【题目】 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 The importance of communication cannot be denied. Using effective communication skills is very important to relationships and success at work. There are a number of reasons that communication is so important to us. Here are a few: _ 【1】 ____ When you clearly communicate your wants, your needs, and your purposes, there will be no misunderstanding. Many of our arrangements and disagreements occur simply because one of us did not communicate clearly. Another example of the importance of communication can be seen in the medical field. When a doctor tells a patient his diagnosis(诊断) and gives instructions for care and medicine, it is important that the patient understands exactly what the doctor wants to communicate, __ 【 2 】 ____ Strengthen relationships. We get to know each other (either in business or personally) by talking and listening.___ 【 3 】 __ People like people they know. In business, the more personable business person, who shows an interest in his or her customer, wins the sale-every time-over the business person who show no interest in the customer, whatever! Relieve(缓解) stress. __ 【 4 】 ___ You feel as if some of the burden(负担) has been lifted from you when a friend listens and shows that he or she cares. Increase confidence. When you communicate well, people respond positively to you. And that helps to increase your confidence! The importance of communication skills becomes obvious when you think of the many times that you communicate with someone during a single day. 【 5 】A. Build trust.B. Prevent misunderstandings.C. Otherwise, serious results could occur!D. Knowing more about someone strengthens that relationship.E. Taking the time to improve your communication skills is definitely worth the effort.F. Talking about your problem and stress actually helps to relieve your stress and anxiety.G. No matter what, interpersonal skills are the foundation of any relationship, business or personal.

Great Britain “Great Britain” has several different names. Some people say “Britain”, or “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK”. There are four different countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Everyone from Britain is British, but only people from England are English. People from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh, and people from Northern Ireland are Irish. Don't call a Scottish or Welsh person English. He won’t like it! Altogether more than 56 million people live in Britain, many of them in big industrial cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester, but people are often surprised by how much of Britain is open country, with lovely hills and woods, quiet rivers, lakes and farmlands. Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak an older language as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language, and you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales. Everyone speaks English, but they do not all speak it in the same way. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner. And when a Welsh person speaks, everyone knows at once where he comes from! Many people think that the weather is cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn't! True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British put on their bikinis and go out to sunbathe. Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of fish. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are both large and busy, with all that is good (and bad) in modern cities. Northern Ireland has its problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is farming country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships come and go to Scotland and England. But Belfast has had many difficult years, and it is not the busy place it once was. In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. Now, a great number of factories have closed and thousands of people have no work. Some have moved to the new towns, built in the 1960s and 1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night (except Sunday) the fishing boats go out to sea. The centre of England (the “Midlands”) is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain — cathedrals, castles, and houses built hundreds of years ago. Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called an “Eisteddfod”. The west of England is rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and apples, which go to make cider, a popular drink. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers. Some areas of Britain are very crowded. Around Manchester, in northwest England, and Glasgow, in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories. The southeast of England, too, has many towns and cities, including London, the giant capital. But quite near London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful farms. Britain is an island, of course, and you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial. The east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with oilrigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast, where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that Londoners come to relax. London London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand years, and many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of these are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, but most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's London home) and the many magnificent museums. Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities with more than nine million people. Fewer people live in the centre now, but the suburbs are still growing. Places now in the heart of London, like Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and Mayfair, became part of London, but they still keep some of their old atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the old working people's district, where there are many small flats and houses, some old, some new. London is always changing. New buildings go up and old ones come down. Poorer areas become fashionable and people with more money move into them. A hundred years ago, the river was crowded with ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now the port is nearly empty. People travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world. Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass (you're allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you are in the country miles away. Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work by train, bus or underground. Every day, nearly half a million office workers travel into the “City”, the business centre of London, a small area full of banks and offices. Some people come from far out of London, even from the coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every day. Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 8 until 10 every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded with people, and after the morning “rush hour” the shoppers come. By day the whole of London is busy. At night, the City is quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night. Many people think that London is all grey, but in fact red is London's favorite colour. The buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers' uniforms, the cheering crowds and the carriages and horses all sparkle in the sunshine —if it's not raining, of course! Edinburgh Edinburgh is Scotland's capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where the kings of Scotland lived for centuries. From Edinburgh castle you can see for miles, north over the beautiful old streets, an arm of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains of central Scotland, often covered with snow. Edinburgh has a busy cultural life. Every year, in September the International Festival takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from all over the world and thousands of visitors fill the city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres and the concert halls are full. In cafes and pubs, small groups sing, act and read poetry. The castle is at its best in festival time. Every night there is a magnificent military “Tattoo”. Highland soldiers wearing “kilts” play the bagpipes, and march to the music. Tartans, the patterns of the kilts, have an interesting history. Since the fifteenth century, each Scottish family has worn its own tartan as a kind of badge. It was a useful way of recognizing people, especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from the nineteenth century, but some of the old patterns still exist. “Dress” tartans, worn on special occasions, have light, bright colours. ”Hunting” tartans are usually green, blue or brown. Oxford What is so special about Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest universities in England? Why do so many students want to study there? Both of these university towns are very beautiful. They have some of the finest architecture in Britain. Some of their colleges and libraries are three, four and even five hundred years old, and are full of valuable books and precious paintings. Both towns have many lovely gardens, where the students can read and relax in the summer months. Oxford is the older university of the two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-four colleges and about twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries. There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when the first women's college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now, women study at most colleges. Oxford is, of course, famous for its first class education as well as its beautiful buildings. Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need: a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues, and the four-hundred-year-old Bodleian library, which has about five million books. It is not easy to get a place at Oxford University to study for a degree. But outside the university there are many smaller private colleges which offer less difficult courses and where it is easy to enroll. Most students in these private schools take business, secretarial or English language courses. 小题1:Providing that you want to visit a most beautiful city and see “kilts” worn by men, you are supposed to go to ________. A．Edinburgh B．London C．Manchester D．Birmingham 小题2:Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Britain, which is special because ________. A．it has a big and modern library B．it has a quiet and friendly atmosphere C．tremendous of the most intelligent people in the country live and work there D．all of the above

In the last fifteen or twenty years,quite a number of men and women have chosen to ____ working world to try a different kind of life.A. breakB. fallC. runD. drop

D) You should decide on the best choice and write the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet And it has taken over. If you work for a medium-to large-scale company, 21are that you don't just wander in and out of work. You probably carry some kind of access card, 22 or otherwise, that allows you in and out of your place of work. Maybe the 23 guard at the front desk knows your face and will wave you in most days, but the fact remains that the business you work for feels 24 enough to keep outsider away vise these "keys."It wasn't always like this. Even a decade ago, most 25 businesses had a policy of free access. It simply didn't occur to manager that the 26 thing to do was to 27 people.Look at the airports. Parents used to take children out to 28 gates to watch planes land and take off. That's all 29 . Airports are no longer a place of 30 and fun; they are the most sophisticated of security sites.21.A) chancesB) chanceC) businessD) businesses22.A) electronicsB) electronC) electricityD) electronic23.A) securityB) secureC) securityD) secured24.A) threatenB) threateningC) threatenedD) threat25.A) privacyB) privateC) publicD) publicity26.A) totalB) bestC) properD) wrong27.A) trustfulB) trustingC) trustD) distrust28.A) departB) departureC) departmentD) departed29.A) goB) goneC) wentD) goes30.A) educateB) educatorC) educationD) educational

Complete the following paragraph with words from the word bank.You may-|||-not use any of the words more than once.-|||-! A)inconceivable B)resolve C)confided D)popularity E)impr-|||-F)sincerity G)genius H)gorgeous I) heeding J) refuge-|||-K)companion L)theories M)smart N)distinctive O)shook-|||-. 一 ---------- ---- - ---- - ----|||-Einstein's deep feeling and lifelong passion for music helped bring out the real I __ in-|||-him.For one reason why he was so 2 _________________________ was that he played the violin.Albert Einstein-|||-__-|||-himself admitted that life was 3 __ ......-|||-......for him without playing music.He 4 __ that-|||-most joy in his life came from his constant 5 __ ,his violin.Combining music and science-|||-can produce great power. Using music as a tool helped Einstein think about his 6 __-|||-Whenever he felt that he had come to the end of the road or faced a difficult situation in his work,-|||-he would take 7 __ in music.8 .on his violin would usually help Einstein-|||-__-|||-9...... all his difficulties.His 10 and love for music definitely contributed to-|||-__ __-|||-making him one of the greatest physicists in the world.

