Ten years ago I used to be very fit. I rode a bike to work and I got a lot of exercise at weekends. I used to play tennis a lot and go for long walks. In those days I didn’t earn very much. I had a job in an office. It wasn’t a very good job but I had a lot of time to do the things I enjoyed doing.

Then, about eight years ago, I got a much better job. The pay was better, but the hours were a lot longer. I bought a car and drove to work every day. I began to take people out to lunch. And I began to put on weight, too. I stopped playing tennis and going for long walks at weekends because I just didn’t have any time for things like that any more.

There’s a lot of stress in my job. Perhaps that’s why I started drinking more than I used to. For example, I used to have only half a glass of whisky when I got home, but then I started filling my glass to the top, and instead of having one glass, I would have several. I started smoking a lot, too. I never used to smoke at all.

Two months ago I had a heart attack. At first I just couldn’t believe it. Luckily it wasn’t very serious. The doctor advised me to stop smoking and to eat less. He also advised me to work less and get more exercise. But I just haven’t any time! My job takes everything out of me!

Sometimes I wonder if I should get another job. Perhaps I could do something as I used to. But if I do that, I won’t earn as much. I have a family to support. I have to think of them, too. I just don’t know what I should do. What do you think?

1.Compared with ten years ago, what is worse for the author now?

A．His job.                               B．His pay.

C．His means of transport.                   D．His health.

2.According to the passage, when the author got the better job, which of the following is NOT true?

A．He got higher pay.                       B．His working hours weren’t long.

C．He found it very stressful.                 D．He had little free time at weekends.

3.After the author had a heart attack, the doctor advised him ____________.

A．not to work any longer

B．to take a long vacation abroad

C．to stop smoking and take exercise

D．not to eat out any more

4.What can we learn about the author?

A．The author is not sure what he should do now.

B．The author has taken the doctor’s advice already.

C．The author has got another new job.

D．The author feels much better now.

 

The lower East Side is neither rich nor beautiful, but it can be a good place to shop.
On Sundays, its streets are crowded with visitors and shoppers like these. They are trying to find a coat or a pair of shoes at a good price.
Most people prefer to shop in the big department stores like Macy’s, Gimbel’s, or Bloomingdale’s because there they can find clothing, furniture, toys, and food in one store.
Some people like the smaller stores of Greenwich Village or other areas when they are looking for an unusual present.
Some streets have only one kind of stores. Bracelets (手镯) and rings shine in the windows of Canal Street, and wedding dresses fill the stores of Grant Street. There are streets for furs(皮大衣), and, in one area, there are 600 shops for antiques (古玩)! Fifth Avenue is the most famous place to shop, and it is usually the most expensive. There you can find the latest styles from Paris, Italy, or New York. You can spend thousands of dollars on Fifth Avenue, or you can just window shop and admire the sights for free.
【小题1】How many kinds of shops or stores on the lower East Side are mentioned in the passage?

A．Four.

B．Five.

C．Six.

D．Seven.

【小题2】If you want to buy something fashionable to wear, you’d better go to       .

A．Grant Street

B．the big department stores

C．Fifth Avenue

D．the smaller stores of Greenwich Village

【小题3】Why does the writer say that the lower East Side can be a good place to shop?

A．Because its streets are crowded with visitors.

B．Because there are latest style from Paris, Italy, or New York.

C．Because there are different goods in different stores they can meet the needs of the visitors and shoppers.

D．Because women want very much to go there and buy bracelets and rings.

【小题4】The underlined words window shop in the sentence means “      ”.

A．put all one’s goods in the shop-window

B．look at goods displayed in shop-windows

C．not only look at goods displayed in shop-window but also want to buy something

D．take much interest in the goods and have the idea of buying something

【小题5】The last five words “admire the sights for free” of the passage means “      ”.

A．get pleasure from the sight at no cost

B．buy and sell goods freely

C．look at the sights as much as you like

D．look at the sight with pleasure and buy something as you like

Living and dealing with kids can be a tough job these days，but living and dealing with parents can be even tougher．

If I have learned anything in my 16 years，it is that communication is very important，both when you disagree and when you get along．With any relationship，you need to let the other person know how you are feeling．If you are not able to communicate，your relationship drifts apart．When you are mad at your parents or anyone else，not talking to them doesn’t solve anything．

Communication begins with the concerns of another．It means that you can’t just come home from school，go up to your room and talk to nobody．Even if you just say “Hi” and see how their day is for five minutes，it is better than nothing．

