阅读理解

　　Dear Mr Price,

　　I have eaten in your restaurant many times and have always been happy with the food and service．What happened last Saturday evening made me disappointed．

　　It was my son’s birthday so we booked a no-smoking table at your restaurant for 7∶30 p. m．We arrived on time but were given a table in the smoking section．I asked to move but was told that there were no other tables．A lot of people were smoking so it was uncomfortable．

　　Our first waitress, Janet, was polite and helpful．She gave us free drinks for waiting not long．Our food also came quickly and looked fresh and nice．When my wife had eaten most of her meal, she found a dead cockroach(蟑螂)in the vegetables, she was shocked and waned to leave．At first, the waitress told us it was a piece of garlic(大蒜)．When we told her that garlic did not have legs, she apologized and took the food away．

　　We asked for the bill, expecting not to pay for my wife’s meal．Nobody came．After 15 minutes, I asked to see the manager．The head waiter told us that you were on holiday．I complained again about the horrible cockroach．He told me Janet had finished working．He didn’t believe my story and gave me bill for three meals．I argued with him but was forced to pay．

　　The waitress, Janet, was always friendly, but I would like an apology from your impolite head waiter and a full refund for our meals which cost ＄68．Until then, I will not eat at your restaurant or recommend it to anyone．

　　You can contact me at 7423254 or through E-mail if you want more information．

　　Thank you very much for your attention．

Yours sincerely

请同学们阅读下面文章，完成阅读任务，并谈一谈自己的观点。

　　Choosing what to eat is no longer as easy as it once was．Our eating habits have changed, as has our way of life, and the fuel we need for our bodies is also different．Traditional diets often have too much fat and too many calories for the 21st century person．If we want to keep up with the high pace of modern life, we had better learn to make the right choices about what and how we eat．

　　Stores offer all kinds of food and snacks and we have to make many choices．When we choose what to buy and eat, we had better think whether the food will give us the nutrients we need．Some nutrients help build our body and make it stronger．Protein, for example, is good for our muscles．Fish, meat and beans contain a lot of protein．Calcium, which is found in eggs, milk and other dairy products, is good for our bones and teeth．We should also eat carbohydrates, the main fuel for our body, which we can get from bread, rice and noodles．Other nutrients, such as fiber and minerals, help keep our body functioning well．Vitamins, which we can get from eating vegetables, fruit, fish and drinking milk, help our body fight disease．?

　　But the choices we make are not just about nutrition．Many people today make choices about their eating habits based on what they believe．Eating habits become part of who we are．Some people become vegetarians because they believe it is healthier not to eat meat or because they think we should not kill animals for food．Others become vegans and will not eat any animal products at all, not even eggs．We also make choices based on how the products are grown or made：environmentally friendly food, or “ecofood”, is produced by companies who have tried to use green and clean ways to grow it．Organic vegetables are those that are grown without chemicals that can be harmful to human beings or the environment．

　　Because we have so much to choose from, many companies and stores offer advice about what we should eat．Books, magazines and television shows tell us about food and pills we should buy to become smarter, healthier and more beautiful．It is probably better, however, if we spend our time and money on buying good food and keeping a balanced diet．If we eat healthy food in the right amounts, we do not have to buy any supplements．The same goes for “crash diets” that some companies say will make us lose weight fast．Instead of eating expensive diet foods or going on healthy diets, we can simply try to eat less fat and sugar and exercise more．

　　The best way to make sure that we will feel and look fine is to develop healthy eating habits．We ought to learn more about our body and the fuel it needs to keep fit．Only in that way will we be ready for the challenges and opportunities in life．

仔细阅读文章，根据内容选择正确答案。

阅读理解

　　Awareness Weeks have become a regular part of Britain’s cultural landscape over the past few years．They started back in 1957, when one charity, Christian Aid, decided to make all its money－raising efforts on one time of year．It was thought that by doing this they would get more publicity for their cause．

　　They were right．And soon other charities and campaign groups followed them．These days, most donations to charity are not collected on the streets．So instead of just asking for money, charities prefer to spend their time “raising awareness”－spreading knowledge of the work they do or the cause they support．They also compete with businesses and trade groups who use awareness weeks as marketing campaigns for their products．

　　There are now 500 awareness weeks held every year in the UK．No week goes by without one group or another trying to make the British public aware of something, with most held in May or October．

　　The danger with all these awareness weeks is that people start to become cynical．Take National Smile Week, it seems like a great idea．Let’s all make each other’s life a little bit happier with a friendly smile．But really it’s just a group of dentists and cosmetics companies trying to sell us toothpaste．It’s enough to make you want to start National Forget About It Week．

　　“People feel that many awareness campaigns are just marketing exercises．” Says Mrs Ormiston, who edits the Awareness Campaign Register, a news letter which encourages people who run Awareness Weeks to become more aware of each other．But 90 percent of campaigns are run by traditional charities or not for groups to make money．

　　“There’s still no official group for awareness campaigns．”says Mrs Ormiston．“People can do what they like, whatever the size of their budgets or their public relations machines allows．”

　　This situation has led to calls for laws to stop real charities having their efforts overshadowed by marketing campaigns．This could be done by making the two groups hold their weeks at different times or stopping businesses running imitation charity campaigns．

　　But there is another way．Maybe it’s time for National Weak Awareness Week, especially for people whose awareness of Awareness Weeks is weak．

阅读理解

　　Years ago, when I started looking for my first job, wise advisers advised, “Barbara, be enthusiastic! Enthusiasm will take you further than any amount of experience．” How right they were!

