Sex prejudices are based on and justified by the ideology(意識形態(tài)) that biology is destiny. According to this ideology, basic biological and psychological differences exist between the sexes. These differences require each sex to play a separate role in social life. Women are the weaker sex both physically and emotionally. Thus, they are naturally suited, much more so than men, to the performance of domestic(家庭的) duties. A woman’s place, under normal circumstances, is within the protective environment of the home. Nature has determined that women play caretaker roles, such as wife and mother and homemaker. On the other hand, men are best suited to go out into the competitive world of work and politics, where serious responsibilities must be taken on. Men are to be the providers; women and children are “dependents”.
The ideology also holds that women who wish to work outside the household should naturally fill these jobs that are in line with the special capabilities of their sex. It is appropriate for women, not men, to be employed as nurses, social workers, elementary school teachers, house-hold helpers, clerks and secretaries. These positions are simply an extension of women’s domestic role. Informal distinctions between “women’s work” and “men’s work” in the labor force, according to the ideology, are simply a functional reflection of the basic differences between the sexes.
Finally, the ideology suggests that nature has worked her will in another significant way. For the human species to survive over time, its members must regularly reproduce. Thus, women must, whether at home or in the labor force, make the most of their physical appearances.
So goes the ideology. It is, of course, not true that basic biological and psychological differences between the sexes require each to play sex-defined roles in social life. There is enough evidence that sex roles vary from society to society, and those role differences that do exist are largely learned.
But to the degree people actually believe that biology is destiny and that nature intended for men and women to make different contributions to society, sex-defined roles will be seen as totally acceptable.
【小題1】According to the biology-is-destiny ideology, women_______.

A．cannot compete with men in any field

B．are suited more to domestic jobs than men

C．are sensitive enough to be a good caretaker

D．are too weak to do any agricultural work at all

【小題2】Those who have prejudices against women think that_______.

A．women shouldn’t go out for work

B．women should earn money to add the family income

C．women going out for work should only do “women’s work”

D．women should take jobs to drill the special capabilities of the sex

【小題3】The author thinks that the positions women hold outside_______.

A．are determined by what they are better suited to

B．grow out of their household responsibilities

C．represent their breakthrough of sex discrimination

D．are physically and emotionally suitable to them

【小題4】What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．Sex roles are socially determined

B．Sex roles are emotionally and physically determined

C．Sex roles are biologically and psychologically determined

D．Sex roles are determined by education people take

When Christopher Columbus landed on the then unnamed Costa Rica in 1502, he saw many Indians wearing gold earrings. So he thought the land must be rich in gold. He named the place Costa Rica, which means “rich coast” in Spanish.
Though little gold was found, Costa Rica today is indeed rich with coffee and bananas. Coffee is the most important product in Costa Rica and most of it is exported to other countries like America and West Germany. Bananas are the country’s second most important export.
Costa Ricans also grow many other crops such as fruits, corn and beans for their own use. Costa Ricans love colors and their houses are painted in bright colors.
Education is very important to the Costa Ricans. Almost every village has a school and education is a must for children between seven and fourteen years of age. Boys and girls go to separate schools. Classes begin in March and end in November. The other three months of the year are harvest time and the children have to help their parents to pick coffee beans.
【小題1】What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．How Columbus found Costa Rica.

B．How Costa Rica got its name.

C．What the Costa Ricans wore.

D．What language the Costa Ricans spoke.

【小題2】The Costa Ricans may NOT paint their houses ______.

A．pink and red.	B．grey and black
C．blue and green.	D．yellow and orange

【小題3】From December to February, school children in Costa Rica ______.

A．have lessons every day

B．have their examinations

C．help their parents pick coffee beans

D．go to separate schools

【小題4】This passage is mainly about ______.

