Section B
Directions: Read the following four passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
The professor stood before his class of 30 senior molecular (分子) biology students, about to pass out the final exam. “I have been honored to be your instructor this semester, and I know how hard you have all worked to prepare for this test,” he said to them. “I am well aware of how much pressure you are under to keep your GPAs (平均成绩) up, and because I know your are all capable of understanding this material, I am prepared to offer an automatic “B” to anyone who would prefer not to take the final.”
The relief was audible as a number of students jumped up to thank the professor and left the class. The professor looked at the handful of students who remained, and offered again, “Any other takers? This is your last opportunity.” One more student decided to go.
There were seventeen students left. The professor closed the door and took attendance. Then he handed out the final exam.
There were two sentences typed on the paper: “Congratulations, you have just received an ‘A’ in this class. Keep believing in yourself!”
I never had a professor who gave a test like that. It’s a test that any teacher in any course could and should give. Students who don’t have confidence in what they’ve learned are “B” students at best.
The same is true for students of real life. The “A” students are those who believe in what they’re doing because they’ve learned from both successes and failures. They’ve absorbed life’s lessons, whether from formal education or the school of hard knocks, and become better people.
Don’t let the biggest limit be yourself.
1. The professor offered an automatic “B” to those who would prefer not to take the final because ________.
A. he thought all of his students had prepared for the test well
B. he believed all the students were able to pass the exam
C. he didn’t want to put too much pressure on his students
D. he intended to tell the students about the importance of confidence
2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. All the students feel at easy before the exam.
B. 22 students got a “B” in the final test without doing the paper.
C. There were no problems on the test paper for the students to work out.
D. The way the professor tested the students would be unsuitable for other subjects.
3. According to the author, the test given by the professor is ________.
A. funny B. instructive C. confusing D. inappropriate
4. The point of the story is to advise readers ________.
A. to stay focused on what they can do
B. to surround themselves with confident people
C. not to put up with being second best
D. not to let themselves be the biggest obstacles to their growth
The expression “Go for it!” is a way of encouraging someone to try something. “Go for it!” means you should not worry about failure or be too careful. You should take a chance, be brave, and act firmly.
“Go for it!” gets name from football. Not football as it is played in most countries such as England, Egypt or Japan, but the kind of football played in the United States and Canada.
One of the most exciting times in football comes when a team has failed, after three attempts, to move the ball forward ten yards. The team must make a critical decision.
The conservative (保守) choice is to kick the ball and accept temporary defeat in order to gain a good position for your team the next time it gets the ball. The more exciting choice, however, is to try a fourth and final time to gain the remaining yards needed.
People present are certain to shout their advice. Some will shout: “Kick the ball!” But others will encourage the team to take a chance. “Go for it!” they will scream.
In the nineteen eighties, people began using this expression in many kinds of situations to encourage someone to act bravely.
There is no guarantee (保证) that the action you “go for it” will succeed. But that is the chance you take when you decide to go for it. You put your fears behind. You choose courage over safety. You hold your breath and go for it.The expression “Go for it!” comes from .
| A．English football | B．Egyptian football |
| C．Japanese football | D．American football |
According to the passage, when we decide to go for it, we only consider .
| A．safety | B．action | C．result | D．situation |
In which of the following situations should we use the expression nowadays?
| A．We decide to avoid trouble or danger for the future. |
| B．We try to improve our English for better education. |
| C．We need to make a quick decision at the last moment. |
| D．We have to make a choice between success and failure. |
We’re trying to decide where to go on our vacation this summer. We usually go to the Lake Arrowhead for a few weeks, but we’d like to go somewhere else this year. We’re tired of doing the same thing summer after summer. Some friends of ours suggested that we go to Hawaii. That would be wonderful! I’m sure we’d enjoy a trip like that, but of course it’s out of the question. In the first place, it would be rather expensive, and in the second place, there wouldn’t be enough time. If we’re lucky enough to save some money between now and next summer, and if I’m lucky enough to get four weeks of vacation instead of two weeks, maybe we can go to Hawaii next year. As a matter of fact, if we wanted to plan a trip like that, it might be advisable to stay home this summer and not go any place. That’s one way we could begin to save some money for next year’s trip. Also, if we were to stay here, I could offer to work instead of taking two weeks off; then maybe my boss would suggest that I be given four weeks’ vacation next summer instead of two weeks.The authorto spend their vacation this year.
| A．is going to Hawaii |
| B．will go to Lake Arrowhead |
| C．has decided to go nowhere |
| D．hasn’t decided where to go |
The sentence “it’s out of the question” means “”.
| A．it is possible | B．it is a question |
| C．it is impossible | D．it is not a question |
If the author wanted to make a trip to Hawaii, he might this year.
| A．save some money |
| B．stay at home |
| C．work rather than take two weeks off |
| D．all the above |
A trip to Hawaii that to Lake Arrowhead.
| A．costs much more than | B．costs as much as |
| C．takes less time than | D．takes as much time as |
阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career.
