高中英语日常生活类阅读阅读理解

When women sit together to watch a movie on TV, they usually talk simultaneously（同时的）about a variety of subjects, including children, men, careers and what' s happening in their lives. When groups of men and women watch a movie together, the men usually end up telling the women to shut up. Men can either talk or watch the screen -- they can' t do both -- and they don' t understand that women can. Besides, women consider that the point of all getting together is to have a good time and develop relationships -- not just to sit there like couch potatoes staring at the screen.
During the ad breaks, a man often asks a woman to explain the plot and tell him where the relationship between the characters is going. He is unable, unlike women, to read the subtle body language signals that reveal how the characters are feeling emotionally. Since women originally spent their days with the other women and children in the group, they developed the ability to communicate successfully in order to maintain relationships. For a woman, speech continues to have such a clear purpose: to build relationships and make friends. For men, to talk is to relate the facts.
Men see the telephone as a communication tool for sending facts and information to other people, but a woman sees it as a means of bonding. A woman can spend two weeks on vacation with her girlfriend and, when she returns home, telephone the same girlfriend and talk for another two hours.
There is no convincing evidence that social conditioning, the fact that girls' mothers talked them more, is the reason why girls talk more than boys. Psychiatrist Dr Michael Lewis, author of Social Behaviour and Language Acquisition, conducted experiments that found mothers talked  to and looked at, baby girls more often than baby boys. Scientific evidence shows parents respond to the brain bias of their children. Since a girl’s brain is better organized to send and receive speech，we therefore talk to them more. Consequently, mothers who try to talk to their sons are usually pointed to receive only short grunts in reply.
While watching TV with others, women Usually talk a lot because they

A．are afraid of awkward silence with their families and friends

B．can both talk and watch the screen at the Same time

C．think they can have a good time and develop relationships

D．have to explain the plot and body language to their husbands

After a vacation with her girlfriend, a woman would talk to her again on the phone for hours in order to              .

A．experience the happy time again	B．keep a close tie with her
C．recommend her a new scenic spot	D．remind her of something forgotten

What does the author want to tell us most?

A．Women' s brains are better organized for language and communication

B．Women love to talk because they are more sociable than men.

C．Men do not like talking because they rely more on facts.

D．Social conditioning is not the reason why women love talking.

Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Women Are Socially Trained to Talk	B．Talking Maintains Relationships
C．Women Love to Talk	D．Men Talk Differently from Women

My grandfather came from Hungary and was the only one in his family who settled down in the United States. The rest of his family remained in Europe. When World War I broke out, he seemed to have become another man, downhearted. Such obvious change was not born out of concern for his welfare, but out of fear: if his only son, my uncle, had to go to war, it would be cousin fighting against cousin.
One day in 1918, my Uncle Milton received his draft notice. My grandparents were very upset. But my mother, at the age of 10, felt on top of the world about her soldier brother going off to war. Realizing how he was regarded by his little sister and all of her friends, my uncle bought them all service pins, which meant that they had a loved one in the service. All the little girls were delighted.
The moment came when my uncle and the other soldiers, without any training but all in uniforms, boarded the train. The band played and the crowd cheered. Although no one noticed, I’m sure my grandmother had a tear in her eye for the only son. The train slowly pulled out, but not about a thousand yards when it suddenly paused. Everyone stared in wonder as the train slowly returned to the station. There was a dead silence before the doors opened and the men started to step out. Someone shouted, “The war is over!” For a moment, nobody moved, but then the people heard someone bark orders at the soldiers. The men lined up in two lines, walked down the steps, and with the band playing, marched down the street, as returning heroes, to be welcomed home. My mother said it was a great day, but she was just a little disappointed that it didn’t last a tiny bit longer.
What the grandfather was most worried about was           .

A．the spread of the world war	B．the safety of his two cousins
C．a drop in his living standards	D．his relatives killing each other

The underlined phrase “draft notice” means “        “

A．order for army service	B．train ticket for Europe
C．letter of rejection	D．note of warning

What did the “service pins” (in Para.2) stand for in the eyes of the little girls?

A．Strength.

B．Courage.

C．Victory.

D．Honor.

