"Colour" and "color"，"favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact，the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists (语言学家) celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783)，Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary，rather than rely on British versions (版本). He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining (定义) preposterous (unreasonable)，he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，"said Joshua Kendall，who is working on a biography (传记) about Webster. "He at last bonded (联合)us through our language." Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．The shaper of American English. |
| B．American identity. |
| C．Webster's dictionary. |
| D．Spelling differences between American and British English. |
According to the passage，when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT .
| A．voicing his opinion | B．changing "centre" into "center" |
| C．adding local words | D．dropping "u" in all the British words |
Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?
| A．Interesting. | B．Meaningful. | C．Unfinished. | D．Boring. |
Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?
| A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy. |
| B．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK. |
| C．Because he wanted to achieve political freedom. |
| D．Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics. |
When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?
| A．In 1758. | B．In 1783. | C．In 1800. | D．In 1828. |
D
My father’s family name being Pirrip, and my Christian name Philip, my infant tongue could
make of both names nothing longer or more explicit than Pip. So, I called myself Pip, and came to
be called Pip.
As I never saw my father or my mother, and never saw any likeness of either of them (for their days were long before the days of photographs), my first imagination regarding what they were like, were unreasonably from their tombstones. The shape of the letters on my father’s gave me a strange idea that he was a square, dark man , with curly black hair. From the character and turn of the words, “Also Georgiana Wife of the Above,” I drew a childish conclusion that my mother was freckled（长雀斑的）and sickly.
Ours was wet country, down by the river, within, as the river wound, twenty miles of the sea. My first most vivid and broad impression of the identity of things, seems to me to have been gained on an unforgettable cold afternoon towards evening. At such a time I found out for certain, that this place overgrown with nettles（荨麻）was the churchyard（墓地）;and that Philip Pirip, and also Georgiana wife of the above, were dead and buried; and that Alexander, Bartholomew, Abraham, Tobias, and Roger, infant children to the aforesaid, were also dead and buried. Suddenly I began to feel lonely and sad and afraid. I began to cry.
"Hold your noise!" cried a terrible voice, as a man started up from among the graves at the side of the church porch. "Keep still, you little devil, or I'll cut your throat!"
A fearful man, all in grey, with a great iron on his leg. A man with no hat, and with broken shoes, and with an old rag tied round his head. A man who had been shivered; and whose teeth chattered in his head as he seized me by the chin.
"Oh! Don't cut my throat, sir," I pleaded in terror. "Pray don't do it, sir."
"Tell us your name!" said the man. "Quick!"
"Pip, sir."
"Once more," said the man, staring at me. "Give it mouth!"
"Pip. Pip, sir."
“Show us where you live ,” said the man. “Point out the place!”
I pointed to where our village lay, among the alder-tree, a mile or more from the church. The man, after looking at me for a moment, turned mw upside down, and emptied my pockets. There was nothing in them but a piece of bread. When the church came to itself—for he was so sudden and strong that he made to go head over heels before me, and I saw the steeple（尖塔）under my feet—when the church came to itself, I say, I was seated on a high tombstone, trembling, while he ate the bread hungrily.
“You young dog,” said the man, licking his lips, “what fat cheeks you have got.”
I believe they were fat, though I was at that time undersized for my years, and not strong.
“Darn me If I couldn’t eat them,” said the man, with a threatening shake of his head.
I carefully expressed my hope that he wouldn’t, and held tighter to the tombstone on which he had put me; partly, to keep myself upon it; partly, to keep myself from crying.
“Now look here!” said the man. “Where’s your father?”
“There sir!” said I .
He started, made a short run, and stopped and liked over his shoulder.
“There sir!” I explained. “That’s his grave.”
“Oh!” said he, coming back.
“And mother’s there too, sir. And my five little brothers.”
67．Who do you think Alexander is?
A．Pip’s friend. B．Pip’s father.
C．One of Pip’s little brothers. D．The fearful man.
68．It can be learned from the passage that .
A．Pip’s mother was freckled and ill.
B．Pip imagined what his parents liked through their photographs.
C．Pip’s parents and little brothers were killed by the man.
D．Pip was probably shorter or thinner than most children of his age.
69．What is the fearful man most likely to be?
A．An escaped prisoner. B．A minister of the church.
C．A tower watcher.D．Pip’s parents’ enemy.
70．Which of the following is right according to the passage?
A．It was the words on the tombstones that made mw know of my parents’ appearance.
B．The man was so hungry that he wanted to cut his throat and eat his fat cheeks.
C．Pip’s parents were buried together in the churchyard 20 miles from the village.
