Men have always believed that they are smarter than women. Now, a study has found that while this is certainly true, men also have to deal with the fact that they are also more stupid than the fairer sex.
In the study, scientists measured the IQ of 2500 brothers and sisters and they found an uneven number of men not only in the top two percent, but also in the bottom two percent.
The study's participants were tested on science, maths, English and mechanical abilities.
Though there were twice as many men as women in the smartest group, there were also twice as many men among the bottom.
The aggregate（总数）scores of men and women were similar.
One of the study's authors, psychology professor Timothy Bates, said that the phenomenon may be because men have always been expected to be high achievers and women have been restricted to spend more time taking care of their homes.
"The female developmental program may be tilted more towards ensuring survival and the safety of the middle ground.," the Daily Mail quoted Professor Bates, of Edinburgh University, as saying.
The research tallies with past results that men were more likely than women to receive first class University degrees or thirds and women secured the seconds.
It has been said that men are more ready to take risk when it comes to academics. Women have always found to be steadier in their learning.
A past study has shown that women are securing more firsts and seconds, while men are continuing to receive more thirds.
The argument for the change is that the increase of coursework at the cost of exams favors women's steady approach.The purpose of the passage is to tell us that ________.
| A．man are smarter then women |
| B．man are more stupid the women |
| C．a new fact about the IQ of men and women has been found |
| D．men are more likely to receive first class university degrees |
According to Timothy Bates, less women are in the smartest group because _________.
| A．they are born stupid |
| B．they have to spend more time to tale care of their homes than men |
| C．they don’t like to take risk |
| D．they are not expected to be high achievers |
The underlined word tallies with in the eighth paragraph means________.
| A．agree with | B．deal with | C．go against | D．go with |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
| A．Women are steadier in their learning. |
| B．men are more ready to take risk in everything |
| C．women are securing more firsts and seconds |
| D．women are doing much better in academy |
Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage? _________.
| A．Why are men smarter than women? |
| B．Why are men more stupid than women? |
| C．How does the result go along with the past research? |
| D．How can we help the men in the bottom? |
A newly-wed couple on a four-month honeymoon were hit by six natural disasters, including the Australian floods, Christchurch earthquake and Japanese tsunami.
Stefan and Erika Svanstrom left Stockholm, Sweden, on December 6 and were immediately stranded in Munich, Germany, due to one of Europe's worst snowstorms. Travelling with their baby daughter, they flew on to Cairns in Australia which was then struck by one of the most tremendous tonadoes in the nation's history. From there, the couple, in their 20s, were forced to shelter for 24 hours on the cement floor of a shopping centre with 2,500 others. "Trees were being knocked over and big branches were scattered across the streets," Mr Svanstrom told Sweden's Express newspaper. "We escaped by the skin of our teeth," said Svanstrom.
They then headed south to Brisbane but the city was experiencing massive flooding, so they crossed the country to Perth where they narrowly escaped raging bush fires. The couple then flew to Christchurch, New Zealand, arriving just after a massive magnitude 6.3 earthquake destroyed the city on February 22. Mrs. Svanstrom said, "When we got there the whole town was a war zone." "We could not visit the city since it was completely blocked off, so instead we travelled around before going to Japan." But days after the Svanstroms arrived, Tokyo was rocked by Japan's largest earthquake since records began. "The trembling was horrible and we saw roof tiles fly off the buildings," Mr. Svantrom said. "It was like the buildings were swaying back and forth."
The family returned to Stockholm on March 29,2011 after a much calmer visit to their last destination China. But Mr. Svanstrom, who also survived the destructive Boxing Day tsunami that hit southeast Asia in 2004, said the marriage was still going strong. He added, "I know marriages have to endure some trials, but I think we have been through most of them." "We've certainly experienced more than our fair share of catastrophes, but the most important thing is that we're together and happy." Mrs. Svantrom added: “ To say we were unlucky with the weather doesn’t really cover it! It’s so absurd that now we can only laugh.”How many countries did the couple visit during their honeymoon?
| A．6. | B．5. | C．4. | D．3. |
What's the right order of the following things according to the passage?
