请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　In Africa, listening is a guiding principle．It's a principle that's been lost in the constant chat of the Western world．From my own past experience, I noticed how much faster I had to answer a question during a TV interview．It's as if we have completely lost the ability to listen．We talk and talk, and we end up frightened by silence．

　　Everywhere, people on the African continent write and tell stories．Even the nomads(流浪者)who still live in the Kalahari Desert are said to tell one another stories on their daylong wanderings, during which they search for roots and animals to hunt．

　　A number of years ago I sat down on a stone bench outside the Teatro Avenida in Maputo, Mozambique, where I worked as an artistic consultant．It was a hot day, and we were taking a break, hoping that a cool gentle wind would move past．Two old African men were sitting on that bench, but there was room for me, too．In Africa people share more than just water．Even when it comes to shade, people are generous．

　　I heard the two men talking about a third old man who had recently died．One of them said, “I was visiting him at his home．He started to tell me an amazing story about something that had happened to him when he was young．But it was a long story．Night came, and I decided that I should come back the next day to hear the rest．But when I arrived, he was dead．”

　　The man fell silent．I decided not to leave that bench until I heard how the other man would respond to what he'd heard．Finally he, too, spoke．“That's not a good way to die-before you’ve told the end of your story．”

　　What separates us from animals is the fact that we are storytelling creatures and we can listen to other people's dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, desires and defeats-and they in turn can listen to ours．

　　Many people make the mistake of confusing information with knowledge．They are not the same thing．Knowledge involves the interpretation of information．Knowledge involves listening．

　　Many words will be written on the wind and the sand, or end up in store．But the storytelling will go on until the last human being stops listening．Then we can send the great record of human out into the endless universe．

　　Who knows? Maybe someone is out there, willing to listen…

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阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

　　The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness．If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness．But in fact, the opposite is true：more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain．

　　As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness．They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, self improvement．

　　Ask a bachelor(单身汉)why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying．If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment．For commitment is in fact quite painful．The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement．Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features．

　　Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night's sleep or a three-day vacation．I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children．But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild．

　　Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations．It liberates time：now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness．It liberates money：buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless．And it liberates us from envy：we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all．

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阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

　　People

　　People is America's No．1 magazine about fascinating people．It's a guide to who and what'shot in the arts, science, business, politics, television, movies, books, music and sports．It is

　　published weekly．

　　Publisher：The Time Inc．Magazine Company

　　Cover Price：＄211.47

　　Our Price：＄117.00

　　Issues：53 issues/12 months

　　Lucky

　　Lucky is the shopping magazine with the best buys, and the fashion tips you'll need before you hit the stores．What makes Lucky really special is that it gets you the information you need before anyone else has it．

　　Publisher：Conde Nast Publications Inc．

　　Cover Price：＄35.40

　　Our Price：＄15.00

　　Issues：12 issues/12 months

　　Parents

　　The most trusted magazine for parents who want to raise smart, loving and self-confident children．Each issue has age-specific child-development guidance, advice on your child's health and safety, and the best ways to encourage your child's learning．

　　Publisher：Meredith Corporation

　　Cover Price：＄42.00

　　Our Price：＄9.97

　　Issues：12 issues/12 months

　　Entertainment

　　This magazine covers movies, television, music, Broadway stage productions, books, and popular culture．Unlike celebrity-focused magazines like People, its main concentration is on entertainment media and reviews．It's intended for a more general audience．

　　Publisher：The Time Inc．Magazine Company

　　Cover Price：＄199.50

　　Our Price：＄38.95

　　Issues：57 issues/12 months

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阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

　　Are you a compulsive spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay in cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality．According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems．

　　Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence．Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage．Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands．In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love．They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love．

　　People can be addicted to different things-for example, alcohol, drugs, certain foods, or even television．They are compulsive in their addictions, i．e．they must satisfy these needs to feel comfortable．In the same way, according to psychologists, compulsive spenders must spend money．

　　For people who buy on credit, furthermore, charge accounts are even more exciting than money：in other words, they feel that with credit, they can do anything．Their pleasures in spending enormous amounts are actually greater than those they get from the things they buy．

　　There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting．To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts．Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don't need just because they are cheap．They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game：when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning．Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior：a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason．

　　It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people．Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business：they consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc．in their advertising and sales methods．

　　Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(疗法)”to help individuals solve their personality problems．In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money：they give them “assignments” If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self discipline in this way：on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave．On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on．On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything．Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn't buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying．

