For a writer, there is hardly any greater honor than winning the Nobel Prize for literature.
And for a woman writer, claiming the prize is even harder, for only eight women once won it. Austria’s Elfriede Jelinek is the ninth and the first since 1996.
The Stockholm-based Swedish Academy announced last Thursday that Jelinek won this year’s Nobel Prize in literature. She is recognized for her socially critical(批判的) novels and plays.
Jelinek, 57, made her literary debut (初次露面) in 1967. She has written plays, novels and poetry. She is best known for her autobiographical 1983 novel “The Piano Teacher”, made into a movie in 2001.
The basic theme of her work is the inability of women to live as people beyond the roles and personalities traditionally expected of them. Her characters struggle to lead lives not normally acceptable in society. “The nature of Jelinek’s texts is often hard to define. They shift between prose(散文) and poetry and songs, they contain theatrical scenes and film script,” said the academy.
The Nobel Prize was founded by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel. Nobel died in 1896 and left his fortune of about US $920 million to a fund to honor people who have helped other human beings. This year each prize is worth US $13 million. The underlined word “them” in the last second paragraph refers to _______.
| A．roles | B．people | C．texts | D．women |
Elfrede Jelinek won the Nobel Prize just because _______.
| A．she was an Austrian woman writer |
| B．she wrote socially critical novels and plays |
| C．her novel “The Piano Teacher” was made into a movie |
| D．the nature of her texts is hard to define. |
Which of the following about the Nobel Prize is TRUE?
| A．It is harder for a woman writer to win than a man writer. |
| B．The total prize every year was $920 million. |
| C．Women writers were not awarded until 1996. |
| D．Only eight women writers won the prize since 1996. |
This passage is most likely taken from _______.
| A．a travel magazine | B．a history book | C．a newspaper | D．an advertisement |
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45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。
Erik Weihemnayer was born with an eye problem. As a child his eyesight became worse
and then, at the age of 13, he lost his sight completely. However, he did not lose his determination to lead a full and active life.
Erik became an adventurer. He took up parachuting, wrestling and scuba diving. He
competed in long-distance hiking, marathons and skiing. His favorite sport, though, is mountain climbing.
As a young man, Erik started to climb mountains. He reached the summit of Mount McKinley in 1995 and then climbed the dangerous 1000-metre rock wall of El Capitan. Two years later, while climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Kenya with his girlfriend, they stopped for a time at13,000 feet above sea level in order to get married. In 1999, he climbed Aconcagua, the tallest mountain in South America. And then, on May 25, 2001, at the age of 33, Erik successfully completed the greatest climbing challenge of all. He climbed Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world.
Erik invented his own method for climbing mountains. He carries two long poles: one to lean on and the other to test the way ahead of him. The climber in front of him wears a bell to guide him. Erik is a good team member. He does his share of the job, such as setting up tents and building snow walls.
Although he could not enjoy the view, Erik felt the excitement of being on the summit of
Everest. He hopes that his success will change how people think about the blind. "When people think about a blind person or blindness, now they will think about a person standing on
top of the world. "
41. When did Erik become blind totally?
A. In 1968. B. In 1995. C. In 1981. D. In 1970.
42. Erik got married ____.
A. on the summit of Mount McKinleyB. when climbing Mount Everest
C. on the top of Aconcagua D. when climbing Mount Kilimanjaro
43. What is Erik' s special way for climbing a mountain?
A. Taking his girlfriend. B. Doing his share of work.
C. Using two long poles. D. Keeping a good team around him.
44. Which of the following shows the right order of what happened?
a. He topped Mount McKinley.
b. He became blind.
c. He challenged Mount Everest.
d. He reached the peak of Kilimanjaro.
e. He climbed the rock wall of EI Capitan.
A. b, e, d, c, a B. a, b, e, d, c C. b, a, e, d, c D. b, d, a, c, d
Most people who enjoy movies do not really care how they are made. They want to enjoy a good story. Movie producer and director George Lucas wants people to see the best-made movie possible. So, his latest Star Wars movie was made without using film.
“Star Wars: Attack of the Clones” was made using digital cameras. A digital camera does not use traditional film. It captures an image on videotape. The images recorded on videotape are then placed in a computer.
|
George Lueas says that using digital cameras permits him to have much more control over the final product. For example, the image can be changed after it is placed in a computer. An expert can change color, add or take out objects, add people or beings who are not real.
Much of what is seen in the new “Star Wars” movie is not real. Huge
Wednesday, January 7,2009
A blacklist of 19 leading search engine portals (门户) and websites, including Google and Baidu, which “spread vulgar (lacking in good taste) content and harm the young people” has been published, the Chinese government said Monday.
