Today, we complete our story about the influential English writer William Shakespeare. He wrote plays and poems during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, which remain very popular today.
During earlier times, people would probably have learned several ancient Roman and Greek plays. It was not unusual for writers to produce more current versions of these works. For example, in Shakespeare's play "The Comedy of Errors"（《错误的喜剧》）Shakespeare borrowed certain details from the ancient Roman writer Plautus. For his play "Macbeth"（《麦克白》）, Shakespeare most likely used a work on Scottish history by Raphael Holinshed for information. Shakespeare might have borrowed from other writers, but the intensity（强度）of his imagination and language made the plays his own. While many plays by other writers of his time have been forgotten, Shakespeare and his art live on.
Shakespeare was also influenced by the world around him. He described the sights and sounds of London in his plays. His works include observations about political struggles, the fear of diseases, and the popular language of the city’s tradesmen. Shakespeare's knowledge of the English countryside is also clear. His works include descriptions of deep forests, local flowers, and the ancient popular traditions of rural people.
It would be impossible to list all of the ways in which Shakespeare’s works have influenced the world culture. But the first and greatest example would be his great influence on the English language. During his time, the English language was changing. Many new words from other languages were being added. Shakespeare used his sharp mind and poetic inventiveness to create hundreds of new words and rework old ones. For example, he created the noun forms of "critic", "mountaineer” and "eyeball". Many common expressions in English come from his plays, including "pomp and circumstance（装腔作势）"from "Othello"（《奥赛罗》）, "full circle（绕圈子地）" from "King Lear"（《李尔王》）, etc. The list of cultural creations influenced by Shakespeare is almost endless. From paintings to television to music and dance, Shakespeare was well represented. Shakespeare's plays have been translated into every major language in the world.
Shakespeare became a well-known writer during a golden age of theater. His years of hard work paid off.What can we infer from the passage？
| A．Many of Shakespeare's works were influenced by earlier writings. |
| B．Shakespeare was hardworking when he was a student. |
| C．The experience of living in London helped a lot with Shakespeare's works. |
| D．Shakespeare became rich later because of the popularity of his works. |
Shakespeare might have learnt some information from ancient Roman works in .
| A．"King Lear" | B．"The Comedy of Errors" | C．"Macbeth" | D．"Othello" |
Shakespeare's greatest influence should be on .
| A．the English language | B．paintings | C．television | D．music and dance |
The passage is mainly about .
| A．an introduction to Shakespeare’s life and his works |
| B．the main features and styles of Shakespeare's plays |
| C．how culture influenced Shakespeare and he influenced culture. |
| D．Shakespeare’s greatest influence on the world culture. |
C
We are so used to having a cup of tea before heading off to work, during work or after getting back from work. Tea breaks are more like a custom that takes place regularly several times a day. This tea break tradition has been happening during the past 200 years or so. Tea just happens to be a wonderful drink for most of us. The day simply feels incomplete without a hot cup of tea. However, is tea good for you?
In 2006, the papers were flooded with the news of research showing that drinking 2-3 cups of tea a day is as beneficial as drinking water, with even some additional health benefits. Another report published in November 2009, stated that drinking up to eight cups of tea a day is good for you. The research conducted by nutrition expert Dr. Carrie Ruxton, debunked (揭示…的真相)the popular stories about caffeinated(含咖啡因的)drinks like tea, coffee and cocoa. According to Dr. Ruxton, the caffeine present in tea tends to lower the risk of heart attacks and strokes. She says that drinking 8 cups of tea a day gives the drinkers “the best levels of health-giving substances” present in tea and other caffeinated drinks.
Contrary to popular belief that tea does not contain more caffeine than coffee, it actually contains almost half the amount. Caffeine is a natural thing found in many types of food and drink. It’s also something that can give you a much needed lift for a demanding and tiring afternoon ahead. Research shows that proper amounts of caffeine are safe for most people.
So why not take full advantage of your tea breaks at work, or make time for afternoon tea while out shopping at the weekend? And remember that tea is not just a great drink, but it helps to keep you looking and feeling healthy.
