Singles' Day ---- the Chinese opposite of Valentine’s Day has turned into a massive online shopping event. It is a day when single people are supposed to buy themselves presents. But there are sociological reasons behind China's “celebration” of single life. And the imbalance could have big consequences for the country.
There were 34 million more men than women in China in 2011. Part of that is natural – usually there are 105 boys born for every 100 girls. But the Chinese gender ratio (性别比例) at birth is much more obvious. It was 116 boys to 100 girls in 2012. The one child policy is largely to blame. Brought in to limit population expansion, the policy allows only one child per family. But because male children are seen as more valuable, as well as more likely to support their parents in old age, some parents choose to have a son over a daughter. The result is that large numbers of men will likely never get married. In fact, one study has predicted that by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese men in their 30s will never have married, while another states that 94% of unmarried people in China are men.
Traditionally, China has seen high levels of marriage, usually among the young. Besides, the increased education and career opportunities for women have meant that marriages are happening later. It is also traditional that women often marry men of a higher socioeconomic status than themselves. So women at the top and men at the bottom find themselves alone. One study has even suggested a link between an imbalanced gender ratio and growth in violent crime in the country.
Singles ' Day can’t solve all the problems China’s singles face. Indeed, it is possible that it is causing even more problems, as men resort to increasingly risky lines of work to increase their chances of gaining money and thus a wife. I am worried that as money starts to overcome romance, there is evidence that China ' s marriage market is increasingly materialistic.
In 2012, if 50 girls were born, how many boys were probably born?
| A．50. | B．52. | C．58. | D．60. |
What made women in China get married late?
| A．Their support of the government’s late marriage policy. |
| B．Their higher education level and more work chances. |
| C．That they expect to enjoy their single time when young. |
| D．That there are too many excellent young men to choose from. |
What’s the writer’s attitude to the imbalance gender ratio in China?
| A．Optimistic | B．Concerned |
| C．Indifferent | D．Unknown |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．Singles' Day is celebrated all over the world. |
| B．by 2030, 1 in 5 Chinese women in their 30s will be out of marriage. |
| C．an imbalanced gender ratio is related to the growth in violent crime. |
| D．Singles' Day will solve all the problems China’s singles face. |
The sunflower plant bears bright yellow flowers that always face the sun, hence the name. However, the plant is grown not only for its beautiful flowers, but also for its oil that has a host of health benefits. Sunflower oil prevents diseases, lowers cholesterol levels, keeps the heart healthy, and even prevents certain forms of cancer. Sunflower oil is a kind of “magic oil” when it comes to skin care, as it makes your skin soft and smooth, and prevents signs of aging. So, let us know more about its effects on your skin.
1. It Acts as an Effective Emollient(润肤霜).
Sunflower oil is an effective emollient, which means that it helps the skin retain moisture. Thus, people with dry skin can benefit immensely from the regular use of the oil. Also, it is mild, and provides relief from irritation and inflammation of the skin.
2. It Offers Sun Protection.
Sunflower oil is a rich source of vitamin E. The high vitamin content prevents the sensitive cells of the skin from being damaged by the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. Also, the beta-carotene (β-胡萝卜素) present in sunflower oil helps neutralize（中和） free radicals that are responsible for causing damage to the skin, including sunburn and skin cancers.
3. It Prevents Earlier Aging.
Vitamin E present in sunflower oil not only protects the skin from sun damage, but also from earlier aging. What’s more, regular use of sunflower oil can reduce wrinkles and make one look younger. Also, sunflower oil is rich in antioxidants(抗氧化物质) that keep the skin fresh.
4. It Prevents Skin Infections（感染）.
Sunflower oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids that protect the skin from bacterial infections. Hence, it gives you a healthy skin.