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阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D中，选出最佳选项。

　　Chinese media and Internet users on Monday condemned lack of morals in society after a toddler was struck twice-by two different vans-and left bleeding on the road as more than a dozen bystanders did nothing to help the seriously injured girl．

　　The incident, captured by a surveillance camera and broadcast by Southern Television Guangdong(TVS), showed the two-year-old girl was knocked down and run over by a white van on a narrow market street on the afternoon of Oct．13, in Foshan City of Guangdong Province．

　　The driver fled the scene of the accident, leaving the girl to bleed on the sidewalk．Over the next six minutes, more than a dozen people walked by the girl, yet not one individual did anything to help her．The girl was then hit a second time by another van before an elderly trash collector came to her aid and brought the attention of the girl's mother, according to the video and eyewitnesses．

　　Doctors said that the girl, who was put on life support after being hospitalized, remains in a deep coma．The girl's parents, who are migrants living in the city, are now with her．

　　Police said the drivers of both vehicles have been arrested．However, the apathy of the bystanders shown in the video has shocked the public, as Internet forums have seethed with anger, and people are questioning the morality of society．

　　High moral standards were once triumphed as national pride in China where individuals known for selflessly helping others were adored by the public．

　　But in recent years, the perception(观念)of a decline of morals has become a hot topic as profit and materialism are perceived to be affecting society's values．

　　On Sept．2 an 88-year-old man in central China collapsed, his face striking the pavement．Yet, no one came to his aid, and he ended up choking to death on the blood from his nose．

　　Some have linked the absence of good Samaritans(模范人物)to a previous case in which a man trying to help an elderly woman who fell was accused of harming her．

　　A strong chorus of opinion on the Internet says laws should exempt(免除)Samaritans from liability(责任), yet laws themselves cannot solve society's morality dilemma．

　　Cao Lin, a China Youth Daily commentator, said in a signed article published on Monday that the worry of liability should not be an excuse for not helping, and this case exposes the decline of humanity in Chinese society．

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阅读下面短文，从题中所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Cut out part of a healthy person's liver and transplant it into a sick person-it sounds like a complicated and dangerous operation, not to mention very expensive．But it is sometimes the only possible cure for a seriously ill patient with liver disease．

　　Until now British scientists have just announced a new stem cell technique, which allows them to grow healthy liver cells outside human bodies．According to the researchers, it could be another five to 10 years before the technique can actually be used to help patients with liver disease．However, they say the method might one day replace liver transplants altogether．The study was led by the University of Cambridge and the Welcome Trust Sanger Institute, a British genomics and genetics research institute．It was published in the journal nature on October 12, 2011．

　　The researchers took skin cells from a patient with a mutation(变异)in a gene called alphal-antitrypsin(a-l抗胰蛋白酶)．This gene makes a protein that protects our bodies against inflammation(炎症)．People with changed or damaged alphal-antitrypsin are not able to release the protein correctly from the liver, so the protein is trapped there and eventually leads to liver cirrhosis(肝硬化)．

　　Scientists then used an advanced technique to cut away the faulty section of DNA from a stem cell and replace it with a corrected one, according to the journal．The stem cells went on to produce fresh and healthy liver cells with normal protein levels．Scientists put the new liver cells into mice and found that they worked very well．

　　Stem cells are the life source of all other cells in the body．They could transform medicine, providing treatment for blindness, spinal cord injuries and other serous injuries．They could also be used to produce new cells for damaged organs．

　　David Lomas, a Cambridge biology professor who worked on the team, said： “If we can use a patient's own skins cells to produce liver cells that we can put back into the patient, we may prevent the future need for transplantation．”

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阅读下面短文，从题中所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　After decades of skimpy(小而暴露的)skirts and sleeveless tops on game days, some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class．

　　In Lake County, Florida, cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo．Principals at two of Lake's eight high schools-Leesburg and Lake Minneola-are not allowing the outfits in school at all．

　　Michelle Thomas, a cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn't wear her outfit to school on game days．

　　“It shows that we’re a team just like all the other sports．” She said．

　　But the school administrators didn't agree．“During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student, ” said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code．

　　Bare midriffs(露腰装)are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts．Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven't become more revealing over the last 10 years．She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick．

　　“Cheerleading is athletic, ” Noone said．“There's a lot of jumping so you won't want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a toe touch．”

　　Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they'll follow the rules．Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress codes, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity．

　　“I understand, because they are kind of short, ” said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader, about her miniskirt．“It would’ve been really, really cool to wear them to school．”

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阅读下面短文，从题中所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Many people would interpret “The American dream” as “living like an American”-a two-story house with a white picket fence; a family with two cars; and two children．

　　However, the economic situation is now affecting the American way of life for 4.4 million people living in the US, according to new census(人口普查)data．“It's going to have a long-term impact and to say it's going to end is optimistic, ” says Cheryl Russell, former editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine．“I'm more pessimistic that this is the new normal．”

　　So what is the new normal?

