MOSCOW — The Olympic flame in Vancouver had only been put out before President Dmitri A. Medvedev of Russia, angered over his country’s disappointing performance at the Winter Games, began calling for athletic officials’ heads.
“Those who are responsible for training for the Olympics must take responsibility,” Mr. Medvedev, who canceled his scheduled trip to the closing ceremony, said in Moscow on Monday. “They must have the courage to hand in their resignation(辞职报告). And if they do not have this determination, we will help them.”
Such language from the typically measured Mr. Medvedev strengthens the disappointment here with the nation’s athletics just four years before Russia hosts the next Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Russia is pumping billions of dollars into preparations for the 2014 Winter Games, which officials have considered as a symbol of Russia’s return to the top of the world stage.
Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin said last week that Russia’s performance at the Olympics should be given “serious critical analysis.” “This critical analysis should be directed at improving the situation and creating the necessary conditions for the preparation and successful performance of our team in the Sochi Olympics in 2014,” he said. Russian athletes took home just three gold medals from Vancouver, compared with eight in the last Winter Games, in Turin, Italy.
Russia came in sixth place in the overall medal count with 15, just ahead of South Korea and trailing far behind its former cold war athletic rival, the United States, which led with 37.
For Russians used to seeing their athletes top international competitions, the last two weeks have been awful. Russian figure skaters fell, bobsledders turned over and, in a final embarrassment, the country’s much proud hockey team was smacked by Canada 7-3 and did not even make the medal round.
53. The underlined word smack in the last paragraph means:
A. guided B. trained C. beaten D. controlled
54. Which sentence is true according to the passage?
Russian athletes got 8 medals in the last Winter Games.
South Korea ranked 5 in the overall medal count in this Winter Games.
The next Winter Games will be held in Russia four years later.
The Russian hockey team got the third place in this Winter Games.
55. What do we know about President Dmitri A. Medvedev ?
A. He attended the closing ceremony of the Winter Games in Vancouver.
B. He ordered a serious analysis about the Russia’s performance at the Olympics.
C. He will resign due to Russia’s performance at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
D. He had planned to go to Vancouver but didn’t make it.
56. What is the main idea of this passage ?
A. Russian figure skaters fell in this Winter Olympics
B. Russian will host the next Winter Olympics
C. Russians are angry about their athletes’ performance.
D. Russians are making preparations for the next Winter Olympics.
Many Chinese students who have learnt English for more than ten years are still unable to speak English very well when they meet a foreigner. They seem to have mastered the basic language structure, but a conversation in English will make them feel uneasy. They are afraid that other people might find out their mistakes.
It’s uncommon that many students who are bad speakers of English can write English perfectly. This proves that they are unable to organize their ideas in English. The center of the problem is that they lack practice and confidence(自信).
Why should you be afraid? Do you fear those foreigners with whom you are speaking? Don’t be shy, they will not laugh at you just for a little mistake you make. The best way to get rid of trouble is to learn to speak by speaking more. I am sure that constant practice will help you succeed.What’s the best topic for the passage?
| A．How to speak to foreigners | B．How to study English well |
| C．How to organize the idea in English | D．Practise speaking English all the time |
Many Chinese students can write English very well, but they cannot speak English freely because_______.
| A．they seldom meet foreigners |
| B．they seldom practise speaking English |
| C．they had no chance to speak English |
| D．they think it’s enough to master the basic language structure |
So many Chinese students are afraid to speak to foreigners because _________.
| A．they are afraid they can’t understand foreigners |
| B．they don’t think their English is poor |
| C．they worry about making mistakes in their speaking |
| D．they didn’t like speaking to foreigners |
According to the passenger, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．We can speak English fluently by doing more speaking. |
| B．If you can write English perfectly, you are able to organize your idea in English. |
| C．If you can write good English composition, you can speak English very well. |
| D．Many Chinese students can’t speak English freely because they are afraid of making mistakes. |
Too many people want to be their friends, but they don’t give friendship back. That is why some friendship doesn’t last long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to treat your friend the way you want your friend to treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning three rules: be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not tell the truth, people usually find out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose friend’s trust. Good friends always count on one another to speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing and sharing makes a friendship grow. You do not have to give your lunch money or your clothes. Naturally you will want to share your ideas and feeling. These can be very valuable to a friend. They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know better.