5. Additional Effects.
There are other ways in which sunflower oil can prove to be a boon for your skin. These are given as follows:
It helps reduce dark spots; it helps lighten dark circles; it helps soften rough and dry skin; it can be used to remove make-up; it helps relax tired eyes.Sunflower oil can be good for the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．reducing cholesterol levels |
| B．preventing heart diseases |
| C．making skin smooth and impressive |
| D．curing some kinds of cancers |
What are the functions of vitamin E?
| A．To make ultraviolet rays and beta-carotene. |
| B．To stop sunburn and treat skin cancers. |
| C．To protect skin and slow the pace of aging. |
| D．To produce wrinkles and make skin bright. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Sunflower oil can weaken dark spots. |
| B．Sunflower oil may lead to skin infections. |
| C．Sunflower oil can make you attractive. |
| D．Sunflower oil may keep eyes in comfort. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．Benefits of Sunflower Oil for Skin |
| B．Sunflowers Make Life Beautiful |
| C．Sunflower Oil Ends Diseases Greatly |
| D．Benefits of Growing Sunflowers |
If you want to become a fluent English speaker you should take some advice: There are four skills in learning English. They are reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The most important thing you must remember is that if you want to improve your speaking and writing skills you should first master the skills of reading and listening.
Read as much as you can. But your reading must be active. It means that you must think about the meaning of the sentence, the meanings of the unfamiliar words, etc. There is no need for you to pay much attention to grammars or try to understand all the unfamiliar words you come across, but the fact that you see them for the first time and recognize them whenever you see them, for example in other passages or books, is enough. It would be better to prepare yourself a notebook so you can write down the important words or sentences in it.
As for listening, there are two choices: besides reading, you can listen every day for about 30 minutes. You can only pay attention to your reading and become skillful at your reading, then you can catch up on your listening. Since you have lots of inputs in your mind, you can easily guess what the speaker is going to say. This never means that you should not practice listening.
For listening you can listen to cartoons or some movies that are specially made for children. Their languages are easy. Or if you are good at listening you can listen to VOA or BBC programs every day. Again the thing to remember is being active in listening and preferably taking some notes.
If you follow these pieces of advice, your speaking and writing will improve automatically, and you can be sure that with a little effort they will become perfect.According to the author, which should you improve first among the four skills?
| A．Reading and listening. | B．Reading and writing. |
| C．Writing and speaking. | D．Speaking and listening. |
The underlined phrase "come across" in Paragraph 2 can probably be replaced by "_______".
| A．discover | B．meet by accident |
| C．find on purpose | D．look for |
The author seems to agree with the view that_______.
| A．everyone should listen to VOA or BBC programs every day |
| B．you needn't practice listening if you keep on reading every day |
| C．being good at reading is helpful in improving your listening |
| D．you should take notes of whatever you are hearing |
The passage is mainly about how to_______.
| A．choose suitable listening materials |
| B．deal with new words in reading |
| C．improve your English as quickly as possible |
| D．become fluent in speaking and writing English |
Volunteers for Halloween
Saturday & Sunday, October 26 & 27
It's time for Prospect Park's ghosts to come out! Join the community tradition of Halloween in Prospect Park and sign up to become volunteers for the events.
We are now looking for 10,000 volunteers to help the Carnival(狂欢节), the Haunted Walk and various other children's activities around the Park. We're counting on your help to make the 2014 celebration the best one in history. You can read each position description below and follow the link to sign up!
Creepy Crawly Halloween at the Boathouse: Help prepare the Audubon Center's educational exhibits and /or assist with children's activities. There are two shifts(轮班) on both Saturday and Sunday. Please sign up for however many shifts you would like to work.
Haunted Carousel: At the Haunted Carousel, assist children on and off horses and direct them to the correct entrance and exit gates. There are two shifts available on each day; please sign up for one or more shifts.
Lefferts Historic House: At Lefferts, Craft Assistants will enjoy encouraging creativity in children by working with crafts. Crowd Control Assistants are expected to help manage the flow of people through the house. There is a shift on Saturday and Sunday; please sign up for one or both.
Halloween Carnival: Game Leaders assist children with games and hand out prizes. Carnival Greeters assist with traffic control and answer questions from the public. The Carnival will take place on Saturday on the Nethermead.
Halloween Haunted Walk: Volunteers will dress up as costumed (戏装的) characters, working as walking guides. The Haunted Walk will take place on Saturday on Lookout Hill.
Volunteer Policies
Every potential volunteer must complete a volunteer application (click below to complete your application form). Please note that some volunteer opportunities may require an interview or additional training due to special skill requirements.
