初级阅读

Passage One 科学技术---- 博客A blog, or W eb log, is a public Internet journal written by one person or a group of people. Blogs contain journal entries written by the author, who's referred to as a blogger. Most blogs display the most recent entry at the top of the Web page, with previous entries below that in reverse chronological order.Blogging has revolutionized Internet publishing in the last several years because it gives everyone with Internet access the opportunity to become an online writer. Whether they want to talk about culture, politics, the Internet or their favorite hobbies, bloggers have popped up everywhere. Experts estimate there are at least five million blogs online today, and every day, thousands of people become bloggers for the first time.Bloggers have different reasons for creating a blog. Some bloggers just like to generate debate. Others use blogging as civic journalists, writing news stories you might otherwise not see in mainstream media. Organizations often use blogs to publish newsletters, or share resources with their colleagues. Even students blog to publish their classroom writings online for peer review. But generally, most people blog because they feel they have something important to say, and are empowered by expressing themselves over the Internet. Whether it's a casual hobby or an intense avocation业余爱好, blogging is a wonderful way to share your ideas with others.There are a variety of blogging tools available to the public. Many of them are fee-based services, while others are free but require the inclusion of advertising on your blog, or require a high amount of technical expertise. Because of this, we decided to create a blogging tool that would allow members of the Digital Divide Network to create their own blogs with an easy-to-use interface界面that's free of advertising. As you'll see, our blogging tool is designed for beginners, but experienced bloggers may use it to "mirror" their existing blogs on the Digital Divide Network.1.How the entries of the blogs are arranged?A.In chronological order.B.In the order of importance.C.According the number of browsing.D.The older entries are at the bottom of the W eb page.2.Why blogs are increasingly popular among the online users according to the passage?A.Because people can express themselves freely in their blogs.B.Because blogs are more reliable than the news in the mainstream media.C.Because many surfers want to be an online writer.D.Because blogs are used widely in work fields. .3.What is the author‘s purpose of writing this passage?A.T o discuss the impact of blogs on our society.B.T o promote a new blogging tool.C.T o review the development of blogs. .D.T o instruct how to write one‘s personal blog.4.According to the last paragraph, what is the author‘s opinion of many blogging tools?A.They include many high technologies.B.They are satisfactory though very expensive.C.They are not available to the ordinary people.D.They are charged, difficult to use and with advertising added.5.What kind of people is ―our blog tool‖ aimed at?A.Both beginners and experienced bloggers.B.Beginners only.C.Those who hate advertising.D.Those who are poor.Passage Two 说明文，教育---- 阅读技巧Nearly all ―speed reading‖ courses have a ―pacing‖ element -- some timing device which lets the student know how many words a minute he is reading. Y ou can do this simply by looking at your watch every 5 or 10 minutes and noting down the page number you have reached. Check the average number of words per page for the particular book you are reading. How do you know when 5 minutes has passed on your watch if you are busy reading the book? Well, this is difficult at first. A friend can help by timing you over a set period, or you can read within hearing distance of a public clock which strikes the quarter hours. Pace yourself every three or four days, always with the same kind of easy, general interest books. Y ou should soon notice your accustomed w. p.m. rate creeping up.Obviously there is little point in increasing your w. p. m. rate if you do not understand what you are reading. When you are consciously trying to increase your reading speed, stop after every chapter ( if you are reading a novel) or every section or group of ten or twelve pages ( if it is a textbook) and ask yourself a few questions about what you have been reading. If you find you have lost the thread of the story, or you cannot remember clearly the details of what was said, reread the section or chapter.Y ou can also try ―lightning speed‖ exercise from time to time. T ake four or five pages of the general interest book you happen to be reading and read them as fast as you possibly can. Do not bother about whether you understand or not. Now go back and read them at what you feel to be your "normal" w. p. m. rate, the rate at which you can comfortably understand. After a ‗lightning speed' reading through (probably 600 w. p. m. ) you will usually find that your ―normal‖ speed has increased -- perhaps by as much as 50-100 w. p.m. This is the technique sportsmen use when they usually run further in training than they will have to on the day of the big race.1. According to the passage, a ―pacing‖ device_________.A. is used to time student‘s reading speedB. is. not used in most, speed reading coursesC. is used as an aid to vocabulary learningD. should be used whenever we read alone2. In speed reading, looking at your watch every 5 or 10 minutes_________.A . avoids the need