完形填空。
“Mum, you're always on the computer!” Laure complained.
“No, I'm not,” I ______.
“Every day I come home from school you're working on the computer.”
“Well, at least I'm here _______ you!”
My daughter was right. Day after day, in my home office, I would stare into space as my ____ typed out the thoughts of a speaker or research completed for an article. It seemed that my work as a writer and speaker _______ my fingers to the keyboard and my mind to valuable ideas. What Laure did not _______ was that during her day away, I'd also be doing a lot of housework. It was only around three in the afternoon that I'd ______ seat myself at my desk for a few _______moments of deep thought. Then she'd come from school.
I was ______of myself on being available to my children. After all, I am a speaker on child behavior and parenting. But Laure's observation _____ my heart. In her eyes, I must have been a mom who was ______ but unapproachable. I wouldn't make such an image (形象) before her. My relationship with my children is more _____ than any other work.
“Laure,” I called, “come here a minute.”
She wandered to my doorway. I had decided to have her _____ me when I was too devoted to work. I wanted her to have the _______ to let me know when she thought I was cold.
After I explained my ______ and the fact that I chose home office to be accessible to her and her sister, I offered Laure the following ______.
“Whenever you feel I'm ignoring you or you need my _______, I want you to ______ me,” I said. “Just come up and give me a little hug. That'll be our signal that you ______ me.”
Years later we still have that _______ sign. I've become much more sensitive to my daughters' comings and goings. _______ she always gives me a little hug to remind me of the real reason why I work at home.
1.A.thought B.refused C.defended D.agreed
2.A.for B.over C.against D.after
3.A.feet B.hands C.eyes D.ears
4.A.connected B.turn C.gave D.added
5.A.admit B.realize C.believe D.recognize
6.A.luckily B.gradually C.instantly D.finally
7.A.anxious B.precious C.busy D.rare
8.A.proud B.ashamed C.afraid D.scared
9.A.filled B.broke C.touched D.mended
10.A.suitable B.available C.acceptable D.reasonable
11.A.important B.funny C.obvious D.wonderful
12.A.warn B.persuade C.encourage D.remind
13.A.patience B.time C.power D.honor
14.A.pattern B.dream C.schedule D.choice
15.A.promise B.chance C.answer D.truth
16.A.help B.attention C.decision D.advice
17.A.hug B.shake C.kiss D.kick
18.A.miss B.hate C.need D.scold
19.A.unknown B.unexpected C.unfinished D.unspoken
20.A.And B.But C.Or D.Yet
阅读理解。
It is a familiar scene these days: employees taking newly laidoff (下岗) coworkers out for a drink for comfort. But which side deserves sympathy more, the jobless or the still employed? On March 6, researchers at a conference at the University of Cambridge heard data suggesting it's the latter.
Brendan Burchell, a Cambridge sociologist, presented his analysis based on various surveys conducted across Europe. The data suggest that employed people who feel insecure in their jobs show similar levels of anxiety and depression as those who are unemployed. Although a newly jobless person's mental health may “bottom out” after about six months, and then even begin to improve,the mental state of people who are continuously worried about losing their job “just continues to get worse and worse,” Burchell says.
Evolutionary psychologists support this theory by arguing that human beings feel more stress during times of insecurity because they sense an immediate but invisible threat. Patients have been known to experience higher levels of anxiety, for example, while waiting for examination results than knowing what they are suffering from — even if the result is cancer. It's better to get the bad news and start doing something about it rather than wait with anxiety. When the uncertainty continues, people stay in a nonstop “fight or flight” response, which leads to damaging stress.
But not every employee in insecure industries has such a discouraging view, Burchell says. In general, women get on better. While reporting higher levels of anxiety than men when directly questioned, women scored lower in stress on the GHQ 12, even when they had a job they felt insecure about losing. As Burchell explains, “For women, most studies show that any job — it doesn't matter whether it is secure or insecure — gives psychological improvement over unemployment.” Burchell supposes that the difference in men is that they tend to feel pressure not only to be employed, but also to be the primary breadwinner, and that more of a man's selfworth depends on his job.
1.Why do researchers think the still employed deserve sympathy more?
A.They have to do more work since then.
B.They have no chance to find better jobs.
C.They have to work with inexperienced workers.
D.They constantly worry about losing their job.
2.What is most likely to cause a “fight or flight” response?A.Not having a paid job.
B.Fierce competition for jobs.
