It happened to me recently, I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President.A friend I wsa talking to agreed with me that it was,in his words,”a brilliantly written book”.However,he then went on to talk about Mr.Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his back-ground at all. I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one. Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven't. In the World Book Day's" Report on Guilty Secrets" ,Dreams From My Father is at number 9. The report lists ten books, and various authors, which people have lied about reading, and as I'm not one to Lie too often (I'd hate to be caught out) , I'll admit here and now that I haven't read the entire top ten. But I am pleased to say that, un- like 42 percent of peoples I have read the book at number one, George Orwell's 1984. I think
it's really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it. It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen, Charles Dickens , Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven ' tread him, but haven't lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied, the most common reason was to "impress" someone they were speaking to. This could be tricky if the conversation became more in-depth !
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy, people named J. K Rowling, John Grisham, Sophie Kinsella ( ah, the big sellers, in other words). Forty-two percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I' lI come clean: I do thi8 and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so).Which of the fokllowing is a "guilty secret" according io the world Book Day report?
| A．42% of people pretended to have read 1984. |
| B．Charles Dickens is very low on the top--tcn list. |
| C．The author admitted having read 9 books |
| D．Dreams From My Father is hardly read. |
How did the author find his friend a book liar?
| A．By mentioning a famous name. | B．By discussing the book itself |
| C．By judging his manner of speaking. | D． By looking into his background. |
By lying about reading, a person hopes to_____.
A.learn about the book
C. appear knowledgeable
B. control the conversation
D make more friendsWhat is the author's attitude to 58% of readers?
| A．Doubtiful | B．Favorable | C．Uncaring | D．Friendly |
In the sentenced I'd hate to be caught out". "catch out" can have the similqr meaning with ____.
| A．catch up | B．1ook for | C．catch at | D．find out |
An Australian company, Smart Car Technologies, has developed a system that lets drivers know when they're speeding. When the technology becomes commercially available, it could help lead-footed drivers avoid tickets and also save lives. The company that developed the product hopes to convince Australian government agencies to put the technology into use in their automobile fleets.
The product, called Speed Alert, links real-time location data and speed obtained with the help of GPS to a database of posted speed limits stored in a driver's PDA or programmable mobile phone. The setup of the product does not need to be hooked up to a car's speedometer. In fact, it is entirely portable. It will also work with newer phones and PDAs that have built-in GPS receivers. If a driver exceeds the speed limit, the speed is shown and an alert sounds.
Michael Paine, an Australian vehicle design engineer and traffic safety consultant, was hired to analyze the product. He told Live Science that his colleagues in the road safety field are “very enthusiastic” about what they're now calling “intelligent speed alert.” Other research, according to Paine, shows that 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve speeding. There is also a potentially controversial future use: “Since the system is so portable, it would be easy to make it a requirement for teenage drivers to always use a speed alert device when driving,” Paine said. “The system even has the capability to record speeding violations, so parents can monitor their teenage drivers.”The product will soon go on sale in Sydney.
63．What's the purpose of the new product?
A．To introduce some improvement in cars.
B．To inform us of the new car system.
C．To popularize the built-in car system.
D．To limit certain drivers to safe driving.
64．“Lead-footed” in the first paragraph probably refer to the ones ________.
A．who drive too carelessly B．that drive too slowly
C．who are partly disabled D．that drive extremely fast
65．The second paragraph mainly talks about ________.
A．how the product is programmed B．why the system becomes popular
C．the functions of GPS in cars D．the project of the built-in product
66．Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A．Future Speed Alert B．New In – Car Device Against Speeding
C．Warning for Adventurous Drivers D．Progress in Car – making Science
In February 2010, Lydia Angyiou and her two sons were walking through their village in northern Canada. The sound of children shouting made her turn around. To her horror, Lydia saw a 700 – pound polar bear behind her eyeing her seven-year-old son．Getting between the bear and her child, Lydia yelled at the children to run away．She then began hitting and kicking the animal as hard as she could．A neighbor who heard all the noise came and shot the bear．But everyone agreed it was Lydia who had saved her children's lives．A local policeman described it this way: "I guess when your back is up against the wall, we come up with super-human strength."