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification(资格证书) if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course. I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.What is the author’s present job?
| A．Working part-time in a college |
| B．Taking care of children for a family. |
| C．Helping children with their schoolwork. |
| D．Looking after children at a kindergarten. |
When staying with the two girls’ family, the author.
| A．was paid for extra work |
| B．often worked long hours |
| C．got much help from her boss |
| D．took a day off every other week |
Why did the author leave her first job?
| A．She found a full-time job. |
| B．She was fed up with children. |
| C．She decided to attend a part-time course. |
| D．She needed a rest after working extra hours. |
What has the author learned from her own experiences?
| A．Less successful students can still have a career. |
| B．Qualifications are necessary for a career. |
| C．Hard work makes an excellent student. |
| D．One must choose the job she likes. |
Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, or fear which may occur in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience. It is most commonly seen in school situations, like stand-up projects and class speeches. It has numerous forms: heart beating fast, trembling hands and legs, sweaty hands, dry mouth etc.
In fact, most of the fear occurs before you step on stage. Once you’re up there, it usually goes away. Thus, it is a phenomenon that you must learn to control. Try to think of stage fright in a positive way. It heightens your energy, adds color to your cheeks. With these good side effects you will actually look healthier and more physically attractive.
Many of the top performers in the world get stage fright so you are in good company. Stage fright may come and go or decrease, but it usually does not disappear permanently. You must concentrate on getting the feeling out and present what you have prepared calmly.
Remember “Nobody” ever died from stage fright. But, according to surveys, many people would rather die than give a speech. If that applies to you, and you are an unlucky guy who is with stage fright the whole time, try out some of the strategies(策略) as follows to help get yourself under control. Realize that you may never overcome stage fright, but you can learn to control it, and use it to your advantage.
Strategies are as follows when the program begins:
1) If legs are trembling, lean on table or shift legs or move.
2) Don’t hold notes. The audience can see them shake. Use three-by-five cards instead.
3) Use eye contact. Look at the friendliest faces in the audience.
Remember nervousness doesn’t show one-tenth as much as it feels. Before each presentation, make a short list of the items you think will make you feel better. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different combinations. You never know which ones will work best until you try. Use these steps to control stage fright so it doesn’t control you. Once you are used to stage fright, you will find you on the road to a great speech-maker.Someone may be most likely to suffer from stage fright when he/she is ______.
| A．attending an English class |
| B．standing in a classroom |
| C．watching a performance |
| D．talking in front of people |
By thinking of stage fright in a positive way, one could ______.
| A．learn to control stage fright |
| B．get rid of stage fright |
| C．calm down before stepping on stage |
| D．become more physically attractive |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Top performers usually suffer from stage fright. |
| B．Stage fright may stay with a person for a life time. |
| C．Nobody would rather die than give a speech. |
| D．No one can overcome or control stage fright. |
The author advises people with stage fright to ______.
| A．show one-tenth of their nervousness |
| B．experiment with different kinds of stage fright |
| C．refer to the strategies whenever they feel the need |
| D．use one of the strategies each time |
The passage mainly talks about ______.
| A．how to deal with stage fright |
| B．what stage fright is like |
| C．when stage fright occurs |
| D．why people have stage fright |
It was one of the happiest times of my life. I was 29 and had just received my bachelor’s degree, graduating with honors despite working two jobs and being a wife and mother. My parents and five-year-old son were in the audience when I walked onto the stage at Ashland University to get my diploma. I was so excited and proud to be starting a teaching career and contributing more to my family’s well-being.
But when I got home that evening, there was a note from my husband written on the back of an envelope. It basically said he had come to get his clothes and wouldn’t be back. We’d been having trouble, but the finality of that note still came as a shock. He had emptied our bank account. We were horribly in debt. I had quit my previous jobs in expectation of interviewing for a teaching position. Plus, I was eight months pregnant.
I had my son, and I was about to bring a new life into the world, so despite my deep sadness, I had to go on. The next morning, I woke up, put my feet on the floor, took a deep breath, fixed breakfast, and basically did everything I always did. I used my routine to keep me moving. After being in the military for six years, I guess you can say I relied on my training, like all good soldiers do in tough situations. One small step after one small step was the way I bounced back.
And in the seven years since, I’ve continued moving forward. I got a job as a kindergarten teacher, earned a master’s degree in education, and watched my babies grow to twelve and seven. I certainly would never have chosen to put them through this, but looking back, I’m glad it happened to me when it did. It helped me find my voice and myself a lot sooner. It helped me grow independent, confident, and strong—things I’m hopefully instilling(灌输) now in my children.After getting her bachelor’s degree, the author expected to ________.
| A．become a teacher | B．be a wife and mother |
| C．work two jobs | D．get divorced |
What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?
| A．Her husband wrote a note to congratulate her on her graduation. |
| B．She had just been to a job interview when her husband left her. |
| C．Her husband paid off all the debts from the bank. |
| D．She was going to have another baby soon. |
The author’s hardships in life made her ________.
| A．become confident and independent |
| B．work harder in the kindergarten |
| C．use her routine to move forward |
| D．feel pleased with what happened to her |
It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
| A．The author’s parents helped her a lot |
| B．The author received further education later |
| C．The author earned a master’s degree when she was 29 |
| D．The author didn’t know how to deal with marriage |
What helped the author to pull through her hard time?
| A．The divorce with her husband. |
| B．Her fellow soldiers in the army. |
| C．Her decision to find a new job. |
| D．A strong mind and love for her kids. |