In today's fast - paced society, few people take time to enjoy the midday meal．Most of us just rush right through it． We grab a quick salad, or buy a sandwich and eat at our computers, Sometimes, if there is a deadline around the corner, we just skip lunch．

The development of technology hasn't done our eating habits much good either． We are constantly distracted by e - mail, social media, and 24 - hour news．Even when we do sit down for lunch, we are more connected to our hand - held electronic devices．

Long working hours can cause all kinds of health problems, and many developed countries have put in place labor laws specifically regarding the lunch break．These laws give employees the right to take a break during a long work shift, but it's up to them whether they do so or not．

Frank Partnoy, a former Wall Street trader, says that employers should encourage workers to take time off for lunch．This is because long lunch breaks can benefit both individuals and society.

Writing in The Guardian, Partnoy says that one obvious reason to take a lunch break is to slow down and gain some perspective（认识）． A break from work allows us to think strategically and outside the box．It also puts our daily tasks into a broader context（背景）．

What we eat at lunch is also important．In Partnoy' s opinion, a fast food lunch is more harmful than not having lunch at all．  And it's not just about calories and unhealthy food．Recent studies show that fast food also has negative effects on how we think．

However, if we sit down at a proper restaurant and chat leisurely with colleagues, we are more likely to slow down, something that hardly can be achieved in a noisy and over -packed fast food chain．

Despite these benefits, some employees might still be unwilling to take time off for lunch．Partnoy's suggestion? Make skipping lunch difficult: Employers could ask workers to fill out a form stating their reasons for skipping the meal．

71．What does the underlined phrase "skip lunch" mean in the first paragraph?

       A．don't have lunch                                        B．have a quick lunch

       C．work while having lunch                           D．take a lunch break

72．Which of the following is true according to the text?

       A．Modern technology results in good diet habits．

       B．Electronic devices make our life comfortable．

       C．Many people are too busy to have a good lunch．

       D．Laws have passed to make workers have lunch．

73．According to Frank Partnoy, long lunch breaks             .

       A．are time for the workers to relax their mind

       B．make the employees work longer hours

       C．are for employees to have a quick lunch

       D．make the workers eat a proper lunch at home

74．In Partnoy's opinion, a fast food lunch                 .

       A．saves a lot of time for a rest          B．is better than having no lunch

       C．affects people's way of thinking       D．makes workers sit down and think

75．What might be the author's purpose in writing the text?

       A．To warn us not to eat fast food．

       B．To introduce Frank Partnoy's opinion．

       C．To encourage us to work more efficiently．

       D．To show the importance of a proper lunch．

Mu Yumin had no idea that when he stopped by the computer club as a freshman looking for something fun, it would decide his career four years later．The 22-year-old biology major at Huazhong University of Science and Technology found a job as an IT technician in Shanghai．" My experience in the club gave me another 'diploma' ," said Mu．" More importantly, I found something I am good at and can make a living from．"

Now campuses around the country have started recruiting fresh faces for all kinds of clubs．Upperclassmen and experts suggest a hobby - based choice of clubs, which might have a lasting impact（影响）on one' s life and career. Zhang Ling did not get many chances to write stories as an environmental protection major at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology． But this changed when she joined the university broadcast station． Her daily interviews with students and teachers expanded her horizon．Now she is determined to become a journalist on environmental issues with her degree in environmental protection． "Journalism changed my life track," said the 22 –year-old girl．"I only wanted to be a science teacher in a local senior high school．But now I am applying for a graduate school in journalism． "

Lan Yujie, professor at Anhui University of Technology, regards Mu and Zhang as good examples of choosing "what I like" instead of " what is practical" in finding jobs and seeking further study．"Some freshmen don't know what to choose," said Lan． "Just following a hobby and doing something you like can easily give you the experience that makes you happy and special．"

Lan further says that joining clubs should not necessarily have a purpose, As part of campus life, a club experience will impact one's life and career in one way or another．"The point of clubs is to have as much diverse（多样的） experiences as possible so that students can explore more of their life," said Lan．

66．Why did Mu Yumin join the computer club?

　　　 A．To get another diploma．　 　　　　　　　 　　　 B．To change his major．

　　　 C．To find a good job．　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．To have a good time．

67．Which of the followings is true about Zhang Ling?

　　　 A．She didn't intend to be a journalist．B．She changed her major to journalism．

　　　 C. She now works as a science teacher D. She's graduated from the university．

68．According to the text, joining the campus club has many advantages EXCEPT　　　　 .