for reading fasterB. is not the same as pacingC. may seem unworkable at firstD. helps you to remember your page number3. When you are reading a novel, you should check your understanding of the contentafter_______.A. every chapterB. every sectionC. every four or five pagesD. every ten or twelve pages4. The purpose of the ―lightning speed‖ exercise is to_________.A. increase your speed by scanning the text firstB. test your maximum reading speedC. help you understand more of the content of the bookD. enable you to win reading races against your friends5. The best title for this passage would be_________.A. Hints for Successful ReadingB. Hints for Speed ReadingC. Effective ReadingD. Lightning Speed ExercisesPassage Three 妇女问题---- 整形美容Society is addicted to beauty. Wherever you look there are images of slim models with toned bodies and smooth skin. Their wealth and glamour seem to imply that beauty can put the world at your feet.But what about brains and ability? Fortunately, women today can have a successful career regardless of their looks. However, humans are naturally attracted to beautiful things, and beneath all the talk of equality, beauty is still a very influential force.Whether it is selling something, meeting with clients, or serving drinks in a bar, employers are attracted to staff who make their company look good.Unfortunately, this does not sound very hopeful for the average woman. Meaning: our concepts of beauty are influenced by glamorous (富有魅力的) models and movie stars who spend hours having their hair and makeup done only to be touched-up again with computer software. And to keep in line with this glamorized image, women are turning more often to cosmetic surgery.The number of cosmetic procedures in the US has increased 228% since 1997, according to statistics released in March by the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Nearly 6. 9 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the US in 2002. Of these, a staggering 88% were done on women.Why don't men feel the social pressure to be beautiful? Of course it exists. There are many men who spend their afternoons lifting weights at the gym in an effort to build aperfectly toned body. But, a man's social worth has never relied so much on his looks. Furthermore, man's centuries of being in control has allowed him to produce an image of the perfect woman.Modern society has adopted a western image of beauty, influenced mainly by Hollywood. This has caused people in other cultures to use plastic surgery procedures to look more like Western movie stars. Favorite objects include Nicole Kidman's nose, Catherine Zeta-Jones' eyes, and Julia Roberts' smile.Luckily, beauty is not necessarily the deciding force when it comes to social function. Practicality is important. Beautiful models count for a tiny percentage of America's population. Meanwhile, there are forces out there that oppose the glamorized image of beauty that society has created.But, in spite of all this, the popular image of beauty is always going to be lurking(潜伏) somewhere, if not always in the foreground(显著位置).1. The author writes this passage to ______.A) discuss the lingering influence of beautyB) give advice to career women who are not beautifulC) demand equal rights for all womenD) recommend the average woman how to do cosmetic surgery2. T o keep in line with glamorous models and movie-stars, the average woman turns to______.A) hairdressers B) computer engineersC) cosmetic surgeons D) fashion designers3. The word "staggering" ( Line 3, Para. 5) most probably means ______.A) shaking B) shockingC) stable D) standing4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.A) men are never aware of the pressure to be beautifulB) men's muscular bodies are more important than women's slim figuresC) man's social worth is dependent on his looksD) man's dominant status in society is still the determining factor of beauty5. The author cites the examples of Nicole Kidman and Catherine Zeta-Jones in order to show that ______.A) W estern women are more beautiful than Eastern womenB) Hollywood movie stars are the most beautiful women in the worldC) modern views on what is beautiful have been shaped by the W estern image of beautyD) there is no such a thing as a perfect beautyPassage Four 文化---- 体育Sporting activities are essentially modified forms of hunting behavior. Viewedbiologically, the modern footballer is in reality a member of a hunting group. His killing weapon has turned into a harmless football and his prey into a goalmouth. If his aim is accurate and he scores a goal, he enjoys the hunter's triumph of killing his prey.T o understand how this transformation has taken place we must briefly look back at our forefathers. They spent over a million years evolving as cooperative hunters. Their very survival depended on success in the hunting-field. Under this pressure their whole way of life, even their bodies, became greatly changed.They became chasers, runners, jumpers, aimers, throwers and prey-killers. They cooperated as skillful male-group attackers.Then about ten thousand years ago, after this immensely long period of hunting their food, they became farmers. Their improved intelligence, so vital to their old hunting life, was put to a new use －－that of controlling and domesticating their prey. The hunt became suddenly out of date. The food was there on the farms, awaiting their needs. The risks and uncertainties of the hunt were no longer essential