In the 1880s, Mark Twain established and operated his own publishing firm. He also became interested in various investments, especially an elaborate typesetting machine. He lost almost $200,000 in investments in the machine between 1881 and 1894. Also, his publishing company declared bankruptcy (破产) in April 1894. Thus, in January 1895, Mark Twain found himself publicly shamed by his inability to pay his debts.
Mark Twain eventually recovered from his financial difficulties, through his continued writing and a successful lecture tour in 1895 and 1896. During this much-publicized tour, Twain lectured in such places as India, South Africa and Australia. By the time he returned, he had become an international hero. Twain enjoyed this attention, and his habits of smoking cigars or a pipe and wearing unconventional white suits contributed to his showy image. He also made use of his position as a public figure to criticize the US foreign policy.
Although he was recovering from his financial problems by 1898, Mark Twain had begun to experience tragedy in his personal life. Suzy, his oldest daughter, died of meningitis (脑膜炎) in 1896, while her parents and sister Clara were abroad. In 1903, Mark Twain sold the beloved house in Hartford, which had become too closely associated with Suzy’s death. His wife, Olivia, who had developed a heart condition, died on June 5, 1904. His youngest daughter, Jean, died on Dec. 24, 1909.
64. Which is not the reason why Mark Twain found himself in debt?
A.Because he devoted all his energy to his writings.
B.Because his publishing firm bankruptcy.
C.He lost almost $ 200 000 in investments in the machine between 1881 and 1894
D.Because he lost a large quantity of money in various investments.
65. How did Mark Twain pay off his debts?
A. By borrowing money from the bank.
B. By investing in foreign countries.
C.By writing articles and a successful lecture tour.
D.By printing his own articles and selling them for money.
66. It can be inferred that Mark Twain ________________.
A.hated smoking cigars
B.liked wearing black clothes
C.hated the US foreign policy at that time
D.hated giving lectures in the foreign countries
Here are four pieces of news from China Daily.
United Nations
Picture of your world
A prize of US$5,000 will be awarded to the winner of the Youth category (aged 15 to 24), in the fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment.
The competition, titled “Focus on Your World”, is being run by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP,联合国环境规划署) from July till December. Both amateur (业余的) and professional photographers of all nationalities and ages are welcome to enter. For more information, go to www.unep-photo.com .
Australia
Goodbye to the bears
Koalas, a symbol of Australia, may die out within 15 years as the growth of towns along the east coast destroys their fragile (易毁坏的) habitats.
A survey of the koala habitats found that about 30 percent were no longer home, while 60 percent had suffered much destruction. The Australian Koala Foundation has written to the government urging it to declare the koala an endangered species. At present, there are about 100,000 koalas in Australia.
Iraq
Rebel attacks worsen
More than 100 people, including three US soldiers, were killed in bloody attacks in five Iraqi cities last Thursday. At least 300 people were wounded.
The violence was part of efforts made by Iraqi rebels (反抗者) and foreign militants to ruin the formal handover to Iraqi rule in six days’ time. A group headed by al-Qaida-linked (和基地组织有联系的) terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi said they were responsible for the attacks.
Shenzhen’s salaries are the best
A survey showed average annual income in Shenzhen last year reaching 25,500 yuan, the highest in the country, followed by Beijing and Shanghai. Shenzhen plans to issue a salary guidebook listing average salaries in different occupations, so people working there can better understand their career situation — or perhaps even argue with the boss.
1. According to the passage, the fourth International Photographic Competition on the Environment will last _______.
A. seven monthsB. six months
C. six daysD. seven weeks
2. According to the survey, in Australia there were about _______ koalas that were no longer home.
A. 1,000 B. 30,000 C. 60,000 D. 100,000
3. According to the passage, over 100 people were killed in bloody attacks by _______.
A. US soldiers B. al-Qaida
C. Iraqi policemenD. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Definition of Happiness
A proverb from ancient China was widely spread in the West: “If you want to be happy for a few hours, go to get drunk; if you want the happiness to last three years, get married; if you want lifetime happiness, take up gardening.” The reason for the last is this: Gardening is not only useful, but it helps you to identify(与……一致) yourself with nature, and thus brings you new joy each day besides improving your health.
A research of a US university that I’ve read gives a definition of happiness as what makes a person feel comfortably pleased. To put it specially, happiness is an active state of mind where one thinks one’s life is meaningful, satisfactory and comfortable. This should be something lasting rather than transitory (短暂的).
