Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores(杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering. I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper… On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition(过渡), that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my newfound “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment(责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To write some great books. | B．To stay away from busy schedules. |
| C．To teach his grandchildren. | D．To plan for his future. |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He wasn’t satisfied with his retired life. | B．He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor. |
| C．He was concerned about the people there. | D．He missed his students in that country. |
The underlined part “the tables have turned” (Paragraph 5) most probably means that the writer ______.
| A．improved the situation in his school | B．felt happy to work with students again |
| C．changed his attitude toward his retirement | D．became a learner rather than a teacher |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Meaningful. | B．Troublesome. | C．Relaxing. | D．Disappointing. |
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）
Most American colleges and universities take a spring break. Students might go home to their families -- or spend a week partying on a warm beach with no parents around. That is the popular image, at least.
In the United States, the lawful age to drink alcohol is twenty-one -- one of the highest in the world. Americans debate whether it should be lowered, or whether young drinkers would only drink more. In parts of Europe, the lawful drinking age for beer, and sometimes hard liquor, is sixteen. Yet France may raise the age limit for beer and wine sales to eighteen, the same as for hard liquor there.
Rules on alcohol differ from college to college in the United States. Many schools require all first-year students to take an alcohol prevention and education program, often given online. Some have a “zero tolerance” policy where alcohol is banned from all buildings. Parents are informed of violations and students may be suspended(停学).
At the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, permission is needed to serve alcohol at any event on campus. But alcohol is banned in first-year dorms---where most students are under twenty-one anyway.
Susan Davis, a university lawyer, says campus police and local police report underage drinking violations(违反)to the committee that decides punishments on a case by case basis. For example, the committee might suspend or expel(开除)a student. It might require an alcohol education program. Or it might just give a warning.
Jon Zug is a lawyer in Albemarle County, where the university is located. He says international students would face the same punishment as American citizens for underage drinking in Virginia. That includes a punishment of five hundred dollars or fifty hours of community service. But first law-breakers might be given a chance to complete an alcohol education program instead.
Schools have to report unlawful violations by international students to the Department of Homeland Security. International adviser Richard Tanson at the University of Virginia says even minor violations stay on a student’s permanent immigration record. He says international students should know that this can affect them in the future if they try to re-enter the United States.
1. What does the underlined phrase “by case basis” mean?
A. Depending on the seriousness of the case itself.
B. According to the report of the campus and local police.
C. Depending on the judgment of the committee.
D. According to the former cases in store.
2. To international students, which of the following may be intolerable once they have drinking violations?
A. A punishment of $500 or 50 hours of community service.
B. Being given a warning of being suspended or expelled.
C. Having the violations kept on their permanent immigration record.
D. Receiving an alcohol education program.
3. The passage probably appears in_________.
A. an advertisement B. a local newspaper
C. a university guide book D. a popular magazine
4. The passage mainly talks about_________.
A. alcohol problems on the U.S. campus
B. alcohol policy on U.S. campus
C. U.S. universities---zero tolerance to alcohol
D. the punishment to the university alcohol drinkers
Los Angeles June 14, 2006 – Hollywood actress Daryl Hannah was arrested yesterday after spending two weeks sitting in a walnut tree on an urban farm a few kilometers from downtown Los Angeles. She was one of 40 people, including celebrities from the music and movie world, who were protesting at the proposed destruction of the 14 – acre farm. Police officers cut away branches from the tree and used a fire engine to reach Ms Hannah and her co – protester, environmentalist John Quigley. The two of them raised their fists in defiance（反抗）as they were removed.
Protesters, some of whom had chained themselves to concrete –filled barrels（桶），said that it was essential to keep the farm operating, as it provided food for hundreds of poor families in the area. About 350 people grow produce and flowers on the farm, which has been there for more than a decade and is situated in an inner –city area surrounded by warehouses and railroad tracks. However, the local authority recently approved plans for the area to be cleared and redeveloped for the construction of a huge new warehouse.
Ms Hannah, 45, star of films such as Splash and Kill Bill was not thrilled about being arrested. “But I felt it was important to show my support for the people,” she said. “This farm should be a model for sustainable (可持续的) urban agriculture. It needs to be replicated, not eradicated.”