a. The couple headed south to Brisbane.
b. The couple flew to Cairns.
c. The couple flew to Christchurch.
d. The couple were stranded in Munich.
| A．a-b-c-d |
| B．a-c-b-d |
| C．d-b-c-a |
| D．d-b-a-c |
By saying "We escaped by the skin of our teeth.", Mr. Svanstrom meant that _____
| A．The tornadoes was tremendous |
| B．They escaped from the tornadoes easily. |
| C．They had a narrow escape from the tornadoes |
| D．There was something wrong with their teeth |
According to the last two paragraphs, which word can best describe Mr. Svanstrom?
| A．ambitious. |
| B．enthusiastic |
| C．considerate |
| D．optimistic |
A new report says the number of foreign students at colleges and universities in the United States increased by three percent last year. This has been the first obvious increase since 2001.
American schools last fall had 583,000 foreign students. The record is 586,000. That was set in 2002 after many years of gains. But after that the numbers fell. The terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 led to more visa (签证) requirements. Now stronger efforts are being made to get more foreign students to study in the United States.
China remained in second place in front of South Korea but behind India, which sent almost 84,000 students last fall. The number of Japanese fell sharply by nine percent, although it remained in fourth place.
There were three percent drops from Indonesia and Kenya, the only African country in the top twenty last year. But there were obvious increases from Saudi Arabia, Nepal and Vietnam. The number of Saudi students more than doubled, rising to nearly eight thousand.
For a sixth year, the University of Southern California in Los Angeles had the most foreign students. Columbia University in New York was second. Other schools in the top five were New York University, the University of Illinois and Purdue University.
Unlike American students in other countries, who often choose history and language study, the leading area of study in the USA was business and management. Second was engineering.
The new report also says more than 220,000 Americans studied in other countries. That was during the 2005-2006 school year. It was a record number, and an increase of eight and a half percent from the year before. But only five percent of them stayed for a full year. After 2002, the number of foreign students in the USA fell mainly because ____ .
| A．Americans were worried that foreign students might attack them |
| B．few American universities welcomed students from abroad |
| C．their own countries could offer them a better education |
| D．it was harder for foreign students to get permission to study in the USA |
Which of the following Asian countries has the largest number of students studying in the USA?
| A．China. | B．Japan. | C．South Korea. | D．India. |
Which subject is the most attractive to foreign students in the USA?
| A．Business and management. | B．History. |
| C．Engineering. | D．Language. |
We can learn from the passage that ____ .
| A．Kenya is the only African country that has students in the USA |
| B．now foreign students are encouraged to study in the USA |
| C．the number of students studying in America always increases |
| D．the number of foreign students in the USA will keep increasing in the future |
In which section of a newspaper could you most probably read this passage?
| A．Culture. | B．Science. | C．Education. | D．Business. |
Ladji Doucoure of France beat Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China in the final meters to claim the title of the men’s 110 meters hurdles at the 10th world championships in Helsinki on Friday.
Doucoure, who led the world this season with 12.97 seconds, over took the Chinese to win the race in 13.07 seconds. Liu was second in 13.08. Four-time world champion Allen Johnson of the United States took the third in 13.10.
The 22-year-old Doucoure said after the race, “ I can not tell you just how long I have been dreaming of this. This victory is the result of a lot of hard work, and also a lot of support from people who have believed in me. I had a bad start, touched a few hurdles, but after the 4th hurdle I picked up my race and went straight to the finish line.”
Liu, who won the Olympic gold with a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds, said, “I’m very satisfied with the second place. The result could have been worse. I felt quite well and did my best. I’ m not tired, I had some clearance problems at the start, so I should practice that some mor. Finally, I didn’t lose by much, only by a little bit, but I did think I could win it.”
Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping said on Friday he was content with Liu’s performance.
“ Liu Xiang was quite good during his reaction period, but he was a little bit slow in the middle and he finally caught up during the last two hurdles,” Sun told Xinhua.
