Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, traffic engineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for transportation systems in large cities are frequently criticized for failing to solve traffic jam.
But is traffic jam a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box offices are seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently? I think we should recognize that traffic jam is an unpreventable by-product of successful cities, and view the “traffic problem” in a different light.
Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.
Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while decaying cities don’t have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America’s most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses (經(jīng)紀(jì)行), you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere.
Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this light, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay.
So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility (交通不便) in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater.
There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That’s why, for now, we don’t see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois.
【小題1】 We can conclude from the first paragraph that_______.

A．traffic jam and weather are the two factors preventing the development of the big city

B．traffic jam seems to be very difficult to deal with

C．if traffic engineers try their best, traffic jam can be solved

D．public officials are always criticized for misusing their power

【小題2】According to the passage, what’s the author’s opinion towards traffic jam？_____

A．In cities, traffic jam is unavoidable.

B．Traffic jam is both a sign of failure and a sign of success.

C．Traffic jam is the consequence of successful cities.

D．For a successful city, traffic jam is not unpreventable.

【小題3】By saying “decaying” (in Para. 4), the writer probably means_______.

A．declining	B．developing
C．rich and successful	D．strong and healthy

【小題4】 According to this article, which statement about “New York” and “Los Angeles” is true? _____
A. The traffic jam in the two cities has been worsened.
B. New York and Los Angeles are the most successful cities in the USA.
C. It is easier to reach major brokerage houses in the two cities than in other cities.
D. Despite the traffic jam in LA, you’ll find a satellite-guidance engineer more quickly there.
【小題5】What can we learn from the last paragraph? _______

A．California is as crowded and successful as San Francisco.

B．The traffic jam in San Francisco has resulted in the capital becoming empty.

C．The traffic jam level in Jakarta is lower than that in the US.

D．Traffic jam has caused terrible bad effects in cities such as Bangkok and Lagos.

It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助長(zhǎng)) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.
【小題1】What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragraph 2 mean in the passage?

A．coursework	B．problems of the Internet
C．learning pressure	D．cheating

【小題2】Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?

A．With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework.

B．There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation.

C．The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism.

D．Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework.

【小題3】It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____     .

A．blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web

B．worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web

C．be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him

D．have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years

【小題4】Who should be blamed for online plagiarism?

A．Barclay Littlewood.	B．Sir Tim Berners Lee.
C．Derec Stockley.	D．Nobody.

【小題5】The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____      .

A．the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood

B．different people’s opinions on plagiarism

C．how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood

D．Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website

A motivational strategy that parents can employ with their kids, is to frame tasks and responsibilities in the context of what the end benefit is for them．I call this strategy WIIFM （"What's in it for me?" ）．
When a teen can combine an understanding of WIIFM with a sense of passion about achieving a goal, barriers will start to fall away．At our teen summer camps, we arrange an event near the end of the 10-day session that helps campers identify an important life goal and mentally break through their biggest barrier to achieving the goal． We pass around 12-by-12-inch pine boards．We tell campers that this activity is not about breaking a piece of wood．It's about how you can get what you want in your life．It's about breaking
barriers to grab on to your goals．
They have the power to break through any barrier．It has nothing to do with body size or physical condition．The skinniest, smallest teens will break through the board almost as easily as the big ones．
We talk to the campers about the reasons they might have had for not reaching their goals in the past．Maybe they got lazy and decided it wasn't worth the effort．Maybe they failed and let their fear of failure hold them back．But this exercise is about putting the past where it belongs．Today is about making new choices．
By this point in the program, we ask them to think of the goal they've set or themselves and write their goals on the boards．Then they write the possible obstacles which may hold them back on the opposite sides．An inch of pine now stands between them and their dreams．
The facilitators and their teammates gather around．The support is strong．One by one, they break through the barriers and grab their goals! All around us teens are laughing, crying, hugging, and holding up the broken pieces of their boards．The confidence shown on their faces is beautiful．
While arranging such an activity in one's home is almost unrealistic for parents, the value of helping a teen break through a personal hairier simply by being there as moral support can not be overestimated．More help for parents in the form of videos and articles is available at our website, in our blogs and in a monthly e-newsletter．
【小題1】The 12-by-12-inch pine boards are used as ______．

A．materials to test one's muscles	B．signs of goals in one's life
C．a(chǎn)ssessments to show one's progress	D．symbols of barriers in one's life

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that through the event the campers ______．

A．become hard-working	B．get moral support
C．gain confidence	D．set right goals

【小題3】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．The Power of WIIFM	B．What's in It for Me
C．The Importance of Goals	D．Motivational Strategies

【小題4】The passage is intended for ______．

A．teens

B．parents

C．campers

D．tutors

Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皺的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
【小題1】David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time

D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

【小題2】 David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

【小題3】According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?

A．Many workers don’t like a conservative dress code.

B．Comfortable clothes make workers more productive.

C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers.

