On a BA flight from Johannesburg, a middle-aged South African lady found herself sitting next 
to a black man. She called the cabin crew attendant over to complain about her seating.
“What seems to be the problem, Madam?” Asked the attendant.
“Can’t you see?” She said, “You’ve sat me next to a black. I can’t possibly sit next to this dirty disgusting human. Find me another seat!”
“Please calm down, Madam,” the attendant replied, “The flight is very full today, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do—I’ll go and check to see if we have any seats available in club or first
class.”
A few minutes later, the attendant returned with the good news, which she delivered to the lady, who cannot help but look at the people around her with a smug and self-satisfied grin.
“Madam, unfortunately, as I guessed, economy is full. I’ve spoken to the cabin services director, and club is also full. However, we do have one seat in first class.”
Before the lady had a chance to answer, the attendant continued.
“It’s most extraordinary to make this kind of upgrade, however, and I have had to get special permission from the captain. But, according to this special situation, the captain felt that it was unbelievable that someone should be forced to sit next to such an
obnoxious(讨厌的) person.”
Having said that, the attendant turned to the black man sitting next to the lady, and said, “So if you’d like to get your things, sir, I have your seat ready for you.”
At that moment, the surrounding passengers stood and gave a long-lasting ovation (欢呼) while the black man walked up to the front of the plane…What made the white South African lady angry?
| A．She had to find the attendant to complain. |
| B．She couldn’t find another seat to sit down. |
| C．The passenger next to her is dirty. |
D．She sat next to a blac k man. |
Who will fly in first class?
| A．The attendant. | B．The white woman. | C．The black man. | D．The captain. |
How many types of seats are there in the plane?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
What was the “special situation” that the attendant mentioned in Paragraph 8?
| A．The woman was obnoxious. |
| B．The black man was obnoxious. |
| C．The white woman can’t sit next to a black man. |
| D．The passengers around can’t stand the woman any longer. |
From the passage, we can make a conclusion that __________.
| A．people don’t like those who look down on others |
| B．the attendant aboard is unfriendly |
| C．the white lady was refused to go on the plane at last |
| D．many passengers aboard don’t like to sit next to the black man. |
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）
阅读下面短文，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。
My newly-rented small apartment was far away from the centre of London and it was becoming essential for me to find a job, so finally I spent a whole morning getting to town and putting my name down to be considered by London Transport for a job on the underground. They were looking for guards, not drivers. This suited me. I couldn’t drive a car but thought that I could probably guard a train, and perhaps continue to write my poems between stations. The writers Keats and Chekhov had been doctors. T.S. Eliot had worked in a bank and Wallace Stevens for an insurance company. I’d be a subway guard. I could see myself being cheerful, useful, a good man in a crisis. Obviously I’d be overqualified but I was willing to forget about that in return for a steady income and travel privileges — those being particularly welcome to someone living a long way from the city centre.
The next day I sat down, with almost a hundred other candidates, for the intelligence test. I must have done all right because after about half an hour’s wait I was sent into another room for a psychological test. This time there were only about fifty candidates. The interviewer sat at a desk. Candidates were signaled forward to occupy the seat opposite him when the previous occupant had been dismissed, after a greater or shorter time. Obviously the long interviews were the more successful ones. Some of the interviews were as short as five minutes. Mine was the only one that lasted a minute and a half.
I can remember the questions now: “Why did you leave your last job?” “Why did you leave your job before that?” “And the one before that?” I can’t recall my answers, except that they were short at first and grew progressively shorter. His closing statement, I thought, revealed (揭示) a lack of sensitivity which helped to explain why as a psychologist, he had risen no higher than the underground railway. “You’ve failed the psychological test and we are unable to offer you a position.”
Failing to get that job was my low point. Or so I thought, believing that the work was easy. Actually, such jobs — being a postman is another one I still desire — demand exactly the sort of elementary yet responsible awareness that the habitual dreamer is least qualified to give. But I was still far short of full self-understanding. I was also short of cash.
41．The writer applied for the job chiefly because _________.
A．he wanted to work in the centre of London
B．he could no longer afford to live without one
C．he was not interested in any other available job
D．he had received some suitable training
42．The writer thought he was overqualified for the job because _________.
A．he often traveled underground B．he had written many poems
C．he could deal with difficult situations D．he had worked in a company
43．The length of his interview meant that _________.
