In Japan, “what’s your type?” is much more than small talk; it can be a more important question in everything from matchmaking to getting a job. By type, the Japanese mean blood type, and no amount of scientific debunking (揭穿) can kill a widely held belief that blood tells all.
In the year that just ended, four of Japan’s top 10 best-sellers were about how blood type determines personality, according to Japan’s largest book distributor, Tohan Co. Taku Kabeya, chief editor at Bungeisha, thinks the appeal comes from having one’s self-image confirmed; readers discover the definition of their blood type and “It’s like ‘Yes, that’s me!’“
As defined by the books, type As are sensitive perfectionists but overanxious; type Bs am cheerful but weird and selfish; Os are curious, generous but stubborn; and Abs are arty but mysterious and unpredictable. All that may sound like a horoscope(占星), but the public doesn’t seem to care. Nowadays matchmaking agencies provide blood-type compatibility (兼容性) tests, and some companies make decisions about assignments based on employees’ blood types. Children at some kindergartens are divided up by blood type, and the women’s softball team that won gold at the Beijing Olympics used the theory to customize each player’s training.
Blood types, determined by the proteins in the blood, have nothing to do with personality, said Satoru Kikuchi, associate professor of psychology at Shinshu University. “It’s simply false science, “he said, “The idea encourages people to judge others by the blood types, without trying to understand them as human beings. It’s like racism.” This use of blood-typing has disreputable (名声不好的) roots. The theory was imported from Nazi race ideologues (空谈家) and adopted by Japan’s militarist government in the 1930s to breed better soldiers. The idea was abandoned years later and the craze faded. It resurfaced in the 1970s, however, as Masahiko Nomi, a supporter with no medical background, gave the theory mass appeal. His son, Toshitaka now promotes it through a private group, the Human Science ABO Center, saying it’s not intended to rank or judge people but to smooth relationships and help make the best of one’s talents.
1. That many Japan’s best-sellers were about blood type implies ____________.
A. this topic is used by many people in small talks
B. Japanese attach great importance to blood type
C. people don’t want to have confirmed self-image
D. the definition of blood type leads to arguments
2. According to the passage, ________ may face more pressure while performing a task.
A. type As B. type Bs C. type Os D. type ABs
3. Kikuchi compared blood type determinism to racism because ______________.
A. both blood type and race are determined by the proteins in the blood
B. neither blood type nor race is related to our character and personality
C. both of them judge people without considering their individualities
D. blood type determinism believes human abilities are decided by race
4. Who introduced the blood type theory to Japan?
A. Nazis from Germany. B. Japan’s militarist government.
C. A supporter called Masahiko Nomi. D. Human Science ABO Center.
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
In England three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop. They studied the information on the post sign and decided which bus to take. About five minutes later the bus they wanted came along. They prepared to get on. Suddenly people rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted insulting remarks about the foreigners. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus so that the first person who arrived at a bus-stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to ensure a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your hosts. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man apparently（显然地）shaking his head at another and assume (认为) that he is disagreeing. But in many parts of India a rotating (旋转) movement of the head is a gesture that express agreement or acceptance. Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty. In that country you shake your head to express “yes” — a nod means “no”.
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone, even at an important meeting. Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand, however, could cause offence (冒犯). It is considered too informal an attitude for such an occasion. Also when in Thailand avoid touching the head of an adult — it’s just not done.
Attitudes to women vary considerably（相当地）around the world. In Japan, for example, it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home.
Knowing about customs and attitudes is useful when you are travelling, but you also need to know the language used to express different degrees of formality (礼节).
The three foreign gentlemen looked puzzled and ashamed because __________________.
A. they didn’t know the English language B. someone called their names
C. they didn’t know the custom of lining up for a bus
D. they knocked someone down while getting on the bus
According to the passage, which attitude to women is usual in Japan?
A. Men always go to parties with women.
B. Men plan evening entertainments for their wives.
C. Men and women have equal rights to go to parties.
D. Men plan evening entertainments for themselves, while their wives stay home.
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “insulting” in Para. 1 ?
A. 善意的 B. 咨询的 C. 商量的 D. 无礼的
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
It is over 40 years since first atomic bomb was dropped on a major city in Japan. Yet even now its effects are showing themselves and may continue to do so for years to come. Much effort and human energy have been used to try to prevent such a terrifying thing from happening again. So far there is no guarantee that it will not. Countries which already possess nuclear knowledge and resources have bombs stored away which are powerful enough to wipe out all life on earth. But this is not all. Other countries, which previously were not so advanced in technology, are gradually buying materials that can be used for making atomic devices. This nuclear energy will naturally be of great value in helping the economy of poorer nations.
The generation of electricity through nuclear power came directly from the original work on the atom bomb. Because of the increase in demand for energy and the possibility of decreasing supplies of oil and natural gas, the interest in electricity has increased. One of the by-products of nuclear power stations is plutonium (钸) produced from unclear fuel: plutonium is ingredient (成分) in bomb-making. It means that there are far more opportunities for the manufacture of bombs.
This brings the problem to a full circle again. How can something so valuable and useful be controlled so that it works for the benefit and not the destruction of man?
9. The effects of dropping the first atomic bomb ________.
A. are not over B. may go on forever
C. could last much longer D. will not be over in the near future
10. The writer says that enough atomic bombs have already been manufactured to ________.
A. wipe out Japan B. last forever
C. act as a peace-keeping device D. destroy all living things
11. The advantage of less developed countries being able to make atomic devices is that it ______.
A. gives them more opportunities for work B. will help poor countries to become richer
C. will enable them to make better explosives D. will be of great value to them
12. The second paragraph tells us that the increased demand for electricity today ________.
A. has led to the decrease in supplies of oil
B. means that more countries are interested in nuclear power
C. has increased the risk of accidental explosions
D. has increased the very means of producing more atomic bombs
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
If you travel around the world , you will be surprised to find just how different the foreign customs can be from your own .
