No matter how long your life is, you will, at best, be able to read only a few books of all that have been written, and the few you do read should include the best. You can be pleased with the fact that the number of such is relatively small.
It is to be expected that the selections will change over time. Yet there is a surprising uniformity (一致性) in the lists which represent the best choices of any period. In every age, the list makers include both ancient and modern books in their selections, and they always wonder whether the moderns are up to the great books of the past.
What are the signs by which we may recognize a great book? The four I will mention may not be all there are, but they are the ones I’ve found most useful in explaining my choices over the years.
Great books are probably the most widely read. They are enduring best sellers. Gone with the Wind has had relatively few readers compared to the plays of Shakespeare or Don Quixote. It would be reasonable to estimate that Homer Iliad has been read by at least 25,000,000 people in the last 3000 years.
Great books are popular, not pedantic. They are not written by specialists about specialties for specialists. Whether they are philosophy or science, or history or poetry, they treat of human, not academic problems. They are written for men, not professors. To read a textbook for advanced students, you have to read an elementary textbook first. But the great books can be considered elementary in the sense that they treat the elements of any subject matter. They are not related to one another as a series of textbooks, graded in difficulty or in the technicality of the problems with which they deal.
Great books are always contemporary, the most readable and instructive.
Great books deal with the continuously unsolved problems of human life. There are mysteries in the world that mark the limits of human knowing and thinking. Inquiry not begins with wonder, but usually ends with it also. Great minds acknowledge mysteries only honestly. Wisdom is encouraged, not destroyed, by understanding its limitations.Which is not the criterion in the following when considering a great book?
| A．Although not a best seller, it must be the most widely read． |
| B．A great book can be read without any effort． |
| C．Great books are never out of date． |
| D．Great books will not disappoint you if you try to read them well． |
According to the author, Gone with the Wind is .
| A．a best seller | B．disliked by readers who like Shakespeare |
| C．read more often than Don Quixote | D．a great book |
In the passage the underlined word “pedantic” means ．
| A．showing the feelings, esp., those of kindness, which people are supposed to have |
| B．serving as practical examples |
| C．being elementary |
| D．paying too much attention to details in books |
The best title for this passage is .
| A．Great Books in Your Life | B．Great Books in Your Specialty |
| C．How to Find a Great Book? | D．What Is a Great Book? |
Dear Flowermouse,
Thank you for your comments on how Americans and Chinese view each other. This is an important subject. Modern technology has given many nations the chance of destroying other nations. This is a cruel picture but it is a realistic one. It means that every nation should make sure that these weapons of great destruction are never used. This requires greater acceptance of differences among people and nations in all parts of the planet.
Your letter asks specially about Chinese-American relationships but I want to let you know my feelings on a global scale. Because China and America are the most powerful nations and I believe they have a special responsibility for promoting better understanding and for leading the way toward peaceful solutions to the world's problems.
You ask how Chinese and American people view each other. This is an important question. Because I know so little about China that I am not able to judge how Chinese view Americans. I am sure that the view differs according to individual experiences that persons might have. And it is not easy to describe America to foreigners. America is a vast mass of people and cultures. These people came from all parts of the world, from Asia, Africa, Latin America, Europe and Australia. Each brought a different culture and a different set of values within a single nation.
I believe that the vast majority of Americans like the vast majority of Chinese want peace and friendship between our two nations. Both China and America have suffered through generations from war and violence in our history. And I believe that it is the special responsibility of all Chinese and all Americans to impress this need for mutual understanding on our neighbors in other.
So my friend, this is my response. Please know that I write to you as a private person living in America. I do feel strongly that people everywhere have more in common than they have in differences. We all share the same basic needs for existence and we all depend upon the same need for the survival of this beautiful planet earth. Maybe we can begin to encourage better communication and better understanding through my columns. I hope so.From the passage we can know that Flowermouse_______.
| A．loves Americans |
| B．has read about the writer's articles |
| C．is an American |
| D．knows little about Americans |
It is likely that the writer_______.
| A．disagrees with Flowermouse |
| B．thinks it possible for nations to be destroyed due to modern technology |
| C．thinks American government share the same opinions with its people |
| D．believes the weapons of great destruction are never used |
The letter that Flowermouse wrote to the writer, maybe have referred to .
| A．American culture |
| B．American society |
| C．Chinese-American relationships |
| D．Chinese society |
The writer's purpose to write the passage is to_______.
| A．introduce Americans to us |
| B．make friends with Flowermouse |
| C．speak for the government of America |
| D．call on nations to understand each other |
A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.
