Back in 1969, US President Richard Nixon confidently predicted: "In the next 50 years, we shall see a woman president, perhaps sooner than you think." Today, not too far off Nixon's deadline, America is looking at that possibility. Over the weekend, Hillary Rodham Clinton, wife of former president Bill Clinton, announced her run for 2008 presidency. US polls indicate that Americans feel comfortable with a female president. A New York Times survey found nearly all Americans saying they would vote for president if she were qualified. However, accepting the theoretical notion of a female leader is quite different from voting an actual woman. In fact, there is still widespread distrust of a woman in the top position. This is partly due to the biased thinking that women are weak on national security, though they might be strong on education and health care. This damages their prospects as a presidential contender. "There's still an inherent nervousness on the part of voters putting a woman in as the ultimate decision-maker. Control of the army and border security are sorts of traditionally male jobs," commented Amy Walter, an American campaign analyst. "That's where I think voters consciously or unconsciously have difficulties with women candidates." Women have held the top job in other major Western countries. In 1979, Britain elected Margaret Thatcher prime minister. Last year, Germany made Angela Merkel its first female chancellor. In the US, no woman has succeeded in being nominated as a presidential candidate. One woman did make the attempt: Elizabeth Dole. In 1999, she tried to get the Republican Party nomination. But Dole could only raise $5 million for her bid--compared with the $56 million George W. Bush raised. So Barriers lie ahead for Hillary if she wants to make history by becoming the first female US president. With the Iraqi war underway, she'll find it even harder. "I don't feel that our society is ready for a woman president. The enemy we face does not respect females the same way we have come to see them as equals. If we were not in this war, I would support a woman president," said Chris Dildy, a computer engineering student.
1. Up to the present, no woman has been elected president in the US.
A.Right
B.Wrong
C.Not mentioned
A B C
A
[解析] 题干大意是：迄今为止在美国没有一个女人曾经被选举为总统。信息词women(女人)和up to the present作为答案线索，在文章第一段中找到答案相关句。该句说“1969年，美国总统Richard Nixon很有信心地预测：“在下一个50年里，我们将会看见一个女总统，这或许比你想象得更快些”，可以推断出“从1969年到现在为止，美国还没有出现女总统”。因此选择A。
2. Bill Clinton will strongly support Hillary to run for the 2008 presidency.
Is There a Way to Keep the Britain's Economy Growing?
1. In today's knowledge economy, nations survive on the things they do best. Japanese design electronics while Germans export engineering techniques. The French serve the best food and Americans make computers. 2. Britain specializes in the gift of talking. The nation doesn't manufacture much of anything. But it has lawyers, stylists and business consultants who earn their living from talk talk and more talk. The World Foundation think tank says the UK's four iconic jobs today are not scientists, engineers, teachers and nurses. Instead, they're hairdressers, celebrities, management consultants and managers. But can all this talking keep the British economy going? The British government thinks it can. 3. Although the country's trade deficit was more than ￡60 billion in 2006, UK's largest in the postwar period, officials say the country has nothing to worry about. In fact, Britain does have a world-class pharmaceutical industry, and it still makes a small sum from selling arms abroad. It also trades services--accountancy, insurance, banking and advertising. The government believes Britain is on the cutting edge of the knowledge economy. After all, the country of Shakespeare and Wordsworth has a literary tradition of which to be proud. Rock'n' roll is an English language medium, and there are billions to be made by their cutting-edge bands. In other words, the creative economy has plenty of strength to carry the British economy. 4. However, creative industries account for only about 4 percent of UK's exports of goods and services. The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The report shows only 38 percent of British companies were engaged in "innovation activities", 3 percentage points below the EU average and well below Germany (61 percent) and Sweden (47 percent). 5. In fact, it might be better to call Britain a "servant" economy--there are at least 4 million people "in service". The majority of the population are employed by the rich to cook, clean, and take care of their children. Many graduates are even doing menial jobs for which they do not need a degree. Most employment growth has been, and will continue to be, at the low-skill end of the service sector--in shops, bars, hotels, domestic service and in nursing and care homes. A. Growth of Economy B. "Servant" Economy C. Strength of the Creative Economy D. Weakness of the Creative Economy E. Gift of Talking F. Export of Talking Machines
