When47yearoldvolunteerSusanBoy-优题课

C
As kids, my friends and I spent a lot of time out in the woods. “The woods” was our part-time address, destination, purpose, and excuse. If I went to a friend’s house and found him not at home, his mother might say, “Oh, he’s out in the woods,” with a tone of airy acceptance. It’s similar to the tone people sometimes use nowadays to tell me that someone I’m looking for is on the golf course or at the gym, or even “away from his desk.” For us ten-year-olds, “being out in the woods” was just an excuse to do whatever we feel like for a while.
We sometimes told ourselves that what we were doing in the woods was exploring (探险). Exploring was a more popular idea back then than it is today. History seemed to be mostly about explorers. Our explorations, though, seemed to have less system than the historic kind: something usually came up along the way. Say we stayed in the woods, throwing rocks, shooting frogs, picking blackberries, digging in what we were briefly persuaded was an Italian burial mound.
Often we got “lost” and had to climb a tree to find out where we were. If you read a story in which someone does that successfully, be skeptical: the topmost branches are usually too skinny to hold weight, and we could never climb high enough to see anything except other trees. There were four or five trees that we visited regularly — tall beeches, easy to climb and comfortable to sit in.
It was in a tree, too, that our days of fooling around in the woods came to an end. By then some of us has reached seventh grade and had begun the rough ride of adolescence (青春期). In March, the month when we usually took to the woods again after winter, two friends and I set out to go exploring. We climbed a tree, and all of a sudden it occurred to all three of us at the same time that we really were rather big to be up in a tree. Soon there would be the spring dances on Friday evenings in the high school cafeteria.
48. The author and his fiends were often out in the woods to ______.
A. spend their free time B. play golf and other sports
C. keep away from their parents D. escape from doing their schoolwork
49. What can we infer from paragraph 2?
A. The activities in the woods were well planned.
B. Human history is not the result of exploration.
C. The author explored in the woods aimlessly.
D. Exploration should be a systematic activity.
50. The underlined word “skeptical” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. calm B. doubtful C. serious D. optimistic
51. From the last paragraph, we can learn that ________.
A. they usually didn’t go to the woods in winter
B. the author and his friends are of the same age
C. all high school students would go dancing on Friday evenings
D. they stopped going to the woods because they were adults now
52. How does the author feel about his childhood?
A. Happy but short. B. Lonely but memorable.
C. Boring and meaningless. D. Long and unforgettable.

B
Among the most popular books being written today are science fictions (小说). Hundreds of titles are published every year and are read by all kinds of people. Furthermore, some of the most successful films of recent years have been based on science fiction stories.
It is often thought that science fiction is a fairly new development in literature, but its forefathers can be found in books written hundreds of years ago. These books were often concerned with the presentation of some form of ideal society, a main subject which is still often found in modern stories.
Most of the classics of science fiction, however, have been written within the last one hundred years. Books by writers, such as Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to mention just two well–known authors, have been translated into many languages.
In an age where science fact frequently overtakes (超过) science fiction, the writers may find it difficult to keep ahead of scientific advances. Those who are clear-sighted to see how the ways are going, however, may provide a valuable lesson on how to deal with the problems which society will unpreventably face as it tries to master its new technology and come to terms with a continually changing view of the world.
45. It can be concluded that modern science fiction ______
A. is worse than that in the past
B. shows the writer’s viewpoints
C. tells stories about men from other planets
D. has been written only by Jules Verne and H.G. Wells
46. From the article we get the impression that science fiction ______.
A. is popular
B. is a fairly new development in literature
C. reflects the technical advances in the past
D. describes things that happen in developed countries
47. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Science fiction is based on successful films.
B. Science fiction often overtakes science fact.
C. Writers may find it easy to keep ahead of scientific advances.
D. The writer who can see clearly the way we are going will give us valuable instructions.

