What is time? Is it a thing to be saved or spent or wasted, like money? Or is it something we have no control over, like the weather? Is time the same all over the world?
That's an easy question, you say. Wherever you go, a minute is 60 seconds, an hour is 60 minutes, a day is 24 hours, and so forth. But in America, time is more than that. Americans see time as a valuable resource. Maybe that's why they are fond of the expression, "Time is money."
Because Americans believe time is a limited resource, they try to conserve and manage it. People in the U.S. often attend seminars or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners -- some in electronic form -- to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to squeeze more time out of their time. The early American hero Benjamin Franklin expressed this view best: "Do you love life? Then do not waste time, for that is the stuff life is made of."
To Americans, punctuality is a way of showing respect for other people's time. Being more than 10 minutes late to an appointment usually calls for an apology and an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation is, the less important it is to be exactly on time. At informal get-togethers, for example, people often arrive as much as 30 minutes past the appointed time.
To outsiders, Americans seem tied to the clock. People in other cultures value relationships more than schedules. In these societies, people don't try to control time, but to experience it. Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time -- like money -- slips all too easily through our fingers. And time -- like the weather-- is very hard to predict. Nevertheless, time is one of life's most precious gifts. And unwrapping it is half the fun.
【小题1】What’s the main topic of this passage?

There are about fifteen hundred languages in the world.

But ___1___ a few of them are very ___2___. English is one of these. Many, many people use it, not only in England and the U. S. A, but in other parts of the world. About 200, 000, 000 speak it as their own language. It is difficult to say how many people are learning it as a ___3___ language. Many millions are ___4___ to do so.

Is it easy or difficult to learn English? Different people may have different ___5___. Have you ever ___6___ the ads of this kind in the newspapers or magazines?

“Learn English in six month, or your ___7___ back ...” “Easy and funny? Our records and tapes ___8___ you master your English in a month. ___9___ the first day your ___10___ will be excellent. Just send ...” Of course, it never ___11___ quite like this.

The only language that seems easy to learn is the mother tongue. We should ___12___ that we all learned our own language well when we were ___13___. If we could learn English in the same way, it would not seem so difficult. ___14___ what a small child does. He listens to what people say. He tries what he hears. When he is using the language, talking in it, and ___15___ in it all the time, just imagine how much ___16___ that gets!

So it is ___17___ to say that learning English is easy, because a good command of English ___18___ upon a lot of practice. And practice needs great effort and ___19___ much time. Good teachers, records, tapes, books, and dictionaries will ___20___. But they cannot do the student’s work for him.

1. A. not  B. quite   C. only    D. very

2. A. difficult  B. important   C. necessary    D. easy

3. A. native     B. foreign       C. useful D. mother

4. A. learning  B. enjoying     C. trying D. liking

5. A. questions       B. problems    C. ideas   D. answers

6. A. found     B. watched     C. noticed       D. known

7. A. knowledge     B. time    C. money       D. English

8. A. make      B. help    C. let      D. allow

9. A. From     B. On      C. Since  D. After

10. A. spelling       B. grammar    C. English      D. pronunciation

11. A. happened     B. know  C. seemed       D. felt

12. A. know    B. remember   C. understand  D. think

13. A. students       B. children     C. babies D. grown-ups

14. A. Imagine       B. Mind  C. Do      D. Think of

15. A. using    B. thinking     C. trying D. practicing

16. A. time     B. money       C. language    D. practice

17. A. hard     B. easy    C. funny  D. silly

18. A. depends       B. tries    C. has     D. takes

19. A. uses      B. takes   C. gets    D. costs

20. A. do B. work   C. help    D. master

American beekeeping operations have been hit hard by what scientists call Colony Collapse Disorder. Almost half of their worker bees have disappeared during the past season. C.C.D. has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America. Bees fly away from the hive and never return. Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found. Many crops and trees depend on pollination （授粉） by bees to help them grow.

    A new report says virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies in the United States. This virus is called Israeli Acute Paralysis Virus. It was first identified in Israel in 2004. Ian Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in Science magazine. Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause. He says it may work with other causes to produce the collapse disorder.

    The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published last year. They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder. They found evidence of the virus in twenty – five of them, and in one healthy colony. The next step is further testing of healthy hives.

    The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from Australia. They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected.

    The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has not been hurt by the varroa mite. This insect attacks honey bees, which could make the disorder more likely to affect a hive. Australian bee producers reject these suspicions.

    And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because of the weather. Honey bees gather nectar（花蜜） from flowers and trees. The sweet liquid gives them food and material to make honey. But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of nectar in many flowers. Many bees may have starved. Dry weather in areas of the country could also be playing a part.

    Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time. He lives in central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in 1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.

What is the author’s attitude to the causes of the bee disorder?

    A. critical         B. neutral

    C. supportive      D. negative

What is the passage mainly about?

    A. American beekeeping industry has been strongly influenced by the bee disorder.

    B. Studies are being carried out on the causes of the bee disorder, but questions remain.

    C. How the causes of the bee disorder in U.S have been found.

    D. The bee production in U.S is down.

How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage?

    A. Three    B. Four C. Five D. Six

We can infer that         from the passage.

    A. Israeli acute paralysis virus should be responsible for the disorder.

    B. The solution to the disorder will be found eventually.

    C. American bees are more likely to defend themselves against hurt from other insects than Australian ones.

    D. Many crop and plant production in U.S may be influenced by the bee disorder.

完形填空（共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分）

A survey by an international temporary service agency found that U. S. managers believe that people with a sense of humour do better at their jobs, compared with those who have little or no sense of humour. In fact, about 96 percent of those surveyed said people with a sense of humour do better.

The survey went on to point out that the results suggest that a sense of humour may help light-hearted employees keep their jobs during tough times. And, what's more, it may push them up the corporate ladder past their humourless colleagues. Why? It seems that those with a sense of humour are better communicators and better team players.

Studies have shown that happy workers are more productive. In fact, a researcher at California State University found that humour could help the employees to release tension.

Research done by psychologist Dr. Ashton Trice at Mary Baldwin College in Virginia showed that humour helps us think. When people feel stuck on important projects, they tend to feel angry or depressed.  According to Dr. Trice's research, taking time out to laugh can help us to get rid of negative feelings and allow us to return to a task or move on to another project unaffected by past defeat.

If humour is really this important, then why don't we use it more often on the job? Most likely, the main reason is that many people are unaware of the positive effects of humour in the workplace. However, it is important to realize that some humour is not suitable for the workplace, and that it is often used at wrong times.

Most people think a sense of humour can ________.

A. help you to do your work better

B. make you have a rich life

C. make you pleased with your work     

D. help you to make more friends

Many people don't use humour more in the workplace because __________.

A. they like keeping silent when working

B. they don't know the positive effects of humour

C. they think they should obey the rules

D. they don't like joking or laughing

A person without a sense of humour is easier __________.

A. to feel surprised

B. to get along with

C. to be worried

D. to be successful

What is probably the best title for the article?

A. People with a Sense of Humour.

B. Humour Is Important in the Workplace.

C. Humour and Humourless.

D. Everyone Likes Humour.