Which of the following words can best describe the ending of the story?

A．Disappointing.

B．Unexpected.

C．Uncertain.

D．Inspiring.

We've all heard the old saying，“Sticks and stones can break my bones，but words can never hurt me.” Don't you believe it？Words are powerful，and they can hurt—a lot. In fact，if you're not careful，you can even hurt yourself，by using the wrong word in your writing.
Recently a friend sent me a copy of an e-mail she received from the customer service department of her credit card company，after she contacted them with a question about her account. She was happy with their positive response. But as I read the e-mail，one line jumped out at me：“In lieu of good customer service...”
Did they really mean they were offering her a few extra reward points instead of good customer service？I doubt it. More likely，what the customer service department meant to say was，“Because good customer service is important to us...” followed by the details of what they were doing to make sure she remained a happy customer.
So why didn't the writer say that？I can only guess that perhaps the writer liked the phrase “in lieu of”，thought it sounded more interesting than saying “because”，and so used it—without bothering to check the true meaning.
Have you ever done that？Try to impress others with a big word，only to find out you've used the word incorrectly？It's just the opposite effect，isn't it？You may impress people all right，but it's not the impression you were going for.
When you write，remember to choose your words carefully. People may still disagree with what you say，but they won't be able to dismiss you because you made careless mistakes in how you said it.
What's the writer's purpose in giving the saying?

A．To amuse the reader.	B．To persuade the reader.
C．To support a conclusion.	D．To lead to the topic.

What does the phrase “in lieu of” most probably mean?

A．Because of

B．In honour of

C．Instead of

D．In favour of

According to the writer，the customer service department ______.

A．didn't prefer to use familiar words to attract customers

B．didn't express what they really meant

C．didn't need to offer their customers extra reward points

D．succeeded in impressing their customers

The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all living penguin species and lives in Antarctica. The male and female are similar in size, reaching 122 cm in height and weighing anywhere from 22 to 45 kg. The back and head are black, contrasting sharply with the pale-yellow breast and bright-yellow ears. Like all penguins, it is flightless, with a streamlined body and their wings stiffen and flatten into flippers(鳍状肢) for a marine habitat.
Its diet consists primarily of fish, but can also include animals with hard shells. In hunting, the species can remain underwater up to 18 minutes, diving to a depth of 535 m. Its unusually structured hemoglobin(血红蛋白)allows it to function at low oxygen levels.
The emperor penguin is perhaps best known for the journeys adults make each year in order to mate and to feed their babies. The only penguin species that breeds(繁殖) during the Antarctic winter, it goes on a long journey of 50-120 km over the ice to breeding areas which may include thousands of individuals. The female lays a single egg, which is incubated(孵化)by the male while the female returns to the sea to feed; parents take turns searching for food at sea and caring for their chick. They both care for the chick until it is able to enter the water to find food on its own. During the process of incubation, the male can lose up to 1/3 to 1/2 of his body weight. One of the coolest things about the male is that if the chick comes out its egg before the female returns, the male can actually produce a special liquid to feed the chick. He can only do this for a short time. If the female doesn’t return, he must leave the chick to go on with his own life. The emperor penguin can typically live for 20 years in the wild, although observations suggest that some individual may live to 50 years of age.
We can learn from paragraph 1 that ____.

A．the emperor penguin is the world’s largest kind of penguin

B．the emperor penguin has pale-yellow ears

C．the male and female emperor penguins are of different sizes

D．the emperor penguin lives in the most northern area on the Earth

The emperor penguin can stay underwater for a long time mainly because of its ____.

A．strong wings

B．streamlined body

C．structured hemoglobin

D．special diet

The emperor penguin differs from other penguin species in that ____.

A．it gives birth in the Antarctic winter	B．it feeds mainly on fish
C．the male won’t search for food on his own	D．it can only live for a short time

According to the passage, ____.

