When I was a child ,I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital . However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.
One big disadvantage is money----it costs so much to go out ,not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma（哮喘）,and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of traveling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.
Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides,there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally,if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising----and, what is more ,shops are often only a short walk away.
Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens or twenties, However,as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.
1. What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?
A. Staying on the farm B. Moving to the countryside
C. Leaving home for the city D. Running away from the school
2. Which of the following is true about the writer?
A. He is very old now B. He is in good health
C. He prefers driving a car D. He lives in the city now
3. In the passage ,the writer tries to ___________.
A. express his opinions about way of life
B. describe his life in the countryside
C. show an interest in the outside world
D. persuade the reader to live in the city
4. How is the passage mainly developed?
A. By inferring B. By comparing
C. By listing examples D. By giving explanations
I am a vegetarian（素食主义者）. Many people are quick to think of vegetarianism as strange behavior. I treasure our Earth, and since we only have one, we should protect it and the wildlife that lives on it. But that’s only one of the reasons to be a vegetarian.
Vegetarians may live longer, healthier lives. There is a connection between red meat consumption and various diseases. From an economic standpoint, it requires less land, money and energy to produce foods for a vegetarian diet. While there are many benefits to being a vegetarian, only a handful of those who attempt to adopt this lifestyle succeed.
The most important quality required to be a vegetarian is firmness since surrounded by the temptation of meat, we tend to give up vegetarianism easily. Creativity is almost as important as commitment. It’s easy to tire of eating nothing but salad. But with a little creativity and some soy products, almost any meal can become vegetarian-friendly.
Not everyone wants to be vegetarian. Accepting this is part of being a vegetarian with style. Forcing your beliefs on others is disrespectful. Stylish vegetarians should also be able to turn down a meaty dish politely without annoying their hosts.
Being a successful vegetarian has been easy for me, but it may not be so for others. A common mistake is quitting before your body has adjusted to the change. It can be difficult to keep the lifestyle in the beginning because of temptation. However, it fades over time. Another common mistake is quitting because you’ve been misinformed about the nutritional wisdom of being a vegetarian. That’s why it is vital to be educated. Countless people will tell you that it’s impossible to obtain the nutrients and protein（蛋白质）your body requires without meat, but they are incorrect. People actually need only 44-55 grams of protein a day, and that is easily found in a vegetarian diet. Many meat eaters are consuming three times that amount, which is not beneficial. It leads to diseases. Vegetables can also supply all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs. However, if you’re still not convinced, you can take a multi-vitamin.According to the passage, being a vegetarian helps ______.
| A．protect the wildlife |
| B．free people from diseases |
| C．rid people from strange behaviors |
| D．develop a better economy |
What’s the underlined word temptation in Paragraph 3 closest in meaning to?
| A．Unpleasant taste | B．Extreme attraction |
| C．Great consumption | D．Significant importance |
Stylish vegetarians do not ______.
| A．force others to be vegetarians |
| B．respect other people’s beliefs |
| C．turn down hosts gracefully |
| D．refuse an offer of meat |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Many people give up before their bodies can adjust to the transition. |
| B．Many people quit because they’re poorly educated about nutrition. |
| C．Consuming 150 grams protein a day can be harmful. |
| D．Vegetarians need multi-vitamins to keep healthy. |
Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
| A．Reasons why the author became a vegetarian. |
| B．Important qualities required to be a vegetarian. |
| C．Advantages and disadvantages of being a vegetarian. |
| D．Common mistakes on the way to being a vegetarian. |
When people think of Hollywood, they think of the city where dreams come true. This did not apply to F. Scott Fitzgerald, a screenwriter who had his share of ups and downs in this land. Fitzgerald was not a successful Hollywood writer because he was not good at the career path he chose. He was an amazing novelist, but his efforts of turning them into screenplays ended in disappointment and confusion. It was because of a lack of potential for screenwriting as well as his addiction and desire to be famous.
