We were standing at the top of a church tower. My father had brought me to this spot in a small town not far from our home in Rome. I wondered why.
“Look down, Elsa,” father said. I gathered all my courage and looked down. I saw the square in the center of the village. And I saw the crisscross (十字形) of twisting, turning streets leading to the square. “ See, my dear,” father said gently. “ There is more than one way to the square. Life is like that. If you can’t get to the place where you want to go by one road, try another.”
Now I understood why I was there. Earlier that day I had begged my mother to do something about the awful(糟糕的) lunches that were served at school. But she refused because she could not believe the lunches were as bad as I said.
When I turned to father for help, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he brought me to this high tower to give me a lesson. By the time we reached home, I had a plan.
At school the next day, I secretly poured my luncheon（午餐）soup into a bottle and brought it home. Then I asked our cook to serve it to mother at dinner. The plan worked perfectly. She swallowed one spoonful and sputtered（喷溅出） “ The cook must have gone mad！” Quickly I told her what I had done, and Mother stated firmly that she would take up the matter of lunches at school the next day!
In the years that followed I often remembered the lesson father taught me. I began to work as a fashion designer two years ago. I wouldn’t stop working until I tried every possible means to my goal. Father’s wise words always remind me that there is more than one way to the square.The author's father took her to the top of a church tower to _____．
| A．enjoy the beautiful scenery of the whole town |
| B．find out how many ways lead to the square |
| C．inspire her to find out another way to solve her problem |
| D．help her forget some unpleasant things earlier that day |
What did the author want her mother to do earlier that day?
| A．Do something delicious for lunch. |
| B．Taste her awful lunch. |
| C．Dismiss the mad cook. |
| D．Speak to the school about lunch. |
By sharing her own experiences, the author tries to tell us ____________.
| A．when one road is blocked, try another |
| B．how bad the lunch of her school is |
| C．how wise her father is |
| D．about the church tower near her home |
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。
Does your cordless phone crackle (噼噼响) , fade, or go dead when you move only a few feet from the base? If so, we recommend that you try a Techtalk cordless phone.
Techtalk cordless phones arc the only ones with the patented Cellular 6 technology. The result is a phone with excellent clarity, range, and security.
Clarity: It's essential that you communicate efficiently and effectively. No static (静电), echo, or crackling will ever interfere (干扰) with your conversations on a Tcchtalk phone.
Range: Techtalk provides up to four times the range of an ordinary cordless phone. It will go anywhere you need it throughout your home in your yard, even around the Block.
Security: Some cordless phones allow other cordless phone users to overhear (偷听) your conversations. Not Techtalk. We guarantee (保证) complete privacy whenever you talk to your friends, family , or business associates.
You decide an ordinary cordless phone or Techtalk? Visit your favorite electronics store this month and take a Techtalk home for a 30-day trial. If you don't agree that it's superior to all other cordless phones, return it for a full refund.
56. This passage is _________.
A. a newspaper article B. an advertisement C. a letter D. a scientific introduction
57. What is Techtalk?
A. A kind of cordless phones.
B. A company that used cordless phones.
C. A new technology that reduces static.
D. A mobile phone with the patented Cellular 6 technology.
58. This month, you can ________.
A. get a reduced price on a Techtalk
B. try a Techtalk at home
C. get any cordless phone which you like
D. exchange a Techtalk phone for an ordinary phone.
Nowadays, it is possible to travel to distant parts of the globe in several hours. This can result in the traveler ending up in a part of the world where time is different from his or her own “body clock” ,which control our sleep patterns.
If we travel east or west by more than four time zones (hours) then we will usually be affected.
In the past when people traveled by sea, there was enough time for the body to adjust to the local time, but with the advent of modern high speed aircraft the body does not have time to adjust. Therefore, there is the term “jet lag(时差反应)”. It normally takes one day per time zone (hour) for the body to adjust to its new surroundings.
