Pride and Prejudice for the Modern Woman
Let us imagine how Pride and Prejudice，Jane Austen’s most
famous work，might be updated，200 years on.
Austen’s popularity is rooted in her intelligence.But today she would certainly have had a very different life，as would her characters.Here’s my own suggestion...
It is a truth finally and universally acknowledged that a single woman with brains deserves to have equal opportunities to men，however disadvantaged she may feel by sexism.
“My dear husband，”said his hopeful wife one day，“have you heard that the local store，standing empty for so long，is taken over by a bright young businesswoman？”
Her dull and indifferent (漠不關(guān)心的) husband replied that he had not.
“But it is，it is，”she replied excitedly.
Mr Dull­Husband made no reply.
“Don’t you want to know her plans？”she cried with some impatience.
“Well，clearly you think it matters to your silly little head...so I’d better listen.”
“Well，my dear，the rumour (傳言) is that she has already set up a string of successful businesses in northern England，though how_a_woman_can_know_anything_about_that_is_beyond_me.She will move in herself next month.”
“What is her name？”
“Bingley.”
“Is she married or single？”
“What a question! And none of your business.But her coming will be a fine thing for our five boys.”
“How so? How can it possibly affect them? ”
“My dear love：those lazy boys need something to wake them up.There are bound to be jobs going.”
“Is that her point in settling here? Surely as a woman she has simply taken a fancy to the place.”
“Nonsense，my love，how little you’ve noticed the world has changed.She’s got a first­rate degree and some sort of business qualification，I’m told.She surely needs one of our boys! Perhaps you might give her a call.”
“Me? No.Perhaps you can take an interest.You still have your looks，after all.She may even offer you a job.”
“Oh，that’s not likely.These new chances belong to the younger generation.But now you mention it，I think I’ll go along all the same.”
And Mrs Bennet went along.That was 10 years ago.She is now managing director of a FTSE­listed company.
...It would remain the case，of course，that Mrs Bennet would be one of very few women on the company board，that her salary would be lower than her male colleagues，her bonus of a more“female”dimension and her lifespan (年限) among the city’s business leaders shorter than theirs.Still，she’d no doubt have enjoyed Davos—and might even have hobnobbed (攀談) with influential figures.
小題1:Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Austen was born 200 years ago.

B．Austen rewrote Pride and Prejudice.

C．Austen’s success lies in her wisdom.

D．Austen’s updated work gains popularity.

小題2:The underlined part in the passage suggests that Mrs Bennet ________.

A．had mixed feelings of admiration and surprise about Bingley

B．felt kind of worried and doubtful about Bingley

C．was extremely anxious to meet Bingley

D．had a great curiosity about Bingley

小題3:In the eyes of Mrs Bennet，Bingley surely needed one of their boys to ________.

A．get married to

B．work for her

C．help her move in

D．take over her store

小題4:What does the writer intend to tell us?

A．Women with brains can also be as successful as men.

B．Women have to pay a high price for success.

C．A judgment must be made free from prejudice.

D．Sex discrimination still exists nowadays.

One might expect that the ever­growing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holiday­makers.Indeed，a rosy picture is painted for the long­term future of the holiday industry.Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere.And every month another rock­bound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’．
However，the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy.In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of sea­side holidays，over­crowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most.In recent years，Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education.Its forests，full of wildlife and rare flowers，were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise.In fact，the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holiday­makers traveling through the forest land.Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers，with the consequent exploitation of  precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism.The people as well rapidly feel its effects.Farmland makes way for hotels，roads and airports；the old way of life goes.The one­time farmer is now the servant of some multi­national organization；he is no longer his own master.Once it was his back that bore the pain；now it is his smile that is exploited.No doubt he wonders whether he wasn’t happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully，the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers.The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies.At the same time，tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit.Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies.Increased understanding in planning world­wide tourism can preserve the market for these companies.If not，in a few years’ time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
小題1:What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A．The Pacific island is a paradise.

B．The Pacific island is worth visiting.

C．The advertisement is not convincing.

D．The advertisement is not impressive.

