He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental（精神的）illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. But after his death, he achieved world fame. Today, Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of
the leading artists of all time.
Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 “The van Gogh Year”in his honor. And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary（周年纪念）with exhibitions throughout the year. The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art.
Van Gogh was the son of a pastor（牧师）. He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery（画廊）salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art.
Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brush strokes（笔画）.“Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use color more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly,” he wrote in a letter to his brother in 1888.
Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on the support from his brother, an art dealer who lived in Paris. But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His portrait of Dr. Gacher sold for $89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. “I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colors in them are attractive to people,” said a Van Gogh’s fan. All through his life, Van Gogh __________.
| A．depended on his brother | B．worked hard on art studies |
| C．was not recognized by people | D．expressed himself in paintings |
Van Gogh killed himself because of ___________.
| A．the poor life | B．his illness |
| C．his pain from left ear | D．the objections from the artists of his time |
One of the characteristics of Van Gogh’s paintings is ______________.
| A．the likeness between his paintings and the reality |
| B．the short time for him to complete a painting |
| C．the various styles mixed together |
| D．the special strokes he made |
The selling of his paintings is considered to be the most successful because ________.
| A．more and more people like his paintings |
| B．people can understand him through his paintings |
| C．1.3 million people visit his painting museum every year |
| D．Zundert has made 2003 “The Van Gogh Year” in his honor |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．his powerful art came from his poor life |
| B．his fellow townsmen regret treating him unfairly |
| C．all his paintings were drawn in the last 10 years of his life |
| D．most of his paintings are kept in the museum of his hometown |
Passage 1
The information Highway is the road that links computer users to a large number of on-line services; the Web, e-mail, and software, to mention just a few. Not long ago, the information Highway was a new road, with not many users. Now, everyone seems to want to take a drive, with over 30 million families connected worldwide. Not surprisingly, this well-traveled highway is starting to look like a well-traveled highway. Traffic jams can cause many serious problems, forcing the system to close down for repair. Naturally, accidents will happen on such a crowed road, and usually victims are some files, gone forever. Then, of course, there’s Mr. Cool, with his new broad-band connection, who speeds down the highway faster than most of us can go. But don’t trick yourself; he pays for that speeding.
Passage 2
Want to know more about global warming and how you can help prevent it? Doctor Herman Friedman, who is considered a leading expert on the subject, will speak at Grayson Hall next Friday. Friedman studied environmental science at three well-known universities around the world before becoming a professor in the subject. He has also traveled around the world observing environmental concerns. The gradual bleaching (变白) of the Grate Barrier Reef, which came into the public eye in 2002, in his latest interest. Signed copies of his colorful book, which was published just last month, will be on sale after his talk.The Information Highway________.
| A．appeals to a large number of users |
| B．is crowded with car drivers |
| C．offers just a few on-line services] |
| D．is free from traffic accidents |
How does MR .Cool manage to travel the Information Highway so fast?
| A．By storing fewer files. |
| B．By repair the system. |
| C．By using a broad-band connection. |
| D．By buying a better computer. |
What can be learned from Passage 2?
| A．There will be a book show at Grayson Hall |
| B．Friedman is now studying the Great Barrier Reef. |
| C．Friedman is a leading expert on computer science. |
| D．There will be a talk on global warming this week. |
Passage 2 is most probably
| A．An ad for a new book. |
| B．A poster about a lecture. |
| C．A note to a doctor in a university. |
| D．An introduction to a professor. |
According to the passage, which of the following statement is not true?
| A．Doctor Herman Friedman is a famous expert on environmental science. |
| B．A new book has been published recently by Doctor Herman Friedman. |
| C．The colorful new book, signed by him, will be sold before the talk. |
| D．Doctor Herman Friedman has studied the changes of the Grate Barrier Reef. |
Getting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, the attitudes to dirt are always changing.
In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, and washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546. Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.
Though the belief above was longlived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ.Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea; clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?
Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many firsttime parents nervously try to warn their children off touching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease. On the contrary，Mary Ruebush，an American immunologist(免疫学家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because ________.
| A．they believed disease could be spread in public baths |
| B．they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay in |
| C．they lived healthily in a dirty environment |
| D．they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease |
Which of the following best describes Henry IV's attitude to bathing?
| A．Approving. | B．Afraid. | C．Curious. | D．Uninterested. |
How does the passage mainly develop?
