Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions on

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Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertiser, hoping to sell their products.
The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people’s lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item(商品) that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.
It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.
小题1:What does the author try to argue in Paragraph 1?

A．The exercise of rights is a luxury.

B．The practice of choice is difficult.

C．The right of choice is given but at a price.

D．Choice and right exist at the same time.

小题2:Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?

A．Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.

B．People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.

C．Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.

D．Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the rage of choice.

小题3:By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that _______.

A．advanced products meet the needs of people

B．products of the latest design flood the market

C．competitions are fierce in high-tech industry

D．everyday goods need to be replaced often

小题4:What is this passage mainly about?

A．The variety of choices in modern society.

B．The opinions on people’s right in different countries

C．The Problems about the availability of everyday goods.

D．The helplessness in purchasing decisions

答案

小题1:B
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:D

解析

略

举一反三

Are the lives of city kids the same as those in villages? In lots of ways, they are very differen

t. But what are those differences?
Hu Peng from Wuhan and four of his friends decided to find out. Earlier this month, they went to live for a week in Caidian, a village near Wuhan. Hu and his Junior l classmates went door to door in Caidian and asked kids lots of questions. They want to learn more about village kids" everyday lives, so they asked questions like this: Do your parents teach you how to do the housework? How much money do you usually spend on dinner? What would you do if a thief came into your house? They also asked 150 city kids t

he same questions.
On April 12, the team gave a report to their class. They told about many differences between children"s lives in cities and those of children in villages. The biggest difference is about independence. Hu"s team found that 60 percent of city kids can"t do much housework, but 90 percent of village kids can care for themselves.
City kids told Hu they care about schoolwork a lot, and the

y have no time for washing clothes or making their beds. Village kids said they help their parents a lot : cooking, cleaning the houses and feeding pigs. Hu"s team also found that village kids have less pocket money. Many have never used computers. They like playing in rivers or on mountains. Some don"t even like to make new friends.
Hu and his friends said their trip gave them more self- confidence (自信) because they have done something by themselves. But it also worried them a bit because they found they still have a lot to learn. "When we grow up, our parents can"t take care of us," Hu said. "We have to learn to take care of ourselves. " Shen Guanquan, one of Hu"s friends said, "When people learn to care for themselves, they learn to do lots of difficult things. "
小题1:How many city kids went to learn about village kids" everyday lives?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

小题2:Their report showed that most city kids ＿＿.

A．help their parents a lot	B．have less pocket money
C．can take care of themselves	D．still have a lot to learn

小题3:The underlined word "it" in the last paragraph means ＿＿.

A．their trip

B．their report

C．a village kid

D．a city kid

小题4: Hu Peng and his friends finished their report by ＿＿.

A．visiting schools in the village

B．questioning village and city kids from door to door

C．watching village

and city kids" everyday lives

D．questioning village and city kids" parents

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Do you ever run out of great books to read? So what should I read next? Is fast-paced crime fiction your thing?
Try the new Patricia Cornwell book, Scarpetta（Putnam）. She is such an able writer and handles complex forensic（法庭的） intelligence with ease. You need to be prepared, though, for the world you"re entering—this isn"t for the faint of heart, let"s say.
If peace is more your thing, try Mary Pipher"s wonderful new book, Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World （Riverhead）. Mary is a lovely, comfortable writer who takes the reader through her personal awakening after reputation and fortune came her way. Even if you"ve never experienced life as a bestselling writer （as she has done, in her book years back, Reviving Ophelia）, you"ll totally understand and sympathize with her renewed need for privacy, distance and quiet.
What if you want a straightforward, totally thrilling read with vivid characters, set about World War II? You cannot go wrong with Jim Lehrer"s new novel, Oh, Johnny（Random House）, about a young Marine whose life is changed forever when he meets a woman on his way to war. His relationship with her lasts him through danger and hardship, and there"s an impressive ending. See our interview with the productive novelist/newsman in the current issue of Reader"s Digest （March, on stands now）, by the way, for insight into the very talented Mr. Lehrer and what interests him.
Well, what about something wickedly funny and totally offbeat? Does the name Carrie Fisher do anything for you? Try her vivid and new life in Hollywood and elsewhere, Wishful Drinking（Simon & Schuster）. Be prepared for humor as sharp as knives.
小题1: What does the writer want to tell us by the underlined sentence?

A．The world is complex and hard.	B．Scarpetta is a thriller.
C．The fiction is hard to understand.	D．Society is hard to fit into.

小题2:Which of the following is true of Mary Pipher?

A．She is an adventurous writer.	B．She doesn’t care about fortune.
C．Her books normally sell well.	D．She can help you achieve writing skills.