If you look up the word “communication” in the dictionary，it will say “the exchange of ideas，conveyance (传递) of information，correspondence (通信)，means of communication；a letter or message”．To keep a good relationship，you must keep the communication strong．Let people know how you feel，even if it’s just by writing a note．

When dealing with parents，you always have to make them feel good about how they are doing as parents．If you are trying to make them see something as you see it，tell them that you listen to what they have to say，but ask them politely to listen to you．Shouting or walking away only makes the situation worse．

Here is an example．One night，Sophie went to a street party with her friends．She knew she had to be home by midnight after the fireworks．but they didn’t feel she could just ask to go home．That would be rude．After all，they had been nice enough to take her along with them．Needless to say，she was late getting home．Her parents were mad at first，but when Sophie explained why she was late，they weren’t as mad and let the incident go．Communication was the key factor here．If Sophie’s parents had not been willing to listen，Sophie would have been in a lot of trouble．

Communication isn’t a one-way deal．It goes both ways．Just remember：if you get into a situation like Sophie’s，telling the other person how you feel and listening are key factors to communication．

68．The second paragraph mainly talks about ________．

A．the importance of friendship

B．making your feelings known to others

C．the importance of communication

D．the disagreement between generations

69．The key to happy relationship between parents and children is that _______．

A．children should always obey their parents

B．parents play the leading part

C．parents should mind their own business

D．both should make the other know their feelings

70．The example in the passage proves that ________．

A．Sophie’s parents were willing to listen to her

B．Sophie was very polite to her parents

C．Sophie did the right thing when she explained the reason of her being late

D．communication is the key to solving misunderstanding

71．All of the following statements are true EXCEPT ________．

A．if you don’t agree with others，you’d better let them know

B．it is better to say “Hi” to others than to say nothing

C．if you are too busy to communicate，just walk away

D．communication is a two-way deal

 

Section B:  Vocabulary

Directions: Complete the passage by choosing the proper words in the box.

Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A．hurriedly

B．anxiety

C．professionals

D．typical E. really

F. simple        G. bought      H. ending         I. design       J. wonderful

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 __41__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 advertisers 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 __42__. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, __43__in the costomer giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods __44__ in almost every family are not __45__ needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the __46__, 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 __47__ 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 __48__ example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. So gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing: no choice, no __49__.

 

Peanut allergies (过敏) are among the most common and most dangerous of food allergies. A tiny exposure to peanuts can mean big trouble for a person with a peanut allergy—not just sneezing or coughing，but something as potentially deadly as narrowing of the airways.

But a recent study suggests that some children may be able to beat back their allergic reactions to peanuts by gradually introducing trace amounts of the nut into their diets. It's too early to say for certain，so if you have a peanut allergy，do not try this at home. But the first results look promising.

Two teams of scientists have been experimenting on a group“of 29 children who are allergic to peanuts”At the beginning of the study，each kid received less than 1/1，000 of a peanut per day. (Imagine splitting a peanut into 1，000 parts!) Over the course of the study， the children gradually increased the amount of the peanut in their diets

Nine of the children have been receiving the treatment for two years，and five of those nine now appear to be free of their peanut allergies，and can eat peanuts with no problem. But the other four have not benefited so much from the therapy（治疗）.

The two teams of scientists are now doing a follow-up study on two groups of children with the allergy. Children in one group will receive the new therapy，while the others will not. Researchers hope this study will help them learn if the therapy truly does work.

Scientists don't understand why some people get peanut allergies and others don't，but are trying to find a way to help people with the allergy. Because of the severity of some peanut allergies，scientists want to know the answer as soon as possible. “This is very encouraging， but remember，it's not something you try at home，”says one of the researchers.

68.According to the passage，the peanut allergy     .

A. can be deadly if only a small amount is used

B. causes a lot of trouble for many parents

C. allows people to eat only small amounts of peanuts

D. is considered the least common and dangerous food allergy

69.Scientists are trying to treat peanut allergies by     .

A. exposing children with the allergy to as many peanuts as possible

B. changing the eating habits of children with peanut allergies gradually

C. giving children Peanuts in slowly increasing amounts

D. exploring ways to resist the feelings caused by peanut allergies

70.The experiment shows that     . 

A. people with peanut allergies can't use small amounts of peanuts in their diets.

B. children are more easily cured than adults

C. all children can be cured of their peanut allergies if given more time of treatment

D. about 55-percent children with peanut allergies have been cured

71. Scientists are now doing a follow-up study in order to     .

A. explore why some people get the illness while others don’t

B. show whether peanut allergies can really be dangerous

C. check whether the therapy really works or not

D. explore whether the allergy can be cured without treatment