阅读理解。
Everyone looks forward to progress, whether in one's personal life or in the general society.Progress indicates a person's ability to change the way he is living at the moment.Progress must lead to a better life and a better way of doing things.All these, however, remain true only in so far as people want to accept technology and move forward by finding new and more efficient ways of doing things.
However, at the back of the minds of many people, especially those who miss the “good old days”， efficiency comes with a price.When communication becomes more efficient, people are able to contact one another no matter where they are and at whatever time they wish to.The click of a button allows people miles apart to talk or see each other without even leaving their homes.With the communication gadgets, such as mobile phones and iPads, people often do not take the effort to visit one another personally.A personal visit carries with it the additional feature of having to be in the person's presence for as long as the visit lasts.We cannot unnecessarily excuse ourselves or turn the other person off.
With efficiency also comes mass production.Such is the nature of factories and the success of industrialization today.Factories have improved efficiency.Unskillful tasks are left to machines and products are better made and produced with greater accuracy than any human hand could ever have done.However, with the improvements in efficiency also comes the loss of the personal touch when making these products.For example, many handicrafts (手工艺品) are now produced in a factory.
Although this means that supply is better able to increase demand, now that the supply is quick and efficient, the demand might fall because mass production lowers the quality of the handicraft and it is difficult to find unique designs on each item.
Nevertheless, we must not commit the mistake of analyzing progress only from one point of view.In fact, progress has allowed tradition to keep up.It is only with progress and the invention of new technology that many old products can be brought back to their old state.New technology is required for old products to stay old.
It is people's attitude towards progress that causes the type of influence that technology has on society.Technology is flexible.There is no fixed way of making use of it.Everything depends on people's attitude.The worst effects of progress will fall on those who are unable to rethink their attitudes and views of society.When we accept progress and adapt it to suit our needs, a new “past” is created.
1.The underlined word “gadgets” in Para. 2 is closest in meaning to“________”.
A.tools B.messages
C.barriers D.skills
2.Compared with homemade handicrafts, machinemade products ________.
A.lack great accuracy
B.lack the personal touch
C.are of high value
D.are quite welcome
3.What can be learned about technology from Paragraph 4?
A.It can destroy old traditions.
B.It can lead to social progress.
C.It can be used to correct mistakes.
D.It can be used to preserve old products.
4.What can be concluded from the last paragraph?
A.Progress can suit the needs of daily life.
B.People review the past with great regret.
C.Technology should be introduced in a fixed way.
D.People's attitude decides the use of technology.
阅读理解。
Does stress cause gray hair？Many people believe that tension and stress can cause your hair to lose its color.In fact，it is an_old_wives’_tale that being upset all the time can result in premature graying.Here is a closer look at this situation and why some believe that this old wives’ tale could be true.
As one ages，the hairs on the head also age.In fact，just about everything on the human body begins to show signs of wear and tear after a while.The joints wear and become stiff and skin wears and becomes wrinkled.Hairs on the head grow and eventually die.They are replaced，but in the process something else happens.
When new hairs are replaced，the color or pigment (色素) is also added to them.However，as one ages，this pigment becomes less and less available.At first，hairs will have a limited amount of pigment and they will appear to be grayish in color.In time，they will lose all of their pigment and will be white.Many things are known to cause graying，and genetics is a very powerful factor.If one of your parents turns gray at an early age，there is a good chance that you will too.Some people begin the graying process in high school，while others may be over the age of forty.
Constant worry and tension can have many harmful effects on the human body.It is a known fact that stressful times can cause one to suffer hair loss.It would make sense that if it can cause these problems，perhaps it also may contribute to graying.However，there is no sound evidence to support this.
On the other hand，many medical professionals believe that there may be a link between graying and a constant state of anxiety or tension.Does stress cause gray hair？There is no scientific evidence to support the theory，but it is best to avoid stressful situations.
1.The underlined phrase in the first paragraph most probably means ________.
A．clever remarks B．silly remarks
C．exciting remarks D．disappointed remarks
2.The second paragraph mainly tells us ________.
A．every part of body is replaced with age
B．hairs will grow weak but not die
C．skin becomes wrinkled with age
D．every part of body ages with age
3.What might play the most important role in the graying process?
A．Genetics and the amount of sleeping time.
B．The amount of food people eat and living environment.
C．The amount of pigment and genetics.
D．Genetics and the amount of water people drink
4.According to the passage，continuous pressure may result in ________.
A．a person’s fatness B．a person’s fitness
C．a person’s weight loss D．a person’s hair loss
5.From the passage we can infer that ________.
