4. Passage Twenty-ThreeWashington Irving was America’s first man of letters to be known internationally.His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States.He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in the country, and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States.The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his urbanity, his gay spirits, his artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the New.Thackery described Irving as “a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans.” In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford—an unusual honor for a citizen of a young, uncultured nation—and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature.America made him ambassador to Spain.Irving’s background provides little to explain his literary achievements.A gifted but delicate child, he had little schooling.He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practice seriously.He was immune to his strict Presbyterian home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theatre.Which of the following best describes the effect of Irving’s personal qualities on his literary success?
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35.You don’t have to pay for your flights: they’re ()in the price of your holiday.
A. concluded
B. held
C. settled
D. included
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39.The police are suspicious ()making plans for the summer vacation.
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2. Passage Twenty-TwoThough some people have suggested that women should return to housework in order to leave more jobs for men, the idea has been rejected by both women and men in public opinion polls (民意测验).Lately some union officials have suggested that too many women are employed in type of work more suitable for men and that women should step aside to make way for unemployed young men.They argue that women—especially women in their childbearing years actually delay economic development and result in lower productivity, poor quality and inefficiency.To solve the problem, they have suggested that the working women stay at home while their husbands or brothers were given double wages.They argue that under these circumstances, families would retain their same level of income, and women could run the house and raise children much better.The suggestion has been rejected by 9 out of 10 people polled.A hundred persons in a big city were questioned last summer.Out of 50 women, 46 said they were unwilling to leave their jobs, no matter what the situation was.The other 4 said they would like to return home if their jobs could be taken by their sons or daughters.Of 50 men polled, only 6 said they would like to see their wives give up their jobs, if it meant higher wages for themselves.Some other people have suggested another way called “phased employment theory”.The theory suggests that a woman worker take leave from her job when she is seven months pregnant (妊娠)and stay off the job until her baby reaches the age of 3.It suggests that women on leave receive 75 percent of their normal salary and be allowed to return to work after the 3-year period.This will benefit children, women, their families and the society.Some of those polled, both women and men, felt the idea is a good one.It definitely seems to be more acceptable than the suggestion that women return to home forever.Some union officials have suggested that if women resign their jobs, ().
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40. Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Most of us in the entrepreneurial community are blessed — or cursed — with higher-than-average ambition.Ambitious people strongly desire accomplishments and are willing to take more risks and spend more effort to get them.Overall, this is a positive quality, especially for people trying to build their own businesses.Apparently, if you’re more naturally driven to set goals, you are more likely to succeed.Actually, this isn’t always the case.In fact, in some cases, extreme ambition may end up doing more harm than good.One major side effect of excessive ambition is the tendency to focus too determinedly on one particular vision or end goal.This is problematic because it hinders your ability to adapt to new circumstances, which is vital if you want to be a successful entrepreneur.If a new competitor emerges to threaten your business, you may need to change direction, even if that means straying from your original vision.If you have too much ambition, you’ll find this hard, if not impossible.Few people are successful when they try to build their first brand.Unfortunately, for the most ambitious entrepreneurs, a failure is seen as disastrous, and impossible to recover from.It’s a clear departure from the intended plan toward the intended goal.For people with limited ambition, however, failure is viewed as something closer to reality.Remember, failure is inevitable, and every failure you survive is a learning experience.Ambitious people tend to be more materialistically successful than their non-ambitious counterparts.However, they’re only slightly happier than their less-ambitious counterparts, and tend to live significantly shorter lives.This implies that even though ambitious people are more likely to achieve conventional “success,” such success means nothing for their health and happiness—and if you don’t have health and happiness, what else could possibly matter?Clearly, some amount of ambition is good for your motivation.Without any ambition, you wouldn't start your own business, set or achieve goals and get far in life.But an excess of ambition can also be dangerous, putting you at risk of burnout, stubbornness and even a shorter life.What does the author advise us to do concerning ambition?
