My favorite English teacher could draw humor out of the driest material. It wasn't forced on us either. He took Samuel Johnson's dictionary, Addison's essays, and many other literary wonders from the eighteenth century and made them hilarious, even at eight o'clock in the morning. The thing that amazed me most was that the first time I read these works on my own some of them seemed dead, but the second time, after his explanation, I couldn't believe that I hadn't seen the humor. The stories and poems and plays were suddenly filled with allusions (典故) and irony (反讽) and hilarious moments. I learned more from him than from any other teacher.
My least favorite English teacher also made people laugh. Some students found him to be funny. Many others did not. He assigned journals over a six week period, to be written every day. At the end of the six weeks I had a notebook full of bits and pieces about my ideas, short stories, reactions to what we had read, and so on. Our teacher announced that we would be grading each other's journals. Mine was passed to Joe, that class clown, who always behaved in a funny or silly way. He saw it fit to make joke of and said, " This writing isn't fit to line (衬垫) the bottom of a birdcage. " Our teacher laughed at that funny remark. It hurt me so much that the anger from it has driven my writing and teaching ever since.
So what makes the difference? Humor is one of the most powerful tools teachers or writers have. It can build up students and classes and make them excited about literature and writing, or it can tear them apart. It is true that humor is either productive or counter-productive and self-defeating.The passage mainly discusses ________.
| A．teaching | B．literature |
| C．humor | D．knowledge |
The underlined word "hilarious" in Paragraph 1 probably means ________.
| A．funny | B．tiring |
| C．inspiring | D．brilliant |
The English teacher the writer disliked most ________.
| A．was not able to make students laugh |
| B．hurt his students' feelings |
| C．didn't let his students do the grading |
| D．had no sense of humor |
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
Sitting too much is now listed with smoking and junk food as a bad habit that increases your risk of heart disease.
New Australian research shows that half-an-hour in the gym will not make up for the waist-expanding damage caused by spending the rest of the day sitting.
But the good news is that doing chores (家务杂事) in the house or gently walking around the office while on the phone might be enough to keep you fit.
The study joins the growing body of evidence suggesting too much sitting might undo the benefits of exercise.
The study measured the intensity (强度) of physical activities in 168 subjects over seven days. It found that, regardless of how much exercise they did or their total sitting time, those who took more breaks from sitting had lower risk of thick waists and lower levels of blood lipids (脂质).
“Higher levels of blood lipids have been linked to a heightened risk of heart disease,” principal researcher Genevieve Healy of the University of Queensland said. “What the study shows is that there are benefits in just getting up regularly and interrupting your sitting time.”
Researchers behind the Stand Up Australia project have written to the Rudd Government requesting $3.5 million for a two-year study into how long sitting affects health and productivity of workers. The study would also develop and test strategies for reducing sitting time on the job.
The latest study builds on work that is shifting the health promotion focus from purposeful exercise, such as running, to lower intensity activities throughout the day.
The Australian research has been backed up by US studies.
“To hold a body that weighs 77 kilograms upright takes a fair amount of energy from muscles,” said Professor Marc Hamilton from the University of Missouri. “There is a large amount of energy associated with standing every day that cannot be easily replaced by 30 to 60 minutes in the gym.”
56.The study shows that .
A. exercising for 30 minutes in the gym is good after sitting too long
B. walking is the best physical activity after sitting too long
C. sitting too long in the office causes the waist to expand
D. having breaks from sitting is good for your health
57.What’s the aim of the Stand Up Australia project?
A. To develop and test strategies for reducing working time.
B. To study the reasons for the longer sitting time in the office.
C. To develop and test strategies for reducing sitting time at work.
D. To study the factors influencing productivity of workers.
58.The purpose of the last paragraph is to .
A. provide a scientific basis for the benefits of standing up
B. compare the effect of standing with exercising in the gym
C. report the new research findings of Professor Marc Hamilton
D. figure out the amount of energy associated with daily standing
59.The health promotion focus used to be on .
