考题
A Bridge for Squirrels
San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day's coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council (市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere jokingly named the bridge "Nutty Narrows".
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started construction. They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose (消防水带). It cost 1000.
It didn't take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became known in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984 ,and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?() A、It was replaced by a longer oneB、It was built from wood and metalC、It was rebuilt after years of useD、It was designed by Bill Hutch
考题
Drug Overuse
① Nowadays,millions of people misuse and even overuse pain medications and other drugs. Research by the American National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, 1999) shows that around 2% of the population over age 12 were using drugs non-medically.
② NIDA views medications as a powerful force for good in the contemporary world. They reduce and remove pain for millions of people suffering from illness and disease. They make it possible for doctors to perform complicated surgery to save lives. Many people afflicted by serious medical conditions are able to control their symptoms and become active, contributing citizens. NIDA points out that most individuals who take these drags use them in a responsible.
③ Nevertheless, overuse of drugs such as opioids, central nervous system(CNS) depressants and stimulants does lead to harmful reliance in some people and is therefore becoming a serious public health concern. Although this abuse affects many people worldwide, particular trends of concern to the medical profession in the US appear among older adults, teenagers arid women.
④ Though it may be a surprise to many, the misuse of medications may be the most common form of drug abuse among the elderly. Dr Kenneth Schrader of Duke University, North Carolina states that although the elderly represent about 13% of the US population, those aged 65 and over account for the consumption of one third of all drugs. People in this age group use medications roughly three times more than the general population and have poorer compliance with instruction for use. In another study of elderly patients admitted to treatment programs, 70% were women who had overused medicines.
⑤ Unfortunately, this trend among women does not only affect those aged over. In general, among women and men who are using either an anti-anxiety drug or a sedative, women are twice as likely to become addicted. In addition, statistics compiled for 12 —17 year olds show that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to begin overusing psychotherapeutic medication such as painkillers, tranquillizers, stimulants and sedatives.
Medications kill pain for people suffering().A、teenage boysB、from diseasesC、get addictedD、the record of medicines overusingE、use instructionF、are alien and utterly foreign
考题
Trying to Find a Partner
One of the most striking findings of a recent poll in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.
Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships? Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love? Or are we making it harder for ourselves?
It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships. Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status. A man doesn't expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.
But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.
In theory, finding a partner should be much simpler these days. Only a few generations ago, your choice of soulmate (心上人) was constrained by geography, social convention and family tradition. Although it was never explicit, many marriages were essentially arranged.
Now those barriers have been broken down. You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster (牡蛎) ,you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.
But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint: the tyranny of choice. The expectations of partners are inflated to an unmanageable degree: good looks, impressive salary, kind to grandmother, and right socks. There is no room for error in the first impression.
We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't, it is disposable. We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship. Of course, this is complicated by realities. The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.
Which of the following was NOT a constraint on one's choice of soulmate in the old days?()A、The health condition of his or her grandmother.B、The geographical environment.C、The social convention.D、The family tradition.
考题
Advertising to Children
(1) Not only are they easily swayed by advertising, they are also persuasive in encouraging their parents to buy a product. If a child wants something in their kid's locker, they will prod and annoy their parents until they get what they want.(2)All it takes is a little suggestion from a single advertisement to send them on their way.
(3) In a campaign entitled "Kids are the Star", its employees were encouraged to pay special attention to children and to make sure they had a positive experience while eating at its restaurants. The reason for this, naturally, was not that the McDonald's corporation cared deeply about the well-being of children everywhere, but that the pester-power that children have is extraordinarily effective at bringing their parents back for more visits.
The way that advertisers target children is simple big, bright lights, happy people and animated characters are all that is needed to encourage children to think a certain product is something they want. (4)They do not realize that Ronald McDonald is just a guy in a Costum and make-up, and that behind the counter of every McDonald's is a bunch of kids working in uncomfortable conditions for low pay.
This poses a real moral dilemma for those who make the advertising decisions, or at least it should. (5)How do you say no to an opportunity to reach such a wide audience of children, who act as advertisers themselves when they encourage other children and their parents to buy a particular product?
3.()A、While manipulating children into believing lies, especially encouraging them to eat unhealthy foods, is obviously bad, the purpose of business is to make moneyB、The superficial reactions children get from eating McDonald's last about as long as they are at the placeC、McDonald's at one stage advised employees to specifically target childrenD、Children are a prime target for advertisers and salesmen across the worldE、Anyone who has seen a child pester its parents knows the lengths children can go toF、This is because children are naive; they genuinely believe what an advertiser tells them
考题
Literacy Volunteer
Last summer I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer (扫盲志愿者). The training I received, though excellent, did not tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people's lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.
