National Geographic Society
17 TH and M Streets N.W., Washington D.C．20036 U.S.A.
The year is 1991．But just for a moment you will feel the centuries roll back.
Close your eyes and you can almost see Charlemagne kneeling to receive his crown as Holy Roman Emperor.
Or an ageing Michelangelo standing in the middle of rubble （碎石）, staring at the still unbuilt, sky-size dome （圆顶大厦）above.
You are in St. Peter’s Basilica, heart of one of the most attractive nations in the world …
Dear friend,
Every now and then, you visit a place that leaves a lasting impression – and memories that remain long after you’ve returned home. The Vatican is one of those unforgettable places.
As a devoted traveler, I have always believed that there is no replacement for being there. That is, before I saw National Geographic’s new volume （书卷）with my own eyes.
Inside the Vatican
In some ways it’s better than being there. Two experienced Geographic staff members – award-winning photographer James Stansfield and writer Bart Mcdowell – show you a side of the Vatican that you could never see if you were to visit as an ordinary tourist.
You’ll view sights and treasures that only a few are ever allowed to observe, and have extraordinary opportunity to be close to the Vatican’s museums and ceremonies, and to the people who live and work there.
Examine this magnificent volume – free in your home
You’re invited to reserve this attractive new volume now. Simply return the enclosed Reservation Card and your edition will be shipped for your free examination.
Send no money. I’m confident that once you see this amazing book, you won’t be able to put it down! INSIDE THE VATICAN offers you and your family many hours of delight and attraction.
With no risk, and no requirement to buy, why not take a moment now while you’re thinking of it – and mail the enclosed card?
We look forward to having you join us on this unusual journey.
Sincerely,
Michela English
P.S. Remember, too, that this beautiful volume is a perfect gift for anyone who loves travel, history, or art. But it’s available only by direct order through the society.
53．The part before the letter ________.
A．describes ancient Roman Emperor Charlemagne
B．introduces Vatican City, the independent state in Europe
C．tells about the famous Italian scientist and artist Michelangelo
D．gives an imaginary picture of the grandness of National Geographic Society
54．‘Dear Friend’ is used as a greeting because the writer ________.
A．and the reader know each other very well
B．and the reader have heard about each other
C．would like the reader to trust her
D．would like to get to know the reader
55．What the writer introduces to the reader is based on the volume’s ________.
A．quality of presentation B．importance of sales
C．historical value D．value to collectors
56．The book will appeal to ________.
A．the recipient （接受者） B．the recipient, his wife and children
C．art historians D．traveling salesmen
Why do people drink too much, eat too much ,smoke cigarettes or take drugs? What's to blame for all the bad behavior? Most people would say that, while these self-destructive(自我毁灭的) acts can have many root causes, they all have one obvious thing in common: they are all examples of failures of self-control, lacking the will power to resist them.
According to a recent study, however, if you really think about it, something about that simple answer doesn't quite make sense. In fact, it turns out that sometimes it's having will power that really gets you into trouble.
Think back to the time you took your very first sip(啜饮) of beer. Disgusting, wasn't it? When my father gave me my first taste of beer as a teenager, I wondered why anyone would voluntarily drink it. And smoking? No one enjoys their first cigarette—it tastes awful. So even though smoking, and drinking alcohol or coffee, can become temptation you need will power to resist, they never, ever start out that way.
Just getting past those first horrible experiences actually requires a lot of self-control. Ironically, only those who can control themselves well, rather than give in to them, can ever come to someday develop a "taste" for Budweiser beer, Marlboro cigarettes, or dark-roasted Starbucks coffee. We do it for social acceptance. We force ourselves to consume alcohol, cigarettes, coffee and even illegal drugs, in order to seem experienced, grown-up, and cool.
