Breathe, wave and smile.Along with more than 300 other seniors, I marched into the stadium on the afternoon of May 10. The audience burst into deafening cheers. The huge stadium shook with all the whistling and clapping.
It was as if a Hollywood superstar had walked on stage. And indeed, every single senior that day was a star of the moment. Each deserved it. The seniors had been preparing for four years for this once-in-a-lifetime moment—the commencement(graduation ceremony).
Seated, I waited anxiously for the opening address. As a foreign exchange student, I was not able to receive a diploma. However, I still had the wonderful feeling of being part of things. Like the other graduates, I was dressed in marron cap and gown.
Our principal, Mr Glover, delivered a short, warm greeting. The US national anthem followed and then, hands on chests, a solemn Pledge of Allegiance(美国的爱国誓言).
Students who had excelled academically gave farewell speeches. The tears in some eyes convinced me that many had deep feelings about the occasion. It was as the class motto says, “Life brings us tears, smiles and memories. The tears dry; the smiles fade; but the memories last forever.”
Then came the core(the most important part) of the commencement. Hundreds of names were announced. Each graduate walked across the stage to receive his or her diploma from the principal. From the different cheers each graduate got, we had the funny sense that it was a kind of competition of who could cheer the loudest.
To be honest, the presentation of diplomas got boring. A girl sitting next to me even started yawning. But it wasn’t boring for those receiving the diploma: they would treasure the moment the principal placed the sacred brown document in their hands for the rest of their lives.
A new page in the book of that person’s life had turned. They were glimpsing their futures: futures of challenge, hardship, perhaps loneliness too, which would take all of their courage.
56. What’s the article mainly about?
A.An American high school’s graduation ceremony.
B.The opening ceremony of a sports meeting.
C.A presentation of college diplomas.
D.A US college’s farewell party.
57. Which of the following statements about the author is FALSE?
A. She was one of the graduates.
B. She was a foreign exchange student.
C. She was excited to receive her diploma.
D. She felt it great to be at the ceremony.
58. The right order of the following events is______.
a.Diplomas were presented to graduates. b.Students gave farewell speeches.
c.The US national anthem was played. d.The principal gave a short, warm speech.
e.Seniors went into the stadium.
A. b,c,a,d,e B. c,d,b,e,a C. d,b,e,a,c D. e,d,c,b,a
59.From the text, we can conclude that_______.
A.a diploma ensures a good job
B.a diploma guarantees a bright future
C.the commencement symbolizes the beginning of a new stage in life
D.everyone felt excited at the presentation of the diploma
60. According to the passage, which of the following statement is true?
A. Hollywood superstars went to attend the commencement.
B. Every single senior became a superstar on the commencement day.
C. All graduates would treasure the diploma for the rest of their lives.
D. When each graduate got his or her diploma, there were loud cheers.
One day the employees of a large company in St Louis，Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said：“Yesterday the person who has been hindering (阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral(葬礼) in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died，but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be.
The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered：“Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well，at least he’s no longer here.”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin(棺材) and when they looked inside it they became speechless. They stood over the coffin，shocked and in silence，as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul.
There was a mirror inside the coffin：Everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said. “There is only one person who can set limits to your growth：it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize(彻底改变) your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness，your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself.
Your life does not change when your family changes，when your friends change，when your boss changes，and when your company changes.
Your life changes when YOU change，when you go beyond your limiting beliefs，when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.The writer’s purpose in writing the article is to tell us that __________.
| A．the harder we work，the more successful we will become |
| B．our work and life are closely connected with others |
| C．changing our lives is down to us |
| D．we will have a better future if people do not hinder our development |
People were speechless when they looked inside the coffin because __________.
| A．there was nothing but a mirror inside |
| B．they could see their own souls inside |
| C．their closest colleague lay inside |
| D．what was inside told a great truth |
Who probably wrote the sign on the front door?
| A．The company boss. |
| B．A worker who liked to make fun of others. |
| C．The director in charge of production. |
| D．A worker who wanted to teach others a lesson. |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．The employees went to the gym to join the funeral. |
| B．The lesson the employees learned would influence them greatly. |
| C．The employees’ lives depended on the attitude of their boss. |
| D．The employees got angry after the funeral.. |
It was a Sunday and the heavy storm had lasted all night. The morning after the storm, though, was beautiful: blue skies, warm air and a calm, inviting sea touching the shore gently.
