Marriages improve after children grow up and move out，according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”．
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff，who carried out the investigation，said: “The take­home message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’．” Her co­author Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe，from the British Psychological Society，said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life，then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents，their world falls apart when their children leave.”
小題1:It is commonly believed that___________.
A．marriages improve after children leave home
B．a(chǎn)n “empty nest” is always a happy thing
C．parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out
D．parents will be pleased after their children leave home
小題2:When did many couples feel happier according to the study?
A．At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”.
B．Shortly after marrying.
C．Once their children reached their teenage years.
D．When they were bringing up babies.
小題3:Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.
A．many couples are able to spend time together
B．many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company
C．things are a little more relaxed
D．many couples needn’t work at all
小題4:The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.
A．parents should build their life around their kids
B．parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home
C．parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all
D．parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home

小題1:C
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:B

試題分析：本文講述了一些孩子離家以后的空巢老人可能更為開心，文章分析了原因，也提出了不同的觀點(diǎn)。
小題1:C 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)第二段1,2行Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.原來(lái)很多人認(rèn)為孩子離開家以后，父母會(huì)感覺(jué)很孤單寂寞。故C正確。
小題2:A 推理題。根據(jù)第二段2,3行Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.可知當(dāng)孩子離開家的時(shí)候，也就是變成空巢家庭的時(shí)候，他們會(huì)感覺(jué)很開心。故A正確。
小題3:D 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)4,5段Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.和One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”可知ABC三項(xiàng)都是文章中提及的原因，只有D項(xiàng)不是。
小題4:B 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章倒數(shù)第二段最后2行Her co­author Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”可知B項(xiàng)內(nèi)容正確。
點(diǎn)評(píng)：本文講述了一些孩子離家以后的空巢老人可能更為開心，文章分析了原因，也提出了不同的觀點(diǎn)。
文章基本上是考查細(xì)節(jié)題，對(duì)此類題型考生可以首先從問(wèn)題中找到關(guān)鍵詞，然后以此為線索，運(yùn)用略讀及查閱的技巧在文中迅速尋找這一細(xì)節(jié)，找到后再把這一部分內(nèi)容仔細(xì)閱讀一遍，仔細(xì)比較所給選項(xiàng)與文中細(xì)節(jié)的細(xì)微區(qū)別，在準(zhǔn)確理解細(xì)節(jié)的前提下，最后確定最佳答案。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A few months ago, Dr. Ken Duckworth, a psychiatrist（心理醫(yī)生） in Massachusetts, was swimming in his community's pool, chatting with other swimmers. When he mentioned his career, one man wanted Duckworth’s opinion on his struggles with depression; another asked for advice on a family member's mental illness.
“I was sort of amazed. They were talking openly about their mental disabilities with a stranger in a swimming locker room, ” said Duckworth, “That wouldn't have happened 15 years ago. ”
New research shows that these swimmers aren't the only ones opening up. According to a new study, more American adults than ever are reporting being disabled by the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other emotional problems.
The report, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, found that people who said they couldn’t perform everyday tasks or engage in social and leisure activities because of a mental illness increased from 2 percent in 1999 to 2.7 percent in 2009. That increase amounts to nearly 2 million more people disabled by mental distress (痛苦) in the past decade, the report said.
Although people did not say they felt more mental distressed compared to past years, they reported that their mental health problems had a greater impact on their daily lives.
Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, the study's author, said it's unclear whether the findings tell a sad story of greater mental distress in recent times or point to a victory for public education about the importance of acknowledging and evaluating mental illness.
“It is possible that people are realizing the effects of mental illness more acutely now than before," he said. "People could be becoming more aware. ”
Mojtabai said it's also possible that a number of factors could be taking a toll on the population's mental well-being. High unemployment, economic hardships and a growing sense of isolation could be putting greater stress on Americans.
But Duckworth said there could be a more positive explanation -- like his fellow swimmers, people may be getting more comfortable with talking about their mental distress.
“I wonder if this tells us that American culture is becoming more open and is giving people the ability to speak about it,” he said. “If people have this problem and are willing to acknowledge it, then we're getting closer to dealing with it.”
小題1:Why was Dr. Ken Duckworth surprised when other swimmers talked about the depression with him?
A．He hadn’t expected those swimmers had so many questions.
B．He didn’t know there would be so many people suffering mental disabilities.
C．People wouldn’t talk about their mental disabilities with a stranger in the past.
D．It amazed him that people were becoming more and more open-hearted.
