Unit 1
Monica walked out of the campus gates and stopped dead in her
tracks. Just across the road was Anita. She was getting on the back of a
motorcycle. It was hard to tell from a distance, but it looked like the
motorcycle rider was Paul. He ha told Monica he was busy this evening, so he
couldn’t pick her up after school. Now she knew what he meant. He was going out with
her best friend, and on the day before her birthday!
As things turned
out, Monica was right to think that the rider was Paul. However, she was completely mistaken about his reasons for giving Anita a ride. In fact, they were on their way to buy a birthday present for Monica and make the arrangements for a surprise party. The
next day, Monica ruined her own
birthday by angrily shouting at Paul. She accused him of cheating on her with Anita.
She also damaged two of her most
important relationships.
Most of us, no matter how open-minded we think we are, jump
to conclusions sometimes. We
make judgments about people who pass by on the street, according to how they look or the way they are dressed. There is no real harm in that, since we never have any contact with most of the people we see.
In our personal relationships, however, jumping to conclusions
can lead us into
deep trouble, as it did with Monica.
( ) 1. Monica
made a mistake by thinking __________.
(A)
her best friend was waiting for her
(B)
the motorcycle belonged to Anita
(C)
her boyfriend was cheating on her
(D)
the boy on the motorcycle was Paul
( ) 2. Why was
Paul with Anita after school?
(A)
They were going on a date together.
(B)
They were planning Anita’s birthday.
(C)
They were going shopping together.
(D)
Paul was giving Anita a ride home.
( ) 3. The
writer of this passage thinks that jumping to conclusions __________.
(A)
can sometimes have very bad results.
(B)
never does any real harm to anyone.
(C)
is no problem if the reason is jealousy.
(D)
is a good way to understand people.
Unit 2
Maybe you already have a credit card. If
you don’t, you will have many opportunit(y)ies to get one when you get to college.
Credit card companies often set up stalls on college campuses to encourage students to sign up. They give
away little gifts such as T-shirts,
coffee mugs, and water bottles to those who are willing to fill
out an application form. However, if you are
thinking about getting a credit card, you should ask yourself if it really is a
good idea.
Why do credit card companies target students? Students often do not
have jobs, and many also have student loans,
so it may seem unlikely that banks would take
a chance on them. On the other hand, research shows that student borrowers
are valuable long-term customers
because they usually stay with their first card and continue to make purchases for many years to come.
As a student, you will have to decide for
yourself if you can handle the responsibility of a credit card. They
are easy to get but not so easy to manage. If you are not careful, you may end up with a high, unpaid balance on which the interest grows but the payments are hard
to make. When making your decision about a credit card, ask yourself the following: Do I need a credit card? Can I
afford a credit card? Will I be able to pay off my balance each month? If you decide
to apply for a credit card, be a smart
customer and shop around. Instead of signing up for the first card you
see, look for one that offers the features you want. Finally, always
remember that credit card can be helpful in emergenc(y)ies, but they
can also get you into trouble.
( ) 1. The
passage was written for __________.
(A) students
who already have credit cards
(B) students
going to college for the first time
(C) recent
graduates who are looking for jobs
(D) people
working for credit card companies
( ) 2. Which
of the following is NOT true?
(A) Many
credit card companies think students are poor customers.
(B) You
can get a free gift if you apply for a credit card on campus.
(C) It
is quite easy for a college student to receive a credit card.
(D) You
do not always need to have a job in order to get a credit card.
( ) 3. The third
paragraph contains suggestions on __________.
(A) how
to get a credit card that gives the best value for your money
(B) good
ways to manage your money when you have a credit card
(C) which
credit cards are if you plan to be a long-term customer
(D) what
to think about before you decide to apply for a credit card
( ) 4. What
does “shop around” mean in the third paragraph?
(A) Pay
off your bill as soon as possible. (B)
Pay in cash instead of by credit card
(C) Use
your card in different stores. (D)
Check out different card companies.
Unit 3
The world will have over
1.3 billion cell phone users by the year 2005. That means around a fifth of the world’s population
will be enjoying the convenience
of mobile phones. It also means more
people will be affected by the dangers that come with cell phone use.
We’ve all heard about the possible health effects. Cell phones have been reported
to cause headaches, tiredness, and memory loss. Some researchers
say there is a danger that the radiation given out by cell phones
may cause cancer of the brain. Cell phone makers, however, deny any such risk.
