Gallows humor(黑色幽默) may seem like a mistake, or at least in poor taste. But psychologists say that gallows humor can be an important way to relieve stress.“Humor makes you feel in control and it can give you that feeling that everything is okay even when it’s not,”says James M.Jones, a psychology professor at the University of Delaware.
Psychologists say that just because you’re laughing doesn’t mean you’re wasting time. Occasional tease among colleagues, particularly if it is associated with the job, can inspire creativity, departmental cohesiveness(凝聚力) and performance.
“There are a lot of stresses out there,”says Ed Dunkelblau, a psychologist in Chicago.“Gallows humor is a way of making difficult things a little less difficult.”
This is as long as the humor is used for the right purpose. The main point of it should be inspiring people—not laughing at them. “Anything that would lift morale(士氣) in terms of the company would be good humor,”says Thierry Guedj, a professor.
You want to give your employees and co-workers a sense of belonging, so don’t make observations that are aggressive. Most obviously, Dr. Guedj says, don’t make comments about people’s physical appearance or faith. If you have any doubt about its appropriateness, don’t go through with it.
Or you can take aim at the person that you know won’t be offended(冒犯): yourself. “If there’s going to be a joke or story, it should be you,”Mr Dunkelblau says.
“People with the ability to laugh at themselves can give other people permission to laugh at themselves, too,”Mr Jones says.“And if you can laugh at yourself, you feel better about yourself.”
小題1:According to the passage, gallows humor has the following functions EXCEPT   .

A．leading to a big mistake	B．reducing pressure
C．making people more creative	D．improving performance

小題2:What is Ed Dunkelblau’s attitude towards gallows humor?

A．Negative.

B．Positive.

C．Neutral.(中立的)

D．Uncertain.

小題3:When people use gallows humor, they should      .

A．observe who is aggressive

B．show a sense of belonging

C．doubt about the result of humor

D．try to avoid involving private things

小題4:What can we infer from the passage?

A．People tend to laugh at others rather than themselves.

B．Laughing at yourself can make others free from stress.

C．People can’t avoid offending others with gallows humor.

D．People who laugh at themselves are easy to gain others’ permission.

Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring, while for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（災禍）.
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’ reactions （反應）toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.
小題1:Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their        .

A．cultural values	B．commercial purposes
C．personal experiences	D．physical reactions to the color

小題2:Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?

A．To relax people physically.

B．To increase people’s appetites.

C．To encourage people to make a purchase.

D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise.

小題3:What color might help lose weight according to the text?

A．Red

B．Green.

C．Blue.

D．Purple.

小題4:Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．Colors and Human Beings	B．The Cultural Meaning of Color
C．Colors and Personal Experiences	D．The Meaning and Function of Color

Cars are an important part of life in the United States． Without a car， most people feel that they are___36___．And even if a person is poor， he doesn’t feel___37___poor when he has a car．
Henry Ford was the man who first started ___38___cars in large numbers． He probably didn’t know how much the car was going to ___39___American culture．The car made the United States a nation on ___ 40___． And it ___41___to make the United States what it is today．
There are three main reasons that the car has become so___42___in the United States． ___43___，the country is a huge one and Americans like to __44__around in it ．The car__45__the most comfortable and cheapest form of transportation． With a car， people can go any place___46___spending a lot of money．The second reason is that the United States never really developed an efficient（有效地） and inexpensive form of public___47___． Long distance trains have never been as ___48___in the United States as they are in other parts of the world．Nowadays there is a good system of air-service provided by ___49__．But it is too expensive to be used ___50__． The third reason is the most ___51__one．The American spirit of ___52___is what really made cars popular． Americans don’t like to wait for a bus or a train ___53___a plane． They don’t like to have to ___54___an exact schedule． A car gives them the freedom to schedule their own time．And this is the freedom that Americans want___55___to have．

小題1:	A．healthy B． poor C．pretty D．rich

小題2:	A．a(chǎn)ctually B．truly C．really D．exactly

小題3:	A．making B．doing C．designing D．owing

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)fford B．a(chǎn)ffect C．effort D．effect

小題5:	A．foot B．horse backs C．wheels D．chairs

小題6:	A．helped B．tried C．hoped D．got

小題7:	A．well-known B．popular C．lovely D．famous

小題8:	A．In all B．After all C．Above all D．First of all

小題9:	A．walk B．transport C．move D．go

小題10:

A．provides B．offers C．takes D．proves

小題11:

A．with B．by? C．for D．without

小題12:

A．journey B．transportation? C．travel D．trip

小題13:

A．unusual B．usual C．common D．ordinary

小題14:

A．bikes B．ships C．planes D．rockets

小題15:

A．completely B．continuously C．frequently D．fully

小題16:

A．important B．funny C．common D．simple

小題17:

A．dependence B．independence C．selfishness D．self-confidence

小題18:

A．nor B．but C．a(chǎn)nd D．or even

小題19:

A．take B．receive C．a(chǎn)ccept D．follow

小題20:

A．most B．worst C．best D．least

Popular music in America is what every student likes． Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch． Students with cars buy large speakers and play music loudly as they drive on the street． Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work． They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people． Most of the radio programmes are music．
Pop or popular music singers make much money． They make CDs or tapes which radio stations in many places broadcast（廣播）． Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tapes． Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer． Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her． Now the singer has become a pop star．
There are other kinds of music that are popular among Americans． One is called folk music． It tells stories about the common life of Americans． Another is called western or country music． This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching． Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music．
小題1:________ kinds of music are mentioned(提到) in this passage．

A．Two

B．Four．

C．Three

D．Five

小題2:When pop singers ________, they are regarded as pop stars．

A．become popular with their fans

B．make a CD or tape

C．make much money

D．a(chǎn)re wanted to sing on the radio

小題3:From the passage we know that country music is about ________．

A．the common life of Americans

B．the life of cowboys

C．the country life and love stories

D．the school life in America

小題4:What would be the best title for this passage？

A．Western Music	B．Popular Music
C．History of Music	D．American Music

-For five days, Edmonton's Downtown Park is transformed into one huge stage where artists are able to share their talents, and where people are able to celebrate(慶祝) and enjoy themselves. Since its beginning in 1980, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been commemorating (紀念) the true feeling of what folk music is all about and that's the traditional togetherness that is felt when people gather to share stories and feelings through song.
This year will be the sixth year when volunteer Riedel will be offering up her time to the festival. "People coming off a busy spring and summer have a moment of relaxation," Riedel said. "It's really easy to relax, and it's great seeing family and friends have fun together." These families and friends come from all different kinds of musical tastes. People who take pleasure in Blues are there, so are people who love Bluegrass. This festival does its best to develop everyone's musical interests.
With so many years of experience, the festival has become a well-oiled machine, and does whatever it can to make attendees feel as comfortable as possible. There are free water stations throughout the venue (舉辦地) for people to fill up their travel cups. When people buy food, reusable dishes are given a $2 plate fee, but that is returned when the plate is brought back.
The festival has completely sold out of tickets, and in record time. But with big names such as Van Morrison and Jakob Dylan, it's easy to see how that was going to happen. There is no parking area during the festival, so using the Park & Ride system or Edmonton Transit is highly recommended. A bike lock-up area is provided and will be available Thursday until Sunday one hour before the gates open until 45 minutes after the gates close.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival begins on Wednesday, Aug. 4 with Van Morrison playing the special donation fund (基金) concert, and will finish up on Sunday, Aug. 8.
小題1:The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is held mainly to ________.

A．gather people with different musical tastes

B．remind people of the real sense of folk music

C．exhibitive good voices of great talents in folk music

D．collect old stories of folk music

小題2:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Riedel has volunteered for the festival for at least 5 years.

B．It's hard for people to appreciate Blues.

C．It costs people a little to fill up their cups from water stations.

D．People have to pay $2 for a plate of food.

小題3:We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．people can get tickets easily for the festival

B．the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is well organized.

