Like most people, I was brought up to look upon life as a process of getting. It was not u

第1题

听力原文：All right! Enough cookies, cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that t

听力原文： All right! Enough cookies, cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that the children want to eat these days.Television controls their tastes. The kids see well-known personalities eating potato chips, candy, and other processed food, and they want to be like their heroes. How do they do it？ They eat the same food. I wish there were more characters like old Popeye the sailor, who ate spinach and not French fries.

Just because I like brown rice, beans, and fresh vegetables, I don't expect my children to cat this "health food." I'm glad to cook traditional meals of meat and potato for them. I really can't be too upset with the kids because most adults aren't careful about what they eat. The other night, my wife and I went to a party where there was plenty to drink but very little for us to eat. They served hot dogs and hamburgers. I can't eat hot dogs, with all those preservatives, and hamburgers are filled with chemicals so that they look good. Besides the meat, they had sugar filled cookies and cake, and, of course, chips. Terrible! I don't want the world to change because of me, but I think that people should realize that there are alternatives to eating meat. They always tell me that I probably don't get my essential proteins. But I feel better than ever and I'm sure that it's because I'm vegetarian. I would really like to see more television advertisements which show the benefits of good, healthy, natural food.

(26)

A．Beans.

B．Cookies.

C．French fries.

D．Potato chips.

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第2题

The way people cling to the belief that a full-filled, pain-free life equals happiness act

ually diminishes their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: more times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.

As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, self-improvement.

Ask a bachelor why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he's honest, he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.

Similarly, couples who choose not to have children are deciding in favor of painless fun over painful happiness. They can dine out whenever they feel like and sleep as late as they wish. Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night's sleep or a three-day vacation. I don't know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children.

Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations we ever come to. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates money: buy that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those rich and glamorous people we were so sure are happy because they are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all. The moment we understand that fun does not bring happiness, we begin to live differently. The effect can be, quite literally, life-transforming.

According to the writer, people who think of happiness as fun ______.

A．are somewhat denied the chances of gaining happiness

B．will remain single although they may go dating

C．must know what true happiness is

D．should devote more time to activities

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第3题

The number of people in the U.S.who choose not to marry is growing every year.By 1996 about 25 million people over the age of 21 years were living alone.50 years ago this number was less than 2 million.One reason for this is because people are getting married at a much later age than in the past.The average age for men is now 27 years.For women it is about 25 years.Another reason is the increase in the number of divorces.

Living alone has become more acceptable in American society.In the past people sometimes think those who lived alone were a little strange.These days,however,several of the most popular TV shows tell the story of men and women who can't meet "the right person" and who plan to be single forever.Many such single people (especially women) feel that they are more free to pursue (追求) their careers (事业) than those who are married.In a way these people are married to their jobs.

1.About 23 million people over the age of 21 were not married in America by 1996.

A.T

B.F

2.Most of men usually get married at the age of 27 in America.

A.T

B.F

3.In the past,people thought it was impossible to live alone.

A.T

B.F

4.Some people in America wouldn't like to get married,because they can't meet "the right person".

A.T

B.F

5.More and more people in the U.S.choose not to marry.

A.T

B.F

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第4题

About 70 million Americans are trying to lose weight. That is almost 1 out of every 3 peop

le in the United States. Some people go in diet. This means they eat less of certain foods, especially fats and sugars. Other people exercise with special equipment, take diet pills, or even have surgery. Losing weight is hard work, and it can also cost a lot of money. So why do so many people in the United States want to lose weight？

Many people in the United States worry about not looking young and attractive. For many people, looking good also means being thin. Other people worry about their health. Many doctors say being overweight is not healthy. But are Americans really fat？

Almost 30 million Americans weigh at least 20 percent more than their ideal weight. In fact, the United States is the most overweight country in the world. "The stored fat of adult Americans weighs 2. 3 trillion (兆) pounds, " says University of Massachusetts anthropologist (人类学家) George Armelagos. He says burning off that stored energy would produce enough power for 900, 000 cars to go 12, 000 miles.

