More than half of Americans do not take all their vacation days,even though they think they need one more holiday.And nearly a third of workers who take a break check their e-mails from the boss every other day and some even keep in touch hourly.

“We’re workaholics(工作狂)’,”said Samuel Nahmias.“From a general perspective,this has a lot to do with the economic situation in the US.More and more people are unemployed.”

With jobless numbers reaching 9.6 percent,people who have jobs seem to be unwilling to take time off.“It_is_not_a_great_picture and that affects vacations.People are not going on vacation as much and those who are going on vacation are being more selective about where they are going.”Nahmias explained.

Unlike European countries where four or more weeks of holiday each year is normal,27 percent of people questioned in the poll said they had 6 to 10 days of annual leave and 20 percent had less than 3 days.With more people on unemployment lists in America,those still with jobs are facing more responsibility at work,which is reflected in their lack of time off.

The majority of workers who did not take time off mentioned too many responsibilities or stress at work,while some people said they simply did not have time to plan a holiday.“People are more conscious of what they are doing and when they are going on vacation because they don’t want to look bad in this situation,”Nahmias explained.

Technology is also playing a part with smartphones enabling workers to keep in contact in ways that were not possible before.It has to do with technology and the level of concern about what is going on in the office.

1.Americans don’t take all their vacation days because ________.

A.they devote themselves to the whole work

B.they are afraid that they may lose their jobs

C.they are asked to keep in touch with their bosses

D.they aren’t in need of holidays at all

2.What does Nahmias mean by saying the underlined words in Paragraph 3?

A.Travelling makes people unwelcome.

B.People are unwilling to go on short vacations.

C.The economic situation remains at a low point.

D.People are more selective about places of interest.

3.We can infer from Paragraph 4 that ________.

A.Unemployment rate is higer in America than that in Europe

B.European economic situation is better than that in America

C.Americans are more hard-working than Europeans

D.More people are losing their jobs in Europe

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A.Americans are all workaholic.

B.Many Americans don’t choose to take vacations.

C.Unemployment is going from bad to worse.

D.US economic situation becomes worse and worse.

A water bearer in India had two large pots;  each hung on the ends of a pole. The water bearer often  carried the pole __36__ his neck. One of the pots had a crack(裂缝) in it, __37__ the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house,  the cracked pot __38__ only half full. For a full two years,  this went on __39__,  with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.

Of course,  the perfect pot was __40__ of its advantages. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection,  and __41__ that it was able to __42__ only half of what it had been made to do.  __43__ two years of what  sensed to be a bitter __44__,  it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself,  and I want to __45__ to you. I have been able to  __46__ only half my load because this crack  in my side __47__ water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my __48__,  you have to do a lot of this work,  and you don't get full value from your __49__,”  the pot said.

 The bearer said to the pot,  “Did you __50__ that there were flowers only on your side of the path,  __51__ not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always __52__ your fault,  and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path,  and every day while we walk back,  you've __53__ them.

For two years I have been able to __54__ these  beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the __55__ you are,  there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

36.A.above    B.over     C.across     D.through

37.A.as                        B.while                  C.when                    D.so

38.A.arrived                 B.realized            C. made                 D.concluded

39.A.weekly          B.daily                        C.monthly                    D.yearly

40.A.ashamed                B.proud        C.happy              D.disappointed

41.A.sad                             B.pleased                   C.comfortable                D.safe

42.A.admit      B.achieve      C.reduce         D.attract

43.A.Before                  B. Since                      C.After                     D.By

44.A.failure                  B.success                 C.excitement            D.satisfaction

45.A.apologize                  B. talk                         C.admit                    D.apply

46.A.develop         B.permit     C.depend           D.deliver

47.A.takes                    B.causes                   C.makes                   D.reminds

48.A.fault              B.success                 C.kindness                D.sorrow

49.A.effects                 B.efforts                   C.operation                      D.attempt

50.A.look                            B.pay                       C.notice                   D.watch

51.A.but                             B.and                              C.since                     D.after

52. A.known about  B.told about C.worried about       D.come about

53.A.cared                   B.watered              C.planted                  D.pulled

54.A.pick     B.buy               C.sell         D.borrow

55.A.attitude                B.way                          C.measure            D.appearance


