Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is,
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Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue. That is, except in the small town of Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People. The road sign at the edge of the town even warns visitors that they are entering the ugly zone. People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico since the 1960s. That’s when Ugly Club president Telesforo Lacobelli established a dating agency for women who believed they were too ugly to attract husbands. Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose in a country where long or large noses have always been considered beautiful.
People from around the world travel to Piobbico to tell their sad stories of ugliness. During the annual Festival of the Ugly, which occurs on the first Sunday of every September, hundreds of people gather in Piobbico’s town square to elect the president of the Ugly Club. Lacobelli wins the election every year. The Ugly Club has over 20, 000 members. They carry ID cards that grade their ugliness from bearable to extreme. A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.
The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue. Since beautiful people get a lot of attention for their beauty alone, they have to work hard to prove their other virtues. Ugly people, on the other hand, are genuine and do not have to prove anything to anybody, according to Lacobelli.
Lacobelli is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be. Though the club enjoys making fun of beauty, especially beauty contests, Lacobelli has a serious side as well. He believes that too many people suffer from financial and emotional pressures because they don’t meet society’s standards of beauty. The fact that beautiful people are more successful in the workforce is a problem that Lacobelli has attempted to bring forward to the Italian public and government.
小题1:Piobbico is rather special in that . | A．it is a very small town | B．it is home to ugly people | | C．it receives no visitors | D．it is the capital of Italy |
小题2:Why is Lacobelli elected the president of the Ugly Club every year?| A．Because he is the ugliest person in the whole world. | | B．Because his ugliness is always graded as bearable. | | C．Because he is a spokesperson for ugly people everywhere. | | D．Because he has won the members’ trust and admiration. |
小题3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Ugly people are most respected in Italy. | | B．The Festival of the Ugly is held every two years. | | C．Ugly people are unfairly treated in society. | | D．The uglier one is, the better life he or she lives. |
小题4:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?| A．The Ugly Capital of the World | B．The Ugliest Person of the World | | C．Festival of the Ugly | D．Beauty Contests Should be Banned |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:A |
解析
试题分析：在意大利，人们最看重的品质是“美”。然而，有一个小镇，却聚集着很多长得“丑”的人。那里的人们以丑为美，每年还举办选丑大赛，选出的最丑的人将得到一份奖品。
小题1:根据第一段“Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People ...they are entering the ugly zone ...People who consider themselves ugly have been gathering in Piobbico”可知，Piobbico是一个丑人聚集的小镇，故选B。
小题2:根据第二段“A prize is awarded to Ugly Club members who qualify as extremely ugly.”可知，丑人俱乐部里最丑的人可以获得一个奖品，而Lacobelli当选的是俱乐部主席，排除A；根据第一段“Lacobelli believes that he is ugly himself because he has a short nose”可知，B项错误；Lacobelli创建了丑人俱乐部，并为成员谋福利，成员们都信任他并敬佩他，故选D。
小题3:根据第一段“Italy is one country where beauty is prized more than any other virtue.”可知，意大利人最看重的是美丽，排除A；根据第二段“During the annual Festival of the Ugly”可知，每年都会举办这个节日，排除B；根据第四段“He believes that the uglier one is, the better life can be.”可知，越丑的人可以过上更好的生活，根据can可知，是理论上的可能性，还没有得到实现，排除D；故选C。
小题4:根据“Piobbico, the self-declared World Capital of Ugly People ...During the annual Festival of the Ugly ...The Ugly Club president insists that ugliness is a virtue.”可知，文章讲的是意大利一个以丑为美的小镇的事情，故选A。 |
举一反三
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
The Importance of Accessibility Awareness
At a recent Teen Leadership of Jewish Family Services meeting, people with disabilities talked about their lives. 小题1: However, what amazed me most was the great importance of education about handicap accommodations (残疾人便利设施).
One school-teacher who is blind, and a woman who has used a wheelchair all her life are two important members of the National Group for Disabled Persons, devoted to raising awareness about disabilities. 小题2: These include handicap parking spots, handrails, and wheelchair ramps. One big concern is the people who take advantage of aids, such as handicap parking spaces. 小题3: And the meeting focused on educating the public.
Some handicap spots have extra room next to them, marked with the “No Parking” signs. “As long as I"m not in the spot, I can take the no-parking area next to it,” some people say. However, the woman who uses a wheelchair disagrees to this. The space exists to allow someone in a wheelchair to have room to get in or out of their car. 小题4:
Some walkways have handrails next to them to help those who require extra assistance. Whether it is a blind person seeking guidance or an elderly person seeking support, the rail is there for walking. Sometimes the rail is blocked, by a parked bicycle for instance, and consequently made useless. 小题5: People who are informed of the rail’s use would be less likely to mistake it for a bike rack.
