I recently turned fifty, which is young for a tree, midlife for an elephant , and ancient for a sportsman, Fifty is a nice number for the states in the US or for a national speed limit but it is not a number that I was prepared to ave hung on me．Fifty is supposed to be my father’s age．but now I am stuck with this number and everything it means．
A few days ago, a friend tried to cheer me up by saying, “ Fifty is what forty used to be ．”He had made an inspirational point, Am I over the hill ?People keep telling me that the hill has been moved, and I keep telling hem that he high-jump bar has dropped from the six feet I once easily cleared to the four feet that is impossible for me now．
“ Your are not getting older, you are getting better ．” says Dr．Joyce Brothers ．This, however, is the kind of doctor who inspires a second opinion．
And so．as I approach the day when I cannot even jump over the tennis net．I am moves to share some thoughts on aging with you．I am moved to show how aging feels to me physically and mentally．Getting older．of course, is obviously a better change than the one that brings you eulogies（悼词）．In fact , a poet named Robert Browning considered it the best change of all :
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to me．
Whether or not Browning was right , most of my first fifty years have been golden ones, so I will settle for what is ahead being as good as what has gone by．I find myself moving toward what is ahead with a curious blend （混合）of both fighting and accepting my aging, hoping that the philosopher（哲学家） was right when he said ．”Old is always fifteen years from now．”
20．The author seems to tell us in Paragraph I that _____
A．time alone will tell B．time goes by quickly
C．time will show what is right D．time makes one forget the past
21．When the author turned fifty , people around him _____
A．tried to comfort him B．got inspiration with him
C．were friendlier with him D．found him more talkative
22．The author considers his fifty years of life ______
A peaceful B．ordinary
C．satisfactory D．regretful
23．We can infer from the passage that _____
A．the old should led a simple life B．the old should face the fact of aging
C．the old should take more exercise D．the old should fill themselves with curiosity
Tayka Hotel de Sal
Where：Tahua，Bolivia
How much：About $95 a night
Why it’s cool：You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood，but salt？That’s something few can claim.Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses(床垫) and blankets)．The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni，a prehistoric driedup lake which is the world’s biggest salt flat.Builders use the salt from the 4,633squaremile flat to make the bricks，and glue them together with a paste (糊) of wet salt that hardens when it dries.When rain starts to dissolve the hotel，the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where：Vythiri，India
How much：About $240 a night
Why it’s cool：Taking a pulley(滑轮)operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure.As you look out of your open window—there is no glass！—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy(罩篷)．Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel，or just sit on your bamboo bed and read.You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulleydrawn “elevator”．
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where：Cottonwood，Idaho
How much：$92 a night
Why it’s cool：This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet.Sweet_Willy is a 30foottall dog with guest rooms in his belly.Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side.You can relax in the main bedroom，go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼) in Willy’s head，or hang out inside his nose.Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters，there is also a toilet in the 12foottall fire hydrant(消防栓) outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where：Ayvali，Turkey
How much：Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool：This is caveman cool！Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago，when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash.But your stay will be much more modern.Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel，and the white volcanic ash，called tufa，keeps the rooms cool，about 65 in summer.(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
| B．It should be protected against the rain. |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive. |
| B．Being comfortable. |
| C．Being natural. |
| D．Being unique. |
What does the underlined words “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A．The name of the hotel.
B．The name of the hotel owner.
C．The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
A．Tayka Hotel de Sal.
B．Green Magic Nature Resort.
C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel.
How to deal successfully with a child who shows outstanding musical ability？It’s not always clear how best to develop and encourage his gift.Many parents may even fail to recognise and respond to their children’s need until frustration explodes into difficult or uncooperative(不合作的) behaviour.And while most schools are equipped to deal with children who are specially able in academic subjects，the musically gifted require special understanding which may not always be available in an ordinary school—especially one where music is regarded as a secondary activity.Such children may well benefit from the education offered by a specialist music school.
The five music schools in Britain are a relatively recent introduction.They aim to provide an environment in which gifted children aged between seven and eighteen can develop their skills to the full under the guidance of professional musicians.
Children at specialist music schools spend between one third and one half of an average day on musical activities，for example，individual lessons，orchestras，chamber(室内音乐的) groups，voice training，conducting and theory.They also spend several hours a day practising in properly equipped private rooms，sometimes with a teacher.The rest of their time is taken up with the subjects：English，maths，basic sciences and languages.All five British specialist schools are independent，classes are small by normal school standards，with a high teacher/pupil ratio(比率)．Most children attending specialist schools tend to be boarders，leaving home to live，eat and sleep fulltime at school.