A . New words and expressions . Fill in the gaps with words given in the box . Change the form where necessary . average diabetes diet extend gene immune lengthen remain 1 . The lady had stomach trouble and had to follow a strict _. 2 . It s safest to _ a good distance behind in case the car in front suddenly stops. 3 . His mental faculties fall somewhat below the _. 4 . Fruit trees _ out over the farm fences。 5 . _ is a medical condition in which someone has too much sugar in their blood. 6 . She began to walk faster but he _ his stride to keep up with her. 7 . A _ is a part of cell in a living thing that controls what it looks like how it grows and how it develops. 8 . Once we ve had the disease,we're＿for life.

access   benefit   dentist   gym   insurance   salary   secretary   vacation（1）I'm sorry,but I can't give you ____ to this information.（2）A company car is just one ____ of my new job!（3）We like to go to the ____ every day after work.（4）Have you seen his teeth？I'm not sure he's a good ____ .（5）The company I work for pays for my health ____ .（6）If you want to be a（n） ____ ，you need to be able to type fast.（7）In my new job,I'm earning a higher ____ and working fewer hours.（8）I haven't had a（n） ____ for three months and I'm feeling really tired.

阅读理解AThere are an extremely large number of antsworldwide. Each individual (个体的) ant hardly weigh anything, but put together they weigh roughly the same as all of mankind. They also live nearly everywhere, except on frozen mountain tops and around the poles.Foranimals their size, ants have been astonishingly successful, largely due to their wonderfulsocial behavior.In colonies (群体) that range in size from a few hundred to tens of millions, they organize their lives with a clear division of labor. Even more amazing is how they achievethis level of organization. Where we use sound and sight to communicate, ants dependprimarily on pheromone (外激素), chemicals sent out by individuals and smelled or tastedby fellow members of their colony. When an ant finds food, it produces a pheromone that will lead others straight to where the food is. When an individual ant comes under attack or is dying, it sends out an alarm pheromone to warn the colony to prepare for a conflict as a defense unit.In fact, when it comes to the art of war, ants have no equal. They are completely fearless and will readily take on a creature much larger than themselves, attacking in large groups and overcoming their target. Such is their devotion to the common good of the colony that not only soldier ants but also worker ants will sacrifice their lives to help defeat an enemy.Behaving in this selfless and devoted manner, these little creatures have survived on Earth, for more than 140 million years, far longer than dinosaurs. Because they think as one, they have a collective (集体的) intelligence greater than you would expect from itsindividual parts.21.We can learn from the passage that ants are ____________.A. not willing to share foodB. not found around the polesC. more successful than all other animalsD. too many to achieve any level of organization22.Ants can use pheromones for______.A. escape B. communication C. warning enemies D. arranging labor23.What does the underlined expression "take on" in Paragraph 3 mean?A. Accept. B. Employ. C. Play with. D. Fight against.24.Which of the following contributes most to the survival of ants?A. Their behavior. B. Their size. C. Their number. D. Their weightBMany years ago,my dad was facing a serious heart condition.He was unable to do a steady job.He fell suddenly ill and had to be admitted to the hospitalHe wanted to do something to keep himself busy, so he decided to volunteer at the local children’s hospital.My dad loved kids.It was the perfect job for him.He ended up working with the seriously ill children.He would talk,play, and do arts with them.One of his kids was a girl with a rare disease that paralyzed(瘫痪)her from the neck down.She couldn’t do anything,and she was very depressed.My dad decided to try to help her.He started visiting her in her room,bringing paints,brushes and paper.He stood the paper up,put the paintbrush in his mouth and began to paint.He didn’t use his hands at a11.All the while he would tell her, “See,you can do anything you set your mind to.’’At the end of the day, she began to paint using her mouth,and she and my dad became friends.Soon after, the little girl was sent home because the doctors felt there was nothing else they could do for her.My dad also left the children’s hospital for a little while because he became i11.Some time later after my dad had recovered and returned to work,in came the little girl who had been paralyzed and only this time she was walking.She ran straight over to my dad and hugged him