Most people agree that the direct, assertive(过分自信的) American personality is a virtue, but it sometimes surprises foreigners．In many cultures, respect for older people or those in positions of authority keeps others from expressing their true feelings．But in the U．S, children often argue with their parents, students may disagree with their teachers, and citizens may express opposition to the actions of the government．If the soup has a fly in it or the meat is too tough to chew, the diner can complain to the waiter, if the boss makes a mistake, an employee will politely point it out．
Some straight talk about the American character must include the admission that Americans have their faults．The extremely competitive nature of Americans is probably their worst fault．Of course, competition isn’t always bad．As a matter of fact, it promotes excellence by encouraging individuals and businesses to try to do their best．But the desire to get ahead of others sometimes causes people to do things that are unkind and even dishonest．Also, Americans admire what is practical, fast, efficient, and fresh．Sometimes they fail to understand and appreciate practices that have greater respect for more traditional, leisurely ways of doing things．On the other hand, people from other cultures may dislike the practical, challenging American lifestyle．
Despite culture differences, most foreigners give Americans credit for their virtues．Americans are generally viewed as friendly, adaptable, energetic, and kindhearted．Most newcomers to the U．S．like Americans, and the feeling is usually mutual．Perhaps the greatest American virtue is a deep interest in new ideas and new people．In a nation of immigrants, the foreigner does not remain an outsider for long．
1In order to show the respect for older people, ．
A．people from some other cultures will always express their true feeling
B．people from some other cultures may sometimes hide their true feeling
C．Americans always show their true feelings
D．Americans usually argue with them
2Why is the extremely competitive nature considered as one of American faults?
A．Because people from other cultures fear competition．
B．Because only American people own it．
C．Because it will make people forget leisure．
D．Because it may sometimes urge people to do something bad．
3It can be inferred from the passage that ． ．
A．American people are more critical of everything than people from other cultures
B．the author believes that American character has more faults than virtues
C．the author admires American virtues as they are viewed as competitive and anti
traditional
D．it is difficult for newcomers to get on with Americans
4The passage mainly talks about． ．
A．American virtues B．American characters
C．American faults D．American lifestyles
Even before my father left us, my mother had to go back to work to support our family. Once I came out of the kitchen, complaining, “Mom, I can’t peel(剥……的皮) potatoes. I have only one hand.”
Mom never looked up from sewing. “You get yourself into that kitchen and peel those potatoes,” she told me. “And don’t ever use that as an excuse for anything again!”
In the second grade, our teacher lined up my class on the playground and had each of us race across the monkey bars, swinging from one high steel rod to the next. When it was my turn, I shook my head. Some kids behind me laughed, and I went home crying.
That night I told Mom about it. She hugged me, and I saw her “we’ll see about that” look. The next afternoon, she took me back to school. At the deserted playground, Mom looked carefully at the bars.
“Now, pull up with your right arm,” she advised. She stood by as I struggled to lift myself with my right hand until I could hook the bar with my other elbow(肘). Day after day we practiced, and she praised me for every rung I reached. I’ll never forget the next time, crossing the rungs, I looked down at the kids who were standing with their mouths open.
One night, after a dance at my new junior high, I lay in bed sobbing. I could hear Mom come into my room. “Mom,” I said, weeping, “none of the boys would dance with me.”
For a long time, I didn’t hear anything. Then she said, “Oh, honey, someday you’ll be beating those boys off with a bat.” Her voice was faint. I peeked(窥视) out from my covers to see tears running down her cheeks. Then I knew how much she suffered on my behalf（利益）. She had never let me see her tears. Which of the following expressions can be used most suitably to describe Mom’s attitude when she made the child to peel potatoes?
| A．Cruel. | B．Serious. |
| C．Cold. | D．Strict |
What does the sentence “I saw her ‘we’ll see about that’ look” imply(暗示)?