小题3: To get further information about Jim Lehrer, you may________.

A．go to Reader’s Digest issued in March	B．go to Random House
C．analyze the characters in Oh, Johnny	D．read the novel Oh, Johnny

小题4:Which book isn’t directly based on the writer’s own life?__________________

A． Seeking Peace.	B．Reviving Ophelia.
C．Wishful Drinking.	D．Oh, Johnny.

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Certainly people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you’ve known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills (技巧) that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they will help you put people at ease, and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy they are, will answer a question. One well-known businessman says. “At business lunches, I always ask people what they did this morning. It’s a common question, but it will get things going.” From there you can move on to other matters sometimes to really personal questions. And how they answer will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions they listen for the answer. This point seems clear, but it isn’t. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively (专心地).
Real listening means certain things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation (对话). If someone sticks to (坚持) one topic (话题), you can take it as a fact that he’ll be really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones (语调) of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it’s time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the occasion (场合) of parting. If you’re saying goodbye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I’ve really enjoyed meeting you.” If you want to see that person again, don’t keep it secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they’ve known you half their life.
64. You’ll like to stay with certain people because ________.
A. they know how to get along with others
B. you can often get much help from them
C. they are always glad to do anything for you
D. they will never get you into trouble
65. Asking questions might be quite a good way ________.
A. for you to make more and more new friends
B. to begin your business talks
C. to get the conversation going well
D. for you to make a deep and lasting impression (印象) on others
66. After having asked somebody a question, it’ll be polite of you to ________.
A. make clear what kink of person he is
B. listen to his answer attentively
C. wait quietly and patiently for his answer
D. talk with others
67. Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who ________.
A. are good at making any topic interesting
B. never talk too much or too little
C. always speak in a gentle way
D. know how and when they should change the topic of the talk

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Man has a big brain. He can think, learn and speak. Scientists thought that men are different from animals because they can think and learn. They know now that dogs, cats and birds can learn too. They are beginning to understand that. They make noises when they are afraid, or angry or unhappy. Apes(猿) can understand some things more quickly than human, one or two of them have learnt a few words. But they can not join words to make sentences. They can not think like us because they have no language. Language is a wonderful thing. Man has been able to build a modern world because he has language. Every child can speak his own language very well when he is four or five, —but no animal learns to speak. How do children learn it ? Scientists do not really know. What happens inside our body when we speak? They do not know. They only know that man can speak because he has a brain.
小题1:The best title for this passage is .

A．Animal’s Language

B．Man and Ape

C．Brain and language

D．Man’s Brain

小题2:Men are different from animals in the way that .

A．men can understand things quickly	B．men can learn
C．men have learnt to use language	D．men have brains

小题3:An ape can not .

A．make noises

B．understand things

C．learn words

D．speak like man

小题4:Scientists now know .

A．how children learn to speak	B．why apes can learn a few words
C．man’s brain helps him to learn to speak	D．what happens when men speak

小题5:Which of the following is NOT true ?

A．Some animals can learn.	B．Apes can understand some things more quickly than men.
C．Apes can put the words they know together.
D．Apes have no language though they can learn some words

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　 As we know, Human beings each have unique brains. The brain is of the greatest importance to the body. It is the boss of the body．Your eyes，ears，nose，and skin tell your brain what is going on around you．Other parts of your body tell your brain what is going on inside of you．Your brain takes in the signals．It tells your body what to do with them．When you touch fire，your skin tells your brain that your finger is too hot．Your brain tells you to move your finger．All these happen very fast．Your brain also controls your breathing，blinking，and heartbeat．It controls your feelings and thoughts too．
　　Humans have the most developed brain of all animals．Yet it is not the largest brain．The human brain weighs three pounds．The brain of an elephant weighs 11 pounds．So the largest brain is not always the best brain．In people，a larger brain does not mean a clever person．
小题1:What is the main idea of this passage?
　

A．The human brain works very fast．

B．The largest brain is not always the best brain．

C．The brain controls the body．

D．The best brain is the largest brain．

小题2:What happens after the brain takes in the signals from the body?

A．The brain grows faster and larger．	B．The brain tells the body what to do．
C．The body becomes more developed．	D．We don"t know．

小题3:What does “the boss of the body” mean?

A．The signals．	B．The most developed body part．
C．The main part of the body.	D．The centre of the body．

小题4:Which brain is the most developed?

A．The largest brain．	B．The human brain．
C．The smaller brain．	D．Not too big brain．

小题5:What are the things that the human brain does?
　　A．Takes in signals．　　　　　　　B．Controls breathing．
　　C．Controls feelings and thoughts．　D．A，B and C．

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