III. 阅读（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
1685 was a very good year for German composers. Within the space of a month, two of the greatest were born: Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederic Handel.
Handel’s father was a barber and surgeon, which sounds like a strange combination today, but back then those occupations went hand in hand. Even though Handel was very interested in music, his father didn’t think that was a good way to earn a living, so he wanted his son to be a lawyer. The story goes that Handel smuggled a quiet piano into the house so that he could practise in secret.
One day, Handel went along when his father went to shave a duke. While his father was working, Handel sat down and played the duke’s organ. The duke was so impressed that he convinced Handel’s father to let his son study music, and Handel finally got to learn how to compose.
Handel soon discovered that what he liked most was opera. In fact, he was so passionate about opera that he even fought a duel (决斗) over it with one of his friends. Since Italy was the place to learn about opera composing, Handel went off to Italy to study. When he got home, he got a job as court composer for a German prince.
Having landed such a wonderful job, Handel immediately asked his boss for time off. He wanted to go to England, where he’d heard that there weren’t nearly enough composers to satisfy the British taste for Italian opera.
After great success writing opera in London, Handel came back to Germany. Then fate played a funny trick on Handel and his boss. The Queen of England died, and it just so happened that the prince Handel worked for was next in line to the British throne. When he arrived in London as King George, followed Handel, his court composer in Germany.
In addition to serving the King, Handel became one of the most successful opera composers of his time. And he also produced them and traveled all over Europe to hire the best singers. There are stories of battles with rival opera producers and of fights between rival singers. Handel apparently had quite a temper.
If you ever go to London, look for Handel’s grave in Westminster Abbey, where there’s a wonderful monument to him.
56.How did Handel begin to learn to compose?
A.His father was sure of his future success.
B.His performance impressed a duke.
C.He begged his father to send him to Italy.
D.He practised hard and taught himself music.
57. What does the underlined word “smuggled” mean in the passage?
A. bought secretly B. took secretly C. carried in advance D. possessed personally
58.Why did Handel later settle down in Britain instead of Germany?
A. Because he could find better jobs in London.
B. Because he enjoyed greater fame in London.
C. Because his boss became King of Britain and brought him along.
D. Because London was a wonderful place to learn about opera.
59.Which of the following words can NOT be used to describe Handel, as shown in the passage?
A. bad-tempered B. talented C. enthusiastic D. optimistic
60. Which of the following statements is WRONG according to the passage?
A. Handel was born in the same year with Bach.
B. Many people worked both as a barber and surgeon.
C. Handel quit his job to learn about opera in Italy.
Handel was buried in London and was built a monument.
The government of Norway is planning to build an unusual storage center on an island in the Arctic Ocean. The place would be large enough to hold about two million seeds. The goal is to present all crops known to scientists. The British magazine New Scientist published details of the plan last month. The structure will be designed to protect the world’s food supply against nuclear war, climate change and other possible threats. It will be built in a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. The mountain is less than one thousand kilometers from the North Pole, the northernmost position on earth.
An international group called the Global Crop Diversity Trust is working on the project. The director of the group, Cary Fowler, spoke to New Scientist. He said the project would let the world rebuild agriculture if, in his word, “the worst came to the worst”. Norway is expected to start work next year. The project is expected to cost three million dollars. Workers will drill deep in the side of a sandstone mountain. Temperatures in the area never rise above 0ºC. The seeds will be protected behind concrete walls a meter thick and high-security door.
The magazine report says the collection will represent the products of ten thousand years of farming. Most of the seeds at first will come from collections at seed banks in Africa, Asia and Latin America. To last a long time, seeds need to be kept in very low temperatures. Workers will not be present al the time. But they plan to replace the air inside the storage space each winter. Winter temperatures on the island are about eighteen degrees below 0ºC. The cold weather would protect the seeds even if the air could not be replaced.
Mr. Fowler says the proposed structure will be the world’s most secure gene bank. He says the plant seeds would only be used when all other seeds are gone for some reason. Norway first proposed the idea in the 1980s. But security concerns delayed the plan. At that time, the Soviet Union was meeting in Rome of the Food and Agriculture Organization.The project is meant to ______.
| A．increase the world’s food output in the future |
| B．carry out some scientific experiments on plant genes |
| C．protect crop seeds from dying out in case of possible disasters |
| D．build an exhibition centre of the world’s plant seeds |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the above passage?
| A．The government of Norway will perform the project alone. |
| B．Seeds to be collected there were produced ten thousands years ago. |
| C．Spitsbergen is chosen because it is free of the threat unclear war forever. |
| D．Temperature is a major consideration when choosing the storage place. |
We can infer from the text that _______.
| A．People will get newly-developed seeds from the center every year. |
| B．The storage center will greatly promote world agriculture |
| C．Norway had meant to build the storage centre about 20 years before. |
| D．There haven’t been any seed storage centres in the world before. |
What is probably the best title of the passage?
| A．The Best Place to Store Seeds | B．Noah’s Ark（诺亚方舟）of Plant Seeds in Plan |
| C．Concerns of World Food Supply | D．A New Way to Feed the World |
Beginning college is exciting: new ideas to explore, new challenges to be met and many decisions to be made; your future begins here.
