LONDON — Life for Cathy Hagner and her three children is set to permanent(永久的) fast-forward.
Their full school day and her job as a lawyer's assistant are busy enough. But Hanger also has to take the two boys to soccer or hockey or basketball while dropping off her daughter at piano lessons or Girl Scout Club.
Often, the exhausted family doesn't get home until 7 pm. There is just time for a quick supper before homework. In today's world, middle-class American and British parents treat their children as if they are competitors racing for some finishing line.
Parents take their children from activity to activity in order to make their future bright. It seems that raising a genius has become a more important goal than raising a happy and well-balanced child.
“Doctors across the country are reporting a growing number of children suffering from stomachaches and headaches due to exhaustion and stress,” says child expert William Doherty of the University of Minnesota.
Teachers are dealing with exhausted kids in the classroom. It's a very serious problem. Many children attend after-school clubs by necessity. But competitive pressures also create an explosion of activities. They include sports, language, music and math classes for children as young as four.
“There is a new parenting trend(趋势) under way which says that you have to tap all your child’s potential(潜能) at a young age; otherwise you will let him down,” says Terry Apter, a Cambridge-based child and adolescent psychiatrist(青少年精神病专家).
“It isn't entirely new: there have always been pushy parents. But what was previously(以前) seen as strange behaviour is now well accepted.” From the second paragraph of this passage we can find that _______.
| A．Hagner wastes much time helping her children's lessons |
| B．Hagner doesn't spend much time on her full-time job |
| C．Hagner is interested in sports and music |
| D．Hagner busies herself by following a trend |
British parents, as the writer described in this passage, _______.
| A．treat their children as sports players |
| B．pay no attention to their children's lessons |
| C．bring up their children in a simple way |
| D．give their children little time to develop freely |
The writer's opinion about after-school clubs is that ________.
| A．activities in the country are too competitive |
| B．children should attend four clubs at a time |
| C．some clubs result in competitive pressures |
| D．clubs should have more subjects for school children |
The last paragraph tells us that in Britain _______.
| A．parents used to take their children to every club |
| B．parents used to be wise on how to raise children |
| C．parents have all benefited from children’s clubs |
| D．parents have come to know the standard of education |
D
Every artist knows in his heart that he is saying something to the public. Not only does he want to say it well, but he wants it to be something which has not been said before. He hopes the public will listen and understand ----he wants to teach them, and he wants them to learn from him.
What visual artists like painters want to teach is easy to make out but difficult to explain, because they translate their experiences into shapes and colors, not words. They seem to feel that a certain selection of shapes and colors, out of the countless billions possible, is exceptionally interesting for them and worth showing to us. Without their work we should never have noticed these particular shapes and colors, or have felt the delight which they brought to the artist.
Most artists take their shapes and colors from the world of nature and from human bodies in motion and response: their choices indicate that these aspects of the world are worth looking at, that they contain beautiful sights. Contemporary artists might say that they merely choose subjects that provide an interesting pattern, that there is noting more in it. Yet even they do not choose entirely without reference to the character of their subjects.
If one painter chooses to paint a decaying(腐烂的) leg and another a lake in moonlight, each of them is directing our attention to a certain aspect of the world. Each painter is telling us something, showing us something, emphasizing something—all of which means that, consciously or unconsciously, he is trying to teach us.
46. It is hard to understand a painting because_____
A. the artist wants to teach the others
B. a painter uses shapes and colors instead of words.
C. the painter doesn’t express his idea well enough
D. the painting is meaningless
47. A painter uses certain shapes and colors because he feels that they ____.
A. haven’t been used before B. are not worth showing to the public
C. are interesting to them D. haven’t been noticed by the public
48 Implied but not stated_____.
A. paintings are more easily understood than music.
B. to find what the artist is saying we must look beyond the shape and color
C. painting is only the arranging of shape and color
D. all artists are trying to teach something to the public
49. Why do what painters want to teach is easy to make out but difficult to explain?
A. Because painters cannot express themselves clearly in words.
B. Because painters change their into shapes and colors, not words.
C. Because people cannot understand painters’ words.
D. Because people are not interested in what painters want to tell us.
50. Where do most artists take their shapes and colors?
A. From nature B. From human bodies in motion and response.
C. From artists’ own imagination. D. Both A and B
C
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Best on Campus
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For Sale
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Help Wanted
Babysitter—My home
If you could find a few hours during the day, some evenings and weekends to care for 2 school- age children, please call 800-1111.
Lost
A black bag with a pencil-box and some books left in the reading room. Will the finder please come to Class 3, Grade 1?
Found
A green jacket was left on the sports ground yesterday afternoon ( April 15th). Will the owner please ring 656-6688?
44. If you wanted to place an ad. , what number would you call?
A. 800-0739 B. 800-1932 C. 800-5224 D. 800-0667
45. If you want to find a part-time job, you will look at________.
A. For Rent B. For Sale C. Help Wanted D. Lost
B
How does a place become a World Heritage Site ( 世界遗产 ) ? It takes a lot of people to decide.
