Nowadays people are troubled by the violence that spreads throughout the media. Movies, television and video games are full of gunplay and bloodshed, and one might reasonably ask what’s wrong with a society that presents videos of violence as entertainment.

Viewing large amounts of violent television and video games may well contribute to violent behavior in certain individuals. The trouble comes when researchers downplay uncertainties in their studies or overstate the case for causality（因果关系）. Skeptics were dismayed several years ago when a group of societies including the American Medical Association tried to end the debate by issuing a joint statement: “At this time, well over 1,000 studies… point to a causal connection between media violence and aggressive behavior in some children.”

Freedom-of-speech advocates accused the societies of catering to politicians, and even disputed the number of studies (most were review articles and essays, they said). When Jonathan Freedman, a social psychologist at the University of Toronto, reviewed the literature, he found only 200 or so studies of television-watching and aggression. And when he weeded out “the most doubtful measures of aggression”, only 28% supported a connection.

The critical point here is causality. The alarmists say they have proved that violent media cause aggression. But the assumptions behind their observations need to be examined. When labeling games as violent or non-violent, should a hero eating a ghost really be counted as a violent event? And when experimenters record the time it takes game players to read “aggressive” or “non-aggressive” words from a list, can we be sure what they are actually measuring? The intention of the new Harvard Center on Media and Child Health to collect and standardize studies of media violence in order to compare their methodologies, assumptions and conclusions is an important step in the right direction.

Another appropriate step would be to tone down the criticism until we know more. Several researchers write, speak and testify quite a lot on the threat posed by violence in the media. That is, of course, their privilege. But when doing so, they often come out with statements that the matter has now been settled, drawing criticism from colleagues. In response, the alarmists accuse critics and news reporters of being deceived by the entertainment industry. Such clashes help neither science nor society.

Why is there so much violence shown in movies, TV and video games?

A. Showing violence is thought to be entertaining.

B. Something has gone wrong with today’s society

C. Many people are fond of gunplay and bloodshed.

D. There is a lot of violence in the real world today.

What is the skeptics’ view of media violence?

A. Violence on television is fairly accurate reflection of real-world life.

B. Most studies exaggerate (夸大) the effect of media violence on the viewers.

C. A causal relationship exists between media and real-world violence.

D. The influence of media violence on children has been underestimated.

The author uses the term “alarmists” to refer to those who _________.

A. use standardized measurements in the studies of media violence

B. initiated the debate over the influence of violent media on reality

C. insist on a direct link between violent media and aggressive behavior

D. use appropriate methodology in examining aggressive behavior

The underlined phrase “weeded out” in Paragraph 3 most probably means _________.

   A. got rid of things that are not good     B. removed unwanted parts from something

   C. picked out things that are useful        D. took away unnecessary details of a report

What does the writer think of the debate concerning the relationship between the media and violence?

A. He more than agrees with the views held by the alarmists. 

B. It should come to an end since the matter has now been settled.

C. The past studies in this field have proved to be misleading.

D. More studies should be conducted before conclusions are drawn.

Age has its special advantage in America. And one of the more impressive of them is the senior citizen discount. Anyone who has reached a certain age—in some cases as low as 55－is automatically entitled to plenty of price reductions at nearly every level of commercial life. Eligibility（资格）is determined not by one’s need but by the date on one’s birth certificate. Practically the discounts have become a routine part of many businesses-as common as color televisions in motel rooms and free coffee on airliners.
People with gray hair often are given the discounts without even asking for them；yet, millions of Americans above age 60 are healthy and solvent（有支付能力的）. Businesses that would never dare offer discounts to college students or anyone under 30 freely offer them to older Americans. The practice is acceptable because of the widespread belief that “elderly” and “needy” are synonymous（同义的）. Perhaps that once was true, but today, to be sure, there is economic variety within the elderly, and most of them aren’t poor.
It is impossible to determine the effect of the discounts on individual companies. For many firms, they are a stimulus to income. But in other cases the discounts are given at the expense, directly or indirectly, of younger Americans. Moreover, they directly annoy some politicians and scholars who consider it a coming conflict between the generations.
Generational tensions are being fueled by continuing debate over Social Security benefits, which mostly involves a transfer of resources from the young to the old. Employment is another point. Supported by laws and court decisions, more and more older Americans are refusing the retirement dinner in favor of staying on the job-thereby lessening employment and promotion opportunities for younger workers. Far from a kind of charity they once were, senior citizen discounts have become a powerful economic privilege（特权）to a group with millions of members who don’t need them.
It no longer makes sense to treat the elderly as a single group whose economic needs deserve priority over those of others. Senior citizen discounts only enrich the myth that older people can’t take care of themselves and need special treatment；and they threaten the creation of a new myth, that the elderly ale ungrateful and taking for themselves at the expense of children and other age groups. Senior citizen discounts are the heart of the very thing older Americans are fighting against－discrimination by age.
【小题1】We learn from the first paragraph that   .