　　　 A．helping you know what you really like B．making you plan your career better

　　　 C．helping you to make more friends　　　　　　　　 D．obtaining more life experiences

69．What can we learn from Lan Yujie's words in the last paragraph?

　　　 A．Students should be practical in finding jobs．

　　　 B．Club experiences will affect students' life and career．

　　　 C．Joining clubs should have a clear goal．

　　　 D．Students will have a colorful campus life by joining clubs．

70．What is the main idea of the text?

　　　 A．How to change your major．

B．Joining a campus club for a diploma．

　　　 C．Joining a club to explore more of your life．

D．How to find a job after graduation．

GAOMI, Shandong, Oct．11（ Xinhua）—Chinese writer Mo Yan said last Thursday that he was "very surprised" at winning the Nobel Literature Prize．

Speaking to reporters at a hotel in his hometown Gaorni city in east China's Shandong Province, Mo said, "（I was）very surprised upon winning the prize because I felt I was not very senior in terms of qualification（among Chinese writers）．There are many good writers and my ranking was not so high．"

"I am very happy," he said．"I was having dinner when I received the news．I was surprised．”

"Thank you for coming all the way to Gaomi．This should be a season of red sorghum, but no such crop is planted any more．I believe none of you have seen the crop," he said．

"The Nobel Literature Prize is a very important literature prize, but not the top award． It represents the opinions of the jury（评审团 ）．I am satisfied with my major works and I still keep writing by hand． My works are Chinese literature, which is part of world literature．They show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs．Meanwhile, my novels described human beings in the broad sense．I wrote in the perspective of a human being．These works stand beyond regions and ethnic groups," he said．

"The folk arts and folk culture accompanied my growth and I was influenced by the cultural elements I witnessed through my childhood．When I picked up the pen for literature creation, the folk cultural elements inevitably entered my novels and affected and even determined the artistic styles of my works," he added．

Mo's win brought joy to other writers and readers throughout the country as he is the first Chinese national to win the Nobel Literature Prize in its century —long history．

Born into a farmer's family in a village in Gaomi, Mo has been known since the late 1980s for his novels such as Big Breasts and Wide Hips and Red Sorghum, which was later adapted into a film by director Zhang Yimou．

61．Mo Yan was surprised at winning the Nobel Prize because he felt　　　　 .

　　　 A．he was not as famous as other writers B．he was not the best writer in China

　　　 C．he was born in a farmer's family 　　　　　　　 D．he didn't have good education

62．According to Mo Yan,　 　　　　　.

　　　 A．red sorghum should be planted in his hometown

　　　 B．the Nobel Prize represents the opinions of the public

　　　 C．he still keeps the habit of writing by hand

　　　 D．his novels described human beings of all regions

63．By reading Mo Yan's works, we can　 　　　　　　 .

　　　 A．learn a lot about the Chinese folk culture

　　　 B．increase our sense of national pride

C．form a vivid picture of his childhood

D．learn more about the history of the Nobel Prize

64．Which of the following words can best describe Mo Yan?

A． romantic　　　　　　　 B．self—confident 　　 C． humorous　 D． modest

65．Where might you find the article?

A．In a novel．　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B． In a travel book．

C．In a newspaper．　　　　 　　　　　　　　　　　 D． In a student book．

It was 1st January, the first day of the year and a holiday for me．I went to the bank to get the bank work out of the way．The bank clerk nodded and I sat in front of him．He was busy filling up entries in his register．

I put my form and booklet in front of him．After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done． He shouted, "Nothing is done, and it will take time ! "

Just then I saw his morning cup of tea, which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untouched．The tea had turned almost cold while he was doing his work．Suddenly I felt what this man must be feeling  when customers like me come always in a hurry to get their work done．We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there．

So, I told him, "Sir, you please have your tea．I am not in a hurry．" This man suddenly looked up at me and for the first time we had eye contact．I saw a different person there, who was as hard pressed for time as I always am．

I saw both of us sailing in the same boat． I felt that he was also missing the small things in life like a hot cup of tea or lying in a warm bed for a few more minutes like me．He gave me a rare smile and said, "It is an everyday affair with me; you are not in a hurry but somebody else will be．

He really touched my heart with his wise words．I felt that all this time I thought of him as a someone who was there for my convenience, but today I suddenly felt a strange communion with him vowed to be friendly with people who help me with my work and be thankful that they are there for me．

56．Which of the following is NOT true of the writer?

