Americans have never before exercised and dieted as eagerly as they are doing today．As a result, they do not only look younger and slimmer, but feel better．Because of increased physical fitness, life expectance in the nation has risen to seventy-three years, with fewer people suffering from heart disease, the nation's number one killer．

Jogging （ 慢跑 ）, the easiest and cheapest way of improving the body, keeps over 30million people of all ages on the run．For the price of a good pair of running shoes, anyone anywhere can join the race．

Dieting, too, has become a national  pastime．Promoters of diets that eliminate eating one thing or another, such as fats or carbohydrates （ 碳水化合物 ）, promise as much as 20- pound weight losses within two weeks．Books describing such amazing diets always head up （ 居……之首 ）the best-seller lists because people who are overweight want to lose weight quickly and easily．

Nevertheless, jogging and dieting, carried to extremes, can be harmful．Many confused joggers overdo and finally suffer from ankle and foot damage．Dieting, fortunately, becomes only a temporary means for shedding a few  pounds while the body lose the balanced nutrition （ 营养 ）it requires, so most dieters cannot keep on diets．Above all, common sense should be the keystone for any dieting and exercise plan．

1．The main idea of this passage is that___________ ．

       A．both jogging and dieting can improve your health

       B．exercise and improved diet has raised the American's life expectance

       C．people, who jog and diet wisely, will be healthier than those who do not

       D．diet and exercise harm rather than benefit health

2．According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

       A．Jogging can damage the body because it is too tough an exercise．

       B．Diets are so popular because they are on the best-seller lists．

       C．Americans now live to be 73 years old．                              

       D．Exercise and diet are more widespread in America than ever before．

3．It is implied but not stated that ___________ ．

       A．heart disease is the number one killer among Americans

       B．exercise and dieting bring about spiritual as well as physical well-being

       C．people don't stay on a diet because it doesn't work

       D．a 20-pound weight loss within two weeks is too much for the body

4．The best title for this passage is ___________ ．

       A．Jogging and Diet                                  B．Exercise and Health

C．Physical Fitness                                   D．Life Expectancy and Diet

阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳答案。

　　Mark Twain pointed out that if work were so pleasant, the rich would keep it for themselves. But however much people may think they dislike work, everyone has a deep psychological need for it. Everyone wants to be valued, and wages and salaries are the visible proof that we matter.

　　Not all kinds of work qualify, however. No matter how worthwhile or demanding they might be, bringing up children, housework and voluntary employment are not usually seen as “proper jobs”. The only “proper job” is one that provides paid employment. Being paid for a jab in our society means higher personal status.

　　Of course we would also prefer work to be useful, pleasant and interestingand also well paid. But you don't really have to enjoy your work to get pleasure from it. The fact that we have to overcome some difficulties, that we have to deal with doing daily tasks, in some way gives us pleasure.

　　For example, having to be in a particular place at a particular time, working as part of a team towards a common goal, gives us a sense of purpose. The modern workplace also provides somewhere where people can assert their identity or create a new one.

　　Without work many people become untidy and lazy, and find they are unable to enjoy the spare time which is available to them. When some people retire (退休) from work, they lose their sense of value and purpose. For most of their lives their personality, self - image and status have been shown clearly by work; without it they lose their desire for life.

　　People who suddenly lose their jobs can find the situation particularly difficult. At a single stroke they lose all the advantages and status that a paid job provides. In a culture controlled by work, they are seen by those with jobs as incompetent or lazy. It is little wonder that stress and illness take place more frequently among the unemployed.

　　Employment is now changing, however. Information technology has already significantly changed the world of work. For many, the idea of a job for life is no longer realistic. Many people fear they will lose their jobs, and some are being persuaded to accept the possibility of part - time work. Even the workplace itself may become a thing of the past with more and more people working at home. This means that we may no linger be able to depend on work to define ourselves and our position in society, and that we will have to find new ways to give our lives a sense of value and purpose.

1．As Mark Twain pointed out, ________.

[　　]

A．the rich should work more

B．work is not such a pleasurable thing

C．the rich should keep all the work for themselves

D．work makes people rich

2．People have a deep psychological need for work because ________.

