The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare’s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its present-day importance as a world language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
31. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Difficulties of Learning English B. International Communications
C. The Standard Varieties of English D. English as a World Language
32. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.
B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.
C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of English.
D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.
33. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
A. It was popular during Shakespeare’s time. B. It is used in former British colonies.
C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.
D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.
34. What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
A. The ability to read a newspaper.
B. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.
C. Being a multilingual.
D. Being a native speaker.
35. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
A. Those geographically close to the United States.
B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.
C. Former colonies of Great Britain.
D. Countries where international conferences are held.
D
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it.
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils. The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect—but to have no tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards. There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in school or on teachers. This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on the efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher.
Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected schools and from families known to them－a form of favoritism will replace equality. At the moment, the bright child from an ill－respected school can show certificates to prove he or she is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability of a dull child attending a well－ respected school. This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and tile bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school's reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored school.
The opponents(反对者) of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils. According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class. They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection. The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer.
53．The underlined word "favoritism" in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that_____.
A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs
B．children from well－respected schools tend to have good jobs
C．poor children with certificates are favored in job markets
D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success
54．What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?
A．There would be more opportunities and excellence.
B．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation.
C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools.
D．Children's job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation.
55．The opponents of the examination system will agree that ________.
A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection
B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs
C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards
D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with
56．The passage mainly focuses on________.
A．schools and certificates B．examination and equality
C．opportunity and employment D．standards and reputation
C
The financial climate, the job market, family tensions, Obama moving into the Lincoln bedroom. Even the climate's getting in on the list. Yup, change is everywhere in 2009. If you're not careful, all kinds of strange things might happen in your otherwise ordered life, so it's best to work at avoiding change whenever it rears its head(出现).
Here are 5 ways to do just that:
| 1．Ignore any opportunities How many times have you taken a chance, only for things to go wrong? How many times have you seized an opportunity only/'or it to slip between your fingers? There's always another mess waiting for you, so it's better to stay right where you are. Where you are right now is a known quantity－it's safe, warm and comfortable. Doesn't that sound better than going out there, messing up and looking stupid? |
| 2．Set your expectations low If you're one of the people out there looking to make a change in 2009 rather than having change made for you, you'd better set your expectations low. |
| 3．Keep on running and don't look back The best thing to do is to set things out so that you can do everything. It's good to be busy and running around after everyone else will mean that everyone's happy and there's no room for change to happen. It's a win－win! |
4．Recognize that most changes are too big Face it; there are some tasks you're just not up to. Landing that exciting new job, getting a promotion, taking on the 'big project' or building a relationship that really works－these are all big challenges and you don't want to bite off more than you can chew. |
| 5．Ignore that little voice inside You might sometimes hear a little voice in your head that tells you you're not happy or that something has to change. This little trouble maker can speak up at any time and throw the Spanner of Confusion in the works, and it has only one thing on its mind－to take you out of your comfort zone and make you change. |
Imagine if everyone went around listening to what they really wanted and acted on it－what a mess! No, best to ignore it and carry on with what you're doing.
49．The purpose of writing this passage is_________.
A．to introduce ways to avoid change in 2009
B．to attract the readers' interest in change in 2009
C．to discuss whether people should change in 2009
D．to tell the readers the news of American New President－Obama
50．Supposing you are safe, warm and comfortable now, you should______.
A．set your expectations low B．ignore any opportunities
C．keep on running and don't look back D．ignore that little voice inside
51．The underlined sentence "You don't want to bite off more than you can chew" implies.
A．you have big challenges to fight
B．you are too small to eat too much food
C．there are some big challenges you can't fight
D．you are afraid of challenging some difficult tasks
52．The best way of dealing with that little voice inside is_______ .
A．to change something at once
B．to have a chat with the speaker
C．to discuss it with the trouble maker
D．to ignore it and go on with what you are doing
B
In ancient Japan, if you saved someone's life, they would make it their duty to spend the rest of their life serving you. Nowadays, if you rescue someone's story, he or she will feel the same kind of gratitude(感激).
It happens all the time. Someone in a group is telling a story and, just before their big point, BOOM! There's an interruption. Someone new joins the group, a waiter with a plate of biscuits comes over, or a baby starts crying. Suddenly everyone's attention turns to the new arrival, the food on the plate, or the "charming" little child. Nobody is aware of the interruption－except the speaker. They forget all about the fact that the speaker hasn't made his or her point.
