No one can avoid being influenced by advertisements. Much as we may pride ourselves on our good taste, we are no longer free to choose the things we want, for advertising exerts a subtle influence on us. In their efforts to persuade us to buy this or that product, advertisers have made a close study of human nature and have classified all our little weaknesses.
Advertisers discovered years ago that all of us love to get something for nothing. An advertisement which begins with the magic word FREE can rarely go wrong. These days, advertisers not only offer free samples, but free cars, free houses, and free trips round the world as well. They devise hundreds of competitions which will enable us to win huge sums of money. Radio and television have made it possible for advertisers to capture the attention of millions of people in this way.
During a radio programme, a company of biscuit manufacturers once asked listeners to bake biscuits and send them to their factory. They offered to pay $10 a pound for the biggest biscuit baked by a listener. The response to this competition was tremendous. Before long, biscuits of all shapes and sizes began arriving at the factory. One lady brought in a biscuit on a wheelbarrow. It weighed nearly 500 pounds. A little later, a man came along with a biscuit which occupied the whole of his car. All the biscuits that were sent were carefully weighed. The largest was 713 pounds. It seemed certain that this would win the prize. But just before the competition closed, a lorry arrived at the factory with a truly colossal biscuit which weighed 2,400 pounds. It had been baked by a college student who had used over 1,000 pounds of flour, 800 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of fat, and 400 pounds of various other ingredients. It was so heavy that a crane had to be used to remove it from the lorry. The manufacturers had to pay more money than they had anticipated, for they bought the biscuit from the student for $24,000.
1..
. Why have advertisers made a close study of human weakness?
A. They thought it was very interesting to do so.
B. They wanted to persuade the customers to buy their products.
C. They thought it was their duty.
D. They wanted to research how much people spend buying their products.
2..
. Why do advertisers offer free samples and other things to people?
A. They use them to attract people’s attention.
B. Their advertisements have little effect on customers.
C. Different means are being used to cheat people.
D. They produce too many products that can’t be sold out.
3..
From the last paragraph, we know that the factory failed to expect _______.
A. how many people would take an interest in the competition
B. how many ingredients are needed to bake a large biscuit
C. it was possible to bake a biscuit as large as the student’s
D. the payment wouldn’t be as high as $ 24,000
When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and "too serious" about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say, " Let's start with a train whistle today." We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, he was in despair and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other's dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think, " Yes, I must tell.." We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist, who will only fill up the healing silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.
1..
. In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
A. become serious about her study
B. go to her friend's house regularly
C. learn from her classmates at school
D. share poems and stories with her friend
2..
. In Paragraph 3, "We gave London to each other" probably means ______.
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us
B. we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London
C. our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared
D. we parted with each other in London
3..
. According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
A. call each other regularly
B. have similar personalities
C. enjoy writing to each other
D. dream of meeting each other
4..
. In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to ______.
A. seek professional help
B. be left alone
C. stay with her best friend
D. break the silence
5..
. What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences
B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship
D. Noble Companions
Princeton University
Location
The University is in Princeton, New Jersey. It is an hour's train ride south of New York City and an hour's train ride north of Philadelphia.
Students
There are 4,600 undergraduates （本科生）. There are also 1,900 graduate students, but Princeton is unusual among universities in having a student body made up largely of undergraduates.
Faculty
Princeton has about 700 full-time faculty members （教员）. There are another 300 or so part -time and visiting faculty. All faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research.
Degrees
Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees: the bachelor （学士） of arts （A.B.） degree and the bachelor of science in engineering （B.S.E.） degree.
Academic Year
An academic year runs from September to late May and lasts two terms （fall and spring）. A normal course load is four or five courses per term, although many students take extra courses.
Residences
Princeton provides housing for all undergraduate students. Freshmen and second-year students are required to spend their first two years in one of five colleges. Each college has its own dining hall, common rooms and computer centers.
Fees and Expenses （Academic Year 2004-2005）
Tuition （学费）: $29,910
Room and board: $ 8,387
Other expenses （books, telephone, etc.）: $ 3,083
Total: $ 41,380
1..
How many kinds of faculty members are there in Princeton University?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three. D. Four.
2..
In Princeton University, an undergraduate will pay at least ________ for the Academic Year 2004-2005 besides tuition.
A. $ 41,380 B. $ 52,850 C. $11,470 D. $ 8, 387
3..
In what way is Princeton University different from other American universities according to the text?
A. It has five colleges.
B. Its students are mainly undergraduates.
C. It provides housing for all undergraduate students.
D. All the faculty members at Princeton are expected to teach and research.
4..
Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Princeton offers two undergraduate degrees.
B. An academic year lasts about nine months in Princeton University.
C. Undergraduates should spend their first two years in one of five colleges.
D. It's about an hour's train ride from Princeton University to the north of New York City.
The private automobile（私家车）has long played an important role in the United States. In fact, it has become a necessary and important part of the American way of life. In 1986, sixty-nine percent of American families owned at least one car, and thirty-eight percent had more than one. By giving workers rapid transportation, the automobile has freed them from having to live near their place of work. This has encouraged the growth of the cities, but it has also led to traffic problems.
For farm families the automobile is very helpful. It has made it possible for them to travel to town very often for business and for pleasure, and also to transport their children to distant schools.
Family life has been affected（影响）in various ways, The car helps to keep families together when it is used for picnics, outings, and other shared experiences. However, when teenage children have the use of the car, their parents can't keep an eye on them. There is a great danger if the driver has been drinking alcohol or taking drugs, or showing off by speeding or breaking down traffic laws. Mothers of victims（受害者）of such accidents have formed an organization called MADD（Mothers Against Drunk Driving. These women want to prevent further tragedies（悲剧）. They have worked to encourage the government to limit the youngest drinking age, Students have formed a similar organization, SADD（Students Against Drunk Driving）and are spreading the same message among their friends.
For many Americans the automobile is a necessity. But for some, it is also a mark of social position and for young people, a sign of becoming an adult. Altogether, cars mean very much to Americans.
1..
. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text?
A. Cars have encouraged the growth of the cities.
B. Cars can bring families together when they go for picnics.
C. Cars have enabled people to live far from their place of work.
D. Cars help city families to transport their children to faraway schools.
2... What has been done to deal with the problem of drunk driving?
A. Patents have paid more attention to their children.
B. Some organizations have been set up against drunk driving.
C. Mothers have tried to persuade their children not to drink alcohol.
D. University students have asked the government to solve the problem.
3.. We can infer from the text that ____________ in America.
A. it will be more difficult for people to get new cars
B. parents will not allow their children to have their own cars
C. the government will encourage people to use public transportation
D. cars will still be popular though they have caused many problems
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36-55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
The sound of the rain hitting the window wakes me up and it sounds just exactly as it did 15 years ago，which reminded me of my girlhood．
It was my second day of 36 and it was raining heavily．I could not 37 the habit I had at home, so I fell asleep right at my 38 ．I woke up to find myself not in the classroom but carried on Dad’s back．We were 39 home．It was the last time I felt 40 to him．
After that, he never carried me or hugged me as other fathers did to their children．I was not bothered much by this 41 ．I was proud of it，for I felt 42 and“grown up．” However, there were times when I felt depressed by not having sought 43 from him．
One day, I was writing Chinese characters as homework．I hated doing this more than anything．Dad came and stood behind me for a moment， 44 me scratching（乱写） the paper．Then he said, “This kind of writing needs 45 ．Your writing is not strong enough．Press harder．”
I followed his 46 for the next two words，but 47 I could see little improvement，I followed my own method-the 48 way．His advice did not improve my writing but our 49 ．As I grew older, I found out that he had finished his 50 in Grade 6, which was the highest grade in town then, so he was considered to be a 51 ．People used to ask him to write something to put on the walls, but he never felt very useful.
He often said to me，“As you can see，this family is going to count on you．We are 52 to provide you anything for your future．You have to get 53 to change the life for yourself．”
As a result of his 54 ，I have 55 it through high school and through college．
1..A. graduation B．employment C．college D．school
2..A．form B．resist C．follow D．break
3..A．dormitory B．door C．desk D．bed
4..A．at B．already C．beyond D．halfway
5..A．close B．near C．happy D．relaxed
6..A．gap B．thought C．action D．accident
7..A．lonely B．depressed C．independent D．comfortable
8..A．comfort B．help C．support D．explanation
9..．A．helping B．directing C．watching D．blaming
10..A．skill B．patience C．time D．practice
11..A．introduction B．manner C．spirit D．advice
12..A．even if B．while C．as D．though
13.．A．difficult B．slow C．efficient D．fast
14..A．relationship B．friendship C．thought D．life
15..A．schooling B．life C．hope D．expectation
16..A．writer B．scholar Cscientist D．specialist
17..tired B．glad C．useless D．ready
18..A．an education B．a rich boyfriend C．a well-paid job D．a good writing
19..A．help B．expectations C．examination D．watch
20..A．succeeded B．got C．made D．found
--- Have you finished the task?
--- ________ it. We still need five more days.
A. Far from B. Rather than C. Apart from D. Except for