Where does this "super-human strength" , courage and quick thinking come from? Experts say it comes from stress! In stressful situations, the body releases chemicals that prepare it to take action．These chemicals give people the speed and strength they need to fight danger or run away from it．
When we think of stress, we usually think of its negative effects．Studies, though, show that moderate levels of stress are actually helpful．In fact, the way we perform is usually affected by the amount of stress we feel．Stress causes the brain to release adrenaline （肾上腺素）which in turn increases our energy and excitement．The chemical gives us clearer minds and helps us to do more．This is why some people say they work better under a deadline．Adrenaline that is not released for long periods of time can cause us to be bored and lazy. So some stress actually increases and strengthens our abilities instead of weakening them. We sometimes turn out our very best work when we push ourselves to the limit．Stress can also make us more confident．Handling small amounts of stress now prepares us for handling serious situations in the future．Who knows? Today's stress may even prepare us for the next polar bear that comes along!
60．The author mentions the story of the mother and her children mainly to________.
A．tell people females also have enough strength to fight with a bear
B．show us how much the mother loves her children
C．set an example to us about how to deal with danger
D．illustrate to us stressful situations can make us stronger
61．What does the word “it” underlined in the second paragraph refer to?
A．released chemical B．the body C．stress D．strength
62．What will the author probably continue to write in the paragraph that follows?
A．How to deal with a bear when you meet with it unfortunately.
B．Why we need small stress in life.
C．Tips for a person to develop his ability of dealing with stress.
D．When the brain releases adrenaline.
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
You get all sorts of demands, and the mark of a good hotel is to supply whatever is asked for without sounding surprise. If a guest asks for rubber gloves. You don't ask why. You say, “No problem. What colour do you want？”
There have been some demands which, much as I would have liked to fill, I couldn't. A Japanese businessman， for example， thought the manager of a hotel was like the captain of a ship so he asked me to marry him and the woman he loved. There was one time, however, we did help out. A young man thought that if he asked his girlfriend to marry him at the Ritz she would say yes. He asked us to put the ring in a cake, and she accepted.
Top hotels are used more and more to impress. They are used for doing business. If you've got something to sell, take your clients(客户) to the best hotel where the surroundings are quite helpful. A friend of mine working at Savoy Hotel tells story about a man who gave him 5 pounds to say “Good morning, Mr. Smith” when he walked through the door with two other men. This he did， and could hear Mr. Smith saying, “I do wish they would leave me alone at this place.”
According to Julian Payne， the most powerful people in any hotel are the porters， who carry bags for hotel guests. “Porters can do almost anything. They can get you tables at the best restaurants or tickets for a popular concert. Don't ask me how they do it or what their deal is because I don't know. Most of them have been there for years. They know more about the history of the hotel and the guests than anyone else. They are invaluable. A head porter will come in even on his day off so he can say hello to someone he remembers visiting the hotel years ago.”
56．When guests ask for something strange，the manager of a good hotel would think ______.
A．how he can meet their needs
B．why they have such demands
C．what problems the hotel has
D．who is the best person to go to
57．Which of the following examples explains “we did help out？”
A．The hotel bought a ring for a young lady.
B．A Japanese married the woman he loved.
C．The manager once acted as a captain.
D．A young lady agreed to marry her boyfriend.
58．Which of the following statements is true about the porters in expensive hotels?
A．They sell tickets for concerts.
B．They know how to make a good deal.
C．They know a lot about the hotels and the guests.
D．The come to work even on their days off.
59．By saying “I do wish they would leave me alone at this place”， Mr. Smith ______.
A．showed that he disliked such people at the hotel
B．gave the impression that he was a constant guest
C．tried to make his clients feel sorry for him
D．sounded as if he was tired of such greetings
The young boy saw me, or rather, he saw the car and quickly ran up to me, eager to sell his bunches (串) of bananas and bags of peanuts. Though he appeared to be about twelve, he seemed to have already known the bitterness of life. "Banana 300 naira. Peanuts 200 naira"
He said in a low voice. I bargained him down to 200 total for the fruit and nuts. When he agreed, I handed him a 500 naira bill He didn't have change, so I told him not to worry.
