Susan Sontag (1933 ------ 2004) was one of the most noticeable figures in the world of literature. For more than 40 years she made it morally necessary to know everything----- to read every book worth reading, to see every movie worth seeing. When she was still in her early 30s, publishing essays in such important magazines as Partisan Review, she appeared as the symbol of American culture life, trying hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. With great effort and serious judgment, Sontag walked at the latest edges of world culture.
Seriousness was one of Sontag’s lifelong watchwords (格言), but at a time when the barriers between the well-educated and the poorly-educated were obvious, she argued for a true openness to the pleasure of pop culture. In Notes Camp, the 1964 essay that first made her name, she explained what was then a little-known set of difficult understandings, through which she could not have been more famous. Notes on Camp, she wrote, represents “a victory of ‘form’ over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ over ‘morals’”.
By conviction she was a sensualist (感觉论者), but by nature she was a moralist, and in the works she published in the 1970s and 1980s, it was the latter side of her that came forward. In Illness as Metaphor ------published in 1978, after she suffered cancer ------ she argued against the idea that cancer was somehow a special problem of repressed (被压抑的) personalities, a concept that effectively blamed the victim for the disease. In fact, re-examining old positions was her lifelong habit.
In America, her story of a 19th century Polish actress who set up a perfect society in California, won the National Book Award in 2000. But it was as a tireless, all-purpose cultural view that she made her lasting fame.
“Sometimes,” she once said, “I feel that, in the end, all I am really defending… is the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness.” And in the end, she made us take it seriously too.It is implied but not stated in the first paragraph that Sontag _________.
| A．was a symbol of American cultural life |
| B．developed world literature, film and art |
| C．published many essays about world culture |
| D．kept pace with the newest development of world culture |
She first won her name through _________.
| A．publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review |
| B．her story of a Polish actress |
| C．her explanation of a set of difficult understandings |
| D．her book Illness as Metaphor |
From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s, we can learn that ________.
| A．she was more of a moralist than a sensualist |
| B．she was more of a sensualist than a moralist |
| C．she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness |
| D．she would like to re-examine old positions |
According to the passage, Susan Sontag would agree to the ideas except _________.
| A．We should try hard to follow every new development in literature, film and art. |
| B．Cancer can be defeated because it is a special problem of repressed personalities. |
| C．‘Form’ should be over ‘content’, ‘beauty’ should be over ‘morals. |
| D．We should defend the idea of seriousness, of true seriousness. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．A lifelong watchword: seriousness |
| B．Susan Sontag is the symbol of American culture |
| C．How Susan Sontag became famous |
| D．An introduction to Susan Sontag and her watchword |
E
Should struggling students be banned from clubs and sports?
Getting a bad grade in Rockingham, Vt. could get you kicked off the team! School officials there are considering new guidelines that would prevent students with bad grades from participating in extracurricular activities, such as sports and clubs. The proposal would affect students in eighth grade and below.
School board member Mike says the policy would motivate students to work harder in school. He drafted a letter to coaches, parents, and after-school program leaders to encourage them to allow only kids who are meeting certain academic standards into their program.
Not everyone gives such policy an A+. Some people argue that no student should be excluded from after-school activities. They say taking part in extracurricular activities can help kids do better in class by improving their participation and concentration skills. They say a 2009 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that time spent in extracurricular physical activities does not take away from students’ ability to do well in the classroom . In fact, it may even help boost girls’ academic performance.
Students themselves have different opinions.
SCHOOL COMES FIRST
Why not require good grades to participate in those activities?
Kids need to understand that grades are important. School comes first, period. Getting good grades help you with life, help you go to college, get a job, and so on. Banning underachieving students from extracurricular activities not only gives them motivation to get their grades up, but allows more time to study or get help from a tutor.
DON’T BAN STUDENTS
Every student should be able to participate in extracurricular activities, no matter what his or her grades are. Extracurricular activities can help kids concentrate more on doing homework. They can help kids develop mentally and physically.
A school policy that tells kids with bad grades that they can’t be in sports or the school play is like judging a book by its cover. Every student is unique. A kid may have a learning disability, an attention issue, or a difficult time studying in his or her home environment. His or her teachers should find why the student is struggling. Together they should find out a solution that will keep the student in the activity.
72. Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined word “excluded”?