It may seem obvious that talking on a cell phone while driving a car is dangerous.
However, in one survey, 90 percent of drivers admitted they had done it, even
though they knew they were putting
themselves and other people at risk. Many
countries are making strict laws
against cell phones use in cars, but it is hard to catch violators.
One danger that is not often discussed is the threat from old phones. Cell phones have constantly shrunk in
size, and people like to buy new ones. The problem is that cell phones contain poisonous chemicals such as lead,
zinc, and other substances that have been linked to health problems. By 2005,
there will be 500 million old cell phones in garbage dumps. Without a
proper recycling plan to deal with
them, they may do significant harm to the environment and public health.
( ) 1. According
to the passage, the world’s population in 2005 will be __________.
(A) 1.3 billion (B)
about 4 billion (C) less than 6 billion (D) about 6.5 billion
( ) 2. Which
of the following is NOT discussed in the passage?
(A) The
danger from cell phone radiation.
(B) The
risk of using a phone while driving.
(C) The
danger of cell phone use on planes.
(D) The
environmental effects of cell phones.
( ) 3. Companies
that make cell phones say it is not possible to __________.
(A) get
brain cancer from using one (B) make one
that is completely safe
(C) use
one without getting tired (D) use
two phones at the same time
( ) 4. The passage says that many people use
cell phones when they are driving __________
(A) in
order to save time (B) although they are tired
(C) in
spite of the danger (D) because it is good fun
( ) 5. Why are
old cell phones dangerous?
(A) They
get smaller and people do not want to use them.
(B) They still give off radiation even
when not being used.
(C) People
are not allowed to throw them into garbage dumps.
(D) They
contain chemicals that may harm the environment.
Unit 4
No one is lucky enough to get her own way all the time. It is impossible to completely avoid frustration
in life. On the other hand, those who learn to deal successfully with frustration and its causes
will develop creativity, independence,
and confidence in their own ability. Setbacks and failure are
parts of life. You should not let them hold you back or make you feel depressed.
You must do your best to learn from
failure.
A good way to handle frustration is to change your environment. A common reaction to failure is to retreat into a shell.
Instead, you should remove yourself from the frustrating situation. A new challenge
will give you new, positive energy. Of course, it isn’t always
possible to do this, but you can at least take a break when you are stressed and tired. Don’t approach problems or serious discussions at times or in places that are likely to lead to frustrating arguments or misunderstandings.
Don’t turn
a problem into a crisis. Most events are
not as serious as many people think they are. Even
if an event is very serious, you will only make it worse if you get upset. Learn to tell the difference
between an irritation and a disaster. When something doesn’t work out as you planned, it is not the end of
the world. Life will go on. It may be inconvenient and disappointing, but you do not have to get angry. Getting angry makes it very difficult to find a solution
and may even lead you to do something stupid or dangerous. Above all, avoid self-pity.
When you pity yourself, you depress yourself. Instead, believe in yourself. Be patient and work hard towards achiev(e)ing
your goal.
( ) 1. The
passage mostly gives advice about __________.
(A) ways
to deal with frustration (B) methods
of becoming successful
(C) how
to handle other people’s anger (D) what to do when you are stressed
( ) 2. What
should we all learn to accept, according to the passage?
(A) That
other people can do things better.
(B) That
we need to feel sorry for ourselves.
(C) That
things will go wrong sometimes.
(D) That
failure will keep us from our goal.
( ) 3. The
passage says the best way to handle a frustrating situation is to __________.
(A) laugh
at it (B)
study it
(C) get angry (D)
remove yourself from it
( ) 4. Which
of these is most important, according to the passage?
(A) Turning
a problem into a crisis. (B) Taking a break when you are tired.
(C) Not
feeling sorry for yourself. (D) Not getting angry with people.
Unit 5
The Internet offers a great deal to young
people. There are opportunit(y)ies to improve your life and education,
have some fun,
or even engage in business. Teenagers are
often enthusiastic Internet users,
especially of services like e-mail, chat, and instant messaging. However,
like many exciting activit(y)ies, there are risks to deal with and dangers
to avoid.
A big problem is finding information you are interested in
without coming across unpleasant material.
The best way to find a page or site
is to know its exact Web address so
you can reach it directly. If you
don’t know this, but there is a topic
you want to find, then you should use one of the online search tools.
