Musicdiedherelastspring,orrath-优题课

Because plants cannot move or talk, it is believed that they have no feelings and that they cannot receive signals from outside. However, this may not be completely true.
People who studied plants have found out that plants carry a small electrical charge (电荷). It is possible to measure this charge with a small piece of equipment called “galvanometer”. The galvanometer is placed on a leaf off the plant, and it records any changes in the electrical field of the leaf. Humans have a similar field which can change when we are shocked or frightened.
A man called Backster used a galvanometer for his studies of plants and was very surprised at his results. He found that if he had two or more plants in a room and he began to destroy one of them － perhaps by pulling off its leaves or by pulling it out of its pot － then the galvanometer on the leaves of the other plants showed a change in the electrical field. It seemed as if the plants were signalling a feeling of shock. This happened not only when Backster started to destroy plants, but also when he destroyed other living things such as insects (昆虫).
Backster said that the plants also knew if someone had destroyed a living thing some distance away, because they signalled when a man who had just cut down a tree entered the room.
Another scientist, named Sauvin, achieved similar results to Backster’s. He kept galvanometers fixed to his plants all the time and checked regularly to see what the plants were doing. If he was out of the office, he telephoned to find out about the signals the plants were sending. In this way, he found that the plants were sending out signals at the exact times when he felt strong pleasure or pain. In fact, Sauvin could cause a change in the electrical field of his plants over a distance of a few miles simply by thinking about them.
60. Why was Backster surprised at the results of his studies?
A. Because he found someone had just cut down a tree.
B. Because he destroyed a plant by pulling it out of its pot.
C. Because he found that plants could move and speak after all.
D. Because he found that plants could express feelings of shock.
61. The plants sent out signals _____.
A. only when Backster Started to destroy plants
B. when Backster destroyed plants or other living things
C. only when he destroyed things such as insects
D. only when Backster placed the galvanometer on the leaves of the plants
62. The scientist called Sauvin _____.
A. did not agree with Backster’s ideas
B. did not get the same sort of results as Backster did
C. found out some of the same things that Backster did
D. got different results from Backster’s
63. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The electrical charge plants carry may shock or frighten us.
B. A tree will signal when it has been cut down.
C. Sauvin could make his plants send out signals some distance away.
D. Plants have feelings because they can receive signals without moving.

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和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Nowadays, we hear a lot about the growing threat of globalization, accompanied by those warnings that the rich pattern of local life is being undermined（破坏）, and many dialects and traditions are becoming extinct. But stop and think for a moment about the many positive aspects that globalization is bringing. Read on and you are sure to feel comforted, ready to face the global future
Consider the Internet, that good example of our shrinking world. Leaving aside the worries about political extremism, even the most narrow-minded must admit that the net offers a lot of benefits, not just in terms of education, the sector（部分）for which it was originally designed, but more importantly on a global level, the spread of news and comment. It will be increasingly difficult for politicians to misinform the public, as the oppressed（被压迫的）will not only find support and comfort, but also be able to organize themselves more effectively.
MTV is another global provider that is often criticized for imposing（强加）popular culture on the unsuspecting millions around the world. Yet the viewers’ judgment on MTV is undoubtedly positive; it is regarded as necessary by most of the global teenage generation who watch it, a vital part of growing up. And in the final analysis, what harm can a few songs and videos cause?
Is the world dominance（绝对优势）of brands like Nike and Coca-Cola so bad for us, when all is said and done? Sportswear and soft drinks are harmless products when compared to the many other things that have been globally available for a longer period of time----heroin and cocaine, for example. In any case, just because Nike shoes and Coke cans are for sale, it doesn’t mean you have to buy them----even globalization cannot take away people’s free will.
Critics of globalization can stop presenting their doom and gloom statements. Life goes on, and has more to offer for many citizens of the world than it did for their parents’ generation.
56．Some people feel sad about globalization because they believe it will ____________.
A．affect the rich local life
B．bring threat to the world peace
C．change their present easy lifestyle
D．increase the size of people speaking dialects
57．Internet was originally designed______________.
A．to spread news and comment
B．to get support and comfort
C．to organize the oppressed more effectively
D．to promote education
58. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. The Internet makes people worried about political extremism.
B. Nike and Coca-cola shouldn’t have caused so much worry.
C. All of the global teenage generation think that MTV is a necessary and important part for their growing up.
D. Sportswear and soft drinks cannot be compared with drug.
59．Which of the following could be the best title of the passage?
A．Globalization is Standardization（标准化）
B．Globalization: Don’t Worry, Be Happy
C．Globalization: Like it or change it
D．Globalization Brings Equality