These bad habits aren't self-control failures—far from it. They are voluntary choices, and they are in fact self-control successes. Self-control is simply a tool to be put to some use, helpful or harmful. To live happy and productive lives, we need to develop not only our self-control ,but also the wisdom to make good decisions about when and where to apply it.What do most people think causes bad behavior?
| A．Being forced by others. |
| B．Enjoying their first experiences. |
| C．Not having enough will power. |
| D．Following the examples of their friends. |
The author mentions his experience in the third paragraph to prove.
| A．will power helps develop bad habits sometimes |
| B．drinking beer is harmful to the health of teenagers |
| C．self-control should be developed when one is young |
| D．everyone can be challenged by different temptations |
In the last paragraph, the author stresses that.
| A．without self-control, no one can succeed |
| B．applying self-control correctly is important |
| C．bad habits don't always lead to bad results |
| D．people can develop wisdom from bad behavior |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My First Sip of Beer | B．Do You Have Will Power? |
| C．Will Power Benefits Us | D．Dark Side of Self-control |
You still don't know what to do this summer? Well, here's your chance to win a one-week language course in Kent, England! Free4Fun and ETC (English Travel Connections)are giving away two trips to Rochester. This historic city is less than an hour's drive from London and close to the sea resort of Heine Bay. It is also the home of one of England's most famous writers, Charles Dickens. The town of Rochester is in Southeast England. Charles Dickens often wrote about it in his books. His home, Gad's Hill, is there, too. A popular attraction is Rochester Castle, a large Norman fortress (堡垒). It was built in the 11th century and rebuilt during the 14th century. Other attractions are Rochester Cathedral, which was built during the 13th century, and Dickens Centre. It has got its name in honour of Dickens himself.
The trip to England includes:
* travel by train( via the Eurotunnel)to and from any railway station in Germany
* room and full board with a guest family for one week
* language course in small groups
* two trips to London
* large choice of sports and entertainment
* German-speaking advisors available 24 hours a day
Interested? All you have to do is to answer the following question: When was Charles Dickens born?
So, take the chance and send your answer by May 1 to:
Free4Fun "Rochester"
Free4Fun,24 Elphinstone Road, Hastings ,2FQ6VJ
fax :089/85-763-103
e-mail :free4fun@ netlight, com
The two winners will be contacted directly before May 5. They will also be announced in the June issue of Free4Fun.
Good luck!
For further information contact.
phone: (03212) 144-43
fax: (03212) 144-42
e-mail :info@ etc. comRochester Cathedral was built in the.
| A．1400s | B．1300s | C．1200s | D．1100s |
What activities can you participate in during the trip?
| A．Enjoying sports and entertainment. |
| B．Learning the German language. |
| C．Traveling by train with a guest' family. |
| D．Working as a language advisor. |
If you want to win a prize you have to send your answer to.
| A．the June issue of Free4fun | B．ETC |
| C．info@ etc. com | D．free4fun@ netlight, com |
This advertisement was designed to target.
| A．Italians | B．Germans |
| C．Europeans | D．Americans |
Today's children are the "result" of the modern society. Our parents have jobs that keep them busy almost all day long. They only have a free day in a week. This doesn't allow them to keep an eye on their children.
On the other hand, the modern society gives more freedom to the children than they could "handle". As a child, you don't know how to grow up by yourself until you reach a certain age. That is why you need school and parents to be by your side all the time. If you don't have either of them you may make a lot of mistakes. The social system of the modem society is very lenient especially with the children.
Most of the children today are rebels(叛逆者). They are rude. They are given too much freedom by their families. This is their parents' mistake. They ought to know that the freedom they give to their children is misunderstood.
For example it is a bad thing for a 17-year-old child to go out in the evening on weekends. Parents are also guilty of the way their children show up in the street or at school. The same guilt belongs to the teaching system as well. Pupils shouldn't be allowed to dress like they were on a fashion presentation at school.
Another important fact we can think of regarding the freedom of children is their free will of spending money. Parents shouldn't allow their children to spend money on whatever they want.
I think children are given too much freedom not only by their parents, but also by the society. The latter is more to be blamed！The writer implies that parents' busy lifestyle.
| A．makes their children become independent |
| B．may lead to a tense parent-child relationship |
| C．is harmful to their children's health |
| D．is likely to create a troubled generation |
What does the underlined word "lenient" ( in Paragraph 2 ) mean ?
| A．Not responsible. | B．Not strict. |
| C．Unkind. | D．Unfair. |
It seems that the writer agrees that students.
| A．should stay at home on weekends |
| B．can wear trendy clothes at school |
| C．had better wear school uniform at school |
| D．can be allowed to go out in the evenings |
According to the writer, which of the following takes the primary responsibility for children's problems?
| A．The social environment. | B．The educational system. |
| C．Each family. | D．The school. |
President Barack Obama has complained about the loss of privacy that comes with being leader of the United States, regretting the loss of simple pleasures such as a long walk or a trip to the car wash or supermarket. "I just miss—I miss being anonymous," he said. "I miss Saturday morning, rolling out of bed, not shaving, getting into my car with my girls, driving to the supermarket, squeezing the fruit, getting my car washed, taking walks. I can't take a walk." His dream, he said, was to "go through Central Park and watch folks passing by... spend the day watching people—I miss that".
