阅读理解Caesar was right. Thin people need watching. I''ve been watching them for most of my adult life, and I don''t like what I see. When these narrow fellows spring at me, I quiver to my toes. Thin people come in all personalities, most of them menacing. You''ve got your "together" in person, your mechanical thin person, your condescending thin purism, your tsk-tsk thin person, your efficiency-expert thin person. All of them are dangerous. In the first place, thin people aren''t fun. They don''t know how to goof off, at least in the best, fat sense of the word. They''ve always got to be adoing. Give them a coffee break, and they''ll jog around the block. Supple them with a quiet evening at home, and they''ll fix the screen door and lick S & H green stamps. They say things like "there aren''t enough hours in the day". Fat people never say that. Fat people think the day is too damn long already. Thin people make me tired. They''ve got speedy little metabolisms that cause them to bustle briskly. They''re forever rubbing their bony hands together and eyeing new problems to "tackle". I like to surround myself with sluggish, inert, easygoing fat people, the kind who believe that if you clean it up today, it''ll just get dirty again tomorrow. Some people say the business about the jolly fat person is a myth, that all of us chubbies are neurotic, sick, sad people. I disagree. Fat people may not be chortling all day long, but they''re a hell of a lot nicer than the wizened and shriveled. Thin people turn surly, mean, and hard at a young age because they never learn the value of a hot-fudge sundae for easing tension. Thin people don''t like gooey soft things because they themselves are neither gooey nor soft. They are crunchy and dull, like carrots. They go straight to the heart of the matter while fat people let things stay all blurry and hazy and vague, the way things actually are. Thin people want to face the truth. Fat people know there is no truth. One of my thin friends is always staring at complex, unsolvable problems and saying, "The key thing is fat people never say that." They know there isn''t any such thing as the key thing about anything.

阅读理解The "Karat" marking on jewelry tells you what proportion of gold is mixed with other metals. If 14 parts of gold are mixed with 10 parts of base metal, the combination is called 14-Karat (14K) gold. The higher the Karat rating, the higher the proportion of gold in the object. The lowest Karat gold that can be marketed in the United States is 10-Karat gold. Jewelry does not have to be marked with its Karat quality, but most of it is. If there is a Karat quality mark, next to it must be the U.S. registered trademark of the person or company that will stand behind the mark, as required by the National Gold and Silver Stamping Act.

阅读理解Phyllis Wheatley is regarded as America''s first black poet. She was born in Senegal, Africa, about 1753 and brought to America aboard a slave ship at about the age of seven. John and Susannah Wheatley bought her for three pounds at a slave auction in Boston in 1761 to be a personal servant of Mrs. Wheatley. The family had three other slaves, and all were treated with respect. Phyllis was soon accepted as one of the family, which included being raised and educated with the Wheatley''s twin 15-year-old children, Mary and Nathaniel. At that time, most females, even from better families, could not read and write, but Mary was probably one of the best educated young women in Boston. Mary wanted to become a teacher, and in fact, it was Mary who decided to take charge of Phyllis''s education. Phyllis soon displayed her remarkable talents. At the age of twelve she was reading the Greek and Latin classics and passages from the Bible. And eventually, Mrs. Wheatley decided Phyllis should become a Christian. At the age of thirteen Phyllis wrote her first poem. She became a Boston sensation after she wrote a poem on the death of the evangelical preacher George Whitfield in 1770. It became common practice in Boston to have "Mrs. Wheatley''s Phyllis" read poetry in polite society. Mary married in 1771, and Phyllis later moved to the country because of poor health, as a teacher and caretaker to a farmer''s three children. Mary had tried to interest publishers in Phyllis''s poems but once they heard she was a Negro they weren''t interested. Then in 1773 Phyllis went with Nathaniel, who was now a businessman, to London. It was thought that a sea voyage might improve her health. Thirty-nine of her poems were published in London as Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral. It was the first book published by a black American. In 1775 Phyllis wrote a poem extolling the accomplishments of George Washington and sent it to him. He responded by praising her talents and inviting her to visit his headquarters. After both of her benefactors died in 1777, and Mary died in 1778, Phyllis was freed as a slave. She married in 1778, moved away from Boston, and had three children. But after the unhappy marriage, she moved back to Boston, and died in poverty at the age of thirty.

