Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of non-farm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September, 2009.
The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. On the one hand more women have entered the labor market over the years, and on the other hand the economic recession (衰退) has hit men harder than women. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost 11% compared to 8% for women.
Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing (制造业) and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.
Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And a recent study from the University of California, Davis, reveals that women hold fifty-one percent of well-paid management and professional jobs. Yet the study also shows that men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at most companies. The results have remained largely unchanged for five years.
Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their families. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found that they all value their independence and many enjoy having the power of control, though not all want it. But they even feel more pressure and worry. That is partly because of cultural expectations that working women should still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.
【小题1】Which of the following is a reason why women have a larger share of jobs?

A．Women workers are paid less than men.

B．More women now have higher education than men.

C．The economic recession has affected men more than women.

D．Industries that traditionally use lots of men now need more women.

【小题2】There have been an increasing number of jobs for women in           .

A．manufacturing

B．building

C．health care

D．farming

【小题3】In the late 1970s, if a man earned 500 dollars a month, a woman probably earned          .

A．＄260

B．＄310

C．＄400

D．＄500

【小题4】If a woman is the main earner in her family, she probably             .

A．hopes to be less independent	B．has the power of control
C．feels a bit threatened	D．is less worried

Howling is a behavior commonly observed among a wolf nark. An animals, wolves work together to hunt and rely on howling was an important means of communication each other. There are different explants of a wolf’s howl and it appears that there may be more to discover.      One theory is that wolves howl to bend better together. It’s almost as if howling together helps the pack stay together. Perhaps something similar to people feeling a sense of involvement with each other when singing a song together . But this theory may be wrong, explains Fred H. Harington, a professor who studies wolf behavior.     Indeed, there have been tines when wolves have been seen one moment howling in a exhorts, and the next, quarreling anions each other. It appears that usually the lowest-tanking menthes of the pack may actually be “punished” for
Joining in the churs at times. So is howling a way to strcagthen a social boad or just a way to reconfirm status among its members? ——Why do welves howl for sure?
What is cleat, however, is that howling is often used among packmates to locate each other. Hunting grounds are distant and it happens that woloves may separate from one another at times. When this happens, howling appcars to be an ercellent means of gathering.
Howling, interestingly, is a contagious behaviour. When one wolf starts to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occat in the morning, as if wolves were doing some sotr of “roll rall”where wolves all howl togeter to howl, very likely others will follow. This is often seen to occar in the morning, as if wolves were doing w some sotr of “roll call”where wolves all howl together to repotr their pteence.
【小题1】.What the por similarity between wolves’ how humaes ting in chorus?

A．The act of calling each other.

B．the sense of accomplishment.

C．The act of hunting for something.

D．The sense of belonging to a group.

【小题2】.Why does Harrington think the“secial boad”theory may be wrong?

A．Wolves separate from each other after howling.

B．Wolves tend to protect their hunting grounds.

C．Wolves sometimes have quarrels after howling together.

D．Wolves of low rank are encouraged to join in the chorus.

【小题3】Reseatchers are sure that wolves often howl to______.

A．show their ranks

B．find their companion

C．report the missing ones

D．express their lonelingess

【小题4】.“Howling… is a contagious behaviour”(in the last paragraph)means_______.

A．howling is a signal for hunting

B．howling is a way of communication

C．howling aften occurs in the morning

D．howling spreads from one to another

Farmers use different kinds of soil conservation methods to protect their land from damage by farming and the forces of nature . One important form of soil conservation is the use of windbreaks . Windbreaks are barriers formed by trees and other plants with many leaves . Farmers plant them in lines around their fields .

Windbreaks stop the wind from blowing soil away . They also keep the wind from destroying or damaging crops . They are very important for growing grains , such as wheat . There have been studies done on windbreaks in parts of West Africa , for example . These found that grain harvests can be twenty percent higher in fields protected by windbreaks compared to fields without such protection .

However , windbreaks seem to work best when they allow a little wind to pass through . If the wall of trees and plants stops wind completely , then violent air motions will take place close to the ground . These motions will lift soil into the air where it will be blown away .

For this reason , a windbreaks is best if it has only sixty to eighty percent of the trees and plants needed to make a solid line . An easy role to remember is that windbreaks can protect areas up to ten times the height of the tallest trees in the windbreaks .

These should be at least two lines in each windbreak . One line should be large trees . The second line , right next to it , can be shorter trees and other plants with leaves . Locally grown trees and plants are best for windbreaks .

