paying interest on interest．So，for example，one dollar invested at two percent interest for two years will earn two cents in the first year. The second years，the money will earn two percent of one dollar and two cents，and so on. That may not seem like a lot．But over time it adds up．
1. Giving an allowance, parents should consider all the following EXCEPT ______.
A. how much the child should get each time
B. whether the child has made a budget
C. where the money really goes
D. how often a child can get it
2. The author of the passage holds the opinion that _________.
A. what children learn by handling allowances may be beneficial in the future
B. children can learn to set up their own business with their allowances
C. keeping allowances in the bank is the best choice for children
D. it is not a good idea to pay children for housework at home
3. The underlined words “compound interest” in the passage probably mean ________.
A. increasing curiosity to learn how to make more money
B. stronger power to hold one’s attention to saving money
C. money paid by the bank on your original money and the gain from it
D. the sum of money that you earn from keeping your money in the bank
4. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Be Generous to Pay Your Children．
B. Be Wise to Avoid Financical Mistakes．
C. Saving Allowances Does Good to Children．
D. Allowances Help Children Learn about Money．
Vicki Larrieux, a 22-year-old student from Portsmouth, says she is unable to keep a healthy diet because she is frightened of vegetables. She survives on a diet of meat, potatoes, cereals（谷类食品）and apples but refuses even a single slice of carrot on her plate. She suffers from sweating and panics at the slightest sight of a carrot or a pea.
“I have always had a fear of vegetables. Even as a child I used to freak out if some carrots or a few peas were on my plate.” She said. “But as it continued into adult life, I started to think it might not just be a dislike for vegetables but an actual phobia（恐惧症）. Every time I see vegetables, not just on my plate, but anywhere, I would get feelings of panic and my heart would beat faster.”
Miss Larrieux’s condition makes trips to the supermarket or eating out at a restaurant with her boyfriend a major problem. It is an unpleasant experience for her to go to the supermarket. Luckily, her boyfriend is very understanding and does his best to comfort her.
A spokesman for phobia charity Anxiety UK says that around 13 percent of British people suffer a phobia of some form, there are treatment available（有效的）including medication and self-help groups for all manner of phobias.
1. Larrieux eats the following as a daily diet EXCEPT______.
A. meat B. potatoes C. peas D. cereals
2. The underlined part “freak out” in Paragraph 2 means “_________”.
A. feel scared B. get interested
C. feel relaxed D. get sad
3. According to the passage, Larrieux’s fear for vegetables _____.
A. was found out recently B. is a kind of phobia
C. makes her famous D. makes her hard to get along with
4. What do we know from the passage?
A. Only a few people around the world suffer from phobias
B. Larrieux is not confident about her future
C. Larrieux’s boyfriend doesn’t like meat
D. Phobia can be treated.
Katharine Houghton Hepburn was born in Hartford in 1907. The Hepburns made sure to educate their children about important political and social subjects and sports. She rode horses, swam and played golf and tennis.
Katharine graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1928. She soon started appearing in small roles in plays. After a few successful plays, Hollywood filmmakers became interested in her. She later signed with RKO Pictures. Her first movie came out in 1932.
The next year she acted in the film Morning Glory. This gave her the chance to let her acting skills shine. This movie earned Hepburn her first Academy Award for Best Actress.
During the 1930s, critics(评论家) either loved or hated Katharine Hepburn. But Hepburn wanted to face the movie industry in her own way. She did not want to be like other actresses. She did not wear make-up on her face. She would not let photographers take sexy pictures of her.
By the late 1930s, she had become unpopular with the public. But Hepburn was not raised to quit easily. She starred in The Philadelphia Story in 1940. For this movie, Hepburn received another Academy Award nomination(提名) for Best Actress. She had taken control of her career once again.
In 1967, she starred in her last movie with Spencer Tracy. For this movie, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, she won her second Academy Award. She won her third Academy Award the next year for A Lion in Winter. And, in her mid-seventies she won her last Academy Award for On Golden Pond.
Even into her eighties, she kept working. She also wrote several books. In 2003, Katharine Hepburn died.
As part of her last wishes, she helped create the Katharine Houghton Hepburn Center to help support the things that were important to her: film and theater, women’s right, and civic(国民的) responsibility.
1. What do we learn about Katharine Hepburn from the passage?
A. As a little girl, she showed a gift for acting.
B. She was well educated when she was young.
C. She stopped working in her mid-seventies.
D. Her small roles in plays were not good for her movie career.
2. The following movies all won Katharine Hepburn an Academy Award for Best Actress EXCEPT_______.
A. Morning Glory B. A Lion in Winter
C. The Philadelphia Story D. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
3. Which of the following words can best describe Katharine Hepburn?
A. Humorous but mean. B. Independent and successful.
C. Beautiful but unpopular. D. Strict and inexperienced.
4. The passage is developed by______.
A. space order B. comparison C. time order D. listening examples
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