Nearly 90 percent of Singaporean adults now own their own homes and thanks to strict adherence to the principle of merit, personal opportunities abound. “If you’ve got talent and work hard, you can be anything here,” says a Malaysian-born woman who holds a high-level civil-service position.

　　Lee likes to boast that Singapore has avoided the “moral breakdown” of Western countries. He attributes his nation’s success to strong family ties, a reliance on education as the engine of advancement and social philosophy that he claims is superior to America’s.

　　In an interview with Reader’s Digest, he said that the United States has “lost its bearings” by emphasizing individual rights at the expense of society. “An ethical society,” he said, “is one which matches human rights with responsibilities.”

　　1.What characterizes Singapore’s advancement is its___.

　　A.computer monitoring.

　　B.work efficiency.

　　C.high productivity.

　　D.value on ethics.

　　2.From Nixon’s perspective, Lee is___.

　　A.almost as great as Churchill.

　　B.not as great as Churchill.

　　C.only second to Churchill in being a leader.

　　D.just as great as Churchill.

　　3.In the last paragraph, “lost its bearings” may mean___.

　　A.become impatient.

　　B.failed to find the right position.

　　C.lost its foundation.

　　D.grown band-mannered.

　　4.“You can be anything here”(Paragraph 5) may be paraphrased as___.

　　A.You can hope for a very bright prospect.

　　B.You may be able to do anything needed.

　　C.You can choose any job as you like.

　　D.You will become an outstanding worker.

　　5.In Singapore, the concept of efficiency___.

　　A.has been emphasized throughout the country.

　　B.has become an essential quality for citizens to aim at.

　　C.is brought forward by the government in order to compete with America.

　　D.is known as the basis for building the “Intelligent Island.”

　　答案：DDBAB

　　At some time in your life you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse, but let it pass instead. You know that to commit the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.

　　Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years within the same society, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting and unpleasant that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.

　　One of the newest taboos in American society is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is topic that Americans talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, trim executives to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline, and self-respect. In an image-conscious society like the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”.

　　It’s not surprising, then, that millions of Americans have become obsessed with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the sole reason for America’s fascination with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the critical importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of North Americans has changed dramatically during the course of the last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor that people were once forced to do by hand. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak and vulnerable to disease. In an effort to avoid such a fate, millions of Americans are spending more of their time exercising.

　　1.From the passage we can infer taboo is__.

　　A.a strong desire to do something strange or terrible.

　　B.a crime committed on impulse.

　　C.behavior considered unacceptable in society’s eyes.

　　D.an unfavorable impression left on other people.

　　2.Based on the ideas presented in the passage we can conclude “being fat” __ in American society.

　　A.will always remain a taboo.

　　B.is not considered a taboo by most people.

　　C.has long been a taboo.

　　D.may no longer be a taboo some day.

　　3.The topic of fat is __ many other taboo subjects.

　　A.the same as

　　B.different from

　　C.more popular than

　　D.less often talked about than.

　　4.In the U.S., thin is “in”, fat is “out”, this means__.

　　A.thin is “inside”, fat is “outside”.

　　B.thin is “diligent”, fat is “lazy”.

　　C.thin is “youthful”, fat is “spiritless”.

　　D.thin is “fashionable”, fat is “unfashionable”.

　　5.Apart from this new understanding of the correlation between health and exercise, the main reason the passage gives for why so many Americans are exercising regularly is__.

　　A.their changed life-style.

　　B.their eagerness to stay thin and youthful.

　　C.their appreciation of the importance of exercise.

　　D.the encouragement they have received from their companies.

　　答案：CDBDB