Are undergraduate(大学生)grades important?Everyone knows that high marks earned at different schools or under different instructors can indicate very different levels of achievement．One professor may be a hard grader, while another is very generous or one who takes the whole business as a bit of joke．Some schools have high standards, whereas others don't．And at all universities there is a constant tendency towards grade inflation(giving ever more high marks)that is fought fiercely at some universities and allowed to go unchecked for long periods at others．

　　Another point raised against grades is that they hardly predict how much graduates will be earning 15 or 20 years after getting their degrees．As many studies have shown, there is only a very poor link between undergraduate's grades and future wealth．People who get good marks tend to go into professions, not all of which are highly paid．The link between undergraduate grades and success in business, the most common road to wealth, is in fact zero．Many ordinary students become successful businessmen, while some brilliant and capable graduates(creative youngster, not students with special skills in passing exams)take up relatively low paying but interesting or satisfying careers．The general population sees one thing very clearly that good grades don't translate in any direct way into big money, and for better or for worse, the standard of“success”for countless Americans is the possession of wealth．

　　The result is a certain modesty about good grades in America among those who get them．A student's parents may be proud of his marks, but seldom will the student himself risk being called a“grade-grubber”by drawing too much attention to his academic success．High marks are not something to be advertised to the world except on resumes(简历)，and anybody who is crazy about them is likely to be viewed with contempt(轻蔑)，not least by intelligent people．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解。

　　“I'm seventy years old, ”says the gray-haired lady proudly to the entertainer at her Community Club dinner．

　　“Did you hear that, everyone?”says the entertainer．“This lovely lady is just seventy years young!And she doesn't look a day over fifty．”

　　He has been careful not to use the word“old”．In a society where youth is so admired, old age is often seen as something sad, something to fight against．Americans prefer not to say“old”people．They use the expression“senior citizens”．They do not talk about“old people's”homes, but“retirement”homes．

　　In fact, the entertainer is not so wrong．Seventy is not very old these days．People in the US are living longer and longer．In 1980, 12 percent of Americans were over sixty-five years old．By 2030,21 percent will be over sixty-five．One reason for this is that families are getting smaller．The average couple now has only 1.8 children．At the same time, improved medical care means that people are living longer．

　　This change in the age of Americans is going to have serious results．For one thing, medical costs are rising．The government is unable to pay the elderly people's medical bills that have gone up very much．Some old people have to leave hospital“sicker and quicker”than they should, before they are really better．

　　More fortunate senior citizens, though, who still have good health, want new laws to be passed to allow them to stay at work．In the past, the retirement age was sixty-five, but that is changing now．Older people are stronger and more energetic than ever before．Many of them refuse to stop working just because they have reached a certain age．

　　There is a change, too, in the way in which elderly people see themselves．Many are no longer happy to accept the gray hair, bald heads, and boring clothes of their own parents．They like to wear younger-looking clothes and bright makeup(化妆品)．American women spend millions of dollars a year on operations to lift their faces and make those ugly wrinkles disappear．Men are prepared to spend even more on operations to plant new hair on their bald spots．It's worth any money to look younger．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　It is difficult for parents of nearly every family to teach their children to be responsible for housework, but with one of the following suggestions, you really can get your children to help at home．

　　If you give your children the impression that they can never do anything quite right, then they will regard themselves as unfit or unable persons．Unless children believe they can succeed, they will never become totally independent．

　　My daughter Carla's fifth-grade teacher made every child in her class feel special．When students received less than a prefect test score, she would point out what they had mastered and declared firmly they could learn what they had missed．

　　You can use the same technique when you evaluate(评价)your child's work at home．Don't always scold and give lots of praise instead．Talk about what he has done right, not about what he hasn't done．If your child completes a difficult task, promise him a Sunday trip or a ball game with Dad．