A．Christopher Columbus

B．Costa Rica

C．some products from Costa Rica

D．the education of Costa Rica

Donna is 19 years old and loves animals, which is why I’m always happy to leave my dog with her when I go on holiday. Donna also helps to train hunting dogs, but recently, her boyfriend told me, she returned home from a farm in tears after being told to hit some dogs.
“She wasn’t being asked to hit them because they didn’t behave well,” he said. “She was told to punch these puppies with a closed fist simply to let them know who is the boss,” Donna refused. Good for Donna. In my view, you hit an animal for only two reasons: as a way to teach it an important lesson to protect it from danger, such as not into the road; or because you like hurting animals.
Last summer, I attended a horse race. I don’t know much about horses, but I was alarmed when I saw a horse with a huge ulcer (潰瘍) on its legs. “Surely this horse won’t race?” I asked. I was very surprised that nobody in the crowd seemed concerned.
The horse began the race, but later it fell heavily. It had broken its leg. The next thing I saw was its dead body in a bag, being driven past. No one seemed to care, except those who had bet on it. I know people care for horse racing, but do they really care for horses? I doubt it.
Oh, but it’s a tradition, I hear you say. Wouldn’t the world be a boring place if we didn’t occasionally hit, shoot and chase animals? Traditions are made by man and can be unmade. It was once acceptable to kill servants when their master died, to visit the mental hospitals to laugh at the patients or to watch public execution (執(zhí)行死刑).
Nor should it be forgotten that in our progress to a more civilized world, animals have played an important role: they have fed us, carried us, worked for us, rescued us, died for us and sometimes just saved us from loneliness. Surely by now they deserve our kindness. At the very least, they deserve our respect.
【小題1】Donna was asked to hit the young dogs because ________.

A．they misbehaved

B．their owner disliked them

C．people on the farm enjoy hurting them

D．it was a way to train them to obey people

【小題2】What does the underlined word in paragraph 2 probably mean?

A．strike

B．stroke

C．scold

D．pump

【小題3】What is the author’s purpose in telling the readers the story about the horse?

A．To explain the traditional horse race to readers.

B．To prove that the weak horse can’t win in the race.

C．To show that animals are treated unfairly by humans.

D．To say that people care more for horses than horse racing.

【小題4】Which of the following is NOT true?

A．People no longer watch killing criminals in public.

B．The author cannot accept anyone who hits the animals.

C．It was a traditional practice to kill servants for their dead master.

D．The author thinks it is possible to change the traditions made by man.

【小題5】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．No One Cares for Animals Nowadays.

B．Let’s Protect the Endangered Animals.

C．Show Animals the Respect They Deserve.

D．The Stories Between Animals and People.

London has always been known for its "black fogs". In the winter of 1952, a milky white fog rolled into the city. As the smoke poured into the air, it was so hard to see that people had to walk in front of the buses to guide them. In this way, the most serious air pollution disaster in history began. When it was over, more than 4,000 people had been killed by the thick black smog.
New York City has had several London-type smogs since 1950. Each time, 100 to 400 deaths were caused by the smog. Although these smogs were not as deadly as London's, New York City has the worst air pollution problem in the United States.
In all the killer smogs, factories and homes poured smoke and fumes into the air from the furnaces. The chemical fumes combined with the water droplets in the fog to form harmful substances. These substances caused the illness of those who breathed the polluted air.
Usually, such harmful fumes rise into the upper air and are blown away by the wind. But sometimes there is an unusual weather condition called a temperature inversion. A layer of cold air remains near the ground as smoke and fumes pour into it. This is covered by an upper layer of warm air that acts like a lid. It prevents the polluted cooler air from rising. The harmful fumes pile up and make people ill. The smog may be so thick that airports are closed and chains of collisions occur on the highways.
Another type of smog occurs in Los Angeles. Here the weather may be clear and sunny. But stinging eyes and dry coughs show that harmful chemicals fill the air. The smog is due to invisible gases, mostly from automobile exhaust. Because these chemicals are changed by the sun high up in the air, it is called photochemical smog. It contains automobile exhaust fumes and nitrogen oxides changed by the sun's rays. Added to these are sulfur dioxide and other fumes from factories and oil refineries. Photochemical smog is found in many large cities all over the world.
Killer smogs don't happen very often, fortunately. But in Beijing, a combination of automobile exhaust fumes, home furnace smoke, and factory waste gases pours into the air. This may also happen in the suburbs, or out in the country, where large factories have been built. A number of harmful substances have been found in the air there. When these substances are breathed in day after day, the health of the population is affected.
【小題1】Why do people call this phenomenon "black fog"?