　　“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm．” Wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson．It is the paste that helps you hang on there when the going gets tough．It is the inner voice that whispers, “I can do it!” When others shout, “No, you can’t” It took years and years for the early work of Barbara Mclintock, a geneticist who won the 1983 Nobel Prize in medicine, to be generally accepted．Yet she didn’t stop working on her experiments．Work was such a deep pleasure for her that she never thought of stopping．

　　We are all born with wide-eyed, enthusiastic wonder and it is this childlike wonder that gives enthusiastic people such youthful air, whatever their age．At 90, cellist Pablo Casals would start his day by playing Bach．As the music flowed through his fingers, his stooped shoulders would straighten and joy would reappear in his eyes．As author and poet Samuel Ulaman once wrote, “Years wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul．”

　　Enthusiastic people also love what they do, regardless of money or title or power．Patricia Mcllrath, retired director of the Missouri Repertory Theater in Lamsas City, was once asked where she got her enthusiasm．She replied, “My father, a lawyer, long ago told me, I never made a dime until I stopped working for money．”

　　If we cannot do what we love as a full-time career, we can as a hobby, Elizabeth Layton of Wellsville, Kan, was 68 before she began to draw．This activity ended periods of depression that had troubled her for at least 30 years, and the quality of her work led one critic say, “I am tempted to call Layton a genius．”

　　We can’t afford to waste tears on “might-have-beens”．We need to turn the tears into sweat as we go after “what-can-be”．We need to live each moment whole heartedly, with all our senses-finding pleasure in the sweet smell of a backyard garden, the simple picture of a six-year-old, the beauty of a rainbow．

阅读理解

　　X-rays were first discovered by a German scientist, Wilhelm Konrad Rontgen, in 1895, almost by accident．He and several other scientists were experimenting with passing electric currents through certain gases in a special glass tube from which the air had been moved．One day Rontgen noticed that, even when the tube was covered with black paper, some strange kind of radiation was coming through and making a screen nearby glow．Ronghen could not see anything coming out of the tube, but then he discovered that if he put the screen in the next room on the other side of a closed door, the rays could pass not only through black paper but also through wood．

　　The next thing he found out was that if he put his hand between the rays and a photographic plate, the rays would print a shadow of the bony framework of his hand on the plate．In fact, the rays could pass as easily through the fleshy part of his hand as through the black paper, but hardly at all through the bone．So Rontgen made the first X-ray picture of a hand, showing just how the bones in the hand fit together．

阅读理解

　　A holiday is any day when people lay aside their ordinary duties and cares．The word comes from Old English．At first, holidays honored some holy event or person．People in Great Britain and other countries speak of holidays as Americans speak of vacations．

　　Every nation has its special holidays．China observes New Year’s Day(January 1), May Day and National as legal holidays, as it was on Oct．1, 1949 that People’s Republic of China was founded．The Chinese have long celebrated the Chinese lunar year．In the United States, congress has declared several as legal days such as New Year’s Day(January 1); Martin Luther King, Jr’s Birthday; Washington’s Birthday; Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and so on．Some holidays celebrate special events in the development of a country, such as Greece’s Independence Day; Italy’s Liberation Day and India’s Independence Day．

　　In the States, banks and schools usually close on a legal holiday．When such a holiday falls on Sunday, the following Monday is usually observed．Schools and organizations often observe days known as traditional holidays, although schools and business do not close then．Those holidays include Valentine’s Day and Halloween．

阅读理解

　　I needed to get some money during my winter holidays．So after Christmas I took a job in the clothes department at Graham’s for the first fortnight of the January sale．I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was an experience I’ll never forget．

　　I could never understand why there were so many things in the sales; where did they all come from? Now I know the secret! Firstly, there is the special winter stock(货物)and the stock that people buy all the year round; some of these things are slightly reduced．Secondly, there are the summer clothes they couldn’t sell last year, these are heavily reduced to clear them．Thirdly, there are cheap clothes bought in specially for the sales; these are put out at high prices ten days before the sale begins and then are reduced by 60％ in the sale．Clever! Later, they buy in “seconds”(clothes not in perfect condition)for the sale and they are sold very cheaply．

　　When I arrived half an hour before opening on the first day of the sale, there was already a queue around three sides of the building．This made me very nervous．

　　When the big moment arrived to open the doors, the security guards, looking less confident than usual, came up to them, keys in hand．The moment they had unlocked the doors, they hid behind the doors for protection as the noisy crowd charged in．I couldn’t believe my eyes; this wasn’t shopping, it was a battlefield! One poor lady couldn’t keep her feet and was knocked over by people pushing from behind．

