When it comes to friends, I desire those who will share my happiness, who possess wings of their own and who will fly with me. I seek friends whose qualities illuminate(照亮)me and train me up for love. It is for these people that I reserve the glowing hours, too good not to share.
When I was in the eighth grade, I had a friend. We were shy and “too serious” about our studies when it was becoming fashionable with our classmates to learn acceptable social behaviors. We said little at school, but she would come to my house and we would sit down with pencils and paper, and one of us would say:“Let’s start with a train whistle today.” We would sit quietly together and write separate poems or stories that grew out of a train whistle. Then we would read them aloud. At the end of that school year, we, too, were changing into social creatures and the stories and poems stopped.
When I lived for a time in London, I had a friend, He was in despair(失望)and I was in despair. But our friendship was based on the idea in each of us that we would be sorry later if we did not explore this great city because we had felt bad at the time. We met every Sunday for five weeks and found many excellent things. We walked until our despairs disappeared and then we parted. We gave London to each other.
For almost four years I have had remarkable friend whose imagination illuminates mine. We write long letters in which we often discover our strangest selves. Each of us appears, sometimes in a funny way, in the other’s dreams. She and I agree that, at certain times, we seem to be parts of the same mind. In my most interesting moments, I often think:“Yes, I must tell….”We have never met.
It is such comforting companions I wish to keep. One bright hour with their kind is worth more to me than the lifetime services of a psychologist(心理学家),who will only fill up the healing(愈合的)silence necessary to those darkest moments in which I would rather be my own best friend.In the eighth grade, what the author did before developing proper social behavior was to ______.
A.become serious about her study | B.go to her friend’s house regularly |
C.learn from her classmates at school | D.share poems and stories with her friend |
In Paragraph 3, “We gave London to each other” probably means ______.
A.our exploration of London was a memorable gift to both of us |
B.we were unwilling to tear ourselves away from London |
C.our unpleasant feeling about London disappeared |
D.we parted with each other in London |
According to Paragraph 4, the author and her friend _______.
A.call each other regularly | B.have similar personalities |
C.enjoy writing to each other | D.dream of meeting each other |
In the darkest moments, the author would prefer to ______.
A.seek professional help | B.be left alone |
C.stay with her best friend | D.break the silence |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.Unforgettable Experience | B.Remarkable Imagination |
C.Lifelong Friendship | D.Noble Companions |
What makes a house a home?
Not size, of course. I’ve been in some of the grandest houses in America and it’s readily apparent no one lives there. Earlier this year in a mud hut in Ethiopia, where we sat on chairs next to the hostess’s bed—a home that had more warmth than any house I’ve been in since.
Now John Edwards is exploring what makes a house a home in his just-released book-- The Blueprints of Our Lives. There Edwards writes, “ This is a book about homes, the values they rest on, the dreams they are filled with, and the people they have shaped. The houses and circumstances (环境) are different, but much of what you find inside will be familiar.”
Whether you’re sitting in an airport right now, waiting to fly to your childhood home for Thanksgiving, or in your own home waiting for the relatives to arrive, you know what he’s talking about.
We’ve lived in our townhouse for 21 years--the loose windows that make noise in the wind, the fireplace so shallow it holds only one log, the kitchen window that offers a view of the world passing by. It is where friends sit on the kitchen counter drinking wine while dinner is being fixed. I lived there for only 18, but it will always be my true home. Even the lamp in the west living room window, which I could see far down the road when driving home late at night, still shines.
While all this talk about childhood memories can be warm and comforting, home is whom you’re with, not where you are. As Edwards writes, “ Home is family. Home is safety. Home is faith.”
69. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Home means everything B. What’s inside makes us feel at home
C. Home: The Blueprints of Our Lives D. The importance of Houses
70. The purpose of the second paragraph is to _________.
A. mean the author likes living in grandest houses
B. prove the author got along with the hostess
C. mean the feeling of a home isn’t related to the size
D. show the author’s different feelings about houses
71. We know that The Blueprints of Our Lives ________
A. is the description of Edwards’s houses
B. is mainly about houses
C. helps us to understand the concept of home
D. is written by the author of the text
72. According to the text, which of the following can make a house a home?
A. The atmosphere you feel B. The color of the walls
C. The number of family members D. The position of the home
Having one of those days or weeks----when everything seems to annoy you? Even
if you do nothing about it, your bad mood will probably go away after some time. But with a little effort, you can forget it much faster---often within a day or two.
Walk it off
Exercise is the most popular bad-mood buster(破坏者). A person who is in bad mood has low energy and high tension. Taking a fast ten-minute walk, or doing some quick exercises can do wonders towards changing that bad mood.