A．he was not going to be offered the job
B．he had not done well in the intelligence test
C．he did not like the interviewer at all
D．he had little work experience to talk about
44．What does the writer realize now that he did not realize then?
A．How unpleasant ordinary jobs can be. B．How difficult it is to be a poet.
C．How unsuitable he was for the job. D．How badly he did in the interview.
45．What’s the writer’s opinion of the psychologist?
A. He was very aggressive. B. He was unhappy with his job.
C. He was quite inefficient. D. He was rather unsympathetic.
Last week the manager of an old jeweler’s shop received a letter marked “personal”, so of course his secretary gave it to him unopened. As he was very busy, the letter lay on his desk till tea-time. Then he opened it and a ￡10 note fell out onto his desk. With the note was a short letter. This is what it said:
Dear Sir,
In 1935 I got engaged. But unfortunately at that time there was a lot of unemployment and I lost my job. I was six months without a job and then I got work again. But of course was very short of money. I came to your shop to buy a wedding ring. The assistant brought some rings for me to look at, but she was called away for a moment, and I put one of the rings in my pocket. When she came back, I said I did not know the size of my girl-friend’s finger. So I left the shop without buying a ring.
My wife died a short while ago and the fact that I never paid for her ring has been on my conscience (良心) all these years. At the time the ring cost ￡2 so I reckon (估计) that is about ￡10 at today’s price. And I am sending you that amount.
Yours truly,
A customer
“Well, well, well,” said the manager, “life is full of surprises!”Why didn’t the secretary open the letter? Because _______.
| A．he was very busy |
| B．it was a personal letter |
| C．there was a ￡10 note in it |
| D．the letter was unimportant |
What was true about the assistant?
| A．She lost her job. |
| B．She was short of money. |
| C．She was called away while serving the customer. |
| D．She put one of the rings in her pocket. |
What happened to the writer of the letter in 1935?
| A．He married a girl. |
| B．He was out of work for six months and short of money. |
| C．He lost a ring. |
| D．His parents died. |
The best headline for this article would be _______.
| A．A Customer Pays His Bill | B．An Old Jeweler’s Shop |
| C．The Manager and the Letter | D．A Letter with ￡2 |
Making group purchases of famous local products and cosmetics (化妆品) with co-workers has become a common habit for the nine-to-fivers. But if your impression of group buys is still a piece of paper being passed around the office, everyone writes their details down, or endless phone calls or faxes to the supplier, then I’m sorry to say you’re behind the times. The popular way to make such purchases today is to get on line, form a special “group” and shop together. Not only can you save money by getting the best discounts, but it’s also a great way to meet new people.
“You could cut off my clicking finger and I’d still keep shopping this way!” so goes a common comment left by customers of China’s famous e-commerce website “Taobao”. Some even refer to group purchasing as a “path of no return”, saying that “Once you’ve tried it, you’ll get hooked!”
The origins of this new trend can be found in China’s well-known online consumers’ BBS, 55BBS, and the shopping boards. Since most BBS users are “white-collared workers and students who live in concentrated areas, buying clothes, food, and so on as a group saves on delivery costs as well as – if they meet the seller’s criteria (标准) – earn gifts, discounts, and frequent shopper points.
Users of this online group shopping boards purchase a lot of different items, from Japanese and Korean style clothes and Ugg boots, through fake eyelashes (假睫毛), stockings, food seasonings (调味品), and kitchen knives, to cosmetic masks and online college courses. All kinds of things have people coming together in groups to buy them, and the pickups are often organized on college campuses or office buildings.
Internet observer Liu Chenxi points the purchasing behavior that these online groups’ power creates a “team” effect. Unlike e-commerce sites driven by individuals’ purchases, sites that create this team effect have users that come together to achieve a common goal. The Internet has made this joining of forces to form group buying power possible, and it continues to snowball all around us.
68. The passage mainly deals with _________.
A. group purchases with co-workers
B. online group purchases
C. how to do shopping online
D. buying famous local products and cosmetics
69. What does the word “hooked” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. excited B. lost C. addicted D. bored
70. According to the text, this kind of purchase has some benefits EXCEPT________.
A. earning gifts B. making new friends
C. saving money D. saving time
71. What can we infer from the text?。
A. Online group shopping will become more and more popular.
B. The goods are usually delivered to each doorstep.
C. Doing shopping online is not reliable.
D. People prefer to do group purchases with their co-workers.
“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m no exception. A car brings with it the freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our lives rely too much on this invention.
