From the earlier time it was well ___1___ to the Peruvians that when a cut ___2___ made in the thick skin of a ___3___ tree, a white liquid like milk came ___4___. From this fluid (流动的) a sticky ___5___ of rubber might be made. This rubber is ___6___ and wax-like when warm so that it is ___7___ to give any form.

The Peruvians ___8___ the discovery that it is very good for ___9___ out water. Then in the early ___10___ of the century they made overshoes to ___11___ their feet dry. Then a certain Mr Mackintosh ___12___ coats of cloth which were ___13___ with rubber. Today Mackintosh raincoats are still ___14___ after him.

But these first rubber shoes ___15___ raincoats were unpleasantly soft and sticky in ___16___. They were also stiff and very ___17___ in winter. They were like wax(蜡) although they ___18___ a bit stronger.

But the rubber ___19___ use today has been improved. It is ___20___ sticky but soft and elastic(弹性的) and strong enough for any season.

1. A. talked     B. heard  C. seen    D. known

2. A. has  B. was     C. may    D. will

3. A. rubber    B. apple  C. orange       D. oak

4. A. from      B. through      C. out     D. up

5. A. raincoat  B. shoes  C. border D. mass

6. A. hard       B. fast     C. stubborn     D. soft

7. A. important      B. impossible  C. possible      D. uncertain

8. A. made      B. found  C. wrote  D. neglected

9. A. finding   B. keeping      C. making      D. pouring

10. A. kind     B. part    C. sort     D. halves

11. A. clean    B. clear   C. keep   D. prevent

12. A. made    B. found  C. appeared    D. gave

13. A. full      B. like     C. lined   D. applied

14. A. looked  B. named C. made  D. searched

15. A. or B. and     C. with    D. but

16. A. today    B. summer      C. winter D. rain

17. A. soft      B. sticky  C. elastic D. cold

18. A. felt       B. made  C. needed       D. produced

19. A. Mr Mackintosh    B. the Peruvians     C. we      D. is

20. A. also      B. always       C. neither       D. not

From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures.

Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (卢浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.

The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort (要塞)with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat (护城河) to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the fort grew. By 1350,the fort was no longer needed and became a palace home for French kings and queens.

 During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During times of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged(毁损).

When Francis I became King of France in the year of 1515,he brought in artists from many countries, and one of them was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy, whose Mona Lisa is the best-known painting in the museum today.

 In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.

The above passage is about        

A. the world-famous painting Mona Lisa  

B. a king of France by the name of Francis I

C. a grand art museum in the capital of France 

D. an artist named Leonardo da Vinci

It seems to be necessary for great art works to be kept in public museum because     .

A. only in this way will they not be stolen     

B. it gives everyone a chance to enjoy them

C. it helps people to remember the life of French kings and queens

D. it tells people what meaningful work the French kings did in the past

The Louver became an art museum         

A. in the year of 1350                

B. in 1515 when Francis I became King of France   

C. in the seventeenth century            

D. in the nineties of the eighteenth century

Though the story does not say so, it makes you think         

A. lots of people pay visits to the Louvre

B. Leonardo da Vinci was once the keeper of the museum

C. the Louvre was only open to the artists from other countries

D. the Louvre became a public museum at the beginning of the last century 

From hitting the mall with your girl friends on a Saturday afternoon, to holiday spending on gifts that go under the tree, shopping could be called one of America’s favorite pastimes. For most people, it means some new clothes for work or a small trinket for a friend. For others, however, shopping is much more than an enjoyable pastime, and in some cases, it is a real and destructive addiction that can turn into a financial disaster. Compulsive shopping and spending are defined as inappropriate, excessive过度的, and out of control. Like other addictions, it basically has something to do with impulsiveness and lack of control over one’s impulses冲动. In America, shopping is embedded in our culture; so often, the impulsiveness comes out as excessive shopping. Sometimes this is referred to as “shopholism”. Shopping addiction can damage a person’s life, family, and finances. “No one knows what causes addictive behaviors, like shopping, alcoholism, drug abuse, and gambling”, says a professor of applied health science. Some of the new evidence suggests that some people, maybe 10%-15%, may have a genetic predisposition to an addictive behavior, coupled with an environment in which the particular behavior is triggered引发, but no one really knows why.” Individuals will get some kind of high from an addictive behavior like shopping.

What are the telltale signs that shopping has crossed the line and become and addiction? What should a concerned family member or friend look out for when they think shopping has become a problem? The behaviors can signal a serious problem:

·Shopping or spending money as a result of feeling angry, depressed, anxious, or lonely

·Having arguments with others about one’s shopping habits

·Feeling lost without credit cards — actually going into withdrawal without them

·Buying items on credit, rather than with cash

·Describing a rush or a feeling of euphoria with spending

·Feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed after a spending spree(大买特买)

·Thinking obsessively about money

·Spending a lot time juggling accounts or bills to accommodate spending

“If someone identifies four or more of any of these behaviors, there may be a problem”, experts say. Treating a shopping addiction requires a multifaceted approach. There are no standard treatments for shopping addiction. Medications have been used, but with mixed results. Therapists also focus on cognitive-behavioral treatment programs. There is no quick and easy answer that will immediately cure a shopping addiction, and while treatment is a necessary part of solving the problem, so is behavior change on the part of the addict.