A．It is black and dirty.

B．It can affect the health.

C．It can kill people.

D．It is too thick for people to see something.

【小題2】What can reduce the air pollution according to the passage'?

A．Water.

B．Wind.

C．The sun.

D．Cold air.

【小題3】When photochemical smog happens in the city,          .

A．many people will be killed

B．black smoke may pour into the air

C．the weather may be fine

D．people have to walk to work

【小題4】From the passage we know that the most serious black smog disaster took place in    .

A．London

B．New York

C．Los Angeles

D．Beijing

Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control your behavior, but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive(不坦率的)person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You’re very stubborn(頑固的), but you aren’t very ambitious. You’re usually live for today not for tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up (卷曲),you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.
【小題1】According to the writer, you naturally show your secret and real personality        .

A．only in a normal night

B．only when you go to sleep

C．only when you refuse to show yourself to the word

D．only when you change sleeping position

【小題2】Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person’s personality?

A．He or she is always open with others.

B．He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others.

C．He or she is always easily upset.

D．He or she tends to believe in others.

【小題3】Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach?

A．He or she is careful not to offend others.

B．He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion.

C．He or she can’t be successful in any business.

D．He or she likes to bring others happiness.

【小題4】Which of the following may be the reason for you not to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up?

A．He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you.

B．He or she is rarely ready to help you.

C．He or she prefers staying at home to going out.

D．He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you.

【小題5】It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because        .

A．he or she always shows sympathy for people

B．he or she is confident, but not stubborn

C．he or she has more strengths than weaknesses

D．he or she often considers annoying people

閱讀下列短文，從每小題所給的四個選項(A. B. C和D) 中，選出最佳選項。

Is veg food healthier than non-veg food? I feel this is a very common topic that people speak on．Please give me your opinions on this topic．
Rao 12-18-08		So far as veg food is concerned, it is also proved to be a healthy and nutritious diet, but has very few items which can provide us with proteins, but if you see non-veg food like eggs, chicken, and many more, such foods have a large content of proteins in them.
Sai 12-19-08		Man basically is herbivorous（食草的）. If we look at the animal kingdom We can see that all the herbivorous animals have the similar dental（牙齒的） structure, which clearly shows that the human being also ought to be vegetarian by birth. It is only the living conditions that make man carnivorous（食肉的）. The vegetarian foods are easily digestible.
Santos 12-20-08		Non-veg food items are better than veg items. A healthy person requires complete diet and veg+ meat makes the diet complete. The only caution that needs to be taken is not to have non-veg items on a daily basis. Once in a week or couple of weeks will be best.
Krishna 01-03-09		When we eat non-veg, we are all veg by nature. The chicken that we eat feeds on grains, the mutton that we eat feeds on grass, and the fish that we eat feeds on simple plants. So non-veg food by logic（邏輯）is better and suited for hauman beings.
Khan 01-05-09		Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系統(tǒng)）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains!
Khan 01-05-09	Non-veg food is equally important in our diet as it helps in many ways, especially fish and other seafood as fish contains omega 3 which makes our immune system（免疫系統(tǒng)）stronger. Do you know that most of the veg food put together does not contain as much omega 3 as fish alone contains!

【小題1】According to Rao, what is the problem with veg food?

A．It damages our immune system.	B．It has few nutrients.
C．It contains too much omega	D．It is lacking in protein.

【小題2】In the opinion of Sai, humans are born vegetarian because humans______.

