Today about 70 countries use Daylight Saving Time (DST). Daylight Saving was first introduced during World War I in Australia. During the world wars, DST was used for the late summers beginning January 1917 and 1942, and the full summers beginning September 1942 and 1943.
In 1967, Tasmania experienced a drought(干旱). The State Government introduced one hour of daylight saving that summer as a way of saving power and water. Tasmanians liked the idea of daylight saving and the Tasmanian Government has declared daylight saving each summer since 1968. Persuaded by the Tasmanian Government, all states except two passed a law in 1971, for a test use of daylight saving. In 1972, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria joined Tasmania for regular daylight saving, but Queensland did not do so until 1989.
Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia have had irregular plans, often changing their dates due to politics or festivals(节日). For example, in 1992, Tasmania extended(延长)daylight saving by an extra month while South Australia began extending daylight saving by two weeks for the Adelaide Festival. Special daylight saving plans were made during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
The differences in daylight saving in Australia continue to cause serious problems in transport and many other social activities. It also reduces the number of hours in the working day that are common to all centers in the country. In particular, time differences along the east coast cause major differences, especially for the broadcasters of national radio and television.
57. Daylight Saving Time was introduced in Tasmania _______________.
A. to stop the drought in 1967 B. to support government official
C. to pass a special law in the state D. to save water and electricity
58. According to the text, which state was the last to use DST?
A. Victoria. B. Queensland. C. South Australia. D. New South Wales.
59. What can we learn about DST in some Australian states?
A. It doesn’t have fixed dates. B. It is not used in festivals.
C. Its plan was changed in 2000. D. It lasts for two weeks.
60. What do we know about the use of DST from the last paragraph?
A. There exists some undesirable effects. B. It helps little to save energy.
C. It brings about longer working days. D. Radio and TV programs become different.
Remembering names is an important social skill. Here are some ways to master it.
Recite and repeat in conversation.
When you hear a person’s name,repeat it. Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips. You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial.
Ask the other person to recite and repeat.
You can let other people help you remember their names. After you’ve been introduced to someone,ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you. Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names.
Admit you don’t know.
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed. Most of them will feel sympathy if you say. “I’m working to remember names better. Yours is right on the tip of my tongue. What is it again?”
Use associations.
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual. For example,you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair. " To reinforce your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others—an automatic review for you.
53. How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
A. They will be moved. B. They will be annoyed.
C. They will be delighted. D. They will be discouraged.
54. If you can't remember someone's name, you may __
A. tell him the truth B. tell him a white lie
C. ask him for pity D. ask others to help you
55. When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __
A. all their names B. a couple of names first
C. just their last names D. as many names as possible
56. What does the text mainly tell us?
A. Tips on an important social skill. B. Importance of attending parties.
C. How to make use of associations. D. How to recite and repeat names.
Nervous suspects (嫌疑犯) locked up in Britain's newest police station may feel relieved by a pleasant yellow color on the door. If they are close to confessing(供认,坦白) a crime, the blue on the wall might tip the balance.
Gwent Police have abandoned colors such as grays and browns of the 20th-century police cell (牢房) and have used color psychology(心理学) to decorate them.
Ystrad Mynach station, which recently opened at a cost of £5 million, has four cells with glass doors for prisoners who suffer from claustrophobia(幽闭恐怖症). Designers have painted the frames yellow, which researchers say is a calming color. Other cells contain a royal blue line because psychologists believe that the color is likely to encourage truthfulness.
The station has 31 cells, including 12 with a “live scan” system for drunken or disturbed prisoners, which detects the rise and fall of their chest. An alarm alerts(报警) officers if a prisoner's breathing stops and carries on ringing until the door is opened.
Designers and psychologists have worked for years on color. Blue is said to suggest trust, efficiency, duty, logic, coolness, thinking and calm. It also suggests coldness and unfriendliness. It is thought that strong blues will stimulate clear thought and lighter, soft colors will calm the mind and aid concentration.
Yellow is linked with confidence, self-respect and friendliness. Get the color wrong and it could cause fear, depression and anxiety, but the right yellow can lift spirits and self-respect.