阅读理解The blue of the sea is caused by the scattering of sunlight by tiny particles suspended in the water. Blue light, being of short wavelength, is scattered more efficiently than light of longer wavelengths. Although waters of the open ocean are commonly some shade of blue, green water is commonly seen near coasts, especially in tropical or subtropical regions. This is caused by yellow pigments being mixed with blue water. Phytoplankton are one source of the yellow pigment. Other microscopic plants may color the water brown or brownish-red. Near the shore, silt or sediment in suspension can give water a brownish hue. Outflow of large rivers can often be observed many miles offshore by the coloration of suspended soil particles. Marine phytoplankton (Greek for "plant wanderers") are microscopic single-celled plants that include diatoms, dinoflagellates, coccolithophorids, green algae, and blue-green algae, among others. The growth of these organisms, which photosynthesize light, depends on a delicate balance of nutrient enrichment via vertical mixing, which is often limited by the availability of nitrogen and light. Diatoms are one-celled plants with patterned glass coverings. Each glass, or silicon dioxide box, is ornamented with species-specific designs, pits, and perforations making them popular with microscopists and, more recently, electron scanning microscopists.

阅读理解Aspirin is one of the safest and most effective drugs invented by man. The most popular medicine in the world today, it is an effective pain reliever. Its bad effects are relatively mild. It is also cheap. For millions of people suffering from arthritis, it is the only thing that works. Aspirin, in short, is truly the 20th-century wonder drug. It is also the second largest suicide drug and is the leading cause of poisoning among children. It has side effects that, although relatively mild, are largely unrecognized among users. Although aspirin was first sold by a German company in 1899, it has been around much longer than that. Hippocrates, in ancient Greece, understood the medical value of tree barks and leaves which today are known to contain a chemical found in aspirin. During the 19th century, there was a great deal of experimentation in Europe with this chemical, and it led to the introduction of aspirin. By 1915, aspirin tablets were available in the United States. A small quantity of aspirin relieves pain and inflammation. It also reduces fever by affecting some of the body''s reactions. Aspirin is very irritating to the stomach lining. The best way is to chew the tablets before swallowing them with water, but few people can stand the bitter taste. Some people suggest crushing the tablets in milk or orange juice.

阅读理解Texans have bursting pride and love attention. They also have a thick streak of shortsighted greed and, even by American standards, a busted disposition to violence. When they hear this sort of criticism they usually ascribe it to the ignorance and jealousy of stuffy Yankees who have not spent enough time in the state to understand it. For such avowedly robust people they are surprisingly sensitive. They hated Edna Ferber''s novel Giant, which scourged Texan vulgarity, racism and the mores of millionaires, but they bought it in great quantities and packed cinemas to see the film. They would rather be talked about than not, and if you do not talk about them they do it for you. In claiming special qualities for themselves, Texans have had to become reconciled to the fact that a large number of them are not native. In the last century "Gone to Texas" was a commonplace graffito daubed on barns in other states, and in recent years "Gone to Texas" has, figuratively, been written on the front doors of millions of Americans and also Mexicans. In the early 1980s newcomers accounted for nearly two-thirds of the state''s population increase. But Texans do not believe they are being diluted. They maintain that Texanhood, or Texianism, is a matter of attitude and that Texanic qualities exist in abundance in many Americans, regardless of their birthplace: it is when these people are planted in Texas, and nourished by its atmosphere, that they flower like true Texans. A man may not be born in Texas, which is unfortunate; but he can be born to be Texan. Many Alaskans are urban, young and raising families, here for a while, and trying to make money before moving to somewhere warmer. But many are staying. While most remain in Anchorage and other centers, some set out to build a cabin in the wilderness and live by hunting, trapping and fishing, learning how to skin a muskrat and moose, how to survive terrible weather, how to be truly in tune with the land, taking pleasure in great silence and unpeopled immensity. To settle the frontier the state has a homesteading program, based on the federal Homestead Act of 1864, which was a key event in the opening up of the American west. Hundreds of Alaskans are awarded parcels of wilderness land in an annual lottery and undertake to invest sweat equity, to build a home within three years and clear and cultivate the land within five. Alaskans love reading about Alaska, and two of the most popular books are a manual on log cabin building and a collection of tales about grizzly bears, of which Alaska is a stronghold. Log cabin life is for the stout-hearted few with the springs of adventure strong in them, and these wilderness Alaskans are remarkable. Some are refugees of one kind or another. Several hundred are Vietnam veterans, tortured by their experiences of war and unable to fit into normal urban life, seeking solace in the wilds.

