阅读理解New York As a travel destination, New York has something to offer almost every visitor. Though tourism has dropped since September 11, 2001, there are still lots of reasons to visit what many consider the greatest city in the world. City Overview New York City (NYC )is located on the Eastern Atlantic coast of the United States. It rests at the mouth of the Hudson River. The city is often referred to as a "city of islands. " Greater NYC is made up of five distinct areas called boroughs. These boroughs include Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island and the Bronx. The boroughs are separated from each other by various bodies of water and are connected by subways, bridges and tunnels. When people refer to New York City, they are usually talking about Manhattan. Most of NYC''s main attractions are located in this borough and the majority of visitors spend most of their vacation here. A Short History of the Big Apple No discussion about New York would be complete without asking why New York is referred to as "the Big Apple. " Like many things about New York, you''ll probably get a different answer depending on who you ask. According to the Museum of the City of New York, it is believed that in the 1920s, a sportswriter overheard stable hands in New Orleans refer to New York City''s racetracks as "the Big Apple." The phrase was most widely used by jazz musicians during the 1930s and 40s. They adopted the term to refer to New York City, and especially Harlem, as the jazz capital of the world. The Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano may have been the first European to explore the New York region in 1524. More than 80 years later. Englishman Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. But it was Dutch settlements that truly started the city. In 1624. the town of New Amsterdam was established on lower Manhattan. Two years later, according to local legend. Dutchman Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the local Native Americans for 60 guilders (about $ 24) worth of goods. Few people realize that New York was briefly the U. S. capital from 1789 to 1790 and was the capital of New York State until 1797. By 1790, it was the largest U.S. city. In 1825, the opening of the Erie Canal, which linked New York with the Great Lakes, led to continued expansion. A charter was adopted in 1898 incorporating all five boroughs into Greater New York. New York has always been and remains a city of immigrants. Patterns of immigration are integral to the city''s history and landscape. Immigration, mainly from Europe, swelled the city''s population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, many African — Americans from the South, Puerto Ricans. and Latin Americans migrated to the city as well. Because of the variety of immigrant groups, both historically and currently, New York is often referred to as a true "melting pot. " Getting Around New York By Foot The absolute best way to get around New York, and the one you will probably be using most, is walking. Remember, the city is only 13 miles long. On a day with good weather, walking is a great option. The excitement of New York on foot is that you never know what interesting things you will see as you head from one destination to another. If you''re on a schedule, keep in mind that distances are not as close as they might seem and take into account the extra time it takes to stop at every street crosswalk. Getting from the easternmost side of Manhattan to the westernmost side can take quite a while. The Subway If you''re looking to save some time, this is where one of the three excellent New York public transportation systems comes in handy. They are all run by the city''s Metropolitan Transportation Authority. According to NYC & Company, the city''s official visitor''s bureau, the 714 —mile New York City subway system has 468 stations serving 24 routes— more than any other system in the world. It operates 24 hours a day. is safe, and is used daily by more than 3.5 million people. The main thing to remember when using the subway system is to make sure you get on the correct train. Uptown trains head north, downtown and Brooklyn — bound trains head south. Express trains. as opposed to local trains, do not make all the normal stops on the line. Local trains make every stop. New Yorkers and tourists alike have hopped on the wrong train and ended up in an unknown area. If this happens, simply hop the next train back the way you arrived. To avoid these problems, when in doubt, always take a local train. Taxis & Buses The final two systems of public transportation are buses and taxis. Buses tend to be very slow because of New York traffic, but they can give you great views of the city streets. Buses run north and south as well as east and west. Just like the subway, the bus system has its own map and routes. Most free subway maps also include a bus map. Taxis are usually quicker to navigate the city streets than buses. But be prepared to pay for that convenience. Taxis are expensive. A trip from the Upper West Side, for example, to the Lower East Side can cost upwards of $12, not including the driver''s tip. There is an automatic $2 charge on all cab rides and all taxi drivers expect some sort of gratuity. Main Attractions Here is a smal1 sampling of some of the main attractions NYC is best known for: Statue of Liberty — Few New York sites are as awe — inspiring as this one. A century ago, Lady Liberty held up her torch to welcome immigrants to America. Today, you can climb 354-steps to look out from her crown to see both the New York and New Jersey coasts. Times Square — New Yorkers call this intersection of Broadway and 42nd Street the "Crossroads of the World". It is the most recognized intersection on earth — millions of people see it on television every New Year''s Eve. Some people say it''s the best place in New York to people—watch. At night, the illuminated signs in Times Square make an amazing light show. Empire State Building — Built in 1931, this skyscraper was the tallest in the world for half a century. You''ll get a great view of the city from the art deco tower''s observation deck. Central Park — Who would have thought that a city filled with people, traffic and skyscrapers, could offer visitors such an incredible natural oasis? The park is full of rolling meadows, trees, water bodies and stone bridges. The best part? It''s all free. Metropolitan Museum of Art — If you see only one museum in New York City, the Met, as it is known, should be the one. The museum houses over two million works of art ranging from Egyptian to Medieval to 20th Century. United Nations — You can''t miss the 188 nations'' flags flying high above First Avenue in front of the headquarters of this international organization. Tours take you through the Security Council and General Assembly Halls.

