Will you want me to read a whole book in English?
Yes. Believe it or not, that may be easier than you think. Not all classics are so difficult or complicated. So you’re not limited to the simplified versions. And the easier books are not all for children.
In the original versions ,books may send you to the dictionary. And you might not understand everything you read. But reading one from cover to cover will give you a real sense of accomplishment.
The key is to find the right books. Let’s take a look at these.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis)
Stepping into an old wardrobe, four English schoolchildren find themselves in the magical world of Narnia. On this delightful land, they find friends among the many talking creatures.
The children soon discover, however, that Narnia is ruled by the White Witch. Edmund, one of the children, falls under her power. Who can free Narnia? Only Aslan, the great and noble lion. He alone knows the Deeper Magic. But the children themselves must help fight the battle against the White Witch and those who serve her.
The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)
Santiago, an old Cuban fisherman, hasn’t caught any fish in more than 80 days. Sailing far out from land, the old man hooks an enormous fish. That begins an agonizing three-day battle. First he struggles against the great fish. Then he must fight off the sharks that circle the little boat and threaten to eat his fish. Exhausted and bleeding, the old man arrives back at shore. But his fish, his beautiful fish . . .
Hemingway won the Nobel Prize for this superb story of strength and courage, of victory and regret.
A Wrinkle in Time (Madeleine Lingle)
Meg’s father, a U.S. government scientist, has been missing for many months. He had been experimenting with time travel when he mysteriously disappeared.
Now Meg, her little brother Charles Wallace and her friend Calvin will try to rescue him. But first they must outwit the forces of evil they encounter on their journey through time and space. Can they find Meg’s father before it’s too late?
This novel is more than just a science-fiction adventure. It’s an exploration of the nature of our universe.
The Pearl (John Steinbeck)
One day Kino, a poor Mexican pearl diver, finds a magnificent pearl. With it he dreams of buying a better life, new clothes and schooling for his son. Instead, it brings only evil. His wife pleads with him to get rid of it. "No," says Kino. "I will have my chance. I am a man." But when he kills a man who is trying to steal the pearl, Kino and his wife must run for their lives.
This tale of dreams, justice and the power of greed is told simply and beautifully.In the passage, the author intends to _______.
| A．recommend a few simplified versions of classics |
| B．recommend a few original versions of classics |
| C．tell us how to read an English book from beginning to end |
| D．tell us how to find proper English books to read |
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the White Witch is probably _____.
| A．an evil woman with magic power |
| B．a friendly woman with magic power |
| C．a delightful talking creature |
| D．a powerful lion |
The underlined word "outwit" in the passage probably means ______.
| A．get rid of |
| B．take advantage of |
| C．beat by being cleverer |
| D．make the most of |
A Wrinkle in Time is different from other books mentioned in the passage in that _____.
| A．it is not a science fiction |
| B．it tells a true story |
| C．it provides some scientific knowledge |
| D．it tells the battle between justice and evil |
It is natural for young people to blame their parents for most of the misunderstandings between them. They have always complained (抱怨), more or less justly, that their parents are out of touch with modern ways;that they always want to control them; that they do not trust them to deal with problems; and that they have no sense of humor, at least in parent-child relationships.
Young people often irritate their parents with their choices in clothes, hairstyles, and music. Actually this is not what they really intend to do.They feel cut off from the adult world into which they have not yet been accepted. So they create a culture and society of their own. Then, if it turns out that their music or clothes or hairstyles make their parent angry, this gives them additional enjoyment. They feel they are better,at least in a small way, and that they are leaders in style and taste.
Sometimes you do not obey orders,and are proud because you do not want your parents to say yes to what you do. If they do, it looks as if you are unfaithful to your own age group. But in that case, you will probably think that you are the underdog: you can’t win but at least you can keep your honor. This is a passive way of looking at things. It is natural enough after long years of childhood, when you were completely under your parent’s control. If you plan to control your life,co-operation can be part of that plan. You can persuade others, especially your parents, into doing things the way you want. Get them to feel your sense of responsibility (责任) and initiative (进取心) so that they will allow you to do what you want to do.