小題2:The example of Nepal is used to suggest________.

A．its natural resources are untouched

B．its forests are exploited for farmland

C．it develops well in health and education

D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists

小題3:What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4?

A．They are happy to work their own lands.

B．They have to please the tourists for a living.

C．They have to struggle for their independence.

D．They are proud of working in multi­national organizations.

小題4:Which of the following determines the future of tourism ?

A．The number of tourists.

B．The improvement of services.

C．The promotion of new products.

D．The management of tourism.

小題5:The author’s attitude towards the development of the tourist industry is________.

A．optimistic	B．doubtful
C．objective	D．negative

In Africa, listening is a guiding principle .It’s a principle that’ been lost in the constant chat of the Western world .From my own past experience , I noticed how much faster I had to answer a question during a TV interview .It is as if we have completely lost the ability to listen .We talk and talk , and we end up frightened by silence .
Everywhere, people on the African continent write and tell stories. Even the nomads(流浪者)who still live in the Kalahari Desert are said to tell one another stories on their daylong wanderings, during which they search for roots and animals to hunt.
A number of years ago I sat down on a stone bench outside the Teatro Avenida in Maputo, Mozambique, where I worked as an artistic consultant. It was a hot day, and we were taking a break, hoping that a cool gentle wind would move past. Two old African men were sitting on that bench, but there was room for me, too. In Africa people share more than just water. Even when it comes to shade, people are generous.
I heard the two men talking about a third old man who had recently died. One of them said, “I was visiting him at his home. He started to tell me an amazing story about something that had happened to him when he was young. But it was a long story. Night came, and I decided that I should come back the next day to hear the rest. But when I arrived, he was dead.”
The man fell silent. I decided not to leave that bench until I heard how the other man would respond to what he’d heard. Finally he, too, spoke. “That’s not a good way to die—before you’ve told the end of your story.”
What separates us from animals is the fact that we are storytelling creatures and we can listen to other people’s dreams, fears, joys, sorrows, desires and defeats—and they in turn can listen to ours.
Many people make the mistake of confusing information with knowledge. They are not the same thing. Knowledge involves the interpretation of information. Knowledge involves listening.
Many words will be written on the wind and the sand, or end up in store. But the storytelling will go on until the last human being stops listening. Then we can send the great record of human out into the endless universe.
Who knows? Maybe someone is out there, willing to listen…
小題1:From the very beginning of the passage, we can know Europeans ________.

A．a(chǎn)ctually lose the ability to listen

B．seldom chat constantly with each other

C．feel frightened when they are alone and silent

D．tend to talk more and listen less

小題2: It can be inferred from the passage that if you are in Africa, you will _______.

A．suffer hot weather and lack of water

B．be certainly helped when in trouble

C．often hear the stories told by strangers

D．have no choice but to listen during a talk

小題3:According to the last three paragraphs, we can know _________.

A．no one knows exactly why Africans are willing to listen

B．information is hard to understand without interpretation

C．listening makes the difference between information and knowledge

D．the existence of humans’ recordings totally depends on the way of storytelling

小題4:The passage mainly talks about __________.

