Women work harder than men at university and get better degrees as a result, according to a study carried out at Burnel University.

The research , which tracked 200 students over four years, found that women con sistently outperformed men  in further education  even though they  had started their courses with almost the same A—level results.

An analysis of the department's results showed that while 65 per cent of female graduates were awarded, only 35 per cent of males did that well.

Girls are known to outperform boys at school, but this research shows the trend continues at university.

Fiona Smith, the senior lecturer at Brunel who led the study, said , “The survey proved a previously held opinion wrong that the educational sex gap is purely a middle school phenomenon . "

It also makes the unfairness for working women in terms of pay .Women work harder at school, harder at university and do better in both, yet still receive less pay.      

The survey found that female students were harder working, less likely to miss lectures and more likely to believe their marks reflected their ability than their male competitors. Female students were also more likely to seek and receive support from teachers.

On the contrary , men were more likely than women to miss lectures due to “ la­ziness " and to believe that playing sport was an important part of university life.

Different from the popular argument that women's success is due to the in­creased emphasis on coursework, female geographers at Brunel did better in exams than in coursework, the research found.

The study, based on 180 questionnaires and interviews with more than 70 students, concluded that males underachieved because they felt working hard was not “macho”.

Dr Smith said, “Most women feel that getting good grades is the most important

part of university life .They believe they need to work harder in order to be able to compete in the male-controlled environment they will face at work : good grades are viewed as an “ insurance policy " for success .Men ,on the other hand , feel that it's not "macho" to work hard . They tend to put going out and playing sport higher than coursework.

1．The underlined word “It” in the sixth paragraph probably refers to________.

    A．the previously held opinion                   B．a middle school phenomenon

    C．the survey                                           D．the educational sex gap

2．The cause of women performing better at university than men is that ______ .

A．female students did better at school before entering university

    B．women will not find jobs unless working harder at university

    C．women get more help and support from the teachers

   D．most female students think good grades at university will benefit them in the future

3．The underlined word "macho" might have the same meaning as _______.

    A．proud            B．manly         C．brave              D．strong

4．Which of the following might be the best title of this passage?

    A．Women Outperform Men at University.

    B．Women Should Receive the Same Pay as Men.

    C．Males at University Perform too Badly.

       D．Females Do Better at School as Well as at University.

Exercise is one of the few factors with a positive role in long-term control of body weight. Unfortunately, that message has not gotten through to the average American, who would rather try switching to "light" beer and low-calorie bread than increase physical efforts. The Centers for Disease Control, for example, found that fewer than one-fourth of overweight adults who were trying to lose weight said they were combining exercise with their diet.

      In rejecting exercise, some people may be discouraged too much by caloric-expenditure（热量消耗）charts; for example, one would have to quickly walk hard three miles just to work off the 275 calories in one delicious Danish pastry(小甜饼). Even exercise professionals accept half a point here. "Exercise by itself is a very tough way to lose weight," says York Onnen, program director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.

       Still, exercise's supporting role in weight reduction is vital. A study at the Boston University Medical Center of overweight police officers and other public employees confirmed that those who dieted without exercise regained almost all their old weight, while those who worked exercise into their daily routine maintained their new weight.

If you have been sedentary (极少活动的) and decide to start walking one mile a day, the added exercise could burn an extra 100 calories daily. In a year's time, assuming no increase in food intake, you could lose ten pounds. By increasing the distance of your walks gradually and making other dietary adjustments, you may lose even more weight.

1.What is said about the average American in the passage?

A. They tend to hate "light" beer and low-calorie bread.

B. They usually ignore the effect of exercise on losing weight.

C. Most of them were combining exercise with their diet.

D. They know the actors that play a positive role in keeping down body weight.

2."Even exercise professionals accept half a point here" means "They          ".

A. agree that the calories in a small piece of pastry can be easy to work off by exercise

B. partially believe diet plays a supporting role in weight reduction

C. are not fully convinced that dieting can help maintain one's new weight

D. are not sufficiently informed of the positive role of exercise in losing weight

3.What was confirmed by the Boston University Medical Center's study?

A. Controlling one's calorie intake is more important than doing exercise.

B. Even occasional exercise can help reduce weight.

C. Weight reduction is impossible without exercise.

D. One could lose ten pounds in a year's time if there's no increase in food intake.

4.What is the author's purpose in writing this article?

A. To stress the importance of maintaining proper weight.

B. To support the statement made by York Onnen.

C. To show the most effective way to lose weight.

D. To introduce the study of the Boston University Medical Center.

How to make friends with people from a different culture? The rules are as follows:

Appreciate the Person.

Most Americans like to be recognized as individuals as someone special with unique personalities. Therefore, never say, “You’re from America so I want to be your friend.” Also don’t imply that the reason why you approached them is that you wanted someone to practice your English with. That turns people off. Instead try saying,” You seem like a real nice and interesting person and I would like to get to know you better.” This way, they are much more inclined to be friendly because you see them as a three dimensional person and appreciate them for who they are in the inside. And by doing so, you not only learn about Americans and practice your English, but also gain a real friend in the process.

Quit Calling Us Foreigners.

Please avoid calling a foreigner a foreigner especially in his face. The word makes people feel like an outsider, and even unwelcome, suggesting separation and insurmountable differences, widening an already existing gap in the situation. When Americans travel, they rarely say, “ I’m foreign to your place.” They tend to say, “ I’m new in town. I’m new here.” The reason is because new and unfamiliar things can become old and familiar. But can foreign things become native? Aha? You catch my drift.

