B
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium(千年), was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural(乡村的)class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves(侏儒). On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible(看不见的).
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft(草稿). The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.
54. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. “The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium.
B. People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works.
C. Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English.
D. Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa.
55. What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
A. Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas.
B. Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong.
C. Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles.
D. Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves.
56. Which of the following shows the right order of Mr J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published. b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠ d. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world. f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
A. f-d-b-c-a-e B. f-d-c-b-a-e C. f-c-d-b-e-a D. d-f-c-a-b-e
Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.
One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn’t dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”
The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish in the ocean.”“I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?”“The sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”
“But, young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely, then he bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, “It made a difference for that one.”
There is something very special in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, we will gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future.
We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be better.One day, the wise man saw the young man .
| A.dancing along the beach | B.walking with a dancer |
| C.picking up starfish for sale | D.trying to save as many starfish as possible |
Near the end of the passage, “something very special” refers to .
| A.the gifts from friends | B.the strength of making decision |
| C.our own starfish | D.the ability of shaping one’s own future |
From the last two paragraphs, we can learn that .
| A.the wise man realized something new and important |
| B.the wise man thought it was foolish of the young man to throw starfish into the ocean |
| C.the young man had the ability to make a difference |
| D.it is necessary for us to save starfish on the beach |
The writer told this story in order to show us .
| A.how and where we can write a good article |
| B.everyone can do something for the future |
| C.wise men are sometimes stupid |
| D.young people are actually wiser than old people |
Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.
I was pretty shocked when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, it’s not even really a campus. It’s more like a district in a small town.
Harvard’s main buildings are from the 18th century. They look very old and simple. You might even say they’re a little shabby. They don’t fit the modern idea of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21st century again. It creates a strong contrast(对照) and brings a special atmosphere to the school.
Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us,“You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony. Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?”
I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with the chirping(鸟叫声) of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all.
Harvard has the world’s first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end computers too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in.
I hope one day I’ll attend my dream school---Harvard. The article is mainly about ______.
| A.the author’s campus life in Harvard |
| B.the author’s impression of Harvard |
| C.Harvard’s old buildings |
| D.the academic system at Harvard |
According to the article, in which fields is Harvard top in the world
| A.Literature, art, and law |
| B.Religion, law and arts |
| C.Literature, arts and computer science |
| D.Religion, computer science and literature |
Which word can be used to describe the Harvard campus?
| A.Modern | B.Competitive | C.Peaceful | D.Splendid |
Almost all theme park accidents can be prevented.Here, based on coverage of theme park safety, are some tips to help you and your family stay safe on your next visit.
If you are visiting with a child, take a moment to explain the ride to them, and tell them how they should behave.They are depending upon you to keep them safe.Set a good example for them by following the rules of the park, and make sure that they know you expect them to follow those rules, too.
Tell them to stay seated, to hold the grab bar or put their hands in the laps, and not to stick their knees and feet outside a ride vehicle.Make them look to you for the okay to get on or off a ride, too.
And never put a crying child on a ride.If your child starts to cry, let others pass you in line until your child is calmed.Or, gently exit the queue and find something more relaxing to do.
Young kids can’t keep an adult’s pace in a theme park.Let them take plenty of breaks.
“Kids get tired,” said TPI reader Matt Johnson, a father of four.“Tired kids make parents even more tired.And tired kids and parents may get hurt — physically and emotionally.” He advises that parents plan a mid-day break, perhaps a swim back at the hotel, to avoid mid-day heat and crowds.“You will see cranky families having a miserable time while you are refreshed and having a great evening.”The second paragraph tells readers that ________.
| A.children should be trained to be more independent |
| B.adults should tell children some safety rules firstly |
| C.adults should set a good example to behave well in a theme park |
| D.there is a danger to take young children to visit a theme park |
Which of the following is NOT right for children who are taking the rides?
