“Come in, Kin．Have a seat, please,” said Bill Williams, the manager．This was Kim’s first experience with an assessment．After only six months he was due for a raise if this assessment was satisfactory．
“Kim, ” began Bill Williams, “I am very pleased with the quality of your work．I have nothing but praise for your devotion and your hard work．My only concern is that you are not active enough in putting forward your suggestions．”
“But,” replied Kim, “I have always completed every assignment you have given me, Mr．
Williams．”
“I know that, Kim．And please, call me Bill．But what I expect is for you to think independently and introduce new ideas．I need more input from you－more feedback on how things are going．I don’t need a ‘yes man’．You never tell me what you think．You just smile as though everything is fine．”
“But,” said Kim, “I feel that since you are my superior, it would be presumptuous of me to tell you what to do．” “I’m not asking you to tell me what to do, but what you think we could do．To make suggestions．I employed you because I respect your experience in this field, but you are not communicating your thoughts to me．”
“Yes, I see．I’m not accustomed to this, but I will try to do as you say, Bill．”
“Good, then, I expect to hear more from you at staff meetings or at any other time you want to discuss an idea with me．”
“Yes, of course．Thank you, Mr．Will…Bill．”
(1)
Kim is the sort of employee who _________．
[ ]
A．
doesn’t speak out his own ideas
B．
is not devoted to the job．
C．
laughs too much over work
D．
can not finish his work on time
(2)
The word “presumptuous” in the middle of the passage is closest in meaning to “_________”．
[ ]
A．
full of respect
B．
too confident and rude
C．
lacking in experience
D．
too shy and quiet
(3)
From the passage, we can learn that _________．
[ ]
A．
Kim has been invited to take charge of the staff meetings
B．
the manager appreciates those who just do what he tells them to do
C．
the manager is pleased with Kim’s hard work and his suggestions
D．
Kim is likely to have a higher salary if he can pass the assessment
阅读理解
Since my retirement(退休)from teaching music in 2001, I have spent a good deal of time painting as an artist．I actually began drawing again in the summer of 1995 when my father died, so perhaps I was trying to recover from the loss of my father, or maybe it was just that it brought back memories of him．In any case, I drew pen and ink animals and landscapes(风景画)much influenced(影响)by Krenkel and St．John for five years．
For some strange reason, I had been waiting until my retirement to start doing watercolors again, but as soon as I walked out of the school door for the last time I picked up my brushes and rediscovered Andrew Wyeth, who quickly became my favorite artist．I had looked through all the art books I had on my shelves and found his watercolors to be the closest to how I thought good watercolors should look．So I painted landscapes around Minnesota for three years and tried out many other types of painting．However, watercolors remained my first choice, and I think I did my best work there, showing my paintings at a number of art exhibitions．
Art is now together with my piano playing and reading．There is a time for everything in my world, and it is wonderful to have some time doing what I want to do．As Confucius once said, “At seventy I can follow my heart’s desire．”
(1)
What is the text mainly about?
[ ]
A．
Learning to paint in late life．
B．
How to paint watercolors．
C．
An artist-turned teacher．
D．
Life after retirement．
(2)
The author started drawing again in 1995 because _________．
[ ]
A．
he hoped to draw a picture of his father
B．
he couldn’t stop missing his father
C．
he had more time after retirement
D．
he liked animals and landscapes
(3)
We can infer from the text that the author _________．
[ ]
A．
had been taught by Krenkel and St．John
B．
painted landscapes in Minnesota for 5 years
C．
believed Wyeth to be the best in watercolors
D．
started his retirement life at the age of seventy
(4)
How does the author probably feel about his life as an artist?