Or you're all sitting around the living room and someone is telling a joke. Suddenly, just before their big punch line (妙语), little Johnny drops a dish or the phone tings. After the crash, everyone talks about little Johnny's carelessness. After the call, the subject turns to the upcoming marriage or medical operation of the caller. Nobody remembers the great punch line got unfinished－except the joke teller. When it's you entertaining everyone at a restaurant, have you ever noticed how you can almost set your clock by the waiter coming to take everyone's order just before your funny punch line?
Most joke and story tellers are too shy to say, after the interruption, "Now, as I was saying ..." Instead, they'll spend the rest of the evening feeling bad because of what they didn't get to finish. Here's where you come in. Rescue them with the technique I call "Lend a Helping Tongue. "
Watch the gratitude in the storyteller's eyes as he restarts where his story sank and he sails off again toward the center of attention. His expression and the appreciation of your consideration by the rest of the group are often rewarded enough. You are even more fortunate if you can rescue the story of someone who can hire you, promote you, buy from you, or otherwise lift your life. Big winners have excellent memories. When you do them favors like Lend a Helping Tongue, they'll find a way to pay you back.
45．Very often, a storyteller cannot make his point because_____.
A．people are more interested in food than his story
B．many guests bring their babies to the party
C．he is interrupted by something unexpected
D．his story is easily forgotten by the listeners
46．From Paragraph 3, we know that when someone is telling a joke, _________.
A．something bad will surely happen just before their punch line
B．the only person really interested in the joke is the joke teller
C．listeners' attention is often drawn to something else
D．the waiter knows when to take everyone's order
47．How can we help the joke and story tellers when they are interrupted?
A．By giving them a chance to finish.
B．By going on telling the story for them.
C．By comforting them to make them happy.
D．By teaching them some useful techniques.
48．What is the text mainly about?
A．We can win someone's heart by getting him back to his story.
B．People should learn how to take turns in a conversation.
C．Telling jokes will make you the center of attention.
D．It is impolite to interrupt someone's talk.
第二部分：阅读理解（共两节，满分50分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
A
Michael Phelps and his U.S. teammates crowned the greatest single Olympic performance Sunday morning with a win in the 4×100－meter medley relay(混合泳接力).
The victory gave Phelps his eighth gold medal of the Beijing Olympics, the most golds ever won by an athlete at one Games. With gold No. 8, Phelps earned an unusual place in the Olympic record books.
"There is no comparison in the swimming world for what Michael has done," said Gregg Troy, coach of U.S. swimmer Ryan Lochte, who finished third to Phelps in two races here in Beijing but also won gold alongside him in the 4×200－meter freestyle relay. It's hard to find comparisons even in the sports world overall. Phelps is solidly in the company of seemingly undefeatable superstars such as Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods.
"I think years and years down the road we'll realize more and more how amazing he is and how special he really is." U. S. teammate Natalie Coughlin said. The 23－year－old from Baltimore capped a brilliant meet at the Water Cube. He set a world record in every event aside from the 100 butterfly which he narrowly won on Saturday, completing a program of 17 races in nine days.
Phelps has won 14 Olympic gold medals and 16 total medals. He holds the record for most medals won by a man, surpassing Soviet gymnast Nikolai Andrianov, who won 15 from 1972－1980. Soviet female gymnast Larysa Latynina holds the record with 18.
At the 2004 Athens Games, Phelps won six gold medals and two bronze. He has already said he'll swim in the 2012 London Games. Phelps' victories in Beijing include: 200－meter freestyle, 200 and 400 individual medleys, 100 and 200 butterfly, 4×200 free relay, 4×100 medley relay, and 4×100 free relay.
41．Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A．Phelps Plans To Attend 2012 London Games
B．Phelps Wins 4×100－meter Medley Relay
C．Phelps Writes Games Gold History
D．Phelps Finishes His Competitions
42．Why are Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods mentioned in the 3rd paragraph?
A．To memorize the two heroes' contributions to the world.
B．To indicate Phelps' great efforts to his championship.
C．To attract the world's attention to the young Phelps.
D．To emphasize Phelps' unique position in swimming.
