Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday, but only on Friday. This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale（士气）. Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative effect on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
1.David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because __________.
A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance
C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time
D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
2.David Smith wears casual clothes now, because __________.
A．they make him feel at ease when working
B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C．he looks handsome in casual clothes
D．he no longer works for any company
3.According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.
B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.
C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.
D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.
4.According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.
B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.
C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.
D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.
5.In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned except ______.
A．saving employees’ money
B．making employees more attractive
C．improving employees’ motivation
D．making employees happier
A group of eight public high school students in Massachusetts, aged l5 to l7，designed and ran their own school within a school. They named their practice the Independent Project. They represented the usual range: two were close to dropping out before they started the project，while others were honors students.
Their guidance teacher was their adviser, consulting with them when the group encountered difficulties. Though they sought advice from English，math and science teachers， they were responsible for monitoring one another’s work and giving one another feedback. There were no grades, but at the end of the term，the students wrote evaluations of their classmates.
The students also designed their own course. In addition to some regular courses，they each took on an ‘individual project’，learning to play the piano or to cook，writing a novel or making a video about domestic(国内的) violence. At the end of the term，they performed their new skills in front of the entire school. The last part of their self - designed course was to do a ‘collective project’ that had social significance. Because they felt the whole experience had been so life – changing，they ended up making a film showing how other students could start and run their own schools.
The project was a success. After returning to their traditional study，the students have high motivation and are doing well. One student who had failed all of his previous math courses spent three weeks teaching the others about probability. The lesson learned here is that if students are given the opportunity to take control or contribute significantly to their own learning they will become more accomplished，more engaged and more knowledgeable.
The students in the project are remarkable because they demonstrate the kinds of learning and personal growth that are possible when teenagers feel ownership of their high school experience，learn things that matter to them and learn together.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Some students might drop out of high school.
B．The teachers monitored the students’ homework.
C．The students themselves solved all their problems.
D．The teachers evaluate the students’ performances.
2.The students involved in the Independent Project .
A．didn’t need to learn common lessons
B．tended to escape from the whole society
C．were unwilling to share their experiences
D．focused on self-study and working together
3.According Paragraph 4，we know that .
A．the traditional study is better than the project
B．all the students had failed their math courses
C．the students have freedom to design their lessons
D．the project was mainly concerned with math courses
4.The project made the students outstanding because .
A．they are unusually talented
B．they have better backgrounds
C．they have supportive teachers
D．they are owners of their education
5.What would be the best title of the text?
A．Structure the kids’ days to the minute
B．Let kids rule their own school within a school
C．Offer students few opportunities to do anything
D．Provide traditional education to the students
Brenda Bongos was a happy, artistic girl. She had one big ambition—to play the drums in a band. But one big obstacle lay in her way. To be good enough to play in a band, Brenda had to practice a lot, but she lived next-door to a lot of old people. Many of them are sick. She knew that the sound of beating drums would really get on their nerves. So, she had tried playing in the strangest places: a basement, a kitchen, and even in a shower. But there was always someone it would annoy.
One day, while watching a science documentary on TV, she heard that sound cannot travel in space, because there’s no air. At that moment, Brenda Bongos decided to become a sort of musical astronaut.
With the help of a lot of time, books and work, Brenda built a space bubble. This was a big glass ball connected to a machine which sucked out all the air inside. All that would be left inside was a drum kit（成套设备） and a chair. Brenda got into the space suit she had made, entered the bubble, turned on the machine, and played those drums like a wild child.
It wasn’t long before Brenda Bongos came very famous. Many people came to see her play in her space bubble. Shortly afterwards she came out of the bubble and started giving concerts. Her fame spread so much that the government suggested that she be part of a unique space journey. Finally, Brenda was a real musical astronaut, and had gone far beyond her first ambition of playing drums in a band.
Years later, when asked how she had achieved all this, she thought for a moment, and said: “If those old people next – door hadn’t mattered so much to me, I wouldn’t have found a solution, and none of this would have ever happened.”
1.Why did Brenda try to play in the strangest places?
A．Because she didn’t want others to hear her play.
B．Because she didn’t want to disturb others.
C．Because she didn’t have a large house.
D．Because she liked to play in strange places.
2.Brenda started to give concerts _______ .
A．after she practiced in her space bubble
B．when she became part of the unique space journey
C．after she became a real musical astronaut
D．when people came to see her in the space bubble
3.Brenda became famous because _______ .
A．she made a space suit
B．she became a real musical astronaut
C．she played drums in her space bubble
D．she played drums in a band
4.Which of the following can be used to describe Brenda?
A．kind, hardworking and clever
B．brave, kind and hardworking
C．lovely, brave and kind
D．nervous, kind and clever
5.We can draw a conclusion from the passage that: “______”.
A．He laughs best who laughs last
B．It’s never too old to learn
C．Two heads are better than one
D．One good turn deserves another
My sister, Cathy, who lives in Vancouver, sent me a package full of Christmas gifts. She told me that she had 36 it in advance to make sure it would arrive at my house weeks before the 37 . Christmas was drawing near, but no package arrived. Cathy checked the tracking number every 38 with Canada Post, and every evening she would call me to 39 if there was any sign of it on our end.
The 40 always started with questions about the package, but twenty minutes later we would still be 41 . We talked about our family, such as parents, our kids, 42 and so on. Of course we also talked about our jobs. We had never made so much 43 for each other! The talk always took us back to the hours we spend together in our childhood.
By Christmas Eve we finally had to 44 the fact that the package was 45 lost. On Christmas morning, Cathy got on the phone with everyone in my 46 and told them what she had sent. Later on, after a big Christmas dinner, I had forgotten all about the 47 package when there was a knock on the door. Who could it be at such a time? As I 48 the door, a man was standing there. “I 49 this is yours.” he said, holding a package. Just then I 50 that it had been delivered to the wrong address. “I just got home from vacation,” he explained, “51 I wanted you to have this in time to open for Christmas.” I thanked this 52 stranger for taking so much trouble to 53 this gift to us on Christmas Day, and 54 thanked God that the package had been lost in the first place.
The real gift that holiday season was the new 55 to my sister who lives far away from us. Now there’s one gift I never want to give back!
1. A．booked B．decorated C． listed D．mailed
2. A．appointment B．deadline C．holiday D．party
3. A．year B．morning C．week D．month
4. A．pick out B．take out C．figure out D．find out
5. A．complaint B．conversation C． discussion D．quarrel
6. A．chatting B．arguing C． kidding D．scolding
7. A．gifts B．secrets C．husband D．clothing
8. A．food B．time C．achievement D．money
9. A．consider B．ignore C． accept D．study
10. A．entirely B．simply C．mostly D．suddenly
11. A．restaurant B．office C．house D．class
12. A．terrible B．outstanding C．big D．missing
13. A．opened B．locked C．left D．watched
14. A．understand B．forget C．know D．believe
15. A．expected B．dreamed C．realized D．remembered
16. A．because B．but C．or D．so
17. A．generous B．honest C．polite D．kind
18. A．show B．present C．return D．offer
19. A．silently B．carefully C．gently D．actually
20. A．connection B．guide C．recognition D．closeness
The mother didn't know who ________ for the broken glass as it happened.
A．to blame B．to be blamed C．blamed D．is to be blamed
The whole nation watched the two candidates________the issue of raising taxes on TV.
A．argue B．quarrel C．discuss D．debate
