第二部分:阅读理解 (共 25小题;第一节每小题 2分,第二节每小题 1分;满分 45分)
第一节:阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项 (A. B. C 和D)中.选出最佳选项.
A
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. Wegave 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. pach 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, 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.
41.In Paragraph 3, "We gave London to each other" probably means____
A. our exploration of London was a memorable gifi 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
42.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. Iove to discover new things
43.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
44.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Unforgettable Experiences B. Remarkable Imagination
C. Lifelong Friendship D. Noble Companions
Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been when he heard many fish hitting against his roof!
What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.
When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners, collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.
Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur quite frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as common as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky.
56. What is this passage about?
A. A sad story. B. A rain of fish.
C. Australia’s northern part. D. The damage done by floods.
57. Fish-falls occur in Australia_________ .
A. quite often B. on large farms
C. only in winter D. when the air is calm
58. It is a known fact that ________.
A. one should watch where one steps
B. Bill Tapp is a scientist who studies farming
C. the natural world can never create waterfalls that fall upward
D. the seasons in the southern part are different from those in the northern part
59. The word “infinite” is closest in meaning to _________.
A. easy B. difficult C. countless D. dangerous
London Summer School in Classics
Dates
The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King’s College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008.
For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page.
If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King’s College London.
Tel: 020 7848 2299
Fax: 020 7848 2545
Organization
The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential (提供住宿的), and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July.
The fee is £85.00. Travel grants (旅行补助金) are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school.
Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises (包含) of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond.
The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment.
62. To join in the school, you have to apply before ________.
A. 8th July, 2008 B. 2nd June, 2008
C. 17th July, 2008 D. 13th July, 2008
63. As a student of the school, you are probably asked to _______.
A. do a lot of reading in Greek and Latin
B. learn the grammar of Greek and Latin only
C. do some translation work only
D. speak Greek and Latin with experienced teachers
64. What is the London Summer School in Classics most concerned about?
A. Providing a stimulating experience for students.
B. Promoting students to develop a wide range of interests.
C. Teaching students languages in a lively environment.
D. Improving students’ level of debating in the argument.
65. Which is one of the teaching ways of the school?
A. Student groups consist of the same level students strictly.
B. Students needn’t do any work in the class.
C. Students learn Greek and Latin by listening to teachers all day.
D. Students are generally divided into groups of 12-15.
Think of London and you’re likely to think of the city’s famous bright red double-decker(双层) buses.Think of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok,and the noisy tuk-tuk(三轮摩托车) may come to mind.Picture the American city of San Francisco and you might see the city’s cable cars(电车).
Imagining what these cities would look like without their red buses,tuk-tuks or cable cars is difficult.They are symbols of these cities that make them different from anywhere else in the world.However,these city symbols,which are so 1oved by tourists,are not always so well loved by their city 1eaders. City 1eaders want what is best for their city, which often means the most modern transport.
In Thailand,Bangkok city authorities have forbidden new tuk-tuks because they consider them noisy and polluting.However, the ban has largely been unsuccessful,as it has not changed Thai people’s preference for the inexpensive tuk-tuks over taxis.
In London,the city’s first ever mayor got rid of the red double-decker buses. which he thought were old—fashioned, by selling them to other countries.His plan worked.but Londoners were upset to lose the charming old buses that they believed represented the best of their city. They made their upset felt, when the mayor came up for re-election 1ast year.Most Londoners voted for his competitor, who promised to bring the bus back.Now, an improved version(版本)of the double-decker bus will hit London’s streets in 2012.
AS for San Francisco, several cable cars remain in use but mainly as tourist attractions.They are too slow to be used for anything other than scenic trips.
City transport symbols may have palace in their city people’s hearts,but it seems they are increasingly out of step with the modern world.As Londoners have proved,their continued 1ife depends on people’s willingness to fight for their survival.
5.What’s the purpose of writing the first paragraph?
A.To show the cultural significance of several cities’unique transport systems.
B.To introduce some old-fashioned means of transport, which are symbols of three tourist cities.
C.To use the old transport symbols to attract more tourists to visit the cities.
D.To explain why those cities are popular with tourists around the world.
6.Bangkok’s ban on tuk-tuks is unsuccessful due to ________.