Teenagers under 18 must submit a signed parental agreement form with their online application.
Children under 14 years old may volunteer if they are accompanied by an adult.
Children 14 — 17 years old are welcome to volunteer on their own. However, before they may begin their work, their application must be signed by a parent.At the Haunted Carousel, volunteers are expected to ______.
| A．sign up for two shifts |
| B．dress up as costumed characters |
| C．help children on and off horses |
| D．answer questions from the public |
Before becoming a volunteer, you must ______.
| A．pass an interview |
| B．receive the skill training |
| C．submit a signed parental agreement form |
| D．fill in an application form online |
We learn from the advertisement that a 13year old boy ______.
| A．is not allowed to volunteer in the 2014 celebration |
| B．can become a volunteer in the company of a parent |
| C．is permitted to become a volunteer on his own |
| D．may volunteer with his application signed by a parent |
On April 8th, 2013, the world felt sorry because of the death of former British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who died at the age of 87. Besides being the country’s longest leader (1979-1990) in the 20th century, she was the first woman to lead Britain. She worked hard and did well in her work, so she was called “Iron Lady”.
Whatever you think of Margaret Thatcher, the thing everyone does agree on is that she was a woman with great decisions. When she took over Britain in 1979, she led a country that was in economic trouble. She faced a lot of problems because of the poor economic position.
In order to make the country become strong again, Ms. Thatcher had to make some hard and special decisions like raising interest rates and even taxes at a time when most British people were living a hard life. In this way she led Britain to run out of economic troubles.
Early in her second term, just as things were looking a little better, she faced another problem — a strike by the British Miners Union. Once again, the Iron Lady stood her ground to stop the longest strike in the country’s history.
In 1982, Argentina said that they had owned the Falkland Islands since the 19th century. Britain, however, considered the islands to be one of their overseas dependent territories (领土). Margaret Thatcher tried to talk about the problem with Argentines. But Argentines didn’t agree with her ideas, so Ms. Thatcher did what any strong leader would do — send in the British Army. It took 74 days, and on 14th June 1982, the Argentine army finally failed and Britain controlled the Falkland Islands again.
When Ms. Thatcher resigned in 1990, she left behind a country that was very strong. Unluckily, during the last few years of her life, something was wrong with her mind. She hardly remembered anything that was happening around her and even what she had done during her wonderful lifetime.Why did Margaret Thatcher decide to raise interest rates?
| A．Because English people were very rich and happy. |
| B．Because she needed money to fight against Argentina. |
| C．Because Britain needed to run out of economic troubles. |
| D．Because people stored too much money in the banks. |
How did Margaret Thatcher make her country control the Falkland Islands again?
| A．She paid a lot of money for the islands. |
| B．She helped people on the islands a lot. |
| C．She sent many workers to the islands. |
| D．She sent in the British Army to the islands. |
What was the matter with Ms. Thatcher after she resigned?
| A．She couldn’t say anything at all. |
| B．She almost couldn’t remember anything. |
| C．She couldn’t walk at all. |
| D．She couldn’t hear anything at all. |
It can be inferred from the passage that Ms. Thatcher was ________.
| A．determined | B．sensitive |
| C．humorous | D．generous |
As is known to all, in daily conversation people often use simple words and simple sentences, especially elliptical(省略) sentences. Here is an interesting conversation between Mr Green and his good friend Mr Smith, a fisherman. Do you know what they are talking about?
Mr Green: Going?
Mr Smith: Been.
Mr Green: Any?
Mr Smith: Some.
Mr Green: Big?
Mr Smith: Small.The underlined word “conversation” in the text means ______.
| A．fishing | B．story | C．text | D．dialogue |
Which of the following is true to the text?
| A．Mr Smith has just been fishing and caught some small fish. |
| B．Mr Green caught some big fish and wanted to give some to Mr Smith. |
| C．Mr Smith didn’t catch any small fish. |
| D．Mr Smith wanted to buy some big fish from Mr Green. |
The text is mainly about _______.
| A．how to catch fish | B．how to spend a Sunday |
| C．ellipsis in conversations | D．joy in fishing |
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