Losing weight is hard work, but most people want to find a fast and easy way to take off fat. Bookstores sell lots of diet books. These books tell readers how to lose weight. Each year, dozens of new books like these are written. Each one promises to get rid of fat.

Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a way of losing weight？

A．To eat less fats and sugars.

B．To have surgery.

C．To take much exercise.

D．To work hard.

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第5题

听力原文：W: In the studio today we've got Roberta Wilson, who's a time management consulta

nt. Good morning, Roberta.

M: Good morning, Cindy.

W: Roberta, what exactly do time management consultants do？

M: Well, Cindy, it's all about helping people to organize their work in an ef fective way: maximum efficiency; minimum stress.

W: Hah, sounds like something I need. Who are your clients？

M: Um, mainly business people, but I've also worked with politicians, civil servants and university lecturers.

W: Um, quite a range, then. And what sort of things help people to organ ize their time？ I suppose punctuality is important.

M: Um, yes and no. It's easier to finish a meeting on time if it starts on time. But in international contexts, you do have to be aware of cultural differences.

W: For example？

M: Well, in Britain big, formal meetings usually start on time, but less for mal meetings often begin a few minutes late. In Germany, on the other hand, people expect all meetings to begin on time; In some countries, er, for example, in Latin America, there's a more relaxed attitude. So, you d6 have to adapt to circumstances.

W: Um, it sounds like even if you manage your own time very well, you still can't control what other people do.

M. Well, you can set limits. If you're meeting a friend who always arrives late, you can say, "Well, I'm going to wait for 15 minutes. If they aren't there by then, I'll leave,"

W: Hmm. I've got one friend who's always late. I don't think I'd ever see her if I did that.

M: Hah, but people who are always late are the ones you need to set limits with. If they know that you won't wait, then, perhaps they'll make an effort.

W: Isn't that rather harsh？

M: No, not really. Someone who constantly turns up late is putting a low value on your time. Let them know you've got other things to do. And I'm not suggesting you do that with everyone just the persistent latecomers.

(20)

A．To help people to organize their work in an effective way.

B．To help people to become efficient at their jobs.

C．To help people to arrange their time properly.

D．To help people to reduce stress.

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第6题

A lot of real businesses are focusing on the Internet as a way of building sales, but some

people with nothing to sell are creating their own Websites to announce wedding plans, show off pictures of their kids or just have communications. It's not as hard as you think and it can be a lot of fun. Carol Masser has some tips on building your own Website. "Like my living room, or my study, it's where I put mementos (纪念品) , collectibles (收藏物) , books and paintings and things that I would like to show to my friends and relatives. "

Renne Tubegeihan uses his own Website to invite people into his virtual home. While John Marashod designed his own Website to attract other parents of disabled children, " I'd say the goal of this site is to basically link parents in the same situation with disabled children and exchange ideas with one another. "

Renne and John are part of a growing number of surfers who have established their own Websites. If you want to weave a Web yourself, it's easier than you think. The first step is to get your own Web address. They're sold by Web service providers like Microsoft, AT&T, and other local companies. You are expected to pay between 15 and 25 dollars every month to rent space for your site. But some companies, like Tripod and Geocities, issue the site for free if you agree to allow their advertising on your page.

Before you get into setting up your own Website, you should go around and do some surfing and check out other sites. Once you know what you want to do, it's time to build. If you just want the basics, you can use Microsoft's free Internet Assistant; or if you want to get a little fancier, you can buy a software program like Adobe Page Mill for 100 dollars, or Microsoft's FrontPage Editor for 150 dollars.

According to the passage, some people create their own Websites in order to______.

