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Entertaining Guests in Today's Britain

Britons are increasingly entertaining guests at home with dinner, film and karaoke nights, inspired by television shows on cookery and home entertainment, according to a survey.

More than half (53 percent) of the respondents to a poll of 1,000 Britons across the country said they now prefer to spend quality time with family and friends by inviting them over to their homes rather than meeting in bars and restaurants, the survey by mobile phone operator T-Mobile showed.

Popular television shows such as "Come Dine With Me", where amateur chefs attempt to show each other with their cooking skills, "Master Chef" where ordinary people compete to cook to Michelin standards and a number of celebrity cookery shows have inspired Britons to entertain at home.

The poll showed that nearly a third of respondents had splashed out cash for home entertainment improvements such as sofas, dining tables, games consoles and bigger televisions to impress the guests.

"Over the last couple of years, my clients have increasingly asked for home parties rather than ones at independent venues," party planning expert Liz Brewer said in a statement accompanying the poll's results.

"This is not only due to the recession but because many have become increasingly house-proud and keen to show off their cooking skills, in addition to their latest home entertainment purchases. "

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver was the top choice for dream host of respondents, while Prime Minister Gordon Brown was one of the least favored, alongside his rival Conservative leader David Cameron.

31、What does the word "entertain" mean?

A.host

B.enjoy

C.enroll

D.recruit

32、 What does the phrase "quality time" mean?

A.precious time

B.much time

C.good time

D.limited time

33、 Which is the following is not true?

A.Many respondents involved in the poll prefer inviting guests to meeting in bars and restaurants.

B.half of the respondents in a poll said they now like to spend quality time with family and friends

C."Come Dine with Me" involved cooking skills.

D."Master Chef" inspired Britons to welcome gusts at home.

34、 What does the" splash out" most probably mean?

A.crush

B.waste money

C.ash

D.blush

35、 Over the last couple of years, why do clients have increasingly asked for home parties rather than ones at independent venues?

A.recession and their willingness to show their cooking skills

B.it is more healthy to eat at home

C.it is cleaner to eat at home

D.it can create harmonious atmosphere

Starting Your Own Business

People from other countries often take America as the "land of opportunity". Americans, too, believe that the country gives no end of chances to those who want to open their own businesses in this amazing place. Today, many Americans are still trying hard to become small business people, although only one out of two remains in operation after the first two years.

Many people start their small businesses for the wrong reasons. They want to get away from the paper work of their present jobs or to exchange the responsibility of their present jobs for free life styles. But more, not less, paper work and responsibility come with ownership of a small business.

Thomas is the owner of the news magazine Mother Earth, which is now quite successful.

He says that he had to work sixty hours without stopping when he was trying to bring out the first issue.

Thomas had waited for years after he came up with the idea for Mother Earth. During that period of time, he collected as much information as he could about his business. He borrowed books from the library, talked to successful people in the field, and began planning carefully the amount of money and the kinds and numbers of supplies he would probably need. When he finally opened with a capital of $1,500, he set up his office in the kitchen and his printing press in the garage, Owing to his devotion to business, his talent, and his skill in management, Mother Earth now has a circulation of 300, 000.

Not all small businesses are doing as fine as Mother Earth is 50% of the 450, 000 that start in America every year fail. Still, 95% businesses in the US can be called "small". Altogether these businesses amount to 40% of America 's gross national product.

36、According to the passage, which of the following is true of the small businesses in the US ?

A.All of them close down in the first two years.

B.Most of them fail within the first two years.

C.They all make big profits.

D.Only half of them continue to operate after the first two years.

37、 According to Paragraph 2, many people start small businesses in order to

A.do heavy work or earn more money

B.do less paper work or take less responsibility

C.do more paper work or take less responsibility

D.do light work or live quiet lives

38、 What preparations did Thomas make before he started his business?

A.He stayed at home.

B.He borrowed money from a bank.

C.He made investigations and drew up a plan.

D.He wrote a book.

39、 Thomas' success can be attributed to

A.his talent, his skill in management, and his devotion to his work

B.his good luck

C.his good relations with a business manager

D.his good treatment of his workers

40、 How many businesses in the US can be called "small"?

A.5%

B.40%

C.50%

D.95%

Why are America 's Kids So Stressed

I'm usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck by a report which concluded that today's children are significantly more anxious than children in the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children ages 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.

Why are America 's kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical isolation - brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other things - and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.

Given that we can't turn the clock back, adults can still do plenty to help the next generation cope.

At the top of the list is nurturing a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against stress.

To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers. Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for face-to-face relationships, and they will get more sleep.

Limit the amount of virtual violence your children are exposed to. It's not just video games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.

Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended Harvard or Yale.

Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn't have to rain your life.

41、The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people's state of mind are

A.surprising

B.confusing

C.illogical

D.questionable

42、 What does the author mean when he says, "we can't turn the clock back"?

A.It's impossible to slow down the pace of change.

B.The social reality children are facing cannot be changed.

C.Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten.

D.It's impossible to forget the past.

43、 According to an analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as mentally ill 50 years ago

A.were less isolated physically

B.were probably less self-centered

C.probably suffered less from anxiety

D.were considered less individualistic

44、 The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is

A.to provide them with a safer environment

B.to lower their expectations for them

C.to get them more involved socially

D.to set a good model for them to follow

45、 What conclusion can be drawn from the passage?

A.Anxiety, though unavoidable, can be coped with.

B.Children's anxiety has been enormously exaggerated.

C.Children's anxiety can be eliminated with more parental care.

D.Anxiety, if properly controlled, may help children become mature.

（責(zé)任編輯：中大編輯）

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