       A．He works in the bank as a clerk, too．

       B．He went to the bank to do some business．

       C．He was touched by the untouched cup of tea．

       D．He got annoyed after waiting a few minutes．

57．What can we learn about the bank clerk?

       A．He hated to work on a holiday .

       B．He was under great work pressure．

       C．He didn't like his work in the bank.

       D．He communicated well with his customers．

58．What can you learn from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5?

       A．He was sometimes in the similar situation．

       B．They once sailed in the same boat．

       C．They expected to sail in the same boat．

       D．He's too busy to sail in a boat, too．

59．The writer's attitude towards the bank clerk might be that of               .

       A． tolerance     B． satisfaction       C. sympathy           D． gratitude

60．What does the text try to tell us?

       A. To be patient with your customers．  B. Helping others is helping yourself．

       C. To be thankful to those who help you.            D. It is our duty to do things for others．

       阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填人空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

One morning I wasted nearly an hour watching a tiny ant carry a huge feather. Several times,  it   36    several obstacles in its path. And after a momentary pause it would make the necessary detour（绕道）.   37   one point, the ant had to cross a crack about 10mm wide. After some   38    thoughts, the ant laid the feather over the crack, walked   39   it and picked the feather up on the other side, then continued on its way. I was   40   by the cleverness of this ant. It was only a small insect, lacking in   41   yet equipped with a brain to reason, explore, discover and overcome.   42     this ant, like the other two-legged creatures   43   on the earth, also shares human failings.

       After some time the ant   44   reached its destination --- a flower bed and a small hole that was the entrance to its   45   home. It was there that the ant met its   46  . How could that large feather possibly   47   such a small hole? Of course, it couldn’t. So the ant, after all this   48   and using great brightness, overcoming problems all along the way, just gave up the   49   and went home. The ant had not thought the problem through   50   it began its journey and in the end the feather was   51   more than a burden. Isn’t our   52   like that?

       We worry about our families; we worry about the   53   of money; and we worry about all kinds of things. These are all burdens --- the things we pick up along life’s path, and drag them around the obstacles and over the cracks that life will bring, only to   54   that at the destination they are   55   and we can’t take them with us.

36. A. came across           B. came about           C. got over                D. dealt with

37. A. For                        B. At                        C. To                       D. With

38. A. brave         B. tiring         C. short                             D. magic

39. A. through                 B. across                  C. beside              D. behind

40. A. satisfied                  B. frightened             C. annoyed       D. attracted

41. A. height                   B. size                      C. depth              D. length

42. A. Therefore      B. Otherwise                 C. But                      D. Moreover

43. A. living                     B. working             C. sleeping       D. walking

44. A. finally                    B. probably               C. suddenly           D. easily

45. A. lonely                B. comfortable          C. underground         D. big

46. A. partner              B. parent              C. match              D. friend

47. A. fix            B. fit                            C. fill                   D. suit

48. A. trouble        B. pleasure                     C. decision               D. matter

49. A. insect         B. problem     C. feather                             D. hole

50. A. before                   B. after                    C. until                    D. once

51. A. everything              B. anything      C. something    D. nothing

52. A. study               B. aim                 C. dream                D. life

53. A. waste               B. lack                     C. worth             D. danger

54. A. think               B. wonder                 C. warn                   D. find

55. A. bad          B. useless                       C. meaningful           D. practical

    Ancient Rome was one of the world’s most powerful empires more than 2,000 years ago. The Romans’ ideas about roads, laws, government and buildings still influence us today.
    Italy is shaped like a boot.
    The Colosseum in Rome was built during the time of the Roman Empire, in the first century A.D.__71___It is a popular tourist attraction today.
Italy is well-known for its designers, who create cars, handbags, clothes, shoes and other items that are in demand for their style and fine workmanship.
    Today, the economy of Italy is stronger than in the past.    72    Today, manufacturing and tourism are the main sources of income. There are some big companies, but Italy has many smaller companies, too.
       73   The southern part does not offer as many manufacturing jobs, so it is not as prosperous.
    Italy is a member of the European Union, a group of countries that join together for better trade. The currency, or money, they use is called the “euro”.
    Food and eating good meals are important to Italians. ___74____
    Popular foods include pasta, risotto, minestrone and pizza．McDonald’s is also popular there. Many families still eat their main meal in the middle of the day.    75    Families spend a lot of time together.

    A. The family is very important to the Italian way of life.
    B. The country used to depend on agriculture.
    C. Mountains cover about three-fourths of the country.
    D. It could seat about 50,000 people, who went to see fights between animals and people.
    E. While there are some supermarkets, many people shop at small, neighborhood markets.
    F. Italy has several islands off the coast.
    G. The northern part of the country is the main manufacturing center. 

