II. 阅读理解(Reading comprehension)(共20小题,计35分)
A)选择题:阅读下面短文,从A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出能回答所提问题或完成所给句子的最佳答案。(答案涂在答题纸上)
A
Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollywood, in the United States. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay, and so the film industry there is called “Bollywood”. Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year as Hollywood—more than 800 films a year. The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies. For one thing, Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure, mystery, and romance. Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film is sometimes called a “masala” film. (“Masala” is an Indian word for a mixture of spices. ) Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way the movies are made. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may begin on a Bollywood movie before the script is even finished. The director and writers can make up the story while the film is being made. Sometimes they will even write the script by hand instead of taking time to type it. |
Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several movies at the same time. They may even shoot scenes for several films on the same day using the same clothes and scenery (舞台布景). Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film, with a budget (预算) of only two million U.S. dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget of sixty million U.S. dollars for a Hollywood film—thirty times as much!
51. The main topic of the passage is ________.
A. famous stars in Bollywood
B. how Hollywood movies are made
C. the differences between two movie industries
D. the history of movie-making in India
52. What is NOT true about Mumbai?
A. It is the movie capital of India.
B. Its new name is Bombay.
C. More movies are made there than in Hollywood.
D. The film industry there is called “Bollywood”.
53. Why are Bollywood films often called “masala” films?
A. They have interesting stories.
B. They are much longer than Hollywood films.
C. They show Indian culture.
D. They mix different styles of movies.
54. Bollywood movies are cheap to make because ________.
A. they are shorter than Hollywood films
B. the scripts are written by hand
C. the movies do not use any special effects
D. most movies reuse things from other movies
55. Which of these statements would the writer probably agree with?
A. Most Bollywood movies are very similar.
B. It takes a lot of money to make a good movie.
C. Only Indian people can understand Bollywood movies.
D. Hollywood movies are too violent.
B)非选择题:阅读下列短文,然后回答问题或完成句子。(答案写在答题纸上)
We now think of chocolate as sweet, but once it was bitter.We think of it as a candy, but once it was a medicine.Today, chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or just a snack.Sometimes it's an ingredient(配料) in the main course of a meal.Mexicans make a hot chocolate sauce called mole and pour it over chicken.The Mexicans also eat chocolate with spices(香料) like chili peppers.
Chocolate is a product of the tropical cacao tree.The beans taste so bitter that even the monkeys say "Ugh!" and run away.Workers must first dry and then roast the beans.This removes the bitter taste.
The word "chocolate" comes from a Mayan word.The Mayas were an ancient people who once lived in Mexico.They valued the cacao tree.Some used the beans for money, while others crushed them to make a drink.
When the Spaniards came to Mexico in the sixteenth century, they started drinking cacao too. Because the drink was strong and bitter, they thought it was a medicine.No one had the idea of adding sugar.The Spaniards took some beans back to Europe and opened cafes.Wealthy people drank cacao and said it was good for the digestion.
In the 1800s, the owner of a chocolate factory in England discovered that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.It quickly became a cheap and popular drink.Soon afterwards, a factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.Later on, another factory mixed milk and chocolate together. People liked the taste of milk chocolate even better.
Besides the chocolate candy bar, one of the most popular American snacks is the chocolate chip cookie.Favorite desserts are chocolate cream pie and, of course, an ice cream sundae with hot fudge sauce.
It was _____that discovered sugar could remove the bitter taste of cacao.
A.The workers in the chocolate factory |
B.The Spaniards |
C.The people in England |
D.The owner of a chocolate factory |
The Spaniards think that cacao was a medicine because_____
A.it was strong and bitter. |
B.it was good for digestion. |
C.it cured man's diseases. |
D.it was a kind of drink for good health. |
Which is the right time order of the events regarding chocolate?
a.Chocolate became a cheap and popular drink in England.
b.A factory made the first solid block of sweetened chocolate.
c.The Spaniards started drinking cacao.
d.It was found that sugar removed the bitter taste of cacao.
e.A factory mixed milk and chocolate together.
A.a-b-c-d-e | B.c-d-e-b-a |
C.c-d-a-b-e | D.c-d-b-e-a |
It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A.chocolate can be a hot drink, a frozen dessert, or a candy bar |
B.Mexicans like chocolate very much |
C.chocolate is a product of the cacao tree |
D.people liked the taste of chocolate mixed with milk |
One silly question I simply can’t stand is “How do you feel?” Usually the question is asked of a man in action — a man on the go, walking along the street, or busily working at his desk. So what do you expect him to say? He’ll probably say, “Fine, I’m all right,” but “you’ve put a bug in his ear” — maybe now he’s not sure. If you’re a good friend, you may have seen something in his face, or his walk, that he overlooked that morning. It starts him worrying a little. First thing you know, he looks in a mirror to see if everything is all right, while you go merrily on your way asking someone else, “How do you feel?”