A. purposeful exercise B. running
C. lower intensity activities D. long sitting
60.What’s the best title for the text?
A. Exercise in the Gym Is Out B. Your Office Chair Is Killing You
C. A Cause of Heart Disease D. Good News for Workers
Parents whose children show a special interest in a sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers. Should they allow their children to train to become top sports men or women? For many children it means starting schoolwork very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It’s very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.
Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is available from government for the best young sportsmen and women. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child’s development and sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc.
Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional ( 专业的) trainers however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.This article is probably taken from ________.
| A．a letter | B．an advertisement |
| C．a personal diary | D．a newspaper article |
According to the passage parents whose children show a special interest in a sport _______.
| A．feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or women |
| B．try to get financial support from the government for their children’s training |
| C．have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods |
| D．prefer their children to be trained as young as possible |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．When young, sports men or women won’t have much time for their schoolwork |
| B．Early training may damage their muscles. |
| C．Most children may become professional sports men or women after a long period of training. |
| D．It’s very expensive for parents to support their child’s development in sports. |
_______ can become the best players after many years of training.
| A．Most people | B．Some people |
| C．Only a few people | D．No people |
You will pay _______ if you want to stay in the English club for half a year.
| A．300 yuan | B．600 yuan | C．1200 yuan | D．2400 yuan |
You can visit Ocean Museum _______ .
| A．on Saturday | B．on Wednesday | C．on Monday | D．anytime |
One can get free examinations in Health Centre if he is _______ .
| A．9 | B．17 | C．67 | D．73 |
If you are interested in the life of fish, you should go to ______ .
| A．Health Centre | B．Ocean Museum |
| C．Sunny English Club | D．16 Yong Le Street |
Many of the world’s pollution problems have been caused by the crowding of large groups of people into the cities. Supply for the needs of the people leads to further pollution by industry. If the rapid increase of world population in countries continues at the present rate, there may be much greater harm to human beings. Some scientists speak of the increase in numbers of people as “population pollution.”
About 2,000 years ago, the world population was probably about 250 million. It reached a billion in 1850. By 1930 the population was two billion. It is now three and a half billion. It is expected to double by the year 2,000. If the population continues to grow at the same rate, there will be 25 billion in the world a hundred years from now.
Man has been using the earth’s resources more and more rapidly over the past years. Some of them are almost used up. Now many people believe that man’s greatest problem is how to control the growth of the population. The material supplies in the world will be far from enough to support the human population in time to come, if the present rate of increase continues. Already there is overcrowding in many cities and starvation in some countries. Should man’s population keep on growing so rapidly as before? Many people believe that human survival in the future depends on the answer to this question.The rapid increase in population is considered to be __________.
| A．the increase of resources | B．population pollution |
| C．the development of mankind | D．the present rate |
If the present rate of increase continue, ________________.
| A．the world is going to end |
| B．the earth won’t be able to support the growing population in the future |
| C．pollution has nothing to do with the rapidly increasing population |
| D．there would be four billion in the world a hundred years from now |
Which of the following is Wrong according to the passage?
| A．In 1850 the world population reached a billion. |
| B．Man must fight a battle against population pollution. |
| C．The world’s population is increasing with years. |
| D．All of the earth’s resources are gone now. |
Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao. Macao is easy to get to because_________.
| A．it is part of China and most people there are Chinese |
| B．it is an interesting place |
| C．it is very fast and cheap by sea |
| D．it is not far away from Hong Kong |
You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_________.
| A．most of the buildings are now in ruins |
| B．you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing |
| C．you can go about to see the old buildings and forts |
| D．it is a peaceful place |
Where will you have a break when you feel worn out?
| A．In good restaurants. | B．In small cool gardens. |
| C．On some islands. | D．In beautiful parks. |
The writer’ s idea seems to be that_________.
| A．people from many countries came to live and work in Macao |
| B．Portuguese were willing to do business in China |
| C．people in Macao serve good food |
| D．Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do |
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