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A．More and more people are suffering mental distress nowadays.
B．People may be more willing to acknowledge their mental illness.
C．People are becoming more and more aware of the effects of mental illness.
D．The public education about the importance of acknowledging mental illness is successful.
小題3:What does the underline phrase “taking a toll on” in para.8 mean?
A．making a contribution to
B．taking part in
C．playing a part in
D．doing harm to
小題4:What’s the best title of the text?
A．How mental illness come about?
B．Swimmers with mental illness puzzled psychiatrist.
C．Study shows more mental illness.
D．You should have an accurate attitude towards mental illness.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (顯著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球), Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：while the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so deeply that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said a US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.”
小題1:What’s the passage mainly about?
A．Staying professional.B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer.
C．A match between China and the US.D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach.
小題2:Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.
A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy
B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to
C．disliked to be with her fans
D．didn’t want to disturb public order
小題3:What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?
A．destroyed completely B．tore into pieces
C．spread out to the windD．rolled up
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A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team.
B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams.
C．She just tried to stay professional.
D．The results of each match will be the same.
小題5:What impressed the US team players most?
A．The tolerance of Chinese people.B．The popularity of volleyball in China.
C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills.D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The Beijing government has set out to recruit thousands of university graduates to work as junior officials in rural areas to both improve rural administration and ease the city’s employment problems.
The government plans to recruit 3,000 university graduates this year,1,000 more than last year, to work as assistants to village heads or Party secretaries in suburban areas.
People interested in jobs in Beijing’s rural villages and townships can submit applications to the Beijing Municipal Personnel Bureau or online at www. Bjbys. com from February 1 through March 15.
“We hope university graduates will seize this opportunity to use their knowledge in rural villages and to start their careers,” Sun Zhenyu, deputy director of Beijing Personnel Bureau, told Xinhua News Agency.
The government has promised successful candidates a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan
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Wang Lina, who graduated from Beijing Union University last year, was one of the first graduates to find work in the city's countryside. After majoring in industrial and commercial administration, Wang served as the assistant to the village head of Ertiaojie Village in suburban Beijing's Pinggu District. For one project, Wang contacted people at the Beijing Academy of Agricultural Sciences and arranged for the local farmers to receive training in strawberry planting. Her efforts paid off. The village had a plentiful harvest of organic strawberries earlier this year.
Nationwide, about 150,000 university graduates found employment in rural areas last year, according to figures provided by the Ministry of Education.
The ministry predicts that 4. 95 million students will graduate from universities across the country this year, 820,000 more than last year. About 1.4 million of them are unlikely to find jobs when they graduate.
In Beijing, a record 200,000 people are expected to graduate from university this year. Less than half of them are expected to be offered jobs, according to the personnel bureau.
小題1:The underlined word “recruit” in the first paragraph probably means______.
A．employ B．force C．encourage D．train
小題2:We can see from the passage that______.
A．once you are hired as a junior official, you can get an endlessly rising salary
B．the government guarantee a gradually high salary for the successful candidates
C．working as junior officials is easy but very meaningful
D．the competition for the job as junior officials is very fierce
小題3:From the story of Wang Lina we can learn that______.
A．the sooner you go to the countryside, the sooner you will be successful
B．local farmers can get big harvests if they learn more knowledge
C．university graduates can also realize their value in rural areas
D．Wang had great difficulty in helping villagers planting organic strawberries
小題4:The last two paragraphs aim to tell us that______.
A．more and more graduates will work as junior officials
B．the universities should not have so many students
C．there are more and more graduates in recent years
D．it is not easy for graduates to find jobs nowadays
小題5:Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
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B．Graduates go to the countryside.
C．Job hunting for university graduates.
D．A good choice for university graduates.