A．have the same teeth structure as plant-eating animals

B．believe that veg foods are good for their teeth

C．belong to the plant-eating animal family

D．can adapt to the living conditions like plant-eating animals

【小題3】What advice is given by Santos?

A．To have a saily veg+ meat diet.

B． Not to eat non-veg food every day.

C．To eat digestible food every day.

D．Not to eat food without protein.

Tell a story and tell it well, and you may open wide the eyes of a child, open up lines of communication in a business, or even open people’s mind to another culture or race.
People in many places are digging up the old folk stories and the messages in them. For example, most American storytellers get their tales from a wide variety of sources, cultures, and times. They regard storytelling not only as a useful tool in child education, but also as a meaningful activity that helps adults understand themselves as well as those whose culture may be very different from their own.
“Most local stories are based on a larger theme,” American storyteller Opalanga Pugh says, “Cinderella(灰姑娘), or the central idea of a good child protected by her goodness, appears in various forms in almost every culture of the world.”
Working with students in schools, Pugh helps them understand their own cultures and the general messages of the stories. She works with prisoners too, helping them know who they are by telling stories that her listeners can write, direct, and act in their own lives. If they don’t like the story they are living, they can rewrite the story. Pugh also works to help open up lines of communication between managers and workers. “For every advance in business,” she says, “there is a greater need for communication.” Storytelling can have a great effect on either side of the manager-worker relationship, she says.
Pugh spent several years in Nigeria, where she learned how closely storytelling was linked to the everyday life of the people there. The benefits of storytelling are found everywhere, she says.
“I learned how people used stories to spread their culture,” she says. “What I do is to focus on the value of stories that people can translate into their own daily world of affairs. We are all storytellers. We all have a story to tell. We tell everybody’s story.”
【小題1】What do we learn about American story tellers from Paragraph 2 ?

A．They share the same way of storytelling.

B．They prefer to tell stories from other cultures.

C．They learn their stories from the American natives.

D．They find storytelling useful for both children and adults.

【小題2】The underlined sentence (Paragraph 4) suggests that prisoners can _____.

A．direct films

B．settle down in another place

C．start a new life

D．become good actors

【小題3】Pugh has practised storytelling with _____ groups of people.

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

【小題4】What is the main idea of the text?

A．Storytelling can influence the way people think.

B．Storytelling is vital to the growth of businesses.

C．Storytelling is the best way to educate children in school.

D．Storytelling helps people understand themselves and others.

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by “small talk”. Small talk means the little things we talk about at start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: “Nice day, isn’t it?” But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safer topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: “Great game, isn’t it?” At bus stops, people may comment about the transport system: “The bus service is terrible, isn’t it?”
Greetings and small talk are important parts of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
【小題1】Small talk __________ .

A．is a kind of conversation with short words

B．is a greeting when people meet each other

C．is to let people disagree about something

D．is something we talk about to start with a conversation

【小題2】Why do people need small talk?

A．To choose a topic for conversation.

B．To agree about the weather.

C．To let meeting people become easier and more comfortable.

D．To learn a language.

【小題3】The passage suggests that when we learn a language ,__________．

A．we should grasp the importance of the language

B．we should know the culture of the language

C．we should only master the grammar and vocabulary

D．we should learn about the transport system of the country

It is not unusual to see your desk-mate yawn (打呵欠) as he complains that he didn't have a good sleep the night before. Many teens don't get enough sleep because they have too much homework, which keeps them up at night. Some teens cannot sleep at night even when they want to.
Studies show that during your teenage years, the body's biological clock is reset, telling you to sleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.
But changes in the body clock aren't the only reason teens lose sleep. Lots of people have insomnia (失眠). The most common cause of insomnia is stress. But all sorts of things can lead to insomnia. These include physical discomfort, emotional troubles and even sleeping environment. It's common for everyone to have insomnia from time to time. But if it lasts for a month or more go and see a doctor.
Some people have a condition that causes stomach acid (酸) to move backward towards the chest. This produces the uncomfortable, burning feeling called heartburn. So even if the person doesn't notice the feelings of heartburn because he is sleeping, he may feel tired the next day.
Most teens have nightmares sometimes. But, if they are frequent, a person's sleep pattern can be seriously affected. The most common cause of nightmares is emotional problems, such as stress (壓力) or anxiety. If you have them a lot, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.
Doctors encourage teens to make lifestyle changes to develop good sleeping habits. You probably know that coffee can keep you awake, but did you know that playing video games or watching TV does the same?
【小題1】The main idea of the first paragraph is ________.

