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　　Passage 21

　　BEIJING （Associated Press） - China has a growing middle class， a tradition of expecting education and 21 million new babies every year. Selling educational toys should be easy.

　　While China may be the world's biggest toy-maker， much of the best is exported. Department stores here do not have enough high-quality toys. It is said that the demand for educational toys is low.

　　A US company， BabyCare， is trying to change that with a new way to sell toys in China.

　　BabyCare works basically together with doctors in Beijing hospitals. People who join the company's “mother's club” get lectures and news letters on baby and child development at no extra cost - if they agree to spend 18 dollars a month on the company's educational toys and childcare books. BabyCare's president says， “It starts during pregnancy（怀孕）， when the anxiety and needs are highest.” BabyCare works on a one-to-one basis. Doctors， nurses， and teachers - paid by BabyCare - advise parents， explaining toys that are designed for

　　children at each stage of development to age six.

　　BabyCare opened its first store in China last June in a shopping center in central Beijing and another near Beijing Zoo. It plans to have 80 stores in China within six years.

　　It is a new model for China and develops a market in young children's education and health that no other companies are in.

　　1. What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us？

　　A. Educational toys and foreign toy markets.

　　B. Problems with China's toy market and education.

　　C. Reasons for pushing sales of educational toys in China.

　　D. Baby population and various kinds of toys made in China.

　　2. Which of the following is a fact according to the passage？

　　A. Club members buy BabyCare products for free child-care advice.

　　B. Doctors in Beijing help in making BabyCare products.

　　C. Parents are encouraged to pay $18 for club activities.

　　D. BabyCare trains Chinese doctors at no extra cost.

　　3. BabyCare is developing its business in China by ______.

　　A. opening stores in Beijing hospitals

　　B. offering 18-month courses on child-care

　　C. setting up children's education centers

　　D. forming close relationships with parents

　　4. Which of the following is not true according to the passage？

　　A. The middle class in China did not pay much attention to children's education.

　　B. China is probably the biggest toy-maker in the world.

　　C. Many high-quality toys made in China are exported because of the low demand in the country.

　　D. The writer thinks BabyCare will succeed in China.

　　5. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage？

　　A. Mother's Club in China

　　B. BabyCare and Doctors

　　C. American Company Model

　　D. Educational Toys On

　　Passage 22

　　A few years ago， it was fashionable to speak of a generation gap， a division between young people and their elders. Parents complained that children did not show them proper respect and obedience， while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong？ Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared？ Actually， the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many critics argue that it is built into the fabric of our society.

　　One important cause of the generation gap is the opportunity that young people have to choose their life styles. In more traditional societies， when children grow up， they are expected to live in the same area as their parents， to marry people that their parents know and support， and often to continue the family occupation. In our society， young people often travel great distances for their education， most out of the family or home at an early age， marry or live or choose occupations different from those of their parents'.

　　In our upwardly mobile society， parents often expect their children to do better than they did， to find better jobs， to make more money， and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often however， the ambitions that parents have for their children are another cause of the division between them. Often they discover that they have very little in common with each other.

　　Finally， the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture， elderly people are valued for their wisdom， but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become obsolete overnight.

　　The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds， separated by different skills and abilities.

　　No doubt， the generation gap will continue to be a feature of American life for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedoms and opportunities of our society， and in the rapid pace at which society changes.

　　1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______.

　　A.the generation gap suddenly appeared

　　B.the generation gap is a feature of American life

　　C.how people can reduce the generation gap

　　D.many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap

　　2.The word “around” in paragraph 1 means _______.

　　A. on all sides

　　B. in every direction

　　C. near

　　D. in existence

　　3.Which one is NOT the cause of the generation gap？

　　A.Young people like to choose their own life styles.

　　B.American society is changing very fast.

　　C.Parents place high hopes on their children.

　　D.Modern education makes them think differently.

　　upwardly mobile： 能向较高社会地位和经济地位流动的

　　4.In American society， young people often ________.

　　A.rely on their parents to make a living

　　B.stay with their parents in order to get an opportunity for higher education

　　C.seek the best advice from their parents

　　D.have very little in common with their parents

　　5.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage？

　　A.Parents should be more tolerable towards their children.

　　B.The young generation should value the older generation for their wisdom.

　　C.The generation gap is partly created by the older generation.

　　D.The generation gap should be avoidable in American society.

　　obsolete： 过时的