Tune it out
Listening to your favorite music for a while can also make tension go away quickly, because music starts associations with past positive experiences we’ve had.
Give yourself a pep talk
Stop and listen to what is on your mind. Bad moods are often started by too many negative thoughts. Write them all down on paper; the pessimistic (悲观的) messages you’ve been giving yourself and then give optimistic answers. (“ I still don’t have a job” v.s “ I have two interviews next week.”)
Reduce your stress
Relaxation techniques are wonderful mood-lifters. These include deep breathing, stretching and visualizing (想象),all of which sound complicated but aren’t. One easy way to visualize: close your eyes and picture a favorite place, such as the beach. Another simple way to against distress is to make a to-do list. One reason for being in a bad mood is feeling you have no choices. By taking control over certain areas, you realize you’re not helpless. You can make changes in your mood and life.
Avoid things that won’t improve your mood
TV may not help much: You need to increase your energy level and stimulate(刺激) your mind -----something that the TV show “Neighbors” won’t do. And before you reach for that piece of cake and coffee, think about how mood and food are linked. Sugar and caffeine(咖啡因) contribute to depressed moods. The better choice? Research shows that carbohydrates, such as potatoes and pasta, produce a calming effect in people who have a desire for them.
65. We learn from the text that it might help rid us of a bad mood________.
A. to do nothing about it B. to take a long walk on the beach
C. to do some exercises with light musicD. to talk it to neighbors
66. Why is it suggested that you close your eyes and picture the beach?
A. It is not complicated to do so B. It is an area to be easily controlled
C. It helps beat a bad mood D. It brings us a new technique
67. TV may not improve your mood because _____.
A. it sometimes shows what happens around you
B. it keeps you stay unmoved
C. it reminds you of eating and drinking
D. it produces a calming effect
68. This text most probably appears in _______
A. a book on physical exercisesB. a doctor’s handbook
C. a noticeD. a magazine
Have you ever heard the story of the four-minute miles? Many years ago, people believed that it was impossible for a human being to run a mile in less than four minutes until Roger Banister proved it wrong in 1954.
What happens if you put an animal in a pond? Any animal, big or small, will swim its way through. What happens when someone, who doesn’t know how to swim, falls in deep water? They drown. If an animal who has not learnt swimming could escape by swimming, why not you? Because you believe you will drown while the animal doesn’t.
Have you ever wondered why the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard? You might have thought it is to increase the typing speed. Most people never questioned it. But the fact is that this system was developed to reduce the typing speed at a time when typewriter parts you jam if the operator typed too fast.
These three cases show the power of our beliefs. There is no other more powerful force in human behavior than belief. Your beliefs have the power to create and to destroy. A belief delivers command to your nervous system.
I used a snake in my workshop for children to show them how unrealistic some of their beliefs are. Students of a school in India said snakes are slippery and slimy and poisonous. After doing an exercise for changing beliefs, they took my snake and found it to be dry and clean. They also remembered that only three types of poisonous snakes exist in India.
Did this story end the way you thought? Review your beliefs now and find out which ones you need to change.
60.In the author’s opinion, if a person in deep water doesn’t know how to swim, he will drown because_________.
A.he is afraid of water B.he believes he will drown
C.he hasn’t learnt to swim before D.he doesn’t want to live in the world
61.The author thinks that the letters are organized in a particular order on your keyboard in order to _________.
A.save more space B.satisfy the operator
C.reduce one’s typing speed D.increase one’s typing speed
62.The author’s experiment shows that________.
A.snakes are dry and clean B.snakes can be caught easily
C.snakes are slimy and poisonous D.snakes in India aren’t poisonous
63.According to the passage, we know that_________
A.students from India have unrealistic beliefs on how to live a better life
B.an animal who hasn’t learnt how to swim will drown if you put it in pond
C.most people don’t like the order the letters are arranged on the keyboard
D.Roger Banister was the first person who ran a mile in less than four minutes
64. The main idea of this passage should be that________.
A. beliefs are very powerful
B. beliefs make us seem stupid
C. changing your beliefs now is necessary
D. people should always believe in themselves
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
For many people Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. One of the reasons people love it so much is that you get presents. But like presents, Christmas needs to be unwrapped so that you can understand the true meaning behind the day.
Many Chinese believe everyone in Western countries celebrate this holiday. That is not true. Christmas is an important religious holiday for Christians. December 25 represents the birthday of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the son of God.
