It is not only experts in China who are arguing over whether women should work after marriage or not. Worldwide this question is being discussed as an interestingly large number of married women enter the workplace. Take the United States for example. Since 1960, the percentage of married women in the work force has jumped from 31.9 per cent to 59.4 per cent.
American women first moved into the paid labour force during the World War II, when men left their jobs to fight. In the last fifty years, more and more women have worked outside the home. And over these years of developing, Americans have changed their social values as a result. In 1975, women aged 35 and above made up half of all working women. And by 1980, 60 per cent were women at the age of 45 and above.
Now in Japan, women’s work group is M-shaped with middle-aged women and those aged 20-25 at the two peaks. According to statistics(统计)， 37.7 per cent of Japanese women at childbearing age(25-29) still engaged themselves in work in 1980. and the number reached 50 per cent the next year.
Being a housewife has always been regarded as a “graceful occupation” in Japan. Some young Japanese women believe it is good to be a “ professional housewife”. However, old attitudes have been changing everywhere, and sometimes just out of economic necessary. In recent years, a great number of city housewives have poured out of homes to take part time jobs. Even the UN has given its support.. The 34^th Congress of the United Nations in 1979 put forward the decision for formal agreement on the getting rid of discrimination(歧视) against women.
So far, most UN members have agreed on it, but some still haven’t,  including the United States.
【小题1】From the first passage, we can learn that ________________.

A．experts encourage women to take paying jobs.

B．men encourage women to take paying jobs

C．government encourage women to take paying jobs.

D．more and more people begin to care about women’s life

【小题2】In the United States _________________.

A．married women are lazier than their husbands.

B．Husbands are lazier than their wives

C．Few married women used to work outside

D．More married women used to work outside

【小题3】Married women in Japan________________.
A, all work outside their homes     
B. seldom work outside their homes
C. have different opinions on their working outside 
D. all do housework at their homes
【小题4】More and more women have taken jobs outside for the reason that ____________.

A．they have no children to take care of

B．they have no housework to do

C．they want to make more friends

D．they want to improve their living conditions

Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break form school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meeting in New York，So I had to get back . But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.

The next day my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged一okay, ordered-them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?

Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.

I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing (揭露) the worst tricks . I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in. I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.

1.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?

A．They took a later flight.

B．They had early bookings.

C．Their flight had been delayed.

D．Their flight had been cancelled.

2.What can we learn about the author?

A．She rarely misses a good deal.

B．She seldom makes a compromise.

C．She is very strict with her children

D．She is interested in cheap products.

3.What does the author do?

A．She's a teacher.

B．She's a housewife.

C．She's a media person.

D．She's a businesswoman.

4.What does the author want to tell us?

A．How to expose bad tricks.

B．How to reserve airline seats.

C．How to spend money wisely,

D．How to make a business deal.

 

Today, as with so many days, I found myself stuck in a traffic jam, and I thought I’d share my little trick for keeping calm when it seems like you are creeping along(缓慢行进).

   The key to understand is that traffic jams don’t take as long as they seem to. It’s just that when we are in a hurry, and think we should be moving, but time appears to pass more than it does. To really show this, the next time you are stopped at a light that always seems to take forever to change, try to do something with your phone, your laptop, whatever you have available, and watch how much briefer the light seems.

   When you enter a jam on the highway, reset your trip plan and care the time. Then, when you clear the jam, and are normally on your way again, care the distance of the jam, and the time it took to get through it. For my experience today, it took me 6 minutes to go 2 miles. Now, it happens to be mathematically convenient that your average speed on the highway is about 60 mph, or a mile per minute. So to estimate what time the jam actually cost you, just take your traffic jam passing time, and subtract（减去） the distance covered, which we know is a good estimate of the time it would have taken with no traffic jam. In my case, all that added up to 6-2=4 minutes.

   Do this for every jam you are subjected to every time and watch how much less stressful they become once you understand how little time you are really losing.

1.We can infer from Paragraph 1 and 2 that ________.

   A. there was no traffic jam in the past

   B. modern people are under great pressure

     time passes much faster during traffic jams

   D. people in traffic jams are usually impatient

2.What does the writer suggest when caught in traffic jams?

   A. Playing a trick on other drivers.

   B. Figuring out how much time the jam actually cost you.

     Doing some math problems.

   D. Informing the boss about the delay.

3.The underlined phrase “subjected to” in the last paragraph probably means ________.

   A. experience          B. avoid                 admit                     D. control

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A. Math is closely connected with life.

