Some futurologists have assumed that the vast increase of women in the workforce may portend（预示）a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The opposite of this concern is that the outlook of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to put off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.

         The increase in divorce rates follows to the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The effect of a wife’s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its effect on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible（似是而非的）. Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family’s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family’s financial and emotional stability.

         Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.

         Also, a major part of women’s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.

71. It is said in the passage that when the economy moves to a worse situation, _________.

         A. men would choose working women as their marriage partners

         B. more women would get married to seek financial security

         C. even working women would worry about their marriages

         D. more people would prefer to remain single for the time being

72. The underlined word “rejection” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _________.

   A. accepting     B. refusing     C. producing      D. confusing

73. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home, _________.

         A. they are more likely to control their marriage partners

         B. their husbands are expected to do more housework

         C. their marriage ties can be strengthened

         D. they tend to put their career before marriage

74. One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that ________.

         A. they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom

         B. they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands

         C. they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations

         D. they tend to suspect their husbands loyalty to their marriage

75. Which of the following statements can best summarize the authors view in the passage?

         A. The stability of marriage and the divorce rate may reflect the economic situation of the country.

         B. Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in marriage.

         C. In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent.

         D. The effect of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.

 

 

         I am untraditional. I like the different gift that nobody else would think

of to give. I hardly know what to get this year, however. I have given this a lot of thought because I just didn’t have a perfect gift this year for Father’s Day. As a daughter, I came up with some nice possibilities and wanted to share them with others.

    Weekend stay at a favorite place. Maybe two nights in a motel(汽车旅馆) would be nice for him. He and his dear could get away for an entire weekend and would not have to worry about the room and board. It would show some thought and generosity. It might be rather expensive and out of the question for some of us, but for others it may be within price range.

    Concert tickets. If your dad has a favorite musician or band he would like to see, what an opportunity! He would enjoy himself and what a gift! The entire time at the concert he would  be thinking of you and what a great gift! In most cases, they would spend their money on the family or something else.

    Designer clothes for the summer. Get his sizes. A lot of men will not shop for themselves. Find out his favorite colors and brand names. Let your dad add some handsome clothes to his summer wardrobe.

Gift basket of his favorite food. Whatever he likes to eat, get him a decorative gift basket of his favorite stuff. Add a bit of coffee or tea. Summer sausage, shrimp, or sushi(寿司)？ Chinese, Italian, German, or none of the above! You know him pretty well, so surprise him with delicious food and watch him gladly receive it. If you are short of cash, cook a meal yourself！

60. From the first paragraph we can know that the author _____.

A. has got a suitable gift for her father

B. has prepared different gifts for her father

C. will be away from home on Father’s Day.

D. wants to get a special gift for her father

61. The author recommends buying concert tickets probably because _____.

A. all people should learn to appreciate music

B. adults are careful with money and seldom go to concert.

C. it will bring adults back to their childhood

D. most people are fond of going to concerts.

62. If you don’t have money, you’d better _____.

A. get away from home with your father

B. buy some clothes for your father

C. give your father a decorative gift basket

D. prepare a dinner for your father at home.

63. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. It is difficult to choose a gift for Dad.

B. There are some good suggestions for Father’s Day.

C. The author has difficulty pleasing her father.

D. The author’s father will be unhappy if he can’t receive gifts.

 

No country in the world has more daily newspapers than the USA. There are almost 2,000 of them, as compared with 180 in Japan, 164 in Argentina and 111 in Britain. The quality of some American papers is extremely high and their views are quoted all over the world. Famous dailies like the Washington Post or the New York Times have a powerful influence all over the country. However, they are not national newspapers in the sense that The Times is in Britain or Le Monde is in France, since each American city has its own daily newspaper. The best of these present detailed description of national and international news, but many tend to limit themselves to state or city news.

　Like the press in most other countries, American newspapers range from the “sensational” which feature crime and gossip(闲谈), to the “serious”, which focus on factual news and the analysis of world events. But with few exceptions, American newspapers try to entertain as well as give information, for they have to compete with the attraction of television.

Just as American newspapers satisfy all tastes, so do they also try to attract readers of all political parties. A few newspapers support extremist(极端主义的) groups on the far right and on the far left, but most daily newspapers try to attract middle-of-the-road Americans who are moderate(中立的). Many of these papers print columns by well-known journalists of different political and social views, in order to present a balanced picture.

As in other countries, American newspapers can be either responsible or irresponsible, but it is generally accepted that the American press serves its country well and that it has more than once courageously exposed political scandals(丑闻) or crimes, for instance, the Watergate Affair(水门事件). The Newspapers drew the attention of the public to the horrors of the Vietnam War.

1.There are fewer national newspapers in          .

　　A. Britain than in the USA.    B. France than in Britain

　　C. the USA than in Britain or France

　　D. France than in the USA or Britain

2.Most American newspapers try hard to entertain their readers because

.　　

A．they have to keep up a good relation with them

B．they have to compete with television

C．they have to write about crime and gossip

D．they have to give factual news in an interesting way

3.Many American newspapers attract readers of different political preference by          .

A．supporting extremist groups from time to time

B．inviting middle-of-the-road Americans to write articles for them

C．avoiding carrying articles about extremists

D．printing articles representing different political viewpoints

4.The passage is mainly about             .