Peers can have a good effect on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone's reading it.
However, sometimes peers affect each other in another way. For example, one kid in school might try to get another to cut class with him, your soccer friend might try to persuade you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball, or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to shoplift with him.
Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group.Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone's doing it ” may influence some kids to leave their better judgments, or their common senses behind.
Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change mind from what she knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer—just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer!That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations.
It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Pay attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away, and resist doing something when you know better.What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Peers have a good effect. |
| B．Children give in to peer pressure. |
| C．Peer pressure is hard to stop. |
| D．Peer pressure. |
The underlined word “shoplift” probably means to_______.
| A．do shopping | B．carry goods for shops |
| C．steal in the shop | D．take the lift upstairs in the shop |
The writer will NOT agree that_______.
| A．only children change their correct answers to incorrect ones because of peer pressure |
| B．peers have an effect on each other |
| C．peer pressure can be got rid of |
| D．peers will believe in themselves if there are other peers who agree with them |
The writer intends to _______ by writing the passage.
| A．warn peers to separate from each other |
| B．tell peers to follow others |
| C．show it is hard to walk away from peer pressure |
| D．persuade peers to do what they think is the right thing |
IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH
There was great excitement on the planet of Venus(金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20 000 light years ago).Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility(可行性) of a manned flying saucer(飞碟) landing on Earth.A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.
“We have come to the conclusion,based on last week's satellite landing,” Pro. Zog said,“that there is no life on the Earth.”
“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked.
“For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete(混凝土)and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide(一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”
“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”
“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned. ”
“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?”
“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark cloud floating over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”
“If what you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?”
“Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”
“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”
“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”During the week of great excitement the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information on whether they can_______.
| A．land a satellite with Venus astronauts on Earth |
| B．make a firstrate flying saucer |
| C．get a Earth Being to Venus |
| D．direct a flying saucer into Manhattan |
According to Prof.Zog,the Venusians will have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because_______.
| A．they need it on their way to the planet of Earth |
| B．the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases |
| C．oxygen is far from enough in the area of Manhattan where the saucer is to land |
| D．there is no air on the planet of Earth |
The “dark black cloud” on the photograph refers to_______.
| A．the polluted air floating over the surface of Earth |
| B．the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth |
| C．the things that are unknown to everybody |
| D．the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks |
The author wishes to call our attention to the fact_______.
| A．that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he might destroy himself if he went on like this |
| B．that there is no point in spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth |
| C．that pollution has become so serious a problem on Earth that even Venusians find life there unbearable |
| D．that it is difficult, if not altogether impossible, to land a manned flying saucer on Earth |
After an extra day in space,the crew of Discovery returned to Earth,landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California early on Tuesday morning.The shuttle and its crew spent two weeks in space,most of it aboard the International Space Station.It was the first flight of NASA's spaceshuttle fleet since February 2003,when the shuttle Columbia came apart while reentering Earth's atmosphere.
NASA officials delayed Discovery's return for one day because of cloudy weather in Florida,where the shuttle was supposed to lanD. On Tuesday morning,mission controllers directed Discovery to a landing site in California,where the skies were clear.The crew members will have to wait until Wednesday to see their families when they all meet together in Houston at the Johnson Space Center.
Discovery had a very busy mission in space,compared to past missions.The space shuttle docked with the International Space Station most of the journey,delivering badly needed supplies and repairing damaged parts.The crew spent a lot of time testing new repair techniques on their own shuttle,conducting three different spacewalks(where astronauts exit the space shuttle to do work outside).On the third spacewalk,astronaut Steve Robinson went underneath the shuttle to remove material sticking out from between the spacecraft's protective tiles.
