On November18, 1995, Itzhak Perlman, the world famous violinist, came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Centre in New York City. If you have ever been to a Perlman concert, you know that getting on stage is not easy for him. He got polio（小儿麻痹症）as a child, and has to walk with the aid of two crutches（拐杖）now.
That night Perlman walked slowly to his chair. Then he sat down and began to play. But, suddenly, one of the strings on his violin broke. You could hear it break---it broke with a loud noise.
People thought to themselves, “He would have to get up to either find another violin or find another string for this one.”
But he didn’t. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra（管弦乐队）began, and he played from where he had stopped. He played with such passion and such power.
Of course, everyone knows that it is impossible to play a symphonic work with just three strings. But that night Itzhak Perlman refused to know that. You could see him changing and recomposing（重新作曲）the piece in his head.
When he finished, there was a silence in the room. Then people rose and cheered. We were all on our feet, doing everything we could to show how much we appreciated what he had done.
He smiled and then he said in a quiet tone, “You know, sometimes it is the artist’s task to find out how much music you can make with what you have left.”
His words have stayed in my mind ever since I heard them. That is also the way of life. Perhaps our task in this quickly changing world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.Holding a concert is challenging for Perlman because ______.
| A．he is just a world famous violinist |
| B．he has never performed on stage before |
| C．he is physically disabled as a result of a disease |
| D．he has difficulty in moving his body |
When Perlman had just begun playing, ______.
| A．there was something wrong with the violin |
| B．he fell ill suddenly |
| C．an accident happened and caused a disturbance |
| D．a very loud noise arose from the audience |
If one of the strings suddenly broke, what would an ordinary player do?
| A．He would cancel the concert. | B．He would play another violin. |
| C．Another performer would play instead. | D．The concert would be put off. |
The audience rose and cheered ______.
| A．to show they are satisfied with Perlman’s performance |
| B．to thank the orchestra for their passionate performance |
| C．to ask Perlman for another performance |
| D．to express their appreciation of Perlman’s creative mind |
The lesson we draw from the story is that ______.
| A．we should make the best of what we have |
| B．what we have is more important than what is lost |
| C．we should not care about what is lost |
| D．the way of life is to always live with music |
London: What could possibly he wrong with planting trees? The benefits are obvious: they firm the soil, absorb extra water and take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
However, it now turns out that planting trees could add to global warming. Tree roots do a great job of keeping soil firmly on the ground and out of the wind's power. The problem is that some of those dust clouds play an important part in taking in carbon dioxide.
Huge dust storms blow out over the oceans from dry parts of North Africa and central Asia. Tons of dust are lifted and left as a thin film over the ocean surface.
Dust from China is carried east and left in the Pacific Ocean. If a tree-planting program there is successful and the dust supply reduced, the final result may be that less carbon dioxide gets locked away in the ocean.
Andy Ridgwell, an environmental scientist from the University of East Anglia, has spent the past few years studying dust and says his work shows clearly the complexity of the system and the importance of not working uselessly with it without understanding the results. For this reason the need is to focus on cutting carbon dioxide giving off rather than dealing with the land surface aimlessly.
An American scientist, Robert Jackson, has shown that when native grassland areas are occupied by trees, carbon is lost from the soil. "We are studying why the soil carbon disappears, but one theory is that trees do a lot more of their growing above ground compared to grasses, so less carbon goes directly into the soil from trees. " said Jackson.
In wet areas of the world, the gain from trees absorbing carbon dioxide above ground seems to be outweighed by the loss of carbon from the soil below ground.
Countries that plan to combat global warming by planting trees may have to think again. Solutions to environmental problems are often more complex than they first appear, and understanding the Earth's climate is a very great challenge.