C.Not knowing what will happen.
D.Pressure to work longer hours.
3.What will the writer talk about following the last paragraph?
A.Advice on preparing a job interview.
B.Advice to those in insecure industries.
C.Some knowledge of psychology.
D.Difference in men and women.
4.What could be the best title for the text?
A.Is It Less Stressful to Get Laid Off Than Stay On?
B.Should Greater Sympathy Be Given to the Jobless?
C.Do Employees Bear More Stress Than Ever Before?
D.Do Men or Women Show Higher Levels of Anxiety?
阅读理解。
The saying “a penny for your thoughts” is an English idiom simply asking people to volunteer their opinions on an issue being discussed. In modern usage, it is often stated as an indirect way of asking what someone is thinking about.
This phrase is basically a proposal (提议), and the speaker is offering to pay to hear the listener's thoughts. It is an idiom, of course, and not meant literally (字面上地) so no real payment generally takes place.
When the saying originated, a penny was worth a lot more than it is in the 21st century.Therefore, “a penny for your thoughts” likely indicated the thoughts were more valuable to those asking the listener for them than they are by today's standards. This loss of value can be used ironically (讽刺地), however, through tone (语气) of voice; it can be used to indicate that someone's idea is bad or worth a penny in modern value.
The phrase is generally credited to a man by the name of John Heywood, who was born sometime just before the 16th century. During his life, he was a writer who penned many plays and a book in 1546, later known as The Proverbs of John Heywood. It is likely that Heywood did not actually come up with the phrase “a penny for your thoughts”. Rather, he was simply the first person to have set the phrase down in written form. The actual origins of the term are unknown, and since his book was simply a collection of common idioms and expressions, it was probably familiar to people in the mid 1500s.
Another phrase similar to “a penny for your thoughts”is offering “your two cents” after making a statement. Someone might give his or her opinion and then say, “that's my two cents,” to indicate the value of his or her idea. While, much like a penny, “two cents” is relatively low in value now, it would have been more valuable at one time and the expression is used in much the same way.
1.When someone says “a penny for your thoughts”, he or she________.
A.wants to ask you for advice
B.considers your thoughts unique
C.is curious about what's on your mind
D.will pay for what you're thinking about
2.The modern meaning of “a penny for your thoughts” ________.
A.is more closely connected to the value of the penny
B.can differ greatly according to a speaker's tone of voice
C.can confuse the listener easily
D.is more popularly accepted
3.In what way is Heywood related to the phrase “a penny for your thoughts”?
A.He came up with it while he was writing.
B.He helped to explain the origins of it.
C.He contributed to the wide use of it.
D.He was the first person to use it.
4.What do we know about the phrase “your two cents”?
A.It is usually used at the end of a statement.
B.It comes from “a penny for your thoughts”.
C.It has witnessed some changes since the 16th century.
D.It is more familiar to people than “a penny for your thoughts”.
阅读理解。
“Made in China” has Changed
Many shoppers in the West still prize labels, boasting (吹嘘) a product was made in Italy without knowing that a growing number of Italian products come from factories that are Chineseowned and staffed. The products which were marked “Made in China” gave the buyer an impression of “low pride and low cost, low technology and development”. The statement used to be true, but now it has changed.
“Made in China” is becoming a leading part in the world market. China's garment industry (制衣业) has been investing in producing technology and training for decades, and its workforce has collectively gotten better at sewing garments. As a result, the quality of Chinesemade clothes is rising fast. It has been home to a highlyskilled, highlyspecialized garment industry, one that supplies even some highend (高端的) labels and offers the best mix of price, speed, and quality.
“If I was to make a basic men's jean, I'd make that in Pakistan,” said Edward Hertzman, coowner of the trade publication Sourcing Journal. “If I was going to make a fashionable women's garment, I would move to China because their skill set is better, their hand is better, their finishing is better, and they can handle that type of fashion.”
Indeed, luxury fashion labels now routinely make things in China. Burberry, Armani, and Prada have all produced things there, because they're still able to get good workmanship at a relatively low price. Even the Japanese brand Visvim, known for its crazy attention to detail, also produces highend, handmade footwear in China.
Despite the rising wages and costs of doing business in China, companies have not walked away. “China is viewed by people who make buying decisions as unique and hard to copy elsewhere,” says Josh Green, CEO of Panjiva.
1.Which of the following is NOT true about “Made in China”?
