【2015·新课标全国II】A
My color television has given me nothing but a headache. I was able to buy it a little over a year ago because I had my relatives give me money for my birthday instead of clothes that wouldn’t fit. I let a salesclerk fool me into buying a discontinued model. I realized this a day later, when I saw newspaper advertisements for the set at seventy-five dollars less than I had paid. The set worked so beautiful when I first got it home that I would keep it on until stations signed off for the night. Fortunately, I didn’t get any channels showing all-night movies or I would never have gotten to bed.
Then I started developing a problem with the set that involved static(静电) noise. For some reason, when certain shows switched into a commercial, a loud noise would sound for a few seconds. Gradually, this noise began to appear during a show, and to get rid of it, I had to change to another channel and then change it back. Sometimes this technique would not work, and I had to pick up the set and shake it to remove the sound. I actually began to build up my arm muscles(肌肉) shaking my set.
When neither of these methods removed the static noise, I would sit helplessly and wait for the noise to go away. At last I ended up hitting the set with my first, and it stopped working altogether. My trip to the repair shop cost me $62, and the sit is working well now, but I keep expecting more trouble.Why did the author say he was fooled into buying the TV set?
| A．He got an older model than he had expected. |
| B．He couldn’t return it when it was broken. |
| C．He could have bought it at a lower price. |
| D．He failed to find any movie shows on it. |
Which of the following an best replace the phrase “signed off” in paragraph 1?
| A．ended all their programs |
| B．provided fewer channels |
| C．changed to commercials |
| D．showed all-night movies |
How did the author finally get this TV set working again?
| A．By shaking and hitting it |
| B．By turning it on and off |
| C．By switching channels |
| D．By having it repaired |
How does the author sound when telling the story?
| A．Curious |
| B．Anxious |
| C．Cautious |
| D．Humorous |
It is sometimes said that strange flying objects have been seen high up in the sky. People call these strange objects Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO). These UFOs caused a lot of interest. Some of the reports about them are difficult to believe. Some have been explained in scientific ways. Others have never been explained. Here is an account of UFOs from a report.
Dennis Burdens, who wrote an article, tells us that he once saw a UFO himself. He was having dinner one night with a friend near Tripoli, Libya, and after dinner the two men walked across a yard to his room to look at some papers. Burdens noticed that the moon looked strange that night.
“It wasn’t the moon ”, was the reply.
They watched the light and saw that it was moving. It seemed to be an object rather like a big plate. In some ways it looked like smoke with a light on it, but it wasn’t smoke because it didn’t change its shape. It was moving in a regular way. That is to say, it didn’t go suddenly faster or more slowly, and it didn’t go higher or lower. So the two men decided that there must be men in it.
After that, Burdens said that he felt eyes looking at him. He was being watched in the darkness.
When it was nearer, they noticed that the bottom parts were brighter than the top. The bottom was yellow and the top red. Then the object suddenly turned away and left Libya, moving very fast.
On a later day Burdens talked to other people about it, and he found some who had seen it. They all described it in the same way. Could they all be mistaken? UFOs are _____.
| A．flying high up in the sky | B．strange flying objects |
| C．difficult to believe | D．very interested |
A UFO was seen one night _____.
| A．when they were walking across a yard to Burdens’ room |
| B．while they were looking at the light |
| C．when Burdens noticed the moon appearing strange |
| D．while they were having dinner |
The UFO moved _______.
| A．regularly | B．in a changeable way | C．slowly | D．fast |
The UFO looked like _____ .
| A．smoke | B．a large plate | C．light | D．a jumping object |
The UFO was seen ______ .
| A．by Burdens and his friend | B．brighter in the darkness |
| C．by several people | D．to have a yellow bottom and a red top in the same way |
The earliest controversies about the relationship between photography and art centered on whether photograph’s fidelity to appearances and dependence on a machine allowed it to be a fine art as distinct from merely a practical art. Throughout the nineteenth century, the defence of photography was identical with the struggle to establish it as a fine art. Against the charge that photography was a soulless, mechanical copying of reality, photographers asserted that it was instead a privileged way of seeing, a revolt against commonplace vision, and no less worthy an art than painting.
Ironically, now that photography is securely established as a fine art, many photographers find it pretentious or irrelevant to label it as such. Serious photographers variously claim to be finding, recording, impartially observing, witnessing events, exploring themselves—anything but making works of art. They are no longer willing to debate whether photography is or is not a fine art, except to proclaim that their own work is not involved with art. It shows the extent to which they simply take for granted the concept of art imposed by the triumph of Modernism: the better the art, the more subversive it is of the traditional aims of art.
