No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA. There are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 180 in Japan, 164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain. The quality of some American papers is extremely high and their views are quoted all over the world. Famous dailies like the Washington Post or the New York Times have a powerful influence all over the country. However, they are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain or Le Monde is in France, since each American city has its own daily newspaper. The best of these present detailed description of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news.

　Like the press in most other countries, American newspapers range from the “sensational” which feature crime and gossip(闲谈), to the “serious”, which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. But with few exceptions, American newspapers try to entertain as well as give information, for they have to compete with the attraction of television.

Just as American newspapers satisfy all tastes, so do they also try to attract readers of all political parties. A few newspapers support extremist(极端主义的) groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers try to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are moderate(中立的). Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture.

As in other countries, American newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once courageously exposed political scandals(丑闻) or crimes, for instance, the Watergate Affair(水门事件). The Newspapers drew the attention of the public to the horrors of the Vietnam War.

1.There are fewer national newspapers in          .

　　A. Britain than in the USA.    B. France than in Britain

　　C. the USA than in Britain or France

　　D. France than in the USA or Britain

2.Most American newspapers try hard to entertain their readers because

.　　

A．they have to keep up a good relation with them

B．they have to compete with television

C．they have to write about crime and gossip

D．they have to give factual news in an interesting way

3.Many American newspapers attract readers of different political preference by          .

A．supporting extremist groups from time to time

B．inviting middle-of-the-road Americans to write articles for them

C．avoiding carrying articles about extremists

D．printing articles representing different political viewpoints

4.The passage is mainly about             .

A．the characteristics of American newspapers

B．the development of American newspapers

C．the functions of American newspapers

D．the advantages and disadvantages of American newspapers

 

No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA.　There are almost 2000 of them，as compared with 180 in Japan，164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain.　The quality（质量） of some American papers is quite high and their views are used all over the world.　Excellent newspapers like the Washington Post or the New York Times　have a powerful influence（影响） all over　the country.　However，the Post　and the New York Times　are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain of Le Monde is in France，since each American city has its own daily newspaper.　The best of these give detailed（详细的）accounts of national and international news，but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news.?

Like the press（报刊） in most other countries，American newspapers report news from the “exciting” and “relaxing” to the serious.　They try to entertain people as well as give information，for they have to compete with the attraction of television.

Just as American newspapers try to satisfy all tastes，they also try to attract readers of all political parties.　A few news papers support extremist（极端主义者） groups on the far right and on the far left，but most daily newspapers try their best to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are mainly moderate（温和的）.Many of these papers print materials by well?known journalists of different political and social views，in order to give a balanced picture.?

As in other countries American newspapers can be either responsible（负责任的） or irresponsible，but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once exposed political scandals（丑闻），for example，the Watergate Affair（水门事件）.?

1.Which newspaper in the U.　K.　is national？?

A.?Le Monde.　　　　　　　 B.?Washington Post.?

C.?New York Times.　　　　　　 D.?The Times.?

2.Most American newspapers attract readers by carrying　　　　　 .?

A.　national news　　　　　 B.　local news?

C.　international news　　　　 D.　political news?

3.In order to win the competition with television，American newspapers have to　　　 .

A.　give information　　　 B.　give serious news?

C.　give entertainment news　　 D.　give national news?

4.Most daily newspapers attract moderate Americans by　　　　　 .?

A.　printing articles by well-known journalists of different views?

B.　supporting extremist groups?

C.　exposing political scandals?

D.　serving the country well?

 

Friendship is one of the basic bonds (纽带) between human beings. While the characteristics of friendship might vary from one country to another, people from all cultures not only enjoy friends but need them.

　　Many studies have shown that teenagers who have no friends often suffer from psychological disorders. It has been shown that teenagers, perhaps more than any other age group, need companionship and a sense of belonging. The negative consequences of loneliness have also been observed among the elderly. The death of a spouse often leaves a widow or a widower totally bereft (失去). If, however, they are surrounded by friends and relatives and if they are able to articulate（清楚表达） their feelings, they are more likely to recover from their grief.