　　Clothes were flying in all directions as people searched for the sizes, colors and styles they wanted．Quarrels broke out．Mothers were using their small children to crawl through people’s legs and get hold of things they couldn’t get near themselves．

　　Within minutes I had half a dozen people pushing clothes under my nose, each wanting to be the first served．Where had the famous English Queue gone? The whole day continued like that, but I kept my temper(脾气)！I was taking money hand over fist and began to realize why, twice a year, Graham’s were happy to turn their expensive store into a battlefield like this．

　　In the sale fever, people were spending money like water without thinking whether they needed what they were buying．As long as it was a bargain it was OK．

　　You won’t believe this but as soon as I got home I crashed out for four hours．Then I had dinner and went back to bed, fearing the sound of the alarm which would tell me to get ready for the second day of the sale．

阅读理解

　　Between 1977 and 1981, three groups of American women, numbering 27 in all, between the age of 35 and 65, were given month-long tests to determine how they would respond to conditions resembling those aboard the space shuttle．

　　Though carefully selected from among many applicants, the women were volunteers and the pay was barely above the minimum wage．They were not allowed to smoke or drink alcohol during the tests, and they were expected to accompany with each other for the entire period．Among other things they had to stand pressure three times the force of gravity and carry out both physical and mental tasks whole exhausted from strenuous physical exercise．At the end of ten days, they had to spend a further twenty days absolutely confined to bed, during which time they suffered backaches and other discomforts, and when they were finally allowed up, the more physically active women were especially subject to pain due to a slight calcium loss．

　　Results of the tests suggest that women will have significant advantages over man in space．They need less food and less oxygen and they stand up to radiation better．Men’s advantages in terms of strength and stamina, meanwhile, are virtually wiped out by the zero-gravity condition in space．

本文是说明文。但是文章大部分内容叙述了一次试验，所以前面部分也可以说是记叙文体。文章通过对27位年龄不等的妇女进行的模拟宇宙飞船上的试验得出结论：女性在太空比男性更有优越性。

阅读理解

　　Somewhere on the South Coast

　　England

　　Dear Mum and Dad,

　　It was a great idea to send me over to Britain to learn English this summer! I’ve met so many students－from Sweden, France and all over the world．And there are lots of students from Germany here too．It’s just like being at home．What a relief to find normal people, even in England, and to speak in a normal language most of the time．

　　Of course, we do have English lessons in the day, and I have to talk to the family I stay with here．Do you know, some of my friends have said they won’t go out with us in the evening any more－they want to speak English and find English friends．I think they’re mad．

　　The family I live with are very nice．But they have some strange habits．They drink tea all day：at breakfast, in the afternoon and at bedtime．And they eat butter with salt in it!If I go out in the evening, I often eat fish and chips．The food is wrapped up in a newspaper; at least reading the paper takes your mind off the fish and chips!Here at the coast, we travel by bus．The buses are always late．I was knocked down by an old lady the other day because I didn’t stand in the queue．English people seem very quiet and reserved, so I was very surprised to see how violent they become about queues．Also, if you ask them directions, they suddenly become very chatty and go on for hours．

　　I’d like to come back here next year to see all my friends again－oh yes, and to learn some more English…

Your son,

Hans

本文是一封书信，是应用文的一种。信中叙述了作者在英国学习的情况和感受。他结识了许多来自其他国家的学生，他们都是来英国学习英语的。他介绍了他所寄宿的家庭和他们喝茶的习惯。他还讲述了他乘车没有站队的经历和体会。信的开头和结尾都表达了作者对这次来英国学习的喜爱。学习本文时还应注意信的格式。

阅读理解

　　You got red with anger, green with envy, and white with fright．If you’re unhappy you’re blue, and if you’re a coward, you’re yellow．Whatever your feelings are you can find a color to describe them．

　　But colors not only describe feelings, they can also have a very strong effect upon us．Everybody has noticed how you feel colder in a blue room than a red room even though the rooms are at the same temperature．So colors can affect our moods．And it is also possible that our own choice of a favorite color can tell us something about ourselves．If green is your favorite color, you are strong-minded and determined．You do not wish to change, but you certainly wish to succeed and what’s more, you want other people to see you are successful．Red makes bulls charge and makes your blood pressure go up．You are fiercely competitive, very strong-minded and full of energy．If you choose blue, the color of calm seas and clear skies, you like peace and quiet and like to feel you belong to a group of trusted friends．Purple is a mixture of red and blue, and is a compromise between peaceful blue and aggressive red．You are romantic and tender and wish to charm and please others．

本文是说明文。文章说明了人们用颜色词表达思想的情况。不管你的感觉如何，你都可以用颜色来表达自己的心情。颜色本身对我们的感觉也有影响，它可以影响我们的心情。人们可以从你对颜色的偏爱了解你, 因为你所喜爱的颜色表达了你的性格。