C．driving one's own car to the festival is highly recommended

D．bikes are available at the festival from Wednesday to Sunday

小題4:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Folk Music of Blues

B．One Festival for All

C．Festival for family Gathering

D．Edmonton's Downtown Park

Here I must put in a few words about my experience here in China. If I have ___36__ with a Chinese host, he always presses(硬塞給)___37__ food onto my plate as soon as I have emptied the previous helping(份額). That often makes me ___38___awkward(尷尬). I have to eat the food even if I don’t ___39___ it, because it is ___40___ manners in the  West to _41__ one’s food on the plate. I have also ___42__ that when a Chinese sits at an American’s dinner party, he  often ___43___ the offer of food or drink though he is in fact still hungry or  ___44___.  This might be good manners in China,  but it is
certainly__45___ in the West. In the United States,  it is___46___ to keep asking someone again and again or press something on him. Americans are very ___47___.  If they want something, they will ask for it. If not, they will say, “__48__” Here’s an example:  When an American is offered ___49_ by the host, and he doesn’t feel like beer, he will probably say, “No, thanks. I just don’t feel like it. I’ll  ___50___  some Pepsi-Cola （百事可樂）if you have it.” That is ___51__ an American will do. ___52___are taught that  “Honesty is the best policy”. But in some countries, courtesy(謙虛) might be more important than ___53___. So when I am here in China, I have to observe（遵循） the __54__ here. But when you go to ___55___, you had better “Do as the Romans do.”

小題1:	A．trouble B．words C．dinner D．difficulty

小題2:	A．enough B．much C．more D．little

小題3:	A．think B．taste C．feel D．smell

小題4:	A．eat B．like C．drink D．help

小題5:	A．important B．rude C．polite D．bad

小題6:	A．take B．leave C．forget D．pass

小題7:	A．minded B．noticed C．heard D．informed

小題8:	A．a(chǎn)ccepts B．refuses C．nods D．gives

小題9:	A．happy B．a(chǎn)ngry C．thirsty D．full

小題10:

A．so B．kind C．not D．right

小題11:

A．impolite B．good C．kind D．sad

小題12:

A．direct B．honest C．short D．kind

小題13:

A．I’m sorry B．Yes, I want C．No, thanks D．Yes, please

小題14:

A．food B．beer C．coffee D．tea

小題15:

A．bring B．offer C．take D．like

小題16:

A．that B．what C．whether D．how

小題17:

A．Englishmen B．Frenchmen C．Americans D．Australians

小題18:

A．manners B．honesty C．request D．order

小題19:

A．ways B．habits C．a(chǎn)ction D．customs

小題20:

A．China B．the United States C．Rome D．the United Nations

-Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems．For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants(居民) of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(目的地) country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country, keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists．Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
　　Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
　　On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism，people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports，air terminals, first－class roads, and other support facilities（設施）needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
　　Building a hotel is just a beginning．There must be many support facilities as well，including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.
小題1:Which of the following has most probably been discussed in the part that goes before this passage?

A．It is very important to develop tourism.

B．Building roads and hotels is necessary.

C．Support facilities are highly important.

D．Planning is very important to tourism.

小題2:Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT ________.

A．a(chǎn) bad effect on other industries

B．a(chǎn) change of tourists’ customs

C．over－crowdedness of places of interest

D．pressure on traffic

小題3:Not enough tourism can lead to ________.

A．a(chǎn)n increase of unemployment (失業(yè))

B．a(chǎn) decrease (減退) in tourist attractions.

C．the higher cost of support facilities

D．a(chǎn) rise in price and a fall in pay.

小題4:The underlined word “handle” in the last paragraph most probably means _________.

A．get in

B．pick up

C．carry away

D．take down

Alice Walker makes her living by writing, and her poems, short stories, and novels have won many awards and fellowships for her. She was born in Eatonton, Georgia. She went to public schools there, and then to Spelman college in Atlanta before coming to New York to attend Sarah Lawrence college, from which she graduated in 1966. For a time she lived in Jackson, Mississippi, with her lawyer husband and a small daughter. About Langston Hughes, American Poet, here first book for children, she says, “After my first meeting with Langston Hughes I vowed I would write a book about him for children someday. Why? Because I, at 22, knew next to nothing of his work , and he didn’t scold me; he just gave me a stack of his books. And he was kind to me; I will always be grateful that in his absolute warmth and generosity he fulfilled my deepest dream ( and need) of what a poet should be.?”
“To me he is not dead at all. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t think of him or speak of him. Once, just before he died, when he was sick with the flu, I took him a sack full of oranges. The joy I felt in giving that simple gift is undiminished by time. He said he liked oranges, too.”
小題1:What is the main topic of the passage?

A．Alice Walker’s reflection on Langston Hughes.

B．The influence of Alice Walker on the writing of Langston Hughes.

C．Langston Hughes’ book about Alice Walker.

