When I worked as a waitress in Chicago, US, my coworkers and I would sigh whenever we heard someone with a foreign accent coming into our restaurant. We knew what it meant to serve a non-American: no tip. We would work just as hard as we always did, but we might not get paid.
Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who offers them a service of some kind. Americans tip their waiters, barbers and taxi drivers. An appropriate tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service (But the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. The customer is expected to add it himself/herself.) Tipping less than this sends a message to your waiters that you think they’ve done a bad job serving you. And to leave no tip at all is simply unacceptable.
It’s not that American waiters are greedy. In many countries, waiters are paid a salary for their work. They’ll earn money even if no one comes into the restaurant. This system offers much more safety for waiters than the American version. In the US, waiters know that a night without customers means a night without pay.
Some countries include a tip for waiters – a “service charge” – on the bill itself. Since the tip is included with the other charges, waiters don’t need to worry about people forgetting to tip. But in the US, waiters do not receive a salary, and service charges only appear on bills when there are six or more customers at the table.
Since almost all American customers are familiar with the system, they know to add a tip without being told. But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill.
So much as we waiters loved hearing stories about other places from our foreign customers, we were always nervous when they got ready to leave the restaurant. We were never sure what to expect.
小題1:If you order $200 worth of food, which of the following is a proper total payment?
A.$200B.$215C.$220D.$230
小題2:Why don’t some foreigners tip a waiter according to the writer?.
A.because they are unfamiliar with the American tip system .
B.because they are too mean to give tips to any waiter.
C.because they have difficulty communicating with waiters.
D.because they are not really easy to become satisfied.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A. The service charge never appear on the bill in the USA.
B. Customers are usually expected to tip waiters in the USA.
C. Dining out in other countries is much more expensive than in the USA.
D. Waiters in other countries earn much more money than those in the USA.
小題4:What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To complain about the difficult life of American waiters.
B.To warn other waiters not to serve any foreign customer.
C.To call on foreign customers to leave tips for American waiters.
D.To tell us something about American waiters’ salary system.

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:B
小題4:D

試題分析:本文敘述在美國服務(wù)行業(yè)的小費(fèi)是普遍現(xiàn)象,是一個(gè)不成文的規(guī)定,因?yàn)樵诿绹,服?wù)員沒有工資,只有客人給的服務(wù)費(fèi),才是自己的收入。
小題1:這是細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)An appropriate tip is between 15 and 20 percent of the amount charged for the service (But the charge for the tip doesn’t appear on the bill. 故選D。
小題2:這是細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)But visitors to the US may expect waiters to be paid a salary, or think that the tip is included on the bill.外國人不熟悉這里小費(fèi)的事情,故選A。
小題3:這是細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)Americans have an unspoken rule about tipping: they give tips to almost everyone who offers them a service of some kind.故選B。
小題4:這是寫作意圖題。根據(jù)從全文來看,講述了美國的服務(wù)人員的小費(fèi)問題,故選D。
點(diǎn)評(píng):閱讀理解題目中的作者意圖題目可以包括意圖、態(tài)度、目的題目, 在考試中出現(xiàn)的比率很大。不同的文章可能有不同的寫作意圖,但寫作意圖通常有以下三種:1)to entertain readers(娛樂讀者,讓人發(fā)笑) 2) to persuade readers(說服讀者接受某種觀點(diǎn))3) to inform readers(告知讀者某些信息)
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Are you a compulsive spender, or do you hold on to your money as long as possible? Are you a bargain hunter? Would you rather use charge accounts than pay cash? Your answers to these questions will reflect your personality. According to psychologists, our individual money habits not only show our beliefs and values, but can also stem from past problems.
Experts in psychology believe that for many people, money is an important symbol of strength and influence. Husbands who complain about their wives’ spending habits may be afraid that they are losing power in their marriage. Wives, on the other hand, may waste huge amounts of money because they are angry at their husbands. In addition, many people consider money a symbol of love. They spend it on their family and friends to express love, or they buy themselves expensive presents because they need love.
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There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting. To save money, of course, most people look for sales, low prices, and discounts. Compulsive bargain hunters, however, often buy things that they don’t need just because they are cheap. They want to believe that they are helping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game: when they can buy something for less than other people, they feel that they are winning. Most people, experts claim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and the real reason.
It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, but also business people. Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business: they consider people’s needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs and opinions, etc. in their advertising and sales methods.
Psychologists often use a method called “behavior therapy(療法)” to help individuals solve their personality problems. In the same way, they can help people who feel that they have problems with money: they give them “assignments”. If a person buys something in every store that he enters, for instance, a therapist might teach him self-discipline in this way: on the first day of his therapy, he must go into a store, stay five minutes, and then leave. On the second day, he should stay for ten minutes and try something on. On the third day, he stays for fifteen minutes, asks the salesclerk a question, but does not buy anything. Soon he will learn that nothing bad will happen to him if he doesn’t buy anything, and he can solve the problem of his compulsive buying.  
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小題2:Compulsive bargain hunters buy things for all the following reasons except that ____.
A.the things they buy are cheap
B.they believe they can balance their budgets
C.they get psychological satisfaction
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小題3:Behavior therapy in this case aims at____.
A.helping businessmen to increase their business
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C.finding out how people will react if they are allowed to buy
D.finding out what people will do in front of a bargain
小題4:The underlined word “those” in Paragraph 3 refers to ____.
A.different thingsB.their addictions
C.charge accountsD.their pleasures
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A.how you spend money reveals if you are psychologically healthy
B.money is a necessity and will bring you happiness if you have much
C.compulsive buying problems can be solved by taking some medicine
D.a(chǎn)ll businessmen understand well the psychology of customers

