Kong Zi, also called Confucius (551—479B.C.), and Socrates(苏格拉底) (469—399 B.C.) lived only a hundred years apart, and during their lifetimes there was no contact between China and Greece, but it is interesting to look at how the world that each of these great philosophers came from shaped their ideas, and how these ideas in turn, shaped their societies.
Neither philosopher lived in times of peace, though there were more wars in Greece than in China. The Chinese states were very large and feudal, while the Greek city-states were small and urban. The urban environment in which Socrates lived allowed him to be more radical (激进的) than Confucius. Unlike Confucius, Socrates was not asked by rulers how to govern effectively. Thus, Socrates was able to be more idealistic, focusing on issues like freedom, and knowledge for its own sake. Confucius, on the other hand, advised those in government service, and many of his students went out to government service.
Confucius suggested the Golden Rule as a principle for the conduct of life: "Do not do to others what you would not want others to do to you." He assumed that all men were equal at birth, though some had more potential than others, and that it was knowledge that set men apart. Socrates focused on the individual, and thought that the greatest purpose of man was to seek wisdom. He believed that the superior class should rule the inferior (下层的) classes.
For Socrates, the family was of no importance, and the community of little concern. For Confucius, however, the family was the centre of the society, with family relations considered much more important than political relations.
Both men are respected much more today than they were in their lifetimes. Which of the following is TURE according to the first paragraph?
| A．Socrates and Confucius had much in common |
| B．Confucius had much influence on Socrates’ ideas. |
| C．The societies were influenced by the philosophers’ ideas. |
| D．There were cultural exchanges between China and Greece. |
Socrates shared with Confucius the idea that ________.
A. all men were equal when they were born
B. the lower classed should be ruled by the upper class
C. the purpose of man was to seek freedom and wisdomWhat made some people different from others according to Confucius?
| A．Family. | B．Potential. | C．Knowledge. | D．Community. |
This passage is organized in the pattern of ________.
| A．time and events | B．comparison and contrast |
| C．cause and effect | D．definition and classification |
Milan, the second largest city of Italy, has won an undesirable world record. Of the 54 big cities studied by the World Health Organization and the United Nations, Milan is considered to have the worst air pollution. According to these two10-year studies, the level of air pollution in Milan is twice as high as the levels in Paris and Beijing and three times those in Tokyo and London, and four times that in New York. The reason for Milan's bad pollution, to some experts, is that the city lies in a valley that holds back the poisonous gases. Though Milan has taken some measures to lower the level of pollution, the situation is still worrying. People joke to each other, "If you are traveling to Milan, be sure to bring your gas mask." In order to reduce the use of private cars, in 1979, the government in Milan began an interesting experiment: passengers in the city buses did not have to pay for their tickets.Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the text?
| A．Milan's air is considered to be worst polluted in Europe. |
| B．Experts think that the air in Milan is badly polluted. |
| C．The reason for the air pollution in Milan. |
| D．Measures have been taken by Milan to reduce the air pollution. |
Which of the following cities keeps the lowest level of air pollution?
| A．London. | B．Tokyo. |
| C．New York. | D．Paris. |
Why is the air pollution in Milan so serious?
| A．Because too many cars are being driven in the city every day. |
| B．Because the city lies in a place where there are some mountains near it. |
| C．Because Milan has taken some measures to encourage people to buy private cars. |
| D．Because the city lies in a place where it is difficult for polluted air to move away. |
According to the text, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Milan has taken some measures and the air pollution is being reduced. |
| B．Milan has taken some action, but the air pollution is still troublesome. |
| C．Milan has made no effort so far to lower the level of pollution. |
| D．Milan will taken every step to reduce the air pollution |
A young man was going to join the army and had to take a medical examination. The doctor was sitting at a desk when he went in. He said to the man. “Take your coat and shirt off, and sit on the chair.” The young man did so. The doctor looked at him for a moment without getting up from his chair and then said, “All right. Put on your clothes again.” “But you haven’t examined me at all!” the young man said in surprise. “There is no need to do so,” the doctor said with a smile. “When I told you to take your coat and shirt off, you heard me all right, so there is nothing wrong with your ears. You saw the chair, so your eyes are good. You could take your clothes off and sit on the chair, so you must be in good health. And you understand what I told you to do and did it without a mistake, so you must be clever enough for the army.”The young man went to the doctor because __________.
| A．he wanted to consult about his illness. |
| B．he had to have a medical check-up. |
| C．he did not want to join the army. |
| D．he did not feel well. |
The doctor told the young man to take his coat and shirt off in order to______.
| A．test his listening ability. |
| B．see whether his eyes were wrong with him. |
| C．see what was wrong with him. |
| D．examine him with no clothes. |
The doctor thought that __________.
| A．the young man would not be a good soldier. |
| B．the young man must not join the army. |
| C．The young man would not do something wrong in the army. |
| D．the young man could join the army. |
At first the young man __________.
| A．did not understand what the doctor mean |
| B．did not do as he was told to do |
| C．realized why the doctor told him to do something |
| D．understood what the doctor meant |
There is a boy in my gym class (I’ll call him Bill) who has unbearably yellow teeth that almost make everyone feel unpleasant. Recently another boy told Bill that he should “go Ajax” his teeth. Bill was crushed. Had the other boy been thinking, he would have realized that there is a better way to handle such a situation. He could have dealt with it with tact. He could have showed this hurtful truth in a more careful, sensitive way—that’s “tact”.
