I have had the privilege of meeting some very interesting people over the years. Some of these people made a great impact on my life, my views and personal philosophy. Others I met had the opposite effect because they represented attitudes, behavior and beliefs that were directly opposed to my views on life and my feelings about the value of all people.
One such person I met was a woman in her late seventies. She had been an active woman, raised a family and had engaged in helping others, and developed her own crafts to sell at selected craft shows throughout the year.
When I met her for the first time, I couldn’t believe that she was in her late seventies — I would have placed her age more in her early sixties. After speaking with her for a short period, it was only then that the conversation seemed to turn to age. And, it wasn’t a conversation about the frailty (脆弱) of age, or the aches and pains, or about pleasures lost.
The conversation, instead, focused on her zest for life and all the things that she was in the planning stages of doing. And, what she was planning to do wasn’t about going to a seniors group so she and her husband could go on a bus tour. What she was planning was an excursion (旅行) to Europe, unaccompanied by any tour operator or taken around the usual sights by a local guide.
She really impressed me a lot because of her zest for life; for an uncompromising view of the future not in the least affected by her age; for the undying faith in knowing that there was a great deal of life yet to be discovered and experienced and yearning for each new image, discussion, smell, cultural uniqueness or experience. From the text we know_____________.
| A．the woman had much sight-seeing around the world. |
| B．the woman was willing to help others. |
| C．the woman made great wealth by selling crafts. |
| D．the woman talked a lot about her age. |
The old woman impressed the author because ______________.
| A．she kept young in spite of her age |
| B．she had experienced a lot in life |
| C．she never gave in to the aches and pains in life |
| D．she had a positive outlook on life |
What kind of tone does the author use to describe the woman?
A. Doubtful. C. Concerning. C. Sympathetic. D. Appreciative.The underlined word “zest” in the fourth paragraph probably means“_____________”.
| A．enthusiasm | B．concept | C．view | D．satisfaction |
| My Left Foot (1989) Imagine being a prisoner of your own body, unable to make any movements except to move your left foot. The main character in My Left Foot, based on the real story of cerebral palsy (大脑性麻痹) sufferer Christy Brown, can hardly move his mouth to speak, but by controlling his left foot, he’s able to express himself as an artist and poet. For his moving performance of Brown, Daniel Lewis won his first Academy Award for best actor. |
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| Shine (1996) Do you have a talent you’re afraid to share with the world? David Helfgott seemed meant from childhood to be “one of the truly great pianists,” but the pressures of performing (and pleasing his father) resulted in a complete breakdown. Ten years in a mental institution didn’t weaken Helfgott’s musical gift. When he was rediscovered, he was playing concertos in a bar. Shine received seven Oscar nominations (提名), and Geoffrey Rush won best actor for his performance of Helfgott. |
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| Life Is Beautiful (1997) Nothing’s more powerful than the love between a parent and a child. In this heartbreaking Italian film, a father (Roberto Benigni) makes an unbelievable sacrifice for his 4-year-old son: trapped in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945, the Jewish man convinces his boy that they are playing a complex game. He manages to spare him the horror of the terrible war, and even in his final moments of life, keeps his son smiling and hopeful. Benigni won the best actor Oscar. |
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| Stand and Deliver (1988) Few people can inspire us more than a good teacher. Jaime Escalante (Edward James Olmos got Oscar nomination for best actor) is a great one. Employed at a high school where kids are expected to fail, Escalante challenges his math students to struggle for better things, like getting good grades in the AP exam. Despite the difficulties in their lives, the classmates achieve their goals, thanks to Mr. Escalante’s support. The real Jaime Escalante, the Best Teacher in America, says that Stand and Deliver is “ 90% truth, 10% drama.” |
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The underlined part in the passage means _________.
| A．The main character in My Left Foot is a prisoner |
| B．The main character in My Left Foot is a disabled person |
| C．The main character in My Left Foot is trapped by others |
| D．The main character in My Left Foot can’t control his whole body |
If you want to watch a movie about wars, which may be one of your choices?
| A．My Left Foot. | B．Life Is Beautiful. |
| C．Shine. | D．Stand and Deliver. |
Jaime Escalante has a talent for _________.
| A．teaching | B．drawing and writing |
| C．making stories | D．playing the piano |
What do the four movies have in common?
| A．They are all based on real stories. |
| B．The main characters all won Academy Award for Best Actor. |
| C．They are all inspiring stories that make a difference. |
| D．The main characters are all sick to some degree but succeed. |
We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class.