Every question has its time and place. It’s perfectly acceptable, for instance, to asked “How do you feel?” if you’re visiting a close friend in the hospital. But if the fellow is walking on both legs, hurrying to catch a train, or sitting at his desk working, it’s no time to ask him that silly question.
When George Bernard Shaw, the famous writer of plays, was in his eighties, someone asked him, “How do you feel?” Shaw put him in his place. “When you reach my age,” Shaw said, “either you feel all right or you’re dead.”
26. The passage tells us that some greetings such as “How do you feel?” __________.
A. show one’s consideration for others
B. are a good way to make friends
C. are proper to ask a man in action
D. generally make one feel uneasy
27. The question “How do you feel?” seems to be correct and suitable when asked of _________________________.
A. a man working at his work B. a person having lost a close friend
C. a stranger who looks somewhat worried D. a friend who is ill
28. The writer seems to feel that a busy man should _________________.
A. be praised for his efforts
B. never be asked any questions
C. not be troubled
D. be discouraged from working so hard
29. “You’ve put a bug in his ear” means that you’ve _________________.
A. made him laugh merrily
B. given him some kind of warning
C. shown much concern for him
D. played a joke on him
30. George Bernard Shaw’s reply in the passage shows his __________.
A. cleverness B. cheerfulness C. power and skills D. politeness
Most Chinese people these days know what it is like to have an “English teacher”, since almost all pupils study English from their third year. Usually that first English teacher will be a young and lovely lady in primary school. But my first English teacher is no other than my father. Looking back, I can see that, when I was only a little girl, he created an English environment by providing me with flashcards(识字卡),fun English- language toys and even dolls which can sing English songs! My interest in English had certainly been awakened(唤起) when I began to learn English at school. Just imagine, he went a step further and asked me to learn New Concept English by myself! I was confused and even angry. I could not understand why a father could be so strict with his little girl. All the same, he never gave up and he gently insisted that I follow through with his idea. At first, I read stories with tears and I actually hated them because they were too difficult for me. In the end, I came to love the funny stories and, to be honest, my father was always there with a helping hand. I am sure that my English would never have got so far without his support. And that’s why my father is not only my first English teacher but also my lifelong teacher. He is the one who awoke my interest, who gave me confidence and who offered me much needed help.
Most pupils in China begin to learn English________.
A.in primary school | B.from parents | C.at three years old | D.at home |
The underline part ‘no other than my father’ in the passage probably means________.
A.like my father | B.not my father | C.my father himself | D.not only my father |
From the whole passage we can see that________.
A.the girl preferred playing to learning English |
B.the girl hates her father because he was strict |
C.the girl is very thankful to her father |
D.the father gave up after knowing his daughter could not understand |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.The girl’s father is her first English teacher. |
B.The girl had been interested in English before going to school. |
C.The girl’s father was always ready to help her with her English. |
D.The girl could have learned English well by herself without her father. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.How I learned English at school |
B.My father---my first and lifelong English teacher |
C.The relationship between my father and I |
D.I’ve made progress in English learning |
Ship tourism to Antarctica is on the rise: More than 35,000 tourists are expected to visit Antarctic this summer. In 1992-1993, 6,750 visited Antarctica, according to the Antarctica Treaty. All of this tourism, however, is putting both tourists and the environment in great danger.
Among the tourist ships that visit the continent, the Explorer, a Canadian ship, was one of the first. Put to use in 1969, it was built to carry tourists to Antarctica. Last week, however, it became the first commercial passenger ship to sink beneath the waters. Fortunately, all of the passengers and crew members were rescued from the ship. However, the sunken ship endangered the Antarctic’s fragile(脆弱的) environment. The ship was estimated to be holding 48,000 gallons of fuel.
The accident was not unexpected. Both the US and UK had warned a conference of the Antarctic Treaty member countries in May that the tourism situation in this area was a potential disaster. The US said in a paper, people “should take a hard look at tourism issues now, especially those related to ship safety.” Although the Antarctic seas are relatively(相对地) calm, floating ice causes a potential threat to ships. The owner of the Explorer blamed the sinking on a fist-like hole in the ship created by ice.