First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is the worst act an average person can commit. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai have come from cars. These pollutions are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs, cause cancer, and damage the brain.
Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the Hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.
Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.
Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let us make good use of cars.What is this passage mainly about?
| A．Environmental problems. |
| B．Traffic jams in Beijing. |
| C．Problems brought about by cars. |
| D．Benefits of using cars. |
The underlined word commit in Paragraph 2 has the close meaning as ____ .
| A．do something right or legal |
| B．do something wrong or illegal |
| C．do something good and meaningful |
| D．do something bad and meaningless |
What do we know about the author?
| A．The author doesn’t want a car. |
| B．The author agrees that a car offers freedom to travel. |
| C．The author suggests that we should rely on bicycles. |
| D．The author thinks that the invention of cars leads to many problems. |
In Paragraph 3, what does the author mean by saying “The jeeps… often annoy me”?
| A．The author is troubled by the way jeeps are driven in the Hutongs of Beijing. |
| B．The author thinks that Hutongs are too narrow for jeeps to drive through. |
| C．The author thinks that the jeeps are too noisy. |
| D．The author is worried that more accidents are caused by jeeps than any other cars. |
What is the author’s idea in Paragraphs 4 and 5 ?
| A．Cars are only convenient for people traveling far. |
| B．We should all give up cars and ride bicycles. |
| C．Cars have brought us more convenience than troubles. |
| D．We should choose between the car and the bicycle according to the situation. |
For those who were born in the year of the pig, good luck and much success! This is your year. When talking to a westerner, however, you’ve got to be a little careful when talk about pigs. Chinese people view the pig as a small and prosperous (rich, luckily) animal. Western ideas tend to be a little more negative.(否定).
A pig in the West is seen as a dirty , lazy and fat animal. If anyone ever called you a pig, you wouldn’t be smiling. When a person doesn’t like someone, something he will call that person a pig.
If you ever meet a Westerner who was born in the year of the pig, don’t say, “Oh , you’re a pig!” Most Westerners will be misunderstanding. They will be sure that you made some kind of mistakes. However, don’t take any chances. You might just offend someone who does not share your positive ideas about.
66. You have to be careful when you talk to a Westerner about pigs because _____.
A. they worship pigs best of all
B. they consider pigs as gad animals
C. they aren’t used to talking about pigs
D, they don’t like the topic about pigs at all
67. According to the passage we can see that Chinese people think of the pig as a _____animal.
A. clever B. rich C. good D. all the above
68. He will call someone a pig if he _____that man.
A. dislikes B. is afraid of C. looks up to D. makes fun of
69. When you call a Westerner a pig, who was born in the year of the pig, most of them _____.
A. will be angry B. will be very surprised
C. can forgive you D. may quarrel with you
70. From the passage we can conclude that ______.
A. different people have different ideas about the same thing.
B. Westerners do not like pigs as much as the Chinese do
C. In general Westerners and the Chinese don’t like pigs
D. All of the Chinese like pigs better than Westerners
| Use For Use for mechanically generated dusts, mists from processing minerals including coal, iron ore, silica, cotton, flour and certain other substances in concentrations up to ten times the Occupational Exposure Standard or according to local regulations. Do Not Use For Do not use for paint spraying and sandblasting applications or for protecting against gases and vapors. Do not use in atmospheres containing less than 19.5% oxygen, as this respirator does not supply oxygen. Not for use in oil mist atmosphere. Use Limitations 1. The wearer must first be trained in the proper use and fit tested before using this respirator. 2. Do not use this respirator when concentrations of contaminants are immediately dangerous to life or health. 3. Leave the contaminated area immediately if breathing becomes difficult, or dizziness or other distress occurs. 4. Discard and replace respirator if it becomes damaged or breathing resistance becomes excessive. 5. Inspect respirator before each use to ensure it is in good working condition. 6. Do not alter, wash, abuse or misuse this respirator. 7. Do not use with beards or other facial hair or other conditions that prevent a good seal between the face and the sealing edge of the respirator. 8. Can be used up to the limits specified by applicable government regulations for this product. 9. Failure to follow all instructions and warnings on the use of this respirator and/or failure to wear this respirator during all times of exposure can reduce respirator effectiveness and may result in illness or permanent disability 10. Maximum operating temperature: +50°C. Caution Care should be taken when using the product at low temperatures as excessive moisture may cause alves(呼吸阀) to freeze. Storage Conditions and Shelf Life Shelf life of unopened product is 5 years from date of manufacture when stored within temperature range of -20°C to +30°C and at less than 80% relative humidity. Warning This respirator helps protect against certain particles. Misuse can result in sickness or death. For proper use, see supervisor or user instructions in the box or contact 3M Co. Ltd. |
The passage mainly tells us _________.
