In much society, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin; Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success. These beliefs can lead to social pressures even within the same group, if some members are darker than others.

The result is that skin lightening has become very common across Africa, Asia and other areas of the world and more people with dark skin are using skin-lighting products, even if it means they may face health risks. They believe that having whiter skin will improve the quality of their lives. Many people think they will have a better family. Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful.

Some beauty care（美容） products and soaps contain chemicals that make skin lighter. However, some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous. The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural barrier(障碍) to protect against sunlight. Then the skin can become thick and discolored. Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, which just makes things even worse. Doctor Ly says some chemicals are so dangerous that they may lead to blackened fingernails, infections(感染) and serious skin damage.

And these are not the only problems. Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage. They feel regretful and sad. They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to live and accept their skin color as it was.

1. What’s the result of the wrong understanding of darker skin?

   A. Many people with dark skin try to make their skin whiter.

   B. Many people with whiter skin live a better life than others.

   C. People with darker skin try to marry people with light skin.

   D. People with darker skin try to protect themselves against social pressures.

2. The third paragraph is about          .

   A. some medical effects that skin-lightening products have brought about

   B. the mental damage that skin-lightening products have caused

   C. the physical damage that skin-lightening products have caused

   D. the causes why skin-lightening products can make skin whiter

3. Why are chemicals in beauty care products dangerous?

   A. They can damage the skin’s color producing progress.

   B. They can control people’s emotions and feelings.

   C. They can make the fingernails and skin black.

   D. They make more people decide to change their skin colors.

ACAB What would be the best title for the passage?

   A. Different Colors of Skin              B. The Dark Side of Skin Lightening

C. What Is Beauty?                      D. Light Skin or Dark Skin?

 

Our spiritual intelligence quotient (精神智商), or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.

    Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.

    Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude (独处) and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume (强度) in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.

    Step Outside.  For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.

    Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"

    But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail. "Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito, California. “But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度) I never considered before.”

    Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut(本能的) feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.

The passage is mainly about           .

  A. what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life

  B. what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved

  C. the relationship between your SQ and your life

  D. advantages and disadvantages of SQ

The underlined phrase "to tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to _____.

    A. get your spirit relaxed              B. keep up your spirit

    C. keep seated quietly                  D. change your spirit

From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is      .

 A. a peaceful mind    B. deep thought   C. spare time and hobbies   D. good spirits

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

       A. Not everyone has SQ.

       B. You have to go to classes to learn how to improve your SQ.

       C. SQ leads us to take wrong actions.

       D. SQ can benefit our life.

阅读下面的短文，并根据短文后的要求答题（请注意问题后的字数要求）。

Hope is actually something we create. It’s not something that magically appears from an outside source. Now more than ever, overcoming fear and holding onto hope are necessary and important. Trying these steps below will ___________              _______.

Be Kind to Yourself

Think about what you need most, and then do it. Is it a cup of tea, quiet music, a little rest, or reading inspirational literature? Whatever it is, grant yourself permission to do it, even for just a few minutes.

Create a Daily 5-Minute Silence Moment

Light a candle and reflect. Just silently reflecting in front of a lighted candle is extremely rewarding. This may be the one time of day when you feel connected to your own soul, and perhaps even something larger.

Treat Each Day Like a Precious Gift

What if today was the last day of your life? How would you want to live it? Ask yourself this question throughout the day. It will help you let go of the countless annoyances that tend to make most people lose balance.

Take a Break

Every day, take a 30-second break to look at the sky, breathe deeply and offer thanks. Let the sky be a sign of hope. Think of other people around the world as you look at the sky, and know that we all share this planet together. Among all of us, we have the ability to create solutions to the problems that now exist.

Express Love

Surprise a friend with a hug. Leave your partner small notes expressing thanks for kind acts. Doing all of this adds warmth and positive energy to our lives and the lives of people around us. It’s also very comforting both to the giver and receiver of each loving act.

Fill in the blank in Paragraph 1 with proper words. (Please answer within 5 words.)

   _________________________________________

Which advice mentioned in the passage do you like best? Why?(Please answer within 15 words.) ___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 5 words.)

___________________________________________________________________________

Which sentence in the text is the closest in meaning to the following one?

It can help you get rid of much trouble which may lead most of us to a crash in motion.

   ____________________________________________________________________________

Translate the underlined sentence in the last paragraph into Chinese.

   ____________________________________________________________________________

It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently. My father realized it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him. I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I’m so glad I did.

On the road to the harbor we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbor itself was in fairly good shape. After all, it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.

On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn’t believe it — there aren’t any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badly polluted that nothing could survive.

The little baby whale — actually as big as our boat — was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools(漩涡) and waves. “She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,” my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and, heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappeared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Slowly, they let us lead them, some-times rising from the water right beside us to breathe — and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.

In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day. Nearly four decades later, I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.

The author says “I’m so glad I did.” (in Para.2) because __________.

A. he spent the weekend with his family

B. be witnessed the whole process of fishing

C. he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea

D. he experienced the rescue of the whales

The harbor survived the storm owing to __________.

A. the long coast line                         B. the shape of the harbor    

C. the arms of the bay                         D. the still water in the channel

The mother whale failed to help her baby because __________.

A. the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction

B. she had stayed in the polluted water for too long

C. the whirlpools she had made were not big enough

D. she had no other whales around to turn to for help

What is the theme of the story?

A. It’s vital to protect the environment

B. Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness

C. Fishing provides excitement for children

D. It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals

Young people and older people do not always agree. They sometimes have different ideas about living, working and playing. But in one special program in New York State, adults and teenagers live together in a friendly way.

　　Each summer 200 teenagers and 50 adults live together for eight weeks as members of a special work group. Everyone works several hours each day. They do so not just to keep busy but to find meaning and fun in work. Some teenagers work in the forests or on the farms near the village. Some learn to make things like tables and chairs and to build houses. The adults teach them these skills.

　　There are several free hours each day. Weekends are free, too. During the free hours some of the teenagers learn photo-taking or drawing. Others sit around and talk or sing. Each teenager chooses his own way to pass his free time.

　　When people live together, they should have rules. In this program the teenagers and the adults make the rules together. If someone breaks a rule, the problem goes before the whole group. They talk about it and ask, “Why did it happen? What should we do about it?”

　　One of the teenagers has said something about it, “You have to stop thinking only about yourself. You learn how to think about the group.”

56. In one special program in New York State, young and older people_______.

A. don’t work well together                                

B. work friendly with each other

C. teach each other new ways of building houses

D. spend eight weeks together, working as farmers

57.All the members work some time every day mainly to________.

A. lead a busy life                                 B. learn new skills of farming

C. get used to the life on the farms        D. find useful things and fun in work

58. Living together, ________.

A. the teenagers don’t have to obey the rules

B. the members have to obey the rules the adults make

C. the members have no free time but on weekends

D. the members should not break the rules that they make together

59. The best title for the passage is________.

A. The Rules of Living Together           B. Life in New York State

C. Teenagers and Adults Together        D. Free Hours in the Special Work Group

60. Which one is TRUE?

A. If someone breaks a rule, he will deal with it by himself.

B. They are free on weekends.

C. Everyone works one hour each day

D. The teenagers teach adults skills