The most common complaint about cellphones is that people talk on them to the annoyance of people around them. But more damaging may be the cellphone’s interruption of our thoughts.
We have already entered a golden age of little white lies about our cellphones, and this is in generally a healthy, protective development. “I didn’t hear it ring” or “I didn’t realize my phone had shut off” are among the lies we tell to give ourselves space where we’re beyond reach.
The concept of being unreachable is not new – we have “Do Not Disturb” signs on the doors of hotel rooms. So why must we feel guilty when it comes to cellphones? Why must we apologize if we decide to shut off the phone for a while?
The problem is that we come from a long-established tradition of difficulty with distance communication. Until the recent mass use of cellphones, it was easy to communicate with someone next to us or a few feet away, but difficult with someone across town, the country or the globe. We came to take it for granted.
But cellphones make long-distance communication common, and endanger our time by ourselves. Now time alone, or a conversation with someone next to us which cannot be interrupted by a phone, is something to be cherished. Even cellphone devotees, myself usually included, can’t help at times wanting to throw their phones away, or curse this invention.
But we don’t and won’t, and there really is no need. That we have the right to take back our private time is a general social recognition.
In other words, we don’t have to pay too much attention to the rings of our own phones. Given the ease of making and receiving cellphone calls, if we don’t talk to the caller right now, we surely will shortly later.
A cellphone call deserves no more importance than a word from the person next to us. Though the call on my cellphone may be the one-in-a-million from Steven Spielberg–who has finally read my novel and wants to make it his next movie. But most likely it is not, and I’m better off, thinking about the idea I just had for a new story, or the slice of pizza I’ll eat for lunch.

【小题1】.
What does the writer think about people telling “white lies” about their cellphones?

B

The first step for the accomplishment of every act is the attitude of the person who wants to do something with his life. If you are the type of person who is always optimistic and has faith in your strengths then half of the job is already taken care of.

It is quite difficult to change the way you think or how you perceive(发现) reality and all the things

around you. It is useless if your friends keep pushing you to see life in another way, to be always optimistic, to laugh more and always think at the “pink” version of things. You get annoyed by everybody giving you pieces of advice. It is only you who can decide to have this great change of personality. Not only will you see things from another perspective(角度) but life itself will come to be different, meaning more exciting and more interesting.

For me every age has its beauty and one should always know how to live to the full every aspect of it. When you are a child you spend all your time playing and you don’t have anything to worry about; as the years pass you become more concerned with whatever goes around you, with the problems you have to take care of. You should always keep your sense of humor and never forget to smile. Not only the smile makes you more beautiful but it also makes you see life with other eyes.

You only have one life and you have to live it to the full every day, as if it were the last day of your existence so as not to get the point in which you are sorry you didn’t know how to live.

41. The most important thing for a person to make his dream come true is _________.

A. to try to work hard                                B. to do something with his life

C. to have a strong belief                              D. to face difficulty bravely

42. In the author’s opinion, which is the best way to see life correctly?

A. Getting help from friends.                            B. Finding a way yourselves.

C. Always being optimistic.                        D. Seeing life in different ways.

43. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us ___________.

A. not worrying too much is very important to people

B. keeping humor and smile is very important to children

C. how to deal with problems

D. how to find beauty in life

44. Which of the following best agrees with the passage?

A. Helping others is a good quality.

B. People’s advice always makes you angry.

C. The life you live depends on the way you see it.

D. The author has nothing to worry about in his life.

45. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Could we change our attitude?  B. Do you enjoy life?

C. Ways to live happily.           D. Find beauty in life.                                                  

B

The following symbols have appeared on clothes labels for four decades, each one chosen by international experts for its simplicity and clarity.

Yet for most people, washing instructions might as well be written in Martian.

According to a new poll, nine in ten people are unable to decipher common symbols used on clothes labels. Even those who have mastered the difference between a wool and a synthetics（化学合成物）wash admit being baffled by the confusing array（排列）of boxes, circles and crosses used to give advice about drying and bleaching（漂白）.

The findings come from a poll of 2,000 people carried out by YouGov for Morphy Richards. A third of people surveyed said that they recognized none of the several symbols shown, while the only symbol recognized by more than half of people was the iron with a single dot. Around 70 per cent knew it meant "iron on a low heat". Just 10 per cent sign knew the sign for "do not dry clean", while only 12 per cent were familiar with "drip dry only".

