When you think of the tremendous technological progress we have made, it’s amazing how little we have developed in other respects. We may speak scornfully of the poor old Romans because they enjoyed the seemingly excited killing that went on in their arenas（竞技场）. We may despise them because they mistook these goings on for entertainment. We may forgive them because they lived 2000 years ago and obviously knew no better. But are our feelings of superiority（优越）really justified? Are we any less blood-thirsty? Why do boxing matches, for instance, attract such universal interest? Don’t the audience who attend them hope they will see some violence? Human beings remain as bloodthirsty as ever they were. The only difference between ourselves and the Romans is that while they were honest enough to admit that they enjoyed watching hungry lions tearing people apart and eating them alive, we find all sorts of arguments to defend sports which should have been banned long ago.
　　It really is incredible that in this day and age we should still allow hunting or bull-fighting, that we should be prepared to sit back and watch two men punch each other in a boxing ring, that we should be relatively unmoved by the sight of one or a number of racing cars crashing and bursting into flames. Any talk of ‘the sporting spirit’ is merely hypocrisy（虚伪）. People take part in violent sports because of the high rewards they bring. Audience are willing to pay vast sums of money to see violence. A world heavyweight championship match, for instance, is front page news. Millions of people are disappointed if a big fight is over in two rounds instead of fifteen. They feel disappointment because they haven’t experienced the exquisite pleasure of witnessing continuous violence.
　　Why should we ban violent sports if people enjoy them so much? You may well ask. The answer is simple: they are uncivilized. For centuries man has been trying to improve himself spiritually and emotionally—though with little success. But at least we no longer tolerate the sight madmen imprisoned in cages, or public punishment of any of the countless other barbarous (野蛮的) practices which were common in the past. Prisons are no longer the harsh forbidding places they used to be. Social welfare systems are in operation in many parts of the world. Big efforts are being made to distribute wealth fairly. These changes have come about not because human beings have suddenly improved, but because positive steps were taken to change the law. The law is the biggest instrument of social change that we have and it may exert great civilizing influence. If we banned dangerous and violent sports, we would be moving one step further to improving mankind. We would recognize that violence is unworthy of human beings.
【小题1】It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s opinion of nowadays’ human beings is ________________

Years ago,when I was working at a children’s institution,a boy　1　up in the waiting room.It was David.He had　2　his parents.He was very sad　3　to talk to others.
The first two times we met,David didn’t say a word.He sat in the chair and only　4　up at the children’s drawings on the wall.As he was about to leave 5　the second visit,I put my hand on his　6　.He didn’t shrink (退缩) back,but he didn’t look at me either.
“Come back next week,” I hesitated a bit.
He came,and I suggested we play a game of chess.He  7 .After that we played  8 every time,in complete  9 and without making any eye contact.It’s not  10 to cheat in chess,but I admit that I made sure David won  11 .
It seemed as if he enjoyed my  12 .But why did he never look at me？Perhaps he sensed that I respected his suffering.I kept wondering and  13with him,until some months later,  14 ,
he looked up at me.“It’s your turn,” he said.
After that day,David started  15 .He got friends in school.He wrote me a few  16 about how he would try to get into university.After some time,the letters  17 .Now he had really started to live his own life.
I learned how  18cures pain.And David showed me how one—without any  19 —can reach out to another person.All it takes is a shoulder to cry on,a  20 touch and an ear that listens.

The appeal of advertising to buying motives can have both negative and positive effects. Consumers may be convinced to buy a product of poor quality or high price because of an advertisement. For example, some advertisers have appealed to people’s desire for better fuel economy for their cars by advertising automotive products that improve gasoline mileage. Some of the products work. Others are worthless and a waste of consumers’ money.
Sometimes advertising is intentionally misleading. A few years ago a brand of
bread was offered to dieters (节食者) with the message that there were fewer calories in every slice. It turned out that the bread was not dietetic (适合于节食的), but just regular bread. There were fewer calories because it was sliced very thin, but there were the same number of calories in every loaf.
　　On the positive side, emotional appeals may respond to a consumer’s real concerns. Consider fire insurance. Fire insurance may be sold by appealing to fear of loss. But fear of loss is the real reason for fire insurance. The security of knowing that property is protected by insurance makes the purchase of fire insurance a worthwhile investment for most people. If consumers consider the quality of the insurance plans as well as the message in the ads, they will benefit from the advertising.
　　Each consumer must evaluate her or his own situation. Are the benefits of the product important enough to justify buying it? Advertising is intended to appeal to consumers, but it does not force them to buy the product. Consumers still control the final buying decision.
56. Advertising can persuade the consumer to buy worthless products by _________.
　 A. stressing their high quality
　 B. convincing him of their low price
　 C. maintaining a balance between quality and price
　 D. appealing to his buying motives
57. The reason why the bread advertisement is misleading is that ________.
　 A. thin slices of bread could contain more calories
　 B. the loaf was cut into regular slices
　 C. the bread was not genuine bread
　 D. the total number of calories in the loaf remained the same
58. The passage tells us that _______.
　 A. sometimes advertisements really sell what the consumer needs
　 B. advertisements occasionally force consumers into buying things they don’t need
　 C. the buying motives of consumers are controlled by advertisements
　 D. fire insurance is seldom a worthwhile investment
59. It can be inferred from the passage that a smart consumer should ________.
　 A. think carefully about the benefits described in the advertisements
　 B. guard against the deceiving nature of advertisements
　 C. be familiar with various advertising strategies
　 D. avoid buying products that have strong emotional appeal
60. The passage is mainly about ________.
　 A. how to make a wise buying decision
　 B. ways to protect the interests of the consumer
　 C. the positive and negative aspects of advertising
　 D. the function of advertisements in promoting sales