阅读理解The fridge is considered a necessity. It has been so since the 1960s when packaged food first appeared with the label: "store in the refrigerator". In my fridgeless Fifties childhood, I was fed well and healthily. The milkman came daily, the grocer, the butcher (肉商), the baker, and the ice-cream man delivered two or three times a week. The Sunday meat would last until Wednesday and surplus (剩余的) bread and milk became all kinds of cakes. Nothing was wasted, and we were never troubled by rotten food, thirty years on, food deliveries have ceased, fresh vegetables are almost unobtainable in the country. The invention of the fridge contributed comparatively little to the art of food preservation. A vast way of well-tried techniques already existed—natural cooling, drying, smoking, salting, sugaring, bottling ... What refrigeration did promote was marketing—marketing hardware and electricity, marketing soft drinks, marketing dead bodies of animals around the globe in search of a good price. Consequently, most of the world''s fridges are to be found, not in the tropics where they might prove useful, but in the wealthy countries with mild temperatures where they are climatically almost unnecessary. Every winter, millions of fridges hum away continuously, and at vast expense, busily maintaining an artificially- cooled space inside an artificially-heated house — while outside, nature provides the desired temperature free of charge. The fridge''s effect upon the environment has been evident, while its contribution to human happiness has been insignificant. If you don''t believe me, try it yourself, invest in a food cabinet and turn off your fridge next winter. You may miss the hamburgers (汉堡包) . but at least you''ll get rid of that terrible hum.

阅读理解It is easier to negotiate initial salary requirement because once you are inside, the organizational constraints (约束) influence wage increases. One thing, however, is certain: your chances of getting the raise you feel you deserve are less if you don''t at least ask for it. Men tend to ask for more, and they get more, and this holds true with other resources, not just pay increases. Consider Beth''s story: I did not get what I wanted when I did not ask for it. We had cubicle (小隔间) offices and window offices. I sat in the cubicles with several male colleagues. One by one they were moved into window offices, while I remained in the cubicles. Several males who were hired after me also went to offices. One in particular told me he was next in line for an office and that it had been part of his negotiations for the job. I guess they thought me content to stay in the cubicles since I did not voice my opinion either way. It would be nice if we all received automatic pay increases equal to our merit, but "nice" isn''t a quality attributed to most organizations. If you feel you deserve a significant raise in pay, you''ll probably have to ask for it. Performance is your best bargaining chip (筹码) when you are seeking a raise. You must be able to demonstrate that you deserve a raise. Timing is also a good bargaining chip. If you can give your boss something he or she needs (a new client or a sizable contract, for example) just before merit pay decisions are being made, you are more likely to get the raise you want. Use information as a bargaining chip too. Find out what you are worth on the open market. What will someone else pay for your services? Go into the negotiations prepared to place your chips on the table at the appropriate time and prepared to use communication style to guide the direction of the interaction.