A．the egg of the emperor penguin is mainly incubated by the female

B．many emperor penguins will stay together to breed

C．the male emperor penguin will give up his own life to feed the chick

D．the female emperor penguin will leave the chick forever once it lays an egg

Food sometimes gets poisoned with harmful things. A person who eats such food can get an illness called food poisoning. Food poisoning is usually not serious, but some types are deadly. The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within hours of eating the poisoned food. Fever is one of the most common symptoms.
Certain microorganisms（微生物）cause most types of food poisoning. Bacteria and other microorganisms can poison eggs, meat, vegetables, and many other foods. After entering the body, these tiny living things release（释放）poisons that make people sick.
Some chemicals can also cause food poisoning. They are often added to food while it is being grown, processed, or prepared. For example, many farmers spray chemicals on crops to kill weeds and insects. Some people may have a bad reaction to those chemicals when they eat the crops.
Some plants and animals contain natural poisons that are harmful to people. These include certain kinds of seafood, grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and mushrooms.
When people handle food properly, the risk of food poisoning is very small. Microorganisms multiply rapidly in dirty places and in warm temperatures. This means that people should never touch food with dirty hands or put food on unwashed surfaces. Food should be kept in a refrigerator to stop microorganisms from growing. Meat needs to be cooked thoroughly to kill any dangerous microorganisms. People should also wash food covered with chemicals before eating it. Finally, people should not eat wild mushrooms or other foods that grow in the wild. Some of these foods may contain natural materials that are poisonous to humans. In addition, some types of fish can be poisonous.
Most people recover from food poisoning after a few days of resting and drinking extra water. If people eat natural poisons, they must go to the hospital right away to have their stomachs emptied.
Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Food when poisoned can make people sick.

B．Food poisoning means death.

C．Food poisoning comes in varieties.

D．Food poisoning can be serious.

We know from the passage that the symptoms of food poisoning         .

A．are always accompanied by a fever

B．are too common to be noted

C．can be noticed within hours

D．can he ignored

Food poisoning can be caused by all the following EXCEPT     .

A．some chemicals

B．low temperatures

C．some tiny living things

D．certain natural materials

From Paragraph 5,we can learn that         .

A．mushrooms should not be eaten

B．vegetables are safer than meat and seafood

C．natural poisons are more dangerous than chemicals

D．different types of food should be handled differently

It can be inferred from the passage that        .

A．natural materials are safe in food processing

B．chemicals are needed in food processing

C．food poisoning can be kept under control

D．food poisoning is out of control

Sophia Richardson: Both my parents are really important to me. My parents are really more than friends. They’re the people I can open up and talk to. Talking to them is like talking to one of my friends. They’ve been there for me and given me good advice on a lot of my problems.
Stacey Avnes: My Jewish big sister is important to me. Her name is Lauren. We’ve been together for two years. My mom is a single mom and she is very busy. Lauren is someone who helps me deal with all this stuff because she’s someone I can talk to. She’s like a second mom to me and also a best friend. If I have any problem, I can call her and she’ll come and pick me up and we’ll go to a park and talk.
Jean Park: It’s my uncle who is important to me. When I’m with him, I’m grateful（感激的） for the small things—being alive and healthy; having a good family and friends. He’s also very grateful for the small things and gives back to his community（社区）.
Melaku Shierfaw: My father is important to me. He came here from a rich family in Africa. But when he came, he didn’t take any money and started fresh. He showed that he could do everything by himself without the help of others and he’s successful. It shows me that I can do anything as long as I try.
Kalin Scott-Wright: My great grandmother is in charge of our whole family. She was born in 1920. I know she went through a lot in her life. She was a very strong woman and she raised my mom and took her in. She had a kind spirit and loved me and my brother. She’ll always be there for me although she’s not alive any longer.
We can infer that Sophia             .

A．is always in trouble

B．has few friends

C．gets along well with her parents

D．depends too much on her parents

What do we know about Stacey’s big sister?

A．She is very lonely.

B．She is a single mother.

C．She is Stacey’s only friend.

D．She often helps Stacey.

What does Jean’s uncle teach her?

A．To be grateful for the small things in life.

B．To be ready to help her community.

C．To treat others like friends.

D．To have a good family.

From his father, Melaku has learnt that            .

