I recall my mother’s voice which called me to order, and often ended with some strong proverb to express the gravity of the wrong done. It was common practice for my mother to send me off soul-searching with a proverb.
Of the many interactions I had with my mother those many years ago, one stands out with clarity. I remember the occasion when Mother sent me to the main road, about twenty yards away from the farmhouse, to invite a passing group of seasonal work-seekers home for a meal. She instructed me to take a container along and collect dry cow dung (牛粪) for making a fire. I was then to prepare the meal for the group of work-seekers.
The thought of making an open fire outside at midday, cooking in a large three-legged pot in that high heat, was enough to upset even an angel. I did not manage to hide my feelings from my mother, and after serving the group, she called me to the balcony, where she usually sat to attend to her sewing (缝纫).
Looking straight into my eyes, she said, “Tsholofelo, why were you so unhappy when I requested you to prepare a meal for those poor people?” Despite my attempt to deny her allegation (断言), and using the heat of the fire and the sun as an excuse for my alleged behavior, Mother, giving me a firm look, said, “A foot has no nose.” It means, “You can’t detect what trouble may lie ahead of you.” Had I denied the group of people a meal, it may have happened that, in my travels some time in the future, I found myself at the mercy of those very individuals. As if that was not enough to shame me, Mother continued, “A person is a person because of another person.” We learn from the passage that Tsholofelo’s mother often _____.
| A．quoted proverbs when she was talking with others |
| B．asked Tsholofelo to read more proverbs |
| C．collected proverbs in her spare time |
| D．used proverbs to teach Tsholofelo |
What was Tsholofelo’s attitude towards the meal?
| A．Unwilling. | B．Interested. | C．Critical. | D．Unconcerned. |
The atmosphere on the balcony was probably _____.
| A．very strange | B．a bit tense | C．quite lively | D．pretty relaxed |
According to the passage, Tsholofelo’s mother seemed to hope Tsholofelo could be _____.
| A．flexible and creative | B．sincere and honest |
| C．active and confident | D．sympathetic and helpful |
Handshaking, though a European practice, is often seen in big cities of China. Nobody knows exactly when the practice started in Europe. It is said that long long ago in Europe when people met, they showed their unarmed (无武器的) hands to each other as a sign of goodwill. As time went on and trade in cities grew rapidly, people in cities began to clap each other’s hands to make a deal or to reach an agreement. This practice was later changed into shaking hands among friends on meeting or leaving each other. “Let’s shake (hands) on it” sometimes means agreement reached.
Do the Europeans shake hands wherever they go and with whomever they meet? No . Sometimes the Chinese abroad reach out their hands too often to be polite. It is really very impolite to give your hand when the other party, especially when it is a woman, shows little interest in shaking hands with you and when the meeting does not mean anything to him or her. Even if, for politeness, he holds out his unwilling hand in answer to your uninvited hand, just touch it slightly. There is generally a misunderstanding (误解) among the Chinese that westerners are usually open and straightforward, while the Chinese are rather reserved (保守的) in manner. But in fact some people in western countries more reserved than some Chinese today. So it is a good idea to shake hands with a westerner only when he shows interest in further relations with you.
64. In the old days in Europe, people put out their unarmed hands to each other ______.
A. to make a deal B. to greet each other
C. to show friendliness D. to reach an agreement
65. The first paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. where handshaking was first practiced
B. how handshaking came about
C. about the relationship between handshaking and trade
D. about the practice of handshaking both in Europe and in China
66. According to the text which of the following statements is true?
A. Westerners are more reserved than the Chinese.
B. Westerners are unwilling to shake hands.
C. We should make a judgment before shaking hands.
D. We shouldn’t shake hands with European women.
67. The main purpose of the text is ______.
A. to tell us some differences between the East and the West
B. to offer us some important facts about handshaking
C. to introduce us to some different customs in the West
D. to give us some advice before we travel abroad
He wishes the holiday season would end already . His back aches , his red suit feels like a spacesuit , his cheeks have gone tight from smiling for 12 hours —and still the kids keep coming and coming , like ants at a picnic . As Christmas becomes more commercialized (商业化) across the U. S. and Canada , so must Santas . As the holiday begins earlier each year, so must its spokesmen .
The questions from children these days are harder than ever . Now, with thousands of children expecting a father or mother serving in Iraq or Afghanistan , the questions are as heart-breaking as they are unanswerable . For example , “Can you please bring Daddy home from the war in time for Christmas morning ?”
Santas also have a pretty good chance of getting sued (指控). A professional Santa Claus in Canada told a story : A Santa had a girl on his knee , and he commented , “You have nice eyes and nice hair .” The girl later said it was sexual harassment (骚扰) . When a Santa feels anxious , he often shows it in the same ways ordinary people do : The Santas were always seen to hang around at the dinner table when the show ended . Many of them just sleep in bed for several days and don’t see other children again .
56.In the first paragraph , “spokesmen” refers to .
A.businessmen B.political leaders
C.organizers of the activities D.Santa Clauses
57.The passage implies that the job of Santa Claus is .