[　　]

A．they want to be rich

B．they like being told what to do

C．everyone needs money

D．they want to be valued and work proves their value

3．The arrival of information technology has ________.

[　　]

A．increased people's enjoyment of work

B．made work more successful

C．made the workplace unnecessary

D．made people change their attitude to work

4．What do you know about people without work from the text?

[　　]

A．They enjoy their spare time.

B．They develop a better self - image.

C．They have difficulty dealing with the change.

D．They take an interest in new activities.

Today I was at the mall waiting for friends, when a lady wearing a knit hat and a sweater came up to me and, shivering, said, “I’m homeless. Would you mind buying me some food?”
In that split second, everything I’d learned since kindergarten flashed through my mind. Don’t talk to strangers … Be a good citizen … People will take ­advantage of you … Treat others as you wish to be treated … The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return … I guess love won the debate. “Sure,” I said. “What would you like?”
She thought and then said, “I’d like to get Chinese food.” We headed upstairs. On the way she told me about when she was a teenager. She remembers taking pictures for the yearbook with her best friend. She was in the band and played basketball. She got good grades and was a good student.
She ordered soup, an egg roll, white rice, and pepper chicken. I would normally think that was a lot, but she had probably barely eaten in the last few days. I got my usual – lo mein and General Tso’s chicken.
As we ate, we got to know each other. She asked if I played any instruments. I replied that I played the violin, cello, and guitar. She told me she played the flute, piano, guitar, and violin. In the middle of our meal, I realized something. And she thought of it at exactly the same time.
“So, what’s your name?” she asked.
“I’m Claire,” I said, startled at our exact same thought. “What’s yours?”
“Joyce,” she said with a smile.
We continued talking, and she asked my favorite subjects in school and if I wanted to go to college. “Hopefully,” I replied. “I’m interested in nursing.”
“I went to college for nursing,” she said.
I was taken aback. How could we have so much in common? Was she pretending so I’d feel sympathy for her? But her eyes were genuine as she said this.
Meanwhile I was eating my lo mein, picking around the cabbage and the other vegetables. Joyce said, “If you don’t like it you can take it back.” I told her that I liked it, but was not fond of the vegetables. She broke into a big grin. “You don’t like vegetables, huh? Neither did I. But now I do.” I immediately felt guilty. How could I be picking at my food across from someone who barely gets to eat at all?
I tried my best to finish, but she seemed to sense my guilt and said, “You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want it.” How could she know what I was feeling? I told her the dish was my favorite, but I just eat slowly.
She replied, “I used to like lo mein, but pepper chicken was my dad’s favorite, so I get that now.” Noticing that she used the word “was,” I assumed her dad had passed away. I found it sweet that she gave up her favorite in order to honor her dad.
She asked why I was at the mall.
“I’m waiting for friends. We’re going to see ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” I replied, stumbling over the words a bit.
“‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’” she echoed in awe. “What’s that about?” I realized that she didn’t see commercials for movies.
I explained the basic plot and she chuckled. “A man who is born 80 years old and ages backwards! That sounds interesting.”
She got up to get a to-go box. “Would you like one?” she asked, but I refused. I realized that this food would probably last her for a few days, and I was glad she had ordered a lot.
“Would you like these?” I asked, gesturing at the food I had left untouched. “Oh, no, thank you,” she said. “This is enough.” I got up to throw my tray away, feeling guilty about wasting so much.
“I need to meet my friends now,” I explained. “It was so nice to meet you, Joyce.”
“You too, Claire,” she replied with a smile. “Thank you.”
I headed to the theater, and she went back downstairs. It sounds like a perfect coincidence, but I can’t help but think that some force compelled us to meet. I kept puzzling, Why is Joyce homeless? It seems so unfair. She shouldn’t need people to buy her dinner. She was a nurse. She got good grades. She took pictures for her yearbook. She was the person I hope to be in the future. What went wrong? How could such a good life be rewarded with horrible luck?
I feel lucky to have run into Joyce. She changed my outlook. She is still a wonderful person, despite what the world has done to her. I wish her the best, and can only hope that the force that brought us together will help her find what she deserves in life.
【小题1】From the second paragraph we know that the writer _________.