Growing up as a boy, Fitzgerald went to movies a lot. He wanted to write stories that would eventually turn into movies. The problem was: just because Fitzgerald wanted to do something didn’t necessarily mean that he was good at it. He made his attempts, but most of these efforts ended in disappointment because he thought about the change from script（剧本）to screen too much. His plot was too detailed and complicated; his tone was too serious or his dialogue too sentimental（感伤的）.
Fitzgerald’s quick rise to fame also led to his fall. In life, things are not meant to happen all at once, all that the same time but it did for Fitzgerald. At his best time, three of his early stories were made into short films, including The Great Gatsby and Babylon Revisited. As the twenties approached, he was gradually forgotten by the reading public. He became drunk and constantly took pills both to sleep and wake up. His marriage was destroyed and his wife broke down mentally. He seemed unsure about his life.
Fitzgerald had another chance at success when many opportunities came his way, including revisions of Emlyn William’s play The Light of Heart and production of one of his own scripts, Cosmopolitan. However, these were all put aside and he was right back where he started, left behind and called a “ruined man”. Fitzgerald simply wanted too much in his life. He wanted “to be both a great novelist and a Hollywood success, to write songs like Cole Porter and poetry like John Keats”. His addiction to fame held him back and led to his failure as a Hollywood writer.Which is a reason that Fitzgerald failed in screenwriting?
| A．He was not talented in screenwriting. |
| B．He had a miserable family life. |
| C．He spent too much time watching movies. |
| D．He was greedy for money in his life. |
Fitzgerald’s screenwriting was _____.
| A．disappointing in ending |
| B．complex in plot |
| C．playful in tone |
| D．simple in dialogue |
Which of the following was NOT written by Fitzgerald?
| A．The Great Gatsby | B．Babylon Revisited |
| C．The Light of Heart | D．Cosmopolitan |
When Fitzgerald had another chance at success, he ______.
| A．took full advantage of it |
| B．went back home to start business |
| C．refused to make changes |
| D．started to write songs and poems |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．Fallen for Fame Addiction: F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| B．An Inch into Fame: F. Scott Fitzgerald |
| C．F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Great Novelist |
| D．F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Great Screenwriter |
I was going to Paris, which I’d always wanted to see. But now I was frightened to travel alone. I arrived at the train station in Paris. I hadn’t spoken my college French for twenty years. On my first metro ride, I came across an incompetent（不胜任的）thief. I just stared at him, and he stopped his hand from my purse and disappeared into the crowd. Somewhere in this confusing city was my hotel hidden, but the directions suddenly weren’t easy to find. When I finally found the hotel, my heart was beating heavily, and I was sweating like a basketball player. I couldn’t stay. Could I? The wallpaper looked like it had been through a fire. The bathroom was downstairs, and the window looked out onto the brick wall of another building. Welcome to Paris. I sincerely wanted to die. I missed my friends. I was entering my third week away from home and my kids, and I had arrived in the most romantic city in the world, alone, lonely and frightened.
The most important thing I did in Paris happened at that moment. I knew that if I didn’t go out, right then, and find a place to have dinner, I would hide in this small room my entire time in Paris. I might never learn to enjoy the world as a single individual. So I went out. Evening in Paris was light and pleasant. I walked along a path, listening to birds sing, watching children float toy boats in a huge fountain. No one seemed to be in a hurry. Paris was beautiful. And I was here alone and suddenly not lonely. My sense of accomplishment overcoming my fear and weakness had left me feeling free. I wore out two pairs of shoes during my week’s stay in Paris. I did everything there was to do, and it was the greatest week of my European vacation. I returned home, becoming a believer in the power of traveling alone. Now when I meet difficulties I just say to myself, “If I can go to Paris, I can go anywhere.”What happened on my first metro ride?
| A．I came across a skillful thief. |
| B．I bravely caught a thief trying to steal |
| C．The thief successfully stole my purse |
| D．I scared away a thief trying to steal |
The room in the hotel where I lived ______.
