新闻类阅读理解模拟训练
本文作者： 杨柳青 (深圳)
A Skinny models could be banned from fashion shows and magazines under a major change of the industry. Diets for rapid weight loss and cosmetic surgery (整容) advertisements will also be removed from magazines, while clothing labels will be asked to offer a wide range of sizes under a new industry code of conduct (规范). Youth Minister Kate Ellis will today introduce a new body image (形象) award to be given to magazines, modeling agencies and fashion labels that meet the following criteria: – Say when images have been changed and stop changing them in a way that changes a person’s body shape. – Only use models aged 16 or older to model adult clothes. – The end of the use of models who are very thin – or male models who are very well built. – Providing clothing in a wide variety of sizes in shops to reflect the demand from customers. – Using a broad range of body shapes, sizes and ethnicities (民族) in advertising. – Not promoting rapid weight loss, cosmetic surgery, too much exercising or any advertisements or editorial content that may promote a negative body image. “Body image is an issue that we must take seriously because it is affecting the health and happiness of substantial (相当多的) sections of our community,” Ms Ellis said. A group of health and academic experts will spend the next six months working out the criteria that organizations have to meet. The Government has also given another $500,000 to develop new education programs with the help of eating-disorder group The Butterfly Foundation. The school program will see 2500 educators trained to teach 100,000 students aged between eight and 18 about positive body image. The code has already received the approval of teenage magazine Girlfriend, and Ms Ellis’ office is currently discussing the code with leading modeling agencies. The Australian Women’s Weekly editor in chief Helen McCabe said her magazine would begin identifying digitally changed photographs of sports and entertainment stars. Ms McCabe said readers wanted published images of women to be more realistic. 1. What would happen to fashion if the criteria mentioned in the article were taken up? A. Plus-size models would be welcomed in the fashion industry. B. Models aged under 16 would not be allowed to model clothes. C. Male models who were very well built would be greatly needed. D. Models in advertising would have the same body shapes and sizes. 2. According to the article, body image is an important issue because ______. A. it is a symbol of lifestyle B. it is considered an indicator of health C. it decides position in a community D. attitude towards it has a deep social impact 3. From the text we can conclude that ______. A. magazines were to be banned from digitally changing stars’ photos B. most people notice the effects of an unhealthy eating habit C. more measures were to be taken to support the new code D. advertising was to be subjected to a new code of conduct 4. What is the article mainly about? A. A change the fashion industry was undergoing. B. The possibility that skinny models would lose their jobs. C. The decline in popularity of skinny body images. D. A ban on magazines promoting thin body images. B This may come as little surprise to many people: In hard economic times, women are more likely to go on a shopping spree (放纵) than in normal times. A new survey finds almost half of UK women are frightened or scared by the economic downturn, and 45 percent felt their financial situation had taken a hit. A full 75 percent said they would be making cuts. Yet 79 percent of them said they would go shopping to cheer themselves up. Of the 700 women surveyed, 40 percent said depression (沮丧) was an excuse to overspend; 60 percent said “feeling a bit low” was a good enough reason. Pine, a University of Hertfordshire professor and author of “Sheconomics” said shopping is a way of dealing with difficult emotions. The desire to shop has long been known to have a great effect on some people, either because of simple love of things or to make up for emotional problems. Many researchers compare it to addiction, and some think it has been a growing problem in the modern consumerist society. The problem is likely not limited to women. A 2006 study in the United States found 6 percent of women have it so bad they are labeled compulsive (强迫性的) buyers – but so are 5.5 percent of men. Pine says this kind of behavior could become more pronounced in poor economic times. People use drugs and alcohol similarly to deal with emotions, Pine explains, but she thinks women increasingly shop for this purpose. “If shopping is an emotional habit for women they may feel the need to keep spending despite the economic downturn,” said Professor Pine. “Or, perhaps worse still, if they can’t spend we might see an increase in mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.” Problem is, the shopping doesn’t always have the intended effect. About 25 percent of the women surveyed said shopping sprees in the week before being surveyed left them with feelings of regret, guilt or shame. Sounds a lot like other addictions, Pine said. 5. According to the survey, in hard economic times, women tend to ____________. A. cut down spending B. go shopping and overspend C. use drugs and alcohol D. control fear with the help of others 6. According to Professor Pine, ______. A. overspending might have some benefits for women B. the desire to shop is more often than not a kind of addiction C. overspending could be less a problem in an economic downturn D. those who overspend as a habit will suffer more mental problems 7. What does “the intended effect” refer to? A. To cheer someone up. B. To make peace. C. To increase mental problems. D. To satisfy material needs. 