really tight.She gave him a picture she had done using her hands.At the bottom it read:“Thank you for helping me walk.’’My dad would cry every time he told US this story and so would we.He would say sometimes love is more powerful than doctor, and my dad—who died just a few months after the little girl gave the picture--loved every single child in that hospital.25.The author’s father worked at the local hospital to .A.realize his childhood dream B.ease his serious heart conditionC.earn money to pay for treatment D.keep himself occupied and happy26.How did the author’s father help the paralyzed little girl?A.He helped her practice walking. B.He visited her and made a toy for her.C.He showed her she could still do things. D.He painted special pictures for her.27.According to paragraph 4.the paralyzed girl .A.gradually recovered and walkedB.eventually became a unique painterC.was sent home and never seen againD.sent him a picture painted with her mouth28.What message does the passage mainly convey?A.It’s better to give than to receive.B.Love can sometimes bring great results.C.Volunteering is a worthwhile thing to do.D.A sick person should not focus on his disease.CThe hit movie Finding Nemo follows a clownfish from the Great Barrier Reef. In real life, clownfish are among the thousands of colorful sea creatures that call the Great Barrier Reef home.Stretching l,250 miles along Australia' s northeastern. coast, the Great Barrier Reef is the longest coral reef in the world.A coral reef is a living underwater structure. But these days, the Great Barrier Reef has found itself in trouble.Overfishing, pollution, and high temperatures are harming its health. That's whythe government in Australia is trying to help rescue the reef.Underwater GardenWhile coral may look like a plant, it is actually made up of tiny sea animal.Those sea animals are called coral polyps.As polyps die, they leave hard.shells behind. Other polyps grow on top of the shells.Over thousands of years, they form a coral reef in warm water that is not very deep.In many ways, the Great Barrier Reef resembles an underwater garden. Coral can be hard or soft.It forms in different colors and in strange shapes.Some coral looks like hardened brains. Other coral looks like fans and lettuces.The reef bursts with schools of tropical fish, dashing among gaps in the coral. The reef supplies food. and. shelter to creatures living in and around the coral. Turtles, sharks, sea horses, and crabs are among its many inhabitants.Helping HumansWhile the reef is important to ocean life, it helps humans, too. People rely on the reef for both food and jobs. It also provides medicine used to treat disease. Each year, the Great Barrier Reef contributes about 975 million to the economy through tourism and fishing.Stressed OutIs it surprising, then, that the Great Barrier Reef is under too much stress? Fishing nets and ships break off sections and damage the reef. Air and water pollution are also doing harm. At the same time, warmer sea temperatures have caused coral bleaching(漂白) on half of the reef. The high temperatures cause the coral to turn white, often killing it.Reef RescueIn an effort to help save the reef, the government has limited fishing to two thirds of it. That plan increases the number of "green zones.”Those are areas that are off -limits to fishermen and boats. However, tourists and researchers can still visit them. Many fishermen are upset about the plan because they rely on the reef for jobs.The Australian government says that its plan will help keep the reef safe from some threats. "It is very important that we give B reef proper protection for the future," said one government official. The reef is Australia' s greatest natural treasure.29.Which of the following is not a creature that lives in the Great Barrier Reef?A. Coral polyps. B. Turtles. C. Sea horses. D. Whales.30.Which section describes the problem in this passage?A. " Underwater Garden" B. " Helping HumansC.“Stressed Out" D.“Reef Rescue"31.What picture can the reader get from the underlined sentence The reef bursts with schools of tropical fish, dashing among gaps in the coral. in Paragraph 6?A. Many fish quickly moving through the coral.B. Fish moving toward the center, or target, of the coral.C. Structured, orderly groups of young fish without a clear path.D. Fish exploding when they come into contact with gaps in the coral.32.What is this passage mostly about?A. The causes of reef problems an possible solutions.B. Coral bleaching, which causes the reef to turn white.C. The history of tourism to the Great Barrier Reef.D. Overfishing and higher temperatures.DTexting pedestrians arena' t just an annoyance to their fellow walkers, but something dangerous to themselves.