The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a "band". The term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear （颈饰） impressed Charles II， the king of England who was exiled （流放） to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660， he brought this new fashion item along with him.

　　It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.
But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood.
　　31 The tie symbolizes all of the following except
　　A respect.
　　B elegance.
　　C democracy.
　　D politeness.

　　32 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie?
　　A Because he wants to make a show.
　　B Because he wants to attract attention.
　　C Because he wants to live in a casual way.
　　D Because ties are costly.

　　33 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion?
　　A Going to church.
　　B Going to work in the office.
　　C Going to a party.
　　D Staying at home.

　　34 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain?
　　A Charles II.
　　B Tony Blair.
　　C Jim Callaghan.
　　D Andrew Turnbull.

　　35 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly?
　　A In the 1630s,
　　B After the late 19thcentury.
　　C In 1660.
　　D In the late 18th century.

　　第二篇　 Why Not Eat Breakfast？

Breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day, it is also the most neglected or skipped. Common reasons for not eating breakfast include lack of time, not feeling hungry, traditional dislike for breakfast, and dieting.

　　Breakfast simply means "break the fast." Your body spends at least six to twelve hours each night in a fasting state. In the morning your body needs energy to rev up （转动起来） into high gear for the day's work ahead.

　　If you skip breakfast， you are likely to concentrate less effectively in the late morning， feel irritable， short-tempered（易怒的）， tired， or weak.

When you choose not to eat breakfast, your body stays in slow gear. Also, people

　　who skip breakfast often binge （无节制的大吃） later in the day at other meals or eat a high-calorie （高卡路里） snack in the morning. Breakfast eaters tend to eat less fat during the day， have more strength and endurance and better concentration and problem-solving ability.

　　A good breakfast should provide up to 1/3 of your total calorie needs for the day. On the average, we eat 400 less calories for breakfast than for dinner. If breakfast doesn't appeal to you in the morning, try eating a lighter-dinner, earlier in the evening or save half your dinner for breakfast in the morning.
　　If you still aren't hungry in the morning, start with something small like juice or toast or have a mid-morning snack later when you are hungry.
　　Not eating breakfast can also cause you to overeat, since a fall in blood sugar often makes you feel very hungry later. To make matters worse, since your body is in a slowed state, it will not be able to burn those extra calories very efficiently. If you feed your body healthy snacks and meals throughout the day, you are less likely to become extremely hungry and stuff yourself as soon as you begin to eat.
　　Since breakfast is the first and most important meal of the day, choosing the right fuel is important. The best breakfast foods are fruits, juice, lean meat, and grain products such as breads, rice, noodles, and cereals.
36 The word fast" in the phrase "break the fast" in paragraph 2 means

　　A　"a series of quick actions".

　　B　"a habit of eating".

　　C　"a period of not eating".

　　D　"a strict rule".

　　37 Which of the following is NOT true of a person who does not have breakfast?

　　A　He will be easily distracted.

　　B　He will tend to lose his temper.

　　C　He will feel weak.

　　D　He will become very talkative.

　　38 You can improve your appetite for breakfast by

　　A　not eating too much for dinner in the evening

　　B　drinking a glass of milk before going to bed.

　　C　eating a big dinner in the evening.

　　D　having some juice and a toast for dinner.

　　39 Which of the following is a healthy eating habit?

　　A　Eating as little as possible.

　　B　Eating no breakfast.

　　C　Eating no lunch.

　　D　Eating three regular meals a day.

　　40 Which food is NOT fit for breakfast?

　　A　Rice.

　　B　Fat meat

　　C　Bread.

　　D　Juice.

　　第三篇　　 Who Came First， the Chicken or the Egg？

　　I just mailed the chicken and the egg, each in its own separate packaging, and kept careful track of when each shipment was sent from a post office in Cambridge,
　　Massachusetts, and when it later arrived at its intended destination in New York City.
In mailing the chicken, I was careful to adhere to the restrictions described in the American Postal Service's Domestic Mail Manual 57, as updated on April 3, 2003. This, the most recent, version of the Manual states that: "Adult chickens must be sent by Express Mail. The containers used must pass the standards in International Safe Transit Association Test Procedure IA; be strong enough to endure normal handling; and ensure enough air for the chickens in transit. The number of birds must not be more than the container's limit."
　　I mailed the chicken in a wooden box got from a colleague who does research with birds.
Then, I mailed the egg in standard packaging obtained through an industrial supplier. It's quite simple.
I posted both the chicken and the egg at 9:40 am, on a Monday morning, from the Harvard Square post office, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The staff there told me that this was the first chicken anyone had mailed from there in recent memory, and perhaps ever. They handled both the chicken and the egg skillfully and politely.
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