Proverbs(谚语) are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:
Once bitten, twice shy. If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.
Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup). When too many people do something together, they get in each other’s way and cannot do a good job.
To pour oil on troubled waters Is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.
Don't be a dog in a manger(马槽). Means “ Don’t be selfish.” In a stable(马厩), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bard when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.
He’s sitting on the fence. Means that somebody will not say whether he is in favour of a plan or against it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.
He who pays the piper calls the tune. A piper is a musician . The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.
You can’t get blood out of a stone means that you can’t get something out of a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him : “______”.
| A．You cannot get blood out of a stone | B．Don’t be a dog in a manger |
| C．The early bird gets the worm | D．Don’t be a horse in the manger |
Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people did not like the design of the school but they did not argue with Mr Wang because ________.
| A．he was sitting on the fence | B．once bitten, twice shy |
| C．he who pays the piper calls the tune | D．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush |
Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said: “ I won’t go there again because___.”
| A．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | B．I am sitting on the fence |
| C．Once bitten, twice shy | D．too man cooks spoil the broth |
Mr brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she warned him that _____.
| A．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush | B．too many cooks spoil the broth |
| C．you cannot get blood out of a stone | D．he who pays the piper calls the tune |
Waterland, California, June 26,2001—two cars dropped from sight, falling into the bottom (底部) of a 400-feet deep sinkhole (陷洞) which appeared suddenly. At a town 12 miles from Waterland, two bedrooms of one house dropped into a hole 60 feet across and 35 feet deep part of the next house hung dangerously over the hole.
Sinkholes have been happening without warning in this part of California for years. So far there is no way to predict (预告) when or where one will appear. But when one does, others usually follow in the same area, usually along a straight line.
The worst sinkhole in recent appeared in 1996. It was 70 feet across and 150 feet deep. It destroyed in one house, damaged several others and broke the walls of a city block. One hole, 15-feet deep, opened up this year in the middle of a highway, 19 seconds after a car had driven by. Others in the same area took place at night damaging houses, swallowing up trees and parts of streets and making 23 frightened people run away from their homes in night clothes.
Sinkholes happen when the weather is dry. The earth at the surface begins to drop into empty space under the ground, like sand falling in huge hourglass (沙漏). This is how a sinkhole is formed.
71. From the text we know sinkhole do not happen ______.
A. during the period of wet weather B. in a straight line
C. in the dry season D. at night
72. When one sinkhole appears, others usually follow ________.
A. everywhere B. on straight highway only
C. nearby D. in the places far away
73. Sinkholes take place because ________.
A. there are large holes under houses
B. Waterland has an underground lake
C. there are too many heavy things on the surface of the earth
D. dry earth moves and fills underground holes
74. Which of the following is not talked about in the text?
A. Sinkholes cause car accidents B. Sinkholes destroy houses
C. Sinkholes kill people D. Sinkholes damage streets
75. This text mainly tells us that ________.
A. sinkholes always happen without any warning
B. sinkholes have been happening in the Waterland area, causing some damage
C. even drivers cannot keep away from sinkholes
D. why a sinkhole happens and how its name has been formed
I have a special rule for travel: never carry a map. Sometimes I get lost, but I usually have a good time. I can practice a new language, meet new people, and learn new customs. And I find out about different “styles” of directions every time I ask, “ How can I get to the post office?”
In Japan, most streets don’t have names; people use landmarks in their directions. For example, the Japanese will say to the travelers “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not mountains, so the land is very flat (平的)，in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. For example, they will say: “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh”, they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” They don’t know how many miles away it is.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
66. The underlined word landmarks in the second paragraph means ____.
A. easily recognizable (可辨认的) objects by which one can tell one’s position
B. big markets where people can tell you how to get to the post office
C. tall buildings in front of which is the post office
D. bus stops which are near the post office you are looking for
67. From the passage we learn that in the American Midwest countryside, ____.
A. there are no buildings B. there are no landmarks
C. the fields are very flat D. there are some hills
68. Which of the following shows distance in time?
A. The Japanese. B. People in Los Angeles.
C. People in Greece. D. People in the American Midwest.
69. Why don’t the Greeks try to give directions?
A. Because they often say “Follow me.”
B. Because they will lead you to the post office.
C. Because they don’t understand any foreign language.
D. Because tourists don’t understand their language.
70. The passage tells us that ____.
A. there are different ways to get to the post office
B. people everywhere can tell you how far the post office is
C. in Greece there is much trouble in finding the post office
D. there are different customs in different places
第四部分阅读理解（共15个小题，每小题1分，满分15分）
In the western part of the United States where the Indians lived, a little mouse called the “bean mouse” became a guide to rich stores of good and tasty difficult-to-find food. Each season, the little animal would work very hard to search out the rare beans, and “cache” them away in its nest (窝). The Indians learned of this and found out the hiding place. They collected most of the beans for themselves. When the mouse returned to its home and found only a few of the tasty beans left, it set to work, harder than ever before, gathering more beans. This was a fine thing for the Indians, who had only to look for the nest, while the mouse had to look for the beans. But the Indians returned the favour (恩惠，善意) by always making sure that the animal had enough for the winter.