A．the experience of the author

B．the art of listening in Africa

C．the importance of storytelling

D．the life styles of Africans

People often say that money talks. They mean that a person with a lot of money can say how he or she wants things done. But it is not easy to earn enough money to gain this kind of power. Ask anyone in a business, they will tell you that it is a jungle out there. The expression probably began because the jungle is filled with wild animals and unknown dangers that threaten people. Sometimes people in business feel competing businesses are as dangerous as wild animals. And they feel that unknown dangers in the business world frighten the survival of their business.
People in business have to be careful, if they are to survive the jungle out there. They must not be led into making bogus investments. Bogus means something that it is not real. Nobody is sure how the word got started. But it began to appear in a American newspapers in 1800s. A newspaper in Boston Massachusetts said the word came from a criminal whose name was Bogazy. The newspaper said Bogazy wrote checks to people, although he did not have enough money in the bank. After he wrote the checks, he would flee from town. So people who were paid with his checks received nothing. The newspaper said Americans shortened and changed to the criminal's name Bogazy to bogus.
People try to earn money also must be aware of being ripped off. A person who is ripped off has had something stolen or at least has been treated very unfairly. A writer for the magazine American Speech said he first saw the expression used in 1971. It was on a sign that a student carried during a protest demonstration at a university. The message on the sign was that the student felt ripped off or cheated. Perhaps the best way to prevent getting ripped off in business is to not try to get rich quickly.
To be successful, a person in business works hard and tries to get down to brass tacks. This expression means to get to the bottom or most important part of something. For example, a salesman may talk and talk about his product without saying the price. You get down to brass tacks when you say it sounds good but how much does it cost？
Word expert Charles Funk thinks the expression comes from sailors on ships. They clean the bottom of a boat. When they have removed all the dirt, they are down to the brass tacks, the copper pieces that hold the boat together. So if we get down to brass tacks, we can prevent rip-offs and bogus ways of earning money in that jungle out there. And some good luck will help too.
小題1:This passage is mainly written to________.

A．explain several expressions related to money

B．tell us some skills of learning English words

C．tell us the secret of how to do business

D．tell us the power of money

小題2:People compare doing business to being in a jungle because________.

A．doing business is as exciting as living in a jungle

B．businessmen are as dangerous as animals in a jungle

C．doing business is as difficult as living in a jungle

D．businessmen are as careful as people living in a jungle

小題3:If we say something is bogus, we probably mean it is not________.

A．real

B．beautiful

C．good

D．new

小題4:According to Paragraph 2,where did the word "bogus" come from? _________

A．The name of a very successful businessman.

B．The name of a criminal who cheated others.

C．The name of a famous newspaper in Boston.

D．The name of a check written by a criminal.

閱讀下面短文，從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中，選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。
Generally speaking, a British is widely regarded as a quiet, shy and conservative (保守) person who is        only among those with whom he is familiar. When a stranger is present, he often seems nervous,          embarrassed. You have to take a commuter train (通勤車) any morning or evening to     the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or     off in a corner; hardly anybody talks, since to do so would be considered quite offensive (冒犯的).
        , there is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior, which, once     , makes the offender immediately the object of      .
One of the few things we can say about the British with certainty is that a British takes a(n)       to the discussion of their weather and that, if given a chance, he will talk about it      . Some people argue that it is because the British weather     follows forecast and thus becomes a source of interest to everyone. This may be so. Certainly a British cannot have much      in the weathermen, whose predictions, in many cases,          to be wrong! The man in the street seems to be as accurate – or as inaccurate – as the weathermen in his      .
Foreigners may be surprised at the number of references      weather that the British make to each other in the course of a single day. Very often conversational greetings are       by comments on the weather. “Nice day, isn’t it?” “Beautiful day!” may well be heard instead of “Good morning, how are you?”       the foreigner may consider this exaggerated (夸大) and comic, it is worthwhile pointing out that it could be used to his      . If he wants to start a conversation with a British but is      to know where to begin, he could do well to mention the state of the weather. It is a(n)       subject to which a response may well be     of even the most reserved of the British.

小題1:	A．relaxed B．frustrated C．a(chǎn)mused D．exhausted

小題2:	A．yet B．otherwise C．even D．so

小題3:	A．experience B．witness C．watch D．undertake

小題4:	A．whispering B．murmuring C．nodding D．laughing

小題5:	A．Hopefully B．Exactly C．Frequently D．Obviously

小題6:	A．developed B．observed C．followed D．broken

小題7:	A．doubt B．a(chǎn)rgument C．criticism D．praise

小題8:	A．emotion B．fancy C．likeliness D．judgment

小題9:	A．a(chǎn)tlength B．a(chǎn)t last C．a(chǎn)t most D．a(chǎn)t least

小題10:

A．a(chǎn)lways B．often C．constantly D．seldom

小題11:

A．faith B．relief C．honor D．credit

小題12:

A．put out B．make out C．turn out D．find out

小題13:

A．consideration B．prediction C．a(chǎn)pproval D．a(chǎn)ppreciation

小題14:

A．a(chǎn)bout B．on C．in D．to

小題15:

A．started B．conducted C．replaced D．Proposed

小題16:

A．Since B．Although C．However D．Onlyif

小題17:

A．benefit B．a(chǎn)dvantage C．disadvantage D．favor

小題18:

A．a(chǎn)taloss B．in detail C．in groups D．onoccasion

小題19:

A．a(chǎn)voidable B．steady C．optional D．safe

小題20:

A．expected B．a(chǎn)sked C．wished D．reminded

J.K. Rowling set children’s imaginations on fire. Can the creator of Harry Potter do the same for a grown-up audience? The British author will find out on September 27, when more than 2 million hardcover(精裝書) copies of her first novel for adults hit bookstores in the UK and the US, along with the digital edition. Set in a little English town, The Casual Vacancy is about an election held after an unexpected death.
Michael Pietsch, Rowling’s US publisher, says the novel reminded him of Dickens “because of the humanity, the humor, the social concerns, the intensely real characters”. No magic though, apparently: “This book isn’t Harry Potter”, says Pietsch. “It is a completely different concern”. As with Harry Potter, there are no advance copies for the media, no early reviews. To date, the seven-book series has sold more than 450 million copies worldwide, and it became one of the most successful movie franchises in July 21, 2007.
Back then, fans could buy books at midnight parties hosted by bookstores. But recent years have seen a great challenge for brick-and-mortar(實(shí)體的) bookstores. People are still buying books, indeed more books than in 2007, according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers. But they are reading them in a new format(樣式)—the e-book. The Harry Potter series just became available digitally for the first time in April. It will be different for The Casual Vacancy, with the publisher simultaneously releasing an e-book. For Rowling fans who once queued up for Harry Potter, this means that instant satisfaction is now only a click away.
Moving from children’s books to adult literature is a big transition. Will Rowling’s new book be successful? Arthur Levine, the US co-editor of the Harry Potter books, seems confident: “If you read or re-read the Harry Potter books, you can see that Rowling has all the strengths she needs for great success as a fiction writer –you have great characters, an involving plot, a sense of humor and great empathy”.
小題1:In Paragraph 2, what Michael Pietsch says means that_____.

A．Dickens’ works are too impressive to forget.

B．J.K. Rowling has all the strengths of Dickens.

C．The new book is similar to Dickens’ works in some way.

D．The new book is quite different from the works of Dickens.

小題2:The underlined word “simultaneously” has the closest meaning with“______”.

A．willingly

B．meanwhile

C．especially

D．eventually

小題3:What’s the main purpose of Paragraph 3?

A．To explain why the new book will have a digital edition.

B．To show the Harry Potter series are popular with readers.

C．To compare J.K. Rowling’s old books and her new book.

D．To clarify the great challenges for brick-and-mortar bookstores.

小題4:What do the Harry Potter series and The Casual Vacancy have in common?

A．They are both intended for children.

B．They both show the author’s great talent.

C．Their characters both have magical power.

D．Both of them won’t be read on the Internet.

When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem large. If you are short of time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St．Petersburg．
●The Hermitage Museum
The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St．Petersburg．There are lots of different paintings by the old masters in the Hermitage．Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists．
●Kizhi Island
Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden architecture from the Karelia Region of Russia．These impressive structures are made entirely without nails - the wood fits together with joints and grooves（溝槽）．
●Peterhof
Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun．You’ll be charged for admission, but go to Petethof when the fountains are working—during the day in the summer．They are shut off in winter evenings．
●The Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood
Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood in St．Petersburg is an enthralling must-see sight．The beautiful look may make y our eyes brighten, and the painting inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
●The Bronze Horseman Statue
The so-called Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian culture and a symbol of St．Petersburg．Made famous by Alexander Pushkin, this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness．
小題1:If you are interested in paintings, you’d better go to        ．

