Rumour（谣言）is the most primitive way of spreading stories--- by passing them on f

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Rumour（谣言）is the most primitive way of spreading stories--- by passing them on from mouth to mouth. but civilized countries in normal times have better sources of news than rumour. They have radio, television, and newspapers. In times of confusion（混乱）, however, rumour appears and becomes widespread. At such times the different kinds of news are in competition: the press, television, and radio against the grapevine.
Especially do rumours spread when war requires control on many important matters. The normal news sources no longer give out enough information. Since the people can not learn through legal channels all that they are anxious to learn, they pick up "news" wherever they can and when this happens, rumour grows.
Rumours are often repeated even by those who do not believe the tales. There is an interest about them. The reason is that the cleverly designed rumour gives expression to something deep in the hearts of the victims --- the fears, doubts, forbidden hopes, or daydreams which they hesitate to voice directly. Pessimistic（悲观的）rumours about defeat and disasters show that the people who repeat them are worried and anxious .Optimistic rumours about record production or peace soon coming point to self- satisfaction or confidence---and often to over- confidence.
小题1:The author suggests that, in times of confusion, man often __________.

A．stops regular news services

B．turns to primitive ways for support

C．distrusts his fellow man

D．loses complete control of himself

小题2:The underlined word "grapevine" in Paragraph 1 probably means "__________”.

A．rumour

B．newspaper

C．information

D．time

小题3:The author states that during wartime the regular sources of news provide only __________ .

A．false information	B．optimistic reports
C．limited information	D．pessimistic reports

小题4:Which of the following statements is mentioned as a reason for people to repeat a rumour?

A．They are too willing to believe.

B．They take an interest in rumour.

C．They have a strong desire to make a fool of other people.

D．They find some rumours reflect their own unexpressed beliefs.

答案

小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:D

解析

小题1:．推理题。根据第一段的意思：混乱时谣言就会传播开来 , 而谣言是一种最原始的传播消息的方法，由此推测出“人们常常会求助于（依靠）这些原始的方式”。
小题2:词义猜测题。根据短文第一段最后一句 , 其意为“出版、电视、电台进行新闻大战”来反击“谣言”。
小题3:推测题。根据第二段首句句意 , 即 " 当战争需要对很多重要的事情进行控制时 , 谣言更会传播开来 " 可推测出 ," 战时一般只提供有限的消息 " 。
小题4:细节题。分析最后一段第三句话可得出答案。

举一反三

A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers. “Last week,” said he, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising ,but didn’t get it back ”
“How did you write your advertisement ?”asked one of the listeners ,a merchant .
“Here it is,” said the man ,taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The other man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening a black silk umbrella .The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No 10 Broad Street .”
“Now ,”said the merchant, “I often advertise ,and find that it pays me well .But by the way in which an advertisement is expressed is of extreme importance .let us try your umbrella again ,and if it fails ,I will buy you a new one. ”
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote :“If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn’t wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street .He is well known .”
This appeared in the paper ,and on the following morning ,the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake, and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter
小题1:This is a story about ________.

A．how a man lost and found his umbrella.

B．how to make an effective advertisement.

C．how to find lost things.

D．how to put an advertisement in the newspaper.

小题2:“If it fails, I will buy you a new one ” suggested that _______.

A．he was rich enough to afford an umbrella

B．he was not sure he would get the umbrella back

C．he was quite sure of his success .

D．he was ready to help others .

小题3:The result of the first advertisement was that ________.

A．the man got his umbrella back .

B．the man wasted some money advertising .

C．the man found his umbrella

D．someone found his umbrella .

小题4:According to the first advertisement ,anyone who ___would receive ten shillings.

A．left the umbrella in the City Church

B．found the umbrella at No. 10 Broad Street

C．gave the message to the man

D．left the umbrella at No. 10 Broad Street

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The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card (信用卡) fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site(非法网站).
Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care.
On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number — or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers(黑客) have broken down security(安全) systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25, 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer(零售商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157, 828 to get back the information.
Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. Mastercard is working on plans for Web — only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated(欺骗).
Ask about your credit-card firm’s on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent(欺骗性的) spending.
And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system.
If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Website address may also start https: //—the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone.
Keep your password(密码) safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care.
小题1:What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage?

A．A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet.	B．Fraud on the Internet.
C．Many Web sites are destroyed.	D．Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet.

小题2:What is the meaning of “fraud”?

A．Cheating.

B．Sale.

C．Payment.

D．Safety.

小题3: How can the thieves get the information of the credit card?

A．The customers give them the information.

B．The thieves steal the information from Web sites.

C．The customers sell the information to them.

D．The thieves buy the information from credit-card firms.

小题4:How many pieces of advice does the passage give to you?

A．Four.

B．Three.

C．Five.

D．Six.

小题5:You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do?

A．Order the TV set at once.	B．Do not buy the TV set on this site.
C．E-mail the site your credit-card information.
D．Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you.

