Charlotte Hollins faces a battle. The 23-year-old British farmer and her 21-year
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Charlotte Hollins faces a battle. The 23-year-old British farmer and her 21-year-old brother Ben are fighting to save farm that their father worked on since he was 14. Although confident they will succeed, she is aware of farming’s many challenges.
“You don’t often get a day off. Supermarkets put a lot of pressure on farmers to keep prices low. With fewer people working on farms it can be isolating,” she said. “There is a high rate of suicide and farming will never make you rich!”
Like others around the world, Charlotte’s generation tend to leave the farm for cities.
Oliver Robinson, 25, grew up in Yorkshire. But he never considered staying on his father and grandfather’s land. “I’m sure Dad hoped I’d stay,” he said. “I guess it’s a nice, straightforward life, but it doesn’t appeal to me. For young, ambitious people, farm life is hard.”
For Robinson, farming doesn’t offer much “in terms of money or lifestyle”. Hollins agrees that economic factors stop people from enjoying the rewards of farming. He describes it as a career that provides “for a vital human need”, allowing people to work “outdoors with nature.”
Farming is a big political issue in the UK. The “Buy British” campaigns urge consumers not to purchase cheaper imported foods. The 2001 foot and mouth crisis closed thousands of farms, stopped meat exports, and raised public consciousness about the troubles on UK farms.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s 2005 campaign to get children eating healthily also highlighted the issue.
This national concern gives hope to farmers competing with powerful supermarkets. While most people buy food from the big supermarkets, hundreds of independent Farmers’ Markets are becoming popular.
“I started going to Farmers’ Markets in direct defiance(违抗) of the big supermarkets. I seriously objected to the super-sizing of everything－what exactly do they put on our apples to make them so big and red? It’s terrible,” said Londoner Michaela Samson, 31.
小题1:What are the challenges that British farmers face according to Charlotte Hollins?
a. loneliness b. thin profits
c. a lack of good equipment d. long working hours but slow results小题2:Why did Oliver Robinson refuse to stay on the farm?| A．He hoped for a simpler life | | B．He was fed up with a hard farm life. | | C．Farm life was too demanding though he liked it. | | D．He hoped for something challenging and rewarding. |
小题3:What happened in 2001 to the British beef farmers?| A．British people ate more British beef. | | B．To be a beef farmer became profitable. | | C．Diseaes dramatically reduced the amount of beef available. | | D．Foreign farmers stopped selling beef to Britain. |
小题4:Which of the following is an advantage of Farmers’ Markets?| A．Lower prices. | B．Flexible sizes. | | C．Convenient location. | D．Healthier food. |
小题5:What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?| A．Things are improving for independent farms in the UK. | | B．Farming in the UK can now match the powerful supermarkets. | | C．Most British people are doubtful of food in supermarkets. | | D．Most British people have realized the problems facing farms and begun to help save them. |
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答案
小题1:B
小题2:D
小题3:C
小题4:D
小题5:A |
解析
试题分析：本文讲述的是英国的农场所面临的困难情况导致很多的农民都不愿意继续从事农业活动，在文章的后几段继续进一步说明现在的农场的情况有所好转。
小题1:B 细节题。根据文章2,4段“You don’t often get a day off. Supermarkets put a lot of pressure on farmers to keep prices low. With fewer people working on farms it can be isolating,” she said. “There is a high rate of suicide and farming will never make you rich!”和For young, ambitious people, farm life is hard.”可知abd三项的内容都是现在的农民多面临的挑战。故B正确。
小题2:D 细节题。根据第五段1,2行For Robinson, farming doesn’t offer much “in terms of money or lifestyle”. Hollins agrees that economic factors stop people from enjoying the rewards of farming.可知农场生活缺乏挑战并没有回报。故D正确。
小题3:C 细节题。根据文章第6段The 2001 foot and mouth crisis closed thousands of farms, stopped meat exports, and raised public consciousness about the troubles on UK farms.
可知2001年的口蹄疫让英国的牛肉出口减少，经济受到影响。故C正确。
小题4:D 推理题。根据文章倒数第三段Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s 2005 campaign to get children eating healthily also highlighted the issue.可知农场里出产的产品往往是健康的。故D正确。
小题5:A 推理题。根据文章最后2段This national concern gives hope to farmers competing with powerful supermarkets. 和“I started going to Farmers’ Markets in direct defiance(违抗) of the big supermarkets. I seriously objected to the super-sizing of everything－what exactly do they put on our apples to make them so big and red?可知现在英国的农场的状况有所好转，人们意识到农场的重要性。故A正确。
点评：本文讲述的是英国的农场所面临的困难情况导致很多的农民都不愿意继续从事农业活动，在文章的后几段继续进一步说明现在的农场的情况有所好转。这篇文章比较难，先看问题，再带着问题读短文，找出各段落的主旨句，理解全文内容，总结全文中心，然后再回到问题上来，很容易选出正确答案。多了解一些常识性知识有利于阅读理解。如果对文章的相关背景有所了解，读起文章一定既省时又省力。因此，在学习过程中，了解各方面的背景知识是十分重要的。 |
举一反三
In the UK, we like a good bargain. People flock to the sales in January, when stores slash their prices to get rid of all their winter stock. But surprisingly, the British hate haggling. In markets you might see the odd British person battling with a stall owner to bring down the price of a pair of trousers or some furniture. Generally, though, people from the UK are too reserved to haggle. If we think the price of something we want is too high, we’ll simply move on and try somewhere else.