    In the age of reality television, success isn’t the only way to the public eye. Failure can also create fame, just like William Hung, 21, a native of Hong Kong.

    Hung recently has made an agreement with US-based entertainment firms Koch Records and Fuse Music Network. They will publish a full-length record, titled “The True Idol” on April 6.

    The idol is a civil engineering student at the University of California at Berkeley. He did a version of Ricky Martin’s “She Bangs” on the television show “American Idol 3”, on January 27. The Fox TV singing contest searches for pop stars among ordinary people. In the case of Hung, however, his act was so bad that the judges cut him off in mid-act.

    Hung’s response? “I already gave my best, so I have no regrets at all.” That’s good, because any common person would have found plenty to regret: The off-key singing. The blue Hawaiian shirt worn with pants pulled up too high. The terrible dancing. The hips jerking (摇摆) to a beat that did not belong to the song, maybe not even to this planet. It was, by all accounts, bad.

    But, it was this very bad act that sold well.

Marc Juries, president of Fuse, explained it this way: “Every one of us is happily guilty of singing our favorite song at the top of our lungs with complete freedom, completely off-key and completely unworried. That’s what William did and immediately won the hearts of America.”

    Whatever it is, for the moment it’s big. Three websites devoted to Hung have gone up on the Internet in the past few weeks. Versions of his performance have been remixed with hip hop and techno-music and have made it to the top 10 request list at a Chicago radio station.

So, what does Hung think of this?

    “There were all these people saying things about me. A lot were saying I was very courageous and that I was great on the show, but some didn’t have much respect for me and some were kind of mean.”

    Now he says he’s not so sure whether to distance himself from the glamour (魅力) or to accept it. Returning to normal hasn’t been easy.

68. What is the main idea of this passage?

   A. Sometimes an idol behaves quite foolishly.  

   B. Hung’s performance attracted the public eye.

   C. How an unsuccessful person became famous.

   D. Success sometimes does not require hard work.

69. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 7 refer to?

   A. William Hung.   B. Hung’s bad act.  C. Hung’s website.  D. The public’s opinion.

70. Which of the following shows the correct order of what happened to Hung?

     a. The entertainment firms made an agreement with Hung.

     b. The judges cut Hung off in mid-act in the singing contest.

     c. Hung became popular among Americans.

     d. Hung gave a terrible performance though he tried his best.

     e. Three websites put Hung’s funny performance on the Internet.

   A. d, b, e, c, a      B. a, c, d, b, e      C.a, d, b, c, e        D.d, b, a, e, c

How the iron of tomorrow

(the first Self Clean Iron)

can change your lifestyle today?

    General Electric introduces the iron of tomorrow. The iron can clean itself. Inside where irons get dirty. Because it cleans itself each and every time you empty it.

How?  With a push of a magic blue button.

The magic blue button

    The first thing you’ll notice that’s different about this iron is the blue button on the side. It’s marked “Self Clean”. Push this blue button, and you can wash out loose mineral deposits that remain and block up inside. Push this button, and you’ve made life a lot easier.

Less chance of brown spots

    Sure, Self Cleaning Iron is going to cut down on brown spots. (Those ugly spots that happen on nice, cleanly pressed clothes.) Because a Self Cleaning Iron becomes clean each time you press that magic blue button.

Steams much longer

    Common sense tells you that if you’ve an iron that blocks less often it has to stay younger for a long period of time. In other words, it steams much longer. That’s another joy of owning General Electric’s Self Cleaning Iron.

What does it mean to you

    Today you are doing so much more than just running a house and running after the kids.

You’re working. You’re going to school. It’s all part of your lifestyle. The iron can change that lifestyle. By giving you less trouble before you iron. If we can make it easier for you to be a better wife, a better mother, a better house maker, we want to. The new Self Cleaning Iron is another one of Home-Makers from General Electric.

Lifestyle.

We’re with yours.

