If women are mercilessly exploited(剥削) year after year, they have only themselves to blame.Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores.Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste.Many women spend large sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn.Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time changing their old-fashioned dresses.Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and so on.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society.Fashion designers are rarely concerned with necessary things like warmth, comfort and durability (耐用).They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right.There can hardly be a man who hasn't at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or picking her way through deep snow in high heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious.Do the constantly changing fashions of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of inconstancy and instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers.Do their unchanging styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide.
【小题1】Designers and big stores always make money_________.
| A.by mercilessly exploiting women workers in the clothing industry |
| B.because they are capable of predicting new fashions |
| C.by constantly changing the fashions in women's clothing |
| D.because they attach great importance to quality in women's clothing |
| A.a waste of money |
| B.a waste of time |
| C.an expression of taste |
| D.an expression of creativity |
| A.the commercial exploitation of women |
| B.the women's strength of character |
| C.basic qualities of inconstancy and instability |
| D.an important contribution to society |
| A.women's inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
| B.women are better able to put up with discomfort |
| C.men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers |
| D.men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
Finding something to do during the school holidays isn't always easy, but one mum has set up a new website to help families find activities and events in Norfolk.
Fiona Anthony of Bawburgh, near Norwich, was persuaded by her friends to set up the website, Info4Families, when they noticed she always knew what events were happening in the county(县).
"I am always looking for things to keep my children occupied and Norfolk has such a lot going on," she said.
Detail(细节)from Info4Families
"But I found it quite difficult to get information about events and activities for children and families, as there was no central information point and it would often involve collecting leaflets(传单) and checking notice boards at different places.
"So I decided to set up a website which would allow people to find things to do, without leaving home," she added.
Fiona was also concerned that some events she had booked had to be cancelled(取消) because not enough people wanted to go.
"It is a real shame that some parents can’t find the events and some event organisers don’t get the numbers they need. I want to help bring the two together," said Fiona.
The website gives details on regular, one-off and free events, and includes activities which children can do on their own or with the family.
Parents can look for activities by category(种类)and by age so that they can find events suitable for their children’s interests and needs. The site also links to local places of interest, such as libraries, museums and cinemas.
【小题1】 Fiona Anthony set up the website __________.
| A.to tell people how to spend their holidays at home |
| B.to design some activities for event organizers |
| C.to help people choose activities and events they’re interested in |
| D.to make money by providing some useful information |
| A.busy | B.happy | C.free | D.tired |
| A.museums | B.schools | C.cinemas | D.libraries |
| A.Not all the events on the website are free of charge. |
| B.Fiona always knew what events were happening in her country. |
| C.Children must take part in the activities provided by the website together with their parents. |
| D.some organizers often feel disappointed that not enough people take part in their activities. |
Hummingbirds have got their name from the distinct “hum” sound made by their rapidly flapping (拍打) wings. The size of the bird decides the number of flaps it can do. The average lifetime of a hummingbird is 3 or 4 years, but some of them have lived beyond 12 years also. They are unique in many ways. Besides the number of rapid flaps they can do per second, they can also fly backwards.
Hummingbirds have an amazing sense of assessing the amount of sugar in the nectar (花蜜) they eat. They feed on the nectar of flowers. Hummingbirds do not feed on flowers whose nectar contains less than 10% sugar. Talk about a sweet tooth! As they cannot sustain themselves on nectar alone because of its poor nutritional value, they also feed on insects and spiders, and hummingbird food mixture that one can make at home.
Attracting hummingbirds to your garden will require a little planning. Plant butterfly bush, mimosa, coral bells, foxglove, morning glory, etc. These flowers attract the hummingbirds due to their high visibility (可见性) and nectar production. Avoid using pesticides (杀虫剂), as it will not only kill the insects around the flowers, but hurt the hummingbirds as well.
A common food for these birds is the sweettasting sugar syrup (糖浆). Hummingbird food ingredients are just two: sugar and water. Take a large clean bowl, pour in it four cups of hot water, and dissolve one cup of table sugar in it. Stir slowly until all sugar has dissolved.
Hummingbirds, tiny as they are, collect a lot of nutrition. Providing them with hummingbird food mixture made of sugar water is a sure way to get all these beauties humming in your garden.
