阅读理解

　　If there is one thing I’m quite sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers．Not that newspapers are a necessity．Even now some people get most of the news from the television or the radio．Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday．But for most people a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation．

　　The basic British character won’t change, and one of the characteristics of the British is that we don’t much like talking to each other when we get up．So what any better way is there to keep yourself thinking in the morning than to wrap yourself in a newspaper?

　　Over the past couple of centuries, human beings have developed a close relationship with the newspaper．It has become as natural as breathing or enjoying the sun．And it is not just the British who love newspapers．On suburban trains in Calcutta, for instance, just one person in the whole train will buy a newspaper and read aloud the best bits to his fellow passengers, much to everybody’s enjoyment．

　　The nature of what is news may change．What essentially(本质上)makes news is what affects our lives and the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same．I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though．It’s happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering(基因工程)．In the future I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do－whether its love or depressions; we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are．

　　It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted electronically from the national equivalents of Fleet Street(伦敦的舰队街, 以报馆集中而著称)and printed out in our own homes．In fact, I’m pretty sure that that is how it will happen in future．You’ll be probably select from a menu, making up your own bespoke newspaper by picking out the things you want to read and say．You might even have an intelligent screening device to do the job for you．

　　I think people have got it wrong when they talk about the competition between the different media(媒体)．They actually have a relationship, feeding off each other．It was once predicted that television would kill off newspapers, which hasn’t happened．What is read on the printed page is more enduring than pictures on a flickering screen or sound lost in the sky．And as for the internet, it’s never really satisfying to read something just on a screen．

阅读理解

　　In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition(学会)of each new skill－the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing．It is common that parents hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child．This might happen at any stage．A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, and a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads．On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm(热情)for life and his desire to find out new things for himself．

　　Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children．Some may be especially strict in money matters; others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality(准时)for meals．In general, the controls imposed(强加的)represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community(社区)as much as the children’s own happiness．

　　As regards the development of moral standards in the child growing, consistency is very important in parental teaching．To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality．Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”．If they are not sincere and do not practise what they preach(说教), their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled．

A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment．

阅读理解

　　When people don’t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures．However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different part of the world．

　　In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”．In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”．In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I heard you”．

　　In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone’s life, he would put his thumb up．Today in the United States, when someone puts his/her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right”．However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there．

　　In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means “I’m the champion．” or “I’m the winner”．It is the sign fighters make when they win a fight．When a leading Russian Statesman made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner．In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship．

　　In the United States, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle and the other three fingers spread out means “Everything is O．K．” and is frequently used by astronauts and politicians．In France and Belgium, it can mean “You’re worth nothing．”

阅读理解

　　Do you sometimes argue about what seems to you to be a simple fact? Do you argue whether it’s cold outdoors or whether the car in front of you is going faster than the speed limit?

　　If you get into such arguments, try to think about the story about the six blind men and the elephant．The first blind man who felt the elephant’s trunk said it was like a snake．The second who felt the elephant’s side said it was like a wall, while the third said it was like a spear as he touched the animal’s tusk．The fourth who got hold of the elephant’s tail insisted that it was like a rope．The fifth man said it looked like a tree as he put his arms around one of the elephant’s legs．

　　The sixth, who was tall and got hold of the elephant’s ears, said it was like a huge fan．

　　Each man’s idea of the animal came from his own experience．So if someone disagrees with you about a “simple fact”, it’s often because his experience in the matter is different from yours．

　　To see how hard it is for even one person to make up his mind about a “simple fact”, try this simple experiment．Get three large bowls．Put ice water in one．Put hot water in the second．Put lukewarm water in the third．Now put your left hand in the ice water．Put your right hand in the hot water．After thirty seconds, put both hands in the lukewarm water．our right hand will tell you the water is cold．Your left hand will tell you it’s hot!