GENERAL ELECTRIC

64. This passage is ______.

   A. an introduction to General Electric   B. an operating instruction of Self Cleaning Iron

   C. an advertisement of Self Cleaning Iron  D. a description of the change of lifestyle

65. This iron can clean itself by ______.

   A. empting itself                 B. washing out mineral deposits 

   C. locking up mineral deposits      D. giving off more steam

66. According to the passage, what is most likely to attract the customers?

   A. It is made by General Electric.             

   B. The iron will not produce mineral deposits.

   C. There will be fewer brown spots on pressed clothes.

   D. Their clothes will be cleaned at the same time.

67. Self Cleaning Iron can help change your lifestyle because ______.

   A. you can run your house better         B. you don’t have to run after the kids

   C. you can use it while you are working    D. we want you to be a better house maker

    “Time is a problem for children,” states a news report for a new Swiss watch. Children in some countries “learn time slowly” because “they don’t wear watches” and “parents don’t really know how to teach them time.” The children grow up with this handicap and become adults-and then can’t get to work on time. Is there an answer to this problem? Of course-it’s the Flick Flak, made by a famous Swiss watch company.

    The Flick Flak is being marketed as something teaching watch for children aged 4 to 10. The watch itself does not teach children how to tell time, of course; it merely “takes their imagination” by presenting the “hour” hand as a beautiful red girl named Flak and the “minute” hand as a tall blue boy named Flick. Flick points to related “blue” minutes on the dial, while Flak points to “red” hour numbers. The characters and colors combined with parental help, are supposed to teach young children how to tell time.

    The watch comes equipped with a standard battery and a nylon band (尼龙表带). Peter Lipkin, the United States sales manager for the Flick Flak, calls it “childproof: if it gets dirty you can throw the whole watch in the washing machine.” The product is being sold in select department stores in Europe, Asia and the United States for a suggested price of $25. Parents who buy the watch may discover that it is one thing to tell time; it’s quite another for them to be on time.

60. From the news report we know that ______.

   A. parents are patient when teaching children time  

   B. parents have little idea of how to teach children time

   C. children are likely to learn time quickly    

   D. children enjoy wearing the Flick Flak watch

61. The author doesn’t seem to believe ______.

   A. children will be on time if they have not learnt how to tell time

   B. a Flick Flak can help parents teach their children how to tell time

   C. the Flick Flak can take children’s imagination

   D. children usually have trouble telling time if they don’t wear watches

62. The underlined word handicap (Para. 1) means ______.

   A. displeasure     B. discouragement     C. disappointment    D. disadvantage

63. The United State sales manager calls the new watch “childproof” because ______.

   A. it is designed to teach children to be on time 

   B .it proves to be effective in teaching children time

   C. it is made so as not to be easily damaged by children   

   D. it is the children’s favorite watch

    On September 22, 1986, Jay Brunkella, a police-officer in the Rogers Park district in Chicago, was shot during a drug arrest and died. Shortly afterwards, fellow officer Ken Knapcik, a 20-year veteran (老警官) of the force, returned home after work to find a note from his 15-year-old daughter on the dining table.

    Dad---This poem came directly from my heart. I love you so much! It scares and amazes me that you go out every day and risk everything to provide us with all that we have. I wrote this to express how much I love you and how much lost I’d be without you-Laura. P.S.: Hey, let’s be careful out there.

    Titled “The Ultimate Cop”, Laura’s poem was dedicated “To all the cops in the world who have daughters who love them with all their hearts. And especially to my dad.” It was about a police-officer’s daughter who sees on the night time news that her father has been shot. Part of poem: “Daddy, my Daddy, can you hear me cry? Oh, God, I need my Daddy, please don’t let him die.”

    Ken Knapcik stood alone as he read the poem. “It took me several minutes,” he said. “I’d get through part of it and have to stop before I could go on. I was weeping. She had never told me she was scared.” He took the poem to work the next day and showed it to his fellow officers. “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry. Some couldn’t finish it.”

    Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in the pocket of his police jacket. He takes it with him every time he leaves the house for a new shift. “I don’t want to be out there without it.” he said, “I’ll probably carry it with me forever.”

56. Laura wrote the poem ______.

   A. in memory of her father who was shot in the drug arrest

   B. to show her great sorrow in losing her father

   C. to show her respect to all the cops who lost their lives

   D. to tell Officer Ken Knapcik how much she loved him

57. All the officers cried because ______.

   A. Jay Brunkella was shot and died

   B. they were greatly touched by the poem

   C. the poem was so sad that they couldn’t hold back their tears

   D. they thought of their dangerous life

58. Knapcik keeps Laura’s poem in his pocket ______.

   A. to treasure her daughter’s love and to value his own life  

   B. to keep it from missing

   C. because he can’t go out without it    

   D. to mourn over the death of officer Jay Brunkella

59. Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

   A. Poem for a cop                      B. An officer’s death

   C. Daughter’s love                     D. Love my job, love my daughter