Go ahead,talk to your dog.
As many a dog owner will prove, our furry friends are listening. Now, for the doubters, there is scientific proof that they understand much of what they hear. A border collie called Rico can fetch at least 200 objects by name, researchers in Germany say. The dog also appears to learn words for new objects as easily as a 3-year-old child would. Its word-learning skill is as good as that of a parrot or chimpanzee.
In one experiment, the researchers took all 200 items that Rico is supposed to know and divided them randomly into 20 sets of 10 objects each. The dog waited with one of his owners in one room, while an experimenter put a set of 10 objects into another room. Then, the owner told the dog to fetch one of the items. The dog had to go to the other room and bring the object back.
In four trials, Rico got 37 out of 40 commands right. Because the dog couldn't see anyone to get visual clues about what to bring back, the scientists concluded that he must understand the meanings of certain words.
In another experiment, the scientists took one toy that Rico had never seen before and put it in a room with seven toys whose names he already knew. The dog's owner then told him to fetch the object, using a word Rico had never heard.
In 7 out of 10 trials, Rico picked the right object, suggesting that he figured out the answer by process of elimination. A month later, he remembered half of the new names, which further impressed the researchers.
Rico is probably smarter than the average dog, the scientists say. For one thing, he's a border collie, a breed known for its mental abilities. In addition, the 9-year-old dog has been trained to retrieve toys by their names since he was 9 months old.
It's hard to know if all dogs understand at least some of the words we say. Even if they do, they can't talk back. Still, it wouldn't hurt to sweet-talk your pup every now and then. You might just get a big, wet kiss in return!
48.The passage is probably taken from a book on _____
A.pets B.environment    C.culture     D.nutrition
49.It is implied that ____
A.Rico is probably cleverer than the average dog
B.Only a few dogs can talk back to its owner
C.if a chimpanzee is trained ,it can also recognize the names of objects
D.All dogs can understand words
50.How long is it since Rico’s owner began to train him?
A.nine months  B.3years    C.over nine years      D.more than eight years
51.Rico can do all the following except _____
A.understanding the meanings of certain words.
B.picking the right object by process of elimination
C.remembering all of the new names he learned    D.retrieving toys by their names

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also the most neglect (忽视). Common reasons for not eating breakfast include having no time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike and dieting.

Breakfast simply means “break the fast’’. Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day’s work ahead. 

A good breakfast should provide 1/3 of your total calorie needs for the day. On average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If you don’t feel like having breakfast in the morning, try eating a lighter dinner earlier in the evening or save half of your dinner for breakfast in the morning.

If you still aren’t hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a nutritious(有营养的) mid-morning snack later when you are hungry.

So, you say you are on a diet. Some people fear that eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you feel hungry throughout the day. That is because your body is working correctly. Although you may feel as if you are eating more all day long, in reality you are probably not.

Not eating breakfast can also cause you overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slow state, it will not be able to burn those extra calories very efficiently(有效). If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become hungry and stuff (填饱) yourself as soon as you begin to eat.

Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right food is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles and cereals.

1.What is the meaning of the word “fast” in the phrase “break the fast”? 

A.Movement.                            B.Going without food.

C.Quickness.                            D.Certain kind of food.

2.If you don’t want to have breakfast in the morning, according to the writer’s suggestion, you   should ________.

A.see a doctor to have an examination

B.have a good supper

C.go to a restaurant to enjoy a good meal

D.have a little supper

3.Eating breakfast, in fact, makes your body ________.

A.work out of order                       B.produce too much energy

C.work well                             D.feel hungry quicker

4.In the last paragraph, the writer mainly ________.

A.persuades us to have a good breakfast

B.tells us what food isn’t suitable for breakfast

C.tells us what food we should have for breakfast

D.describes when and how we should have our breakfast

 

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It is also the most neglect (忽视). Common reasons for not eating breakfast include having no time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike and dieting.

Breakfast simply means “break the fast’’. Your body spends at least 6 to 12 hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy for the day’s work ahead. 

A good breakfast should provide 1/3 of your total calorie(卡路里)needs for the day. On average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn’t appeal (吸引) to you in the morning, try eating a lighter dinner earlier in the evening or save half of your dinner for breakfast in the morning.

If you still aren’t hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a nutritious (有营养的) mid-morning snack (小吃) later when you are hungry.

So, you say you are on a diet. Some people fear that eating breakfast will make them hungrier during the day and they will eat more. It is true that eating breakfast is likely to make you feel hungry throughout the day. That is because your body is working correctly. Although you may feel as if you are eating more all day long, in reality you are probably not.

Not eating breakfast can also cause you overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slow state, it will not be able to burn those extra calories very efficiently (有效). If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become hungry and stuff (填饱) yourself as soon as you begin to eat.

Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right food is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat and grain products such as bread, rice, noodles and cereals.

1. What is the meaning of the word “fast” in the phrase “break the fast”? 

A.movement

B.going without food

C.quickness

D.certain kind of food

2.If you don’t want to have breakfast in the morning, according to the writer’s suggestion, you should________.

A.see a doctor to have an examination

B.have a little supper

C.go to a restaurant to enjoy a good meal

D.have a good supper

3.Eating breakfast, in fact, makes your body_________.

A.work out of order

B.produce too much energy

C.work well

D.feel hungry quicker

4.Not eating breakfast will_________.

A.save a lot of money

B.do harm to your health

C.do good to your health

D.help you keep in shape

5.In the last paragraph the writer mainly_________.

A. persuades us to have a good breakfast    

B. tell us what food isn’t suitable for breakfast

C describes when and how we should have our breakfast

D .tell us what food we should have for breakfast 

 

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