阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从各题所给的四个选项(A,B,C和D)中,选出最佳选项.

Once you’ve found the right taxi, problems of fares, meters and other charges come into play. In some countries, all taxis are1, and the government regulates fares so you can expect 2problems. But in other places you may find drivers 3to use meters, 4the car should be equipped with one. The best way in such cases is to 5on their use, if you know meters are available.

  But 6countries where there truly are no meters? There are two methods you can use.

  One is to discuss the fare 7you get into the car. In Russia, this is the only way _8.”You call a taxi, and when the driver _9, you don’t get in,” a (an) 10_ traveler say.” The driver will   11over to the passenger side window, you tell him where you want to go, then discuss a price.”

  But another man takes a different approach on his trips to Latin America. His “never-ask-the-fare “policy 12_ like this.” While I’m in the airport, I ask three or four people to get an idea 13how much it will cost to get to my destination,” he explains.” I 14ask the driver how much it is, I just pay 15than what the people said. If it’s more, the driver will tell you.”

  When a fare does 16to be more than you expected, think about your choices. Of course, a large difference may 17you arguing with the driver. 18, one traveler makes the point that this 19may amount to pennies when you consider exchange rates.” Choose your fights,” she says.” Is it worth 25 or 50 cents to 20a taxi driver?”

1.A. fixed                B. metered         C. fastened               D. controlled

2.A. tiny                    B. some                C. many                             D. few

3.A. unwilling          B. unforgettable     C. unsure                     D. unknown

4.A. if not               B. as if                 C. even though          D. so that

5.A. lie                B. insist                C. learn                       D. lay

6.A. what about          B. what for           C. what if                    D. what though

7.A. when                  B. after                 C. before                     D. while

8.A. that does          B. it is done        C. it will do                  D. which does

9.A. pull out               B. pull over           C. pull down                D. pull off

10.A. excited              B. surprised       C. disappointed          D. experienced

11.A. bend              B. learn              C. move                             D. get

12.A. looks             B. thinks               C. works                     D. seems

13.A. for                    B. on                    C. at                            D. with

14.A. always              B. never                C. ever                        D. often

15.A. lower                B. higher               C. more                       D. less

16.A. turn out             B. turn over       C. turn about                D. turns back

17.A. let                     B. make                C. leave                   D. force

18.A. Even              B. However           C. If                            D. So

19.A. trouble              B. problem            C. difference                D. expense

20.A. argue with         B. deal with        C. fight with             D. talk

Do you remember we agreed to circulate our ideas for our school project this year? Well, here is our suggestion and we in our school hope you will join us to develop it.

    The idea came to us in the autumn of 2004. We were sitting in our class when our head teacher made an announcement. “There’ll be a new boy starting school tomorrow. He comes from the circus so he’ll be with us for a while.” Immediately there was whispering around the classroom. I heard remarks like “Those are dirty people”; “They eat raw meat”; and “Watch out for your bags”. The teacher must have heard them because she stopped the talking and said in a very serious voice: “Jake is our guest for as long as he stays here. Make sure you treat him well. I don’t want to hear any complaints about your behaviour to him.”

I was curious because it was the first time I had met anyone from a circus. Fortunately for me, the next morning, after being introduced to the class he sat in the only spare seat next to me. Of course I didn’t want to be nosy（管闲事的） but I couldn’t help looking at him sideways as I began my mathematics task. I noticed Jake was smaller than me and had dirty finger nails. His shirt was clean but had been repaired in many places and his trousers were helped up by a wide, leather belt. As he seemed to have no handkerchief and was sniffing loudly, I passed him one of mine. Immediately the boys began to whisper “What did you do that for? Leave him be!” I concentrated on my work. From my left a slight movement showed that Jake must have heard the remarks too. He seemed to be having great difficulty with his work and was struggling to hold his pen correctly. He looked around as if for help. I looked around too. The teacher was busy so I leaned over and offered to explain the problems to him. As he listened his mouth split into a smile. His eyes lit up as if a light had been turned on and he returned to the exercises with enthusiasm.  He finished them quickly and proudly presented them to the teacher. “Well done, Jake,” she approved. Jake smiled and was soon busy sorting out information and adding more of his own.

I thought about how Jake’s life would be. I remembered seeing the campsite and thinking how poor the facilities （设施）were. So I decided to help. As it was my turn to suggest a project for our grade, I put forward this idea. Our head teacher accepted it and so we began to prepare our plans to improve the campsite. Hope you will join us.