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When people in the U. S. have company or when they’re invited to (formal or informal) get-togethers, they usually make a point of trying to make others feel comfortable and relaxed. On the whole, they tend to be informal. Men shake hands, but usually only when they’re introduced. Male friends and business associated (同事) who haven’ t seen each other in a while may shake hands when they say hello. Women usually don’t shake hands when being introduced to each other. When a woman and man are introduced, shaking hands is up to the woman. Americans rarely shake hands to say goodbye, except on business occasions. American women are used to being independent. They are used to going to places by themselves, making their own money, and often living alone. Sometimes they will ask men for help, but they usually don” t want to be protected. Since the women’s movement started, it’s not always clear whether women expect men to open doors or help them into their coats. American women may start conversations with men or even ask them to dance.
There are a lot of Americans who don’t smoke or drink, and many who don’t want people to do those things in their houses. It” s always best to ask for permission before you bring alcohol to a dinner or before you light up a cigarette, if you are with people you don’t know very well. Non-smokers have become more militant (好战的) about smoking in public places. Many restaurants, for example, have set up special areas for smokers.
Houseguests may bring gifts when they come to visit, and they often offer to help in some way. As a guest, you may want to ask your host or hostess if there’s anything you can do to help in the kitchen. In many cases, the gesture is more important than actually helping.
小题1:“..., the gesture is more important than actually helping.” Here “gesture” means ________.

A．态度

B．话题

C．姿态

D．言行

小题2:．When American people are introduced to each other, _______.

A．men seldom shake hands

B．women often shake hands

C．a woman decides if she will shake hands with a man

D．a man decides if he will shake hands with a woman

小题3:______is not mentioned(提到)in the passage.

A．How to visit an American family	B．When American women’s movement started
C．American women are independent	D．Non-smokers hate smoking in public places

小题4:Which one is not right?

A．None of Americans want people to smoke or drink in their houses.

B．Many Americans don’t smoke or drink.

C．Many special areas for smokers have been set up in the U.S..

D．It’s best to ask before you smoke in America.

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“Congratulations, Mr. Jones, it’s a girl.”
Fatherhood is going to have a different meaning and bring forth a different answer from every man who hears these words. Some feel proud when they receive the news, while others worry, wondering whether they will be good fathers. Although there are some men who like children and may have had considerable experience with them, others do not particularly care for children and spend little time with them. Many fathers and mothers have been planning and looking forward to children for some time. For other couples, pregnancy(***) was an accident that both husband and wife have accepted willingly or unwillingly.
Whatever the reaction to the birth of a child, it is obvious that the change from the role of husband to that of father is a difficult task. Yet, unfortunately, few attempts have been made to educate fathers in this re-socialization process. Although many good books have been written about American mothers, only recently have some books discussed the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the transition to the father’s role, although difficult, is not nearly as great as the transition the wife must make to the mother’s role. The mother’s role seems to require a complete transformation of daily routine and adaptation to a new life, on the other hand, the father’s role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we have mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as the breadwinner in the household.
小题1:According to the author, being a father _______.

A．brings a feeling of excitement to some men

B．has a different meaning for those who have daughters

C．makes some men feel proud and others uneasy

D．means nothing but more responsibilities.

小题2: It is stated in the passage that ________.

A．some parents are not prepared to have a child

B．young couples do not like children at all

C．working couples do not have much time to take care of their children

D．many parents look forward to having a boy as their first child

小题3:The transition to the mother’s role requires that the wife _______.

A．changes her life style in a quite different way

B．makes a complete change in her everyday life to deal with the new situation

C．stays at home to take care of the baby

D．helps her husband in his re-socialization process

小题4:Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers, _______.

A．have to do more in the household	B．have to make more difficult adaptations
C．have an easier job to do	D．can usually do a better job

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填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分l0分）
阅读短文，根据所读内容在表中的空格处填上适当的单词或短语。注意：每空不超过3个单词。
What causes traffic jams? Too many cars，right? No! Some Brits are now saying that trafficlights are to blame for much of the congestion.
They suggest that traffic lights be removed at busy roads．They believe people are a better judge of when it’s safe to go，not a traffic light programmed by an absent regulator．
A report from the Institute of Economic Affairs，a UK think tank（智囊团），argues that
abolishing traffic signals would decrease congestion，reduce exhaust（废气）emissions（排放）and improve safety．
The report said that removing lights should also prevent other bad behavior caused by signals．such、as speeding up to catch a green light It would also avoid the wasted time when drivers have to sit at a red light even if no one is using the green
The idea may sound strange，but it’s not new．Seven cities and regions in Europe are experimenting with no-lights roads．
Drachten in the Netherlands has gotten rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and changed the other two to roundabouts under a“shared space”scheme．At crossings, cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn，and drivers follow a first．arrived，first．through approach and communicate by hand signs，nods and waving．The result? Typical journey time has been cut in half and accidents and congestion have mostly disappeared．
There have been small collisions but no problem，said Hans Monderman，creator of the scheme．“We want small accidents，in order to prevent serious ones．It works well because it’s dangerous．The driver has to be responsible for his or her own risk
“The many rules take away the ability to be considerate”Monderman added．“We’re losing our responsibility for socially responsible behavior．”
So far，Drachten’s locals have called the experiment a success．“I am used to it now，”said Helena Spaanstra．24．“You drive more slowly and carefully．but somehow you seem to get around town quicker．
Tony Ooostward，70，was equally enthusiastic．“I am a walker and now you are the boss at the crossroads，everyone waits for you．But at the same time walkers wait until there are a number of people wanting to cross at the same time．”
Owen Paterson，UK’s Shadow Transport Minister。visited Drachten．He said Britain should learn from the model．“The idea is to create space where there is mild anxiety among everyone so they all behave cautiously．No one drives fast along a busy street thinking that they have right of way．”
The model is being tested in London’s Kensington neighborhood．

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