Although satisfied with the silver medal and the clocking of 13.08 seconds, Sun said Liu might have added the world title to the Olympic championship if Liu had run the track neighboring his major rivals(对手) of Doucoure Ladji or Allen Johnson.
“ If he had run next to Ladji Doucoure or Allen Johnson, Liu could have kept pace with them and then sprinted(疾跑) at the last stage. In this case, he could grab the gold,” said Sun, who had become a household name for coaching China’s first men’s Olympic champion in the track.This passage probably appears_________.
| A．in a story book | B．in a text book |
| C．in a newspaper | D．in a fashion magazine |
The following statements about Doucoure are true EXCEPT_______.
| A．He won the gold medal in the men’s 110m hurdles in Helsinki. |
| B．He led the world in the men’s 110m hurdles with 12.97 seconds this season. |
| C．He did a lot of hard practice before the race in Helsinki. |
| D．He won the world champion title four times. |
Which of the following can be used to replace the underlined phrase“picked up my race”in Paragraph 3?
| A．gathered speed | B．stood up |
| C．make up my mind | D．became better in health |
According to Sun Haiping, Liu Xiang might have won the gold if ______.
| A．he had done better during his reaction period |
| B．he had run the track next to Ladji Doucoure of Allen Johnson |
| C．he had practiced clearance more before that race |
| D．he hadn’t touched a few hurdles in the race |
“Just take a deep breath.” “Don’t think about it.” “You’re more likely to die in a car wreck on the way to the airport than you are in a plane crash.” These are just some words given to people with a fear of flying. But as Tom Cruise, playing Lt. Daniel Kaffee in the movie A Few Good Men, said, “I get sick when I fly because I’m afraid of crashing into a large mountain. I don’t think Daniel will help.”
But there’s a new application that just may. Today, the VALK Foundation, a Dutch group that’s a partnership between KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the University of Leiden, launches the app in the US. The VALK Foundation was one of the first centers for research and fear-of-flying treatment in the world and is the organizer of three world conferences on fear of flying.The foundation said the app, called Flight App VALK, is the first scientifically-developed, web-based treatment for people who suffer from mild to moderate fear of flying.
“The fear of flying application we have created aims to transfer all of the knowledge we have developed through our program into a mobile application that will help ease travelers’ fears,” said Dr. Lucas van Gerwen, director of the VALK Foundation. Dr. van Gerwen is also a psychologist and professional pilot with more than 30 years experience.
The foundation said up to 30% of adults are fearful fliers. The Flight App is designed to help relax passengers before and during flights by educating users about flight safety and turbulence. It explains the sounds and sensations they can expect during departure, flight and landing. And, if a passenger’s flight stress reaches a panic level, they press a special panic button which provides audio and written information to help decrease stress levels. Most importantly, the Flight App can be used during the flight in the airplane mode. Once downloaded, the program does not require Internet connection in the air.By saying the words at the beginning of the passage, people are expected to ______.
| A．decrease their fear of flying |
| B．get rid of their doubt about plane |
| C．have a good time on their flight journey |
| D．use some medicine to cure their fear of flying |
Flight App VALK is aimed to ______.
| A．help passengers experience the fear of flying |
| B．help relax passengers before and during flights |
| C．treat people who suffer from mild fear of flying |
| D．teach people the basic knowledge of taking flight |
According to the passage, the VALK Foundation ______.
| A．is a group focusing on psychology on the flight |
| B．was the first center to do research into fear of flying |
| C．organize the world conferences on fear of flying annually |
| D．focuses on researching and offering treatment on fear of flying |
What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．Many adults are suffering from fear of flying |
| B．It’s convenient for people to use the Flight App |
| C．Many planes will be installed with the Flight App. |
| D．The Flight App can decrease stress levels effectively |
In which column of a newspaper can we read this passage?
| A．Culture | B．Entertainment | C．Technology | D．Education |
BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will recall some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013.
Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration.
This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem.
China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars.
Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday.
