One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action — a man on the go, walking along the street, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but “you’ve put a bug in his ear” — maybe now he’s not sure. If you’re a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to asked “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to catch a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him, “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” Shaw said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
26. The passage tells us that some greetings such as “How do you feel?” __________.
A. show one’s consideration for others     
B. are a good way to make friends
C. are proper to ask a man in action       
D. generally make one feel uneasy
27. The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of _________________________.
A. a man working at his work                 B. a person having lost a close friend
C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried   D. a friend who is ill
28. The writer seems to feel that a busy man should _________________.
A. be praised for his efforts             
B. never be asked any questions
C. not be troubled                    
D. be discouraged from working so hard
29. “You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _________________.
A. made him laugh merrily              
B. given him some kind of warning
C. shown much concern for him          
D. played a joke on him
30. George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his __________.
A. cleverness         B. cheerfulness              C. power and skills        D. politeness                          

These days no car show is complete without an electric car, and the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, US, which ran from January 10 to 23, was no exception.

Among the fully electric vehicles on display were the Ford Focus Electric and the Honda Fit EV. BMW and Volvo also had prominent displays at the show, proving that they can produce practical, yet spacious family-oriented electric cars.

Industry insiders at the show claimed that more efficient batteries, improved performance and greater consumer acceptance could make 2011 the “year of electric car”.

It’s long been clear that electric cars score heavily for convenience. They are, for instance, much easier to maintain than gasoline-powered cars. When the battery runs out, you simply replace it or recharge it, just like you would for a cell phone or a laptop.

This is also a much cheaper method than filling your tank with gasoline. Better yet, electric cars don’t emit exhaust fumes. As a result, they don’t produce environmentally damaging greenhouse gases.

It appears that improved technology is making electric cars and their maintenance much more user-friendly. So, what are the obstacles which are preventing electric cars from becoming popular and fashionable?

Home charging for electric cars could be extremely convenient for users. However, it is also a potential obstacle. For a start, installing charging stations in owners’ homes will be a challenge, particularly for those who have to park several blocks away from their homes.

Also, charging the car’s battery still takes quite a long time. It may be some time yet before you can recharge an electric car in the same time as you can refill your gas tank.

Another problem is that many electric vehicles have limited ranges that may only allow for journeys of 50 miles (80 km) or less between charges. In cases where a driver wishes to charge the car primarily at home (perhaps overnight), this limits their daily driving to the range of their vehicle.

This may be one reason why hybrid cars are now becoming more popular. A hybrid car has more than one energy source, usually a traditional gasoline fuel tank and an electric battery. It’s like a more practical version of an electric car: It’s greener than a conventional vehicle, with fewer CO2 emissions, yet it also doubles as a conventional vehicle.

“I would say that hybrid is a transition to fully electronic,” Road and Track magazine editor Richard Horman told Detroit News during the show. “The trend is for lighter, smarter, more economical cars. Of course, electronic vehicles are meant to be that way.”

This sounds promising, particularly in light of the fact that the show featured more electric cars from big manufacturers than ever before.

However, it seems that the technology associated with electric cars is not yet able to fully meet people’s expectations. Don’t expect gasoline-powered cars to disappear from roads just yet.

1. What made electric cars more convenient?   

A. Easier maintenance.                  B. High scores on the show.

C. Practicality and large space.            D. Much lower prices.

2. Which of the following could NOT act as a potential obstacle of electric cars?

A. It is rough work to install charging stations at home.

B. It is time-consuming to charge the batteries.

C. The ranges between charges are limited.

D. There’s no need to fill the tank with petrol.

3.In Paragraph 10, the underlined word “hybrid” is probably closest in meaning to ________.

A. gasoline       B. electric           C. combined     D. separated

4.The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to_________.