阅读理解Bird Flu: Communicating the Risk The recommendations listed below are grounded in two convictions(信念): that motivating people to start taking bird flu seriously should be a top priority for government health departments, and that risk communication principles provide the best guidance on how to do so. Start where your audience starts. Telling people who believe X that they ought to believe Y naturally provokes resistance. You can''t ignore X and just say YY-Y-Y-Y. You can''t simply tell people they''re wrong. You''ve got to start where they are, with X, and empathically explain why X seems logical, why it''s widely believed, why you used to believe it too...and why, surprisingly, Y turns out to be closer to the truth. The biggest barrier to sounding the alarm about bird flu is that it''s flu usually seen as a ho-hum(漠不关心的) disease. It would help if people stopped calling every minor respiratory infection "a touch of the flu" but that''s not going to happen. Empathy is the only answer. Instead of ignoring the fact that people think flu is minor, or berating people for thinking that flu is minor, acknowledge that even some public health authorities use the term "flu" in ways that minimize its seriousness. After making common cause with the public—"we have all ignored influenza for too long"—talk about how horrific the next flu pandemic(流行病) may be compared with the annual flu. Don''t be afraid to frighten people. For most of the world right now, though, apathy(漠不关心) is the problem—not denial. We can''t scare people enough about H5N1. WHO has been trying for over a year, with evermore-dramatic appeals to the media, the public, and Member States. Until a pandemic begins, there''s little chance we''ll scare people too much. Research evidence won''t protect you from criticism, of course. Fear appeals often provoke angry pushback from people questioning your motives or your competence, accusing you of "crying wolf" or provoking "warning fatigue" or panicking the public. That happened after WHO Western Pacific Regional Director Shigeru Omi said that, in a worst case, a bird flu pandemic could kill up to 100 million people (a well-justified estimate). Of course, there is a genuine downside to issuing warnings that turn out to be unnecessary. Although panic is unlikely and warning fatigue is temporary, there is some credibility loss, especially if the warnings were exaggerated or overconfident. But consider the alternative. Which is worse, being criticized for "unduly" frightening people or being criticized for failing to warn people? Acknowledge uncertainty. When the first Thai bird flu outbreaks subsided(平息) in 2004, a senior public official said: "The first wave of bird flu outbreak has passed... but we don''t know when the second wave will come, and we don''t trust the situation... So the Public Health Ministry is being as careful as possible." This exemplifies two risk communication principles: acknowledge uncertainty and don''t overreassure. During Malaysia''s first outbreak, tests were pending regarding what strain of flu was killing the chickens. Senior veterinary official Hawaii Hussein said, "We know it is H5, but we''re hoping it won''t be H5N1. " This very brief comment not only acknowledges uncertainty; it also expresses wishes, another good crisis communication practice. Everyone shared Hussein''s hope, but feared the worst. Overconfident overreassurance ("the situation is under control, everything is going to be fine") is terrible risk communication. Paradoxically, people usually find it alarming. They sense its insincerity and become mistrustful even before they know the outcome. But overconfident warnings are also unwise. There is so much we don''t know about H5N1. How many people will it infect? How quickly will it spread? How long will it last? How long will it take for an effective vaccine to be available? Which countries and which people in those countries will get the vaccine first? How well will health care systems cope? How well will national and international economies cope? And how well will civil society cope? Bird flu experts and risk communicators cannot answer these questions. But we can and should raise them, acknowledging our uncertainty at every turn. Share dilemmas. Sharing dilemmas is a lot like acknowledging uncertainty. Not only are we unsure about what will happen; we''re also unsure about what to do. Everyone finds this hard to admit. But dilemma-sharing has huge advantages: - It humanizes the organization by letting the pain of difficult decisions show. - It gives people a chance to make suggestions and be part of the process. - It moderates the conflict between opposing recommendations. - It reduces the outrage if you turn out to be wrong. Dilemma-sharing does raise some anxiety at first, but it allies with the public''s resourceful, mature side. This leads to better buy-in and better coping down the road. The most important bird flu dilemma at the moment is stockpiling(储备). If we stockpile H5 antigen(抗原) or an H5N1 vaccine (once it exists), that may save millions of lives if a pandemic materializes. But a vaccine is no magic solution. We probably can''t make and distribute enough vaccine for most of the world. And what if there is no pandemic? Or what if the virus mutates(突变) or drifts a lot, and the vaccine proves minimally useful? Is this really a good use of scarce health dollars, especially in developing countries? Maybe we should stockpile antiviral drugs. But they''re expensive, and who knows how well they will work against the actual pandemic strain that arises? The worst response to the stockpiling dilemma is also the most tempting: Stockpile only a little vaccine and some antivirals and imply that you have enough. Some officials are already engaging in this kind of overreassurance. The risk communication answer: Share the dilemma and let the public help you decide. Give people things to do. One reason sometimes given for not alarming the public is that there''s nothing for people to do anyway. A Jan. 13, 2005 Wall Street Journal article quoted Canadian infectious disease expert Richard Schabas as saying: "Scaring people about avian influenza accomplishes nothing, because we''re not asking people to do anything about it." But the error isn''t scaring people. The error is failing to realize and say how much they can do to prepare. Helping resolve government policy dilemmas is just the beginning. Thailand, for example, has trained almost a million volunteers to reach out to every village in the country to inform people about the risks and signs of bird flu and how to try to protect themselves and their flocks. Many companies, hospitals, schools, and local governments around the world are starting to plan for "business continuity" in the event of a pandemic. Even cognitive and emotional rehearsal learning about H5N1 and thinking about what a pandemic might be like and how you''d cope is a kind of preparedness and a kind of involvement. The WHO outbreak guidelines say: "If possible, representatives of the public should be brought into the decision-making process... Risk communication messages should include information about what the public can do to make themselves safer."