7. The creative industries find it difficult______.
E
[解析] 这个问题直接涉及第四段段落主题句：The industries are finding it hard to make a profit, according to a report of the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts(根据国家科学技术艺术捐赠委员会的一份报告，这些创造性行业在获得利润上很困难)。因此，E为正确答案。
8. Many graduates are employed______.
B
[解析] 利用问题句中涉及修饰结构的细节信息词many graduates(许多毕业生)作为答案线索，在文章第五段中找到答案相关句：Many graduates are even doing menial(体力的)jobs for(对于)which they do not need a degree(学位)。大意是：许多毕业生甚至在做不需要学位的体力活。体力活是属于低技术的活，因此B是正确的。
Hundreds of thousands of people supporting immigration rights in the US filled streets all over America in early 2006. Many held signs and American flags and asked to be treated as citizens--not criminals. Many of these supported legislation from Senator John McCain that would open a path to citizenship to immigrants who were already in the country illegally. Proposed legislation from other politicians called for stricter measures--including rounding up undocumented immigrants and sending them back to their home countries. Canadian officials say that immigration applications continue to rise. Some want to keep the doors open. They need the labor. About 400,000 immigrants were allowed into the country in 2005, according to the Canadian Government statistics. However, all this growth means that cities need to adapt. Newcomers don't always make a smooth transition into jobs for which they are skilled. So industries are using mentoring programs to help new immigrants find proper jobs. With the large numbers of undocumented African immigrants arriving in the Canary Islands and showing no sign of abating, the Spanish Government has decided to get tough. There will be no more mass amnesties for illegals, and anyone coming to Spain without permission will be sent back, the government has announced. About 23,000 migrants landed on the islands in 2006, and riots have erupted in some crowded reception centers. This has promoted local authorities to appeal to the United Nations for help. France's new immigration and integration law gives the government new powers to encourage high-skilled migration. It takes effect in 2007. The new law authorizes the government to identify particular professions where France has a talent shortage. Then the government will help these identified employers find immigrant workers with needed skills or qualifications. The selected foreign employees will be granted "skills and talents" visas, valid for three years. But some concern that it'll cause brain drain in developing countries.
1. Many immigrants swarmed into streets in the US in early 2006, demanding that they should be treated as______.
The New York Times recently reported that American teens are hugging practically everyone they see. Say goodbye to the greetings of the past, from the hands-off "What's up!" to the handshake or high-five. For young people across the country, hugging is the new "Hello". Girls are hugging girls. Boys are hugging boys. Girls and boys are hugging each other. And, like every major trend, there are lots of variations on the form. There's the classic, full-body, arms-around-the-person bear hug, the casual one-armed side hug, the group hug and the hug from behind. There's the handshake that turns into a hug and the hug that turns into a pat on the back. As trends go, this one seems pretty innocent. But some parents, teachers and school administrators are worried nonetheless. Will young people who aren't comfortable with physical contact feel peer pressured into hugging? Will kids who don't receive hugs feel left out? Could an extra-long hug slide into the more ominous territory of sexual harassment? In response to some of these concerns, some schools have set up new rules to limit or eliminate hugging. One school head has created a three-second limitation for hugs at her school. A few schools have taken even more drastic measures, placing a ban on all forms of touching between students. A few important points are being left out of the discussion. While the US has traditionally been reserved about touching--saving hugs and kisses for relatives, romantic partners and very close friends--people in many other parts of the world have been greeting each other this way for ages. In Latin America or Western Europe, in countries like Spain, France, and Italy, a kiss on the cheek is common among women, as well as among women and men who are not romantically involved. The cheek-kiss varies by region. Sometimes it is just an air kiss blown past the face. In other places, the proper way of greeting is to deliver a kiss upon both cheeks, or sometimes even a triplet of kisses performed by kissing one cheek, then the other, then back to the first. Latin American men are more likely to shake hands when greeting other men, but in some countries like Turkey, its not unusual for men who know each other well to exchange kisses on the cheek. Meanwhile, for the Maori people of New Zealand, a traditional greeting called the "hongi" involves pressing noses together. So, from a global perspective, the new trend of teen hugging in America is not so "new" after all. People all around the world move in close to say hello, and Americans are just now joining in.