Despite the sexual revolution, women are still more knowledgeable than men. Awareness was highest among 18 to 29-year-old women---for whom taking care of clothes is clearly important.

Chris Lever, from Morphy Richards, said: "Clothes Care symbols are a unique language, clearly a language that few people in the UK have taken the time to learn."

"Learning the basics such as which icon represents tumble dry and which represents normal wash would go a long way to getting the best out of clothes."

The Home Laundering Consultative Council said it was not surprised to learn that people were unfamiliar with them.

"It's disappointing that there is a lack of recognition, but it's a story that's repeated time and time again," said a spokesman, Adam Mansell. "We are a small organization and we don't have a big budget."

60. Women know more about these common symbols than men, because _________.

A. women have the gift of recognizing these symbols by nature

B. women pay more attention to taking care of clothes in their daily life

C. women have much time to know about these symbols

D. women take advantage of the sexual revolution

61. Which of the following can be recognized by the majority of people?

A              B                 C              D

62. Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A. Washing clothes is damaging them if we don’t know about some symbols used on clothes labels.

B. Washing clothes is also a cultured knowledge.

C. More and more people devote much time to studying these symbols used on clothes labels.

D. Clothes Care symbols are a unique language, which few people spend time to learn.

B

The first step for the accomplishment of every act is the attitude of the person who wants to do something with his life. If you are the type of person who is always optimistic and has faith in your strengths then half of the job is already taken care of.

It is quite difficult to change the way you think or how you perceive(发现) reality and all the things

around you. It is useless if your friends keep pushing you to see life in another way, to be always optimistic, to laugh more and always think at the “pink” version of things. You get annoyed by everybody giving you pieces of advice. It is only you who can decide to have this great change of personality. Not only will you see things from another perspective(角度) but life itself will come to be different, meaning more exciting and more interesting.

           For me every age has its beauty and one should always know how to live to the full every aspect of it. When you are a child you spend all your time playing and you don’t have anything to worry about; as the years pass you become more concerned with whatever goes around you, with the problems you have to take care of. You should always keep your sense of humor and never forget to smile. Not only the smile makes you more beautiful but it also makes you see life with other eyes.

           You only have one life and you have to live it to the full every day, as if it were the last day of your existence so as not to get the point in which you are sorry you didn’t know how to live.

41. The most important thing for a person to make his dream come true is _________.

       A. to try to work hard                                B. to do something with his life

       C. to have a strong belief                               D. to face difficulty bravely

42. In the author’s opinion, which is the best way to see life correctly?

       A. Getting help from friends.                            B. Finding a way yourselves.

       C. Always being optimistic.                        D. Seeing life in different ways.

43. Paragraph 3 mainly tells us ___________.

       A. not worrying too much is very important to people

       B. keeping humor and smile is very important to children

       C. how to deal with problems

       D. how to find beauty in life

44. Which of the following best agrees with the passage?

       A. Helping others is a good quality.

       B. People’s advice always makes you angry.

       C. The life you live depends on the way you see it.

       D. The author has nothing to worry about in his life.

45. What would be the best title for the passage?

       A. Could we change our attitude?  B. Do you enjoy life?

       C. Ways to live happily.            D. Find beauty in life.                                                   

                                 B

The influence of America is increasing in my country. Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do these things every day.

    I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because people are often influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the programs and documentaries (纪录片) we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to see are made in Hollywood.

    In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies. Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.

     American culture is a part of Spanish life now. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of people’s lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product. I’ve known about Coca Cola for my whole life.

     However, it’s different with Western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the lifestyle of the Spanish people. The Spanish people normally eat at home.

     On the other hand, maybe McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and it is more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults. In any case, it’s obvious that American culture is becoming more and more a part of our lives every day.

60. From the first paragraph we can know that ____.

     A. the influence of America on Spain can be found everywhere

   B. most Spanish people don’t like to listen to their own music

   C. fast food spreads from Spain to the United States

   D. some Spanish actors go to America to improve their acting skills

61. What plays an important part in the spreading of American culture in Spain?

   A. American novels.        B. Hollywood movies.

     C. McDonald’s.           D. American music.

62. Why does the author think that McDonald’s is not as successful as it is in other countries?

   A. Its fast food contains too much fat.

   B. He thinks it is unhealthy.

   C. Spanish people seldom eat out.

   D. Spanish adults don’t like its fast food.

63. What do you think Spanish tapas might be?

     A. The name of a drink.      B. The name of a restaurant.

   C. A clothing brand.         D. A certain kind of food.