No woman can be too rich or too thin．This saying often attributed to the late Duchess of Windsor embodies much of the odd spirit of our times．Being thin is deemed as such a virtue．The
problem with such a view is that some people actually attempt to live by it．I myself have fantasies of slipping into narrow designer clothes．Consequently, I have been on a diet for the better－or worse－part of my life．Being rich wouldn't be bad either, but that won't happen unless an unknown relative dies suddenly in some distant land, leaving me millions of dollars．Where did we go off the track? When did eating butter become a sin, and a little bit of extra flesh unappealing, if not repellent? All religions have certain days when people refrain from eating and excessive eating is one of Christianity's seven deadly sins．However, until quite recently, most people had a problem getting enough to eat．In some religious groups, wealth was a symbol of probable salvation and high morals, and fatness a sign of wealth and well－being．Today the opposite is true．We have shifted to thinness as our new mark of virtue．The result is that being fat –or even only somewhat overweight－is bad because it implies a lack of moral strength．
Our obsession(迷恋)with thinness is also fueled by health concerns．It is true that in this country we have more overweight people than ever before, and that, in many cases, being overweight correlates with an increased risk of heart and blood vessel disease．These diseases．, however, may as much to do with our way of life and our high－fat diets as with excess weight．And the associated risk of cancer in the digestive system may be more of a dietary problem－too much fat and a lack of fiber－than a weight problem．The real concern, then, is not what we weight too much, but that we neither exercise enough nor eat well．Exercise is necessary for strong bones and both heart and lung health．A balanced diet without a lot of fat can also help the body avoid many diseases．We should surely stop paying so much attention to weight．Simply being thin is not enough．It is actually hazardous if those who(or already are)thin think they are automatically healthy and thus free from paying attention to their overall life－style．Thinness can be pure vainglory(虚荣)．
(1)
In the eyes of the author, an odd phenomenon nowadays is that ________．
[ ]
A．
the Duchess of Windsor is regarded as a woman of virtue
B．
looking slim is a symbol of having a large fortune
C．
being thin is viewed as a much desired quality
D．
religious people are not necessarily virtuous
(2)
Swept by the prevailing trend, the author ________．
[ ]
A．
had to go on a diet for the greater part of her life
B．
could still prevent herself from going off the track
C．
had to seek help from rich distant relatives
D．
had to wear highly fashionable clothes
(3)
In human history, people's views on body weight ________
[ ]
A．
were closely related to their religious beliefs
B．
changed from time to time
C．
varied between the poor and the rich
D．
led to different moral standard
(4)
The author criticizes women's obsession with thinness ________．
[ ]
A．
from an economic and educational perspective
B．
from sociological and medical points of view
C．
from a historical and religious standpoint
D．
in the light of moral principles
(5)
What's the author's advice to women who are absorbed in the idea of thinness?
[ ]
A．
They should be more concerned with their overall life style．
B．
They should be more watchful for fatal diseases．
C．
They should gain weight to look healthy
D．
They should rid themselves of fantasies about designer clothes
Student Date of Birth：19/08/1988 Department of Education and Training
International Students Centre
Hong Xue 827-839 George Street PO Box 707
60 Waratah Street Broadway NSW 21007
Croydon Park NSW 2133 Phone：(612)9217 4801 1300 302 456
Fax：(612)9212 6721
http：//www.tafensw.edu.au/international/
WARNING LETTER
Dear Hong Xue,
As you are aware, your student visa regulations set out a number of conditions applying to your visa．It has come to our attention that you are failing to meet the following conditions：You must maintain accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements that have been approved by your education provider if you：
●have not turned 18; and
●are not staying in Australia with：
－a parent
－a custodian(监护人); or
－a relative who has been nominated(指定)by your parent or a custodian, is aged at least 21 and is of good character．
Note：You must not change those arrangements without the written approval of your education provider．
You must obey the following rules：
1．During term time you must：
a)remain in your homestay during the school term;
b)come home every night; and
c)inform your guardian at all times of your whereabouts．
2．On weekends you must：
a)have your guardian's permission to stay with friends; and
b)inform your guardian of the name, address and phone numbers of people you are visiting．
3．You must return your guardian's telephone calls．
This will be your only warning．If you continue to breach(违反)your student visa regulations we will report you to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．Such action may lead to the cancellation(取消)of your student visa．Please contact me on(612)9217 4801 or fax(612)9212 6721 if you have questions about your enrolment．
Yours sincerely
Tracey Carlon
Student Advisor
International Students Centre
NSW Department of Education and Training
(1)
What's the purpose of writing this letter?
[ ]
A．
To remind the recipient of the conditions for applying for a student visa．
B．
To warn the recipient not to do anything against his student visa regulations again．
C．
To tell the recipient how to contact his student advisor．
D．
To inform the recipient of the student visa regulations．
(2)
What can be learned about the recipient from this letter?
[ ]
A．
He is under 18 and studies in Australia with his parents．
B．
He is required to come home every night according to the rules．
C．
He can stay with his friends on weekends if permitted．
D．
His student Visa has been cancelled．
(3)
To which address should the recipient reply if he feels like answering the letter?