for survival.The skills and thirst for hunting remained, however, and demanded new outlets. Hunting for sport replaced hunting for necessity. This new activity involved all the original hunting sequencer but the aim of the operation was no longer to avoid starvation. Instead the sportsmen set off to test their skill against prey that were no longer essential to their survival, to be sure, the kill may have been eaten, but there were other, much simpler ways of obtaining a meaty meal.1. The author believes that sporting activities _____.A) are forms of biological development B) are essentially forms of taming the preyC) have actually developed from hunting D) Have changed the ways of hunting2. In a football game what is equal to the prey in hunting is___A) any member of the opposing team B) the goal-mouthC) the goal keeper D) the football3. For over a million years, our forefathers were basically _____.A) co-operating hunters B) successful farmersC) runners and jumpers D) skillful sportsmen4. The word "operation" (Para. 5, Line 3) refers to ____.A) domesticating animals B) huntingC) prey killing D) sports activities5. Which of the following best summarizes the main idea of the passage?A) It is farming that gives human beings enough leisure time for sporting activities.B) Farming is very important in human civilization because it saves human beings fromrisks and uncertainties of hunting for survival.C) It is hunting that provides human beings with much simpler ways of obtaining meatymeals.D) Sporting activities satisfy the desire of modern man to exercise hunting skills which hisforefathers developed for survival.Passage Five 文化---- 美国交友方式Americans are reputed to be friendly people. Their friendships, however, tend to be shorter and more casual than friendships among people from other cultures. It is not uncommon for Americans to have only one close friend during their lifetime, and consider other "friends" to be just social acquaintances. This attitude probably has something to do with American mobility and the fact that Americans dislike to be dependent on other people. They incline to "compartmentalize" (划分) friendships, having "friends at work", "friends on the softball team", "family friends" and so forth.Because the United States is a highly active society, full of movement and change, people always seem to be on the go. In this highly charged atmosphere, Ame ricans can sometimes seem abrupt or impatient. They want to get to know you as quickly as possible and then move on to something else. Sometimes, early on, they will ask you questions that you may feel are very personal. No insult is intended; the questions usually grow out of their genuine interest or curiosity, and their impatience to get to the heart of the matter. And the same goes for you. If you don't understand certain American behavior or you want to know more about them, do not hesitate to ask them questions about themselves. Americans are usually eager to explain all about their country or anything "American" in which you may be interested. So much so in fact that you may become weary of listening. It doesn't matter because Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silence during a conversation. They would rather talk about the weather or the latest sports scores, for instance, than deal with silence.On the other hand, don't expect Americans to be knowledgeable about international geography or world affairs, unless those subjects directly involve the United States. Because the United States is geographically distant from many other nations, some Americans tend not to be aware of what goes on in other parts of the world.1. According to the passage, Americans' attitude towards friendship is______.A) unusual to have only one intimate friendB) more informal than that in other countriesC) to regard all friends as only social acquaintancesD) to divide friends into several grades2. The phrase "highly charged" (Line 2, Para. 2) most probably means______.A) extremely expensive B) much cheerfulC) highly responsible D) full of mobility and change3. What can we learn from the passage?A) Americans know a lot about international affairs.B) Friendships among Americans tend to be more formal.C) Americans always seem to be on the move.D) Americans like to cooperate with other people.4. It can be inferred from the passage that______.A) Americans want to take part in all kinds of activitiesB) curiosity is the major characteristic of AmericansC) Americans do not know how to deal with silenceD) Americans' characters are influenced by their social and geographical environments5. Why do Americans tend to ignore the rest of the world?A) Because they are not interested in other countries.B) Because their country doesn't have many neighboring nations.C) Because they are too proud of themselves.D) Because they are too busy to learn about other countries.There is a new type of small advertisement becoming increasingly common in newspaper classified columns. It is sometimes placed among ―situations vacant‖, although it does not offer anyone a job, and sometimes it appears among ―situations wanted‖, a lthough it is not placed by someone looking for a job, either. What it does is to offer help in applying for a job.