E
Brazil has become one of the developing world’s great successes at reducing population growth－but more by accident than design. While countries such as India have made joint efforts to reduce birth rates, Brazil has had better result without really trying, says George Martine at Harvard.
Brazil’s population growth rate has dropped from 2.99% a year between 1951 and 1960 to 1.93% a year between 1981 and 1990, and Brazilian women now have only 2.7 children on average. Martine says this figure may have fallen still further since 1990, an achievement that makes it the envy of many other Third World countries.
Martine puts it down to, among other things, soap operas (通俗电视连续剧) and installment (分期付款) plans introduced in the 1970s. both played an important, although indirect, role in lowering, the birth rate. Brazil is one of the world’s biggest producers of soap operas. Globo, Brazil’s most popular television network, shows three hours of soaps six nights a week, while three others show at least one hour a night. Most soaps are based on wealthy characters living the high life in big cities.
“Although they have never really tried to work in a message towards the problems of reproduction, they describe middle and upper class values － not many children, different attitudes towards sex, women working,” says Martine. “They sent this image to all parts of Brazil and made people conscious of other patterns of behavior and other values, which were put into a very attractive package.”
Meanwhile, the installment plans tried to encourage the poor to become consumers (消费者). “This led to an enormous change in consumption (消耗、消费) patterns and consumption was incompatible (不相容的) with unlimited reproduction.” Says Martine.
57. According to the passage, Brazil has cut back its population growth ____.
A. by educating its citizens 　　　　　　　　B. by careful family planning
C. by developing TV programs 　　　　　　　D. by chance
58. According to the passage, many Third World countries ______.
A. haven’t attacked much importance to birth control
B. would soon join Brazil in controlling their birth rate
C. haven’t yet found an effective measure to control their population
D. neglected the role of TV plays in family planning
59. Soap operas have helped in lowering Brazil’s birth rate because ____.
A. they keep people sitting long hours watching TV
B. they have gradually changed people’s way of life
C. people are drawn to their attractive package
D. they popularize birth control measures
60. What is Martine’s conclusion about Brazil’s population growth?
A. The increase in birth rate will increase consumption.
B. The desire for consumption helps to reduce birth rate.
C. Consumption patterns and reproduction patterns are contradictory (互相矛盾的)
D. A country’s production is limited by its population growth.

 Mother’s Day is a holiday for mothers. It is celebrated(庆祝)in the United States, England, India and some other countries. In a short time, it becomes widely celebrated. Mother’s day falls on the second Sunday in May. On that day, many people send gifts(礼物)of love to their mothers.

Those whose mothers are still living often wear a pink or red rose or carnation(康乃馨)， while those whose mothers are dead wear a white one.

The idea of a day for mothers was first given by Miss Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. As a result of her hard work, the celebration of the first American Mother’s Day was held in Philadelphia(费城） on May 10, 1908. Soon the holiday became popular all over the country and around the world.

In China, people do the same on the day for mothers. And, in some cities, people sometimes ask a song to be broadcast(广播) for his or her mother only. This might cost a little money for some of them, but, as it is said, “Love is invaluable.”

On May 8, 1999, just the day before the Mother’s Day that year, a Chinese mother was killed in criminal bombing(罪恶轰炸). Her name is Shao Yanhuan, a heroic mother. All the Chinese will remember her forever.

1. Mother’s Day         .

A. is a holiday for mothers

B. is celebrated in the United Stated only

C. falls on May 10 every year

D. was given by Miss Anna Jarvis

2.What was the date of the Mother’s Day in 1999?

A. May 7.            B. May 8.          C. May 9.            D. May 10

3.On Mother’s Day, people        .

A. send some flowers to their mothers.

B. wear a pink or red rose or carnation

C. wear a white flower

D. send gifts of love to their mothers

4. the underlined word “invaluable” means “    ”.

A.美好的 B.无价的 C.永恒的 D.无私的

5.Maybe you’ve known the criminal bombing, which of the following ideas do you agree to?

