阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　Economics has long been known as the dismal(凄凉的)science. But is any economist so dreary(沉闷的) as to criticize Christmas? At first glance, the holiday season in western economies seems a treat for those concerned with such vagaries(奇想、异想天开) as GDP growth. After all, everyone is spending; in America, retailers make 25％ of their yearly sales and 60％ of their profits between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even so, economists find something to worry about in the nature of the purchases being made.

　　Much of the holiday spending is on gifts for others. At the simplest level, giving gifts involves the giver thinking of something that the recipient would like-he tries to guess her preferences, as economists say-and then buying the gift and delivering it. Yet this guessing of preferences is no mean feat; indeed, it is often done badly. Every year, ties go unworn and books unread. And even if a gift is enjoyed, it may not be what the recipient would have bought had they spent the money themselves. Intrigued(激起……兴趣) by this mismatch between wants and gifts.

　　In 1993 Joel Waldfogel, then an economist at Yale University, sought to estimate the disparity(不一致) in dollar terms. In a paper that has proved seminal(开创性的) in the literature on the issue, he asked students two questions at the end of a holiday season: first, estimate the total amount paid (by the givers) for all the holiday gifts you received; second, apart from the sentimental value of the items, if you did not have them, how much would you be willing to pay to get them? His results were gloomy: on average, a gift was valued by the recipient well below the price paid by the giver.

　　The most conservative estimate put the average receiver's valuation at 90％ of the buying price. The missing 10％ is what economists call a deadweight loss: a waste of resources that could be averted without making anyone worse off. In other words, if the giver gave the cash value of the purchase instead of the gift itself, the recipient could then buy what she really wants, and be better off for no extra cost.

　　If the results are generalized(无显著特点的), a waste of one dollar in ten represents a huge aggregate(总计) loss to society. It suggests that in America, where givers spend $ 40 billion on Christmas gifts, $ 4 billion is being lost annually in the process of gift giving. Add in birthdays, weddings and non-Christian occasions, and the figure would balloon. So should economists advocate an end to gift giving, or at least press for money to become the gift of choice?

1．Why do some people regard the holiday season in western economies a treat?

[　　]

A．Because the economic situation in US has been gloomy.

B．Because holiday spending can stimulate GDP growth.

C．Because American retailers make a quarter of their yearly sales through holiday season.

D．Because retailers can make as much profit as 60％ over holiday season.

2．The purpose of Joel Waldfogel's study is to ________.

[　　]

A．prove the mismatch between wants and gifts

B．spark new ideas of economic studies on holiday spending

C．evaluate the disparity between wants and gifts in economic terms

D．discover the exact cost of holiday spending on gift giving

3．Economists think of the missing 10％ of holiday spending a deadweight loss because ________.

[　　]

A．the cash value of the purchase is lower than the buying price

B．it makes many people even worse off for spending more on unwanted gifts

C．with the money the recipients can be better off for no extra cost

D．it is actually a waste of resources in economic terms

4．According to the passage altogether how much money is wasted every year on gift-giving?

[　　]

A．About $ 40 billion.

B．About $ 4 billion.

C．About 10％ of the total value.

D．Much more than $ 4 billion.

阅读理解

　　The greatest recent social changes have been in the lives of women. During the twentieth century there had been a remarkable shortening of the proportion of a woman's life spent in caring for children. A woman marrying at the end of the 19th century would probably have been in her middle twenties, and would be likely to have seven or eight children of whom four or five lived till they were five years old. By the time the youngest was fifteen, the mother would have been in her early fifties and would expect to live a further twenty years, during which custom, opportunity and health made it unusual for her to get paid work. Today women marry younger and have fewer children. Usually a woman's youngest child will be fifteen when she is forty-five years and is likely to take paid work until retirement at sixty. Even while she has the care of children, her work is lightened by household appliances and convenient foods.

　　This important change in women's life pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life, and with both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interest of each of them.

1．When she was over fifty, the late 19th century mother ________.

[　　]

A．would be healthy enough to take up paid. employment

B．was usually expected to die fairly soon

C．would expect to work until she died

D．was unlikely to find a job even if she wanted one

2．According to the passage, the woman of today usually ________.

[　　]

A．marries instead of getting paid work

B．marries before she is twenty-five

C．has more children under fifteen

D．has too few children

3．One reason why the woman of today may take a job is that she ________.