1 ) If a country wants one of its places to be on the World Heritage List, it has to ask UNESCO. The place must be important and special. UNESCO put the Great Wall on the list in 1987 because, it said, it was a great part of Chinese culture and beautifully made to go with the land. When a country asks, it must also make a plan for taking care of the place.
2 ) The World Heritage Committee of UNESCO talks about different places and decides
whether to put them on the list. The committee meets every June. Many experts help the committee to decide.
3 ) After a new place goes on the list, UNESCO gives money to help keep it looking good. If a place is in serious danger, it may be put on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. UNESCO gives special care and help to those places.
4 ) Countries have to give UNESCO regular reports about places on the list. If UNESCO thinks a country isn’t taking good enough care of a place, the site will be taken off the list.
41. The passage implies that ________.
A. becoming a world heritage site takes hard work.
B. a place with beautiful scenery is often on the World Heritage List.
C. a place which was taken good care of is often on the World Heritage List.
D. the Great Wall became a World Heritage Site for its history.
42. If a place successfully becomes a World Heritage Site, the country ________.
A. can ask UNESCO for more money and help
B. should continue to take special care of it
C. won’t take trouble of caring for it
D. will try to put it on the List of World Heritage Sites in Danger
43. The purpose of putting a place on the World Heritage List is ________.
A. to attract more tourists from other countries
B. to get more money and help from other countries
C. to have it taken better care of
D. to make it known to other countries
第二部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的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
There have been many great inventions, things that changed the way we live. The first great invention was one that is still very important today－the wheel. This made it easier to carry heavy things and to travel long distances.
For hundreds of years after that there were few inventions that had as much influence as the wheel. Then in the early 1800’s the world started to change. There was little unknown land left in the world. People didn't have to explore much any more. They began to work instead to make life better. In the second half of the 19th century many great inventions were made. Among them were the camera, the electric light and the radio. These all became a big part of our life today. The first part of the 20th century saw more great inventions: the helicopter in 1909, movies with sound in 1926, the computer in 1928, and jet planes in 1930. This was also a time when a new material was first made. Nylon came out in 1935. It changed the kind of clothes people wear.
The middle part of the 20th century brought new ways to help people get over diseases. They worked very well. They made people healthier and let them live longer lives. By the 1960’s most people could expect to live to be at least 60. By this time most people had a very good life. Of course new inventions went on to be made. But man now had a desire to explore again. The world was known to man but the stars were not. Man began looking for ways to go into space. Russia made the first step. Then the USA took a step. And then China has made her steps into space.
In 1969 man took his biggest step away from earth. Americans first walked on the moon. This is certainly just a beginning though. New inventions will some day allow us to do things we have never dreamed of.
36. This passage talks mainly about _________.
A. why cars were very important B. when electric light was invented
C. which country made the first step into space D. how inventions influence people’s life
37. In 1800’s, people began to work to make_________.
A. explorationsB. life better C. discoveriesD. a trip to space
38. Nylon came out nearly at the same time as _________.
A. radios B. camerasC. jet planesD. movies
39. People can live longer lives because _________ to help people cure diseases have worked very well.
A. doctorsB. new waysC. medicinesD. new hospitals
40. Man didn’t have a desire to explore a lot _________.
A. at the beginning of the 1800’s B. in the 1960’s
C. since the 1900’s D. from the 1800’s to the 1960’s
D
Young people can have problems with their minds. Some students become worried because they have to study very hard. Others have trouble getting on well with people like their parents and classmates.
Liu Wei, a Junior 2 student from Hefei, could not understand his teacher and was doing badly in his lessons. He became so worried about it that he started to cut his finger with a knife. Another student, 14-year-old Yan Fang from Guangzhou, was afraid of exams. She got very worried in the test, and when she looked at the exam papers, she couldn’t think of anything to write.
A recent report from Jiefang Daily says about 18% of Shanghai teenagers have mental(心理的)problems. Their troubles include being worried and very unhappy, and having problems in learning and getting on well with people. Many students who have problems won’t go for advice or help. Some think they will look stupid(愚蠢的)if they go to see a doctor. Others don’t want to talk about their secret.
Liang Yuezhu, an expert on teenagers from Beijing Anding Hospital has the following advice for teenagers.
1). Talk to your parents or teachers often.
2). Take part in group activities and play sports.
3). Go to see a doctor if you feel unhappy or unwell.
51. The students who often become worried or have trouble getting on well with others may have___________.
A. mental problems B. a headache C. knives with them D. no parents
52. Liu Wei cut his finger with a knife because____________.
A. he was afraid of his teacher B. he wanted to frighten his parents
C. he was so worried about his study D. his finger was badly hurt
53. Yan Fang’s problems happened whenever ______________.
A. she studied very hard B. she had exams
C. she talked with her parents D. she thought of something
54. Students who have problems won’t ask others for help because _____________.
A. they won’t let others think they are stupid.
B. they don’t think doctors can help them.
C. they don’t want to tell their secret to others.
D. both A and C.
55. Liang Yuezhu’s advice tells us that_________________.
A. it’s better for the students who have mental problems to join others.
B. it’s unnecessary for them to be with others.
C. only group activities and sports can help them.
D. teachers and parents can’t do anything about mental problems.