There seems never to have been a civilization(文明) without toys, but when and how they developed is unknown. They probably came about just to give children something to do.

In the ancient world, as is today, most boys play with some kinds of toys and most girls with another. In societies where social roles are strictly determined, boys pattern their play after the activities of their fathers and girls after the tasks of their mothers. This is true because boys and girls are being prepared, even in play, to step into the roles and responsibilities of the adult world.

What is remarkable about the history of toys is not so much how they changed over the centuries but how much they have remained the same. It is the universality of toys about their development in all parts of the world and their continuing to the present that is amazing. In Egypt, the Americas, China, Japan and among the Arctic peoples, generally the same kinds of toys appeared. Nearly every civilization had dolls, little weapons, toy soldiers, tiny animals and vehicles.

Because toys can be generally regarded as a kind of art form, they have not been subject to (服从于) technological progress that characterizes inventions for adult use. The progress from the wheel to the oxcart to the automobile is a direct line of advancement. The progress from a rattle (拨浪鼓) used by a baby in 3,000 BC to one used by an infant today, however, is not characterized by inventiveness. Each rattle is the product of the artistic tastes of the times and subject to the limitations of materials then ready for use. (words: 285 ; time : 5ms)

1. The reason why the toys most boys play with are different from those that girls play with is that ________ .

A. their social roles are strictly determined

B. most boys would like to follow their fathers' jobs

C. boys like to play with their fathers while girls with their mothers

D. they like challenging activities.

2. "The universality of toys" lies in the fact that ________ .

A. technological advances have greatly improved the making of toys

B. the improvement of techniques in making toys depends on the efforts of universities

C. the exploration of the universe has led to the creation of new kinds of toys

D. the basic characteristics of toys are the same all over the world

3. Regarded as a kind of art form, toys ________.

A. follow a direct line of development

B. also greatly interest adults

C. are not characterized by progress in technology

D. show the pace of social progress

（C）篇

1. A。由原文第二段第二句可知。

2. D。根据文章第三段第一句和第三句可知,玩具的基本的特征变化不大。

3. C。由文章最后一段第一句可知,玩具作为一种艺术形式,不因科技变化而变化。

To win an Oscar is an achievement at any age. To do so at 22, as Jennifer Lawrence has, is just amazing. Recently, the American star won Best Actress at this year's Academy Awards for her role in the film The Silver Linings Playbook. According to Time magazine's Richard Corliss, Lawrence is that rare young actress who "lends a mature intelligence to any role".

Though Lawrence has found great success through her big screen work, Lawrence wasn't sure what she really liked doing before the age of 14. She thought she'd go to college and maybe find a career as a doctor or a travel agent.     

Lawrence's two brothers were star athletes and one of them was a straight-A student. Unlike them, she suffered through school, never quite finding where she belonged. However, during a trip to New York, Lawrence suddenly realized that she wanted to be an actress. When she was enjoying the beautiful city, a model seeker asked if he could take her picture, and the next day he called her in for an audition (试镜).      

"I read the script and it was the first time I had that feeling like I understand this," Lawrence said. "Within 20 minutes, in the cab ride from the hotel room, I decided I didn't want to be a model. In fact, I wanted to be an actress." Having appreciated this young lady's performance, the agency was so impressed with her reading that they signed her on the spot. But she insisted on finishing high school so she could give her full attention to her acting career.        

Lawrence burst onto the Hollywood scene last year with The Hunger Games, which established her as the highest-grossing (票房最高的) female action hero of all time. Rolling Stone called her “the most talented young actress in America".

1.What can we know about Jennifer Lawrence from Paragraph 3?

A. Her parents were really strict with her.

B. She seemed not to fit in with her school days well.

C. Her school performance made her today's fame.

D. Her two brothers were doing well in all school subjects.

2. Lawrence made up her mind to be an actress because of ______.

A. a model interview

B. her brothers' examples

C. the taxi-ride to her hotel room

D. the beautiful scenery of New York

3.From the text we can know that Lawrence is an actress of great ______.

A. confidence     B. ambition               C. independence  D. talent

4.What is the best title of the text? 

A. Choosing Right                                    B. Acting Wisely

C. Winning Young                                    D. Following Dreams

The findings of a new survey have American professors talking about the good old days—when A's were a lot tougher to earn．

       Sites like Rate My Professors．com make it easy for students to find a class taught by a professor who is known as an "easy grader"．A recent survey by Kaplan Test Prep found that 46 percent of the more than 1,200 students polled admitted to using the site for just such a purpose．

       "Our research shows that many of today's college students are looking at multiple factors when picking out courses: overall teacher quality that will result in a good learning experience, but also instructors who don't like to award a lot of C's and D's," said Jeff Olson, vice president of research at Kaplan Test Prep．

       "While it makes sense that students would choose kinder graders, it also helps explain the recent popularity of grade inflation（膨胀）．"

       Grade inflation is seen by many professors as poisoning the learning environment．Some, like former Duke University professor Stuart Rojstaczer, are righting it head-on．

       On his website, Gradelnflation．com, he releases an annual list of schools where grade inflation is the worst．

       This year, he decided to name the schools where grades were inflated the least．He praised, for example, Princeton University, as well as Purdue University, where the average GPA has remained around 2．8 for over 30 years．

       "Purdue doesn't even seem to know that grade inflation exists in the US," Rojstaczer says．"Ignorance is bliss（极大的幸福）．"

Grade inflation is spreading because _____．

       A．it's poisoning the learning environment

       B．instructors intend to improve their overall teaching quality

       C．many instructors adapt to the students' expectations

       D．students get easy access to sites like RateMyProfessors．com

The passage suggests that _____．

       A．universities will employ hard graders

       B．if we want to be happy, we should be ignorant

       C．A's are becoming easy to earn at most US universities

       D．professors and instructors should give students higher grades

The writer tends to _____．

       A．favor easy graders                 B．see grade inflation as unavoidable

       C．oppose Kaplan Test Prep           D．miss the days when A's were hard to earn

Growing up together in Twin Falls, Idaho, Lisa Fry and Paula Turner never doubted their friendship would last forever. But after Fry married, moved to New York City and had a baby, her letters to Turner suddenly went unanswered. "Do you think I've somehow offended her?" Fry asked her husband.

