You are watching a film in which two men are having a fight. They hit one another hard. At the start they only fight with their fists. But soon they begin hitting one another over the heads with chairs. And so it goes on until one of the men crashes(撞击） through a window and falls thirty feet to the ground below. He is dead！Of course he isn't really dead. With any luck he isn't even hurt. Why? Because the men who fall out of high windows or jump from fast moving trains, who crash cars and run out of them even when they catch fire, are professionals. They do this for a living. These men are called stuntmen. That is to say, they perform tricks. There are two sides to their work. They actually do most of the things you see on the screen. For example, they fall from a high building. However, they do not fall on to hard ground but on to empty cardboard boxes covered with a mattress（床垫）. Again, when they hit one another with chairs, the chairs are made of soft wood and when they crash through windows, the glass is made of sugar! But although their work depends on trick of this sort, it also requires a high degree of skill and training. Often a stuntman’s success depends on careful timing. For example, when he is "blown up" in a battle scene, he has to jump out of the way of the explosion just at the right moment.
Naturally stuntmen are well paid for their work, but they lead dangerous lives. They often get seriously injured, and sometimes killed. A Norwegian stuntman, for example, skied over the edge of a cliff（悬崖）a thousand feet high. His parachute（降落伞）failed to open, and he was killed. In spite of all the risks, this is no longer a profession for men only. Men no longer dress up as women when actresses have to perform some dangerous action. For nowadays there are stuntgirls too. Stuntmen are those who ______.
| A．often dress up as actors |
| B．prefer to lead dangerous lives |
| C．often perform seemingly dangerous actions |
| D．often fight each other for their lives |
Stuntmen earn their living by ______.
| A．playing their dirty tricks | B．selling their special skills |
| C．jumping out of high windows | D．jumping from fast moving trains |
When a stuntman falls from a high building, ______.
| A．he needs little protection | B．he will be covered with a mattress |
| C．his life is endangered | D．his safety is generally all right |
Which of the following is the main factor of a successful performance?
| A．Strength. | B．Exactness. | C．Speed. | D．Carefulness |
What can be inferred from the author’s example of the Norwegian stuntman?
| A．Sometimes an accident can occur to a stuntman. |
| B．The percentage of serious accidents is high. |
| C．Parachutes must be of good quality. |
| D．The cliff is too high. |
E
It is difficult in the modern world to do anything other than a basic job without being able to read. Reading as a skill is the key to an educated workforce, which in turn is the bedrock of economic advancement, particularly in the present technological age. Studies have shown that by increasing the literacy skill of primary school children in the UK, the benefit to economy generally is in billions of pounds. The skill of reading is now no mere just an intellectual （知识的） or leisure activity, but rather a completely developed economic force.
Part of the problem with reading is that it is a skill which is not appreciated in most developed societies. This is an attitude that has forced a large number of the population in most Western nations to illiteracy (文盲). It might surprise people in countries outside the West to learn that in the United Kingdom, and indeed in some other European countries, the literacy rate has fallen to below that of so-called less developed countries.
There are also forces against reading in our modern society. It is not seen as cool among a younger generation more at home with computer screens or e-libraries.
And reading is not very appealing. Students at school, college or university, who read a lot are called bookworms. The term indicates the contempt (轻蔑) in which reading and learning are held in certain circles or subcultures. It is a criticism, like all such attacks, driven by the insecurity of those who are not literate or are semiliterate. Criticism is also a means, like all bullying, of keeping peers（同辈） in place so that they do not step out of line. Peer pressure among young people is so powerful that it often kills any attempts to change attitudes towards habits like reading.
But the negative senses apart, is modern Western society standing Canute-like (自以为是地) against an uncontrollable drop? I think not.
57．What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?
A．Reading plays an important role in education.
B．People can't find a job without being able to read.
C．The skill of reading has become an economic power.
D．More intellectual activities are needed in the technological age.
58．What problem exists in most Western nations?
A． Younger generations are addicted to modern technology.
B．The literacy skills have weakened their financial benefit.
C．Literacy rate has decreased because of people' s attitude.
D．School children spend more money on leisure activities.
59．What does the underlined sentence probably mean?
A．Criticism may help the young make reading a habit.
B．The contempt makes peers refuse to change their reading habit.
C．Peer pressure stops bully boy from stepping out of line.
D．Criticism strongly influences the young' s behavior towards reading.
60．What is the author' s purpose in writing this passage?
A．To explain his own attitudes.
B．To describe the decrease in reading.
C．To draw people' s attention to reading.
