Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A.post  B.pressure C.paid  D.negotiating  E.abandon               F.balance    G.average     H.entitled     I.increasingly      J.reluctantly

Most women in France work. Their average salary is about 75% that of their male co-workers, even though laws passed in 1972 require “professional equality” between the sexes.
The good news is that women are __1__moving into middle management, but a handful are to top executives. The higher their position, the harder it is to __2__family and career. A 38-year-old woman who graduated from the National school of Administration remembers that when she took a senior __3__in a ministry, her male colleagues assured her,” you are one of us, one of the guys”. But when she became a mother, she found it difficult to stick to age-old traditions of being a housewife. Meanwhile, she couldn’t follow the office schedule. “It was too much__4__ to have long lunches and late-night meetings.”, she said.
For those who want to balance family with a job, France is a heaven. Women marry later, on __5__, than in America - at age 25. They stay in the workforce, and part-time jobs are easy to find. Maternity(孕产) benefits are generous, with over six months of __6__ leave. Women who’ve raised three or more children are __7__to get a state-funded pension, and the quality of publicly funded education for children is high.
French businesswomen dress elegantly, argue intelligently and play hardball at the __8__table. They show their wit, intellect, ability to make puns and understanding of politics, history and literature. Unlike most American female executives who dress conservatively in a dark, not particularly flattering suit, with no jewelry and little makeup, Frenchwomen see no need to __9__femininity(妇女特质) and elegance in the business world. They prefer soft colors, stylish clothes, silk scarves, light makeup, and simple but elegant jewelry.

Nobody likes home economics (家政学). But restoring the program could help us in the fight against obesity and chronic (慢性的) diseases today.

The home economics movement was founded on the belief that housework and food preparation were important subjects that should be studied scientifically. The first classes occurred in the agricultural and technical colleges that were built in the 1860s. When most departments of universities rejected women, home economics was a back door into higher education.

Indeed, in the early 20th century, home economics was a serious subject When few people understood germ (微生物) theory and almost no one had heard of vitamins, home economics classes offered vital information about washing hands regularly, eating fruits and vegetables and not feeding coffee to babies.

However, today we remember only the fixed ideas about home economics, forgetting the movement’s most important lessons on healthy eating and cooking. Too many Americans simply don’t know how to cook. Our diets, consisting of highly processed foods made cheaply outside the home, have contributed to many serious health problems. In the last decade, many cities and states have tried to tax junk food heavily or to ban the use of food stamps (食品券) to buy soda. Clearly, many people are doubtful about any governmental steps to promote healthy eating. But what if the government put the tools of obesity prevention in the hands of children themselves by teaching them how to cook?

My first experience with home economics happened two decades ago when I was a seventh grader in a North Carolina public school. A year later, my father’s job took our family to Wales, where I attended a large school for a few months. It was the first time I had ever really cooked anything. I remember that it was fun, and with an instructor standing by, it wasn’t hard. Those lessons stuck with me when I first started cooking for my husband and myself after college and they still do. Teaching cooking in public schools can help solve some problems facing Americans today. The history of home economics shows it’s possible.

1.Home economics______.

A. is a subject becoming more and more popular with Americans

B. is often used to help fight against obesity and chronic diseases

C. once offered women a. special approach to university education

D. was first taught in the agricultural and technical colleges in the early 1900s

2.The third paragraph mainly tells us______ .

A. the importance of regular hand washing

B. the health benefits of fruits and vegetables

C. the contents of home economics classes in the early 20th century

D. the significance of teaching home economics in the early 20th century

3. In the opinion of the author, how should we fight against childhood obesity?

A. Children should be taught how to cook.

B. A heavy tax should be put on junk food

C. Healthy eating should be promoted at school

D. Using food stamps to buy soda should be banned

4.What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

A. Her family moved frequently in her childhood.

B. Cooking classes have a far-reaching influence on her later life.

C. To receive a better education, she went to a large school in Wales.

D. Teaching cooking is the key to solving Americans’ health problems.

 