My father realised it was a good day for fishing and invited my sister and me to go with him.I was only 14 and fishing had never been my thing, but I decided to go all the same. I’m so glad I did.
On the road to the harbour we could see the terrible destruction on the coast, but the harbour itself was in fairly good shape. After all， it was protected by the arms of a bay that had only one tiny channel to the sea. As we got on board, we noticed two big humps(脊背) in the distance.
On approaching them, we saw it was a mother whale with her baby. We couldn’t believe it ——there aren’t any whales along the coast here. The storm must have driven them across the ocean into the bay, in which the still water was so badlly polluted that nothing could survive.
The little baby whale——actually as big as our boat——was obviously stuck and could not move. The mother dived under the water and came up suddenly, making big whirlpools(漩涡) and waves.”She’s trying to help her baby, but on the wrong side,” my father said. At this point, my father moved our boat in a semicircle to the other side and ,heading the boat towards the baby whale, pushed it gently. With our several gentle pushes the big hump turned over and disappared under water. Then it swam up right beside its mum. They struggled in their desperate attempts to escape but missed the exit and started heading in the wrong direction. We hurried up to the whales and tried to lead them towards the bay channel. Showly, they let us lead them, some-times rising from the water right beside us to breathe——and to give us a trusting look with those huge eyes. Once they hit their first part of clean water flowing straight from the sea, the mum gave us a wave with her tail and off they swam into the distance.
In the excitement it had felt like only a few minutes, but we had been with those wonderful animals for almost an hour and a half. That was the simple and lasting beauty of the day, Nearly four decades later ,I still look back fondly to that golden day at sea.The author says “I’m so glad I did .”(in Para.2)because __________.
| A．be witnessed the whole process of fishing |
| B．he enjoyed the beauty of the calm sea |
| C．he experienced the rescue of the whales |
| D．he spent the weekend with his family |
The harbour survived the storm owing to____________.
| A．the shape of the harbor |
| B．the arms of the bay |
| C．the still water in the channel |
| D．the long coast line |
The mother whale failed to help her baby because__________.
| A．she had stayed in the polluted water for too long |
| B．the whirlpools she had made were not big enough |
| C．she had no other whales around to turn to for help |
| D．the waves pushed her baby in the wrong direction |
what is the theme of the story?
| A．Saving lives brings people a sense of happiness |
| B．Fishing provides excitement for children |
| C．It’s necessary to live in harmony with animals |
| D．It’s vital to protect the environment |
I chose to study in Madrid because I had a desire to learn Spanish. My first impressions of Madrid were incredible. It was before the New Year that I arrived in Madrid for the first time. While traveling to my Spanish friend’s house in a taxi, I appreciated the buildings along the road which were different from those of my own country.
There are an incredible number of restaurants and bars from all over the world. If you are really into sightseeing, I hope you have rechargeable batteries for your digital camera, because one week really isn’t enough time to see everything here including a number of art, science, and historical museums as well as parks, buildings, and amazing landscapes.
What I liked best about life in Madrid was the fact that if you were frustrated with schoolwork and wanted to have some fun, you can easily go out. The nightlife never seems to stop and the people are all very friendly. You can meet people and practice Spanish while having fun at the same time.
What I liked least was the fact that many people smoked in the streets. Also, coming from the US, I was used to having a big breakfast every morning, but while living with an actual Spanish family, I wasn’t really satisfied with the food in the morning.