[ ]
A．
Hong Xue at 60 Waratah Street, Croydon Park NSW 2133．
B．
Tracey Carlon at the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs．
C．
Hong Xue at NSW Department of Education and Training．
D．
Tracey Carlon at 827-839 George Street, PO Box 707, Broadway NSW 21007．
阅读理解
One night when my wife was preparing dinner, our little son took a piece of paper to her which read：
For washing the car ＄5.00
For making my own bed this week ＄1.00
Going to the provision shop ＄0.50
Playing with little sister ＄0.25
Taking out the rubbish ＄1.00
Getting a good report card ＄5.00
And for sweeping the common corridor ＄2.00
Total ＄14.75
His mother looked at him standing there expecting payment．I could see a thousand memories flashed through her mind．So she picked up the pen and turning the paper over, this is what she wrote：
For nine months I carried you, growing inside me No Charge
For the nights I sat up with you, doctored and prayed for you No Charge
For the toys, food and clothes and wiping your nose No Charge
When you add it all up, the full cost of my love No Charge
Well, when he finished reading, he had big tears in his eyes．He looked at his mother and said,“Mummy, I love you．”Then he took the pen and in great big letters wrote on the“bill”“All paid．”
(1)
What's the best title for this passage?
[ ]
A．
Part-time Job
B．
Mother's Love, No Charge
C．
Payment for House Work
D．
Greedy Mother
(2)
The write wrote the passage in order to ________．
[ ]
A．
show that children should be paid for their housework
B．
show that children should not be paid for their housework
C．
show a clever way of teaching children
D．
tell children how to spend their spare time
(3)
How do you think of the mother in the passage?
[ ]
A．
Clever
B．
Greedy
C．
Cold－hearted
D．
Selfish
(4)
From the last passage we know that ________
[ ]
A．
the boy got all the money he wanted
B．
the mother was unwilling to give the money to the boy
C．
the boy realized that it was not right to ask for money for the housework
D．
the mother was angry with what the boy said
阅读理解
So far, scientists have named about 1.8 million living species(物种), and that’s just a small part of what probably exists on Earth．With so many plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms covering the planet, it can be tough to figure out what type of spider is crawling up your leg or what kind of bird just flew by．
A soon-to-be-launched Website might help．An international team of researchers has announced the creation of a Web－based Encyclopedia of Life(EOL)．The project aims to catalogue every species on Earth in a single, easy-to-use reference guide．
To get the encyclopedia started, the creators will use information from scientific databases that already exist．And eventually, in special sections of the site, nonscientists with specialized knowledge will join．Gardeners, for example, will be able to record the dates that their flowers first bloom each year．Bird-watchers will be able to input which birds they’ve seen and where．The technology for this kind of tool has only recently become available．
As the EOL develops, you might find it useful for school projects．The site will have special pages for kids who are studying ecosystems in their neighborhoods．To make sure the encyclopedia is accurate, scientists will review much of the information added to it．People who visit the site will be able to choose to skip pages that haven’t been reviewed．
Another convenient characteristic of the EOL is that you’ll be able to pick the level of detail you see to match your interests, age, and current knowledge．If you wanted to learn about polar bears for a science class report, for example, you could use the“novice”setting to get basic information about the animals．On the“expert”setting, on the other hand．you could get much more detailed information about the history, literature, and exploration of polar bears．
It now takes years for scientists to collect all the data they need to describe and analyze species．The creators of the Encyclopedia of Life hope that their new tool will speed that process．
Keep an eye on www.eol.org．Pages will begin to go up sometime next year, and you might find them useful for your school reports．The EOL team might have the basics for all 1.8 million entries online as early as 2017．Someday, you might add your own notes．
(1)
What is implied in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?
[ ]
A．
No one can become an expert on spiders and birds．
B．
So many spiders have crawled up your leg
C．
There are far more than 1.8 million living species．
D．
Scientists have named a lot of living species
(2)
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
[ ]
A．
You can find information of all living species online in 2017．
B．
Nonscientists will be able to add their own notes to the website．
C．
The kids preparing school reports can not have access to the informat’0 n’
D．
You are not free to choose the amount of detailed information．
(3)
What does the underlined word“novice”probably mean in Paragraph 5?
[ ]
A．
Beginner．
B．
Specialist．
C．
Scientist．
D．
Pupil．
(4)
Who are the intended readers of this passage?
[ ]
A．
Students．
B．
Researchers．
C．
Bird watchers or Gardeners．
D．
People in general
(5)
What is the best title for the passage?
[ ]
A．
Exploring Polar Bears
B．
Visit Our Website Now
C．
How to Do School Projects
D．
E-book of Life．
阅读理解
Once upon a time the colors of the world started to quarrel．Green said,“Clearly I am the most important．I am the sign of life and hope．I was chosen for grass, trees and leaves．Without me, all animals would 1 ．”
Blue interrupted,“You only think about the 2 , but consider the sky and the sea． 3 the water that is the basis of life and drawn up by the clouds from the deep sea．Without my peace, you would all be 4 ．”
Yellow chuckled(笑道),“You are all so serious．I bring laughter, fun, and 5 into the world．”
Orange started next to blow her trumpet,“I am the color of health and strength．I may be 6 , but I am precious for I serve the needs of human life．When I fill the sky 7 , my beauty is so striking that no one gives another 8 to any of you．”
Red could stand it 9 and he shouted out,“I am the ruler of all of you．I am the color of danger and of bravery．I am willing to 10 truth．I am also the color of passion and of love．”
Then came Purple and Indigo(深蓝)…．
The colors went on boasting, each convinced of his or her own 11 ．Their quarreling became louder and louder．Suddenly there was a startling flash of bright lightening thunder．Rain started to pour down 12 ．The colors crouched(蜷缩)down 13 , drawing close to one another for comfort．
In the midst of the clamor(叫嚷), rain began to speak,“You foolish colors, fighting 14 yourselves, each trying to dominate 15 ．Don't you know that you were each made for a special purpose, 16 ?Join hands with 17 and come to me．”
Doing as they were told, the colors 18 and joined hands．They formed a colorful rainbow．From then on, whenever a good rain 19 the world, a rainbow appears in the sky．They remember to 20 one another．