Turner, meanwhile, had thought she was no longer important to Fry. "She's got a family now," she told herself. "We're just too different to be close like before."

Finally, Fry picked up the courage to call her old friend. At first, the conversation was awkward, yet soon they both admitted that they missed each other. A month later, they got together, laughing and sharing confidences.

   "Thank goodness I finally took action," Fry says. "We both realized we were as important to each other as ever."

There are good reasons to value our friendships. Once a public-opinion research firm, Roper Starch Worldwide, asked 2007 people to identify one or two things that said the most about themselves. Friends far outranked（高于）homes, jobs, clothes and cars.

   “A stable friendship carries a long history of experience and interaction and keeps us connected,” says Donald Pannen, executive officer of the Western Psychological Association. "It is what we should protect." However, says Brant R. Burleson, professor of communication at Purdue University, "The better friends you are, the more likely you'll face conflicts." And even the result can be what you don't want--an end to the relationship.

The good news is that most troubled friendships can be mended. Here's what experts suggest:

◆Swallow your pride.

◆Apologize when you're wrong--even if you've also been wronged.

◆See things from your friend's point of view.

◆Accept that friendships change.

Making friends can sometimes seem easy, says Yager. The hard part is keeping the connections strong and long. Her suggestion: Consider friendship an honor and a gift, and worth the effort to treasure and develop.

71．The first paragraph is written mainly to_______.

     A．complain something to her husband

     B．show Lisa Fry missed her friend

     C．show family is more important than friendship

     D．introduce the topic to be discussed

72．The underlined word “awkward” in the third paragraph probably means______.

       A．uncomfortable      B．uninteresting      C．convenient        D．relaxed

73．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to this passage?

       A．Once friendship is broken, there is no way to be repaired.

       B．People don’t value friendship over other things

       C．The more and better friends we make, the happier we are.

       D．Lisa Fry and Paula Turner were as important to each other as ever.

74．Experts suggest that_________.

     A．Making friends should be no difficult experience.

     B．We should consider things for our friends first

     C．We should not have to apologize if it is not our fault

     D．Friendship should be one-way process and worth our effort.

75．Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

      A．A Broken Friendship       

       B．Opinions on Friendship and Friends

      C．What Is Good Friendship?   

       D．How to Mend a Broken Friendship

Three weeks before the May Day holiday, Tong Zhuo, a 24-year-old computer engineer in Nanjing, started getting busy. He was trying to get in touch with friends on MSN to arrange a trip to the annual Midi Music Festival in Beijing during the holiday.

Although Tong failed in his job-hunt, he felt less frustrated after visiting the festival at the invitation of a friend. "It was the first time that I saw so many crazy people gathered together. When the music reached a climax, people kept yelling, jumping and bumping each other. You felt excited even if you weren't as high as they were," recalled Tong.

Midi, which is held May 1-4, started in 1999 and has grown into China's largest outdoor music festival. The festival is named after Beijing's Midi Music School, which started the event. This year's festival will have 84 bands, 22 of them foreign. It will be held in Haidian Park, northwest Beijing.  

Outdoor music festivals have been around for decades in the West. They often stand for a kind of different belief. The Woodstock Festival in the US in 1969 is an example. It took place while the US was involved in the Vietnam war and was used to express young people’s love of peace.

China's Midi has become a good place for young people as well. "The biggest attraction of Midi is that it is an event for all young people, whether they know rock or not. They can come and have fun together," says Li Wei, www..coma general manager of Beijing Midi Performance Company, the festival organizer.“ Besides，the open environment of an outdoor festival attracts young people. Without the restrictions of seats and walls, people are more likely to relax themselves. There's often more interaction between the audience and performers.”

What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Midi Music Festival in Beijing

B. Tong Zhuo— a music lover

C. The joy of Midi Music Festival

D. The history of Mini Music Festival

Before May Day, Tong Zhuo started getting busy because_______.

  A. he was very busy with his computer work

  B. he was preparing for the Midi Music Festival

  C. he wanted to attend Beijing's Midi Music School

  D. he was busy hunting for jobs

Which of the following statements is WRONG about Midi Music Festivals?

  A. Midi Music Festival is held every year in Beijing.

  B. You can relax yourself as you like in the festival.

  C. The festival is named after a school

D. Only those who know music can take part in the festival

Which of the following is not the reason why Midi Music is popular with Chinese young people?

A. full of energy and life       

B. the open environment

C. freedom and interaction   

D. its popularity in the West

The Woodstock Festival is mentioned mainly to show that ______.

  A. westerners also like the outdoor music festivals

  B. the festival has a long history and good tradition

  C. young people can express their feelings through music festivals

D. people love peace and hate wars