What are the disadvantages？An obvious problem is the cost；the fees are high(￡12,000￡17,000 a year for boarders)．However，each school will make every effort with scholarships and other forms of financial assistance，to help parents of outstandingly gifted children to find the necessary fees.Secondly，not all parents want to send their children to boarding school，especially at a very early age.Almost all the directors of the specialist schools express doubts about the wisdom of admitting children as young as seven into such an intense and disciplined(守纪律的) environment.They stress，however，that their main aim is to turn out “rounded and wellbalanced” individuals.
There is little doubt that setting musically gifted children apart from an early age can cause stress.Early signs of musical ability may disappear in their teenage years，while natural competitiveness and the pressure to succeed can lead to a deep sense of failure.But all specialist schools do keep a close watch on the progress of individual pupils，and offer help and advice if needed.If a child’s musical ability is not recognized，________.
| A．the child may misbehave |
| B．the ability may fade away |
| C．the child may lose interest |
| D．the parents may become anxious |
What problem may musically gifted children face in ordinary schools?
| A．Their academic work may suffer. |
| B．Schools lack musical equipment. |
| C．Music is not seen as an important subject. |
| D．Parents and teachers do not work together. |
What makes specialist music schools different from other schools?
| A．Their working day is longer. |
| B．A range of musical training is offered. |
| C．More than half the day is spent on music. |
| D．The children have mostly onetoone lessons. |
What do most school directors see as a possible disadvantage for pupils?
| A．Poor children may not be included. |
| B．They may lose their individuality. |
| C．There may be a discipline problem. |
| D．They may not be mature enough on arrival. |
“Hi，howareya.” some people say when they see a familiar face.The words run together into a mass，all sense and meaning lost. All the same，people do care how you are.After they greet you，it’s likely you will greet them back，with an equally meaningless phrase like，“Can’t complain，can’t complain.”You could probably complain，at length，or share a brilliant thought you were just beginning when a greeting interrupted you.You don’t though，you say，“Great，you？”
You are not giving each other information about your health and wellbeing.All the same，you are sharing information.You’re acknowledging each other’s positions as acknowledged friends，or at least as accepted acquaintances.And you are reestablishing the ties that may have lapsed(衰退) since yesterday，when you last met at the elevator or the entrance to the train station.
It’s what anthropologist(人类学家) Bronislaw Malinoski called a phatic(交流感情的) communication.Its message is not in the words you use，but in the fact that you speak ritually(仪式上地) accepted words.In Asia，for example，people may ask one another if they have eaten，or if they are busy.They’re not really asking for their lunch menu or their agenda，they are saying hello.A phatic signal merely says, “I see you there.” It says hi.
There’s embarrassment of being near people without acknowledging them.That uncomfortable feeling is one reason why lonely passengers in the subway may behave as if they cannot see anyone around them or may escape their uncomfortable situation with a book.Some people read all the way home，and never turn a page.
Your friend isn’t asking how you are，and you aren’t telling him.However，he is recognizing your existence，and when you answer，you are recognizing his.In addition，the set speech you have shared opens the door to closer communications if both agree.Someday，you may come to real close friendship，and really tell one another how you are.
Meanwhile，people who greet one another this way do care.They care enough to recognize someone’s essential humanity(人性)．They send a signal across the space between，to share，very briefly and lightly，in awareness of one another.
Your greetings prove that neither of you has become a social outcast.How are you？You are still a member of society in good status.You are still the one who knows the rituals and secret passwords necessary to get to work each day.When people greet，they ________.
| A．want to show their different educational backgrounds |
| B．show nothing related with the words themselves |
| C．want to know other people’s privacy |
| D．express something special |
According to Bronislaw Malinoski，a phatic communication ________.
| A．is rarely used by Asian people |
| B．is too complex to be used often |
| C．helps establish or keep certain relationships |
| D．often ruins the normal relationships between friends or acquaintances |
Some people seldom greet strangers because ________.
| A．they want to be polite to others |
| B．they feel uncomfortable to do it |
| C．they don’t know when to greet them |
| D．they want to do something meaningful |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Greetings should be given better expressions. |
| B．Greetings convey different meanings to different people. |
| C．Greetings help prove an individual’s social independence. |
| D．Greetings help an individual be connected with the society. |
Founded in 1966，Seacamp，the first program dedicated to the education of youth in marine(海洋的) sciences，is the result of a cooperative effort of parents，scientists，businessmen and camp leaders.Preservation practices and a respect for the marine environment are the philosophy of the Seacamp.