Young people make
friends easily and sometimes give out personal details like their address and phone number to people they meet online. Remind yourself to be cautious, though. Don’t reveal
personal information too easily. Be aware of
“stranger danger,” and if you arrange
a real-life meeting with a Net friend, take along someone you trust, and meet in a public place.
Downloading software
from websites should be done with caution,
as the software may contain a
computer virus. It is best to take
software only from the sites of well-known companies. Use anti-virus software for better protection.
Finally, don’t always believe what you read. Much of
what is said on websites is incorrect, biased, or out of date. Consider where
the information comes from, and
then judge whether it can be trusted.
( ) 1. Which
of the following benefits of the
Internet is NOT directly mentioned?
(A) You
can use it to chat with friends. (B) You
can use it for entertainment.
(C) It
can help you find a boyfriend. (D) It can help you with your studies.
( ) 2. When
you are looking for information on the Internet, it is best to __________.
(A) use
a search engine (B)
know its exact location
(C) search
for it by topic (D) use instant messaging
( ) 3. According
to the passage, too many young people __________.
(A) do
not give others their e-mail addresses
(B) give
out personal information too easily
(C) are
very cautious when they are online
(D) are
afraid to meet Net friends in real life
( ) 4. Which two
dangers of using the Internet are described
in the fourth paragraph?
(A) Search
engines and chat rooms. (B) Bad
people and wrong information.
(C) Viruses
and dishonest people. (D) Incorrect information and viruses.
Unit 6
Some people say that card shop and flower
shop owners invented Mother’s Day in order to make
money. Actually, the occasion
can be traced back to ancient Greece, where a spring festival
was dedicated to the mother goddesses. People in England have also celebrated Mother’s Day for a long time. In the 1600s, poor working women there
were given the day off and encouraged to spend it with their
mothers.
In the United States, Mother’s Day was
started in 1908 by a woman named Anna M. Jarvis, who wanted to honor her dead mother. Her
mother had said there were too many special
days thanking men, but none for women or mothers. On the first
Mother’s Day, Anna handed out her
mother’s favorite flowers, the carnation,
to people who came to celebrate the day. Now, the carnation is the
Mother’s Day flower in the United States. Pink symbolizes a living mother, and white symbolizes a mother who has
died.
Mother’s Day is a good day to make your
mother feel special, but you don’t have to wait until that day arrives. Every day is a chance to do
something nice for her. You could even give her a card on your own birthday to
thank her for another year of life that she has given you.
Also, don’t forget to thank all the women in your life --- for example, your grandmother, aunts, and great-aunts --- on Mother’s
Day.
( ) 1. Which
of the following is true?
(A) Mother’s
Day was invented by shop owners.
(B) The roots of Mother’s Day are in ancient Greece.
(C) Children
try to make money on Mother’s Day.
(D) Mother’s
Day is a religious event nowadays.
( ) 2. Anna M.
Jarvis was __________.
(A) an
English woman (B)
born in 1908
(C) thankful
for her mother (D) dead
when she became famous
( ) 3. What
was the opinion of Anna’s mother?
(A) That
there were too many men in the world.
(B) That
women should never have to work.
(C) That
her daughter never thanked her for anything.
(D) That
women should have a special day.
( ) 4. If people are holding white carnations
on Mother’s Day, it is probably because __________.
(A) they
do not want to celebrate (B) their
children are honoring them
(C) they
are visiting their mother (D) their
mothers are dead
( ) 5. Which
sentence best shows the main idea of the last paragraph?
(A) You
should show your love to your mother all the time, not just once a year.
(B) Mother’s
Day should be the most important day of the year for all children.
(C) When
people celebrate Mother’s Day, it is like celebrating a second birthday. (D) There
is no need for a special day for aunts, grandmothers, or other women.
Unit 7
In 1994, David Filo and Jerry Yang were graduate students at Stanford
University in California. Bored with
studying electrical engineering,
they spent a lot of time surfing the fast-developing Internet. A lot of the time, they had difficulty finding sites [they had
already visited], so they began keeping records and putting together a catalog system, which they put on the
web.