1. The word "practically" in the first paragraph could be best replaced by______.
A.certainly
B.nearly
C.actively
D.voluntarily
A B C D
B
[解析] 词汇题。使用代入法，B(几乎)是最为通顺的，意即“拥抱几乎所有的人”。
2. Which of the following is NOT among the typical ways of greetings in the past?
A.hands off "What's up"
B.handshake
C.high-five
D.embrace
A B C D
D
[解析] 用限定词in the past回到原文定位，首段出现了答案。末句讲到hugging(拥抱)是新型的打招呼方式，因此选择D——拥抱不是过去打招呼的典型方式，该选项中用embrace代替了hugging。
3. Some parents, teachers and school administrators concern the new trend of hugging for the following reasons EXCEPT that______.
A.some young people get involved into the trend due to peer pressure
B.those who don't receive hugs feel left out
C.there's the danger that hugging slide into the more ominous territory of sexual harassment
D.diseases could be transmitted more easily through the extra-long body contact
A B C D
D
[解析] 由关键词some parents, teachers and school administrators定位到第三段第二句，因此答案应该在此前后。此段并列的两个问句讲到了A、B、C三个原因，未提及D(超长时间拥抱容易传染疾病)。
4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Teenagers across the US hug everyone they see in nearly the same way.
B.Although some adults worry about the trend, few measures have been taken to ban on it.
C.Traditionally, the US people have been reserved about hugging between anybody.
D.In some countries, its usual for men to kiss each other on the cheek.
A B C D
D
[解析] 此题只能结合出题顺序和选项来定位。倒数第二段的首句提供的信息与D选项内容相符，只是原文使用了双重否定结构(it is not unusual)来表示肯定。其他几个选项都与原文有出入。
5. We can infer that the author holds a attitude toward the new trend of hugging is______.
Suppose you work in a library, checking people's books as they leave, and a friend asks you to let him steal a hard-to-find reference book that he wants to own. You might hesitate to agree for various reasons. You might be afraid that he'll be caught, and that both you and he will then get into trouble. You might want the book to stay in the library so that you can read it yourself. But you may also think that what he proposes is wrong--that he shouldn't do it and you shouldn't help him. If you think that, what does it mean and what, if anything, makes it true? To say it's wrong is not just to say it's against the rules. There can be bad rules which stop what isn't wrong--like a company rule against criticizing the boss. A rule can also be bad because it requires something that is wrong--like a law that looks down upon black people in hotels and restaurants. The ideas of wrong and right are different from the ideas of what is and is not against the rules. If you think it would be wrong to help your friend steal the book, then you will feel uncomfortable about doing it: in some way you won't want to do it, even if you are also unwilling to refuse to help a friend. Where does the desire not to do it come from? What is its motive behind it? There are various ways in which something can be wrong, but in this case, if you had to explain it, you'd probably say that it would be unfair to other users of the library. They may be just as interested in the book as your friend is, but read it in the reference room, where anyone who needs it can fred it. These thoughts have to deal with effects on others--not necessarily effects on their feelings, since they may never find out about it, but some kind of damage. In general, the thought that something is wrong depends on its impact not just on the person who does it but on other people.