　　Learning is a process of trying and failing and trying and succeeding．If you teach your children not to fear a mistake or failure, they will learn faster and achieve success at last．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　The law is a great mass of rules, showing when and how far a man is possible to be punished, or to be made to hand over money or property to his neighbors, and so on．These rules are contained in books．A lawyer learns them mainly by reading books．

　　He begins by doing little else than read, and after he has prepared himself by three years' study practice, still, all his life long and almost every day, he will be looking into books to read a little more than he already knows about some new questions which he has to answer．

　　The power to use books, then, is a special skill which the would-be lawyer ought to possess．He ought to have enough flexibility(灵活性)to make it easy for him to collect ideas from printed words．He ought to have some readiness in finding what a book contains, and something of an instinct(直觉)for where to look for what he wants．

　　But although this is the power of which he will first feel the need, it is not the most important．A lawyer does not study law to recite it; he studies it to use it and act upon the rules which he has learned in real life．His business is to try eases in court and to advise men what to do in order to keep out or get out of trouble．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　“I've changed my mind．I wanted to have a telescope, but now I want my daddy back．”Lucien Lawrence's letter to Father Christmas written after his schoolteacher father had been knifed to death outside his school gate, must have touched every heart．Lucien went on to say that without his father he couldn't see the stars in the sky．When those whom we love depart from us, we cannot see the stars for a while．

　　But Lucien, the stars are still there, and one day, when you are older and your tears have gone, you will see them again．And, in a strange way, I expect that you will find your father is there too, in your mind and in your heart．I find that my parents, long dead now, still figure in many of my dreams and that I think of them perhaps more than I ever did when they were alive．I still live to please them and I'm still surprised by their reactions．I remember that when I became a professor, I was so proud, or rather so pleased with myself, that I couldn't wait to cable my parents．The reply was a long time in coming, but when it did, all Mother said was“I hope this means that now you will have more time for the children!”I haven't forgotten．The values of my parents still live on．

　　It makes me pause and think about how I will live on in the hearts and minds of my children and of those for whom I care．Would I have been as ready as Philip Lawrence have been to face the aggressors(挑衅者)，and to lay down my life for those in my care?How many people would want me back for Christmas?It's a serious thought, one to give me pause．

　　I pray silently, sometimes, in the dead of night, that ancient cry of a poet“Deliver my soul from the sword(剑)，and my darling from the power of the dog．”Yet I know the death comes to us all, and sometimes comes suddenly．We must therefore plan to live forever, but live as if we will die tomorrow．We live on, I'm sure, in the lives of those we loved, and therefore we ought to have a care for what they will remember and what they will treasure．If more parents knew this in their hearts to be true, there might be fewer knives on our streets today．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解。

　　Since we are social beings, the quality of our lives depends in large measure on our interpersonal relationships．One strength of the human condition is our possibility to give and receive support from one another under stressful(有压力的)conditions．Social support makes up of the exchange of resources among people based on their interpersonal ties．

　　Those of us with strong support systems appear better able to deal with major life changes and daily problems．People with strong social ties live longer and have better health than those without such ties．Studies over types of illnesses, from depression to heart disease, show that the presence of social support helps people defend themselves against illness, and the absence of such support makes poor health more likely．

　　Social support cushions stress in a number of ways．First, friends, relatives and co-workers may let us know that they value us．Our self-respect is strengthened when we feel accepted by others in spite of our faults and difficulties．Second, other people often provide us with informational support．They help us to define and understand our problems and find solutions to them．Third, we typically find social companionship supportive．

　　Taking part in free-time activities with others helps us to meet our social needs while at the same time distracting(转移注意力)us from our worries and troubles．Finally, other people may give us instrumental support－money aid, material resources, and needed services－that reduces stress by helping us resolve and deal with our problems．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　This hotel in the trees is famous in the world．People who know very little about Kenya, know of Treetops．When King George Ⅵ died, Princess Elizabeth was staying on the Treetops, and when she came down from there,“She succeeded him as the queen of the country”．This hotel in the middle of the forest shows the pleasure of Africa．When you visit it, you will be sent into the heart of the forest by hotel buses, and then a guide, with a gun to protect you against big game, will go with you to the Treetops．Before and after dinner, for the whole night if you wish, you can sit on the corridor(走廊)，watching animals come to the water pool．The earliest hotel Treetops was built round a large tree on the opposite side of the water, but that was destroyed by fire and the new hotel Treetops, which is built round several trees, is much bigger．

