The British people are among the world’s greatest readers of newspapers．It’s been the custom ever since most people could read．
But why do people want to do nothing but read while traveling to work in a train? Perhaps they are tired, or else they sit behind a newspaper to shut themselves off from the world．All the same, most men would notice a woman struggling with a heavy case and jump up to help her and a pretty girl sitting opposite wouldn’t escape their attention either．In this case a paper is useful because they can have a good look at her from behind it without her knowing．Perhaps they do nothing but read．There are stories of girls and young men who met in the rush hours, got married, and went on traveling in the same train hand in hand．
【小题1】The main idea of this passage is that______．

Women who want to succeed at work should resist the temptation to act like men, scientists have said. Studies show that ambitious women are often less likely to get ahead than those who show more female characteristics. However, if they try to adapt, promotion comes their way. The findings, which will let assertive (过分自信的) women down, suggest that the best way for a woman to succeed in a man’s world is to act like a lady.

   Past research has shown that women with self-confidence and other characteristics linked with successful management can be put aside at work in favor of gentle types. It is thought that while such characteristics are highly praised in men, ambitious women are penalized for not being feminine enough. Instead of being seen as strong managers, ambitious women are in an unfavorable situation.

   In one US study, researchers explored personal details from university students applying for a summer job at a bank. A women applicant who attempted to apply for special wages to pay her transport or living costs was three and a half times less likely to get a job offer than a similar male. In fact, this kind of woman was the least likely to get taken on.

   The latest study set out to explore what women who are naturally assertive could do to get ahead in the workplace. Eighty young men and women completed surveys about their personality while studying in college. Around eight years later, the researchers got back in touch with them to find out how their careers were going. Some had been promoted five times, others just once or twice. The results showed that ambitious women who stick to their decisions had been promoted less than more feminine groups. But the ambitious women who made a conscious effort to not appear to be threatening by “self-controlling” their behavior had done better than those who had carried on ignoring others’ views.

1. What does the underlined word “penalized” mean in the second paragraph?

   A. Treated badly                             B. Asked to leave

   C. Looked down upon                          D. Made sb. have a disadvantage

2.According to the passage, if an ambitious woman and a similar man both ask the company for an extra payment, ______.

   A. the woman is less likely to be accepted

   B. the woman will work harder if she gets the payment

   C. the man can make a good impression on the boss

   D. they can be both accepted if they use proper words

3.The ambitious women in the latest study ______.

   A. had been promoted only once or twice

   B. tried hard to be as successful as gentle types

   C. were more accepted at work after they controlled their behavior

   D. filled in the surveys after they graduated from college

4.What can we learn from the passage?

   A. Successful management is highly praised in women.

   B. Some women will be disappointed by the massage.

   C. Men acting like a lady are likely to be promoted at work.

   D. The latest study was aimed at how to become a successful boss.

5.What’s the main idea of the passage?

   A. How assertive women can control their behavior.

   B. Feminists can do better by controlling their behavior.

   C. Acting like a man won’t get women promoted at work.

   D. How the ambitious women can avoid acting like men.

The young woman seated next to us at the sushi(寿司) bar gave off an alien air; her looks and style, we thought, made it likely that she was not American born.
But then she spoke in perfect American English, with the typical characteristic of many young Californians.
As it turns out, however, she wasn’t from these parts after all; she was born in Iran and spoke only Farsi(波斯语) until her arrival here two years ago. What classes, we wondered, had she attended to learn the language so well?
“I didn’t,” she said. “I used Rosetta Stone.”
Those yellow boxes sold at shopping-mall and airport newspaper stands may be the most recognizable example of PC-based language learning, but it certainly isn’t the only one.
With the growth of broadband connectivity and social networks, companies have introduced a wide range of Internet-based language learning products, both free and fee-based, that allow students to interact in real time with instructors in other countries, gain access to their lesson plans wherever they are in the world, and communicate with pen pals who are also trying to remember if bambino means baby.
Learning a language sometimes seems as difficult as dieting. The solution is to figure out how to stay interested after the curiosity wears off.
To fight against boredom, online language programs have introduced crossword puzzles, interactive(交互的) videos and other games to reward users for making progress.
Online courses are either fee-based, free or a combination. Starter kits(入门套件) of fee-based programs may cost just a few hundred dollars, but the cost to reach higher levels of comprehension and speaking can easily be $1,000.
While that may sound expensive, language company managers say it isn’t; college courses often cost many thousands of dollars to reach the same level.
So, cost aside, how do you choose which program to use? The answer is that one size doesn’t fit all.
55.   Which of the following is the fact about “Rosetta Stone”?
A.      Rosetta Stone is only a special stone with the name Rosetta on
B.      Rosetta Stone is a free PC-based language learning product.
C.      Rosetta Stone is a reference book for English learners to use.
D.     Rosetta Stone is a language-learning software
56.   The case of the young woman in the passage is meant to tell the reader that ______.
A.      the woman is one of many successful language learners
B.      the woman likes Rosetta Stone very much
C.      many people are benefiting from the Internet language learning products
D.     Rosetta Stone is one of the successful PC-based language instructors
57.   We can learn from the passage that ______.
A.      they offer the English learners all kinds of free courses
B.      learners can communicate with teachers at any time
C.      students can compare notes with their e-pals about language study
D.     advanced online courses usually cost more than the college ones of the same level
58.   What information will be most probably provided following the last paragraph?
A.      An introduction of different online language learning products.
B.      An introduction of different language learning methods.
C.      The strengths and weaknesses of Internet language learning products.
D.     A comparison between online and college language learning.