1. The following may be the reasons why the librarian does not want to help his friend EXCEPT that______.
A.he is afraid that his friend might get into trouble
B.he himself might get into trouble
C.he believes it is wrong to help one's poor friend
Albert Einstein, whose theories on space time and matter helped unravel (解决) the secrets of the atom and of the universe, was chosen as "Person of the Century" by Time magazine on Sunday. A man whose very name is synonymous (同义的) with scientific genius, Einstein has come to represent more than any other person the flowering of 20th century scientific though that set the stage for the age of technology. "The world has changed far more in the past 100 years than in any other century in history. The reason is not political or economic, but technological--technologies that flowed directly from advances in basic science," wrote theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking in a Time essay explaining Einstein's significance. 1 . Time chose as runner-up President Franklin Roosevelt to represent the triumph of freedom and democracy over fascism, and Mahatma Gandhi as an icon (象征) for a century when civil and human rights became crucial factors in global politics. "What we saw was Franklin Roosevelt embodying the great theme of freedom's fight against totalitarianism, Gandhi personifying (象征，体现)the great theme of individuals struggling for their rights, and Einstein being both a great genius and a great symbol of a scientific revolution that brought with it amazing technological advances that helped expand the growth of freedom," said Time Magazine Editor Walter Isaacson. Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany in 1879. 2 . He was slow to learn to speak and did not do well in elementary school. He could not stomach organized learning and loathed taking exams. In 1905, however, he was to publish a theory which stands as one of the most intricate examples of human imagination in history. 3 . Everything else--mass, weight, space, even time itself--is a variable (变量) . And he offered the world his now-famous equation (公式): energy equals mass times the speed of light squared--E=mc2. 4 . "There was less faith in absolutes, not only of time and space but also of truth and morality." Einstein's famous equation was also the seed that led to the development of atomic energy and weapons. In 1939, six years after he fled European fascism and settled at Princeton University, Einstein, an avowed pacifist, signed a letter to President Roosevelt urging the United States to develop an atomic bomb before Nazi Germany did. 5 Einstein did not work on the project. Einstein died in Princeton, New Jersey in 1955. A. "Indirectly, relativity paved the way for a new relativism in morality, art and politics," Isaacson wrote in an essay explaining Time's choices. B. How he thought of the relativity theory influenced the general public's view about Albert Einstein. C. "Clearly, no scientist better represents those advances than Albert Einstein." D. Roosevelt heeded the advice and formed the "Manhattan Project" that secretly developed the first atomic weapon. E. In his early years, Einstein did not show the promise of what he was to become. F. In his "Special Theory of Relativity," Einstein described how the only constant in the universe is the speed of light.
Science now might be able to explain women's fascination with Brad Pitt's face and George Clooney's eyes. Women seem to 1 potential mate by how masculine (男性的) their features are, new research shows. Men with square jaws and well-defined brow ridges are seen as good short-term partners, 2 those with more feminine (女性的) traits such as a rounder face and fuller lips are perceived as better long-term mates. In the study by Daniel Kruger at the US's University of Michigan, 854 subjects viewed a series of 3 head shots that had been digitally changed to exaggerate or minimize masculine traits. They then 4 questions about how they expected the men in the photos to behave. Most participants said that those with more masculine features were 5 to be risky, competitive, and more apt to fight, challenge bosses, cheat on spouses and put less effort into parenting. Those with more feminine 6 were seen as good parents and husbands, hard workers and emotionally supportive mates. But, despite all the negative characteristics, when asked who they would choose for a short-term relationship, women selected the more masculine 7 men. Brad and George, both chiseled (轮廓清晰的) jaws and well-defined brows, then would be good for a 8 romance, not for something longer. The study was published in the December issue of the US journal Personal Relationships. Kruger said that from an evolutionary perspective, this 9 sense. The key is testosterone (睾丸激素) , the hormone responsible 10 the development of masculine facial features and other sexual characteristics. It has been found to affect the body's ability to fight disease: men with high levels of the hormone are typically 11 and healthy--traits women want to pass on to their children. However, increased testosterone has also been linked to 12 and violence in relationships. So, these men 13 produce high quality offspring, but they don't always make great parents or faithful mates, Kruger says. The scientific community have 14 skepticism toward physiognomy (观相术) , which links facial characteristics to certain behavioral traits. But Kruger argues that the research is a valuable tool for understanding mating strategies. And, of course, for explaining why Tony Leung and Takeshi Kanesshiro have millions of female 15 . It might have to do with their genes. Or something to do with ours.
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