“Contact us before writing your application”, or “Make use of our long experience in preparing your curriculum vitae or job history‖, is h ow it is usually expressed. The growth and apparent success of such a specialized service is, of course, a reflection on the current high levels of unemployment. It is also an indication of the growing importance of the curriculum vitae (or job history), with the suggestion that it may now qualify as an art form in its own right.There was a time when job seekers simply wrote letters of application. ―Just put down your name, address, age and whether you have passed any exams‖, was about the average level of advice offered to young people applying for their first jobs when I left school. The letter was really just for openers, it was explained, everything else could and should be saved for the interview. And in those days of full employment the technique worked. The letter proved that you could write and were available for work. Y our eager face and intelligent replies did the rest.Later, as you moved up the ladder, something slightly more sophisticated was called for. The advice then was to put something in the letter which would distinguish you from the rest. It might be the aggressive approach. ―Y our search is over. I am the per son you are looking for‖, was a widely used trick that occasionally succeeded. Or it might be some special feature specially designed for the job interview.There is no doubt, however, that it is increasing number of applicants with university education at all points in the process of engaging staff that has led to the greater importance of the curriculum vitae.1. The new type of advertisement which is appearing in newspaper columns _____.[A]informs job hunters of the opportunities available[B]promises to offer useful advice to those looking for employment[C]divides available jobs into various types[D]informs employers of the people available for work2. Nowadays a demand for this specialized type of service has been created because _____.[A]there is a lack of jobs available for artistic people[B]there are so many top level jobs available[C]there are so many people out of work[D]the job history is considered to be a work of art3. In the past it was expected that first job hunters would _____.[A]write an initial letter giving their life history[B]pass some exams before applying for a job[C]have no qualifications other than being able to read and write[D]keep any detailed information until they obtained an interview4. Later, as one went on to apply for more important jobs, one was advised to include in the letter_____.[A]something that would distinguish one from other applicants[B]hinted information about the personality of the applicant[C]one‘s advantages over others in applying for the job[D]an occasional trick with the aggressive approach5. The curriculum vitae has become such an important document because _____.[A]there has been an increase in the number of jobs advertised[B]there has been an increase in the number of applicants with degrees[C]jobs are becoming much more complicated nowadays[D]the other processes of applying for jobs are more complicatedPassage Seven 妇女问题---- 嫁妆It is not often realized that women held a high place in southern European societies in the 10th and 11th centuries. As a wife, the woman was protected by the setting up of a dowry (嫁妆). Admittedly, the purpose of this was to protect her against the risk of desertion, but in reality its function in the social and family life of the time was much more important. The dowry was the wife‘s right to receive a tenth of all her husband‘s property. The wife had the right to withhold consent, in all transactions the husband would make, and more than just a right; the documents show that she enjoyed a real power of decision, equal to that of her husband. In no case do the documents indicate any degree of difference in the legal status of husband and wife.The wife shared in the management of her husband‘s personal property, but the opposite was not always true. Women seemed perfectly prepared to defend their own inheritance against husbands who tried to exceed their rights, and on occasion they showed a fine fighting spirit. A case in point is that of Maria Vivas. Having agreed with her husband Miro to sell a field she had inherited, for the needs of the household, she insisted on compensation. None being offered, she succeeded in dragging her husband to the scribe to have a contract duly drawn up assigning her a piece of land from Miro‘s personal inheritance. The unfortunate husband was obliged to agree, as the contract says, ―for the sake of peace.”Either through the dowry or through being hot-tempered, the wife knew how to win herself,with the context of the family, a powerful economic position.1.Originally, the purpose of a dowry is to ____.[A] give her the right to receive all her husband s property[B] help her to enjoy a higher position in the family[C] protect a woman against the risk of desertion[D] both A and C2.According to the passage, the legal status of the wife in marriage was____.[A] higher than that of a single woman[B] higher than that of her husband[C] lower than that of her husband[D] the same as that of her husband3. Why does the author give us the example of Maria Vivas?[A]T o show that the wife shared in the management of her husband‘s personal property.[B]T o show that the wife can defend her own inheritance.[C]T o prove that women have powerful position.[D]T o illustrate how women win her property.4.The compensation Maria Vivas gets for the field is ____.[A] some of the land Miro had inherited[B] a tenth of Miro‘s land[C] money for household expenses[D] money form Miro‘s inheritance5. The author‘s attitude towards Maria Vivas is ____.