I attended a birthday party in 1991. My teacher was then 59 years old. But her fellow teacher said that we were celebrating her 39th birthday! We were all surprised and puzzled.
After the party I was told by the fellow teacher that American women have a special saying about birthdays. If a woman is over 40, or even if she is 80, her birthday is always the 39th. If she is in her thirties, her birthday will be the 29th. And in her twenties, it’s the 19th. They usually have their “real” birthday when they are below 20.
This shows that American women, especially elderly women, are very sensitive(敏感的) about their ages. But my teacher always says, “We want to be younger,” so about the age of Western women, my advice is that if you don’t know it, don’t ask about it; if you really know it, don’t mention it. The writer felt the birthday party he attended was ___________.
| A．very interesting | B．very strange | C．very common | D．very sensitive |
The writer must be from______________.
| A．Western countries | B．Eastern countries |
| C．China | D．the United States |
In order to please an old Western woman , you can say to her,“____________”
| A．You are so old that you shouldn’t do that. |
| B．How old are you? |
| C．You look so young and beautiful. |
| D．Can I help you, granny? |
The writer wants to tell us__________________.
| A．that a Western woman always celebrates her 39th birthday |
| B．not to ask a Western woman’s age whether you know her well or not |
| C．to ask a Western woman’s age freely |
| D．not to attend an old Western woman’s birthday party |
Getting to the top is hard enough but staying there is an even greater challenge. And so it could be argued that the 10th World Championship 400m victory by Tonique Williams Darling is even more remarkable than when she struck Olympic gold in 2004.
Coming off the final turn the 27-year-old from the Bahamas held off the attack of both Sanya Richards (USA) and the former World champion Ana Guevara of Mexico displaying a hunger that permanent champions must have.
"I would say that being able to pull off the Olympic title and then come back a year later and pull off the World Championship title has just been a miler coaster (过山车) experience for me," she revealed. "It's really an historical moment for me and for the Bahamas, just to be able to do something like this. And so I feel really humbled and grateful and just overjoyed right now."
"It is not an easy experience. I will tell you, definitely, that in the off-season it was just a struggle to go out there every day and practice because coming off the top races and after the Olympics experience you are just kind of worn out mentally. It's not even physical. So you just go with the season, and work through it, and by the time, like two weeks away from this competition, I was hungry again and ready to be competitive."
Williams Darling credits a support group of friends and family, her husband, Bahamian 400m runner Denis Darling, with keeping her grounded when the natural tendency would be to ce
lebrate and then rest on one's laurels (桂冠，荣誉), Most importantly she credits her Christian faith.
"My life has changed a little bit (since winning the Olympics) but as far as the competition and training it hasn't changed that much,' she declares. "One thing I have tried to do is to train like I have never won anything before.
And I think that it was achieved because I could have been lackadaisical (无精
打采的) and blown off the season or whatever. I just stayed in there and knew that everybody else was coming after me. That really helped me to stay motivated this season."
1. The underlined words "credit' in paragraph 5 probably means
A. believe somebody
B. add money to the bank
C. attributes her success to those who have supported her
D. record, payment of money
2. Who won the gold medal of the 400m at the 9th World Championship?
A. Denis Darling. B. Sanya Richards.
C. Tonique Williams Darling. D. Ana Guevara.
3. According to the passage we can infer that _________.
A. the 10th World Championship was held in 2005.
B. Tonique Williams Darling's husband was her coach.
C. Denis Darling used to be a winner of the 400m of the Olympics
D. Sanya Richards only won at the .10~ World Championship
4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Tonique Williams Darling was retired after the 10' World Championship.
B. Tonique Williams Darling believed that SomeOne would catch up with h
er if she' did not stay motivated and train hard enough.
C. Tonique Williams Darling got to the top because she Was hungry before a competition.
D. According to Tonique Williams Darling, the Olympic title was less important than the World Championship title.
5. Which is the most probable title of the passage?
A. The harder you work, the more you'll get.
B. An athlete's successful story.
C. The higher top you get, the greater challenge you'll meet.
D. Do your best, and you are sure to be the top.
III. 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
第一节 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of 30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast, efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the “Bullet Train”. Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went “on line” in 1964. The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of 132 mph.