D．All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.

【小題4】According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.

C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.

【小題5】 In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.

A．saving worker’s money

B．making workers more attractive

C．improving worker’s feeling

D．making workers happier

Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺騙)? When someone tells you something that is true，but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture．
For example，someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy’s a winner，right? Maybe，maybe not．We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets，and only one was a winner．He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false，but he left out important information on purpose．That’s called a half-truth．Half truths are not technically lies，but they are just as dishonest．
Some politicians often use this trick．Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term，her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs．Then she seeks an  other term．One of her opponents(對(duì)手)says，“During Governor Smith’s term，the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true．However，an honest statement would have been，“During Governor Smith’s term，the state had a net gain of two million jobs．’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half—truths．It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth．An advertisement might say，“Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache．”It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company．
This kind of deception happens too often．It’s a sad fact of life：Lies are lies，and sometimes the truth can 1ie as well．
【小題1】How much did the lottery winner lose?

A．one hundred dollars．	B．Two hundred dollars．
C．Three hundred dollars．	D．Four hundred dollars．

【小題2】We may infer that the author believes people should ________.

A．buy lottery tickets if possible	B．make use of half—truths
C．be careful about what they are told	D．not trust the Yucky Company

【小題3】 How many examples does the writer give to show how the truth is used to deceive?

A．One．

B．Two．

C．Three．

D．Four．

【小題4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Using half truths is against the law．

B．Technically，half truths are in fact lies．

C．Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache．

D．Governor Smith did a good job during her last term．

【小題5】Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

A．He’s really a big loser!

B．Sometimes the truth can lie as well．

C．Advertisers will sometimes use half truths．

D．It’s against the law to make false statements．

As we all know, any country has good reasons to want its citizens to be as healthy as possible. This led to the introduction of a health service in many countries. France has developed into a country in which all citizens can get most of the health treatment free. The money for this is partly from the people who are willing to offer.
But there are different opinions about the Health Service. The number of patients treated every year and the cost of treatment are much greater than expected. This means that the people who work for the Health Service --- doctors, nurses and other hospital workers, have much more work to do, and as a result they have little time for preventive treatment.
However, the tough problem is that as many people are able to receive treatment more expensive than they can pay, sometimes people go and visit their doctors when they don’t really need to. As there are many patients, doctors cannot spend time long enough with each patient. So some people prefer to pay for their own treatment so that their doctors can examine them more carefully. In fact, some rich people feel that they should pay more free money, which would be given to other citizens.
【小題1】 France is described as an example to show that __________.

A．people have to pay part of the medical care

B．everyone in France enjoys free medical care

C．it is a country with the Health Service

D．it is a very rich country in Europe

【小題2】 What is the problem in the Health Service?

A．Money is not enough to employ more medical workers.

B．There are not enough well-treated doctors.

C．People can get more preventive treatment.

D．Doctors and nurses are not working hard.

【小題3】 Why do many people go and see the doctors even when they really don’t need to?

A．To keep himself even more healthy.	B．To receive treatment free of charge.
C．To take back some expensive medicine.	D．To get necessary protective treatment.

【小題4】What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The Health Service is quite successful so far.

B．People should not go to the doctors unless necessary.

C．There is much to improve the Health Service.

D．The rich should be allowed to pay for the treatment.

As prices and building costs keep rising, the “do-it-yourself”（DIY）trend in the US continues to grow.
“We needed furniture for our living room,” says John Ross, “and we just didn’t have enough money to buy it. So we decided to try making a few tables and chairs.” John got married six months ago, and like many young people these days, they are struggling to make a home at a time when the cost of living is very high. The Roses took a 2-week course for $280 at a night school. Now they build all their furniture and make repairs around the house.
Jim Hatfield has three boys and his wife died. He has a full-time job at home as well as in a shoe making factory. Last month, he received a car repair bill for $520. “I was deeply upset about it. Now I have finished a car repair course, I should be able to fix the car by myself.”
John and Jim are not unusual people. Most families in the country are doing everything they can to save money so they can fight the high cost of living. If you want to become a “do-it-yourself”, you can go to DIY classes. And for those who don’t have time to take a course, there are books that tell you how you can do things yourself.
【小題1】We can learn from the text that many newly married people__________.

A．find it hard to pay for what they need

B．have to learn to make their own furniture

C．take DIY courses run by the government

D．seldom go to a department store to buy things

【小題2】John and his wife went to evening classes to learn how to __________.

A．run a DIY shop	B．make or repair things
C．save time and money	D．improve the quality of life

【小題3】 Jim decided to become a do-it-yourselfer when__________

A．his car repairs cost too much	B．the car repair class was not helpful
C．He couldn’t possibly do two jobs	D．keeps house and looks after his children

【小題4】 When the writer says that Jim has a full-time job at home, he means Jim_________.