阅读理解To better serve the children and our nation, schools students to take_________ .

阅读理解When the leaders of the new economy say they''re not in it for the money, that''s not just bad for business. It''s bad for everyone. Some of the pioneers of the new economy are saying very strange things. These moguls of modern-day capitalism solemnly deny that they are engaged in business for the purpose of making money. What''s going on here? Adam Smith, the founding father of capital ism, presumed that people engage in commercial activity for the purpose of economic gain. Have capitalism''s most successful practitioners evolved beyond such base intentions? Are we to infer that the world''s largest wealth-creation scheme is being driven largely by non profit motives? Not really. New-economy tycoons still like to make money. They simply want to make clear that they are also driven by higher motives. And this trend in pursuit of higher things is spreading through the business world. A recent editorial in the Red Herring posited business as an expression of the highest human capacities: "Money comes to those who do it for love." Such talk has become so common that we have to remind ourselves that it is a fairly recent innovation. You probably don''t have the time to review the immense socio logical literature on the attitudes of workers in the early and middle part of the 20th century. A single book, Studs Terkel’s Working, should be enough to make the point, or per haps just a brief talk with some old guys about their work philosophy. You won''t hear a lot of mush about saving the world or finding nirvana in the workplace. To these people, today''s rhetoric about meaning in the workplace must sound absurd. The attempt to find higher purpose and meaning in work is likely to fail. In the few cases where it does not, it will probably {all short of our expectations. Modern technological capitalism, for all its vitality and efficiency, cannot supply on its own a meaning to life. This isn''t just a philosophical matter. When we seek meaning in work at the expense of the institutions society has built specifically to contain meaning - the arts, our families, the church and so on -- we risk a great deal. We may not merely disappoint ourselves; we could disrupt the very prosperity the free market has provided us.

阅读理解There is progress toward a possible treatment for lung diseases such as SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome). Researchers have learned more about how the SARS virus works: it (47) with a system in the body that uses enzymes (酶) to control blood pressure and fluid balance. Scientists say the virus (48) to an enzyme known as ACE-two. The virus blocks the enzyme, permitting fluid to enter the lungs. A team from Europe and Asia reported the (49) in Nature Medicine. Doctor Josef Penninger of the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology in the Austrian Academy of Sciences was the (50) writer of the report. The discovery could lead to a new (51) of treating not just SARS but also other diseases that can cause lung failure. These include avian flu (禽流感) and influenza in humans. The first (52) of SARS were discovered in Guangdong province, in southern China, in November of 2002. SARS was not (53) as a worldwide threat until March of 2003. The disease spread to 26 countries, most of them in the Asia-Pacific area. An estimated 8, 000 people had SARS. More than 770 of them died, or about 10% , a (54) high rate. The World Health Organization warned people not to travel to (55) areas. The (56) hurt international travel and business. The W. H. O. says the disease stopped spreading by July of 2003. As a result of SARS, the health agency got new powers to act before a government officially announces a crisis. WORD BANK A) means I) relatively B) alternative J) findings C) attaches K) optimistically D) crisis L) identified E) cases M) interferes F) associates N) distributed G) major O) affected H) awful

阅读理解The ability to express oneself and to communicate is extremely important for public speakers. It is also important for those who want to _(47)_______ themselves well in a society that is full of (48)_______ competition. How can we gain such ability, especially for those who are born timid and shy? Well, first of all, your (49)______ about the importance of public speaking is absolutely correct. People need to be able to (50)_______ themselves effectively, whether they are going to be a journalist such as you are, whether they are going to be a businessman or businesswoman, whether they are (51)______ education and to be a teacher. And if people are going to law, they have to (52)______ effectively all the time, and much of the communication take the form of public speaking. Some take written form, for example, journalism. We have print journalism and broadcast journalism, but the (53)_______ of effective communication are substantially the same. Of course, all of those are forms of communication. So if you can develop the skills of an effective public speaker, you can use those skills not just in the public speaking but in other forms of communication. You can use them in writing, you can use them in conversation. I talked a few days ago with a reporter from XinHua News (54)______ and he said, "You know, what you are talking about is exactly the same thing that we do in articles or journalism. You have a lead, you get readers'' (55)______ ; you have a main point, you develop the main point; you have the second point, you develop the point; you have conclusion that (56)______ everything up." So the skills of public speaking can be transferred or related to other areas of communication. Word Bank A) fierce I) Association B) establish J) constitute C) going in for K) principles D) express L) sums E) wild M) attention F) point N) efficient G) purpose O) Agency H) communicate