阅读理解The United States government publishes guidelines for appropriate nutrient intakes. These are known as the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) and are updated regularly based on new research in nutrition. RDAs are suggested amounts of calories, protein, and some minerals and vitamins for an adequate diet. For other dietary substances, specific goals must await further research. However, for the U.S. population as a whole, increasing starch and fiber in one''s diet and reducing calories (primarily from fats, sugar, and alcohol) is sensible. These suggestions are especially appropriate for people who have other factors for chronic diseases due to family history of obesity, premature heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high blood cholesterol, or for those who use tobacco. Snacks can furnish about one-fourth of the calorie requirements among teenagers. Those snacks should also provide much of the day''s allowances for protein, minerals, and vitamins. Sandwiches, fruit, and milk make good snacks for active teenagers. Food from the food pyramid may be part of any meal. A grilled cheese sandwich or a bowl of whole-grain cereal is just as nutritious in the morning as it is at noon. In addition, a good breakfast consists of any foods that supply about one-fourth of the necessary nutrients for the day.

阅读理解Stress is with us all the time. It comes from mental or emotional activity as well as physical activity. It is unique and personal to each of us. So personal, in fact, that what may be relaxing to one person may be stressful to another. For example, if you''re a busy executive who likes to keep occupied all of the time, "taking it easy" at the beach on a beautiful day may be extremely frustrating, nonproductive, and upsetting. You may be emotionally distressed from "doing nothing." Too much emotional stress can cause physical illnesses such as high blood pressure, ulcers, or even heart disease. Physical stress from work or exercise is not likely to cause such ailments. The truth is that physical exercise can help you to relax and to better handle your mental or emotional stress.

阅读理解Cooperation is the common endeavor of two or more people to perform a task or reach a jointly cherished goal. Like competition and conflict, there are different forms of cooperation, based on group organization and attitudes. In the first form, known as primary cooperation, group and individual unite. The group contains nearly all of each individual''s life. The rewards of the group''s work are shared with each member. There is an interlocking identity of individual, group, and task performed. Means and goals become one, for cooperation itself is valued. While primary cooperation is most often characteristic of preliterate societies, secondary cooperation is characteristic of many modern societies. In secondary cooperation, individuals devote only part of their lives to the group. Cooperation itself is not a value. Most members of the group feel loyalty, but the welfare of the group is not the first consideration. Members perform tasks so that they can separately enjoy the fruits of their cooperation in the form of salary, prestige, or power. Business offices and professional athletic teams are examples of secondary cooperation. In the third type, called tertiary cooperation or accommodation, latent conflict underlies the shared work. The attitudes of the cooperating parties are purely opportunistic; the organization is loose and fragile. Accommodation involves common means to achieve antagonistic goals; it breaks down when the common means cease to aid each party in reaching its goals. This is not, strictly speaking, cooperation at all, and hence the somewhat contradictory term antagonistic cooperation is sometimes used for this relationship.