A．not everyone can be successful

B．money is not important in one’s life

C．one should never ask others for help

D．he can do anything as long as he tries

Scholars and researchers have tried to discover what personality characteristics go along with success in intercultural(跨文化的)experiences. Their findings have often been unclear or incomplete. But three characteristics stand out in their reports: patience, a sense of humor, and the awareness (意识, 认识)of being unclear.
Patience, of course, is the ability to keep calm even when things do not go as one wants them to, or hopes they will, or has even been sure they will. Impatience sometimes brings improvements in relations with other people, but usually it does not.
A person with a sense of humor is less likely to take things too seriously and more ready to see the humor in his own reactions than a humorless person. The value of a sense of humor really needs to be paid more attention to.
The awareness of being unclear is a more difficult concept than patience or a sense of humor. Foreigners often find themselves in situations that are unclear to the newcomers. That is, they do not know what is happening in the situation. Perhaps they do not understand the local language well enough, or they do not know how some system or organization works, or they can’t be sure of different people’s roles in what is going on. “It’s like I just got here from the moon,” a Chinese graduate student who newly arrived in the United States said, “things are just so different here.”
The passage mainly tells us        .

A. that it’s not easy to travel abroad

B. that humor is very important in communication

C. of some characteristics in dealing with foreigners

D. of three main ways useful for communicating with foreigners

According to the passage, what characteristic should be most focused on?

A. Patience.	B. The awareness of being unclear.
C. The sense of humor.	D. Understanding each other.

“The awareness of being unclear” refers to        .

A. knowing the meaning of an exact situation

B. not stating clearly what happens

C. realizing the possible misunderstanding in a situation

D. being aware of the unclear situation

According to the writer, the Chinese students are        .

A. a hard-working student	B. recently back from the moon
C. interested in the study of moon	D. not used to the culture in America

Which of the following can best sum up the passage?

A. A. It is necessary to learn the language before you go to the country.

B. Americans are used to the culture of other countries.

C. One needs many characteristics to live in a foreign country.

D. To live in a foreign land one should get fully prepared.

 

A baby can quickly damage a new mother’s well-laid plans for getting back to pre-pregnancy(孕前的) weight and shape.
The constant demands, together with the exhausting effects of interrupted sleep, can make it hard to find the time and energy to exercise or prepare healthy meals.
Here are some tips for common problems new moms face:
Problem: No time to cook proper meals. When you’re caring for a baby, cooking proper meals seems like a luxury. Instead you rely on convenience meals and processed foods.
Solution: Try to get more support. Friends, family members, and neighbors are often delighted to help, so don’t feel you have to do everything yourself. Use the extra time to prepare some healthy meals. Follow the basic rules of cutting down on fat and increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Problem: Sugary or high-fat snacks（零食）. Tiredness can leave you feeling sleepy, run-down, and in need of an immediate help from sweets and high-fat snacks.
Solution: Turn snacking to your advantage. Eat high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar snacks; these will fill you up without adding too many calories. For an energy boost, eat a banana, which is high in potassium -- a mineral essential for muscle and nerve function -- or try a handful of raisins, which are high in iron but low in fat.
Problem: No time or energy to exercise. A baby is a constant demand on your time, so you’re too tired or busy to exercise.
Solution: Increasing activity levels will help you obtain a net calorie loss, while toning exercises will tighten your muscles. Though you may feel too tired to do any exercise, it is worth persevering because in the long run your energy levels will increase. Involve your baby in your postnatal(产后) exercises; start by walking with the child in a carriage or sling. Swimming is another aerobic exercise that you can both enjoy by joining a mother and baby class. Many pools have childcare facilities, so you can swim a few laps on your own.
Problem: Lack of sleep. The new baby interrupts your sleep, depleting your energy and leaving you tense and exhausted.
Solution: Practice some relaxation techniques whenever you have a few free moments. Meditation, visualization, or yoga can help your body recover and give you more energy.

