阅读理解

阅读下列短文，掌握其大意，然后从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中选出最佳选项。

　　In the old days, children were familiar with birth and death as part of life. This is perhaps the first generation of American youngsters (年轻人) who have never been close by during the birth of a baby and have never experienced the death of a family member.

　　Nowadays when people grow old, we often send them to nursing homes. When they get sick, we transfer them to a hospital, where children are forbidden to visit terminally (一定时期地) ill patient--even when those patients are their parents. This deprives (剥夺) the dying patient of significant family members during the last few days of his life and it deprives the children of an experience of death, which is an important learning experience.

　　Some of my colleagues and I once interviewed and followed approximately(大约) 500 terminally ill patients in order to find out what they could teach us and how we could be of more benefit, not just to them but to the members of their families as well. We were most impressed by the fact that even those patients who were not told of their serious illness were quite aware of its potential outcome(结果，成果).

　　It is important for family members, and doctors and nurses to understand these patients' communication in order to truly understand their needs, fears and fantasies. Most of our patients welcomed another human being with whom they could talk openly, honestly and frankly about their trouble. Many of them shared with us their tremendous need to be informed, to be kept up-to-date on their medical condition and to be told when the end was near. We found out that patients who had been dealt with openly and frankly were better able to cope with the approach of death and finally to reach stage of acceptance prior to (优先的) death.

1．The elders of contemporary(当代的，同时代的) Americans _____.

[　　]

A．were often absent when a family member was born or dying

B．were quite unfamiliar with birth and death

C．usually witnessed the birth or death of a family member

D．had often experienced the fear of death as part of life

2．Children in American today are denied(否认，拒绝) the chance _____.

[　　]

A．to learn how to face death

B．to visit dying patients

C．to attend to patients

D．to have access to a life

3．Five hundred critically ill patients were investigated with the main purpose of _____.

[　　]

A．observing how they reached to the crises of death

B．helping them and their families overcome the fear of death

C．finding out their attitude towards the approach of death

D．learning how to help them and their families

4．The need of a dying patient for company shows _____.

[　　]

A．his desire for communication with other people

B．his fear of approaching death

C．his pessimistic attitude towards his condition

D．his reluctance to part with his family

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从1—15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

In every cultivated language there are two greet classes of words which, taken together, comprise the whole vocabulary. First, there are those words   1   which we become acquainted in daily conversation, which we   2   ,that is to say, from the    3   of our own family and from our familiar associates, and   4   we should know and use we could not read or write. They    5   the common things of life, and are the stock in trade of all who    6   the language. Such words may be called “popular”, since they belong to the people    7    and are not the exclusive of a limited class. On the other hand, our language   9    a multitude of words which are comparatively used in ordinary conversation. Their meanings are known to every educated person, but there is little    10    to use them at home or in the market-place. Our    11    acquaintance with them comes not from our mother's or from the talk of our school-mates, from books that we read, lectures that we    12    ,or the more    13    conversation of highly educated speakers who are discussing some particular    14   in a style appropriately elevated above the habitual of everyday life. Such words are called “learned”, and the    15    between them and the “popular” words is of great importance to a right understanding of linguistic process.

A．at       B．with      C．by         D．through

A．study    B．imitate      C．stimulate   D．learn

A．mates     B．relatives    C．members   D．fellows

A．which    B．that         C．those       D．ones

A．mind     B．concern    C．care       D．involve

A．hire      B．apply     C．adopt     D．use

A．in public       B．at most     C．at large     D．at best

A．consists  B．comprises C．constitutes D． composes

A．seldom   B．much     C．never     D．often

A．prospect B．way       C．reason      D． necessity

A．primary B．first       C．principal   D．prior

A．hear of   B．attend       C．hear from D．listen

A．former   B．formula    C．formal      D． formative

A．theme    B．topic        C．idea        D．point

A．diversionB．distinctionC．diversity   D．similarity

Just as our degree of individual freedom uncomfortable to many foreign visitors, foreign attitudes toward truth seem uncertain to Americans.

In many countries people will tell you what they think you want to hear, whether or not it is true. To them, this implies politeness. To Americans, it is considered misleading-even dishonest--to distort facts on purpose, however kind the motive. The point is ---our priorities(优先) are different; in the United States truth has a higher priority than politeness. We are taught from babyhood that “Honesty is the best policy.” Elsewhere, politeness, honor, family loyalty, “machismo” or many other values might come far ahead of honesty if one is listing priorities.

