ㅤI was about 13 when an uncle gave me a copy of Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World.It was full of ideas that were new to me，so I spent the summer with my head in and out of that book.It spoke to me and brought me into a world of philosophy（哲学）.
ㅤThat love for philosophy lasted until I got to college.Nothing kills the love for philosophy faster than people who think they understand Foucault，Baudrillard，or Confucius better than you ﹣ and then try to explain them.
ㅤEric Weiner's The Socrates Express：In Search of Life Lessons from Dead Philosophers reawakened my love for philosophy.It is not an explanation，but an invitation to think and experience philosophy.
ㅤWeiner starts each chapter with a scene on a train ride between cities and then frames each philosopher's work in the context（ 背景） of one thing they can help us do better.The end result is a read in which we learn to wonder like Socrates，see like Thoreau，listen like Schopenhauer，and have no regrets like Nietzsche.This，more than a book about understanding philosophy ，is a book about learning to use philosophy to improve a life.
ㅤHe makes philosophical thought an appealing exercise that improves the quality of our experiences，and he does so with plenty of humor.Weiner enters into conversation with some of the most important philosophers in history，and he becomes part of that crowd in the process by decoding（ 解读） their messages and adding his own interpretation.
ㅤThe Socrates Express is a fun，sharp book that draws readers in with its apparent simplicity and gradually pulls them in deeper thoughts on desire，loneliness，and aging.The invitation is clear：Weiner wants you to pick up a coffee or tea and sit down with this book.I encourage you to take his offer.It's worth your time，even if time is something we don't have a lot of.
（1）Who opened the door to philosophy for the author？
| A． |
Foucault. |
| B． |
Erie Weiner. |
| C． |
Jostein Gaarder |
| D． |
A college teacher. |
（2）Why does the author list great philosophers in paragraph 4？
| A． |
To compare Weiner with them. |
| B． |
To give examples of great works. |
| C． |
To praise their writing skills. |
| D． |
To help readers understand Weiners book. |
（3）What does the author like about The Socrates Express？
| A． |
Its views on history are well﹣presented. |
| B． |
Its ideas can be applied to daily life. |
| C． |
It includes comments from readers. |
| D． |
It leaves an open ending. |
（4）What does the author think of Weiner's book？
| A． |
Objective and plain. |
| B． |
Daring and ambitious. |
| C． |
Serious and hard to follow. |
| D． |
Humorous and straightforward. |
Beauty has always been regarded as something admirable. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal consultants (顾问) give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive persons. But in the executive circle (政界), beauty can become a liability.
While attractiveness is a positive thing for a man’s rise, it is harmful to a woman. Handsome male executives were considered as having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to be the reasons for their success. Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck. All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives.
Why are attractive woman not thought to be able? An attractive woman is thought to be more feminine (女性的) and an attractive man more masculine (男性的) than the less attractive ones. Thus, an attractive woman has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally masculine position appears to lack the "masculine" qualities required.
This is true even in politics. Anne Bowman recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates (候选人). She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked lo rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the woman who had been ranked most attractive always received the fewest votes.In traditionally female jobs, attractiveness _____.
| A．strengthens the feminine qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of great importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman’s experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness _____.
| A．turns out to be an obstacle to men |
| B．affects men and women alike |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．is more of an obstacle than a benefit to women |
It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often _____.
| A．practical | B．old-fashioned | C．prejudiced (偏见的) | D．serious |
The author writes this passage to _____.
| A．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
| B．give advice to job-seekers who are attractive |
| C．demand equal rights for women |
| D．emphasize the importance of appearance |
As the world watched the twin towers of the World Trade Center come under attack, a common phrase was repeated:” It looks like a movie.”
But this time there was no superman to save the people or the famous building. The attack destroyed one of the world's highest skyscrapers and left 5,000 people dead or missing.
Movie fans have become used to such events after years of Hollywood films showing disasters, terrorism and danger. The Empire State Building, the White House, New York City and even the American president himself have all been threatened(威胁) by terrorist attacks in these exciting films. The film” True Lies”, released in 1994, is considered to be a good example of this kind of movie. The special effects, including explosions and missiles, make the action look like a real thing.
“Independence Day” in 1996 took this type of movie one step further by blowing up the White House. This science fiction(科幻) movie is about a war between human beings and aliens from another planet. In the movie, the World Trade Center towers are destroyed.