| A．Mom believed every aim could be achieved if you stuck to it. |
| B．The race across monkey bars was not difficult enough for a child to give up. |
| C．Mom was determined to prove she herself was better than the teacher. |
| D．What the child had said brought Mom great attraction and curiosity. |
When the child looked down at the kids, they were standing with their mouths open because _________.
| A．they felt sorry for what they had done before |
| B．they were afraid the author might fall off and get hurt |
| C．they were astonished to find the author’s progress |
| D．they wanted to see what the author would do on the bars |
The most probable conclusion we can draw after reading the passage is ______.
| A．the last incident was sad enough to make Mom weep |
| B．the child’s experience reminded Mom of that of her own |
| C．Mom could solve any problem except the one in the last paragraph |
| D．in fact Mom suffered more in the process of the child’s growth |
Suppose you work in a big firm and find English very important for your job because you often deal with foreign businessmen. Now you are looking for a place where you can improve your English, especially your spoken English. Here are some advertisements(广告) about English language training from newspapers. You may find the information you need.
Global English Centre
lGeneral English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
l3-month (700 yuan), 6-month (1,200 yuan) and one-year (2,000) courses.
lChoice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day. Mon.~Fri.
lExperienced college English teachers.
lClose to city centre and bus stops.
Tel: 67605272
Add: 105 Zhongshan Road, 100082
Modern Language School
lSpecial courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills.
lSmall classes (12~16 students) on Sat. & Sun. from 2:00~5:00 p.m.
lNative English teachers from Canada and USA.
lLanguage lab and computers supplied.
l3-month course: 1,050 yuan; 6-month course: 1,850 yuan.
Write or phone: Modern Language School, 675 Park Road, 100056
Tel: 67353019
The 21st Century English Training Centre
lWe specialize in effective teaching at all levels.
lWe offer morning or afternoon classes, both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan.
lWe also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays.
lEntrance exams: June 1 and Dec. 1.
lOnly 15-minute walk from city centre.
lCall 67801642 for more information.
The International House of English
lThree/Six-month English courses for students of all levels at a very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week, convenient (方便的) class hours:
9:00~12:00 a.m. and 2:00~5:00 p.m.
lA four-month evening programme for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes).
lWell-trained Chinese and foreign teachers with experience in teaching English as a second foreign language.
lFree sightseeing and social activities.
lVery close to the Central Park.
For further information call 674322308. You work from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. Which school will you choose?
| A．Global English Centre and Modern Language School. |
| B．Global English Centre and The International House of English. |
| C．Modern English Centre School and The 21st Century English Training Centre. |
| D．The 21st Century English Training Centre and The International House of English. |
The 21st Century English Training Centre is different from the other three schools in that___.
| A．its teaching quality is better |
| B．it is near to the city centre |
| C．its courses are more advanced |
| D．it requires an entrance examination |
You will probably prefer to go The International House of English because it________.
| A．offers free sightseeing and social activities |
| B．has a special course in spoken English |
| C．costs less than the other schools |
| D．has native English teachers |
If you take the evening programme at The International House of English, you will pay____.
| A．60 yuan | B．240 yuan | C．720 yuan | D．960 yuan |
任务型读写(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)
Are you tired of the same old schedule on Mother’s Day? Well, here are some new ideas to help you enjoy that special day with your mother.
While it seems almost a tradition to take your mother out for dinner on Mother’s Day, perhaps this year you could try something else. You could invite her to a restaurant before or after the actual day. This way you don’t have to fight the crowds, and the prices will be lower.
Take your mother out for a picnic lunch if the weather is nice. You and she can enjoy the cool breeze under the shade of a tree while having a nice meal that you have made for her. Be sure to pack some of her favorite foods.
Another idea would be to invite your mother to go bowling(打保龄球). Even if she has never bowled in her life, trying something new is always interesting.
You could treat her to a movie she is dying to see, and make sure you buy her all the popcorn and candies she can eat. If you are a male, the chances are you won’t like the movie she wants to see, so instead you could go to the mall and get your picture taken with your mother, which she can proudly display in her house.
