One of the most striking findings of a recent questionnaire in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.
Why are many people finding it increasingly difficult to start and keep close relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves?
It is certainly the case today that nowadays couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn’t expect his wife to be in sole (唯一的) charge of running his household and raising his children.
But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.
In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago，your choice of soul mate was limited by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never clear, many marriages were essentially arranged. Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster（牡蛎）, you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.
But it seems that the traditions have been replaced by an even tighter restriction：the limitation of choice. The expectations of partners are made greater to an unmanageable degree：good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and so on. There is no room for error in the first impression.
We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn’t，it is intended to be thrown away. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don’t put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Twelve-hour work at the office makes relaxed after-hours dating(约会) difficult. The cost of housing and child-raising creates pressure to have a stable(稳定的) income and career before a life partnership.
1. Nowadays, in a family, _________.
A. men begin to depend on women
B. couples share the burdens
C. men are responsible for housework
D. couples can’t get along together
2. People don’t want to give up their independence because______.
A. they can’t bear arranged marriages
B. they want to have more choices
C. they don’t want to follow traditions
D. they think they can live happily alone
3. People don’t bother to date because_______.
A. it requires luck to build a strong relationship
B. it takes them too much energy to work
C. it needs faith to have a life partnership
D. it causes mental problems to find a life partner
4. Which of the following can best describe the main idea of the passage?
A. The expectations of partners and financial pressure may prevent a relationship.
B. People should spend more money on marriage today.
C. Independence is much more important than love.
D. Even a perfect marriage can be given up for the sake of independence.
There seems never to have been a civilization without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do.
In the ancient world, as is today, most boys played with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are rigidly(严格地) determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.
What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. The changes have been mostly in terms of craftsmanship, mechanics, and technology. It is the universality(普遍性) of toys with regard to their development in all parts of the world and their persistence to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, America, China, Japan and among the Arctic people, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Differences depended on local customs and way of life because toys imitate their surrounding. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.
Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to technological leaps that characterize(具有…的特征) inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the cart to the automobile is a direct line of ways up. The progress from a rattle(拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the time and subject to the limitations of available materials.
1. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that______.
A. boys like to play with their fathers while girl with their mothers
B. they like challenging activities
C. most boys would like to follow their fathers' professions
D. their social roles are rigidly determined
2. One aspect of "the universality of toys" lies in the fact that________.
A. the basic characteristics of toys are the same all over the world
B. technological advances have greatly improved the durability of toys
C. the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of toys
D. the improvement of craftsmanship in making toys depends on the efforts of universities
3. Regarded as a kind of art form, toys________.
A. reflect the pace of social progress
B. changes a lot as time goes by
C. are not characterized by technological progress
D. also appeal greatly to adults
4. The author uses the example of a rattle to show that________.
A. it often takes a long time to introduce new technology into toy-making
B. even the simplest toys can reflect the progress of technology
C. even a simple toy can mirror the artistic tastes of the time
D. in toy-making there is a continuity in the use of materials
Women consistently lie on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter to make their lives appear more exciting, a survey has found.
Researchers found that at least one in four women exaggerated(夸大) or distorted(扭曲) what they are doing on social media once a month. The survey of 2000 women found they mostly pretended to be out on the town, when in fact they are home alone, and polished an exotic(异国的) holiday or their job.
The most common reasons for women to write “fibs” included worrying their lives would seem “boring”, envy at seeing other people’s more exciting posts and wanting to impress their friends and acquaintances.
Psychologists suggested that as people attempt to “stay connected” on social media, they can in fact “paradoxically(自相矛盾地)” be left “more isolated”. They also said that “the more we try to make our lives seem perfect, the less perfect we feel”.
According to the OnePoll survey, one third of women surveyed admitted to “dishonesty” on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter at some stage.
Almost one in four admitted to lying or exaggerating about key aspects of their life online between one and three times a month while almost one in 10 said they lied more than once a week.
Nearly 30 percent of women lied about “doing something when I am home alone”, almost a quarter overstated their alcohol consumption while one in five were not truthful about their holiday activities or their jobs. Almost one in five women even lied about their “relationship status”.