“1 was checking emails while walking to work this morning," said Wilbert van den Hoorn.“But it has a serious influence on the safety of people who type or read text while walking."Anecdotes back him up.A tourist from Taiwan walked off a port near Melbourne last month while checking Face book-bringing an abrupt, and icy end to a penguin- watching visit. Another shopper in the U.S. was too addicted to his mobile phone to notice the fountain ahead! walking straight into it.And as mobile-phone use has grown-to about 77% of the world's population, the study says-so has the number of phone-related accidents.The number of U.S.emergency-room visits linked to phone use on the move doubled to as many as l,500 between 2005 and 2010, an Ohio State University study recently showed.Authorities world-wide have taken note.Signs on Hong Kong's subway system advise passengers in three languages to keep their eyes off their phones.Police and transport authorities have also warned the danger in Singapore, where the Straits Times newspaper ranked it as No.2 Bad Habit"' due to the rising number of road deaths.Some U.S.states, including New York and Arkansas, are even considering bans on this act.The Australian study used 26 volunteers, a third of whom admitted having hit objects while texting.They were fitted with different equipment in different parts of their body, and asked to walk 8.5 meters three times-once without a phone, once while reading a text and once while writing a text-while eight cameras captured the action.Volunteers using the phone walked slower and with shorter steps (and slowest of all when typing), and! more seriously, they locked their arms and elbows in-like “robots", in the researchers' words.That forced their heads to move more, throwing them off balance.“In a pedestrian environment, inability to maintain a straight path would be likely to increase potential for hits, falls and traffic accidents," said Mr.van den Hoorn.“The best thing to do is to step aside and stop, or keep off the phone."33.Which of the following about” Texting pedestrians" is WRONG?A.People who type while walking.B.People who phone while walking.C.People who text while walking.D.People who read text message while walking.34.The writer uses the two examples in Paragraph 3 to showA.the advantages of mobile phonesB.the use of mobile phones in waterC.the use of mobile phones in a wrong wayD.the popularity of mobile phones35.What is New York and Arkansas' attitude to texting pedestrians?A.Considering forbidding their acts.B.Ranking it as” No.l Bad Habit".C.Setting up signs to warn them.D.Equipping them with advanced machines.36.Why are texting pedestrians likely to hit or fall according to the passage?A.They walk too fast.B.They lock their arms and elbows.C.They are out of balance.D.They walk with longer steps.37.What is the best title for the passage?A.Text message or e-mail only?B.Ways to avoid fallsC.Mobile phones for entertainmentD.Safety or text message?

ouecuons: in this secuon, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of cholces-|||-given In a word bank following the passag Read the passage through carefully before choices.Each choice in-|||-the bank is identified by a letter.Please write down the corresponding letter for each item in the blanks.You may not use any of-|||-the words in the bank more than once.-|||-A)endangered E) ensures 1)mission M)decided-|||-B) harmony F) unique J)variety N) alternatively-|||-C)close G)committed K)significantly O) rich-|||-D)contact H)declares L) natural-|||-For more than 45 years,World Wildlife Fund has been protecting the future of nature.The world`s leading conservation organization works-|||-in 100 countries and is supported by 1.2 million members in the United States and 1 to 5 million globally. WWF`s-|||- 2 way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global,and-|||- 3 the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature. WWF`s 4 is the-|||-conservation of nature.Using the best avallable scientific know they work to preserve the 5 and abundance of life on-|||-Earth and the health of ecological (生态的)systems by protecting 6 areas and wild populations of plants and animals.-|||-including specles,promoting sustain approaches to the use of renewable natural resources,and promoting more-|||-efficient use of resources and energy and the maximum reduction of pollution.They are 88 to reversing the degradation (退-|||-化)of our planet`s natural environm nt and to building a future in which human needs are met In 9 with nature They recognize-|||-the cntical relevance of human numbers.poverty and consumption palterns to meeting these goals.By 2020 WWF will conserve(保护)19 or the-|||-world`s most important natural places and 10 change global markets to protect the future of nature.