A.It used to be associated with poor quality.
B.It has lost its leading status in the world market.
C.Its products are recognized by luxury fashion brands.
D.It reflects China's investment in producing technology.
2.Edward Hertzman thinks highly of “Made in China” in such aspects as ________.
①workers' skills ②low prices
③advanced technology ④a sense of fashion
A.①②③ B.①②④
C.②③④ D.①③④
3.What is the similarity between Prada and Visvim?
A.Both of them are from Japan.
B.Neither of them sells at a low price.
C.They both make products in China.
D.They both produce handmade footwear.
【小题】What can be learned from the last paragraph?
A.Doing business in China costs a lot more now.
B.Chinese companies are more creative than others.
C.Foreign producers want to copy China's success.
D.Rising costs stop the interest of foreign companies.
阅读理解。
Babies don't learn to talk just from hearing sounds. They are lipreaders too. It happens during the stage when a baby's babbling (咿呀声) gradually changes from unclear voices into that first “mama” or “dada”. The baby in order to do like you has to figure out how to shape their lips to make that particular sound they are hearing, according to developmental psychologist David Lewkowicz of Florida Atlantic University, who led the study.
Apparently it doesn't take them too long to absorb the movements that match basic sounds. By their first birthdays, babies start changing back to look you in the eye again. It offers more evidence that quality facetime with babies is very important for speech development more than, say, turning on the latest baby DVD.
But Lewkowicz went a step further. He and his student Amy HansenTift tested nearly 180 babies, groups of them at ages 4,6,8,10 and 12 months. How? They showed videos of a woman speaking in English or Spanish to babies of English speakers. They found that when the speaker used English, the 4montholds gazed mostly into her eyes. The 6montholds spent equal amounts of time looking at the eyes and the mouth. The 8and 10montholds studied mostly the mouth. At 12 months, attention started changing back toward the speaker's eyes.
But what happened when these babies accustomed to English heard Spanish? The 12montholds studied the mouth longer, just like younger babies. They needed the extra information to recognize the unfamiliar sounds. That fits with research into bilingualism (双语) that shows babies' brains adjust themselves to distinguishing the sounds of their native language over other languages in the first year of life.
The continued lipreading shows the 1yearolds clearly still are fit for learning. Babies are so hard to study that this is “a fairly heroic data set”, says Duke University cognitive neuroscientist Greg Appelbaum, who found the research so fascinating that he wants to know more.
1.According to the first paragraph, babies________.
A.might get its voice “mama” by lipreading
B.learn to talk just from hearing the sounds
C.like to figure out how to shape their lips
D.communicate with parents through gestures
2.What is necessary in developing babies' speech according to Lewkowicz?
A.Playing baby DVD nearby.
B.Teaching babies to read English.
C.Speaking with babies face to face.
D.Speaking different languages in front of babies.
3.Which of the following shows the right change of babies' eye gaze according to the text?
4.What would be the best title of the text?
A.Babies Have Different Methods to Talk
B.Babies Try Lipreading in Learning to Talk
C.Babies Are Suitable to Learn Two Languages
D.Babies Can Easily Accept Foreign Language
语法填空
Would you like to explore (勘探) the oceans? Do you want to find 1. life than we imagine there? For Jacques Cousteau, the answer was “yes”. His career was a lifelong dream, and he is _2. (probable) the most famous ocean scientist in recent times.
Cousteau was born in France in 1910. Even 3._ a child, he loved water. Cousteau was bright, 4. he got bored with school and began to cause trouble. His parents sent him to a strict boarding school. There, Cousteau finally 5. (challenge). He studied hard and did well in all his courses. In 1933, he served as a general officer in the French Navy. He also began to explore the life under the water. He worked 6. a breathing machine to stay under water longer. It was finished in 1943.
In 1948, Cousteau became a captain, and he had new duties. Even so, he continued to explore the oceans. Two years later, he became the president of the French Oceanographic Campaigns. He also bought a ship 7. (help) with his dives. But he _8. (need) a way to get money for his trips. To do that, he produced many films and published a number of books. His films include The Silent World (1956) and World Without Sun (1996). One of his books is The Living Sea (1963).
In 1974, he founded the Cousteau Society, 9. function was to further oceanic research and encourage people to help protect the oceans and the life within them.
Cousteau won many honors for his work, 10. (include) the Presidential Medal of Freedom and membership in the French Academy in 1989.