A. introduce the 2011 Auto Show in US    B. get readers informed of electric cars

C. comment on different types of cars      D. advertise for electric cars

One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action—a man on the go, walking along the streets, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but you have put a bug  in his ear—maybe now he’s not sure. If you are a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked(忽略) that morning. It starts worrying him a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else “How do you feel?” Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to ask “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to take a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s silly to ask him that silly question. When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him. “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age”, he said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”

1.According to the writer, greetings such as “How do you feel?” _______.

A. show one’s consideration for others    

B. are a good way to make friends

C. are proper to ask a man in action           

D. generally make one feel uneasy

2.The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of  _______.

A. a man working at his desk   

B. a person having lost a close friend

C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried

D. a friend who is ill

3.George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his _______.

A. cheerfulness                                B. cleverness   

C. ability                                    D. politeness

4.“You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _______.

A. made him laugh                           

B. shown concern for him

C. made fun of him                       

D. given him some kind of warning

One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action — a man on the go, walking along the street, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but “you’ve put a bug in his ear” — maybe now he’s not sure. If you’re a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”

Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to asked “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to catch a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.

When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him, “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” Shaw said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”

26. The passage tells us that some greetings such as “How do you feel?” __________.

A. show one’s consideration for others     

B. are a good way to make friends

C. are proper to ask a man in action       

D. generally make one feel uneasy

27. The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of _________________________.

A. a man working at his work                 B. a person having lost a close friend

C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried   D. a friend who is ill

28. The writer seems to feel that a busy man should _________________.

A. be praised for his efforts             

B. never be asked any questions

C. not be troubled                    

D. be discouraged from working so hard

29. “You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _________________.

A. made him laugh merrily              

B. given him some kind of warning

C. shown much concern for him          

D. played a joke on him

30. George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his __________.

A. cleverness         B. cheerfulness              C. power and skills        D. politeness                          

    “Clothes make the man” goes the old saying. Many people believe clothing choices say a lot about character as well as social status.

People adopt some kind of style in daily life, usually because they are trying to fit in with certain surroundings or show their connection to a particular group, says German image consultant Beatrix Isabel Lied. This means that people use clothing to send signals to those around them: The wearer of a black polo-neck sweater (套头圆领毛衣) might be an artist, an educated man or an architect. Outdoor and nature-loving types tend to choose weatherproof （防风雨的）jackets and durable shoes instead. Women usually spend more time on clothes than men.

“Clothing is not only an expression of taste, but also an expression of attitude,” says Lied.

According to style advisor Lisa Zimmermann from Berlin, there is nothing superficial (肤浅的) about judging people by the clothes they wear. “It's about the famous first 10 seconds, which is all it takes to make an impression,” she says.

Apart from material, Zimmermann believes people, whether consciously or unconsciously, choose a color, which they believe suits them and the situation.

Different colors can produce different effects. Black signals a sense of being something special, and it also stands for concentration. Blue, the color of the sky, stands for pragmatism (实用主义) and intellect (知识分子). “It is the color of power,” says Zimmermann. Red clothing gets the wearer noticed and can indicate an outgoing character. Yellow stands for cheerfulness and optimism, while pink is naturally the most romantic of colors.

Experts say it is important to be aware of the meanings of particular colors, which can vary a lot between different cultures.

 What does the underlined sentence in the first paragraph mean?

Clothes can decide what a man’s job is.

Clothes can tell us whether a person is really a man.

Clothes can tell us about a man’s character and social position.

Clothes can help us choose our life style.

According to Lied, an artist might wear ____________.

A. a black polo-neck sweater               B. weatherproof jackets

C. nature-loving types                         D. a red sweater

Lisa Zimmermann believes____________.

A. there is something wrong with judging people by what they wear

B. there is nothing wrong with judging people by what they wear

C. people usually choose what they believe suits them and the situation consciously

D. people usually choose what they believe suits them and the situation unconsciously

What color stands for concentration?

A. Black.               B. Blue.         C. Red           D. Pink

Which sentence is true according to the passage?

In different cultures, colors mean the same.

In different cultures, colors mean different things.

In different cultures, different colors can produce the same effect.

In different cultures, different colors can produce different effects.