You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been aw
题型：不详难度：来源：
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.
But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.
小题1:After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.| A．notice small changes | | B．expect small changes | | C．welcome small changes | | D．exaggerate small changes |
小题2: How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?| A．Cautiously. | | B．Positively. | | C．Sceptically. | | D．Critically. |
小题3:When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.| A．the relaxed policemen | | B．the messy arrivals hall | | C．the tight security | | D．the bank robbers |
小题4:Which might be the best title for the passage?| A．Life in Britain. | | B．Back in Britain. | | C．Britain in Future. | | D．Britain in Memory. |
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答案
小题1:A
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:B |
解析
本文讲述侨居国外的英国人离开英国多年后重回英国的不同感受，这些感受我们司空见惯而无法察觉，只有他们才能体会。
小题1:细节理解题。难度中等。
【解题思路】根据文章第二段第一句中“…small changes have probably surprosed you…”可知，在短期海外度假后，人们会注意到小变化，故A项正确。
小题2:推理判断题。难度中等。
【解题思路】根据第五段最后一句中“…I believe foreign settlers have improved this country …more open-minded…”可知，Debit对移民的态度是肯定的。故B项正确。A项意为“慎重的”，C项意为“怀疑的”，D项意为“批评的”，都与语境不符。
小题3:细节理解题。难度中等。
【解题思路】根据倒数第二段第一句中“To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening…”可知，当到达英国机场，Christine为紧张的安全措施所震惊。故C项正确。A项与语意相反，B、D项为提及。
小题4:主旨大意题。难度中等。
【解题思路】根据第三段第一句以及全文叙述可知，本文讲述了侨居国外的英国人离开英国多年后重回英国的不同感受，故B项正确；A项范围太大，C项文中未提及，D项无文章无关。 |
举一反三
Holidays are really important. Many of us will have childhood memories of summer holidays where we were taken away from home to experience new environments and learn in different ways.
But holidays are expensive and, for those on low wages or living on benefits, they are often unobtainable. Even the cheapest holidays require travel and other additional costs that are difficult for many families to meet.
For working parents, the long summer break can be a very difficult problem for childcare. When an annual leave allowance amounts to only five weeks, there is a need to spread this across the year. Couples can find themselves taking leave in turn in order to care for children who are on holiday. For some ’ this makes even an affordable family holiday difficult.
The schools that I visit in Nottingham are full of experienced staff committed to giving our children a caring and inspiring learning environment. The number of children receiving free school meals is quite large in Nottingham and many schools have breakfast clubs to make sure that children get a healthy start to the day. Most schools undertake programs of group or individual educational support. Schools also have an important role in sofeguaiding children"s welfare through the ongoing touch and support with their pupils. During the long summer holidays, much of this is missed.
While teachers are holidaying in the UK, many of their pupils spend the whole six weeks on the street where they live. The lack of free school meals for six weeks can result in pressure on a family budget and an inability to afford the inspiring experiences that help children to continue their learning.
In setting out its plans for a five-term year, Nottingham City Council (委员会)is seeking to reduce the summer holiday down lo four and a half weeks, with a more balanced five terms of roughly eight weeks, each followed by a two-week break. We believe this will give real “down time" for school staff and pupils alike but will be short enough not to cause a real break in learning.
We acknowledge that this change may be difficult for some school staff, particularly whose own children are educated in other authorities. However, this must be weighed against the benefits for city children for whom we all have the greatest duty of care.
小题1: The passage is probably written by .| A．an experienced teacher | B．a working parent | | C．an inspired student | D．a city council member |
小题2:The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to " ’.| A．environments | B．holidays | C．wages | D．benefits |
小题3:It is suggested in the passage that the summer break be reduced to.| A．2 weeks | B．4.5 weeks | C．5 weeks | D．6 weeks |
小题4:The plans for a shorter summer holiday will help students_____ .| A．obtain the cheapest holidays without additional costs | | B．get a chance to spend six weeks a term with teachers in school | | C．benefit more from the caring and inspiring learning environment | | D．have more school days to receive free school meals |
小题5:It can be inferred from the passage that _______.| A．working parents can enjoy a five-week break to care for their children | | B．the suggested plans for a five-term school year can hardly be carried out | | C．the long summer holiday gives teachers and students real "down time" | | D．some school staff will say “ No" to the plans for a shorter summer holiday |
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Cold weather can be hard on pets, just like it can be hard on people. Sometimes owners forget that their cats are just as used to the warm shelter (住所) as they are. Some owners will leave their animals outside for a long period of time, thinking that all animals are used to living outdoors. This can put their pets in danger of serious illness. There are things you can do to keep your animal warm and safe.