阅读理解International travellers today are eager to grab an opportunity to taste local foods, and Korea offers a rich variety of delights. Yet finding reliable information on Korean food is no easy task for foreigners. Restaurants serving Korean food are seldom equipped with menus printed in English or other foreign languages. And even when foreign language menus are available, restaurants tend to use different expressions for the same dish, thus creating unnecessary confusion. This guide, consisting of over 800 terms for traditional and modern Korean foods in English and French, has been compiled primarily to help Koreans who would like to dine on Korean food at restaurants or at home, and provide an explanation of Korean cuisine to foreigners. We are hopeful that this guide will help Korean restaurateurs in and out of Korea to prepare menus in a more standardized and appealing manner. There is another purpose to this guide: to help foreigners understand Korea''s food culture and feel more confident about ordering food in Korean restaurants. Each dish is presented with a brief description of its cultural background and how it is prepared, so that its flavors can be fully appreciated and enjoyed. The index is organized by name and keyword so it is easy to find any item and obtain more detailed information about any particular dish. This book has been three years in the making. The task of translating Korea''s unique cuisine into English and French has been difficult and challenging. This has required consultation with 20 Korean and international experts. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have contributed their expertise, time, and patience to this effort. With the continuing interest and research of restaurateurs and scholars, we hope to keep adding to this guide and making it even more informative.

阅读理解College costs vary quite a bit, depending upon the type of school attended. For example, at many of the more expensive private schools, (47)______ costs (including tuition, room, board, books, travel to and from home, and other expenses) may (48)______ $20,000. Of course, public universities are much cheaper. At these schools, tuition is (49)______ higher for out-of-state students than it is for those whose (50)______ residence is within that state. Tuition at community colleges (51)______ about half the in-state cost of public, four-year colleges and universities. For those that cannot afford the cost of a college education, (52)______ aid is the answer. Students in the U.S.A. receive about $20 billion per year in financial aid. In recent years, nearly 75% of students in postsecondary programs have been receiving some form of financial aid. There are three main types of financial aid: (a) (53)______ (grants), which are gifts that students do not repay; (b) (54)______ to students and/or their parents; and (c) student (55)______ (work/study), a part-time job which the school gives the student for the academic year. Most financial aid is need-based; that is, only students who need the money receive it. Financial assistance to outstanding students who do not need the money (commonly called merit-based aid) is limited. The funds for all of this aid come from three main sources—the federal government, state government, and private (56)______. Every American college and university has a financial aid office to help students find out what kind of aid they might be qualified to get and to assist them in completing the complicated application forms. Aliens who are permanent residents in the U.S.A are qualified to receive government assistance, but foreign students are not. Word Bank A) financial B) annual C) scholarships D) loans E) prejudice F) exceed G) constant H) yield I) averages J) permanent K) employment L) manufacture M) significantly N) entertainment O) contributions

阅读理解Since the majority of Indian reservations are in the arid West, it is understandable that water has been a central environmental issue. By 1900, whites actively competed with Indians for this (47)______ resource. At one Indian Reservation in Montana, white settlers diverted (使转向) water from the Milk River. When ordered to stop, they argued that the Indians had not made prior appropriation use. In 1908 the Supreme Court ruled in Winters v. United States that in establishing reservations, Congress implied and reserved the priority water rights necessary for (48)______ and future use. Encouraged by the Winters decision, the Indian Bureau used Indian funds to construct elaborate irrigation (灌溉) systems to protect Indian water and improve the (49)______ potential of the allotted land. Irrigation promised to change the landscape and increase Indian self-sufficiency, but the systems suffered from poor construction, improper use and (50)______, and often ended up in the hands of white (51)______ who bought up the best Indian lands. Twentieth-century big dam projects also had unforeseen consequences for Indians and their lands. As part of the Newlands Project in 1905, the government dammed and diverted the Truckee River for white irrigation. The diversion of water nearly killed Pyramid Lake. During the New Deal, the government completed numerous, if not always successful, water projects on western reservations. Since the 1930s, dams on the Columbia River have prevented the migration of some fishes, flooded sacred sites and Indian fisheries (渔场), and (52)______ upstream spawning grounds. On the Missouri River, the Pick-Sloan Plan for damming and flood control proved (53)______ for Indians of the nearby reservations. They watched the waters cover rich agricultural lands, villages, and sacred sites in the name of (54)______. Similar things happened in the 1960s and 1970s. Today, these dams raise important environmental issues of water flow through reservations, of aquatic (水生的) species (55)______ and Indian fishing rights, and the ownership and sale of water. While the Winters Doctrine assured Indian water rights, it never quantified those rights. The issue of how much water tribes can legitimately use and sell has become (56)______ in the arid West, especially for tribes in states member to the Colorado River Compact. Word Bank A) settlers B) critical C) progress D) beneficial E) ruined F) present G) function H) scarce I) term J) disastrous K) preservation L) agricultural M) maintenance N) appropriate O) decisions