阅读理解

　　WASHINGTON－Laura Straub is a very worried woman．Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer．

　　It’s not easy, even desperate(希望渺小)．

　　“We have many children left to place：40 out of 75, ”said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreign-exchange programme called LEC．

　　When the exchange programme started 50 years ago, family life was more accommodating．For one thing, more mothers stayed home．

　　But now, increasing numbers of women work outside home．Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30 000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend an academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes．

　　School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept．At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic(异国情调的)．

　　In searching for host families, she usually receives no pay．Exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals(呼吁)to include everyone from young couples to retirees．

　　“We are open to many different types of families, ”said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE．A 25-year-old programme that sends about 30 000 teenagers on academic-year exchange programme worldwide．

　　For elderly people and exchange students, “Keep us young－they really do, ”said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst Denmark．

阅读理解

　　When young people get their first real jobs, they may face a lot of new, confusing situations．They may find that everything is different from the way things were at school．It is also possible that they will feel uncomfortable and insecure in both professional and social situations．Eventually, they realize that university classes can’t be the only preparation for all of the different situations that arise in the working world．

　　Perhaps the best way to learn how to behave in the working world is to identify(确定)a worker you admire and observe his behavior．In doing so, yon will be able to see what it is that you admire in this person．For example, you will observe how he acts in time of danger．Perhaps even more important, you will be able to see what is his attitude towards day-to-day situations．

　　While you are observing your partner, you should be asking yourself whether his behavior is like yours and how you can learn from his responses to a variety of situations．By watching and learning from a model, you will probably begin to identify and take good working habits．

阅读理解

　　News has just been received of an air crash in the north of England．The plane, which was on a charter(包租的)flight from London to Carlisle, was carrying a party of businessmen on their way to a trade fair．It seems likely that the plane ran into a heavy fog as it was getting close to Carlisle and it was forced to circle for some twenty minutes．Everything seemed to be going well．The pilot was in constant radio communication with control, when the engines suddenly cut out and all contact was lost．The plane crashed on the site of the ancient Roman camp at Hadrian’s Hill, a place well known to archaeologists(考古学家)and tourists．

　　So far few details have been reported, but it is feared that at least twenty people lost their lives, among whom was the pilot, who was killed instantly．The local ambulance and firemen were on the scene within minutes of the crash, but additional help had to be rushed from other areas．

　　Mr．Lesilie Collins, one of the survivors, told our reporter, “We passengers noticed the engines were making a funny noise．Of course we couldn’t see anything because of the fog, but the pilot said there was nothing to worry about．The next thing, we know, the engines went dead．There was a rushing noise and a kind of flash－and after that I don’t remember any more．”

　　Mr．Collins is now in hospital, being treated for minor injuries．We will be bringing you further news of the crash as we receive it．In the meantime relatives are asked to ring 02-3457211 for information．

阅读理解

　　What will man be like in the future－in 5000 or even 50 000 years from now? We can only make a guess, of course, but we can be sure that he will be different from what he is today．For man is slowly changing all the time．

　　Let us take an obvious example．Man, even five hundred years ago, was shorter than he is today．Now, on the average, men are about three inches taller．Five hundred years is a relatively short period of time, so we may suppose that man will continue to grow taller．

　　Again, in the modern world we use our brains a great deal．Even so, we still make use of only about 20％ of the brain’s capacity．As time goes on, however, we shall have to use our brains more and more and eventually we shall need larger ones!This is likely to bring about a physical change too：the head, in particular the forehead, will grow larger．

　　Nowadays our eyes are in constant use．In fact, we use them so much that very often they become weaker and we have to wear glasses．But over a very long period of time it is likely that man’s eyes will grow stronger．

　　On the other hand, we tend to make less use of our arms and legs．These, as a result, are likely to grow weaker．At the same time, however, our fingers will grow more sensitive because they are used a great deal in modern life．

　　But what about hair? This will probably disappear from the body altogether in course of time because it does not serve a useful purpose any longer．In the future, then, both sexes are likely to be bald!

　　Perhaps all this gives the impression that future man will not be a very attractive creature to look at! This may well be true．All the same, in spite of all these changes, future man will still have a lot in common with us．He will still be a human being, with thoughts and emotions similar to our own．