| A．what this product is |
| B．why should we buy this product |
| C．how to protect us against dusts and mists |
| D．how to use and store the product properly |
What is the meaning of the underlined word “respirator” in Paragraph 2?
| A．Glasses. |
| B．Face mask. |
| C．Protective gloves. |
| D．Protective clothing. |
In which condition can this product be stored?
| A．Temperature: 50°C; Humidity: 40% |
| B．Temperature: 50°C; Humidity: 80% |
| C．Temperature: 25°C; Humidity: 40% |
| D．Temperature: 25°C; Humidity: 80% |
The film stars out as a normal day at a typical American high school. Friends chat in the dining room and boys play football. But there's big surprise when the movie ends with two students going crazy in the school-shooting and killing people.
This is Elephant. It stars real school kids. American director Gus Van Sant had no ready-made lines. The student actors made up their own dialogue, with Van Sant asking them to base their characters on their own lives.
Although it may not sound very high quality, the film won the Palme d'Or (金棕奖) for Best Film and the award for Best Director at the Cannes film festival.
The film is based on the shootings at a high school in the US, where two boys killed 13 people and then themselves in 1999.
The title of the movie refers to the old expression about a problem that's as hard to ignore as an elephant in the house.
The film takes a close look at a few hours in the lives of the victims and the killers. It shows how high school is a different experience for everyone---fun and friendly, or hard and lonely.
In many ways, the two boys, who carry out the shooting, act like ordinary kids. They joke around with one boy's mother as she serves them cakes and play the piano.
But there're hints of the anger they feel inside. One of the boys is bullied (欺负) at school. The other plays violent video games. But Van Sant isn't blaming their killings on either bullying or violent games. In fact, the film doesn't offer any reason for why school violence happens.
"I didn't want to explain anything. It's up to the audience to draw its own conclusions," said the 51-year-old director.The lines of the film were ________.
| A．given by the director |
| B．created by student actors |
| C．thought out by the director during the acting |
| D．carefully designed by professional people |
The film doesn't tell why school shootings happen________.
| A．so as to leave room for the audience to think and judge |
| B．because life itself is the problem maker |
| C．because the mental problems of students are hard to explain |
| D．but there are some hints of the reasons |
The film is named Elephant because ________.
| A．an elephant is always gentle and never causes trouble |
| B．an elephant is a symbol of big problems in American schools |
| C．elephant is used to suggest that the school crime is a big problem |
| D．the two boys liked elephants when alive |
What’s the passage mainly about？
| A．It shows American school life. |
| B．It introduces the film Elephant. |
| C．It tells people to be careful while in peace. |
| D．It reports a school killing in a US school. |
As you grow older，you’ll be faced with some challenging decisions--like whether to cut class or try cigarettes．Making decisions on your own is hard enough，but when other people get involved and try to pressure you one way or another it can be even harder．People who are your age，like your classmates，are called peers．When they try to influence how you act，to get you to do something，it’s called peer pressure．
Peers can have a positive influence on each other．Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in the solar system．Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book，and now everyone’s reading it．These are examples of how peers positively influence each other．
Sometimes peers influence each other in negative ways．For example，a few kids in school might try to get you to cut class with them; your soccer friend might try to convince you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball．
It is tough to be the only one who says “no” to peer pressure，but you can do it．Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do．
You’ve probably had a parent or teacher advising you to “choose your friends wisely．” Peer pressure is a big reason why they say this．If you choose friends who don’t cut class，smoke cigarettes，or lie to their parents，then you probably won’t do these things either，even if other kids do．
If you continue to face peer pressure and you’re finding it difficult to handle，talk to someone you trust．Don’t feel guilty if you’ve made a mistake or two．For whom is the passage most probably written?
