We live in a technological society where most goods are mass-produced by unskilled labor. Because of this, most people think that craft no longer exists.
One of the ways these people wrongly support their view is by pointing to 100-year-old homes which are still solid, and arguing that it is the craftsmanship that is responsible for their durability, “Homes in those days were well-built.” they say. No doubt these homes were well-built, but what these people have done is mix up the quality of material used in the house with the quality of the craftsmanship.
Homes today could be built to last just as long as those old homes if people were willing or able to pay the price. For example, most people can no longer afford solid oak stairways, although they were once fairly common in older homes. Nor can they afford the high labor cost of employing a carpenter to build the stairway. Yet if someone can pay the high cost, there are still plenty of carpenters around able to make those stairway. And not only would these carpenters know how to build them, they would probably do a better job than carpenters of old.
One thing the modern carpenter has which enables him to do a better job is much more advanced tools. Such tools as laser beams and power planes help them lay out a house better and make more precision cuts on the wood. Also, it is not uncommon any more to find carpenters with college degrees and carpenters with a sold knowledge of mathematics, which would enable them to deal with more difficult house designs.
The problem of modern quality, then, really boils down to the problem of material, for the modern carpenter is just as able to produce craftsmanship as the carpenter of fifty yeas ago, but only if given proper material.
1.Compared with the carpenters in the past, modern carpenters are ________ .
A. more learned B. more successful
C. more imaginative D. more hardworking
2.What does the underlined word “they” (paragraph 2) refer to?
A. Carpenters who are fond of oak stairways.
B. People who think highly of carpenters of old.
C. Carpenters who have college degrees.
D. People who think that modern material is of low quality.
3.What dose the third paragraph mainly discuss?
A. People in the past preferred to use oak to build stairways.
B. It is now expensive to employ a carpenter.
C. Good carpenters still exist in modern times.
D. Modern houses last as long as the old ones.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Carpenters Today and Yesterday
B. Craft, Back to Life?
C. History of Craftsmanship
D. Is Craft Dead?
Be aware of those who use the truth to deceive. When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can create a false impression. For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery. It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!” This guy’s a winner, right? Maybe, or maybe not. We then discover that he bought two hundred tickets, and only one was winner. He’s really a big loser! He didn’t say anything that was false, but he omitted important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half-truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Untrustworthy candidates in political campaigns often use this tactic. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents runs an advertisement, saying “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.”
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false claims so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might boast, “Nine out of ten doctors recommend Yucky Pills to cure nose pimples(粉刺).” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Corporation.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.
1.Which statement is true according to the article?
A. Whenever people tell the truth, they may lie
B. The truth can be used in dishonest ways.
C. All governors help their states.
D. You cannot trust lottery agent.
2.The author clearly wants people ___________.
A. not to trust any politician
B. to vote for female candidates
C. not to believe advertisements of any kind
D. to think carefully about what they read and hear
3.Governor Smith’s opponents wanted __________.
A. to beat her in the campaign
B. to make her a liar
C. to get jobs in the government
D. to detect her lie
The city of Rome has passed a new law to prevent cruelty to animals. All goldfish bowls are no longer allowed and dog owners must walk their dogs.
This comes after a national law was passed to give prison sentences to people who desert cats or dogs.
“The civilization of a city can be measured by this,” said Monica Carina, the councilor behind the new law.
The newspaper reported that round bowls don’t give enough oxygen for fish and may make them go blind.
“Rome has tried to protect fish more than anywhere else in the world. It stands out for recognizing that fish are interesting animals that deserve over respect and pity every bit as much as dogs and cats and other animals,” said Karin Robertson, a director of the People for the Ethical treatment of Animals.
Lat year a law was passed in Italy that gives people who desert pets big fines and prison sentences. Since then local governments have added their own animal protection rules.
The northern city of Turin passed a law in April to give pet owners fines of up to $598 if they do not walk their dogs three times a day.
The new law in Rome also says that owners mustn’t leave their dogs in hot cars or cut their dogs’ tail to make them look lovelier. The law also gives legal recognition to the “cat ladies” who feed homeless cats. The cats live all over the city from ancient ruins to modern office car parks.
