William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony (和睦) that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family-both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama (戏剧) and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats's poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Price in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would who probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet Auden wrote, among others, the following liners:
Earth, receive an honored guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.
Which of the following can describe Yeats's family?
According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats's life?
What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden's lines?
What is the passage mainly about?
Modern Manners
Philip Howard answers your questions on contemporary etiquette (礼仪)
Philip Howard,
When my friend and I (two ladies of a certain age) go out to have a meal, she always leaves an extremely large tip. At times, the tip will equal the amount of one of the main dishes—sometimes it comes to about 30 per cent of the bill. I feel 15—20 per cent is adequate for services offered and depending on the type of restaurant. At a cafe I would like to leave 15 per cent or a bit more depending on the service and etc. A larger tip would be appropriate if we are in a big city or a nicer place. My friend says “Well, I am sure they are not driving a Mercedes (奔驰汽车).” Well, neither am I, and how does she know? Who is correct and how can I make changes? I might add I do truly feel tipping should be based on good service, and also if you frequent a place and know the staff a larger tip is OK. I would never hesitate to tip a waitperson. I always leave to the higher side.
Yours,
Barbara Bade
Barbara Bade,
Americans are more generous tippers than the British. I suspect that 10 per cent for a tip is about normal in the UK. Tipping is a strange survival in our age of supposed equality and minimum wages. Your friend has a generous nature and deep purse. I do not see why you cannot let her tip whatever she wants, and do your own thing. I agree that a tip should be a reward for good service and general good feeling. If the service is rotten and the meal a disaster, we should withhold a tip and explain why we are doing so. Few of us have the chutzpah (厚颜) to do this. Sensible restaurants have a box for tips, so that they are shared out among the staff, including those in the kitchens whom we do not see. (I trust that the management does not receive the money as extra profit.) I look forward to the day when waiters and other servants are paid a good enough living wage, so that they do not have to depend on the generosity of strangers to survive. To wait at table is just as honorable a way to earn a living in this wicked world. If you are pleased with the meal and cheerful service, you should tip as handsomely as your purse affords. I don’t suppose that your waiter / waitress is driving a Mercedes, even in the States.
Yours,
Philip Howard
60. We can learn from the first letter that Barbara prefers ___________.
A. changing her own ideas on how to tip waiters
B. leaving a bigger tip to the familiar waitpersons
C. eating at a café rather than in a nice restaurant
D. saving as much money as possible for herself
61. It can be inferred that Barbara’s friend tips waiters heavily ________.
A. to show that she is well off B. because they are thought to be poorly paid
C. to show that she is generous D. because they have offered her full service
62. Besides quality of service, Philip regards __________ as principles of tipping.
A. taste of food and amount of one’s money
B. taste of food and the number of servants
C. generosity of strangers and the number of servants
D. amount of one’s money and generosity of strangers
第二部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
President Barack Obama has apologized for a gaffe (失言) in which he described his bowling skills as akin to participants in the Special Olympics, a sports program for people with intellectual disabilities.
Obama made the mistake during an interview on Thursday night on “The Tonight Show” with host Jay Leno, the first time a sitting U.S. president had been on the show.
Talking about living in the White House, Obama said he had been practicing his bowling in the home’s bowling alley and had scored a 129 out of a possible 300.
It was an improvement on the embarrassing 37 he had rolled during a stop on the presidential campaign trail a year ago. “It’s like—it was like Special Olympics or something,” Obama said.
The Special Olympics is a global nonprofit organization serving some 200 million people with intellectual disabilities, with a presence in nearly 200 countries worldwide.
Soon after the Jay Leno interview, Obama telephoned Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver to apologize.
Shriver told ABC’s “Good Morning America” television show that Obama had apologized “in a way that I think was very moving” and that he said “he did not intend to humiliate (羞辱) the population, didn’t want to embarrass or give anybody any more reason for pain or kind of suffering.”
Shriver said people should gain a lesson from the incident.
“I think it’s important to see that words hurt. Words do matter. And these words in some respect, can be seen as humiliating or a put-down to people with special needs, do cause pain. And they do result in stereotypes,” Shriver said.
White House spokesman Bill Burton said Obama “made an offhand remark making fun of his own bowling that was in no way intended to look down upon the Special Olympics.”
“He thinks that the Special Olympics are a wonderful program that gives an opportunity to shine to people with disabilities from around the world,” Burton said.
56. What does the underlined word “akin” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A. skillful B. similar C. appealing D. superior
57. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Obama loves sports and is especially gifted at bowling.
B. Obama apologized for his remarks via ABC’s TV show.
C. The Special Olympics are for various disabled people.
D. The Special Olympics don’t intend to make any money.
58. What does Shriver mean by saying people should gain a lesson from the incident?
A. Disabled people cannot be humiliated. B. One should be careful with his words.
C. An apology for wrong words is wanted. D. Words matter even more than actions.
59. The passage is mainly about ________.
A. Obama receiving a TV interview B. Obama looking down on the disabled
C. Obama apologizing for his gaffe D. Obama being attacked for his words
III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A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并将答案填涂在答题卡上。
I’m a 20-year-old boy, and the following is my story.
A month after I graduated from high school in August, 2007, I was coming home from swim practice in the training centre of the city and was involved in a car accident. I was so seriously injured that I was in a coma for more than two months at Prince Georges Hospital.
I suffered a lot from the experience of dying 
eight times during my coma and I couldn’t open my mouth to talk or to communicate when I eventually came around. At that time, it seemed that walking was never going to happen again due to all the extreme injuries. Just like my body, my dreams were completely destroyed. But I was not going to let my injuries stop me from realizing my dreams.
