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.

 

 

Take Action for a Better World: Volunteers Needed Six months’ preparation in Denmark: Africa studies, team work combined with social work with risk group teenagers.   Six months’ community work in Malawi in People to People Projects: Child Aid, HIV / AIDS. Fights and Teacher Training.   Qualifications: 18 years, hard working and social engagement.   Please contact us by e-mail: takeaction@ betterworld.com.

 

 

Part-time work with Exchange Students YOUTH International is a non-profit high school foreign exchange students organization. We welcome teenagers from over 80 countries worldwide and provide host families. The community Representative is a part-time position designed for people with a strong desire to do something rewarding in the community and earn some extra money.   Applicants best suited for this work should enjoy teenagers, have a strong interest in cross-cultural communication and feel comfortable networking. Full training and support will be provided through branch offices throughout the US. Positions available in most states.   If interested, please email staff@ youth.org or call 888—123—9872.

 

International Summer Job   Hi, I’m an ESL student in China. I’m 20, quiet and polite, and I speak reasonable English. I’m looking for a summer job in an English-speaking country. I can teach Chinese or do house and garden work and cook Chinese dished. Can anybody offer me a job? I don’t need to earn much, just enough in two months (July—August) to pay for my return ticket to China. My goal is to improve my English and see a bit more of the world.  My email is: ram3462@ hotmail.com.

 

Call for Native Speaker of English I am looking for native speakers of English to join in an experiment. This experiment is carried out over the Internet. You don’t need any specific knowledge other than understanding and speaking English at a native level. The first task will take you around 15 minutes. After this task, you can decide whether you want to continue the experiment. The tasks involve reading texts and designing questions and answers.   If you are willing to help me, then please email us: club3864@ hotmail.com

 

1.Who is suitable to work as a Community Representative in YOUTH International?

A. One who enjoys working with teenagers from different countries.

B. One who hopes to take action in fighting against diseases.

C. One who has a strong desire to improve his or her English.

D. One who wants to earn some pocket money in the program.

2. Where will jack, a volunteer, receive the training before he is sent to work in Malawi?

A. In some local offices in the US.       

B. In an ESL organization in China.

C. In a preparation program in Demark.   

D. In an exchange student center in Africa.

3.Mrs. Black in the US hopes to learn some Chinese at home, she may contact _______.

A. takeaction@betterworld.com          B. ram3462@hotmail.com

C. club3864@hotmail.com              D. staff@youth.org

4. What are volunteers for an experiment over the Internet supposed to do?

A. To interview people online.                B. To do some housework.

C .To offer advice on Child Aid          D. To provide language exercises.

 

 

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．

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Hong Kong Bans Smoking

Do you plan to go to Hong Kong Disneyland with your family? If your dad smokes, you must ask him to be careful. 1.          The new law went into effect on Monday, and heavy fines（罚金） will be imposed on anyone who breaks it. The places include restaurants, workplaces, schools and karaoke rooms. 2.         

Public response has been mixed. Smoking is now banned in public spaces in Hong Kong.

Many Hong Kong residents are in favor of the new regulation, however. Hong Kong hopes the ban can prevent passive smoking. 3.          And it’ll be better if more people in Hong Kong give up smoking because of the ban.

Hong Kong has 7 million people. 4.         

Amy Choi, 27, a student, agrees to the smoking ban. ‘ I don’t like people smoking next to me. It’s so smoky and smelly,” she said.

Warning signs are now clearly visible in most public places such as beaches, stadiums, parks, and playgrounds. Some owners of bars and restaurants say that although the new ban may have negative effect on their business, they will still stop their customers from lighting up. If someone breaks the ban, he will have to pay up to HK$5,000.

5.          On January 1,2006, Singapore banned smoking in most public places.

A．Hong Kong is not the first Asian city to have a smoking ban.

B．When you stay with a smoking person, you will feel light-hearted.

C．From January 1,2007, Hong Kong bans smoking in most public places.

D．Even smoking in some outdoor places like beaches, sports grounds, museums and parks is against the law.

E．Among them, about 840,000 people aged 15 or above are smokers.

F．It does great harm to people’s health.-

G．You can smoke anywhere except Hong Kong in 2008.