William Butler Yeats, a most famous Irish writer, was born in Dublin on June 13, 1865. His childhood lacked the harmony that was typical of a happy family. Later, Yeats shocked his family by saying that he remembered "little of childhood but its pain". In fact, he inherited (继承) excellent taste in art from his family — both his father and his brother were painters. But he finally settled on literature, particularly drama and poetry.
Yeats had strong faith in the coming of new artistic movements. He set himself the fresh task in founding an Irish national theatre in the late 1890s. His early theatrical experiments, however, were not received favorably at the beginning. He didn't lose heart, and finally enjoyed success in his poetical drama.
Compared with his dramatic works, Yeats's poems attract much admiring notice. The subject matter includes love, nature, history, time and aging. Though Yeats generally relied on very traditional forms, he brought modern sensibility to them. As his literary life progressed, his poetry grew finer and richer, which led him to worldwide recognition.
He had not enjoyed a major public life since winning the Nobel Prize in 1923. Yet, he continued writing almost to the end of his life. Had Yeats stopped writing at age 40, he would probably now be valued as a minor poet, for there is no other example in literary history of a poet who produces his greatest works between the ages of 50 and 75. After Yeats's Death in 1939, W. H. Auden wrote, among others, the following lines:
Earth, receive an honoured guest:
William Yeats is laid to rest.
Let the Irish vessel (船) lie
Emptied of its poetry.Which of the following can describe Yeats's family?
| A．It filled Yeats's childhood with laughter. |
| B．It was shocked by Yeats's choice. |
| C．It was a typically wealthy family. |
| D．It had an artistic atmosphere. |
According to the passage, what do we know about Yeats's life?
| A．Yeats founded the first Irish theater. |
| B．Yeats stuck to modern forms in his poetry. |
| C．Yeats began to produce his best works from the 1910s. |
| D．Yeats was not favored by the public until the 1923 Noble Prize. |
What kind of feeling is expressed in W. H. Auden's lines?
| A．Envy | B．Sympathy | C．Emptiness | D．Admiration |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Yeats's literary achievements | B．Yeats's historical influence |
| C．Yeats's artistic ambition | D．Yeats's national honor |
Though Chinese is older than English, English is spoken by many people around the world every day. English speakers are always making new words and we should be able to know where most words come from.
Sometimes, however, no one may really knows where a word comes from. Did you ever think about why hamburgers are called hamburgers, especially when they are not made with ham? About a hundred years ago, some men went to America from Europe. They came from a big city in Germany called Hamburg.
They did not speak good English, but they ate good food. When some American saw them eating round pieces of beef, they asked the Germans what it was. The Germans did not understand the question and answered, “We came from Hamburg.” One of these Americans owned a restaurant, and had an idea. He cooked some round pieces of the beef like what the man from Hamburg ate and sold in many countries around the world.
Whether this story is true or not, it certainly is interesting. Knowing why a word has a certain meaning is interesting, too. The reason may be found in any large English dictionary.Hamburg is _______ .
| A．a kind of food | B．a city in Germany |
| C．the name of a village | D．a round piece of beef. |
According to the story, _______.
| A．few Americans like hamburgers |
| B．hamburgers are made with ham |
| C．hamburgers are made with beef |
| D．hamburgers were sold all over the world about a century ago |
According to the writer, which of the following can be found in any large English dictionary?
| A．Where all the new words come from. |
| B．Where those Germans came from. |
| C．The reason why English is spoken around the world. |
| D．The reason why a word has a certain meaning. |
According to the story, the word “hamburgers” comes from _______.
| A．China because it has a long history |
| B．England because Germans don’t speak good English |
| C．English speakers because they always make new words. |
| D．The round pieces of beef those people from Hamburg brought to America. |
From the passage, we can infer that hamburgers was first sold to the world by _______.
| A．Germans | B．Americans |
| C．Chinese | D．we don’t know |
Where can you find a nice place to relax on holiday for both you and your children? Well, I suggest you try the beautiful and green Isle of Wight (IOW). The Isle of Wight is one of the main tourist attractions. Here is some information on a few of the attractions on the IOW.
