PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION(30分)
Directions: Read the following three passages.Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are 4 choices marked A,B,C and D.Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
Short reader – submitted stories – for the woman you should think of today!
——Compiled by Amy Zerello
Great Minds Reminded of Mom
After a long, exhausting day, a friend of mine, Allen, headed home. On the road, he passed an elderly woman who was standing by a car with a flat tire. If that were his mother, he thought, he would want someone to help her. With a tired sigh, he turned around and drove back.
Just as he reached the stranded woman, a truck pulled up and a burly farmer got out. "Kindof reminds you of your mom, too?" the man asked as the two of them pitched in together to change the tire for the woman.
-- Contributed by Katherine L. Houge
Your Biggest Fan
While waiting in a bookstore for a guest author to sign her latest book, I leafed through some of the Civil War novels she had written. The woman in line behind me commented, "Those are the best books I've ever read. I couldn't put them down." Before I could reply, the author frowning, looked over and said, "Oh, come on, Mom!"
-- Contributed by Marilyn Kopp
Head of the Household
My husband, Jeff, and I came across several problems while assembling our new computer system, so we called the help desk. The man on the phone started to talk to Jeff in computer jargon(行业术语), which confused us even more.
"Sir," my husband politely said, "please explain what I should do as if I were a four-year-old."
"Okay," the computer technician replied. "Sweetie, could you please put your mommy on the phone?"
-- Contributed by Lena Worth
How does it feel to tickle your mom’s funny bone?
Now send your own funny story to us! You could earn up to $ 300!
56.Who would the burly man be in the first joke?
A.Another kind helper.       B.The old lady’s son.
C.Allen’s friend.         D.A policeman.
57.What was the guest author’s mom trying to do in the second story?
A.Push hard to get her daughter’s signature.
B.Promote her daughter’s books by pretending to be a fan.
C.Show her pride in her daughter’s achievement.
D.Persuade Marilyn Kopp to buy her daughter’s book.
58.The computer technician on the phone in the third story________.
A.actually could find no way to solve Jeff’s problems
B.teased Jeff about his poor knowledge of computer jargon
C.wanted to talk to Lena instead
D.believed that Jeff’s mom would know more computer jargon
59.What is the main purpose of the jokes?
A.To make fun of moms.    B.To honor moms.
C.To educate moms.           D.To amuse moms.
60.The passage is most possibly found________.
A.in a storybook         B.in a commercial ad
C.in a magazine          D.in a student’s textbook


E
One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation(砍伐森林) is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks ,disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realize the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
58.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means a kind of _________.
A.natural rubber   B.tropical material   C.man-made material   D.tropical tree
59.In the last paragraph the author tries to__________.
A.tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation
B.show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests
C.persuade people to buy something synthetic
D.let people realize the effect of tropical deforestation
60.The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is____________.
A.puzzling        B.cold        C.supporting       D.opposed

Many of us assume that with such a last name, Peter Buffett, 52, must enjoy a life of endless privilege. But the son of billionaire investor (投资人) Warren Buffett definitely doesn’t think so.
“People who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth can fall victim (受害者) to what my father has called a silver dagger (匕首) in your back,” Buffett told Reuters in an interview. “It leads to a sense of entitlement (特权) and a lack of personal achievement.”
Entitlement, he believes, is the worst thing ever. “Anybody who acts like they deserve (应得) something ‘just because’ is a disaster,” he said.
In his new book, Life Is What You Make It: Finding Your Own Path to Fulfillment, Buffett says that the only real inheritance (遗产) handed down from his parents was a philosophy (价值观): Forge your own path in life. It is a belief that has allowed him to follow his own passions, establish his own identity, and reap (收获) his own successes.
Did his father ever want him to go into finance? “It was encouraged for a moment when I was open to the idea,” he told Reuters. But as he grew older, it became clear the financial world “was not speaking to my heart.”
His father accepted his choice to become a musician. He began his musical career by writing music for TV commercials (广告). He then released his own albums.
“I am my own person and I know what I have accomplished in my life,” he told Reuters. “This isn’t about wealth or fame or money or any of that stuff, it is actually about values and what you enjoy and finding something you love doing.”
Along with the book, Buffett has begun a “Concert & Conversation” tour in which he plays the piano, talks about his life and warns against consumerist (消费主义) culture and damaging the environment.
“Economic prosperity (繁荣) may come and go; that’s just how it is,” he writes in the book. “But values are the steady currency (硬通货) that earn us the all-important rewards.”
【小题1】 What does “It” in the second paragraph refer to?

