.
As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing. It is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can bear depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously important for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between “flight or fight” and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long that health becomes endangered. Since we can’t remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.
51. People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _______.
A. they regard working as their greatest enjoyment
B. they believe that work is superior to relaxation
C. they are traveling fast all the time
D. they are becoming busier with their work than ever before
52. According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his ______.
A. strong will to overcome stress
C. high sense of responsibility
B. knowing the art of relaxation
D. having control over performance
53. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?
A. We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.
B. Stress is always harmful to people’s health
C. It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.
D. Different people can bear different amount of stress.
54. In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to _____.
A. “expose ourselves to stress ”
C. “remove stress from our lives”
B. “find ways to deal with stress”
D. “establish links between diseases and stress”
55. According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.
A. to avoid it B. to try to deal with it
C. to regard it as a vital motivation D. to find some relaxation
Reading to oneself is a modern activity which was almost unknown to the learned in the early days of the history, while during the fifteenth century the term “reading” undoubtedly meant reading aloud. Only during the nineteenth century did silent reading become popular.
One should be careful, however, of supposing that silent reading came about simply because reading aloud is distraction（分散注意力）to others. Examination of reasons connected with the historical development of silent reading shows that it became the usual mode of reading for most adult reading tasks mainly because the tasks themselves changed in character.
The last century saw a gradual increase in literacy（读写能力）and thus in the number of readers. As readers increased, so the number of listeners dropped, and thus there was some reduction in the need to read aloud. As reading for the benefit of listeners grew less common, so came the popularity of reading as a private activity in such public places as libraries, trains and offices, where reading aloud would disturb other readers in a way.
Towards the end of the century there was still heated argument over whether books should be used for information or treated respectfully, and over whether the reading of material such as newspapers was in some way mentally weakening. Indeed this argument remains with us still in education. However, whatever its advantages are, the old shared literacy culture had gone and was replaced by the printed mass media on the one hand and by books and magazines for a specialized readership on the other.
By the end of t he century students were being advised to have some new ideas of books and to use skills in reading them which were not proper, if not impossible, for the oral reader. The social, cultural, and technological developments in the century had greatly changed what the term “reading” referred to.Why was reading aloud common before the nineteenth century?
| A．Because silent reading had not been discovered. |
| B．Because there were few places for private reading. |
| C．Because few people could read for themselves. |
| D．Because people depended on reading for enjoyment. |
The development of silent reading during the nineteenth century showed_______.
| A．a change in the position of literate people |
| B．a change in the nature of reading |
| C．an increase in the number of books |
| D．an increase in the average age of readers |
Educationalists are still arguing about__________.
| A．the importance of silent reading |
| B．the amount of information provided by books and newspapers |
| C．the effects of reading on health |
| D．the value of different types of reading material |
What is the writer of this passage attempting to do?
| A．To explain how present day reading habits developed. |
| B．To change people’s way to read. |
| C．To show how reading methods have improved. |
| D．To encourage the growth of reading. |
No poem should ever be discussed or “analyzed”, until it has been read aloud by someone, teacher or student. Better still, perhaps, is the practice of reading it twice, once at the beginning of the discussion and once at the end, so the sound of the poem is the last thing one hears of it.
All discussions of poetry are, in fact, preparations for reading it aloud, and the reading of the poem is, finally, the most telling “interpretation” of it, suggesting tone, rhythm, and meaning all at once. Hearing a poet read the work in his or her own voice, on records or on film, is obviously a special reward. But even those aids to teaching can not replace the student and teacher reading it or, best of all, reciting it.
I have come to think, in fact, that time spent reading a poem aloud is much more important than “analyzing” it, if there isn’t time for both. I think one of our goals as teachers of English is to have students love poetry. Poetry is “ a criticism of life”, and “ a heightening(提升) of life”. It is “an approach to the truth of feeling”, and it “can save your life”. It also deserves a place in the teaching of language and literature more central than it presently occupies.
I am not saying that every English teacher must teach poetry. Those who don’t like it should not be forced to put that dislike on anyone else. But those who do teach poetry must keep in mind a few things about its essential nature, about its sound as well as its sense, and they must make room in the classroom for hearing poetry as well as thinking about it.To have a better understanding of a poem, one should________.
| A．discuss it with others | B．analyze it by oneself |
| C．copy it down in a notebook | D．practise reading it aloud |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a function of poetry?
| A．Extending your life | B．Saving your life |
| C．Criticizing life | D．Heightening life |
According to the writer, one of the purposes of teaching English is to get students________.
| A．to understand life. | B．to enjoy poetry. |
| C．to become teachers. | D．to become poets |
What does the last sentence in the third paragraph imply?
| A．More stress should be laid on the teaching of poetry. |
| B．Poetry is more important than any other subject. |
| C．One cannot enjoy life fully without an understanding of poetry |
| D．Poetry is the foundation of all language and literature courses |
The phrase “make room” in the last paragraph could be best replaced by
| A．“build a booth” | B．“provide equipment” |
| C．“leave a certain amount of time” | D．“set aside enough space” |
The year 2006 was a busy one for space and technology workers. A planet lost its status and space flights caught the imagination of people around the world.
The following is a short list of the major events of the year:____________
IBM has built a chip that runs about 100 times faster than the ones we have now. The development could lead to faster computers. The chip was first made in June. It can run at a speed of 500 gigahertz (千兆赫).
Pluto loses face
The International Astronomical Union created the first scientific definition (定义) of the word "planet" in August. Under the new rules, Pluto is no longer called a planet but a "dwarf planet" (矮行星).