The catalog became popular among other
Internet users, and soon afterwards
Yang and Filo developed the search engine known as Yahoo!. Since then, their Internet guide has grown at an amazing
rate. Now it has more than 130 million users a month and is
one of the most popular starting points for visitors to the World Wide Web. Yahoo! Has also become
an international company that offers a wide range of services, including e-mail, chat rooms, video, and online shopping. It is based in Santa Clara, California, but has offices on four continents and more than 2,000 employees.
Jerry Yang, who was born in Taiwan and raised in San Jose, California, still
has not finished the Ph.D. he was
taking at Stanford. He is now a leading figure
in the media industry and has played a major role in developing Yahoo!
into one of the world’s most visited websites.
He works closely with the board of
directors in deciding the future direction
of the company.
( ) 1. Which
of the following is NOT discussed in
this passage?
(A)
The origins of Yahoo!. (B) The origins of the
Internet.
(C)
The background of Jerry Yang. (D) The growth of Yahoo!.
( ) 2. Before
Jerry Yang helped start Yahoo!, what was he doing?
(A) He
was working for an Internet company.
(B) He
was studying at graduate school.
(C) He
was developing an e-mail system.
(D) He
was going to school in Taiwan.
( ) 3. Yahoo!
began as an attempt by Yang and Filo
to __________.
(A) develop
a cheaper way to surf the Internet
(B) work
on their Ph.D. degrees more efficiently
(C) create a search engine for Internet
users
(D) keep
track of the websites they visited
( ) 4. Jerry Yang grew up in __________.
(A)
San Jose (B) Santa Clara (C) Stanford (D) Taiwan
( ) 5. From
the passage, we know that Jerry Yang __________.
(A) has
made over $130 million (B) now has a Ph.D. degree
(C) is
older than David Filo (D) still works for Yahoo!
Unit 8
Taiwan’s Environmental Protection
Administration (EPA) is hoping to get people to
collect more kitchen waste. The EPA aims to increase its annual collection of leftover
food in order to reduce the pressure
on incinerators. In 2002, only
three hundred tones a day were
collected, but the EPA believes a target
of nine hundred tones daily is a reachable
goal.
Food leftovers from many parts of Taiwan are already being
used as food for pigs. Other methods of recycling food include adding sawdust in order to convert
it into organic compost. The
compost can then be used to improve
the soil in vegetable gardens and public parks.
Tiachung currently has the nation’s highest recycle(e)ing rate for
kitchen waste at 12 percent. This
means forty to fifty tones of food leftovers from the city are recycled each
day. Most of it becomes pig feed.
This high rate has been attributed partly to the lottery ticket offered to residents for each bucket
of leftovers they recycle.
EPA officials
say local governments should try harder to increase public awareness of food leftovers as an important resource. Many other problems must be overcome, however. There is a need for more efficient treatment facilit(y)ies for leftover food, as well as a place to store the leftovers, special garbage
trucks, and expanded markets for food waste.
( ) 1. What
does the EPA want to do?
(A) Reduce
the amount of waste it does not use.
(B) Collect up to three hundred tones of
waste every day.
(C) Have
more people cleaning their kitchens.
(D) Have more people recycling leftover
food.
( ) 2. What
can we infer about most food leftovers in Taiwan?
(A) They
are recycled. (B) They are burned.
(C) They
are eaten. (D) They are decreasing.
( ) 3. What is
the EPA’s daily target nationwide for recycled food leftovers?
(A) Forty
to fifty tones. (B) Three hundred tones.
(C) Nine hundred tones. (D)
Over two thousand tones.
( ) 4. The passage implies that people in
Taichung collect a fairly high percentage of leftovers because __________.
(A) there
are many pig farms nearby (B) they
are given lottery tickets to do so
(C) compost
is very expensive there (D) many people
have gardens there
( ) 5. Each of the following is a problem
faced by food recycling programs EXCEPT __________.
(A) a
shortage of pig farms (B) a lack of storage space
(C) a
need for special vehicles (D) poor
treatment facilities
Unit 9
March 28, 1996, was an important day for
people in Taipei. You could even say it was the beginning of a new era. That was the day when the first section of the city’s Mass Rapid Transit System, or MRT as it is more commonly known, opened for service to the general public. Trains ran along a 10.9-kilometer line from the heart of
Taipei’s financial district to the city zoo in the suburbs.
At the end of the following year, a second
line began operation. This one
followed the route of an old railroad track from central Taipei to Danshui, a small port on the north coast.
