LearnersofEnglish,especiallyse-优题课

Heading back to the room for dinner and a hot shower may sound like the act of a tired tourist ,but in a traditional Japanese inn ─ or ryokan ─ those activities can be as interesting as anything along the sightseeing trail.“People going looking for a sort of nostalgic(怀旧的),old-fashioned ,and traditional view of Japanese life will find it most easily in a ryokan,”said Peter Grilli, the president of Japan Society of Boston, Massachusetts.
Many ryokans sprang up in the 17th century to put up feudal lords traveling along the Tokaido highway to Edo(now Tokyo). Today tourists looking for a taste of the country’s historic lifestyle find varying levels of understated elegance in ryokans throughout the country.
A typical stay starts with a greeting from the inn’s staff and a change from street shoes into slippers .An attendant leads guests to their rooms, where slippers are removed before walking on the rice-straw flooring, called tatami. Walking slowly along behind a kimonoclad（身穿和服的）attendant on the creaky wood floors of Fukuzumiro ryokan,s hallways is like stepping back in time. The inn was established in 1890 by a former samurai（武士）.
Tim Paterson ,33, a banker living in Tokyo, has stayed at several ryokans. This New Zealand native leaves after a recent stay at Fukuzumiro. “I think it’s quite good mixing culture with history and not just going to see it ,but living in it, staying in it,”he said. Sliding glass doors line the inn’s rural hallways, bringing in the sound of tricking water and the quietness of the stone and tree-filled courtyards outside.
From the first paragraph, we can see that_________________ .

A．there is no dinner and a hot shower in the ryokan

B．such activities as dinner and shower in the ryokan can take you back in time

C．such activities as dinner and shower mean the same both in ordinary inns and traditional inns

D．such activities as dinner and shower are more important than the sightseeing for tourists

What’s the purpose of building so many ryokans in the 17th century?

A．Providing rooms for the noble when they traveled.

B．Keeping the Japanese traditional style of life.

C．Making people feel elegant in the ryokan.

D．Attracting more tourists to put up in the ryokan.

Which of the following shows the right order of tourists entering the ryokan?
a. An attendant shows guests to their room;
b. The guests take off their shoes;
c. The staff greet the guests;
d. The guests walk on tatami;
e. The guests take off slippers;
f. The guests put on slippers.
A. b ; c ; d ; e ; f ; a B. c ; b ; f ; a ; e ; d
C. c ; a ; d ; b ; e ; f D b ; a ; d ; e ; c ; f
From Tim Paterson’s words in the last paragraph ,we can infer that .

A．he will never stay in such a ryokan again

B．he stays in such a ryokan just for its long history

C．he feels relaxed and culturally enriched after staying in such a ryokan

D．he would rather live in such a ryokan than go back home

He could have been president of Israel or played violin at Carnegie Hall, but he was too busy thinking. His thinking on God, love and the meaning of life graces our greeting cards and day-timers.
Fifty years after his death, his shock（乱蓬蓬的一堆）of white hair and hanging moustache still symbolize genius. Einstein remains the foremost scientist of the modern time. Looking back 2,400 years, only Newton ,Galileo and Aristotle were his equals.
Around the world , universities and academies（研究院）are celebrating the 100th anniversary of Einstein’s “miracle year” when he published five scientific papers in 1905 that basically changed our grasp of space, time ,light and matter. Only he could top himself about a decade later with his theory of relativity.
Born in the age of horse-drawn carriages, his ideas launched a technological revolution that has made more changes in a century than in the previous two thousand years. Computers, satellites, telecommunications, lasers, televisions and nuclear power all owe their invention to ways in which Einstein exposed a stranger and more complicated reality underneath the world.
He escaped Hitler’s Germany and devoted the rest of his life to human rights and peace with an authority unmatched by any scientist today, or even most politicians and religious leaders. He spoke out against fascism（法西斯主义）and racial prejudice. His FBI(美国联邦调查局)file ran 1,400 pages.
His letters expose a disorderly personal life ─ married twice and indifferent toward his children while absorbed in physics. Yet he charmed lovers and admirers with poetry and sailboat outings. Friends and neighbors fiercely protected his privacy.
The first paragraph implies that Einstein .

A．had the gift for politics and music

B．had run for president before he worked at his research

C．was an excellent violinist

D．was more a political leader of a musician than a thinker

When you think of Einstein, what typical appearance was formed in your mind?

A．Funny and humorous, with an air of a musician.

B．Wearing very wide trousers and a moustache, with an image of an actor.

C．Rough untidy mass of white hair and hanging moustache , with an image of thinking .

D．Black long hair and moustache, with his eyes deep set.

Why was 1905 called Einstein’s “miracle year”?

A．Because he topped himself with the theory of relativity.

B．Because he made important discoveries of space, time , light and matter.

C．Because he published five papers on his theory of relativity.

D．Because he wrote five important articles to help people understand space, time , light and matter better.

Which of the following is not true about Einstein according to the passage?

A．When he was absorbed in his research ,he didn’t care for his family.

B．He tried to amuse his family and friends in his spare time.

C．He was so busy with the physical research that he showed no interest in politics.

D．His theory led to much improvement in many technological fields.