1.The new law passed in Rome will _________.
A. guarantee better conditions for goldfish
B. help improve fishing environment
C. stop people from catching goldfish
D. discourage keeping goldfish at home
2.People in Rome believe that the civilization of a city can be judged by _________.
A. exchanges with other cities
B. Protection of ancient ruins
C. recognition of animal lovers
D. awareness of animal protection
3.People may break the law in Turin if they _____________.
A. keep their dogs or cats in cars
B. shut their dogs home all day long
C. raise their cats near ancient ruins
D. feed homeless animals in car parks
Direction: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C or D. Fill in each blank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
For busy people, the idea of speed dating has really caught on in popularity. In a speed dating event, usually 8-10 ________ go around from table to table, each spending 6-8 minutes at each one. From that, you may not know for sure if you want to ________ something more with an individual, but, you will _______ know if you don't want to.
The first thing that you will realize about speed dating is that it makes you _______. Unlike a bar, where you might get a whole evening to ________ check a potential partner out and to see what they’ve got, when it comes to ________, you know that you only have a certain amount of time to put your best foot forward there. You’ll find the other participants are ________ of this and will put their best foot forward.
An 8-minute speed dating will also give you a chance to see how someone ________ under pressure. You may already know a little more about their ________ if you find someone who can’t seem to make eye-contact. The best advice is to make eye contact, be open and direct. You’ll find that the ________ time can make for some excellent opportunities to really shine, and there’s nothing like a deadline to make you more ________! An important detail to keep in mind is that you will be ________ to a dozen or more singles in a short time. Those who feel that there is an advantage in larger numbers will surely find this ________.
When you are looking for ________, you may not want to do the long search, so think about speed dating and see what you can do to make sure that it works for you. ________, give this exciting opportunity a try!
1.A. singles B. couples C. youths D. lovers
2.A. learn B. develop C. explore D. have
3.A. equally B. hardly C. eventually D. definitely
4.A. chase B. focus C. hurry D. cheer
5.A. occasionally B. frequently C. constantly D. unexpectedly
6.A. speed dating B. making friends C. family planning D. home improving
7.A. sick B. fond C. confident D. aware
8.A. acts B. talks C. lives D. loves
9.A. interest B. background C. personality D. intention
10.A. limited B. spare C. appointed D. luxurious
11.A. objective B. passive C. negative D. creative
12.A. introduced B. used C. mentioned D. devoted
13.A. appealing B. surprising C. convincing D. demanding
14.A. fun B. adventure C. friendship D. love
15.A. On the whole B. As a result C. In a word D. Believe it or not
A. conveyedB. standC. expressionD. disagreementAB. guide AC. accomplishedAD. raisedBC. internationallyBD. intentionallyCD. oral |
Direction: Complete the passage by choosing the proper words in the box.
Ever since humans have lived on the earth, they have made use of various forms of communication. Generally, this expression of thoughts and feelings has been in the form of ___1.___speech. When there is a language barrier, communication is ___2.___through sign language in which motions___3.___ for letters, words, and ideas. Tourists and the people unable to hear or speak have had to turn to this form of __4.__. Many of these symbols of whole words are very lively and exact and can be used __5.___; spelling, however, cannot.
Body language sends ideas or thoughts by certain actions, either___6.___ or not. A wink can be a way of showing that the party is only joking. A nod means approval, while shaking the head indicates __7.___.
Other forms of nonlinguistic language can be found in Braille (a system of __8.___ dots read with the fingertips), signal flags, Morse code, and smoke signals. Road maps and picture signs also __9.__and warn people. While language is the most common form of communication, other systems and techniques also express human thoughts and feelings.
Direction: Complete the following sentences by using the phrases from the box in their proper forms. Note that there is one phrase more than you need.
feel like | be capable of | round off | comment on |
be involved in | search …for…. | lead to | vary from …to… |
1.The Palace will not ___________ questions about the family's private life.
2.We decided to ________our tour of Europe with a brief visit to Madrid.
3.They ________ all the drawers ______ the missing paper.
4.I believe I _________________ calculating the political consequences accurately
5.He ______also heavily__________ all of its live theater productions