The effects of jet lag are usually tiredness and insomnia (失眠) but can also include: poor concentration, nausea (恶心) ,vomiting (呕吐), constipation (便秘) and general malaise (不舒服). The effects are made worse by alcohol.
Sleeping while flying may help to reduce the symptoms (症状) of jet lag, but long periods of immobility aboard aircraft can make the traveler feel numb(麻木的) in the legs. The following are some other tips of reducing the symptoms of jet lag:
①Avoid traveling when you are already tired and rest before departure.
②Stopovers on long flights may be helpful.
③A relaxed flight is important.
④Sleeping tablets will help you to sleep and be correspondingly alert (相对警惕的) during the next day, but they do not speed up adjustment to the new time zone.
⑤Remember the actual traveling time will usually be at least twice the actual time spent in the air since it will include traveling to and from and hanging around in airports.
⑥Avoid heavy commitments on the first day after arrival.
57. The following are the effects of jet lag EXCEPT _____.
A. tiredness B. coughing C. insomnia D. vomiting
58. The word “immobility” in the fifth paragraph means “_____”.
A. stillness B. movement C. activity D. happiness
59. We can reduce the symptoms of jet lag by _____.
A. drinking some alcohol B. keeping ourselves awake
C. taking some medicine D. sleeping while flying
60. What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To suggest people travel by sea instead of by air.
B. To tell people the effects of jet lag.
C. To give people some advice about reducing the symptoms of jet lag.
D. To tell people about their body clock.
Why I Don’t Spare “Spare Change”
“Poor but honest. ” “The deserving poor.” These words always come to my mind when I think of “the poor”. But I also think of people who, perhaps through alcohol or drugs, have ruined not only their own lives but also the lives of others in order to give way to their own pleasure. Perhaps alcoholism and drug addiction really are “diseases”, as many people say, but my own feeling－ based, of course, not on any serious study－is that most alcoholics and drug addicts belong to the “undeserving poor”. And that is largely why I don’t give spare change to beggars.
But surely among the street people there are also some who can rightly be called “deserving”. Deserving what? My spare change? Or simply the government’s assistance? It happens that I have been brought up to believe that it is proper to make contributions to charity（慈善机构）, but if I give some change to a beggar, am I making a contribution to charity and thereby helping someone, or, am I perhaps simply encouraging someone not to get help? Or, maybe even worse, am I supporting a cheat?
If one believes in the value of private charity, one can either give to needy people or to charitable organizations. In giving to a beggar one may indeed be helping a person who badly needs help, but one cannot be certain that one is giving to a needy person. In giving to an organization, on the other hand, one can feel that one’s money is likely to be used wisely. True, facing a beggar one may feel that this particular unfortunate person needs help at this moment－a cup of coffee or a sandwich－and the need will not be met unless I put my hand in my pocket right now. But I have come to think that the beggars whom I meet can get along without my spare change, and indeed perhaps they are actually better off for not having money to buy alcohol or drugs.
I know nothing about these beggars, but it’s my impression that they simply prefer begging to working. I am not generalizing about street people. I am talking about the people whom I actually meet. That’s why I do not give “spare change”, and I don’t think I will in the future.
53. What does the author think of beggars who take drugs?
A. They should be given a check-up. B. They really need money to live.
C. They have no pleasure in life. D. They are not worth helping.
54. Why doesn’t the author give money to street people?
A. He doesn’t think they need help.
B. He doesn’t have enough money to give.
C. He is not convinced they will use it rightly.
D. He believes they can get help from the government.
55. In the second paragraph, the author presents his idea by_____.
A. asking questions for people to think about B. giving examples to support his argument
C. raising questions and answering them D. expressing his opinions directly
56. Which of the following opinions does the author accept?
A. Drug addiction is a disease.
B. Some street people are poor and needy.
C. Most beggars have received enough help.
D. Charitable organizations handle money properly.
Telecommuting(远程办公) will have major effects on the worlds of work and family life. However, its biggest effect will be in the area of individual freedom, responsibility and time management.
