President Coolidge’s statement, “The business of America is business,” still points to an important truth today — that business institutions have more prestige (威望) in American society than any other kind of organization, including the government. Why do business institutions possess this great prestige?
One reason is that Americans view business as being more firmly based on the ideal of competition than other institutions in society. Since competition is seen as the major source of progress and prosperity by most Americans, competitive business institutions are respected. Competition is not only good in itself, it is the means by which other basic American values such as individual freedom, equality of opportunity, and hard work are protected.
Competition protects the freedom of the individual by ensuring that there is no monopoly (垄断) of power. In contrast to one all-powerful government, many businesses compete against each other for profits. Theoretically, if one business tries to take unfair advantage of its customers, it will lose to competing business which treats its customers more fairly. Where many businesses compete for the customers’ dollar, they cannot afford to treat them like inferiors or slaves.
A contrast is often made between business, which is competitive, and government, which is a monopoly. Because business is competitive, many Americans believe that it is more supportive of freedom than government, even though government leaders are elected by the people and business leaders are not. Many Americans believe, then, that competition is as important, or even more important, than democracy in preserving freedom.
Competition in business is also believed to strengthen the ideal of equality of opportunity. Competition is seen as an open and fair race where success goes to the swiftest person regardless of his or her social class background. Competitive success is commonly seen as the American alternative to social rank based on family background. Business is therefore viewed as an expression of the idea of equality of opportunity rather than the aristocratic (贵族的) idea of inherited privilege.
1. The statement “The business of America is business” probably means______.
A. America is a great power in world business
B. Business is of primary concern to Americans
C. The business institutions in America are concerned with commerce
D. Business problems are of great importance to the American government
2. Americans believe that they can realize their personal values only ______.
A. by protecting their individual freedom
B. when given equality of opportunity
C. by way of competition
D. through doing business
3. Who can benefit from business competition?
A. People with ideals of equality and freedom.
B. Both business institutions and government.
C. Honest businessmen.
D. Both businessmen and their customers.
4. Government is believed to differ strikingly from business in that government is characterized by ______.
A. its role in protecting basic American values
B. its absolute control of power
C. its democratic way of exercising leadership
D. its function in preserving personal freedom
5. It can be inferred from the passage that the author believes ______.
A. in many countries success often depends on one’s social status
B. businesses in other countries are not as competitive as those in America
C. American businesses are more democratic than those in other countries
D. Americans are more ambitious than people in other countries
Self-esteem is all about how much we are valued, loved, accepted, and thought well of by others and how much we value, love and accept ourselves. People with healthy self-esteem are able to do better in school and find it easier to make friends. They tend to have better relationships with others, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes and failures, and are more likely to stick to something until they succeed. People with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can’t do well in anything.
The following ways may help you improve your self-esteem.
Try to stop thinking negative thoughts about yourself. If you’re used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outweigh them. It is good to aim high, but your goals for yourself should be within reach. That’s why you should set practical goals and never expect the impossible. Mistakes are part of learning, so view mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you make mistakes because everyone does.
Also, you should recognize what you can change and what you can’t. If you realize that you’re unhappy with something about yourself, you can change and start from today. If it’s something you can’t change (like your height), start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.
Feeling like you’re making a difference or that your help is valued can do wonders to improve your self-esteem. So don’t hesitate to make a contribution. You can lend a hand to a classmate who’ s having trouble, help your neighborhood clean up, or volunteer to do some other things.
Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything you do. It’s never too late to build healthy self-esteem. It takes some work, and it’s a necessary skill you’ll have for life.
1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 refers to “______”.
A. your classmates B. your shortcomings
C. your strong points D. your goals
2. According to the passage, which of the following can help improve your self-esteem?
A. Setting high goals similar to others’.
B. Never forgiving yourself for your mistakes.
C. Lending a hand to a classmate in trouble.
D. Changing all the things that make you unhappy.
3. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. the old tend to have healthier self-esteem than the young
B. we should build healthy self-esteem when young
C. there are more people with low self-esteem
D. it is not easy to build healthy self-esteem
4. The passage is mainly about ______.
A. how people improve their self-esteem
B. what self-esteem means
C. what people with low self-esteem are like
D. what people with healthy self-esteem are like
5. How many ways of improving your self-esteem are mentioned in the passage?
A. Five B. Six C. Seven D. Eight.
第二部分：阅读理解(共15小题：每小题2分, 满分30分)
阅读下列短文, 从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The ability to do several things at once has become one of the great measures of self-worth for 21-century Americans. It is called multitasking, and it takes many forms. As one example, why go out to lunch when you can eat at your desk, talk to a client on the phone, scroll through your e-mail, and scan a memo simultaneously? And why simply work out on treadmill (单调的工作) when you could be watching television and talking on a portable phone at the same time? What a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment --- three activities for the time commitment of one! Ah, such efficiency. No wonder those who turn “to do” lists into a time-management art form tend to boast (自夸): “Look, me, how many things I can accomplish at once. If I’m this busy, I must be important.”