A．Peterhof and Kizhi Island

B．the Hernatage Museum and Peterhof

C．Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood

D．the hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on the Spilt Blood

小題2:We can learn from the passage that           ．

A．visitors can visit Peterhof for free

B．the buildings of Kizhi Island are made of wood

C．the fountains in Peterhof can be seen all year round

D．the largest collection of Russian arts is in the Hermitage Museum

小題3:The main purpose of the passage is to        ．

A．show the wonderful history of Russia

B．persuade artists to study St．Petersburg

C．recommend the famous buildings in Russia

D．introduce the must-see sights in St．Petersburg

小題4:The underlined phrase （in Para 1） “hit the highlights” means        ．

A．to save more time	B．to learn more knowledge
C．to go to the high buildings	D．to visit the most interesting sights

Every year Chris Brogan posts his three words for a new year. Many others and I have followed his lead for the past three or four years. They helped me a lot. My words for last year were“passion”, “focus”and“delegate”and I stayed true to them. This year, 2013, my goals are more personal and less professional.
FOCUS
Focus is making a repeat appearance on my list this year because I’m too much of a multitasker. The problem is that I have trouble finishing one thing with so many things calling me. When I was working as a writer, all my projects were handled via a schedule, I’m putting a fitness and housekeeping routine into my schedule.
HEALTH
I get so busy taking care of everyone else, and I forget to take care of myself and this has to change. My health suffers and my weight suffers. I have to get my health in check, not only for me but because I promised my 9-year-old son. I’ll make good food and lifestyle choices. I miss being thin, and it’s time to get it back.
CELEBRATE
What good is having it if I’m not taking time to enjoy it? I have a wonderful job, a happy family, and so much to be thankful for. So how come I spend all my time working? Last summer my family took our first vacation in four years, the best thing I’ve done for myself and my family in a long time. This year, I’m making sure to take time to enjoy life and celebrate its many blessings.
Do you have any words for 2013?
小題1:The underlined word “multitasker” probably refers to a person who　　　.

A．makes a living by writing

B．a(chǎn)lways fails to finish a task on time

C．has several things to do at the same time

D．pays more attention to fitness and housekeeping

小題2: Why does the writer have“HEALTH”as one of his three words?

A．He wants to take better care of others.

B．He’s gaining weight and feeling bad.

C．He did not take any exercise in the past.

D．He got the idea from his son.

小題3:What can we learn from the passage?

A．The word“CELEBRATE”can remind the writer to enjoy life.

B．The writer has a vacation with his family every four years.

C．The word“FOCUS”can help the writer focus on his family.

D．The writer used to be overweight for lack of exercise.

小題4:The best title for the passage might be　　　.

A．Three Words for 2013

B．Health Should Go First

C．Keep Organized

D．Goals for 2013

NO matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you’ll see Lonely Planet guidebooks in the hands of travelers.

Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. This year marks the company’s 40th anniversary. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts, all dedicated to travel.
Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They save you time and keep you from missing the very best things in a place. And of course, their reviews of hostels, hotels and restaurants, in addition to ticket information about your destination, are useful.
This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map, directing the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.
But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自發(fā)性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also lament(哀嘆)that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same things and having the same experiences as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same trail.
Another criticism of travel guides is that they have an overly(過度的)large influence on local communities. For example, some locals dedicate their lives solely(僅僅)to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They fake a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses just to attract tourists’ dollars.
小題1:The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that　　　.

A．it can help you to save time and money when traveling

B．you will not miss the best things without having to make choices

C．it provides a lot of useful information about your destination

D．you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city

小題2:Who will find a Lonely Planet guidebook very useful?

A．Someone who always takes a taxi when traveling.

B．A tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences.

C．A person who’s nervous touring an unfamiliar place.

D．A native traveler who is traveling alone.

小題3:People criticize the guidebook because　　　.

A．the guidebook is not as useful as most travelers expect

B．travelers using it will be bored with meeting the same people on their journey

C．travelers using it may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures

D．local people keep their old lifestyle under the guidebook’s influence

小題4:What does the underlined word“fake”in the last paragraph probably mean?

A．mistake

B．learn

C．pretend

D．create

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B．If you continue to subscribe it，the former service will expire．

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A．To sell Reader’s Digest Digital Edition．

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C．To introduce subscription to Reader's Digest．

D．To recommend continuous renewal subscription．