My brother-in-law opened the bottom drawer of my sister's bureau(衣橱) and picked out a wonderful skirt. "Jan bought this the first time we went to New York, at least 8 or 9 years ago. She never wore it. She was saving it for a special occasion.” Well, I guess this is the occasion.
He took the skirt from me and put it on the bed.His hands touched the soft material for a moment, then he shut the drawer and turned to me, "Don't ever save anything for a special occasion. Every day you're alive is a special occasion."
I'm still thinking about his words, and they've changed my attitude to life. I'm spending more time with my family and friends and less time in committee meetings. Whenever possible, life should be a pattern of experience to enjoy,not suffer.I'm tryingto recognize these moment now and treasure them.
"Someday" and "one of these days" are being lost from my vocabulary.If it's worth seeing or hearing or doing, I want to see and hear and do it now. I' m not sure whatmy sister would have done if she had known she wouldn't have tomorrow .
I think she would have called family members and a few close friends. She might have called a few former friends to apologize and mend her fences for past things. I like to think she would have gone out for a Chinese dinner, her favorite food.
If I knew that my hours were limited ,those little things left undone would make meangry. Angry because I put off seeing good friends whom I was going to get in touchwith someday.Angry and sorry because I didn't tell my husband and daughter often enough how much I truly love them.
I'm trying very hard not to put off, hold back, or save anything that would add laughter to our lives. And every morning when I open my eyes, I tell myself that everyday, every minute, every breath truly, is... a gift from God.
56．The best title for the passage would be______.
A．Everyday is A Gift B．My Poor Sister
C．Value Friendship Every Day D．Everyday is An Important Occasion
57．Jan bought the wonderful skirt but didn't wear it because______.
A．she wanted to wear it on special occassions
B．she kept it as a special gift for someone else
C．she saved it untill she grew older
D．she waned to keep it as a sweet memory
58．Which of the following is not the wirter’s attitude to life?
A．spending more time staying with family
B．attending social activities as often as possible
C．enjoying life and valuing every day
D．trying to get along well with friends
59．Which of the following can best explain the expression underlined “mend her fences for past things” in Paragraph 5?
A．try to be friendly again with someone
B．break her word
C．give up her point of view
D．keep her promise
60．The passage is intended chiefly to ______.
A．warn people to treasure every day and find the meaning of life
B．encourage people to be hard on themselves for a bright life
C．tell people how to get rid of being angry and sorry in life
D．persuade people to care for themselves more than others
Tales From Animal Hospital
David Grant
David Grant has become a familiar face to millions of fans of animal Hospital. Here Dr Grant tells us the very best of his personal stories about the animals he has treated, including familiar patients such as the dogs Snowy and Duchess, the delightful cat Marigold Serendipity Diamond. He also takes the reader behind the scenes at Harmsworth Memorial Animal Hospital as he describes his day, from ordinary medical check-ups to surgery（外科手术）. Tales from animal hospital will delight all fans of the programme and anyone who has a lively interest in their pet, whether it be cat, dog or snake! ￡14.99 Hardback 272pp Simon Schuster
ISBN 0751304417
Isaac Newton: The Last Sorcerer
Michael White
From the author of Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science, comes this colourful description of the world’s first modern scientist. Interesting yet based on fact. Michael White’s learned yet readable new book offers a true picture of Newton completely different from what people commonly know about him. Newton is shown as a gifted scientist with very human weaknesses who stood at the point in history where magic（魔术）ended and science began.
￡18.99 Hardback 320pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857024168
Fermat’s Last Theorem
Simon Singh
In 1963 a schoolboy called Andrew Wiles reading in his school library came across the world’s greatest mathematical problem; Fermat’s Theorem（定理）. First put forward by the French mathematician Pierre de Fermat in the seventeenth century, the theorem had baffledand beaten the finest mathematical minds, including a French woman scientist who made a major advance in working out the problem, and who had to dress like a man in order to be able to study at the Ecole Polytechnique. Through unbelievable determination Andrew Wiles finally worked out the problem in 1995. An unusual story of human effort over three centuries, Fermat’s Last Theorem will delight specialists and general readers alike.
￡12.99 Hardback 384pp Fourth Estate
ISBN 1857025210
63．What is Animal Hospital?
A．A news story B．A popular book. C．A research report. D．A TV programme.
64．In Michael White’s book, Newton is described as _____________.
A．a person who did not look the same as in many pictures
B．a person who loved a colourful and meaningful life
C．a great but not perfect man
D．an old-time magician
65．Which of the following best explains the meaning of the word “baffle” as it is used in the text?
A．To encourage people to raise question.
B．To cause difficulty in understanding.
C．To provide a person with an explanation.
D．To limit people’s imagination.
66．The person who finally proved Fermat’s last Theorem is ___________.
A．Simon Singh B．Andrew Wiles
C．Pierre Fermat D．a French woman scientist
67．What is the purpose of writing these three texts?
A．To make the books easier to read. B．To show the importance of science.