But with us, trust and truth are of paramount importance. If we say of a man, “You cannot trust him.” This is one of the most damning statements that can be made about him.

In view of such profound differences in values, it is natural that misunderstandings and irritations often occur, especially in exact areas such as the negotiation of contracts. A Mexican has said, “With us b business is like a courtship(求爱).” Americans lack this grace, but on the other hand you can count on their word. You know where you are with them; except in advertising, they will not be “whispering sweet nothings” that they do not mean in order to make you feel desirable!

“How far is it to the next village?” the American asks a man standing by the edge of the road. In some countries, because the man realizes that the traveler is tired and eager to reach his destination, he will politely say “Just down the road.” He thinks this is more encouraging, gentler, and therefore the wanted answer. So the American drives on through the night, getting more and more angry, feeling “tricked.” He thinks the man deliberately lied to him, for obviously he must have known the distance quite well.

Had conditions been reversed, the American would feel he was “cheating” the driver if he implied the next town was close when he knew it was really 15miles further on. Although, he, too, would be sympathetic to the weary driver, he would say, “you have a good way to go yet; it is at least 15 more miles.” The driver might be disappointed, but he would know what to expect.

This often-epeated question of accuracy versus courtesy leads to many misunderstandings between people of different cultures. If you are aware of the situation in advance, it is sometimes easier to recognize the problem.

67．The best title for the passage should be_______.

A．Truth or politeness      B．Truth or lying

C．Cultural differences     D．Honest Americans

68．In American’s view, people who tell you what they think you want to hear, whether or not it is true, are_______.

A．polite            B．honest        C．kind         D．misleading

69．According to the author, misunderstandings and angers often occur as a result of_______.

A．the exactness of negotiation    B．the importance in trust and truth

C．deep differences in values       D．lack of respect

70．According to the author, Americans_______.

A．treat a business deal like a courtship

B．list honor on the top of the list of values

C．do not whisper sweet nothings in advertising

D．expect to know the exact distance when asking the way

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

注意：每空格一个单词。

Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society. We should return to the old traditions of family and community, and then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?

In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize(区分优先次序) caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.

Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.

In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned(谴责) then. But we cannot ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern twins.

Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.

In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.

Title: Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?

When did you last visit a shopping mall? In many places, the answer would be “last weekend”. Some people go even more often. Why? For one thing, malls offer goods and services that people need all in one place : food, clothing, things for their houses, entertainment，and even medical services. So, are mallsone of the highlights of modern civilization? Environmental activists would say “No!” They would go even further and say that consumer behavior is causing a huge environmental disaster. They cause consumers of ignorance of the side effect of their shopping—urban sprawl (城市杂乱无序拓展的地区）.
Social scientists agree that patterns of development have changed the landscape a great deal in the last half century. Prior to 1950，most people lived in towns or cities and either walked to work or took public transportation. Only very wealthy people had automobiles. Farmers lived in rural areas or isolated villages and came into town only when they needed things they couldn’t produce themselves. If you gazed at the landscape you would see towns surrounded by countryside. Then a massive change occurred.
Automobiles became affordable and people were quick to adopt them. Now ambitious workers could live in the suburbs, the areas just outside cities, which started to grow rapidly. As long as there was lots of cheap land in the suburbs, no one paid much attention to the usage of that land. Malls, fast food restaurants, cinemas, and car dealerships spread out in large, flat buildings. These one - storey buildings and their parking lot took up a great deal of space. Well - meaning farmers thought they were better off selling their land than growing crops. In ignorance, no one realized that once the land was built up in urban sprawl, the good farming land would be ruined forever. There was no way to preserve it.
Only in recent years have people come to mourn the old way of life as they have developed insight into the problems of unconditional growth. Now people realize that urban sprawl has come with serious environmental problems. The negative aspects of sprawl include air and water pollution, loss of agricultural land, traffic jams, and the death of businesses in the old town centers. Many scholars think the time has come to analyze the problems better so we can develop appropriate policies to control further sprawl. Some think the best way to do is to educate citizens about their priceless environment.
【小题1】What is mainly discussed in the passage?