To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars.What does underlined the word “recall” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．To ask people to return a product. |
| B．To bring something into one’s mind. |
| C．To remember something from the past. |
| D．To ask someone to go back. |
According to the passage, Lexus IS cars were found to have .
| A．seat belt flaws | B．wiper arm problem |
| C．gearbox defect | D．engine power failure |
What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars?
| A．To limit the sales of imported cars in China. |
| B．For a better development of national automobile industry of China. |
| C．In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ. |
| D．For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. |
What was China’s private auto ownership by the end of 2011?
| A．About 93 million units. | B．About 110 million units. |
| C．About 79 million units. | D．About 90 million units. |
Which of the following statements is probably NOT true according to the news?
| A．Toyota will release its improvements on faulty cars in less than a month. |
| B．Chinese put more and more focus on the quality of their cars. |
| C．You may get the information about faulty cars on the website of AQSIQ. |
| D．It was AQSIQ that first exposed Volkswagen’s DSG defects. |
Howard Dill is a giant among giant pumpkin growers. He grew world champion pumpkins for four years running，from 1979 to 1982，and missed winning the fifth year by a mere 5 pounds. Today，his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds are sold worldwide to more than 50 seed companies. The pumpkins grown from his Dill Atlantic Giant seeds commonly weigh in at over 1,000 pounds.“I don’t have any training in genetics ；it was all trial and error，”Dill says. He inherited his love of pumpkins from his father and has enjoyed growing them for years.
Dill still grows giant pumpkins, but not for competition. In the fall, visitors come to enjoy the pumpkin patch on his 90-acre farm in Nova Scotia，Canada. He plants ten acres of pumpkins for Halloween and two acres of giant pumpkins. One of giant pumpkins was recently baked into 442 pumpkin pies and sold at $ 5 each for charity.
It you want to try growing a giant pumpkin, Dill recommends starting with a soil test and then adding fertilizer as needed. Plant the giant pumpkin seed. A giant pumpkin can gain 15 to 20 pounds a day， so careful watering—every day or two—is essential. You should wait about 130 days until the pumpkin matures and then you can harvest it.
Dill’s favorite pumpkin set the Guinness Book record in 1981. It weighted 493.5 pounds. “I’ve grown them larger since， but that one meant a lot,” he remembers. “I never would have predicted ten years ago that there would be a 1,000-pounder，but there are many of them now，”says Dill。The 2006 world record holder is Larry Checkon of Pennsylvania. He grew a 1,469 pounder. Dill says, “These world champions are grown from my seeds， so I feel like a winner right along with them.”What can we learn about the world champion pumpkin of 1983?
| A．It weighed over 1,000 pounds. |
| B．It was missing after the competition. |
| C．It was 5 pounds heavier than that of 1982. |
| D．It was 5 pounds heavier than Dill’s biggest one that year. |
One of Dill’s giant pumpkins earned .
| A．$2210 | B．$442 | C．$1000 | D．$1469 |
In the third paragraph Dill mainly tells about .
| A．how to do a soil test | B．how to plant the giant pumpkin seed |
| C．when to water the pumpkin | D．how to grow a giant pumpkin |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Howard Dill is well trained in genetics. |
| B．Howard Dill grows pumpkins just for competiton. |
| C．Dill felt proud of Larry Checkon’s champion pumpkin. |
| D．Dill’s favorite pumpkin is the heaviest of all those he has ever grown. |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．Gardening Giant: Howard Dill | B．World Champion Pumpkin |
| C．Dill Atlantic Giant Seeds | D．How to Grow Giant Pumpkins |
On the evening of June 21, 1992, a tall man with brown hair and blue eyes entered the beautiful hall of the Bell Tower Hotel in Xi’an with his bicycle. The hotel workers received him and telephoned the manager, for they had never seen a bicycle in the hotel ball before though they lived in “the kingdom of bicycles.”
Robert Friedlander, an American, arrived in Xi’an on his bicycle trip across Asia which started last December in New Delhi, India.
When he was 11, he read the book Ma-rco Polo and made up his mind to visit the Silk Road. Now, after 44 years , he was on the Silk Road in Xi’an and his early dreams were coming true.