【小题1】Hummingbirds will have some little animals for their meal when .
| A.they can't find any green plants |
| B.they can't take in enough nutrition |
| C.they are bored with eating nectar |
| D.they are too old to fly |
| A.plan high trees |
| B.grow plants with small flowers |
| C.grow plants whose flowers are bright in color |
| D.grow plants coming into flower in the morning |
| A.how to prepare food for hummingbirds |
| B.where hummingbirds can find delicious food |
| C.hummingbirds can't live for long without sugar |
| D.hummingbirds like manmade food better than nectar |
People seem to have a natural need for friends and with good reason. Friends increase your enjoyment of life and relieve feelings of loneliness. They even can help reduce stress and improve your health. Having good friends is especially helpful when you are going through any kind of hard time such as when you are experiencing anxiety, panic attacks, or depression.
When you are with good friends you feel good about yourself, and you are glad to be with them. A friend is someone who —
●you like, respect, and trust, and who likes, respects and trusts you
●doesn’t always understand you, but accepts and likes you as you are, even as you grow and change
●allows you the space to change, grow, make decisions, and even make mistakes
●listens to you and shares with you both the good times and the bad times
●respects your need for secrets, so you can tell them anything
●lets you freely express your feelings and emotions without judging, teasing, or criticizing you
●accepts the limitations you have put on yourself and helps you to remove them
A person once said, “Friendship is a continuing source of bonding(连接), releasing, and creating in yourself and with the other person. There is an emotional bond between the two people.”
A good friend or supporter may or may not be the same age or the same sex as you, and may not have the same educational, cultural, or religious background, or share interests that are similar to yours. Friendships also have different depths. Some are closer to the heart and some more superficial, but they’re all useful and good.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT a function of a friend?
| A.He brings you some happiness. | B.He helps you feel less lonely. |
| C.He helps you get over the difficulties. | D.He helps you cheat on the exam. |
| A.deep | B.hard | C.shallow | D.close |
| A.A Friend in Need Is A Friend Indeed | B.What Kind of Person A Friend Should Be |
| C.To Be A Good Friend | D.How to Get on with Your Friend |
Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum(核心课程), but with a difference.While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class.Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance(忍耐力).In this way,kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life.
Considering that 15 percent of American children 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum.In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P.E.on the chopping block(砧板), cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids.The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard."Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added.
The wisd
om of the new approach has some scientific support.Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be.They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country (越野)than when they played sports.The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant students were able to sit on the bench.
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school.The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood.
【小题1】According to the passa
ge, what is usually taught in the old gym class?
| A.Lift weights | B.Climb a rope |
| C.Cycle | D.Have a balanced diet |
| A.Schools do not pay |
| B.Schools welcome P.E.but do not have time for it. |
| C.Schools put P.E.in the first place. |
| D.Schools cut down other s |
| A.More teenagers are overweight. |
| B.Traditional group sports teaching is not effective. |
| C.Students need to learn some skills to help them lead a physically active life. |
| D.Phys ed programs need less money to support. |
| A.Two | B.Three | C.Four | D.One |
| A.The Phys ed teaches group sports. |
| B.The Phys ed provides more fitness programs. |
| C.The Phys ed teaches tools and skills which could be used in the future life. |
| D.The Phys ed has more support from the government. |
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 it 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. Well, maybe. 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 keep and manage it. People in the US often attend conferences or read books on time management. It seems they all want to organize their time better. Professionals carry around pocket planners(计划书) — some in electronic form — to keep track of appointments and deadlines. People do all they can to press more life out of their time.
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 maybe an explanation. People who are running late often call ahead to let others know of the delay. Of course, the less formal the situation, 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. But they usually don’t try that at work.
American lifestyles show how much people respect the time of others. When people plan an event, they often set time days or weeks in advance. Once the time is fixed, it takes almost an emergency to change it. If people want to come to your house for a friendly visit, they will usually call first to make sure it is convenient. Only very close friends will just “drop by” unannounced. Also, people hesitate to call others late at night for fear they might be in bed. The time may vary, but most folks think twice about calling after 10:00 pm.
Even Americans would admit that no one can master time. Time, like money, slips all too easily through our finger. And time, like the weather, is very hard to predict. However, time is one of life’s most precious gifts.
【小题1】The main idea of the passage is _______.
| A.time is money | B.different attitude toward time in the world |
| C.how to save time | D.how Americans treat time |
| A.Americans respect others’ time in daily life |
| B.Americans seldom call after 10:00 |
| C.Americans inform before paying a visit to their friends |
| D.when planning an event, Americans usually fix time ahead of time |
| A.think for a second time | B.be careful |
| C.be afraid | D.pay attention |
| A.Americans like time better than anything else |
| B.generally speaking, Americans respect their time |
| C.on the whole, Americans treasure their time |
| D.Americans consider their time is difficult to master and predict |