[ ]
A．
Very enjoyable．
B．
A bit regretful．
C．
Rather busy．
D．
Fairly dull．
阅读理解
All right! Enough cookies, Cola, and chips! It seems that junk food is all that the children want to eat these days．Television controls their tastes．The kids see well-known people eating potato chips, candy and other processed food, and they want to be like their heroes．How do they do it? They eat the same food．I wish there were more characters like old Popeye, the sailor, who ate spinach and not French fries．
Now I don’t expect my children to eat healthy food because I like brown rice(糙米), beans, and fresh vegetables．I’m glad to cook traditional meals of meat and potatoes for them．I really can’t be too upset with the kids because most adults aren’t careful about what they eat．The other night, my wife and I went to a party where there was plenty to drink but very little for us to eat．They served hot dogs, with all those preservatives, and hamburgers were filled with chemicals so that they looked better．Besides the meat, they had sugar-filled cookies and cake, and of course, chips．I don’t want the world to change because of me, but I think that people should realize that there are alternatives to eating meat．They always tell me that I probably don’t get my essential proteins．I feel better than ever and I’m sure that it’s because I’m a vegetarian．I would really like to see more television advertisements which show the benefits of good, healthy, and natural food．
(1)
The narrator _________．
[ ]
A．
required rich food
B．
gave an example of having junk food frequently
C．
complained about the food the party had served
D．
suspected both the adults and the children to be healthy
(2)
Hamburgers look better _________．
[ ]
A．
but taste bad
B．
because they are treated with chemicals
C．
so the narrator prefers them to hot dogs
D．
and the narrator expects the children to eat them
(3)
Which of the following is NOT true?
[ ]
A．
Television influences children’s food choice．
B．
The narrator is not single and definitely he eats meats．
C．
Though the narrator is a vegetarian, he feels very healthy．
D．
It is certain that brown rice, beans and spinach are not junk food．
(4)
The narrator is a vegetarian, so people doubt very much _________．
[ ]
A．
why he goes to the party
B．
whether he gets enough protein
C．
whether he is healthy and strong
D．
whether he allows his children to eat meat
阅读理解
The food we eat seems to have a great effect on our health．Although science has made big steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat．Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of human illness is related to food and forty percent of cancer is related to food as well．That food is related to illness is not a new discovery．In 1945, some researchers realized that things commonly used to keep colours in meats and other food additives caused cancer．Yet, these additives remain in our food, and it is difficult to know which things on the wrappings of foods are helpful or harmful．The additives which we eat are not all so direct．Farmers often give penicillin to their animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of cows．Sometimes similar things are supplied to animals not for their health, but just to make a profit．
The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to get a higher price on the market．Although some countries have tried to control such things, the practice continues．
(1)
According to this passage, we can know _________．
[ ]
A．
perhaps most of human illness is caused by what we eat
B．
perhaps most kinds of cancer are related to what people eat
C．
cancer was discovered in 1945
D．
science has made food unfit to eat
(2)
Things that are used to keep colours in meats are _________．
[ ]
A．
harmful
B．
useless
C．
helpless
D．
dangerous
(3)
All the additives _________．
[ ]
A．
are bright and colourless
B．
are not bright and colourful
C．
have indirect effects on our health
D．
have direct effects on our health
(4)
People use additives _________．
[ ]
A．
to make food more unfit to eat
B．
to improve the colour and taste of the food
C．
to change the colour of the food
D．
to take off the diseases of the food
阅读理解
The Key to Your Health
A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you．Eating the right kind of food is very important．It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat．
There are four main food groups altogether．The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk．The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group．Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups．With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day．
It is easy to get into bad eating-habits．You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time．Or you may not have time for a good lunch．It may seem easy to．But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly．
Watching what you eat will help your body remain healthy and strong．It is also good to take some exercise．It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air．Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health．
(1)
Which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
[ ]
A．
Corn, fish, cream and pork．
B．
Eggs, tomatoes and chicken．
C．
Milk, bread, cabbages and beef．
D．
Rice, beancurd, apples, fish and chicken．
(2)
Which of the following is a good eating habit?