A. protected B. approvedC. blamedD. banned
73. What’s the author’s attitude to the policy that prevents students with bad grades from participating in extracurricular activities?
A. supportiveB. critical C . neutralD. indifferent
74. In the second paragraph “a 2009 study…”is used by the critics to_______.
A. To indicate the author is against the policy.
B. To emphasize there is no need to ban the students with bad grades to take part in extracurricular activities.
C. To suggest girls can benefit from extracurricular activities.
D. To prove grades have nothing to do with extracurricular activities.
75. Some don’t think the policy is reasonable for the following reasons EXCEPT______.
A. Every kid is unique.
B. Extracurricular activities will benefit students mentally and physically.
C. Grades will help students get a job.
D. One can learn more that can’t be learned in class.
C
Organic food has no nutritional or health benefits over ordinary food，according to a major study．
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine said consumers were paying higher prices for organic food because of its imagined health benefits，creating a global organic market worth an estimated $48 billion in 2007．
A systematic review of 162 scientific papers published in the scientific literature over the last 50 years，however，found there was no significant difference．
“A small number of differences in nutrient content were found to exist between organically and conventionally(通常)produced foodstuffs，but these have nothing to do with public health，” said Alan Dangour ，one of the report's authors．
“Our review indicates that there is currently no evidence to support the selection of organically over conventionally produced foods on the basis of nutritional superiority ．”
The results of research，which was commissioned by the British government’s Food Standards Agency，were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition．
Sales of organic food have fallen in some markets，including Britain，as a slowdown in economic growth has led consumers to cut back on purchases．
The Soil Association said that growth in sales of organic products in Britain slowed to just 1.7percent，well below the average annual growth rate of 26 percent over the last decade．
64. Why does organic food cost more than conventionally produced food?
A. Because people think they are much healthier. B. Because they are more delicious.
C. Because people prefer organic food. D. Because they sell better.
65. According to the study，organic food is_________than conventionally produced food.
A. much healthierB. better C. no healthierD. less healthier
66. Sales of organic food have fallen because of___________.
A. high price B. economic decline C. bad service D. poor quality
67. Where can you find this passage in a newspaper?
A. Economy B. Science． C. Food & Nutrition D. Fashion
B
Don't believe all of the stereotypes (模式化的形象) you may have heard about Americans．Even the ones that are true in general may not be true about specific individuals or a large part of the population．For example，although Americans tend to be louder than people from other cultures(especially at athletic events)，many of the people you meet will be quiet and polite．Some people may be intolerant，but most will be pleasant and welcoming．Remember that American films and television exaggerate(夸张)in order to generate excitement，and so present a rather false picture of what 1ife in the United States is really like．Therefore，tourists in the US are not always on their best behavior．
Americans do tend to be more informal than people from other countries．It is common for Americans to wear casual clothing to school and to greet professors by first name．However，good manners and politeness are always appreciated．If you are polite，and dress a little more formally than your American friends，it will not be poorly thought of.
However，some businesses require their employees to wear a uniform or a suit．It would be improper to wear a T-shirt and blue jeans to a job interview．Some of the more prestigious restaurants require a coat and tie．Americans tend to dress up for cultural events(the opera，theater and ballet)and to dress down for athletic events．Formal wear is required at weddings and funerals，or any other event with religious event．If you rely on the stereotypes，you will likely put yourself into an embarrassing situation
60. The underlined sentence probably means__________.
A. Some of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans are not true
B. You should not believe the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans
C. None of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans should be believed
D. None of the stereotypes you may have heard about Americans should not be believed
61. The passage is probably written for____________.
A. Businessmen B. visitors to America
C. American students D. American film--makers
62. The second paragraph suggests that__________.
A. most Americans are polite
B. people who are polite are welcome
C. casual clothing makes others uncomfortable
D. American students are impolite to their teachers
63. We can learn from the passage that________.
A. American films are mostly poor comedies
B. it is good manners to wear blue jeans to a wedding
C. Americans usually wear formal clothes in a theater
D. to dress formally makes others feel you are not easy to get on with
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
The poor are very wonderful people. One evening we went out and we picked up four people from the street. And one of them was in a most terrible condition－and I told the sisters: You take care of the other three. I take care of this one who looked worse. So I did for her all that my love can do. I put her in bed, and there was such a beautiful smile on her face. She took hold of my hand as she said just the words “Thank you” and she died.