Faced with angry criticism for playing more golf than most previous occupants of the White House, he explained that the sport was simply the best way of getting away from it all. "It's the only excuse I have to get outside for four hours in a row, he told Hearst Magazines.
Though he said he enjoyed his life in the White House, he felt disappointed with some of the ways of Washington, which he has failed in his pledge(保证) to change, such as the "kabuki dance( 日本歌伎舞)" among political parties before serious policy discussions begin. His comments may be seen as vindication(证实) by critics who have accused him of appearing too detached (超然的), and being slow to engage in vital issues such as Libya and the near shutdown of the US government last week.
Since arriving at the White House in January 2009, Mr Obama has already racked up (得分)60 rounds of golf in office, more than George W. Bush did in his eight years.
In terms of ability, Golf Digest magazine has ranked Mr Obama eighth out of the 18 presidents who played the game since it became established in the early 20th century.What can be inferred from the first paragraph about Barack Obama after he became the US president?
| A．He liked living a busy life. |
| B．He used to wash his car himself. |
| C．He used to spend most of his time with his family. |
| D．He is unhappy with being too frequently watched by the public. |
Barack Obama's explanation to playing golf is.
| A．to keep fit | B．to enjoy life |
| C．to release his pressure | D．to balance his work |
Which one of the following statements is from the critics?
| A．The president is really a great golf player. |
| B．There are always unnecessary procedures among political parties. |
| C．The president lost a lot privacy, but he loves the life in the White House. |
| D．The president seems to have no interest in some really important issues. |
According to the text, which of the following statements is TRUE about Barack Obama?
| A．He regrets to become the US president. |
| B．He has lost privacy ever since he became president. |
| C．He couldn't play too much golf' because of people being angry with him. |
| D．He is not good at playing golf compared with the other presidents who played golf. |
Teachers say the digital age has had a good influence - and a not-so-good influence - on this generation of American teenagers．More than 2,000 teachers took an online survey．Three-quarters of the teachers said the Internet and digital search tools have had a "mostly positive" effect on their students' research habits and skills．But 64 percent said the technologies "do more to distract（使 - - - ---分心） students than to help them academically．" And 87 percent agreed that these technologies are creating an "easily distracted generation with short attention spans．"
The Pew Internet Project did the survey with the National Writing Project．Judy Buchanan is the vice director of the National Writing Project and a co-author of the report．Ms．Buchanan says digital research tools are helping students learn more and faster．"Teachers really favor these tools because they are ways to make some of the learning exciting and engaging．Young people favor these tools．The goal is to really help them become creators of meaningful content, and not just sort of consumers．"
But one problem the survey found is that many students lack digital literacy．They trust too muck of the information they find on the Internet．Judy says these students haven't developed the skills to determine the quality of online information．"It's something that really has to be taught and paid attention to．Because in a world in which things happen quickly, you do need to step back, reflect and analyze the information you have．"
Another problem is blamed on something that might not seem like a problem at all: being able to quickly find information online．Teachers say the result is a reduction in the desire and ability of their students to work hard to find answers．They say students are overly dependent on search engines and do not make enough use of printed books or research libraries．
Many teachers are also concerned that the Internet makes it easy for students to copy work done by others instead of using their own abilities．The text mainly tells us____．
| A．all the students use digital tools |
| B．the Internet is playing a key role |
| C．teachers encourage using digital tools |
| D．digital tools bring about benefits and problems |
Which of the following best shows the structure of the text?
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means__________.
| A．students do not have the right digital tools |
| B．students do not always have access to the Internet |
| C．students haven't the ability to adjust themselves |
| D．students can't judge online information properly |
Some students don't tend to work hard because__________.
| A．they can get answers on the Internet quickly |
| B．printed books and libraries around aren't enough |
| C．the Internet can't make students concentrate |
| D．they can copy each others' work without being punished |