High-tech machines have made life easier for millions around the world. However, some people still prefer low-tech ways of doing things. Here’s an example of why this is happening. You can microwave a frozen hamburger in 60 seconds. However, it won’t taste as good as one you cook on the stove. And if you’re in that much of a hurry, you probably won’t take time to toast the bun. High-tech cooking saves time, but it doesn’t make for better tasting meals.
Most people get their news from high-tech sources like television or the Internet. This has many advantages. For example, electronic news is more up to date than newspapers or magazines. It’s also more exciting to see live and videotaped news events than photographs. However, newspapers and magazines have some important advantages. They give more background and details. They also let you read the parts that are important to you and skip the rest.
Other high-tech timesavers have similar disadvantages. For example, most people use the phone or email to stay in touch with friends and family members who live in other places. But when you use the Internet or the phone, you don’t always think carefully about what you are saying, and sometimes you forget the important things you want to communicate. Similarly, when you word process a home work assignment instead of handwriting it, you can check your spelling electronically and put in fancy headings. However, some students are so busy with the computer that they don’t pay enough attention to the actual words they are writing.
72. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The writer likes high-tech cooking.
B. Low-tech cooking produces better-tasting meals.
C. High—tech news programs always keep you reading what is important to you.
D. Handwritten homework is better than word-processed homework.
73. How does the writer feel about high—tech tools?
A. Better late than never. B. Easy come, easy go.
C. Every coin has two sides. D. Learn to walk before you run.
74. What is the main subject discussed in the text?
A. High—tech vs. low—tech.
B. Advantages vs. disadvantages.
C. Newspapers and magazines vs. television and the Internet.
D. Word—processing vs. handwriting.
75. How is the text organized?
A. Main idea — Argument — Explanation.
B. Opinion — Discussion — Description.
C. Topic — Comparison — Supporting examples.
D. Introduction — Supporting examples — Discussion.

Jessica Tandy probably is best known for winning an Academy Award in 1989 for the movie Driving Miss Dairy. She was the oldest person to have won the award. But for many years, she had received praise for her great performances.
Jessica Tandy was born in London in 1909. After her father died, her mother taught and took other jobs at night to make extra money to raise her, three children. Jessica’s older brothers showed an interest in the theater and often put on shows at home. Jessica said later that she was terrible in all of them. But she said taking part in those plays as a child created a desire in her to be someone else.
Jessica loved going to the theater. This love led her to attend an acting school in 1924. She performed in her first play called The Manderson Girls at 18. But few people watched this play. In 1932, she married the famous actor Jack Hawkins. Their wedding pictures were on the front page of many British newspapers. In the same year, critics in London recognized her great acting skill in her performance in the play Children in Uniform.
In 1940, Jessica ended her first marriage and moved to the USA. In New York, she met actor Hume Cronyn. Two years later, they married and moved to Hollywood.
Her turning point came in 1947 when she played the lead part in Tennessee Williams’ play A Streetcar Named Desire. Tandy won the first of her four Tony awards for best actress in it. After that Hollywood producers began to choose her to be in the movie.
Jessica Tandy said she hated seeing herself in the movies. She was surprised when she won the Academy Award for Driving Miss Daisy. She said that the wonderful part she had made up for her lack of experience in movies.
68. Jessica’s early interest in acting came from __________.
A. her natural gift for acting B. her brothers’ influence
C. her hope of helping raise her familyD. her mother’s encouragement
69. What made Jessica first widely known to the public?
A. Attending an acting school.
B. Her first play The Manderson Girls.
C. Her marriage with Jack Hawkins.
D. Her wonderful performance in Driving Miss Daisy.
70. Which is the correct order of the following events?
a. Jessica performed in The Manderson Girls.
b. Jessica married Hume Cronyn
c. Jessica played the lead part in A Streetcar Named Desire.
d. Jessica moved to the USA.
A. a, d, b, c B. a, b, c, d C. b, d, a, c D. b, c, a, d
71. From the last paragraph, we can learn that __________.
A. Jessica wasn’t interested in acting in movies
B. winning the Academy Award was a surprise to Jessica
C. Jessica would perform better if given a better part
D. Jessica was as confident as commonly considered

All of my childhood and early, adult life, my mom weighed over 220 pounds (one pound =" 0.454" kilograms). I could feel the pain that my mom experienced with her fatness.
I was never uncomfortable about my mother, but I think she was uncomfortable about herself, and that feeling was painful for all of us. And she began to lose weight.
After more than twenty years of battling obesity（肥胖）, my mother completed a forceful eighteen-month diet that left her ninety pounds lighter than before. A new woman was born! At age twenty-eight, I got a new mom! For the first time, I met the woman my mother truly was, the beautiful little lady under the fatness. It wasn’t so much her new body that was the surprise, but rather her new spirit.
To celebrate her new size and to devote herself to dancing again, my mother joined a “Mrs. Forty-Plus” competition, where she would have to model, give a speech and provide a dance performance. She told our family that she did not care if she won — she simply had always wanted to perform on stage.
She told each one of us, “I’m not doing it to win; I’m doing it to dance!”
The competition was exciting! I prayed that my mom would win, but while watching her on stage I was simply overjoyed just by her effort. To me, she had already won. She posed to perfection, her speech brought tears to everyone’s eyes, and her performance was wonderful.
That night, at age fifty-three, my mother was crowned (为......加冕) “Mrs. Forty-Plus”. She was the first person in our family to ever win such a title.
64. The first two paragraphs mainly show that the author’s mom was __________.
A. experienced B. painful C. comfortable D. fat
65. After the author’s mom completed a forceful eighteen-month diet, she was about __________.
A. 85 kilograms B. 41 kilograms C. 130 pounds D. 90 pounds
66. In order to join in the “Mrs. Forty-Plus” Competition, the author’s mom has to do the following EXCEPT __________.
A. providing a dance performance B. telling a funny story about herself
C. giving a speech to a large number of people D. wearing special clothes to show to people
67. The underlined part in Paragraph 6 means that __________.
A. the author’s mom succeeded in modeling and speaking
B. the author’s mom’s performance was very wonderful
C. the author’s mom was not successful in modeling
D. the author’s mom succeeded in making a speech