[A] sympathetic[B] disapproval[C] indifferent[D] objectiveThere are many ways of defining success. It is accurate to say that each of us has our own concept of success to the extent that each of us is responsible for setting our own goals and determining whether we have met these goals satisfactorily. Because each of us possesses unique differences in genetic ability and favorable environments in which to express these abilities, it is necessarily true that we must define success broadly.For some people, simply being able to live their life with a minimum of misery and suffering is considered a success. Think of the peace of mind of the poor shepherd who tends his sheep, enjoys his frugal life with his family in the beauty of nature, and who is respected because he does a good job of achieving the goals expected of and accepted by him and his society. On the other hand, it seems that even though some people appear to be rich in material possessions, many of them seem to be miserable and consider themse lvesunsuccessful when judged by their own goals of success. Because not all ventures can be successful, one should not set unrealistic goals for achieving success, but if one has self-confidence it would be unfortunate to set one‘s goals at too low a level of achievement.A wise counselor once said to a young man who was experiencing frustration with his own professional success: ―Y ou do not have to set your goal to reach the moon in order to have success in traveling. Sometimes one can be very successful merely by taking a walk in the park, or riding the subway downtown,‖ The counselor added, ―Y ou have not really failed and spoiled your chances for success until you have been unsuccessful at something you really like, and to which you have given your best effort.‖1.In the first paragraph, the author implies that ____ is essential in achieving success.[A]ability and goals[B]goals and determination[C]ability and environment[D]goals and environment2.The word “frugal”(Line. 2, Para 2.) means ____.[A]wealthy[B]wasteful[C]thrifty[D]miserable3.Some rich people consider themselves unsuccessful because ____.[A]their life is miserable[B]they do not live in peace[C]their goals are too low[D]they are not rich enough by their own standards4.The last paragraph implies that ____.[A]we should have high goals[B]success means achieving great goals[C]success means taking a walk in the park[D]success means trying one‘s best at what one really likes5.This passage mainly talks about ____.[A]the definition of success[B]how to achieve success[C]how to set goals[D]the importance of goalsT o most Africans, tribalism simply means very strong loyalty to one‘s ethnic group. It is a force that can be both good and bad. By definition tribalism means sharing amongmembers of the extended family. It makes sure that a person is taken care of by his own group. T o give a job to a fellow tribesman is not wrong; it is an obligation. Similarly, for a politician or military leader it is considered good common sense to choose his closest adviser from people of his own tribe. This ensures security, continuity, authority. T ribal loyalty may mean a quick promotion—from sergeant to captain, from clerk to manager — within a very short time.Modern African politicians publicly speak out against tribal divisions. Y et it remains perhaps the most powerful force in day-to-day African life. As evidence of tribalism, in 1977 in Kenya, president Jomo Kenyatta‘s tribe controlled business and polit ics. Eight of the 21 cabinet posts, including the most important four were filled by Kikuyus. In Uganda in the same year, the president‘s small Kakwa tribe filled almost all the highest government and military positions! In Angola, Ethiopia, and Nigeria, the fighting in the past ten years can be partly explained by disagreements among tribes.1. What is the definition of tribalism?A)Sharing among members of the extended family.B)Giving a job to a fellow tribesman.C)A force that can be both good and bad.D)People have the same religious belief.2. One example of how a tribe takes care of its own people is ____.A)“a force that can be both good and bad”B)“very strong loyalty to one’s ethnic group”C)“tribal loyalty may mean a quick promotion”D)it is important to be loyal to one’s own tribal group3. In paragraph 2,“the most important four”refers to ____.A)military position B)businessC)cabinet posts D)Kikuyus4. How many examples are there “as evidence of tribalism”?A)Four. B) T wo.C) One. D) Three.5. According to the passage, which of the following statements is wrong?A)Modern African politicians approve of tribal divisions.B)A person is usually taken care of by his own tribe.C)Africans consider it an obligation to give a job to a fellow tribesman.D)T ribalism is still a powerful force in day-to-day African life.Passage Ten：社会文化---- 家庭角色分工In a family where the roles of men and women are not sharply separated and where many household tasks are shared to a greater or lesser extent, notions of male superiority are hard to maintain. The pattern of sharing in tasks and in decision makes for equality and this in turn leads to further sharing. In such a home, the growing boy and girl learn to accept equality more easily than did their parents and to prepare more fully for participation in a world characterized by cooperation rather than by the ―battle of the sexes‖.。