D．A comparison of the childhoods of Alice Walker and Langston Hughes.

小題2:In the passage, Alice Walker is described as _____.

A．a(chǎn) research fellow at Spelman College

B．a(chǎn) professor at Sarah Lawrence College

C．a(chǎn) prize-winning writer of prose and poetry

D．a(chǎn)n author of plays for children

小題3:Before attending college, Alice Walker went to school in _____.

A．Atlanta, Georgia	B．Eatonton, Georgia
C．Jackson, Mississippi	D．Lawrence, Massachusetts

小題4:The word “vowed” the first paragraph is closest in meaning to _____.

A．shouted

B．believed

C．refused

D．promised

小題5:It can be inferred from the passage that Alice Walker was 22 years old when _____.

A．she moved to Jackson, Mississippi

B．she moved to New York

C．she first met Langston Hughes

D．Langston Hughes died

People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word“mouth”.
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say“Do not bad mouth me. ”Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say:“I really put my foot in my mouth this time. ”If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something, the other person might protest,“I did not say that . Do not put words in my mouth. ”
Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person“Born with a silver spoon in his mouth. ”This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
Parents might sometimes withhold（拒給）sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.
But enough of all this talk, I have been running my mouth long enough.
小題1:In what kind of situation will a person say“Do not bad mouth me. ”?

A．When he feels down.	B．When he feels regretful.
C．When he is spoken ill of.	D．When he feels proud.

小題2:If a person feels sorry for what he has said, he might say “_____”

A．Do not bad mouth me.

B．I really put my foot in my mouth this time.

C．Do not put words in my mouth.

D．Stop mouthing off.

小題3:If a person lives from hand to mouth, it implies _____ .

A．he is badly-off	B．he is hard-working
C．he is well-off	D．he has enough to eat

小題4:By saying“I have been running my mouth long enough.”, the speaker means “_____”

A．I have run a long way.	B．I have been a mouthy person.
C．I have learned a lot.	D．I have talked too much.

In some countries, people eat rice every day.   36   they eat it two or three times a day，for breakfast, lunch and supper. They can   37  it, fry (煎) it or   38   it into rice noodles. They usually eat it   39  meat, fish and vegetables.
Some people do not eat some kind of   40 . Muslins, for example, do not eat pork, and Hindus do not eat beef.
The Japanese eat a lot of fish. Japan is an island and its   41  go all over the Pacific looking for fish to   42 . The Japanese sometimes eat uncooked fish, and they also eat a lot of rice.
In   43  such as Britain, Australia and the United States, the most important food is   44  or potatoes. People there usually make their bread from wheat flour. They   45  potatoes in different ways. They can boil them，fry them and roast (烤) them.
In Africa, maize (玉米) is the most important food.   46  rice and wheat, maize is a kind of cereal (谷物). African people make the maize   47  flour. From this flour they make   48  kinds of bread and cakes. Many Africans are very   49  and they can’t afford to eat much   50  with their cereal.
Cereals are a very important kind of food   51  we also need plenty of vegetables and lots of fresh   52 .
Some people eat   53  fruit and vegetables. They do not eat meat or fish or   54  that comes from animals. They eat only food from   55 . Some people say that food from plants is better for us than meat.

小題1:	A．Sometimes B．Sometime C．Some time D．Some times

小題2:	A．drink B．eat C．have D．boil

小題3:	A．make B．turn C．change D．eat

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)s B．like C．with D．together

小題5:	A．a(chǎn)pples B．fish C．meat D．vegetables

小題6:	A．trains B．planes C．fishing boats D．life boats

小題7:	A．buy B．weigh C．hold D．catch

小題8:	A．the world B．countries C．the east D．developing countries

小題9:	A．bread B．cake C．flour D．vegetables

小題10:

A．take B．eat C．make D．cook

小題11:

A．Like B．As C．Being D．With

小題12:

A．of B．from C．into D．up to

小題13:

A．the same B．different C．every D．each

小題14:

A．rich B．poor C．strong D．weak

小題15:

A．meat B．maize C．flour D．bread

小題16:

A．so B．a(chǎn)s C．because D．but

小題17:

A．rice B．cakes C．fruit D．potatoes

小題18:

A．not only B．only C．besides D．except

小題19:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．pork D．beef

小題20:

A．plants B．a(chǎn)pples C．pigs D．fish