[　　]

A．is younger when her children are old enough to look after themselves

B．does not like children herself

C．need not worry about food for her children

D．can retire from family responsibilities when she reaches sixty

阅读理解

　　Pronouncing a language is a skill. Every normal person is expert in the skill of pronouncing his own language, but few people are even moderately proficient(熟练的) at pronouncing foreign languages. Now there are many reasons for this, some obvious, some perhaps not so obvious. But I suggest that the fundamental reason why people in general do not speak foreign languages very much better than they do is that they fail to grasp the true nature of the problem of learning to pronounce, and consequently(因而，所以) never set about tackling(对付，处理) it in the right way. Far too many people fail to realize that pronouncing a foreign language is a skill, one that needs careful training of a special kind, and one that cannot be acquired by just leaving it to take care of itself. I think even teachers of language, while recognizing the importance of a good accent, tend to neglect(忽视), in their practical teaching, the branch of study concerned with speaking the language. So the first point I want to make is that English pronunciation must be taught; the teacher should be prepared to devote some of the lesson time to this, and by his whole attitude to the subject should get the student to feel that here is a matter worthy of receiving his close attention. So, there should be occasions when other aspects of English, such as grammar or spelling, are allowed for the moment to take second place.

　　Apart from this question of the time given to pronunciation, there are two other requirements for the teacher: the first, knowledge; the second, technique.

　　It is important that the teacher should be in possession of the necessary information. This can generally be obtained from books. It is possible to get from books some idea of the mechanics of speech, and of what we call general phonetic(语音的) theory. It is also possible in this way to get a clear mental picture of the relationship between the sounds of different languages, between the speech habits of English people and those, say, of your students. Unless the teacher has such a picture, any comments he may make on his students pronunciation are unlikely to be of much use, and lesson time spent on pronunciation may well be time wasted.

1．What does the writer actually say about pronouncing foreign languages?

[　　]

A．Only a few people are really proficient.

B．No one is really an expert in the skill.

C．There aren't many people who are even fairly good.

D．There are even some people who are moderately proficient.

2．The writer argues that going about the problem of pronunciation in the wrong way is ________.

[　　]

A．an obvious cause of not grasping the problem correctly

B．a fundamental consequence of not speaking well

C．a consequence(推断) of not grasping the problem correctly

D．not an obvious cause of speaking poorly

3．The best way of learning to speak a foreign language, he suggests, is by ________.

[　　]

A．picking it up naturally as a child

B．learning from a native speaker

C．not concentrating on pronunciation as much

D．undertaking systematic(系统化的) work

4．What is it that teachers are said to be inclined(趋向) to forget?

[　　]

A．The practical teaching of languages.

B．The importance of a good accent.

C．The principle of phonetic theory.

D．The teaching of pronunciation in the classroom.

5．The value the student puts on correct speech habits depends on ________.

[　　]

A．how closely he attends to the matter

B．whether it is English that is being taught

C．his teacher's approach(途径) to pronunciation

D．the importance normally given to grammar and spelling

阅读理解

　　Hank Viscardi was 26 years old when he put on his first pair of long trousers and his first pair of shoes. For the first time he saw himself as he had always wanted to be-a full five feet eight inches tall.

　　Hank had been born without legs. Until he was seven, his world was a world of repeated operations. At last he had no legs; but stumps(残肢) that could be fitted with a kind of special boots.

　　Out of the hospital, Hank often found people staring at him with cruel interest. Children laughed at him and called him “Ape Man” because his arms dragged(拖) on the ground.

　　He went to school like other boys. His grades were good and he needed only eight years instead of the usual twelve.

　　After graduation, Hank worked his way through college. He swept floors, waited on table, or worked in one of the college offices. During all this busy life, Hank had been moving around on his stumps. But one day the doctor told him even the stumps were not going to last much longer. Hank would soon have to use a wheel chair.

　　Hank felt himself go cold all over. However, the doctor said there was a chance that he could be fitted with artificial legs.

　　Finally a leg maker was found and the day came when Hank stood up before the mirror and saw himself for the first time, five feet eight inches tall.

　　But this was not the end yet. He had to learn to use his new legs. Again and again he marched the length of the room, and marched back again. There were times when he fell down on the floor, but he pulled himself up and went back to the endless marching. He went out on the street. He climbed the stairs and learned to dance. He built a boat and learned to sail it.