A．sell their personal things

B．set up family business

C．communicate with others

D．show off their Website building skills

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第7题

LTC AUSTRALIA 618 823777 25 Apr. 1999 P. 02Dear Mr. Lin Thank you for your fax, which we received on 21 April. However, I have been away at a conference for a few days and I have only just had the (19) to read it. I apologize for the consequent delay in (20) to you. It appears that you were not completely (21) with the training videos that we sent you. However, there seems to be some confusion, and I would just like to (22) a couple of points. First of all, I would like to (23) what I said in my original letter: if you (24) the videos unusable we will be quite prepared to (25) all your money. However, it was not clear from your fax whether you had (26) all the videos, or just one or two. We have received favorable (27) about the videos from a number of our customers. In particular, the "Safety at Work" and First Aid "videos are extremely" (28) I would be grateful, therefore, if you could (29) that all ten videos are checked. Please (30) out the ones that you find most (31) or your needs, and return the (32) cassettes. I will then be able to (33) the amount payable to you.I look forward to hearing from you.Yours sincerely, (Signature )John Peters(Customer Services)

A.suitable

B.close

C.right

D.convenient

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第8题

Thomas Malthus published his Essay on the Principle of Populationalmost 200 years ago. Eve

Thomas Malthus published his Essay on the Principle of Population

almost 200 years ago. Ever since then, forecasters have being warning 【M1】 ______

that worldwide famine was just around the next comer. The fast-growing

population's demand for food, they warned, would soon exceed their 【M2】 ______

supply, leading to widespread food shortages and starvation.

But in reality, the world's total grain harvest has risen steadily over the

years. Except for relative isolated trouble spots like present-day Somalia, 【M3】 ______

and occasional years of good harvests, the world's food crisis has remained 【M4】 ______

just around the comer. Most experts believe this can continue even as ff 【M5】 ______

the population doubles by the mid-21st century, although feeding l0 billion

people will not be easy for politics, economic and environmental reasons. 【M6】 ______

Optimists point to concrete examples of continued improvements in yield.

In Africa, by instance, improved seeds, more fertilizers and advanced 【M7】 ______

growing practices have more than double com and wheat yields in an 【M8】 ______

experiment. Elsewhere, rice experts in the Philippines are producing

a plant with few stems and more seeds. There is no guarantee that plant 【M9】 ______

breeders can continue to develop new, higher-yielding crop, but most 【M10】______

researchers see their success to date as reason for hope.

【M1】

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第9题

About a century ago more people would not have appreciated the study of a foreign language

as they do today. Gone are those days when patriotism towards one's own language was a major obstacle to learning foreign languages, a time when most nations were trying to throw their alien rulers out of their countries in their freedom struggles. Gone are those days when people were proud of their mother or father tongues and considered that their languages alone will suffice the need to survive. Language skills today have become as important as other business and career skills like IT, vocational or professional skills. Thus learning a foreign language today has become essential for an individual whether it is for careers, growing a business, or even to make an impression.

All that one needs to possess these days is a drive to learn a foreign language and there are all kinds of institutes and courses that teach various foreign languages like French, German, Spanish, and Japanese. Today's world economy has bridged the barriers of race, sex, color and religion and the world has become a smaller place. Today's businesses also demand language skills to expand and grow in other countries. Tens and hundreds of businesses world wide are expanding and growing their businesses by promoting them in countries other than their countries of origin. The tremendous growth of the Internet has further increased the demand for language skills. In Canada an official rule also says that all commercial establishments must have their websites created both in English and French, the official languages of the country.

Language can also ease race and border barriers. You are more welcome in an alien nation if you know the language of the people there and can converse in their tongue. People in these countries immediately respect you and think you care about their culture as much as they do because in any culture language is the key identity.

One of the reasons for not studying a foreign language in the past is______.

A．it was too difficult

B．it was not allowed

C．it was taught by foreign rulers

D．it was seen as disloyalty

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第10题

Freshwater life itself has never come easy in the Middle East. Ever since The Old Testamen

t (旧约全书), God punished man with 40 days and 40 nights of rain. Water supplies here have been dwindling. The rainfall only comes in winter and drains quickly through the semiarid land, leaving the soil to bake and to thirst for next November.

The region's accelerating population, expanding agriculture, industrialization, and higher living standards demand more freshwater. Drought and pollution limit its availability. War and mismanagement waste it. Said Joyce Start of the Global Water Summit Initiative, based in Washington, D.C. "Nations like Israel and Jordan are swiftly sliding into that zone where they are suing all the water resources available to them. They have only 15 to 20 years left before their agriculture, and ultimately their food security, is threatened."