Take her to a spa on Mother’s Day. She has been working so hard and needs a way to release her stress.
If she doesn’t want to go to a spa, buy her special soaps and oils so she can relax herself in her own tub. There are various types of soaps and oils with delicious flavors available. You could also buy her some scented (芬芳的) candles that she could light by her tub to make the atmosphere peaceful.
No matter what you choose, make sure you do something special for the woman who took care of you for so long.
Title: Special ideas for Mother’s Day
| Problem |
Be tired of the same old schedule on Mother’s Day. |
|
1) _______ |
Go out for dinner before or after Mother’s Day |
Avoid the (2) ______ Have lower prices |
Go out for a (3) ______ lunch |
Enjoy the cool breeze under the shade of a tree Enjoy a nice meal that you have made for her |
|
| Invite her to go bowling |
Something new is always (4) ________ |
|
| See a (5) ______ or take a photo with her |
She can proudly display the (6) ______ in her house. |
|
| Take her to a (7) _____ |
She needs a way to release her stress. |
|
| Buy her special (8) _____ and oils and scented candles |
She can relax in her tub and enjoy the (9) ______ atmosphere. |
|
| Conclusion |
Make sure you do something (10) ____ for your mother. |
My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult.
For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess（承认）to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred（神圣的） thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else in spite of the fact that it had little value. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog that my father carved from a piece of cheap wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve, I killed an old brown sparrow in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from the house to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time.” I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me. What is the main subject of the passage?
| A．The relationship between Mark and Steve. |
| B．The important lesson Mark learned in school |
| C．Steve’s important role in mark’s growing process. |
| D．Mark and Steve’s respect for living things. |
It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, __________.
| A．he felt surprised | B．he was light-hearted |
| C．he felt frightened | D．he knelt before her |
In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
| A．Respect for personal property. |
| B．Respect for life. |
| C．Sympathy for people with problems. |
| D．The value of honesty. |
According to the writer, which was the most important lesson Steve taught his young brother?
| A．Respect for living things. |
| B．Responsibility for one’s actions. |
| C．The value of the honesty. |
| D．Care for the property of others. |
Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
| A．Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage. |
| B．Mark lost the small dog his father carved somewhere. |
| C．When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it. |
| D．Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation. |
“Fire! Fire!” What terrible words to hear when one wakes up in a strange house in the middle of the night! It was a large, old, wooden house and my room was on the top floor. I jumped out of bed, opened the door and stepped outside the house. There was full of thick smoke.
I began to run, but as I was still only half-awake, instead of going towards the stairs I went in the opposite direction. The smoke grew thicker and I could see fire all around. The floor became hot under my bare feet. I found an open door and ran into a room to get to the window. But before I could reach it, one of my feet caught in something soft and I fell down. The thing I had fallen over felt like a bundle of clothes, and I picked it up to protect my face from the smoke and heat. Just then the floor gave way under me and I crashed to the floor below with pieces of burning wood all around me.
I saw a doorway in fire, then I put the bundle over my face and ran. My feet burned me terrible, but I got through. As I reached the cold air outside, my bundle of clothes gave a thin cry, I nearly dropped it in my surprise. Then I was in a crowd gathered in the street. A woman in a night-dress and a borrowed man’s coat screamed as she saw me and came running madly.
She was the Mayor’s wife, and I had saved her baby. When the fire arose in the middle of the night, the author was _______.
| A．at home | B．sleeping | C．sitting in bed | D．both A and B |
The author saved the baby _____.
| A．because he was very brave. |
| B．because he liked the baby very much. |
| C．but he just happened to save it. |
| D．because it was the Mayor’s baby. |
He ran in the wrong direction because he _______.
| A．was a stranger there | B．could see nothing |
| C．was not completely awake | D．Both A and C |
He put the bundle over his face and ran in order to ______.
| A．save the baby | B．call for help |
| C．protect his face | D．run quickly |