The record length for a tree protest is held by a woman called Julia Hill, who remained on top of a 30-metre-high redwood tree in Northern California for 738 days from December 1997 to December 1999. She was successful in saving the tree and those around it from destruction. Ms Hill was also at the Los Angeles urban farm project this week, but her presence failed to stop the inevitable (不可避免的). No sooner had the protesters been removed than earth-moving machines moved in and began to clear the land.
|
1．Daryl Hannah was involved in a protest to .
A．save an agricultural city farm from destruction“Don’t go down to that pond — it's dangerous!” Stephanie angrily shouted at her children. She’d overheard them talking about playing near the water on the golf course close to their apartment. It was a Saturday, and 8-year-old Jeremiah was heading outside with his 11-year-old sister, Tiara, and their 13-year-old cousin, Evon McDuffie. They often went to the George Wilson Community Center in Newark, Delaware, just three houses away from their apartment building.
The Wilson center was a good place of activity for the community, especially in warm weather. But January 20, 2006, was a rainy day with winds. It’s a good day to play inside the center. Unfortunately, the three children had other ideas.
Taking no notice of what Stephanie had said, Evon, Tiara and Jeremiah walked beyond the tree line at the back of the community center and headed toward the large pond. The kids climbed through a gap in the fence, then passed a No Entering sign posted on a metal gate nearby. As they reached the pond, they also walked by a No Skating sign.
Tiara and Evon first stepped on the surface ice, and when it held, the children went out on the pond. Evon shouted out to Jeremiah, “I bet you can't cross the whole thing.”
“I bet you I can,” Jeremiah replied, and he took off across the pond.
He made it to the other side, but as he came back, Jeremiah stepped on the thinner ice. The thin surface collapsed under his feet, and the boy sank into the cold water. Evon raced back to the apartment for help, while frightened Tiara tried to reach Jeremiah as he struggled to keep his head above water. But he kept slipping beneath the surface.
When firefighters arrived, all they could see was Jeremiah's coat floating on the water. As the unconscious child was rushed to the hospital, his life was saved, for now, but the effects of hypothermia (降低体温) and lack of oxygen left Jeremiah with serious brain damage.
1. Stephanie shouted at her children because_____________.
A. the children didn’t behave very well at home
B. they were too young to play outside
C. it was raining
D. the children secretly planned to go to the pond
2. It was __________ that made Jeremiah take courage to cross the ice.
A. Evon’s challenge B. the mother’s words
C. No Entering sign D. the view on the other bank
3. What does the underlined word “collapsed” probably mean?
A. changed suddenly B. broke into pieces
C. became thinner D. floated away
4. Which of the following is the right order of the events that happened to Jeremiah?
a. Firefighters came and rescued Jeremiah.
b. The kids climbed through the fence and to the pond.
c. Jeremiah walked across the ice.
d. The kids planned to play on the pond.
e. When Jeremiah made a way back, he sank.
A. b, d, c, e, a B. d, b, a, e, c C. d, b, c, e, a D. a, e, c, d, b
Mobile phones should be banned from cars altogether, according to Dr Hole, senior lecturer in psychology, Dr Hole has emphasized the worrying combination of mobile phones and cars in his new book, The Psychology of Driving.
Mobile phones, fatigue(疲劳) , eyesight, drugs and age are among the issues considered by Dr Hole as he examines the factors that influence on driving. The book explores the role of each of these elements in increasing the chances of an accident and was inspired by the author's conversations with road safety experts across the country.
He says: “The government should have banned mobile phones in cars altogether. It has sent out the wrong message by forbidding hand-held phones because this gives the impression that hands-free phones are safe. The problem with mobile phones is not vehicular(车辆的) control and only having one hand on the wheel, but rather it is taking away attention from what is happening outside the car.”
