The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audience could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other for ever. He sent camera team out one evening to film the sunset for him.
The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”
“No, Sir,” the men answered.
The director was angry. “Why no
t?” he asked.
“Well,” one of the men answered, “we are on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”
“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”
But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards, Then it’ll look like a sunset.” “That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera team and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”
The cam
era team went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, Sir,” they said, and give it to him. He was very pleased.
They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the sunset behind them.”
The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the 
director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera team to stop. The birds in the film were flying backwards away from the beach.One evening, the director sent his camera team out ______.
| A．to watch a beautiful sunset. |
| B．to find an actor and an actress. |
| C．to film a scene on the sea. |
| D．to meet the audience. |
Why did the director want to send his team to the west coast?
| A．Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset |
| B．Because he was angry about his team |
| C．Because it was his secretary’s suggestion |
| D．Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The team followed the secretary’s advice. |
| B．If you want to see a sunrise, the east coast is a place to go to. |
| C．The camera team wasn’t able to film the scene the first day. |
| D．The director ordered his team to stop filming the “sunset” |
The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because _____.
| A．it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine |
| B．when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening |
| C．it was more moving than a sunrise |
| D．the ocean looked more than a sunrise |
After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands _____.
| A．because he was moved to tears |
| B．as he saw everything in the film moving backwards |
| C．as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined |
| D．because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and the heroine |
People want action on noise, a recent public meeting in Brisbane showed. Some want technical improvements such as quieter air conditioners or better sound barriers around major roads. Others want tougher laws to restrict noise from building sites or to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. But the highest priority was a noise complaints system that works.
Brisbane City Council receives more complaints about noise than all other problems put together. So it conducted a survey and found that about half its residents are upset by noise in one form or another –traffic, mowers, pool pumps, air conditioners or loud parties. This inspired the Council to bring together more than 100 citizens one evening to talk through a range of options.
The meeting found the present regulatory system bizarre. Depending on the problem, responsibility for noise can lie with the Council, the Environment Protection Authority, one of three government departments or even the police. So complainants often feel they are getting the run-round. When the people at the forum were asked to vote for changes, the strongest response was for a 24-hour noise hotline to be the first port of call for all complaints.
The forum also favored regulatory measures, such as tougher minimum standards for noise in appliances like air conditioners. This even makes economic sense, as noise is a waste of energy and money. Other measures the meeting supported were wider buffer (缓冲) zones around noisy activities and controls to keep heavy traffic away from residential areas.
But there are obvious conflicts. Many people like to have a bar within walking distance if they feel like a drink, but they don’t want a noisy pub keeping them awake when they want an early night. Most people want to live near a major road providing good access to other parts of the city, but they don't’ want the problem of road noise.
I was most interested by the proposals aimed at behavioral change. There was strong support for measures to reduce traffic: better public transport, cycleways and footpaths, even charges for road use. Many people optimistically thought industry awards for better equipment would stimulate the production of quieter appliances. It was even suggested that noise from building sites could be alleviated (减轻) if Brisbane adopted daylight saving, thus shifting the working day and providing longer, quieter evenings.
46. According to the recent public meeting in Brisbane, what was the first step to take in order to reduce noise pollution?
| A．Produce quieter air conditioners. |
| B．Provide better sound barriers around major roads. |
| C．Establish a noise complaints system. |
| D．Make stricter laws to require owners to take responsibility for barking dogs. |
47. It can be inferred from the passage that _______.
| A．the Brisbane residents were satisfied with the present noise regulatory system |
| B．many people in Brisbane preferred to live near a pub to which they have easy access |
| C．nearly all the inhabitants in Brisbane were bothered by noise in one form or another |
| D．noise pollution is the most serious among pollution complaints in Brisbane |
48. What does the word “run-round” (Para. 3) mean?
| A．Unfair treatment. | B．Quick response. |
| C．Delaying action in response to a request. | D．Full attention. |
49. How could noise from building sites be alleviated if Brisbane adopted daylight saving?
| A．If daylight saving was adopted, the daytime would be prolonged and the night would become quieter. |
| B．If daylight saving was adopted, the working hours during the daytime would be shortened while the night would be extended and thus quieter. |
| C．If daylight saving was adopted, the night would be shortened and thus quieter. |
| D．If daylight saving was adopted, both the daytime and the night would be shortened and the noise would be reduced. |
50. What was the author’s attitude towards the industry awards for quieter equipment?
| A．Suspicious. | B．Positive. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Indifferent. |
“Sending thank-you notes is becoming a lost art,” mourns May Mitchell, a syndicated columnist known as “Ms Demeanor” and author of six etiquette(礼节) books. In her view, each generation, compared with the one before, is losing a sense of consideration for other people. “Without respect,” she says, “you have conflict.”