阅读理解Losing a job or not being able to find one almost always brings unwelcome changes. If you''ve lost a job, the first feeling is often one of shock. On top of the loss of income, many people find the whole routine of their life is shattered, their contact with other people reduced, their ambitions halted and their identity as a worker removed. There may be good feelings too — it''s nice to be able to lie in bed in the morning, to spend more time with children, or to have more time to think — a better job may be just around the corner. But, unless a better job does turn up, chances are the days start getting longer and the time becomes harder to fill. Many people pass through periods of difficulty in sleeping and eating. They feel irritable and depressed, often isolated and lonely. Despite all these problems, unemployment can be a chance for a fresh start. You can discover that it provides an opportunity to sort out or rethink what you want from life and how best you can get it. You can use the time to plan how to find a new job, learn a new skill, develop your hobbies, see if you can run your own business, do some voluntary work in your community or meet new people. It''s up to you.

阅读理解The first and most important agents of socialization are the people who care for infants. In the earliest months, messages from nurturers constitute the child''s basic understanding of the world around it. This is the infant''s first introduction to the language that shapes perception and elicits emotion. Another powerful source of information and socialization is the friendship of peers. Peers are equals that one can deal with on the same level as oneself, whereas parents are superiors. The heavy emotional overlay of family relationships makes some kinds of learning difficult. Much formal socialization is placed in the hands of professionals. Teachers from kindergarten on are specifically designated agents of socialization. Ideally, a teacher is one who has both knowledge and the skills to present it. During the course of teaching their subjects, classroom instructors provide role models and attempt to convey the excitement of learning itself. In earlier times, parents, friends and teachers would comprise the list of primary childhood socializers. Children''s books, comics and magazines might also have been mentioned as sources of information on norms and role models. Today one must add three powerful indirect or non-personal socialization agents: radio, movies and television. Many people learn about politics, form a vision of well-being, and develop attitudes towards others from what they see on the screen and hear through the speakers.

阅读理解As viewed from space, the Earth''s distinguishing characteristics are its blue waters and white clouds. Enveloped by an ocean of air consisting of 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen, the planet is the only one in our solar system known to harbor life. Circling the Sun at an average distance of 149 million km (93 million miles), the Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system. Its rapid spin and molten nickel-iron core give rise to an extensive magnetic field which, coupled with the atmosphere, shields us from nearly all of the harmful radiation coming from the Sun and other stars. Most meteors burn up in the Earth''s atmosphere before they can strike the surface. The planet''s active geological processes have left no evidence of the ancient pelting it almost certainly received soon after it was formed. The Earth has a single natural satellite — the Moon.

阅读理解The most popular organic gem is the pearl. A pearl is the response of a marine mollusk to the presence of an irritating impurity accidentally introduced into its body; a cultured pearl is the result of the intentional insertion of a mother-of-pearl bead into a live mollusk. Whether introduced accidentally or intentionally, the pearl-making process is the same: the mollusk coats the irritant with a substance called nacre. Nacre is composed chiefly of calcium carbonate. Because very few natural pearls are now on the market, most pearls used in fine jewelry are cultured. These include "Biwa" pearls and most other freshwater pearls. Cultured pearls are not easily distinguished from natural pearls except by an expert.

阅读理解Since life began eons ago, thousands of creatures have come and gone. Some, such as the dinosaurs, became extinct due to naturally changing ecologic conditions. More recent threats to life forms are humans and their activities. Man has drained marshes, burned prairies, dammed and diverted rivers. Some of the more recent casualties of man''s expansion have been the dodo, great auk, passenger pigeon, Irish elk, and Steller''s sea cow. Sadly, we can no longer attribute the increasing decline in our wild animals and plant species to "natural" processes. Many species are dying out because of exploitation, habitat alteration or destruction, pollution, or the introduction of new species of plants and animals to an area. As mandated by Congress, protecting endangered species, and restoring them to the point where their existence is no longer jeopardized, is the primary objective of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service''s Endangered Species Program.