Robert Friedlander’s next destinations (目的地) were Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Urumqi, etc. He will complete his trip in Pakistan.The best headline(标题) for this newspaper article would be________.
| A．The Kingdom of Bicycles | B．A Beautiful Hotel in Xi’an |
| C．Marco Polo and the Silk Road | D．An American Achieving His Aims |
The hotel workers told the manager about Friedlander coming to the hotel because
| A．he asked to see the manager |
| B．he entered the hall with a bike |
| C．the manager had to know about all foreign guests |
| D．the manager knew about his trip and was expecting him |
Friedlander is visiting the three countries in the following order, .
| A．China, Pakistan, and India | B．Pakistan, China, and India |
| C．India, China, and Pakistan | D．China, India, and Pakistan |
BEIJING , March 9 --- The central government will require an additional three years of use for official vehicles for ministers and governors to reduce the costs of purchasing new cars, media have reported.
The new rule has been applied among all Party and government departments nationwide, the Beijing News reported on Tuesday. The new rule has not yet been made public, said Li, a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference National Committee.
Under the old rules, the cars used by minister-level officials could be replaced as often as every five years, Li said. These officials will also keep the same cars when they assume new posts, he added.
The new rule also reiterated(重申) that officials ranking below minister-or-governor-levels should not be allocated cars. The cars possessed by their departments should be used on demand.
“It violates the rules for lower-ranking --- even county-level-officials to be allocated cars,” Li said.
Purchases of vehicles for official use have been heavily investigated, as they account for a large expenditure (花费) of public funds every year.
A survey on the Web news www.ifeng.com found 64 percent of respondents believed the new rule will be difficult to carry out because it is related to officials’ interests.
“Local government departments had halted(中断) approvals for requests for such vehicles and had started to work on new quotas(指标) under the new rules,” Li said. “The future reform of official vehicle use will introduce market mechanisms and monetization.”
Premier Wen Jiabao said in the annual government work report on Saturday that expenditures on such vehicles will not increase in 2011 compared with a year ago.
Beijing’s standing deputy mayor Ji Lin last week said the municipal (市政的) government will release the number of vehicles for official use in the capital as early as at the end of this month.
Earlier this month, the Minister of Finance had published a rule regulating the budgets for such vehicles.What is the purpose of the new rule allocating vehicles among officials?
| A．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle. |
| B．To cut down the present huge expenditures of purchasing cars. |
| C．To make good use of budgets for official cars. |
| D．To solve the problem of severe traffic jam. |
How often could the cars used by minister-level officials be replaced according to the new rule?
| A．Every 3 years. | B．Every 5 years. | C．Every 8 years. | D．Every 10 years. |
What about the officials ranking below minister-or-governor levels in terms of official vehicles?
| A．They can still possess special cars. |
| B．They can use their own private cars. |
| C．They can use cars whenever officially necessary. |
| D．They can be allocated second-hand cars. |
What is the public’s attitude toward the new rule’s fulfillment?
| A．Uncertain. | B．Optimistic. | C．Indifferent. | D．Passive |
From the passage, we can infer that_________.
| A．the government is determined to carry out the new rule |
| B．the new rule has not yet been made public |
| C．the new rule will benefit official’s interest |
| D．the new rule is applied to minister-level officials |
BEIJING, March, 17th --The Japanese automaker Toyota will recall some 4,400 units of FJ Cruiser cars in China over seat belt flaws, China's consumer quality watchdog said Saturday.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said on its website that Toyota China will recall these imported cars produced between December 2007 and March 2013.
Toyota is busy working on the solution to the flaw and will release improvement methods before April 15, according to the administration.
This marks Toyota's second recalling this year after the auto giant announced in January that it would recall 22,869 units of Lexus IS cars in China due to wiper arm problem.
China's private auto ownership reached 93.09 million units by the end of 2012, up 18.3 percent compared with the year before. Along with the fast expanding auto market, Chinese drivers grow more concerned about the quality of their cars.