Photographers’ disclaimers of any interest in making art tell us more about the harried status of the contemporary notion of art than about whether photography is or is not art. For example, those photographers who suppose that, by taking pictures, they are getting away from the pretensions of art as exemplified by painting remind us of those Abstract Expressionist painters who imagined they were getting away from the intellectual austerity of classical Modernist painting by concentrating on the physical act of painting. Much of photography’s prestige today derives from the convergence of its aims with those of recent art, particularly with the dismissal of abstract art implicit in the phenomenon of Pop painting during the 1960’s. Appreciating photographs is a relief to sensibilities tired of the mental exertions demanded by abstract art. Classical Modernist painting—that is, abstract art as developed in different ways by Picasso, Kandinsky, and Matisse—presupposes highly developed skills of looking and a familiarity with other paintings and the history of art. Photography, like Pop painting, reassures viewers that art is not hard; photography seems to be more about its subjects than about art.
Photography, however, has developed all the anxieties and self-consciousness of a classic Modernist art. Many professionals privately have begun to worry that the promotion of photography as an activity subversive of the traditional pretensions of art has gone so far that the public will forget that photography is a distinctive and exalted activity—in short, an art. What is the author mainly concerned with? The author is concerned with
[A]. defining the Modernist attitude toward art.
[B]. explaining how photography emerged as a fine art.
[C]. explaining the attitude of serious contemporary photographers toward photography as art and placing those attitudes in their historical context.
[D]. defining the various approaches that serious contemporary photographers take toward their art and assessing the value of each of those approaches.Which of the following adjectives best describes “the concept of art imposed by the triumph of Modernism” as the author represents it in lines 12—13?
[A]. Objective [B]. Mechanical. [C]. Superficial. [D]. Paradoxical. Why does the author introduce Abstract Expressionist painter?
[A]. He wants to provide an example of artists who, like serious contemporary photographers, disavowed traditionally accepted aims of modern art.
[B]. He wants to set forth an analogy between the Abstract Expressionist painters and classical Modernist painters.
[C]. He wants to provide a contrast to Pop artist and others.
[D]. He wants to provide an explanation of why serious photography, like other contemporary visual forms, is not and should not pretend to be an art. How did the nineteenth-century defenders of photography stress the photography?
[A]. They stressed photography was a means of making people happy.
[B]. It was art for recording the world.
[C]. It was a device for observing the world impartially.
[D]. It was an art comparable to painting.
When we say that Cambridge is a university town, we do not mean just that it is a town with a university in it. Manchester and Milan have universities, but we do not call them university towns. A university town is one where there is no clear separation between the university buildings and the rest of the city. The university is not just one part of the town; it is all over the town. The heart of Cambridge has its shops, pubs, market-place and so on, but most of it is university-colleges, faculties, libraries, clubs and other places for university staff and students. Students fill the shops, cafes, banks, and churches, making these as well part of the university.,
The town was there first. Two Roman roads crossed there, and there are signs of building before Roman times (earlier than A.D. 43). Cambridge became a center of learning, and the authority of the head of the university was recognized by the king in 1226.
With about 8,250 undergraduates and over2,000 postgraduates, the city is a busy place in “full term” .Undergraduates are not allowed to keep cars in Cambridge, so nearly all of them use bicycles. Don’t try to drive through Cambridge during the five minutes between lectures. Your bicycle must go through a boiling sea of other bicycles hurrying in all directions, if you are in Cambridge at five minutes to the hour any morning of full term, you know that you are in a university town.What is called a university town?
A. A town with a university in it
B. B. A university with a town in it.
C. One where there is no clear separation between a university and a town.
D. One where there are both a university and a town.How many students does Cambridge have?
| A．Eight thousand, two hundred and fifty. | B．Two thousand. |
| C．Ten thousand. | D．More than ten thousand. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．the university is all over the town |
| B．the town came earlier than the university |
| C．during the five minutes between lectures, your bicycle must go through other bicycles hurrying in all directions. |
| D．the teachers have many strange ways of making their lectures lively and interesting. |
What’s the title of the passage?
| A．Cambridge—A University Town. | B．Cambridge – A Centre of Learning |
| C．Cambridge with Many Students. | D．Cambridge with a Long History |
President Clinton’s decision on Apr.8 to send Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji packing without an agreement on China’s entry into the World Trade Organization seemed to be a massive miscalculation. The President took a drubbing from much of the press, which had breathlessly reported that a deal was in the bag. The Cabinet and Whit House still appeared divided, and business leaders were characterized as furious over the lost opportunity. Zhu charged that Clinton lacked “the courage” to reach an accord. And when Clinton later telephoned the angry Zhu to pledge a renewed effort at negotiations, the gesture was widely portrayed as a flip-flop.