Keep your pets inside as much as you can when the weather is bad. If you have to take them out, stay outside with them. When you’re cold enough to go inside, they probably are too. If you must leave them outside for a long time, make sure they have a warm, solid shelter against the wind, thick bedding, and plenty of non-frozen water.
If left alone outside, dogs and cats can be very smart in their search for warm shelter. They can dig into snow banks or hide somewhere. Watch them closely when they are left outdoors, and provide them with shelter of good quality. Keep an eye on your pet’s water. Sometimes owners don’t realize that a water bowl has frozen and their pet can’t get anything to drink. Animals that don’t have clean and unfrozen water may drink dirty water outside, which may contain something unhealthy for them.
小题1:What do we learn about pets from Paragraph 1?| A．They are often forgotten by their owners. | | B．They are used to living outdoors. | | C．They build their own shelter. | | D．They like to stay in warm places. |
小题2:Why are pet owners asked to stay with their pets when they are out in cold weather?| A．To know when to bring them inside. | | B．To keep them from eating bad food. | | C．To help them find shelters. | | D．To keep them company. |
小题3:If pets are left on their own outdoors in cold weather, they may ___.| A．run short of clean water | | B．dig deep holes for fun | | C．dirty the snow nearby | | D．get lost in the wild |
小题4:What is the purpose of this text?| A．To solve a problem. | | B．To give practical advice. | | C．To tell an interesting story. | | D．To present a research result. |
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Make Up Your Mind to Succeed
Kind-hearted parents have unknowingly left their children defenseless against failure. The generation born between 1980 and 2001 grew up playing sports where scores and performance were played down because “everyone’s winner.” And their report cards sounded more positive (正面的) than ever before. As a result, Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, PhD, calls them “the overpraised generation.”
Dweck has been studying how people deal with failure for 40 years. Her research has led her to find out two clearly different mind-sets that have a great effect on how we react to it. Here’s how they work:
A fixed mind-set is grounded in the belief that talent (才能) is genetic – you’re a born artist, point guard, or numbers person. The fixed mind-set believes it’s sure to succeed without much effort and regards failure as personal shame. When things get difficult, it’s quick to blame, lie, and even stay away from future difficulties.
On the other hand, a growth mind-set believes that no talent is entirely heaven-sent and that effort and learning make everything possible. Because the ego (自尊) isn’t on the line as much, the growth mind-set sees failure as a chance rather than shame. When faced with a difficulty, it’s quick to rethink, change and try again. In fact, it enjoys this experience.
We are all born with growth mind-sets. (Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to live in the world.) But parents, teachers, and instructors often push us into fixed mind-sets by encouraging certain actions and misdirecting praise. Dweck’s book, Mind-set: The New Psychology of Success, and online instructional program explain this in depth. But she says there are many little things you can start doing today to make sure that your children, grandchildren and even you are never defeated by failure.
小题1:What does the author think about the present generation?| A．They don’t do well at school. | | B．They are often misunderstood. | | C．They are eager to win in sports. | | D．They are given too much praise. |
小题2:A fixed mind-set person is probably one who ___ .| A．doesn’t want to work hard | | B．cares a lot about personal safety | | C．cannot share his ideas with others | | D．can succeed with the help of teachers |
小题3:What does the growth mind-set believe?| A．Admitting failure is shameful. | | B．Talent comes with one’s birth. | | C．Scores should be highly valued. | | D．Getting over difficulties is enjoyable. |
小题4:What should parents do for their children based on Dweck’s study?| A．Encourage them to learn from failures. | | B．Prevent them from making mistakes. | | C．Guide them in doing little things. | | D．Help them grow with praise. |
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A recent Living Social survey showed that Americans may live up to their poor reputation while travelling abroad. But what’s more surprising is that many of those surveyed self-identified themselves as ‘ugly’ Americans and the world’s worst travelers.
Those in the U.S. ranked themselves as the worst travellers by a shocking 20 per cent, followed by 15 per cent saying the Chinese were the most substandard tourists.
Americans topped the list as being the worst-behaved travelers in a survey of 5,600 respondents, 4,000 of whom were Americans. Other respondents were in Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. But even American respondents considered their compatriots(同胞) as the worst travelers from a list of 16 nationalities.
Canadians and Australians also put Americans in the No. 1 spot. Irish respondents pointed to U.K. residents and U.K. respondents gave Germans the nod. On the other hand, 37% of Americans opted for "none of the above" in answer to the worst-tourists question, displaying more tolerance and open-mindedness than the other nationalities.
