D
As I was reading a recent story in Slate on 20-somethings complaining about how the economy was ruining their life plans, I couldn’t help but think the 20-somethings sounded like a bunch of spoiled children who grew up expecting everything to be easy for them. As a 20-something myself, I certainly share their disappointment: my husband and I probably won’t be able to buy a house until we’re in our 40s, and we too are burdened by student loans(贷款). But why should it be any different? Being young persons in America, shouldn’t they take up all of the challenges and opportunities that this country offers?
Consider some of these views shared in the Slate story: Jennifer, 29, owner of a two-bedroom apartment with her husband, worries that she won’t be able to have children for at least a decade because they can’t afford to buy a house yet.
I read that, and I thought, what planet is she living on where you need to own a house in order to have kids? Has she ever visited a developing country, or even downtown areas in this one? Home ownership is a luxury(奢华), not a fertility requirement.
A 26-year-old in the story despairs(绝望) that he can’t afford to get a Ph.D. in literature. Well, that sounds a bit like expressing disappointment that no one will pay you to write poetry on the beach in Thailand for five years.
Yes, it’s sad that these young people feel so lost. But I think the problem is their extremely high expectations, not economic reality. Beth Kobliner, author of Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties, says that she thinks people’s expectations are slowly adjusting, but today’s 20-somethings grew up at a time when everyone’s wealth appeared to be expanding. Their parents probably saw their home values rise along with their investments. “So you have people who have grown up in an environment where people had great expectations of what living well means,” says Kobliner.
This recession(衰退) will certainly play a role in forcing those expectations into more realistic group. In the meantime, it seems a lot better for our mental health to focus on being grateful-for our one-bedroom apartments, for living in modern cities, or perhaps just for being able to eat three meals a day-than on longing for some kind of luxury life.
67.What makes the author think the 20-somethings sound like a bunch of spoiled children?
A.They expect everything to be easy for them.
B.They complain that the economy is spoiling their life plans.
C.They are reluctant to face all of the challenges.
D.They are burdened by student loans.
68.The underlined word “fertility” in Paragraph 3 probably means       .
A.baby production                             B.pleasant       
C.baby comfort                           D.essential
69.Which of the following is not one of the complaints of the 20-somethings?
A.They can’t have children for at least a decade to buy a house.
B.They have only one-bedroom apartment to live in.
C.They can’t buy a house until 40 because of student loans.
D.They despair at not being able to afford a Ph.D. in literature.
70.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
A.To tell us what the author’s attitude towards the 20 – somethings.
B.To explain why young people can’t afford to buy a house.
C.To suggest what we should do when young people’s high hopes create despair.
D.To explain what the 20 – something’s high expectations are.


PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION
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 with A, S, C and D, Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
A
Matt Scott, who was born with spina bifida (脊柱裂),grew up in Detroit, Michigan, where he participated in a variety of sports alongside his healthy friends. Now as a member of University of Wis­consin -Whitewater wheelchair basketball team, Scott has won four national championships, and hats' recently been selected to the Paralympic team for the second time. The 23 ― year 一 old college senior owes his achievements to his hard work and the support of his friends and family, who never allowed him to use his disability as an excuse. "My mother was always great. Whenever I felt giving up, she had no sympathy. She really helped me build my independence by not babying me the way other mothers would have," Scott says.
It was Scott' s independent nature and strong will, along with his on - the - court skills, that at­tracted the attention of America's most influential sports apparel (衣服)company, Nike. Nike was searching for an athlete with a disability to represent its "Just Do It " trademark. A handful of super­star athletes with disabilities came to audition for the role, but the company picked Scott to star in the 30 一 second commercial.
"I think that they were looking for the prettiest face in America, and found me," Scott jokes about the selection process.
After being picked, Scott flew to California to film the commercial with Oscar - winning docu­mentary director Errol Morris. The ad gave Scott celebrity (名人)status in the community of disabled athletes. He's been asked to speak at a number of disability - related events, and feels it's his duty to use the media to draw attention to those with disabilities. "I've been given a voice, and I want to do whatever I can to break down the social barriers that are still faced by disabled athletes, and make people realize that they have a very high athletic level," Scott says.
56.When Scott was young,   ?
A.he only played basketball with other disabled children
B.he became disabled during a basketball match
C.his friends looked down upon him during basketball matches
D.his mother didn't give him special treatment
57.Nike chose Scott to star in its commercial for his   ________.
a. pretty appearance       b. independent nature
c. strong will  d. excellent basketball skills
e. status in the community of disabled athletes
A. bee     B. ade     C. abd     D. bed
58.The underlined phrase "audition for " in the second paragraph means " ".
A. try out for  B. look out for        C. take on      D. pick out
59.Which of the following about Scott is TRUE?
A.He has graduated from the University of Wisconsin ― Whitewater.
B.He thinks it's unwise for the disabled to use disability as an excuse.
C.He starred in a commercial together with Errol Morris.
D.He thinks it's important to have many goals.
60.To Scott, the most important result of the ad was that    .
A.it made people realize the athletic talent of the disabled
B.it gave him a chance to show his basketball skills
C.he could do more for disabled athletes
D.he was selected to the Paralympic team again