“We work very hard presenting ourselves to the world online, pretending and attempting to be happy all the time which is exhausting and eventually unfulfilling,” said Dr Michael Sinclair, a leading British consultant psychologist.
“Leaving out the less desirable imperfections of our lives from the conversations with our `friends` online leads to less opportunity to feel empathized with(与…产生共鸣), resulting in a greater sense of disconnection from others.”
The survey was conducted by Pencourage, a new anonymous (匿名的)“diary-style” social media website.
1. Which of the words below is closest in meaning to the underlined word “fibs” in Para 3?
A. life experiences B. short stories
C. careful thoughtsD. insignificant lies
2. A woman tends to tell a lie online when she__________.
A. hopes to make more friends
B. envies other people’s exciting life
C. feels lonely at home
D. gets tired of the boring life
3. A woman might pretend to be happier online than she actually is by __________.
A. avoiding conversations with friends
B. describing her holiday activities
C. leaving out the imperfections in life
D. overstating her trouble at work
4. According to Dr Michael Sinclair, constantly lying online may __________.
A. eventually make one’s life more exciting
B. actually lead to a sense of isolation
C. really improve one’s sense of happiness
D. scarcely have any influence on relationships
HANGZHOU, April 4 (Xinhua) —Another H7N9 bird flu case has been confirmed in east China's Zhejiang Province, the provincial health department said Thursday, bringing the country's total number of cases to 10.
The patient is a 64-year-old man from Huzhou City. He became ill on March 29 and was admitted to a hospital in Huzhou on March 31.
On Thursday, medical experts confirmed that he was infected with the H7N9 bird flu strain after the provincial center for disease control and prevention said late Wednesday that he tested positive for the virus.
An investigation has found that all 55 people who had close contact with the man have not showed any abnormal clinical symptoms, the department said.
So far, China has confirmed 10 H7N9 cases — four in Jiangsu Province, two in Shanghai Municipality, one in Anhui Province and three in Zhejiang. The two patients in Shanghai and one in Zhejiang have died.
Health authorities and hospitals in many Chinese provinces have been on high alert for H7N9 cases.
In Nanchang, capital of Jiangxi Province, which neighbors Zhejiang, five hospitals have been selected and ordered to be ready to treat H7N9 patients, though no cases have been reported there.
China's health authorities have promised transparency(透明) and cooperation to the World Health Organization (WHO) in regards to human infections of the new strain of bird flu.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Health and Family Planning Commission distributed prevention and control plans and technique directives（指示）to health institutions nationwide. "So far, the sources of infection have not been clear, but based on past experiences and recent epidemiological (病理学的) studies, the sources could be poultry or the secretion and excrement from poultry," according to the plan.
The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday that no human-to-human transmission of H7N9 has been discovered and no epidemiological connection between these cases has been found.
1. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. China is on high alert for H7N9 cases.
B. The 10th H7N9 infection case has been confirmed in China.
C. China has promised transparency and cooperation to the WHO.
D. China distributed prevention and control plans.
2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Four H7N9 cases have been confirmed in Zhejiang including the old man.
B. People who had close contact with the man are infected with bird flu too.
C. So far three people have died of H7N9 bird flu.
D. China kept back the truth of human infections from the WHO.
3. In which province have no H7N9 bird flu cases been reported so far?
A. Jiangxi.B. Anhui.
C. Zhejiang.D. Jiangsu.
4. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. H7N9 bird flu can spread from human to human.
B. Poultry are the sources of H7N9 bird flu.
C. All the cases confirmed are not connected.
D. Experts don’t definitely know the sources of H7N9 bird flu.
So the evening turned to night, and the night turned to morning. And before I knew it , the SAT was before me. I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but I knew one thing: I wanted to get it over with.
SAT for the students is like tooth pulling. For those smart Asian kiddos, it’s like walking through the park: easy and carefree. For me, a Chinese American, …it’s: walking through the park and then tripping on a stone.
As I arrived outside of the dining hall, already a mob of students were sitting, talking, or standing silently waiting to get in. Jones students are lucky not only to have such a testing center at school, but also the feeling of their home school where it feels comfortable and familiar.
“ID, please,” my former math teacher asked at the door.
“Okay.” She looked over my ID, checked off my name on her list, and pointed towards the dining hall tables inside.
