Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He stopped by the fence in front of the house where he lived with his aunt Polly. He looked at it, and all joy left him. The fence was long and high. He put the brush into the whitewash and moved it along the top of the fence. He repeated the operation. He felt he could not continue and sat down.
He knew that his friends would arrive soon with all kinds of interesting plans for the day. They would walk past him and laugh. They would make jokes about his having to work on a beautiful summer Saturday. The thought burned him like fire.
He put his hand into his pockets and took out all that he owned. Perhaps he could find some way to pay someone to do the whitewashing for him. But there was nothing of value in his pockets —nothing that could buy even half an hour of freedom. So he put the bits of toys back into his pockets and gave up the idea
At this dark and hopeless moment, a wonderful idea came to him. It filled his mind with a great, bright light. Calmly he picked up the brush and started again to whitewash.
While Tom was working, Ben Rogers appeared. Ben was eating an apple as he walked along the street. As he walked along, he was making noises like the sound of a riverboat. First he shouted loudly, like a boat captain. Then he said “Ding-Dong-Dong”, “Ding-Dong-Dong” again and again, like the bell of a riverboat. And he made other strange noises. When he came close to Tom, he stopped.
Tom went on whitewashing. He did not look at Ben. Ben stared a moment and then said: “Hello! I’m going swimming, but you can’t go, can you?”
No answer. Tom moved his brush carefully along the fence and looked at the result with the eye of an artist. Ben came nearer. Tom’s mouth watered for the apple, but he kept on working.
Ben said, “Hello, old fellow, you’ve got to work, hey?”
Tom turned suddenly and said, “Why, it’s you, Ben! I wasn’t noticing.”
“Say —I’m going swimming. Don’t you wish you could? But of course you’d rather work — wouldn’t you? Of course you would.”
Tom looked at the boy a bit, and said “What do you call work?”
“Why, isn’t that work?”
Tom went back to his whitewashing, and answered carelessly.
“Well, maybe it is, and maybe it isn’t. All I know is, it suits Tom Sawyer.”
“Oh come, now, you don’t mean to say that you like it?”
The brush continued to move.
“Like it? Well, I don’t see why I shouldn’t like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?”
Ben stopped eating his apple. Tom moved his brush back and forth, stepped back to look at the result, added a touch here and there, and stepped back again. Ben watched every move and got more and more interested. Soon he said,
“Say, Tom, let me whitewash a little.”
Tom thought for a moment, was about to agree; but he changed his mind.
“No —no —it won’t do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly wants this fence to be perfect. It has got to be done very carefully. I don’t think there is one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it well enough.”
“No —is that so? Oh come, now —let me just try. Only just a little.” “Ben, I’d like to, but if it isn’t done right, I’m afraid Aunt Polly … ”
“Oh, I’ll be careful. Now let me try. Say —I’ll give you the core of my apple.”
“Well, here —No, Ben, now don’t. I’m afraid …”
“I’ll give you all of it.”
Tom gave up the brush with unwillingness on his face, but joy in his heart. And while Ben worked at the fence in the hot sun, Tom sat under a tree, eating the apple, and planning how to get more help. There were enough boys. Each one came to laugh, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was tired, Tom sold the next chance to Billy for a kite; and when Billy was tired, Johnny bought in for a dead rat —and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, Tom had won many treasures.
And he had not worked. He had had a nice idle time all the time, with plenty of company －and the fence had been whitewashed three times. If he hadn’t run out of whitewash, Tom would have owned everything belonging to his friends.
He had discovered a great law of human action, namely, that in order to make a man or a boy want a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to get. How many characters are mentioned in this story?
| A．7 | B．6 | C．5 | D．4 |
Why did Tom take all his bits of toys out of his pockets?
| A．Because he is tired and wanted to play with his toys. |
| B．Because he wanted to throw his toys away. |
| C．Because he wanted to know if he could buy help with his toys. |
| D．Because he wanted to give his toys to his friends. |
Tom was about to agree to let Ben whitewash when he changed his mind because ______.