A.people’s unawareness of environmental protection
B.tourists’preference for tuk-tuks over taxis
C. the lack of severe punishment for violation
D.1ocals’willingness to take the tuk-tuks
7.The London double Decker bus is returning mainly because______.
A.it is an improved version B.The new mayor also loves it
C. it is popular with tourists D.Londoners fought for it
8.Which example can prove old city transport symbols are not loved by city leaders?
A.Bangkok city authorities tried to get rid of the cheap tuk-tuks.
B.The mayor who sold double-decker buses lost the re-election.
C.The new mayor will bring back improved double-decker buses.
D.Only a few cable cars remain in use by tourists in San Francisco.
9.We can conclude from reading the passage that_______.
A.Tourist cities will lose their charm if their old transport symbols disappear
B.A modern city should get rid of inefficient old transport
C.Old city transport symbols now face the problem of survival
D.The writer is in favor of keeping the old city transport symbols
I HEAR America beeping(嘟嘟响).
Beep,says my cellophane when it gets a text message.
Beep,says my microwave oven when my sandwich is warmed up.
Sometimes I long for a natural sound:a bird singing,dog barking,children laughing, anything to drown out the maddening beeps that have become the soundtrack(配乐)to modern life.
My cellophane? It isn’t enough that its ring tone offerings seem to stretch from “annoymg” toextremely “annoying”. It also has to beep whenever someone texts messages me.
The microwave? A bell rings when it's finished heating my food.But is that enough? No.If I don’t rush to it right away, it starts beeping,like an impatient child tugging(用力拉) at my sleeve(袖子).
The smoke detector(探测器) is the worst offender.When its batteries are in need of replacement,it 1ets out a series of chirps.The things that don’t beep buzz(嗡嗡响).And for some reason,beeping and buzzing is beneath them,they clear their throats and perform a symphony. Like my TV, each time I turn it on, it performs an aria(咏叹调):La di da di dum.Salutions! Here I am! Same thing when I turn it off: La di da di dum.Good bye, kind sir! Until the next time
But at 1east I know where each of these sounds is coming from.That isn’t always the case.For weeks, my wife and I were awoken in the night by a beeping.There,in the stillness, we went through the possible suspects.Could we have a text message? Could it be any of the devices(装置)able to make a sound? Curling iron, rice cooker, smoke detector, TV set,clock radio...
The only way to tell was to chase the sound down ,but no sooner would we pull on our bathrobes than the beeping would stop. We didn’t hear it every night but often enough that we would climb into bed wondering whether our sleep would be interrupted by that maddening sound,that beep.
Finally,early one morning,my wife found it:in the study,under a desk,a big plastic cube that was plugged into the wall.It was an uninterruptible power supply that we’d inherited(继承)from my wife’s mother.We’d never known it was capable of speech.
I think it just wanted someone to talk to.
14.What does the writer truly mean by saying“I hear America beeping”?
A.American people like devices that beep.
B.Americans are crazy about sending text messages.
C.In modern society people are dependant on technology.
D.The soundtrack to modern life is no longer natural.
15.Why couldn’t the author and his wife find the source of the noise in their house in the beginning?
A.There were too many devices for them to check.
B.They were unwilling to get up at midnight.
C.They had never known that thing could beep too.
D.The noise didn’t come every day.
16.After reading this passage,we can probably tell the author .
A.enjoys being surrounded by beeps B.has a touch of humor in his writing
C.tries to avoid using anything that beeps
D.understands the beeping is designed to be user-friendly
New archaeological discovers suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk
Road probably began in some form many countries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research, could add a fascinating new
page to the epic of the Silk Road.
The latest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.
The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission(使命)across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old Persia in exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury markets of Rome.
But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia. The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by ______.
A.produced | B.contributed | C.doubled | D.combined |
The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that ______.
A.Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk |
B.trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought |
C.historical research often achieves fascinating results |
D.new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices |
Until recently most historians believed that trade along the Silk Road _______.
A.originated in the 2nd century BC |
B.extended human migration into eastern Asia |
C.began a million years ago |
D.primarily benefited the Egyptians |
Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe ______.
A.be brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor | B.be discovered the Silk Road |
C.be helped establish East-West trade | D.be travelled as far as Afghanistan |