Yet last week the New York Assembly struck a blow against multitasking, at least behind the wheel, when it approved a bill banning drivers in the state from using handheld cellular phones. Too dangerous, the assembly said, citing research showing that drivers are four times more likely to have a collision when they are talking on a cellphone.
No one can argue against using time effectively. But accompanying the supposed gains are losses. Consider the woman out for an early-morning walk in a suburban neighborhood. She strides briskly, head down, cellphone clamped to her ear, chattering (喋喋不休) away, oblivious of the birds and flowers and glorious sunshine. Did the walk have any value?
More than a decade ago, long before multi-tasking became a word in everyday use, a retired professor of theology(神学) in Indiana with whom I corresponded (通信) made a case for what might be called uni-tasking — the old-fashioned practice of doing one thing at a time.
Offering the simplest example, he said, “When you wash the dishes, wash the dishes.” Good advice, I’ve found, whatever the task.
Perhaps, too, the ban on phoning-on-the-road will even spark a move away from other forms of dual activity. Who can tell? It could mark the first step in a welcome reconsideration of what really constitutes productivity and accomplishment.
1. The author thinks that multitasking has become one of the great measures of self-worth because ________.
A. it helps people to use time effectively
B. it makes people feel they are important
C. it means the ability to do several things at once
D. people worship speed and desire
2. The bill approved by the New York Assembly is mentioned in the second paragraph in order to ________.
A. demonstrate the danger of multitasking
B. show the high efficiency of multitasking
C. introduce the legislation system in America
D. argue against using time effectively
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “oblivious” in the third paragraph?
A. serious B. absorbed deeply
C. not noticing D. forgetting
4. We learn from the passage that uni-tasking is ________.
A. the new fashion for 21-century Americans
B. accepted by most residents in Indiana
C. created by a retired professor of theology
D. the traditional act of doing one thing at once
5. In the eyes of the author, multi-tasking ________.
A. could not be avoided in this fast-changing age
B. should be taken the place of by uni-tasking
C. robs people of time to focus and reflect
D. should not become a word in everyday use
第二节：完形填空 (共20小题：每小题1.5分, 满分30 分)
阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意, 然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中, 选出最佳选项, 并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
One afternoon, many years ago, I went to pick up my mother from work. I got there a little early so I 16 the car by the roadside, across the street from where she worked, and 17 her.
As I looked outside the car window 18 my right, there was a small park 19 I saw a little boy around two years old, 20 freely on the grass as his mother watched him from a short distance. The boy had a big smile on his face 21 he had just been set free from some sort of prison. The boy would then fall to the grass, get up and without 22 run as fast as he could again, still with a smile on his face, as if 23 had happened.
However, with kids (especially at the early age)，when they fall down, they don’t perceive their falling down as a 24 , but instead, they treat it as a learning experience, as just another 25 . They feel compelled to try and try again 26 they succeed. The answer must be that they have not 27 “falling down” with the word “failure” yet. Thus they don’t know how to feel the state which 28 failure. What’s more, they probably think that it is perfectly Okay to fall down, and that it’s not 29 to do so. In other words, they give themselves 30 to make mistakes subconsciously. Thus they remain 31 .
While I was touched by the boy’s persistence, I was 32 touched by the manner in which he ran. With each 33 , he looked so confident and so natural. No 34 of fear, nervousness, or being discouraged — as if he didn’t 35 the world around him. His only aim was to run freely and to do it as effectively as he could. I learned a lot from that observation and experience, and have successfully brought that lesson with me in my many pursuits in life.
16. A. packed B. parked C. refueled D. cleaned
17. A. called for B. looked for C. waited for D. searched for
18. A. to B. in C. at D. for
19. A. where B. which C. what D. that
20. A. walking B. running C. smiling D. playing
21. A. as if B. even if C. only if D. what if
22. A. doubt B. hesitation C. mercy D. effect
23. A. something B. nothing C. everything D. anything
24. A. catastrophe B. difficulty C. success D. failure
25. A. outcome B. outline C. output D. outbreak
26. A. unless B. after C. until D. before
27. A. communicated B. associated C. accommodated D. contrasted
28. A. acquires B. accumulates C. accomplishes D. accompanies
29. A. good B. interesting C. right D. wrong
30. A. permission B. admission C. comprehension D. impression
31. A. discouraged B. encouraged C. regretful D. happy
32. A. simply B. extremely C. equally D. especially
33. A. run B. success C. attempt D. smile
34. A. scenes B. marks C. signals D. signs
35. A. care about B. look about C. care for D. think about
. You must be there within an hour. There should be no _______ in sending the information.
|
A．question |
B．hesitation |
C．delay |
D．problem |
Mike told me that you would pay a visit to Japan, ______?
|
A．would you |
B．wouldn’t you |
C．did you |
D．didn’t you |