1. The first paragraph is mainly about ______.
A.children’s complaints about their parents
B.misunderstandings between children and their parents
C.the control of the parents over their children
D.children’s ability to deal with problems
2. The underlined word “irritate” in this passage is closest in meaning to “______”.
A. to make someone excited B. to make someone angry
C. to please someone D. to comfort someone
3. Children choose to have certain strange clothes and hairstyles because they ______.
A. want to show their existence by creating a culture of their own
B. have a strong desire to be leaders in style and taste
C. have no other way to enjoy themselves better
D. want to make their parents angry
4. Children do not want their parents to say yes to whatever they do because they ______.
A. have already been accepted into the adult world
B. feel that they are better in a small way than the adults
C. are not likely to win over the adults
D. have a desire to be independent
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1. This is one of the advertisements put for a ______.
A. book store B. newspaper
C. magazine D. restaurant
2. Detailed information about films can be found in ______ section.
A. The Arts B. The Dining In,Dining Out
C. The House & Home D. Weekend
3. The advertisement tells us The Times is ______.
A. of great benefit B. of little use
C. paid D. priceless
4. The main idea of this advertisement is ______.
A. many opportunities will be provided just to those who order home delivery
B. several new sections have been printed separately from now on
C. readers can be well informed of the latest news and sports results
D. people can pick up all the information they are interested in
第二部分 阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节 阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When a consumer (消费者) finds that something he or she bought is faulty or in some other way does not live up to what the producer says for it, the first step is to present the warranty（保单），or any other records that might help, at the store of buying. In most cases, this action will produce results. However, if it does not, there are various means the consumer may use to gain satisfaction.
A simple and common method used by many consumers is to complain（投诉）directly to the store manager. In general, the“higher up” the consumer takes his or her complaint, the faster he or she can expect it to be settled. In such a case, it is usually settled in the consumer’s favour taking it as true that he or she has a just right.
Consumers should complain in person whenever possible, but if they cannot get to the place of buying, it is acceptable to phone or write the complaint in a letter.
Complaining is usually most effective when it is done politely but firmly and especially when the consumer can show clearly what is wrong with what was bought in question. If this cannot be done, the consumer will succeed best by presenting specific information as to what is wrong, rather than by making general statements. For example, “The left speaker does not work at all and the sound coming out of the right one is unclear” is better than “This stereo（立体音响）does not work.”
The store manager may advise the consumer to write to the producer, if so, the consumer should do this, stating the complaint as politely and as firmly as possible. But if a polite complaint does not achieve the expected result, the consumer can go a step further. He or she can threaten (恐吓) to take the seller to court or report the seller to a public organization responsible for protecting consumers’ rights.
1. When a consumer finds what he bought has a fault in it , he should first .
A. complain personally to the manager
B. show something provable in written form to the store
C. threaten to take the matter to court
D. write a firm letter of complaint to the store
2. If a consumer wants a quick settlement of his problem, it’s better to complain to .
A. a shop assistant B. the producer
C. a public or ganization D. a store manager
3. The most effective complaint about what was bought can be made by .
A. showing the fault of it to the producer
B. saying firmly it is of poor quality
C. asking politely to change it
D. explaining exactly what is wrong with it
4. The passage tells us .
A. how to make the complaint have a good effect
B. how to settle a consumer’s complaint
C. how to avoid buying something wrong
D. how to deal with complaints from consumers
5. According to the passage, the last way a consumer has to use is .
A. to write to the producer
B. to quarrel with the manager
C. to warn the seller that he or she will turn to the court or a consumers’ organization for help
D. to collect several fighters to threaten the seller
Second Life is a 3D, online world in which computer users can create a new self and live a different life. Second Life is one of the most popular new online games.