64. People usually hold the opinion that _______.
A. huge dust storms can destroy carbon dioxide
B. huge dust storms can destroy the oceans on the earth
C. planting trees could reduce global warming
D. planting trees is the only way to control huge dust storms
65. Andy Ridgwell, the environmental scientist, believes that _______.
A. environmental problems are more complex than expected
B. trees shouldn't have been planted in dry places
C. dust plays a more important part than trees
D. carbon dioxide is harmful to everything
66. Robert Jackson's experiment proves that _______.
A. carbon can turn grass into dust
B. trees hold more carbon than grass
C. less carbon can make trees grow faster
D. grassland areas should be covered by forests
67. The underlined word "combat" in the last paragraph means _______.
A. learn about B. give up C. live with D. fight against
Channel Islands
The two main islands, Jersey and Quernsey, are remarkable in that they present a combination of enjoyment, peace and quiet. Neither island is very big (only ten miles long) and so all parts of these coasts are easily reached from the main centers -- St. Helier and St. Peter Port. In both these towns and particularly in Jersey's St. Helier are the amusements of really big resorts (度假胜地). The nearness of France gives a continental atmosphere; the weather here is far better than that of any other part of England. The other three islands, Jethou, Hern and Sark are small and quiet.
Isles of Scilly
The islands are really small and quiet; the weather is warm but windy. The islands are excellent for those who enjoy exploring small inlets (水湾), creeks (小溪) and bays on foot, or better, in a boat.
Isle of Wight
he island is 24 miles across and therefore quite large. The scenery is good and varied. The resorts are neither overlarge nor showy. The island has the best sunshine record in Britain.
Isle of Man
An island with a unique atmosphere -- it is different from England, Scotland or Wales. Thirty miles long, with good roads and good public transport, the mountains, hills and deep valleys are easily reached. Douglas is a major British resort and other holiday places are lively.
60. If you want to drive to the mountains and hills, you would choose
A. the Isle of Man B. the Isle of Wight C. Jersey D. the Isles of Stilly
61. If you want to be fairly sure you would have a lot of sunshine on holiday, you would choose ____.
A. the Channel Islands B. the Isle of Man
C. the Isle of Wight D. the Isles of Scilly
62. It can be concluded from Paragraph One that _______.
A. the Channel Islands consist of two islands
B. the Channel Islands are really ideal resorts
C. Jersey and Quernsey are excellent for those who enjoy exploring nature
D. there are many resorts in Jethou, Hem and Sark
63. In which way are the Channel Islands different from all the other places in England?
A. The coasts are easily reached from the main centers.
B. There are more islands there.
C. The weather is far better.
D. The crowds there can enjoy more entertaining but quieter holidays.
The host poured the tea into the cup and placed it on the small table in front of his guests, who were a father and daughter, and put the cover on the cup. Apparently thinking of something, he hurried into the inner room, leaving the thermos (热水瓶) on the table. His two guests heard a cupboard opening.
They remained sitting in the sitting room, the ten-year-old daughter looking at the flowers outside the window, the father just about to take his cup, when the crash came, right there in the sitting room. Something was hopelessly broken.
It was the thermos, which had fallen to the floor. The girl looked over her shoulder, shocked, staring. It was mysterious. Neither of them had touched it, not even a bit. True, it hadn't stood steadily when their host placed it on the table, but it hadn't fallen then.
The explosion caused the host to rush back. Gawking at the steaming floor, the host said "It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter!"
The father started to say something. Then he said softly, "Sorry, I touched it and it fell."
"It doesn't matter," the host said.
When they left the house, the daughter said, "Daddy, did you touch it?"
"No. But it stood so close to me. "
"But you didn't touch it. I saw your reflection in the window glass. "
The father laughed. "What then would you give as the cause of its fall?"
"The thermos fell by itself. The floor is not smooth. Daddy, why did you say that you …"
"That won't do, girl. It sounds more acceptable when I say I knocked it down. There are things which people accept less the more you defend them. The truer the story you tell, the less true it sounds. "
The daughter was lost in silence for a while. Then she said, "Can you explain it only in this way?"
"Only in this way," her father said.
56. Which statement is a possible theme of this story?
A. People rarely tell the truth.
B. You can't always make people believe the truth.
C. If you defend yourself, people will believe you.
D. People should take the blame for what they didn't do.
57. It can be inferred from the story that the father _______.
A. didn't know the host well B. felt satisfied that he didn't tell the truth
C. was sorry that he told the truth D. didn't think the host would believe the truth
58. From the story we know that the daughter ________.
A. thought her father should tell the truth B. didn't know why the thermos fell
C. knocked over the thermos D. strongly objected to her father's explanation
59. The underlined "gawking at" probably means _______.
A. staring at with anger B. looking at curiously
C. glancing at hopelessly D. looking at in a dull way
D
Ellen Swallow Richards was the first woman to earn a bachelor’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A chemist, social activist, teacher, and first woman member of the Institute of Engineering, she believed that housekeeping was a science. As a progressive thinker at the time, she thought that women needed to learn about money matters and have up-to-date information on cleanliness and nutrition. She encouraged women from all backgrounds to get the best education possible.