Ms. Demeanor would be proud of me: I have figured out a way to ensure that my children always send thank-you notes. And such a gesture is important, says Ms. Demeanor, because “a grateful attitude is a tremendous life skill, an efficient and inexpensive way to set ourselves apart in the work force and in our adult lives. Teach your children that the habit of manners comes from inside---it’s an attitude based on respecting other people.”
A few years ago, as my children descended like piranhas (一种南美淡水鱼，喜吞食或攻击) on their presents under the Christmas tree, the only attitude I could see was greed. Where was the appreciation of time and effort?
A thank-you note should contain three things: an acknowledgement of the gift (Love the tie with the picture of a hose on it); a recognition of the time and effort spent to select it (You must have shopped all over the state find such a unique item!); a prediction of how you will use your gift or the way it has enhanced your life (I’ll be sure to wear it to the next Mr. Ed convention!).
So, five years ago, in one of my rare flashes of parental insight, I decided that the most appropriate time to teach this basic courtesy is while the tinsel (装饰用光亮金属) is hot. To the horror of my children, I announced that henceforth every gift received will be an occasion for a thank-you note written immediately, on the spot.
I have reluctantly given my kids the green light to send e-mail thank-you notes; though hand-lettered ones (at least to me) still seem friendlier. But pretty much any thank-you makes the gift giver feel special—just as, we hope, the recipient feels. It’s a gesture that perfectly captures the spirit of the holidays.
41. in Ms. Demeanor’s point of view, children born in the ______ is probably the least respectful generation.
| A．1960s | B．1970s | C．1980s | D．1990s |
42. The phrase “set oneself apart” (Para. 2) means _______.
| A．to reserve to a particular use | B．to put to one side |
| C．to make noticeable or outstanding | D．to determine to purse |
43. According to the passage, a thank-you note may contain the following information EXCEPT “_______”.
| A．I love the pearl necklace you bought me for my birthday | |
| B．it must have taken you a long time to find just the right thing for me | |
| C．is it very expensive | D．I promise I will wear it on my wedding day |
44. How did the author feel when she saw her children searching under the Christmas tree for their presents?
| A．Greedy. | B．Cheerful. | C．Laughable. | D．Disheartened. |
45. Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE about the author?
| A．She feels hand-written letters are friendlier than word-processed ones. |
| B．She does not allow her children to sent email thank-you note. |
| C．She thinks the best time to teach her children the basic etiquette of appreciation is to strike while the iron is still not. |
| D．She thinks a thank-you note can make the gift giver feel special just as the |
recipient does.
My father’s reaction to the bank building at 43rd Street and Fifth Avenue in New York city was immediate and definite: “You won’t catch me putting my money in there!” he declared, “Not in that glass box!”
Of course, my father is a gentleman of the old school, a member of the generation to whom a good deal of modern architecture is upsetting, but I am convinced that his negative response was not so much to the architecture as to a violation of his concept of the nature of money. In his generation money was thought of as a real commodity (实物) that could be carried, or stolen.
Consequently, to attract the custom of a sensible man, a bank had to have heavy walls, barred windows, and bronze doors, to affirm the fact, however untrue, that money would be safe inside. If a building’s design made it appear impenetrable（难以渗透的), the institution was necessarily reliable, and the meaning of the heavy wall as an architecture symbol reflected people’s prevailing attitude toward money.
But the attitude toward money has, of course, changed. Excepting pocket money, cash of any kind is now rarely used; money as a tangible commodity has largely been replaced by credit. A deficit (赤字) economy, accompanied by huge expansion, has led us to think of money as product of the creative imagination. The banker no longer offers us a safe: he offers us a service in which the most valuable element is the creativity for the invention of large numbers. It is in no way surprising, in view of this change in attitude, that we are witnessing the disappearance of the heavy-walled bank.
Just as the older bank emphasized its strength, this bank by its architecture boasts of imaginative powers. From this point of view it is hard to say where architecture ends and human assertion (人们的说法) begins.