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。Roy wasn't the only one to receive his call-up（入伍）papers．Stephen Napier's call-up came at the beginning of February and he was pleased to find that he would be going into the Royal Air Force (RAF)．
His father was not so pleased and made his feelings known as he and Stephen were on their daily walk. It was the first step in his plans for Stephen to take over the estate（地产）when the time came, and although Stephen was well aware of this, he could think of no reason not to accompany him.
"Thought you'd forgotten that nonsense. Still, I dare say I could pull a few strings to get you to the Army..."
"No, Father! I have told you I want to learn to fly. What chance would I have to do that in the Army? I'd be better off in the Navy——at least they've got the Fleet Air Arm. But I have been put in the RAF and that's where I want to be, so let's leave it at that." His face went red. Sent to his father's school and then to Cambridge, much to his satisfaction, he had never had to defend his own desires and his father was a hard man to oppose.
The father glared at Stephen, "No, I won't leave it at that. I want to know what other ridiculous ideas are in your head. For a start, what's all this about America?"
"America?"
"Yes. All those books I saw in your room the other day. Brochures about emigration（移民）．"
The big, silvered head lowered, like that of a bull about to charge．"Don't trouble to deny it."
"I won't, Father. Some men at Cambridge have been talking about it. They want people like us here, mathematicians and scientists, for all kinds of research——the sort of research I could do．It would be a worthwhile life for me."
The father responded exactly as his son had known he would．"You've got a worthwhile life here！You've got an estate to run！"
"No, Father. You've got an estate to run. I never asked for it. Why not ask Baden to do this stuff? He perhaps can make a good job of it, but I..."
"If he were here, I might think about this silly idea of yours——only think about it, mind you but..."
If Father wanted Stephen to take over the estate, the first thing he did would__________．

A．take a walk with Stephen as usual

B．wait till his son graduated from Cambridge

C．persuade Stephen not to go into RAF

D．send Stephen to the Army instead of RAF

Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Stephen preferred to go into the Navy rather than the Army.

B．Stephen also received his call-up papers as Roy.

C．The father didn't like Stephen's idea of going to America.

D．Stephen was eventually forced to stay to run the estate．

After reading this passage, we can infer that__________．

A．Stephen had never had to defend his desires before

B．Baden might be one of Stephen's family members

C．Stephen wanted to fly in RAF and become a pilot in America

D．if somebody took over the estate, Stephen could realize his dream

What do we learn from the underlined sentence?

A．It looked as if the father was angry when mentioning the brochures.

B．The father was very angry and wanted to beat his son Stephen．

C．Stephen was annoyed when his father referred to the brochures.

D．A big red bull was about to charge at Stephen.

Which would be the best title for this passage?

A．RAF——a better choice than the Army	B．A talk between Father and Son
C．The dreams of a Cambridge student	D．Conflict between Father and Son

Last Sunday I made a visit to some new neighbors down the block. No specific purpose in mind, just an opportunity to sit at the kitchen table, have some tea and chat. As I did so, it occurred to me how rare the Sunday visit has become.
When I was a kid in the New Jersey of the 1960s, Sunday visits were routine. Most stores were closed and almost nobody worked. My family normally traveled eight city blocks to the home of my grandmother, where adults would sit on the front porch and chat while we children played hide-and-seek.
The Sunday visit was something to desire strongly. It was the repetition to church, our reward for and hour of devotion, and opportunity to take advantage of the fact that Dad was not at work, we were not in school, and there were no chores that couldn’t wait until Monday. Sunday was, indeed, which means that there was one day when everyone seemed to have time for everybody else.
Sunday as a day of rest is, or was, so deeply rooted in the culture that it’s surprising to consider that, in a short span of time, it has almost entirely lost this association.^① In my childhood, it was assumed that everyone would either be home or visit someone else’s home on Sunday. But now the question is, “What do you plan to Do this Sunday?” The answer can range from going to the mall to participating in a road to jetting to Montreal for lunch. If one were to respond, “I’m making a Sunday visit to family,” such and answer would feel strange, an echo from another era.
I suppose I should be grateful to live in Maine, a state of small towns, abundant land tight relationships. Even though folks work as hard here as they do anywhere else, the state’s powerfully rural cast（特质）still harbors at least remnants（剩余部分）of the ethic of yesterday’s America, where people had to depend on one another in the face of economic vagaries（反复无常的情况）and a challenging environment.^②
The writer’s general impression of the Sunday in the past was a day when_________.