[ ]
A．
Going to school without any breakfast．
B．
Finishing your lunch in a very short time．
C．
Eating fish and chips for supper all the time．
D．
Having at least one food from all four groups in each meal．
(3)
In this passage the writer mainly tells us that _________．
[ ]
A．
right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy
B．
taking exercise can keep your body strong
C．
every person needs food to grow well
D．
enough energy helps people think more quickly
(4)
The underlined word “dairy” in the second paragraph means _________．
[ ]
A．
the shop that sells milk and butter
B．
the food made out of cows such as milk and butter
C．
a farm where cows are kept
D．
a place where milk products are made
阅读理解
When the world was a simpler place, the rich were fat, the poor were thin, and right-thinking people worried about how to feed the hungry．Now, in much of the world, the rich are thin, the poor are fat, and right-thinking people are worrying about fatness．
Evolution(进化)is mostly to blame．It has designed mankind to deal with lack, not plenty．
People are perfectly fit to store energy in good years to see them through lean ones．But when bad time never comes, they are stuck with that energy, stored around their expanding bellies．
Thanks to rising agricultural productivity, lean years are rarer all over the globe．According to the UN, the number of people short of food fell from 920 m in 1980 to 799 m 20 years later, even though the world’s population increased by 1．6 billion over the period．This is mostly a cause for celebration．Mankind has won what was, for most of his time on this planet, his biggest battle：to ensure that he and his offspring had enough to eat．But every silver lining has a cloud, and the result of prosperity is a new trouble．
Fatness is the world’s biggest public-health topic today－the main cause of heart disease, which kills more people these days than AIDS, malaria(疟疾), war；the major risk factor in diabetes(糖尿病)；heavily connected with cancer and other diseases．Since the World Health Organization labeled fatness an“epidemic(流行病)”in 2000, reports on its fearful results have come thick and fast．
Will public-health warnings, combined with media pressure, persuade people to get thinner, just as they finally put them off tobacco? Possibly．In the rich world, sales of healthier foods are booming and new figures suggest that over the past year Americans got very slightly thinner for the first time in recorded history．But even if Americans are losing a few ounces, it will be many years before the country solves the health problems caused by half a century’s dining to overload．
And, everywhere else in the world, people are still piling on the pounds．That’s why there is now an agreement among doctors that governments should do something to stop them．
(1)
What’s the main idea the writer intends to tell us in this passage?
[ ]
A．
It’s harmful to have enough to eat．
B．
It’s better to be thin than fat．
C．
Fatness is the greatest danger in the world．
D．
Fatness has become a great health problem．
(2)
It can be inferred from the passage that the biggest problem in history is _________．
[ ]
A．
people were thin
B．
people smoked heavily
C．
there was not enough food to eat
D．
people stored energy in good years
(3)
Why does the author compare smoking with the fat problem in this passage?
[ ]
A．
Because they are both difficult problems to be settled．
B．
Because they both lead to the same diseases．
C．
Because they are both bad habits．
D．
Because they are both harmful to health．
(4)
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
[ ]
A．
Man has got rid of lean years by increasing agricultural productivity．
B．
Though fatness is a difficult problem, man may break away from it．
C．
Fatness may cause many diseases such as heart disease, AIDS and cancer．
D．
The fat problem won’t be settled until governments take measures．
阅读理解
The purpose of keeping fit is to avoid illness, resist the mental and physical fatigue(疲劳)that make us more likely to contract infections, and above all to feel more pleasure in being alive．
Research has shown the value of a balanced diet, fresh air, sunshine, enough rest and some forms of regular exercise for everyone．If everyone followed this plan, the number of people visiting the doctor and going to hospital would be considerably reduced．
Unfortunately, although most people acknowledge the importance of physical fitness, not enough of us put this into practice．We spend too much time watching others from the comfort of an armchair or a seat in the stand at a sports stadium．
One reason why people who are physically fit to live longer is that they do not put the heart under excessive strain(过度劳累)and so they reduce the risk of heart and blood vessel(血管)diseases．They also avoid suffering the consequences of weakened muscles, which are the cause of a great deal of back and abdominal(腹部的)trouble．
About 640 muscles for about 45％ of our body’s weight, they must have the ability to store energy and be continually supplied with fuel by the blood．Sensible exercise, suited to each individual and preferably undertaken on the advice of a doctor, is the best insurance of meeting these requirements．
(1)
Why do people want to prevent illness?