Meeting some of the people who are affected by the lack of education about accommodations made me see that there is work to be done. If more people were educated about the proper uses of accommodations, there would be fewer challenges for people with physical disabilities.| A．Accommodations will vary according to the needs of the disabled. | | B．As with the parking spot, this is more likely a case of lack of education. | | C．They educate about all the accommodations for people with disabilities. | | D．Improvement must be made so that disabled people can fully participate. |
E. If there is a car in that space, the handicap parking spot is no longer useful.
F. So people without disabilities need to be educated about these accommodations.
G. I was amazed to hear about the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities. |
We all like watching online videos of dogs and cats doing funny things. But if you had to decide, which of the two animals would you say you might like better? Your answer may say something about your personality.
According to a 2010 study led by Sam Gosling, a scientist at the University of Texas, US, dog people are about 15 percent more outgoing and 13 percent more pleasant to be friends with than cat people.
This is not hard to understand, since cats and dogs behave differently themselves. “Cats will occasionally engage in social activities, but usually after only a few minutes, they will abandon the game. Dogs, on the other hand, will often engage in play, like fetching a thrown ball, for hours at a time,” said Modern Dog Magazine.
Although cat people are less social, Gosling’s study showed that they are 11 percent more open-minded than dog people. They usually like art, adventures and unusual ideas. They also have more imagination and curiosity. But dog people are more likely to stick to old beliefs and traditional interests.
However, their love of a free lifestyle also means that cat people dislike making plans. They just follow whatever ideas pop into their heads without planning ahead. But dog people are different. They usually have strong self-control and like to carry out their plans.
Despite these big differences between dog people and cat people, there are some things that they have in common, “Both types of people consider themselves close to nature, dislike animal-print clothing, and are generally optimists,” noted Mother Nature Network.
But can personality change? Can a cat person become a dog person, or the other way around? In a study done by Stanley Coren, a scientist based in Canada, he asked cat owners: “If you had enough living space and there were no objections form other people in your life, and someone gave you a puppy as a gift, would you keep it?”
About 68 percent of them said they would not accept a dog as a pet. But when dog owners were asked the same question about a kitten, almost 70 percent said they would allow a cat into their lives.
小题1:According to the article, dog people _____________ cat people.| A．perform better in school than | B．are more open-minded than | | C．have closer friends than | D．are more traditional than |
小题2:The underlined phrase “engage in” in Paragraph 3 probably means_____________.| A．take little interest in | B．take part in | C．benefit from | D．suffer from |
小题3:What do cat people and dog people have in common?| A．Both of them like planning ahead | | B．Both of them love travelling and adventures | | C．Both of them are imaginative and curious | | D．Both of them care about nature. |
小题4:What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?| A．Cat people are more likely to become dog people. | | B．Dog people are more likely to accept cats into their homes than cat people are to accept dogs. | | C．Neither dog nor cat people like to accept a new pet. | | D．It is difficult to find out whether dog people or cat people will make a change. |
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How cool can libraries be in an era（时代）of iPods and Kindles? More than you think．Only if you know where to go．
Central Library: Seattle, Washington, United States
The Central Library in Seattle is modern and fashionable and has tourists from around the world paying visits and taking tours．It was designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and American designer Joshua Ramus．Tours began in 2006, two years after its opening．The library holds various art exhibitions, book signings and other events, while visitors can stop by the Chocolate cart for a coffee and scan through the gift shop anytime
Trinity College Library: Dublin, Ireland
The Trinity College Library in Dublin is the oldest library in Ireland, founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I．It is the largest single library in the world, also known as the Long Room, which contains more than 200,000 0fthe library"s oldest books．The Long Room houses one of the oldest harps（竖琴） in Ireland．Dating to the 15th century, the old harp is the model for the symbol foreland．
Geisel Library, University of California: San Diego, United States
At first glance, it looks like a spaceship．Architect William Pereira, who helped design actual space launch facilities at Cape Canaveral in Houston, Texas, designed the library in 1970．It has been featured in sci-fi films, short stories and novels．The library hosts "Dinner in the Library," which invites readers for cocktails, and also a special speech from distinguished authors．
TU Delft Library: The Netherlands
The library at the Delft University of Technology was constructed in 1997 and has more than 862,000 books, 16,000 magazine subscriptions and its own museum．The building itself exists beneath the ground, so you can"t really see the actual Library．What makes it interesting is the roof, which is a grassy hill．The roof covers 5,500 square meters．And it has become one of the most striking and greenest structures in the area．
小题1:Which of the four libraries has the longest history?| A．Central Library． | | B．Trinity College Library． | | C．Geisel Library． | | D．TU Delft Library． |
小题2:What makes Geisel Library different from the others is that| A．famous writers often deliver speeches there | | B．it has a reoffer grassy hill | | C．Queen Elizabeth I founded the library | | D．it is the largest single library in the world |