A. Distinguish between conventional success and our life goal.
B. Follow the example of the most ambitious entrepreneurs.
C. Avoid taking unnecessary risks when starting a business.
D. Prioritize health and happiness over material success.
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1. Passage Thirty-FiveTelevision has changed the lifestyle of people in every industrialized country in the world.In the United States, where sociologists have studied the effects, some interesting observations have been made.Television, although not essential, has become an important part of most people’s lives.It alters people’s ways of seeing the world; in many ways, it supports and sustains (维持)modern life.Television has become a baby-sitter, an introducer of conversations, the major transmitter of culture and a keeper of tradition.Yet when what can be seen on TV in one day is critically analyzed, it becomes evident that television is not a teacher but a sustainer; the poor quality of programming does not elevate (提高)people into greater understanding, but rather maintains and encourages the life as it exists.The primary reason for the lack of quality in American television is related to both the history of TV programming development and the economics of TV.Television in America began with the radio.Radio companies and their sponsors first experimented with television.Therefore, the close relationship which the advertisers had with radio programs became the system for American TV.Sponsors not only paid money for time within programs, but many actually produced the programs.Thus, in American society, television is primarily concerned with reflecting and attracting society rather than experimenting with new ideas.Advertisers want to attract the largest viewing audience possible.To do so requires that the programs be entertaining rather than educational, attractive rather than challenging.Television in America today remains, to a large extent, with the same organization and standards as it had thirty years ago.The hope for further development and true achievement toward improving society will require a change in the entire system.According to the author, American television is poor in quality because ().
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40.Her dress was very short and she was a bit embarrassed ()it.
A. about
B. to
C. on
D. for
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3. Passage Twenty-ThreeWashington Irving was America’s first man of letters to be known internationally.His works were received enthusiastically both in England and in the United States.He was, in fact, one of the most successful writers of his time in the country, and at the same time winning the admiration of fellow writers like Scott in Britain and Poe and Hawthorne in the United States.The respect in which he was held was partly owing to the man himself, with his warm friendliness, his good sense, his urbanity, his gay spirits, his artistic integrity, his love of both the Old World and the New.Thackery described Irving as “a gentleman, who, though himself born in no very high sphere, was most finished, polished, witty; socially the equal of the most refined Europeans.” In England he was granted an honorary degree from Oxford—an unusual honor for a citizen of a young, uncultured nation—and he received the medal of the Royal Society of Literature.America made him ambassador to Spain.Irving’s background provides little to explain his literary achievements.A gifted but delicate child, he had little schooling.He studied law, but without zeal, and never did practice seriously.He was immune to his strict Presbyterian home environment, frequenting both social gatherings and the theatre.Which of the following best describes the effect of Irving’s Presbyterian background on his life?
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46.It won’t do us any good, but it won’t do us any harm().
A. too
B. either
C. neither
D. also
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39. Questions 36 to 40 are based on the following passage.Some people have said aging is more a slide into forgetfulness than a journey towards wisdom.However, a growing body of research suggests that late-in-life learning is possible.In reality, education does an aging brain good.Throughout life, people’s brains constantly renovate themselves.In the late 1960s, British brain scientist Geoffrey Raisman spied growth in damaged brain regions of rats through an electron microscope; their brains were forging new connections.This meant brains may change every time a person learns something new.Of course, that doesn’t mean the brain isn’t affected by the effects of time.Just as height usually declines over the years, so does brain volume: Humans lose about 4 percent every decade starting in their 40s.But that reduction doesn’t necessarily make people think slower; as long as we are alive and functioning, we can alter our brains with new information and experiences.In fact, scientists now suspect accumulating novel experiences, facts, and skills can keep people’s minds more flexible.New pathways can strengthen our ever-changing mental structure, even as the brain shrinks.Conventional fixes like word puzzles and brain-training apps can contribute to mental durability.Even something as simple as taking a different route to the grocery store or going somewhere new on vacation can keep the brain healthy.A desire for new life challenges can further boost brainpower.Research about aging adults who take on new enterprises shows improved function and memory as well as a reduced risk of mental disease.Openness—a characteristic defined by curiosity and a desire for knowledge—may also help folks pass brain tests.Some folks are born with this take-in-the world attitude, but those who aren’t as genetically gifted aren’t necessarily out of luck.While genes can encourage an interest in doing new things, a 2012 study in the journal Psychology and Aging found completing reasoning tasks like puzzles and number games can enhance that desire for novel experiences, which can, in turn, refresh the brain.That’s why brain scientist Richard Kennedy says “It’s not that old dogs can’t learn new tricks.It’s that maybe old dogs don’t realize why they should.”What does the author say can contribute to the improvement of brain function?
A. Being curious and desiring knowledge.
B. Being eager to pass brain tests at an old age.
C. Rising to life’s challenges and avoiding risks.
D. Boosting immunity to serious mental diseases.
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