| A．Tom wanted to do the whitewashing by himself |
| B．Tom was afraid Ben would do the whitewashing better. |
| C．Tom was unwilling to let Ben do the whitewashing |
| D．Tom planned to make Ben give up his apple first |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．Tom was good at whitewashing the fence, so he looked at the result of his work with the eye of an artist. |
| B．Tom was unwilling to whitewash the fence, but he managed to let other boys do it for him |
| C．Tom had a lot of friends who are ready to help others. |
| D．Tom was interested in whitewashing the fence. |
What made Ben Rogers eagerly gave up his apple and offer to brush the fence for Tom?
| A．His curiosity about Tom’s brushing job. |
| B．His warm heart and kindness to friends. |
| C．Tom’s threat. |
| D．Aunt Polly’s idea. |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for this passage?
| A．Tom And His Fellows |
| B．The Happy Whitewasher |
| C．Whitewashing A Fence |
| D．How To Make The Things Difficult To Get |
.
III.阅读理解（共15小题计30分）
We drink tea every day. But more than three hundred years ago, most of the people in Europe did not know anything about tea, because it was grown in Asia. There is a story about an English sailor（水手）. Once he went to India and China. When he came home, he brought some tea as a present for his mother. She told her friends about the present and asked them to a tea party. When her friends came to the tea party, the old woman brought out some leaves and asked them to eat tea. Of course, nobody liked the tea leaves.
Just then the sailor came in. He looked at the tea leaves on the table and asked his mother,“What have you done with the tea?”
“I boiled it as you said.”
“I threw it away, of course.” answered the woman.
“Now, you may throw away the leaves, too.” said her son.
56. Who first grew tea?
A. People in Europe. B. People in Asia.
C.People in China only. D. People in India only.
57. The woman’s friends ________.
A. enjoyed the tea leaves very much B. didn’t like drinking tea
C. didn’t like the tea leaves D. threw away all the tea leaves
58. Before the old woman boiled the tea, ________.
A. she had learned how to enjoy it
B. her son had taught her how to drink tea
C. her son had not told her to drink the boiled water only
D. her son had not told how to eat the tea leaves
.
As the pace of life continues to increase, we are fast losing the art of relaxation. Once you are in the habit of rushing through life, being on the go from morning till night, it is hard to slow down. But relaxation is essential for a healthy mind and body.
Stress is a natural part of everyday life and there is no way to avoid it. In fact, it is not the bad thing. It is often supposed to be. A certain amount of stress is vital to provide motivation and give purpose to life. It is only when the stress gets out of control that it can lead to poor performance and ill health.
The amount of stress a person can bear depends very much on the individual. Some people are not afraid of stress, and such characters are obviously important for managerial responsibilities. Others lose heart at the first sign of unusual difficulties. When exposed to stress, in whatever form, we react both chemically and physically. In fact we make choice between “flight or fight” and in more primitive days the choices made the difference between life or death. The crises we meet today are unlikely to be so extreme, but however little the stress, it involves the same response. It is when such a reaction lasts long that health becomes endangered. Since we can’t remove stress from our lives (it would be unwise to do so even if we could), we need to find ways to deal with it.
51. People are finding less and less time for relaxing themselves because _______.
A. they regard working as their greatest enjoyment
B. they believe that work is superior to relaxation
C. they are traveling fast all the time
D. they are becoming busier with their work than ever before
52. According to the author, the most important character for a good manager is his ______.
A. strong will to overcome stress
C. high sense of responsibility
B. knowing the art of relaxation
D. having control over performance
53. Which of the following statements is TRUE, according to the passage?
A. We can find quite a few ways to avoid stress.
B. Stress is always harmful to people’s health
C. It's easy to change the habit of keeping oneself busy with work.
D. Different people can bear different amount of stress.
54. In the last sentence of the passage, “do so” refers to _____.
A. “expose ourselves to stress ”
C. “remove stress from our lives”
B. “find ways to deal with stress”
D. “establish links between diseases and stress”
55. According to the author, the right attitude toward stress is _____.
A. to avoid it B. to try to deal with it
C. to regard it as a vital motivation D. to find some relaxation
.