A．There is a problem that teenagers can’t get enough sleep.

B．Sleeping problems have different causes.

C．Yawning is a good way to get rid of sleep.

D．Teenagers care too much for homework.

【小題2】The Teenagers’ biological clock ________.

A．easily makes teenagers lead to insomnia

B．is the origin of their insomnia

C．provides them with plenty of time at night

D．is helpful to improve their concentration(注意力)

【小題3】What does the writer say about “nightmares”?

A．It is nothing and shouldn’t be taken seriously.

B．It can release their stress or anxiety.

C．Emotional problems are the only way to form nightmares.

D．People will suffer from sleep if frequent.

【小題4】Which way can help to get rid of insomnia?

A．Drinking some coffee before going to bed.

B．Playing video game or watching TV from time to time.

C．Turning to a doctor for help.

D．Eating much medicine for insomnia.

I want to talk about the economy．Not "the economy" we hear about endlessly in the news each day and in politicians' speeches．I want to talk about the real economy, the one we live in day by day．
Most people aren't particularly interested in "the economy"．"Share prices are flying high; interest rates are soaring(令人傷心的）; the Dow Jones Index closed sixty-three points down on 8472．35．" We hear this and subconsciously switch off．
Notice that "the economy" is not the same as the economy, "The economy" is what men in suits play with to make vast personal wealth．The economy is where the rest of us live on a daily basis, earning our living, paying our taxes, and purchasing the necessities of life．
We are supposed to be benefiting from all the advantages of a well-off society．So why do we feel tired and stressed? We have no time for anything other than work, which is ridiculous given the number of labor-saving devices in our lives．Our towns become more and more crowded．We poison our air and seas, and our food is full of chemicals．There's something wrong here．If times were truly good, then you may think we'd all feel optimistic about the future．Yet the majority of us are deeply worried．More than 90 percent of us think we are too concerned about ourselves and not concerned enough about future generations．
The term "economic expansion" suggests something desirable, but expansion simply means spending more money．More spending doesn't mean that life is getting better. We all know it often means the opposite - greed, crime, poverty, pollution. More spending merely feeds our whole economic system, which is based on production and consumption. Unless money keeps circulating, the economy breaks down. If we don't keep consuming, the whole system goes into stalemate（僵局）．
How do we break the cycle and make some changes? We need to become far more aware of the results of our actions. We buy clothes that are made in sweat shops by virtual slaves in poor parts of the world. We create mountains of waste. We demand cheap food, mindless of the fact that it totally lacks taste and is produced using chemicals that poison the land．
The consumption（消費） culture makes us unaware of the effect of our own behavior. Our main problem is not that we don't know what to do about it. It is gathering the desire to do it．
【小題1】According to the author, which one belongs to the real economy?

A．The Dow Jones Index．	B．Increases in interest rates．
C．Shopping in a supermarket．	D．Skyrocketing share prices．

【小題2】It can be concluded from Paragraph 4 that        ．

A．people are benefiting from a well-off society

B．the future generation is a big concern for most people

C．the majority of people are optimistic about the future

D．people still feel much pressure despite labor-saving devices

【小題3】What is true about economic expansion?

A．It may lead to some social problems．

B．It guarantees a better life for us．

C．It will stop the circulation of money．

D．It has only brought desirable effects．

【小題4】The author writes the passage mainly to       ．

A．suggest a solution for over-consumption

B．call on us to change our behavior

C．make a distinction between two economies

D．inform us of the effects of economic expansion