Work and workplaces will change greatly. Offices may become smaller, as fewer desks are needed. There will be greater need for high-speed Internet connections to link the office and the home, and even homes to other homes, as other employees also begin working at home. Hours spent in traffic jams, and fights for parking should diminish(减少), as workers travel less.
Family life will also change. Both husbands and wives will be able to arrange their work around family commitments such as taking children to school, cooking, spare time activities, and so on. However, households(家人) will also have to set aside areas for work-particularly if more than one person is telecommuting.
However, although the ideas of more time at home and less time traveling are attractive, there are some drawbacks to telecommuting. People may feel that they cannot escape from work, work longer hours, or become less social. The quality of work may suffer because of fewer face-to-face interactions with other employees, and there may be delays if other workers are not immediately available. Telecommuters may also feel isolated. A major change will be in the way people think about work as a place or an institution. Instead, they will focus on the task or the product. Workers may feel less loyal to a company.
In conclusion, the effects are difficult to predict because they depend on the extent to which telecommuting becomes popular. At the same time, however, telecommuting could be the start of a major societal shift, possibly as big as the Industrial Revolution which created our present ideas of work.
49. This passage was mainly written to tell us _____.
A. about the advantages of telecommutingB. how telecommuting will change the world
C. that telecommuting will affect family life D. how to telecommute in the future
50. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?
A. The disadvantages of telecommuting. B. Setting aside areas for work.
C. The future of telecommuting. D. The employees’ focus on work.
51. With telecommuting in the future, which of the following will be reduced?
A. Working hours and family time. B. Face-to-face communication.
C. Spare time and individual freedom.D. Spending time with friends.
52. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Telecommuting will change the world completely.
B. There will be no traffic jams because of telecommuting.
C. Work efficiency will increase through telecommuting.
D. Telecommuting workers will likely change their jobs.
Throughout the ages, man has tried to create beauty through painting, music, sculpture(雕刻) and other kinds of artistic expression. It seems to be a basic need for humans to surround themselves with art. Some people, however, feel that the government is wasting money by spending it on art, particularly when there are so many other more important things that the money can be used for.
It can be wrong for governments to spend large sums of money on art. Too often, governments spend the money unwisely. Cities end up with huge statues or expensive, empty buildings that are only used by a few people. Many times, the art is also chosen to represent social or political
rather than artistic ideas, and even if it represents artistic ideas, tastes in art can change very rapidly. Without thinking carefully about how to spend the money, the people may end up with an expensive collection of worthless paintings of tasteless productions.
At the same time it would be wrong to say that governments should not spend any money at all on art. Painters, musicians, and composers cannot survive without monetary support. Many times, the art is inaccessible (很难到的) to ordinary people because only rich people and large companies can afford it. Governments have a duty to make this art available to everyone. Art helps people enjoy life,
Although people do need to be provided with the necessities of life, governments also have a duty to provide their citizens with something more. I firmly believe that spending money on art is vital (必不可少的) part of a government’s responsibility, and I am confident that my country is able to contribute a great deal to the rich collection of art from around passage?
45. What does the author mainly tell us in the passage?
A. Why tastes in art change so rapidly.
B. The importance of art to human beings.
C. Humans’ need to be surrounded by art.
D. Whether or not the government should spend money on art.
46. The following are reasons why governments spend too much money on arts EXCEPT that _____.
A. art is changing with time rapidly
B. they choose art to serve political purpose
C. they don’t think carefully enough about what to buy
D. art is necessary for the life of poor people
47. The underlined word “monetary” in the third paragraph probably means“_____”.
A. political B. financial C. temporary(临时的) D. continuous
48. According to the author, what is the function of art?
A. Art can be very valuable when it is traded. B. Art makes people’s lives worthwhile.
C. Art can unite governments. D. Art can make governments fashionable.