According to Xinhua News Agency, six central departments conducted a month – long campaign to clean up the Internet of unhealthy and vulgar materials.
“The government will continue to punish or even shut down those shameful Websites that refuse to connect their wrongdoing.” Gai Mangham, director of the State Council Information Office, said. “Immediate action is needed to clean up the Internet environment.”
The government demanded the web portals, a number of video sharing sites, including Sina, Sohu and NetEase, Google in Chinese and other websites to remove vulgar photos after due notice but they failed and continued providing links to these unhealthy sites.
Google China’s spokeswoman Cui Jin, however, explained that “Google is neither the owner of those Websites nor does it spread (that) information intentionally. We have also adopted ‘safe search’ to block sites with such content automatically. ”
Baidu, NetEase. com. Ine and SINA Corp., in web statements on Wednesday, admitted their guilt, and apologized for failing to control such contend. Google China, on the other hand, promised to cooperate with Internet users and society to help build a healthy Internet culture. “After we received notice from relevant government departments, we cleaned up links to vulgar content that could have harmful effects on Internet users,” it added.
53．What is the text mainly about?
A．How the Chinese government manages the leading search engine portals.
B．How the leading search engine portals react to to the government’s eroticism.
C．What the government it trying to do ti clean up the Internet environment.
D．What the leading search engine portals are doing to improve their service.
54．Which of the following is TRUE about Cai Mingzhao?
A．He works for the Ministry of Public Security.
B．He called on the shameful Web sites to correct their wrongdoing.
C．he apologized for failing to clean up the Internet of unhealthy materials.
D．He is working hard to make the definition of “spreading vulgar materials” clear.
55．According to the text, which company took the most positive attitude?
A．Google China B．NelEase. com. Inc.
C．SINA Corp.D．Baidu
56．We can learn from the last paragraph that .
A．China’s Internet environment is getting better and better
B．China still has a long way to go to build a cleaner Internet environment
C．China has made laws to protect the environment of the Interned
D．China has not realized the harm of illegal information from the Internet
How many coins nave you got in your pocket right now? Three? Two？ A bent one？
With a phonecard you can make up to 200 calls without any charge at all.
（1） What do you do with it?
Go to a telephone box marked（you guessed it） “phonecard”.Put in your card, make your call and when you’ve finished, a screen tells you how much is left on your card.
（2） Now appear in a shop near you.
Near each Cardphone place you’ll find a shop where you can buy one. They’re at bus, train and city tube stations（地铁）, They’re also at many universities, hospitals, clubs, restaurants, gas stations on the highway, shopping centres, airports and seaports.
（3） No more broken payphones.
Most broken payphones are like that because they’ve been vandalized（故意破坏）. There are no coins in Cardphone to excite thieves’ interest in it. So you’re not probably to find a vandalized one.
Get a phonecard yourself and try it out ,or get a bigger wallet.
50．The passage is most probably ________ .
A. a warning B. a note C. an advertisement（广告） D. an announcement
51．There are three sections（部分） in the passage. Which section do you think is about why phonecards are good?
A. Section 1． B. Section 2． C. Section 3． D. None.
52．Choose the right order or the steps under“How do you use a phonecard”.
a. Put in your phonecard.
b. Look at the screen to find out how many calls you can still make.
c. Go to a telephone box marked “Phonecard”.
d. Make your call.
A. a, b, c, d B. c, a, d, b C. a, d, c, b D. c, d, a, b
III．阅读理解阅读下面四篇短文，从每题后所给的四个选项中选出最佳答案。（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ”I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”
“Forty.”
“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”
“Two months and five days.”
“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct？”
Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but - still not a word.
“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect （疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”
“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.
“But I made a note of it.”
“Well... if you say so.”
“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”
Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”
“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is !”
I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.
“Merci （法语: 谢谢）,”she whispered.
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.
“For the money. ”
“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you ! I have actually stolen from you ! Why this‘merci’？”
“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless （懦弱）?Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）—to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world !”
41．While talking to Julia, the wrier expected from her ________.
A. a protest B. gratitude C. obedience(顺从) D. an explanation
42．What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.
A. nervousness in front of her boss B. acceptance of injustice
C. shyness when talking about money D. reluctance to express herself
43．The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.
A. to be more aggressive B. to be more careful in her work
C. to protect her right D. to live independently
44．At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”to show ____.
A. his understanding of Julia’s anxiety
B. his worry about Julia’s future
C. his concern on the living condition of working - class people
D. his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited
45．From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was ________.
A. greedy but honest B. ill - tempered but warm - hearted
C. strict but forgiving D. none of the above
