Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse (冲动), but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ‘‘in”, fat is “out”.

It’ s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed (着迷) with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people’s obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate , millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day.    

1.What does the word “taboo’’ refer to in the passage?

A．Behavior considered unacceptable to the society.

B．An unfavorable impression left on other people.

C．A strong desire to do something strange or terrible.

D．A crime committed on impulse.

2.What does the underlined phrase “in” look probably mean?

A．The hidden look.                        B．The fashionable look.

C．The usual look.                         D．The inside look.

3.According to the passage, the common belief is that _________.

A．fat people are full of energy               B．fat people prefer to have fat bosses

C．thin people are more successful            D．thin people are less image-conscious

4.People pay more attention to diet and exercise because of _________.

A．their need to kill time                    B．their love for sports

C．their belief in hard work                  D．their concern for health

 

Hikosaburo Yasuda of Nakano, Japan, plans to buy an iPad to keep up with junior members in his computer club．"It's important to always try new things, otherwise you get left behind," he says．  

        

       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 seniors are buying them．However, anecdotal evidence suggests it's a hit with the elderly．

       The iPad's intuitive interface （直观界面） makes it appealing to senior 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 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 receptive to 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 stave off dementia. "Trying new things like that is a good mental exercise," he says.

The underlined part “a hit” in Paragraph 2 may probably mean “      ”.

       A．a hard strike     B．a heavy burden       C．quite popular    D．very familiar

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of the iPad over the PC?

       A．It has intuitive interface. B．It is easier to operate.

       C．It is more accessible to beginners.   D．It is a good mental exercise.

What can we learn from the passage?

       A．The people under thirty are the largest consumers in Japan except for the elderly.

       B．The traditional customers of AAPL’s products are usually the yong.

       C．The elderly will soon grow into the largest customer group in place of the young.

       D．The elderly in Japan have great enthusiasm for latest hi – tech products.

What could be the best title for the passage?

      A．The iPad leads Apple to the elderly

       B．Ipad hits Japan’s store shelves

       C．Ipad’s arrival in Tokyo causes Uapanese to reflect

       D．AAPL attempts to balance the old and the yong

Bali is an Indonesia island that is rich in indigenous （本土的） culture．A lot of people say that Balinese culture is unique and that the people of Bali have always been contented with the "now"．If you ask a Balinese person what heaven is like, the probable answer will be "just like Bali"．This only goes to show that most Balinese people are happy to be where they are and never worry．

One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali．In the Balinese culture, support is always available．Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex．

Balinese culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma"．This religion reached the island during the eleventh century．Most of the family customs and

traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this．The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia．

         In spite of the fact that tourists flood to the island every year, Balinese people have managed to conserve their culture．Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another．Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have inclinations （爱好） either to music, dance, painting, and decor．

         Another remarkable mark of the Balinese culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya．This marks the different stages of Balinese life．Cremation （火葬） is very popular on this island—and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and colorful event for the Balinese．

1.What do we know about Balinese according to the first two paragraphs?

         A．They lead a very relaxing but unwealthy life．

         B．They live in large families and are close to each other．

         C．Their family members are distributed in different places．

         D．Their extended families live too close together to get along well．

2.Bali is distinguished from the rest of Indonesia by _____．

         A．people's tight family relationship

         B．the family customs and traditions

         C．people's great affection for religion

         D．the influence of Hinduism on their culture

3.The underlined word "conserve" in Para．4 can be best replaced by "_____"．

         A．preserve        B．spread      C．form         D．expand

4.When a person dies in Bali, it is a common practice to _____．

         A．express deep sorrow at his death

         B．celebrate the death like a great event

         C．sing and dance joyfully in his honor

         D．remember what he did in his lifetime

5.What is the text mainly about?