| A．had just gone through a big fire |
| B．was in very poor conditions |
| C．had a good sight through the window |
| D．was very small and untidy |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．I was not lonely when I got to Paris. |
| B．I felt frightened travelling alone in Paris at first. |
| C．I then felt not lonely for the people around me in Paris. |
| D．I had a lot of walking during my stay in Paris. |
The lifestyle of French people can be considered as ________.
| A．hasty | B．relaxed | C．anxious | D．aggressive |
As to the writer, the power of traveling alone is _______.
| A．the power of being independent |
| B．the power of feeling free |
| C．the power of becoming optimistic |
| D．the power of overcoming difficulties |
I am a single working mother and going to college for a better life for my three-year-old child and myself. I am taking a nurse course called “Urban Community（社区）”. We were asked to do a major project on problems in urban communities. I chose the topic “Homeless”.
Each day I would walk down the streets of the homeless and offer them something to drink and to eat. I know it’s tough to survive on the streets. Last night I ran into a group of 30 kids who were living on the streets in New York. My heart went out to them and I just wanted to cry. But I had to be strong.
I asked about their families and if they contacted them to let them know they were alive. Most of them said, “NO!” They all looked like a happy family and they took care of one another. I tried to persuade them to get help and to contact their families but they did not want to. I did not want to make them to do it as they had their own reasons.
All these kids were very respectful. None of them was high on drugs nor were they drinking. Some of them enjoyed reading and writing. Some of them enjoyed skateboarding, dancing and playing music.
One girl asked me if I could give her a hug and I did so. She started to cry and said, “Thank you for not treating us as freaks（怪人）like everyone else does. People don’t realize that we all have our own problems and some are worse than others.” She told me that her stepfather （继父） was extremely mean to her and her mother did not believe her. She ran away. Her street name was Little Mary.
They were good kids just trying to make ends meet. I told them that I didn’t have much to offer because I was a single mother just making ends meet. I had offered them sandwiches and drinks. They were so happy to have something to eat and told me that I couldn’t change the world but at least there was someone who really cared.The author is _______.
| A．a homeless mother with a three-year-old kid |
| B．a single mother who attends college in New York |
| C．a teacher who teaches the “Urban Community” course |
| D．a full-time housewife with a three-year-old kid |
What does “My heart went out to them” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．My heart was taken away by them. |
| B．I wanted to hug them |
| C．I felt sympathy for them |
| D．I fell in love with them |
What kind of feeling did the author show when she failed to persuade the children to contact their families?
| A．Sorrow | B．Anxiety | C．Anger | D．Understanding |
Little Mary left home and became a wanderer because ________.
| A．her stepfather didn’t want to live with her |
| B．her stepfather treated her so badly that she was injured |
| C．her mother treated her so badly that she felt hurt |
| D．her mother didn’t believe her and her stepfather treated her badly. |
What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．A Story of a Single Mother |
| B．Care for the Homeless Kids |
| C．An Urban Community |
| D．How to Survive on the Streets |
Umbrella is what we easily forget and leave behind in our daily life. When the weather is fine, we certainly don’t think of it; only when it's raining, we’ll carry it purposefully. But as soon as the rain stops, most likely we’ll forget we’ve put it. It has to wait patiently and pitifully for
owner to claim it, otherwise it’ll remain alone as a deserted umbrella.
Once I suddenly found my longtime (use) umbrella “disappeared”. I really got lost and regretted quite some time
my own carelessness.
Several days later, out of my (expect), I saw it quietly stand in a corner of the house where I worked. I was extremely glad to regain it. Looking carefully at it, though it was so familiar
me, I found for the first time its wooden handle
（wear）out as a result of repeated rain-wash for years. I sought for it only when I needed it. It occurred to me that I should have paid
(much) attention to it.
It sets me thinking. Around us there are always people giving us support in silence just likeumbrella that protects us from the rain or any wretched weather. Will gou think of those individuals
have helped you get through difficlty when you are leading a comfortable life?