There are not many nations that can say their national dish has become international.
The word “pizza” came from the Latin word “pinsa” meaning flatbread. Long ago, pieces of flatbread, topped with mushrooms and herbs (香料), were a simple and tasty meal. They were mostly for those who didn’t have enough money to buy plates, or who were on the go. In the 18th century, Naples, in southern Italy, had become one of the largest cities in Europe, and it was growing fast. Lots of city people were poor and they were always rushing around to look for work.
It was in America that pizza found its second home.
For a lot of people in western countries, when they cannot decide what to eat, they order pizzas.
A. Nobody knows where pizza came from.
B. Italy has two such dishes, spaghetti and pizza.
C. They needed food that was cheap and easy to eat.
D. In 1905, the first pizzeria, Lombardi’s, was opened in New York City.
A. As a consequence, songs sound like nothing but noise for such a person, many of whom compare the sound of music to pieces of metal hitting each other.
B. However, this can result in social loneliness. “I used to hate parties,” says Margaret, a seventy-year-old woman who only recently discovered that she was amusic. By studying people like Margaret, scientists are finally learning how to identify this unusual condition.
C. Many amusics are relieved when their condition is finally diagnosed. For years, Margaret felt embarrassed about her music problem. Now she knows that she is not alone.
D. For some people, music is no fun at all. About 4% of the population is what scientists call “amusic”. People who are amusic are born without the capacity to enjoy musical notes.
E. Scientists note that the brains of amusics vary from those of people who can enjoy music. The difference is complex, and it is not connected with poor hearing.
What makes an open office unwelcome to many people?
| A．Personal privacy unprotected. |
| B．Limited working space. |
| C．Restrictions on group discussion. |
| D．Constant interruptions. |
Percentage of adults with a disability in the US
Percentage of adults with common functional disability
1. Are the numbers different from what you expected? In what way?2. What special assistance can people with disabilities make use of in their daily lives?
5 . It is most difficult for parents to decide whether to have a second child or not.
It is often heard that a single child is like to be a lonely child. There are no other children in the family for the child to talk or play with. An only child is not able to get along well with children of his age. Some parents regretted making the decisions to have only one child.
But the number of parents choosing to have only one child is increasing in many parts of the world. In the US, for example, more than 14 percent of women between 18 and 34 plan to have just one child. The same can be seen in the UK. In Japan, the average number of children born per family had gone down to 1.42 by 1996.
For some single-child parents, especially who are busy working every day, time and energy seem to be overwhelming. They don’t have enough time and energy to share with more children. For other people, money is their first consideration. Many couples in Japan choose not to have large families as the cost of supporting a child up to the age of 18 reaches around $ 160,000.
根据短文内容，判断下面各小题的正(填A)误(填B)
1. According to the passage, a single child doesn’t have a brother or a sister to talk or play with so he is likely to be lonely.
2. The number of parents choosing to have a second child is increasing in many parts of the world.
3. The underlined word “overwhelming” in the last paragraph means “宽松的”.
4. In the US, more than 14 percent of women between 18 and 34 plan to have just one child.
5. Parents in America choose not to have a second child because the cost of supporting a child is so high.
A.In fact, people are more likely to be lonely in a big city.
B.They also don't know how friendly people in country towns and villages can be.
C.Some city people think country life is lonely because you're cut off from the outside world.
D.They don't know how peaceful it is to be away from crowded streets and busy shopping centres.
E.I made more friends in a week in the country than I made during my first three months in London!
Start a school club related to English
创办一个跟英语有关的学校社团
8 . What causes traffic jams? That’s easy: too many cars. No, wrong. Think again. What causes much of the jamming on our streets are traffic lights.
Think of all the hours in your life wasted as your car journey is stopped by lights to let non-existent traffic through, and then ask yourself this: who is the better judge of when it’s safe to go—you, the driver at the time and the place, or lights programmed by an absent regulator（控制器）？……
……
Not only do traffic lights help to lengthen journeys pointlessly, but also the UK’s large number of 24-hour traffic lights amounts to GPH (严重的全球性危险). About 30 percent of our CO2 output is from traffic. Professor David Hegg, the influential transport expert, admits that 40 percent of that comes from traffic waiting. Every litre of fuel burnt produces 2.4 kg of our CO2 and other greenhouse gases. Multiply the minutes of forced waiting at controlled lights by the hours in the day and night, by the days in the year, by the number of vehicles, and the environmental effect becomes clear.
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．call out to stop the traffic lights |
| B．complain about the heavy traffic |
| C．explain how cars pollute the environment |
| D．call on drivers to give way to other road users |
9 . In the United States, old people who no longer have an income or who suffer from a loss of physical abilities are often forced to give up living alone. They must leave their homes and depend on someone else to give them a place to live and to take care of their physical needs: they must either live with relatives or live in homes for the aged. This loss of independence is a major problem for the aged.
Which of the following best expresses the main idea?
| A．Old people in the United States who are poor or sick cannot live alone. |
| B．Being unable to live alone is a serious problem for old people in the United States. |
| C．Old people who are poor or sick should live with their relatives, not in homes for the aged. |
| D．In the United States, old people who are poor or sick are forced to live in homes for the aged. |
A. But according to a new poll, Americans took more trips to the library than to the other leisure activities.
B. On the contrary, libraries are free, as are many of their available services like Wi-Fi, in addition to the endless supply of books.
C. Although it’s not the only reason, cost appears to play a part. Activities at the bottom of the list such as visiting theme parks and zoos are typically expensive.
D. Nowadays, we are given a wide range of available entertainment options. As a result, visits to the library may seem like an old-fashioned activity.
E. The poll surveyed 1,025 adults throughout the United States who were asked how many times they participated in nine different leisure activities, including visiting a library or attending a sporting event. Library visits came out on top as the favorite.
