1 . Kindness and kids just seem to go hand in hand. But 62% of more than 2,600 participants in the NBC News State of Kindness Poll believe that today’s kids are less kind than those in the past. Women(66%) feel about this kindness fall more strongly than men(58%). Most of the participants who feel that way(77%) thank parents caused the seeming lack of kindness among today’s children, with a few thinking that society, schools, or friends caused it.
At the same time, Americans say they don’t put kindness first when it comes to teaching kids values. Among all participants, honesty is taught more than kindness as well as other things like courage, leadership and storing work ethic(道德). But the younger generation—those aged 18-24—think highly of kindness rules. They choose kindness by 10% over honesty as the most important quality to teach kids.
The question of whether kindness is learned or taught—or somewhere in between —causes different opinions. According to the study, Americans have different opinions on whether kindness in something one is born with or needs to be learned and nurtured over time. Slightly more than half(52%) of the participants believe that all of us are born with the ability to show kindness, while 48% believe kindness must be developed.
Parenthood(父母身份) makes a difference to your thoughts on the causes of kindness. Those without kids(56%) are more likely to think that people are born to be kind, while 50% of the participants with kids think kindness is developed.
Also, 51% of dads and 54% of men with no kids believe kindness is something time is born with. Slightly more than half of the moms say kindness must be learned, while 48% believe it is what one is born with.
1. 62% of the participants believe that today’s kids are ________.

A．born to be kind

B．taught to be less kind

C．not well educated at school

D．not so kind as kids in the past

2. What do participants aged 18-24 consider the most important for kids?

A．Honesty.

B．Leadership.

C．Kindness.

D．Courage.

3. The underlined word “nurtured” in Paragraph 3 means “_________”.

A．kept	B．developed
C．replaced	D．protected

4. How many moms in the study believe kindness is what one is born with?

A．48%

B．51%

C．52%

D．54%

5. What is the test mainly about?

A．causes of today’s kids being less kind.

B．The important qualities of today’s kids.

C．Different peoples opinions on kindness.

D．findings of research on today’s kids’ kindness

2 . People on a college campus were more likely to give money to the March of Dimes if they were asked for a donation by a disabled woman in a wheelchair than if asked by a nondisabled woman. In another _______, subway riders in New York saw a man carrying a stick stumble (绊脚) and fall to the floor. Sometimes the victim had a large red birthmark on his_______; sometimes he did not. In this situation, the victim was more likely to _______ aid if his face was spotless than if he had an unattractive birthmark. In _______ these and other research findings, two themes are _______ : we are more willing to help people we like for some reason and people we think_______assistance.

In some situations, those who are physically attractive are more likely to receive aid. _______, in a field study researchers placed a completed application to graduate school in a telephone box at the airport. The application was ready to be _______ , but had apparently been "lost". The photo attached to the application was sometimes that of a very _______ person and sometimes that of a less attractive person. The measure of helping was whether the individual who found the envelope actually mailed it or not. Results showed that people were more likely to ________ the application if the person in the photo was physically attractive.

The degree of ________ between the potential helper and the person in need is also important. For example, people are more likely to help a stranger who is from the same country rather than a foreigner. In one study, shoppers on a busy street in Scotland were more likely to help a person wearing a(n) ________ T-shirt than a person wearing a T-shirt printed with offensive words.

Whether a person receives help depends in part on the "worth" of the case. For example, shoppers in a supermarket were more likely to give someone________ to buy milk rather than to buy cookies, probably because milk is thought more essential for ________ than cookies. Passengers on a New York subway were more likely to help a man who fell to the ground if he appeared to be ________ rather than drunk.

1.

A．study

B．way

C．word

D．college

2.

A．hand

B．arm

C．face

D．back

3.

A．refuse

B．beg

C．lose

D．receive

4.

A．challenging

B．recording

C．understanding

D．publishing

5.

A．important

B．possible

C．amusing

D．missing

6.

A．seek

B．deserve

C．obtain

D．accept

7.

