Magic is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh, or the king. He was also known to have entertained the slaves who built the pyramids. The "Cups and Balls" trick which he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception(欺骗). This explains why at that time the priests(神父) even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues' mouths. This was done mainly to convince people that the priests were powerful.
Magic, however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought of as freaks(怪物) and were only allowed to perform in a circus(马戏团). It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people's views and attitudes about magic. It was also because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world. What would be the best title for the passage?
A.Magical Tricks | B.The History of Magic |
C.Magic as Entertainment | D.A Great Magician |
In ancient Greece, what did the priests do to show people they had unusual power?
A.They performed magical tricks to entertain people. |
B.They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished. |
C.They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues' mouths. |
D.They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves. |
What did people think of magic before 1800?
A.Magic should be used only in temples. |
B.Magic could only be performed in a circus. |
C.Magic was performed by freaks and doctors. |
D.Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs. |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.Magic began about 3,700 years ago. |
B.Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. |
C.Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. |
D.The "Cups and Balls" trick has been performed for about 1,700 years. |
Daniel Brown was just five years old when he climbed into the family car and let it roll away down the road. He was only three when he flooded the kitchen.
His mother, Angela Brown, is in despair. She is very busy looking after her new baby, a little girl called Laura, as well as Daniel. She told us, “Daniel is so full of curiosity.”At that moment, we hear a huge crash and then silence. We go upstairs and find Daniel crawling out of a wardrobe(衣橱)he has pulled over onto the floors, with a book in his hand.“It’s for you, Mum,” he says and looks up at his mum and smiles. Seven-year-old Daniel has a lovely face. He has golden hair, big brown eyes, and a friendly smile. I have to admit that Daniel doesn’t look like a naughty boy.
Angela told me all about it, “Once I found him as he was about to put Jasper in the washing machine.”Jasper, she explained, is the Browns’dog. “When I asked him why, he said that he thought Jasper was dirty! It’s amazing how one little boy can cause so much trouble. Another time he cut off all the hair of the little girl next door. She was going to attend her sister’s wedding and the neighbors haven’t spoken to us since.
Angela told me about Daniel’s most expensive crime “I was about to do the washing up when the baby started crying. Daniel decided to help and filled the kitchen sink with water. When I came in, the water was already flooding the kitchen and was about to flood the hall. The carpet was ruined and had to be replaced. I hope things will get better as he gets older.”
Amazingly, Daniel is quite well behaved in school. This may be because he is rarely bored. Meanwhile he continues to be the naughtiest little boy in England. Will his baby sister Laura grow up to be the naughtiest little girl?
69. What did Daniel do while his mother was talking to the author?
A. He drove away the family car. B. He cut off the hair of the girl next door.
C. He flooded the kitchen. D. He fell to the floor with the wardrobe.
70. Why was Daniel going to put the dog in the washing machine?
A. He meant to clean the dog. B. He wanted to punished the dog.
C. He intended to make trouble. D. He wished to draw his mother‘s attention.
71. It can be inferred from the passage that __________________.
A. the mother spoiled the boy. B. the boy found school life interesting.
C. the mother lost hope in the boy. D. the boy had no freedom at home.
Boston College is a state-supported college on the East coast of England which has been recruiting overseas students for over 20 years and now has almost 200 international students from more than 20 different countries. You and your parents can be sure you will receive the care and support you need to succeed at our college.
We have excellent teaching staff, with time and patience to help you learn in a stimulating but relaxed atmosphere. We are accredited by the British Council for the quality of our English Language teaching so you can be sure your learning experience will be good.
Our new modular English course is flexible and enables you to choose the best time to join us. Not only will you cover all aspects of the English Language but you will have the choice of option subjects such as IELTS Preparation, British Culture, Literature, Business English or Study Skills. We will assess your level of English when you arrive so you can be sure you will study with students of the same ability. Classes are small: usually 12-16 students so you will receive the individual attention you need to help you succeed.
Boston College is based on two main campuses with English courses being taught in our state-of-the-art language building convenient for our Hall of Residence on the Rochford Campus. A-Level and International Foundation classes are taught on both Rochford and De Montfort Campuses. Classrooms are modern and well equipped with a number of specialist facilities for photography and video, computer suites, art and music studios and an all weather sports pitch. Both campuses have large Learning Resource Centres, well equipped with computers for student use, also available for research or assignment work. Our diploma courses include catering, hairdressing, computing and engineering, each with its own specialist facilities. We also have a Music Centre providing teaching rooms, recording studio and concert hall.