The act of bargaining with someone is very theatrical, in my opinion. It’s a test to see who can stand their ground for the longest. But it is not in British people’s nature to “perform” in public, especially around strangers.
However, in the US, people are generally more willing to haggle. And if you wander into a market, you’re likely to hear a number of phrases that Americans reserve for such occasions.
First, “you drive a hard bargain” is commonly said by the customer to indicate they think the stall holder is working very hard, probably a little too hard, to get the price he wants.
Or you might hear the buyer telling a stall holder that “the kid’s gotta have braces”, which means they don’t have enough spare money lying around to afford the price being offered.
If the customer is really shocked at the price suggested by the seller, they also might say “you’re killing me” to indicate that they think the price is far too high.
In Britain, it’s difficult to imagine anyone saying anything along these lines. If I were forced to bargain, I’d probably say, very simply: “I’m going to make you an offer.” If that offer were refused, I think I’d just walk away.
小题1:The underlined word “haggling” can be replaced by _______.| A．arguing | B．bargaining | C．performing | D．insisting |
小题2:Why don’t the British haggle generally?| A．They don’t think it is polite behavior. | | B．They have sales every January. | | C．They can always get a better price somewhere else. | | D．They dislike openly expressing feelings or opinions. |
小题3:The underlined phrase “you drive a hard bargain” means_______.| A．the seller has a lot of deals on offer. | | B．the buyer will make a final offer | | C．the stall holder is too insistent | | D．the buyer doesn’t have a lot of spare money |
小题4:What’s the author’s attitude toward bargaining?| A．Negative. | B．Careless. | C．Positive. | D．Critical. |
小题5:How does the passage mainly develop?| A．By providing examples. | | B．By making comparision. | | C．By analyzing causes and effects. | | D．By following the order of importance. |
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Every culture has a recognized point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are 18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their driving test. When they have their license, they drive into the grown-up world.
“Nobody wants to ride the cheese bus to school,” said Eleanor Fulham, 17. She brought the pressure back to memory, especially from kids from wealthier families. “It’s like you’re not cool if you don’t have a car,” she said.
According to recent research, 41% of 16 to 19-year-olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families can afford cars for their children. In cities with subways and limited parking, some teenagers don’t want them. But in rich suburban areas without subways, and where bicycles are more for fun than transportation, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many parents pause before letting their kids drive.
Julie Sussman, of Virginia, decided that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner’s permit.
Chad said he has accepted his parents’ decision, although it has caused some teasing from his friends. “They say that I am unlucky,” he said, “But I’d rather be alive than driving, and I don’t really trust my friends on the road, either.”
In China, as more families get cars, more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an adult?
小题1:Which may serve as the BEST title of the article?| A．Cars Helping You to Grow-Up | B．Driving into the Grown-Up World | | C．Teenagers’ Driving in America | D．Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult |
小题2:16-year-old drivers have more accidents possibly because .| A．they want to show themselves off | B．they are never experienced drivers | | C．older people always drive better | D．they never drive carefully on the road |
小题3:Which may NOT be taken into consideration when deciding whether to buy a car?| A．How well off the family is. | | B．Whether the kid is old enough. | | C．What traffic condition there is around. | | D．Whether it’s practically needed. |
小题4:When Chad said “I don’t really trust my friends ...”, he meant that .| A．he might run into his friends if he drove | | B．he didn’t agree with his friends | | C．he might not be safe if his friends drove | | D．he was afraid that his friends might well lie to him |
小题5:The passage mainly gives information about .| A．an American culture | | B．a cultural difference between America and China | | C．a change in the Chinese culture | | D．the relationship between driving and a person’s development |
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The American book Who Moved My Cheese has bee a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don"t be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.
Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two “little people” and some cheese.
The four are in amaze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can’t change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can’t do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese
After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself.
小题1:The book Who Moved My Cheese is __________.| A．read across the world | B．written all over the world | | C．sold only in America | D．loved only by teens |
小题2:What does the text mainly discuss?| A．Never change in our life. | B．Change when you like to do. | | C．Change with the changes. | D．Pay attention to the changes, |
小题3:The underlined word “four”（paragraph 3）refers to __________.| A．Mice and little people | B．Students | C．Cheese | D．Readers |
小题4:In our lives, we should learn from __________.| A．Mice | B．Little people | C．Chris | D．Spence Johnson |
小题5:Which of the following statements is true?| A．The author is Britain. | | B．There are three terms in every school. | | C．Most teens don"t understand Chris" story. | | D．The book tells teens how to face changes in their lives. |
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There is one word that is on the lips of Americans, day and night: “Sorry.”
