Raymond Schneider politely elbowed his way through crowds of customers as he made for the candy bins at Dylan’s Candy Bar in Manhattan. Since he was laid off in December, Mr. Schneider, a 33-year-old designer, says he has become a “gummy junkie,” buying a lot of sweets every time he shops for groceries.
“Sugar is comforting,” he said. “There’s nothing more stressful than growing financial insecurity everywhere.”
The recession (经济衰退) seems to have a sweet tooth. As unemployment has risen, Americans, particularly adults, have been consuming growing amounts of candy, say candy makers, store owners and industry experts.
Theories vary on exactly why. For many, sugar lifts spirits dragged low by the economy. For others, candy also provides a reminder of better times. And not insignificantly, it is relatively cheap.
At Candyality, a store in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, business has jumped by nearly 80 percent compared with this time last year, and the owner, Terese McDonald, said she was struggling to keep up with the demand for Bit-O-Honeys, Swedish Fish and Sour Balls.
“They put candy in their actual budget,” she said.
Many big candy makers are also reporting rising sales and surprising profits.
“Candy companies are relatively recession-proof,” said Peter Liebhold, chairman of the Smithsonian Institution’s work and industry division. “During the Great Depression, candy companies stayed in business.”
1.Raymond Schneider was set as an example to show ________.
A. many Americans were laid off in the recession
B. lots of Americans like candies
C. many Americans in the recession like sweets which are comforting
D. Americans are suffering much in the recession.
2. What does the underlined sentence “The recession seems to have a sweet tooth” mean?
A. Candy consuming rises while people are suffering bad effects of the recession.
B. The recession doesn’t have any bad effect on Americans.
C. Americans are optimistic even though they are out of employment.
D. Candy companies stayed in business during the Great Depression.
3.Which is NOT the reason why people in the recession like sugar?
A. It is relatively cheap.
B. It is comforting and can make a lot of profits.
C. It raises people’s spirits up.
D. It calls up people’s good memories.
4. The best title of the passage is ________.
A. Sugar Is Comforting
B. Candy Companies Stay In Business
C. Americans Have A Sweet Tooth
D. Sugar Sales Rise In The Recession
阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Robby was 11 when his mother dropped him off for his first piano lesson. I prefer students to begin at an earlier age. Robby said that it had always been his mother’s dream to hear him play the piano, so I took him on as a student.
Robby tried and tried while I listened and encouraged him and gave him more instructions. But he just did not have any inborn ability.
I only saw his mother from a distance. She always waved and smiled but never came in. Then one day Robby stopped coming to our lessons. I thought about calling him but I guessed he had decided to try something else.
I was also glad that he stopped coming for the sake of my career. However, several weeks before the recital (演奏会) of my students, Robby came，telling me that he never stopped practicing and begged me to allow him to take part in it. I agreed, but I made him perform last in the program, so I could save his poor performance through my “curtain closer”.
I was surprised when he announced that he had chosen one piece of Mozart’s. Never had I heard a piece of Mozart’s played so well by someone at his age. When he finished, everyone was cheering.
I ran up and put my arms around Robby in joy. “I’ve never heard you play like that, Robby! How could you do it?”
“Well, Miss Hondorf. Do you remember I told you my mom was sick? Actually she died this morning. She was born deaf, so tonight was the first time she could hear me play. I wanted to make it special. I knew I could.”
That night, Robby was the teacher and I was the student. He taught me so many important things about life.
1.Why might Robby have stopped coming to piano lessons suddenly?
A. He lost heart and believed that he would never make it.
B. His mother might have been seriously ill.
C. He thought that his teacher disliked him.
D. His mother died and he didn’t need to play any longer.
2. We can know from the passage that __________.
A. the writer thought students shouldn’t begin playing the piano too early
B. the writer thought that Robby had given up his piano lessons
C. only by practicing at home did Robby learn to play well
D. no one else could play the piece of Mozart’s as well as Robby
3.From the underlined sentence, we can infer that _________.
A. the writer looked down upon Robby and disliked him
B. the writer thought Robby was a bad advertisement for her teaching
C. with Robby in the recital, the other children couldn’t play well
D. the writer couldn’t teach so many students at a time
4. The writer made Robby perform last because _________.
A. the one who performs last always performs very well
B. Robby asked the writer to do so
C. she wanted to do something to save a poor performance
D. Robby thought his mother would come at last
完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
In some cities, work holism（废寝忘食工作）is so common that people don’t consider it unusual. They accept the lifestyle as 36 . Government workers in Washington, D. C., 37, frequently work sixty to seventy hours a week. They don’t do this because they have to; they do it because they 38 to. Work holism can be a 39 problem. Because true workaholics would rather work than do anything else, they 40 have no idea of how to relax; that is, they might not 41 movies, sports, or other types of entertainment. Most of all, they 42 to sit and do nothing. The lives of workaholics are usually stressful, and this tension and worry can cause 43 problems such as heart attacks and stomach diseases. 44 , typical workaholics don’t pay much attention to their families. Their marriages may end in 45 as they spend little time with their families.
Is work holism 46 dangerous? Perhaps not. There are, certainly, people who work 47 under stress. Some studies show that many workaholics have great energy and interest in work. They feel 48 is so pleasurable that they are actually very happy. For most workaholics, work and entertainment are the same thing. Their jobs 49 them with a challenge; this keeps them busy and creative.
50 do workaholics enjoy their jobs so much? There are several 51 to work. Of course, it provides people with paychecks, and this is important. But it offers 52 financial security. It provides people with self-confidence; they have a feeling of satisfaction 53 they have produced a challenging piece of work and are able to say “I 54 it”. Psychologists claim that their work gives people an identity. After they take part in work, they 55 a sense of self and individualism.
1.A．strange B．boring C．pleasant D．normal
2.A．for example B．on the other hand C．what’s more D．after all
3.A．agree B．promise C．dare D．want
4.A．slight B．serious C．obvious D．difficult
5.A．still B．probably C．certainly D．mostly
6.A．afford B．enjoy C．watch D．allow
7.A．dream B．decide C．intend D．hate
8.A．physical B．cultural C．social D．mental
9.A．Therefore B．However C．Anyway D．Besides
10.A．happiness B．silence C．failure D．loss
11.A．sometimes B．always C．seldom D．hardly
12.A．sadly B．differently C．efficiently D．slowly
13.A．study B．family C．life D．work
14.A．equip B．pack C．provide D．fill
15.A．When B．Why C．How D．Where
16.A．factors B．advantages C．steps D．ways
17.A．no more B．more or less C．no more than D．more than
18.A．when B．before C．unless D．until
19.A．valued B．failed C．caught D．made
20.A．give B．lose C．get D．need
We may go to Hawaii or California._______ , we have to find a way to escape the snow this winter.
A. Also B. In addition C. Somehow D. Anyway
As time went by, the plan I stuck ______ fairly practical.
A. to was proved B. to proving C. to proved D. to be proved
— The weather is too cold ______ November this year.
— It was even ______ when I came here years ago.
A. for; colder B. in; cold C. in; hot D. for; hotter