65. What is Boston College famous for?
A. Its long educational history in Britain.
B. Its good location in the country.
C. Its good education conditions for overseas students.
D. Its way of living for the overseas visitors.
66. The underlined word “accredited” in Paragraph 2 most probably means __________.
A. helped B. recognized C. forbidden D. measured
67. If you decide to go to Boston College in Britain, you __________.
A. should at first pass some English language tests
B. can major in English as well as some other courses
C. have to live and study with students at different levels
D. should have achieved a high level of English proficiency
68. What is the purpose of the above passage?
A. To introduce the British education system.
B. To invite more overseas students to study in Boston College.
C. To show the modernization of British society.
D. To tell new students the rules in Boston College.
When it comes to parenting, it can be hard to know which issues are important and which ones are not. According to parenting expert Anne Murphy, a family dinner matters. “Having a family dinner doesn’t only mean hours of sharing various kinds of food,” she said. “It means getting together as long as you can —even if it’s just 15 minutes for pizza. Or make it breakfast or lunch—whatever you can do.
Never waste your valuable time on TV. Keep the conversation joyful—Murphy thinks it makes a difference. Studies have shown that teenagers whose families eat together are less likely to abuse drugs. They also have better grades and—perhaps most importantly—better relationships with their parents. It brings more benefit to children than many after-school activities, she added.
Homework has become a hot issue recently. According to a study, the amount of time kids spend on homework has increased by 51 percent since 1981.
“The point of homework is to make students continue to learn after school hour,” Murphy said. “However, giving too much homework runs the risk of turning kids off school and even worse—turning them off learning in all forms. They will turn to other things, such as computer games, some of which are aggressive, or drinking for fun. Therefore, some experts came up with an idea, that is, kindergarteners and first-graders get 10 minutes of homework. Second-graders get 20 minutes, and so on.”
Murphy offered tips to parents who think their children are getting too much homework. “Talk to other parents to see if they also think so, and then talk to the teacher,” she said. “Have a discussion about it, and let the teacher know that you want to work together on a solution.”
60. According to Anne Murphy, ___________.
A. parents should tell children what matters during dinner time
B. parents should save time and not cook for children
C. it’s important for the family to have a good talk during dinner time
D. it’s important for the family to discuss sharing together
61. Which of the following is the benefit of families eating together?
a. Children are more likely to avoid drugs.
b. Children may have better grades.
c. Children may have a close relationship with their parents.
d. It can save children’s time and prevent them from watching TV.
e. It encourages children to have more after-school activities.
A. a, b, c B. c, d, e C. a, c, e D. b, c, e
62. What do we know about homework from the passage?
A. The time spent on homework shouldn’t be over 10 minutes.
B. Too much homework may make students lose interest in study.
C. Homework does not help children continue learning after school.
D. Parents should decide the amount of homework for their children.
63. From the passage, we can learn that___________.
A. children’s time spent on after-school activities is being reduced
B. computer games are making children increasingly aggressive
C. it is unnecessary for young children to do homework
D. some experts think it necessary to reduce children’s homework
64. What does the passage mainly talk about?
A. What matters most in parenting.
B. How to develop a close relationship with children.
C. Family education is important for children.
D. Parents say no to too much homework.
四、阅读理解。(共20小题:每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出最佳选项。
The Winter Olympics are also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colourful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games, a group of stamps were published in Germany in November, 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colourful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
56. The White Olympics is _______________.
A. the Games whose color is white.
B. the Olympic Games that is held in winter.
C. the winter when the stamps are published.
D. the Games held in turn by each country.
57. When did the Chinese first participate in the Winter Olympics?
In 1932 B. In 1950 C. In 1936 D. In 1980
58. We can inferred from the passage that _________________.
Stamps are published only to mark the Winter Olympics during the Games.
Only host countries publish stamps.
Japan is the only one of the countries in Asia published stamps to mark the Games.
China hasn’t hosted the White Olympics so far.
59. Which one is the best title of the passage?
A. the Winter Olympic Games B. Stamps for the White Olympics
C. Olympic Countries D. the History of the Stamps
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit.
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public education.
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing.
The United States does a good job enrolling (招生) teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree.
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that. Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos. The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive. About half of the low-income students with a grade-point average of at least 3.5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. “I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr. Bowen.
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel(擅长)in producing drop-outs. “It’s really a waste,” Mr. Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country.” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen.
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer.
71. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A. The government. B. Public education
C. The Detroit automakers. D. The Wall Street firms.
72. What is a big problem with American higher education?
A. It is hard to enroll enough students into college.
B. Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation.
C. Many college students stay away from classes.
D. It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government.
73. The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______.
A. running to the end of the line B. going to college
C. finishing college education D. working hard in college
74. Why do some students under--match ?
A. Because they have financial difficulty.B. Because they face ambition crisis.
C. Because they lack confidence.D. Because they can’t get guidance.
75. The passage is mainly about _______.
A. problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B. America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C. low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D. relationship between American education and its economy