A．everyone would pay a visit to some relative far away

B．everyone seemed to be free and could have some leisure

C．Dad was not at work while Mom was busy cleaning the house

D．nearly every adult would go to church and children were not at school

What can we learn from the underlined sentence in paragraph 4?

A．People nowadays prefer staying at home on Sunday

B．People in the city dislike being disturbed on Sunday

C．Such answers are rarely heard in our modern society

D．Visiting someone on Sunday might take a lot of time

From the last paragraph we may infer that people in Maine____________.

A．suffer more from economic depression and the changed environment

B．have abandoned their tradition and lived an absolute new life

C．have tense relationships with each other

D．always help each other when they are in need

What is the writer’s attitude towards the Sunday today?

A．Unsatisfied

B．confused

C．Respectful

D．Thankful

There are various ways in which individual economic units can interact with one another. Three basic ways may be described as the market system, the administered system, and the traditional system.
　　In a market system individual economic units are free to interact among each other in the marketplace. It is possible to buy commodities from other economic units or sell commodities to them. In a market, transactions may take place via barter or money exchange. In a barter economy, real goods such as automobiles, shoes, and pizzas are traded against each other. Obviously, finding somebody who wants to trade my old car in exchange for a sailboat may not always be an easy task. Hence, the introduction of money as a medium of exchange eases transactions considerably. In the modern market economy, goods and services are bought or sold for money.
　　An alternative to the market system is administrative control by some agency over all transactions. This agency will issue commands as to how much of each good and service should be produced, exchanged, and consumed by each economic unit. Central planning may be one way of administering such an economy. The central plan, drawn up by the government, shows the amounts of each commodity produced by the various firms and allocated to different households for consumption. This is an example of complete planning of production, consumption, and exchange for the whole economy.
　　In a traditional society, production and consumption patterns are governed by tradition; every person’s place within the economic system is fixed by parentage, religion, and custom. Transactions take place on the basis of tradition, too. People belonging to a certain group or caste（阶级） may have an obligation to care for other persons, provide them with food and shelter, care for their health, and provide for their education. Clearly, in a system where every decision is made on the basis of tradition alone, progress may be difficult to achieve. An inactive society may result.
What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To outline contrasting types of economic systems.

B．To explain the science of economics.

C．To argue for the superiority of one economic system.

D．To compare barter and money-exchange markets.

In the second paragraph, the underlined word “real” could best be replaced by _______.

A．valuable

B．concrete

C．absolute

D．reliable

According to the passage, a barter economy can generate ______.

A．rapid speed of transactions	B．misunderstandings
C．inflation	D．difficulties for the traders

According to the passage, who has the greatest degree of control in the administered system?

A．Individual households.	B．Small businesses.
C．Major corporations.	D．The government.

Which of the following is not mentioned by the author as a criterion（标准）for determining a person’s position in a traditional society?

A．Family background	B．Age
C．Religious beliefs.	D．Custom

I moved into a new house in July. Since then I have met a few of my neighbors who are very nice people. For Christmas, I thought I would do something nice for each of the neighbors I know. There were nine neighbors whom I knew by name or spoke with often when I was out in my yard. I knew which houses they lived in.
I decided to add one more to my list. This lady I decided to add lives down the street from me. I meet her every morning walking to work as I drive down the street. She always smiles to me. But I had no idea who she was and which house she lived in.
I planned to make small fruit baskets and leave them on my neighbor’s front porches(门廊) on Christmas Eve. I signed the cards: "Happy Holidays from 5104 Northumberland Road."
I saved the last for the friendly lady. I finally decided on a house where I met her each morning and guessed that it was hers.
My neighbors really appreciated the baskets and would tell me as they saw me in the yard or they would call, and a couple even came by to thank me.
This morning I found a small note in the mailbox. It was addressed simply: Resident, 5104 Northumberland Road.
The Thank You card really caught me by surprise. I opened it and read the message, "Thank you for the lovely fruit basket you left on our porch. It was very thoughtful. Richard Kelly passed away last week. He talked a lot about how nice it was that someone remembered him in his time of illness. He really appreciated it."
I had no idea who Richard Kelly was and that he had been seriously ill. I had left that nice lady’s basket on his porch by mistake. I wanted to say sorry, but that would be wrong. I believe that Mr. Kelly was meant to have that basket because he was dying. I hate that the nice lady did not get to receive a fruit basket on Christmas, but I believe if she knew what had happened, she would be happy. I feel pleased to have helped Richard Kelly’s last days be more cheerful.
How many Christmas gifts did the author intend to send?