Ingrid Collins, a psychologist who specializes in the effects of color, said that color was an “energy force”. She said: “Blue does enhance communication but I am not sure it would enhance truthful communication.”
Yellow, she said, affected the mind. Red, on the other hand, should never be considered because it could increase aggression(攻击性). Mrs. Collins praised the designers for using colors in the cells. Gwent is not the first British force to experiment with color to calm down or persuade prisoners to co-operate. In the 1990s Strathclyde Police used pink in cells based on research carried out by the US Navy.
49. The expression “tip the balance” in paragraph 1 probably indicates that the blue might _____.
A. let suspects keep their balance B. help suspects to confess their crimes
C. make suspects cold and unfriendly in law court D. enable suspects to change their attitudes to colors
50. Which of the following colors should NOT be used in cells according to the passage?
A. Pink. B. Yellow C. Blue. D. Red.
51. Which of the following helps alert officers if someone stops breathing?
A. Scanning equipment. B. Royal blue lines. C. Glass doors. D. Yellow frames.
52. The passage is mainly concerned with _____.
A. the relationship between colors and psychology
B. a comparison of different functions of colors
C. the use of colors in cells to affect criminals’ psychology
D. scientific ways to help criminals reform themselves in prison
Professor Barry Wellman of the University of Toronto in Canada has invented a term to describe the way many North Americans interact (互动) these days. The term is “networked individualism”. This concept is not easy to understand because the words seem to have opposite meanings. How can we be individuals (个体) and be networked at the same time? You need other people for networks.
Here is what Professor Wellman means. Before the invention of the Internet and e-mail, our social networks included live interactions with relatives, neighbors, and friends. Some of the interaction was by phone, but it was still voice to voice, person to person, in real time.
A recent research study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project showed that for a lot of people, electronic interaction through the computer has replaced this person-to- person interaction. However, a lot of people interviewed for the Pew study say that’s a good thing. Why?
In the past, many people were worried that the Internet isolated (孤立) us and caused us to spend too much time in the imaginary world of the computer. But the Pew study discovered that the opposite is true. The Internet connects us with more real people than expected — helpful people who can give advice on careers, medical problems, raising children, and choosing a school or college. About 60 million Americans told Pew that the Internet plays an important role in helping them make major life decisions.
Thanks to the computer, we are able to be alone and together with other people — at the same time!
45. The underlined phrase “networked individualism” probably means that by using computers people ________.
A. stick to their own ways no matter what other people say
B. have the rights and freedom to do things of their own interest
C. do things in their own ways and express opinions different from other people
D. are able to keep to themselves but at the same time reach out to other people
46. According to the Pew study, what do many people rely on to make major life decisions?
A. Networks. B. Friends. C. Phones. D. Parents.
47. It can be inferred from the Pew study that _______.
A. people have been separated from each other by using computers
B. the Internet makes people waste a lot of time and feel very lonely
C. the Internet has become a tool for a new kind of social communication
D. a lot of people regard the person-to-person communication as a good thing
48. Which would be the best title for this passage?
A. We’re Alone on the Internet.
B. We’re Communicating on the Internet.
C. We’re Alone Together on the Internet.
D. We’re in the Imaginary World of the Internet.
I was in a rush as always, but this time it was for an important date I just couldn’t be late for! I found myself at a checkout counter behind an elderly woman seemingly in no hurry as she paid for her groceries. Being a PhD student without a lot of money, I had hurried into the store to pick up some flowers. I was in a huge rush, thinking of my upcoming evening. I did not want to be late for this date
We were in Boston, a place not always known for small conversations between strangers. The woman stopped unloading her basket and looked up at me. She smiled. It was a nice smile—warm and reassuring(令人宽慰的)-and I returned her gift by smiling back.
“Must be a special lady, whoever it is that will be getting those beautiful flowers,” she said.
“Yes, she’s special,” I said, and then to my embarrassment, the words kept coming out. “It’s only our second date, but somehow I am just having the feeling she’s ‘the one,’” jokingly, I added, “The only problem is that I can’t figure out why she’d want to date a guy like me.”
