52．What does the underlined word “pungent” mean according to the context?

　　　 A．sweetish　　　　　　　 B．strong　　　　　　　　 C．sickening　　　　　　 D．familiar

51．What does the author think of the change in today’s children?

　　　 A．He feels their adultlike behavior is so funny.

　　　 B．He thinks the change worthy of note.

　　　 C．He considers it a rapid development.

　　　 D．He is upset about it.

D

As I approached the Gypsy camp for the first time, yellow, wild-looking, stiff-haired dogs barked. Fifteen covered wagons were spread out in a wide half circle, partly hiding the Gypsies from the road. Around the campfires sat women clothed in deep-colored dresses, their big, expressive eyes and strong, white teeth standing out against beautiful dark matte skin. The many gold pieces they wore as earrings, necklackes and bracelets sharpened their color even more. Their shiny blue-black hair was long and the skirts of their dresses were ankle-length. My first impression of them was one of health and vitality(活力).Groups of small barefoot children ran all over the campsite, a few dressed in rags but most nearly naked, carefree and happy. At the far end of the encampment a number of horses, tied to long chains, were eating grass and of course there were the ever-present half-wild barking dogs. Several men lay in the shade of an oak tree. Thin smoke rose skyward and the pungent smell of burning wood filled the air. Even from a distance the loud, clear voices of these Gypsies resounded with an intensity which I was not used to. Mixing with them, farther away, was the snorting and neighing of horses, the occasional sharp noise of a whip and the high-pitched cry of a baby, contrasting with the whisper of the immediate surrounding of the camp itself.

50．What does the author think of communication through print for children?

　　　 A．It enables children to gain more social information.

　　　 B．It develops children’s interest in reading and writing.

　　　 C．It helps children to read and write well.

　　　 D．It can control what children are to learn.

49．According to the author, that today’s children seem adultlike results from 　　　　　.

　　　 A．the widespread influence of television

　　　 B．the poor arrangement of teaching content

　　　 C．the fast pace of human scientific development

　　　 D．the rising standard of living

48．Traditionally, a child is supposed to learn about the adult world 　　　　　.

　　　 A．through connection with society　　　　　　 B．gradually and under guidance

　　　 C．naturally without being taught　　　　　　　 D．through watching television

47．According to the author, feeling depressed is 　　　　　.

　　　 A．a sure sign of a mental problem in a child

　　　 B．a mental state present in all humans, including children

　　　 C．something that cannot be avoided in children’s mental development

　　　 D．something hardly to be expected in a young child

46．From the passage, it can be concluded that 　　　　　　.

　　　 A．fashions are often started by the military.

　　　 B．most fashions start with large groups of people who wear certain clothing for practical reasons.

　　　 C．fashions often become popular when they are worn by someone people admire.

　　　 D．new fashions are usually worn by adults before they become popular with young people.

C

About six years ago I was eating lunch in a restaurant in New York City when a woman and a young boy sat down at the next table. I couldn’t help overhearing parts of their conversation. At one point the woman asked, “So, how have you been?” And the boy-who could not have been more than seven or eight years old-replied. “Frankly, I’ve been feeling a little depressed lately.”

This incident stuck in my mind because it confirmed(确认)my growing belief that children are changing. As far as I can remember, my friends and I didn’t find out we were “depressed”, that is, in low spirits, until we were in high school.

Undoubtedly a change in children has increased steadily in recent years. Children don’t seem childlike anymore. Children speak more like adults, dress more like adults and behave more like adults than they used to.

Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but it certainly is different. Childhood as it once was no longer exists. Why?

Human development depends not only on born biological states, but also on patterns of gaining social knowledge. Movement from one social role to another usually involves learning the secrets of the new social positions. Children have always been taught adult secrets, but slowly and in stages; traditionally, we tell sixth graders things we keep hidden from fifth graders.

In the last 30 years, however, a secret-revelation(揭示)machine has been equipped in 98 percent of American homes. It is called television. Television passes information to all viewers alike, whether they are children or adults. Unable to resist the temptation(诱惑), many children turn their attention from printed texts to the less challenging, more attractive moving pictures.

Communication through print, as a matter of fact, allows for a great deal of control over the social information which children will gain. Children must read simple books before they can read complex materials.

45．Which statement is true according to the passage?

　　　 A．The first person to wear a T-shirt on the movie screen was James Dean.

　　　 B．The T-shirt originated with the French military.

　　　 C．In the 1950s, colored T-shirts with words printed on them came into style.

　　　 D．Seeing the movies, everyone in town wanted to wear the T-shirt.

44．The last paragraph is mainly about 　　　　　　.

　　　 A．how T-shirts are worn by people of all ages.

　　　 B．the popularity of the T-shirt today.

　　　 C．the different kinds of T-shirts people wear.

　　　 D．what the T-shirts want to tell us.

43．If we carry goods to Chicago from Mexico, we probably go through 　　　　　.

　　　 A．the Gulf of Mexico-Mississippi-canals-waterway-Chicago

　　　 B．the Gulf of Mexico-Mississippi-the Great lakes-Chicago

　　　 C．Lake Michigan-the Saint Lawrence Seaway-the Gulf of Mexico

　　　 D．Waterway-canals-Mississippi-the Gulf Mexico

B

Styles are constantly changing. Fashions come and go. But few have had the popularity or permanence of the T-shirt. The well-known American garment shares a history of French influence and American daring.

T-shirts made their entrance in the early twentieth century. But they took a bit of courage to wear. It seems the French kept their soldiers cool during World War I by giving them cotton knit undershirts(棉布内衣). Meanwhile the Americans were hot and scratchy(刺激皮肤的)in their wool underwear. By World War II, the Navy and Army had learned a lesson from the French. The cotton shirt in a T shape became part of the uniform for all soldiers and sailors. After the war. T-shirts came home with the soldiers. By then, all the men were wearing them. But they remained out of sight, as underwear should in polite society.

But Hollywood and rebellious young men know no rules. In 1951, actor Mralon Brando wore a T-shirt in the movie A Streetcar Named Desire. Everyone talked about it, and the T-shirt became a sort of trademark for him. Then in the mid-1950s, the young James Dean performed in Rebel Without a Cause. He wore a T-shirt too. Then Elvis Presley hit the screen in his T-shirt. It was too much for the young to ignore. Every boy in town wanted to look like James Dean and Elvis Presley. White T-shirt and baggy pants became the “cool”, or stylish, thing to wear.

The 1960s and another generation of rebellious youth arrived. T-shirts and blue jeans worn by both males and females were their special fashion style. They dyed T-shirts different colors and put pictures and words on them. T-shirts would never be the same again.

Today, the T-shirt has made its way to every corner of the world. They’re worn by babies, teenagers, and senior citizens. They tell others what we like, where we have been, the things we’ve done, and races we’ve won. They can be old and worn, or new and fancy. They can be made of cotton or of silk. They are worn with skirts, pants, and shorts. And something that would have surprised people is that T-shirts are even worn with Tuxedo(男式晚礼服).