A．Nine.

B．Eight.

C．Ten.

D．Eleven.

Where did the friendly lady live?

A．She lived at the end of Northumberland Road.

B．Her address was 5104 Northumberland Road.

C．She was thought to share a house with Mr. Kelly.

D．The author was not sure about her address at all.

How did the author’s neighbors respond to his gifts?

A．They liked the gifts very much and were thankful.

B．They were thankful that they wanted to be friends.

C．They all made phone calls to say “Thank You”.

D．They all visited him by person to show gratitude.

What does the author mean in the last paragraph?

A．He was regretful that the nice lady didn’t receive his gift.

B．He was glad to have made Mr. Kelly’s life more pleasant.

C．He thought Richard Kelly deserved to receive that basket.

D．The old lady was happy to sacrifice to make Kelly happy.

Women are on their way to holding more than half of all American jobs. The latest government report shows that their share of nonfarm jobs nearly reached fifty percent in September.
Not only have more and more women entered the labor market over the years, but the depression has been harder on men. In October the unemployment rate for men was almost eleven percent compared to eight percent for women.
Industries that traditionally use lots of men have suffered deep cuts. For example, manufacturing and building lost more jobs last month. But health care and temporary employment services have had job growth. Both of those industries employ high percentages of women.
Thirty years ago, women earned sixty-two cents for every dollar that men earned. Now, for those who usually work full time, women earn about eighty percent of what men earn. And women hold fifty-one percent of good-paying management and professional jobs.
Yet a study released Thursday said men still hold about nine out of every ten top positions at the four hundred large companies in California. The results have remained largely unchanged in live years of studies from the University of California, Davis.
Also, a new research paper in the journal Sex Roles looks at the experiences of women who are the main earners in their family. Rebecca Meisenbach at the University of Missouri in Columbia interviewed fifteen women. She found they all valued their independence and many enjoyed having the power of control, though not all wanted it.
But they also felt pressure, worry and guilt. Partly that was because of cultural expectations that working women will still take care of the children. Also, men who are not the main earners may feel threatened.
The job market continues to suffer the effects of last year’s financial crash. Now, a judgment has been reached in the first case involving charges of criminal wrongdoing on Wall Street.
Last week, the government lost its case against two managers at Bear Stearns, the first investment bank to fail last year. A jury found Ralph Cioffi and Matthew Tannin not guilty of lying to investors.
The hedge funds they supervised lost their value in two thousand seven. But jurors said there was no clear evidence that they meant to mislead investors.
The Justice Department continues to investigate other companies.
Why is the unemployment rate for men higher.

A．Because there are more men workers in industries.

B．Because many industries mainly employing men now don’t need so many workers.

C．More and more women take the place of men.

D．Because health care and temporary employment services don’t employ men.

It can be inferred from the passage that __________.

A．women haven’t got complete equality as men

B．only by becoming the main earners in their family can women gain a high position

C．all women now value independence and the power of control

D．taking care of children is now shared by men and women

Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Men hate that women earn more money.

B．It is commonly believed that women should take care of children.

C．The job market has recovered from the effect of the financial crisis.

D．Now women working full time earn more than men.

Why does the government accuse two managers?

A．They contributed to the financial crash.	B．They led a corrupt life.
C．They lied to investors.	D．A jury found them misleading investors.