A．At first

B．Above all

C．In addition

D．For example

8.

A．printed

B．mailed

C．rewritten

D．signed

9.

A．talented

B．good-looking

C．helpful

D．hard-working

10.

A．send in

B．throw away

C．fill out

D．turn down

11.

A．similarity

B．friendship

C．cooperation

D．contact

12.

A．expensive

B．plain

C．cheap

D．strange

13.

A．time

B．instructions

C．money

D．chances

14.

A．shoppers

B．research

C．children

D．health

15.

A．talkative

B．handsome

C．calm

D．sick

3 . College is a lifetime investment(投资)—the gift of a college education can open the door to a world of opportunity for your child or grandchild. Savings(储蓄), even not so many at a time, can make a big difference.

With the cost of a college education continuing to rise, the key is to start saving early and regularly. By saving a set(固定的) amount at set times, your money can grow as your child does. According to the College Board, the average cost for four-year public colleges has increased by nearly 51% over the last 10 years and these costs will almost certainly continue to rise. Saving for college can help with the increasing cost of a college education and help you be well prepared when your child is ready for college.

Saving for your child's college education is an investment in their future. The savings you make today will pay off in increased earnings(收入) in the future. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, college graduates earn an average of $1 million more than high school graduates during their careers. The value of your investment in a college education will continue to grow for a lifetime.

Set your college saving goals realistically(现实地). You may not be able to save enough for all four years' fees, but you could save enough to give your child the right start.

More and more families depend on student loans(贷款) to pay for college. By saving for college, families will have less burden of paying off loans and help their children leave school without worrying about paying off loans.

1. From the second paragraph we can learn that                 .

A．the College Board increased public college costs

B．public college costs will increase by 51% in the next ten years

C．it's not too late to start saving when your child is ready for college

D．saving can help deal with the rising cost of college education

2. Savings for college education                 .

A．will increase in the value in the future

B．make one earn a lot

C．help create good jobs

D．are wise for businessmen to invest

3. Which of the following is TRUE about saving for college?

A．You should save to help children get scholarships more easily.

B．It's better to increase the savings as the child grows.

C．It's better to save early and regularly.

D．You should set a further and bigger saving goal.

4. Who are the expected readers of the passage?

A．Parents.	B．High school students.
C．Educators.	D．Bankers.

5. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．When to Save for Children's College Costs

B．How to Make a Good Investment

C．Why We Should Save for Children's College Costs

D．How Much Four-Year College Costs

4 .    Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict.” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I am working harder than ever.” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”

More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really become an everyday thing.” said business consultant Maisly Jones.

Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code.” “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative(保守的)dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(心境，士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative influence on productivity. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”

1. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict,” because     .

A．he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt

B．he couldn’t stand a clean appearance

C．he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time

D．he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes

2. David Smith wears casual clothes now, because     .

A．they make him feel at ease when working

B．he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes

C．he looks handsome in casual clothes

D．he no longer works for any company

3. According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?

A．Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code.

B．Comfortable clothes make employees more productive.

C．A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees.

D．All the employers in the U. S. are for casual office wear.

4. According to this passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Company workers started to dress down about fifty years ago.

B．Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 90s.

C．“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.

D．Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.

5. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT     .

A．saving employees’ money

B．making employees more attractive

C．improving employees’ motivation

D．making employees happier

5 . A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.

First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may softer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs.

Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.

In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institution should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young.

One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.

To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The problems faced by the old in society.

B．Why we should take responsibility for the old.

C．How we can improve the lives of the old.

D．Where the old can go to get their pensions.

2. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.

B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years.

C．Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.

D．Make available pensions for those who have retired.

3. The underlined word “viable” most probably means “           ”.

A．impossible	B．practical
C．useful	D．successful

4. What can be concluded from the passage?

A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue of money.

B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age.

C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people.

D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old.

5. What is the writer’s main purpose in writing this article?

A．To point out the need for government supped for old people.

B．To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.

C．To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.

D．To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.