　　The dining room at Treetops is small, and the waiters cannot walk round to serve guests, a clever “railway service”has been invented．Guests take their food as it passes slowly in front of them, along a line in the center of the table．

　　There are many animals around the Treetops．When you visit them, you can see：

　　－Animals and their babies are waiting to greet the guests．

　　－Animals, enjoying the Treetops pool in the daylight．

　　－A long bodied, long ring tailed very active cat-like animal is a special one coming out at night．He hunts and eats anything he can overpower and is very destructive．He lives in the trees at Treetops．He comes for his food every evening．Do not get too near to him, as his teeth and claws(爪)can do you harm．These animals can be trained and become lovely pets．

　　－Some other animals that have a thick coating of fur to keep them warm in the cold forest nights．

　　－Many buffaloes(水牛)coming to the Treetops for water and salt during the day or night．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　London－A morning train rides away, across the channel．English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub．

　　Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London．

　　In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities．These days, it might be A tale of One City．

　　As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel．With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours．The European Union freed them from immigration and customs．

　　Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish．But London feels fuller of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down．

　　“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,”said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert．

　　Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees．“I am French, but I'll stay in London,”she said．

　　There is, of course, the other view．Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago．“I think people laugh more in Paris,”she said．

　　“Both cities have changed beyond recognition,” said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner．

　　Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably．

　　“I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s．Things are so much more ordered, and life is better．”

　　But certainly not cheaper．

　　In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris．

　　Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice．

　　Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don't have to choose．

　　“I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized,”she said．“In London, you can be whoever you want．No one cares．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

　　The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games are drawing near．Are you eager to enjoy watching the matches or start serving as a volunteer?First, you need to know about audience manners．

　　The behavior of courtside audiences is considered to be an important part of sporting culture．In 2004, after world champion Stephen Hendry lost to Ding Junhui in the China Open Snooker Championships, he complained of the noise from Chinese spectators．Perhaps you and your classmates could be written on the back of the tickets．Read your ticket carefully before you leave, remember to take away your soft drink bottles and other trash(垃圾)．

　　During exciting games, try to control yourself．Don't criticize the performance of players and coaches．Be careful with your words, since some may cause anger among other people in the audience．

　　Applause is a special form of body language you can use to communicate with players．But you should do it properly．When players first appear, clap your hands together to welcome them, but don't go on for too long．After an excellent performance, applaud warmly．If someone fails, your applause will help encourage them．

　　Applause is not welcome, however, while a game is in progress and players need to keep their concentration．Various sports have various rules for the audience．

　　Enjoying artistic gymnastics requires silence．But lots of cheering can really help basketball and football players．Snooker and table tennis courtside behavior includes a ban on flash photography．Mobile phones are not allowed in shooting centers．

　　To be a good spectator, you should take time to learn the game-specific rules and related culture of each event．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解。

　　Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day．“I was a clothes addict．”he jokes．“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled．”Today David wears casual clothes－khaki pants and a sports shirt－to the office．He hardly ever wears a necktie．“I am working harder than ever．”David says,“And I need to feel comfortable．”

　　More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work．In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual．In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday)．This became known as“dress-down Friday”or“casual Friday”．“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing．”said business consultant Maisly Jones．

　　Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes?One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code．”“A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,”says the owner of a software company,“so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative(保守的)dress code．”Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes．In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress imp．roves employee morale(心境，士气)．Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity．Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money．“Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,”one person said．“For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes．”

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)