　　When World War Ⅱ came, he talked the Red Cross into giving him a job. He took the regular training. He marched and drilled along with the other soldiers. Few knew that he was legless. This was the true story of Hank Viscardi, the man without legs.

1．It can be inferred from the story that five feet eight inches is ________.

[　　]

A．an average height for an adult

B．too tall for an average person

C．too short for an average person

D．Hank's real height

2．The writer implies in the story that the Red Cross ________.

[　　]

A．was only too glad to give him a job

B．gave him a job because he was a good soldier

C．gave him a job after he talked to somebody he knew in the organization

D．was not willing to give him a job at first

3．When Hank marched and drilled along with the other soldiers ________.

[　　]

A．he did everything the other soldiers did

B．he did most of the things the other soldiers did

C．he took some regular exams

D．he took some special training

4．The writer suggests that Hank Viscardi ________.

[　　]

A．had no friends

B．never saw himself as different from others

C．was very shy

D．was too proud to accept help from others

阅读理解

　　The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play an important role in the process(过程) of recovery from illness.

　　As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries(陈列室) and into public places, some of the country's best-known artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have precious collections of contemporary(当代的) art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.

　　These recent initiatives owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior, who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society and: that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.

　　A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 5,000 visitors each week. What better place to hold regular exhibitions of art? Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the out-patients waiting area of the Manchester Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.

　　The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colours, playful images and restful courtyards.

　　The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only brick wall to look at.

1．We learn that Peter Senior is ________.

[　　]

A．a doctor interested in arts

B．an artist who refuses to hold art exhibitions in hospitals

C．a pioneer in introducing art into hospitals

D．an artist who owns a great deal of property(财产)

2．According to Peter Senior, we can infer that ________.

[　　]

A．modern hospitals have lost a lot of patients

B．art is not enjoyed by a large number of people in modern society

C．patients should be encouraged to learn painting

D．artists can not find their positions in modern society

3．Six young art school graduates joined Peter Senior because ________.

[　　]

A．they saw Peter Senior's idea was very exciting

B．Peter Senior needed artists more talented than him

C．they wanted to enjoy Peter Senior's popularity

D．more and more hospitals needed artists to improve their environment

4．The underlined word initatives (in paragraph 3) means ________.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Trogmire Troll was dealing with a crisis. The new girl in class really liked him a lot. Trogmire was not happy about it.

　　Trogmire's good friend, Tremor Troll, tried to comfort him. “What's the big deal? I think Treasure Troll is kind of cute(可爱的). And she seems to be nice enough.”

　　Trogmire swallowed his last bite of poison sumac salad and glared at Tremor. “Then why don't you ask her to be your girlfriend? There she is, sitting all by herself at the other end of the cafeteria. March over there and ask her to be your sweetie-heart.”

　　“She's crazy about you, not me,” Tremor replied.

　　“Well, I don't want any girlfriend, especially not a weird(古怪的) annoying(烦人的) one like her!” Trogmire growled.

　　Tremor wouldn't give up. “The only thing annoying about her is that she keeps writing you those notes and she stares.” “Yucky love notes!” Trogmire interrupted. He took another sip of mole milk. “Did you notice those strange brown eyes? Why aren't they normal red or pink?”

　　Tremor took another look at Treasure. “I think her face is a lovely shade of green. And her dark green curly hair is quite pretty. Besides, she's very sweet and that's what really matters.”

　　Trogmire stuck out his tongue. “I think I'm going to be sick! I'd better save my apple pies for later.” He crammed a small bag of Maggot Munchies into his even smaller shirt pocket. “The fact is, I have a problem. That girl is getting on my nerves!”

　　Tremor followed Trogmire's example and decided to save his apple pies for later. However, he carefully placed the bag into his lunch box. “Do you have any ideas about how to solve your problem?” Tremor asked.

　　“I'm going to be mean and rude to her,” Trogmire announced. “I'll call her names and make ugly faces at her.”

　　“That's how you treat everyone”, Tremor reminded his friend.

　　Trogmire nodded. “It's time that Treasure got to know the real Trogmire Troll!”

1．How did Treasure Troll feel about Trogmire Troll?

[　　]

A．She didn't like him because he was rude.

B．She was annoyed by his strange appearance.

C．She didn't have any strong feelings about him

D．She liked him a lot.

2．How did Trogmire feel about Treasure?