I have had just about enough of being treated like a second-class citizen, simply because I happen to be that unfairly treated member of society --- a customer. The more I go into shops and hotels, banks and post offices, railway stations, airports and the like, the more I am convinced the things are being run solely to suit the firm, the system, or the union. There seems to be a deceptive (欺骗的) new motto for so-called “service” organizations --- Staff Before Service.
　　 How often, for example, have you queued for what seems like hours at the Post Office or the supermarket because there were not enough staff on duty to man all the service grilles or checkout counters? Surely in these days of high unemployment it must be possible to hire cashiers and counter staff. Yet supermarkets, hinting darkly at higher prices, claim that uncovering all their cash registers at any one time would increase operating costs. And the Post Office says we cannot expect all their service grilles to be occupied “at times when demand is low”.
　　  It is the same with hotels. Because waiters and kitchen staff must finish when it suits them, dining rooms close earlier or menu choice is cut short. As for us guests, we just have to put up with it. There is also the nonsense of so many friendly hotel night porters having been thrown out of their jobs in the interests of “efficiency” and replaced by coin-eating machines which offer everything from lager to laxatives (从贮藏啤酒到通便剂). Not to mention the tea-making kit in your room: a kettle with a mixed collection of tea bags, plastic milk boxes and lump sugar. Who wants to wake up to a raw teabag? I do not, especially when I am paying for “service”.
　　Can it be stopped, this worsening of service, this growing attitude that the customer is always a bore? I angrily hope so because it is happening, sadly, in all walks of life.
　　Our only hope is to hammer home our anger whenever and wherever we can and, if all else fails, bring back into practice that other, older slogan --- Take Our Deal Elsewhere.
【小题1】The writer feels that nowadays customers __________.

A．not having enough male staff on duty

B．difficulties in hiring more efficient staff

C．lack of cooperation between staff members

D．not providing enough staff on purpose to reduce budget

A．be patient when queuing before checkout counters

B．put up with the rude manners of the staff

C．try to control his temper when ill-treated

D．go to other places where good service is available

Make the Most of College

Dear Daughter,

As we drove off from Columbia, I wanted to write a letter to you to tell you all that is on my mind.

First, I want to tell you how proud we are. Getting into Columbia is a real testament of what a great well-rounded student you are. You should be as proud of yourself as we are.

Your college years will be the most important of your life. It is in college that you will discover what learning is about. This will be the period where you go from teacher-taught to master-inspired, after which you must become self-learner. So do take each subject seriously, and even if what you learn isn’t critical for your life, the learning skills you acquire will be something you will cherish forever.

Follow your passion in college. Take courses you think you will enjoy. Don’t be trapped by what others think or say, but make up your own mind.

Most importantly, make friends and be happy. College friends are often the best in life. Pick a few friends and become really close to them – pick the ones who are genuine to you. Don’t worry about their hobbies, grades, looks or even personalities.

Start planning early – what would you like to do? Where would you like to live? What would you like to learn? I think your plan to study fashion is good, and you should decide where you want to be, and get onto the right courses.

Whether it is summer-planning, or coursework planning, or picking a major, or managing your time, you should take control of your life. I will always be there for you, but the time has come for you to be in the driver’s seat – this is your life, and you need to be in control. Being in control feels great. Try it, and you’ll love it!

College is the four years where you have:　

The greatest amount of free time

the first chance to be independent

the most flexibility（灵活性）to change 

the lowest risk for making mistakes

So please treasure your college years – make full use of your free time, become an independent thinker in control of your destiny, be bold to experiment, learn and grow through your successes and challenges.

May your years at Columbia be the happiest of your life, and may you blossom into just what you dream to be.

                                                    Love,

Dad (&Mom)

What does the author think college life holds in store for his daughter?

A. Uncertainty                                          B. Pure enjoyment.

C. Successes and challenges.                D. Experimentation with life.

What does the author advise his daughter to do in college?

A. Plan everything.                                  

B. Party with friends in her free time.

C. Ignore what others think or say.     

D. Treasure and make the best of her college years.

Which of these pieces of advice is given in the article?

a. think and live independently

b. learn how to learn

c. choose friends with similar personalities

d. be genuine and sincere

e. try new things

A. abe                   B. bce                   C. cde                   D. abc

From the text, we can conclude the father ______.

A. is worried about his daughter

B. is strict with his daughter

C. is optimistic about his daughter’s future

D. is sad that his daughter is leaving home