A.well-paid B.very hard C.worth doing D.dangerous
58.According to the third paragraph, Santas may sometimes be blamed for .
A.doing something against the law B.hanging around the dinner table
C.being lazy and sleeping in bed for days D.not playing their roles as expected
59.What would be the best title for the passage ?
A.Christmas : Not a Good Festival for Santas B.Is Santa Claus Really Alive ?
C.A Christmas Story D.What Does Santa Claus Do for Children ?
Animals can move from place to place, but plants cannot. When an animal is under attack, it can run away or fight back. Plants certainly cannot run away, and they lack teeth and claws. But plants can defend themselves by using both physical and chemical means.
Some plants have their own ways to keep animals away. For example, the leaves of the holly plant have sharp spines (刺) that discourage grass-eating animals. Holly leaves on lower branches have more spines than leaves on upper branches. This is because the lower leaves are easier for most animals to reach.
Some plants, such as the oak tree, have thick and hard leaves that are difficult for animals to eat. Some grasses may contain a sandy material; eating such grasses wears down the animal's teeth.
Many plants also have chemical defenses. Some plants produce chemicals that taste bitter or cause an unpleasant reaction. Some plants may fight against an attack by increasing the production of these chemicals. When a caterpillar (毛虫) bites a tobacco leaf, the leaf produces a chemical messenger. This messenger sends to the roots the information to produce more nicotine. The higher levels of nicotine discourage the caterpillar.
Many plants depend on both physical and chemical defenses. A certain plant in China, for instance, has prickly (多刺的) leaves, and each prickle contains poisonous venom (毒液) A single experience with this kind of plant will teach an animal to stay away from it in the future.
68. The holly plant has more spines on the lower leaves because most animals________.
A. are not tall enoughB. like the lower leaves only
C. are not clever enough D. can get the lower leaves easily
69. To defend themselves, oak trees use________.
A. chemical meansB. physical means
C. bitter chemicalsD. sandy materials
70. How does tobacco protect itself against an attack from a caterpillar?
A. Its leaves fight against the attack by physical means.
B. Its roots send a messenger to discourage the caterpillar.
C. Its roots increase the production of nicotine when it is attacked.
D. Its leaves produce poisonous sand to drive the caterpillar away.
71. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Plants and AnimalsB. How Plants Defend Themselves
C. Attacks and Defenses D. How Animals Eat Plant Leaves
The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by locals.
During the opening ceremonies（仪式）, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels （骆驼）transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and beat drums as they dance in different designs（传统文化）. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair: their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance.
The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish Line in front of the cheering people.
Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles. Some even ride upside down -- their legs and feet straight up in the air -- all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!
64. The Sahara Festival is a festival which________.
A. has a very long history in North Africa
B. is held in the same place on the same day
C. is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara
D. is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries
65. Before the races begin, ________ take part in the activities during the opening ceremonies.
A. musicians, dancers, horses and hares B. camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares
C. horsemen, dancers, camels and dogs D. musicians, officials, camels and horses
66. The underlined word "finale" in the fourth paragraph most probably means the ________of the opening day.
A. first part B. middle C. last part D. whole
67. This passage mainly tells readers_______.
A. what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival
B. how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival
C. what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival
D. how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival
Hi, everybody!
Welcome to our newly-opened Richards Cinema Bookstore!
Now let me introduce to you some of the new film books in our store.
Are you Chinese film fans? OK, here comes the latest 25 New Takes about Chinese films. It is a collection of 25 fresh readings of different Chinese films from the 1930s to the present. In recent years, Chinese films are very popular in the States, such as Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon, Hero, and Flowers of Shanghai.
Do you like French films? Well, here is The French Cinema Book. It covers French films from the 1890s to the beginning of the 21st century. It is written for all lovers of French cinema: students and teachers, specialists and fans, and so on.
Maybe you are Indian film fans and star-chasers. Then here is Encyclopedia ( 百科全书 ) of Indian Cinema. The book is a complete introduction to all the best Indian films. It also offers a full list of names of the famous and successful film stars in the past ten years. You know, the Indian film industry is the largest in the world after our Hollywood.
If you like British films, we have The British Cinema Book. It is a good review of British cinema. This book contains a good many nice pictures.
In our bookstore, you can also find books about Mexican, Japanese, Australian, German and Italian films.
Well, please help yourselves to some coffee or tea, and have a good time here!
60. The speaker of the passage is most probably _______.
A. the author of 25 New Takes B. a tourist in the cinema bookstore
C. the manager of the cinema bookstore D. a reader of Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema
61. How many Asian countries does the speaker refer to when he talks about the film books?
A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. Nine.
62. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage？
A. Indian cinema is second only to Hollywood.
B. The British Cinema Book includes a complete list of names of stars.
C. Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon is well received in the States.
D. The French Cinema Book covers over a century's French films.
63. The purpose of the speaker is_______.
A. to satisfy the customers' various tastes
B. to keep the authors in the cinema bookstore
C. to offer the tourists chances to meet the film stars
D. to mm the readers into film producers