There were concerns in the last remaining days of Discovery's mission that a torn heat blanket—another shield against overheating in the space shuttle—may pose a problem to crew members. NASA officials and technicians worked on ways that the crew could fix the problem, but later decided it was not a risk.
With the shuttle and its crew safely back on firm ground, NASA is hailing this mission, labeled STS114,as a huge success. “I hope this shows people that we're coming back,” NASA spaceflight chief Bill Readdy said after Discovery's successful landing. “We've got some more work to do. We know what we need to do and we'll do it.Which of the following isn't included in the jobs of the shuttle Discovery?
| A．Delivering supplies to the International Space Station. |
| B．Conducting different spacewalks. |
| C．Testing new repair techniques. |
| D．Finding the cause why the shuttle Columbia came apart. |
But for the cloudy weather, the shuttle Discovery would have landed_______.
| A．in Florida a day earlier | B．in Florida a day later |
| C．in California a day earlier | D．in California a day later |
Which is the most probable period of time that Discovery was aboard the International Space Station?
| A．Six days. | B．Two weeks. |
| C．Nine days. | D．Two weeks and an extra day. |
What's the best title for the passage?
| A．Another Huge Success of Discovery |
| B．Welcome Back, Discovery |
| C．Discovery and International Space Station |
| D．Discovery Survives a Risk |
An annoying problem for humans, who like to boast (夸耀) about all the distant planets and moons we have explored, is that we've never taken a good look right under our noses．The inside of the earth is relatively close but how can we get there?
The deepest oil well enters a mere six miles into the crust (地壳) (the center of the earth is about 4,000 miles deeper)．Russian scientists dug the deepest hole in Siberia," but bottomed out at about 7.5 miles below the surface．The Mohole project, a U.S．plan in the 1950s, called for drilling a hole 25 miles down to the boundary between the hard rocks of the crust and the soft mantle (地幔)．Sadly the project involved government supporting.
It gets harder and harder to drill deep into the earth because rocks get softer and softer． Hard but easily broken at the surface, rocks become plastic at depth, and the pressure caused by the weight of the overlaying crust — about 52,800 pounds per square inch at a depth of ten miles, makes further drilling impossible.
What little we know about the inside of the earth (like the fact that there' s a crust, a mantle, and a core) comes from indirect evidence, such as the analysis of earthquakes.
So maybe it' s time for a thorough new method to explore the earth's inside．Scientist David Stevenson says we should forget about drilling holes．Instead, we should open a crack (裂缝)．
Stevenson suggests digging a crack about a half mile long, a yard wide, and a half mile deep (not with a shovel) but with an explosion on the scale of a nuclear bomb．Next, he'd pour a few hundred thousand tons of molten (融化的) iron into the crack, along with a robot．The iron, thicker than the surrounding crust, would move downward at about 16 feet per second, carrying the robot with it and opening the crack deeper and deeper．The iron mass would drop for about a week and 2,000 miles to the outer edge of the earth core, the robot sending out data to the surface.
Stevenson compares his idea to space exploration．"We're going somewhere we haven't been before," he says．"In all possibility, there will be surprises."
This idea can probably be put in．the drawer marked with Isn't Going To Happen．The robot would have to survive temperatures that would melt pretty much anything．But Stevenson's idea may inspire a new look at an old problem．Great things can come from what seems like impossible ideas.Going inside the earth is ________ than going into space.
| A．more interesting | B．more possible | C．easier | D．more challenging |
How deep have we gone into the earth until now?
| A．6 miles． | B．4,000 miles． | C．7.5 miles． | D．25 miles. |
Which of the following is TRUE about David Stevenson's idea?
| A．It is an inspiring but not practical idea now． |
| B．It is a practical proposal that has come into use now. |
| C．It is a good proposal that will soon be put into practice. |
| D．It is a false theory that cannot be carried out at all. |
What might be the most suitable title for the text?
| A．An Annoying Problem for Humans |
| B．To the Center of the Earth |
| C．The Mohole Project |
| D．David Stevenson' s Proposal |