阅读理解There has been much speculation about the origin of baseball. In 1907 a special commission decided that the modern game was invented by Abner Doubleday in 1839. One hundred years later the National Baseball Museum was opened to honor Doubleday. Historians, however, disagree about the origin of baseball. Some say that baseball comes from bat-and-ball games of ancient times. It is a matter of record that in the 1700s English boys played a game they called "baseball". Americans have played a kind of baseball since about 1800. At first the American game had different rules and different names in various parts of the country — "town ball", "rounders", or "one old cat". Youngsters today still play some of these simplified forms of the game. Baseball did not receive a standard set of rules until 1845, when Alexander Cartwright organized the Knickerbocker Baseball Club of New York City. The rules Cartwright set up for his nine-player team were widely adopted by other clubs and formed the basis of modern baseball. The game was played on a "diamond" infield with the bases 90 feet apart. The first team to score 21 runs was declared the winner. By 1858 the National Association of Baseball Players was formed with 25 amateur teams. The Cincinnati Red Stockings began to pay players in 1869.

阅读理解Questions 91 — 100 are based on the following passage. (15 points) Electronic mail has become an extremely important and popular means of communication. The convenience and efficiency of electronic mail are threatened by the extremely rapid growth in the volume of unsolicited commercial electronic mail. Unsolicited commercial electronic mail is currently estimated to account for over half of all electronic mail traffic, up from an estimated 7 percent in 2001, and the volume continues to rise. Most of these messages are fraudulent or deceptive in one or more respects. The receipt of unsolicited commercial electronic mail may result in costs to recipients who cannot refuse to accept such mail and who incur costs for the storage of such mail, or for the time spent accessing, reviewing, and discarding such mail, or for both. The receipt of a large number of unwanted messages also decreases the convenience of electronic mail and creates a risk that wanted electronic mail messages, both commercial and noncommercial, will be lost, overlooked, or discarded amidst the larger volume of unwanted messages, thus reducing the reliability and usefulness of electronic mail to the recipient. Some commercial electronic mail contains material that many recipients may consider vulgar or pornographic in nature. The growth in unsolicited commercial electronic mail imposes significant monetary costs on providers of Internet access services, businesses, and educational and nonprofit institutions that carry and receive such mail, as there is a finite volume of mail that such providers, businesses, and institutions can handle without further investment in infrastructure. Many senders of unsolicited commercial electronic mail purposefully disguise the source of such mail. Many senders of unsolicited commercial electronic mail purposefully include misleading information in the messages'' subject lines in order to induce the recipients to view the messages. While some senders of commercial electronic mail messages provide simple and reliable ways for recipients to reject (or ''opt-out'' of) receipt of commercial electronic mail from such senders in the future, other senders provide no such ''opt-out'' mechanism, or refuse to honor the requests of recipients not to receive electronic mail from such senders in the future, or both. Many senders of bulk unsolicited commercial electronic mail use computer programs to gather large numbers of electronic mail addresses on an automated basis from Internet websites or online services where users must post their addresses in order to make full use of the website or service. The problems associated with the rapid growth and abuse of unsolicited commercial electronic mail cannot be solved by the government alone. The development and adoption of technological approaches and the pursuit of cooperative efforts with other countries will be necessary as well.

单选题The new washing machines are being ______ at the rate of 50 a day in this factory. A. turned off B. turned down C. turned out D. turned in

单选题The data______arrived just on time.

单选题In the developing nations, the technology has the capacity to reach teachers in remote and educationally ______ areas and hopefully improve teaching skills and productivity.

单选题We should not let anyone lead us by the ______ in our actions. We should always take the initiative in our own hands. A. arm B. nose C. ear D. hand