Also on Saturday, the AQSIQ said in a statement on its website that its research has basically confirmed the German automaker Volkswagen's direct shift gearbox (DSG) transmission has defects which may cause engine power failures and urged Volkswagen to recall defective cars after China Central Television (CCTV) exposed Volkswagen's gearbox defect on Friday.
To better protect the interests of Chinese consumers, the AQSIQ announced late last year that it would formulate a guideline to regulate a recall system for faulty cars.What does underlined the word “recall” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．To ask people to return a product. |
| B．To bring something into one’s mind. |
| C．To remember something from the past. |
| D．To ask someone to go back. |
According to the passage, Lexus IS cars were found to have .
| A．seat belt flaws | B．wiper arm problem |
| C．gearbox defect | D．engine power failure |
What is the purpose of regulating a recall system for faulty cars?
| A．To limit the sales of imported cars in China. |
| B．For a better development of national automobile industry of China. |
| C．In order to show the authority and power of AQSIQ. |
| D．For a better protection of rights and interests of Chinese consumers. |
What was China’s private auto ownership by the end of 2011?
| A．About 93 million units. | B．About 110 million units. |
| C．About 79 million units. | D．About 90 million units. |
Which of the following statements is probably NOT true according to the news?
| A．Toyota will release its improvements on faulty cars in less than a month. |
| B．Chinese put more and more focus on the quality of their cars. |
| C．You may get the information about faulty cars on the website of AQSIQ. |
| D．It was AQSIQ that first exposed Volkswagen’s DSG defects. |
A boy who was nervous on his first day of school climbed onto a third-floor balcony (阳台) and put legs over the side. His mother and teachers tried their best to bring him down, but failed. However, a firefighter who dressed as "Spiderman" succeeded in saving him.
Firefighter David Smith was called in after the 6-year-old’s teachers and mother had failed to get him down from the balcony. "He was asking for his mother, "Smith said. "He was crying, and wouldn’t let any of us get near him." After hearing a conversation between the boy’s mother and his teachers about his love of superheroes , Smith hurried home to get his Spiderman clothes.
"I told him 'Spiderman is here to save you. No one will hurt you now,’" Smith said. "Then I told him to walk slowly toward me. I was really nervous that he might fall if he got too excited and started running." Then the crying boy broke into a smile and walked into the fireman’s arms.
The fictional (虚构的) superhero was created by writer Stan Lee in the early 1960s. It has recently become popular again through a series of movies made about him. In them he is acted by superstar Tobey Maguire, who acted with Kirsten Dunst and James Franco.Which would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Spiderman Is Back | B．"Spiderman" Saved a Boy |
| C．Spiderman Is Popular | D．A Boy’s Love of Spiderman |
Put the following things in the correct order.
a. The fireman dressed as "Spiderman".
b. The mother talked with the boy’s teachers.
c. The boy didn’t let anyone get near him.
d. The boy smiled at the fireman.
| A．c, b, a, d | B．c, b, d, a | C．b, c, a, d | D．b, a, c, d |
How did the fireman succeed in saving the boy?
| A．By showing he had the same interest as the boy. |
| B．By bringing the boy’s mother to his side. |
| C．By dressing up as a superhero. |
| D．By making friends with him. |
What do we learn from the passage?
| A．The boy had been forced to go to school. |
| B．The mother did not love her son. |
| C．Spiderman is a superhero in a series of movies. |
| D．Spiderman became popular again in the 1960s. |
NEW YORK (AP) — The investigation into the disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz has gone through decades and countries, from basements to rooftops and seemingly everywhere in between.
No one has ever been charged criminally — and the little boy with sandy brown hair and a toothy grin was declared dead in 2001.
This week, the six-year-old boy who went missing from the Soho area of New York City in 1979 is back in the news. Police and the FBI are investigating a possible lead into the 33-year-old case of Etan Patz, the first missing child to appear on the side of a milk box.
The child disappeared on the way to school on the morning of May 25, 1979. It was the first time he was allowed to walk the two blocks to the bus stop alone.
A tip seemed to have led officials to the basement of a building on the corner of Prince and Wooster streets, about a block and a half from where Etan had lived with his family.