[ ]
A．
Because they want to avoid health．
B．
Because they want to add mental and physical fatigue．
C．
Because they want to feel happier and live longer．
D．
Because they want to obtain much more money．
(2)
What happens to him if a man follows the plan given by the researchers?
[ ]
A．
He will be more exhausted(疲惫的)．
B．
He will know his doctor very well．
C．
He will do less work．
D．
He may be less familiar with the hospital．
(3)
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
[ ]
A．
Everyone knows the importance of this plan．
B．
Not all people do what the plan tells them to do．
C．
Most people put the plan into practice．
D．
No one wants to do with this plan．
(4)
What is the best way for people to follow in order to keep fit?
[ ]
A．
They must do as much exercise as they can．
B．
They should avoid storing energy and fuel by the blood．
C．
They might have 640 muscles working all the time．
D．
They should do proper exercise and follow the doctor’s advice．
阅读理解
From Mr．Ward Hoffman．
Sir, I was halfway through Professor Raj Persaud’s article “What’s the tipping point”(Financial Times Weekend, April 9-10)when it occurred to me that what I was reading was not ironic(讽刺的)．If Prof Persaud wants to know why Americans tip in restaurants, he needs only to ask the first American he meets in London．
Americans tip in restaurants for one reason, and one reason only：we tip to supplement(补贴)the salary of restaurant workers．Quality of service does not enter into it, beyond the fact that one may tip a bit less for poor service, or a little more for good service．Not tipping at all in a non-fast-food restaurant is not a choice．In the US, one used to tip about 15 per cent for dining in a family-style restaurant or in an up-market(高档的)restaurant．Here, in San Francisco Bay area restaurants, we are encouraged to tip 20 per cent or more, to help restaurant workers live in this very expensive area．
After eating at an Italian restaurant in my city, I left a tip of 20 per cent on the non-tax part of our dinner bill．It was expected．There is nothing more complicated(复杂的)than that about Americans tipping in restaurants．
Ward Hoffman, Palo Alto, CA 94306, US
***
From Mr．Philip McBride Johnson．
Sir, I agree with most of Raj Persaud’s opinion about the doubtful value of tipping, but with one exception(例外)．Tips can be very useful when one is a repeat customer or diner．It is only when the tipper is a stranger and likely to remain so that the system does not work to his or her advantage．But frequent a hotel or a restaurant, always tip a bit more, and the difference in service and treatment will be easily felt．
Philip McBride Johnson, Great Falls, VA 22066, US
(1)
What can we learn from Hoffman’s letter?
[ ]
A．
Quality of service determines tipping in the US．
B．
Americans don’t tip in non fast-food restaurants．
C．
Tipping in US up-market restaurant is unnecessary．
D．
How to tip in the United States is not complicated．
(2)
Johnson’s letter shows _________．
[ ]
A．
a stranger in a restaurant is likely to tip a bit more
B．
diners receive better service if they frequent a restaurant
C．
repeat diners may get good service if they tip a bit more
D．
the tipping system works to the advantage of new customers
(3)
From the two letters, we can learn Professor Raj Persaud _________．
[ ]
A．
feels doubtful about the value of tipping
B．
believes tipping improves quality of service
C．
wants to ask Hoffman about tipping m the US
D．
thinks tipping a bit more one can get good service
(4)
The two letters most probably appears in a _________．
[ ]
A．
notice
B．
handbook
C．
book review
D．
newspaper
阅读理解
Short and shy, Ben Saunders was the last kid in his class picked for any sports team．
“Football, tennis, cricket－anything with a round ball, I was useless, ”he says now with a laugh．But back then he was the object of jokes in school gym classes in England’s rural Devonshire．
It was a mountain bike he received for his 15th birthday that changed him．At first the teen went biking alone in a nearby forest．Then he began to cycle along with a runner friend．Gradually,
Saunders set his mind on building up his body, increasing his speed, strength and endurance．At age 18, he ran his first marathon．
