MEN VS. WOMEN
COMPARING NICKNAMES
　If Laura, Suzanne, Debra and Rose go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Suzanne, Debra and Rose.
　If Mike, Charlie, Bob and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla (怪兽), Peanut-Head and Scrappy.
EATING OUT
When the bill arrives, Mike, Charlie, Bob and John will each throw in $20, even though it’s only for $32.50. None of them will have anything smaller, and none will actually admit they want change back.
　When the girls get their bill, out come the pocket calculators.
MONEY
　A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he wants.
　A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t want.
BATHROOMS
　A man has six items in his bathroom: a toothbrush, comb, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel from the Holiday Inn.
　The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337... A man would not be able to identify most of these items.
ARGUMENTS
　A woman has the last word in any argument.
　Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.
CATS
Women love cats.
　Men say they love cats, but when women aren’t looking, men kick cats.
FUTURE
　A woman worries about the future until she gets a husband.
　A man never worries about the future until he gets a wife.
SUCCESS
　A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend.
　A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
MARRIAGE
　A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t.
　A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change and she does.
DRESSING UP
A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the garbage, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail.
　A man will only dress up for weddings and funerals.
NATURAL
　Men wake up as good-looking as they went to bed.
　Women somehow deteriorate (恶化) during the night.
OFFSPRING
　Ah, children. A woman knows all about her children. She knows about dentist appointments and romances, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams.
　A man is vaguely (含糊地) aware of some short people living in the house.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Any married man should forget his mistakes. There’s no sense in two people remembering the same thing.
63. This passage is_________________.
A. a story           B. an advertisement         C. a report          D. a humor
64. The purpose of this passage is________________.
A. to inform the readers of some secrets between men and women
B. to remind the readers of the big differences between men and women
C. to amuse the readers using some interesting examples
D. to show that men perform better than women in our daily life
65. When the girls get their bill, they take out the pocket calculators_________________.
A. to make sure they won’t be cheated by the servant    B. so that they can share the bill equally among them
C. because they want to know what time it is now        D. if they forget to bring their mobile phones
66. What does the underlined sentence mean?
A. A man doesn’t know what to do before he gets married.
B. A man is worried about his future job after he gets married.
C. Anything unexpected will probably happen to a man after he gets married.
D. It’s not easy for a man to find a good job as a woman thinks.

A simple piece of clothesline hangs between some environmentally friendly Americans and their neighbors.

　　On one side stand those who see clothes dryers(干衣机) as a waste of energy and a major polluter of the environment. As a result, they are turning to clotheslines as part of the “what-I-can-do environmentalism(环境保护主义).”

　　On the other side are people who are against drying clothes outside, arguing that clotheslines are unpleasant to look at. They have persuaded Homeowners Associations (HOAs) across the U.S. to ban outdoor clotheslines, because clothesline drying also tends to lower home value in the neighborhood. This had led to a Right-to-Dry Movement that is calling for laws to be passed to protect people’s right to use clotheslines.　　

　　So far, only three states have laws to protect clothesline. Right-to-Dry supporters argue that there should be more.　　

　　Matt Reck, 37, is the kind of eco-conscious(有生态意识的) person who feeds his trees with bathwater and reuses water drops from his air conditioners to water plants. His family also uses a clothesline. But on July 9, 2007, the HOA in Wake Forest, North Carolina, told him that a dissatisfied neighbor had telephoned them about his clothesline. The Recks paid no attention to the warning and still dried their clothes on a line in the yard. “Many people say they are environmentally friendly but they don’t take matters in their own hands,” says Reck. The local HOA has decided not to take any action, unless more neighbors come to them.　　

　　North Carolina lawmakers are saying that banning clotheslines is not the right thing to do. But HOAs and housing businesses believe that clothesline drying reminds people of poor neighborhoods. They worry that if buyers think their future neighbors can’t even afford dryers, housing prices will fall.

　　Environmentalists say such worries are not necessary, and in view of global warming, that idea needs to change. As they say, “The clothesline is beautiful”. Hanging clothes outside should be encouraged. We all have to do at least something to slow down the process of global warming.”

One of the reasons why supporters of clothes dryers are trying to ban clothesline drying is that ________.

A. clothes dryers are more efficient   

B. clothesline drying reduces home value

C. clothes dryers are energy-saving    

D. clothesline drying is not allowed in most U.S. states

Which of the following best describes Matt Reck?

　　A. He is a kind-hearted man.         B. He is an impolite man.　　

　　C. He is an experienced gardener.    D. He is a man of social responsibility.　　

Who are in favor of clothesline drying?　　

　　A. housing businesses.           B. Environmentalists.　　

　　C. Homeowners Associations.     D. Reck’s dissatisfied neighbors.　　

What is mainly discussed in the text?　　

　　A. Clothesline drying: a way to save energy and money.　　

　　B. Clothesline drying: a lost art rediscovered.　　

　　C. Opposite opinions on clothesline drying.　　

　　D. Different varieties of clotheslines.　　

On the morning of May 29, Donna left unusually early for her 5:30 a.m. work at Noone’s Restaurant. She drove along a rural road,    1    as she often did to admire the old farmhouse she passed each day. But as she looked more    2   , she saw flames on one of the porch’s(门廊) posts. Donna pulled into the driveway and honked her horn(喇叭).

No response. With flames cutting her    3    from the front entrance, she ran to a side door, which was   4   . “Wake up,” she cried, running through the house. “   5   !”

    Just hours earlier Corinne Allin had put 18-month-old Benjamin, Devon, seven, and Amy, nine, to   6   . Now, awakened by the shouts, she stumbled(踉跄) down the steps into a    7    and saw the fire immediately. “My children , my husband ---they’re   8    upstairs,” Corinne said.

    “I’ll get them,” Donna said. “Call 911.”

    Donna    9    her way up the stairs through the    10   . While Hugh Allin went to see if he could put the fire    11    with the hose(水管), Devon dashed into Amy’s room. “Get up,” he cried. Amy lifted Benjamin from his bed. With windows exploding and smoke surrounding them, they made their way out of the    12   door.

In the disorder that followed, Donna slipped away to work. Passing the blackened house that evening, she stopped and left a note. Later that night the Allin family paid a    13   . Corinne explained that the fire began when she pressed out a    14    in a potted plant on the front porch. “But thanks to you,” she said with tears in her eyes, “we’re    15   .”

1. A. speeding B. slowingC. getting off　　  D. going out

2. A. closely    B. quietly　　　　    C. proudly   D. tightly

3. A. up　　　　  B. in　　　　　　　　  C. around　　　　   D. off

4. A. closed    B. open　　　　　　  C. locked　　　　   D. unlocked

5. A. Fire　　    B. Help　　    C. Hello　　　　　　  D. Come on

6. A. bed　　    B. desk　　    C. playground　　 D. school

7.A. room　　   B. heat　　    C. stranger   D. street

8.A. already    B. just　　　　 C. still　　　　　　  D. even

9.A. found　　  B. stepped   C. made　　　　　　 D. moved

10A. flames    B. smoke　　　　    C. rubbish    D. ashes

11.A. out　　    B. down　　　　　　 C. up　　　　   D. over

12.A. room    B. back      C. front　　　　　　  D. side

13.A. bill　　    B. visit　　    C. look　　   　　   D. part

14.A. match    B. wood　　　　　　 C. cigarette  D. oven

15.A. free　　   B. awake　　　　    C. alive　　 &ntbs?

p;  D. successful