D．He called himself Pip just because he was too young to pronounce his long name clearly.
C
American teens are setting an example for their parents through their volunteer work,
according to a new poll by Harris Interactive. The random national telephone survey released this week by the charity World Vision found that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause（56 percent） than have a part-time job（39 percent）.
Parents said 82 percent of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes, including volunteering, recruiting others to a cause, wearing a button or T-shirt or donating money. Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time, but they also take credit for inspiring their children to volunteer.
The Harris Interactive poll was conducted in the United States between Jan 29 and Feb 2 among 2,003 adults. Sara Johnson, a teacher who advises students at a private school in a Chicago suburb, says she's seen a resurgence of teen involvement in social causes since President Barack Obama was elected in November.
The Harris Interactive survey found a quarter of teens have become more involved in charitable causes or organizations as a result of the economic downturn, but the economy has also led to cuts in allowances, and has teens working more hours at a paying job.
Unlike many public high schools across the nation, Illiana Christian does not require its students to clock public service hours. Senior Melissa Martin said some kids are too busy with other commitments like sports and music, but most of her classmates do volunteer.
Alynn Woodson, director at Habitat for Humanity International, said she has noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization. Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary of its alternative spring break program this year and is expecting more than 12,000 young people to help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
63．What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．It is surveyed that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause nowadays.
B．Illiana Christian asks its students to clock public service hours strictly.
C．American parents are setting an example for their children through their volunteer work.
D．The financial crisis led to the employment of American parents.
64．The underlined word “resurgence” in the third paragraph most probably means .
A．replacement B．recall C．review D．return
65．Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A．About 12,000 young people will help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
B．In Illiana Christian, teens are busy with sports and none of them do volunteer.
C．The majority of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes.
D．Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time.
66．We may infer from the passage that .
A．American teens prefer charitable causes to attending school.
B．People noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization.
C．The majority of the adults are not willing to volunteer their time.
D．Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary this year.
B
Ad. 1
April fool’s party
On Friday, April 1, Inner Affair goes back to the days of funk! Classic Tunes from the 70’s and 80’s
by DJs Den & Sion. 9pm till late.
Tickets: Free entrance for those in costume, otherwise 50 yuan (US$6)
Time/date: 9 pm, April 1
Place: Inner Affair, 1/F Qiankun Dasha, 6 Sanlitun Xiliujie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 84540321
Ad. 2
Language in use
Enjoy free house coffee, tea and beer as well as music and dancing. Practice your Chinese, make
friends and have fun.
Time/date: 7 to 9 pm, March 25
Place: Language In Use Club, 2/F, Science Fortune Center, 8 Xueqing Lu, Haidian District
Ad. 3
The "worst" party
Organized by Ozone productions, the party is set to be "the worst ever", with the lamest music
from the 60s, 70s and 80s. Special prizes will be awarded to the worst dressed or for bad fashion
sense.
Tickets: Free entrance
Time/date: 9 pm, April 1
Place: Pula Pula, Tianze Lu, Oriental Seven Colours Plaza, Chaoyang District
Tel: 64668575
Ad. 4
La Nuit Francaise
Again on the 2nd Thursday of the month La Nuit Francaise will be held at Le Rendezvous. The
monthly event is an opportunity for all French people and everyone interested in France or
speaking French to gather together.
The evening features three glasses of wine and canapes for participants and a special exhibition.
Time/date: 7 to 10 pm, April 14
Place: Le Rendezvous, 3 Gongti Beilu, accross from the Pacific Century Plaza, Chaoyang
District Tel: 64629110
Ad. 5
Marco V
Dutch DJ Marco V drops by Banana for a gig which is supported by Hong Kong’s DJ Spark.
Marco V has been around for many years, as an inventive, style blending deejay and a successful
and devoted producer. His spinning is energetic, crowd pleasing and never sees an empty dance
floor. He was ranked No. 15 in this year’s international DJ MAG DJ Top100.
Tickets: 40 yuan (US$4.80) in advance, 50 yuan (US$6) at the door, both include a free drink
Time/date: 10 pm to 4 am, March 31, April 1
Place: Banana, in the lobby of the Scitech Hotel, 22 Jianwai Dajie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6528 3636
59．Which of the following is NOT true of Ad. 1 and Ad. 3?
A．The two parties will be held on the same day.
B．The two parties will be held at the same time.
C．The entrance fees of the two parties will not be charged.
D．Some old music will be played at the parties.
60．Which of the following is intended for the Chinese learners?
A．Marco V. B．La Nuit Francaise.
C．Language in use. D．The "worst" party.