If a person isn’t sensitive to another’s feelings, there is no way he or she can be tactful. Yesterday, my 5-year-old brother proudly announced that he had cleaned the screen on our television set. Unfortunately, he used furniture polish(亮光油), which produced an oily film on the television screen. My mother smiled and thanked him for his efforts—and then showed how to clean the screen properly. Her sensitivity enables my brother to keep his self-respect. Yet, sensitivity alone does not make tact.
“Tactfulness” also requires “truthfulness”. Doctors, for example must be truthful. If a patient has just been disabled in an accident, a tactful doctor will tell the truth—but express it with sensitivity. The doctor may try to give the patient hope by telling them curing techniques under study or about advanced equipment now available. Doctors must use tact with patients relatives as well. Instead of bluntly saying, “Your husband is disabled,” a doctor might say, “I’m sorry, but your husband has lost feeling in his legs and…”
Tact should not be confused with trickery. Trickery occurs when a nurse is about to give a patient an injection and says, “This won’t hurt a bit.” Instead of trickery, the nurse might guarantee the patient that the discomfort of the injection is a small thing compared to the benefits of it. It would also be thoughtful for the nurse to tell the patients about some of these benefits.
Tact is a wonderful skill to have, and tactful people are usually admired and respected. Without tact our society would become an intolerable place to live in. When told he should “go Ajax” his teeth, Bill probably felt ________________.
| A．surprised | B．cheated |
| C．regretful | D．painful |
According to the author, his mother’s praise for the brother is _______________.
| A．both sensitive and tactful | B．sensitive but not tactful enough |
| C．truthful but not tactful | D．sensitive but trickish |
The fourth paragraph mainly talks about __________________.
| A．how to comfort the patients |
| B．how to use trickery carefully |
| C．differences between trickery and promises |
| D．another feature of tact |
Which of the following shows the structure of the passage? (The numbers stand for the paragraphs)
A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.gaokao/beijing/
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．gaokao/beijing/
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water ingaokao/beijing/
developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．gaokao/beijing/
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said, “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20 pence to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
| A．Drinking water. | B．Invention. | C．Microwave. | D．Water Mill. |
What do we learn about the machine?
| A．It works in the same way as microwaves. |
| B．It is very expensive for families to afford. |
| C．It absorbs wet air and turns it into water. |
| D．It helps to make the water clean to drink.gaokao/beijing/ |
What does the passage lead us to believe?gaokao/beijing/
| A．The cost of water will go up. | B．Bottled water will disappear soon. |
| C．The machine is energy saving. | D．The machine will be popular worldwide. |
What’s the best title for the passage?gaokao/beijing/
| A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem. | B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air. |
| C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. | D．An Absolutely New Invention |
Each week, this program explains the many meanings of English expressions. Today’s expressions include a very important word—“heart”. We will try to “get to the heart of the matter” to better understand the most important thing about words and their stories. So “take heart.” Have no fear about learning new expressions. Besides, popular English words can be fun. There is no need for a “heavy heart.” Such feelings of sadness would only “break my heart,” or make me feel unhappy and hopeless.
Now, let us suppose you and I were speaking freely about something private. We would be having a “heart to heart” discussion. I might speak from “the bottom of my heart, ” or say things honestly and truthfully. I might even “open up my heart” to you and tell you a secret. I would speak with “all my heart”.
When a person shares her feelings freely and openly like this, you might say she “wears her heart on her sleeve”. Her emotions are not protected.
If we had an honest discussion, both of us would know that the other person’s “heart is in the right place.” For example, I would know that you are a “kind-hearted” and well-meaning person. And, if you are a very good person, I would even say that you have “a heart of gold.” However, you might have a “change of heart” based on what I tell you. Our discussion might cause you to change the way you feel about something.
But, let us suppose you get angry over what I tell you. Or worse, you feel no sympathy or understanding for me or my situation. If this happens, I might think that you have a “heart of stone.” And, if you say something to make me frightened or worried, my “heart might stand still”.If you are not so happy, you may feel that ________.
| A．you “have a heart of stone” | B．you have to “take heart” |
| C．you “break you heart” | D．you “speak from the bottom of the heart” |
From the above passage we may see ________.
| A．English words can all be used differently |
| B．some phrases do not have a fixed meaning |
| C．languages change with the time |
| D．the same word may have various meanings |
What is the passage trying to impress the readers?
| A．To explain how “heart” is used in phrases. |
| B．To show the author’s perfect English. |
| C．To tell English learners to learn English in phrases. |
| D．To advertise an English course. |
Which of the following may serve as the best title of the passage?
| A．A change of heart | B．Open up the heart of “heart” |
| C．Never let your heart stand still | D．Wear your heart on your sleeve |