Many of the other large ships now visiting Antarctica are not designed especially against thick ice. Such ships generally can only come to the continent in summer. But the tourist rush is pushing ships into dangerous situations. “The increasing number of ships operating in Antarctic means that the ship are under great pressure to get there in time for the key visiting sites,” the British government wrote in a paper at the meeting of member countries.
As a natural frontier, Antarctica is in a messy legal situation. There are no obvious answers as to who is responsible for dealing with the threat that tourist may cause to human life and the environment.
There is no coast guard for Antarctica. Do we want it to become Disneyland, or do we need some controls?
76. Which of the following is true according to this passage?
A. Antarctica tourism has a history of about 17 years
B. The number of tourists to the Antarctic is over 5 times as large as that of 17 years ago.
C. The tourism boom has caused holes in the floating ice in the Antarctic.
D. The Antarctica Treaty is responsible for the problem.
77. The sinking of the Explorer____________.
A. led to a conference about the tourism situation in the Antarctic.
B. was caused by the rough seas
C. had been predicted
D. did harm to the Antarctic.
78. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
A. a Disneyland will be built in the Antarctic
B. fewer people are visiting the Antarctic because of the warnings given
C. not all the ships are suitable to go to the Antarctic
D. some ships take risks visiting the Antarctic in other seasons rather than in summer
79. In this passage, the writer suggests that___________.
A. people had better not make a tour of the Antarctic
B. ships to the Antarctic should be built strong enough
C. there should be legal controls over tourism in the Antarctic
D. the Antarctic’s environment is fragile
80. What attitude does the writer hold towards Antarctic tourism?
A. Supportive. B. Positive. C. Indifferent. D. Anxious.
A mouse looked through a hole in the wall to see the farmer and his wife opening a package; what food might it contain? He was astonished to discover that it was a mouse trap!
Running to the farmyard,the mouse shouted,warning everyone,“There is a mouse trap in the house,there is a mouse trap in the house.”The chicken,with her head high,glared at the mouse and said,“Shut up.Little Ugly.This is a great concern to you,but it has nothing to do with me:I can’t be troubled by it.”
The mouse turned to the pig and told him.“There is a mouse trap in the house.”“I am so sorry,Mr Mouse,”said the pig sympathetically,“but there is nothing I can do about it but pray;you are always in my prayers.”
The mouse turned to the cow,who said,“A mouse trap,am I in great danger,huh?”
Now the mouse had to face the farmer’s mouse trap alone.
That very night a sound was heard through the house,like that of a mouse trap catching its prey.The farmer’wife rushed to see what was caught.In the darkness,she did not see it was a big poisonous snake whose tail the trap had caught.The snake bit the farmer’s wife.The farmer rushed her to the hospital.She returned home with a fever.It is said that drinking fresh chicken soup will help treat fever,so the farmer took his sharp knife to the farmyard for the soup’s main ingredient.His wife’s sickness continued,so friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock.To feed them,the farmer killed the pig.The farmer’s wife did not get well,in fact,she died,and so many people came for her funeral.The farmer had the cow killed to provide for all of them to eat.
So next time when someone is facing a problem,don’t say that it has nothing to do with you.
We could see from the passage that the mouse was .
A.good at cheating others | B.dishonest |
C.kind and warm-hearted | D.foolish |
Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.The others help the farmer kill the cow. |
B.The mouse trap was very practical. |
C.The pig is more friendly than the other animals. |
D.The farmer’s family had no friends at all. |
What can we learn from the story?
A.Traps can always cause chain reactions. |
B.It is better to be safe than to be sorry. |
C.Sometimes when the least of us is threatened,we all might be at risk. |
D.To keep the balance of nature is the duty of us all. |
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 |
第三部分:阅读理解(共10小题;每小题2分,满分20分)
请认真阅读下列短文,从短文后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
In meditation(冥想),people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath. As they breathe in and out, they attend to their feelings. As thoughts go through their minds, they let them go. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Let go.
According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a marked change in how the brain allocates attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli, like facial expressions.
The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day. A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period. Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers, their brain activity was recorded.
Everyone could catch the first number. But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number. Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number as if letting it go, which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number. This shows that attention can change with practice.
Just ask Daniel Levision, who meditated for three months as part of the study.” I am a much better listener,” he said. “I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying.”
56. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.
A. feelings B. minds C. people D. thoughts
57. Meditations manage their daily tasks better because they ________.
A. are given less pressure B. allocate their attention better
C. have more stimuli for life D. practice them more frequently
58. The study proves that ________.
A. meditation improves one’s health B. brain activity can be recorded
C. human attention can be trained D. mediators have a good sense of hearing