D．To criticize negative attitudes towards reading
D
Wolves are in the news these days, especially with the controversial（有争议的）Alaskan Wolf Hunting Festival being a focus of public attention. Since these animals are getting more attention in the outer world, they may be more likely to show up in your inner world and may take on many forms and have many meanings.
Wolves live in a pack（狼群）and they have a leader, a guide who is responsible for directing the pack and keeping it safe. If a wolf appears in your dream and you have a positive relationship with the wolf, it may suggest your own leadership abilities. Wolves in dreams may also mean the need for trusting your own internal leader-the soft howl from the bottom of your own heart.
While wolves certainly do howl, it is till unknown why they howl at the moon. The wolf’s how is actually a form of communication. Wolves may howl as a form of making friends, or as a warning, or to indicate that they are last and need help. Is your dream wolf howling? If so, what emotions exist in the dream? Do you feel lost and in need of guidance, do you feel like you’ve lost your “pack”? Do you feel the need to let others know they are crossing your land? Or are you simply filled whit a sense of joy that can only be expressed in a howl?
Wolves can be experienced hunters, and often appear in folk stories as something harmless when in fact it is there to do great harm. Are there any wolves in sheep’s clothing in your life? Often we have intuition（直觉）about people or situations, feelings that these people or situations should be avoided, but we ignore them based on their harmless outer appearance. Wolves in dreams could be signs that there are hidden dangers in your life. Never ignore your intuition because it doesn’t make any sense. Your intuition exists to guide and protect you and it can discover a wolf long before it removes its woolen suit.
53．Why does the author mention “Alaskan Wolf Hunting Festival” in the first paragraph?
A．to support the main idea of the text B．to introduce the topic of the passage
C．to show his pity for the wolves D．to prove wolves are getting more attention
54．What does “your inner world” refer to in the first paragraph?
A．hearts B．feelings C．thoughts D．dreams
55．According to the text, wolves howl for the following reasons EXCETP .
A．to communicate with other wolves B．to ask for help
C．to share how they feel D．to admire the moon
56．The passage is mainly about .
A．wolves and their behaviors B．explanations of people’s dreams
C．different types of wolf D．hidden dangers in our dreams
C
| ●CAFE DISPLAY ●OUR JOURNEYS ●12 April-29 May 2008 Young people explore how they have adapted to life in Oxford. “When I first came here,” says one young African woman, “I just wanted to cry all the time. And now I have learned to laugh again.” Working with photographer Rory Carnegie and writer Nikki van der Gaag, young men and women explore their journey from the time they first arrived in a strange place to where they find themselves today. Organised by The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival (10－17 April 2008). Supported by the Maggie Black Trust and Oxford City Council. |
| ●ACTIVlTlES FOR CHlLDREN AND FAMILIES ●MODERN ART TROLLEY FREE Art activities for children every weekend during the exhibition in the Entrance Space from 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. Just drop in. Children must be led by an adult. |
| ●WORKSHOP FOR 8 TO 12 YEAR OLDS Thursday 7 April, 10：30 a. m. to 1：30 p. m. Looking at themes from the exhibition and exploring pictures based ideas through group discussion and using digital cameras. Led by Judie Waldmann. |
| ●BOOK LAUNCH FREE The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblet is a practical approach to drawing the world around you. Sarah Simblet, who teaches at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford, will be present to give a short talk about the development of her book. Special price of￡18 on copies purchased in the evening. Booking recommended on 01865 813802 |
| ●TEACHERS’EVENING FREE Thursday 21 April, 5 p.m. to 7：30 p. m. Lecture by Susan Bright, independent writer and lecturer, at 5：30 p. m. followed by an opportunity to view the exhibition. FREE Education Notes will be provided for teachers attending the evening. |
| ●WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS Saturday 7 May, 10：30 a. m. to 1：30 p. m. Workshop for primary teachers who would like to develop their practical art skill as well as gain an understanding of modern art practice. Led by Judie Waldmann, artist and former primary school teacher. |
| ●TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS Exhibition talks and artist-led workshops to create work in response to the exhibition are available for pre-booked school groups.Suitable for primary and secondary schools, to check availability and discuss details call Sarah Mossop on 1865 813816. |
49．If you are a teacher and interested in art, you probably would like to go to ________.
A. TEACHERS’EVENING
B. MODERN ART TROLLEY
C. WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS
D. TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS
50．What can we learn from the passage？
A. Susan Bright will give a short talk at the launch of the Drawing Book.
B. Rory Carnegie and Nikki will teach young people how to take photos.
C. The workshop led by Judie is intended for the secondary school students.
D. The children who go to the Modern Art Trolley must be led by an adult.
51．Which of the following would be the best title of the text？
A. FREE JOURNEYS B. SPRING EVENTS
C. WEEKEND ACTIVITIES D. ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS
52．The passage makes you believe that __________.