The name Etan Patz has become a hot topic on Twitter as people weigh in on the case. Shirley Brady noted: “As mom to a 6 years old in Soho, it’s still held out by locals as cautionary tale (警示故事).” Another wrote, “Boy who disappeared on his way to school in 1979 has been REOPENED! Crazy.” One wondered, “Why is FBI and NYPD searching for a kid that disappeared in 1979?”
Good question. This is a case that Stuart Gra Bois, as an assistant U.S. lawyer under Rudolph Giuliani, followed for years. It became the most famous missing-person case in New York City, turned a nationwide spotlight on missing children, and created headlines around the globe. No one was ever stated guilty of the crime.
The case led to the creation of National Missing Children’s Day, marked on May 25, the day the blond-haired, blue-eyed child went missing.
The case has even pointed to a suspect, charged with child molester (猥亵者) Julio Antonio Ramos, who is currently in prison. Patz’s babysitter had been dating the man, and Ramos did know the kid, but has denied taking him away.
New evidence in the case suggests another suspect who lived in the apartment at the time: a local handyman named Othniel Miller, who gave Etan $1 for helping him the night before the disappearance.
The man’s name had come up in an earlier investigation, but he was a friend of the Patz family, and the NYPD did not follow the lead.
Investigators plan to be at the site, 127 B Prince St., which is now a Lucky Brand jeans store, for the next two to three days to search for human remains. The Associated Press reports that the excavation (挖掘) has been the result of a recently ordered review of the case by Manhattan’s police. We can learn from the first three paragraphs that ________.
| A．The 6-year-old missing boy was found by the side of a milk box |
| B．Police and the FBI have not been following the case of Etan Patz for 33 years |
| C．The investigation into the disappearance of boy has worked fruitlessly for decades |
| D．Etan Patz went missing from the Soho area of New York city in 1979 and died in 2001 |
What does the underlined phrase “weigh in on the case” mean?
| A．ignore the case | B．feel stressed on the case |
| C．reopen the case | D．begin to discuss the case |
What was a possible cause of reopening the case of Etan Patz?
| A．Local lawyers strongly demanded the reopening of the case. |
| B．The Associated Press reported the result of the review of the case. |
| C．New evidence appeared which led officials to the basement of a building. |
| D．Local people realized the importance of the case without criminal being charged. |
Which of the following statements is true in the text?
| A．The National Missing Children’s Day was created on May 25, 1979. |
| B．The search for human remains will be carried out at 127 B Prince Street. |
| C．The NYPD didn’t follow the lead of Julio Antonio for he had been dating Patz’ babysitter. |
| D．Othniel Miller, a local handyman assisted Etan and gave him $1 before the disappearance. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．People air the same view about the case on the Internet |
| B．People reject the reopening of the case of the missing boy |
| C．The missing-person case still has a long-lasting influence on people |
| D．Twitter is the only place for people to discuss about missing-person cases |
Drunken driving—sometimes called America's socially accepted form of murder—has become a national epidemic(流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years.
A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0.10 blood alcohol content or roughly three beers, glasses of wine or several glasses of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were serious in most courts, but the drunken slaughter(屠宰) has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially involving young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing(使翻转) a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decline in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road, killing a nine-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years of national prohibition(禁止) of alcohol that began in 1919, what President Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.From the first paragraph, we can know that _________.
| A．most Americans like drinking |
| B．heavy drinking is hard to avoid |
| C．many Americans are killed by drunk drivers |
| D．Americans are not shocked by traffic accidents |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because ________.
| A．judges are no longer serious |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．the problem has attracted public attention |
| D．drivers do not appreciate their manly image |
What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．The legal drinking age should be raised. |
| B．Young drivers were usually bad. |
| C．Most drivers hoped to raise the legal drinking age. |
| D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
Laws recently introduced in some states have _________.
| A．reduced the number of deaths. |
| B．resulted in fewer serious accidents. |
| C．prevented bars from serving drunken customers. |
| D．specified the amount drivers can drink. |
Which of the following best shows the writer’s opinion of drunken driving?
| A．It may lead to organized crime. |
| B．It is difficult to solve this problem. |
| C．The new laws can stop heavy drinking. |
| D．There should be no bars to serve drink. |
As computers become more and more popular in China, Chinese are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes(笔画) of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.
Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer. All the students interviewed say they usually use computers.
It's faster and easier to correct the mistakes if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being used more and more often in modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.
“When I'm writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I'm familiar with it.”
“I'm not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”
Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it's more convenient and efficient to type on a computer, why bother to write by hand?
Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei , the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic (审美的) value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only maintain their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. Besides, handwriting contains the writer's emotion. Through one's handwriting, people can learn one's thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression.”
To encourage students to write more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Importance of Typing |
| B．Practical and Aesthetic Value of Chinese Characters |
| C．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand |
| D．To Type or to Write by Hand |
The students interviewed prefer to type on a computer mainly because_______.
| A．they can correct the mistakes quickly and conveniently |
| B．they are usually asked to e-mail their homework and essays |
| C．they find it hard to remember how to write a character |
| D．computers have become a trend and fashion in China |
Which of the following statements is NOT true about advantages of handwriting?
| A．Handwriting contains the writer's emotion. |
| B．Handwriting can impress people well and build their self-confidence. |
| C．The writer's thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting. |
| D．Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic value. |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 probably means________.
| A．getting bored with | B．becoming crazy about |
| C．becoming dependent on | D．getting curious about |
One thing the tour books don’t tell you about London is that 2,000 of its residents are foxes. They ran away from the city about centuries ago after developers and pollution moved in. But now that the environment is cleaner, the foxes have come home, one of the many wild animals that have moved into urban areas around the world.
“The number and variety of wild animals in urban areas is increasing,” says Gomer Jones, president of the National Institute for Urban Wildlife, in Columbia, Maryland. A survey of the wildlife in New York’s Central Park last year tallied the species of mammals, including muskrats, shrews and flying squirrels. A similar survey conducted in the 1890s counted only five species. One of the country’s largest populations of raccoons (浣熊) now lives in Washington D.C., and moose (驼鹿) are regularly seen wandering into Maine towns. Peregrine falcons(游隼) dive from the window ledges of buildings in the largest U.S. cities to prey on (捕食) pigeons.
Several changes have brought wild animals to the cities. Foremost(首要的) is that air and water quality in many cities has improved as a result of the 1970s pollution-control efforts. Meanwhile, rural areas have been built up, leaving many animals on the edges of suburbs. In addition, urban wildlife refuges (避难处)have been created. The Greater London Council last year spent￡750,000 to buy land and build 10 permanent wildlife refuges in the city. Over 1,000 volunteers have donated money and cleared rubble from deserted lots. One evening last year a fox was seen on Westminster Bridge looking up at Big Ben.
For peregrine falcons, cities are actually safer than rural cliff dwellings (悬崖栖息地). By 1970 the birds had died out east of the Mississippi because the DDT had made their eggs too thin to support life. That year, scientist Tom Cade of Cornell University began raising the birds for release in cities, for cities afforded abundant food.
Cities can attract wild animals without turning them harmful. The trick is to create habitats where they can be self-sufficient but still be seen and appreciated. Such habitats can even be functional. In San Francisco, the local government is testing different kinds of rainwater control basins to see not only which ones retain (保持) the cleanest water but which will attract the most birds.The first paragraph suggests that ________.
| A．environment is vital for wildlife |
| B．tour books are not always a reliable source of information |
| C．London is a city of fox |
| D．foxes are highly adaptable to environment |
Which of the following is NOT a reason that wildlife is returning to the cities?
| A．Food is plentiful in the cities. |
| B．Wildlife is appreciated in the cities. |
| C．Wildlife refuges have been built in the cities |
| D．Air and water quality has improved in the cities |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．Londoners are putting more and more wild animals into their zoos. |
| B．Londoners are happy to see wild animals return to their city |
| C．Londoners are trying to move wild animals back to the countryside |
| D．Londoners have welcomed the wild birds, but found foxes a problem |
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