Dinosaur Isle
It is located in Sandown, a seaside town on the southeast coast. It's a large, lovely museum, both fun and educational. Here you can see a large fossil collection of all kinds of dinosaurs, as well as a gift shop. You can walk into the past and then the future, learning about the history and the development of the civilization of dinosaurs(恐龙）that lived 120 million years ago.
Robin Hill Country Park
The park is in the beautiful countryside, and is suitable for children's parties and games. It has five new gardens, and offers great opportunities to see and take pictures of the rare red squirrels.
The West of the Wight
Here we have the Marine Aquarium, the Archaeology Exhibition and the Model Railway. They offer another opportunity to combine entertainment(娱乐) with learning. This is a great place to see ancient boats crossing the narrow strait between the island and the mainland.
The Wight Bus Museum
This museum is run completely by unpaid volunteers. It has a bus collection stored in what was once a warehouse (仓库) . Most of the buses in the museum date back to around the 1910's.
With all of these choices, what are you waiting for? IOW Tourism welcomes you!Where can you visit the dinosaur museum?
| A．In a seaside town. |
| B．In the west of the isle. |
| C．In the beautiful countryside. |
| D．On the northeast coast. |
Where can you learn something as well as have a good time?
| A．Dinosaur Isle and Robin Hill Country Park. |
| B．The Wight Bus Museum and Robin Hill Country Park. |
| C．Dinosaur Isle and the West of the Wight. |
| D．The Wight Bus Museum and the West of the Wight. |
It can be learned from the passage that ____.
| A．on Dinosaur Isle we can learn about all kinds of animals |
| B．those running the Wight Bus Museum work for free |
| C．there are five new gardens on Dinosaur Isle |
| D．the Wight Bus Museum can be visited free of charge |
The purpose of this passage is to ____.
| A．advise readers how to relax on holidays |
| B．show the development of tourism on the IOW |
| C．attract readers to come to the IOW |
| D．tell readers what is worth visiting |
You can read this article in a ______.
| A．film advertisement | B．science journal |
| C．book review | D．travel magazine |
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career.
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification(资格证书) if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course.
I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.What is the author’s present job?
| A．Working part-time in a college. |
| B．Taking care of children for a family. |
| C．Helping children with their schoolwork. |
| D．Looking after children at a kindergarten. |
When staying with the two girls’ family, the author ________.
| A．was paid for extra work |
| B．often worked long hours |
| C．got much help from her boss |
| D．took a day off every other week |
Why did the author leave her first job?
| A．She found a full-time job. |
| B．She was fed up with children. |
| C．She decided to attend a part-time course. |
| D．She needed a rest after working extra hours. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “fed up”?
| A．Troublesome. | B．Loving. |
| C．Excited. | D．Great. |
What has the author learned from her own experiences?
| A．Less successful students can still have a career. |
| B．Qualifications are necessary for a career. |
| C．Hard work makes an excellent student. |
| D．One must choose the job she likes. |
People living in the country enjoy several advantages that people living in the city cannot enjoy. They are in closely contact with nature. They make friends with trees and stones. They can own dogs. They breathe fresh air. They fight with strong winds. They listen to the songs of birds.
This contact with nature is good for health. There are many diseases that are common in the city. but are not to be found in the country. For example, near-sightedness is almost unknown to country people.
Because of the absence of cars, one can walk more freely in the country than in the city. There are no rules of the road nor traffic signs to obey.
People living in the country can easily get fresh vegetables, fresh fruit and fresh milk. And they get them at lower prices than in the city.
Country life is economical in other ways, too. There are practically no temptations (诱惑)to waste money.