　　*Marrying later．The average age of the first marriage has increased to 28.7 for men and 26.7 for women, up from 27.5 and 25.9 respectively in 2006．At the same time, fewer people are getting married．If the marriage rate had stayed the same as in 2006, there would have been about 4 million more married people in 2010．

　　*Fewer babies．There were 200, 000 fewer births among women aged 20 to 34 in 2010 compared with two years before．This was despite the fact that the number of women of childbearing age had gone up by more than 1 million．“The recession(衰退)is the likely cause, ” says Kenneth Johnson, demographer at the University of New Hampshire's Carsey Institue, “Economic fertility(生育能力)” because women delay …in uncertain times．

　　*Breaking up is harder．The number of divorces has been falling for 25 years as people wait longer or choose to live together before they get married．There were about 65, 000 fewer divorces in 2010 than in 2008, a 7 percent decrease．

　　*Crowd living．Unemployment is forcing more people to live together．The number of households where people lived with “other relatives” climbed from 6.7 percent in 2006 to 7.2 percent in 2010．

　　*Going public．Private school enrollment decreased from 13.6 percent in 2006 to 12.8 percent in 2010．

　　*Fewer cars．The percent age of households without a car rose to 9.1 percent against 8.8 percent in 2006．The percent-age of households with two or more cars fell from 58 percent to 57.1 percent．

　　*Driving solo．When people are not working, they don't carpool．The proportion of people aged 16 to 64 in employment dropped greatly in all but one of the 50 largest metropolitan(大城市的)areas．That has helped push the share of people driving to work alone from 76 percent in 2006 to 76.6 percent in 2010．Ride-sharing is down a full percentage point, to 9.7 percent．

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阅读下面短文，从题中所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

subways

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请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。

　　Environmentalists said our planet was doomed to die．Now one man says they are wrong．

　　"Everyone knows the planet is in bad shape, " thundered a magazine article last year．Species are being driven to die out at record rates, and the rivers are so poisonous that fish are floating on the surface, dead．

　　But there's a growing belief that what everyone takes for granted is wrong： things are actually getting better．A new book is about to overturn our most basic assumptions about the world's environment．Rivers, seas, rain and the atmosphere are all getting cleaner．The total amount of forests in the world is not declining．The Skeptical Environmentalist by Bjorn Lomborg, professor of statistics at the University of Aarhus in Denmark, is an attack on the misleading claims of environmental groups, and the "bad news" culture that makes people believe everything is getting worse．

　　Now the attacks are increasingly coming from left-wing environmentalists such as Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace．The accusation is that, although the environment is improving, green groups-with profits of hundreds of mil-lions of pounds a year-are using scare tactics(谋略)to gain donations．Lomborg's book doesn't deny global warming-probably the biggest environmental threat-but destroys almost every other environmental claim with many official statistics．

　　The Worldwatch Institute claims that "deforestation(沙漠化)has been accelerating over the last 30 years"．But Lomborg says that is simply rubbish．Since the dawn of agriculture the world has lost about 20 per cent of its forest cover, but in recent decades the forest area's depleting has come to a stop．According to UN figures, the area of forests has remained almost steady, at about 30 per cent of total land area, since the 1940s．Forests in countries such as the US, the UK and Canada have actually been expanding over the past 40 years．Despite all the warnings the Amazon rainforest has only shrunk by about 15 per cent．

　　Nor are all our species dying out．Some campaigners claim that 50 per cent of all species will have died out within 50 years．But other studies show only 0.08 per cent of species are dying out each year．Conservation efforts have been successful．Whales are no longer threatened and the bald eagle is off the endangered list．

　　Environmental groups claim that many of the improvements are the results of the success of their campaigns．Stephen Tindale, director of Greenpeace UK, said, "There are important examples, such as acid rain and ozone, where things aren't as bad as predicted, and that's because behavior has changed．"

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