阅读理解How Americans Celebrate Christmas Christmas is America'' s most popular holiday. Some people will attend church and observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ. For others, Christmas is just a day of fun and celebration, a time for family and friends to gather together, exchange gifts and enjoy a huge holiday dinner. Christmas Day will need weeks of preparations. Since the last days of November American homes and stores have been decorated with Christmas trees and bright lights. Schools and churches have been presenting special holiday concerts. People have been going to parties, finding gifts and preparing special Christmas food. For a large number of Americans, Christmas is surrounded by more traditions than any other holiday. Yet, many of these traditions are not really very old ones in the United States. In fact, the nation''s first settlers would have. been very surprised to see how Americans celebrate Christmas today. People in other parts of the world, of course, have been celebrating Christmas for many centuries. In fact, December was a winter holiday season in northern and southern Europe even before the birth of Christ. And the ancient Romans celebrated the New Year on December twenty-fifth. Some experts believe that is why the Roman Catholic Church set the birth of Christ on that day. Christians borrowed other Christmas traditions from ancient times. In the years before Christ, for example, people honored the evergreen tree as a sign of life after death. For Christians, it became a sign of Christ''s birth. By the 16th century Roman Catholics in Europe were celebrating Christmas with lively parties filled with eating and drinking. Many of the first Europe an settlers in America, however, disapproved of such customs. They believed people should honor God in simpler, quieter ways, so Christmas became a day just like any other day for most people in America''s northern colonies. In America'' s southern colonies, however, the Church of England became the established religion. Its traditions were closer to those of Roman Catholic Church. So it became common for people on large farms in the south to celebrate Christmas with huge dinners and dancing. And in many parts of America, smaller groups of settlers from other western European countries observed Christmas with their own national customs. After 1,800, all these people began to mix together more and they began to borrow Christmas traditions from each other. Settlers from Ger many, for example, observed Christmas by cutting live evergreen trees and covering them with candies and fruit. By the middle of the 19th century, people all over America were putting up evergreen trees at Christmas. Dutch settlers in New York were most responsible for creating another popular American tradition--Santa Claus. The story of Santa Claus began hundreds of years earlier. During the fourth century, a Roman Catholic Church official called Nicholas of Myra became famous for his many good actions. Nicholas was made a saint (圣人) after his death and it became common in northern Europe to hold a celebration on December 6th, the day Nicholas died. All kinds of stories were told about Saint Nicholas and the Dutch brought one of these stories with them to America. They believed that each year the saint rode a white horse from home to home. He gave presents to children who had been good, and coal or straw to children who had been bad. Other Americans who lived nearby greatly enjoyed the Dutch celebrations. They decided to make Saint Nicholas part of their own celebration of Christmas. But he got a new name Santa Claus. It was taken from the Dutch words for Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus. The Dutch imagined Saint Nicholas to be a serious, even frightening person, who would punish as well as give gifts. But in 1822, an American named Clement C. Moore wrote a Christmas poem for his children. The poem, called A Visit From St. Nicholas, created a completely new Santa Claus. Dr. Moore described a short, happy, little man who rode in an open sleigh (雪橇). The sleigh was pulled from house to house by eight white reindeer (驯鹿). At each house Santa delivered gifts by dropping them down the chimney into the fireplace. Dr. Moore'' s poem was published in a newspaper in New York, 1823. It soon became popular all over America and it became the source for the Santa Claus American children still believe in today. An American artist named Thomas Nast also played a part in creating Santa Claus. Beginning in 1860s, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harper''s Weekly. These pictures showed a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard. He was dressed in a red suit with white fur and a black belt. Today, more than one hundred years later, that same Santa Claus can be seen everywhere at Christmas time. As Santa Claus became more popular, so did the custom of giving gifts on Christmas. Early in the 19th century, American schoolteachers liked to reward good students by giving them small books. Soon some storeowners were making special books for the Christmas holidays. And by the 1850s, jewelers, toy makers, bakers and others were selling all kinds of special products at Christmas. By the 1860s, more than half the American states had made Christmas a legal holiday. Since that time, it has continued to grow into a bigger and bigger celebration. Some people say that Americans pay too much attention to Christmas. They say this interferes with the religious freedom of those who are not Christians. Some people, for example, believe that Christmas religious music should not be sung in public schools. They say this is unfair to children whose families do not believe in Christ. Because of such criticism, many public schools now permit students to sing only Christmas songs that are not religious and they also observe the holiday season by teaching students about a Jewish celebration that takes place near Christmas time.

