“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,” mourns May Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms Demeanor” and author of six etiquette(礼节) books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”
Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me: I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside---it’s an attitude based on respecting other people.”
A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas (一种南美淡水鱼，喜吞食或攻击) on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?
A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it); a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state find such a unique item!); a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way it has enhanced your life (I’ll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).
So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel (装饰用光亮金属) is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot.
I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special—just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It’s a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.
41. 【小题1】in Ms. Demeanor’s point of view, children born in the ______ is probably the least respectful generation.

A．1960s

B．1970s

C．1980s

D．1990s

42. 【小题2】 The phrase “set oneself apart” (Para. 2) means _______.

A．to reserve to a particular use	B．to put to one side
C．to make noticeable or outstanding	D．to determine to purse

43. 【小题3】According to the passage, a thank-you note may contain the following information EXCEPT “_______”.

A．I love the pearl necklace you bought me for my birthday
B．it must have taken you a long time to find just the right thing for me
C．is it very expensive	D．I promise I will wear it on my wedding day

44. 【小题4】How did the author feel when she saw her children searching under the Christmas tree for their presents?

A．Greedy.

B．Cheerful.

C．Laughable.

D．Disheartened.

45. 【小题5】Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE about the author?

A．She feels hand-written letters are friendlier than word-processed ones.

B．She does not allow her children to sent email thank-you note.

C．She thinks the best time to teach her children the basic etiquette of appreciation is to strike while the iron is still not.

D．She thinks a thank-you note can make the gift giver feel special just as the

recipient does.

阅读理解

　　Dr. Carl Sagan has been a leader in space exploration. He is an astronomer at Cornell University and director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies. The author talked with Dr. Carl Sagan about how he became an astronomer.

　　Q: At the age of five did you know what the stars were?

　　A: I didn't know what they were, so I asked my friends and some older children, I got answers like “They're lights in the sky, kid.”That wasn't much of an answer. What were they? Were they little electric light bulbs(灯泡) held by black wires you couldn't see?

　　Q: If there are creatures living on another planet, what do you think they would look like?

　　A: I can't imagine what they'd look like, and they couldn't imagine what we'd look like. All of life on Earth is the same, except for some external(外部的) differences in form. Every one of us on Earth, from bacteria(细菌) to human being; is made up of the same kinds of proteins and the same kinds of nucleic acids(核酸). But on another planet, everything is different, and I would expect that the organisms would be totally different from us.

　　Q: Do you think we should have a manned mission(工作团)to Mars?

　　A: I don't think there's any reason to send people to Mars if our goal is to find out about Mars. Let's send robots instead. They're cheaper. There's no risk of human lives. Robots can go to more dangerous places. But I think there are reasons for sending people there that are not connected to finding out about Mars. Planning for a manned mission to Mars would force us to improve some of our technology. It would encourage the major technological nations to come together for the project. Space flight also speaks to something deep within us. A human mission to Mars would provide a sense of adventure. It would help to stimulate a new generation of scientists, and it would make all people feel a little more optimistic about what we can do as a planet.

　　Q: What advice would you give a young person who wants to be an astronomer?

　　A: I'd say,“Study physics. But before you can study physics you have to know mathematics, so study mathematics.”I would also encourage them to read a lot, be curious, and ask questions.

1．As a boy, Carl Sagan didn't ________.

[　　]

A．often ask questions

B．always get satisfying answers from his friends

C．try to do well in physics

D．read a lot

2．We human beings are interested in finding life on another planet because ________.

[　　]

A．we are naturally drawn to other things that are alive and are curious about them.

B．most of us want to have more friends.

C．some of us are eager to rule the universe

D．scientists want to show how modem our technology is

3．Robots can be sent to Mars because ________.

[　　]

A．we have enough robots

B．they're strong and big

C．everything is easy to them

D．some duties are too dangerous for human being to fulfill

4．A manned mission to Mars ________.

[　　]

A．is reasonable if the goal is to collect information

B．is O.K. if robots are sent as well

C．can make us improve some technology to prepare for it

D．can make strong nations come together

5．Which of the following statements is true?

[　　]

A．Carl Sagan is an astronaut.

B．Carl Sagan used to ask friends silly questions.

C．Carl Sagan thinks we can't imagine what creatures on another planet look like until they can imagine our appearance.

D．Carl Sagan encourages young people interested in astronomy to work hard at physics as well as mathematics.

The principles about applying for jobs have altered greatly lately. In the past, people preferred a hand-written application letter．However, nowadays it is becoming more and more common to apply for a job through the Internet．You can find information on the Internet about how to apply for jobs．Information can be found about how to fulfill your application letter, the clothes that you should wear and how to carry out the interview itself．

The importance of body language is often mentioned，but doesn’t always get the attention it deserves．After all，before a word has even been spoken，your body language will have already given people their first impression of you．Additionally, your body language will also give out a lot more information．Based on your body language it can be seen if you are self-confident．It can also show if you are a busy or a quiet type and it helps give an impression of whether you are speaking truthfully or not．Body language can show how enthusiastic you are and if you are a nice person．someone who will take his work seriously, but also someone who has a sense of humor and can enjoy a joke from time to time．The members of the application committee will ask you questions，but your answers won’t only be oral．The committee will not only pay attention to what you say, but also to how you say it! Body language will determine first if it ‘clicks’，and sometimes all it takes is just a few seconds．Everybody uses body language，but it takes place mostly at a subconscious（下意识的） level．Using body language appropriately, you can definitely increase your chances of getting a job．

What kind of people is the text mainly meant for?

         A．Interviewers   B．Job-hunting people   C．Employers  D.Lay-off workers

We can learn form the first paragraph that_______．

         A．hand-written letters are not used in finding a job

         B．the more expensive clothes interviewees wear, the better

         C．body language is more important than spoken words

         D．Internet is of significance in applying for a job

Using body language well in a job interview will probably _______．

        A．get rid of the interviewers’ prejudice         B．determine what position one will get

        C．increase the possibility to get the wanted job    D.help one remove nervousness

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

      A．Those using body language are usually confident．

B．Body language is often used on purpose in job hunting．

C．Body language is a mirror to reflect one’s personality．

D．People enjoying jokes are preferred in a job interview．