How often do you sit still and do absolutely nothing．The usual answer these days is“never”．or“hardly ever”．As the pace of life continues to increase，we are fast losing the art of relaxation．Once you are in the habit of rushing through life，being on the go from morning till night，it is hard to slow down．But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body．
Stress is fl natural part of everyday life．There is no way to avoid it, since it takes many and varied forms-driving in traffic，problems with personal relationships are all different forms of stress．Stress，in fact，is not the“baddy”it is often reputed to be．A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life．It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health．
The amount of stress a person can withstand depends very much on the individual．Some people are not afraid of stress，and such characters are obviously prime material for managerial responsibilities．Others lose heart at the first sight of unusual difficulties．When exposed to stress，in whatever form，we react both chemically and physically．In fact we make a choice between “fight” or “fright” and in more primitive days the choice made the difference between life and death．The crisis we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme，but however little the stress，it involves the same response．All the energy is shifted to cope with the stress．It is when such a reaction lasts long，through continued exposure to stress，that health becomes endangered．Such serious conditions as high blood pressure and heart disease have established links with stress．
Stress in some people produces stomach disorders，while others experience tension headaches．Since we cannot remove stress from our 1ires，We need to find ways to cope with it．
【小题1】People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because      .

A．they are working harder than they used to

B．they are often too busy to find the time

C．they are not clear of how to relax by themselves

D．they are suffering from the effects of stress

【小题2】What is implied but not stated in the passage?

A．The art of relaxation can greatly help people bear stress．

B．People in primitive days know certain ways to deal with stress．

C．If one gets into the habit of relaxing every day he can overcome stress easily．

D．Stress can lead to serious health problem if one is exposed to it for too long．

【小题3】The underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 suggests that      ．

A．stress is not always a bad thing for people

B．stress has a bad reputation of causing ill health

C．stress is not so terrible as people often believe it to be

D．stress is always harmful to people all the time

【小题4】According to this passage，which of the following statements is true?

A．Relaxation in life only benefits us mentally．

B．Different people can stand different amounts of stress.

C．All the stress can lead to poor performance．

D．Large amounts of stress is important to people's lire．

【小题5】What is the writer's attitude to stress according to the passage?

A．Stress as well as relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body．

B．Stress should not be rid completely from the life．

C．Stress produces both positive and negative effects on people．

D．People usually work better under stress if they are healthy．

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。
How to Make Friends
Friendship is a very important human relationship and everyone needs good friends.  Good friendship has many benefits.  It offers companionship, improves self-worth and promotes good health.  There are times in our lives such as when we have recently moved into a new town, or changed our jobs or schools.  Such changes often leaves us without a friend   71 .  But for many of us the process is difficult and requires courage.  Below are some helpful suggestions on how to make and keep friends.
1.  Associate with others.
The first step to making friends is associating with other people.  You can go to public places to meet new people.  Besides, you will need to make yourself known by becoming an active member of such places.
2. Start a conversation
Starting a conversation is the second most important step in making new friends.  72   You can always start the conversation.  Being able to make small talk is a very useful skill in relating with other people. 
3. 73   
Choosing friends with common interests is important in building friendship as these interests would always bring you and your friend together, Hanging out will always be a pleasant experience.
4. Let it grow.
It is a good thing to stay in touch.  However, try not to press your new friend with calls, messages or visits as this would likely wear him or her out and finally you may lose your friend.    74  .  The best friendships are the ones that grow naturally.
5. Enjoy your friendship
The best way to enjoy your friendship is to allow your friends to be themselves.     75   Try not to change them from who they are to what you want them to be.  Become the kind of friend you will want your friend to be to you.

A． Be cheerful.

B． Do things together.

C． Do not wait to be spoken to.

D． Try not to find fault with your friends.

E.  Making new friends comes easy for some people.
F.  For a friendship to develop you need to stay in touch.
G.  So you will need to give your friend time to react to you.

New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communications equipment is greatly increased by foreign language skills.

Deeply involved with this new technology is a kind of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic business efforts.

Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superiors will have greater confidence in his or her ability to manage back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.

Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.

English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.

The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign customers over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.

1.With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, businesspeople ________.

A. are eager to work overseas

B. have to get familiar with modern technology

C. are gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations

D. are attaching more importance to their overseas business

2.In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Line 3, Para. 3) probably means ________.

A. leaving all care and worry behind

B. being unable to think properly for lack of insight

C. being totally out of touch with business at home

D. missing opportunities for promotion when abroad

3.According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?

A. Ability to speak the customer’s language.

B. Connections with businesses overseas.

C. Technical know-how.

D. Business experience.

4.The advantage of employees having foreign language skills is that they can ________.

A. fast-forward their proposals to headquarters

B. better control the whole negotiation process

C. easily make friends with businesspeople abroad

D. easily find new approaches to meet market needs