         A．Balinese religion．                  B．The lifestyle of Balinese．

         C．Balinese culture．                           D．The tourism in Bali．

 

The literal meaning of philosophy is “love of wisdom”．But this meaning does not tell us very much．Unlike the other disciplines, philosophy cannot be defined by what you study, because it si actually unlimited．Anything can be the subject matter of philosophy: are, history, law, language, literature, mathematics, and in fact, the other academic disciplines are directly related to philosophy．For this reason you get a Doctorate（博士学位）of Philosophy （Ph．D．） in biochemistry, or computer science, or psychology．

       Two broad sub-fields of philosophy are logic and the history of philosophy．Logic is the science of argument and critical thinking．It provides sound methods for distinguishing good from bad reasonign．The history of philosophy involves the study of major philosophers and periods in the development of philosophy．

       Of what use is philosophy? First it is useful in educational advancement．It is necessary for understanding other disciplines．Only philosophy questions the nature of the concepts used in a discipline, and its relation to other disciplines．And through the study of philosophy, one develops sound methods of research and analysis that can be applied to any field．

       There are a number of general uses of philosophy．It strengthens one’s ability to solve problems, to communicate, to organize ideas and issues, to persuade, and to take what is the most important from a large quantity of data．These general uses are of great benefit in the career field, not necessarily for obtaining one’s first job after graduation, but for preparing for positions of responsibility, management  and leadership later on．It is very short-sighted after all, to take a course of studies only for the purpose of getting one’s first job．The useful skills developed through the study of philosophy have significant long-term benefits in career advancement．No other discipline systematically follows the ideals of wisdom, leadership, and capacity to resolve human conflict．

41．According to paragraph 1, philosophy can best be described as the study of        ．

       A．social sciences                           B．natural sciences

       C．both social and natural sciences             D．the subject matter of politics

42．What does “discipline” mean in the first paragraph?

       A．subject     B．science     C．literature   D．occupation

43．With the study of philosophy, you can        ．

       A．become a great leader

       B．succeed in everything

       C．find a good job soon after graduation

       D．make progress in your career development

44．According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Philosophy is an independent discipline．

       B．Logic helps you to become a better thinker．

       C．The study of philosophy brings you immediate benefits．

       D．The meaning of philosophy is too limited to define．

45．From the passage, we can conclude        ．

       A．not all the subjects have to do with philosophy

       B．a person will get a Ph．  D．if he/she studies philosophy

       C．philosophy can be helpful for the study of any other subjects

       D．philosophy is the only solution to all the problems in the world

A new report says the number of foreign students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by three percent last year. This has been the first obvious increase since 2001.

American schools last fall had 583,000 foreign students. The record is 586,000. That was set in 2002 after many years of gains. But after that the numbers fell. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 led to more visa (签证) requirements. Now stronger efforts are being made to get more foreign students to study in the United States.

China remained in second place in front of South Korea but behind India, which sent almost 84,000 students last fall. The number of Japanese fell sharply by nine percent, although it remained in fourth place.

There were three percent drops from Indonesia and Kenya, the only African country in the top twenty last year. But there were obvious increases from Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Vietnam. The number of Saudi students more than doubled, rising to nearly eight thousand.

For a sixth year, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles had the most foreign students. Columbia University in New York was second. Other schools in the top five were New York University, the University of Illinois and Purdue University.

Unlike American students in other countries, who often choose history and language study, the leading area of study in the USA was business and management. Second was engineering.

The new report also says more than 220,000 Americans studied in other countries. That was during the 2005-2006 school year. It was a record number, and an increase of eight and a half percent from the year before. But only five percent of them stayed for a full year.

1.After 2002, the number of foreign students in the USA fell mainly because ____ .

A．Americans were worried that foreign students might attack them

B．few American universities welcomed students from abroad

C．their own countries could offer them a better education

D．it was harder for foreign students to get permission to study in the USA

2.Which of the following Asian countries has the largest number of students studying in the USA?

A．China.            B．Japan.            C．South Korea.       D．India.

3.Which subject is the most attractive to foreign students in the USA?

A．Business and management.                B．History.

C．Engineering.                           D．Language.

4.We can learn from the passage that ____ .

A．Kenya is the only African country that has students in the USA

B．now foreign students are encouraged to study in the USA

C．the number of students studying in America always increases

D．the number of foreign students in the USA will keep increasing in the future

5.In which section of a newspaper could you most probably read this passage?

A．Culture.           B．Science.           C．Education.         D．Business.