High-quality customer service is preached(宣扬) by many, but actually keeping customers happy is easier said than done.
Shoppers seldom complain to the manager or owner of retail store, but instead will alert their friends, relatives, co-workers, strangers and anyone who will listen.
Store managers are often the last to hear complaints, and often find out only when their regular customers decide to frequent their competitors, according to a study jointly conducted by Verde group and Wharton school.
“Storytelling hurts retailers and entertains consumers.” Said Paula Courtney, president of the Verde group. “The store loses the customer, but the shopper must also find a replacement.”
On average, every unhappy customer will complain to at least four other, and will no longer visit the specific store for every dissatisfied customer, a store will lose up to three more due to negative reviews. The resulting “snowball effect” can be disastrous to retailers.
According to the research, shoppers who purchased clothing encountered the most problems. Ranked second and third were grocery and electronics customers.
The most common complaints include filled parking lots, cluttered(塞满了的) shelves, overloaded racks, out-of-stock items, long check-out lines, and rude salespeople.
During peak shopping hours, some retailers solved the parking problems by getting moonlighting local police to work as parking attendants. Some hired flag wavers to direct customers to empty peaking spaces. This guidance got rid of the need for customers to circle the parking lot endlessly, and avoided confrontation between those eyeing the same parking space.
Retailers can relieve the headaches by redesigning store layouts, pre-stocking sales items, hiring speedy and experienced cashiers, and having sales representatives on hand to answer questions. Most importantly, salespeople should be diplomatic and polite with angry customers.
“Retailers who’re responsive and friendly are more likely to smooth over issues than those who aren’t so friendly.” Said professor Stephen Hoch. “Maybe something as simple as a greeter at the store entrance would help.”
Customers can also improve future shopping experiences by filing complaints to the retailer, instead of complaining to the rest of the world. Retailers are hard-pressed to improve when they have no idea what is wrong.
Why are store managers often the last to hear complaints?

A．Few customers believe the service will be improved.

B．Customers would rather relate their unhappy experiences to people around them.

C．Customers have no easy access to store managers.

D．Most customers won’t bother to complain even if they have had unhappy experiences.

Shop owners often hire moonlighting police as parking attendants so that shoppers         .

A．can find their cars easily after shopping	B．won’t have trouble parking their cars
C．can stay longer browsing in the store	D．won’t have any worries about security

What contributes most to smoothing over issues with customers?

A．Design of the store layout.	B．Hiring of efficient employees.
C．Manners of the salespeople.	D．Huge supply of goods for sale.

To achieve better shopping experiences, customers are advised to        .

A．voice their dissatisfaction to store managers directly

B．shop around and make comparisons between stores

C．settle their disputes with stores in a diplomatic way

D．put pressure on stores to improve their service

Department stores sell ready- to-wear clothing, which is also called ready-made clothing. Such clothing is made in fixed sizes. Those people who find that ready-made clothing fits them well can save money by buying it. Most often, people do not fit exactly into a producer’s size. Their clothing must be altered to make it fit better. However, most alterations are not very expensive. The small cost of most alterations means that ready-made clothing can meet the needs of most customers.
Those who can afford it often get someone to design and make their clothing. Such clothing is called custom-made. The person who makes it measures the customer, and then sews it so that it fits perfectly. Alterations are not needed. Custom-made clothing is largely sewn by hand, has better quality, better material, and is of the style you have chosen. Of course, it costs much more than ready-to-wear clothing. You need to pay the difference for the special fitting and better skill that you are receiving. This often means that you spend double or more than you would for a ready-made garment.
Custom-made clothing is not always that much better than ready-made clothing. It costs more partly because only one garment has been made, just for you. Companies that produce ready-made products make thousands of garments at a time. This means they can buy large quantities of material. Workers cut each size by the hundreds. Companies work out ways to make the garments quickly by machine and pay workers according to their skill. Thus they can sell the finished products at a low price while still making money. Most of the clothing sold in the United States is made in this way. Customers gain from the lower prices which are made possible by mass production. It may or may not give them high quality.
According to the passage, people who buy ready-made clothing ______.

A．wish to make alternations	B．will spend less money
C．want to make it better	D．can fit into the sizes

We can learn from the passage that custom-made clothing is_______.

A．specially made	B．fashionably designed
C．chosen by few people	D．made with difficulties

Which of the following is true about ready-made clothing?

A．It is of poor quality.	B．It suits all people.
C．It is labor-saving to make it.	D．It takes more time to make it

The purpose of the writer is _______.

A．to explain why custom-made clothing costs more

B．to show the advantages of mass production

C．to tell readers how to make money from ready-made clothing

D．to provide information about different kinds of clothing