Members of the working class have blue-collar jobs. They are construction workers, truck drivers, mechanican, steel workers, electricians, and the like. What makes this class differ from the lower class is, first, longer periods of employment—and therefore, more fixed incomes—and , second, employment in skilled or semi-skilled occupations, not unskilled ones. Although unemployment hits all levels of the American economy, including those of skilled and semi-skilled workers, it is most common at the bottom of the class structure and increasingly less common at each level upward. They consider themselves to be respectable and hard-working and they look down upon members of the “low” class, whom they often consider to be lazy, dishonest, and too ready to exploit public assistance.
Most people in the working class have at least high school education. Many have some experience of college(especially community college), though few are college graduates. Unionization has helped the working class, but a rapidly changing economy and frequent periods of high unemployment make it difficult for most of its members to be able to increase their savings greatly. Purchasing a house for people in this class is extremely difficult, although a certain percentage may receive houses from their parents. (Home-owning rises with social class.)
A greater number of the members of the working class take relatively little satisfaction in their jobs, because much of their work is ordinary and boring. As a result, many seek their main satisfaction in recreational activities. Many members of this class would like to earn enough money to leave their jobs and start their own businesses, though few make it. Many place their expectations on their children, hoping that they at least will rise in the ladder of success.
1. Which of the following is true about the working class?
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A．They are often offered jobs with high incomes. |
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B．They are employed as skilled and semi-skilled workers. |
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C．They are often considered lazy and dishonest. |
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D．They are often exploited by the public. |
2. The word “hit” in paragraph one roughly means__________.
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A．have bad effects on |
B．break up |
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C．beat |
D．strike with a blow |
3. Most people in the working class ________.
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A．have at least some experience of college |
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B．receive houses from their parents |
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C．buy houses by themselves |
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D．have difficulty increasing their savings greatly |
4. Many members from the working class are not satisfied with their jobs because _____.
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A．they are not interested in their jobs. |
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B．they could not earn much money |
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C．they are not their own bosses |
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D．they could not rise in the ladder of success |
A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.
I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.
It was a very important event in the computerization of life---a sign that the informal, friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters and we recognized one another’s handwriting the way we know voices or faces.
As a child, visiting my father’s office, I was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desk of his staff, the same handwriting I would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge---except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW’.
All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by Florey. She shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.
I don’t buy it.
I don’t want to see anyone cut off from expressive, personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer, part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.
What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand---as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings. However, they have worked in many school systems.
1.Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?
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A．He had worked with his colleague long enough. |
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B．His colleague’s handwriting was so beautiful. |
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C．His colleague’s handwriting was so terrible. |
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D．He still had a lot of work to do. |
2. People working together in an office used to __________.
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A．talk more about handwriting |
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B．take more notes on workdays |
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C．know better one another’s handwriting |
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D．communicate better with one another |
3. According to the author, handwritten notes ___________.
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A．are harder to teach in schools |
B．attract more attention |
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C．are used only between friends |
D．carry more message |
4. We can learn from the passage that the author _____________.
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A．thinks it impossible to teach handwriting |
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B．does not want to lose handwriting |
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C．does not agree with Florey |
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D．puts the blame on the computer |
England is the largest country in Britain. Its capital is London, which is on the Thames. The port of London is one of the greatest ports in the world. Ships from all countries go up and down the Thames. They bring food to the people of Britain. Then they take British machines and other things back to the ports from which they come.
There are many scenic spots in the West of England. The lakes here are the most beautiful in England. There are trees, flowers and green grass round them.
The water is almost always very still，and you can see the green hills ,the brown mountains and everything else round the lake upside-down in the water. There are boats on all the larger lakes, which take people from one side to the other. There are always a lot of boats on the lakes in summer.
Travelers from many countries of the world go to the west of England in summer. There are boat races on the largest lakes, and people from many places in Great Britain and Europe come to see them. Young people travel from one place to another on their bicycles, or walk from one lake to another.
1. The port of London .
A. only takes business within the country
B. is greater than the others in the world
C. is the busiest in the world
D. plays an important part in transportation
2. The upside-down scenes can be seen in the lakes because .
A. the water is very still B. you have a good sight
C. there is a good light D. you stand near them
3. Young Londoners go to see .
A. beautiful lakes on foot B. boat races by bicycle
C. the port of London in their cars D. the still water in the lake by air
完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。
It seemed like an everyday moment, but now I realize that when he introduced himself to me, it was the beginning of a life-changing experience.
I met him at a summer 1.
, and although I met hundreds of people every day, I became his 2.
. We talked, like everyone else, about our 3.
and hobbies. We were not 4.
at all, but we really had a lot in common. By the end of the camp, we were 5.
stories and laughs, and promised to 6.
.
When I returned home, I 7.
that I had lost the paper with his e-mail address on it. I looked through all my stuff (东西), but without 8.
. One day, I thought to look him up on the online network that was set up for the campers. 9.
I was online, an instant message suddenly appeared on the 10.
. It was the boy who I had just tried to 11.
a moment before.
A series of very meaningful conversations 12.
then. I don’t know 13.
, but for some reason we started to 14.
our deepest feelings in 15.
, and learned from each other’s pain and experiences. It was a very new 16.
for me，and it was extremely beneficial to my heart and my soul. 17.
I had found someone who was willing to 18.
me without prejudice (偏见).
I have only known him for three months, but the 19.
in me is great．I love, I live, and I believe in my life. I 20.
cry every night because of the happiness inside me. I dearly hope that he has also benefited from our exchanges even though we are hundreds of miles apart and can only communicate by messaging.
21.A．class B．party C．camp D．pub
22.A．classmate B．friend C．partner D．colleague
23.A．schools B．homes C．interests D．teachers
24.A．familiar B．strange C．different D．similar
25.A．sparing B．telling C．sharing D．showing
26.A．have a party B．keep in touch C．get along D．have fun
27.A．knew B．announced C．regretted D．realized
28.A．reason B．1uck C．doubt D．pity
29.A．Before B．Although C．When D．Since
30.A．screen B．desk C．board D．computer
31.A．1ook up B．find out C．call on D．hear from
32.A．heard B．started C．appeared D．existed
33.A．why B．where C．what D．which
34.A．create B．express C．hide D．refuse
35.A．writing B．working C．displaying D．listing
36.A．treatment B．solution C．experience D．way
37.A．Rapidly B．Finally C．Shortly D．Hardly
38.A．thank B．help C．understand D．support
39.A．1ove B．hope C．respect D．anger
40.A．always B．no longer C．sometimes D．often
Some teenagers think that parents ____ a full understanding of their children.
A. lack in B. lacking of C. lack of D. lack
—I have some trouble with my life.
—______. Everything will be fine.
A. That’s fine B. All right C. Take it easy D. Just in case