  Alexis De Tocqueville，the French political scientist，，historian，philosopher and politician．Is most famous for a four-volume book he wrote called Democracy in America．He came to America in 1831 to study the American form of democracy’and what it might mean to the rest of the world．After a visit of only nine months,，he wrote a remarkable book which is regarded as a classic．De Tocqueville had unusual powers of observation．He described not only the democratic system of government and how it operated，but also its effect on how Americans think, feel, and act, Many scholars believe he had a deeper understanding of traditional American beliefs and values than anyone else who has written about。the United States．What is so remarkable is that

many of these characteristics which he observed nearly 200years ago are still visible and

meaningful today．His observations are also important because the timing of his visit，the 1830s，was before America was industrialized．This was the era of the small farmer，the small businessman，and the settling of the western frontier．It was the period of history when the traditional values of the new country were newly established．In just a generation，some 40 years since the adoption of the U．S：Constitution．the new form of government had—already produced a society of people with unique values．He was，however，a fair observer and saw both the good and bad sides of these qualities．

The first part of Democracy m America was written in 1831—32 and published in 1835．A highly positive and optimistic account of American government and society，the book was very well received．He attempted to get a glimpse of the core of American society．all the while promoting his own philosophy：the equaling of the classes and the unavoidable depth of aristocratic（贵族的）privilege The rest of the book he labored on for four years．and in 1840 the second part was published．This was substantially more pessimistic than the first，warning of the dangers despotism （暴政）and governmental centralization，and applying his ideas and criticisms more directly to France．As a result, it was not received as well as the first part，except in England where it was highly thought of．

What is the passage primarily about?

    A．Alexis De Tocqueville

    B．Democracy in America

    C．The progress achieved in America within about 40 years after adoption of the U．S．Constitution．

    D．The influence of the book Democracy in America

What in the passage is mentioned as being truly remarkable?

     A．Many of his observations are still visible and meaningful today．

     B．The book was so detailed and thorough after only such a comparatively short visit．

     C．That the second volume should be so pessimistic in comparison with the first．

     D．De Tocqueville’s powers of observation．

Which of the following can be inferred from the passage？

     A．The English don’t like the French   

     B．The book was most important because it was the first time that American values had been

clearly documented．

     C． De Tocqueville was a slow writer．   

     D．De Tocqueville was primarily motivated by an interest in his own country．   

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

     A．The visit lasted only five months．

     B．The visit coincided with American industrialization．

     C．The first part was published in 1835；the second part in 1840．

     D．The second part was more optimistic than the first．   

请根据Helen, Sophie，Peter, Elena和Jacques五人各自的情况，从A、B、C、D、E、F六条信息中选出适合各人的匹配选项（选项中有一项为多余项）。
【小题1】Helen: A foreign tourist who loves rare animals.
【小题2】Sophie: An economical mother with three children on holiday.
【小题3】Peter: A man traveling in the north on business who enjoys southern dishes.
【小题4】Elena: A young lady who pays special attention to her appearance.
【小题5】Jacques: A French businessman who is particular about lifestyle.

Top islands in the Mediterranean

Desiring a sun-and –sea summer holiday destination where you can also party the night away? Travel website TripAdvisor has come up with a list of the top islands in the Mediterranean sea. “All of these islands offer pristine (原始的) beaches and their own unique features,” said TripAdvisor spokeswoman Michele Perry. “Our travelers have identified the hot islands in the Med this summer, especially if you want sun, sea and dancing all night”.

Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus

Visit Aphrodite’s birthplace in the eastern Mediterranean. Beaches are the draw for many visitors to the island, but so is the nocturnal (夜间的) activity with Ayia Napa being the town to party in. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, “we would have to say the Troodos Mountains were our highlight. You will know what we mean if you take the journey. Breathtaking!”

Crete , Greece

As the former centre of the Minoan civilization, it’s no wonder that Crete features lots of historical attractions. Those in search of adventure on the largest Greek island can hike down Samaria Gorge for wonderful scenery. As one TripAdvisor traveler said, “Crete is an amazing place to explore ancient culture.”

Ibiza, Balearic Islands, Spain

Visit the party capital of Ibiza and feel honoured by joining thousands of revelers(狂欢者) at Privilege, the largest club in the world. Besides the vast nightlife, check out one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, such as God’s Finger, a large rock at the entrance of Benirras Bay.

Sicily, Italy

The largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily has the three Cs—culture, cuisine and calm. Laden with orange and lemon orchards, the countryside boasts natural beauty, great for relaxing. One

TripAdvisor traveler recommended, “If you are in Sicily, go on the sunset tour off Mount Etna. You can see the steaming ground and smell the sulfur(硫磺).”

65. Where should you go if you like ancient culture?

A. Cyprus.        B. Crete.          C. Ibiza, Balearic Islands.        D. Sicily.

66. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. In Cyprus and Ibiza, Balearic Islands, you can enjoy various activities at night.

B. The largest island in the Mediterranean is part of Greece.

C. Perhaps you can read the passage on the Internet.

D. God’s finger is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

67. What is a common feature of the places mentioned in the passage?

A. They have a lot of historical attractions.

B. They all boast natural beauty and natural resources.

C. They offer sun, sea and dancing all night.

D. They are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.