A. Were destroyed.
B. Caught fire.
C. Were flooded.
D. Sank.
C
Some futurologists have assumed that the vast upsurge (剧增) of women in the workforce may portend a rejection of marriage. Many women, according to this hypothesis, would rather work than marry. The converse (反面)of this concern is that the prospects of becoming a multi-paycheck household could encourage marriage. In the past, only the earnings and financial prospects of the man counted in the marriage decision. Now, however, the earning ability of a woman can make her more attractive as a marriage partner. Data show that economic downturns tend to put off marriage because the parties cannot afford to establish a family or are concerned about rainy days ahead. As the economy comes to life, the number of marriages also rises.
The increase in divorce rates follows, with the increase in women working outside the home. Yet, it may be wrong to jump to any simple cause-and-effect conclusions. The impact of a wife' s work on divorce is no less cloudy than its impact on marriage decisions. The realization that she can be a good provider may increase the chances that a working wife will choose divorce over an unsatisfactory marriage. But the reverse is equally plausible(似是而非的). Tensions grounded in financial problems often play a key role in ending a marriage. By raising a family' s standard of living, a working wife may strengthen her family' s financial and emotional stability.
Psychological factors also should be considered. For example, a wife blocked from a career outside the home may feel caged in the house. She may view her only choice as seeking a divorce. On the other hand, if she can find fulfillment through work outside the home, work and marriage can go together to create a stronger and more stable union.
Also, a major part of women' s inequality in marriage has been due to the fact that, in most cases, men have remained the main breadwinners. A working wife may rob a husband of being the master of the house. Depending upon how the couple reacts to these new conditions, it could create a stronger equal partnership or it could create new insecurities.
46. The word "portend" (Line 2, Para. 1 ) is closest in meaning to _________.
A. defy
B. signal
C. suffer from
D. result from
47. It is said in the passage that when the economy slides.
A. men would choose working women as their marriage partners
B. more women would get married to seek financial security
C. even working women would worry about their marriages
D. more people would prefer to remain single for the time being
48. If women find fulfillment through work outside the home,
A. they are more likely to dominate their marriage partners
B. their husbands are expected to do more housework
C. their marriage ties can be strengthened
D. they tend to put their career before marriage
49. One reason why women with no career may seek a divorce is that
A. they feel that they have been robbed of their freedom
B. they are afraid of being bossed around by their husbands
C. they feel that their partners fail to live up to their expectations
D. they tend to Suspect their husbands' loyalty to their marriage
50. Which of the following statements can best summarize the author' s view in the passage?
A. The stability of marriage and the divorce rote may reflect the economic situation of the country.
B. Even when economically independent, most women have to struggle for real equality in mar-
riage.
C. In order to secure their marriage women should work outside the home and remain independent.
D. The impact of the growing female workforce on marriage varies from case to case.
D
Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuanxiao or Tangyuan. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. It is said that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century, then became popular during the Tang and Song periods.
The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuanxiao are either sweet or salty. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, walnuts, sesame(芝麻), osmanthus flowers(桂花), rose petals, sweetened tangerine(橘子) peel, bean paste, or jujube paste(枣子酱). A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling. The salty variety is filled with minced meat(肉末儿), vegetables or a mixture.
The way to make Yuanxiao also varies between northern and southern China. The usual method followed in southern provinces is to shape the dough of rice flour into balls, make a hole, insert the filling, then close the hole and smooth out the dumpling by rolling it between your hands. In North China, sweet or nutmeat stuffing is the usual ingredient. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour. And so it goes, like rolling a snowball, until the dumpling is the desired size.
The custom of eating Yuanxiao dumplings remains. This tradition encourages both old and new stores to promote their Yuanxiao products. They all try their best to improve the taste and quality of the dumplings to attract more customers.
51. Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The custom of eating Yuanxiao dates back to the fourth century.
B. Sugar, rose petals and minced meat are all fillings of Yuanxiao.
C. Sweet Yuanxiao is usually made in southern China.
D. People in northern China usually make Yuanxiao by rolling it like a snowball.
52. Which country does the Lantern Festival come from?
A. China.
B. South Korea.
C. Jin Dynasty.
D. Tang and Song periods.
53. Choose the right order of making Tangyuan in southern provinces.
① make a hole and insert the filling
② roll the dough between your hands
③ shape the dough of rice flour into balls
④ close the hole
⑤ prepare some rice flour
A. ⑤③②①④
B. ③⑤①②④
C. ③①④②⑤
D. ⑤③①④②
54. What is the best title of this passage?
A. The Lantern Festival.
B. The ingredients of Yuanxiao.
C. The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan.
D. China's traditional food—Yuanxiao.
55. Why do we eat Yuanxiao today?
A. Because it' s a tradition.
B. Because it' s a kind of tasty food.
C. Because we love our country.
D. Because this food can make money.
E
Dogs wag(摇摆) their tails in different directions depending on whether they are excited and wanting to move forward, or threatened and thinking of moving back, a study has found.
Researchers in Italy examined the tail wagging behavior of 30 dogs, catching their responses to a range of stimuli(刺激物) with video cameras. To conduct the study they chose 15 male dogs and 15 female ones aged between one and six years. The dogs were all family pets whose owners had allowed them to take part in the experiment at Bari University. The dogs were placed in a large wooden box with an opening at the front to allow for them to view various stimuli. They were tested one at a time.
The researchers led by Professor Giorgio Vallortigara of the University of Trieste found that when the dogs were shown their owners--a positive experience--their tails wagged energetically to the
right side. When they were shown an unfamiliar human they wagged to the right, but with somewhat less enthusiasm. The appearance of a cat again caused a right-hand side wag, although with less intensity again. The appearance of a large unfamiliar dog, similar to a German shepherd, changed the direction of tail wagging to the left. Researchers supposed the dog was thinking of moving back. When the dogs were not shown any stimuli they tended to wag their tails to the left, suggesting they preferred company. While the changes in the tail wagging were not easily noticed without the aid of video, it was thought that the findings could help people judge the mood (心情) of dogs. Computer and video systems, for example, could be used by professional dog trainers to determine the mood of dogs that they were required to approach.
56. The video cameras were used to catch the dogs' responses because _________.
A. it was easier to catch the dogs' response changes in the tail wagging
B. the dogs were put in the wooden boxes and tested one at a time
C. they enabled the dogs' owners to know about their dogs' habit
D. the dogs wagged their tails in different directions when they were in different moods