A．stress causing gray hair is still in question
B．gray hair has nothing to do with tension
C．stressful situations can be of benefit
D．sound evidence has been found
阅读理解。
The Japanese like parties.From ancient times, a party becomes enlivened (活泼) when someone starts singing and others keep applauding.Having such a custom, the Japanese can easily sing in front of others without feeling embarrassed.This seems to be one of the reasons that karaoke has been largely accepted in Japanese society.
It is now widely recognized that the use of karaoke started at a snack bar in Kobe City, one of the three biggest cities in Japan.It is said that when a guitarist could not come to perform at the bar due to illness, the owner of the bar prepared tapes of accompaniment recordings, and people enjoyed singing to the tapes.
It was at that time that karaoke appeared.Holding a microphone and singing a song to the accompaniment of an “orchestra (管弦乐队)”， you can feel like a professional singer.For soldiers living in a stressful society, there is no other entertainment activity that can make them feel so refreshed.
It is a typical way to relax for Japanese businessmen.They use it to take away their stress after work.However, there is an obstacle to this: since most Japanese houses are still made of wood, it would be very annoying to the neighbors to sing into a microphone at night.Seizing upon the opportunity, businessmen created the karaoke box, a roadside facility containing karaoke equipment.Karaoke boxes are soundproofed rooms, closed with a door, placed on roadsides where people can sing.The first “Karaoke box” was placed in a rice camp in the countryside in 1984.It was built from a converted freight car (改装的货运车).Now, the karaoke boom has even spread abroad and it has also been attracting the attention of the countries trying to improve their literacy rate (识字率) as a good educational tool.
1.According to the text, we can learn that karaoke ________.
A.originated from the biggest city of Japan
B.originated in the form of singing to tapes
C.can help you achieve the level of professional singers
D.first appeared in the army to relieve stress for soldiers
2.The underlined word “soundproofed” in Paragraph 4 most probably means “________”.
A.recording sounds repeatedly
B.receiving sound signals
C.making sound more clear
D.stopping sound from being heard outside
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A.Karaoke was started in a bar during a party.
B.A guitarist was the originator who brought the karaoke into being.
C.Karaoke was very common as a form of entertainment at home when it was born.
D.Karaoke is used as a way of education in some countries.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A.What karaoke boxes are like.
B.How karaoke boxes were created.
C.The origins and development of karaoke.
D.Karaoke becomes a popular form of entertainment.
阅读理解。
“Reconstituted” families are more and more common in the UK.
Steve and Debbie got married in 2001 and had two children，Lily and Alex.Unfortunately，Steve and Debbie’s marriage didn’t work out and they got divorced in 2006.The children live with Debbie.In 2008，Debbie remarried.Her new husband，Martin，has three children from his previous marriage and they visit Debbie，Martin，Lily and Alex at weekends.In addition，Debbie is pregnant with her third child.She’s expecting a boy who will be a halfbrother to Lily and Alex and also to Martin’s three other children.
Confused？Debbie’s family arrangements might have seemed strange 30 years ago but nowadays this kind of “reconstituted” family is increasingly common in the UK.Almost half of all marriages in Britain end in divorce and over 40% of marriages are remarriages.More than 10% of all British children live with one birth parent and a stepparent—a parent who isn’t their biological mother or father.The traditional “nuclear” family of two parents and their children is not so traditional any more.
What does all of this mean for parents in these “reconstituted” families？“There are difficulties and challenges，” says Debbie.“Different families have different routines and it can be difficult for children to move between their two families.Birthdays and holidays can be tricky.Where do the children go？Who should they spend their time with？Also，when my children are naughty it can be difficult for Martin to tell_them_off.Things that might be simple in a traditional family can be a bit more complicated.”
And how about the children？Martin’s eldest child，Ella，is 12.“I like my two families，” she says.“I live with my mum but visit my dad quite often and I’m happy that my mum and dad get along OK.They’re not married any more but it’s good that they can still be friends.” Of course divorce and separation are never easy but many families in the UK are finding ways to make family life work in new ways.
1.Why did Steve and Debbie get separated?
A．They couldn’t support the children.
B．They couldn’t get along well.
C．They were both out of work.
D．They had serious economic problems.
2.We can learn from the text that a “nuclear” family ________.
A．has two birth parents and their children
B．has two birth parents and only one child
C．is traditional but complicated
D．doesn’t have any children
3.What do the underlined words “tell them off” in Paragraph 4 most probably mean?
A．make them annoyed B．send them to school
C．let out their secrets D．talk angrily to them
4.What’s the text mainly about?