1.What is the best title for the passage?

A.Building a windbreak to protect soil	B.Building a windbreak to protect crops
C.Using a windbreak to improve grains	D.Using a windbreak to improve plants

2.In the fifth paragraph the author tells us windbreaks______.

A.do not work at all	B.do not stop wind fully
C.will not take place	D.will not allow wind to pass through

3.According to the passage , which of the following statement is wrong ?

A.Windbreaks are barriers .

B.Windbreaks can be used to make fences .

C.In general , there are two lines in all in every windbreak .

D.Windbreaks can protect areas .

 

Taiwan police cannot decide whether to treat it as an extremely act of stealing or an even cheat. Either way, it could be the perfect crime, because the criminals are birds—homing pigeons !
The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car: if you want the car back, pay up. Then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money to the neck of the pigeon inside. Carrying the money in a tiny bag, the pigeon flies off.
There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however,  may in fact be the work of an even lazier and more inventive criminal mind—one that avoids not only collecting money but also going out to steal the car in the first place. Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for things he cannot possibly return. Instead of stealing cars, he lets someone else do it and then waits for the car-owner to place an advertisement in the newspaper asking for help.
The thought is supported by the fact that, so far, none of the stolen cars have been returned. Also, the amount of money demanded-under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars–seems too little for a car worth many times more.
Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal. “We have more important things to do,” he said.
【小题1】After the car owner received a phone call, he _______.

A．went to a certain pigeon and put some money in the bag it carried

B．gave the money to the thief and had his car back in a park

C．sent some money to the thief by mail

D．told the press about it

【小题2】The “lazier and more inventive” criminal refers to _______.

A．the car thief who stays at home

B．one of those who put the ads in the paper

C．one of the policemen in Changwa

D．the owner of the pigeons

【小题3】The writer mentions the fact that “none of the stolen cars have been returned” to show _______.

A．how easily people get fooled by criminals

B．what Chen thinks might be correct

C．the thief is extremely clever

D．the money paid is too little

【小题4】The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to ____.

A．criminals

B．pigeons

C．the stolen cars

D．demands for money

【小题5】 We may infer from the text that the criminal knows how to reach the car owners because _______.

A．he reads the ads in the newspaper

B．he lives in the same neighborhood

C．he has seen the car owners in the park

D．he has trained the pigeons to follow them

  What will you be doing when you are 26 years old? Studying at university or working for a living? Take a look at what Albert Einstein was doing at the age of 26.
100 years ago, Einstein was working in Switzerland. His hobby was physics. Without much money or help, he wrote five papers(论文) for a physics magazine. Three of these greatly changed the study of physics and our understanding of space, time, light and matter(物质). His most famous work is on the Theory of Relativity(相对论). Einstein was given the Nobel Prize for his discoveries. Although he also did many other things later, the years 1905 has been called Einstein’s “Year of Wonders”. It has been 100 years since then. Because of this, the UN has named 05 the World Year of Physics.
Today, over fifty years after Einstein’s death, a question is asked,  “ Will there ever be another Einstein?” It may take a long time. After all, Einstein was born more than 200 years after Sir Isaac Newton, another great scientist. Besides, physics is a different field now, and education is different, too. Even if you can’t be the next great scientist, it is still helpful to remember some of the things that made Einstein great. He thought independently(独立地) and read widely. He left with us a formula(公式) for life: If A is a success in life, then A="X+Y+Z." X is work, Y is play, and Z is keeping your mouth shut.
【小题1】The year 1905 is known as Einstein’s “Year of Wonders” because           .

A．Einstein was working in Switzerland in 1905	B．Einstein was 26 years old in 1905
C．Einstein made some very important discoveries in 1905	D．Einstein studied physics in 1905

【小题2】Why hasn’t there been another scientist as great as Einstein?

A．Because the study of physics is not enough.

B．Because it is hard to make important discoveries as Einstein did.

C．Because people don’t work hard any more.

D．Because physics is getting more and more difficult.

【小题3】The UN has named 05 the World Year of Physics because           .

A．Einstein is 100 years old this year

B．Einstein has been dead for more than 50 years

C．there have been other great discoveries after Einstein’s death

D．it is the 100th year since Einstein’s “Year of Wonders”

【小题4】 What does Einstein’s formula for life mean?

A．Success means years of hard work.

B．Success means all study and no play.

C．Success means working hard, relaxing and not talking too much.

D．Success is a secret that nobody knows.