Seacamp’s tropical marine location in the lower Florida Keys enables it to offer a truly unique marine science program.This program is the heart of Seacamp.Young scientists participate in a variety of courses under the guidance of academically trained marine science instructors and biologists.All science activities include studies in both the field and the laboratory.Each session,140 to 160 campers come to Seacamp，mostly from the US，but also from across the world.There are about 30 international campers each summer from an average of twelve countries.Many Seacamp program graduates have gone on to careers as environmental educators and marine scientists.
One of Seacamp’s unique aspects is that campers create their schedules.In addition to science classes，campers choose from a variety of programs to ensure that there is something interesting and exciting for everyone.Campers interested in journalism may work on the camp newspaper，SEASCOPE，which is published periodically during camp sessions.Arts activities are also included.Photography allows campers to take home memories of friends，wildlife，and underwater experiences.
Seacamp teaches the fun and skills of sailing.It’s an excellent way for future marine scientists to become familiar with the winds，tides and currents that are of primary concern in oceanography.Basic Red Cross certification is offered to beginners in sailing.The Red Cross course in advanced lifesaving is taught at Seacamp.The course is designed to increase the campers’ ability to recognize and avoid dangerous water conditions and practices and to use selfrescue skills to get out of dangerous situations.
Parents may bring campers by car to Big Pine Key.Counselors(辅导员) also meet participants at the Miami International Airport on the opening day of camp and accompany them to Big Pine Key on a bus.The fee for roundtrip service is $90.To join the Seacamp adventure，interested campers should contact Seacamp for an application.
We love to talk about camp！For more information or to ask any questions you might have，please give our friendly staff a call and we’ll be glad to help!According to the text，Seacamp is designed to help campers ________.
| A．have a good time at the seaside |
| B．develop a sense of marine protection |
| C．make a further study about sea life |
| D．complete a course about marine wildlife |
It can be learned from Paragraph 3 and 4 that ________.
| A．Seacamp offers many programs apart from science classes |
| B．Seacamp is responsible for training marine scientists |
| C．beginners in sailing should learn the advanced Red Cross course |
| D．Seacamp provides traditional camp activities such as arts and crafts |
The main purpose of the text is to ________.
| A．attract the young to Seacamp |
| B．present Seacampers’ experiences |
| C．introduce the programs of Seacamp |
| D．explain the aim of Seacamp |
A book review tells not only what a book is about，but also how successful it is at what it is trying to do.Professors often assign book reviews as practice in careful analytical(分析的) reading.
As a reviewer，you bring together the two strands of accurate，analytical reading and strong，personal response when you indicate(指出) what the book is about and what it might mean to a reader(by explaining what it meant to you)．In other words，reviewers answer not only the WHAT but the SO WHAT question about a book.Thus，in writing a review，you combine the skills of describing what is on the page，analyzing how the book tried to achieve its purpose，and expressing your own reactions.
Most book reviews start with a heading that includes all the basic information about the book，like：
Title.
Author.
Place of publication，publisher，date of publication.
Number of pages.
Like most pieces of writing，the review usually begins with an introduction that lets your readers know what the review will say.The first paragraph usually includes the author and title again，so your readers don’t have to look up to find this information.You should also include a very brief description of the contents of the book，the purpose or audience for the book，and your reaction and evaluation.
Then you move into a section of background information that helps place the book in context and discusses how to judge the book.Next，you should give a summary of the main points，quoting(引用) and explaining key phrases from the author.Finally，you get to the heart of your review—your evaluation of the book.In this section，you might discuss some of the following issues：
•How well the book has achieved its goal.
•What possibilities are suggested by the book.
•What the book has left out.
•How the book compares with others on the subject.
•What specific points are not convincing.
•What personal experiences you’ve had related to the subject.
It is important to use labels to carefully distinguish your views from the author’s，so that you don’t confuse your readers.
Then，like other essays，you can end with a direct comment on the book，and tie together issues raised in the review in a conclusion.
There is，of course，no set form，but a general rule is that the first onehalf to twothirds of the review should summarize the author’s main ideas and at least onethird should evaluate the book.According to the text，personal response of a book reviewer refers to “________”．
| A．accurate and analytical reading |
| B．the reviewer’s indication of what the book is |
| C．the reviewer’s indication of what the book meant to a reader |
| D．skills of describing what is on the page |
What is the most important part of a book review?
| A．The heading. | B．The evaluation. |
| C．The conclusion. | D．The introduction. |
Readers will get puzzled if ________.
| A．there is no heading in a book review |
| B．the book review is not complex enough |
| C．the reviewer’s point of view is mixed with the author’s |
| D．there are some different issues listed in the book review |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Steps to read a book. |
| B．Tips for writing a book review. |
| C．The way to develop your idea. |
| D．Things not to be avoided in a book review. |
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