61. The Indians valued the bean mouse _________.
A. as a guide to food B. as fertile (肥沃的) land
C. because it made a good pet D. because its fur was valuable
62. The underlined word “cache” means _______.
A. throw them in every place B. place them in a hiding place for later use
C. put them in its home D. lay them under the mud
63. The passage says that the bean mouse was ________.
A. fearless B. friendly C. rare D. hard-working
64. The Indians are shown to be ________.
A. clever B. hard-working C. unkind D. educated
65. The best title for this passage is _________.
A. Man’s Best Friend B. Habits of the Bean Mouse
C. A Search of Rare Beans D. The Indians and the Mouse
Rome had the Forum (论坛). London has Speaker’s Corner. Now always-on-the-go New Yorkers have Liz and Bill.
Liz and Bill, two college graduates in their early 20s, have spent a whole year trying to have thousands of people talk to them in subway stations and on busy street corners. And just talk.
Using a 2-foot-tall sign that says, “ Talk to Me,” they attract conversationalists, who one evening included a mental patient, and men in business suits.
They don’t collect money. They don’t push religion (宗教). So what’s the point?
“ To see what happens,” said Liz. “ We simply enjoy life with open talk.”
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks, they decided to walk from New York City to Washington, a 270-mile trip. They found they loved talking to people along the way and wanted to continue talking with strangers after their return.
“ It started as a crazy idea.” Liz said. “ We were so curious about all the strangers walking by with their life stories. People will talk to us about anything: their job, their clothes, their childhood experiences, anything.”
Denise wanted to talk about an exam she was about to take. She had stopped by for the second time in two days, to let the two listeners know how it went.
Marcia had led her husband to a serious disease. “That was very heavy on my mind.” Marcia said. “ To be able to talk about it to total strangers was very good,” she explained.
To celebrate a year of talking, the two held a get-together in a city park for all the people they had met over the past year. A few hundred people appeared, as well as some television cameramen and reporters.
They may plan more parties or try to attract more people to join their informal talks. Some publishers have expressed interest in a book, something the two say they’ll consider before making a decision.
56. What did Liz and Bill determined to do after the attack on September 11, 2001?
A. Telling stories to strangers. B. Setting up street signs.
C. Talking with people D. Organizing a speaker’s party.
57. What they have been doing can be described as ____________.
A. pointless (无意义的) B. normal
C. crazy D. successful
58. Why are Denise and Marcia mentioned in the text?
A. They knew Liz and Bill very well.
B. They happened to meet the writer of the text.
C. They organized the get-together in the city park.
D. They are examples of those who talked to Liz and Bill.
59. What will Liz and Bill do in the future?
A. Go in for publishing B. Do more television programs.
C. Continue what they are doing D. Spend more time reading books.
60. How do they like the idea of writing a book?
A. They have decided to wait a year or two. B. They will think about it carefully
C. They agreed immediately D. They find it hard to do that.
Active New Zealand
Adventure tours in New Zealand and South America
website: www.activenewzealand.com/
phone: 1-800-661-9073
Destinations: South Pacific, New Zealand, South America, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica
Activities: Bicycling, Mountain, Road, Cross-Country/Touring, Sea-kayaking, Hiking & Trekking, Backpacking, Exploring, Day hiking, Family, Scuba & Snorkeling, Rainforest, Wildlife, Walking
Adventure Life
Exceptional travel in Latin America and Antarctica
website: www.adventure-life.com/
phone: 1-800-344-6118
Destinations: Antarctica, South America, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Central America, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama
Activities: Kayaking, Rafting, Sea-kayaking, Hiking & Trekking, Backpacking, Exploring, Day hiking, Multisport, Cultural, Archaeological, Historical, Scuba & Snorkeling, Nature, Rainforest, Wildlife, Eco-focused, Culture-focused, Expedition Cruising
Adventure Spirit / Travel Network
Adventure tour operator + Travel agency
website: www.adventurespirit.net.au/
phone: 800-492-0257
Destinations: Asia, Europe, South Pacific, Antarctica, Africa, South America, North America
Activities: Bicycling, Paddle sport, Snow sport, Hiking & Trekking, Caving, Family, Multisport, Cultural, Beach & Water sport, Scuba & Snorkeling, Nature, Photography, Safari, Geo-tourism, Fishing & Fishing Lodges, Sailing & Cruise, Other, Expedition Cruising, Space, Educational, Walking, Horseback/Dude Ranch, Self-Drive, Around the World Tours
53. Which of the following are NOT country names?
A. Argentina & Costa Rica B. Bolivia & Chile
C. Peru & New Zealand D. Safari & Scuba 
54. Which of the following statements is True according to the three advertisements?
A. If your are interested in history, you can click www.adventure-life.com/ for more information.
B. Both Travel Network and Adventure Life can take you to Africa.
C. If your want to enjoy Beach & Water sport, you can call 1-800-661-9073.
D. Active New Zealand can provide you adventure tours in New Zealand and Antarctica
55. If Jackson wants to travel around the world, he can call ___________.
A. 1-800-661-9073 B. 1-800-344-6118
C. 800-492-0257 D. none of the above
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