After receiving a total of 15 operations and 36 blood transfusions, I had to make every great effort to learn to talk, eat, walk, shower, and live on my own again. When I was out of hospital, I still had to go to outpatient therapy in Waldorf, Maryland. After I spent a few months in a wheelchair, I took baby steps to walk on my own. It was a miracle that I was able to walk again, but I still wanted to prove that I could not only walk, but also run. When it came true, I wanted to get back into the pool again. After having a few lung tests, I was able to go in the pool a little bit each week. After a few months of swim training, I began my freshman year at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and then became a proud member of the swim team.
By telling my story, I want to make a positive influence on the world. I am just trying to live each day to the fullest and inspire other people never to give up their d
reams no matter how bad a situation is to them. I remember when I was still in my hospital bed, I would have my mom and dad push me round in my wheelchair to the other rooms to see the other patients and chat with them and their family members. I wanted to let them know that everything was going to be okay. Somehow, things would work out for the best.
41. The underlined word “coma” in Paragraph 2 probably has the meaning of “_______”.
A. operation B. unconsciousness C. treatment D. emergency
42. According to Paragraph 3, it can be inferred that the author _______.
A. was unable to talk or communicate B. was in despair
C. faced physical and mental challengesD. felt anxious about his state
43. What is the correct order of the following events?
a. went to outpatient therapy
b. received membership of the swim team
c. was pushed around to visit other patients
d. walked like a baby
e. learnt to live all by himself
A. d、a、c、b、e B. e、c、d、a、b
C. d、c、a、b、e D. e、c、a、d、b
44. In the last paragraph, the author mainly wants to show _______.
A. his positive influence on other patients B. his meaningful life
C. his purpose of sharing his story D. his great achievements
45. The best title for the passage would be “_______”.
A. Attitude is everything B. Actions speak louder than words
C. Everything happens for a reasonD. A good beginning is half done
In Western countries people have been using the installment plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U. S., the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment. There is, however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment. If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit, it becomes more likely to have a depression. This is why, in some countries, the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan.
56. Which of the following is NOT true about the installment plan?
A. A lot of British families use the installment plan.
B. More than 10 percent American families buy things on installments.
C. Americans depend more on installment than British people do.
D. Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying.
57. Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because ______.
A. the buyer has to pay extra money as interest
B. the delivery of the goods charges extra money
C. the buyer has to pay a down payment
D. the service offered by installment plan charged extra money
58. What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
A. He might lose his job.
B. He will stop owning the item he has bought.
C. He will have to sell what he has bought.
D. He will go into debt.
59. The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that ________.
A. purchasing power is strengthened
B. employment might be increased
C. people develop a good habit of saving money
D. young couples are able to furnish their homes
60. In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to ________.
A. increase employment
B. avoid depressions
C. ensure that businesses make good profits
D. ensure that people can pay for what hey buy
One of the worst feelings in the world is trying your hardest at something but still falling short. In the case of schoolwork, studying for hours and bringing home disappointing grades may make you feel hopeless or helpless, but this is far from the truth. If you are dealing with disappointing grades, promise to change your study habits and you'll be amazed by the results.
Act Fast
The most important rule about dealing with disappointing grades is to act fast. Don't sit around and let them get worse, and definitely don't ignore them. Instead, admit that you need help and go in search of it soon. The faster you face up to the problem, the faster you can find a solution and see some results.
Tweak your routine
If you are studying hard and still dealing with disappointing grades, it's probably time to tweak your routine a little. Remember, if you keep doing the same thing all the time you'll undoubtedly keep getting the same results. Mix things up by asking for help, whether from a friend or fellow student, your teacher or a private tutor. Ask for help with the subject matter and tips for studying on your own.
Study Successfully
Of course it doesn't matter where you study or who you study with if you are studying the wrong things. Make sure that you are studying successfully by:
*Reviewing your textbooks.
*Looking over your notes from class.
*Taking new notes while you study.
*Investing in study guides.
*Answering all of the review questions you can find.
*Talking through events or concepts that are integral (整体) to your lessons.
Learn From Your Mistakes
If, after all of your changes and redoubling your study efforts, you are still disappointed with your grades, then it is time to figure out exactly where you are going wrong. Look over exam papers and assignments to see if you are having trouble with a particular kind of question (multiple choice, true or false, etc.) or concept. Examine your essays to see if you are explaining your ideas clearly and completely, or if it is the mechanics of your writing (spelling, grammar, etc.) that is letting you down. Request an appointment with your teacher and use this time to discuss your work and get his/her feedback as well.
Dealing with disappointing grades is something that every student will face at one time or another. It won't be fun, but take a realistic look at your attention in class, your study habits and your performance on past assignments and exam. Figure out where you are having trouble and dedicate yourself to fixing these problems.
51. The purpose of this passage is _______.
A. to introduce practical ways to solve worrying school problems
B. to persuade students to change their attitude toward schoolwork
C. to offer advice on how to improve academic grades at school
D. to emphasize the importance of dealing with disappointing grades
52. The underlined phrase to tweak your routine means _______.
A. to stick to the same study plan and seek help when possible
B. to mix things up before you work out a practical solution alone
C. to examine your everyday life to make room for self improvement
D. to make necessary alterations in your study habits and plans
53. According to the passage, it is desirable to _______.
A. adopt a great variety of successful study methods and work on your own
B. have a study partner who act fast to face up a problem and study successfully
C. find out your weak points by reviewing schoolwork and seek necessary help
D. make an appointment with your teachers and develop useful examination skills
54. The author of this passage is probably a(an) _______.
A. psychologistB. examiner C. parent D. instructor
55. The author thinks that dealing with disappointing grades calls for _______.
A. a strong will power B. a down-to-earth attitude
C. creativity and dedication D. undivided attention