A．makes shoes in his home	B．does extra work at night
C．does his own car and home repairs	D．keeps house and looks after his children

Some people believe that international sports create goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: that international competitions encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the tragic incident involving the murder of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused mainly by minor national competitions.
　One country received its second-place medals with visible indignation（憤慨）after a hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, the loser’s objection to the final decision. They were sure that one of their goals should not have been disallowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was very angry and he said, “This wasn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension（停賽）of the team for at least three years.
　The American basketball team announced that they would not give up the first place to Russia, after a disputable end to their competition. The game had ended in disturbance. It was thought at first that the United States had won, by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player popped the ball into the basket. It was the first time the USA had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury discussed the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
　Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sports are played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals, or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism（愛國(guó)主義）.
【小題1】According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ________.

A．caused national pride for athletes

B．created goodwill between the nations

C．hardly showed any international friendship

D．led to less misunderstanding between countries

【小題2】What did the manager mean by saying “Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished”?

A．His team would no longer take part in international games.

B．There should be no hockey matches organized by the Federation.

C．Hockey and the Federation are both ruined by the unfair decisions.

D．The International Hockey Federation should be dismissed forever.

【小題3】By taking the basketball game for example, the author wants to prove that ________.

A．too much patriotism was displayed in the games

B．the announcement to prolong the match was wrong

C．the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision

D．the team was right in refusing to accept the silver medals

【小題4】What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A．Sports should be played for the love of one’s nation.

B．Unfair decisions are common in the Olympic Games.

C．International competitions will lead to misunderstanding.

D．The organization for the Olympic Games must be reformed.

 1 Year, 47 Issues
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About The New Yorker Magazine:
The New Yorker is the eclectic magazine for readers interested in the arts, current events, and culture. The New Yorker includes articles on domestic and international news, exploring current ideas and trends, plus sports, fashion, and entertainment events. In addition, The New Yorker is well known for publishing outstanding short fiction and cartoons with an ironic twist.

1 Year, 12 Issues
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About Playboy Magazine:
Playboy is a magazine of literature, political thought, sports, commentary and humor. Although Playboy is most well-known for its pictorials (插圖)of beautiful women, it is also highly regarded for its interviews and fiction writing. Playboy includes regular feature articles on finance, sports, self-improvement, technology, and psychology. You must be 18 or older to order Playboy.

1 Year, 10 Issues
Cover Price: $39.90
Your Price: $23.00
About Nick Magazine:
Nick is filled with wonderful entertainment for children, ages 6 to 14. It is wholesome (對(duì)身心有益的), imaginative, and truly from a child’s point of view. Nick sees the world from your child’s perspective (視角). Share the award-winning entertainment and humor magazine from Nick with your kids.
  
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About Lucky Magazine:
Lucky is the ultimate shopping magazine with the best looks, the best buys, and the best trends before they hit the stores. But what makes it really unique is all the detailed information you’ll get on how to purchase the merchandise (商品) you’ll find. Lucky provides you with 800 numbers, web site addresses, and more to make your shopping experience easy and convenient! Lucky is your one-stop shopping guide to all the greatest new products on the market. What’s more, it provides wonderful entertainment for women.
【小題1】Which magazine gives buyers the cheapest price according to the advertisements?

A．The New Yorker

B．Playboy

C．Nick

D．Lucky

【小題2】What is the striking feature of the Lucky magazine?

A．It supplies much entertainment for women and children.

B．It contains many outstanding novels and cartoons.

C．It is famous for beautiful pictures of beautiful women.

D．There’s much detailed information on how to find new products on the market.

【小題3】If you are a housewife, which magazine will you probably buy?
A. A. The New Yorker        B. Lucky           C. Nick        D. Playboy
【小題4】What information is contained in all the four magazines?

A．Sports

B．Entertainment

C．News

D．Trends

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity，” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’ s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’ re a Chinese，you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump (樹樁) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’ s not about going to a temple to burn some incense (香) in hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’ s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups：those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper，” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not  spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “l(fā)ucky”， in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners，my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence(巧合)? After reading about Professor Wiseman’ s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational (理性)thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential （潛在）problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
【小題1】Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’ s point?

A．Make the best of a bad job.

B．Rome was not built in a day.

C．All is not gold that glitters.

D．A good heart conquers ill fortune.

【小題2】What do you know about Oprah Winfrey?

A．She became famous through her family background.

B．She was very lucky and seldom suffered setbacks （挫折）in her life.

C．She is a British talk show host.

D．She became successful by her own effort.

【小題3】The writer quoted（引用） the Chinese tale of a farmer in order to show________.

A．luck is in your own hand

B．bad luck can turn into good

C．you should not sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you

D．man can conquer nature

【小題4】From the experiment Wiseman drew the conclusion that________.

A．lucky people are quick-minded

B．unlucky people are slow to read

C．lucky people often have an open mind

D．unlucky people are more creative

【小題5】The underlined word “spot” is the closest in meaning to“________”．

A．discover

B．mark

C．make

D．receive