[　　]

A．He felt annoyed.

B．He enjoyed the attention.

C．He didn't realize that she existed.

D．He was crazy about her.

3．Who did Trogmire want for a girlfriend?

[　　]

A．No one.

B．Tremor's sister.

C．Treasure Troll.

D．A weird girl from another class.

4．Which statement is true?

[　　]

A．Trogmire pretended to be rude in order to make Treasure stop liking him.

B．Tremor thought that looks were more important than personality.

C．Tremor thought that Treasure was cute:

D．Trogmire offered his apple pies to Treasure to make her sick.

阅读理解

　　I promised Michael I wouldn't mention this until the season was over. Now I think it's time.

　　Early last season, I wrote a column(专栏) about an act of kindness I had seen Jordan do to a disabled child outside the Stadium. After it ran, I got a call from a man in the western suburbs. He said, “I read what you wrote about Jordan, but I thought I should tell you another thing I saw.”

　　Here it comes, I thought. It always does. Write something nice about a person, and people can ring you up to say that the person is not so nice.

　　A few weeks later Jordan and I were talking about something else before a game, and I brought up what the man had said. Was the man right? Had Jordan really been talking to those two boys in that poor and dirty neighborhood?

　　“Not two boys,” Jordan said. “But four.”

　　And he named them. He said four names.

　　And what did they talk about?

　　“Everything,” Jordan said. “Anything. I've asked to see their grades so that I can check to see they're paying attention to their schoolwork. If it turns out one or two of them may need teaching, I make sure they get it.”

　　It's just one more part of Michael Jordan's, one more thing that no one knows about, one more thing Jordan does right. The NBA season is over now, and those boys have their memories. So do I! When the expert reviewers begin to turn against Jordan, as they surely will, I'll think about those boys under the streetlight, waiting for the man they know to come. For someone they can depend on.

1．The author wrote this story about Jordan and his young friends NOT because ________.

[　　]

A．he would like to keep the promise he had made

B．he hated to see Jordan become the target of ill-intentioned criticisms

C．he was impressed by Jordan's deeds for the ordinary poor

D．he thought it was time to help the disabled children

2．That man called after reading about what Jordan did to a disabled child because he wanted to ________.

[　　]

A．offer another example to show that Jordan was a nice man

B．let the author know that Jordan was not that nice

C．know why Jordan stopped in a bad area

D．become famous himself

3．Jordan talked with the boys because ________.

[　　]

A．he had promised to do so

B．he wanted to teach them basketball

C．he would see to it that they all studied well

D．he needed their support

4．The passage implies that ________.

[　　]

A．Jordan is special as an extraordinary basketball player

B．Jordan is always ready to make friends with all young people

C．Jordan is not worthy of the admiration he had from others

D．It is typical. of Jordan to do whatever he can for the good of society

5．In the sentence “After it ran, I got a call…”, the word “ran” can be replaced by “________”.

[　　]

阅读理解

　　Venus is known as the Earth's “Twin” because the planets are so like each other in size. The diameter(直径) of Venus is about 7,520 miles (12,100 km), 40 miles (644 km) smaller than that of the earth. No other planet comes closer to the earth than Venus. At its nearest approach(接近), it is about 25,000,000 miles (40,2000,000 km) away.

　　As seen from the earth, Venus is the first planet or star that can be seen in the western sky in the evening. At other times, it is the last planet or star that can be seen in the eastern sky in the morning, When Venus is near its brightest point, it can be seen in daylight. Early astronomers called the object that appeared in the evening Hesperthese two objects were the same planet. The named it Venus in honor of the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

1．Traveling around Venus in a straight way, you would have a long trip of about ________ miles.

[　　]

2．Which of the following is NOT a fact about Venus?

[　　]

A．It's the nearest neighboring planet of the earth.

B．It used to be called Phoshorus and Hesperus.

C．It's usually 25,000,000 miles away from the earth.

D．It can sometimes be been together with the sun in the sky.

3．Venus is called the earth's “twin” because ________.

[　　]

A．it's almost as big as the earth

B．it's the nearest to the earth

C．they are both planets

D．they are of the same shape

4．The passage shows that.

[　　]

A．Venus is always the last to appear in the sky in the evening

B．Venus in sometimes the last to appear in the sky in the morning

C．The diameter of the earth is nearly eight thousand miles

D．Venus is sometimes the last to disappear in the western sky in the morning

5．The best title for the passage might be ________.