Other survey questions had respondents admitting pilfering from hotels. Four in ten U.S. survey-takers said they’d stolen something – mostly towels (28%) and bathrobes (8%). Other popular pinched items included pillows, remote controls, Bibles and sheets.
Not surprising is that Americans have less time off from work than other nationalities. Americans reported getting 16 days off, compared with 28 days for the Irish, 27 days for Australians, 23 days for U.K. workers; and 21 days for Canadians.
In the travel mishaps department, the most common travel disaster reported by Americans was lost luggage on an airline (21%)； bad weather (21%)； and getting very lost (16%).
As for places Americans most want to see, Disney World and Las Vegas made the top 10, but they weren"t at the top of the heap. And New York didn"t make the cut.
小题1:What percentage of American respondents is in the survey?小题2:The underlined word “pilfering” in Para. 5 most probably means ________. | A．taking | B．bringing | C．stealing | D．borrowing. |
小题3:According to the survey, what kind of things are most taken away by Americans?| A．towels and pillows | | B．bathrobes and remote controls. | | C．towels and Bibles | | D．bathrobes and towels. |
小题4:What’s the best title of this passage? | A．Chinese were announced as the world’s worst travellers. | | B．The global worst travellers were announced. | | C．Disney World is the best destination to Americans. | | D．European travellers were the best in the world |
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One family, which had emigrated from Japan and settled at the turn of the century near San Francisco, had established a business in which they grew roses and trucked them into San Francisco three mornings a week.
The other family was a naturalized(加入国籍的)family from Switzerland who also marketed roses, and 21 families became modestly successful, 22 their roses were known in the markets of San Francisco for their 23 vase-life.
For four decades the two families were neighbors, and the sons 24 the farms, but then on December 7, 1941, Japan 25 Pearl Harbor. Although the rest of the family members were American, the 26 of the Japanese family had never been naturalized. In the turmoil(动乱) and the questions about internment camps（拘留营）, his neighbor made it clear that, if 27 , he would look after his friend’s nursery（花圃）. It was 28 each family had learned in church—Love the neighbor as thyself. “You would do 29 for us, ” he told his Japanese friend.
It was not long before the Japanese 30 was transported to a poor landscape in Granada, Colorado. The relocation center consisted of tar-paper-roofed barracks (兵营) 31 by barbed wire and armed guards.
A full year went by. Then two. Then three. While the 32 neighbors were in internment, their friends worked in the greenhouses, the 33 before school and on Saturdays, and the father"s work often stretched to 16 and 17 hours. And then 34 , when the war in Europe had
35 , the Japanese family packed up and 36 a train. They were going home.
What would they find? The family was 37 at the train station by their neighbors, and when they got to their home, the whole Japanese family stared.. There was the nursery, complete, clean and shining in the sunlight, neat, prosperous and healthy.
So was the balance of the bank passbook 38 to the Japanese father. And the house was 39 as clean and welcoming as the nursery.
And there on the dining room 40 was one perfect red rosebud, just waiting to unfold- the gift of one neighbor to another.
| 小题2: | | A．as | B．if | C．unless | D．though |
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| 小题3: | | A．short | B．perfect | C．long | D．important |
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| 小题4: | | A．took over | B．dealt with | C．watched out | D．handed over |
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| 小题5: | | A．achieved | B．battled | C．controlled | D．attacked |
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| 小题6: | | A．children | B．members | C．father | D．girls |
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| 小题7: | | A．possibility | B．necessary | C．likely | D．possible |
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| 小题8: | | A．everything | B．anything | C．nothing | D．something |
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| 小题9: | | A．the same | B．similarly | C．familiar | D．the similar |
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| 小题10: | | A．father | B．family | C．neighbors | D．mother |
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| 小题11: | | A．surrounded | B．covered | C．watched | D．guarded |
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| 小题12: | | A．Swiss | B．Swede | C．naturalized | D．Japanese |
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| 小题13: | | A．members | B．girls | C．children | D．boys |
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| 小题14: | | A．sometime | B．some day | C．one time | D．one day |
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| 小题15: | | A．completed | B．ended | C．started | D．died |
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| 小题16: | | A．entered | B．got | C．boarded | D．reached |
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| 小题17: | | A．met | B．seen | C．received | D．accepted |
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| 小题18: | | A．referred | B．devoted | C．prepared | D．handed |
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| 小题19: | | A．right | B．quite | C．just | D．rather |
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| 小题20: | | A．chair | B．table | C．floor | D．ground |
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