Lots of people regard it the happiest to be at leisure (空闲). But according to a study, it is not a person with plenty of leisure but one at work that feels happy, especially those busy with work having little time for leisure. Happiness does not mean gains one is after but a desire to harvest what one is seeking for. People often do not treasure what they already have but desire what they cannot get. That is somewhat like a man with fond dreams of numerous lovers while unwilling to settle down with the woman beside him.
Happiness is a game balancing between two ends — what one has and what one wishes for, i.e. one’s dream and the possibility to realize it. The study comes to this conclusion: A happy man is one who aims high but never forget his actual situation; one who meets challenges that develop his ability and potentiality; one who’s proud of his achievements and the recognition given to him. He has self-respect and self-confidence; treasures his own identity and loves freedom. He is sociable and enjoys wide range communication with others; he’s helpful and ready to accept assistance. He knows he is able to bear sufferings and failures; he is sensible enough to get fun from daily work. He is a man capable of love and passion.
1. According to the passage, gardening can bring lifetime happiness because _______.
A. it is a business that brings money
B. it can strengthen gardeners’ ability to remake nature
C. it can make gardeners enjoy very happy marriage
D. gardeners can build good relationship with nature
2. It can be concluded from the research of the university that most people feel happy when _______.
A. they are at leisure
B. they are engaged in working
C. they are gardening
D. they have numerous lovers
3. The writer mentioned a man with fond dreams of numerous lovers in order to _______.
A. give an example of a person who doesn’t value what he already owns
B. show that this kind of person has plenty of leisure time to do what he wants
C. make it clear that only this kind of person can enjoy happiness
D. show the serious problem in marriage in modern society
4. From the passage we can know that happiness is _______.
A. getting everything one longs for
B. just dreams made by those confident people
C. taking up gardening
D. a balance between what one owns and what one dreams of
What a strange world this would be if everyone told the truth! Even though all world religions caution(告诫) people against lying, it seems that lying is a universal communication style. Most of us get angry at big lies—especially those in government, business, and the social world. But how about truth-telling in our private life? Should we always tell the truth to husbands, wives, mothers, fathers and children? Do we?
We all lie. National public opinion polls find that only about one in ten Americans say they never tell a lie. One study of college students found that each student told about two lies a day. Half of all adults interviewed in a CBS New Poll last year admitted they had told a lie they regretted, and nearly as many said they had been deeply hurt by a lie someone told them.
We all lie about lies. Researchers asked subjects to describe the lies they told over a period of weeks. Subjects over-reported “white lies”(harmless lies—I really like your dress) and under-reported serious lies( I graduated with honors).
We lie differently to different types of people. We tell more lies to men than to women. Men and women tell more lies about themselves when talking to men, but more lies about others when talking to women. Men are particularly likely to lie about themselves. Women tell more lies than men, but only because women tell white lies in order to flatter or avoid confrontation (对抗).
Lies are hard to detect(察觉). Surveys show that nearly everyone believes most people are truthful. That’s why people are so bad at detecting lies.
1. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A. When asked, the subjects admitted they told more serious lies.
B. People are not good at detecting lies.
C. White lies are harmless.
D. Men tell fewer lies than women.
2. The underlined word “flatter (in Paragraph 4)” probably means “_______”.
A. to anger somebody by telling a lie
B. to praise somebody in order to win his favor
C. to avoid somebody so as to escape payment
D. to warn somebody by shouting
3. Lies are not easy to detect because _______.
A. most people get angry at big lies
B. people tell more lies about themselves
C. nearly everyone believes most people are truthful
D. everyone tells the truth
A letter to Edward,a columnist (报刊专栏作家)
Dear Mr Expert,
I grew up in an unhappy and abusive home.I always Promised myself that I’d get out as soon as possible.Now,at the age of 20,I have a good job and a nice house,and I’m really proud of the independence I’ve achieved.
Here’s the problem:several of my friends who still live with their parents wish they had places like mine—so much so that they make mine theirs.
It started out with a couple of them spending the weekends with me.But now they seem to take it for granted that they can show up any time they like.They bring boyfriends over,talk on the phone and stay out forever.
I enjoy having my friends here sometimes—it makes the place feel comfortable and warm—but this is my home,not a party house.I was old enough to move out on my own,so why can’t I seem to ask my friends to respect my privacy(隐私)?
