The bicycle is the common sight in our daily life, as a great many Chinese use one every day. But you may not know its role in strengthening international relations, as it did in the case of US President George W. Bush’s visit to China .

President Bush arrived in Beijing on November 19, 2005 after he finished the APEC meeting in South Korea.He met with Chinese top leaders and achieved agreements on trade, Taiwan issue and more.

Although Bush’s trip was short as 40 hours, he managed to spare a moment to do some cycling. On November 20, he rode up and down a steep path at Laoshan Olympic Mountain Bike Course in Beijing’s suburbs.

Six young Chinese cyclists accompanied the president, who was dressed in a Chinese training uniform with the “Beijing 2008” logo (标志). He did not go along the arranged route and chose a more zigzag(曲折的) hiking path.

“How do you say, ‘take it easy on the old man’?” Bush joked to his partners before setting out.

“Compared with my bike path on the Crawford ranch (农场) , this one is greater and really difficult,” said Bush when his 45-minute ride ended. He said he will come to Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.

This is not Bush’s first cycle ride in Beijing. In 1975 at the age of 29, he visited the Chinese capital for the first time, when his father was head of the US liaison office (联络处) in Beijing, which Bush described as “fantastic”.

However, observers said Bush’s ride is much more than just his favorite pastime. It expressed friendliness with people in China, where the bicycle is an important part of life and culture.

According to the Washington Post, one of the major newspapers in the US, this was a specially arranged activity by the US Government, for they want to send the Chinese a sign of friendship. “The president is by no means hostile (有敌意的) to China,” it said.

1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A. Every Chinese has at least one bicycle

B. The bicycle is the common sight in our daily life

C. Bicycle can play a role in improving relationship between nations

D. President George W. Bush is fond of cycling

2. President George W. Bush went cycling ______.

A. wearing a T-shirt with the “Beijing 2008” logo

B. up and down a path on Laoshan Mountain

C. accompanied by six young Chinese policemen

D. along a more challenging way without arrangement

3. Bush said “take it easy on the old man” to his partners probably because ______.

A. he wanted to make them easy

B. he wanted to make a joke about them

C. he wanted to tell them it would be a more zigzag hiking path

D. he wanted to show them it would be a easy task for an old man

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Bush’s first cycle ride was in 1975.

B. Bush’s ride was specially arranged by the Washington Post.

C. Bush’s ride is more a sign of friendship than just his favorite pastime.

D. Bush will come to Beijing to take part in the Olympic cycling games in 2008.

 

Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?

At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.” Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.

Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.

This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.

“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”

Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.

1.Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that        .

A．the British people hate success

B．the British people are hardworking

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green – eyed monsters”

2.What does the result of the Warwich University’s test show.

A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.

B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.

3.The writer of the passage seems to suggest that         .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

D．the entrepreneurs in the UK do not behave properly

4.The best title for this article can be            .

A．Be More Modest and We Will Love You More

B．Proud Entrepreneurs

C．The Frenchmen are Romantic While The British are Hostile

D．Only Pains but No Gains

 

Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.” Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.
Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
【小题1】Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that        .

A．the British people hate success

B．the British people are hardworking

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green – eyed monsters”

【小题2】What does the result of the Warwich University’s test show.

A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.

B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.

【小题3】The writer of the passage seems to suggest that         .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

D．the entrepreneurs in the UK do not behave properly

【小题4】The best title for this article can be            .

A．Be More Modest and We Will Love You More

B．Proud Entrepreneurs

C．The Frenchmen are Romantic While The British are Hostile

D．Only Pains but No Gains

Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.

The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.

The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.

Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.

The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.

Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.

The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.

Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.

In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?

   A. Nation     B. Opinion   C. Science    D. Business

Researchers carry out the study to ________.

A. decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life

B. find out the link between personality and health

C. gather information for the National Institutes of Health

D. compare each woman’s personality changes

What can be inferred from the text?

A. Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed.

B. There may be some link between personality and health.

C. It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health.

D. The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy.

Who is more likely to die of cancer according to the text?

A. A woman who always doubts what others say.    B. A woman who doesn’t exercise.

C. A woman with high blood pressure.            D. A woman with poor physical health.

What’s Hilary Tindle’s opinion of the study?

A. Unfair.       B. Useless.      C. Necessary.     D. Reliable.

Findings from a new study were presented at a recent meeting of the American Psychosomatic(身心的) Society. Researchers in the United States studied 100,000 women during an eight-year period, beginning in 1994. All of the women were fifty or older. The study was part of the Women’s Health Initiative organized by the National Institutes of Health.

The women were asked questions measuring their beliefs or ideas about the future. The researchers attempted to identify each woman’s personality eight years after gathering the information.

The study found that hopeful individuals were 14% less likely than other women to have died from any cause. The hopeful women were also 30% less likely to have died from heart disease after the eight years.

Hilary Tindle from the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania was the lead author of the report. She said the study confirmed earlier research that linked optimistic feelings to longer life.

The researchers also gathered information about people’s education, financial earnings, physical activity and use of alcohol or cigarettes. Independent of those things, the findings still showed that optimists had less of a chance of dying during the eight-year period.

Some women who answered the questions were found to be hostile (怀敌意的), or highly untrusting of others. These women were 16% more likely to die than the others. They also were 23% more likely to die of cancer.

The study also found women who were not optimistic were more likely to smoke and have high blood pressure or diabetes. They were also more likely not to exercise.

Tindle says the study did not confirm whether optimism leads to healthier choices, or if it actually affects a person’s physical health. She also says the study does not prove that negative (消极的) emotions or distrust lead to bad health effects and shorter life. Yet there does appear to be a link that calls for more research.

In which part of a newspaper can you read the above passage?

   A. Nation                         B. Opinion

   C. Science                        D. Business

Researchers carry out the study to ________.

A. decide who is more likely to enjoy a happier life

B. find out the link between personality and health

C. gather information for the National Institutes of Health

D. compare each woman’s personality changes

What can be inferred from the text?

A. Negative emotions cause a shorter life indeed.

B. There may be some link between personality and health.

C. It’s uncertain whether optimism affects one’s health.

D. The more optimistic you are, the longer life you may enjoy.

Who is more likely to die of cancer according to the text?

A. A woman who always doubts what others say.

B. A woman who doesn’t exercise.

C. A woman with high blood pressure.

D. A woman with poor physical health.

What’s Hilary Tindle’s opinion of the study?

A. Unfair.         B. Useless.         C. Necessary.       D. Reliable.