My first student Jane was a 44-year-old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she could not read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only recognize items by their labels. As a result, if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.
As we worked together, learning how to read built Jane's self-confidence, which encouraged her to continue in her studies. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarket. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son, Tony, a shy first grader, with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read pride was written all over her face, and she began to see how her own hard work in learning to read paid off. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself, too. I found that helping Jane to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.
As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Jane did.
After her successful trip to the supermarket,Jane reported how self-confident she felt.() A、TrueB、FalseC、Not Given
考题
Advertising to Children
(1) Not only are they easily swayed by advertising, they are also persuasive in encouraging their parents to buy a product. If a child wants something in their kid's locker, they will prod and annoy their parents until they get what they want.(2)All it takes is a little suggestion from a single advertisement to send them on their way.
(3) In a campaign entitled "Kids are the Star", its employees were encouraged to pay special attention to children and to make sure they had a positive experience while eating at its restaurants. The reason for this, naturally, was not that the McDonald's corporation cared deeply about the well-being of children everywhere, but that the pester-power that children have is extraordinarily effective at bringing their parents back for more visits.
The way that advertisers target children is simple big, bright lights, happy people and animated characters are all that is needed to encourage children to think a certain product is something they want. (4)They do not realize that Ronald McDonald is just a guy in a Costum and make-up, and that behind the counter of every McDonald's is a bunch of kids working in uncomfortable conditions for low pay.
This poses a real moral dilemma for those who make the advertising decisions, or at least it should. (5)How do you say no to an opportunity to reach such a wide audience of children, who act as advertisers themselves when they encourage other children and their parents to buy a particular product?
4.()A、While manipulating children into believing lies, especially encouraging them to eat unhealthy foods, is obviously bad, the purpose of business is to make moneyB、The superficial reactions children get from eating McDonald's last about as long as they are at the placeC、McDonald's at one stage advised employees to specifically target childrenD、Children are a prime target for advertisers and salesmen across the worldE、Anyone who has seen a child pester its parents knows the lengths children can go toF、This is because children are naive; they genuinely believe what an advertiser tells them
考题
Drug Overuse
① Nowadays,millions of people misuse and even overuse pain medications and other drugs. Research by the American National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, 1999) shows that around 2% of the population over age 12 were using drugs non-medically.
② NIDA views medications as a powerful force for good in the contemporary world. They reduce and remove pain for millions of people suffering from illness and disease. They make it possible for doctors to perform complicated surgery to save lives. Many people afflicted by serious medical conditions are able to control their symptoms and become active, contributing citizens. NIDA points out that most individuals who take these drags use them in a responsible.
③ Nevertheless, overuse of drugs such as opioids, central nervous system(CNS) depressants and stimulants does lead to harmful reliance in some people and is therefore becoming a serious public health concern. Although this abuse affects many people worldwide, particular trends of concern to the medical profession in the US appear among older adults, teenagers arid women.
④ Though it may be a surprise to many, the misuse of medications may be the most common form of drug abuse among the elderly. Dr Kenneth Schrader of Duke University, North Carolina states that although the elderly represent about 13% of the US population, those aged 65 and over account for the consumption of one third of all drugs. People in this age group use medications roughly three times more than the general population and have poorer compliance with instruction for use. In another study of elderly patients admitted to treatment programs, 70% were women who had overused medicines.
⑤ Unfortunately, this trend among women does not only affect those aged over. In general, among women and men who are using either an anti-anxiety drug or a sedative, women are twice as likely to become addicted. In addition, statistics compiled for 12 —17 year olds show that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to begin overusing psychotherapeutic medication such as painkillers, tranquillizers, stimulants and sedatives.
Teenage girls are more likely than()to begin psychotherapeutic medication overusing.A、teenage boysB、from diseasesC、get addictedD、the record of medicines overusingE、use instructionF、are alien and utterly foreign
考题
Majored Finance
An increase in students (11)to study economics at university is being attributed to (归因于)the global economic crisis awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the(12)system works.
Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the
Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A(13)for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.
Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecturer at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures—which are open to students from all departments—were (14)crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.
"There are a large number of students who are not (15)majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary (16)in a way that one hasn't traditionally done," he added.
University applications rose 7% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people's renewed interest in (17)in the public sector (部门) ,which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.
A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents (18)schools should do more to teach pupils about financial
matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a (19)of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.
Zack Hocking, the head of child trust funds, said: "It's possible that one good thing to(20)from the downturn will be a generation that's financially wiser and better equipped to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty."
17.()A、financialB、applyingC、careersD、minorityE、drawingF、economicsG、believedH、purposeI、spokesmanJ、eventsK、eventsL、professional