Joan
Edward’s reply to Joan
Dear Joan，
If your family didn’t pay attention to your needs when you were a child,you probably have trouble letting others know your needs now.
And if you’ve gathered your friends around you to rebuild a happy family atmosphere(气氛),you may fear that saying no will bring back the kind of conflict you grew up with—or destroy the nice atmosphere you now enjoy.You need to understand that in true friendship it’s Okay to put your own needs first from time to time.
Be clear about the message you want to send.For example,“I really love your company but I also need some privacy.So please call before you come over.”
Edward
1. We can learn from the first letter that Joan___________.
A.lives away from her parents B.takes pride in her friends
C.knows Edward quite well D.hates her parents very much
2. We can infer from the first letter that___________.
A.Joan considers her friends more important than her privacy
B.Joan’s friends visit her more often than she can accept
C.Joan doesn’t like the parties at all
D.Joan dislikes the boyfriends her friends bring over
3. According to Edward,why can’t Joan tell her friends her feelings?
A.She is afraid of hurting her friends.
B.She does not understand true friendship.
C.Her family experience stops her from doing so.
D.She does not put her needs first.
4 .The underlined word “conflict” in the second letter means___________.
A.dependent life B.fierce fight C.bad manners D.painful feeling
5.The second letter suggests that Edward .
A.is worried about Joan’s problem
B.warns Joan not to quarrel with her friends
C.advises Joan on how to refuse people
D.encourages Joan to be brave enough
四. 阅读理解(40分)
Children start out as natural scientists, eager to look into the world around them. Helping them enjoy science can be easy; there’s no need for a lot of scientific terms or expensive lab equipment. You only have to share your children’s curiosity(好奇).Firstly, listen to their questions. I once visited a classroom of seven-year-olds to talk about science as a job. The children asked me “textbook questions” about schooling, salary(薪水) and whether I liked my job. When I finished answering, we sat facing one another in silence. Finally I said,“Now that we’ve finished with your lists, do you have questions of your own about science?”
After a long pause, a boy raised his hand,“Have you ever seen a grasshopper(蚱蜢) eat?When I try eating leaves like that, I get a stomachache. Why?”
This began a set of questions that lasted nearly two hours.
Secondly, give them time to think. Studies over the past 30 years have shown that, after asking a question, adults typically wait only one second or less for an answer, no time for a child to think. When adults increase their “wait time” to three seconds or more, children give more logical(符合逻辑的),complete and creative answers.
Thirdly, watch your language. Once you have a child involved in a science discussion, don’t jump in with “That’s right” or “Very good”.These words work well when it comes to encouraging good behavior(行为).But in talking about science, quick praise can signal that discussion is over. Instead, keep things going by saying,“That’s interesting” or “I’d never thought of it that way before”,or coming up with more questions or ideas.
Never push a child to “Think”.It doesn’t make sense, children are always thinking, without your telling them to. What’s more, this can turn a conversation into a performance. The child will try to find the answer you want, In as few words as possible, so that he will be a smaller target(目标) for your disagreement.
Lastly, show don’t tell. Real-life impressions of nature are far more impressive than any lesson children can learn from a book or a television program. Let children look at their fingertips through a magnifying glass(放大镜),and they’ll understand why you want them to wash before dinner. Rather than saying that water evaporates (蒸发),set a pot of water to boil and let them watch the water level drop.
1..According to the passage, children are natural scientists, and to raise their interest, the most important thing for adults to do is .
A.to let them see the world around
B.to share the children’s curiosity
C.to explain difficult phrases about science
D.to supply the children with lab equipment
2.In the last sentence of the first paragraph, the word “lists” could best be replaced by________.
A.any questions B.any problems
C.questions from textbooks D.any number of questions
3.According to the passage, children can answer questions in a more logical, complete and creative way if adults___________.
A.ask them to answer quickly
B.wait for one or two seconds after a question
C.tell them to answer the next day
D.wait at least for three seconds after a question
4.In which of the following paragraph(s) does the author tell us what to say to encourage children in a science discussion?
A.The second and third. B.The fourth and fifth.
C.The fifth and sixth. D.The seventh.
5.The author mentions all of the following techniques for adults to share with their children’s curiosity except that adults should___________.
A.tell their children stories instead of reciting(背诵) facts
B.offer their children chances to see things for themselves
C.be patient enough when their children answer questions
D.encourage their children to ask questions of their own