A．The difference between “marriage” and “remarriage”．
B．More and more people get divorced in the UK.
C．“Reconstituted” families are becoming more and more in the UK.
D．The marriage situation is becoming severe.
阅读理解。
You know how wonderful you are, and you know that others know how wonderful you are, but what do you do when admiration crosses over the line into jealousy (嫉妒)? For most teens there will come a day when you realize that one of your friends is jealous and that this jealousy is hurting your friendship. When this happens it can seem like there is nothing that you can do, but the good news is that there is. Don't let jealousy spoil your friendship. Deal with it confidently and you might be back to normal much sooner than you think.
It can be hard to walk up to a friend and ask them what the problem is, but if you want to save your friendship you'll have to do just that. Don't approach them and ask why they are jealous of you unless of course you want to appear totally conceited (逞能的), just take some time alone with them and let them know that you've been feeling like there's been something coming between you. If they refuse to respond, then use the opportunities to explain how you have been feeling. Chances are that something you say will strike a nerve and your friend will open up as well.
When you figure out what is annoying your friend, ask him or her what (s)he thinks would make the situation better. If, for example, (s)he says that (s)he feels like (s)he doesn't get to spend any time with you because of your being off with your new friends from the swim team then maybe you could invite him or her along the next time or block off one day a week for just the two of you. Remember, though, that whatever solution you decide on should be a compromise. Don't limit your own talents or opportunities simply because your friend is unhappy. Try instead to include him or her in your new life and see how that works out.
Even the best of friendships can be ruined by jealousy. This destructive emotion is rarely productive and can turn best friends into worst enemies. Before taking extreme action, chat with your jealous friend to see if the two of you can work out a compromise. If you can't, be prepared to know exactly how far you will go to keep your friend and how far you won't.
1.According to the author, the jealousy emotion is ________.
A.normal B.productive
C.destructive D.extreme
2.What does the author intend to tell us in paragraph 2?
A.How to solve the problem of jealousy.
B.Why we need to solve the problem of jealousy.
C.How to explain your jealousy to your friends.
D.Why it is hard to deal with the problem of jealousy.
3.What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?
A.There's always a solution to solve the problem of jealousy.
B.Jealousy can turn best friends into worst enemies.
C.You may lose a friend to keep your own gifts, chances or selfdevelopment.
D.You should go a long way with your friend to work out a solution.
4.This passage is mainly intended for ________.
A.female readers B.students
C.teenagers D.best friends
阅读理解。
Finally，I entered the university.Because of my careful savings，I did not have to work during the school years.Then，summer came and it was time to work harder than ever.I continued working as a waitress at night，instructed tennis camps several mornings a week and worked as a secretary for a few hours in the afternoons.I even decided to take a class at a community (社区) college.This class at the community college saved me $650.It was an extremely tiring summer and made me anxious to return to my relatively easy life at the university.
During my second and third years of undergraduate schooling，I decided to work about five hours per week in the campus (校园) admissions office answering phones.This provided a little spending money and kept me from drawing my savings out. The overall situation looked hopeful as I approached my senior year as long as I could make as much money as I had the previous summer.I wanted to go to Israel to study for 3 weeks，but I hesitated in making this decision because it would cost me $1,600 more to get the credits in Israel.About two weeks later my mom called to tell me that I had $1,600 in the bank that I had forgotten about！One of my concerns about this trip was not only the cost，but the loss of time to make money；however，I made as much that summer in the ten weeks when I was at home as I had made during the fourteen weeks when I was at home the summer before.The way everything worked together to make this trip possible was one of the most exciting things that have ever happened to me.
This experience has shaped me in many important ways.The first thing that I learned was the importance of a strong work ethic (道德准则)．Working long hours did a lot to develop my character and helped me learn the value of a dollar.It also made me learn how to search for creative ways to settle difficult situations.
1.Where did the writer probably work parttime before attending the university?
A．In a restaurant.
B．In the tennis camps.
C．In a company.
D．In the campus admissions office.
2.The writer took a class at a community college mainly because ________.
A．she wanted to save money
B．life there was relatively easy
C．summer time was tiring
D．it was required by the university
3.The writer’s major concern about the trip to Israel was that ________.
A．her mother would not give her approval
B．she would fail to get credits in Israel
C．a wellpaid summer job would be lost
D．$1,600 couldn’t be drawn out in time
4.The passage is mainly about how the writer ________.
A．made money on the college campus
B．managed to make full use of her vacation
C．was forced to support herself by her mother
D．was shaped by working parttime through college