59. What is mainly talked about in the first paragraph?
A. The types of tea. B. The tea custom C. How to drink tea D. When to drink tea.
60. Reports in the newspapers show that ______.
A. drinking tea is a healthy habit B. new ways of drinking tea appear
C. drinking tea is harmful to health D. people don’t like to drink tea any more
61. Caffeine in tea ____.
A. can make you energetic B. gives you a good rest
C. may cause heart attacks D. is more than that in coffee
62. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Tea and disease B. Tea—a healthy drink
C. Tea, coffee and cocoa D. Drink tea or coffee
B
It is natural that children are curious (好奇的) about the world around them. For example, they want to know how their hearts beat. They want to know why the ocean water tastes salty.
As children grow up, they become curious about different kinds of things. When they are babies, they are interested in the parts of their bodies and in the smiles of their mothers. They become interested in the physical world around them: the plants, the animals, the sky. Later, they become interested in the things that people have made: wheels, bicycles, cars. And when they are adults, their curiosity continues. Sometimes this curiosity leads to a career (生涯、职业) in science.
Scientists spend their lives trying to find out about the world．Those who work with the earth sciences study the earth, the oceans, and the sky. Other scientists who study living things work with the biological sciences. A third group of scientists study the physical sciences, e. g. physics, chemistry .
These scientists have already discovered a lot about our world．For example, they tell us why your heart beats fast when you run. They say that when you are quiet, your heart normally beats sixty-five or seventy-five times a minute. Your heart is a pump (泵) that pumps blood to all parts of the body. The blood carries oxygen and nutrition. When you run, your muscles work very hard and use the nutrition that the blood carries to them. The muscles need oxygen, too . So your brain sends a signal to the heart. The signal means that the muscles need more nutrition and oxygen. Then the heart beats fast and sends blood quickly to the muscles. It may beat 90 to 140 times a minute.
Of course, scientists cannot answer all of our questions. If we ask, “Why does the ocean water taste salty” scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks. When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks. Rain falls into cracks. The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers. The rivers carry the salt into the ocean. But then we ask , “What happens to the salt in the ocean? The ocean does not get saltier every year.” Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question.
We know a lot about our world, but there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious.
55．According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A．People are curious in the same way.
B．People in different countries are interested in different things.
C．Men and women are curious about different things.
D．People of different ages are interested in different things
56．Scientists who work with the biological sciences study____.
A．the earth , the oceans and the sky B．man-made things
C．plants and animals D．ocean water
57．When you run, your muscles need ____.
A．more nutrition and oxygen B．more signals C．more salt D．water
58．People are always curious because ____.
A．they cannot explain many things B．they know nothing about the world
C．they know little about the world D．they want to be scientists
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
When I was a kid, I always used to wonder how in the world my father work outside in the winter without a coat. It could be minus 20 degrees centigrade and there’d be Dad, removing snow, or perhaps chopping some wood --- his coat thrown aside--- wearing a shirt , a cap, and a pair of gloves.
“Aren’t you cold, Dad?” I’d ask. “No,” Dad would reply. “I’m not cold--- working too hard to be cold.”
Many times I wondered whether my father was an extremely tough man, or whether he was foolish.
One time when I was quite young, perhaps five or so, I went ice fishing with Dad. It was a bright, clear day—and bitterly cold.
After we’d been out on the ice for a little while, my feet started getting cold.
“ Daddy, my feet are cold.” I said.
“Yeah, it’s cold out here today,” he replied.
“Tell you what,” he said. “Walk around. Make some circles in the snow. See how many different patterns you can make. That will get your feet warm.”
Now, I was just a little girl at the time but I remember thinking, “How in the world will walking around in the snow make my feet warm? Dad must be out of mind.
But he was my father, after all. I made circles in the snow. I made squares. Pretty soon I was having so much fun making patterns in the snow. I forgot about my feet being cold.
Now, all these years later, I know, too, from personal experience how my father was able to take his coat off and work outside in the winter wearing just a shirt, a cap and gloves. Because I do it, too. “Aren’t you cold?” my husband asked one winter day. “No,” I replied. “I’m not cold—working too hard to be cold.”
I hope my husband has decided I’m both tough and smart. But I guess quite a bit of the time he thinks I’m foolish.
Wherever Dad is in that great big farm in the sky—I’m sure he can’t help but smile whenever I take my coat off while I’m working outside in the winter.