| A.They cannot put their hands away from the grab bar. |
| B.They are forbidden to put their knees or feet out. |
| C.They should ask adults’ permission first to get on a ride. |
| D.Without adults’ okay sign, children shouldn’t get off a ride. |
If your child begins to cry just when he is going to take a ride, you should ________.
| A.tell him to be relaxed | B.make him share your interest |
| C.give up the present activity | D.encourage him to be brave |
We may infer from Matt Johnson’s words that ________.
| A.he doesn’t like to visit a theme park with his children |
| B.parents with many children may be tired of visiting a theme park |
| C.not all the families are relaxed or happy when they visit a theme park |
| D.visitors should arrange everything carefully before starting |
The story of English language is a story of change.The old English language, or old English, is quite different from Modern English.If we do not study old English, we can’t understand it.Some of the words are the same, but many are not used now.The story of the English language begins some time after the year 400 AD.At this time, some people came to England from North-west Europe.There were many groups of people.They were called Angles (盎格鲁人), Saxons(撒克逊人)and Jutes(朱特人),whose language, old English, is like some of the modern language of North-West Europe.In old English, the ending had many meanings.They showed past time and present time and many other things.In Modern English, most of these endings are gone.This is the biggest difference between Old and Modern English.What does the first sentence of the passage mean?
| A.The story of English language often changes. |
| B.English is a language that has changed a lot as time passes by. |
| C.The old English language has changed into Modern English. |
| D.The story of English language is one of how people change the language. |
Old English has a story of ______.
| A.2,500 years | B.more than 1,600 years |
| C.2,300 years | D.more than 400 years |
Old English was first used by the people from ______.
| A.Old English | B.English |
| C.North-West English | D.North-West Europe |
Which of the following is NOT true about Old English?
| A.The endings of words gave different special meanings. |
| B.It is easy for most English-speakers today to understand the language. |
| C.Its words are very different from those Modern English. |
| D.It was spoken by many groups of the people from North-West Europe. |
There was great interest when a big hole mysteriously appeared in the middle of a field. Engineers were called in to explain how it had got there. They offered various explanations but were not at all sure how the hole had been caused, it was thought that a large bomb which came suddenly exploded, but it was not possible to prove this. A simple, but highly improbable explanation was offered by a man who declares to know well about “flying saucers”; the strange objects which are round in shape and are said to visit the earth from outer space. The man’s explanation may have been nonsense (胡说八道), but at least it was imaginative. At any rate, it was far more interesting than the one given by the army.
After examining the ground carefully the man declared to have seen special marks on the soil quite near the hole, these, he said, could only have been caused by a flying saucer. Moreover the leaves on some bushes nearby had turned yellow because of a strange hot gas which had come from the saucer just before it landed. Even a small tree some way off appeared to have been burnt slightly. A small piece of metal found in the hole itself gave further proof that a strange object had been there. According to the man, it was quite clear that people from another world had been going around the earth trying to pick up information, when something had gone wrong. Because of this they had been forced to land in a field so that the damage could be repaired. The hole had been caused when the saucer struck the earth, while the strange marks nearby were made when it took off again. This, said the man, was the simplest explanation of how the hole had appeared. Judging from the interest the public took in the matter, there must be quite a few people who secretly believe or hope that this simple explanation is the true one.What aroused public interest?
| A.A mysterious hole in a field. | B.Various explanations offered by experts. |
| C.A simple explanation given by a man. | D.The shape of the flying saucers. |
The author thought the man’s explanation was________.
| A.boring but imaginative | B.reasonable and interesting |
| C.meaningless but interesting | D.mysterious and unbelievable |
The man found a lot of proofs except ____.
| A.special marks on soil near the hole | B.yellow leaves on some bushes nearby |
| C.a small piece of meal in the hole | D.the remains of the flying saucer |
It’s said the outer-space people were circling the earth _______.
| A.to repair their saucer | B.to strike the earth |
| C.to. collect information | D.to make strange marks |