8. According the article, which of the following statements is TRUE? A. It was generally believed that shopping was a kind of addiction. B. The ratio of compulsive buying in men is higher than that in women. C. A quarter of UK women are worried about the economic downturn. D. Overspending is a growing problem in a society that believes in consuming. C A used book or nearly-new kitchen gadget (配件) may not be at the top of every Christmas wish list, but hard economic times coupled with a new green awareness are changing attitudes about gift-giving in France. French holiday shoppers are choosing larger numbers for “green” gifting this Christmas, studies show. About 30 percent of French consumers will give second-hand items as gifts to stretch out their tight budgets but also to do their little bit for recycling, according to a study by international consulting firm Deloitte. The survey of Christmas consumer behaviors in 18 European countries found the French were more than twice as likely as other Europeans to give second-hand items. Websites promoting re-gifting and green gifting are popular in France, with many reporting a rise in business. “Concerns about the ecology and the economy have come together and we are now seeing people who accept the types of gifts that were not appreciated just a short time ago,” said Sebastien Ravut, who runs a website promoting eco-friendly consumerism. His site lists shops in France that offer fair trade products, bio-friendly goods and recycled items. Over the Christmas holidays, the number of visits to the site has doubled from last year, reaching 60,000 a month. A study by online survey firm Vivodi for PriceMinister showed eight out of 10 people would be happy to receive a used item as a gift and that younger consumers were more open to the idea. But Gilles Goldenberg, author of the Deloitte study, said that environmental concerns are not why customers buy used goods. “The number one concern is getting the lowest possible price,” said Goldenberg. “Eco-friendly products are drawing a lot of interest, but not if that means paying more.” Theatre tickets and other low-carbon gifts are fashionable, and eco-friendly websites are also encouraging gift givers to offer time and services instead of stuff. “The order of the day is to spend less time shopping and more time connecting” over the holidays, said Florence de Monclin from the Nicolas Hulot foundation for Nature and Humanity. 9. We can judge from the Deloitte study that _________. A. over a quarter of the French give second-hand Christmas gifts B. the French are less willing to buy eco-friendly gifts than other Europeans C. 80% of French people are happy to receive second-hand gifts D. less than 10% of European consumers are likely to give second-hand gifts 10. According to Goldenberg, the main reason for customers to buy used goods is that _______. A. they want to be eco-friendly B. they want to save money C. it is encouraged by websites D. it is a new fashion in Europe 11. All the following might be a promoted gift EXCEPT ________. A. a theatre ticket B. a second-hand book C. a nearly-new digital toaster D. a box of heavily packaged chocolate 12. Which of the following statements is TRUE? A. Old people are not open minded enough to accept second-hand gifts. B. People wish to receive second-hand gifts because of the economic downturn. C. Ravut’s website received a sharp decrease in visits during the Christmas holidays. D. In de Monclin’s opinion, people should spend more time with friends and family during holidays D It was an international drug dealing case, one that involved a lot of money and a lot of violence. Agents who had entered the organization had worn wires and collected evidence for years. A conviction (法庭判决) depended on an accurate translation of their tape recordings. “Five languages were involved,” says Liz Elting, 44, one of the owners of TransPerfect, the translation company chosen for the job. “The slightest mistake could mean the criminals would go free.” When Elting started her business 18 years ago with Phil Shawe, both were attending New York University’s Stern School of Business. Neither realized just how many situations would require their services. TransPerfect’s 4,000 linguists cover more than 100 languages. Getting Ahead with Liz Elting What inspired you to start TransPerfect? When I was eight, my dad bought a KFC in Portugal. Unfortunately, the Portuguese didn’t want anything American. They thought my dad was a CIA spy (间谍)! That taught me how fast things can change. I’ve studied in Spain and worked in Venezuela. This business is the perfect combination of my love for languages, cultures, and business. Is the staff multilingual? Many are. I speak French and Spanish. My partner, Phil, who is American, likes to say he speaks English on a good day. What languages are requested most often? Spanish and Japanese. Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indic (South Asia), and Eastern European languages are on the rise. How difficult is it to manage such a diverse workforce? Our challenge is to be culturally appropriate in every country. When we hand out year-end bonuses (奖金) in the US, for example, we have to remember that in India, bonuses are given in the fall. Any advice for someone starting a business? Get started before you have kids. In the beginning, I didn’t know how to do this business on the side. I wasn’t married, didn’t have kids, and wasn’t concerned about balancing my work and personal life. Now, with strong managers in place, I can spend more time with my family [husband Michael Burlant and sons Zachary, nine, and Jason, seven], traveling and playing baseball. 13. What is the point of the first paragraph? A. To report on an international drug dealing case. B. To encourage people to start a business when they are young. C. To explain the relation between a conviction and translation. D. To introduce Liz Elting and her company TransPerfect. 14. What do we know about Elting? A. She spent her childhood studying and working in Europe. B. She loves languages and cultures but not doing business. C. She is so busy that she seldom spends time with her family. D. She started a company with a schoolmate at the age of 26. 15. What does Elting say about her childhood in Portugal? A. That she learned Portugal is a country against US culture. B. That her experience inspired her to start her business to bridge cultures. C. That she lived there because her father was working as a spy for the US government. D. That she learned love is the answer to problems of cultural misunderstanding. 16. According to the text, TransPerfect is ____________. A. a company that offers international legal services B. has agencies in countries all over the world C. a company whose services are required in many situations D. whose staff can speak several languages 17. The success of TransPerfect partly reflects ____________. A. the importance of learning foreign languages B. the rise of developing countries C. the process of globalization D. high economic growth E The Japanese government has started a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions (排放). The Morning Challenge campaign, made public by the Environment Ministry, is based on the premise (前提) that exchanging late night electricity for an extra hour of morning sunlight could significantly cut the nation’s carbon footprint. A typical family can reduce its carbon dioxide footprint by 85kg a year if everyone goes to bed and gets up one hour earlier, according to the campaign. The amount of carbon dioxide emissions potentially saved from going to bed an hour early was the equivalent of 20 percent of annual emissions from household lights, “Many Japanese people waste electric power at night time, for example by watching TV until very late,” a ministry spokesperson told The Daily Telegraph. “But going to bed early and getting up early can avoid wasting electrical power which causes carbon dioxide emissions. If people change their lifestyle, we can save energy and reduce emissions.” The campaign also proposes that people take advantage of an extra hour of morning sunlight by improving their lifestyles in general by running, doing yoga and eating a nutritious breakfast. It is the latest measure tackling (应对) climate change by the Japanese environment ministry, which is faced with the challenge of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25 percent from 1990 levels within the next decade. It was the same government department that started the high profile Cool Biz campaign five years ago, which encourages workers to wear short-sleeved shirts and offices not to turn air condition lower than 28 degrees during the summer. 18. What does Morning Challenge claim is the purpose of its campaign? A. To promote a healthier lifestyle. B. To encourage people to watch less TV. C. To reduce household carbon dioxide emissions. D. To show the sense of responsibility of the Japanese government. 19. What might happen if the campaign’s aims were fulfilled? A. An office would reduce its carbon dioxide emission by 85kg a year. B. 20 percent of annual emissions from household lights would be saved. C. Carbon dioxide would be reduced 30 percent on 1990 levels. D. Air conditioners in offices would be turned to lower than 28 degrees in summer. 20. Which of the following is TRUE according to the article? A. The Japanese government is the first government to deal with the environmental problem. B. Carbon dioxide emissions are more serious in Japan than in any other country. C. The Japanese Environment Ministry is responsible for climate change. D. The purpose of Cool Biz campaign is similar to that of the Morning Challenge. |  |
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