Later, this line was connected to another
line extending to the southern suburb of Xindian. The combined Danshui and
Xindian lines now stretch more
than 33 kilometers and have a total
of thirty stations, half of which are underground.
More sections
were gradually
added to the system, and a connected network that included
part of all currently operating
lines opened for the first time on
December 24, 1999. The story doesn’t end there, however, several more lines are
scheduled for completion around 2010. By then, Taipei should be able to boast one of
the most comprehensive and up-to-date transportation systems in the world.
So far, few people would disagree that the MRT system has had
a big influence on city life in
Taipei. Students and working people benefit the most from the availability of
fast, clean, safe, and convenient transportation facility(y)ies. The nightmare traffic jams that once characterized Taipei are, it is hoped, a thing
of the past.
( ) 1. What happened
on March 28, 1996?
(A) The
first connected MRT network was opened in Taipei.
(B) The
public used the Taipei MRT system for the first time.
(C) The
Danshui and Xindian MRT lines were finally opened.
(D) Taipei’s
new city zoo was opened to the general public.
( ) 2. According
to the passage, the Danshui line __________.
(A) was
the second MRT line to open (B) was
changed into a railroad track
(C) extends
to southern Taipei (D) is more
than 33 kilometers long
( ) 3. On
December 24, 1999, it became possible for the first time to __________.
(A) ride
the MRT system to Taipei zoo
(B)
ride all the way from Danshui to Xindian
(C) take
a train at an underground station
(D) change trains at different MRT lines
( ) 4. Which of the following is NOT true,
according to the passage?
(A) The
Taipei MRT system will be expanded further.
(B)
The MRT system has not changed Taipei much.
(C) Traffic
in Taipei is not as bad as it used to be.
(D) The MRT system is convenient, fast,
clean, and safe.
Unit 10
It is a very bad idea to try to lose weight by exercising while eating too little. If you want to lose weight, you
need to “burn” body fat. To do this,
you need energy, and to get energy,
you need to eat. If you do not eat enough, your body will change muscle protein into energy to meet
its nutritional needs. The result is
a loss of muscle, and poor health.
Anytime you lose muscle, and for whatever reason,
you lose your ability to burn fat. Diets, aging, and lack of
activity all lead to decreased muscle
and increased fat. You can reverse this process at any time of life, however, Exercise rebuilds muscles and teaches them to burn fat, and eating right gives you the nutrients you need to make muscle.
If you want to eat to lose weight, there
are a few tips worth
following. You should eat slowly. It takes twenty
minutes for your stomach to tell your brain you are full, so if
you eat quickly, you are more likely to eat too much. It helps if you
choose foods you need to chew on, such as apples, bagels, and raw
vegetables. Having a warm drink with a light
meal or snack will help you to feel full. So will drinking six to eight
glasses of water per day. Some healthy snacks that can replace full meals include
popcorn, bread sticks, fruit, yogurt,
and low-fat cookies.
( ) 1. The
only way to lose weight is by __________.
(A) reducing
energy (B) cutting out food
(C) burning
body fat (D) exercising a lot
( ) 2. When
you do not get enough nutrition, your body will start burning __________.
(A) all
your extra fat (B) the fat in your muscles
(C) muscle
instead of fat (D) fat instead of muscle
( ) 3. Which
of the following is true, according to the passage?
(A) You
can build up your muscles no matter how old you are.
(B) Going
on a diet can help you rebuild your lost muscles.
(C) Eating
the right foods helps you burn fat more quickly.
(D) The
more fat you have, the more muscle you can burn.
( ) 4. Why may eating quickly increase our
weight?
(A) Our
brains tell us when we are feeling full.
(B) It
prevents our muscles from burning fat.
(C) We
cannot swallow apples and raw vegetables.
(D) We
do not realize when we have had enough food.
Unit 11
Some people will do anything to make a living. A man named
Mark Collinson makes about thirty thousand US dollars a year by collecting lost balls from the bottoms
of the lakes on golf courses.
He admits
that it is an odd job, but it’s one
that he enjoys. He first got the idea from a friend who mentioned that some shops pay about ten cents for each
second-hand golf ball. At first, he
just did it for extra money, but it
soon became his full-time occupation.
He took his job seriously and even paid tax
on his income. However, he got into trouble recently, when he was caught “collecting” balls in a golf course lake,
and was sentenced to six
months in jail. He was supposed to have asked permission to take the lost balls, but
he hadn’t, so he was arrested
for theft. His wife and
eleven-year-old daughter were as upset as he was, because
they did not consider it a crime.