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BERLIN （AP）----A tiger escaped its enclosure at Cologne Zoo in western Germany on Saturday and killed a female keeper before being shot dead by the zoo's director, police said．
The tiger slipped through a passage between the enclosure and a neighboring storage building, where it fatally attacked the 43-year-old keeper, said police spokesman Stefan Kirchner．
"It appears the gate wasn't properly shut," Kirchner told The Associated Press．
The zoo was evacuated and a SWAT （特警） team was called in, police said．But before it arrived, the zoo's director managed to kill the tiger by climbing onto the storage building and shooting it through a skylight using a rifle．
Kirchner said it was unlikely that members of the public had witnessed the incident. "This is the darkest day of my life," the zoo's director, Theo Pagel, was quoted as saying by Cologne newspaper Express．
The paper said on its website that the Siberian tiger was a 4-year-old male called Tltai that came to Cologne Zoo from an animal park in England．In November it fathered three cubs with a 7-year-old Siberian tiger called Hanya, according to the zoo's website．
Police said the zoo reopened after Saturday's incident, which occurred around noon．However, a planned late-night opening of the zoo has been canceled．
Cologne Zoo is one of the oldest in Germany．It was founded in 1860 and houses some 10,000 animals consisting of more than 700 different species．
小題1:Which of the following can be the best title of the news text?
A．Tiger Escapes, Kills Keeper in German Zoo
B．Tiger Escapes in German Zoo, Shot Dead
C．German Zoo Keeper Shot Escaped Tiger
D．People Killed in Oldest Zoo in German
小題2:According to the police, what was the direct reason for the incident?
A．The zoo keeper was a new hand．
B．A gate was not closed appropriately.
C．The zoo had neglected the secret passage.
D．It was very dark when the incident happened.
小題3:What did the zoo do after the incident?
A．They honored the killed person in a way.
B．They paid SWAT for their timely help.
C．They returned the tiger’s three cubs to England.
D．They called off the late-night opening.
小題4:How did the zoo director feel after the incident?
A．Proud.B．Disappointed.C．Sad.D．Angry.
小題5:What can we learn about Cologne Zoo?
A．It keeps a large variety of species.
B．It is one of the largest in German.
C．It has a history of more than 700 years.
D．No such incident has happened before.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