43．Which of the following is true of Phelps?
A．Phelps has got the most gold medals in Beijing Olympic.
B．Phelps has won 18 Olympic gold medals till now.
C．Phelps won 8 gold medals at the Athens Games.
D．Phelps defeated Nikolai Andrianov in Beijing.
44．It can be inferred from the text that __________.
A．Phelps is a swimming genius by nature
B．Phelps succeeded in Athens at the age of 18
C．Phelps has won the most golds all by himself
D．Phelps will have a brilliant future in the 2012 London Games
Ben walked quietly. He wanted to surprise the hunter. But then, what would he do?
Suddenly he heard a bird’s wings beating the dry grass. Ben moved quickly toward the sound.
He saw a colored head ... the head of a beautiful bird. The bird did not move until Ben came close. Then it tried to fly away, but one wing was broken.
Ben lifted the bird and held it close against his body. The bird fought to escape, but soon lay quietly in Ben’s arms.
Ben decided to take the bird home and fix its broken wings so that it could fly again.
He was almost out of the woods when he heard the hunter behind him.
“You just found that bird?” the hunter asked.
“Yes,” Ben answered.
“It is mine!”
Ben was afraid and tried to answer, but his mouth was too dry to speak. Nevertheless, he wetted his lips and said, “No.”
“I shot him and I say he is mine!”
“But he is not dead yet,” Ben answered, “and besides, anything on my land belongs to me.”
The hunter looked down at the little man and smiled. “Say, who are you?”
Ben’s voice shook with both fear and anger. “I own this land. There are signs everywhere that say, ‘No hunting’.”
“No need to get angry, mister,” the hunter said. “Control yourself.”
There was something threatening in the man’s cool quiet voice. And he had a gun. His arms were free and Ben’s were not.
The hunter stepped closer and said, “Give me that bird!”
Ben was white with anger. “No!” he answered. His eye glasses became wet and he had to look over the top of them to see the other man.
“Give me the bird and I will go away,” the hunter said.
“You get off my land,” Ben told him. “Get off right now...you do not belong here!”
The man’s face got red. “Mister,” he said, “I have been hunting here all my life. I grew up here.”
“That is a thing of the past,” Ben said. “I do not know who you are and I do not care. I own this place now and I am telling you to leave. You go back through the woods and get off my land!”
“Now look, mister,” the hunter said, “be reasonable.”
The hunter raised his gun.
A cold wind blew across Ben’s face. He looked into the hunter’s gray eyes. Ben was frightened. It was not too late, he thought. He could still give the bird to the hunter and return safely home...that would end this whole ugly business.
The bird struggled weakly and made a wild, strange noise.
Then Ben knew he could never give this bird to the hunter. This feeling gave Ben great strength, and he was no longer afraid.
“I will never let you kill this bird,” he said. “Get away from here. If you try to take this bird, I will fight...you have a gun and you are bigger, but that does not worry me. You will never get this bird...you will have to kill me first.”
The two men looked at each other. Ben’s fear returned. His knees began to shake and he felt sick. Yet he stood straight, wondering what would happen next.
They stood close to each other for a long time. The woods were strangely quiet. Then the hunter’s rough voice broke the silence.
“You are a fool.” And then to Ben’s surprise, he slowly walked away.
Ben watched until he was gone. His arms hurt, his body felt wet and cold.
67. Why did the hunter smile when saying “Say, who are you”?
A. He wanted to confirm Ben’s identity in a friendly way.
B. He was amused at Ben’s reply and interested in him.
C. He looked down on Ben and thought his reply ridiculous.
D. He meant to be friendly enough to get the bird from Ben.
68. What strengthened Ben’s determination never to give the bird to the hunter?
A. His strong dislike of the hunter.B. His firm confidence in himself.
C. His ownership of this piece of land. D. His concern and sympathy for the bird.
69. Why did the hunter remark that Ben was a fool at the end of the story?
A. Ben tried to protect a bird at all costs.
B. Ben pretended to be fearless although scared.
C. Ben stood close to him saying nothing for long.
D. Ben insisted on him leaving the land.
70. Which of the following best describes Ben’s state of mind in the incident?
A. Ben was willing to compromise. B. Ben never thought of giving in.
C. Ben held out to the end. D. Ben was sure about his victory.