A. if you attend “BOOK LAUNCH”, you can get the book at a low price.
B. school groups can attend talks and workshops for them at any time.
C. almost all the young people have difficulty in adapting to life in Oxford.
D. TEACHERS’ EVENING is only accessible to teachers.
B
When I was a boy, my father told me that he could do anything he wanted to. Dad said that he wanted to be the first to develop color prints in our city. And so he did.
When I was 16，Dad looked closely at the violin I played and announced that he want to make one. He read about violinmaking，and then became a violinmaker at the age of 43. He bought the tools and materials，opened a small store and set Mom up as the shopkeeper，while he worked at a local company. He retired from the company 17 years later and continued to make violins and other instruments.
Dad often guessed why the Stradivarius violins sound so beautiful. Some experts claimed that it was the unique varnish(油漆)that gave those instruments their beautiful sound. Dad argued that chemists could analyze the varnish—if that were the answer.
One of Dad’s friends asked him once which kind of wood was used to make violins. When Dad explained that the top was made of spruce(云杉)，his friend said that he had an old piece of spruce Dad might be interested in.
He worked for the next 12 months making a violin from the wood that his friend had given him. It proved to be a superior violin and it would become Dad’s masterpiece. He was convinced that the secret of the Stradivarius sound was in the wood itself.
Later，the instrument was stolen. Dad’s spirit was broken by the robbery, and he stopped making instruments. But he kept the music shop until he was 80 years old, selling guitars and violins.
My father has been gone for 14 years now. The violin has been missing for more than 25 years. Somewhere a musician is playing a late-20th-century violin with an excellent tone. The owner today may never understand why this ordinary-looking violin sounds so much like Stradivarius.
45. The author mentions his father’s developing color prints____________.
A. to show that his father’s real interest was not in making violins
B. to prove that his father could do anything he wanted to
C. to give an example proving that his father was an inventor
D. to describe the real thing that made the author believe his father
46. What did the author's father think about Stradivarius violins?
A. The varnish was different from the others.
B. The way of making them was special.
C. The wood of the violins was special.
D. They could only be analyzed by chemists.
47. From the underlined sentence, we can learn that the author’s father________.
A. 1iked the violin very much
B. got crazy after this happened
C. 1ost interest in instruments
D. didn't want to become famous
48. We can infer from the last paragraph that the author __________ .
A. really hates the thief
B. misses his father a 1ot
C. really wants to play the violin
D. wonders who’s playing the violin now
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题，每题2分，满分40分）
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。
A
The luxury of eating an apple on Mars could cost as much as US $22,000. That's because it costs about US $120,000 to launch a kilogram of anything into deep space. So getting enough food into orbit is a big problem facing astronauts on a trip to Mars.
After NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) has no current plans to send astronauts to Mars, related research is being carried out—including the production of food. Astronauts on the international Space Station usually eat primarily freeze-dried food to which they add water. However, the weight of the packaging—almost as much as the food inside—costs a lot of money. The biggest problem of all is a psychological one.
Scientists believe that astronauts will suffer without the variety offered by fresh vegetables. The answer is to grow at least some of the food. On a short trip it is imagined that astronauts will eat vegetables such as lettuce, spinach and carrots grown in a refrigerator-sized unit known as a "salad machine". On longer journeys they will actually grow vegetables in greenhouses on Mars. Martian astronauts will eat a vegetarian diet since it will not be practical to raise animals. To make up for the lack of meat, recipes have been created to add as much variety to the diet as possible, using only a basic number of products. It uses heat and mechanical force to transform soybeans into meat and cheese substitutes（代替品）. The prized result of this research is a purely vegetable-based pizza with meat and cheese substitutes .
41. What is the best title for this story?
A. Space Food B. Astronauts' Problem
C. The Packaging of Space Food D. Mars Rover-Spirit
42. What is the main problem with the diet of astronauts on the international Space Station now?
A. The packaging is too expensive.
B. Only fresh vegetables are offered.
C. Too much water is needed for dried food.
D. There are not enough choices of food.
43. What is the "salad machine" in the spaceship for?
A. It stores vegetables. B. It grows vegetables.
C. It cooks green salad. D. It mixes green salad.
44. From the passage we know that the diet plan for Martian astronauts is short of .
A. Vegetables. B. A special kind of Pizza. C. Meat. D. Soybeans