September 21, 2050----At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the  launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.
Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home.  Patrick was of course very excited, “ This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible.”
To be able to pay the $ 1. 3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake (股份) in the company his father had built. “I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me”, says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, but it is said that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.
So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? “Well, since I don’t have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea”, he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel（鐵鍬）he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn’t expect too many guests until someone can offer a cheaper ticket.
小題1:How long will Patrick Clifford be away before he comes back?
A．About five monthsB．About two yearsC．About 600 daysD．About 750 days
小題2:The underlined part in Paragraph 3 means that          .
A．the trip will turn Patrick into a beggar
B．Patrick will get much money from the trip
C．we needn’t worry about Patrick’s economic condition
D．it’s likely that Patrick will be very poor after he comes back
小題3:What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Patrick is an optimistic man
B．A total of six people will go to Mars
C．Patrick’s father felt excited at the news
D．Patrick will spend all his money on the trip

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

WASHINGTON — It is announced Friday that White House visitor records will be opened up on a regular basis for the first time in modern history, providing the public an unusually detailed look at who gets the opportunity to help shape American policy at the highest levels.
“Americans have a right to know whose voices are being heard in the policymaking process,” the president said in a written statement issued by the White House while he vacationed with his family at Camp David.
By the end of the year, the White House will begin posting online every month the names of the people who visited in the last 90 to 120 days. Each person’s full name will be listed, along with the date and time they entered and left and the name of the person they visited. About 70,000 to 100,000 people visit the White House each month, and the records will include tourists as well as people conducting business.
The White House pointed out several exceptions to the policy: “purely personal guests” of the Obama family; those cases in which the disclosure(透露) of visitors’ names “would threaten national safety interests”; and those who come for “particularly sensitive meetings,” like candidates for a Supreme Court nomination(提名). Officials said only a “small number” will fit in the latter category（類別）, and their names would eventually be disclosed after they are no longer secret, like after a nomination is publicly announced. Moreover, they said, the number of undisclosed visitors will be disclosed, to make clear how few they are.
小題1:Why will the White House visitor records be open to the public?
A．To attract more visitors to the White House.
B．To allow people to know more about the life of the Obama family.
C．To let the public know who are influencing the policies.
D．To ask the public help correct the policies made by the government.
小題2:From the passage we can learn that ________.
A．All the visitors’ names will be posted online soon after their visits
B．Not all visitors are allowed to visit the White House
C．Some visitors’ names can be found online until they’re not secret
D．The records of the visitors will be kept for at least 4 months
小題3:According to the passage, whose name might be kept secret for some time?
A．A tourist.B．A businessman.C．A foreign student.D．A foreign minister.
小題4: What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．The White House will open the records of the visitors to the public.
B．In America more and more people are becoming policy makers.
C．The Americans have a right to know who are making policies.
D．President Obama has announced a new policy while on holiday.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Thai authorities have been urged to see to it that condominiums (公寓), apartment houses and other lodgings available to tourists throughout the country will be of higher quality than today, a leading tourism businesswoman has said.
Piyaman Techapaibul, president of the Tourism Council of Thailand, called on the Ministry of Tourism & Sports as well as other government agencies concerned to have those places and accommodations for tourists improved and upgraded to meet international standards because, she said, today's tourists from around the world have more money to spend and prefer quality lodgings as well as quality services and accommodations at those places.
"Added by condos and apartment houses currently opening for daily rent, the number of lodgings for tourists throughout the country has increased over the years, but not the qualities. Many of today's tourists are so affluent and selective that they'd prefer quality places where personnel should be very responsible and experienced in taking care of them while security should be constantly and effectually maintained," she said.
Employees and staff in charge of providing accommodations to tourists should be expert in communicating with the foreigners, service-minded and speak fluent English, according to the council leader.
Thailand is seen to receive up to 23.1 million tourists from other countries around the world next year, compared to about 21.7 million, who have reportedly visited the country throughout this year, about 2.6 million of whom from China, while as much as two trillion baht (US$66.6 billion) is expected to be earned from tourist industry by 2015, compared to about one trillion baht (US$33.3 billion) this year.
Thailand's most favorite destinations for tourists include the world-famous beach resorts of Pattaya and Phuket, the Andaman Sea archipelagos of Krabi and Surat Thani and the capital city of Bangkok.
The council leader made her comments in response to news reports that the government might deregulate (撤銷管制) businesses of running condominiums and apartment houses to the extent that they might not only serve as a place which collects monthly rent from the tenants but as a hotel where guests pay the room rates on a daily basis.
No parking lots or hotel-operating licenses might be legally required at such places nationwide only if they were practically turned into daily hotels or guesthouses.
小題1:What can we learn from paragraph 1?
A．Thai started to take measures to have the accommodations improved in the past.
B．Tourism is the leading industry in Thailand.
C．The accommodations in Thailand are of poor quality.
D．Tourists prefer hotels to apartment houses in Thai.
小題2: What does the underlined word “affluent” in paragraph 3 mean?
A．particularB．prosperousC．sensitiveD．restricted
小題3: According to the passage, how many people went to Thailand for a trip except China this year?
A．a(chǎn)bout 23,1 millionB．a(chǎn)bout 21.7 million
C．a(chǎn)bout 2.6 millionD．a(chǎn)bout 19.1 million
小題4: Why did the authorities in Thai need to have the lodgings improved?
A．Because tourists prefer better service and better living condition
B．Because tourists have plenty of money.
C．Because they want to meet the international standards
D．Because the condominiums in Thai are inferior to those in any other country.
小題5: According to the passage, which of the following statements is not true?
A．Piyaman advocated the authorities not to limit the development of the condos.
B．Bangkok is one of the most attractive destinations for tourists
C．Thailand has earned about one trillion baht from tourist industry this year.
D．Staff in condos should speak English fluently.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Owning a smartphone may not be as smart as you think. They may let you surf the Internet, listen to music and take photos wherever you are, but they also turn you into a workaholic（工作狂）.
A study suggests that, by giving you access to emails at all times, the smartphone adds as much as two hours to your working day. Researchers found that Britons work an additional 460 hours a year on average as they are able to respond to emails on their mobiles. The study shows the average UK working day is between 9 and 10 hours, but a further 2 hours is spent responding to or sending work emails, or making work calls.
Almost one in ten admits spending up to three hours outside their normal working day checking work emails. Some workers say they are on call almost 24 hours a day. Nearly two-thirds say they often check work emails just before they go to bed and as soon as they wake up, while over a third have replied to one in the middle of the night. The average time for first checking emails is between 6 am and 7 am, with more than a third checking their first email in this period, and a quarter checking them between 11pm and midnight.
Ghadi Hobeika, marketing director of Pixmania, said: “The ability to access millions of applications has made smartphones invaluable for many people. However, there are disadvantages. Many companies expect their employees to be on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and smartphones mean that people cannot get away from work. The more constantly in touch we become, the more is expected of us in work . ”
小題1:With a smartphone the average UK working day is _______.
A．2 hours B．9 to 10 hoursC．11 to 12 hoursD．24 hours
小題2:It could be inferred from the text that the British people _______.
A．prefer to check emails in the morning
B．a(chǎn)re crazy about different smartphones
C．shorten their normal working hours
D．work extra hours with smartphones
小題3:What does Ghadi Hobeika feel about smartphones?
A．They are unimportant for most of people.
B．They have disadvantages for some companies.
C．They make it impossible for people to rest.
D．They are useful to improve a work ability.
小題4:Where can we most probably read this text?
A．In a science fiction.B．In a newspaper.
C．In a travel magazine.D．In a storybook.

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