Most young people enjoy some form of physical activity. It may be walking, cycling, or swimming, or in winter, skating or skiing. It may be games of football, hockey, golf, or tennis. It may be mountaineering.
Those who have a passion for climbing high and difficult mountains are often looked upon with astonishment. Why are men and women willing to suffer cold and hardship, and to take risks on high mountains? This astonishment is caused probably by the difference between mountaineering and other forms of activity to which men give their relaxation.
Mountaineering is a sport and not a game. There are no man-made rules, as there are for such games as golf and football. There are, of course, rules of a different kind which it would be dangerous to ignore, but it is this freedom from man-made rules that makes mountaineering attractive to many people. Those who climb mountains are free to use their own methods.
If we compare mountaineering and other more familiar sports, we might think that one big difference is that mountaineering is not a “team game”. We should be mistaken in this. There are, it is true, no “matches” between “teams” of climbers, but when climbers are on a rock face linked by a rope on which their lives may depend, there is obviously teamwork.
The mountain climber knows that he may have to fight forces that are stronger and more powerful than man. He has to fight the forces of nature. His sport requires high mental and physical qualities.
A mountain climber continues to improve in skill year after year. A skier (滑雪者) is probably past his best by the age of thirty, and most international tennis champions are in their early twenties. But it is not unusual for a man of fifty or sixty to climb the highest mountains in Alps. They may take more time than younger men, but they probably climb with more skill and less waste of effort, and they certainly experience equal enjoyment. The main difference between a sport and a game lies in .
| A．activity | B．uniform | C．rules | D．skills |
Mountaineering can be called a team sport because .
| A．mountaineers depend on each other while climbing |
| B．teams compete against each other |
| C．it is an Olympic event |
| D．there are five climbers on each team |
Which of the following might be the best title?
| A．How to Climb High Mountains | B．Mountain Climbers |
| C．Challenging Sports Activities | D．Mountaineering |
We often think of future．We often wonder what the world would be like in a hundred years' time.
Think of space, perhaps a permanent(永久的) station on the moon will have been set up．Perhaps people will be able to visit the moon as tourists．Cheap rockets for space travel will have been developed, permitting long journeys throughout the solar system(太阳系)．When that time comes, people will be taking holidays in space and visiting other planets．Great progress will have been discovered for the most terrible of all diseases—cancer．Pollution is a problem we must solve．In a hundred years' time it will have been controlled.
All the world will have been developed—even Antarctica．There will be large cities in Antarctica．We already have supersonic(超音速的) flight, but in a hundred years' time we will have supersonic land travel as well.
We will have used up most of earth's land to build our cities, so floating cities will have been built．The Japanese already have plans for cities of this kind．And there will be cities under the sea．The first of these will have been completed.We will have developed __________ in a hundred years' time, permitting long journeys all over the solar system.
| A．cheap rockets for space travel | B．a plane for space travel |
| C．a permanent spaceship | D．a satellite for tourists |
The last paragraph mainly talks about _____________.
| A．new ways of building cities | B．the building of cities under the sea |
| C．the building of floating cities in Japan | D．the danger which earth's land will face |
The best title for the passage is ______________.
| A．Travel in the Future | B．Future Life |
| C．Where to Live in the Future | D．Space Travel |
“Cool” is a word with many meanings. Its old meaning is used to expressa temperature that is a little bit cold．As the world has changed, the word has had many different meanings. “Cool” can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything. When you see a famous car in the street, maybe you will say, “It’s cool.” You may think, “He’s so cool,” when you see your favorite footballer. We all maximize（扩大）the meaning of “cool”. You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”. Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used．A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall （瀑布） they had visited．On one student’s paper was just the one sentence, “It’s so cool. ” Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt. But the story also shows a scarcity（缺乏）of words. Without “cool”, some people have no words to show the same meaning. So it is quite important to keep some credibility （可信性）. Can you think of many other words that make your life as colorful as the word “cool”? I can. And I think they are also very cool .We know that the word “cool” has had ________________
| A．only one meaning | B．no meanings |
| C．many different meanings | D．the same meaning |
In the passage, the word “express” means “_____________”
| A．see | B．show | C．know | D．feel |
In the passage, the writer suggests（暗示） that the word “cool”__________
| A．can be used instead of many words | B．usually means something interesting |
| C．can make your life colorful | D．may not be as cool as it seems |
The summer I was ten, my mother decided to bring us to the world of art. My brother and I were not very excited when we realized what my mother meant. What she meant was that we would have to spend one afternoon a week with her at the Fine Arts Museum. Before each visit to the museum, she made us read about artists and painting styles. It was almost as bad as being in school. Who wants to spend the summer thinking about artists when you could be with your friends at the swimming pool?