I think I have definitely become more independent since I came back from Spain. Living in a big city like Madrid I found that it is necessary to plan ahead and to make a schedule for future. There is so much to see, not just in the Spanish World, but in the European World as well.What’s the purpose of the text?
| A．To attract people to tour around Madrid. |
| B．To show how to enjoy Spanish culture. |
| C．To give advice on how to study Spanish. |
| D．To describe the author’s life in Madrid. |
Why did the author suggest taking rechargeable batteries?
| A．It’s difficult to deal with the used batteries. |
| B．It’s not convenient to recharge batteries. |
| C．There are few stores that sell ordinary batteries. |
| D．You will find lots of places worth taking pictures of. |
Which of the following in Madrid didn’t please the author?
| A．Parks and buildings. | B．Restaurants and bars. |
| C．Nightlife. | D．Breakfast. |
Artie Shaw was born in New York City in 1910. His name was Arthur Arshawsky. His parents were poor immigrants who had come to the United States from Eastern Europe. His family later moved to New Haven, Connecticut.
At the age of fourteen, he began to play the saxophone and then the clarinet. From a very young age, Artie Shaw wanted to play his clarinet better than anyone. He wanted his sound and music to be perfect. He worked at this task much of his life.
He began working as a professional musician when he was fifteen. He left home and began playing in bands across the United States.
In 1928, young Artie Shaw traveled to Chicago, Illinois to hear the great trumpet player, Louis Armstrong. He immediately understood that Armstrong's great jazz sound was the beginning of something new and exciting. Artie left Chicago with a growing interest in jazz music. Soon after, he moved to New York City.
He got work playing the clarinet for the Columbia Broadcast System radio network. In 1936, he was given a chance to form a small group and play at New York's famous Imperial Theater on Broadway. His group was not the top band in the show. But the crowd loved his music. This proved to be a major step in his career.
Artie Shaw was always trying something new, something different. He heard a young black woman sing and hired her for his band. This was the first time that a black woman sang with white musicians. Racial separation was the rule in many states. Artie Shaw did not care.
Artie Shaw wrote several books in his later years. He wrote stories for magazines. He spoke about music at colleges and universities. But he had very little to do with the world of recording or music. During those years however, he received many awards and honors for his music. These included a Hall of Fame award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.
| A．born to a wealthy family |
| B．a famous singer |
| C．a man with a great dream |
| D．was in love with music when he was a baby |
| A．first began to play the clarinet |
| B．wanted to be the most famous musician around the world |
| C．began playing in bands across the United States |
| D．became a famous musician when he was fifteen |
| A．he showed a growing interest in jazz music |
| B．he worked for Columbia Broadcast System radio network as a singer |
| C．he formed a small band when he was twenty three |
| D．he thought that racial separation should be the rule of the society |
| A．almost stopped playing music |
| B．worked for a magazine as an professional writer |
| C．he made many speeches about his life at colleges |
| D．he received many awards and honors for his books |
| A．Artie Shaw’s Life Stories |
| B．Artie Shaw — A Crazy Musician |
| C．Artie Shaw — A Great Writer |
| D．Artie Shaw’s Music Life |
Once there was a man who liked to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived – a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout, “What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry, “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted – that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge（复仇）.
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really saved him because he induced（引诱）him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.”
| A．on the very top of the tree |
| B．hidden in the middle of a tree |
| C．on the tree for the longest time |
| D．exposed to sunlight less often |
| A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly. |
| B．He was climbing down quickly but carefully. |
| C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree. |
| D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped. |
| A．He was nervous. | B．He kept silent. |
| C．He felt surprised. | D．He was angry. |
| A．Courage. | B．Revenge. |
| C．Carefulness. | D．Assistance. |
| A．Anger saves one’s life. |
| B．Wisdom does count. |
| C．Skill and strength count. |
| D．Anger is the biggest enemy. |