阅读理解If you want to increase your odds of having a long and lively lifetime, scientists say, work on getting an average of seven or eight hours of sleep a night. If you get only six hours or less, you stand a 70 percent chance of dying before your time. Scientists are finding that if you don''t get enough sleep, you are putting yourself at increased risk of heart trouble, digestive disease, or a serious, even fatal (致命的) accident. When tired, your sight, hearing, and attention are slow to alert you to dangers--and once you are aware of them, your reactions are also slow. H. Craig Heller--a professor of biology at Stanford University--is one of a small army of scientists studying the reasons why many people can'' t sleep and wake refreshed, why the brain puts you to sleep, and why lack of sleep causes such powerful effects. Heller notes that most major accidents have occurred in the early morning, when workers probably were still sleepy from deficient (不足的) sleep. He includes the explosion at the nuclear power plant at Chernobyl in Ukraine, the release of poisonous gas at Bhopal, India and the nuclear accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania. Scientists estimate that more than 100 million Americans have sleep troubles of some kind. Getting too little sleep heads the list. As many as one American in five gets fewer than six hours of sleep a night. Some people can get along on six hours, but most of us need between seven and eight--and children and young adults need up to 10 hours. As we age, it becomes more difficult to get enough sleep. At any age, however, we all can pile up a sleep deficit that eventual ly will force us to fall asleep--whether we'' re ready or not.

阅读理解More and more young adults are remaining single and (47)______ This is bringing about a violent change in the education of young people. More and more young girls are signing up for the classes (48)______ reserved only for boys. And, (49)______, a good number of boys are finding that classes in cooking and sewing are extremely useful to their own independence. A growing (50)______ of college students are choosing to take the classes which are meaningful and useful rather than traditional. I find it encouraging that some women are pursuing training as mechanics and electricians. Within ten years or so, the number of women in the mechanical field may be nearly (51)______ to the number of men. It is becoming more and more (52)______ that women are not "mechanically dumb". They just never got the encouragement to learn the basics of mechanics. It doesn''t require a man''s hand to turn a screw or tighten a bolt. The tools are designed for anyone''s hand. I know several women who have rebuilt and (53)______ their own cars, and they are no brawnier than an average secretary. Slowly, bit by bit, I am learning how the engine in my car works and what is required to keep it (54)______. It''s dirty work and requires some determination, but I am gaining independence because of the notion that it is "man''s work" and I won''t have to take it to a mechanic who would be happy to (55)______ an "ignorant" woman. Someday, perhaps, when women have been given the chance to allow their talents to blossom, we may find that lady mechanics will be (56)______ over males. Now won''t that be a switch? Word Bank: A. running I. accuse B. equal J. independent C. apparent K. volume D. preferred L. maintained E. number M. purchased F. conversely N. previously G. rushing O. immediately H. over-charge

阅读理解Americas Internet is faster than ever before, but people still complain about their Internet being too slow

阅读理解How does the author explain the pay gap between men and women fresh from college?

阅读理解Institutions of higher education (IHEs) are often regarded as sanctuaries, protected environments where young people explore great ideas in a collegial atmosphere and make (47)______ friendships. Consequently, incidents of violence on campus are particularly shocking for the extended campus community, (48)______ questions about whether there is any safe heaven. An (49)______ of evidence indicates that in fact campuses are not (50)______ from such incidents. There are many types of campus violence — including rape, assault, fighting, hazing, dating violence, sexual harassment (折磨，虐待) , hate and bias-related violence, rioting, disorderly conduct, property crime, and even self-harm and suicide. While grappling with these complex problems is challenging, lessons learned from community-based prevention research point to a set of best practices to (51)______ the development, implementation, and evaluation of (52)______ to improve campus health and safety. This publication was developed to help campuses prevent violence and (53)______ safety. It reviews the scope of campus violence problems, describes the wide array of factors that cause and (54)______ to violence, outlines a comprehensive approach to reducing violence and promoting safety on campus, and lists specific (55)______ that administrators, students, faculty, staff, and community members can follow to (56)______ and improve their policies and strengthen their programs and services. The document concludes with vignettes (插图) describing initiatives specific campuses have undertaken to reduce violence and promote a safe environment. Ward Bank A) promote B) actual C) contribute D) evoking E) refer to F) lifelong G) sources H) recommendations I) guide J) immune K) interventions L) based on M) abundance N) review O) distinguish