56. Why did the students dislike Jake even before they saw him?

A. They must have heard bad stories about circus people.

    B. They always judged a person by what he looks like.

    C. The teacher hadn’t introduced Jake to them beforehand.

    D. A newcomer was not welcome at that time.

57. What’s the author’s attitude towards Jake?

    A. He copied the other boys’ behavior.

    B. He was distant about what Jake’s life was like.

    C. He couldn’t ignore what other people said about Jake.

    D. He had sympathy for the poor and disadvantaged.

58. The author mentions how Jake did maths to show that _______.

    A. the teacher was helpful and friendly    B. the maths problem was too hard for him

    C. Jake was courageous and determined   D. the author was better at maths

59. What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

    A. To argue circus people should be treated fairly.

    B. To ask the reader to join in their project.

    C. To call on more people to help Jake.    D. To show what is in need for a circus.

We discuss the issue of when to help a patient die. Doctors of our generation are not newcomers to this question. Going back to my internship（实习）days, I can remember many patients in pain, sometimes in coma(昏迷), with late, hopeless cancer. For many of them, we wrote an order for heavy medication—morphine(吗啡)by the clock. This was not talked about openly and little was written about it. It was essential, not controversial.

The best way to bring the problem into focus is to describe two patients whom I cared for. The first, formerly a nurse, had an automobile accident. A few days later her lungs seemed to fill up; her heart developed dangerous rhythm disturbances. So there she was: in coma, on a breathing machine, her heartbeat maintained with an electrical device. One day after rounds, my secretary said the husband and son of the patient wanted to see me. They told me their wife and mother was obviously going to die; she was a nurse and had told her family that she never wanted this kind of terrible death, being maintained by machines. I told them that while I respected their view, there was nothing deadly about her situation. The kidney(肾) failure she had was just the kind for which the artificial kidney was most effective. While possibly a bit reassured, they were disappointed. Here was the head surgeon seemingly determined to keep everybody alive, no matter what.

Within a few days the patient's pacemaker(起搏器) could be removed and she awoke from her coma. About six months later, the door of my office opened and in walked a gloriously fit woman. After some cheery words of appreciation, the father and son asked to speak to me alone. As soon as the door closed, both men became quite tearful. All that came out was, "We want you to know how wrong we were."

The second patient was an 85-year-old lady whose hair caught fire while she was smoking. She arrived with a deep burn; I knew it would surely be deadly. As a remarkable coincidence there was a meeting for discussion going on at the time in medical ethics(道德). The speaker asked me if I had any sort of ethical problem I could bring up for discussion. I described the case and asked the students their opinion. After the discussion, I made a remark that was, when looking back, a serious mistake. I said, "I'll take the word back to the nurses about her and we will talk about it some more before we decide." The instructor and the students were shocked: "You mean this is a real patient?" The teacher of ethics was not accustomed to being challenged by actuality. In any event, I went back and met with the nurses. A day or two later, when she was making no progress and was suffering terribly, we began to back off treatment. Soon she died quietly and not in pain. As a reasonable physician, you had better move ahead and do what you would want done for you. And don't discuss it with the world first. There is a lesson here for everybody. Assisting people to leave this life requires strong judgment and long experience to avoid its misuse.