But unlike other games, Second Life is not about winning or losing. Second Life is technically a computer game. But people involved in it do not consider it a game because the players create everything. Second Life is more for socializing and creating communities.
Users of Second Life are called residents. To take part, they must create an avatar, or an electronic image of themselves. Some avatars look like humans, while others look li
ke animals or imaginary creatures.
Inside the Second Life world, residents live in different versions of themselves. They build homes, run businesses, buy and sell things, work, play, and attend school. They even have relationships and get married.
Second Life was created in 2003 by Linden Lab in San Francisco, California. Linden Lab controls the Website where the ever-changing world is being created. There are now about one million people around the world who are active in Second Life. The number has grown quickly since the beginning of the year when there were about one hundred thousand users.
The average age of people involved with Second Life is about thirty. However, Linden Lab recently created Teen Second Life for younger users. Second Life has its own economy and its own money, called Linden dollars.
Millions of dollars are made and spent each month in Second Life. Users can enter Second Life for free. But they must pay for a membership if they want to own land or buy and sell goods and services.
Recently, several major companies have become involved with Second Life. They wanted to be part of the growing business world that exists within the made-up reality.
1. What’s special about the game “Second Life”?
A. It’s a game about losing and winning.
B. It creates everything in life.
C. It benefits one’s abilities to socialize and create.
D. It is simply a popular game to kill time.
2. What does the underlined word “avatar” mean?
A. An instrument someone uses. B. A picture someone takes.
C. An imaginary identity of someone. D. A weapon used in Second Life.
3. Which is NOT true about the game “Second Life”?
A. A resident in Second Life lives a life somewhat like that of real life.
B. The number of users of Second Life is about ten times as large as that of 2003.
C. You can’t enter Second Life until you pay for the entrance fee.
D. To own possessions, a resident has to pay to be a member of Second Life.
4. Why do some big companies want to join in Second Life?
A. They want to experience life in the made-up reality.
B. They want to promote their products more widely.
C. The want to be a member of Second Life.
D. They want to build agencies in Second Life.
A pair of twin-brother ligers, a rare lion-tiger hybrid(杂种), have become superstars in China's southernmost island province of Hainan after becoming the first ligers in the country to reach their first birthday.
Tens of thousands of tourists visited the liger brothers at Hainan Tropical Wildlife Park during the week-long May Day holiday that ended on Sunday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare animals. At least 10,000 people signed a red banner when the park celebrated the liger's birthday on May 2. People expressed the hope that the twins would be strong and healthy, the Hainan Daily reports. Zookeepers even made the twins a special birthday cake out of beef and eggs.
The ligers, born on May 2, 2005 , are named 'Ping Ping' and 'An An', which together translate as 'safe and sound'. Their mother Huan Huan is a six-year-old tigress and their father is a four-year – old lion named Xiao Erhei. The couple first gave birth to a liger in June 2004 but the cub (幼兽) died of respiratory(呼吸的）failure 72 hours later.
The pregnancy (怀孕) rate for lion-tiger couples is only between one and two percent and the cubs normally have a short life expectancy due to the differences in their chromosomes(染色体). Zoologists say only six to eight ligers are living in the world. China's first tiger-lion hybrid cub was born at Hongshan Zoo in Nanjing, capital of east China's Jiangsu Province, in 2002. But it died a week later.
Ping Ping and An An have broken the survival record set by a liger who lived for 113 days at Hongshan Zoo.
1. Why can Ping Ping and An An become superstars?
A. Because they are the most beautiful ligers.
B. Because they are the cleverest ligers.
C. Because they are the most attractive ligers.
D. Because they are the first ligers to live for a year.
2. Why can't ligers live long ?
A. Because their chromosomes are different.
B. Because they are too small when they are born.
C. Because their parents don't live long.
D. Because they are short of food.
3. How many ligers did the passage mention?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six.
4. What is the best title of this passage?
A. China's longest living twin ligers celebrate their lst birthday
B. Why can't ligers in the world live long
C. How to raise ligers safely
D. The story behind the ligers
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