Some basic changes in behavior that will have a big impact on breaking a shopping addiction are recommended:

·Admit that you are a compulsive spender, which is half the battle.

·Get rid of checkbooks and credit cards, which fuel the problem.

·Don’t shop by yourself because most compulsive shoppers shop alone and if you are with someone you are much less likely to append more.

·Find other meaningful ways to spend time.

And keep in mind that while behavior change is clearly important to recovery, so is reaching out for professional help.(509)

The best title of this article is _________

A. Should We Shop or Not?                  B. Shopping Behaviors, Good or Bad?

C. Shopping Spree, or an Addiction?           D. The Dangers of Shopholism.

You should be carefully think about your shopping behavior if you ________.

A. are angry to go shopping            

B. lost your credit card while shopping

C. are overjoyed and overwhelmingly excited to go shopping.

D. count your money while shopping

Which of the following statement is not true? ________.

A. Medication will not help to cure a shopping addiction

B. No one really knows why people get addicted to doing something which is no good to them

C. By the word shopholism, we refers to the impulsive and excessive shopping behavior

D. Shopping addiction can turn into a real disaster in one’s life

The most important way to get rid of the addiction is ________.

A. use credit card instead of checkbooks

B. change one’s behavior as well as seek professional advice

C. find somebody else to shop for you   

D. go to a doctor for a standard treatment

From the earlier time it was well ___1___to the Peruvians that when a cut ___2____made in the thick skin of a ___3____tree, a white liquid like milk came ___4___. From this fluid (流动的) a sticky ___5_____of rubber might be made. This rubber is ___6____and wax-like when warm so that it is ___7_____to give any form.

The Peruvians ___8____the discovery that it is very good for ___9____out water. Then in the early ___10____of the century they made overshoes to ___11___their feet dry. Then a certain Mr Mackintosh ___12_____coats of cloth which were ___13____with rubber. Today Mackintosh raincoats are still ___14_____after him.

But these first rubber shoes ___15______raincoats were unpleasantly soft and sticky in ___16___. They were also stiff and very ___17____in winter. They were like wax(蜡) although they ___18____a bit stronger.

But the rubber ___19___use today has been improved. It is ___20____sticky but soft and elastic(弹性的) and strong enough for any season.

1. A. talked                B. heard            C. seen                D. known

2. A. has                 B. was              C. may                D. will

3. A. rubber               B. apple            C. orange                   D. oak

4. A. from                 B. through         C. out                 D. up

5. A. raincoat             B. shoes            C. border             D. mass

6. A. hard                      B. fast               C. stubborn             D. soft

7. A. important             B. impossible        C. possible              D. uncertain

8. A. made                 B. found           C. wrote              D. neglected

9. A. finding              B. keeping         C. making              D. pouring

10. A. kind                B. part              C. sort                 D. halves

11. A. clean               B. clear             C. keep               D. prevent

12. A. made               B. found           C. appeared            D. gave

13. A. full                 B. like              C. lined               D. applied

14. A. looked             B. named          C. made              D. searched

15. A. or                B. and               C. with                D. but

16. A. today               B. summer               C. winter             D. rain

17. A. soft                 B. sticky           C. elastic             D. cold

18. A. felt                      B. made            C. needed                   D. produced

19. A. Mr Mackintosh       B. the Peruvians       C. we                  D. is

20. A. also                 B. always          C. neither                   D. not

From bankers to factory staff, employees in the west face the bleak prospect of losing their jobs as a global recession starts to bite. For colleagues in the East the pain is more likely to come through a pay cut.

Human resource experts say cultural differences explain why Asian firms try harder to keep jobs in difficult times, which will stop unemployment and may help keep Asian economies afloat at a time of slowing exports.

The East Asian attitude may also make it easier for firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn since they will not need to rehire or train new staff, leaving some experts predicting Western shift to Eastern flexibility.

“In the Confucian attitude, the right thing to do is to share the burden. There is the sense of collective responsibility whereas in the west, it’s more about the individual survival,” said Michael Benotlel, associate professor of organizational behavior at Singapore Management University.

Steven Pang, Asian Regional director for Aquent, a headhunting firm, said in many East Asian companies there was an responsibility “ to take care of the members of the family and go through the pain together” even if that meant causing losses.

Us firms from General Motors to Goldman Sachs plan to lay off workers by the thousands. But at the Asian units of Western multinationals, jobs cuts will probably be less severe.

Japan’s jobless rate was 4 percent in September, up from 3.8 percent in January, while Hong Kong’s was flat at 3.4 percent. But US unemployment is expected to have jumped to 6.3 percent last month from below 5 percent in January.

Experts say that while there are noticeable differences in labor practices in East

and West, the gap will narrow as more firms become more multinational and competition forces firms to adopt the best practices of rivals from abroad.

According to the passage, what does “to share the burden” mean?

( less than 6 words)

____________________________________________________________________

Why would firms in the west lay off workers when facing a bleak prospect?

( no more than 5 words)

____________________________________________________________________

Why is it easier for the East Asian firms to recover quickly from the economic downturn? (no more than 12 words)

____________________________________________________________________

What’s the passage talking about? (no more than 15 words)

   ____________________________________________________________________