50. In the early days when a patient had got a deadly, hopeless illness, _____.

A.      doctors used to ask the patient to go back home and wait for death

B.      doctors would write all their treatment plan on the patient’s medical record

C.      doctors would talk about their treatment plan openly

D.     usually doctors would inject more morphine into the patient to end his life

51. The first patient’s husband and son wanted the doctor_____.

A.      to end her life                                       B. to save her life

C.      to operate on her at once                       D. to use an artificial kidney

52. In the second paragraph, why were they disappointed?

A.      Their wife and mother was going to die.                                                

B.      They doctor didn’t do as they asked to.

C.      Their wife and mother had to receive a kidney transplant.

D.     The doctor scolded them for their cruelty                                                      

53. At the meeting, the author discussed with the students_____.

A.      how to help patients end their lives

B.      the importance of mercy killing

C.      the relationship between mercy killing and ethics

D.     the case about an old lady

54. The author suggested that doctors_____ before they assist a patient in killing himself.

A.      discuss it with the others first

B.      make sure there is no other choice left

C.      be required to do so first by the patient

D.     give the patient enough morphine

55.     Which of the following can best describe the author?

1. Cruel.          B. Determined.          C. Experienced.         D. Considerate.

Work-life balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress
Finding work-life balance in today’s frenetically paced world is no simple task.
Spend more time at work than at home, and you miss out on a rewarding personal life. Then again, when you face challenges in your personal life, such as caring for an aging parent or coping with marital problems, concentrating on your job can be difficult.
Whether the problem is too much focus on work or too little, when your work life and your personal life feel out of balance, stress — along with its harmful effects — is the result.
The good news is that you can take control of your work-life balance — and give yourself the time to do the things that are most important to you. The first step is to recognize how the world of work has changed. Then you can evaluate your relationship to work and apply some specific strategies for striking a healthier balance.
How work invades your personal life
There was a time when employees showed up for work Monday through Friday and worked eight- to nine-hour days. The boundaries between work and home were fairly clear then. But the world has changed and, unfortunately, the boundaries have blurred for many workers. Here’s why:
●Global economy. As more skilled workers enter the global labor market and companies outsource or move more jobs to reduce labor costs, people feel pressured to work longer and produce more just to protect their jobs.
●International business. Work continues around the world 24 hours a day for some people. If you work in an international organization, you might be on call around the clock for troubleshooting or consulting.
●Advanced communication technology. Many people now have the ability to work anywhere — from their home, from their car and even on vacation. And some managers expect this.
●Longer hours. Employers commonly ask employees to work longer hours than they’re scheduled. Often, overtime is mandatory. If you hope to move up the career ladder, you may find yourself regularly working more than 40 hours a week to achieve and exceed expectations.
●Changes in family roles. Today’s married worker is typically part of a dual-career couple, which makes it difficult to find time to meet commitments to family, friends and community.
Married to your work
It can be tempting to rack up the hours at work — especially if you’re trying to earn a promotion or some extra money for a child’s education or a dream vacation. For others, working more hours feels necessary in order to manage the workload.
But if you’re spending most of your time at work, your home life will likely pay the price. Consider the pros and cons of working extra hours on your work-life balance:
●Fatigue. Your ability to think and your eye-hand coordination decrease when you’re tired. This means you’re less productive and may make more mistakes. These mistakes can lead to injury or rework and negatively impact your professional reputation.
●Family. You may miss out on important events, such as your child’s first bike ride, your father’s 60th birthday or your high-school reunion. Missing out on important milestones may harm relationships with your loved ones.
●Friends. Trusted friends are a key part of your support system. But if you’re spending time at the office instead of with them, you’ll find it difficult to nurture those friendships.
●Expectations. If you regularly work extra hours, you may be given more responsibility. This could create a never-ending and increasing cycle, causing more concerns and challenges.
Sometimes working overtime is important. If you work for a company that requires mandatory overtime, you won’t be able to avoid it, but you can learn to manage it. Most importantly, say no when you’re too tired, when it’s affecting your health or when you have crucial family obligations.
Striking the best work-life balance
For most people, juggling the demands of career and personal life is an ongoing challenge. With so many demands on your time — from overtime to family obligations — it can feel difficult to strike this balance. The goal is to make time for the activities that are the most important to you.
Here are some ideas to help you find the balance that’s best for you:
●Learn to say no. Whether it’s a co-worker asking you to spearhead an extra project or your child’s teacher asking you to manage the class play, remember that it’s OK to respectfully say no. When you quit doing the things you only do out of guilt or a false sense of obligation, you’ll make more room in your life for the activities that are meaningful to you and bring you joy.
●Leave work at work. Make a conscious decision to separate work time from personal time. When with your family, for instance, turn off your cell phone and put away your laptop computer.
●Manage your time. Organize household tasks efficiently. Do one or two loads of laundry every day, rather than saving it all for your day off. A weekly family calendar of important dates and a daily list of to-dos will help you avoid deadline panic. If your employer offers a course in time management, sign up for it.
●Get enough sleep. There’s nothing as stressful and potentially dangerous as working when you’re sleep-deprived. Not only is your productivity affected, but also you can make costly mistakes. You may then have to work even more hours to make up for these mistakes.
●Communicate clearly. Limit time-consuming misunderstandings by communicating clearly and listening carefully. Take notes if necessary.
●Nurture yourself. Set aside time each day for an activity that you enjoy, such as walking, working out or listening to music.
●Set aside one night each week for recreation. Take the phone off the hook, power down the computer and turn off the TV. Discover activities you can do with your partner, family or friends, such as playing golf, fishing or canoeing. Making time for activities you enjoy will rejuvenate you.
Remember, striking a work-life balance isn’t a one-shot deal. Creating balance in your life is a continuous process. Balance doesn’t mean doing everything. Examine your priorities and set boundaries. Be firm in what you can and cannot do. Only you can restore harmony to your lifestyle

1. 1.

   What will happen if you’re spending most of your time at work?

   1. A.
      You might lose all your friends
   2. B.
      You will lose both health and wealth
   3. C.
      You perhaps be given more responsibility
   4. D.
      You may be misunderstood by your loved ones
2. 2.

   According to the passage, you’d better say no to mandatory overtime when ___________

   1. A.
      you get bored with the work
   2. B.
      you are not interested in the work
   3. C.
      you can’t get additional allowance
   4. D.
      you have crucial family obligations
3. 3.

   What does the underlined sentence mean?

   1. A.
      To do things people ask you to do can bring you a lot of joy
   2. B.
      You should do the things people ask you to do without feeling guilty
   3. C.
      You shouldn’t do the things people ask you to do if you don’t want to
   4. D.
      To do things for yourself is more meaningful than to do things for others
4. 4.

   What will not happen if you don’t get enough sleep?

   1. A.
      You can make costly mistakes
   2. B.
      You will have low productivity
   3. C.
      You will feel stressed while working
   4. D.
      You will have no sense of exhaustion
5. 5.

   What does the real balance mean according to the author?

   1. A.
      Being firm that working overtime will strike a work-life balance
   2. B.
      Examining priorities and deciding what is the most important to you
   3. C.
      Trying to carrying out everything you want to do whether you can do it or not
   4. D.
      Being cautious when saying no to somebody in a bid to maintain fine relationships