61． Which of the following is TRUE?
A．Marco V is a newly established band
B．La Nuit Francaise may be French words
C．the "worst" party will attract a lot of college students
D．you will enjoy free drink at April fool’s party
62．What has been held regularly?
A．La Nuit Francaise.B．Marco V.
C．Language in use D．The “worst” party.
第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题，每题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
Many people have described television as a passive activity that is harmful to children’s
education. However，there are good and bad ways to watch television．Parents who are interested in using television as a learning tool can actually turn time in front of TV into an educational chance．
Probably the most familiar educational way to use television is to simply watch educational programs．In particular，this means selecting channels and programs specially designed for educational purposes．Along with traditional educational shows for children on public broadcasting channels，cable television now offers kids and adults a wide variety of educational programs，with everything from nature shows to historical events in different countries．
Captioning，such as “closed captioning” for hearing disabled viewers provides another way for parents to exploit（开发） the educational possibilities of television．One study showed that children who watched captioned TV got great improvement in their vocabulary and oral reading ability．In addition，parents can make any show a learning class by watching television together with children．By actively joining children in the programs that they are watching，parents can help with the development of such skills as predicting and summarizing．In order to develop predicting skills，parents and children could first refer to a program’s description in a viewing guide．After reading the program description and guessing what might happen in the program，parents and children could watch together to see which predictions were correct．And to practice summarizing，after watching a program，parents can turn off the TV and ask what the story was about．This kind of activity helps children develop thinking skills such as arranging events in an order and memorizing information．
Although there will still be plenty of times when children watch TV simply for passive enjoyment，parents can help make at least part of their children’s viewing time a more productive activity．Used intelligently by exploiting the learning chances available through various programs，television can play an instructive role in children’s education．
56．Which activity is NOT suggested in the passage?
A．Predicting and summarizing TV shows B．Watching captions on TV．
C．Enjoying films about nature． D．Watching shows for homework．
57．We can learn from the last paragraph that ______．
A．not every minute when a child watches television must be educational
B．children should not use television for passive enjoyment
C．some children prefer reading to watching television
D．television offers more learning chances than school
58．Which of the following questions is the major one discussed in the passage?
A．What makes television more interesting than books?
B．Why should schools put television into classrooms?
C．How can parents use television as a teaching tool?
D．Which program can actually make kids smarter?
E
What to do if you don't feel popular？
●Try to take part in activities. Call your friends. Plan to do something. The worst feeling is staying home alone, because it makes you feel even more lonely.
●Try to make new friends. Choose friends carefully, not just because you think they're popular. And remember, making good friends takes time. Choosing a popular person to be friends with is okay. If they are nice.
●Be yourself（保持独立）. If you want to become friends with someone who's popular, don't make yourself into someone you are not just to impress that person.
●Be nice. Be friendly. Be outgoing（开朗的）. But don't overdo it！Talk to trusted friends if you are feeling really bad. Or you might want to write it down in a journal（期刊）or diary.
●Do something special for yourself. You could take pictures of your friends, or collect their school pictures, and take a collage（拼贴画）to hang on your wall. This will remind（提醒）you, when you are feeling unpopular, that you really do have friends.
●Think up your own ideas. These suggestions might not work for everyone.
What to do if you have a problem with your teacher？
●Talk to your parents, or another adult who will listen to you and perhaps can help. Talk to your friends. Maybe they have had problems with the same teacher, too.
●Don't give the teacher a reason to have problems with you. Do your work, complete your task, attend the class seriously and take notes. Maybe you just need to give the teacher a chance（机会）.
●Try to find out what the problem is.
●Talk to the teacher if you feel comfortable doing this. Don't be nasty（闹别扭的）, but express your concerns（关心）. Listen to the teacher, as well.
●Just accept the fact that you're not going to love all your teachers.
72、What do we mean by saying“ not feeling popular？”
A、Not liked by our classmates or workmates. B、Not doing what we want.
C、Not showing any interest in anything. D、Not so happy.
73、What does the underlined word “overdo” mean?
A、Do something too much or in an extreme way. B、Try your best to do something.
C、Do something carefully. D、Work too hard.
74、The writer __________.
A、believes that your friend will help you out if you take their pictures
B、suggests that you discuss the reason of problem with your teacher when you feel uncomfortable
C、wants you to know that students usually hates teachers
D、is not too sure if his advice will certainly work on you
75、What's the best title of this passage？
A、Why We Have Problems at School？
B、Always be Yourself.
C、How to Handle Problems at School？
D、Don't Be Afraid of Problems With Others.