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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

This year, the World Mental Health Day on Oct 10 was marked by the theme: “Depression: A Global Crisis”. According to the World Federation for Mental Health and the WHO, depression has moved beyond the medical domain(領(lǐng)域) to become a social problem. Statistics from the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center show that of the 287,000 people who commit suicide in China every year, 70 percent are victims of depression.
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Wang Shaoli, vice-president of Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, a medical center specializing in mental health, said that what makes depression so widespread is that everybody can get it.
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According to Wang, depression can be treated with medicine and early psychological consultation. The real problem is the lack of awareness surrounding the issue.
“People with mental health illnesses are discriminated against,” said Wang. “So they are reluctant to go to hospital and often keep the pain to themselves, which only makes matters worse.” Only one in 10 depression victims are properly treated in China, according to the Beijing Suicide Research and Prevention Center.
“When people get depressed, it becomes part of their thoughts, making them negative, even desperate,” said Wang. “And the ideas are difficult to change.” That’s why Wang suggests early intervention.
“Normally it takes about nine months to treat depression,” said Wang. “But in most cases, patients drop treatment half way when they feel some progress.”
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B.the percentage of depression patients is larger in China than that in the world.
C.more and more people have been suffering from depression.
D.depression can destroy people’s immune system and social capabilities
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B.keep their pain to themselves when it appears
C.keep positive and get early psychological consultation
D.more medical centers should be set up

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Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large numbers. He probably didn’t know how much the car was going to change American culture. The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped make the United States what it is today.
There are three main reasons why the car became so popular in the United States. First of all, the country is a big one and Americans like to move around it. The car makes the travel the most comfortable and cheapest. With a car people can go to any place without spending a lot of money.
The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed a practical and cheap public travel system. Long distance trains have never been as common in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. Now there is a good system of air-service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used often.
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Less oil has caused a big problem for Americans. But the answer will not be a bigger system of public transportation. The real answer will have to be a new kind of car, one that does not use so much oil.
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B.In the United States all the poor have no cars.
C.When an American has a car, he will never be poor.
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They have to move about, carrying their belongings, which makes it difficult for the charity and the government to help them. They have limited access to bathrooms and restrooms and are forced to live in dirty conditions, making them easy to be attacked by diseases. They have limited access to health-care facilities in case of emergency, and almost no access to education as they have no money. They are often ill-treated by society, which makes them unfriendly, often ending up being involved in activities connected with crime like selling drugs or guns.
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A.violent activitiesB.disease attack C.moving a lotD.heavy work
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① the government ② homeless people ③ charity organizations ④ the ordinary citizens
A.①②③B.①③④C.①②④D.②③④
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A.Most homeless people died of hunger and cold.
B.The homeless should work hard to change their own situation.
C.The homeless problem is a serious problem that need solving effectively.
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Who owns the large American companies that produce cars, washing machines, and television sets? They are owned by a large group of people called stockholders.
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A.a(chǎn) farmer is not allowed to buy the shares of stock
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A.company’s profits
B.company’s savings
C.company’s income
D.products made by the company
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B.They cannot find all the names of their stockholders.
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David Sampson, a sports sociologist, agrees, “These are often celebratory riots(暴亂)— a large number of very happy people mixed in with large amounts of alcohol. They don’t often seem dangerous in the beginning, but things get violent quickly.”
Another reason for violence at sports events is the crowd itself. When individuals are in a large group of people, they can lose their sense of personal responsibility. Edward Hirt, a social Psychologist, says that research shows that people do things in crowds that they would never do alone. People in crowds feel that no one knows who they are. Crowds also make people feel powerful. They stop making personal decisions. They just follow the crowd. Social psychologists call this a “mob mentality.”
Dave Zarifis, head of public safety at Northern Iowa University says, “Some people don’t even come to celebrate. They want to drink hard and make trouble. Someone does something stupid, and it grows from there. You get a mob mentality. People think it’s OK to do almost anything. They think, ‘There are so many of us and not enough of them.’ ”
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小題1:Which of the following best gives the main idea of the first two paragraphs? 
A.There’s a connection between violence and sports
B.There are many reasons for violence at sports events.
C.One cause of violence at sports events is alcohol.
D.David Sampson and Dennis Brock have the same opinion.
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B.“ It’s safe to do what many people are doing.”
C.“There are so many of us and not enough of them.”
D.“I must drink some alcohol to stop myself feeling shy.”
小題3:How many experts are quoted by the writer of this passage?
A.Five. B.Four.C.Three.D.Two.
小題4:The last paragraph is mainly about ______.
A.how to turn games into big parties
B.how to prevent violence at sports events
C.why to fix cameras in stadiums
D.how to avoid oneself behaving badly
小題5:What lesson can we learn from this passage?
A.Never drink any alcohol no matter where you are.
B.Whenever you are watching a game, you should keep quiet.
C.Never follow blindly no matter how many people are doing something.
D.Be careful when you are at a stadium because there are cameras there.