Pluto had been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. For now, there are only the eight "classical" planets in the solar system (太阳系): They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Woman space tourist
The first woman space tourist was launched on a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan on September 18. The flight carried a businesswoman, named Anousheh Ansari, along with a fresh crew for the International Space Station (ISS). Ansari is a 40-year-old American. She has paid at least US$20 million for the trip. She returned on September 28 after her eight-day stay at the International Space Station.
Discovery sent up
The US space shuttle Discovery took seven astronauts on a 12-day repair mission (任务) to the International Space Station on December 9. It was the first night launch by NASA in four years. The last one ended in the failure of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. The sub-title of the second paragraph probably would be _______.
| A．IBM |
| B．The development of computers |
| C．The first chip born |
| D．Faster computer chip |
The US space shuttle Discovery was sent up mainly to ________.
| A．do some research |
| B．do some repairs |
| C．be in memory to Columbia shuttle. |
| D．build a space station. |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．Pluto is no longer a real planet according to the new theory. |
| B．People have been dreaming about space flight. |
| C．Anousheh Ansari was the first women space tourist. |
| D．The US space shuttle Discovery is the first one launched by NASA at night. |
The passage is written mainly to tell us_______.
| A．exciting new science of the year of 2006. |
| B．space flight full of wonders. |
| C．the major events of the year of 2006. |
| D．science and technology is the first productive. |
Markwaswalkinghomefromschoolonedaywhenhenoticedtheboy ahead of him had stumbled over something and dropped all of the books he was carrying along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy’s name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
TheyarrivedatBill'shomefirstandMarkwasinvitedinforaCokeandtowatch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Billremindedhimofthedayyearsagowhentheyhadfirstmet."DidyoueverwonderwhyIwascarryingsomanythingshomethatday?"askedBill."Yousee,IcleanedoutmylockerbecauseIdidn'twanttoleaveamessforanyoneelse.Ihadstoredawaysomeofmymother'ssleepingpillsandIwasgoinghometocommitsuicide.Butafterwespentsometimetogethertalkingandlaughing,IrealizedthatifIhadkilledmyself,Iwouldhavemissedthattimeandsomanyothersthatmightfollow.Soyou see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more. You saved my life.”The underlined word “stumbled” in Paragraph One probably means .
| A．stopped himself | B．came to life |
| C．trapped himself | D．lost one’s balance |
It can be inferred that________ according to the passage.
| A．The boy took so many books with him because he was about to take an exam soon. |
| B．From the beginning, in fact, Mark knew Bill was to kill himself. |
| C．Bill valued the days whenthey spenttalkingandlaughing together |
| D．Bill was dismissed for his breaking the school rules |
What was it that saved Bill’s life in fact?
| A．Friendliness and kindness. | B．Understanding and Honesty. |
| C．Bill’s confidence and strong will | D．Bill’s mother’s encouragement |
From the passage we can learn that _____.
| A．Bill would have remove to another school if Mark hadn't met him that day |
| B．Bill had planned to go to kill himself for the loss of his girlfriend. |
| C．From the first meeting, they often talked and play together. |
| D．Mark found out Bill’s secret and saved his life. |
Which of the following should be the best title for this passage?
| A．A little but meaning thing |
| B．Just a Little Smile |
| C．Unforgettable School Life |
| D．Friendship and Life |
Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar, a country music singer is using his rising and falling voice to tell the audience about his love, hope and loss. Few people could avoid getting caught up in his feelings.
This is the appeal（魅力）of country music, which speaks to the basic emotions of human life. Throughout the 20th century, it has grown into one of the most original and lasting American musical forms.
Country music's roots are in the songs of the American South, brought over by early immigrants(移民) from England. Those songs expressed the hardships of rural life and deep religious beliefs. In the 1920s, country music came into being as its first recordings were made. Early stars like Jimmy Rodger, known as "The Father of Country Music", and the Carter Family established its strong traditions － good song-writing, singing and playing.
Much of this music was written for and brought to the American public through the cowboy films of the 1930s and 1940s. It was widely popular then and many singers turned up on stage wearing Western fringe and cowboy hats.
In the 1950s, the country music recording industry was set up in Nashville and moved away from its rough roots. But singers like John Denver, with his hit track "Take Me Home, Country Roads", insisted on the originality and emotions of "real" country music.
Younger artists in the 1990s turned to older country styles and mixed t3vhem with elements of rock 'n' roll. Steve Earle, with his song "The Devil's Right Hand", is typical of this so-called "another country music".
Country music continues to speak to Americans of all ages and backgrounds. And it gives the nation an identity（独特性）.
Unlike pop music, country music was American, and only American. During its development, it continued to emphasize that "American" element and sounded completely different from its English ancestors. It may even be said that its sound and story tell the history of the United States. Which of the following is the typical image(形象) when a country music singer performs?
| A．Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar. |
| B．Using the rising and falling voice. |
| C．Telling about his love, hope and loss. |
| D．Singing for those working in the fields. |
Which of the following statements about country music is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Country music was created by immigrants from England. |
| B．Country music comes from South American songs. |
| C．John Denver was known as "The Father of Country Music" |
| D．Country music that belongs to pop music was American, and only American. |
The underlined expression “getting caught up in” probably means_________.
| A．become interested or involved in |
| B．becoming fashionable or popularin |
| C．become caught in |
| D．breaking away from |
The author mentioned Jimmy Rodger, John Denver and Steve Earle to __.
| A．tell us the stage singing style of country music |
| B．show the process of the development of country music |
| C．attract the audience's attention to country music |
| D．introduce some famous stars to readers |
When did Country music begin to turn into a stage art？
| A．In the 1920s | B．In the 1940s | C．in the 1950s | D．in the 1990s |