He .said thanks and smiled a row of perfect teeth.
When, two weeks later, I saw the boy again, I was more aware of my position in a society where it's not that uncommon to see a little boy who should be in school standing on the corner selling fruit in the burning sun. My parents had raised me to be aware of the advantage we had been afforded and the responsibility it brought to us.
I pulled over and rolled down my window. He had a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts ready. I waved them away. “What's up”. I asked him. “I...I don't have money to buy books for school.” I reached into my pocket and handed him two fresh 500 naira bills.
"Will this help?” I asked. He looked around nervously before taking the money. One thousand naira was a lot of money to someone whose family probably made about 5,000 naira or less each year. "Thank you, sir," he said. 'Thank you very much.”
When driving home, I wondered if my little friend actually used the money for school-books. What if he's a cheat (骗子)? And then I wondered why I did it. Did I do it to make myself feel better? Was I using him? Later, I realized that I didn't know his name or the least bit about him, nor did I think to ask.
Over the next six months, I was busy working in a news agency in northern Nigeria. Sometime after I returned, I went out for a drive When I was about to pull over, the boy suddenly appeared by my window with a big smile ready on his face
" Long time."
"Are you in school now?” I asked.
He nodded.
"That's good," I said. A silence fell as we looked at each other, and then I realized what he wanted. "Here," I held out a 500 naira bill. "Take this.” He shook his head and stepped back as if hurt. "What's wrong?” I asked. "It's a gift"
He shook his head again and brought his hand from behind his back. His face shine with sweat (汗水)。 He dropped a bunch of bananas and a bag of peanuts in the front seat before he said, "I've been waiting to give these to you."
72. What was the author's first impression of the boy?
A. He seemed to be poor and greedy.
B. He seemed to have suffered a lot
C. He seemed younger than his age.
D. He seemed good at bargaining
73. The second time the author met the boy, the boy________.
A. told him his purpose of selling fruit and nuts
B. wanted to express his thanks
C. asked him for money for his schoolbooks
D. tried to take advantage of him
74. Why did the author give his money to the boy?
A. Because he had enough money to do that.
B. Because he had learnt to help others since childhood.
C. Because he held a higher position in the society.
D. Because he had been asked by the news agency to do so.
75. Which of the following best describes the boy?
A. Brave and polite. B. Kind and smart
C. Honest and thankful. D. Shy and nervous.
In a recently published book, I came across some exercises with interesting names such as fishbone diagrams, lotus flowers and clustering. As I used these exercises in my classes, I noticed that students were interested. They said more and wrote more. They enjoyed expressing their ideas and sharing them in groups. They were no longer passively waiting for the bell , but actively taking part in the lesson. I find that creativity can act as a way to increase participation and improve fluency.
Creativity has become a popular word in recent years. Scholars in arts, psychology, business, education and science are all working to get a deeper understanding of it. Robert J. Stemberg is a creativity specialist and Yale professor of psychology. He defines creativity as “the ability to produce work that is both new (original) and appropriate(applicable to the situation ) ”. this definition is useful, as we want our students to use language in a new way and to use it correctly and properly. Most scholars say there are two types of creativity: big “C” creativity and small “c” creativity. Big “C” creativity refers to genius level thinking that results in artistic masterpieces and scientific breakthroughs. Small “c” creativity refers to everyday level thinking that can be used in any situation our emphasis is on the letter. While it goes without saying that any of our students could go on to be the next Picasso or Edison, our aim is to help students produce more ideas and use language in a new way.
68. The underlined words “waiting for the bell ” in the first paragraph probably means______.
A. longing for a phone call B. hoping to have a bell
C. expecting the end of the class D. waiting to speak in the class
69. It can be inferred from the passage that the author thinks the exercises in the book were ____. A. popular B. useful C. scientific D. creative
70. When you use a familiar word in a new way, you are ________.
A creative in the sense of big “C” creativity.
B. creative in the sense of small “c” creativity..
C. not creative in the sense of big “C” creativity..
D. not creative in the sense of small “c” creativity.
71. The main purpose of the passage is to _________.
A. show how useful the book is.
B, explain what creativity
C. discuss how one can be creative
D. tell what reaching aims at
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