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American women first moved into the paid labour force during the World War II, when men left their jobs to fight. In the last fifty years, more and more women have worked outside the home. And over these years of developing, Americans have changed their social values as a result. In 1975, women aged 35 and above made up half of all working women. And by 1980, 60 per cent were women at the age of 45 and above.
Now in Japan, women’s work group is M-shaped with middle-aged women and those aged 20-25 at the two peaks. According to statistics(統(tǒng)計(jì)), 37.7 per cent of Japanese women at childbearing age(25-29) still engaged themselves in work in 1980. and the number reached 50 per cent the next year.
Being a housewife has always been regarded as a “graceful occupation” in Japan. Some young Japanese women believe it is good to be a “ professional housewife”. However, old attitudes have been changing everywhere, and sometimes just out of economic necessary. In recent years, a great number of city housewives have poured out of homes to take part time jobs. Even the UN has given its support.. The 34th Congress of the United Nations in 1979 put forward the decision for formal agreement on the getting rid of discrimination(歧視) against women.
So far, most UN members have agreed on it, but some still haven’t,  including the United States.
小題1:From the first passage, we can learn that ________________.
A.experts encourage women to take paying jobs.
B.men encourage women to take paying jobs
C.government encourage women to take paying jobs.
D.more and more people begin to care about women’s life
小題2:In the United States _________________.
A.married women are lazier than their husbands.
B.Husbands are lazier than their wives
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D.More married women used to work outside
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B. seldom work outside their homes
C. have different opinions on their working outside 
D. all do housework at their homes
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A.they have no children to take care of
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科目:高中英語 來源:不詳 題型:閱讀理解

Everyone needs recognition(賞識(shí)) for his achievements,but few people make the need known quite as clearly as the little boy who said to his father,“Let’s play darts(飛鏢).I’ll throw and you should say ‘Wonderful!’”
Fran Tarkenton,former Minnesota Vikings quarterback,once called a play that required him to block onrushing tacklers.
FEL quarterbacks almost never block.They’re usually vastly outweighed by defenders,so blocking exposes them to the risk of severe injury.
But the team was behind,and a surprising play was needed.Tarkenton went into block,and the runner scored a touchdown.The Vikings won the game.
Watching the game films with the team the next day,Tarkenton expected a big pat on the back for what he’d done.    It never came.
After the meeting,Tarkenton approached coach Bud Grant and asked,“You saw my block,didn’t you,Coach?How come you didn’t say anything about it?”
Grant replied,“Sure,I saw the block.It was great,but you’re always working hard out there,Fran.I figured I didn’t have to tell you.”
“Well,”Tarkenton replied,“if you ever want me to block again,you do!”
小題1:What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?
A.Praise can have people take risky actions.
B.Encouragement can make people achieve greater progress.
C.No recognition,no progress.
D.People will be discouraged without praise.
小題2:The author gave the little boy as an example in order to            .
A.show the importance of encouragement
B.show father’s deep love to the son
C.show the boy was complete understanding of his father
D.prove the boy was cleverer than the coach
小題3:Which of the following can describe the Fran Tarkenton’s action of blocking onrushing tacklers?
A.Quick,brave,exciting.B.Brave,risky,successful.
C.Brave,successful,kind.D.Fast,clever,strong.
小題4:What did Fran Tarkenton expect while watching the game films?
A.Recognition.B.Pride.C.Cheers.D.Reward.
小題5:It can be inferred from the passage that    .
A.Fran Tarkenton was angry with the coach
B.the coach learned a lesson from Fran Tarkenton
C.Fran Tarkenton might not take a risk in blocking again
D.the coach will highly praise Fran Tarkenton next time he blocks

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