When the case was reported in the media, many people, including professional golfers and
politicians, put pressure on the judge to change Mr. Collinson’s
sentence. It worked, and the man with the oddest job in England did not have to go to jail after all.
( ) 1. Despite
having an unusual job, Mr. Collinson __________.
(A) represents
professional golfers and politicians
(B)
says he likes it very much
(C) is
a serious man
(D)
does not make enough money to please his wife and daughter
( ) 2. When
Mr. Collinson was arrested, __________.
(A) he
lost his chance to join the golf club
(B)
his wife and daughter were mad at him
(C) he
tried to escape
(D) some
people tried to persuade the judge to change his mind
( ) 3. Finally,
Mr. Collinson __________.
(A) was
allowed to go home as a free man
(B) spent
six months in jail
(C) could
have visitors in jail if he confessed to his crime
(D) criticized
the judge for putting him in jail
( ) 4. Which of the following sentences about
the passage is true?
(A) Mr.
Collinson went to jail for half a year.
(B) Mr.
Collinson could not find a better job, so he had to steal golf balls.
(C) Mr.
Collinson never paid tax on the money he earned.
(D) It
is illegal to take golf balls from golf course lakes in England without asking.
Unit 12
A young businessman decided to open a business, and he rented a beautiful office in the center of town. He put in the best furniture and plants and even hung expensive paintings on the walls. Everything looked perfect. As he was sitting at his
desk by the large window, a man came into the office.
The businessman wanted to impress
him, so he picked up the phone on his desk
and pretended to have a conversation with a customer. He talked about deals worth millions of dollars and used lots
of special business terms. After
about a minute, he put the phone down and punched the air as if he had just made a great deal. He looked up to see the man waiting for him to finish.
“Good morning, sir! How can I help you?”
the young businessman asked with a big
smile.
“I’m from the telephone company. I’m here to connect your phone lines,” repl(y)ied the man.
( ) 1. According to the passage, a man entered
the office __________.
(A) while the businessman
was sitting at his desk
(B) just as the businessman
sat down at his desk
(C) as soon as the businessman had sat down at his desk
(D) before the businessman
sat at his desk
( ) 2. The businessman tried to impress the
man by __________.
(A) talking on his phone to
a customer
(B) punching the air after
about a minute
(C) talking to an imaginary customer on the phone
(D) making a big deal worth
millions of dollars
( ) 3.
The man who arrived in the office __________.
(A) connected the telephone
lines
(B) had been sent there by
the telephone company
(C) was the businessman’s
first customer
(D) was impressed by the
businessman’s telephone conversation
Unit 13
Eating disorders
affect thousands of people, mostly
young women, in the United States every year. People who starve themselves to get thin may have a psychological disorder called anorexia nervosa.
People who eat normally and
then force themselves to throw up may have an eating disorder called anorexia bulimia,
or simply bulimia.
A new form of this disorder has emerged in recent years, but it does
not involve food. More and more people who are addicted
to shopping have found that they do not have to keep the things that they buy. By taking advantage of stores’ refund polic(y)ies, they can buy
things, use them for a short period,
and then return them to the store in perfect
condition. People with “shopping
bulimia” often focus on expensive items. They enjoy the thrill of owning something valuable,
if only for a few days. There are
also numerous cases of people who have bought designer
clothes for an important interview,
or shoes for a party, and then returned them the next day.
Mostly, though, the recent phenomenon is just fantasy shopping. People on low incomes cannot afford to own expensive items, yet they sometimes give in
to temptation. Psychologists say that for
people who feel they have nothing in their lives, buying goods and then
returning them somehow fills that emptiness,
even if it is only for a few days at a
time.
( ) 1. “Shopping bulimia” __________.
(A) is an eating disorder
that affects young American women
(B) is a disorder that
involves eating and then throwing up
(C) is the name given to the
habit of buying things and then returning them
(D) helps people exchange old clothes for new designer labels
( ) 2. People can take clothes back to some
stores __________.
(A) when they do not fit properly anymore
(B) as long as the clothes are in perfect condition
(C) if they find a cheaper
price at another store
(D) only if they agree with a store’s refund policy
( ) 3. According to the passage, some people
have __________.