   B. Stress is always a bad thing.

     Traffic jam is not as bad as you think.

   D. There is no use complaining about traffic jams.

 

If you still need to relax and want to head overseas, don’t miss out some great deals on accommodation or air fares at some of the world’s top off–peak travel hotspots. Whether you want to go to Europe or run away on a tropical escape, stretch that travel budget to take advantage of off-peak rates at some of the world’s most-visited locales. Several destinations host spring festivals and other special events.
Here are four off-peak travel destinations to visit in 2013:
Portugal
With rich culture and history, Portugal continues to be one of the most affordable European destinations. Head to this beautiful capital city of Lisbon to attend the festivals and fairs, visit some 12^th–century buildings, and stay at one of the newer hotels in the main city district. The Hotel Teatro is a four-star restaurant, and average nightly rates are under $150 a night.
Hotel Teatro
Porto, Portugal
+351  220  409  620
Aruba
Set your sights on Aruba for an unforgettable Caribbean holiday. You can get special offers from one of the larger beach resorts(旅游胜地) here. Some of the chain hotels, including Marriott and Radisson, offer discounts on spa relaxations (矿泉浴场) . The Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino, & Spa is offering a Super Saver Spring Rate at just $309 per night.
Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa
Palm Beach, Aruba
800-967-9033
Oaxaca  
Escape to southern Mexico to explore the historic colonial city and learn about the region’s traditions, culture, and colorful history. Oaxaca holds several cultural festivals and is a great place to relax. You will be receiving a 50% discount with just $170 per night for a deluxe(豪华的) single or double room if you stay in the Camino Real Oaxaca for more than 7 nights (7 included).
Camino Real Oaxaca
Centro, 68000
01 951 501 6100
Turkey
Another place to have some local culture and participate in some late spring festivals is Istanbul, Turkey. Stay at a destination that will put you within easy reach of famous sites like the Topkapi Palace. The Modern Sultan Hotel is a deluxe hotel located in the heart of the historic district. Average nightly rates for the bed and breakfast package are just under $120 per night.
Modern Sultan Hotel
Istanbul, Turkey
+90 212 520 00 53
【小题1】In the passage Portugal is described as a destination ________.

A．for visitors interested in ancient buildings

B．especially appealing to wealthy Europeans

C．owning rich culture but lacking colorful festivals

D．having the Hotel Teatro in the suburbs of Lisbon

【小题2】If you want to know more information about spas, you can call ________.

A．800-967-9033	B．+351 220 409 620
C．01 951 501 6100	D．+90 212 520 00 53

【小题3】According to the passage, nightly rates including breakfast is offered by ________.

A．Hotel Teatro

B．Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa

C．Camino Real Oaxaca

D．Modern Sultan Hotel

【小题4】What is the passage mainly about ?

A．Some off-peak places for relaxation.

B．A way to travel on a budget.

C．The world’s most visited destinations.

D．Comparing the four tourist destinations.

Without proper planning，tourism can cause problems．For example，too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of the country．If tourists create too much traffic，the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy．They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely．They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy．It is important to think about the people of a destination (旅行目的地) country and how tourism affects them．Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists．Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants．
Too much tourism can be a problem．If tourism grows too quickly，people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry．This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer．
On the other hand，if there is not enough tourism，people can lose jobs．Businesses can also lose money．It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels．Airports，first-class roads，and other support facilities (配套设施) needed by tourist attractions．For example，a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build．If this room is not used most of the time，the owners of the hotel will lose money．
Building a hotel is just a beginning．There must be many other support facilities as well，including roads to get to the hotel，electricity，sewers (下水道) to handle waste，and water．All of these support facilities cost money．If they are not used because there are not enough tourists，jobs and money are lost．
【小题1】Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?

A．It is extremely important to develop tourism．

B．Building roads and hotels is important．

C．Support facilities are highly necessary．

D．Planning is of great importance to tourism．

【小题2】The underlined word “inhabitants” (in Paragraph 1) probably means ______．

A．citizens

B．passengers

C．population

D．tourists

【小题3】Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT _______．

A．a bad effect on other industries	B．a change of tourists’ customs
C．over-crowdedness of places of interest	D．pressure on traffic

【小题4】It can be inferred from the text that _______．

A．the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast.

B．local people will benefit from tourist attraction.

C．people will lose jobs because of the development of tourism.

D．we shouldn’t build support facilities needed by tourist attractions .

【小题5】The author thinks it is good for local people to know that tourism will _____．

A．waste a lot of money	B．weaken their economy
C．help establish (确立) their customs	D．help improve their life