I could not help but examine my conscience before her and I asked what I would say if I was in her place. And my answer was very simple. I would have tried to draw a little attention to myself. I would have said I am hungry, that I am dying, I am cold, I am in pain, or something, but she gave me much more－she gave me her grateful love. And she died with a smile on her face. So did that man whom we picked up from the drain, half eaten with worms, and we brought him to the home. “I have lived like an animal in the street, but I am going to die like an angel, loved and cared for”，he said at the end . And it was so wonderful to see the greatness of that man who could speak like that, who could die like that without blaming anybody, without cursing anybody, without comparing anything. Like an angel－this is the greatness of our people. And that is why we believe what Jesus has said: I was hungry, I was naked, I was homeless, I was unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and you did it to me.
And with this prize that I received as a Prize of Peace, I am going to try to make the home for many people who have no home. Because I believe that love begins at home and if we can create a home for the poor I think that more and more love will spread. And we will be able through this understanding love to bring peace, be the good news to the poor, the poor in our own family first, in our country and in the world. When I pick up a person from the street, hungry, I give him a plate of rice, a piece of bread, I have satisfied. I have removed that hunger. But to a person who is shut out, who feels unwanted, unloved, terrified, the person who has been thrown out from society, that poverty is so full of hurt and so unbearable… And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something.
56. What can be learned from the second paragraph?
A. The woman should have paid more attention to herself.
B. The man couldn’t blame anyone.
C. The author is religious.
D. The man died in the street.
57. The purpose of this passage is_________.
A. To appeal for more donation for the poor.
B. To call on the public to love each other.
C. To tell the readers the poor are wonderful.
D. To express how moved the author is to receive the prize.
58. _________is NOT inferred from the passage?
A. The author has few supporters.
B. The author was somewhat surprised at what the man said.
C. The author is delighted to help others in trouble.
D. The author may agree to solve social problems in soft ways.
59. What’s the best title of this passage？
A. Have Sympathy for the Poor B. The Poor are Wonderful
C. Smile and Love D. Relieve Poverty
D
Welcome to Language upon Thames. This brochure has been designed to give you an overview of our Language School and the courses we offer. If you have some additional questions please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
At Language upon Thames，we feel it is important to be flexible，in order that students can decide what period of study suits them best.
Small Group General English Courses
These courses are aimed at students who wish to improve their speaking，listening，reading and writing skills and are offered at the following levels：
BEGINNERS
ELEMENTARY(初级)
PRE-1NTERMEDLATE
UPPER-INTERMEDLATE
Studying one of the above courses will enable you to use English more confidently and competently on a daily basis.
Try our free online test to see which level you are at—CLICK HERE.
Exam Courses
These courses ale aimed at students who wish to gain academic qualifications in English and are offered at the following levels：
University of Cambridge exams：
ADVANCED l — FCE (First certificate)
ADVANCED 2一CAE (Advanced)
ADVANCED 3一CPE (Proficiency)
Studying one of the above courses will enable you to continue your education or enter university in this country. (Students wishing to gain admission to a British university are normally required to have the Cambridge Proficiency Certificate.)
Speaking, Listening & Pronunciation
This course builds on communicative confidence and competence and is aimed at students who wish to develop the important skills of speaking and listening.
Emphasis is also placed on pronunciation，with activities designed to meet the needs of students of different nationalities，who need to focus on different areas.
CLICK HERE to register for a General English course.
Other Languages
At Language upon Thames we offer a wide range of cafeterias，restaurants，shops and bars. Most importantly，we have foreign language classes of French，Japanese，German，Spanish and Italian during the day，evening or on a one-to-one basis.
68. What does this passage mainly talk about?
A. English courses. B. Ways to improve students’ English.
C. The best way to improve your skills. D. The importance of English.
69. If you attend Exam Courses，you will__________.
A. use English as fluently as a native speaker
B. deal with everyday English well
C. have better pronunciation of English
D. be able to continue your education or enter university in this country
70. Judging from the description，we can tell that this passage must be taken from____________.
A. a newspaper B. a magazine C. the Internet D. a guidebook
71. The following statements are true EXCEPT_________.
A. Only Englishmen can attend the courses.
B. The courses are designed for learners of different levels.
C. One can learn French even in the evening.
D. Language upon Thames is a school aimed to offer help with language learning.