“You could win prizes,” our teacher told us as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard. She passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing, “The first prize is ten dollars. You just have to make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster. ”
We studied the board carefully. Some of us looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the blackboard, rocking the sheets to the right or left while we conjured up our designs. Others twisted their hair around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought. We had plans for that ten-dollar grand prize, each and every one of us. I’m going to spend mine on candies, one hopeful would announce, while another practiced looking serious, wise and rich.
Everyone in the class made a poster. Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins, while others used nothing but colored construction paper. Some of us used big designs, and some of us preferred to gather our art tidily down in one corner of our poster and let the space draw the viewer’s attention to it. Some of us would wander past the good students’ desks and then return to our own projects with a growing sense of hopelessness. It was yet another grown-up trick of the sort they seemed especially fond of, making all of us believe we had a fair chance, and then always—always—rewarding the same old winners.
I believe I drew a sailboat, but I can’t say that with any certainty. I made it. I admired it. I determined it to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen, and then I turned it in.
Minutes passed. No one came along to give me the grand prize, and then someone distracted(扰乱注意力) me, and I probably never would have thought about that poster again.
I was still sitting at my desk, thinking, What poster? When the teacher gave me an envelope with a ten-dollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me.What was the teacher’s requirement for the poster?
| A．It must appear in time. |
| B．It must be done in class. |
| C．It must be done on a construction sheet. |
| D．It must include the words on the blackboard. |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 most probably means “_________”.
| A．formed an idea for | B．seek some suggestions for |
| C．made some space for | D．chose some colors for |
After seeing the good students’ designs, some students _________.
| A．loved their own designs more |
| B．thought they had a fair chance |
| C．put their own designs in a corner |
| D．thought they would not win the prize |
We can infer from the passage that the author _________.
| A．enjoyed grown-up tricks very much |
| B．loved poster competitions very much |
| C．felt surprised to win the competition |
| D．became wise and rich after the competition |
According to the Ministry of Health, 260 million Chinese people have chronic（慢性）diseases, and 85 percent of all deaths in China are caused by such diseases. Among them, cardiovascular（心血管的）disease has bothered more people than any other kind of chronic disease.
According to the WHO(World Health Organization), salt consumption（消耗）, one of the key causes of high blood pressure that can lead to cardiovascular disease, is much higher in China than in other countries.
Douglas Bettcher, the director of the WHO’s Tobacco Free Initiative, says, “The average Chinese person consumes about 12 to 14 grams (of salt) per day, while the suggestion of the WHO is consumption of less than 5 grams per day. High salt consumption is a major cause of cardiovascular disease and high pressure in China.
Changing the way that food is prepared could reduce salt consumption in China.
Another major risk factor in China is smoking. Dr Michael O’Leary, a representative of the WHO, says, “We know already that one million deaths in China are related to smoking, This is an enormous number. It means that we are seeing nearly 3000 deaths a day in China, or two deaths every minute, related to smoking.
According to O’Leary, about 26 percent of men who die from smoking-related diseases in China die before the age of 60. People who can still contribute a great deal, in other words, are dying too young.
China has tried to ban smoking , but more efforts are needed.
More than half of chronic diseases are preventable by changing lifestyles and reducing risks. The four key risk factors are: smoking, diets high in fats, salt and sugar, environments that prevent physical activities, and alcohol consumption. These are the areas on which efforts to make changes need to concentrate.Which of the following is more in China than in other countries?
| A．The amount of salt consumed |
| B．The number of deaths caused by high blood pressure. |
| C．The number of people with cardiovascular disease. |
| D．The number of people with high blood pressure. |
According to the WHO, how much salt should a Chinese person consume?
| A．About 12 to 14 grams per day. |
| B．Less than 5 grams per day. |
| C．About 17 to 19 grams per day. |
| D．About 7 to 9 grams per day. |
Why does O’Leary mention “26 percent of men” in Paragraph 6?
| A．To show China needs to try to ban smoking. |
| B．To show smoking causes the deaths of elderly people. |
| C．To show smoking causes the deaths of too many young people. |
| D．To show the number of smoking-related deaths in China is large. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．There are four causes of chronic diseases. |
| B．The change in lifestyles can prevent some chronic diseases. |
| C．No smoking or alcohol means no chronic diseases. |
| D．If we do physical activities, we will have no chronic diseases. |
We all need friends and we always have. Our ancestors found that gaining the basic necessities of life was easier in a group. It’s estimated that the maximum number of people who lived in early communities of hunter-gatherers was 150.