C．To introduce new authors. D．To sell the books.
THEATRE
City Varieties
The Headrow, Leeds.Tel.430808
Oct10-11only A Night at the Varieties. All the fun of an old music hall with Barry Cryer, Duggle Brown, 6 dancers, Mystina, Jon Barker, Anne Duval and the Tony Harrison Tri- o. Laugh again at the old jokes and listen to your favourite songs.
Performances：8pm nightly.
Admission：￡5；under 16or over 60：￡4.
York Theatre Royal
St Leonard's Place, York.Tel.223568
Sept23-Oct17 Groping for Words - a comedy by Sue Townsend. Best known for her Adrian Mole Diaries, Townsend now writes about an evening class which two men and a woman attend. A gentle comedy.
Admission: First night, Mon：￡2：Tues-Fri：￡3.25-5.50；Sat：￡3.50-5.75.
Halifax Playhouse
King's Cross Street, Halifax.Tel.365998
Oct 10-17 On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson. This is a magical comedy about real people. A beautifully produced,well-acted play for everyone. Don't miss it.
Performances：7：30pm.
Admission：￡2.Mon：2 seats for the price of one.
Grand Theatre
Oxford Street, Leeds.Tel.502116
Restaurant and Café.
Oct 1-17 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13. Sue Townsend's musical play, based on her best-selling book.
Performances: Evenings 7：45October 10-17, at 2： 30pm. No Monday performances.
Admission: Tues-Thurs：￡2-5；Fri＆Sat：￡2-6.
64.Which theatre offers the cheapest seat？
A. Halifax Playhouse. B. City Varieties.
C. Grand Theatre. D. York Theatre Royal.
65. If you want to see a play with old jokes and songs, which phone number will you ring to book a seat？
A.502116 B.223568 C.365998 D.430808
66. We may learn from the text that Sue Townsend is ____.
A. a writer B. an actress C. a musician D. a director
Shanghai: Car rentals（出租） are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive way of taking to the roads. Business people, foreigners and families alike are making good use of the growing industry.
The first car rental firm opened in Shanghai in 1992 and now 12 car rental players are in the game, with more than 11,500 cars in their books.
The largest player - Shanghai Bashi Tourism Car Rental Center offers a wide variety of choices - deluxe sedans, minivans, station wagons, coaches. Santana sedans are the big favorite.
Firms can attract enough customers for 70 percent of their cars every month. This figure shoots up during holiday seasons like National Day, Labor Day and New Year's Day, with some recording 100 percent rental.
The major market force rests in the growing population of white-collar employees （白领雇员）, who can afford the new service, said Zhuang Yu, marketing manager of Shanghai Angel Car Rental Co.
56. The words "deluxe sedans, minivans" and "station wagons" used in the text refer to ______.
A. cars in the making B. car rental firms C. cars for rent D. car makers
57. Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A.70% of the cars can be rented out on holiday.
B. 70% of the customers are white-collar employees.
C. More firms are open for service during holiday seasons.
D. Some firms rent out all their cars during holiday seasons.
58. Shanghai's car rental industry is growing so fast mainly due to ______.
A. better cars supplied by producer
B. fast service offered by car rental firms
C. the increasing number of white-collar employees
D. People's growing interest in travelling during holidays
Geneva is situated between the Jura Range and the Alps on the western end of Lake Geneva. Capital of Peace is one of its names— the European headquarters of the United Nations lies here in Palais des Nations. Another worthy name for this city with a humanitarian tradition（人道主义传统）and international character is the World’s Smallest Metropolis. Parks, splendid stores and lively streets in the old part of town and its 2000-year history wait to be discovered.
The Jet d’Eau together with the Flower Watch are the main attractions every year for the tourists visiting Geneva. The Jet d’Eau has become the symbol（象征）of Geneva for a long time. This is a 140 meters high water monument with a rich history. Eight 13,500-watt projectors light the grand column（圆柱）of the fountain in the evening, from early March until the second Sunday of October. The Flower Watch, which was created at the edge of the English Garden in 1955, reminds us about that Geneva is the birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making, and that this industry has become internationally famous, as well through the quality of the watches as through their beautiful appearance.
Sails on Lake Geneva are also enjoyable. The Lake of Geneva, lying among the Alps, is a true inland sea, making possible a wide range of pleasant boat trips, you can relax and watch the beautiful scenes pass by.
56. Which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Geneva?
A. Capital of Peace. B. Palais des Nations.
C. The World’s Smallest Metropolis.
D. The birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making.
57. The Jet d’Eau in the second paragraph refers to .
A. the water fountain B. the English Garden
C. a new scene with electric lighting D. the name of a famous watchmaker
58. What do we learn about the Lake of Geneva from the text?
A. It is the symbol of Geneva.
B. It lies among the Jura Range.
C. It has a direct passage to the ocean.
D. It is a large body of water of tourist interest.
All people, ____they are old or young,black or white,all hold the same dream to have a peaceful world.
| A．whether | B．however | C．no matter | D．even though |