小题3:In Central Library, you can| A．buy souvenirs | | B．drink cocktails | | C．enjoy sci-fi films | | D．see the old harp |
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If you see a group of people dancing and singing on the street or in the railway station, you don"t need to feel surprised．They are a flash mob （快闪族）, which is a group of people who come together suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a brief period of time, and then quickly break up．They are usually organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communication network．At a predetermined time, they gather and perform some distractions（消遣） such as waving their hands and exchanging books, Then, they quickly break up before the police can arrive．Using mobile phones, the flash mob can change its location if the first one has been replaced for any reason．
Bill Lasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob came together on June 3, 2003 - after the first attempt was foiled at Macy"s department store．Lasik claimed that the activity was designed to make fun of hipsters （起时髦的人）, and call attention to the cultural atmosphere．
Flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock people．Such an activity might seem amusing and untrue, but it also might frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place．Undoubtedly, flash mobs can serve as good political tools in any direction．They also have great economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product．
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular．People use it to do many things．For example, in 2009, Michael Jackson"s fans took part in a flash mob to remember him．Hundreds of his fans gathered singing and dancing Michael"s famous song "Beat It" together．Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory．
小题1:The undefined word "foiled" in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by _ 。| A．forgotten | B．prevented | C．announced | D．confirmed |
小题2:What can you learn about the flash mob from the passage?| A．The flash mob usually breaks up quickly for lacking enough time． | | B．Once the place for the activity is determined, it can"t be changed． | | C．The flash mob can be made use offing many fields just for fun． | | D．It gives people the chance to come together to do something unusual． |
小题3:The main purpose of the passage is -| A．to entertain | B．to encourage | | C．to inform | D．to persuade |
小题4:The writer"s attitude towards the flash mob is| A．negative | B．favorable | C．objective | D．doubtful |
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I"d gone from a tiny village school with a total of 60 students, to a huge school, with thousands of pupils．I was a little fish in a very big . I lived too much of my first year doing anything wrong．I just decided to be the wallflower when it discussion and answering questions．I was always the one that Class didn"t look the teacher in the eye they asked me to answer．I listened well, and everything in, but I always liked to be a spectator（旁观者）．It"s hard not t0 what others may think of you when you are speaking in front of many ．It did take long for me to feel teachers and make friends with classmates．Some people with straight into a new learning environment．
Some people straight into a new learning environment. , most are nervous and feel they don"t fit in．It"s completely , so it should not be a worry to you．Be and you will adapt to the new school．School life is you make obit．Some it; some Iike it．-But it"s only when you leave that you can really appreciate how school you into the person you become．
It"s so important to yourself out of your comfort zone．If you"re shy, tell yourself you’ I raise your _ at least once every lesson; if you"re quick-minded, try to give other people a （n） In time, you will ___it will do you benefit from it .
| 小题1: | | A．class | B．school | C．lake | D．house |
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| 小题2: | | A．in fear of | B．in favor of | C．in honor of | D．in danger of |
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| 小题3: | | A．got to | B．referred to | C．turned to | D．came to |
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| 小题4: | | A．sharply | B．purposely | C．hopelessly | D．searchingly |
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| 小题5: | | A．in case | B．so that | C．the moment | D．soon after |
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| 小题6: | | A．wrote | B．brought | C．took | D．got |
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| 小题7: | | A．doubt | B．apply | C．check | D．care |
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| 小题8: | | A．teachers | B．classmates | C．adults | D．friends |
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| 小题9: | | A．angry | B．popular | C．disappointed | D．comfortable |
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| 小题10: | | A．slide | B．fit | C．change | D．turn |
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| 小题11: | | A．Therefore | B．Instead | C．However | D．Meanwhile |
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| 小题12: | | A．normal | B．strange | C．awkward | D．interesting |
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| 小题13: | | A．proud | B．practical | C．private | D．positive |
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| 小题14: | | A．what | B．how | C．which | D．when |
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| 小题15: | | A．like | B．ignore | C．accept | D．hate |
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| 小题16: | | A．forces | B．develops | C．places | D．teaches |
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| 小题17: | | A．push | B．take | C．kick | D．remove |
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| 小题18: | | A．voice | B．question | C．hand | D．head |
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| 小题19: | | A．answer | B．chance | C．hug | D．smile |
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| 小题20: | | A．forget | B．forgive | C．realize | D．remember |
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