Myths(荒诞的说法) about older people making worse drivers and claims(说法) about an improved reaction time among younger people are explored in the book. Questions about how drivers decide what to attend to while driving, the role of a driver's expectations in determining what they see and how they respond to the road are among the areas covered in the book. Satellite navigation systems and new design aimed at transforming cars into a mobile office, are among the modern developments which he says now compete for driver's attention behind the wheel.
Dr Hole says: “We need to be very careful about how we go about handling modern technology in cars, because we are opening a Pandora's Box. When anyone is driving there is a lot of information outside the car and if there is too much going on inside, then there is a danger of overloading the driver.”
1. Dr Hole’s strong belief that mobile phones should be banned from cars lies in __________.
A. the inconvenience of having only one hand on the wheel caused by mobile phones
B. the correct message of getting rid of hand-held phones sent out by the government
C. the increase of chances of accidents
D. the advice given by some road safety experts
3. Which of the following is not included in his book?
A. Hand-free phones are safer than hand-held phones.
B. What drivers have to attend to while driving.
C. Whether older age and slower reaction is related.
D. Bad eyesight is one of the factors of causing an accident.
3. Which of the following is true?
A. Older people are better at preventing accidents.
B. Younger drivers’ reaction time is relatively shorter.
C. It is a myth that some old people can still drive.
D. A driver’s expectations are not covered in the book.
4. What can we know from the underlined sentence?
A. What is going on outside is of equal importance to what inside.
B. Modern developments call for drivers’ attention behind the wheel.
C. Satellite navigation systems require more cars as mobile offices.
D. Modern technology is responsible for the distraction (分心) of one’s attention while driving.
FAT TIRE
BIKE TOURS
(FORMERLY MIKE’S TOURS—PARIS)
DAY BIKE TOUR
(Reservations(预订) not needed for this tour to visit Paris—you will love this tour!)
Whether you’re new or experienced, our goal is not to provide you with mind-bending dates and boring stories. Instead, we offer you the famous sites, all the education information, lots of unique and fascinating stories, fantastic photo options, a comfortable bike and excellent personal service from your guide. In fact, we want you to love Paris like we do and have a great time doing it! (4 hours)
|
€ 22 students, € 24 adult (Day & Night combo € 44 student, € 48 adult)
| March 1– May 14 |
11am |
| May 15 – July 31* |
11am and 3pm |
| August 1 – November 30 |
11am |
*no tours July 25
NIGHT BIKE TOUR
(Reservations not needed for this tour to visit Paris—you will love this tour!)
Our Night Tour is the way to experience the “City of Light” at its best!
Ride through the Latin Quarter and witness the best nightlife in town. Pedal down the lle de la Cité, along the river and enjoy ice cream at Berthillon (Paris’s most famous ice cream shop). See the Louvre as never before (free concert often included) and relax onboard a boat trip on the Seine. Did we mention free wine is provided on the boat?
Make no mistake — this tour is 100% different form our Day Tour in both route and information. Over 65% of our customers take both tours and we hope you will too. Also, be sure to eat something before coming or the wine may give you an unexpected hit! (4.5 hours)
€ 26 students, € 28 adult (Day & Night combo; € 44 student, € 48 adult)
| March 1 – March 31 |
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday 7pm |
| April 1 – October 31* |
Everyday 7pm |
| November 1 – November 15 |
Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday 7pm |
*no tours June 21 & July 14
OUR HEADQUARTERS
0156581054 / www.FatTireBikeToursParis.com / info@ FatTireBikeToursParis.com
1. According to the schedule, which day might be appropriate for a Day & Night Combo?
A. A Saturday in November. B. Any day in June.
C. A Friday in March. D. A Monday in May.
2. If a teacher and his five students plan to visit Paris during daytime, they must pay __________.
A. €268 B. €158 C. €134 D. €142
3. One may taste the best ice cream and enjoy free wine in __________.
A. the Day Bike Tour B. the Night Bike Tour
C. the Tour on the Seine D. the Tour to the Louvre
4. The following statements are true EXCEPT __________.
A. For further information, one can call 0156581054.
B. One can attend free concert on the boat trip on the Seine.
C. The route of the Day Bike Tour is totally different from that of the Night Bike Tour.
D. No reservations are needed for attending both the Bike Tours.