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和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
I arrived in the classroom, ready to share my knowledge and experience with 76 students who would be my English literature class. Having taught in the US for 17 years, I have no doubt about my ability to hold their attention and to impress on them my admiration for the literature of my mother tongue.
I was shocked when the monitor shouted, “stand up!” The entire class rose as I entered the room and I was somewhat puzzled about how to get them to sit down again, but once the embarrassment (尴尬) was over, I quickly regained my calmness and admiration. I went back to my office with the rosy glow which came from a strong sense of achievement.
My students kept diaries. However, as I read them, the rosy glow was gradually replaced by a strong sense of sadness. The first diary said, “Our literature teacher didn’t teach us anything today. Perhaps her next lecture will be better.” Greatly surprised, I read diary after diary, each expressing a similar theme. “Didn’t I teach them anything? I described the entire Western philosophy (哲学) and laid the historical background for all the works we will study in class.” I complained. “How should they say I didn’t teach them anything?”
It was a long term, and it gradually became clear that my ideas about education were not the same as those of my students. I thought a teacher’s job was to raise interesting questions and provide enough background so that students could draw their own conclusions. My students thought a teacher’s job was to provide exact information as directly and clearly as possible. What a difference!
However, I also learned a lot, and the experience with my Chinese students has made me a better American teacher, knowing how to teach in a different culture.
41. We can know that on the first day the writer ______.
A. felt she didn’t teach them much
B. was very confident in her students
C. felt very confident in herself at first
D. was disappointed at her students’ performance
42. At the beginning of the lesson, the writer got puzzled because of ______.
A. cultural differences B. students’ admiration
C. students’ embarrassment D. the same experience
43. The writer learnt from their diaries that the students wanted to ______.
A. raise interesting questions B. know about background
C. draw their own conclusions D. know more exact facts
44. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The writer got used to the life in China.
B. The writer doubted about her ability of teaching.
C. The writer had taught in many western countries.
D. The writer became better at teaching foreign students.

C
Cancun is a seaside town in Mexico, where most tourists come here to enjoy the beach, water sports and night life. In fact, it is so modern and Americanized that you might think you were in southern California or Florida.
But just a short two-hour hike from the town lie the ruins of the city of Chichen-Itza, one of the capitals of the lost Maya（玛雅）civilization. The center of the ruins of this city is the pyramid of El Castillo. The ancient Mayan religious people climbed this pyramid during festival to honor the Sun god. Tourists today climb it to view the architectural achievements of Chichen-Itza and to prove their fearlessness of heights and steep （陡峭的）climbs. There is a sign in Spanish, admonishing visitors “It’s dangerous to go up.” I gladly ignored it and started my climb.
The climbing was tough. The steps were higher than one might normally take., but the climb was not fearful at all. From the top of the pyramid, I had a wonderful view of the ruins of this Mayan city. What was most striking to me was that just beyond the ruins of splendid structures, gardens, temples and what looks like a modern sports stadium, you could only see forests for miles and miles. It was almost as if some race had mysteriously come out of nowhere, built it up and then suddenly disappeared from the planet, leaving only stones in its space.
The only remains on the top of the pyramid were the Temple of Kukulcan. During the festivals to worship the Sun god, only the high ranks would have the right to enter this temple.
After shooting a few pictures, I realized it was time to go down. Only then did I discover that what people fear about the climb is not the trip going up, but the way going down. I saw a few brave souls who were walking down as if they were in their own house. Looking down at the steepness of the pyramid, I desperately feared this great height. My first desire was to joke with a few people, “Where is the elevator（电梯）?” I figured that a civilization that was this advanced would have had the foresight(预见) to construct an elevator. Lacking such modern equipment, I had to use the chain provided by the Mexican tourist authorities and climb down on all fours.
My climb was complete eventually. I quickly got on the bus back to my comfortable hotel. Leaving the ruined city, I was still wondering what possibly happened long ago. But a few hours later, I was back in the modern world drinking cocktails on the beach, bathing in the sunshine before boarding the plane and waiting for my trip back home to the US, where all the modern things such as elevators are available!
57. Why did the writer pay a visit to the ruined city of Chichen-Itza?
A. He wanted to climb the pyramid of EL Castillo and know about the Mayan civilization.
B. He would got to the Temple of Kukulcan to attend a religious festival to honor the Sun god.
C. He thought the city of Chichen-Itza was quite different from the modern town of Cancun.
D. He was attracted by the ruined ancient buildings there and wanted to take some photos.
58. The underlined word “admonishing” in Paragraph 2 probably means “___________”.
A. urging B. forcing C. warning D. frightening
59. Which of the following best shows climbing the pyramid of EL Castillo is a difficult task?
A. The steps are very high and it is much more scaring to climb to the top.
B. The climbing calls for courage and patience, and also takes a long time.
C. When tourist climb up to the top, there is no elevator to take them down.
D. The pyramid is high and steep, and climbing down is much more fearful.
60. From the last paragraph, we can infer that the writer ______________.
A. had a bad impression of the visit and decided to leave as soon as possible.
B. thought modernization could offer people comforts and conveniences.
C. got tired of the modern life and tried a different one in his own way.
D. enjoyed himself in the climb though it was very tiring and dangerous.