| A．By providing examples. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of importance. |
| D．By following the order of time. |
What is the author's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To stress the role of dirt. |
| B．To introduce the history of dirt. |
| C．To present the change of views on dirt. |
| D．To call attention to the danger of dirt. |
For centuries, the body's blood has been linked closely with the emotions. People who show no human emotions or feelings, are said to be cold-blooded. For example, the police are searching for a cold-blooded killer. He seems to kill for no reason, and no emotion, as if taking someone's life as nothing．
Cold can affect other parts of the body. The expression “get cold feet” has nothing to do with cold or your feet．The expression means being afraid to do something you have decided to do．For example, you agree to be president of an organization．But then you learn that all the other officers have resigned（辞职）, and all the work of the organization will be your responsibility. You are likely to get cold feet about being president when you understand the situation．
The expression “give someone the cold shoulder” probably comes from the physical act of turning your back toward someone, instead of speaking to him face to face. You may give a cold shoulder to a friend who has not kept a promise he made to you. Or, to someone who has lied about you to others．
A cold fish is not a fish．It is a person．But it is a person who is unfriendly, and shows no love or warmth. A cold fish does not offer much of himself to anyone. Someone who is a cold fish could be cold-hearted. Now a cold-hearted person is someone who has no sympathy. Several popular songs in recent years were about cold-hearted men or cold-hearted women who, without feelings, broke the hearts of their lovers．
“Out in the cold” means not getting something that everybody else got. A person might say that everybody but him got a pay raise. He was left out in the cold. And it is not a pleasant place to be．When you refuse to speak to a man and treat him in a distant way, you may express by “_____”．
| A．I give him the cold shoulder |
| B．I think he is a cold-blooded man |
| C．I think he is a cold fish |
| D．I'm likely to get cold feet |
If Sue shows absolutely no reaction to those awful pictures of starving children in Africa, you will say ______．
| A．she is a cold-blooded killer | B．she gets cold feet |
| C．she is a cold fish | D．she is out in the cold |
We can use the expression “_____" to describe a man who hurts his lover without mercy．
| A．cold-blooded | B．cold-hearted | C．cold feet | D．cold shoulder |
The topic of this passage is about _____．
| A．the relationship between cold and our body |
| B．some expressions about friendship |
| C．some expressions connected with cold |
| D．how cold weather comes into being |
Children today are crazy about roller skating（溜冰）, for it's easy and fun. After supper on week days, anytime on weekends and especially any day in school holidays, so many roller skaters flow into streets, squares, parks and playgrounds. What a beautiful sight!
But a long time ago, roller skating was a different story. Before 1750, the idea of skating didn't exist. That changed because of a man named Joseph Merlin，whose work was making musical instruments. In his spare time he liked playing the violin. Merlin was a man of ideas and dreams. People called him a dreamer.
One day Merlin received an invitation to attend a fancy dress ball. Very pleased and a little excited, he accepted it. As the day of the party came near, Merlin began to think hard how to make an impressive entrance at the party. A strange idea struck him one day—he would get a lot of attention if he could skate into the room.
He tried different ways to make himself roll. Finally, he decided to put two wheels under each shoe. These were the first roller skates. Very proud of his invention, he couldn't wait for the special day to come, when he would arrive at the party on wheels while playing the violin.
On the night of the party Merlin did as he had planned, rolling into the room playing his violin. Quite astonished，all present cast their eyes over him. Then, unexpectedly, came one problem. Merlin had no way to stop his roller skates. He rolled on and on. Suddenly, he ran into a huge mirror that was hanging on the wall. Down fell the mirror, breaking to pieces. Nobody forgot Merlin's grand entrance for a long time!Merlin was considered a dreamer because he ________.
| A．always dreamed while sleeping |
| B．had very rich imagination |
| C．often gave others surprises |
| D．invented the roller skates |
Merlin roller skated into the room in order to ________.
| A．arrive at the party on time |
| B．impress the party guests |
| C．test his new roller skates |
| D．make the host satisfied |
The main point the writer tries to make in the last paragraph is ________.
| A．the party guests laughed at Merlin |
| B．the roller skates needed improving |
| C．Merlin got himself into great trouble |
| D．Merlin succeeded beyond expectation |
The text is mainly about ________.
| A．an unusual party | B．a funny musician |
| C．the origin of roller skating | D．the great joy Merlin brought |
Animals seem to have the sense to eat when they are hungry and they do not eat more than their bodies need. It has been shown that rats will, when given a choice over a period of time, prefer water with vitamins(维生素) to water without vitamins, even though there is no difference in taste or smell between the two water bottles. When a sweet smell was added to the vitamins-enriched water, the rats did seem to develop a taste for it and kept drinking it, even after the vitamins were changed to the clear water. In time(最后), however, they broke the habit and went back to where the necessary vitamins were.
In experiments, babies of 6 to 12 months old were placed in a room with many choices of baby food before them. They were given whatever food they pointed to or appeared interested in. We are told that at first they showed some unusual eating habits, but over a period of time they managed to choose a well-balanced diet.
So in choosing food, rats and babies do seem to know what's best for them. Clearly, there is a kind of “body wisdom”, which humans soon lose. Most of us do not eat as wisely as we could. Many of our food preferences are culturally determined and influenced by old habits. Some people eat foxes, dogs and blackbirds, while we eat cows and pigs. So what people eat and how much they eat seem to be greatly influenced by what is going around them. In the experiment on rats, a sweet smell was added to the rats’ drinking water to ________ .
| A．encourage rats to drink vitamins-enriched water |
| B．test whether rats know which drink is good for them |
| C．find out rats’ preference in flavor(口味) |
| D．show the vitamins are tasteless |
Talking about eating habits, babies and rats are just like each other because ________ .
| A．both have the wisdom to choose a balanced diet |
| B．both prefer flavored food and drink |
| C．both have the same eating habits |
| D．both develop a taste for the same kinds of food |
In the experiment mentioned in the second paragraph, babies were ________ .
| A．given many choices of drinks |
| B．placed and fed in a hospital |
| C．given all kinds of baby food |
| D．trained to select a balanced diet |
Grown-up people’s eating habits differ from those of babies because ________ .
| A．they know better than babies what kinds of food are good for their health |
| B．they usually cannot say no to all kinds of delicious foods |
| C．their eating habits have much to do with the social and cultural customs |
| D．they have more choices of food than babies in eating patterns |