51. When the author’s feet felt cold, her father advised her to____.
A. go home alone first B. keep walking in the snow
C. draw pictures in the snow D. light a fire on the ice
52. Hearing her father’s advice, the author thought her father____.
A. forgettable B. warm-hearted C. crazy D. cruel
53. What might the author’s husband think of her?
A. Tough B. Smart C. Brave D. Foolish
54. The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to ______.
A. remember her tough and smart father
B. show how her father cared about her
C. describe memories of her childhood
D. explain why her father loved her so much
D
School kids show talents for charity
Youngsters at Fulwood High School and Arts College in Preston will show their talents to raise money for sick children. It is putting on a wonderful show on Thursday November to support Derian House Children’s Hospice（安养院）near Chorley.
Pupils are planning a night to remember, with a wide range of acts from singers and dancers to a magician. Local band Vox Population, fronted by former pupil Laurence Holt, will be playing following their recent tour of Germany. The best part of the night will be a surprise act by a group of teachers.
Tickets are available from the school priced ￡1.50 for pupils and ￡2 for adults. The show starts at 7 pm.
Grants（补助金）aim to boost recycling
Children and community groups across Lancashire have been given help to recycle more. More than 40 schools, organizations and community groups have received Waste Action Grants.
Brinscall Primary School in Chorley has been awarded 500 pounds to provide money for its Infant Fruit Waste project. The money has been used to buy a Roly Pig composter that will turn fruit waste into compost（堆肥）.
Carole Lormer, from the school, said, “The children completely love the Roly Pigs. They have been feeding and turning them every day, using leftover fruit.”
For information visit www.globalrenewables.co.uk/wasteactiongrants or call 01172 642885.
Ready when you are
If you’re looking to bag that dream job, your basic maths and English skills need to be good. If you think your basic skills are a little out of practice, try taking Learnerdirect’s “Ready When You Are” challenge.
Hosted by Eamonn Holmes and Johnny Ball, it’s a fun and interactive quiz based on real life situations, which aims to help you decide where you might need to brush up on your basic skills. Log onto: www.learndirect.co.uk/ready
Good luck!
68.What information can we get from the first advertisement?
A. Laurence Holt is the main singer in the band.
B. Teachers will be surprised at the performance.
C. The show is held to celebrate students’ graduation.
D. Parents are expected to offer ￡2 to each pupil.
69. How do the students in Brinscall Primary School recycle?
A. They feed pigs on the leftover fruit.
B. They turn waste fruit into fertilizer with a machine.
C. They awarded ￡500 to those who waste least at school.
D. They raised ￡500 for the Infant Fruit Waste project.
70. “Ready when you are” is an advertisement for ________.
A. a good job.B. a skill learning course
C. an interactive quiz D. an interesting website
C
BCAC
If you were to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you would probably have to start with the Wall Street firms that brought us the financial crisis．From there, you might move on to the automakers in Detroit．
But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public education．
At its top level, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world．Yet in terms of its core mission---turning teenagers into educated college graduates--- much of the system is failing．
The United States does a good job enrolling （招生） teenagers in college, but only half of the students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree．
So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis in the world’s largest economy matters enormously, and a new book called “Crossing the Finish Line” tries to do precisely that．Its authors are economists William Bowen and Michael McPherson, and a doctoral candidate Matthew Chingos．The first problem they diagnose is something they call under-matching．It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into．They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that is closer to home or less expensive．About half of the low-income students with a grade-point average of at least 3．5 in high school and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have．“I was really astonished by the degree to which well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,” said Mr．Bowen．
In fact, well-off students attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates．Meanwhile, lower-income students -–even when they are better qualified—often go to colleges that excel（擅长）in producing drop-outs．“It’s really a waste,” Mr．Bowen said, “and a big problem for the country．” As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students．Instead, it appears to have fallen．
What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer．
63. Which of the following would people first think of as a factor responsible for the American financial crisis according to this passage?
A．The government． B．Public education
C．The Detroit automakers． D．The Wall Street firms．
64．What is a big problem with American higher education?
A．It is hard to enroll enough students into college．
B．Many colleges are experiencing low rate of graduation．
C．Many college students stay away from classes．
D．It is hard for many colleges to get financial aid from the government．
65．The title of the book Crossing the Finish Line probably means______．
A．running to the end of the line B．going to college
C．finishing college education D．working hard in college
66．Why do some students under--match ?
A．Because they have financial difficulty． B．Because they face ambition crisis．
C．Because they lack confidence． D．Because they can’t get guidance．
67．The passage is mainly about _______．
A．problems with secondary American education and possible solutions
B．America’s financial crisis, its cause and influence
C．low rate of American college graduation, its cause and its influence
D．relationship between American education and its economy