　　“No man is an island.” In other words, we are all parts of society. We all need the love, admiration, respect and moral support of other people. If we are fortunate, our friends will provide us with all of these necessary aspects of life.

　　As most people observe, there are many levels of friendship. The degree or intensity of friendship varies depending on the personality of the individuals involved and the context of the relationships. Extroverts (性格外向者) enjoy being surrounded by many people whereas introverts（性格内向者）are perhaps content with fewer but more intense friendships.

　　Everyone is not equally open with all their friends. The degree of intimacy (密切) is determined by many factors. Close friends can be formed at any stage in one’s life but they are usually very rare. Not very many people have more than a few really close friends. Irrespective of the level of intimacy, all friendships are based on reciprocity（相互性）, honesty and a certain amount of love and affection.

1.The second paragraph implies that _____..

A．teenagers without friends will suffer from psychological problems

B．a widow or a widower will die very soon without companionship

C．human beings need companionship and a sense of belonging

D．both A and B

2.The degree of intimacy of friendship mainly depends on _____ .

A．age

B．belonging

C．personality

D．culture

3.The author thinks that close friends _____ .

A．can be easily formed when one is young

B．cannot be long-lasting

C．are not rare for everyone

D．are rare for most people

4.The word “irrespective”(Last sentence, Para. 5) means _____ .

A．not respecting

B．dishonoring

C．regardless

D．Considering

 

BRITAIN is a popular tourist place, but tours of the country have pros and cons.

GOOD NEWS

Free museums. No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities.

Pop music. Britain is the only country to compete with the US on this score.

Black cabs. London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night.

Choice of food. Visitors can find everything from Japanese to Swedish restaurants.

Fashion. Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.

　　BAD NEWS

　　Poor service. “It’s part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton, of Luton University’s International Tourism Research Center.

　　Poor public transport. Trains and buses are promised to disappoint the keenest tourists, although the over crowded London tube is unbelievably popular.

　　Rain. Still in the number one complaint.

　　No air-conditioning. So that even splendidly hot summers become as unbearable as the downpours.

　　Overpriced hotels. The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.

Licensing hours. Alcohol(酒) is in short supply after 11 pm even in “24-hour cities”.

What do tourists complain most?

A. Poor service.        　　                B. Poor public transport.

C. Rain.            　　                    D. Overpriced hotels.

What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?

A. Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US.

B. Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US.

C. Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US.

D. Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US.

When is alcohol unlikely to be available in quantities?

　 A. At 8: 30 pm.     B. At 9: 30 pm.         C. At 10: 30 pm.        D. At 11: 30 pm.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　 A. The public transport is poor there.

　 B. It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there.

　 C. You cannot find Chinese food there.

D. You have to pay to visit the museums.

Some people believe that international sports create goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused mainly by minor national competitions.
　One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation（愤慨）after a hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the loser’s objection to the final decision. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was very angry and he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（停赛）of the team for at least three years.
　The American basketball team announced that they would not give up the first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their competition. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player popped the ball into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
　Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sports are played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism（爱国主义）.
【小题1】According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.

A．caused national pride for athletes

B．created goodwill between the nations

C．hardly showed any international friendship

D．led to less misunderstanding between countries

【小题2】What did the manager mean by saying “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished”?

A．His team would no longer take part in international games.

B．There should be no hockey matches organized by the Federation.

C．Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions.

D．The International Hockey Federation should be dismissed forever.

【小题3】By taking the basketball game for example, the author wants to prove that ________.

A．too much patriotism was displayed in the games

B．the announcement to prolong the match was wrong

C．the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision

D．the team was right in refusing to accept the silver medals

【小题4】What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．Sports should be played for the love of one’s nation.

B．Unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games.

C．International competitions will lead to misunderstanding.

D．The organization for the Olympic Games must be reformed.