36. The main idea of this passage is that________.
| A．money is not as valuable as it was in the past |
| B．changes have taken place in both the appearance and the concept of banks |
| C．the architectural style of the older bank is superior to that of the modern bank |
| D．prejudice makes the older generation think that the modern bank is unreliable |
37. How do the older generation and the younger one think about money respectively?
| A．The former thinks more of money than the latter. |
| B．The younger generation values money more than the older generation. |
| C．Both generations rely on the imaginative power of bankers to make money. |
| D．To the former money is a real commodity but to the latter be a means to produce more money. |
38. The words “tangible commodity” (Line 2, Para. 4) refer to something ______.
| A．that can be replaceable | B．that is usable |
| C．that can be touched | D．that can be reproduced |
39. According to this passage, a modern banker should be _______.
| A．ambitious and friendly | B．reliable and powerful |
| C．sensible and impenetrable | D．imaginative and creative |
40. It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s attitude towards the new trend in banking is _______.
| A．cautious | B．regretful | C．positive | D．hostile |
Everyone has got two personalities—the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control your behaviour, but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, people frequently change their position. The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back, you’re a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas. You don’t like to upset people, so you never express your real feelings. You’re quite shy and you aren’t very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a rather secretive （不坦率的）person. You worry a lot and you’re always easily upset. You’re very stubborn, but you aren’t very ambitious. You usually live for today not for tomorrow. This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up（卷曲）, you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive. You’re shy and you don’t normally like meeting people. You prefer to be on your own. You’re easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel anxious, but you don’t often get depressed. You always say what you think even if it annoys people.
31.According to the writer, you naturally show your secret and real personality ___________.
| A．only in a normal night | B．only when you go to sleep |
| C．only when you refuse to show yourself to the world | |
| D．only when you change sleeping position |
32．Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person’s personality？
| A．He or she is always open with others. |
| B．He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others. |
| C．He or she is always easily upset. |
| D．He or she tends to believe in others. |
33．Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping on his or her stomach？
| A．He or she is careful not to offend others. |
| B．He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion. |
| C．He or she probably can’t be successful in business. |
| D．He or she likes to bring others happiness. |
34．Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up. Why？
| A．He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you. |
| B．He or she is rarely ready to help you. |
| C．He or she prefers staying at home to going out. |
| D．He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you. |
35．It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ___________.
| A．he or she always shows sympathy for people |
| B．he or she is confident，but not stubborn |
| C．he or she has more strengths than weaknesses |
| D．he or she often considers annoying people |
I am a writer. I spend a great deal of my time thinking about the power of language — the way it can evoke（唤起） an emotion, a visual image, a complex idea, or a simple truth. Language is the tool of my trade. And I use them all — all the Englishes I grew up with.
Born into a Chinese family that had recently arrived in California, I've been giving more thought to the kind of English my mother speaks. Like others, I have described it to people as "broken" English. But I feel embarrassed to say that. It has always bothered me that I can think of no way to describe it other than "broken", as if it were damaged and needed to be fixed, as if it lacked certain wholeness. I've heard other terms used, "limited English," for example. But they seem just as bad, as if everything is limited, including people's perceptions(认识) of the limited English speaker.
I know this for a fact, because when I was growing up, my mother's "limited" English limited my perception of her. I was ashamed of her English. I believed that her English reflected the quality of what she had to say. That is, because she expressed them imperfectly her thoughts were imperfect. And I had plenty of evidence to support me: the fact that people in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
I started writing fiction in 1985. And for reasons I won't get into today, I began to write stories using all the Englishes I grew up with: the English she used with me, which for a lack of a better term might be described as "broken", and what I imagine to be her translation of her Chinese, her internal (内在的) language, and for that I sought to preserve the essence, but neither an English nor a Chinese structure: I wanted to catch what language ability tests can never show; her intention, her feelings, the rhythms of her speech and the nature of her thoughts.
46. By saying "Language is the tool of my trade", the author means that ______.
| A．she uses English in foreign trade | B．she is fascinated by languages |
| C．she works as a translator | D．she is a writer by profession |
47. The author used to think of her mother's English as ______.
| A．impolite | B．amusing | C．imperfect | D．practical |
48. Which of the following is TRUE according to Paragraph 3?
| A．Americans do not understand broken English. |
| B．The author's mother was not respected sometimes. |
| C．The author' mother had positive influence on her. |
| D．Broken English always reflects imperfect thoughts. |
49. The author gradually realizes her mother's English is _____.
| A．well structured | B．in the old style |
| C．easy to translate | D．rich in meaning |
50. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The changes of the author's attitude to her mother's English. |
| B．The limitation of the author's perception of her mother. |
| C．The author's misunderstanding of "limited" English. |
| D．The author's experiences of using broken English. |