阅读理解

　　One thinks of princes and presidents as some of the most powerful people in the world; however, governments, elected or otherwise, sometimes have had to struggle with the financial powerhouses called tycoons．The word tycoon is relatively new to the English language．It is Chinese in origin but was given as a title to some Japanese generals．The term was brought to the United States, in the late nineteenth century, where it eventually was used to refer to magnates who acquired immense fortunes from sugar and cattle, coal and oil, rubber and steel, and railroads．Some people called these tycoons “capitals of industry” and praised them for their contributions to U．S．wealth and international reputation．Others criticized them as cruel “robber barons”, who would stop at nothing in pursuit of personal wealth．

　　The early tycoons built successful businesses, often taking over smaller companies to eliminate competition．A single company that came to control an entire market was called a monopoly．Monopolies made a few families very wealthy, but they also placed a heavy financial burden on consumers and the economy at large．

　　As the country expanded and railroads linked the East Coast to the West Coast, local monopolies turned into national corporations called trusts．A trust is a group of companies that join together under the control of a board of trustees．Railroad trusts are an excellent example．Railroads were privately owned and operated and often monopolized various routes, setting rates as high as they desired．The financial burden this placed on passengers and businesses increased when railroads formed trusts．Farmers, for example, had no choice but to pay, as railroads were the only means they could use to get their grain to buyers．Exorbitant(过高的)goods rates put some farmers out of business．

　　There were even accusations that the trusts controlled government itself by buying votes and manipulating elected officials．In 1890 Congress passed the Sherman Antitrust．Act, legislation aimed at breaking the power of such trusts．The Sherman Antitrust Act focused on two main issues．First of all, it made illegal any effort to interfere with the normal conduct of interstate trade．It also made it illegal to monopolize any part of business that operates across state lines．

　　Over the next 60 years or so, Congress passed other antitrust laws in an effort to encourage competition and restrict the power of larger corporations．

(1)

(2)

(3)

阅读理解

Work your brain!

　　Between 2 and 3 pounds of wonder, it controls everything we say，do or think, who we are and what we care about．The way we walk or laugh or figure out things．What we like and the talents we possess．How we see and talk and run and jump and process our food．

　　The brain uses 20 percent of our body's oxygen and 20 percent of its blood．Somewhere within its protein, fat, 100,000 miles of blood vessels and 100 billion nerve cells, it helps us remember where we put our gym shoes．Change our temperature so we don't die because of the heat or cold．Speed us up or slow us down．Help us choose between orange juice or orange-flavored drinks．

　　Its complexity are stunning, far beyond anything most of us can imagine．To keep this work of art as polished as possible we need to eat right, exercise and keep mentally stimulated．

　　Good nutrition helps brain cells communicate with each other．Exercise stimulates a hormone in our brain that improves memory．Mental stimulation keeps you sharp even as you age．

　　“It's very important that we tell people to be physically active and mentally active,” said neurologist Malcolm Stewart．

　　“People cannot stop aging, but you're able to reduce the damage; you're able to keep the function up．”

　　Following are Dr．Stewart's advice for improving brain health：

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解

　　A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people．Puppy love(早恋)may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression．The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all．

　　The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”．According to the study，even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls．Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions．They won't tell that to their parents．

　　Dr Marianm Kaufman，an expert on young people problems, says 15％ to 20％ young people will have depression during their growing．Trying romance often causes the depression．She advises kids not to jump into romance too early．During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self．She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends，attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family．

　　Parents should watch for signs of depression－eating or mood changes－and if they see signs from their daughters or sons, they need to give help．The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age．Love will always make us feel young，but only maturity gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解，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。

　　Yasuda is 95 years old．He and his colleagues, looking for easier ways to search the Web and send e-mail, represent a potential market for Apple(AAPL)'s iPad．The company has sold 3.27 million iPads since its launch in April, but doesn't break down sales figures by customer age, making it impossible to know with certainty how many old people are buying them．However, evidence suggests it's popular with the old．

　　The iPad's intuitive interface(直观界面)makes it attractive to old citizens around the world, says Takahiro Miura, a researcher at the University of Tokyo：“The iPad is a good tool for the elderly because it's very forgiving of mistakes．” Miura's team uses computers to help train senior citizens to rejoin the workforce．“Unlike the PC, it doesn't require previous(先前的)knowledge, ” he says．

　　James Cordwell, a technology analyst at Atlantic-Equities in London, says the iPad's popularity with the elderly is helping Apple reach beyond its traditional base of younger customer．“The world's population, especially in developed markets, is getting older, and it's probably a market where Apple has least entered, ” Cordwell says．Elderly users are “a key source of growth for them in the future．”