A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table . The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself . Also in India , you might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume that he is disagreeing . But in many parts of India a shake of the head is a gesture that shows agreement of acceptance .
Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty . In that country you shake your head to indicate “yes” —a nod indicates “no”. The Arabs are known for their hospitality . At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula , you will find that any drinking vessel （容器，器皿）is repeatedly refilled as soon as you drink it up .
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone , even at an important meeting . Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand , however , could cause offence . It is too informal an attitude for such an occasion . Also when in Thailand you are not supposed to touch the head of an adult —it’s just not done . In Japan , it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home . In Europe such attitudes are disappearing .
Customs vary from country to country . Visitors may be at a loss as to what to do in a foreign environment . In such circumstances , the golden rule to follow is : When in Rome , do as the Romans do .
60．In which country , a left — hand is not welcomed ? .
A．Thailand B．India C Arabic peninsula D．Bulgaria
61．In which country , if someone shakes his head at another , it shows that he agrees or accepts ?
.
A．Bulgaria B．Thailand C．China D．Arabic Peninsula
62．Which of the following is impolite in Europe ? .
A．to cross your legs
B．to touch the head of an adult
C．That men plan evening entertainment and leave their wives at home
D．To drain the glass in your hand
63．If you don’t know the customs in the country where you visit , the golden rule to follow is .
A．to do as the Romans do B．to do nothing
C．to visit Rome only D．to do as the natives do
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
While football fans feel strongly angry and shocked about mistakes made by referees (裁判) because they cannot see clearly what has happened, a small German company is quietly pleased.
For Carlos Technologies, mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy. The company has developed a tiny chip(芯片) that fits inside a football and determines whether the ball has crossed the goal line, by being able to discover its exact location on the field. The world football organization, FIFA, has shown interest in the technology. It is very possible that the new technology will be used in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
"We've been testing the technology at the main soccer stadium in Nuremberg for some time and more recently in an under-17 FIFA Cup in Peru," said Gunter Rohmer, a director of the company. "The technology has performed well, and we're pretty optimistic that it will be used at the games in Germany next year."
The chip only weighs 12 grams, and is placed in the center of the football. It sends 2,000 signals a second to a receiver network of 12 antennas(天线),placed around the field. The receivers then send information about the ball's location to a central computer, and because it works in real time, it can immediately tell the referee whether a goal has been scored. The chip even can tell when the ball crosses the line in mid-air. Oliver Braun, one of the inventors of the chip, says that feedback from German referees was generally positive. Germany sports-wear giant Adidas is also optimistic about using this kind of chip in other ball sports.
FIFA aims to test the technology later this year at another game in Japan before deciding whether or not to introduce it in all 12 stadiums in Germany for next year's World Cup.
Carlos Technologies is pleased because ________.
A. football fans are angry with referees
B. their new product can satisfy football fans
C. their new product will have a good market
D. they can sell a lot of football in the future
In the first sentence in Paragraph 2,"... mistakes made by referees are the kind of advertising that money cannot buy" means ___________.
A. Carlos Technologies can't afford the high price for advertising their product
B. Mistakes in production are also a kind of advertisement
C. Carlos Technologies has already spent a lot of money on advertising their product
D. Referees' mistakes will be of great help for the sale of Carlos Technologies' new product
The underlined word "feedback" probably means ___________.
A. information given back by a user B. advice given by someone
C. supplying food to customers D. food given back by consumers
The new product has drawn attention from some _________.
A. famous people B. referees C. big companies D. countries
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科目：高中英语 来源：重庆市2010届高三模拟考试（二）英语试题 题型：阅读理解
三．阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Japanese couples, too busy for a normal social life, are increasingly turning to actors to play their friends on the most important days of their lives．
Several agencies have sprung up(涌现)offering actors to attend weddings or even funerals．The
first guest-for-hire company was established about nine years ago and around 10 now send out dozens of pretend friends to family events．
Agencies such as Hagemashi Tai-which means “I want to cheer you up” -charge around £100 for each “guest”．Other services such as giving a speech in praise of a bride or the groom cost extra．
The appearance of the small fake friends industry has been linked to social and economic changes in Japan．With lifetime employment (终身雇佣制)a thing of the past, couples feel uncomfortable about inviting work colleagues to their wedding．Increasingly busy and put upon, many Japanese surround themselves with only a very small circle of friends．
When they marry, however, they are under pressure to match the number of their new partner’s wedding guests．
Office Agents, the largest provider of pretend friends, makes sure that its employees have done their homework and know all about the bride or groom before the wedding．
Hiroshi Mizutani, the company’s founder, said the fake friends he provides must look happy, be well dressed and look like people with good jobs．
1．Why did fake friends industry come into being in Japan?
A．Because of social and economic changes B．Because of lifetime employment
C．Because of normal social life D．Because of work pressure
2．Pretend friends will be present at the following occasions except ________．
A．weddings B．funerals C．work D．family gathering
3．The agents make sure that ________．
A．fake friends have done their housework
B．fake friends have good jobs
C．fake friends must look happy and be well dressed
D．fake friends feel uncomfortable
4．What is the best title of this passage?
A．Japanese couples are under pressure to get married
B．The first guest-for-hire company in Japan
C．Japanese couples’ social life
D．Japanese couples rely on fake friends
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