The easiest way for the English to deal with their social discomfort is to avoid social interaction altogether, by choosing either leisure (闲暇) activities that can be performed in the privacy of one’s own house, or outdoor activities that follow their interest without direct contact with anyone other than one’s own family members, such as going for a walk, or to the cinema, or shopping.
In recent survey, over half of all the leisure activities were of this private domestic type, and of the top ten pastimes, only two—having friends round for a meal or drink, and going to the pub—could be described as ‘sociable’. The most domestic activities are the most popular: watching TV, listening to the radio, reading, DIY （Do It Yourself） and gardening. Even when the English are being sociable, the survey findings show that most of them would much rather entertain a few close friends or relatives in the safety of their own homes than venture out among strangers.
In the latest national census survey （人口普查）, over half of the entire adult male population had been DIYing in the four weeks before the census date. Nearly a third of the female population had also been busily improving their homes, and their work with their gardens was equally obvious: 52 percent of all English males and 45 percent of females had been out there, cutting branches and weeding grass.
Even among people claiming to belong to a particular religion, only two percent attend services every week. The rest of the population can be found every Sunday at their local garden center or DIY superstore. And when they want a break from caring about their own homes and gardens, they go on trips to visit bigger and better houses and gardens, such as the stately homes and gardens opened to the public by the National Trust and the Royal Horticulture Society. Visiting grand country houses always ranks as one of the most popular national pastimes.
1.The result of the survey shows that ________.
A. about half English people enjoy working in their gardens
B. 8 out of 10 pastimes can be described as social activities
C. 2 percent of the religious people enjoy visits to public houses
D. visiting stately homes is the most popular national pastime
2.According to the passage, the English enjoy all of the following EXCEPT________.
A. the social activities, such as gathering with friends
B. working at home and in their gardens
C. dining out in a public place among strangers
D. visits to stately homes and gardens
3.The underlined word “domestic” probably means________.
A. public B. household C. outdoor D. collective
4.The passage mainly tells us about________.
A. why the English don’t like social activities
B. how the English spend their leisure time
C. what the result of a recent census survey is
D. where the English hold their private activities
There’s a man in the habit of hitting me on the head with an umbrella. At first I couldn’t stand it, now I’m used to it.
I don’t know his name. I know he’s average in appearance, wears a gray suit, and has a common face. I met him five years ago one hot morning when I was sitting on a tree-shaded bench in Palermo Park, reading the paper. Suddenly I felt something touch my head. It was the very same man who now, as I’m writing, keeps hitting me, mechanically (机械地) and impassively, with an umbrella.
On that occasion I turned around filled with anger. He just kept on hitting me. I asked him if he was crazy, he didn’t even seem to hear me. Then I threatened to call a policeman. Calmly, cool as a cucumber, he stuck with his task. After a few moments of hesitation, and seeing that he was not about to change his attitude, I stood up and hit him on the nose. The man fell down, but he immediately got back on his feet, obviously with great effort, and without a word again began hitting me on the head with the umbrella. His nose was bleeding and, at that moment, I felt sorry for him. I felt regret for having hit him so hard. After all, the man wasn’t exactly hitting me; he was merely tapping me lightly with his umbrella, not causing any pain at all. Of course, those taps were extremely bothersome. As we all know, when a fly lands on your forehead, you don’t feel any pain; what you feel is annoyance. Well then, that umbrella was one huge fly that kept landing on my head time after time.
Convinced that I was dealing with a madman, I tried to escape. But the man followed me, wordlessly continuing to hit me. So I began to run (I should point out that not many people run as fast as I do). He took off after me, trying to land a blow. The man was out of breath so that I thought, if I continued to force him to run at that speed, he would drop dead right then and there.
1.When the man began to strike the author with an umbrella, the author ________.
A. became angry
B. called the police
C. turned around and escaped
D. turned around and fought back
2.The author would most probably agree that the man was ________.
A. deaf B. blind C. dead D. mad
3.The author felt sorry for the man because ________.
A. the man formed a bad habit of beating others
B. he hit the man so hard that his nose bled
C. the man couldn’t catch up with him
D. there was a fly on the man’s head
4.It can be learned from the passage that the man ________.
A. shouted loudly while hitting the author
B. wanted to tell the author something
C. ran after the author breathlessly
D. acted as if he were a fly
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It used to be our custom to take handmade baskets to friends on May Day. We would 1baskets on a doorstep, knock on the door, and then run away as fast as our legs could 2us. It was delightful to peer (窥视) around a bush and watch our friends open their 3and pick up the colorful gift, 4who had left it out for them.
I clearly 5the May Day of the year when I turned ten. That year I was faced with a(an) 6involving one of my dearest friends, Pam. We had studied and 7together nearly every day, but things 8after a new family had moved into our small town. Pam was spending more and more time at their house and I felt 9and left out.
When my mother asked me 10I was going to take a May Day basket to Pam’s house, I responded 11, “Absolutely not! I hate Pam.” I began to cry.
Mom wiped away my 12and told me that things and people change. She explained that one of the greatest things friends can do is to give each other a 13to grow, to change and to develop, and that it’s 14for one’s friends to spend time with other people.
I 15decided to give Pam a basket as a sign of forgiveness, and asked my sister to help me do it. As we watched from our 16place, Pam picked up the basket and said loudly enough for us to hear, “Thank you, Susie, I hoped you wouldn’t 17me!”
That day, I made a 18that changed my life: I decided to hold my friends tightly in my heart, but 19in my expectations of them, allowing them 20to grow and to change—with or without me.
1.A. hang B. place C. throw D. give
2.A. send B. transport C. carry D. support
3.A. baskets B. eyes C. arms D. doors
4.A. asking B. wondering C. mentioning D. informing
5.A. remember B. experience C. remind D. grasp
6.A. plan B. task C. opportunity D. challenge
7.A. lived B. played C. traveled D. discussed
8.A. failed B. finished C. changed D. proved
9.A. started B. hurt C. paid D. injured
10.A. why B. what C. whether D. how
11.A. anxiously B. weakly C. angrily D. happily
12.A. tears B. thoughts C. unhappiness D. freedom
13.A. reason B. means C. chance D. direction
14.A. able B. impossible C. acceptable D. doubtful
15.A. nearly B. hardly C. finally D. generally
16.A. covering B. hiding C. cheering D. passing
17.A. miss B. forget C. disturb D. control
18.A. decision B. mistake C. suggestion D. difference
19.A. deeply B. shortly C. highly D. loosely
20.A. time B. space C. sense D. care
— Are you getting a new apartment this year?
— ________ I can’t afford to pay my bills, let alone buy a new apartment.
A. Don’t mention it. B. You must be joking.
C. Are you sure? D. Good idea.
As far as I know, he is seldom, _______ , late for school.
A. if so B. if never C. if ever D. if any
— My mum is a typist.
— I know this sort of work _______ skill and speed.
A. asks for B. looks for C. calls for D. pays for