B
“The Lord of the Rings”, one of the best sellers in the new millennium（千年）, was made up of three parts——“The Fellowship of the Ring”, “Two Towers”, and “The Return of the King”. Millions upon millions of people have read it in over 25 different languages, but fewer know about the author and the history of the composition of the creative masterwork.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. His parents died when he was a child. Living in England with his aunt, Tolkien and his cousins made up play languages, a hobby that led to Tolkien’s becoming skilled in Welsh, Greek, Gothic, Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon.
After graduating from Oxford, Tolkien served in World War I. In 1917, while recovering from trench fever, he began composing the mythology for The Rings. As a professor of Anglo-Saxon in 1930s at Oxford, Tolkien was part of an informal discussion group called the Inklings, which included several writers. The group was soon listening to chapters of Tolkien’s imaginative work “The Hobbit”.
Hobbit was a name Tolkien created for a local people that could best be described as half-sized members of the English rural（乡村的）class. Hobbits live in hillside holes. One of them, Bilbo Baggins, looks for treasures with a group of dwarves（侏儒）. On the way, he meets the twisted, pitiful creature Gollum, from whom he sees a golden ring that makes the holder invisible（看不见的）.
One of Tolkien’s students persuaded her employer, publisher Allen & Unwin, to look at a draft（草稿）. The chairman of the firm, Stanley Unwin, thought that the best judge for a children’s book would be his ten-year-old son. The boy earned a shilling for reporting back that the adventure was exciting, and “The Hobbit” was published in 1937.
It sold so well that Unwin asked for a continuation. Over a dozen years later, in 1954, Tolkien produced “The Lord of the Rings”, a series of books so creative that they hold readers—new and old —after their publication.
54. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. “The Lord of the Rings” didn’t sell well in the last millennium.
B. People know better about Tolkien himself than about his works.
C. Tolkien was quite familiar with Old English.
D. Tolkien knew very well about different kinds of local languages in Africa.
55. What can we learn about “Hobbit” that Tolkien created in his works?
A. Hobbit was a race living in English downtown areas.
B. Hobbit was a local people who were very tall and strong.
C. Hobbit was a social group of people who lived in old castles.
D. Hobbit was a group of people who were mostly dwarves.
56. Which of the following shows the right order of Mr J.R.R.Tolkien’s life experience?
a. He had his “The Hobbit” published.b. He became a member of the Inklings.
c. He served in World WarⅠd. He became an undergraduate at Oxford.
e. “The Lord of the Rings” came to the world. f. He moved to England to live with his aunt.
A. f-d-b-c-a-e B. f-d-c-b-a-e C. f-c-d-b-e-a D. d-f-c-a-b-e