第三部分：阅读理解（
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中，选出最佳选项。共10小题；每小题2分，共20分。)
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to see above the top of it as Mother sat doing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother left different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk”, she said, “is for Elizabeth”.
I never saw her angry, and never saw her cry. I knew she loved me, and she showed it in action. But as a young girl, I wanted heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional”. But she lived “on the surface”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
I posted the letter and waited for her answer. None came. My hope turned to disappointment, the little interest, finally, peace — it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had ever got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
Now the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work, I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside — a photo of my father and a one-page letter, folded and refolded many times which gave me the answer that the desk was the way you chose. Mother, you always chose the acts that spoke louder than words.
46. The writer began to love her mother’s desk _______.
A. after Mother died
C. when she was a child
B. before she became a writer
D. when Mother gave it to her
47. The passage shows about _______.
A. Mother wrote her daughter in careful words
B. Mother cared much about her daughter in words
C. Mother was too serious about everything her daughter had done
D. Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter
48. The word “gulf” in the 4th paragraph means _______.
A. part of the sea going far in land
B. free talks between mother and daughter
C. different ideas between the mother and daughter
D. deep understanding between the old and the young
49. What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
A. She had never received the letter.
B. She read the letter again and again till she died.
C. For years, she often talked about the letter.
D. She didn’t forgive her daughter at all
in her life.
50. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. My letter to Mother
B. Mother and children
C. My Mother’s Desk
D. Talks between Mother and Me
.
Anybody running a company knows that a well - planned conference can greatly improve performance of that business．The main reason for this is that it takes your employees away from the daily workplace and offers them somewhere fresh for a short time．However，unless the conference is well thought out it will not have the best results and you will have wasted a great deal of money．Here are some tips for you．
The first step is to find the right place．Can your employees easily reach the conference center? Is it near a railway station? Is it close to a good，fast road? Has it plenty of suitable parking space? If you are going to choose a hotel，then perhaps the hotel has cheaper rates at weekends or，if it is in a popular tourist area，midweek rates may be cheaper．Furthermore, you need to think whether there is a bathroom．After a day’s meeting，maybe your employees would like to have a hot water bath．Or maybe there are other needs to satisfy depending on your employees’ taste.
Another important requirement is food and drink. Breakfast is a time when people can relax before work begins，but you may not want a long break for lunch in the middle of the day．Buffet(自助餐) lunches are very popular for this reason．Then there is dinner，which most employees consider a reward for a day’s hard work!
Whatever your needs are，it is essential（基本的）to think ahead if you want a successful conference．
67. In the text the writer is trying to ________．
A. complain about a conference center
B. describe a good conference center he has been to
C. persuade employers to choose a suitable place for a conference
D. advise employees where to stay for a conference
68. Readers read the text in order to __________．
A. find out about organizing conferences
B. learn how to reward good employees
C. find out about running a business
D. 1earn some details about conference centers
69.What is very important when choosing a conference center?
A. Cheap food and drink. B. Free car parking．
C. Good transport connections. D. Popular tour areas．
70.Which center would the writer recommend to an employer?
| ★STAR★ CONFERENCE CENTRE äClose to airport and golf course. äChoice of conference rooms. äSwimming pool and sauna. ä3 full meals a day included in price. |
WATT CONFERENCE CENTRE )5 Minutes from city center and close to motorway )Full breakfast, light lunches and exciting dinner menus. )Choice of accommodation（住宿） to suit your financial needs. |
A B
| *Topps Conference center ·Enjoy beautiful scenery high up in the hills. ·Continental breakfast served in bedroom if wished. ·Minibus service to nearest town. |
Royal conference Center ]Situated in quiet countryside. ]Free car park available for guests. ]TV and VHS included in your conference costs as well as three buffet style meals a day. |
C D
.
There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
63. According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. Laughter is good for health.
B. Laughter can make you become old quickly.
C. Laughter helps to reduce pain.
D. Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.
64. The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “ ”.
A. delays B. prevents
C. increases D. reduces
65. Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
A. Because they want to earn more money.
B. Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.
C. Because they want to improve their patients’ health.
D. Because they want their patients to laugh more.
66. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.
B. Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.
C. Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.
D. Laughter is the best medicine.