阅读理解Passage Two Imagine you enter a car with no steering wheel, no brake or accelerator pedals（踏板）

阅读理解In technologically advanced societies, the enormous consumption of energy per head is one aspect of the ever-increasing pressure man is placing on his environment. Early industrial man used three times as much energy as his agricultural ancestor; modern man is using three times as much as his industrial ancestor. If present trends continue, the rate of consumption will have tripled (3倍) again by the end of the century. The problem lies in the fact that most of our current energy sources are finite. The hard truth is that a day will come when there is little or no exploitable coal, oil or natural gas anywhere. The sharp rise in the price of oil over the last decade has been unpleasant for many parts of the world but in the long run it is beneficial, partly because it discourages waste and partly because it has forced many nations to seek ways of developing better and more permanent sources of energy. Energy sources may initially be divided into two kinds: nonrenewable (i.e. finite) and renewable. The former group includes coal, oil, and gas, in the long run, nuclear; the latter hydro-powers, solar power and wind power. The energy from all these sources ultimately derives from the sun. There is a further source — geothermal— which depends on the earth''s own heal. In practice this may be classed as nonrenewable as it is exploitable in only a few places and even that is limited. There is a second distinction that is often made between conventional and non-conventional energy sources. A conventional energy source is one which is at present widely exploited. In view of the points made in paragraph 1 (above) it will be realized that, broadly, the conventional sources are the non-renewable ones. This is not entirely true, however, as a good deal of oil is locked up in solid form in rock (tar sands and oil shale) and this source, though non-renewable, is also non-conventional, since it has not so far been developed very much.

阅读理解Indians and the Early Settlers The native Americans, the people we call the "Indians", had been in America for many thousands of years before Christopher Columbus arrived in 1492. Columbus thought he had arrived in India, so he called the native People "Indians". The Indians were kind to the early settlers. They were Not afraid of them and they wanted to help them. They showed the settlers the new world around them; they taught them about the local crops like sweet potatoes, corn and peanuts; they introduced the Europeans to chocolate and to the turkey; and the Europeans did business with the Indians. The losing of lands But soon the settlers wanted bigger farms and more land for themselves and their families. More and more immigrants were coming from Europe and all these people needed land. So the Europeans started to take die land from the Indians. The Indians had to move back into the center of the continent because the settlers were taking all their land. Belief in land and the fights The Indians couldn''t understand this. They had a very different idea of land from the Europeans. For the Indians, the land, the earth, was their mother, everything came from their mother, the land, and everything went back to it. The land was for everyone and it was impossible for one man to own it. How could the White Man divide the earth into parts? How could he put fences round it, buy it and sell it? Naturally, when the White Man started taking all the Indians'' land, the Indians started to fight back. They wanted to keep their land, they want to stop the White Man taking it all for himself. But the White Man was stronger and clever. Slowly he pushed the Indians into those parts of the continent that he didn''t want—the parts where it was too cold or too dry or too mountainous to live comfortably. Being driven into the reservations By 1857 the Indians had lost the fight: they were living in special places called "reservations". But even here the White Man took land from them—perhaps he wanted the wood, or perhaps the land had important minerals in it, or he even wanted to make national parks there. So even on their reservations the Indians were not safe from the White Man. Abandoning the old way of life Between 1500 and 1900 the Indian population of the area that is now the United States declined from close to 1, 000, 000 to 300,000, and for those remained, the agony was great. Many were forced to take land in new and strange places. They were introduced to new tools, implements and techniques. They were forced to abandon their old way of life. Changes of life on the reservations Many of their tribes were resettled on reservations in the west. The land belonged to the United States Government but was reserved tax-free for the Indians. The federal government provided the tribes with rations, tools, and equipment. Boarding and day schools were set up. In many cases responsible agents were sent to administer the reservations. But the change from a free life to the restricted life of reservations brought the Indians near despair. They did not change easily. Hard life and the widening gap In 1960s, Indians moved in great numbers to the nation''s cities. Many Indians moved into poverty rows. It was hard for them to find jobs. It was hard—almost impossible—to compete with the White Man in the white man''s world. Many Indians returned to the reservations. But if the reservations had been broken up there was no place to go. The gap between Indian American and white American was growing wider. Hard work and self-development Meanwhile the Indians have been working hard in their own interests. They are building new communities, establishing new industries, and erecting new schools. They are developing motels and other recreational schemes on the reservations. There is a growing Pan-Indian Government. Indians have become active in writing and publishing. Some tribes have benefited through settlement of their land or other claims against the government. They are using the funds for their own development. Perhaps a new day has already dawned for the American Indians.