| A．Students |
| B．Parents |
| C．Teachers |
| D．Doctors |
In the last three paragraphs，the author mainly_____．
| A．explains why friendship is so important |
| B．gives advice on how to deal with peer pressure |
| C．discusses how peers influence us |
| D．shows how to make more good friends |
Which of following may help handle peer pressure?
| A．Spending more time with classmates． |
| B．Taking up more relaxing hobbies． |
| C．Choosing friends with no bad habits． |
| D．Helping others who are in trouble． |
What is the topic of the passage?
| A．Friendship |
| B．Making decisions |
| C．Self-confidence |
| D．Peer pressure |
阅读下列短文,选出最佳选项。 Three-year-old Teddy Lasry was sleeping in his cowboy outfit (套装) yesterday at his family’s Fifth Ave．apartment when he shot up in bed screaming．A 3-foot-long black-and-white snake twisted around his left arm and had just bitten his little finger．
“The babysitter (a person taking care of children while their parents are away for a short time) was frightened to death,” said Teddy’s father, David Lasry, who, along with his wife, Evelyn, was at work when the snake appeared about 4:00 pm．
The horrified babysitter called 911 and the building’s doorman．The doorman and two cable TV workers helped take the snake off the boy’s arm and put it in a garbage bag．Police rushed Teddy to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he spent two hours attached to a heart monitor as a precaution in case the snake was poisonous．It wasn’t．Experts at the snakebite treatment center at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, where policemen took the snake, found out it was a non-poisonous California king snake．
But how did it end up in Teddy’s bed?
A little detective work determined that the snake had escaped two weeks ago from its cage in the apartment of a doctor whose family lives four floors below the Lasrys．The apologetic owner said his son’s pet snake likely traveled up the water pipes and into his neighbor’s apartment．“It’s a very gentle, very harmless snake,” he said．“It’s handled by our family all the time．”
David Lasry believed the pet was simply hungry after two weeks of wandering．Evelyn said her son seems to have overcome his fright by thinking of himself as a hero cowboy as he rode in the back of the police car to the hospital．
“I told Teddy he’s a pretty snake, a nice pet snake who got out of his cage,” Evelyn said．“But he asked, ‘Why did he bite my finger, Mamma?’ And I said, ‘Because he saw that you are a big boy, Teddy, in your cowboy outfit and he got scared．’”
What did the babysitter do after Teddy was bitten by a snake?
| A．She ran out of the apartment． |
| B．She called the TV company． |
| C．She made an emergency call． |
| D．She took the snake off Teddy’s arm． |
We can learn from the passage that the snake _______．
| A．was poisonous |
| B．was kept in a cage by its owner |
| C．was deserted by its owner |
| D．escaped to the apartment |
From the passage, we know _______．
| A．Teddy needed a heart machine to stay alive for two hours |
| B．Teddy was awake when the snake arrived |
| C．Teddy’s mother was at home when the snake turned up |
| D．the snake was used to being touched |
Teddy probably believed he was attacked because _______．
| A．his parents weren’t at home |
| B．he was asleep the snake |
| C．was scared of him |
| D．the snake was hungry |
B
| Populations and Land (1987) |
||||
| |
Area in |
Percent |
Population |
Percent |
| |
Square miles |
Cultivated |
In millions |
forested |
| United States |
3615104 |
20 |
243.8 |
28 |
| Canada |
3851792 |
5 |
25.9 |
33 |
| United Kingdom |
94525 |
29 |
56.8 |
9 |
| Australia |
2967896 |
6 |
16.2 |
14 |
| India |
1269340 |
51 |
800.3 |
21 |
| China |
3705390 |
11 |
1062.0 |
14 |
Which two countries are the closest to each other in area?
| A．The US and Canada | B．The US and China |
| C．China and Canada | D．India and China |
_____ has the highest population density(密度), and _____ has the second highest.
| A．China, India | B．India, China |
| C．India, the US | D．China, the US |
Which two countries have the closest percentage of cultivated land?
| A．The US and the United Kingdom. |
| B．The US and China |
| C．Australia and Canada． |
| D．Australia and China |
There are _____ countries whose cultivated land percentage is larger than the forest percentage.
