recently has literature focused on the role of a father.
It is argued by some writers that the change to the father’s role, although difficult, is not
nearly as gret as the change the wife must make to the mother’s role. The mother’s role seems to require a complete change in daily routine and adjustment, and the father’s role is less demanding and immediate. However, even though we mentioned the fact that growing numbers of women are working outside the home, the father is still thought by many as breadwinner in the household. 1. According to the author, how do men feel after they become fathers?
A. They feel like they need some more experience. B. They have a feeling that they must do a lot of planning. C. Some men feel proud and others uneasy. D. They have a feeling of not caring about things.
2. Which of the following is stated in the passage?
A. Some parents have a child accidentally and they are not prepared. B. Young couples do not want to have children at all these days. C. Working couples turn to their parents to take care of their children. D. Many parents look forward to having a grl as their first baby.
3. In the third paragraph, the author _____.
A. thinks fathers should take their responsiblities in raising children B. criticized writers for writing so much about being a mother C. supports the idea that a father sould also run the home well D. complains that husands cannot get much help being a father
4. The change of the mother’s role requires that the wife _____.
A. just do whatever she likes to do in her life B. change completely to deal with the new situation C. work only within her own home if she can D. help her husband with his trade or business
5. Some writers argue that with respect to the change of roles, fathers, compared with mothers, _____.
A. have to bear more burdens B. make a more difficult adjustment
C. have an easier job to do D. shoulder many burdens
Passage 8
This is not the world we know. This world is controlled by computers. Men and women can
be seen, but they are following orders given to them by machines. The machines were designed by mad scientists, but at some point even the mad scientists were taken over by their super-inventions (超级发明).
Does this sound familiar? You have probably read something like it in magazines or books, or
seen it in a film. Why is it so popular? One of the reasons is that it reflects the fears of many people; fear of the unknown, fear of what is not understood or, at least, fear of something that is not completely understood.
The fact is that every day it seems that computers take control f another area of our lives.
Some factory jobs are now done by robots and the robots are controlled by computers. Our bank accounts are managed by computers. At the airport, our tickets are sold by a computer. Certainly, many of these operations are made more efficient by computers, but our admiration is sometimes mixed with unsafe feelings. And this lack of safety is caused by the fact that we do not know how computers do these things, and we really don’t know what they might do next.
But we can find out how computers work, and once we understand them, we can use
computers instead of worrying about being used by them. Today, there is a new generation of computer wizards (奇才) who know exactly how computers get things done. These young men and women, usually university students, are happy to sit for hours, sometimes for days, designing programs, not eating, not sleeping, but discovering what can be done by these wonderful slaves which they learned to control. These computer wizards have learned to use the computer and search for new tasks for their machines.
1. We can know that the scientists who designed the machines ______
A. are careless in their daily life B. are unkind and cruel C. are out of their mind D. have great abilities
2. The reason why many people are afraid of computers is that ______.
A. they don’t know anything about computers B. they haven’t really understood computers C. there are so many computer games D. computers are often down
3. The author mentions computer wizards in order to point out that ______.
A. computers can be controlled by man
B. there should be more people devoted to computers C. only young people are interested in computers D. more time and energy is required to control computers
4. This passage is probably written to suggest that ______.
A. some day computers can deal with all human problems B. computers can be used in place of traveling to our jobs C. people should not fear computers
D. computer technology will not meet people’s needs in various situations
5. The author’s attitude towards widely used computers is______.
Passage 9
Many doctors are now trained in techniques to lessen tension and stress. Here health professionals reveal their favorite methods.
Comfort with food. When diet expert Judith Wurtman is stressed out, she does what a lot of people do this time of year: she reaches for food. But in her case, it’s a healthy rice cake or two. “My research suggests that carbohydrates (碳水化合物) raise levels of a brain chemical, which has a calming effect on the entire body,” says the MIT research scientist. “So signs of stress—such as anger, tension, and inability to focus—are eased.”
Run from your problems. Dr. Kenneth H. Cooper, who popularized aerobics (有氧运动) through his 1968 book by that name, handles his own stress with a daily after-work run. He knows that physical activity reduces anxiety and depression. “Aerobic exercise is the best way to dissipate stress,” says Cooper.
A. positive
B. anxious
C. worried
D. curious
Look to the light side. On his way to the hospital where his father was to have surgery, Joel Goodman shared a hotel bus with the anxious relatives of several patients. The driver began telling his stressed-out passengers a few jokes. “Then he did some magic tricks that had my mother and me laughing.” Goodman says. “In that five-minute ride he taught us that humor can lessen our stress.”
The surgery was successful, and Goodman was so moved by his experience that he researched laughter’s power. “A good laugh relaxes muscles, reduces blood pressure, restrains stress-related hormones and enhances the immune system (免疫系统),” he says.
Go green. Coffee, loaded with hidden sources of caffeine, stimulates (刺激) the nervous system and can make you feel stressed more easily. That’s why Arizona doctor Andrew Weil, author of the best seller Spontaneous Healing, does not take caffeine. “When I want gentle energy, I drink green tea. It contains a caffeine-like element”, Weil says. It also contains compounds that, some studies suggest, have anti-cancer effects.
1. The following are ways to free you from stress EXCEPT _____.
A. looking at things in a more relaxed way B. getting a lot of sleep during the day C. eating some food with carbohydrates D. doing some aerobic exercise
2. Eating or drinking the following can be helpful in freeing you from stress EXCEPT _____. A. drink green tea B. eat some bread C. eat some rice cake D. drink a lot of coffee 3. A good laugh is very helpful EXCEPT to _____.
A. reduce blood pressure B. restrain stress-related hormones C. enhance the immune system D. take a holiday
4. What is the meaning of the word “dissipate” in the part “Run from Your Problems”? A. Lessen. B. Depress. C. Disturb. D. Level.
5. Which of the following group of people can have a happier life, according to the passage? A. Those who are continuously eating something. B. Those who are always engaged in working. C. Those who use right methods to reduce tension.
D. Those who study medicine or psychology.
Passage 10
Telephone, television, radio, an the Internet help people communicate with each other.
Because of these devices, ideas and news of events spread quickly all over the world. For example, within seconds, people can know the results of an election in another country. An international football match comes into the homes of everyone with a television set. News of a disaster, such as a flood, can bring help from distant countries. Within hours, help is on the way. This is because modern technology information travels fast.
How has this speed of communication changed the world? To many people, the world has
become smaller. Of course, this does not mean that the world is actually smaller. It means that the world seems smaller. Two hundred years ago, communication between the continents took a long time. All news was carried on hsips that took weeks or even months to cross the oceans. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, it took six weeks for new from Europe to reach the Americas. This time difference influenced people’s actions. For example, a few battles in the War of 1812 between England and the United States could have been avoided. A peace agreement had already been signed. Peace was made in England, but the news of peace took six weeks to reach America. During these six weeks, the large and serious Battle of New Orleans was fought. Many people lost their lives after a peace treaty（条约）had been signed. They would not have died if new had come in time. In the past , communication took much more time than it does now. There was a good reason why the world seemed so much larger that it does today.
1. Thanks to _____, we can gain brand-new ideas and news of events from all over the world.
A. disasters
B. Europe
C. ocean travel
D. modern technology
2. What took six weeks a couple of hundred years ago?
A. The War of 1812 between the US and England. B. Agreeing on peace during the War of 1812. C. The Battle of New Orleans that wasn’t avoided. D. Ocean travel between Europe and America.
3. Some battles in the war betweeen England and America could have been avoide if _____.
A. people had signed the peace agreement sooner