[　　]

A．The Size of Venus

B．Venus and the Earth

C．Venus-the Earth's “Twin”

D．The Nearest Neighbor

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

The art of pleasing is a very necessary one to possess; but a very difficult one to get. It can hardly be reduced to rules; and your own good sense and observation will teach you more of it than I can. Do as you would be done by, is the surest method that I know of pleasing. Observe carefully what pleases you in others, and probably the same things in you will please others. If you are pleased with the friendliness and attention of others to your humors, your tastes, or your weaknesses, depend upon it. The same friendliness and attention, on your part, to theirs will equally please them. Take the tone of the company, that you are in, and do not pretend to give it; be serious, gay, as you find the present humor of the company. Do not tell stories in company; there is nothing more boring and unpleasant; if by any chance you know a very short story, and suitable to the present subject of conversation, tell it in as few words as possible; and even then, show that you do not love to tell stories; but that the shortness of it attracted you. Of all things, dismiss the egotism(自大) from you conversation, and never think of entertaining people with your own personal concerns, or private affairs; though they are interesting to you, they are impolite and uninteresting to everybody else; besides that, one cannot keep one's own private affairs too secret. Whatever you think your own excellencies may be, do not show them in company; nor take the trouble, as many people do, to give that to the conversation. If they are real, they will surely be discovered some day, without your pointing them out yourself, and with much more advantage. Never continue an argument with heat and shout, though you think or know yourself to be in the right; but give your opinion modestly(谦虚地) and coolly, which is the only way to persuade; and, if that does not do, try to change the conversation, by saying with good humor, “We shall hardly persuade one another, nor is it necessary that we should, so let us talk of something else.”

1．According to this passage, what does the author suggest to us to please people?

[　　]

A．Try to make others pleased with your friendliness.

B．Remember what you are pleased with may be the same thing you could do to please others.

C．Forget who you are and do everything other people like.

D．Speak in a pleasing tone in company while you feel unhappy.

2．What is the author's opinion of private affairs?

[　　]

A．One shouldn't keep his own private affairs secret.

B．One's private affairs can surely entertain others.

C．One can talk with other people about his interesting private affairs.

D．One should keep his private affairs as secret as possible.

3．What is the author's suggestion about what to do with argument?

[　　]

A．If one knows that he is in the right, he may continue the argument with heat.

B．Do not change the conversation unless you persuade the others.

C．If you are not quite confident in yourself, give your opinion modestly.

D．Talk something else when you can't persuade the others.

4．What is the best title of this passage?

[　　]

A．The Art of Pleasing.

B．What One Should Talk about in Company.

C．Getting Rid of Egotism.

D．The Art of Speech.

5．If you think you are right in an argument, you will ________.

[　　]

A．you will persist in arguing with your company.

B．you will continue the argument with heat and shout.

C．you should give your opinions modestly and coolly.

D．you should stop the argument immediately.

阅读理解

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　“Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it's a girl.”

　　Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different response from every man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.

　　Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the shift from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this resocialization process. Although numerous books have been written about American mothers, only recently has literature(文学) focused on the role of a father.

　　It is argued by some writers that the transition(转化) to the father's role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother's role. The mother's role seems to require a complete transformation in daily routine and highly innovative(革新性的) adaptation(适应), on the other hand, the father's role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.

1．According to the author, being a father ________.

[　　]

A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men

B．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy

C．has a different meaning for those who have daughters

D．means nothing but more responsibilities "

2．It is stated in the passage that ________.

[　　]

A．young couples do not like children at all

B．some parents are not prepared to have a child

C．working couples do not have much time to take care of their children

D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child

3．In the third paragraph, the author ________.

[　　]

A．criticizes fathers for not taking enough responsibilities in bringing up their children

B．excuses the American writers for ignoring(忽视)the difficulties of being a father

C．supports the idea that the chief role of a father is to earn money for the family

D．complains(抱怨) about the lack of social program to help husbands get used to the role of a father

4．The transition to the. mother's role requires that the wife ________.

[　　]

A．change her life style in a highly innovative way

B．stay at home to take care of the baby

C．make a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation

D．help her husband in his resocialization process

5．Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers ________.

[　　]

A．have an easier job to do

B．have to make more difficult adaptations

C．have to shoulder more burdens

D．can usually do a better job