A. Shao Yunhuan is a heroic mother.

B. A Chinese mother is the same as an American mother.

C. The bombing cannot get away with the crime (难逃罪责).

D. All of the above

Stepfamilies are commonplace in the United States and their number continues to grow．While stepfamilies differ widely in their make-up， they all consist of a parenting couple and children， one or more of whom is of a previous union．Such combinations of his kids， her kids， and then， possibly， kids of the new union make for complicated and often trying difficulties， more challenging than those of traditional families．

       Since stepfamilies involve more people and， consequently， more potential problems from the start than do childless new marriage， it is wise for the couple to do some careful planning prior to （＝before） marriage．Not only do the prospective（预期的） marital partners need agreement about their own carriers， life goals， finance and special interests， they must also prepare for new relationship with their children and attempt to accommodate their individual needs and feelings．Furthermore， there are often the rights of other relatives to consider．

       As for any family， the basic ingredient（成分） of a successful stepfamily are affection， kindness and mutual（相互的） respect．However， love alone is not enough．Certainly love is the cornerstone upon which the foundation of any family is built， but there are also many other important ingredients involved in building a successful stepfamily．

       Surveys reveal that successful families regard the ability to communicate openly as the most important factor in their success．Communication is what keeps families on track and functioning as a unit．Although healthy communication is easier for some people than for others， this skill can be learned and improved．Healthy communication involves speaking clearly and listening carefully．

       By their very nature， stepfamilies often are complicated by past events that give rise to ambivalent（矛盾的） loyalties， lingering（持久的） hurts， fears， feelings of guilt and unrealistic dreams．The difficulties that arise within the stepfamilies are human and understandable．However， there are ways to confront（面临） and resolve them．For example， support groups and professional counselors（法律顾问） are available in most communities to provide help and guidance when communications stopped and problems seem overwhelming（压倒性的）．

       Planning and building a stepfamily is not a responsibility to take lightly．It can be a very trying and， at times， seemingly impossible effort．Many potential troubles can arise and threaten to destroy the stepfamily．Nevertheless， meeting and mastering these special challenges can bring unexpected satisfactions and rewarding depths of family closeness and affection．

According to the passage， there are 　　　　 in the United States．

       A．no stepfamilies

       B．more stepfamilies than ever before

       C．fewer stepfamilies than ever before

       D．fewer stepfamilies than traditional ones

Which of the following can help avoid the potential problems arising in a stepfamily？

       A．The pursuit of the same careers．

       B．Professional interventions（干涉）．

       C．The development of special interests．

       D．Careful planning before the marriage．

Many people believe that 　　　　 contributes most to the building of a successful stepfamily．

       A．everlasting loyalties

       B．open communication

       C．kindness and mutual respect

       D．persistent（持久稳固的） affection

It is natural for a stepfamily to be 　　　　．

       A．unrealistic

       B．complicated

       C．ambivalent

       D．guilty

According to the author， planning and building a stepfamily is 　　　　．

       A．impossible

       B．satisfying and rewarding

       C．discouraging and frustrating

       D．a difficult and trying experience

By the time a student starts to apply (申请) for a US university, much of his or her record, including grades and after-school activities, has been set in stone. For this reason, the student must in his or her first year of high school start getting ready for college. He or she also has to decide on the non-academic (非学业的) tasks, which are important to improve the student’s chances of getting in.
1. After-school activities
When it comes to high school activities, quality is better than quantity (数量). Admissions (录取) officers do not want to see a student who has joined dozens of organizations (组织) for a short period of time.
Many students try to do this towards the end of their high school. But schools want to see a student who has been with one organization for all or most of high school. A student who can do this shows maturity (成熟). It is the quality that admissions officers look for as it is one of the markers of future success.
2. Leadership
Schools want to see a student who has taken on a leadership role in an organization. A student can show leadership by taking on any role that needs extra commitment (奉献) and responsibility.
If you do not have a great title (头衔) such as president, be sure to explain any leadership roles you have taken. This kind of involvement (参与) in school activities shows you are the responsible person that admissions officers look for.
3. Consistency (一致性)
Admissions officers like an application (申请) to be consistent. For example if there is a high school activity you particularly (特别地) love, it would help if that activity matches your future academic and career interest.
Of course not everything needs to be consistent. Otherwise (否则) the student would be narrow and this is not what schools are looking for. However, you cannot have different parts of your application saying conflicting (矛盾的) things.
【小题1】Who was the article written for?