However, you will find college life is different from your previous school environment. Many of us can be easily overwhelmed by the details of running a well-balanced life. While some of us may have the know-how, I guess there are more of us who can benefit from learning about the experiences of others who have walked the college halls before you.
The following you may find of use about life on campus:
·Plan well. There are so many new things to do at a new college or university. Give yourself time to make new friends and became familiar with the campus, but don’t forget why you are there. Give some time for social activities and manage your time wisely.
·If you don’t have a “system” for planning your time now (like a day timer a computer data book). get one. Most of all, don’t depend on your memory.
·Don’t miss the guidelines. The restrictions, rules and regulations of all kinds can usually be found in your student’s handbook. Consider them well-balanced food for thought. What dates are important? What pieces of paper need to be handed in? What can / can’t you do in your student residence（住处）? Who has the right for what? What do you need to complete to graduate?
·Write the word “STUDY” on the walls of our bedroom and bathroom, and maybe it will help to to write it on a piece of paper and stick it on the telephone, TV and the kitchen table. Consider this — you are paying thousands of dollars for your course. You pay every time you have to repeat or replace a course.
·Build your identity. This is the time for you to decide what to do and what not to do. Take as much time as you need to explore new ideas. Do not be afraid of the beyond. This is learning to make good choices.What is the main purpose of the passage?
| A．To offer advice on college life. |
| B．To explain why college life is exciting. |
| C．To describe the importance of college life. |
| D．To persuade you to go to college. |
According to the passage, why is it exciting to begin college life?
| A．Because you will have more freedom at college. |
| B．Because you will no longer be afraid of the beyond |
| C．Because you prepare for your future career and life there. |
| D．Because professors there will provide you with many new ideas. |
The underlined word “know-how” refers to _____
| A．An understanding of how things are going at college |
| B．Practical knowledge about how to behave and what to do at college |
| C．College halls where rules and regulations are presented |
| D．An environment completely different from the one you’re used to |
According to the passage, college students _______.
| A．needn’t learn from those who went to college before them |
| B．spend as much time as possible on social activities |
| C．should know what they have fight for on campus |
| D．are supposed to repeat or replace at least one course |
A famous American John Muir said in 1898: “The Grand Canyon… as unearthly (神秘的) in the color and grandeur (壮观) of its architecture as if you had found it after death on some other star.” Like Muir, those of us who stand along the rim are prompted to wonder about the unearthliness and the forces that created and are still changing this place.
After more than 100 years of studies, many things are still mysterious. Today visitors come by the thousands -- the great and simple of the earth -- all in a spirit of wonder. Travelers come from every state of the Union, from every country in Europe and Asia.
From the depths of the canyon comes welling silence. Seldom can you hear the roar of the river, for all sounds are swallowed in this gulf of space. “It makes one want to murmur.” A woman once whispered to her companion. This silence is not the silence of death; rather, it is a presence. It is like a great piece of music. But music made of man works up to a climax (高潮) and stops.
Now, visitors to the South Rim alone may number 18,000 in a single day. Some of that number will travel by mule train down Bright Angel Trail to the canyon's floor, cross the raging river by a suspension bridge (吊桥) and walk to the North Rim. Though the two rims face each other across only 12 miles, it is a journey of 214 miles by car from one to the other. Nor can you visit the North Rim except in summer; some 1,200 feet higher than the South Rim, it is snow covered much of the year except in July and August.
But there is no day that you may not visit the South Rim and find the sun warm on your face and the air perfumed with the incense (香气) of smoke from an Indian hearth (香炉). No wonder an American writer and journalist said, “I came here an atheist (无神论者), and departed a devout （虔诚的）believer.”What is it that attracts so many travelers to the Canyon?
| A．The unearthliness and the grandeur of its architecture. |
| B．The presence of American super stars. |
| C．The saying made by American writers and journalists. |
| D．The roaring of the river in the Canyon. |
What does the underlined word “simple” refer to?
| A．peaceful stream | B．land surface | C．common people | D．tamed animals |
If you want to visit the North Rim from the South Rim, which of the following won’t be the way of traveling for you?
| A．By train. | B．By animal. | C．By car. | D．On foot. |
The last sentence “I came here an atheist, and departed a devout believer.” implies that ______.
| A．natural wonders such as the Canyon have some effect on human activities |
| B．all visitors to the Grand Canyon are God believers |
| C．atheist can’t see the magnificence of the Grand Canyon |
| D．the Grand Canyon is an unearthly sight that only God could create |
Imagine being the only person in the Forbidden City. You could stay there all day without swarms of people crowding around. You'd be able to look at the ancient treasures without worrying about other visitors pushing you for a better view. Well, in two years time you'll be able to have such an experience, just like the former emperors used to. The only difference is that your Forbidden City fun will be online.