First we had to read about ancient Egyptians and their strange way of painting faces and then go to look at them at the museum. My 12-year-old brother thought this was so funny, but I was not interested. Later we had to learn about artists in the Middle Ages who painted people wearing strange long clothing. We had to look at pictures of fat babies with wings and curly (鬈曲的) hair and with no clothes on flying around the edges of paintings. I certainly couldn't see what was so great about art.
On our last visit to the museum, something happened when I saw a painting by a woman called Mary. In it, a woman was reading to a child. The colors were soft and gentle, and you could tell by the mother' s expression how happy she was just to be with the child. I couldn't stop looking at this painting ! I wanted to see every painting Mary had ever made! It was really worth looking at so many paintings to find a painter who could interest me so much.
53. The aim of the mother' s plan was to _________.
A. take them to visit the museum B. introduce them to the world of art
C. ask them to read about artists D. show them different painting styles
54. What was the writer' s experience in the museum before the last visit?
A. She came to feel her mother' s love. B. She liked many paintings.
C. She hardly enjoyed herself. D. She could understand the pictures of fat babies.
55. What made the writer go through a change that summer?
A. One of Mary's paintings. B. A strange way of painting.
C. Artists in the Middle Ages. D. Her mother' s instruction.
56. From the text, we can see _________.
A. the importance of curiosity B. the effect of art
C. the value of learning D. the power of family education
About ten years ago, a young and very successful businessman named Josh was traveling down a Chicago neighborhood street. He was going a bit too fast in his shiny, black, Jaguar XKE, which was only two months old.
He was watching for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something. As his car passed, no child came out, but a brick sailed out and — WHUMP! — it hit the Jag’s shiny black side door! SCREECH...!!!! Immediately Josh stopped the car, jumped out, seized the kid and pushed him up against a parked car. He shouted at the kid, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what are you doing?!" Building up a head of steam, he went on. “That’s my new car. That brick you threw is gonna cost you a lot of money. Why did you throw it?"
"Please, mister, please....I’m sorry! I didn’t know what else to do!" begged the boy. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop!" Tears were streaming down the boy’s face as he pointed around the parked car. "It’s my brother, mister," he said. "He rolled of the curb (路沿) and fell out of his wheelchair and I can’t lift him up. "Sobbing, the boy asked the businessman," Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He’s hurt and he’s too heavy for me.”
Moved beyond words, the young businessman tried hard to swallow (咽下) the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. Straining, he lifted the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his handkerchief and wiped the scrapers and cuts, checking to see that everything was going to be OK. He then watched the younger brother push him down the sidewalk toward their home.
It was a long walk back to the black, shining Jaguar XKE — a long and slow walk. Josh never did fix the side door of his Jaguar. He kept the dent (凹痕) to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at him to get his attention. Feel for the bricks of life coming at you.
57. The boy threw a brick at the businessman’s car because ____________.
A. the businessman drove at a high speed B. he envied the new car very much
C. he wanted to ask for some money D. he wanted to get help from the driver
58. Which of the following is the right order of the story?
a. The younger brother threw a brick at Josh’s car. b. The elder brother fell out of his wheelchair.
c. The younger brother begged Josh for help.
d. Josh lifted the elder brother back into his wheelchair. e. Josh shouted at the younger brother.
A.b, a, e, c, d B. a, c, d, b, e C. b, a, c, e, d D. a, c, b, e, d
59. What can we learn from the passage?
A. Josh would accept the money from the kids. B. The two kids were Josh’s neighbors.
C. Josh was a kind-hearted man. D. Josh’s new car broke down easily.
60. According to the passage, the underlined sentence in the last paragraph means ____________.
A. trying to get ready for the trouble in your future life
B. driving fast in a neighborhood street is dangerous
C. trying to be more understanding seeing others in trouble
D. protecting oneself from being hurt
Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem. Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease. It is a leading cause of death among the elderly. But Alzheimer's disease is not confined (限于) to the aged. There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease.
At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be "getting old". The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike. It is an organic(器官的) disease that destroys brain cells.
Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement. In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused. He may have trouble speaking. Then the patient's memory begins to fail. He may forget dates, telephone numbers, names and plans.
As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends. These symptoms(症状) often cause terrible anxiety in the patient. He may feel lost and frightened. Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior.
In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself. He may have lost the ability to speak and walk.
Some of the scientists think a virus causes Alzheimer's disease. At present, there is no cure for the disease. But there are ways to slow its progress. Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease.
50. Alzheimer's disease ____________.
A. a terrible part of the aging process B. is an organic disease that affects young and old
C. can be cured by physical treatment D. causes high fever
51. All of the following are symptoms of Alzheimer's disease EXCEPT ____________.
A. brain damage B. difficulty in speakingC. loss of sightD. loss of the ability to walk
52. According to the passage, which of the following may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease?
A. Poisons produced by the brain. B. Getting old. C. A virus. D. Lack of exercise.