　　The elderly in Japan, who make up an estimated 22 percent of the population, may prove particularly quick to accept the iPad．They spend more than any other group in the country except for those under 30, according to a report by Japan's Cabinet Office．Motoo Kitamura, 78, a former gas salesman, bought an iPad to help him communicate with his 2-year-old grandson and prevent against dementia(痴呆)．“Trying new things like that is a good mental exercise, ” he says．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解，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。

　　(Reuters Life!)-Families in New York and Louisville, Kentucky might be happy to know they live in two of the safest U．S．cities for children．

　　Both urban areas scored high marks in a study that assessed 50 of the largest U．S．cities on 25 safety criteria such as proximity(接近)of hospitals, bike helmet laws and how quickly local fire departments respond to determine the safest cities for children．

　　“It's clear that most cities are doing great things to improve safety at home and in the community, ” said Gus Schaefer of Underwriters Laboratories(UL), an independent safety certification provider that conducted the research．

　　New York firefighters were the quickest to respond to emergencies, while Louisville pedestrians(行人)were among the least likely to be in a traffic accident, according to the study．

　　Boston parents can breathe easy knowing they live in the city with the most hospitals per capita(人均)and Portland, Oregon got honors for its low drowning rates and air quality．

　　Virginia Beach scored high marks because car passengers under the age of 18 have to wear seatbelts, even if they are riding in the back seat．

　　Columbus, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle and Tampa were also among the safest cities．

　　Although the study did not rank the cities, it showed that the vast majority have anti-smoking laws and all have smoke alarm laws．

　　One area where there might still be room for improvement is bike helmet laws．Only 39 of the largest urban areas have bike helmet laws．

　　But 47 out of 50 cities had some non-smoking laws and an equal number required CO alarms．And all the cities insisted on inspections after construction or remodeling projects．

　　In addition to local and state laws to keep their children safe, UL said families can also take measures to improve the safety of their children, including making sure television stands are well fixed and having a fire escape plan．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解，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。

　　Date：February 27, 2012

　　Does life exist in outer space? How can we tell? In 1970 the first robot landed on the moon, and then, scientists have created different kinds of machines to move around planets to help us answer our space question．Come learn more about their interesting history．

　　Fee：＄10 for adults and children over 1 year old．Under 1 year old FREE．＄9 for older people．

　　Museum Hours：Tuesday through Sunday, 10∶00am～7∶00pm．Closed Monday．

　　Where：Long Island Children's Museum, 11 Davis Ave, Garden City, NY

　　Learn and Play

　　Date：February 28~March 2, 2012

　　Fun at the farm for preschoolers．Programs by Cornell Cooperative Extension educators are parent-child interactive(互动的)．Includes story, snack and animal visits．Ages 24～60 months．

　　Two periods available：10∶30 am~11∶30 am or 1∶00 pm～2∶00 pm．＄10 per child．Please call or visit our website for additional information．

　　Where：Suffolk Country Farm and Education Center, 350 Yaphank Ave(County Road 21), Yaphank, NY

　　Arctic Animals for Preschoolers

　　Date：March 13, 2012

　　Time：10∶00am～12∶00 noon

　　Explore the frozen world of creatures that call the Arctic and Antarctic home with a Cornell Cooperative Extension educator．How do they do it? Prepare warm clothes．

　　Ages 3～5(with an adult)．＄25 per child(includes one adult, each additional adult ＄ 5)

　　Where：Sport Fishing Education Center, Ocean Parkway, Babylon, NY

　　Usdan Center Open House

　　Date：March 31, 2012

　　Time：11∶00am~2∶00pm

　　Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts, one of America's largest not-for-profit(非盈利的)summer arts camps, named a “Best Of for 2010”, is now preparing for its 44th season, FREE admission．

　　Open houses will give students and their families a chance to tour the center and get information on Usdan's more than 40 programs-including music, dance, theater, writing, nature and chess．

　　Where：185 Colonial Springs Road, Wheatley Heights, NY

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解，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。

　　Most shops in Britain open at 9∶00am, and close at 5∶00 or 5∶30 in the evening．Small shops usually close for an hour at lunchtime．On one or two days a week-usually Thursday and/or Friday-some large food shops stay open until about 8∶00 pm for late night shopping．

　　Many shops are closed in the afternoon on one day a week．The day is usually Wednesday or Thursday and it is a different day in different towns．