One time as I was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly, brushing against my handbag. Even as he continued on his way, he turned back and said “sorry” to me. Even in a rush, he didn’t forget to apologize. One day, after I bought a mango, the salesman was giving me the change, but I wasn’t ready for it and a coin dropped to the ground. “I’m sorry,” he said while bending down to pick it up. I was puzzled—why would he apologize when it is my fault?
Another time, I stepped on a man’s foot in an escalator, at the same time, we both said “sorry”. I thought it interesting, was it really necessary for him to apologize? Later on, an American friend explained to me that according to the American mentality, the escalators a public place, and everyone should be able to stand in it. After someone occupies a position in the elevator, making it difficult for someone else to find a place to stand, isn’t it necessary to express an apology?
If you go to the movies and the tickets happen to be sold out, the ticket seller will say: “Sorry, the tickets are sold out.” Whenever one of your hopes goes unfulfilled, an American will say “sorry” as a sign of sympathy.
During my stay in America, I often came across situations in which I was supposed to say “sorry”. Gradually, I realized that when friction（摩擦）appears in daily life, Americans don’t care much about who is wrong; If someone is troubled, a “sorry” is always necessary. When this happens, even if the other person is hurt, the “sorry” cools tempers and human kindness is shown. Perhaps this is why I never saw anyone quarreling on the buses, subways or streets of America.
小题1:How many examples are given to show that Americans like to say “sorry”?小题2:When the author was walking on the street, a young man ran by hurriedly ______.| A．and took away his bag | B．and touched his bag | | C．to help him with his bag | D．to brush his bag |
小题3:Which of the following plays a different role in the passage?| A．Paragraph 2 | B．Paragraph 3 | C．Paragraph 4 | D．Paragraph 5 |
小题4:At last, the author’s attitude towards the Americans’ “sorry” seems to be ______. | A．angry | B．interested | C．approving(赞成) | D．disappointed |
小题5:The best title for the passage can be “_______”.| A．My life in America | B．Americans’ “sorry” | | C．My experience in an escalator | D．The meaning of “sorry” |
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Photos that you might have found down the back of your sofa are now big business!
In 2005, the American artist Richard Prince’s photograph of a photograph, Untitled (Cowboy）, was sold for $ 1, 248, 000.
Prince is certainly not the only contemporary artist to have worked with so-called “found photographs”—a loose term given to everything from discarded(丢弃的） prints discovered in a junk shop to old advertisements or amateur photographs from a stranger’s family album. The German artist Joachim Schmid, who believes “basically everything is worth looking at”, has gathered discarded photographs, postcards and newspaper images since 1982. In his on-going project, Archiv, he groups photographs of family life according to themes: people with dogs; teams; new cars; dinner with the family; and so on.
Like Schmid, the editors of several self-published art magazines also champion (捍卫) found photographs. One of them, called simply Found, was born one snowy night in Chicago, when Davy Rothbard returned to his car to find under his wiper(雨刷） an angry note intended for some else: “Why’s your car HERE at HER place?” The note became the starting point for Rothbard’s addictive publication, which features found photographs sent in by readers, such a poster discovered in our drawer.
The whole found-photograph phenomenon has raised some questions. Perhaps one of the most difficult is: can these images really be considered as art? And if so, whose art? Yet found photographs produced by artists, such Richard Prince, may riding his horse hurriedly to meet someone? Or how did Prince create this photograph? It"s anyone"s guess. In addition, as we imagine the back-story to the people in the found photographs artists, like Schmid, have collated (整理）, we also turn toward our own photographic albums. Why is memory so important to us? Why do we all seek to freeze in time the faces of our children, our parents, our lovers, and ourselves? Will they mean anything to anyone after we"ve gone?
In the absence of established facts, the vast collections of found photographs give our minds an opportunity to wander freely. That, above all, is why they are so fascinating.
小题1:The first paragraph of the passage is used to _________.| A．remind readers of found photographs | | B．advise reader to start a new kind of business | | C．ask readers to find photographs behind sofa | | D．show readers the value of found photographs |
小题2:According to the passage, Joachim Schmid _________.| A．is fond of collecting family life photographs | | B．found a complaining not under his car wiper | | C．is working for several self-published magazines | | D．wondered at the artistic nature of found photographs |
小题3:The underlined word "them" in Para 4 refers to __________.| A．the readers | B．the editors | | C．the found photographs | D．the self-published magazines |
小题4:By asking a series of questions in Para 5, the author mainly intends to indicate that ________.| A．memory of the past is very important to people | | B．found photographs allow people to think freely | | C．the back-story of found photographs is puzzling | | D．the real value of found photographs is questionable |
小题5:The author’s attitude towards found photographs can be described as _________.| A．critical | B．doubtful | C．optimistic | D．satisfied |
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