I stopped at a grocery store the other day because I was about to go on a long drive and I wanted to buy my favorite beverage for the trip. It wasn’t the store I normally go to, just one I passed along the way.
As I walked up to the entrance, I noticed a man and a boy who was about 10 or 12 years old standing at the front of the store. Customers walked past, as the man handed them half-sheets of white paper. I walked up to them with curiosity, wondering what cause they were representing. As I got closer, I saw that they had two carts starting to fill with groceries.
I said hello and the man greeted me and handed me one of the pieces of paper, explaining that they were collecting donations for the local food pantry. On the paper was a simple list of food items: peanut butter, noodles, pasta sauce, canned fruits and vegetables. It also included a short story about the boy and his efforts to collect food donations since the age of 8. I was really touched that someone so young would be so interested in helping others. I told him it was an awesome idea and that he should be proud of himself. He smiled.
Then, I went inside to get my drink. Unfortunately, the store didn’t have it in stock. But, I wasn’t upset, because by then I felt I had another mission. I went through the store, picking things from the list, then brought them back out to the boy and put them in the cart. I also gave the man the white sheet of paper back to reuse for another customer. They thanked me and offered me a treat (candy, I think) but I said to pass it on to someone else.
As I walked back to my car, the boy’s well-intentioned spirit stuck with me. How inspiring to encounter a young boy with a resolve to do good deeds, and the courage to act on it. It made my day!What do we know from the passage?
| A.The author wasn’t a regular customer to the store. |
| B.The store was owned by the man and the boy. |
| C.The store didn’t deal in drinks. |
| D.The author refused their treat because he didn’t need it. |
What does the author mainly want to tell readers in paragraph 4?
| A.He didn’t get his drink |
| B.He carried out another mission. |
| C.He got thanks and was offered a treat |
| D.He wasn’t upset though not getting his drink. |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A.A Day for a Boy. | B.A Young Boy’s Determination. |
| C.An Inspiring Boy. | D.A Young Boy’s Groceries. |
We can infer from the description of the author that the boy is _______.
| A.noble-minded | B.hard-working |
| C.well-educated | D.open-minded |
The British last an average of eight minutes and twenty-two seconds before they lose temper, according to new research.
The Internet has increased people’s service demands and it is destroying the classic British characteristic of patience.More than half of the British have admitted they lose their temper quicker than ever before.People have become so used to the speed and convenience of the Internet that more than seven in ten get angry if forced to wait longer than one minute for a web page to download.
Being kept on hold made the British see red more than anything else, with the average person reaching their impatience limit after five minutes and four seconds.
In today’s fast food culture, restaurant rage starts after only eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds, when the average diner will start to wonder whether the meal they have ordered will ever arrive.
People running late to meet a friend should not leave it any longer than ten minutes and one second if they do not want to face their anger.
Finally, when receiving a text or voicemail, be warned that the clock is ticking as the average Englishman expects a response within thirteen minutes and sixteen seconds.
Mark Schmid, of telecom giant TalkTalk, which conducted the research among 2,050 people, said that the speed of the online world is making us less prepared to wait for things to happen in the offline world.“This is causing people to reach the point of impatience earlier than ever before.”
60.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.More than half of the British get angry more easily than before.
B.Waiting for an Internet page to download will make half of the British angry.
C.Any Englishman may last 8 minutes and 22 seconds before they lose temper.
D.Waiting for friends to show up within 10 minutes and 1 second will not be acceptable.
61.The underlined word “rage” in the passage can be replaced by ___________.
A.disappointment B.sadness C.annoyance D.worry
62.According to the passage, the following things may make people impatient EXCEPT ___________.
A.the response to a text massage B.the food service in a restaurant
C.the speed of the Internet D.the business trade
63.The passage is mainly about ___________.
A.how long the British can keep their temper
B.when people lose temper easily
C.what makes the British lose temper quicker
D.why the Internet influences people’s life
The dog that gave us the most trouble was a beagle (猎兔犬) named Murphy.As far as I’m concerned, the first thing he did wrong was to turn into a beagle.I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window, and I went in and asked the man, “How much is that adorable fox terrier (小猎狗) in the window?” Did he say “That adorable fox terrier is a beagle”? No, he said, “Ten dollars, lady.” Now, I don’t mean to say one word against beagles.They have rights just like other people.But it is a bit of a shock when you bring home a small ball of fluff (绒毛) in a shoebox, and three weeks later it’s as long as the sofa.
Murphy was the first dog I ever trained personally, and I was delighted at the enthusiasm with which he took to the newspaper.It was some time later that we discovered, to our horror, that—like so many dogs—he had grasped the letter but not the spirit of the thing.Until the very end of his days he felt a real sense of duty whenever he saw a newspaper—any newspaper—and it didn’t matter where it was.I can’t bring myself to go into the details, except to mention that we were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox.
He had another habit that used to leave us open to a certain amount of criticism from our friends.He never climbed up on beds or chairs or sofas.But he always sat on top of the piano.In the beginning we used to try to pull him off.But after a few noisy fights in which he knocked a picture off the wall, scratched the piano, and smashed a lamp, we just gave in—only to discover that he hopped up and down as skillfully as a ballet dancer.
Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog.If they do, I say, “Maybe I’d better keep away from it—I have bad allergy.” This sometimes annoys the host.But it works.It really works.
56.The writer uses a hyperbole (夸张) in Paragraph 1 to suggest that the dog grew _____________.
A.surprisingly lovable B.comfortable in the house
C.too fierce to tolerate D.larger than expected
57.Which sentence shows the author’s inability to train Murphy?