Friends aren’t bound（受……限制）by blood or family bonds, employment contracts or legal obligations. Our circle of associates includes work colleagues and people we meet at parties, in the pub or on the train to work. Some associates are much more important than our family. We are capable of exchanging an email with these associates, and may have mutual acquaintances with a good number of them, providing common ground. We do things for one another because we want to. Whether writing an answer to a photo put on Facebook, sending a birthday card by post, or making a hospital visit, the efforts we have made for our friends are out of kindness. It is this nature of friendship which requires nothing in return that makes it beneficial and valuable.
Friendships take work, and they need to be nurtured, nourished and maintained. We feel good about helping our friends because we are friends. However, we often lose touch with our friends because of a lack of time and energy. When we are carrying a heavy load at work, involved in a serious relationship or raising children, it’s hard to spare time for friends. In these situations, we need to remind ourselves of what friends are for and why they can be so important in our lives.
In a survey of more than 2,000 married couples aged 55 or older, for both men and women, having friends was the best predictor of being satisfied in marriage — possibly because they were more satisfied with their lives as a result of having friends.
Researchers suggest social relationships are the reason why women live longer than men, Social bonds reduce the risk of disease by reducing blood pressure, cholesterol（胆固醇）and heart rate. A lack of good friends is as harmful to your health as smoking or being overweight. Indeed, people without friends are more likely to die younger. Not only do friendships prolong（延长）our lives, they make us happier too. People who are socially active don’t feel so stressed or feel they can not enjoy anything easily — they also tend to feel better about their lives and who they are.What makes friendship beneficial and valuable?
| A．Its being not bound by blood or family bonds. |
| B．Its being easy to maintain. |
| C．The good we have done to our friends. |
| D．That we make efforts for friends out of kindness. |
What should we do when we have no time for friends?
| A．Quit our jobs. |
| B．Give our friends calls. |
| C．Remind ourselves of what friends are for. |
| D．Turn to our friends for help. |
What can we infer from the survey in the fourth paragraph?
| A．Having friends makes people satisfied in marriage. |
| B．The older people are, the more satisfied they are in marriage. |
| C．Married couples are more satisfied with their lives. |
| D．Married couples are easier to have friends. |
What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Friendships prolong our lives and make us happy. |
| B．Men should learn to be socially active. |
| C．Women live longer than men. |
| D．Women tend to be less stressed. |
Dolphins call out the specific names of loved ones when they become separated, a study finds. Other than humans, they are the only animals known to do this, according to the study. The big difference with dolphins is that these communications consist of whistles（鸣叫）, not words.
Earlier research found that dolphins have a “signature whistle” that would be somewhat like human shouting, “Hey everybody! I’m an adult healthy male named George, and I mean you no harm. ”
The new finding is that dolphins also say the names of certain other dolphins. “Animals produced copies of the same sound when they were separated from a close partner. This supports our belief that dolphins copy another animal’s signature whistle when they want to reunite with that animal,” Stephanie King, who led the study, says.
King and her colleagues collected acoustic（声音的）data from wild dolphins around Sarasota Bay, Florida, from 1984 to 2009. The researchers also studied four adult male dolphins housed at the Seas Aquarium, also in Florida.
Those males are adults that keepers named Calvin, Khyber, Malabar and Ranier, all of whom, as well as all of the wild ones, developed their own signature whistles that served as names in communication with other dolphins.
“A dolphin uses its signature whistle to broadcast its identity and announce its presence. The signature whistles allow animals to identify one another over long distances and allow animals to recognize one another and to join up with each other,” King explains. “Dolphin whistles can be heard up to 20km away, depending on water depth and whistle frequency（频率）.”
The researchers said dolphins copy the signature whistles of loved ones, such as a mother, when the two are separated. These “names” are always used in positive situations, and are only directed toward loved ones.
While researchers are often unwilling to apply the word language to non-human communications, dolphins clearly have a very complex communication system.The underlined word “housed” in Paragraph 4 probably means “_________”.
| A．raised | B．saved |
| C．discovered | D．hunted |
Which of the following plays a part in whether dolphin whistles can be heard over a distance?
| A．The dolphin’s identity. |
| B．The water temperature |
| C．The whistle frequency. |
| D．The dolphin’s age. |
When do dolphins copy the signature whistles of loved ones?
| A．When there is a fight. | B．When their keeper comes. |
| C．When they are apart. | D．When they are hungry. |
Where is the passage probably taken from?
| A．A magazine about scientific advances. |
| B．A website about various animals. |
| C．A report on animal acoustics. |
| D．An essay about the relationship between humans and animals. |