In fact, Clinton made the right decision in holding out for a better WTO deal. A lot more horse trading is needed before a final agreement can be reached. And without the Administration’s goal of a “bullet-proof agreement” that business lobbyists can enthusiastically sell to a Republican Congress, the whole process will end up in partisan acrimony that could harm relations with China for years.
THE HARD PART. Many business lobbyists, while disappointed that the deal was not closed, agree that better terms can still be had. And Treasury Secretary Robert E. Rubin, National Economic Council Director Gene B. Sperling, Commerce Secretary William M. Daley, and top trade negotiator Charlene Barshefsky all advised Clinton that while the Chinese had made a remarkable number of concessions, “we’re not there yet,” according to senior officials.
Negotiating with Zhu over the remaining issues may be the easy part. Although Clinton can signal U.S. approval for China’s entry into the WTO himself, he needs Congress to grant Beijing permanent most-favored-nation status as part of a broad trade accord. And the temptation for meddling on Capital Hill may prove over-whelming. Zhu had barely landed before Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss) declared himself skeptical that China deserved entry into the WTO. And Senators Jesse A. Helms (R-N.C.) and Emest F. Hollings (D-S. C.) promised to introduce a bill requiring congressional approval of any deal.
The hidden message from these three textile-state Southerners: Get more protection for the U. S. clothing industry. Hoping to smooth the way, the Administration tried, but failed, to budge Zhu on textiles. Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, and Detroit. Zhu refused to open up much of the lucrative Chinese securities market and insisted on “cultural” restrictions on American movies and music. He also blocked efforts to allow U. S. auto makers to provide fleet financing.
BIG JOB. Already, business lobbyists are blanketing Capitol Hill to presale any eventual agreement, but what they’ve heard so far isn’t encouraging. Republicans, including Lott, say that “the time just isn’t right” for the deal. Translation: We’re determined to make it look as if Clinton has capitulated to the Chinese and is ignoring human, religious, and labor rights violations; the theft of nuclear-weapons technology; and the sale of missile parts to America’s enemies. Beijing’s fierce critics within the Democratic Party, such as Senator Paul D. Wellstone of Minnesota and House Minority leader Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, won’t help, either.
Just how tough the lobbying job on Capitol Hill will be become clear on Apr. 20, when Rubin lectured 19chief executives on the need to discipline their Republican allies. With business and the White House still trading charges over who is responsible for the defeat of fast-track trade negotiating legislation in 1997, working together won’t be easy. And Republicans—with a wink—say that they’ll eventually embrace China’s entry into the WTO as a favor to Corporate America. Though not long before they torture Clinton. But Zhu is out on a limb, and if Congress overdoes the criticism, he may be forced by domestic critics to renege. Business must make this much dear to both its GOP allies and the Whit House: This historic deal is too important to risk losing to any more partisan squabbling
1. The main idea of this passage is
[A]. The Contradiction between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
[B]. On China’s entry into WTO.
[C]. Clinton was right.
[D]. Business Lobbyists Control Capitol Hill.
2. What does the sentence “Also left in the lurch: Wall Street, Hollywood, Detroit” convey?
[A]. Premier Zhu rejected their requirements.
[B]. The three places overdid criticism.
[C]. They wanted more protection.
[D]. They are in trouble.
3. What was the attitude of the Republican Party toward China’s entry into the WTO?
[A]. Contradictory. [B].Appreciative.
[C]. Disapproving. [D]. Detestful.
4. Who plays the leading part in the deal in America?
[A]. White House . [B]. Republicans.
[C]. The Democratic Party. [D]. Businessmen.
5. It can be inferred from the passage that
[A]. America will make concessions.
[B]. America will hold out for a better WTO
[C]. Clinton has the right to signal U. S. approval for China’s entry.
[D]. Democratic party approve China’s entry into the WTO.
Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situation－for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.
The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic (the opposite of “temporary”) usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person’s social contacts, for example, friends, family members, co－workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease, while temporary and situational loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?
| A．Talk to friends. | B．Just ignore it. |
| C．Go to see a doctor. | D．Ask your teachers for guidance. |
“It” in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to ___________.
| A．temporary loneliness | B．situational loneliness |
| C．a new place | D．sleeplessness |
Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?
| A．Chronic loneliness can cause family problems. |
| B．Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness |
| C．Chronic loneliness can not be overcome. |
| D．Chronic loneliness is incurable. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Three kinds of loneliness | B．Loneliness and disease |
| C．Loneliness and social contacts | D．Chronic loneliness |
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