“Well, I think she’s very lucky to have a boyfriend who brings her such lovely flowers and who is obviously in love with her,” the woman said .”My husband used to bring me flowers every week—even when times were tough and we didn’t have much money. Those were incredible days; he was very romantic and—of course— I miss him since he’s passed away.”
I paid for my flowers as she was gathering up her groceries. There was no doubt in my mind as I walked up to her. I touched her on the shoulder and said “You were right, you know. These flowers are indeed for a very special lady.” I handed the flowers and thanked her for such a nice conversation.
It took her a moment to realize that I was giving her the flowers I had just purchased. “May you have a wonderful evening ,”I said. I left het with a big smile and my heart warmed as I saw her smelling the beautiful flowers.
I remember being slightly late for my date that night and telling my girlfriend the above story. A couple of years later, when I finally worked up the courage to ask her to marry me, she told me that this story had helped to seal it for her—that was the night that I won her heart .
41.Why was the writer in a hurry that day?
A. He was to meet his girlfriend. B. He had to go back to school soon.
C. He was delayed by an elderly lady. D. He had to pick up some groceries.
42.What does the underlined phrase “her gift” (Paragraph 2 ) refer to?
A. Her words. B. Her smile. C. Her flowers. D. Her politeness.
43.Why did the writer give his flowers to the elderly lady?
A. She told him a nice story. B. She allowed him to pay first.
C. She gave him encouragement. D. She liked flowers very much.
44.What is the message conveyed in the story?
A. Flowers are important for a date. B. Small talk is helpful.
C. Love and kindness are rewarding. D. Elderly people deserve respecting.
完型填空(每题1.5分,满分30分)
从A B C D 四个选项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。
James’s New Bicycle
James shook his money box again. Nothing . He carefully __21__the coins that lay on the bed.$24.52 was all that he had. The bicycle he wanted was at least $90. _22___on earth was he going to get the __23___of the money.
He knew that his friends all had bicycles. It was __24__to hang around with people when you were the only one without wheels. He thought about what he could do. There was no __25__asking his parents, for he knew they had no money to __26___.
There was only one way to get money, and that was to __27__ it. He would have to find a job. __28___who would hire him and what could he do? He decided to ask Mr. Clay for advice, who usually had__29___on most things.
“Well, you can start right here,” said Mr. Clay “My windows need cleaning and my car needs washing”
That was the _30__ of James’s odd-job(零工)business. For three months he worked every day after finishing his homework. He was amazed by the __31__of jobs that people found for him to do. He took dogs and babies for walks, cleared out cupboards, and mended books. He lost count of the ___32 __of cars he washed and windows he cleaned, but the ___33___increased and he knew that he would soon have __34__for the bicycle he longed for.
The day __35__came when James counted his money and found $94.32. He _36__no time and went down to the shop to pick up the bicycle he wanted . He rode __37__home, looking forward to showing his new bicycle to his friends. It had been hard ___38___for the money, but James knew that he valued his bicycle far more ____39___he had bought it with his own money. He had ___40___what he thought was impossible, and that was worth even more than the bicycle.
21. A. cleaned B. covered C. counted D. checked
22. A. How B. Why C. Who D. What
23. A. amount B. part C. sum D. rest
24. A. brave B. hard C. smart D. unfair
25. A. point B. reason C. result D. right
26. A. split B. spend C. spare D. save
27. A. borrow B. earn C. raise D. collect
28. A .Or B. So C. For D. But
29. A. decisions B. experience C. opinions D. knowledge
30. A. beginning B. introduction C. requirement D. opening
31. A. similarity B. quality C. suitability D. variety
32. A. brand B. number C. size D. type
33. A. effort B. pressure C. money D. trouble
34. A. all B. enough C. much D. some
35. A. finally B. instantly C. normally D. regularly
36. A. gave B. left C. took D. wasted
37. A. patiently B. proudly C. silently D .tiredly
38. A. applying B. asking C. looking D. working
39. A. since B. if C. than D. though
40. A. deserved B. benefited C. achieved D. learned