Country people are mostly honest. They say what they mean, and make and keep promises with sincerity (诚意). They do not put on air. They do not pretend to have those ridiculous (荒谬的) manners which are necessary in what we call polite society.What can’t country people often enjoy ?
| A．Musical concerts. |
| B．Fresh air. |
| C．Song of birds. |
| D．Close contact with nature. |
What is probably more expensive in country than in the city ?
| A．Vegetables. | B．Beer. |
| C．Milk. | D．Fruit. |
What is NOT true of country life ?
| A．The traffic accident rate is very high in the country. |
| B．Living in the country saves one a lot of money. |
| C．Country people enjoy better health than the city people. |
| D．Country people are honest. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage ?
| A．People living in the country enjoy no advantages. |
| B．People living in the city are in close contact with nature. |
| C．People living in the country suffer from more diseases than those living in the city. |
| D．The prices of farm products are lower in the country than in the city. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage ?
| A．The Disadvantages of Living in the Country. |
| B．The Expenses of Living in the Country. |
| C．Country Life. |
| D．Healthy Country People. |
Situated along Wangfujing Avenue, the Wangfujing Grand Hotel enjoys a prime location with easy access to many tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City, Tian’anmen Square and Beihai Park.
Each luxurious room at the Wangfujing Grand is elegantly furnished and comes equipped with modern amenities including satellite TV, internet access and attached bathroom. Most rooms overlook the Forbidden City or Wangfujing Avenue, providing stunning views.
Hotel guests can swim in the indoor pool or workout at the fitness centre while a sauna and spa lets visitor relax and unwind. Other hotel facilities include a beauty salon, gift shop and travel and tickets service.
The Regent Beijing
Surrounded by the modern business district and the ancient streets of old Beijing, Regent Hotel is truly the place to enjoy a world of luxury at a good value.
Situated within walking distance of the main commercial district, Regent Beijing is very close to shops, entertainment outlets, eateries and nightlife. Major attractions like Forbidden Palace and Tiananmen Square are just a 5-minute drive away.
The world-class Regent Beijing not only offers excellent facilities for leisure and business, it also provides personalized and thoughtful service.
Pamper yourself with a treatment in one of the spa’s private rooms or relax in the elegant indoor pool. Energize in the large fitness centre or enjoy some retail shopping at the luxury boutiques.
Raffles Beijing Hotel
Raffles Beijing Hotel is in the heart of the prestigious business and commercial districts and a few minutes from the mystical Forbidden from the mystical Forbidden City, historical Tian’anmen Square, the Silk Market and other famous sights. It is also a short 15 minutes walk from Beijing railway station and less than 5 minutes from Wangfujing subway station, and approximately 40 minutes by car from Beijing Capital International Airport.
Raffles Beijing Hotel was built in the 1900s, now already as an icon of Beijing’s historical heritage. It is ideally situated at the crossroads of famous Chang An Avenue and the district of Wangfujing.The underlined word “anmenities”, as used in the passage, can best be defined as “”.
| A．comfortable accommodation. |
| B．convenient transportation. |
| C．nutritious food. |
| D．amusing toys. |
If you choose to stay in Wangfujing Grand Hotel, you can do the following except .
| A．doing some swimming in the pool. |
| B．doing physical exercise at the fitness centre. |
| C．going to Forbidden Palace without leaving the hotel. |
| D．buying souvenirs in the gift shop. |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．Regent Beijing is very close to Beijing railway station. |
| B．Regent Beijing is a world-class hotel with excellent facilities. |
| C．Only in the Regent Beijing can you enjoy some retail shopping. |
| D．Regent Beijing is now an icon of Beijing’s historical heritage. |
Which of the following is closest to Raffles Beijing Hotel ?
| A．Beijing railway station. |
| B．Wangfujing subway station. |
| C．Wangfujing Grand Hotel. |
| D．Beijing Capital International Airport. |
The passage is written for .
| A．students. | B．passengers. |
| C．tourists. | D．businessmen. |