Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol (象征) of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils (灾祸).
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions (反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites (食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
【小题1】Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their______.

Do you think it is ever a good idea for a teenager to have a credit card?
My kids watch closely as I swipe the card through the register．They’ve seen me do it hundreds, thousands of times．Cool．They are itching to swipe it through the machine themselves． When we walk out of the store with our groceries or pet food, or whatever, it’s almost as though money has not changed hands, painless, easy．
So it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that teenagers are becoming card carrying consumers in their own right．The question is, should they?
While some argue it’s best to teach kids how to use a credit card while still living under the family roof, not everyone agrees． Dave Ramsey, financial expert says getting a credit card for your teenager is actually, “an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible．”
Now parents are required to co-sign on credit cards for children under 21．“If their name is on the credit card, then the parent may say, ‘Hey, my name is on this．Don’t get me into trouble,” says Mary Beth Pinto, a marketing professor．“When parents were the co-obligors（共同借贷人），the children caused less debt．If the parents are the co-obligors, the tendency is that the parents were explaining how to use the cards．” Still, Pinto believes parents should start the process much earlier．“Yes, there has to be teaching going on and it has to start when they’re younger． You’re not going to get rid of credit cards．They are here to stay． You have to have them． You can’t fight progress,” Pinto said．
Ramsey, however, disagrees．“Throwing teens into a pool of （credit）sharks is a sure way to guarantee a life-time of heartache,” he said．“You can make online purchases and rent a car with a credit card．Of course, you must have money in your bank account before you can make a purchase with a credit card．But paying for things with money is what you are supposed to do．”
【小题1】The author mentioned her experience in Para 2 mainly to______．

A．prove the convenience of using credit cards

B．tell what impression credit cards leave on kids

C．give advice on using credit cards wisely

D．explain the pleasure credit cards bring to customers

Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?

The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils(灾祸).

People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions(反应) toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.

Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites(食欲). Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.

Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.

The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.

1.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their              .

A．cultural values                         B．commercial purposes

C．personal experiences                    D．physical reactions to the color

2.Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?

A．To relax people physically.

B．To increase people’s appetites.

C．To encourage people to make a purchase.

D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

3.What color might help lose weight according to the text?

A．Red              B．Green            C．Blue.             D．Purple.

4.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．Colors and Human Beings.                 B．The Cultural Meaning of Color.

C．Colors and Personal Experiences.           D．The Meaning and Function of Color.

Do you think it is ever a good idea for a teenager to have a credit card?

My kids watch closely as I swipe the card through the register．They’ve seen me do it hundreds, thousands of times．Cool．They are itching to swipe it through the machine themselves． When we walk out of the store with our groceries or pet food, or whatever, it’s almost as though money has not changed hands, painless, easy．

So it shouldn’t be shocking to discover that teenagers are becoming card carrying consumers in their own right．The question is, should they?

    While some argue it’s best to teach kids how to use a credit card while still living under the family roof, not everyone agrees． Dave Ramsey, financial expert says getting a credit card for your teenager is actually, “an excellent way to teach him or her to be financially irresponsible．”

Now parents are required to co-sign on credit cards for children under 21．“If their name is on the credit card, then the parent may say, ‘Hey, my name is on this．Don’t get me into trouble,” says Mary Beth Pinto, a marketing professor．“When parents were the co-obligors（共同借贷人），the children caused less debt．If the parents are the co-obligors, the tendency is that the parents were explaining how to use the cards．” Still, Pinto believes parents should start the process much earlier．“Yes, there has to be teaching going on and it has to start when they’re younger． You’re not going to get rid of credit cards．They are here to stay． You have to have them． You can’t fight progress,” Pinto said．

Ramsey, however, disagrees．“Throwing teens into a pool of （credit）sharks is a sure way to guarantee a life-time of heartache,” he said．“You can make online purchases and rent a car with a credit card．Of course, you must have money in your bank account before you can make a purchase with a credit card．But paying for things with money is what you are supposed to do．”

1.The author mentioned her experience in Para 2 mainly to______．

   A． prove the convenience of using credit cards

   B． tell what impression credit cards leave on kids

   C． give advice on using credit cards wisely

   D． explain the pleasure credit cards bring to customers

2.The underlined word in Para 2 can be replaced by __________．

   A． eager           B． afraid          C． embarrassed     D． thankful

3.What’s Ramsey’s attitude towards teens’ using credit cards?

   A． He feels it is worth a try               

    B． He is very supportive

   C． He is strongly against it                 

    D． He considers it as a pleasant experience

4.Pinto will most likely agree that __________．

   A． parents should let teens own their credit cards earlier

   B． you shouldn’t be in control of credit cards

   C． it is never good for anyone to get a credit card

    D． learning to use credit cards is practical

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

When my children were small, the toughest part of the day was getting to work. There were diapers(尿布), formula(奶粉),  36  of clothes to worry about for the children. There was their breakfast, and I must  37  they were clean and ready for the day. It was pretty chaotic(混乱的). I have always been one to   38  more about making sure everyone else had what they needed than to take care of myself.  39 , I had my clothing and my packed lunch set out so that I could quickly get ready and then turn my  40  back to getting the children ready.

  I tried to keep my  41  pretty easy in the morning. There just wasn’t time, but that was OK as long as I kept moving. I would manage a  42  look at myself in the full-length mirror just before I  43  out the door.

  Once a week we had management team  44  and it was important to be there on time and to appear relaxed and  45 . We would go around the conference table, each  46  on successes and areas of concern. When it came around to my  47 , all eyes would be on me as I had my chance to brag(自夸) on my programs and increasing  48 .

  I thought I was pretty  49  at playing the role of the cool, calm, collected program manager 50  one week I arrived at one of these management team meetings and as the  51  went around the table, getting to me. There were  52  looks on the faces of the others looking at me. I started to feel a little  53  as that “ what’s going on?”  54  grew more intense. My closest colleague started doing this strange nodding thing in my direction. It was then that I  55  that I had my dress on inside-out.