Thanks to new technology, a virtual tour of the Forbidden City will be available online by 2008. The project － jointly driven by the Palace Museum and computer company IBM － aims to help teenagers around the world become more interested in Chinese culture. The project will offer an interactive, three-dimensional view of the palace. The virtual tour will provide images from all over the 780,000-square-metre palace.
"The Palace Museum is a big book; there are always places you haven't read about," said Hu Chui from the museum. There are many rooms closed for protection. But the virtual platform breaks the boundaries of time and space, meaning visitors can see whatever they want. "The interaction and games content in the virtual tour will attract more young people to understand and love our cultural heritage," added Hu.
In the virtual tour, historical figures will actually talk to visitors and answer their questions. The stories behind the buildings and treasures will also be told. "The online environment, presented in both Chinese and English, enables visitors to experience the culture and stories of the museum," said James Yeh, an IBM official. If you visit the Forbidden City now, which of the following won’t be the case you’ll have?
| A．It is crowed with a lot of visitors. | B．Visitors are pushing you for a better view. |
| C．You are the only person in it. | D．You can see some ancient treasures in it. |
Which of the following is not the advantage of the virtual tour of the Forbidden City?
| A．Visitors can see whatever they want. |
| B．Visitor can ask and talk to historical figures. |
| C．Visitors can get to know the cultural heritage by playing games. |
| D．Visitors can walk around the Forbidden City with your family. |
The “project” underlined in paragraph 2 refers to ______.
| A．a virtual tour of the Forbidden City |
| B．a new “Forbidden City” to be built by the Palace Museum and IBM computer company |
| C．an Internet cafe to be built in the Palace Museum |
| D．a big book to be published to introduce Chinese culture |
What attracts teenagers most to the virtual tour is _____.
| A．the visible pictures in the place |
| B．the interaction and game playing |
| C．the online environment presented in English |
| D．the platform without the boundaries of time and space |
Women, Race & Class
Angela Y Davis
£7.99
Analysing the differences and similarities between the experiences of black and white women, Davis casts new light on the struggle for human rights.
The Words to Say it
(an autobiographical novel)
Marie Cardinal
translated by Pat Goodheart
£7.99
Marie Cardinal's groundbreaking book was the first and remains the complete book about the personal experience of psychoanalysis (精神分析学). It reveals her traumatic (创伤的)childhood and institutionalisation(收容), followed by her escape to the cul-de-sac(死路)where her analyst(精神分析医师)lived. There, for many years, she made the journey towards recovery through Freudian psychoanalysis. A worldwide bestseller, translated into eighteen languages, it remains one of the most highly-praised books of our age.
Jade
Millie Murray
£4.99
Jade Wilson is smart, young, black and ambitious. And she's just been given the chance of a lifetime - a try-out for the Commonwealth Games swimming team. Jade lives with her mum, Jojo, a successful business woman. Jojo is overprotective of Jade, but she has her reasons. As a young model with a wonderful career ahead of her, she fell pregnant(怀孕) with Jade, and, much as she loves her daughter, she's determined not to let anything get in the way of Jade's success. So when Jade starts dating Dicey, there is hell to pay. Will Jade survive her Mum's constant nagging (唠叨)? And what if she were to get pregnant - would she, could she, do the same as Jojo and give up her career? As things start hotting up with Dicey, Jade is faced with some very tough choices... .
The book is very popular with people all over the world.Which of the following can prove the book The Words to Say it is very successful ?
| A．It is the first book about psychoanalysis. |
| B．It has a successful beginning and ending. |
| C．It has translated into 18 languages. |
| D．It remains the complete book about personal experiences. |
From the third part we can learn that ________about Jade Wilson’s mother, Jojo.
| A．She didn’t care about Jade. |
| B．She gave it up because of lack of interest in her career. |
| C．She wouldn’t like Jade to be what she was. |
| D．She was willing to accept Jade’s boy friend first. |
The sentence “there is hell to pay” in the third part probably means _____.
| A．there are a lot of ghosts |
| B．there is a lot of trouble |
| C．the price has to be paid |
| D．it cost too much to do something |
Which book do you buy if you want to read about women’s rights?
| A．Women, Race & Class | B．Jade |
| C．The Words to Say it | D．Marie Cardinal |
What is it that makes the book The Words to Say it different from two other books in writing style?
| A．It is an autobiographical novel |
| B．Its contents and writer |
| C．Its translations |
| D．The leading character in the book |