Anne Sewell Young was born on January 2, 1871, in the United States. She earned her bachelor’s degree in 1892 from Carleton College in Minnesota, where she also completed a master’s degree in 1897. She went on to earn a PhD (something very unusual for women in those days) from Columbia University in 1906.
Anne Sewell Young was the most famous of the early astronomy students at Carleton College, and one of the few professional women astronomers of her days. Carleton produced half a dozen professional women astronomers in the first 50 years of the course, but she was the only one whose name was recorded in the college’s “Who’s Who”(名人录)
Anne Sewell Young was a number of the AAVSO(美国变星观测者协会). She handed in over 6,500 observations over a 33-year period, and was also one of the first AAVSO Council members.
In 1881, Mt. Holyoke College set up the John Payson Williston Observatory (天文台), and in 1899 Young was named its director. In 1903, a library and a lecture room were added to the observatory building, and in 1907 astronomy was made a course in which one could major at the college, with Yong serving as Department Chair. She retired in 1936, and Alice Farnsworth succeeded her.
Young continued to work on astronomy, publishing her last paper in 1942. She died on August 15, 1961, in California.
68.   Put the following events in the correct order.
a.      Young graduated from Columbia University.
b.      Young served at Carleton College.
c.      Young served as Department Chair.
d.      Young publish her last paper.
A. b, a, c, d                 B. c, b, d, a
C. b, c, d, a                 D. b, d, a, c
69. From the passage we learn that Carleton College made great contribution to      .
A. “Who’s who”
B. astronomy
C. the AAVSO
D. Mt. Holyoke College
70. What is the author’s attitude toward Anne Sewell Young?
A. Negative       B. Neutral       C. positive.      D. We don’t know.

Audrey Hepburn is one of Hollywood’s all-time greatest actress. She is famous not only in the USA, but also in other parts of the world.
Hepburn was born in Belgium on May 4, 1929. She began taking ballet (芭蕾) lessons at a very young age. She loved dancing and her dream was to become a successful ballet dancer. She had put most of her effort into ballet training before she entered the film industry.
In 1951, Hepburn was chosen to play the lead role of a young princess in the Hollywood film Roman(罗马) Holiday. It was a big success and Hepburn became famous immediately. She won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in this film.
During her life time, Hepburn earned four more Oscar nominations(提名). Some well-known films that she acted in include Funny Face, Breakfast at Tiffany and My Fair Lady.
Hepburn also devoted much of her time to charity(慈善). She spent the last few years of her life working closely with UNICEF to help poor children in different parts of the world. She was honoured with a number of awards(奖励) because of her efforts in helping them.
【小题1】Hepburn was born in ________.

A.USA B.Belguim C.Italy D.England
【小题2】Her dream was to become a successful ______ when she was very young.
A.singer B.trainer C.dancer D.director
【小题3】______ made Hepburn a big success.
A.Roman Holidays B.Funny Face C.Breakfast at Tiffany’sD.My Fair Lady
【小题4】Hepburn was honoured with a number of awards because she __________.
A.acted in many films B.was good at ballet
C.gave everything to others D.did her best to help poor children

Even before they start school, many young girls worry that they are fat. But a new study suggests watching a movie starring a stereotypically(模式化地)thin and beautiful princess may not increase children’s anxieties.
Nearly half of the 3 to 6 year old girls in a study by Professor Stacey Tantleff-Dunn and doctoral student Sharon Hayes said they worry about being fat. About one-third would change a physical feature, such as their weight or hair color.
The number of girls worried about being fat at such a young age concerns Tantleff-Dunn because of the potential effects later in life. Studies have shown young girls worried about their body image are more likely to suffer from eating disorders when they are older.
The encouraging news for parents is that taking their young daughters to see the new Disney film “The Princess and the Frog” isn’t likely to influence how they see their bodies.
“The media have a great effect on how young girls see their bodies. That’s why it’s important for parents to use movies such as ‘The Princess and the Frog,’ to start conversations with their children about weight, skin color and their views of beauty. They can explain that princesses’ tiny waists are not realistic for girls and that children don’t need Cinderella’s golden hair or Snow White’s porcelain(瓷制的) skin to look good,” Tantleff-Dunn said.
“We need to help our children challenge the images of beauty, particularly thinness, that they see and idolize, and encourage them to question how much appearance should be part of their self-worth,” said Tantleff-Dunn. “We should help them build a positive self-image with an appreciation for many different types of body features.” And as their children’s most important role models, parents also should avoid criticizing their own bodies.
【小题1】 Tantleff-Dunn worries that young girls caring too much about their appearance may          .

A.have diet trouble in the future
B.cause trouble when they are older
C.have mental problems later in life
D.have difficulty in communication
【小题2】 What is especially considered as beauty by girls according to the passage?
A.Having black hair.B.Having a slim body.
C.Having golden skin.D.Having big bright eyes.
【小题3】Parents can help kids build a positive self-image by      .
A.encouraging kids to act as role models
B.preventing kids seeing beautiful models
C.telling kids the importance of appearance
D.avoiding complaining of their own bodies
【小题4】 The writer writes the passage mainly to          
A.explain the meaning of beauty
B.introduce a new research finding
C.stress the influence of media on girls
D.teach girls how to become a princess

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