The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the “TGV” (Train à Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974, the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991, Japan’s Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country.
China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all, 89 such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010.
1. It was ___________ that helped promote rapid economic growth in 30 years in Japan.
A. manufacturers B. ordinary trains
C. Internet D. convenient transportation means
2. France introduced high speed trains to _____________.
A. increase the number of passengers B. fight against Opec
C. develop the finance of France D. connect other cities
3. Which of the following advantage(s) belongs to bullet train?
A. Speedy and energy-wasting. B. Slow but secure.
C. Fast and safe. D. Crowded and expensive.
4. What is the feature of the China’s currently fastest train?
A. It is the most advanced train in the world.
B. It can run faster than any other trains throughout the world.
C. It can produce electricity by energy transformation.
D. It can go into commercial operation.
5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Bullet trains are the most convenient means of transportation compared with others.
B. Bullet trains are the only key to developing the economy of a country.
C. Bullet trains can save time and energy for people.
D. Bullet trains have many advantages and are accepted by more and more countries.
Britain and France are separated by the English Channel, a body of water that can be crossed in as few as 20 minutes. But the cultures of the two countries sometimes seem to be miles apart.
Last Thursday Britain and France celebrated the 100th anniversary(周年纪念) of the signing of a friendship agreement called the Entente Cordiality. The agreement—signed in London on April 8, 1904—marked a new beginning for the countries following centuries of wars and love-hate partnership.
But their relationship has been ups and downs over the past century. Just last year, there were fierce disagreements over the Iraq war—which British Prime Minister Tony Blair supported despite(不管, 尽管) French President Jacques Chirac speaking out against it. This discomfort is expressed in Blair and Chirac's body language at international meetings. While the French leader often greets German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder with a hug (拥抱), Blair just receives a handshake.
However, some political experts say the war in Iraq could in fact have helped ties. “The British population was against war, ” said Francois Heisbourg, director of the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research(战略基金研究会). “So it could have actually helped bring the two sides closer. ”
The history of divisions(分割, 区分) may well be because of the very different ways in which the two sides see the world. “The French think Britain is not doing its best to become part of Europe by not introducing the single European currency(货币), ” said Geoff Hare, a former lecturer in French politics and language at Newcastle University in Britain. “France has spent the past 15 to 20 years making itself seen as part of the European Union. ”
But this doesn't stop 12 million Britons taking holidays in France each year. However,only 3 million French come in the opposite direction. Surveys show that most French people feel closer to the Germans than they do to the British. And the research carried out in Britain has found that only a third of the population believes the French can be trusted.Perhaps this bad feeling comes because the British dislike France's close relationship with Germany. Or because the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.
Whatever the answer is, as both sides celebrate 100 years of “doubtful friendship”, they are at 
least able to make jokes about each other. Here's one:What's the best thing about Britain's relationship with France? The English Channel.
1. For centuries, the relationship between England and France is______.
A. friendly
B. impolite
C. brotherly
D. a mixture of love and hate
2. The war in Iraq does ______ to the relationship between France and England.
A. good
B. harm
C. neither good nor harm
D. both good and harm
3. The British are not so friendly to ______ and the French are not so friendly to ______.
A. Germany;America
B. America;Germany
C. Germany;Germany too
D. America;America too
4. What does the last sentence mean?
A. As long as the English Channel exists, no further disagreement will form between France and Britain.
B. The English Channel can prevent anything unfriendly happening in both France and Britain.
C. France and Britain are near neighbors, and this will help balance the relationship between them.
D. The English Channel is the largest enemy between France and Britain.
5. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. The British differ greatly from the French in culture, origin and custom.
B. The British and The French are against each other because of the very different ways in which they see the world.
C. The celebration of the 100th anniversary of the signing of a friendship agreement mark-ed the mixture feeling of love and hatred over the last century between Britain and Franc-e.
D. The British dislike France's close relationship with Germany, while the French are not happy with Britain's close links with the US.