A.I had seen him bounding around on the other side of a pet-shop window.
B.We were finally forced to keep all the papers in the bottom of the icebox.
C.He never climbed up on beds or chairs.
D.Nowadays if I go anywhere, I just ask if they have a dog.
58.What can you infer from the second paragraph?
A.The writer tried to train Murphy to fetch newspapers but in vain.
B.Like other dogs, Murphy hated newspapers.
C.Murphy learned to help the writer clean the papers.
D.Murphy liked fetching letters rather than newspapers.
59.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A.Murphy—My Favorite Dog B.Murphy—An Adorable Dog
C.Murphy Gave Me Trouble D.Murphy Turned Into A Beagle
E
Sport is not only physically challenging,but it can also be mentally challenging. Criticism from coaches,parents,and other teammates,as well as pressure to win can create an excessive amount of anxiety or stress for young athletes. Stress can be physical,emotional,or psychological,and research has indicated that it can lead to burnout. Burnout has been described as dropping or quitting of an activity that was at one time enjoyable.
The early years of development are critical years for learning about oneself. The sport setting is one where valuable experiences can take place. Young athletes can,for example,learn how to cooperate with others,make friends,and gain other social skills that will be used throughout their lives. Coaches and parents should be aware,at all times,that their feedback to youngsters can greatly affect their children. Youngsters may take their parents’ and coaches’ criticisms to heart and find flaws(缺陷)in themselves.
Coaches and parents should also be cautious that youth sport participation does not become work for children. The outcome of the game should not be more important than the process of learning the sport and other life lessons. In today’s youth sport setting,young athletes may be worrying more about who will win instead of enjoying themselves and the sport. Following a game, many parents and coaches focus on the outcome and find fault with youngsters’ performances. Positive reinforcement(正面强化)should be provided regardless of the outcome. Research indicates that positive reinforcement motivates and has a greater effect on learning than criticism. Again,criticism can create high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout.
72.An effective way to prevent the burnout of young athletes is ____________.
A.to make sports less competitive
B.to make sports more challenging
C.to reduce their mental stress
D.to increase their sense of success
73.According to the passage sport is positive for young people in that____________.
A.it can help them learn more about society
B.it teaches them how to set realistic goals for themselves
C.it enables them to find flaws in themselves
D.it can provide them with valuable experience
74.Many coaches and parents are in the habit of criticizing young athletes ________.
A.without realizing criticism may destroy their self-confidence
B.in order to make them remember life lessons
C.believing that criticism is beneficial for their early development
D.so as to put more pressure on them
75.The author’s purpose in writing the passage is ____________.
A.to persuade athletes not to worry about criticism
B.to emphasize the importance of positive reinforcement to young athletes
C.to discuss the skill of combining criticism with encouragement
D.to teach young athletes how to avoid burnout
D
The largest earthquake (magnitude 里氏 9.5) of the 20th century happened on May 22,1960 off the coast of South Central Chile.
It generated(生成) one of the most destructive Pacific-wide tsunamis(海啸).Near the generating area, both the earthquake and the tsunami were very much destructive, particularly in the coastal area from Concepcion to the south end of Isia Chiloe.The largest tsunami damage occurred at Isia Chiloe—the coastal area closest to the epicenter(震中).Huge tsunami waves measuring as high as 25 meters arrived within 10 to 15 minutes after the earthquake, killing at least two hundred people, sinking all the boats, and flooding half a kilometer inland.
There was large damage and loss of life at Concepcion, Chile's top industrial city.Near the city of Valdivia, the earthquake and following aftershocks generated landslides which killed 18 people.At me port city of Valparaiso, a city of 200,000, many buildings collapsed.A total of 130,000 houses were destroyed —one in every three in the earthquake zone and nearly 2,000,000 people were left homeless.
Total damage losses, including to agriculture and to industry, were estimated to be over a half billion dollars .The total number of death related with both the tsunami and the earthquake was never found accurately for the region Estimates of deaths reached between 490 to 5,7002 with no distinction(差别) as to how many deaths were caused by the earthquake and how many were caused by the tsunami.However, it is believed that most of the deaths in Chile were caused by the tsunami.
68.Where did the largest tsunami damage occurred?
A.Concepcion B.Isia Chiloe C.Valdivia D.Valparaiso
69.What can we learn about the tsunami waves generated by the earthquake?
A.The tsunami waves as high as 25 meters arrived immediately after the earthquake.
B.The tsunami waves killed 200 people and sank all boats.
C.The tsunami waves were very destructive.
D.The tsunami waves flooded half of the inland.
70.What is generally thought the main cause of deaths in Chiloe?
A.landslides B.the tsunami
C.aftershocksD.the magnitude 9.5 earthquake
71.What does the underlined word "collapsed" probably mean ?
A.was destroyedB.caught fire
C.was flooded D.sank
C
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 poor-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(信念)she was a sensualist(感觉论者),but by nature she was a moralist(伦理学者),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 personalities(被压抑的性格),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.
64.The underlined sentence in paragraph l means 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
65.She first won her name through____________.
A.her story of a Polish actress
B.her book Illness as Metaphor
C.publishing essays in magazines like Partisan Review
D.her explanation of a set of difficult understandings
66.Susan Sontag’s lasting fame was made upon____________.
A.a tireless,all-purpose cultural view
B.her lifelong watchword: seriousness
C.publishing books on morals
D.enjoying books worth reading and movies worth seeing
67.From the works Susan published in the 1970s and 1980s,we can learn that _____.
A.she was more a moralist than a sensualist
B.she was more a sensualist than a moralist
C.she believed repressed personalities mainly led to illness
D.she would like to re-examine old positions