A．the characteristics of American newspapers

B．the development of American newspapers

C．the functions of American newspapers

D．the advantages and disadvantages of American newspapers

 

 

第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，共40分）

第一节（共15题, 每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A,B,C和D）中，选出最佳选项。                              

          Most people know that a wedding ring is symbolic of the bond of love and commitment between two people．But not everyone knows about the history behind this small yet powerful symbol．The history of the wedding ring goes back not just hundreds but thousands of years．No other currently practiced wedding tradition has been around as long．

The Egyptians were the first recorded civilization to use the wedding ring．In Egyptian hieroglyphics（象形文字） a circle represented eternity．Once a woman accepted the ring she became the “property” of the person who gave it to her and she was in a sense “his．” The first wedding ring could have been made of braided grass or hay （which would have been changed often）, ivory, bone, or leather．Eventually, metal was used, but the first wedding bands were crude（未加工的） and rough．However, the sentiment remained the same-eternal commitment and love．

The Egyptians wore the wedding ring on the left hand because it was believed that a vein in the left hand went straight to the heart．This tradition is still commonly practiced today in most parts of the world largely for practical purposes （most people are right handed．） It is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand．But there are some countries and groups which do not follow this tradition．In the Jewish faith, the wedding ring is put on the index finger．Roman Catholics traditionally wore their wedding band on the right hand, and in many countries and regions in Europe some people still follow this tradition．

It is interesting to note that in the long history of the wedding ring that it is only in the last century that men have begun to wear them．However, now both men and women show their love and commitment by exchanging rings on their wedding day．

Once you begin shopping for rings you may be amazed by the choices that await you．There are several different types of metals: traditional gold, white gold, platinum, and titanium．You can have an inscription put on the inside of the band if you like．Some people are even choosing a tattoo band．The styles vary from a simple, yet elegant band to an elaborate ring covered with jewels．If you do not buy the wedding and engagement rings as a set you will want to be sure the styles are compatible．Choose carefully because this choice will need to stand the test of eternity．

56．What’s the best title for this passage?

         A．History of rings                B．Interesting facts about rings 

         C．Different beliefs about rings          D．The meaning of the rings．

57．What may the word “eternity” in paragraph 2 probably mean?

         A．Elegance        B．Marriage     C．Wedding        D．Foreverness

58．Which is NOT true according to the passage?

         A．The meaning of the rings remained unchanged．

         B．One should be careful of choosing a ring in a shop from different kinds．

         C．Jewish are so faithful to their beliefs to wear rings on the fourth finger．

         D．Now most people in the world still follow Roman Catholics traditionally．

59．What can we infer from the passage?

         A．Men were looked upon by women for thousands years．

         B．Only women have the right to make themselves beautiful．

         C．women wore rings thousands of years earlier than men．

         D．You can have an inscription put on the inside the band．

 

Some of the planet’s most precious animals and plants are disappearing, according to the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The group, based in Switzerland, works with governments and experts to protect threatened species. On September 12, the IUCN released its Red List, a list of species at greatest risk of extinction.

    The list includes 41,415 animals and plants. The IUCN says that habitat destruction, hunting and other causes threaten one in four mammals, one in eight birds and one in three amphibians(两栖动物).

    Who is to blame?

    Scientists believe that 99 percent of threatened species are at risk because of human activity. “We are losing animals and plants at a high rate,” says Julia Marton-LefEevre, director general of the IUCN. “We need to change our behavior.” Warmer oceans and over-fishing are changing sea life. This year for the first time corals(珊瑚) made their appearance on the list. The gharial, a crocodile living in India and Nepal, has lost almost 60 percent of its population in the last 10 years. It is a victim（受害者）of habitat destruction.

    Still, the news is not all bad. Thanks to efforts made to protect it, the Mauritius echo parakeet, a bird once endangered, has seen an increase in its population. “This shows that protection methods can work,” says Marton-LefEevre. “That’s the message we want to send to young people.”

    In China the new reserve（保护区）itself is part of green efforts that have seen more than 2,400 nature reserves of various kinds being set up, covering more than 15 percent of the nation's land area, official figures showed.

"The country's natural resources(资源) have benefited from conservation," said Lei Guangchun, director of the nature reserve department of Beijing Forestry University. "It is a big increase nowadays compared with other countries." Lei said.

The total areas of China’s natural reserves have covered 1.38 million km2, which accounts for 15.4% of China’s area, higher than both the world average（平均水平） of 11% and the rate in most developed countries.

    Li Zhong, an official in charge of the nature reserves office with the State Forestry Administration, thought it was important to increase investment（投资） in such reserves at all levels.

1.What do we know about the IUCN?

   A. A union for listing animals and plants on the earth

   B. A group of volunteers who are interested in wildlife

   C. An organization concerning the protection of rare species' survival

   D. A government made up officials, scientists and experts

2. What can be concluded from the passage? 

   A. All the protection methods can’t work.

   B. The IUCN does most of the protection.

   C. The efforts China makes has paid off.

   D. Enough is done in wildlife protection.

3.Which of the following is not the cause of the disappearance of the animals?

   A. Bad weather     B. Over-hunting    C. Warmer oceans    D. Habitat destruction

4.Which of the sentence is NOT true?

       A. China has been paying great attention to protecting the natural resources.

       B. China has set up a lot of natural reserves.

       C. The natural reserves in China cover more than 15 percent of the nation's land area.

       D. The rate of China's natural reserves is lower than the average of the world.