Man is a land animal, but he is also closely tied to the sea. Throughout history the sea has served the needs of man. The sea has provided man with food and a convenient way to travel to many parts of the world. Today, nearly two—thirds of the world’s population live within 80 kilometers of the sea coast.
In the modern technological world, the sea offers many resources to help mankind survive. Resources on land are beginning to be used up. The sea, however, still can be hoped to supply many of man’s needs.
The list of riches of the sea yet to be developed by man’s technology is immense. Oil and gas explorations have been carried out for nearly 30 years. Valuable amounts of minerals exist on the ocean floor ready to be mined.
Fish farming promises to be a good way to produce large quantities of food. The culture of fish and shellfish (贝类动物) is an ancient skill practised in the past mainly by Oriental people.
Besides oil and gas, the sea may offer new sources of energy. Experts believe that the warm temperature of the ocean can be used in a way similar to the steam in a steamship. Ocean currents and waves offer possible use as a source of energy.
Technology is enabling man to explore ever more deeply under the sea. The development of strong, new materials has made this possible.
The technology to harvest the sea continues to improve. Experts believe that by the year 2020 the problems that prevent us from exploiting fully the food, minerals, and energy sources of the sea will be largely solved.
1. The major things that the sea offers man are ______.
A. fish and oil B. minerals and oil
C. warm temperature and ocean currents D. the food, energy sources, and minerals
2. The sea serves the needs of man because ______.
A. in provides man with food B. it offers oil to man
C. it supplies man with minerals D. all of the above
3. We can conclude from this passage that ______.
A. the sea resources have largely been used up
B. the sea, in the broad sense, has not yet been developed
C. the problems that prevent us from using the food, minerals, and energy sources of the
sea have already been solved.
D. by the year 2000 , the technology will be good enough to exploit all the sea resources
4. The underlined words Oriental people in the fourth paragraph probably mean ______.
A. the people in Asia B. African people
C. European people D. American people
5. The best title for this passage is ______.
A. Sea Harvest B. Sea Food
C. Technology for Exploiting the Sea D. Man and the Sea
Ⅲ 阅读（共两节，满分40分）
.第一节：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
A
Today I’ll be talking about the invention of the camera and photography. The camera is often thought to be a modern invention, but as early as 1727, a German physicist discovered that light darkens silver salt. Used as a camera, a big box was set up, and a small hole was cut in one side to let the light in; he made temporary pictures on the salt. Silver salt is still the base of the photographic film today. Then a French scientist made the first permanent picture by using a special piece of metal which was covered with silver salt. A photograph he made in 1826 still exists.
The painter De Gear improved the process by covering the metal also with placing the common salt which we can eat. This was in 1839, the official date of beginning of photographs. But the problem was the printing of the photographs. And it wasn’t until other scientists developed the kind of photographic paper we now use that good prints were possible and photography became truly modern. In the 1870’s, Matthew Bradey was able to take his famous pictures in American Civil War. In the 20’s of this century, Georges Mann of the United States simplified film developing (冲洗), and Dr Edward Lane invented the so—called ‘Instant Camera’ which uses self—developing film. If we say photography came into existence in 1839, it follows that it took more than 100 years for the camera to reach its present condition of technical refinement(密度).
1. What discovery was the basis of photography?
A. Light darkens silver salt. B. Light darkens natural salt.
C. Light darkens silver. D. Light darkens self--developing film
2. How was the first permanent picture made?
A. By making use of special paper. B. By adding common salt to silver salt.
C. By giving a slight colour to the silver salt. D. By using a special piece of metal.
3. What does the speaker regard as the official date of beginning of photography?
A. 1727 B. 1826 C. 1839 D. 1870
4. According to the speaker why is Matthew Bradey remembered today?
A. He was a soldier. B. He took war photographs.
C. He painted portraits. D. He designed a portable camera.
5. What did Doctor Edward Lane invent?
A. A cheap process of developing film at home.
B. A new kind of film.
C. An automatic printer. D. An ‘instant camera’ that develops its own film.
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