If Confucius(孔子) were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ______.
| A.provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B.attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C.show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.
| A.have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B.take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C.try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D.fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A.Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C.Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D.Old Thinker with a Big Future |
The passage is likely to appear in _______.
| A.a biography |
| B.a history paper |
| C.a newspaper |
| D.a philosophy textbook |
第三部分:阅读理解
第一节:阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
It is a beautiful day in June. The sun is hot. It's time to harvest strawberries (草莓),and the strawberry fields are full of people. These people are picking strawberry. They are not farmers, and they are picking fruit for fun. They can buy strawberries in a supermarket but it is cheaper to pick their own fruit. Strawberries from the farm are also flesher (更新鲜的). Most people also like to pick their own fruit because it is a pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
One little boy is walking between the rows of plants. He is picking the strawberries and eating them as fast as he can. Two young women in pretty dress and high-heeled shoes(高跟鞋)are getting out of their car. Now they are taking off their shoes. These women are taking a break from their work. They want to pick fruit and enjoy the sunshine.
56. What time of the year do the people in the passage pick strawberries?
A. Early spring. B. Early autumn. C. Early summer. D. Early winter.
57. The people in the passage are picking fruit because they are ________ .
A. farmers working all day in the fields
B. looking for a pleasant way to spend the afternoon
C. poor and need the money
D. stealing the fresh fruit
58. The story implies (暗示)that strawberries in the supermarket are ______.
A. larger B. less fresh
C. cheaper D. better for your health
D
Parents whose children show a special interest in a sport feel very difficult to make a decision about their children’s careers. Should they allow their children to train to become top sports men or women? For many children it means starting schoolwork very young, and going out with friends and other interests have to take a second place. It’s very difficult to explain to a young child why he or she has to train five hours a day, even at the weekend, when most of his or her friends are playing.
Another problem is of course money. In many countries money for training is available from government for the best young sportsmen and women. If this help can not be given, it means that it is the parents who have to find the time and the money to support their child’s development and sports clothes, transport to competitions, special equipment, etc.
Many parents are worried that it is dangerous to start serious training in a sport at an early age. Some doctors agree that young muscles may be damaged by training before they are properly developed. Professional ( 专业的) trainers however, believe that it is only by training young that you can reach the top as a successful sports person. It is clear that very few people do reach the top, and both parents and children should be prepared for failure even after many years of training.
67. This article is probably taken from ________.
A. a letter B. an advertisement
C. a personal diary D. a newspaper article
68. According to the passage parents whose children show a special interest in a sport _______.
A. feel uncertain if they should let their children train to be sportsmen or women
B. try to get financial support from the government for their children’s training
C. have to get medical advice from doctors about training methods
D. prefer their children to be trained as young as possible
69. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. When young, sports men or women won’t have much time for their schoolwork
B. Early training may damage their muscles.
C. Most children may become professional sports men or women after a long period of training.
D. It’s very expensive for parents to support their child’s development in sports.
70. _______ can become the best players after many years of training.
A. Most people B. Some people
C. Only a few people D. No people
C
Sunny English Club
For students
16:00 – 18:00 Every Saturday
200 Yuan a month
9 Zhou Yu Street
Tel: 3785290
Foreign teachers, English songs and films and more!
63. You will pay _______ if you want to stay in the English club for half a year.
A. 300 yuan B. 600 yuan C. 1200 yuan D. 2400 yuan
64. You can visit Ocean Museum _______ .
A. on Saturday B. on Wednesday C. on Monday D. anytime
65. One can get free examinations in Health Centre if he is _______ .
A. 9 B. 17 C. 67 D. 73
66. If you are interested in the life of fish, you should go to ______ .
A. Health Centre B. Ocean Museum
C. Sunny English ClubD. 16 Yong Le Street
B
Many of the world’s pollution problems have been caused by the crowding of large groups of people into the cities. Supply for the needs of the people leads to further pollution by industry. If the rapid increase of world population in countries continues at the present rate, there may be much greater harm to human beings. Some scientists speak of the increase in numbers of people as “population pollution.”
About 2,000 years ago, the world population was probably about 250 million. It reached a billion in 1850. By 1930 the population was two billion. It is now three and a half billion. It is expected to double by the year 2,000. If the population continues to grow at the same rate, there will be 25 billion in the world a hundred years from now.
Man has been using the earth’s resources more and more rapidly over the past years. Some of them are almost used up. Now many people believe that man’s greatest problem is how to control the growth of the population. The material supplies in the world will be far from enough to support the human population in time to come, if the present rate of increase continues. Already there is overcrowding in many cities and starvation in some countries. Should man’s population keep on growing so rapidly as before? Many people believe that human survival in the future depends on the answer to this question.
60. The rapid increase in population is considered to be __________.
A. the increase of resources B. population pollution
C. the development of mankind D. the present rate
61. If the present rate of increase continue, ________________.
A. the world is going to end
B. the earth won’t be able to support the growing population in the future
C. pollution has nothing to do with the rapidly increasing population
D. there would be four billion in the world a hundred years from now
62. Which of the following is Wrong according to the passage?
A. In 1850 the world population reached a billion.
B. Man must fight a battle against population pollution.
C. The world’s population is increasing with years.
D. All of the earth’s resources are gone now.
第二部分:阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2.5分,满分37.5分)
第一节:阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项。
A
Macao is only forty miles from Hong Kong and it is easy to reach. You can get there by sea. It is an interesting place and it had a long history. Macao is part of China and most people living there are Chinese.
The first Europeans to go to Macao came from Portugal. More than four hundred years ago the Portuguese went there to trade with China. Some settled and made their homes there. They built strong forts to guard the city and the harbor. They also built churches, schools, hospitals and other places. Slowly the city grew. People from many countries came to live and work in Macao.
Today many people visit Macao. Some only go there to watch dog-racing or motor-racing or to gamble with their money. But Macao is a quiet and peaceful place. It is pleasant just to walk around and look at old buildings and forts. You feel you are back in the old days. Of course, some of the buildings are now in ruins. The Church of St. Paul has only the front wall with many steps leading up to it. But it is still interesting to see.
When you are hot and tired, there are small cool gardens to rest in. when you are hungry, there are good restaurants with many kinds of food. Nearby there are some islands, which are also nice and are easy to get to. There is certainly a lot to do in Macao.
56. Macao is easy to get to because_________.
A. it is part of China and most people there are Chinese
B. it is an interesting place
C. it is very fast and cheap by sea
D. it is not far away from Hong Kong
57. You feel in Macao you are back in the old days because_________.
A. most of the buildings are now in ruins
B. you can watch dog-racing or motor-racing
C. you can go about to see the old buildings and forts
D. it is a peaceful place
58. Where will you have a break when you feel worn out?
A. In good restaurants. B. In small cool gardens.
C. On some islands. D. In beautiful parks.
59. The writer’ s idea seems to be that_________.
A. people from many countries came to live and work in Macao
B. Portuguese were willing to do business in China
C. people in Macao serve good food
D. Macao is a quiet and peaceful place with a lot to see and to do