In a few states where racial prejudice is serious, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are states where the white man imposes his rule by force; there are states where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more serious. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.
The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the shabby houses at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is weakened by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.
Before we can even begin to reflect on peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous lawyer who carefully explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the lawyer replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.
【小题1】  What is the best title for this passage?

A．Advocating Violence.

B．Violence Can Do Nothing to Reduce Race Prejudice.

C．Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

D．The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

【小题2】  Recorded history has taught us

A．violence never solves anything.

B．nothing.

C．the bloodshed means nothing.

D．everything.

【小题3】 According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

A．law enforcement.

B．knowledge.

C．nonviolence.

D．Mopping up the violent mess.

In a few states where racial prejudice is serious, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are states where the white man imposes his rule by force; there are states where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more serious. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.

The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the shabby houses at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is weakened by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

Before we can even begin to reflect on peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous lawyer who carefully explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the lawyer replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.

1.  What is the best title for this passage?

A．Advocating Violence.

B．Violence Can Do Nothing to Reduce Race Prejudice.

C．Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

D．The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

2.  Recorded history has taught us

A．violence never solves anything.

B．nothing.

C．the bloodshed means nothing.

D．everything.

3. According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

A．law enforcement.

B．knowledge.

C．nonviolence.

D．Mopping up the violent mess.

 

In some countries where racial prejudice is acute, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences that it is not even questioned. There are countries where the white man imposes his rule by brute force; there are countries where the black man protests by setting fire to cities. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence—as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch(关键时刻), we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war－paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learned that violence never solves a problem but makes it even acute. The sheer horror, the bloodshed(流血), the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.

The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement(执行). If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the slums and ghettos, at improving living－standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is sapped by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well－directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

5. Recorded history has taught us ________.

A. violence never solves anything                

B. nothing

C. the bloodshed means nothing                

D. everything

6. It can be inferred that truly reasonable men ________.

A. can't get a hearing                                 

B. are looked down upon

C. are persecuted       

D. have difficulty in advocating law enforcement

7. According to the passage, the best way to solve race prejudice is ________.

A. law enforcement        

B. knowledge         

C. nonviolence       

D. mopping up the violent mess

8. What is the author's attitude towards the violence?

A. Critical.           B. Supportive.

C. Neutral.             D. Sympathetic.

9. What is the BEST title for this passage?

A. Advocating Violence

B. Violence Can Do Nothing to Diminish Race Prejudice

C. Violence as a Legitimate Solution

D. Violence: The Instinct of Human Race

Heredity （遗传） is not the only thing that influences our color. Where we live and how we live after we are born are important too. For instance, our genes influence how fat or thin we are. But our weight depends mainly upon how much we eat and how much exercise we get. In the same way, our skin color depends to a large extent upon how much sunshine we get.

       When summer arrives and light-colored people go to the beaches, some will tan darkly, some will tan lightly and few will not tan at all. Each one is born with a different ability to tan, but the differences do not appear until the conditions are right An outdoor man will soon become pale if he changes to an indoor job, while a desk clerk will take on tan after a short vacation in the sun. Sometimes people decide that being tanned is better than being pale. Sometimes they decide the opposite.

       Centuries ago, most of the people in Europe were peasants and they had to work in the fields all day. Noblemen, on the other hand, did not have to work. They stayed indoors and remained pale. You could always tell a nobleman from a peasant because a peasant had a tan. As a result, noblewomen did their best to keep skins as light as possible. A skin so pale was considered a mark

of great beauty and nobleness.

       During the Industrial Revolution things changed. Farmers left their fields and went to work in factories, mines and mills. Working for long hours in dimly-lit factories and mines made their skins pale. Wealthy people, however, could afford to travel to sunny countries. They had the leisure （空闲）to lie around on the beaches and get tan. Having a tan became a sign of wealth.

       In Western Europe and North America pale skin is no longer desirable. Instead of bleaching themselves white with lemon juice, many women spend their time under a sun-lamp. The desire for a quick tan has led to the invention of pills and lotions （化妆水）that darken the skin artificially without exposure to sunlight These pills and lotions can be bought by anyone at any drugstore. A rich man can spend hundreds of dollars on a vacation in the sunny West Indies and get his suntan there. But his lowest-paid clerk can have what looks like the same tan out of a bottle for a few cents.

1．Besides genes, our skin color has much to do with ______.

      A．exercise           B．sunshine          C．food               D．weight

2．Centuries ago in Europe, it was considered of great beauty to have ______.

       A．pale skin                           B．light-colored skin

       C．dark-colored skin                       D．a suntan

3．During the Industrial Revolution people began to like to have a tan because it was a sign of

          .

       A．good health          B．great strength       C．wealth                 D．youth

4．Pills and lotions have been invented in Western Europe and North America        .

       A．to make people look wealthy                 B．to smooth people’s skin

       C．to help people to have a quick tan          D．to protect people from suntan

5．What does the passage mainly tell us?

       A．Noblemen centuries ago did not like traveling.

       B．Attitudes towards the color of skin change with time.

       C．Exposure to sunlight is the only thing that determines skin color.

       D．Having a tan is considered a sign of wealth nowadays in North America.

阅读理解

　　Did you ever think someone was scary (可怕的) because they looked different or ate strange food? Well, they might think the same about you! One of the things we all need to do is to celebrate variety. We shouldn't think badly of people from other cultures because they are different from our own.

　　Sometimes we judge people from other countries unfairly, because one person from that culture did something bad. Well, has your class ever been punished just because a few kids were causing trouble? Has your whole family ever been blamed for something your little sister did? It doesn't seem fair, does it? It's just as unfair to blame a whole culture for what two or three people do.

　　So here are some things that you can do to help yourself understand other cultures.

　　1．Find common ground! Remember that even though some people look different on the outside, it doesn't change what they look on the inside. They still have the same feelings!

　　2．Don't blame everyone because of one! So let's say someone from another culture is being mean (卑劣的) and you decide to avoid everyone from that culture. Well, think about it. Why are you blaming them for something they didn't have anything to do with? Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel? Trying to understand how a person thinks can be a very good way to understand why they are acting that way. Remember, other people may not think the same way.

　　3．Try to make friends with people from other cultures. You could ask them what they know about their culture, or what it was like in their country. Try foods from that culture, or ask them if they know any words in that language. You might be surprised at how pure other cultures can be! You can have great discussions and have lots of fun doing new things.

　　4．Know that people always judge other people. If you know what you are thinking then you can help make things easier. Pay attention to what you think about other people. It helps!

1．What is mainly discussed in this passage?

[　　]

A．Why there are differences between people.

B．What to do to understand other cultures.

C．How people feel when they meet people from other cultures.

D．Where differences between people lie.

2．In the author's opinion, one mistake when we treat cultural differences is that we ________.

[　　]

A．cannot see and share what peoples have in common

B．believe that other people may certainly think badly of us

C．don't want to learn anything valuable in other cultures

D．try to find the reason for the differences

3．The underlined word“celebrate”here most probably means ________.

[　　]

4．The author believes that ________.

[　　]

A．some people are actually kind though but they sometimes do something bad

B．one person cannot stand for the real culture he is in

C．some people really have nothing to do with their culture

D．if you judge someone badly he will do the same to you.

5．By saying“… then you can help make things easier.” the author means you will ________.

[　　]

A．make more friends

B．know more about the world

C．have more fun in life

D．find less difference between you and others