I came here to examine this crisis in the making, to investigate fears that "water wars" are imminent, that water has replaced oil as the region's most contentious commodity. For more than two months I traveled through three river valleys and seven nations—from southern Turkey down the Euphrates River to Syria, Iraq, and on to Kuwait; to Israel and Jordan, neighbors across the valley of the Jordan; to the timeless Egyptian Nile.

Even amid the scarcity there are haves and have-nots. Compared with the United States, which in 1990 had freshwater potential of 10,000 cubic meters (2.6 million gallons) a year for each citizen, Iraq had 5,500, Turkey had 4,000, and Syria had more than 2,800. Egypt's potential was only 1,100. Israel had 460. Jordan had a meager 260. But these are not firm figures, because upstream use of river water can dramatically alter the potential downstream.

Scarcity is only one element of the crisis. Inefficiency is another, as is the reluctance of some water-poor nations to change priorities from agriculture to less water-intensive enterprises. Some experts suggest that if nations would share both water technology and resources, they could satisfy the region's population, currently 159 million. But in this patchwork of ethnic and religious rivalries, water seldom stands alone as an issue. It is entangled in the politics that keep people from trusting and seeking help from one another. Here, where water, like truth, is precious, each nation tends to find its own water and supply its own truth.

As Israeli hydrology professor Uri Shamir told me: "If there is political will for peace, water will not be a hindrance. If you want reasons to fight, water will not be a hindrance, lf you want reasons to fight, water will give you ample opportunities."

Why does the author use the phrase "for next November" (Line 3, Para. 1)？

A．According to the Old Testament freshwater is available only in November.

B．Rainfall comes only in winter staging from November.

C．Running water systems will not be ready until next November.

D．It is a custom in that region that irrigation to crops is done only in November.

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第11题

In his book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell argues that " social epidemics" are driven in large part by the actions of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influential, who are unusually informed, persuasive, or well-connected. The idea is intuitively compelling, but it doesn't explain how ideas actually spread.

The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible-sounding but largely untested theory called the "two-step flow of communication" : Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else. Marketers have embraced the two-step flow because it suggests that if they can just find and influence the influentials, those select people will do most of the work for them. The theory also seems to explain the sudden and unexpected popularity of certain looks, brands, or neighborhoods. In many such cases, a cursory search for causes finds that some small group of people was wearing, promoting, or developing whatever it is before anyone else paid attention. Anecdotal evidence of this kind fits nicely with the idea that only certain special people can drive trends.

In their recent work, however, some researchers have come up with the finding that influentials have far less impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. In fact, they don't seem to be required at all.

The researchers' argument stems from a simple observation about social influence: With the exception of a few celebrities like Oprah Winfrey—whose outsize presence is primarily a function of media, not interpersonal, influence—even the most influential members of a population simply don' t interact with that many others. Yet it is precisely these non-celebrity influentials who, according to the two-step-flow theory, are supposed to drive social epidemics, by influencing their friends and colleagues directly. For a social epidemic to occur, however, each person so affected must then influence his or her own acquaintances, who must in turn influence theirs, and so on; and just how many others pay attention to each of these people has little to do with the initial influential. If people in the network just two degrees removed from the initial influential prove resistant, for example, the cascade of change won't propagate very far or affect many people.

Building on the basic truth about interpersonal influence, the researchers studied the dynamics of social influence by conducting thousands of computer simulations of populations, manipulating a number of variables relating to people's ability to influence others and their tendency to be influenced. They found that the principal requirement for what is called "global cascades"—the widespread propagation of influence through networks—is the presence not of a few influentials but, rather, of a critical mass of easily influenced people.

By citing the book The Tipping Point, the author intends to （）.

A.analyze the consequences of social epidemics.

B.discuss influentials' function in spreading ideas.

C.exemplify people' s intuitive response to social epidemics.

D.describe the essential characteristics of influentials.

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