Violence has become a major part of Hollywood movies. And this is what people enjoy. Soon after the attacks, many famous film companies stopped the planned releases of some of their new movies, especially if their films showed terrorist attacks or plane crashes. “Swordfish” was top of the American box office in June. But the movie's story was frighteningly similar to the Sept. 11 disaster. The film would have been stopped in American and British cinemas after the attack. But it's unlikely that Hollywood will stay quiet for long. It is already waiting for the feeling in America to calm down.What is the main subject of the newspaper article?
| A．The relationship between the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films. |
| B．The effect of the Sept. 11 attack and Hollywood films. |
| C．The response Hollywood made to the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．The result of Hollywood films showing violence and disasters. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Hollywood made a lot of money out of the film “Swordfish” in June. |
| B．Hollywood stopped making films showing terrorism and disasters after the Sept. 11 attack. |
| C．“Swordfish” was not allowed to be shown after the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．The World Trade Center was destroyed because no superman came to save I t. |
From this article we know that _____.
| A．Hollywood is a film making center making films of violence and disasters. |
| B．too many Hollywood films showing terrorism and disasters resulted in the Sept. 11 attack. |
| C．people who were used to the Hollywood films were not shocked at the Sept. 11 attack. |
| D．in fact, the Sept. 11 attack had nothing to do with Hollywood films. |
Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are determined to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.
Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference.
Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.
“Dollars buy status, and status makes people feel better,” conclude some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways-scientists or actors, for example-may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.
In a research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires-not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health-rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap (差距). Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. “The gap measures just blow away the only measures of income,” says Michalos.
Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad. “Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen.
In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotions questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people, but negative emotions much less often. Why are old people happier? Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic about their goals, only setting ones that they know they can achieve. But Carstensen thinks that with time running out, older people have learned to focus on things that make hem happy and let go of those that don’t.
“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.” According to the passage, the feeling of happiness
| A．is determined partly by genes | B．increases gradually with age |
| C．has little to do with wealth | D．is measured by desires |
Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs ______.
| A．make them feel much better | B．provide chances to make friends |
| C．improve their social position | D．satisfy their professional interests |
Aged people are more likely to feel happy because they are more__________.
| A．optimistic | B．successful | C．practical | D．emotional |
Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if__________.
| A．the gap between reality and desire is bigger |
| B．they have a stronger desire for friendship |
| C．their income is below their expectation |
| D．the hope for good health is greater |
It is difficult for parents of nearly every family to teach their children to be responsible for housework, but with one of the following suggestions, you really can get your children to help at home.
If you give your children the impression that they can never do anything quite right, then they will regard themselves as unfit or unable persons. Unless children believe they can succeed, they will never become totally independent.
My daughter Carla’s fifth - grade teacher made every child in her class feel special. When students received less than a prefect test score, she would point out what they had mastered and declared firmly they could learn what they had missed.
You can use the same technique when you evaluate （评价）your child’s work at home. Don’t always scold and give lots of praise instead. Talk about what he has done right, not about what he hasn’t done. If your child completes a difficult task（任务）, promise him a Sunday trip or a ball game with Dad.
Learning is a process（过程）of trying and failing and trying and succeeding. If you teach your children not to fear a mistake of failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last.The whole passage deals with ________.
| A．social education | B．school education |
C．family education | D．pre - school education |
The article gives us a good suggestion about how to evaluate（评价）your child’s work at home. That is to _____.
| A．praise his success | B．promise him a trip |
C．give him a punishment | D．promise him a ball game |
The author advises readers to________.
| A．learn from himself, for he has a good way of teaching |
B．take pride in Carla’s fifth - grade teacher |
C．do as what Carla’s teacher did in educating children |
D．follow Carla’s example because she never fails in the test |
Having read the last paragraph, we can conclude that ________.
| A．pride goes before a fall | B．practice makes perfect |
C．no pains, no gains | D．failure is the mother of success |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don’t make unnecessary noise, particularly at night . We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly,crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossings and do not take any chances when crossing the road.
My point is about litter. It is an offence to drop litter in the street. When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin.
Finally, as regards smoking , it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I’d like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your police station, who will be pleased to help you.
Now, are there any questions?The underlined word “contact ” in the seventh paragraph means _______.
| A．get along with | B．get in touch with | C．join | D．report |
How many laws are there discussed in the speech ?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five | D．Six. |
The main purpose of this speech would be to __________.
| A．prepare people for internation travel |
| B．declare (宣布) the laws of different kinds |
| C．give advice to travelers to the country |
| D．inform (告知) people of the punishment for breakig laws. |
You are not allowed to ______ when you have something to throw away.
| A．drop it in the street | B．put it in your pocket |
| C．take it home | D．put it in dustbin |
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