题目内容
Some British and American people like to invite friends for a meal at home. You should not be upset (不安的) if your English friends don't invite you home. It doesn't mean they don't like you!?Dinner parties usually start between 7p．m．and 8p．m．, and end at about 11p．m． Ask your host (主人) what time you should arrive． It's polite to bring flowers, chocolates or a bottle of wine as a gift．
Usually the evening starts with drinks and snacks (小吃)． Do you want to be extra
(特别地) polite? Say how much you like the room,
or the pictures on the wall. But remember — it's not polite to ask how much things cost．
In many families, the husband sits at one end of the table and the wife sits at the other side． They eat with t
heir guests．
You'll probably start the meal with soup or something small, then you'll have meat or fish with vegetables, and then dessert (甜点心) followed by coffee． It's polite to finish e
verything on your plate and to take more if you want it．
Did you enjoy the evening? Call your hosts the next day, or write them a short “Thank you” letter． British and American people like to say “thank you” all the time!
【小题1】An English friend doesn't invite you to his or her dinner, which ＿＿＿＿．
| A．means he or she doesn't like you | B．means he or she likes you |
| C．doesn't mean he or she likes you | D．doesn't mean  he or she doesn't like you |
| A．you'd better bring a certain present with you |
| B．you must leave home for it at 7 p．m． |
| C．you should ask your host when you should leave |
| D．you must arrive before 8 p．m． |
| A．to say that you like the host's room very much |
| B．for a guest to ask the host the price of the things in the room |
C．for a guest to have drinks and sn acks before the evening |
| D．for the host and the hostess (女主人) to sit and eat with their guests |
| A．Snacks, vegetables, meat, coffee． |
| B．Coffee, drinks, soup, fish, vegetables, dessert． |
| C．Soup, meat with vegetables, dessert and coffee． |
| D．Drinks, soup, something small, fish and vegetables． |
| A．Before leaving for home, you should say, “Thank you for inviting me．” |
| B．When you shake hands with your host, you should say, “I did enjoy the evening．” |
| C．You can write a “Thank you” letter to your host after that． |
| D．You should finish everything on your plate and take more if you want it． |
【小题1】D
【小题1】A
【小题1】B
【小题1】C
【小题1】C
解析
Have you ever wondered why the roots of the plants always know which way to grow—into the soil but not above it? Some British scientists have recently solved this mystery.
It turns out that roots have special hairs that tie them into the soil and help them grow their way past obstacles, a team at the John Inners Center in Norwich reports in the February 29 issue of Journal Science.
“The key is in the fuzzy(有绒毛的)coat of hairs on the roots of plants,” says professor Liam Dolan. “We have found a growth control system that enables these hairs to find their way and to become longer when their path is clear.”
Root hairs explore the soil in much the same way a person would feel their way in the dark. If they come across an obstacle, they make their way around until they can continue growing in an opening. In the meantime, the plant is held in place as the hairs grip(紧紧抓住)the soil.
The hairs are guided by a clever chemical trick. A protein(蛋白质) at the tip of the root hairs called RHD2 helps them to take calcium(钙) from the soil. Calcium makes the hairs grow, and produce more RHD2, and take more calcium.
But when an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, or the hair reaches the surface of the soil, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another direction.
This system gives plants the flexibility to explore a complex environment and to live in even the most unpromising soils, says Dolan.
In poor soils such as in parts of Australia and Africa, native plants have adapted by producing enormous numbers of root hairs. A better understanding of this adaptation will allow scientists to develop hairy rooted crops that can grow in unfriendly environments.
According to Dolan, “Research in the John Inners Center is taking a breeding approach to increase hair length in wheat but it will be some time before new cultivars(栽培变种) are developed.”
【小题1】The passage is mainly about _______.
| A．why the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it |
| B．how the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it |
| C．the process of plants growth |
| D．a growth control system of plants |
| A．RHD2 takes calcium from the soil, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2 and take more calcium |
| B．Roots take RHD2 and calcium from the soil and produce RHD2 |
| C．Roots make hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium |
| D．RHD2 takes protein, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium |
| A．hairy rooted crops can grow better in unfriendly environments |
| B．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair has been developed by scientists |
| C．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair is still on test |
| D．the roots of plants always know which way to grow |
Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.
I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.
Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “local”, as we British call our nearest pub.
In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基础) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally considered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (内向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.
However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.
The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.
But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.
For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.
【小题1】. The article is mainly about .
| A．the British pub losing popularity | B．the author’s love of pubs |
| C．how the British socialize | D．the local British pub |
| A．it is nearby and convenient |
| B．it is a great place for meeting friends |
| C．it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink |
| D．it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub , |
| A．will replace the local pubs |
| B．attach more importance to drinks |
| C．are somewhere between a restaurant and a bar |
| D．attract beer lovers as well as wine lovers |
| A．The author is in favor of gastropubs. |
| B．Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste. |
| C．British people do not go to pubs as often as before. |
| D．Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs. |
What do you do if you don’t get into your first choice of university? That’s the dilemma that faces thousands of British students every year.
Many candidates turn to Clearing, the service that helps find university places for students at the last moment. If they don’t have the marks to get into their first choice of institution, Clearing tells them about places available at other universities, though they might have to read another subject.
But this year has seen a record number of people applying to university. This, combined with the weak economy, an uncertain job market and budget cuts at universities, means that there's been even more of a scramble for places than usual. Some sources say six students have applied for each remaining undergraduate university place.
The British university admissions service, UCAS, says up to a quarter of this year’s university applicants --- almost 190,000 people --- still don’t have a place on a degree course. That’s a rise of over 46,000 students from last year.
Faced with these figures, some British students might be thinking of an interesting alternative: studying abroad. The University of Nottingham, for example，is offering places at its campuses in Ningbo, near Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Students here can gain University of Nottingham degrees in business, accounting, engineering and English. Similarly, the University of Bolton says it has ‘unlimited’ places at its campus in the United Arab Emirates.
Given the problems getting into university, the UK’s Higher Education Minister, David Willetts, encourages students who haven't made the grade to consider alternatives to university, such as apprenticeships and studying at home.
"There are a range of options available," he says. "People are able to reapply. They should think how they can spend their year adding that bit to their CV, which would help their application --- getting practical work experience or extra skills --- anything that strengthens their chances next year."
But some experts say that rising university costs, poor long-term job prospects, and a drop in graduate recruitment mean it’s the worst time to be a university student in the UK.
【小题1】When the author says this year “there’s been more of a scramble for places” (Para. 3), he means_________________.
| A．more people have applied to university |
| B．there is more competition between the candidates |
| C．there are more services that help find university places |
| D．more places are available |
| A．190,000 | B．46, 000 | C．236, 000 | D．760, 000 |
| A．to consider apprenticeships and studying at home |
| B．to study at campus outside the UK |
| C．to reapply next year |
| D．not to go to university in the UK |
| A．It costs more to study at university. |
| B．Long-term job prospects are worse. |
| C．Universities offer places in other countries. |
| D．There are fewer chances to do graduate study. |
| A．They can go to work in Clearing. |
| B．They can get practical work experience or skills and reapply next year. |
| C．They can spend the year writing a better CV. |
| D．They do graduate study at home. |