How often one hears children wishing they were grown up, and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.
Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. In addition, life is always presenting new things to the child-things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents, he is not so free to do what he wishes to do. He is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong. When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.
according to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that _______.

A．life for a child is comparatively easy

B．a child is always loved whatever he does

C．if much is given to a child, he must do something in return

D．only children are interested in life

After a child grows up, he ________.

A．will have little time playing

B．has to be successful in finding a job

C．can still ask for help in time of trouble

D．should be able to take care of himself

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．People are often satisfied with their life.

B．Life is less interesting for old people.

C．Adults are freer to do what they want to do.

D．Adults should no longer rely on others.

The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains

B．young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard

C．childhood is the most enjoyable time in one’s life

D．one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life

The paragraph following this passage will most probably discuss _______.

A．examples of successful young men

B．how to build up one’s position in society

C．joys and pains of old people

D．what to do when one has problems in life

Several days ago, a Beijing-based IT company fired about 400 people overnight. No one had expected the job cuts, which broke with traditional ways of letting go of workers in China. Moreover, what was special about this case was that the day before the 400 were fired, they all received from their boss a gift—the book “Who Moved My Cheese?”
The book—a bestseller in the US—is being used by men and women to deal with changes in their lives and work. Some large organizations, including Coca-Cola, Kodak and General Motors, ask their employees to read it in order to encourage them to be active towards changes.
Cheese is something related to everyone’s livelihood—our jobs, the Industries we work in, relationships and love as well.
With China’s official entry into the WTO, the whole nation will face more changes and challenges. So what should we do once this “cheese” on which we are so dependent is moved?
whatever challenges and changes we meet, we should face up to them bravely, Jiang Hengwei, a civil servant said after reading the book.
Professor Zhang Yang in Renmin University of China agrees. “We should change our way of thinking. The coming competitive foreign companies and products provide us with great chances to learn from them and improve our own products to meet international standards and be more competitive.”
“With hard work and wisdom, we will create a much larger and better piece of cheese.” Zhang smiled confidently.
The whole passage is about _______.

A．people’s opinions about a bestseller of the US

B．what people think about China’s entry into the WTO

C．the change in people’s attitude towards changes and challenges

D．how a book influences the Chinese

The company in Beijing gave each of the 400 fired workers a copy of “Who Moved My Cheese” in order to _______.

A．be more competitive with foreign firms

B．find an excuse for their job cuts

C．let the workers make a living on their own

D．encourage the fired workers

The word “cheese” in the passage can refer to _______.

A．something we depend on for a living

B．a most important kind of food

C．change or challenge

D．way of life

From what Hengwei and Professor Zhang Yang said, we can know that _______.

A．they have different opinions on changes and challenges

B．people are not afraid of competition from foreign companies

C．the Chinese people are ready to face any changes and challenges

D．they are both greatly encouraged by the book

A teddy bear from Cumbria is launching into space to raise cash for charity(慈善).
Terence, an experienced traveller who has been to Iraq, will be the guest of honour on aviation(航行) legend Burt Rutan’s Spaceship One when it flies above Earth. The mission takes off from California on September 29, and on his return the cuddly toy will be auctioned off(拍卖) in aid of the North Air Ambulance Appeal(北部空中救护服务中心).
Spaceship One is the world’s first private spacecraft, and is competing for a prestigious space travel prize. Chief executive of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), Graham Pickering, said “flying officer” Terence had been handed over to the RAF six months ago and staff had been receiving postcards from him ever since.
He said, “Terence was a fundraising idea that really took off. We have received pictures of him in a U2 craft, trying parachuting and even looking drunk and disorderly. When the RAF finally discharge him he will be a very rare bear indeed—we just hope he does not burn up on re-entry to Earth.”
GNAAS, which needs charitable donations of more than ￡2m a year, has three air ambulances(空中救护机).
Peter Bond, spokesman for the Royal Astronomical Society, said Terence’s safety was not guaranteed. He said, “This is a new and experimental craft and this will only be the second time it has flown. During its first voyage it developed technical problems but hopefully they have now been resolved.”
Since May, Terence has spent time with members of 100 Squadron(空军中队) based at RAF Leeming in Basra, Iraq, and at air shows with performing fighter planes.
Spaceship One will fly 100km (62 miles) above the Earth’s surface, just breaking through the planet’s atmosphere.
If it repeats the feat(技艺) inside two weeks, it will claim the $10m Ansari X-Prize set up to encourage the private space flight business.
Terence is ________.

A．a real bear living in England	B．an experienced astronaut
C．an air force officer	D．a toy bear

We can infer that________.

A．after this space flight, Spaceship One will get the $10m Ansari X-Prize

B．it is dangerous for a spaceship to re-enter the earth atmosphere

C．Terence will be very safe on the flight

D．Spaceship One is just an ordinary plane

Which of the following is true of Spaceship One?

A．Spaceship One is the world’s first spacecraft.

B．The purpose of its flight is to collect money for the charity.

C．The purpose of its flight is to compete for a prestigious space travel prize.

D．Spaceship One has never flown.

Which of the following is the best title?

A．Teddy bear astronaut to lift off	B．Spaceship One to lift off
C．Space flight	D．The toy bear will be auctioned off

A．improve their listening ability	B．read fast
C．write better English and read faster	D．speak correctly