With hesitation, I picked up my feet and was directed to a large round table in the middle of the dinning hall. At least fourteen people could sit at this table but only four were allowed to take their test here.
“I’m glad it’s multiple choices.” I heard one student say. All the questions on the test have five choices except for one math section where they have only four. If you get an answer wrong, you don’t get any point, plus you get a penalty of a 1/4 point. If you don’t answer a question, you don’t get any point, nor penalties.
When everyone had a seat and the actual SAT I booklet in front of them, the proctor of the test called for our attentions. “In front of you, you should have a SAT I test and a scantron（答题卡）. Please do not open the test booklet until I say so.” He then went on to talk about the procedures, the amount of time, signature of honesty, etc. After thirty minutes of instruction reading, he gave us all a solemn expression before saying, “You may begin now. Good luck.”
I could hear a hundred booklets being opened and pencils scratching the surface. I looked to my right, I looked to my left, I did a quick prayer for whoever was in charge up in the heavens, and started my test. At least I wouldn’t know my score until summer time.
1. How did the author feel before the test?
A. Confident.B. Carefree.
C. Confused.D. Nervous.
2. Jones students are lucky because __________.
A. they can take the test in their home school
B. they can talk during the test
C. they can take the test in a dining hall
D. they have their math teacher supervising the test
3. By the underlined sentence, the writer intends to say that_________.
A. the test would be so difficult that she might not pass it
B. the test seemed easy but she still needed to be careful with it
C. the test would be much easier for her than for the other Asian students
D. she found herself not as smart as the other Asian students
4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A. Fourteen students sat around a large round table, taking the test.
B. There were four math problems on the test.
C. You will lose more points if you get the answer wrong than if you give up the question.
D. The proctor announced the instructions as soon as the test began.
As soon as the plane took off, it was clear that something was wrong. People their seats and there were already some terrible shouts. It seemed that we were about to .
People cried all around. Although I didn’t shout, I couldn’t have spoken . Then two rows to my left, I heard a calm voice, a woman’s voice, speaking in a normal tone nothing serious was happening. The woman, in her mid-30s, was staring into the face of her daughter, who looked to be four years old. The child so carefully that she seemed unaffected by the sounds of 36 around her.
I suddenly remembered another girl who had a terrible plane crash with the protection of her mother. The mother lost her life. , the little girl had to be treated to get rid of the feelings of guilt and unworthiness that often survivors. She was told time and again that it hadn’t been for her that her mother had gone away. I hoped this situation wouldn’t in the same way.
Finally, I leaned over and heard this soft, voice. Over and over again, the mother said, “I love you so much. Do you know that I love you more than anything else?”
“Yes, Mommy,” said the little girl.
“And remember that no matter what happens, I will always be you. And you are a good girl. Sometimes things happen, and they are not your fault. You are a good girl and my love will always be with you.” Then the mother put her over her daughter’s, fastened the seat belt over both of them and was to crash. Everything seemed hopeless. But , the horror was over in seconds. We landed safely.
That mom showed me what a real looked like. And in those few minutes, I heard the voice of .
1.A. fitted in withB. got out ofC. kept out ofD. got away with
2.A . quit B. landC. crashD. withdraw
3.A. calmlyB. loudly C. clearlyD. steadily
4.A. what ifB. even ifC. as ifD. only if
5.A. followedB. listened C. noddedD. glanced
6.A. fear B. sympathyC. regretD. shock
7.A. escaped B. preventedC. sufferedD. survived
8.A. InsteadB. AnywayC. HoweverD. Otherwise
9.A. stressB. troubleC. possessD. remind
10.A. honor B. responsibilityC. faultD. excuse
11.A. tend B. turnC. stopD. develop
12.A. firm B. uglyC. hesitantD. tough
13.A. as usual B. beyond belief C. at all D. for sure
14.A. inB. onC. forD. with
15.A. yet B. onlyC. stillD. again
16.A. arm B. bodyC. headD. hand
17.A. engagedB. devoted C. preparedD. involved
18.A. fortunatelyB. accidentallyC. ridiculouslyD. desperately
19.A. educatorB. rescuerC. heroD. sponsor
20.A. beliefB. commitmentC. faith D. courage