　　Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays．Newspaper shops are open in the morning, and sell sweets and cigarettes as well．But not all the things can be sold on Sundays．

　　Usually it is not difficult for foreign visitors to find where to buy things．Most shops sell the things that you want to buy．One problem is stamps．In Britain you can only buy these at post offices．Many large food shops are self-service．When you go into one of these shops, you take a basket and you put the things you wish to buy into this．You pay for everything just before you leave．If anyone tries to take things from a shop without paying, they are almost certain to be caught, because most shops have detectives．

　　When you are waiting to be served in a shop, it is important not try to be served before people who arrive before you．Many foreign people are surprised at the British way of queuing(排队)．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

阅读理解，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。

　　I live in the land of Disney, Hollywood and year-round sun．You may think people in such a glamorous, fun-filled place are happier than others．If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness．

　　Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun．The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common．Fun is what we experience during an act．Happiness is what we experience after an act．It is a deeper, more abiding emotion．

　　Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh．But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends．

　　I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun．These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”．But in memoir after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun： depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness．

　　Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying．If he's 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 and excitement．Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features．

　　Similarly, couples that choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness．They can dine out ever they want and sleep as late as they want．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．

　　Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating(解放性的)realizations we can ever come to．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 rich and glamorous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解，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。

　　What is your recovery rate? How long does it take you to recover from actions and behaviors that upset you? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? The longer it takes you to recover, the more influence that incident has on your actions, and the less able you are to perform to your personal best．

　　You are well aware that the faster you let go of an issues that upsets you, the faster you return to an equilibrium, the healthier you will be．The best example of this behavior is found with professional sports people．They know that the faster they can forget an incident or missd opportunity and get on with the game, the better their performance．Imagine yourself to be an actor in a play on the stage．Your aim is to play your part to the best of your ability．You have been given a script(剧本)and at the end of each sentence is a full stop．Each time you get to the end of the sentence you start a new one and although the next sentence is related to the last it is not affected by it．Your job is to deliver each sentence to the best of your ability．

　　Don't live your life in the past! Learn to live in the present, to overcome the past．Stop the past from influencing your daily life．Don't allow thoughts of the past to reduce your personal best．Stop the past from interfering with your life．Learn to recover quickly．

　　Remember： Rome wasn't built in a day．Reflect on your recovery rate each day．Every day before you go to bed, look at your progress．This is a success．You are taking control of your life．Remember this is a step-by-step process．You are undertaking real change here．Your aim： reduce the time spent in recovery．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

阅读理解，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。

　　Here are four fostivals in the UK．

　　The Parklife weekender

　　Date：11-12 June 2011

　　Location：Platt Fields Park, Fallowfield, Manchester

　　Cost：Weekend ticket￡58.50．Day ticket ￡35.00

　　The Parklife Weekender Festival returns as a two-day event．Each Day will feature(展示)six areas in tents and a huge open-air main stage featuring the finest selection of local, national and international artists from across the globe．Inside you will find a large number of bars selling a wide range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks．There will also be over 20 food traders offering food including organic and vegetarian dishes．

　　Redfest

　　Date：22-23 July 2011

　　Location：Redhill．Surrey

　　Cost：Adult：￡49.50, Under 14￡16.50

　　Redfest in 20 1 1 is a two-day music festival held every year featuring live performances on“The Main Stage”and“The Introducing Stage”and top DJ’S playing till 2 am in the“Fresh Era Dance Tent”．Now into its fifth year, Redfest has been known for supporting new bands, solo artists and DJ's．

　　The Big Festival

　　Date：1-3 July 2011

　　Location：Clapham Common, London．

　　Cost：Earlybird￡35, Adult￡50, ￡65 with 3 dishes, ￡75 with 5 dishes, Family￡175, Kids free．

　　The Big Festival 2011——The idea behind jt is to take a village fete(户外游乐会), make it much bigger, stick it in the centre of London and have all income go towards charity．It will combine food, the family friendly entertainment and some top-quality live music including Soul H Soul, The Charlatans,

　　Guillemots, The Mystery Jets and many more．

　　Ben and Jerry's Sundae in the Park Festival

　　Date：23-24 July 2011

　　Location：Heaton Park, Manchester

　　Cost：to be confirmed

　　Ben and Jerry's festival has now a second site in Manchester's Heaton Park to spread the Peace, Love＆Ice Cream up North．There will be fun-filled activities for everyone．including fairground attractions and social activities! Not to mention a traditional petting farm and a less traditional bare toe wrestling championship．There will be unlimited FREE Ben＆Jerry's Ice Cream!

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)