Sooner or later everyone needs understanding and helping with a problem. Something may go wrong at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.Some friendships don’t last very long because ________.
| A．there are too many people who want to make friends. |
| B．some people receive friendship but don’t give friendship back. |
| C．those who give others friendship receive friendship from others. |
| D．they don’t know friendship is something serious. |
According to the passage honesty is ___________.
| A．something countable | B．the base of friendship |
| C．as important as money | D．more important than anything else |
Which of the following isn’t mentioned(提及) in the passage?
| A．Always tell your friends the truth. |
| B．Sharing your mind with your friends is of great value. |
| C．Discussing your problems with your friend often helps to solve the problem. |
| D．A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend. |
The best title of this passage is __________.
| A．Honesty is the Best Policy | B．A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed |
| C．How to be Friend | D．Three Important Points in Life |
Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday．Today，more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small houses or inns （客栈） instead of hotels．They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning．
Rooms for the night in private homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years．In the past five to ten years，these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States．Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms，others are much larger．Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms，others do．
Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel．Usually the cost is much less．Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home．The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit．Many vacationers say that they enjoy the chance to meet local families．Americans take a holiday trip _____．
| A．all the year round | B．for years | C．every year | D．every other year |
According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true？
| A．Some Americans like to stay at bed-and-breakfast homes instead of at hotels． |
| B．The bed-and-breakfast inns are private homes opened to vacationers． |
| C．The bed-and-breakfast inns have been popular in America for a long time． |
| D．The bed-and-breakfast inns owners provide a morning meal for their visitors and a room for the night． |
Why do American travelers prefers staying at bed-and-breakfast inns?
| A．It is like visiting someone’s home． | B．The money they spend there is much less． |
| C．They can meet local families． | D．All of the above |
Staying at the bed-and-breakfast inns，_____．
| A．the travelers needn’t pay anything |
| B．the travelers don’t have to pay for the telephone or television |
| C．The travelers can meet and talk with the local people |
| D．The owners will show the travelers around the area |
The best way of learning a language is using it. The best way of learning English is talking in English as much as possible. Sometimes you’ll get your words mixed up(混合)and people will not understand you. Sometimes people will say things too quickly and you can‘t understand them. But if you keep your sense of humor(幽默感),you can always have a good laugh at the mistakes you make. Don’t be unhappy if people seem to be laughing at your mistakes. It’s better for people to laugh at your mistakes than to be angry with you, because they don’t understand what you are saying. The most important thing for learning English is：“Don‘t be afraid of making mistakes because everyone makes mistakes.”What should you do in learning English?
| A．Be careful not to make any mistake. | B．Write as quickly as you can. |
| C．Speak English as much as you can. | D．Laugh more often. |
When people laugh at your mistakes, you should______.
| A．not care | B．be happy | C．feel worried | D．be unhappy |
When you make a mistake, you should______.
| A．keep quiet | B．get angry | C．be kind | D．keep your sense of humor |
The story tells us: “________”
| A．Only foolish people make mistakes | B．Few people make mistakes |
| C．People never make mistakes | D．There is no one who doesn’t make mistakes |
Parents often believe that they have a good relationship（关系）with their teenagers. But last summer, Joanna and Henry noticed a change in their older son: suddenly he seemed to be talking more to his friends than to his parents. “The door to his room is always shut,” Joanna noted.
Tina and Mark noticed similar changed in their 14-year-old daughter. “She used to cuddle up (蜷伏) with me on the sofa and talk,” said Mark. “Now we joke that she does this only when she wants something. Sometimes she wants to be treated like a little girl and sometimes like a young lady.”
Before age 11, children like to tell their parents what’s on their minds. “In fact, parents are first on the list,” said Michael Riera, author of Uncommon Sense for Parents with Teenagers. “This completely changes during the teen years,” Riera explained. “They talk to their friends first, then maybe their teachers, and their parents last.”
Parents who know what’s going on in their teenagers’ lives are in the best position to help them. To break down the wall of silence, parents should create chances to understand what their children want to say, and try to find ways to talk and write to them. And they must give their children a mental break(休息), for children also need freedom, though young. Another thing parents should remember is that to be a friend, not a manager, with their children is a better way to know them.“The door to his room is always shut” suggests that the son ______.
| A．is always busy with his studies | B．doesn’t want to be disturbed |
| C．keeps himself away from his parents | D．begins to dislike his parents |
What troubles Tina and Mark most is that _____.
their daughter isn’t as lovely as before
they can’t read their daughter’s mind exactly
they don’t know what to say to their daughter
their daughter talks with them only when she needs help Which of the following best explains “the wall of silence” in the last paragraph?
| A． Teenagers talk a lot with their friends |
| B． Teenagers do not want to understand their parents. |
| C． Teenagers do not talk much with their parents |
| D． Teenagers talk little about their own lives |
What can be learned from the passage?
A. Parents are unhappy with their growing children.
Parents have suitable ways to talk with their teenagers
C. Parents should be patient with their silent teenagers.
D. Parents should try to understand their teenagers.