Christianity (基督教) is a very popular religion in America and Europe. However, there are many other religions, too. People who celebrate those religions don’t celebrate Christmas. But during the winter season they usually have their own important holiday. That is why when talking to a foreigner it is safer to say, “ Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” because you never know his/her religious background.
The image of a fat, happy man in red---Santa Claus---has come to represent the idea of goodness and love instead of religious part or the “Christmas spirit”. Santa Claus is based on a man named Saint Nicholas who was a 4th century Greek Christian.
Saint Nicholas bought presents for children and gave them away anonymously(匿名地). This is where the idea of gift on Christmas began. But the Santa Claus didn’t exist until the 19th century when an American named Thomas Nast drew cartoons of him. So really, Santa has nothing to do with the religious holiday.
In fact, some people who celebrate Christmas don’t really care about Santa Claus.
Christmas is a special day for Christians but the ideas of being good and loving your neighbors are not limited to Christianity. So buy a gift for your friend, tell your mother you love her and have merry Christmas. I mean ,”Happy holidays!”
56. Christians believe December 25 represents the birthday of _________.
A. Santa Claus B. God C. Jesus Christ D. Thomas Nast
57. In the passage, the author thinks __________.
A. Santa Claus was a real person in the past
B. everyone should believe in Christianity
C. all people in Western countries celebrate Christmas
D. Santa Claus has nothing to do with Christmas holiday
58. What is “the true meaning” in the first passage?
A. For many people Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year
B. The Westerners have different religious backgrounds
C. Some like to say “Merry Christmas”, and others like to say “Happy holidays”
D. Being good and loving our neighbors are the virtues of all humans
59. What is the CORRECT explanation of Santa Claus?
A. He was a Greek Christian in the 4th century
B. He was an American who was born in the 19th century
C. His image represents the “Christmas spirit”
D. He was a cartoon figure drawn by Thomas Nast
St Paul’s Cathedral
Ludgate Hill, EC4
Underground: St Paul’s; Bus: 6,8,11,15,22,25
Open: Daily 8:00—19:00 (17:00 from Oct. to Mar.) . Entrance free
Designed by the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren, St Paul’s Cathedral was built following the Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed the gothic cathedral on the site at that time. It is crowned by a magnificent dome and its choir (唱诗班) is internationally famous. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married here in 1981.
Buckingham Palace
South end of the Mall (SW1)
Underground: St. James’s Park, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park; Bus: 2, 11, 14, 16, 19, 22, 24, 29, 30, 38, 52, 73, 74, 137
Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the monarch (君主) for much of the year. (When the monarch is in residence, a flag flies over the palace.) The Mall is a very impressive wide street, leading from Buckingham Palace to Trafalgar Square.
Note: As the palace is the monarch’s official residence, it is not open to the public.
The Tower of London
Tower Hill, EC3
Underground: Tower Hill; Bus: 42, 78
Open: Mon—Sat.9
Parts of the Tower of London are over nine centuries old, as building began under William the Conqueror in 1078. Famous as a prison in the distant past, the Tower has also been a royal residence, a zoo and an observatory, among other things. It is now a museum and many thousands of people visit it every year in particular to see the Crown Jewels.
Westminster Abbey
Broad Sanctuary, SW1
Underground: Westminster, St James’s Park; Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 29, 39, 53, 59, 76, 77, 88, 109, 155, 168, 170, 172, 184, 503
Open: Daily 8:00—18:00 (Mar.—Dec, Tuesday till 20:00)
Entrance free
A Benedictine abbey which already existed on the site was rebuilt by Edward the Confessor and consecrated in 1065. On the way to its present form, the abbey was extended in the 13th—16th centuries, with the two west towers being added in the 18th. There are many famous tombs in the abbey, including that of the unknown Warrior and those of many poets and writers.
71. These texts are most probably taken from ______.
A. a history book about London
B. a guidebook for visitors to London
C. a book about London’s churches and cathedrals
D. a book describing London’s development
No.11 bus can take you to all three of these places:
A. St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London
B. St Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace
C. St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace
D. Westminster Abbey the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace
73. You can see the inside of all the buildings except ______.
A. St Paul’s Cathedral B. The Tower of London
C. Westminster Abbey D. Buckingham Palace
74.If you travel by Underground, you can visit two places by getting off at one station. What are the two places?
A. Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey
B. Buckingham Palace and St Paul’s Cathedral
C. Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London
D. The Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral
75.Among these four famous buildings, _____ is (are) free of charge.
A. The Tower of London
B. Buckingham Palace
C. Westminster Abbey and St Paul’s Cathedral
D. The Tower of London and St Paul’s Cathedral