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages. Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet plane fly people from one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.
Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest (征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured . The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow window of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
Then there is the time spent being “processed” at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move again to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being “processed” at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
Man, however, is now a world traveler and can not turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. Speed controls people’s lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing—or so we are told. Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today. They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.What does the writer try to express in Paragraph1?
| A．Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages． |
| B．The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively short． |
| C．The freedom of movement has helped people realize their dreams． |
| D．Man has been fond of travelling rather than staying in one place． |
How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph2?
| A．By giving instructions. |
| B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By giving examples. |
According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed trains because______．
| A．they pay less for the tickets |
| B．they feel safer during the travel |
| C．they can enjoy higher speed of travel |
| D．they don’t have to be “processed” |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Air travel benefits people and industries． |
| B．Train Travel has some advantages over air travel． |
| C．Great changes have taken place in modern travel. |
| D．The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost. |
When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of travelling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising---and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens(十几岁) or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
| A．Staying on the farm |
| B．Moving to the countryside |
| C．Leaving home for the city |
| D．Running away from the school |
Which of the following is true about the writer?
| A．He is very old now. |
| B．He is in good health. |
| C．He prefers driving a car. |
| D．He lives in the city now. |
In the passage, the writer tries to _______.
| A．express his opinions about way of life |
| B．describe his life in the countryside |
| C．show an interest in the outside world |
| D．persuade the reader to live in the city |
How is the passage mainly developed?
| A．By inferring | B．By comparing |
| C．By listing examples | D．By giving explanations |
根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项. 选项中有两项为多余选项. 请将答案涂在答题卡上.
71 Because, from what I could see, it seemed that grown-ups often forgot. I never wanted to forget --- I wanted to be able to remind other adults and myself when the time came. I began consciously(有意识地) thinking this at quite an early age.
As soon as I was fully aware (意识到) of myself, I regarded me as a little person and liked adults who thought of and treated me the same way. I didn’t have a doll and I didn’t want one. I wanted animal toys, even a single animal. Why wouldn’t my parents give me the one thing I wanted? 72
Instead, my dad somehow managed to buy me a full set of encyclopedia(百科全书) and books with maps and color pictures long before I could read. Well, guess what? I learned to read without realizing it! Later, I found out when I started school and it all came so easy especially geography. 73 Because of all the books my father bought me, I knew a lot of words that other children didn’t know at my age.
I love words. They opened up new worlds for me. 74 Parents, please make sure your kids have a computer. Let them explore — as safely as possible— let them do their own things and discover the world.
Now, most kids lead a happy life. They can get what they want from their parents. But children should learn to be independent. 75 Be independent to do your own things.
| A．Because of them, I read and thought, and today, I write. |
| B．When I was a child, I promised myself to try to remember as much as I could. |
| C．I listened and heard everything, even if I didn’t understand everything. |
| D．I nearly knew every place on the map like the teacher. |
E. But more than anything, it made me feel uncomfortable and I knew it wasn’t nice.
F. Later, I knew we didn’t have much money, but how expensive could a toy be?
G. Be independent to learn some useful knowledge.
Why does night fall but never break and day break but never fall?
Why are people who ride motorcycles called bikers and people who ride bikes called cyclists?
In what other language do people drive in a parkway and park in a driveway?
In what other language do they call the third hand on the clock the second hand?
Let’s face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger. Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren’t sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (探讨它的矛盾), we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them.
And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce, and hammers don’t ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, shouldn’t the plural of booth be beeth? One goose, two geese — so one moose, two meese?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That’s why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it. According to the passage ______.
| A．sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different things |
| B．there should be egg in an eggplant |
| C．pineapples are the apples on the pine tree |
| D．boxing rings should be round |
Which of the following includes two items which have the similar meaning?
| A．A wise man and a wise guy. |
| B．Overlook and oversee. |
| C．Quite a lot and quite a few. |
| D．Hot as hell and cold as hell. |
The underlined words “wind up” in the last paragraph probably mean “______”.
| A．blow | B．roll up | C．get hurt | D．finish |
Through the many paradoxes in the English language, the writer wants to show that human beings are ______.
| A．clever | B．crazy | C．lazy | D．dull |
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