Ellen was born in 1842 and was brought up in Massachusetts. A graduate of Vassar College in New York, she returned to New England to attend MIT. After her marriage to Professor Robert Richards, she worked in a laboratory at MIT, examining pollution of water sources in Massachusetts. Her work led to the creation of the first food-inspection (检验) laws of that state. She was instructor at MIT from 1884 until her death in 1911.
Like other progressive thinkers of the time, Ellen was worried about problems of the poor and the effect of the environment on society. She considered the environment a key factor in quality of life. Within the family, as in the world at large, science was chief in tools used to help the poor. Science could help to manage money matters, keep a home safe and clean, and improve quality of life. Food properly cooked could be tasty, nutritious, and inexpensive. Better and cheaper food could protect the health and improve the lives of working-class families.
Ellen created the science of housekeeping, now called home economics, and elevated（提升）it to a serious college subject. She worked tirelessly as a national leader in developing standards, materials, and teacher training for this new field. Her publications cover many subjects—from the chemistry of cooking and cleaning to the cost of living.
57. According to the text, Ellen __________.
A. provided new jobs for the poor B. helped to create new kinds of food
C. set up the field of home economics D. created the ideas of food-inspection laws
58. As a progressive thinker, Ellen __________.
A. suggested people cook their own meals at home
B. believed cheap food was better than expensive one
C. advised women to get the best education possible
D. considered money matters a key factor in quality of life
59. Ellen believed that __________.
A. poor families knew how to manage money
B. families were well informed about good nutrition
C. cheaper food could not protect people’s health
D. families spent much on food but were not well nourished
60. One can infer that, as a result of the efforts of people such as Ellen, __________.
A. one may study home economics at a university for a career
B. the pollution of water sources is no longer a problem
C. most people today learn to cook at school
D. science does not help much within the family as in the world
C
While they were almost unknown twenty years ago, it seems that mobile phones these days are part of everyone’s life. However, as with other inventions such as the television and the computer, they are a double-edged sword, inviting both supporters and opponents, especially in regard to their use in public places like restaurants and cinemas.
One of the strongest arguments in favor of forbidding mobiles in public places is the trouble they cause to other people. For example, although we are often asked to turn off our phones when in a cinema, the film that we are watching is often interrupted by the sound of at least five rings. To make it even worse, some people insist on continuing their conversation, even though hundreds of people can hear what they say, which often drowns out the voice from the film. As a result, many people would welcome a ban on mobile phones in places where they might disturb other people.
On the other hand, there are a number of arguments against such a ban. It is difficult to stop people bringing with them their mobile phones in public places, making it almost impossible to call for a ban. Some people would see this as an infringement（侵犯）of their rights, while other people would say they need them in case of an emergency. Despite being asked to silence their phones, some people insist on leaving them on.
It seems to me that a ban on mobile phones would not have any result in the end. People will find a way to escape a ban. Nevertheless, people should be discouraged from using them in public places, unless it is highly necessary. They should be made to know that it is bad manners to use them in certain places or at certain times. Of course, there will always be someone who thinks their call is more important than others’ peace and quiet!
53. Why are many people for a ban on the use of mobiles in public places?
A. Because hundreds of people can hear them talk.
B. Because they are asked to turn off their mobiles.
C. Because other people’s peace and quiet is more important.
D. Because many people find a way to escape a ban.
54. Among those who are against a ban, some believe that __________.
A. they can turn off their mobiles when it is necessary
B. it is their right to use their mobiles in public places
C. a ban on mobiles would not have any result
D. they can silence their mobiles when in public places
55. The author of the text thinks that __________.
A. mobiles can be used in case of an emergency in public places
B. mobiles should be turned off in public places
C. mobiles should not be banned in public places
D. it is possible to ban the use of mobiles in public places
56. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Disadvantages of Mobiles in Public Places
B. Why Not Ban Mobiles in Public Places?
C. Should Mobiles Be Banned in Public Places?
D. Manners for Mobile Users in Public Places