Just Do It.

Some students like to be told about American culture but are less interested in spending the time and the effort to actually experience it. As Americans always say, “ Get your hands dirty.” You should have first hand and hands on experience, or you’ll never really know anything.

Find that Common Language.

Now I must stress the importance of finding a common language. By that I don’t mean English, Chinese, German, French, etc. I mean finding something you have in common with another person on a spiritual and philosophical level: likes, dislikes, worldviews, ways of thinking , and attitudes toward life. And to start, you must first enhance your knowledge of the particular culture from which your potential new friend comes form.

The underlined sentence “ Get your hands dirty” means     .

   A. get involved                 B. start with dirty work

   C. talk about American culture     D. don’t wash your hands too often

Americans prefer to make friends with those who     .

   A. avoid talking about their homeland

   B. recognize their personalities

   C. obey rules of communicating with friends

   D. needn’t practice English while playing together

According to the passage, which of the following is friendly?

   A. I am longing to make friends with an American.

   B. This is my friend Tom, who is a foreigner.

   C. There must be a gap between us in many things.

   D. You’ve got a great personality.

请阅读下列应用文和相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。首先请阅读下列关于颜色对人的影响的信息。
A．GOLD According to the True Colors system people who choose GOLD as their primary color like to fit in or belong．They tend to be reliable people who enjoy serving others．Things like tradition, home are very important to them．They need order and structure．They don’t like waste or change．
B．ORANGE People who choose orange as their primary color need a lot of variety and freedom．They take pride in being highly skilled．They enjoy "hand-on" work and often are good in a crisis．They are risk taker, seeking challenges．
C．YELLOW People who choose yellow as their primary color are curious about everything．They are confident and knowledgeable．They love sports very much and they work high efficiently．
D．GREEN People who choose green as their primary color are competent and want to control the realities of life．They are analytical and enjoy solving problems and developing systems．They love intelligence and logic．They are often critical of themselves and others．
E．BLUE People who choose blue as their primary color enjoy close relationships．Harmony and integrity are very important．These people are often very creative or they enjoy the creative work of others．
F．RED People who choose red as their primary color are always full of vigor(活力) and they tend to be confident all the time．It seems like they are ready to do anything and they will be successful．And they have a strong desire for power．
请阅读以下根据员工性格而促进工作效率方法的信息，然后匹配上面的信息。
【小题1】Creating a warm and personal working atmosphere; establishing a peaceful working environment and
trying to avoid conflict; allowing them the freedom to express their feeling; praising their creative
approach to the job; praising them with their good jobs． 
【小题2】Assigning work which needs detailed planning; defining the tasks in clear terms; providing a stable work environment and avoiding sudden change; giving standard rules and regulations and setting a good examples; praising them with their good jobs． 
【小题3】Assigning work which needs analytical thinking and problem solving; encouraging them to think independently and taking their ideas to the next step; praising them with their good jobs． 
【小题4】Assigning work which are action-packed; providing opportunities to be skillful and adventurous; allowing them the freedom to the job in their own ways; praising them with their good jobs． 
【小题5】Assigning work which needs full energy; providing opportunities for job competition; if he does well, let him know he is very likely to get promotion; praise them with their good jobs．

Encouraging early reading skills can build a path to a lifelong love of reading and can help your child get a head start in school. While reading to your child is still the most important thing you can do to build reading skills, there are many techniques that can help.

Make reading fun. Play games with your child as you read. Many traditional children's games can be adapted to encourage reading skills.

While reading or during play, tell your child, "I spy with my little eye, something that begins with the letter "b". Help the child find something on the page or in the room that begins with that letter. For example, “I see a barn.” This can also be used to teach beginning letter sounds.Ｉspy with my little eye something that begins with the sound “s”. Help the child find a word that begins with the "s" sound.

In this variation on the popular game, instruct the child that, "Simon says, point to something that starts with the letter "n". The child can then find an object in the room or a body part, such as the nose, that starts with the letter presented. This can also be used to teach beginning sounds.

Make a game out of rhyming (押韵) words by making up silly words to rhyme with the child's name or favorite toys. This sets the stage for rhyming real words by showing the child the similarities of sounds. As the child masters making up the words, begin rhyming real words to one another.

Tips to raise a successful reader:

Put books in places where the child plays. If books are easily accessible, children are more likely to pick them up.

Let children "read to you" by looking at pictures. Making up stories to go along with illustrations helps children discover how words relate to pictures.

Take books along on trips or even short visits to the doctor's office or grocery store.

Have children help you shop. Reading grocery lists and looking for specific items helps build vocabulary.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. A good reading habit can benefit your child at school.

B. Computer games help children develop reading skills.

C. You should be careful as for what books to read.

D. Children enjoy reading poems to their parents.

2.What does the underlined word “accessible” most probably mean?

A. available            B. beneficial             C. readable        D. worthwhile

3.What can we conclude from the text?

A. The most important thing is to make reading funny.

B. Children have a preference for stories with pictures.

C. Rhyming games should begin only with real words.

D. Children tend to read more if books are at hand.

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the text?

A. Interest is the best teacher

B. Practice makes perfect

C. Good methods are half done

D. Failure teaches success

5.What are the intended readers of the text?

A. Parents.      B. Adolescents.     C. Educators.     D. People in general.