is much more important than being thin. Studies show that overweight people who exercise have a lower death rate than “normal” weight people who do not.
Negative attitudes toward fat people begin in childhood. One study showed that, as early as nursery school, children liked pictures of disabled children of similar ages better than those of fat children. Similarly, a study of college students said they would rather marry a drug user, a thief, or a blind person than someone who was fat. These attitudes create discrimination that affects fat people in every aspect of their lives, including money matters. In fact, overweight, white women usually earn less than thin, white women—24 percent less, according to one study.
People often justify their judgments about fat people by saying that people choose to be fat. Choose? Who would choose life as a fat person in this weight-obsessed culture? There are many false ideas about fat people in society: that all fat people have eating disorders or emotional or mental issues; that if they really wanted to lose weight they could.
In reality, however, some people are naturally fat. How a person is born is simply science, not a comment on someone’s character. The Center for Disease Control reports that 78 percent of American women are trying hard to lose weight, and at an amazing failure rate—95 percent get back what they’ve lost within two to five years.
The often-heard comment of “you have such a pretty face” does not please me because of all that’s not said: “If you’d just lose the weight you’d be beautiful.” Beauty is a taught concept and the cultural standards for beauty change constantly.
Later in life, I was happy to learn that some cultures have very different standards of beauty. While I was visiting the British Virgin Islands, a local man invited me to be in a picture with him on the beach. I asked, “Why me? There are women who look like models here.”
2015—2016学年度第一学期 《大学英语2》期末试题A卷 共13页 第5页
“Bones are for dogs,” he said with a smile. “Meat is for men.” 1.From Paragraph 1 we know that the author_______
A. is a litter fatter than before B. usually had fast food and soft drinks C. often fell ill D. did not like to take pictures at college 2.The author enjoys exercising because_______ A. she wants to be more beautiful by losing weight B. she doesn’t want to die early C. she likes to live a healthy life
D. she would like to make up the happy time she lost before
3.The text mentions there are many false ideas about fat people in society.Which of the following is NOT one of these false ideas?
A. They could not lose weight even if they decided to do so. B. They have emotional or mental issues C. They have eating disorders D. They have chosen to be fat
4.When the author hears someone saying, you have such a pretty face ”(Para.6),she understands what the speaker really means is _______
A. you have such a beautiful face B. you are too fat to be fit
C. I like you with such a pretty face D. you’d be prettier if you weren’t that fat
5.The author feels happy when she learns that some culture have different standards of beauty, because_______ A. she loves to experience different cultures
B. she needn’t worry about the problem of being overweight C. she enjoys being liked for beauty
D. she likes to make friends with men from different cultures Passage two
2015—2016学年度第一学期 《大学英语2》期末试题A卷 共13页 第6页
Disney Mirrors American Culture
Last fall, the Walt Disney Company did something rare: it admitted defeat in its fight to build a history theme park in Virginia. The park was going to be called “Disney’s America”.
Some people might be wondering, however, if Disney lost the battle but won the war, as it seems everyone is living in Disney’s America these days.
With its purchase of Capital Cities/ABC Inc. last month, the company founded by Walter Elias Disney in 1923 deepened its claim on American culture. In fact, it would be hard to find another company so widely respected—even loved—by Americans.
Americans rush out to see Disney films, and then replay them—on videotapes; they read Disney books to their children; they watch Disney shows on Disney TV; they make trips to Disneyland and Disney World, where they stay in Disney hotels and eat Disney food; Americans buy Disney products at Disney stores, and listen to Disney records of Disney songs.
The world of Disney is becoming anything but small.
All this makes some people more than a little upset. Harold Bloom, a professor at Yale University, provides an examination of the cultural history of Western society.
“At the end of this road lies cultural uniformity of the worst kind. It’s just terrible.”
This is becoming a popular opinion in universities around the world. “Disney products,” said Paul Fussell, a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, “have always seemed to me seriously sub-adult.”
Those who oppose Disney (and there are many) see its films and by-products as sexist, racist and as simpler, cheered-up accounts of American history and folklore.
2015—2016学年度第一学期 《大学英语2》期末试题A卷 共13页 第7页
“There’s a kind of protection at work here,” said Henry Giroux, a professor at Penn State University. Like all those opposed to Disney, he can list, in detail, Disney’s many crimes against culture: he is very angry, for example, about the treatment of American Indians in Pocahontas.
“I mean, the entire history of what happened to the Indians, which some people would call the murder of their people, is sort of played out as a love story,” he said angrily.
Giroux said he believes that Disney has become a basic educator of America’s children, most of whom will be able to perform every word of The Lion King long before they even learn US President Abraham Lincoln’s historic Gettysburg Address.
However, even the most strongly opposed are quick to note that Disney has many positive values—cheerfulness, good-hearted fun, and a tradition of artistic quality—that help explain its success. Critical or not, most of those who oppose the company are Disney customers themselves.
6.What rare thing did the Walt Disney Company do last autumn? A. It planned to build a history theme park in Virginia B. It admitted that their plan to build another park failed C. It bought a big company
D. It claimed to be the mirror of American culture
7.People are influenced by Disney in many ways.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the text? A. People eat Disney food B. People love to see Disney films
C. People listen to Disney songs on radio Disney D. People visit Disneyland and Disney World
8.According to Professor Bloom, what will happen if people continue to be
2015—2016学年度第一学期 《大学英语2》期末试题A卷 共13页 第8页