A.A life of a top investor. B.A silver spoon in the mouth.
C.Being born to a wealthy family.D.The victim of a silver dagger in the back.
【小题2】 What does the article tell us?
A.Peter Buffett is a born musician.
B.Peter Buffett enjoys a hugely privileged life.
C.A wealthy family can benefit a child but also spoil him or her.
D.Peter Buffett was forced by his parents to take over their business.
【小题3】The article claims that Peter Buffett owes his achievements largely to ______.
A.his passion for music B.the good education he received
C.his great determinationD.the values he learned from his parents
【小题4】 Which of the following statements would Peter Buffett probably agree to?
A.Wealth is there to enjoy to the fullest.
B.A person’s value lies within.
C.Many people are fooled by economic prosperity.
D.Young people should choose their own philosophy, whatever their parents believe in.

Everybody hates it, but everybody does it. A recent report said that 40%of Americans hate tipping. In America alone, tipping is a $16 billion-a-year industry. Consumers acting politely ought not to pay more than they have to for a given service. Tips should not exist. So why do they? The common opinion in the past was that tips both rewarded the efforts of good service and reduced uncomfortable feelings of inequality. And also, tipping makes for closer relations. It went without saying that the better the service, the bigger the tip.
But according to a new research from Cornell University, tips no longer serve any useful function. The paper analyzes numbers they got from 2,547 groups dining at 20 different restaurants. The connection between larger tips and better service was very weak. Only a tiny part of the size of the tip had anything to do with the quality of service.
Tipping is better explained, by culture than by the money people spend. In America, the custom came into being a long time ago. It is regarded as part of the accepted cost of a service. In New York restaurants, failing to tip at least l5% could well mean dissatisfaction from the customers. Hairdressers can expect to get l5%-20%, and the man who delivers your fast food $2. In Europe, tipping is less common. In many restaurants the amount of tip is decided by a standard service charge. In many Asian countries, tipping has never really caught on at all. Only a few have really taken to tipping.
According to Michael Lynn, the Cornell papers’ author, countries in which people are more social or outgoing tend to tip more. Tipping may reduce anxiety about being served by strangers. And Mr. Lynn says, “In America, where people are expressive and eager to mix up with others, tipping is about social approval. If you tip badly, people think less of you. Tipping well is a chance to show off.”
【小题1】 This passage is mainly about ________.

A.different kinds of tipping in different countries
B.the relationship between tipping and custom
C.the origin and present meaning of tipping
D.most American people hate tipping
【小题2】Which of the following best explains the underlined phrase “caught on” ?
A.become popular.B.been hated.
C.been stopped.D.been permitted
【小题3】 Among the following situations, in your opinion, who is likely to tip most?
A.A Frenchman just quarreled with the barber who did his hair badly in New York.
B.An American just had a wonderful dinner in a well known restaurant in New York.
C.A Japanese businessman asked for a pizza delivery from a Pizza Hut in New York.
D.A Chinese student enjoyed his meal in a famous fast food restaurant in New York.
【小题4】 We can infer from this passage that ________.
A.tipping is no longer a good way to satisfy some customers themselves
B.tipping is especially popular in New York
C.tipping in America can make service better now
D.tipping has something to do with people’s character

[1]Listening is one of the most important skills we can ever learn and an essential part of communication; not only does it help you to build close relations with other people, it’s also away of showing respect for others, When people feel respected, it’s very easy to build long, happy relationships , We all know people who are really had listeners, They love the sound of their own voices so much that you can’t get a chance to speak ,What’s important is active listening; paying attention, and then demonstrating your understanding of a conversation by repeating key points in your responses, People just want to feel like they are understood, Here are some ways to improve you listening skills.

[2]never talk over people

This shows a real lack of respect ,By talking over someone what you’re basically saying is “I don’t care what you’re saying—what I have to say is more important”.

[3]Don’t finish other people’s sentences.

I used to do this a lot thinking I was helpfully finishing people’s sentences for them, Wrong, Research has shown by doing this you are discouraging the other person because you are taking control of the conversation, so bite you tongue !

[4]Paraphrase(改述)

If you want to show that you have really understood someone, then paraphrasing is a great too1, All you have to do is repeat back to someone what they have just said , before you comment yourself, Here’s an example:“So Barney ,what I’m hearing is that results are the number one objective for you fight now and we need to find some fast solutions for you?”

[5]Listen actively

Focus on active listening instead of passive listening , The difference is that active listening means you engage and respond to the other person based on what they have said while passive listening is simply the act of listening           

[6]Maintain eye contact

By looking at the other person in the eye , you are proving that you’ re interested in what they’re saying , This also keeps you focused and less distracted (思想不集中的)

1.What is main idea of the passage?(no more than 10 words)

                                                                           

2.Why is listening an essential part of communication?(no more than 15 words)

                                                                           

3.What does the underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 mean in English?

                                                                           

4.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 5 with proper words to complete the sentence(no more than 10 words)

                                                                           

5.What does the writer advocate to do for your listening skills according to the text?(no more than 3 words for each)

                                                                           

                                                                           

                                                                           

 

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