(A) nothing in their lives except food for comfort
(B) bought brand-name clothes for a special occasion and then returned them the
next day
(C) tempted people on low incomes to buy things that they could not
afford
(D) gone to see
psychologists to treat their disorder
Unit 14
Humor is one of those human characteristics that
is very difficult to define. What one person may find hilarious
may seem stupid or dull
to someone else. A team of scientists
recently attempted to uncover the
truth about humor. The researchers
invited people to submit jokes to
their website and to evaluate jokes according to how funny they were. Over forty
thousand jokes were collected over a
period of one year. The joke that received the highest rating appealed to people no matter what
their age, sex, or cultural background. The joke is about two
hunters who are in the woods. One of the hunters suddenly falls
down and seems to stop breath(e)ing.
His friend quickly dials 911 and
says that he thinks his friend has just died. The operator tells him to calm down. She then instructs him to make sure
that his friend is actually dead. There is a pause, and then the operator hears a loud shot from a gun. The
hunter picks up the phone again and asks the operator what he should do next.
The results
of the study revealed many
interesting cultural difference. Germans
found almost all kinds of jokes funny. Americans and Canadians enjoyed jokes in which others were made to
look stupid. People from Ireland,
New Zealand, Australia, and the UK preferred jokes involving
a play on words. Europeans particularly liked jokes that were odd or made
fun of serious topics like
death, ill health, and marriage. Dr. Wiseman, the organizer of the LaughLab experiment,
concludes that “the more we know about sense
of humor across culture, the more we will be able to communicate effectively.”
( ) 1. The jokes on the researchers’ website
__________.
(A) were considered to be
the funniest forty thousand jokes in the world
(B) were mostly dull, except
for one that was thought to be hilarious
(C) were rated by the
scientists according to how funny they were
(D) were submitted by people
who visited the website
( ) 2. The joke that received the highest
rating __________.
(A) is about a hunter who misunderstands what an operator says
(B) reveals the truth about
humor
(C) was created by the
researchers in the LaughLab experiment
(D) may help people from
different cultures communicate effectively
( ) 3. Germans enjoyed all kinds of jokes, but
__________.
(A) Europeans enjoyed jokes
about serious or odd people
(B) Australians preferred
humor based on words
(C) Americans like jokes that
made fun of themselves
(D) Dr. Wiseman thinks that
they lack a sense of humor
( ) 4. Which of the following would be the
best title for this passage?
(A) Internet Humor (B) The Funniest Joke
in the World
(C) The Science of Humor (D)
Two Hunters in the Woods
Unit 15
In 2001, a report produced by an American
health association revealed that 61 percent of all TV shows in America contain violence.
Another study has shown that American children who watch three to four hours
of noneducational TV a day will
witness eight thousand murders on TV by the time they graduate from junior high school.
This has a big impact on children’s development,
according to psychology experts. A
child may become more aggressive or
develop a sleep disorder by watching too much violence
on TV. Although
only a small percentage of children commit
violent crimes when they grow up, the effects of TV violence on children may not always be obvious.
Children are often frightened by the images
they see every day on TV, but they seldom express these fears to their parents. In
addition, they may become “immune”
to the violence so that it seems a normal part of life. Experts are concerned about the negative impact that TV violence has on society. To
help reduce the exposure of
children to violence on TV, the U.S. government passed a law in 2000 requir(e)ing TV manufacturers to install a “V-chip” in
all TVs sold in the United States. This chip allows parents to control what their
children watch and to screen out unsuitable viewing material. Unfortunately, few parents actively use the system, and children have been watching
more, not less, violence on TV since the introduction of the V-chip.
( ) 1. According to the passage, __________.
(A) 39 percent of American
TV shows do not contain violence
(B) 61 percent of American
children on TV are violent
(C) eight thousand murders
are committed on TV shows every day
(D) junior high scchool
students watch three to four hours of TV a day
( ) 2. Most children who watch violence on TV
__________.
(A) are immune to crime
(B) do not commit violent
crimes when they grow up
(C) have been given a V-chip
(D) are willing to express their fear to their parents
( ) 3.
The V-chip system __________.
(A) was manufactured by the
U.S. government in 2000
(B) successfully decreased
the amount of violence on American
TV
(C) has greatly reduced the
number of violent TV shows
(D) allows parents to
control what their children watch on TV
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