British children used to play conkers （板栗游戏） in the autumn when the horse-chestnut trees started to drop their shiny brown nuts． They would select a suitable chestnut， drill a hole in it and thread it onto a string， then swing their conker at that of an opponent until one of them broke． But the game has fallen out of favour． Children spend less time outdoors and rarely have access to chestnut trees． Besides， many schools have banned conkers games， worried that they might cause injuries or nut allergies． That sort of risk-averseness（规避风险） now spreads through every aspect of childhood． Playgrounds have all the excitement designed out of them to make them safe． Many governments， particularly in societies such as America， have tightened up their rules， requiring parents to supervise（监管） young children far more closely than in the past． Frank Furedi of the University of Kent， a critic on modern parenting， argues that allowing children to play unsupervised or leaving them at home alone is increasingly described as a symptom of irresponsible parenting． In part， such increased caution is a response to the huge wave of changes． Large-scale urbanization， smaller and more mobile families， the move of women into the labor market and the digitization of many aspects of life have unavoidably changed the way that people bring up their children． There is little chance that any of these trends will be changed， so today's more intensive（精细化的） parenting style is likely to go on． Such parenting practices now embraced by wealthy parents in many parts of the rich world， particularly in America， go far beyond an adjustment to changes in external conditions． They mean a strong bid to ensure that the advantages enjoyed by the parents' generation are passed on to their children． Since success in life now turns mainly on education， such parents will do their best to provide their children with the schooling， the character training and the social skills that will secure access to the best universities and later the most attractive jobs． To some extent that has always been the case． But there are more such parents now， and they are competing with each other for what economists call positional goods． This competition starts even before the children are born． The wealthy classes will take their time to select a suitable spouse and get married， and will start a family only when they feel ready for it． Children from less advantaged backgrounds， by contrast， often appear before their parents are ready for them． In America 60% of births to single women under 30 are unplanned， and over 40% of children are born outside marriage． The result， certainly in America， has been to widen already massive social inequalities yet further． All the evidence suggests that children from poorer backgrounds are at a disadvantage almost as soon as they are born． By the age of five or six they are far less "school-ready" than their better-off peers， so any attempts to help them catch up have to start long before they get to school． America has had some success with various schemes involving regular home visits by nurses or social workers to low-income families with new babies． It also has long experience with programmes for young children from poor families that combine support for parents with good-quality child care． Such programmes do seem to make a difference． Without extra effort， children from low-income families in most countries are much less likely than their better-off peers to attend preschool education， even though they are more likely to benefit from it． And data from the OECD's PISA programme suggest that children need at least two years of preschool education to perform at their best when they are 15． So the most promising way to ensure greater equality may be to make early-years education and care for more widely available and more affordable， as it is in the Nordics． Some governments are already rethinking their educational priorities， shifting some of their spending to the early years． Most rich countries decided more than a century ago that free， compulsory education for all children was a worthwhile investment for society． There is now an argument for starting preschool education earlier， as some countries have already done． In the face of crushing new inequalities， a modern version of that approach is worth trying．（1）What can we learn from the first two paragraphs？___A．More attention is placed on children's safety．B．More and more parents are becoming irresponsible．C．Children are no longer interested in outdoor activities．D．Parents are advised to spend more time with their children．（2）Which of the following about intensive parenting style is TRUE？___A．Chances are that this style could be changed．B．Financial pressure forces parents to be stricter．C．Rich families adopt such style to keep their advantages．D．Such style is largely influenced by the size of the family．（3）What does the underlined sentence imply？___A．Economists offer practical advice to guide parenting．B．A happy marriage secures children's social positions．C．Unfair division of social resources drives parents mad．D．Parents are struggling for their children's edge over peers．（4）Which is the proper measure to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor？___A．Parents are persuaded to give birth to babies in their later years．B．Funds are provided for poor children after they are admitted to school．C．New babies in low-income families are sent to nurses or social workers．D．Children from low-income families are ensured to receive early education．（5）What's the author's attitude towards investment in pre-school education？___A．SupportiveB．DisapprovingC．SkepticD．Unconcerned（6）The author begins the passage with the game of conkers to___．A．show competition overweighs cooperationB．imply educational inequalities should be brokenC．make readers aware of the rules of the gameD．indicate the game has lost its appeal to children