The following year, he met John Ridgway, who became famous in the 1960s for rowing an open boat across the Atlantic Ocean．Saunders was hired as an instructor at Ridgway’s School of Adventure in Scotland, where he learned about the older man’s cold-water exploits．Intrigued,
Saunders read all he could about Arctic explorers and North Pole expeditions, then decided that this would be his future．
Journeys to the Pole aren’t the usual holidays for British country boys, and many people dismissed his dream as fantasy．“John Ridgway was one of the few who didn’t say, ’You are completely crazy, ’” Saunders says．
In 2001, after becoming a skilled skier, Saunders started his first long-distance expedition toward the North Pole．He suffered frostbite, had a close encounter with a polar bear and pushed his body to the limit．
Saunders has since become the youngest person to ski alone to the North Pole, and he’s skied more of the Arctic by himself than any other Briton．His old playmates would not believe the transformation．
This October, Saunders, 27, heads south to explore from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back, an 1800 mile journey that has never been completed on skis．
(1)
The turning point in Saunders’ life came when _________．
[ ]
A．
he started to play ball games
B．
he got a mountain bike at age 15
C．
he ran his first marathon at age 18
D．
he started to receive Ridgway’s training
(2)
We can learn from the text that Ridgway _________．
[ ]
A．
dismissed Saunders’ dream as fantasy
B．
built up his body together with Saunders
C．
hired Saunders for his cold-water experience
D．
won his fame for his voyage across the Atlantic
(3)
What do we know about Saunders?
[ ]
A．
He once worked at a school in Scotland．
B．
He followed Ridgway to explore the North Pole．
C．
He was chosen for the school sports team as a kid．
D．
He was the first Briton to ski alone to the North Pole．
(4)
The underlined word “Intrigued” in the third paragraph means _________．
[ ]
A．
Excited
B．
Convinced
C．
Delighted
D．
Fascinated
(5)
It can be inferred that Saunders’ journey to the North Pole _________．
[ ]
A．
was accompanied by his old playmates
B．
set a record in the North Pole expedition
C．
was supported by other Arctic explorers
D．
made him well-known in the 1960s
阅读理解
Conjoined twins lead separate but active lives．
Lori and Reba have never been alone and they want to keep it that way．
The 40-year-old conjoined twins in Pennsylvania, US, have read about others locked together by an accident of birth who have been medically separated．But they insist only death can part them．
“We’ve never imagined a life divided, ”Lori said．
Lori and Reba are joined together at the side of their heads, facing in opposite directions．Their blood supply is partly linked, but each has a separate brain．
Reba suffers from a disease which has left her completely dependent on her sister．
Lori wheels her everywhere they go in different professional directions．Lori worked in a laundry room at a hospital for six years before giving that up to allow Reba to try to become a country singer．
Her first song is called “The Fear of Being Alone”, which was inspired by Reba and Lori’s desire for togetherness．
Reba’s career has taken her across the United States, Europe and parts of Asia．
While the twins receive some money from the government, the earning from Reba’s concerts go to AIDS and cancer charities(慈善机构)．
The sisters have set goals for themselves．Reba looks forward to a successful career as a country singer, while Lori says she hopes to get married and have children．Lori said, “So when it comes, it comes．Meanwhile, I live wonderfully from day to day．”
(1)
By leading separate lives, the topic means that ________．
[ ]
A．
either of the two can look after herself
B．
the twins do different things
C．
they face in opposite directions
D．
they are no longer conjoined now
(2)
When Reba gives performances as a country singer, Lori ________．
[ ]
A．
works in a hospital
B．
continues her college education
C．
brings up her children
D．
looks after her sister
(3)
The twins lead active lives because they ________．
[ ]
A．
are tired of staying at home doing nothing
B．
need more money
C．
want to prove themselves as useful citizens
D．
have to earn their own bread
(4)
From the last paragraph we can understand that Lori ________．