A beautiful woman took a plane on business. She found her seat and sat down next to a young man. The man was just thinking of making a few dollars on the plane. When he saw the woman, he got an idea.

“Hey! Would you like to play a game?” he asked the woman. “No, thank you. I just want to take a nap (打盹),” the woman answered. “It’s really easy. All you have to do is to answer the questions that I ask you. If you don’t know the answer, you give me five dollars. If I don’t know the answer to your question, then I’ll give you five dollars.” “No,” the woman still refused. “OK. If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll give you five hundred dollars. How about that?” the man said. Then the woman became interested and decided to join in the game.

“OK. How many moons does Jupiter (木星) have?” asked the young man. The woman reached into her purse and took out a five-dollar bill. “What goes up the mountain with three legs and comes back with four?” the woman asked. Then the young man took out his computer and searched the Internet for an answer. Minutes later, the young man handed five hundred dollars to the woman.

After a few hours, the young man really wanted to know the answer to the question. So he asked the woman, “What is the answer to your question?” The woman reached into her purse and handed the young man a five-dollar bill.

1.Why did the man ask the woman to play a game?

A. He wanted to show his kindness.   

B. He wanted to have a pleasant journey.

C. He wanted to earn some money from it.

D. He wanted to make friends with the woman.

2.How much did the woman get at the end of the story?

A. $ 500.                             B. $ 5.                     C. $ 10.                     D. $ 490.

3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. The woman told the man the answer to her question.

B. The woman gave the man’s money back to him.

C. The woman asked the man another question.

D. The woman didn’t know the answer, either.

4.We can learn from the story that the woman is ______.

A. clever                             B. friendly                 C. polite            D. honest

You can tell a lot about a person from the clothes they wear, but you can also tell a lot about a person simply from the handbags they carry. It's hard to believe, but you can find out a number of things about a woman's personality just by looking at the type of handbag she carries. Below you will find a number of handbag styles and colors as well as what each specific type of handbag says about the owner.
Styles:
Under-the Shoulder – handbags which are smaller and fit tightly underneath the shoulder indicate class and sophistication. A women working in an upscale office or someone of high status would choose this form of handbag.
Big and Bulky – Big, bulky and oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals. These are used for individuals who carry a number of things (binders, books etc) and require a lot of space. Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of handbag.
Designer – Designer handbags often cost an arm and a leg and therefore are usually associated with high-maintenance females. Females who are confident and require top of the line accessories will settle for nothing less than a name-brand designer purse. Guys watch out for these girls, they tend to be a handful.
Cigar Box Purses – A women who carries a cigar box purse likes to be unique and stand out from the crowd. These women have minds of their own and cannot be told what to do. They are comfortable in their own skin and tend to be very independent.
Leather with Buckles and Zippers – women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers are leashing out their wild sides. These women tend to act before they think and are always ready for a good time. The extra buckles and zippers tend to signify a "bad girl" image.
Colors:
Bright Colors – Bright colored handbags like pink, purple, bright blue and green indicate that the woman is fun, friendly and approachable. Women who are out-going and sociable will tend to choose these colors. This is the type of woman who will strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.
Black and Brown – women who choose black or brown handbags tend to be more formal in manners and are often mistaken as being snobby or restricted. These types of handbags are often associated with down-to-earth women, who are shy at first, but open up after a while. They tend to exude a shy confidence, which is sometimes mistaken as someone who thinks she's better than others.
The style and color of your handbag says a lot about you. Choose your handbag very carefully and remember you can choose more than one style. You may feel like being reserved one day and the center of attention another…it's natural to want different things in life.
【小题1】 Who is likely to start a conversation with a complete stranger according to the passage?